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Biomedical subjects

G Estey

Publications and source records attributed to G Estey.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

A knowledge-based decision support system for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

As part of a research project intended to provide problem-based knowledge to clinicians at the point of care, we have developed a system that supports the nurse's development of patient-specific, guideline-based treatment plans for patients who have pressure ulcers or are at risk for developing them. The system captures coded data about assessment, diagnosis and interventions using a point-and-click interface. Knowledge is accessible to the user via: 1) hypertext links from the data entry screens; 2) explicit entry into an indexed version of the guideline; 3) imbedded knowledge-based rules that critique the diagnosis and offer guidance for treatment; and 4) explicit entry into interactive algorithms. The system has been implemented experimentally on one care unit at our hospital, where its impact will be assessed in comparison with a control unit. Data on 113 patients were entered during the 21-week experimental period. The system is being evaluated for its instructional adequacy, its impact on clinicians' decision-making and knowledge, and on processes of care. Users' perceptions of the system are also being evaluated. Dissemination issues in the context of today's health care environment are addressed.

Boston

Evaluation of a decision support system for pressure ulcer prevention and management: preliminary findings.

A decision support system for prevention and management of pressure ulcers was developed based on AHCPR guidelines and other sources. The system was implemented for 21 weeks on a 20-bed clinical care unit. Fifteen nurses on that unit volunteered as subjects of the intervention to see whether use of the system would have a positive effect on their knowledge about pressure ulcers and on their decision-making skills related to this topic. A similar care unit was used as a control. In addition, the system was evaluated by experts for its instructional adequacy, and by end users for their satisfaction with the system. Preliminary results show no effect on knowledge about pressure ulcers and no effect on clinical decision making skills. The system was rated positively for instructional adequacy, and positively for user satisfaction. User interviews related to satisfaction supplemented the quantitative findings. A discussion of the issues of conducting experiments like this in today's clinical environment is included.

Computer Simulation

A decision support system for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers based on AHCPR guidelines.

We have developed a Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management System to assist clinicians with patient-specific decision making. The system captures coded data about assessment, diagnosis and interventions using a point-and-click interface. Guideline-based knowledge is imbedded into the system, and is accessible in several ways: 1) via hypertext links from the data entry screens; 2) via explicit entry into an indexed version of the guideline; 3) via imbedded knowledge-based rules that critique the diagnosis and offer guidance for treatment; and 4) via explicit entry into interactive algorithms. The system has been implemented experimentally on one care unit at our hospital, where its impact will be assessed in comparison with a control unit. Preliminary usage data are provided. Issues with rendering guideline material useful for patient-specific decision support are discussed. In our setting, these issues had to do with a) incongruity with local standards; b) insufficient specificity; and 3) insufficient comprehensiveness. Issues of use and dissemination in the context of today's health care environment are also addressed.

Aged

Implementing a Web-based clinical information system using EMR middle layer services.

The Clinical Summary is a Web-based application for accessing the clinical database at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The application has been developed to give physicians in our health care community access to clinical information for patients they refer to our hospital. "Middle layer" services, written previously for the hospital's clinical workstation, supply much of the application's functionality. Employment of reusable services together with a Web-based front end has afforded a rapid and inexpensive means for developing a new clinical information system. This paper discusses the system's design, function, and methods of implementation.

Computer Communication Networks

Evaluation of a problem-based access knowledge system using triangulation methods.

A microcomputer-based system designed to provide nurses and physicians access to expert synthesized knowledge in the area of pulmonary arterial waveform troubleshooting has been developed and implemented. Evaluation using triangulation methods show that there was a substantive increase in knowledge in both nurses and physicians.¿.

Attitude of Health Personnel

User evaluation: PA catheter waveforms troubleshooting system.

This paper reports on a user satisfaction survey of a system for consultation and education in troubleshooting pulmonary artery catheter waveforms. The twelve-item End-User Computing Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to assess users' ratings in four areas. On a scale of 1-5 (with 1 the lowest), the ratings were: Content, 3.5; Accuracy, 4.5; Format, 4.2; Ease of Use, 4.4, and Timeliness, 4.1. Comparison with ratings in a survey that included a variety of applications and settings is provided.

Attitude to Computers

Indexing guidelines: applications in use of pulmonary artery catheters and pressure ulcer prevention.

In a busy clinical environment, access to knowledge must be rapid and specific to the clinical query at hand. This requires indices which support easy navigation within a knowledge source. We have developed a computer-based tool for trouble-shooting pulmonary artery waveforms using a graphical index. Preliminary results of domain knowledge tests for a group of clinicians exposed to the system (N = 33) show a mean improvement on a 30-point test of 5.33 (p < 0.001) compared to a control group (N = 19) improvement of 0.47 (p = 0.61). Survey of the experimental group (N = 25) showed 84% (p = 0.001) found the system easy to use. We discuss lessons learned in indexing this domain area to computer-based indexing of guidelines for pressure ulcer prevention.

Abstracting and Indexing

Providing clinicians with problem-based access to knowledge: troubleshooting pulmonary artery catheter waveforms.

This paper describes a microcomputer system for providing computer-based access to expert knowledge in the area of troubleshooting pulmonary artery (PA) catheter waveforms. The system is used by both nurses and physicians in an 18-bed medical intensive care unit. Its dominant features are 1) problem-focused access to knowledge, and 2) heavy use of graphics and images to explicate knowledge. The system is used by both nurses and physicians in an 18-bed medical intensive care unit. An evaluation protocol is in place to examine the impact of the system on clinicians' knowledge, their decision-making skills, their satisfaction with the system, and costs of orientation related to PA waveform troubleshooting.

Catheterization, Swan-Ganz