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Adverse occurrences during hospitalization on a general medicine service.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the sensitivity and efficiency of medical record review for detecting adverse occurrences. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. Adverse occurrences were defined broadly as events that caused or had potential to cause adverse patient outcomes. Between August 1, 1990 and March 1, 1991 a research nurse reviewed written medical records and attended nursing morning report. SETTING: A university hospital. PATIENTS: Inpatients on two general medical wards and the medical and cardiovascular intensive care units. RESULTS: There were 317 occurrences identified (0.2 per patient day): 56% were medication related, 20% were new medical conditions, 11% were procedure complications, 5% were patient dissatisfaction related, 4% were equipment related, and 3% were accidents. Review of physician progress notes was the most sensitive means of detecting new conditions (sensitivity 73%), procedure complications (sensitivity 100%), equipment-related occurrences (sensitivity 71%), and adverse drug reactions (sensitivity 89%). Review of nursing notes was the most sensitive means of detecting patient dissatisfaction (sensitivity 69%) and accident-related occurrences (sensitivity 100%). Passive reporting through incident reports identified only 9% of all adverse occurrences. Surveillance was time-consuming: concurrent review of all written sources in a 250-bed hospital would require 5.5 technicians. CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance for adverse occurrences is expensive. If selected adverse occurrences were identified as being important for quality improvement, surveillance could be focused efficiently on limited sources. The number of adverse occurrences discovered by surveillance will be heavily dependent on the choice of data source (physician progress notes, nursing notes, etc.). Comparisons among hospitals can be made only when systems for detection have similar validity.

Accidents↗

Expert consensus-based medication-use evaluation criteria for atypical antipsychotic drugs.

Medication-use criteria for the appropriate use of atypical antipsychotics were developed through a national consensus process utilizing an expert panel. A written survey was prepared which asked for opinions about options for psychopharmacologic interventions with seven antipsychotic drugs or categories (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, long-acting intramuscular decanoate ester preparations of conventional antipsychotics, and oral conventional antipsychotics) in 19 specific clinical situations. The survey was sent to 50 psychiatrists and psychiatric pharmacist specialists, 42 (84%) of whom completed the survey. The survey was formatted as a grid with rows listing various clinical situations and columns itemizing the various antipsychotic medications relevant to the situations. Responses were scored using a 9-point scale for rating the level of medical review required for any given decision. Consensus on each option was defined as a nonrandom distribution of scores by a chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Consensus was reached for 1179 of the 1230 items reviewed. Use of clozapine as a first-line therapy warranted prospective or mandated review for all diagnoses. Use of nonclozapine atypical agents for schizophrenia and schizoaffective and delusional disorders was judged to be the standard of care. Oral conventional antipsychotic agents were not considered the standard of care for any indication. Combination antipsychotic treatment always warranted at least concurrent review. Continued concerns about the use of ziprasidone and its cardiac effects were apparent. This study demonstrated the utility of a consensus-based process in addressing issues and practices not adequately addressed in the scientific literature.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

A study using working DRGs to examine variations in length of stay.

The results of a working DRG utilisation review study conducted at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1992 are described. The project aimed to allocate a working DRG to Cardiology and Orthopaedic patients. Working DRGs are defined as DRGs allocated on admission based on the presenting problem or provisional diagnosis. Patients were then concurrently reviewed until discharge. Actual length of stay (LOS) of patients was compared to the LOS predicted by the working DRG. Results indicated that a utilisation review program using a working DRG can predict a LOS reasonably well for large groups of patients but not for individual patients and that St Vincent's is a comparatively efficient provider of Cardiology and Orthopaedic Services. The paper describes the study design, methods and results. Medical Record Managers played an integral role in the preparation phase, design of the study, day to day coordination and analysis of results. Medical Record Managers' participation in the study is highlighted in this paper.

Cardiology Service, Hospital↗

The 10-minute oral presentation: what should I focus on?

BACKGROUND: Little empirical evidence is available in the medical field defining the most important features of a scientific presentation. We sought to empirically identify what features of a scientific oral presentation experienced reviewers focus on when asked to identify the best features and areas to improve. METHODS: Observational study of 44 presenters at a scientific meeting over a 4-year period. Reviewers observed presenters and identified the best features and made suggestions for improvement using an open-ended form. We developed a coding form based on three domains: content, slides, and presentation style. Two raters blinded to the presenter then coded the comments, and disagreement was resolved by concurrent review. RESULTS: Reviewers made at least one comment about content in 42 (95.5%) of the presentations, about slides in 38 (86.4%), and about presentation style in 42 (95.5%). The most frequently extracted comments on best features of presentations in the domain "content" were identifying a key concept (43.2% of presentations) and relevance (43.2%). Similarly, best features in the domain regarding "slides" were clarity (50.0% of presentations), graphics (27.3%), and readability of the text and font size (22.7%). Finally, best features in the domain regarding "presentation style" were clarity (59.1% of presentations), pace (52.3%), voice (47.7%), engaging with the audience (43.2%), addressing questions (34.1%), and eye contact (22.7%). Various other comments were noted to improve presentations. CONCLUSIONS: Important features during oral presentations relate to specific areas of content, clear slides, and a presentation style that was well paced, engaging, and clear. Nonverbal communication is important in oral presentations.

Audiovisual Aids↗

Format review: evaluating implementation of the problem-oriented medical record.

As interest in the problem-oriented medical record (POMR) develops, and more medical settings begin to implement the system, many observers are expressing a desire to know how well the system is being used and accepted. Moreover, settings currently using the POMR system have a need to document the effectiveness of their POMR program as a means of insuring continued progress and for addressing difficulties and obstacles affecting its use. Format review is a technique for reviewing patient records and describing patterns of POMR use. Patient records of an institution are reviewed concurrent to the patient's contact with the institution. Data collected from each record is summarized to provide an overview on patterns of POMR use and to identify areas of difficulty. These findings can serve as the basis for educational and administrative intervention to improve use of POMR. The format review technique is explained and examples of its application are given. The technique has been used at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center over the past two years, and has proven to be a useful tool in describing the implementation progress of POMR.

Chicago↗

Managed care is utilization review.

The role of utilization review (UR) as a form of managed care is described. As technology has advanced, the use of diagnostic and therapeutic services has increased and care delivery has shifted to outpatient settings, but the increase in healthcare costs has not slowed. The shift to delivery of medical care outside the hospital setting has increased the need for effective UR in both inpatient and outpatient settings. UR is performed not only by private UR organizations and through external review programs of insurance carriers but also through care-providers' internal programs. UR has been driven by increased medical costs and by redesign of insurance benefit plans to include financial incentives and penalties and copayments. UR has attempted to control the use of hospital services through preadmission certification and concurrent review, requirements for second surgical opinions, and medical case management, which is the identification before or during hospitalization of patients who could safely receive treatment outside the hospital. In-patient mental health and substance-abuse programs have been the subject of intensive review because of high expenditures for such services. Practice indicators are being developed that will be used for prospective determination of treatment plans. As UR techniques improve, management of care in all organized health-care settings will intensify.

Drug Utilization↗

A psychodynamic perspective on the clinical impact of insurance review.

The rise of managed care and concurrent utilization review has had a profound impact on the practice of inpatient psychiatry. Little has been written, however, on the clinical impact of the review process itself. The actions of insurance reviewers often result in their being incorporated into the psychopathology of individual patients and into the dynamics of families and institutional settings. The authors apply psychodynamic understanding to a series of case examples to illustrate how concurrent review may promote splitting, impede the patient's ability to separate from the hospital, and paradoxically reinforce the patient's illness. They also explore a number of typical responses of treatment staff and families to the review process. A case vignette demonstrating a sincere effort at mutual collaboration between payers and providers is also presented. This spirit of compromise is proposed as the solution that best serves patient care.

Adolescent↗

The use of computer generated patient profiles to evaluate resident performance in patient care.

This paper describes the way in which data from a computer-based health information system are used to review the service experiences of family practice residents. First, it discusses the development of the patient profiles that provide a chronological account of a patient's visits, their purposes, diagnoses, laboratory procedures, treatments, and outcomes. Then, through four cases, it describes the way in which these computer-generated displays are used by faculty to conduct concurrent reviews of residents' performances, to select medical records for review, and to initiate feedback and instruction to residents as they care for their patients.

Child↗

The evolution of hospital utilization review methods in the United States.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of utilization review (UR) methods that have been used in the United States and the direction UR is likely to take in the future. In contrast to the European studies reported in this issue, which consist primarily of empirical studies quantifying the magnitude of inappropriate hospital utilization, the focus of this paper is on the methods used to perform UR operationally. Particular attention will be paid to the predominant form of UR employed in the United States, concurrent review of the need for a hospital level of care, and on the criteria used to assess appropriateness of hospital admissions and days.

Forecasting↗

The Mongolian spot: a study of ethnic differences and a literature review.

Four hundred thirty-seven consecutively born full-term neonates, delivered at Jackson Memorial Hospital, were examined for the presence of mongolian spots (MS). The spots were found in 96% of the Negro children, 46% of the Hispanic children, 9.5% of the Caucasian children, and in both of the Asian children in the series. The sacro-gluteal region was the most frequent site of pigmentation, with the shoulders next in frequency. Almost all the spots on the extremities were located on the extensor surfaces. The color was most frequently blue-green, but was also commonly greenish-blue, blue-gray, or brown. In a concurrent review of 124 newborn records, MS was not described by house officers in any, although the probability of its occurrence would have been approximately 90 cases, based on the results of the study. A comprehensive review of the history of the description of MS and theories of its development, as well as a review of the clinical aspects, is presented.

Asian People↗

Cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Most cancer patients are treated by a combination of surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Whereas the primary tumor can, in most cases, be efficiently treated by a combination of these standard therapies, preventing the metastatic spread of the disease through disseminated tumor cells is often not effective. The eradication of disseminated tumor cells present in the blood circulation and micro-metastases in distant organs therefore represents another promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. Main strategies of cancer immunotherapy aim at exploiting the therapeutic potential of tumor-specific antibodies and cellular immune effector mechanisms. Whereas passive antibody therapy relies on the repeated application of large quantities of tumor antigen-specific antibodies, active immunotherapy aims at the generation of a tumor-specific immune response combining both humoral and cytotoxic T cell effector mechanisms by the host's immune system following vaccination. In the first part of this review, concurrent developments in active and passive cancer immunotherapy are discussed. In the second part, the various approaches for the production of optimized monoclonal antibodies used for anti-cancer vaccination are summarized.

Animals↗

Integrated concurrent utilization quality review, Part one.

This article is the first of a two-part series which argues for the concurrent management of the appropriateness, necessity, and quality of patient care. Intensifying scrutiny by the credentialing groups, the PROs and all third-party payors underscores the vital need to implement cost-effective information systems which integrate the departmentalized functions of patient-physician profiling, DRG case-mix analyses, length of stay monitoring, pre-admission/admission and continued stay review, discharge planning, risk management, incident reporting and quality review. In the domain of physician performance regarding admitting and practice patterns, the ability to exercise concurrent utilization-quality review means early detection and prevention of events which would otherwise result in denials of payment and/or compromised patient care. Concurrent utilization-quality review must, by definition, be managerially invasive and focused; hence, it is integral to maintaining the integrity of the services and product lines offered by the provider. In fact, if PPO status is a marketing agenda, then the institutional objectives of cost-effectiveness, productivity, value, and competitiveness can only be achieved through concurrent utilization-quality review.

Concurrent Review↗

Total parenteral nutrition: a concurrent drug utilization review.

University Hospital, a 428-bed tertiary care teaching hospital, treats approximately 150 patients annually with TPN. Currently used are three standard TPN base formulae which are ordered by physicians using preprinted TPN order forms. A concurrent Drug Utilization Review (DUR) was conducted on TPN treatment of 30 patients, to examine adherence to the current TPN protocol. Criteria for evaluation included ruling out enteral feeding, indications for TPN use, duration of therapy, monitoring of laboratory values, and caloric delivery. Physician and dietician estimation of caloric needs were compared to calories actually ordered by the physician. The number of pharmacist interventions and TPN bags wasted were also determined. Results could not be obtained with respect to ruling out enteral feeding and indications for TPN therapy due to inadequate information. The five-day minimum for duration of TPN therapy established in the DUR criteria was not attained in 23 percent (7/30) of patients. Seventy-seven percent of laboratory monitoring tests were completed. Results indicate wide disparities in caloric calculation and delivery; only 45 percent (10/22) of the patients who were ordered TPN met the physician's caloric goal. A number of recommendations were made to improve the TPN protocol and TPN therapy.

Adult↗

Rationale and experience in treating suspected hospital-based mixed infections.

Ochsner Foundation Hospital of the Ochsner Medical Institutions (OMI), a 532-bed tertiary care facility in New Orleans, uses a formulary review process common to many institutions. Considered in the selection of antimicrobial therapy are efficacy, safety, and cost. At OMI, ticarcillin-clavulanate plus gentamicin are the standard broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents for initial treatment of suspected mixed infections. The pharmacy department provides an aminoglycoside-monitoring program and convenient dosing guidelines. The regimen has resulted in good therapeutic outcomes and few adverse effects. Bacterial resistance has not been detected. Future plans include a large-scale concurrent review of patient outcomes, resistance patterns, and rates of fungal overgrowth associated with these agents.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Outcomes of antiemetic therapy after the administration of high-dose antineoplastic agents.

Patterns of antiemetic therapy and its outcomes in patients undergoing high-dose antineoplastic therapy were studied. The study, conducted at a cancer center, included both a retrospective evaluation of patients undergoing highly emetogenic high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem-cell rescue between November 1994 and December 1995 and a concurrent evaluation of patients treated between January and May 1996. During the study period the recommended antiemetic regimen for highly emetogenic chemotherapy was a single dose of granisetron 1 mg i.v. daily 30 minutes before treatment on days of chemotherapy. Severity of nausea and vomiting during both the acute phase (from day 1 of chemotherapy to 24 hours after its completion) and delayed phase (from 24 hours to five days after the end of chemotherapy) was graded according to the Common Toxicity Criteria Grading Scale. A total of 59 patients were evaluable; 41 were reviewed retrospectively, and 18 were reviewed concurrently. On day 1 of the acute phase, 53 patients (90%) had no vomiting and 51 patients (86%) had no nausea. The frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting increased on successive acute-phase days, and it was necessary to add other antiemetics. Nausea and vomiting continued to be significant problems throughout the delayed phase; 32 (54%) of the patients had a maximum of grade 3 nausea, and 29 patients (49%) had a maximum of grade 2 vomiting. Substantial numbers of patients who received selective serotonin type 3 receptor antagonists before high-dose antineoplastic agents had significant nausea and vomiting that required the addition of other antiemetics.

Adult↗

Notification of pesticide poisoning in the western Cape, 1987-1991.

There is a paucity of data on pesticide-related morbidity and mortality in South Africa. A review of notifications to the western Cape office of the Department of National Health and Population Development from 1987 to 1991 was undertaken to describe the epidemiological profile of pesticide poisoning in the region. Two hundred and twenty-five cases of pesticide poisoning were identified, of which the majority were from rural areas. Farmers, farm workers and their families were most frequently involved in poisoning events, which included accidents arising outside of workplace production (44%), self-inflicted injury (35%) and direct occupational contamination (11%). Farm pesticide stores were the most frequent source of pesticide and a seasonal variation in the trend of poisoning events could be discerned; this corresponded to agricultural spraying practices in the region. The mortality rate was significantly higher among those with self-inflicted injury, particularly farm workers. A concurrent review of hospital admissions for 1991 found that 78% of cases had not been notified. In view of the key role of surveillance in reducing pesticide-related morbidity and mortality, a call is made to improve notification of pesticide poisoning so as to facilitate control of an important potential public health problem.

Adolescent↗

Current practices for monitoring ocular toxicity related to hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Growing interest in aggressive early management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with hydroxychloroquine (alone or in combination with other immunomodulating drugs) is reason to review current practices for monitoring ocular toxicity in patients who take antimalarial therapy. METHODS: We surveyed by mail all ophthalmologists and rheumatologists in the State of Indiana about their practices in this regard. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 31 rheumatologists (94%) responded. All but one recommended ophthalmologic examinations every 6 months and 41% would leave the choice of testing procedures to the ophthalmologist. Fifty percent had discontinued hydroxychloroquine because of a patient's failure to make and/or keep an appointment with the ophthalmologist. Of 213 ophthalmologists surveyed, 150 (70%) responded. Seventy-nine percent recommended semiannual examinations. Funduscopy, visual acuity, and color vision tests were reported to be performed routinely. Eleven of 13 retina specialists (85%), but only 25% of 127 general ophthalmologists, would obtain macular photographs (p < 0.001). Forty-two percent of general ophthalmologists, compared with 8% of retina specialists, would perform computerized perimetry (p < 0.001). Recognition of retinal hyperpigmentation as a classic sign was surprisingly low in both groups. Concurrent review of the medical records of 24 patients with RA or systemic lupus erythematosus showed extremely variable followup intervals for ophthalmologic examination; 7 of the 24 patients had no record of an ophthalmologic evaluation. CONCLUSION: As interest in the early, aggressive management of RA continues to grow, significant education needs to be devoted to the monitoring and diagnosis of ocular toxicity of hydroxychloroquine by both rheumatologists and ophthalmologists.

Adult↗

Relationship between practice characteristics of primary care internists and unnecessary hospital days.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient utilization review remains a useful approach for hospitals to achieve cost savings, however utilization review efforts need to become more focused and sophisticated. METHODS: In order to identify physicians with a higher percentage of unnecessary hospital days, and to analyze how their practice characteristics distinguished them from their colleagues, 364 consecutive admissions of 57 primary care internists were reviewed concurrently, on a daily basis. Days without acute hospital level of care that occurred while patients were awaiting placement in a rehabilitation or in a chronic care facility were adjusted out of the calculation. Analysis was undertaken to assess the impact of physician age, location of training, Board Certification, practice location, participation in medical training programs, years of experience, and participation in various types of managed-care programs on the level of unnecessary hospital days. Characteristics of the patients and their illnesses were included in the analysis. RESULTS: A large number of unnecessary hospital days occurred although there was no useful segregation of good from poor physician utilizers. Board certification and suburban practice location were associated with a significantly lower percentage of adjusted unnecessary days. Physician members of a closed-panel health maintenance organization had a lower percentage of adjusted unnecessary hospital days (14% vs. 41%, P < .001) when compared with the other primary care internists. Explanations for the difference are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The patients of primary care internists are still responsible for a large number of unnecessary hospital days; 2) Utilization review efforts need to become more sophisticated and focused; and 3) A change in physician incentives coupled with appropriate staff and systems possibly would be the simplest, large-scale remedy.

Health Services Misuse↗