PubMed · 10346576
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L Untch. 1997. Physician benchmarking: a collaborative, comparative approach.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10346576/
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The positive effect of greater adherence to evidence-based guidelines on possibilities of optimizing diagnosis and therapy has been shown various times. Electronic systems for interactive support and systematization of physicians' decision-making represent a relatively new method for implementing guidelines. Introducing the "schizophrenia module", newly developed decision support software is presented combining electronic data processing-based, quality-oriented documentation and interactive decision support in the outpatient treatment for schizophrenic disorders. Structure, functionality, and options of use are presented. Besides classic measures of quality management (benchmarking), electronic decision support systems can contribute to improve process quality and outcome in the treatment of mental diseases.
Recognizing left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is critical. The investigators sought to evaluate whether nurses could be trained to use a hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) device to screen for LV systolic dysfunction in high-risk patients. Sixty-three patients from an outpatient diabetes clinic underwent brief echocardiographic examinations by nurses using HCU devices. Of the 63 patients enrolled in the study, 3 (4.7%) had LV systolic dysfunction. The nurses correctly identified these 3 patients as having LV systolic dysfunction (sensitivity 100%, negative predictive value 100%). The identification of occult LV systolic dysfunction in diabetic patients may allow the initiation of therapies known to improve prognosis.
Non-adherence is one of the primary obstacles to successful antiretroviral therapy in HIV+ patients worldwide. In Brazil, the Domiciliary Therapeutic Assistance is a multidisciplinary and integrated home-based assistance program provided for HIV+ patients confined in their homes due to physical deficiency. This study investigated ADT's ability to monitor and promote appropriate adherence to ARV therapy. Fifty-six individuals were recruited from three study groups: Group 1 -- patients currently in the ADT program, Group 2 -- 21 patients previously treated by the ADT program, and Group 3 -- 20 patients who have always been treated using conventional ambulatory care. Using multivariable self-reporting to evaluate adherence, patients in the ADT program had significantly better adherence than patients in ambulatory care (F = 6.66, p = 0.003). This effect was independent of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as medical history. Patients in the ADT program also showed a trend towards greater therapeutic success than ambulatory patients. These results suggest the incorporation of characteristics of ADT in conventional ambulatory care as a strategy to increase adherence to ARV therapy.