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Biomedical subjects

D S Rich

Publications and source records attributed to D S Rich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Hospital selection of home infusion therapy companies as preferred providers.

The process by which a hospital selected home infusion therapy providers is described. Administrators at a 379-bed teaching hospital decided to attempt to reduce the high mean length of stay by expanding the use of home infusion therapy. Direct diversification into this field by the hospital was not feasible, so it was decided to establish contractual agreements with providers. A task force was appointed to evaluate and choose vendors in the area and to increase the number of patient referrals. The task force examined reports on past experience with providers, price lists, the range and level of services offered, and the amount of free care given and visited the companies' facilities. The group designated three providers as preferred and two as unacceptable. The number of patients referred increased from 21 during the 12 months before the task force was convened to 46 in the first 9 months afterward, for a saving of 2198 patients days. After one year the task force met again to consider company requests for evaluation or reevaluation, establish a plan for publicizing the benefits of home infusion therapy, and replace the site visits with a requirement for accreditation by the Joint Commission. After two years, the task force developed provider-evaluation criteria to streamline the process and reflect the experience gained. The responsibility for reviewing providers was transferred to the P&T committee. When a direct venture into home infusion therapy is not fiscally desirable, contracting for services can still offer the advantages of reduced length of stay and decreased drug expenses.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of a disposable, elastomeric infusion device in the home environment.

The use of a disposable, elastomeric infusion device was evaluated in 55 patients receiving home antimicrobial therapy. During a 30-day period, all patients referred to five service centers to receive home antimicrobial therapy for at least one week were enrolled in the study. Pharmacists used an automated pump to fill 110-mL, 100-mL/hr elastomeric devices (Homepump; Block Medical, Carlsbad, CA). Nurses trained patients to use the device. Nurses and pharmacists completed an evaluation form for each patient. Fifty-five patients received a total of 1938 doses; a fresh device was used to administer each dose. Nurses described patient teaching for the device as easy (51) or no different from that for other devices (4). Patient acceptance was reported to be good in 54 patients and poor in 1 patient. A total of 91 restarts were required; 36 patients needed more than one restart. The failure rate of the device was 1.6%; 25 of 44 reported problems occurred in devices that were frozen and thawed before use. The Homepump was determined to be an acceptable device for the intermittent infusion of small-volume antimicrobial solutions in the home environment because of its low failure rate and high degree of patient and nursing preference; its drawbacks include high cost and slowed infusion rates for units that are not thawed properly after freezing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Experience with a two-tiered therapeutic interchange policy.

A university hospital's formulary policy for therapeutic interchange is described in which pharmacists can routinely interchange some drugs but must contact the prescribers before interchanging other drugs. For drugs that are not automatically interchanged by the pharmacy, the formulary contains a "class representative," which pharmacy may change as relative prices of drug products change. When a non-formulary drug for which there is a designated class representative is prescribed, pharmacy contacts the prescriber. When a class representative for injectable histamine H2-receptor antagonists was being selected, previous positive and negative experiences with establishing therapeutic equivalence for antimicrobial agents were considered. The implementation of H2 antagonist therapeutic equivalence included the following steps: determining potential cost savings, reviewing the literature, consulting with specialty practitioners, presenting the information to the pharmacy and therapeutics committee, distributing formal bids, and educating hospital staff. Before cimetidine was designated the class representative, 84% of orders for injectable H2 antagonists were for ranitidine; one year later, 90% were for cimetidine. Orders for oral H2 antagonists also changed from predominantly ranitidine to predominantly cimetidine. The hospital's total costs for H2 antagonists decreased 8.4% in one year. The two-tiered approach to therapeutic interchange can reduce drug costs and increase the scope of agents deemed therapeutic equivalents in a manner that is acceptable to physicians and pharmacists.

Boston↗
PubMed1986

Effect of pharmacists' clinical interventions on nonformulary drug use.

The effect on drug costs of pharmacists' interventions in reducing the use of nonformulary medications was studied in a private teaching hospital. During a four-month period, nonformulary medication request forms and pharmacist consultation logs were reviewed to determine physicians' actions taken on requests for nonformulary medications. Cost avoidance of interventions (nonformulary medication cost) and the cost of pharmacist cost) and the cost of pharmacist time for the interventions were determined. The pharmacist was able to contact The pharmacist was able to contact the physician in 388 of 394 instances in which the use of a nonformulary medication was considered. Of 230 recommendations by pharmacists to change a nonformulary drug order to one for a formulary alternative, 64.8% (149) were accepted by physicians. Of pharmacists' recommendations that were accepted, 75.8% (113/149) were from decentralized areas, which was a significantly higher acceptance rate than that for the centralized areas (24.7% or 36/149). Cost avoidance resulting from acceptance of pharmacists' recommendations during the four-month study was $2,645, or $13,573 per year; this was more than the cost of pharmacist time required to perform interventions. Pharmacist interventions to decrease use of nonformulary drugs can be cost-effective and appear to be more successful in decentralized pharmacy service areas than in areas served by a central pharmacy.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1984

Two methods for estimating body surface area in adult amputees.

Two methods for estimating body surface area (BSA) in adult amputees were developed. BSA in sq m was determined in 42 healthy, nonamputee men and women by summing the surface areas of individual body parts obtained using geometric measurements (BSAmeas) and by an equation using height and weight (BSAcalc). Linear regression analysis was used to determine correlations between BSAmeas and BSAcalc and between BSAmeas and surface-area measurements of individual body parts (SApart). The percentages of total BSA contributed by individual body parts in each subject were determined by the ratio of SApart to BSAmeas, and these percentages were compared with the corresponding percentages for body parts using the "Rule of Nines." BSAcalc and BSAmeas were significantly correlated, as were SApart and BSAmeas. Regression analysis of SApart versus BSAmeas yielded an equation for each measured body part that allowed calculation of SApart without direct measurement. SApart expressed as a percentage of total BSA differed from the percentage of BSA used in the "Rule of Nines" by a mean of 12.4-32% depending on the body part. Two methods of estimating BSA in amputees were proposed based on deduction of the surface area of the amputated part (calculated from the regression equation for SApart or as a percentage of total BSA) from total BSAcalc in adult amputees. The two methods developed in this study for estimating BSA may be useful in determining drug dosages in adult amputees and may provide more accurate information in burn therapy. Further studies are needed to validate the clinical application of these methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Total condylar knee arthroplasty for valgus and combined valgus-flexion deformity of the knee.

Total condylar knee arthroplasty was performed on 64 knees with fixed valgus or valgus/flexion deformities. The technique for release of tight lateral and posterior structures is important to balance the ligament. Clinical results were rated good and excellent in 95% of the knees. Four patients with excessive flexion deformities required 6 weeks of cast bracing in the immediate postoperative period for instabilities caused by an imbalance in the spacing in flexion and extension. In no joint in the entire series did stability deteriorate with time. There were no patellar complications or nerve palsies noted. Radiographic evaluation revealed well-fixed components in 92% of the arthroplasties. None has required revision for mechanical loosening to date. With proper technique the total condylar prosthesis can be employed in knees with valgus or valgus/flexion deformities to give predictably good results. The total condylar III prosthesis may be required in severe combined deformities for added stability.

Adult↗