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PubMed1995

On content of practice. The advantage of computerized information systems in family practice.

BACKGROUND: Computerized medical records have been widely used in family practice in Iceland for several years. Extensive data have been accumulated; however, how best to use and implement these data has been debated. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of this study was to determine the advantage of computerized information systems in family practice. MAIN RESULTS: The results provided broad epidemiological information on the content of family practice in Iceland. The study population consisted of 50,865 Icelanders and their 257,188 contacts with 17 community health centres over one whole year, 1988. Services were provided by 50 doctors, 43 nurses and nurses' assistants, and 7 midwives. Almost 90% of the rural population made at least one contact over the year of study; the mean rate of contacts per individual was 5.1, office visit 2.8-3.3, phone calls 1.1-1.6, and home-visits 0.4, females (40%) more often than males, increasing in number with increasing age. Disease symptoms were the reason for contact in 35-39% of cases, the initiative of the health care provider in 44-50%, and administration in 9-12%. The mean number of health problems recorded were 2.3 per individual per year. Extensive prevalence numbers are provided by age and sex. The largest categories were respiratory, injuries and musculoskeletal with a prevalence of over 200/1000 individuals per year. The most frequent contacts were made by persons with cancer and mental problems. The actions taken (processes) as a result of these contacts were numerous, an average of 1.6 per contact; 648 medications/1000 contacts, 141 laboratory tests, 126 surgical procedures, 15-24 referrals, and 15-26 hospital admissions. Prescriptions were most frequently for central nervous system medication (93-117/1000 contacts), for anti-infectives (100-106), and for cardiovascular (58-99). The cost of x-rays was shown to be $866 per 1000 contacts, and the odds for having an x-ray decreased by 18% for every 1000 individuals added to a practice. A quality study showed 16% of x-ray requests and 13% of office prescriptions were lacking. CONCLUSION: The information obtained reflects health problems of the population as observed by family doctors. The information is useful for observing and influencing the health of a nation, the practices of health care providers, the generation of cost in the health system, and the use of appropriate health services. It is also useful to health care planners and researchers, as well as educators of health care providers. This study serves as a baseline for these tasks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Investigation into the reasons for preventable drug related admissions to a medical admissions unit: observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the drugs and types of medicine management problems most frequently associated with preventable drug related admissions to an acute medical admissions unit. DESIGN: Observation study. SETTING: Medical admissions unit in a teaching hospital in Nottingham, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 4093 patients seen by pharmacists on the medical admissions unit between 1 January and 30 June 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of admissions that were drug related and preventable, classification of the underlying causes of preventable drug related admissions, and identification of drugs most commonly associated with preventable drug related admissions. RESULTS: Of the admissions seen by pharmacists, 265 (6.5%) were judged to be drug related and 178 (67%) of these were judged to be preventable. Preventable admissions were mainly due to problems with prescribing (63 cases (35%)), monitoring (46 cases (26%)), and adherence to medication (53 cases (30%)). The drugs most commonly implicated were NSAIDs, antiplatelets, antiepileptics, hypoglycaemics, diuretics, inhaled corticosteroids, cardiac glycosides, and beta-blockers. CONCLUSIONS: Potentially preventable drug related morbidity was associated with 4.3% of admissions to a medical admissions unit. In 91% of cases these admissions were related to problems with either prescribing, monitoring, or adherence.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗
PubMed1988

Medicare program; utilization and quality control peer review program; third Scope of Work for peer review organizations--HCFA. Notice.

This notice describes new requirements for the third Scope of Work for Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organizations (PROs) for fiscal year 1989, beginning October 1, 1988. This notice implements section 4091(b)(1) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-203), which requires us to publish a new policy or procedure adopted by the Secretary that affects substantially the performance of contract obligations at least 30 days before the date the policy or procedure is to be used. It also implements other provisions of Pub. L. 100-203, as well as requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986.

Humans↗
PubMed1976

9. PSRO review of long-term care utilization and quality.

PSROs will require a broad range of information with which to develop and sustain the review process for long-term care institutions. The general approach to PSRO review of long-term care described here has been approved by the National Professional Standards Review Council. In implementing this approach, the Bureau of Quality Assurance recognizes that long-term care review is in an evolutionary state, and will initiate a series of demonstrations designed to test and refine various acceptable approaches, rather than require a single uniform methodology for PSRO use. The test period will provide the Bureau with an opportunity to fully assess the feasibility, costs, and impact on the quality of care of various approaches. The basic elements of long-term care review remain unchanged. A general outline of the currently proposed PSRO long-term care review system is described in the middle section of the paper.

Government Agencies↗
PubMed1975

Pediatric echocardiography: a review of its clinical utility.

Echocardiography is a new noninvasive tool which provides real-time motion visualization of intracardiac structures for the evaluation of anatomy and physiology in patients with congenital heart disease. This paper is presented to acquaint the pediatrician with the utilization and potential of this technique as practiced by pediatric cardiologists. A discussion of principles of physics and instrumentation in echocardiography is followed by a description of normal echocardiographic anatomy. Specific malformations which can be diagnosed reliably by this technique include: hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot, idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, mitral valve prolapse, and pericardial effusion. In addition, the evaluation of patients with atrial septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus is discussed. New advances in instrumentation and their potential impact in pediatric cardiology are reviewed.

Aorta↗
PubMed2005

Microvolt T-wave alternans: a review of techniques, interpretation, utility, clinical studies, and future perspectives.

Microvolt T-wave alternans (TWA) testing involves measuring variation in the morphology of the T-wave on an every other beat basis. The magnitude of the variation observed is typically on the order of a few microvolts. Thus in order to detect microvolt TWA, specialized recording and signal processing methods must be employed for reliable measurement. Additionally, microvolt TWA is not generally present at rest even in patients at risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and therefore exercise stress, pharmacologic stress, or atrial pacing must be utilized in order to elevate the heart rate. A positive MTWA test is one in which sustained TWA is present with an onset heart rate < or = 110 bpm. With current instrumentation, microvolt TWA represents an inexpensive, convenient non-invasive testing modality. Microvolt TWA has been evaluated prospectively in a variety of patient populations as a means of predicting occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events and its association with the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias has been demonstrated. Future role of microvolt TWA testing in noninvasive risk stratification is awaiting results of ongoing clinical trials. In this article, we tried to review the techniques, interpretation, indications, clinical studies, and future perspectives of microvolt TWA.

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents↗
PubMed2006

Assessing the relationships between contextual factors and research utilization in nursing: systematic literature review.

AIM: This paper reports a systematic literature review examining relationships between contextual factors and research utilization in nursing, examining the strength of these relationships, and mapping the contextual factors to the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services model of research implementation. BACKGROUND: Healthcare organizations have long struggled with how to improve clinical care outcomes. Understanding which contextual factors enhance nursing research utilization may support organizations in creating environments that facilitate the uptake of evidence in nursing practice to improve these outcomes. METHODS: A search of five electronic bibliographic databases and a manual search of specific journals were conducted for studies that were published in English and examined contextual factors as independent variables and research utilization as the dependent variable from the perspective of nurses working in clinical practice. The studies were assessed for quality of design, sample, measurement and statistical analysis. RESULTS: Ten papers met the search criteria. Six contextual factors were identified as having a statistically significant relationship with research utilization, namely the role of the nurse, multi-faceted access to resources, organizational climate, multi-faceted support, time for research activities and provision of education. The contextual factors could successfully be mapped to the dimensions of context in the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework (context, culture, leadership), with the exception of evaluation. CONCLUSION: The strength of the relationship between the six contextual factors and research utilization by nurses is still largely unknown as (a) few studies were found of sufficient quality because of methodological limitations and (b) the results in reviewed studies were mixed. More robust methods in future work would yield a better understanding of the full impact of contextual factors on nurses' use of research.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1985

Medicare program; utilization and quality control peer review organization (PRO) reconsiderations and appeals--HCFA. Final rule.

These regulations implement that portion of the Peer Review Improvement Act of 1982 that provides for reconsiderations and appeals of Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization (PRO) initial determinations. We are establishing procedures for a PRO to reconsider both its initial denial determinations regarding the medical necessity, reasonableness and appropriateness of health care services furnished or proposed to be furnished to a Medicare beneficiary in a health care institution and the application of the limitation of liability provision. We are also including in this final rule procedures for administrative appeals to the Department following a PRO reconsidered determination and judicial review following administrative appeals. In addition, these regulations establish procedures for review of a PRO change in the diagnostic and procedural coding information that results in assignment of a discharge to a different diagnosis related group (DRG). This pertains to the review of claims for services furnished in hospitals reimbursed by Medicare under the prospective payment system.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗
PubMed2003

CME review: A cost-utility analysis of laser photocoagulation for extrafoveal choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to perform a reference case (average case), cost-utility analysis of laser photocoagulation for extrafoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration using a model incorporating patient preferences. METHODS: Visual acuity data for patients treated and observed over a 5-year period were obtained from previously reported studies by the Macular Photocoagulation Study Group. The results from this prospective, randomized trial were incorporated in a cost-utility model using time-trade-off utility analysis and decision analysis with Markov modeling according to the recommendations of the Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Expenditures and health care benefits were each discounted at a 3% yearly rate. RESULTS: Laser photocoagulation therapy for extrafoveal choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration, compared with observation, resulted in a mean gain of 0.0740 quality-adjusted life-year per patient treated. The mean cost of treatment for the average patient totaled 1,715 US dollars. The cost divided by the health care benefit resulted in 23,176 year 2001 US dollars per quality-adjusted life-year gained for this procedure for a reference case. Sensitivity analyses, varying the cost, utility values, and discount parameters, resulted in dollars per quality-adjusted life-year gained ranging from 16,117 to 49,766 US dollars. CONCLUSION: Laser photocoagulation for extrafoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration appears to be cost-effective when compared with interventions across multiple medical specialties.

Choroidal Neovascularization↗
PubMed1986

Utility of specimen angiography in angiodysplasia of the colon.

This study reviews the utility of specimen angiography in identifying colonic lesions clinically thought to represent angiodysplasia. Four elderly patients presented with acute rectal bleeding. The diagnosis of angiodysplasia was made preoperatively in 3 patients by colonoscopy or angiography, or both. These specimens were injected with silicon rubber compound, xerographed, cleared with methyl salicylate, and examined with transillumination before histologic sampling. Although this technique was not used in the fourth case, fortuitous random sampling of the ascending colon revealed vascular changes indicative of angiodysplasia that correlated with a preoperative bleeding scan. Associated lesions in 1 patient were carcinoma of the colon and primary amyloidosis, the concurrence of which has not been described previously. With the injection technique the lesions of angiodysplasia appear grossly as spiderlike, dilated blood vessels. Microscopically, dilated veins, venules, and capillaries are found in the submucosa only or in the mucosa and submucosa. The importance of the postoperative injection is that it prevents the collapse of the blood vessels and enables the pathologist to identify the lesions grossly. As these lesions are usually small, this is important for proper sampling and histologic documentation.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Congenital and acquired thrombocytopenia.

The diagnosis and management of thrombocytopenia is a growing component in the practice of hematology. The frequency with which hematologists are called in consultation for thrombocytopenia continues to increase with the advent of routine automated platelet determinations and the introduction of new medications. For most patients, such as those with inherited and auto-immune thrombocytopenia, emphasis is focused on efforts to treat or forestall bleeding without excess drug-induced toxicity or burden to the patient. However, in disorders such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), avoidance of thrombotic complications is the key to management. In this chapter, we provide the pediatric and adult hematologist with new insights into the pathogenesis and recognition of congenital inherited thrombocytopenias (CTP), a hitherto difficult to comprehend constellation of clinical entities. We also highlight new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of two of the more common thrombocytopenic conditions encountered in practice, autoimmune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and HIT. In Section I, Dr. James Bussel discusses CTPs and their distinction from childhood ITP. He emphasizes the clinical features that enable the pediatrician and hematologist to suspect the diagnosis of CTP and those that are of use to subcategorize the various entities, where possible. He also emphasizes newer molecular markers that afford definitive diagnosis in some cases and provide insight into platelet production. This section highlights the characteristic associated findings and differences in the natural history and approaches to management of the various entities. In Section II, Dr. Robert McMillan discusses adult chronic ITP. He revisits the utility of platelet antibody determination in diagnosis and review new insights into pathogenesis. The role of Helicobacter pylori infection and the timing of splenectomy in the management of acute and emergent ITP are examined. New insights into the natural history of ITP post-splenectomy and management strategies for patients with severe, chronic, refractory ITP are discussed. In Section III, Dr. James Zehnder updates us on HIT. He emphasizes new insights into the clinical presentation and pathogenesis of this condition. He critically reviews the utility of laboratory testing for heparin-dependent antibodies. Recent studies on the use of direct thrombin inhibitors are examined and the management of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in patients with HIT is discussed.

Adult↗