Association between the safe delivery app and quality of care and perinatal survival in Ethiopia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Stine; Boas, Ida Marie; Bedesa, Tariku

2016-01-01

the health care workers' knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation as long as 12 months after introduction. Perinatal mortality was nonsignificantly reduced after the intervention. The results are highly relevant in low-income countries, where quality of care is challenged by a lack of continuing......Importance: Health apps in low-income countries are emerging tools with the potential to improve quality of health care services, but few apps undergo rigorous scientific evaluation. Objective: To determine the effects of the safe delivery app (SDA) on perinatal survival and on health care workers......' knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation. Design, setting, and participants: In a cluster-randomized clinical trial in 5 rural districts of Ethiopia, 73 health care facilities were randomized to the mobile phone intervention or to standard care (control). From September 1, 2013, to February 1, 2015...

The importance of regional availability of health care for old age survival - Findings from German reunification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogt, Tobias C.; Vaupel, James W

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: This article investigates the importance of regional health care availability for old age survival. Using German reunification as a natural experiment, we show that spatial variation in health care in East Germany considerably influenced the convergence of East German life expectancy...... toward West German levels. METHOD: We apply cause-deleted life tables and continuous mortality decomposition for the years 1982-2007 to show how reductions in circulatory mortality among the elderly affected the East German catch-up in life expectancy. RESULTS: Improvements in remaining life expectancy...

Rainfall during parental care reduces reproductive and survival components of fitness in a passerine bird

OpenAIRE

?berg, Meit; Arlt, Debora; P?rt, Tomas; Laugen, Ane T; Eggers, S?nke; Low, Matthew

2014-01-01

Adverse weather conditions during parental care may have direct consequences for offspring production, but longer-term effects on juvenile and parental survival are less well known. We used long-term data on reproductive output, recruitment, and parental survival in northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) to investigate the effects of rainfall during parental care on fledging success, recruitment success (juvenile survival), and parental survival, and how these effects related to nestling age,...

Adjuvant Medications That Improve Survival after Locoregional Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Boas, F Edward; Ziv, Etay; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Brown, Karen T; Erinjeri, Joseph P; Sofocleous, Constantinos T; Harding, James J; Solomon, Stephen B

2017-07-01

To determine if outpatient medications taken at the time of liver tumor embolization or ablation affect survival. A retrospective review was done of 2,032 liver tumor embolization, radioembolization, and ablation procedures performed in 1,092 patients from June 2009 to April 2016. Pathology, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer), neuroendocrine tumor (NET) grade, initial locoregional therapy, overall survival after initial locoregional therapy, Child-Pugh score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and outpatient medications taken at the time of locoregional therapy were analyzed for each patient. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated for patients taking 29 medications or medication classes (including prescription and nonprescription medications) for reasons unrelated to their primary cancer diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier curves were compared using the log-rank test. For patients with HCC initially treated with embolization (n = 304 patients), the following medications were associated with improved survival when taken at the time of embolization: beta-blockers (P = .0007), aspirin (P = .0008) and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (P = .009), proton pump inhibitors (P = .004), and antivirals for hepatitis B or C (P = .01). For colorectal liver metastases initially treated with ablation (n = 172 patients), beta-blockers were associated with improved survival when taken at the time of ablation (P = .02). Aspirin and beta-blockers are associated with significantly improved survival when taken at the time of embolization for HCC. Aspirin was not associated with survival differences after locoregional therapy for NET or colorectal liver metastases, suggesting an HCC-specific effect. Copyright © 2017 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Precision oncology in advanced cancer patients improves overall survival with lower weekly healthcare costs

Science.gov (United States)

Haslem, Derrick S.; Chakravarty, Ingo; Fulde, Gail; Gilbert, Heather; Tudor, Brian P.; Lin, Karen; Ford, James M.; Nadauld, Lincoln D.

2018-01-01

The impact of precision oncology on guiding treatment decisions of late-stage cancer patients was previously studied in a retrospective analysis. However, the overall survival and costs were not previously evaluated. We report the overall survival and healthcare costs associated with precision oncology in these patients with advanced cancer. Building on a matched cohort study of 44 patients with metastatic cancer who received all of their care within a single institution, we evaluated the overall survival and healthcare costs for each patient. We analyzed the outcomes of 22 patients who received genomic testing and targeted therapy (precision oncology) between July 1, 2013 and January 31, 2015, and compared to 22 historically controlled patients (control) who received standard chemotherapy (N = 17) or best supportive care (N = 5). The median overall survival was 51.7 weeks for the targeted treatment group and 25.8 weeks for the control group (P = 0.008) when matching on age, gender, histological diagnosis and previous treatment lines. Average costs over the entire period were $2,720 per week for the targeted treatment group and $3,453 per week for the control group, (P = 0.036). A separate analysis of 1,814 patients with late-stage cancer diagnoses found that those who received a targeted cancer treatment (N = 93) had 6.9% lower costs in the last 3 months of life compared with those who did not. These findings suggest that precision oncology may improve overall survival for refractory cancer patients while lowering average per-week healthcare costs, resource utilization and end-of-life costs. PMID:29552312

Improved survival in HIV treatment programs in Asia

Science.gov (United States)

De La Mata, Nicole L; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Khol, Vohith; Ng, Oon Tek; Van Nguyen, Kinh; Merati, Tuti Parwati; Pham, Thuy Thanh; Lee, Man Po; Durier, Nicolas; Law, Matthew

2016-01-01

Background Antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV-positive patients has expanded rapidly in Asia over the last ten years. Our study aimed to describe the time trends and risk factors for overall survival in patients receiving first-line ART in Asia. Methods We included HIV-positive adult patients who initiated ART between 2003–2013 (n=16 546), from seven sites across six Asia-Pacific countries. Patient follow-up was to May 2014. We compared survival for each country and overall by time period of ART initiation using Kaplan-Meier curves. Factors associated with mortality were assessed using Cox regression, stratified by site. We also summarized first-line ART regimens, CD4 count at ART initiation, and CD4 and HIV viral load testing frequencies. Results There were 880 deaths observed over 54 532 person-years of follow-up, a crude rate of 1.61 (1.51, 1.72) per 100 person-years. Survival significantly improved in more recent years of ART initiation. The survival probabilities at 4 years follow-up for those initiating ART in 2003–05 was 92.1%, 2006–09 was 94.3% and 2010–2013 was 94.5% (pAsia have improved survival in more recent years of ART initiation. This is likely a consequence of improvements in treatment and, patient management and monitoring over time. PMID:26961354

Guideline-Concordant Cancer Care and Survival Among American Indian/Alaskan Native Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Javid, Sara H.; Varghese, Thomas K.; Morris, Arden M.; Porter, Michael P.; He, Hao; Buchwald, Dedra; Flum, David R.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/ANs) have the worst 5-year cancer survival of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Causes for this disparity are unknown. The authors of this report examined the receipt of cancer treatment among AI/AN patients compared with white patients. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of 338,204 patients who were diagnosed at age ≥65 years with breast, colon, lung, or prostate cancer between 1996 and 2005 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. Nationally accepted guidelines for surgical and adjuvant therapy and surveillance were selected as metrics of optimal, guideline-concordant care. Treatment analyses compared AI/ANs with matched whites. RESULTS Across cancer types, AI/ANs were less likely to receive optimal cancer treatment and were less likely to undergo surgery (P ≤ .025 for all cancers). Adjuvant therapy rates were significantly lower for AI/AN patients with breast cancer (P <.001) and colon cancer (P = .001). Rates of post-treatment surveillance also were lower among AI/ANs and were statistically significantly lower for AI/AN patients with breast cancer (P = .002) and prostate cancer (P <.001). Nonreceipt of optimal cancer treatment was associated with significantly worse survival across cancer types. Disease-specific survival for those who did not undergo surgery was significantly lower for patients with breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62), colon cancer (HR, 0.74), prostate cancer (HR, 0.52), and lung cancer (HR, 0.36). Survival rates also were significantly lower for those patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy for breast cancer (HR, 0.56), colon cancer (HR, 0.59), or prostate cancer (HR, 0.81; all 95% confidence intervals were <1.0). CONCLUSIONS Fewer AI/AN patients than white patients received guideline-concordant cancer treatment across the 4 most common cancers. Efforts to explain these differences are critical to improving cancer care and

Does prehospital time affect survival of major trauma patients where there is no prehospital care?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S B Dharap

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Survival after major trauma is considered to be time dependent. Efficient prehospital care with rapid transport is the norm in developed countries, which is not available in many lower middle and low-income countries. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of prehospital time and primary treatment given on survival of major trauma patients in a setting without prehospital care. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in a university hospital in Mumbai, from January to December 2014. The hospital has a trauma service but no organized prehospital care or defined interhospital transfer protocols. All patients with life- and/or limb-threatening injuries were included in the study. Injury time and arrival time were noted and the interval was defined as “prehospital time” for the directly arriving patients and as “time to tertiary care” for those transferred. Primary outcome measure was in-hospital death (or discharge. Results: Of 1181 patients, 352 were admitted directly from the trauma scene and 829 were transferred from other hospitals. In-hospital mortality was associated with age, mechanism and mode of injury, shock, Glasgow Coma Score <9, Injury Severity Score ≥16, need for intubation, and ventilatory support on arrival; but neither with prehospital time nor with time to tertiary care. Transferred patients had a significantly higher mortality (odds ratio = 1.869, 95% confidence interval = 1.233–2.561, P = 0.005 despite fewer patients with severe injury. Two hundred and ninety-four (35% of these needed airway intervention while 108 (13% needed chest tube insertion on arrival to the trauma unit suggesting inadequate care at primary facility. Conclusion: Mortality is not associated with prehospital time but with transfers from primary care; probably due to deficient care. To improve survival after major trauma, enhancement of resources for resuscitation and capacity building of on

What if the baby doesn't survive? Health-care decision making for ill newborns in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Onarheim, Kristine Husøy; Sisay, Mitike Molla; Gizaw, Muluken; Moland, Karen Marie; Miljeteig, Ingrid

2017-12-01

Despite efforts to improve access to and quality of care for newborns, the first month after birth remains the most dangerous period of life. Given high neonatal mortality in low-income countries, saving newborn lives is a key priority for global and national health policy agendas. However, little is known about how these policies resonate with local understandings, experiences and household priorities. In this qualitative study we examined families' decision making and health-care-seeking in Butajira, Ethiopia. Data were collected through observation in hospital, in-depth interviews (41), and focus group discussions (7) with family members, health-care workers, and community members (October-November 2015). Transcripts and field notes were analyzed inductively using qualitative content analysis. Findings indicate that newborn health was not always the family's priority. Local perceptions of newborns as not yet useful members of the household alongside costly health-care services delayed decision making and care-seeking. While sickness was recognized as dangerous for the ill newborn, seeking health-care could be harmful for the economic survival of the family. In a resource-constrained setting, families' focused on productive assets in order to minimize long-term risks, and waited before seeking newborn health-care services. Until the baby had survived the first vulnerable weeks and months of life, the unknown newborn was not yet seen as a social person by the community. Personhood evolved progressively as the baby became a part of the family. A newborn death was surrounded by silence, and families received minimal support from traditional financial associations, iddirs. Decisions regarding health-care were contingent upon families' understandings of newborns and their resource-constrained circumstances. Improving newborn health involves recognizing why families choose to (not) seek health-care, and their actual opportunities and constraints in making such

Value-based contracting innovated Medicare advantage healthcare delivery and improved survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Aloke K; Tagomori, Gene K; Felix, Randell V; Howell, Scott C

2017-02-01

In Medicare Advantage (MA) with its CMS Hierarchical Condition Categories (CMS-HCC) payment model, CMS reimburses private plans (Medicare Advantage Organizations [MAOs]) with prospective, monthly, health-based or risk-adjusted, capitated payments. The effect of this payment methodology on healthcare delivery remains debatable. How value-based contracting generates cost efficiencies and improves clinical outcomes in MA is studied. A difference in contracting arrangements between an MAO and 2 provider groups facilitated an intervention-control, preintervention-postintervention, difference-in-differences approach among statistically similar, elderly, community-dwelling MA enrollees within one metropolitan statistical area. Starting in 2009, for intervention-group MA enrollees, the MAO and a provider group agreed to full-risk capitation combined with a revenue gainshare. The gainshare was based on increases in the Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF), which modified the CMS-HCC payments. For the control group, the MAO continued to reimburse another provider group through fee-for-service. RAF, utilization, and survival were followed until December 31, 2012. The intervention group's mean RAF increased significantly (P based visits (P based care for these MA enrollees with multiple comorbidities, a 6% survival benefit with a 32.8% lower hazard of death (P Value-based contracting can drive utilization patterns and improve clinical outcomes among chronically ill, elderly MA members.

Palliative sedation in end-of-life care and survival: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltoni, Marco; Scarpi, Emanuela; Rosati, Marta; Derni, Stefania; Fabbri, Laura; Martini, Francesca; Amadori, Dino; Nanni, Oriana

2012-04-20

Palliative sedation is a clinical procedure aimed at relieving refractory symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. It has been suggested that sedative drugs may shorten life, but few studies exist comparing the survival of sedated and nonsedated patients. We present a systematic review of literature on the clinical practice of palliative sedation to assess the effect, if any, on survival. A systematic review of literature published between January 1980 and December 2010 was performed using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Search terms included palliative sedation, terminal sedation, refractory symptoms, cancer, neoplasm, palliative care, terminally ill, end-of-life care, and survival. A manual search of the bibliographies of electronically identified articles was also performed. Eleven published articles were identified describing 1,807 consecutive patients in 10 retrospective or prospective nonrandomized studies, 621 (34.4%) of whom were sedated. One case-control study was excluded from prevalence analysis. The most frequent reason for sedation was delirium in the terminal stages of illness (median, 57.1%; range, 13.8% to 91.3%). Benzodiazepines were the most common drug category prescribed. Comparing survival of sedated and nonsedated patients, the sedation approach was not shown to be associated with worse survival. Even if there is no direct evidence from randomized clinical trials, palliative sedation, when appropriately indicated and correctly used to relieve unbearable suffering, does not seem to have any detrimental effect on survival of patients with terminal cancer. In this setting, palliative sedation is a medical intervention that must be considered as part of a continuum of palliative care.

The health care market: can hospitals survive?

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsmith, J C

1980-01-01

Does it sound familiar? Resources are scarce, competition is tough, and government regulations and a balanced budget are increasingly hard to meet at the same time. This is not the automobile or oil industry but the health care industry, and hospital managers are facing the same problems. And, maintains the author of this article, they must borrow some proven marketing techniques from business to survive in the new health care market. He first describes the features of the new market (the increasing economic power of physicians, new forms of health care delivery, prepaid health plans, and the changing regulatory environment) and then the possible marketing strategies for dealing with them (competing hard for physicians who control the patient flow and diversifying and promoting the mix of services). He also describes various planning solutions that make the most of a community's hospital facilities and affiliations.

Community-Based Multidisciplinary Computed Tomography Screening Program Improves Lung Cancer Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Daniel L; Mayfield, William R; Luu, Theresa D; Helms, Gerald A; Muster, Alan R; Beckler, Vickie J; Cann, Aaron

2016-05-01

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Overall survival is less than 20%, with the majority of patients presenting with advanced disease. The National Lung Screening Trial, performed mainly in academic medical centers, showed that cancer mortality can be reduced with computed tomography (CT) screening compared with chest radiography in high-risk patients. To determine whether this survival advantage can be duplicated in a community-based multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program, we initiated a CT scan screening program for lung cancer within an established health care system. In 2008, we launched a lung cancer CT screening program within the WellStar Health System (WHS) consisting of five hospitals, three health parks, 140 outpatient medical offices, and 12 imaging centers that provide care in a five-county area of approximately 1.4 million people in Metro-Atlanta. Screening criteria incorporated were the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (2008 to 2010) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines (2011 to 2013) for moderate- and high-risk patients. A total of 1,267 persons underwent CT lung cancer screening in WHS from 2008 through 2013; 53% were men, 87% were 50 years of age or older, and 83% were current or former smokers. Noncalcified indeterminate pulmonary nodules were found in 518 patients (41%). Thirty-six patients (2.8%) underwent a diagnostic procedure for positive findings on their CT scan; 30 proved to have cancer, 28 (2.2%) primary lung cancer and 2 metastatic cancer, and 6 had benign disease. Fourteen patients (50%) had their lung cancer discovered on their initial CT scan, 11 on subsequent scans associated with indeterminate pulmonary nodules growth and 3 patients who had a new indeterminate pulmonary nodules. Only 15 (54%) of these 28 patients would have qualified as a National Lung Screening Trial high-risk patient; 75% had stage I or II disease. Overall 5-year survival was 64% and 5-year

[LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF DUAL DISORDERS PATIENTS AFTER MIXED CARE IN DUAL DISORDERS AND STANDARD WARDS VERSUS CARE ONLY IN DUAL DISORDERS WARD].

Science.gov (United States)

Gimelfarb, Yuri; Wolf, Aviva; Ben-Tzarfati, Mashit

2017-01-01

Dual disorders (co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders in the same person) are extremely common among patients receiving mental health services. Integrated treatment has been proposed as the standard of care and it describes a flexible combination of treatments from the mental health and addiction fields that are blended together in the therapy. Scientific evidence for survival of dual disorders patients (DDPs), who had integrated dual disorders inpatient care, is lacking. To determine the long term survival rates following integrated care (Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment Ward [IDDTW] only) versus mixed care (IDDTW and psychiatric wards) during the life-time of DDPs. The charts of 333 subjects admitted to IDDTW during the period January 2002 - June 2006 were assessed at least 8 years after the first admission. Psychiatric diagnoses have been established and grouped according to international classification of diseases and health-related problems -10th edition (ICD-10). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the cumulative survival rates in all the subpopulations, and the predictive values of different variables were assessed by Cox proportional-hazards regression model. The total all-cause 12-year, unadjusted mortality was 21.1% in integrated care versus 24.6% in mixed care (pintegrated care as a predictive factor for all-cause mortality. The findings showed that there was no consistent evidence to support integrated inpatient care over mixed care, as measured by long-term survival. More studies are required in order to address the challenges posed in the treatment of DDPs.

High-volume ovarian cancer care: survival impact and disparities in access for advanced-stage disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bristow, Robert E; Chang, Jenny; Ziogas, Argyrios; Randall, Leslie M; Anton-Culver, Hoda

2014-02-01

To characterize the impact of hospital and physician ovarian cancer case volume on survival for advanced-stage disease and investigate socio-demographic variables associated with access to high-volume providers. Consecutive patients with stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer (1/1/96-12/31/06) were identified from the California Cancer Registry. Disease-specific survival analysis was performed using Cox-proportional hazards model. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate for differences in access to high-volume hospitals (HVH) (≥20 cases/year), high-volume physicians (HVP) (≥10 cases/year), and cross-tabulations of high- or low-volume hospital (LVH) and physician (LVP) according to socio-demographic variables. A total of 11,865 patients were identified. The median ovarian cancer-specific survival for all patients was 28.2 months, and on multivariate analysis the HVH/HVP provider combination (HR = 1.00) was associated with superior ovarian cancer-specific survival compared to LVH/LVP (HR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.16-1.49). Overall, 2119 patients (17.9%) were cared for at HVHs, and 1791 patients (15.1%) were treated by HVPs. Only 4.3% of patients received care from HVH/HVP, while 53.1% of patients were treated by LVH/LVP. Both race and socio-demographic characteristics were independently associated with an increased likelihood of being cared for by the LVH/LVP combination and included: Hispanic race (OR = 1.72, 95%CI = 1.22-2.42), Asian/Pacific Islander race (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.07-2.32), Medicaid insurance (OR = 2.51, 95%CI = 1.46-4.30), and low socioeconomic status (OR = 2.84, 95%CI = 1.90-4.23). Among patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, the provider combination of HVH/HVP is an independent predictor of improved disease-specific survival. Access to high-volume ovarian cancer providers is limited, and barriers are more pronounced for patients with low socioeconomic status, Medicaid insurance, and racial minorities. Copyright © 2013

Will male advertisement be a reliable indicator of paternal care, if offspring survival depends on male care?

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Natasha B.; Alonzo, Suzanne H.

2009-01-01

Existing theory predicts that male signalling can be an unreliable indicator of paternal care, but assumes that males with high levels of mating success can have high current reproductive success, without providing any parental care. As a result, this theory does not hold for the many species where offspring survival depends on male parental care. We modelled male allocation of resources between advertisement and care for species with male care where males vary in quality, and the effect of c...

Improving fish survival through turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferguson, J.W.

1993-01-01

Much of what is known about fish passage through hydroturbines has been developed by studying migratory species of fish passing through large Kaplan turbine units. A review of the literature on previous fish passage research presented in the accompanying story illustrates that studies have focused on determining mortality levels, rather than identifying the causal mechanism involved. There is a need for understanding how turbine designs could be altered to improve fish passage conditions, how to retrofit existing units, and how proposed hydro plant operational changes may affect fish survival. The US Army Corps of Engineers has developed a research program to define biologically based engineering criteria for improving fish passage conditions. Turbine designs incorporating these criteria can be evaluated for their effects on fish survival, engineering issues, costs, and power production. The research program has the following objectives: To gain a thorough knowledge of the mechanisms of fish mortality; To define the biological sensitivities of key fish species to these mechanisms of mortality; To develop new turbine design criteria to reduce fish mortality; To construct prototype turbine designs, and to test these designs for fish passage, hydro-mechanical operation, and power production; and To identify construction and power costs associated with new turbine designs

'Intensive care unit survivorship' - a constructivist grounded theory of surviving critical illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kean, Susanne; Salisbury, Lisa G; Rattray, Janice; Walsh, Timothy S; Huby, Guro; Ramsay, Pamela

2017-10-01

To theorise intensive care unit survivorship after a critical illness based on longitudinal qualitative data. Increasingly, patients survive episodes of critical illness. However, the short- and long-term impact of critical illness includes physical, psychological, social and economic challenges long after hospital discharge. An appreciation is emerging that care needs to extend beyond critical illness to enable patients to reclaim their lives postdischarge with the term 'survivorship' being increasingly used in this context. What constitutes critical illness survivorship has, to date, not been theoretically explored. Longitudinal qualitative and constructivist grounded theory. Interviews (n = 46) with 17 participants were conducted at four time points: (1) before discharge from hospital, (2) four to six weeks postdischarge, (3) six months and (4) 12 months postdischarge across two adult intensive care unit setting. Individual face-to-face interviews. Data analysis followed the principles of Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory. 'Intensive care unit survivorship' emerged as the core category and was theorised using concepts such as status passages, liminality and temporality to understand the various transitions participants made postcritical illness. Intensive care unit survivorship describes the unscheduled status passage of falling critically ill and being taken to the threshold of life and the journey to a life postcritical illness. Surviving critical illness goes beyond recovery; surviving means 'moving on' to life postcritical illness. 'Moving on' incorporates a redefinition of self that incorporates any lingering intensive care unit legacies and being in control of one's life again. For healthcare professionals and policymakers, it is important to realise that recovery and transitioning through to survivorship happen within an individual's time frame, not a schedule imposed by the healthcare system. Currently, there are no care pathways or policies in

Improved survival after rectal cancer in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bülow, S; Harling, H; Iversen, L H

2010-01-01

Objective In 1995, an analysis showed an inferior prognosis after rectal cancer in Denmark compared with the other Scandinavian countries. The Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) was established with the aim of improving the prognosis, and in this study we present a survival analysis of patients...... treated from 1994 to 2006. Method The study was based on the National Rectal Cancer Registry and the National Colorectal Cancer Database, supplemented with data from the Central Population Registry. The analysis included actuarial overall and relative survival. Results A total of 10 632 patients were...

Differences in Breast Cancer Survival between Public and Private Care in New Zealand: Which Factors Contribute?

Science.gov (United States)

Tin Tin, Sandar; Elwood, J Mark; Lawrenson, Ross; Campbell, Ian; Harvey, Vernon; Seneviratne, Sanjeewa

2016-01-01

Patients who received private health care appear to have better survival from breast cancer compared to those who received public care. This study investigated if this applied to New Zealand women and identified factors that could explain such disparities. This study involved all women who were diagnosed with primary breast cancer in two health regions in New Zealand, covering about 40% of the national population, between June 2000 and May 2013. Patients who received public care for primary treatment, mostly surgical treatment, were compared with those who received private care in terms of demographics, mode of presentation, disease factors, comorbidity index and treatment factors. Cox regression modelling was performed with stepwise adjustments, and hazards of breast cancer specific mortality associated with the type of health care received was assessed. Of the 14,468 patients, 8,916 (61.6%) received public care. Compared to patients treated in private care facilities, they were older, more likely to be Māori, Pacifika or Asian and to reside in deprived neighbourhoods and rural areas, and less likely to be diagnosed with early staged cancer and to receive timely cancer treatments. They had a higher risk of mortality from breast cancer (hazard ratio: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.75, 2.17), of which 80% (95% CI: 63%, 100%) was explained by baseline differences, particularly related to ethnicity, stage at diagnosis and type of loco-regional therapy. After controlling for these demographic, disease and treatment factors, the risk of mortality was still 14% higher in the public sector patients. Ethnicity, stage at diagnosis and type of loco-regional therapy were the three key contributors to survival disparities between patients treated in public and private health care facilities in New Zealand. The findings underscore the need for more efforts to improve the quality, timeliness and equitability of public cancer care services.

Assessing Community Based Improved Maternal Neonatal Child Survival (IMNCS Program in Rural Bangladesh.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahfuzar Rahman

Full Text Available A community based approach before, during and after child birth has been proven effective address the burden of maternal, neonatal and child morbidity and mortality in the low and middle income countries. We aimed to examine the overall change in maternal and newborn health outcomes due the "Improved Maternal Newborn and Child Survival" (IMNCS project, which was implemented by BRAC in rural communities of Bangladesh.The intervention was implemented in four districts for duration of 5-years, while two districts served as comparison areas. The intervention was delivered by community health workers who were trained on essential maternal, neonatal and child health care services. A baseline survey was conducted in 2008 among 7, 200 women with pregnancy outcome in last year or having a currently alive child of 12-59 months. A follow-up survey was administered in 2012-13 among 4, 800 women of similar characteristics in the same villages.We observed significant improvements in maternal and essential newborn care in intervention areas over time, especially in health care seeking behaviors. The proportion of births taking place at home declined in the intervention districts from 84.3% at baseline to 71.2% at end line (P<0.001. Proportion of deliveries with skilled attendant was higher in intervention districts (28% compared to comparison districts (27.4%. The number of deliveries was almost doubled at public sector facility comparing with baseline (P<0.001. Significant improvement was also observed in healthy cord care practice, delayed bathing of the new-born and reduction of infant mortality in intervention districts compared to that of comparison districts.This study demonstrates that community-based efforts offer encouraging evidence and value for combining maternal, neonatal and child health care package. This approach might be considered at larger scale in similar settings with limited resources.

Effects of multidisciplinary team care on the survival of patients with different stages of non-small cell lung cancer: a national cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Chou Pan

Full Text Available In Taiwan, cancer is the top cause of death, and the mortality rate of lung cancer is the highest of all cancers. Some studies have demonstrated that multidisciplinary team (MDT care can improve survival rates of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC patients. However, no study has discussed the effect of MDT care on different stages of NSCLC. The target population for this study consisted of patients with NSCLC newly diagnosed in the 2005-2010 Cancer Registry. The data was linked with the 2002-2011 National Health Insurance Research Database and the 2005-2011 Cause of Death Statistics Database. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to explore whether the involvement of MDT care had an effect on survival. This study applied the propensity score as a control variable to reduce selection bias between patients with and without involvement of MDT care. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR of death of MDT participants with stage III & IV NSCLC was significantly lower than that of MDT non-participants (adjusted HR = 0.87, 95% confidence interval = 0.84-0.90. This study revealed that MDT care are significantly associated with higher survival rate of patients with stage III and IV NSCLC, and thus MDT care should be used in the treatment of these patients.

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Improves Survival in Patients With Hypopharyngeal Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paximadis, Peter, E-mail: ppaximad@med.wayne.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Yoo, George; Lin, Ho-Sheng; Jacobs, John [Department of Otolaryngology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Sukari, Ammar [Department of Medical Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Dyson, Greg [Department of Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Christensen, Michael; Kim, Harold [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States)

2012-03-15

Purpose: To retrospectively review our institutional experience with hypopharyngeal carcinoma with respect to treatment modality. Methods and Materials: A total of 70 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer treated between 1999 and 2009 were analyzed for functional and survival outcomes. The treatments included surgery alone (n = 5), surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) (n = 3), surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) (n = 13), RT alone (n = 2), CRT alone (n = 22), induction chemotherapy followed by RT (n = 3), and induction chemotherapy followed by CRT (n = 22). Results: The median follow-up was 18 months. The median overall survival and disease-free survival for all patients was 28.3 and 17.6 months, respectively. The 1- and 2-year local control rate for all patients was 87.1% and 80%. CRT, given either as primary therapy or in the adjuvant setting, improved overall survival and disease-free survival compared with patients not receiving CRT. The median overall survival and disease-free survival for patients treated with CRT was 36.7 and 17.6 months vs. 14.0 and 8.0 months, respectively (p < .01). Of the patients initially treated with an organ-preserving approach, 4 (8.2%) required salvage laryngectomy for local recurrence or persistent disease; 8 (16.3%) and 12 (24.5%) patients were dependent on a percutaneous gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube, respectively. The 2-year laryngoesophageal dysfunction-free survival rate for patients treated with an organ-preserving approach was estimated at 31.7%. Conclusions: Concurrent CRT improves survival in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. CRT given with conventional radiation techniques yields poor functional outcomes, and future efforts should be directed at determining the feasibility of pharyngeal-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with hypopharyngeal tumors.

Traditional Chinese medicine as adjunctive therapy improves the long-term survival of lung cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yueh-Hsiang; Li, Chia-Ing; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lin, Jaung-Geng; Chiang, Jen-Huai; Li, Tsai-Chung

2017-12-01

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the popular alternative treatments for cancer, mainly enhancing host immune response and reducing adverse effect of chemotherapy. This study first explored traditional Chinese medicine treatment effect on long-term survival of lung cancer patients. This study evaluated whether traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional cancer treatment improved overall survival of lung cancer patients. We had conducted a retrospective cohort study on 111,564 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in 2000-2009 from National Health Insurance Program database. A total of 23,803 (21.31%) patients used traditional Chinese medicine for lung cancer care. Eligible participants were followed up until 2011 with a mean follow-up period of 1.96 years (standard deviation 2.55) for non-TCM users and 3.04 years (2.85) for traditional Chinese medicine users. Patients with traditional Chinese medicine utilization were significantly more likely to have a 32% decreased risk of death [hazard ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval = 0.61-0.63], compared with patients without traditional Chinese medicine utilization after multivariate adjustment. We also observed a similar significant reduction risk across various subgroups of chronic lung diseases. Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang was the most effective traditional Chinese medicine agent for mortality reduction both in the entire lung cancer (0.81; 0.72-0.91) and matched populations (0.86; 0.78-0.95). This study demonstrated adjunctive therapy with traditional Chinese medicine may improve overall survival of lung cancer patients. This study also suggested traditional Chinese medicine may be used as an adjunctive therapy for cancer treatment. These observational findings need being validated by future randomized controlled trials to rule out the possibility of effect due to holistic care.

Dying scenarios improve recall as much as survival scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Daniel J; Hart, Joshua; Kramer, Melanie E

2014-01-01

Merely contemplating one's death improves retention for entirely unrelated material learned subsequently. This "dying to remember" effect seems conceptually related to the survival processing effect, whereby processing items for their relevance to being stranded in the grasslands leads to recall superior to that of other deep processing control conditions. The present experiments directly compared survival processing scenarios with "death processing" scenarios. Results showed that when the survival and dying scenarios are closely matched on key dimensions, and possible congruency effects are controlled, the dying and survival scenarios produced equivalently high recall levels. We conclude that the available evidence (cf. Bell, Roer, & Buchner, 2013; Klein, 2012), while not definitive, is consistent with the possibility of overlapping mechanisms.

Cancer survival among Alaska Native people.

Science.gov (United States)

Nash, Sarah H; Meisner, Angela L W; Zimpelman, Garrett L; Barry, Marc; Wiggins, Charles L

2018-03-26

Recent cancer survival trends among American Indian and Alaska Native (AN) people are not well understood; survival has not been reported among AN people since 2001. This study examined cause-specific survival among AN cancer patients for lung, colorectal, female breast, prostate, and kidney cancers. It evaluated whether survival differed between cancers diagnosed in 1992-2002 (the earlier period) and cancers diagnosed in 2003-2013 (the later period) and by the age at diagnosis (<65 vs ≥65 years), stage at diagnosis (local or regional/distant/unknown), and sex. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate univariate and multivariate-adjusted cause-specific survival for each cancer. An improvement was observed in 5-year survival over time from lung cancer (hazard ratio [HR] for the later period vs the earlier period, 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.97), and a marginally nonsignificant improvement was observed for colorectal cancer (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-1.01). Site-specific differences in survival were observed by age and stage at diagnosis. This study presents the first data on cancer survival among AN people in almost 2 decades. During this time, AN people have experienced improvements in survival from lung and colorectal cancers. The reasons for these improvements may include increased access to care (including screening) as well as improvements in treatment. Improving cancer survival should be a priority for reducing the burden of cancer among AN people and eliminating cancer disparities. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Dependent vs. independent juvenile survival: contrasting drivers of variation and the buffering effect of parental care.

Science.gov (United States)

Dybala, Kristen E; Gardali, Thomas; Eadie, John M

2013-07-01

Juvenile survival is often found to be more sensitive than adult survival to variation in environmental conditions, and variation in juvenile survival can have significant impacts on population growth rates and viability. Therefore, understanding the population-level effects of environmental changes requires understanding the effects on juvenile survival. We hypothesized that parental care will buffer the survival of dependent juveniles from variation in environmental conditions, while the survival of independent juveniles will respond more strongly to environmental variation and, in turn, drive the overall variation in annual juvenile survival. We tested this parental-care hypothesis using a 30-year mark-recapture data set to model the survival of juvenile Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) during the dependent and independent stages. We examined the effects of weather, density, and cohort mean fledge date and body mass on annual variation in survival during the first 12 weeks after fledging, as well as effects of individual fledge date and body mass on individual variation in survival. The primary driver of annual variation in juvenile survival was precipitation during the previous rainy season, consistent with an effect on food availability, which had a strong positive effect on the survival of independent juveniles, but no effect on dependent juveniles. We also found strong support for effects of body mass and fledge date on individual survival probability, including striking differences in the effect of fledge date by stage. Our results provided evidence that different mechanisms influence juvenile survival during each stage of fledgling development, and that parental care buffers the survival of dependent juveniles from variation in environmental conditions. Consequently, variation in juvenile survival was driven by independent juveniles, not dependent juveniles, and studies focused only on survival during the dependent stage may not be able to detect the

The Procalcitonin And Survival Study (PASS) - a randomised multi-center investigator-initiated trial to investigate whether daily measurements biomarker Procalcitonin and pro-active diagnostic and therapeutic responses to abnormal Procalcitonin levels, can improve survival in intensive care unit patients. Calculated sample size (target population): 1000 patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens-Ulrik; Lundgren, Bettina; Hein, Lars

2008-01-01

. Complies with, "Good Clinical Practice" (ICH-GCP Guideline (CPMP/ICH/135/95, Directive 2001/20/EC)). Inclusion: 1) Age > or = 18 years of age, 2) Admitted to the participating intensive care units, 3) Signed written informed consent.Exclusion: 1) Known hyper-bilirubinaemia. or hypertriglyceridaemia, 2...... daily Procalcitonin measurements and immediate diagnostic and therapeutic response on day-to-day changes in procalcitonin can reduce the mortality of critically ill patients. DISCUSSION: For the first time ever, a mortality-endpoint, large scale randomized controlled trial with a biomarker......-guided strategy compared to the best standard of care, is conducted in an Intensive care setting. Results will, with a high statistical power answer the question: Can the survival of critically ill patients be improved by actively using biomarker procalcitonin in the treatment of infections? 700 critically ill...

Role of TIPS in Improving Survival of Patients with Decompensated Liver Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sundeep J. Punamiya

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Liver cirrhosis is associated with higher morbidity and reduced survival with appearance of portal hypertension and resultant decompensation. Portal decompression plays a key role in improving survival in these patients. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are known to be efficacious in reducing portal venous pressure and control of complications such as variceal bleeding and ascites. However, they have been associated with significant problems such as poor shunt durability, increased encephalopathy, and unchanged survival when compared with conservative treatment options. The last decade has seen a significant improvement in these complications, with introduction of covered stents, better selection of patients, and clearer understanding of procedural end-points. Use of TIPS early in the period of decompensation also appears promising in further improvement of survival of cirrhotic patients.

Pre-End-Stage Renal Disease Care and Early Survival among Incident Dialysis Patients in the US Military Health System.

Science.gov (United States)

Nee, Robert; Fisher, Evan; Yuan, Christina M; Agodoa, Lawrence Y; Abbott, Kevin C

2017-01-01

Previous reports showed an increased early mortality after chronic dialysis initiation among the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population. We hypothesized that ESRD patients in the Military Health System (MHS) would have greater access to pre-ESRD care and hence better survival rates during this early high-risk period. In this retrospective cohort study, using the US Renal Data System database, we identified 1,256,640 patients initiated on chronic dialysis from January 2, 2004 through December 31, 2014, from which a bootstrap sample of 3,984 non-MHS incident dialysis patients were compared with 996 MHS patients. We assessed care by a nephrologist and dietitian, erythropoietin administration, and vascular access use at dialysis initiation as well as all-cause mortality as outcome variables. MHS patients were significantly more likely to have had pre-ESRD nephrology care (adjusted OR [aOR] 2.9; 95% CI 2.3-3.7) and arteriovenous fistula used at dialysis initiation (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.7-2.7). Crude mortality rates peaked between the 4th and the 8th week for both cohorts but were reduced among MHS patients. The baseline adjusted Cox model showed significantly lower death rates among MHS vs. non-MHS patients at 6, 9, and 12 months. This survival advantage among MHS patients was attenuated after further adjustment for pre-ESRD nephrology care and dialysis vascular access. MHS patients had improved survival within the first 12 months compared to the general ESRD population, which may be explained in part by differences in pre-ESRD nephrology care and vascular access types. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Fear affects parental care, which predicts juvenile survival and exacerbates the total cost of fear on demography.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudeck, Blair P; Clinchy, Michael; Allen, Marek C; Zanette, Liana Y

2018-01-01

Fear itself (perceived predation risk) can affect wildlife demography, but the cumulative impact of fear on population dynamics is not well understood. Parental care is arguably what most distinguishes birds and mammals from other taxa, yet only one experiment on wildlife has tested fear effects on parental food provisioning and the repercussions this has for the survival of dependent offspring, and only during early-stage care. We tested the effect of fear on late-stage parental care of mobile dependent offspring, by locating radio-tagged Song Sparrow fledglings and broadcasting predator or non-predator playbacks in their vicinity, measuring their parent's behavior and their own, and tracking the offspring's survival to independence. Fear significantly reduced late-stage parental care, and parental fearfulness (as indexed by their reduction in provisioning when hearing predators) significantly predicted their offspring's condition and survival. Combining results from this experiment with that on early-stage care, we project that fear itself is powerful enough to reduce late-stage survival by 24%, and cumulatively reduce the number of young reaching independence by more than half, 53%. Experiments in invertebrate and aquatic systems demonstrate that fear is commonly as important as direct killing in affecting prey demography, and we suggest focusing more on fear effects and on offspring survival will reveal the same for wildlife. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

38 CFR 3.24 - Improved pension rates-Surviving children.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Improved pension rates-Surviving children. 3.24 Section 3.24 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.24 Improved pension...

Ambulatory Care after Acute Kidney Injury: An Opportunity to Improve Patient Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel A. Silver

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose of review: Acute kidney injury (AKI is an increasingly common problem among hospitalized patients. Patients who survive an AKI-associated hospitalization are at higher risk of de novo and worsening chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and death. For hospitalized patients with dialysis-requiring AKI, outpatient follow-up with a nephrologist within 90 days of hospital discharge has been associated with enhanced survival. However, most patients who survive an AKI episode do not receive any follow-up nephrology care. This narrative review describes the experience of two new clinical programs to care for AKI patients after hospital discharge: the Acute Kidney Injury Follow-up Clinic for adults (St. Michael's Hospital and University Health Network, Toronto, Canada and the AKI Survivor Clinic for children (Cincinnati Children's Hospital, USA. Sources of information: MEDLINE, PubMed, ISI Web of Science Findings: These two ambulatory clinics have been in existence for close to two (adult and four (pediatric years, and were developed separately and independently in different populations and health systems. The components of both clinics are described, including the target population, referral process, medical interventions, patient education activities, and follow-up schedule. Common elements include targeting patients with KDIGO stage 2 or 3 AKI, regular audits of the inpatient nephrology census to track eligible patients, medication reconciliation, and education on the long-term consequences of AKI. Limitations: Despite the theoretical benefits of post-AKI follow-up and the clinic components described, there is no high quality evidence to prove that the interventions implemented in these clinics will reduce morbidity or mortality. Therefore, we also present a plan to evaluate the adult AKI Follow-up Clinic in order to determine if it can improve clinical outcomes compared to patients with AKI who do not

Pleural mesothelioma: management updates and nursing initiatives to improve patient care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lehto RH

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Rebecca H LehtoCollege of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USAAbstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a relatively rare but aggressive malignancy that is primarily associated with occupational asbestos exposure. While treatment options for mesothelioma have expanded, the disease carries a poor prognosis, with a median of 8 months to 1 year of survival postdiagnosis. This article synthesizes current disease-management practices, including the diagnostic workup, treatment modalities, emerging therapies, and symptom management, and identifies comprehensive nursing strategies that result in the best care based on updated evidence. Multidisciplinary coordination, palliative care initiation, survivorship, and end-of-life care are discussed. Findings may be applied in clinical environments as a resource to help nurses better understand treatment options and care for patients facing malignant pleural mesothelioma. Recommendations for future research are made to move nursing science forward and to improve patient well-being and health-related quality-of-life outcomes for patients and their family members.Keywords: pleural mesothelioma, cancer, symptom management, evidence-based care

Improving outcomes in lung cancer: the value of the multidisciplinary health care team

OpenAIRE

Denton, Eve; Conron, Matthew

2016-01-01

Eve Denton,1 Matthew Conron2 1Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Department, Alfred Hospital, 2Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract: Lung cancer is a major worldwide health burden, with high disease-related morbidity and mortality. Unlike other major cancers, there has been little improvement in lung cancer outcomes over the past few decades, and survival remains disturbingly low. Multidisciplinary care is the corner...

Kaempferol and Chrysin Synergies to Improve Septic Mice Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Harasstani, Omar A; Tham, Chau Ling; Israf, Daud A

2017-01-06

Previously, we reported the role of synergy between two flavonoids-namely, chrysin and kaempferol-in inhibiting the secretion of a few major proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor -alpha (TNF-α), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) , and nitric oxide (NO) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of this combination on a murine model of polymicrobial sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Severe sepsis was induced in male ICR mice ( n = 7) via the CLP procedure. The effects of chrysin and kaempferol combination treatment on septic mice were investigated using a 7-day survival study. The levels of key proinflammatory mediators and markers-such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), TNF-α, and NO-in the sera samples of the septic mice were determined via ELISA and fluorescence determination at different time point intervals post-CLP challenge. Liver tissue samples from septic mice were harvested to measure myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels using a spectrophotometer. Moreover, intraperitoneal fluid (IPF) bacterial clearance and total leukocyte count were also assessed to detect any antibacterial effects exerted by chrysin and kaempferol, individually and in combination. Kaempferol treatment improved the survival rate of CLP-challenged mice by up to 16%. During this treatment, kaempferol expressed antibacterial, antiapoptotic and antioxidant activities through the attenuation of bacterial forming units, AST and NO levels, and increased polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) count in the IPF. On the other hand, the chrysin treatment significantly reduced serum TNF-α levels. However, it failed to significantly improve the survival rate of the CLP-challenged mice. Subsequently, the kaempferol/chrysin combination treatment significantly improved the overall 7-day survival rate by 2-fold-up to 29%. Kaempferol and chrysin revealed some synergistic effects by acting individually upon multiple

Interventions for weight reduction in obesity to improve survival in women with endometrial cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitson, Sarah; Ryan, Neil; MacKintosh, Michelle L; Edmondson, Richard; Duffy, James Mn; Crosbie, Emma J

2018-02-01

through dietary modification and increased physical activity. The included RCTs were of low or very low quality, due to high risk of bias by failing to blind participants, personnel and outcome assessors, and significant loss to follow-up (attrition rate up to 29%).Combined behaviour and lifestyle interventions were not associated with improved overall survival (risk ratio (RR mortality), 0.23 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 4.55, P = 0.34, one RCT, 37 participants; very low-certainty evidence) compared with usual care at 24 months. There was no evidence that such interventions were associated with improvements in cancer-specific survival or cardiovascular event frequency as no cancer-related deaths, myocardial infarctions or strokes were reported in the included studies. None of the included RCTs reported data for the outcome of recurrence-free survival. Combined behaviour and lifestyle interventions were not associated with significant weight loss at either six months (mean difference (MD) -1.88 kg, 95% CI -5.98 to 2.21 kg, P = 0.37, three RCTs, 131 participants, I 2 = 0%; low-certainty evidenc e)or 12 months (MD -8.98 kg, 95% CI -19.88 to 1.92 kg, P = 0.11, two RCTs, 91 participants, I 2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence) when compared with usual care. Combined behaviour and lifestyle interventions were not associated with increased quality of life, when measured using either the SF-12 Physical Health questionnaire or FACT-G at six months (FACT-G MD 2.51, 95% CI -5.61 to 10.64, P = 0.54, two RCTs, 95 participants, I 2 = 83%; very low-certainty evidence), or by FACT-G alone at 12 months (MD 2.77, 95% CI -0.65 to 6.20, P = 0.11, two RCTs, 89 participants, I 2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence) when compared with usual care. No serious adverse events, for example hospitalisation or deaths, were reported in included trials. Lifestyle and behavioural interventions were associated with a higher risk of musculoskeletal symptoms (RR 19.03, 95% CI 1.17, 310.52, P = 0

Optimizing survival outcomes for adult patients with nontraumatic cardiac arrest [digest].

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Julianna; Zaurova, Milana

2016-10-22

Patient survival after cardiac arrest can be improved significantly with prompt and effective resuscitative care. This systematic review analyzes the basic life support factors that improve survival outcome, including chest compression technique and rapid defibrillation of shockable rhythms. For patients who are successfully resuscitated, comprehensive postresuscitation care is essential. Targeted temperature management is recommended for all patients who remain comatose, in addition to careful monitoring of oxygenation, hemodynamics, and cardiac rhythm. Management of cardiac arrest in circumstances such as pregnancy, pulmonary embolism, opioid overdose and other toxicologic causes, hypothermia, and coronary ischemia are also reviewed. [Points & Pearls is a digest of Emergency Medicine Practice].

Improving village poultry's survival rate through community-based poultry health management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sodjinou, Epiphane; Henningsen, Arne; Koudande, Olorounto Delphin

2012-01-01

Community-based poultry health management (CBM) is a strategy for village poultry improvement based on the installment of “poultry interest groups” in experimental villages. These groups serve as a channel for the dissemination of village poultry improvement technologies. The use of CBM is due...... to the fact that village poultry farming is practiced in a total or partial scavenging system which gives the impression that all the birds in the village belong to the same flock. Accordingly, actions that target all farmers of the same village may have a larger impact on the village poultry's survival rate...... than actions that target individual producers. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of CBM on the survival rate of village poultry. Based on data collected on 353 poultry keepers, the study shows that CBM significantly improves the survival rate of village poultry. The adoption...

Association Between Treatment at High-Volume Facilities and Improved Overall Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Venigalla, Sriram; Nead, Kevin T; Sebro, Ronnie; Guttmann, David M; Sharma, Sonam; Simone, Charles B; Levin, William P; Wilson, Robert J; Weber, Kristy L; Shabason, Jacob E

2018-03-15

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignancies that require complex multidisciplinary management. Therefore, facilities with high sarcoma case volume may demonstrate superior outcomes. We hypothesized that STS treatment at high-volume (HV) facilities would be associated with improved overall survival (OS). Patients aged ≥18 years with nonmetastatic STS treated with surgery and radiation therapy at a single facility from 2004 through 2013 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Facilities were dichotomized into HV and low-volume (LV) cohorts based on total case volume over the study period. OS was assessed using multivariable Cox regression with propensity score-matching. Patterns of care were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Of 9025 total patients, 1578 (17%) and 7447 (83%) were treated at HV and LV facilities, respectively. On multivariable analysis, high educational attainment, larger tumor size, higher grade, and negative surgical margins were statistically significantly associated with treatment at HV facilities; conversely, black race and non-metropolitan residence were negative predictors of treatment at HV facilities. On propensity score-matched multivariable analysis, treatment at HV facilities versus LV facilities was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.87, 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.95; P = .001). Older age, lack of insurance, greater comorbidity, larger tumor size, higher tumor grade, and positive surgical margins were associated with statistically significantly worse OS. In this observational cohort study using the National Cancer Database, receipt of surgery and radiation therapy at HV facilities was associated with improved OS in patients with STS. Potential sociodemographic disparities limit access to care at HV facilities for certain populations. Our findings highlight the importance of receipt of care at HV facilities for patients with STS and warrant further study into improving access to

Improving palliative care.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Moran, Sue

2009-05-01

Any service improvement project requires planning, action and evaluation. Using a recognised quality improvement framework can offer a structured approach to implementing and assessing changes to patient care. This article describes how use of the Deming Cycle has helped to identify nurses\\' learning needs.

Improvement in perinatal care for extremely premature infants in Denmark from 1994 to 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasselager, Asbjørn Børch; Børch, Klaus; Pryds, Ole Axel

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Major advances in perinatal care over the latest decades have increased the survival rate of extremely premature infants. Centralisation of perinatal care was implemented in Denmark from 1995. This study evaluates the effect of organisational changes of perinatal care on survival......PVL) and intraventricular haemorrhage grade 3-4 (IVH 3-4). RESULTS: A total of 184, 83 and 127 infants were included from the cohorts. Delivery rates at level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitals increased from 69% to 87%. Transfer rates to level 3 NICU almost doubled during the period. Survival rates were...

Brachytherapy Improves Survival in Stage III Endometrial Cancer With Cervical Involvement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bingham, Brian [Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (United States); Orton, Andrew; Boothe, Dustin [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (United States); Stoddard, Greg [Division of Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (United States); Huang, Y. Jessica; Gaffney, David K. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (United States); Poppe, Matthew M., E-mail: Matthew.poppe@hci.utah.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (United States)

2017-04-01

Purpose: To evaluate the survival benefit of adding vaginal brachytherapy (BT) to pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in women with stage III endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials: The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify patients with stage III endometrial cancer from 2004 to 2013. Only women who received adjuvant EBRT were analyzed. Women were grouped according to receipt of BT. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of receiving BT. Log–rank statistics were used to compare survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to evaluate the effect of BT on survival. A propensity score–matched analysis was also conducted among women with cervical involvement. Results: We evaluated 12,988 patients with stage III endometrial carcinoma, 39% of whom received EBRT plus BT. Women who received BT were more likely to have endocervical or cervical stromal involvement (odds ratios 2.03 and 1.77; P<.01, respectively). For patients receiving EBRT alone, the 5-year survival was 66% versus 69% with the addition of BT at 5 years (P<.01). Brachytherapy remained significantly predictive of decreased risk of death (hazard ratio 0.86; P<.01) on multivariate Cox regression. The addition of BT to EBRT did not affect survival among women without cervical involvement (P=.84). For women with endocervical or cervical stromal invasion, the addition of BT significantly improved survival (log–rank P<.01). Receipt of EBRT plus BT was associated with improved survival in women with positive and negative surgical margins, and receiving chemotherapy did not alter the benefit of BT. Propensity score–matched analysis results confirmed the benefit of BT among women with cervical involvement (hazard ratio 0.80; P=.01). Conclusions: In this population of women with stage III endometrial cancer the addition of BT to EBRT was associated with an improvement in survival for women with endocervical or cervical stromal invasion.

Brachytherapy Improves Survival in Stage III Endometrial Cancer With Cervical Involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, Brian; Orton, Andrew; Boothe, Dustin; Stoddard, Greg; Huang, Y. Jessica; Gaffney, David K.; Poppe, Matthew M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the survival benefit of adding vaginal brachytherapy (BT) to pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in women with stage III endometrial cancer. Methods and Materials: The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify patients with stage III endometrial cancer from 2004 to 2013. Only women who received adjuvant EBRT were analyzed. Women were grouped according to receipt of BT. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of receiving BT. Log–rank statistics were used to compare survival outcomes. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to evaluate the effect of BT on survival. A propensity score–matched analysis was also conducted among women with cervical involvement. Results: We evaluated 12,988 patients with stage III endometrial carcinoma, 39% of whom received EBRT plus BT. Women who received BT were more likely to have endocervical or cervical stromal involvement (odds ratios 2.03 and 1.77; P<.01, respectively). For patients receiving EBRT alone, the 5-year survival was 66% versus 69% with the addition of BT at 5 years (P<.01). Brachytherapy remained significantly predictive of decreased risk of death (hazard ratio 0.86; P<.01) on multivariate Cox regression. The addition of BT to EBRT did not affect survival among women without cervical involvement (P=.84). For women with endocervical or cervical stromal invasion, the addition of BT significantly improved survival (log–rank P<.01). Receipt of EBRT plus BT was associated with improved survival in women with positive and negative surgical margins, and receiving chemotherapy did not alter the benefit of BT. Propensity score–matched analysis results confirmed the benefit of BT among women with cervical involvement (hazard ratio 0.80; P=.01). Conclusions: In this population of women with stage III endometrial cancer the addition of BT to EBRT was associated with an improvement in survival for women with endocervical or cervical stromal invasion.

An improvement project within urological care.

Science.gov (United States)

Khatami, Annelie; Rosengren, Kristina

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe staff experiences in an on-going improvement project regarding patients with ureteral stones. A qualitative descriptive study based on eight group interviews and 48 narratives, was performed. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured by using a well-documented improvement process method during six months. The results formed three categories: an absent comprehensive view; complexity; and vulnerability within the organisation. A holistic perspective regarding urological care at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels is needed to improve planning and caring processes. This study includes one team (six members, different health professionals) within the same urology department. Results show that staff need information, such as guidelines and support throughout the improvement work to deliver high-quality care. Moreover, there is a need for evidence-based guidelines at national level to support improvement work. Healthcare staff need to pay attention to all team member needs to improve urological care. Organisational and managerial aspect are needed to support clear and common goals regarding healthcare improvement work. Urological improvement projects, generally, are lacking, which is why this study is important to improve nephrolithiasis patient care.

VEGF improves survival of mesenchymal stem cells in infarcted hearts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pons, Jennifer; Huang Yu; Arakawa-Hoyt, Janice; Washko, Daniel; Takagawa, Junya; Ye, Jianqin; Grossman, William; Su Hua

2008-01-01

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are a promising source for cell-based treatment of myocardial infarction (MI), but existing strategies are restricted by low cell survival and engraftment. We examined whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) improve MSC viability in infracted hearts. We found long-term culture increased MSC-cellular stress: expressing more cell cycle inhibitors, p16 INK , p21 and p19 ARF . VEGF treatment reduced cellular stress, increased pro-survival factors, phosphorylated-Akt and Bcl-xL expression and cell proliferation. Co-injection of MSCs with VEGF to MI hearts increased cell engraftment and resulted in better improvement of cardiac function than that injected with MSCs or VEGF alone. In conclusion, VEGF protects MSCs from culture-induce cellular stress and improves their viability in ischemic myocardium, which results in improvements of their therapeutic effect for the treatment of MI

Mobile phones improve antenatal care attendance in Zanzibar: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Applying mobile phones in healthcare is increasingly prioritized to strengthen healthcare systems. Antenatal care has the potential to reduce maternal morbidity and improve newborns’ survival but this benefit may not be realized in sub-Saharan Africa where the attendance and quality of care is declining. We evaluated the association between a mobile phone intervention and antenatal care in a resource-limited setting. We aimed to assess antenatal care in a comprehensive way taking into consideration utilisation of antenatal care as well as content and timing of interventions during pregnancy. Methods This study was an open label pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial with primary healthcare facilities in Zanzibar as the unit of randomisation. 2550 pregnant women (1311 interventions and 1239 controls) who attended antenatal care at selected primary healthcare facilities were included at their first antenatal care visit and followed until 42 days after delivery. 24 primary health care facilities in six districts were randomized to either mobile phone intervention or standard care. The intervention consisted of a mobile phone text-message and voucher component. Primary outcome measure was four or more antenatal care visits during pregnancy. Secondary outcome measures were tetanus vaccination, preventive treatment for malaria, gestational age at last antenatal care visit, and antepartum referral. Results The mobile phone intervention was associated with an increase in antenatal care attendance. In the intervention group 44% of the women received four or more antenatal care visits versus 31% in the control group (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.03-5.55). There was a trend towards improved timing and quality of antenatal care services across all secondary outcome measures although not statistically significant. Conclusions The wired mothers’ mobile phone intervention significantly increased the proportion of women receiving the recommended four antenatal care

Improving care in care homes: a qualitative evaluation of the Croydon care home support team.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Vanessa; Banerjee, Sube

2010-05-01

The Croydon care home support team (CHST) was developed in response to reports of patient abuse within long-term care. It presents a novel strategy for improving standards of care within care homes. A qualitative methodology was used to assess the perceived impact of the CHST. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 care home managers and 24 members of care home staff across 14 care homes. Grounded theory principles guided the collection and analysis of the data. Reports of improved communication between staff, improved staff development and confidence, and improved quality of care point towards the effectiveness of the CHST model. The collaborative approach of the CHST was considered pivotal to its success and presented as an effective method of engaging care home managers and staff. The CHST adopted a systemic approach that placed an equal emphasis on the social, mental health and nursing needs of residents and aimed to address the whole culture of care within the individual homes. The data demonstrate the potential for specialist multi-disciplinary teams to raise standards of care across long-term care settings. Increased awareness of safeguarding issues, improved staff morale and communication and ongoing opportunities for discussion and problem solving promised to sustain improvements. Such services could be instrumental in meeting the government priority of preventing abuse among vulnerable adults.

Improved survival of colorectal cancer in Denmark during 2001-2012

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Lene Hjerrild; Green, Anders; Ingeholm, Peter

2016-01-01

cancer and 15 213 patients with rectal cancer were included. The stage distribution was almost stable over time. The mortality rate per 100 patient year within one year decreased from 32 to 26 in colon cancer and from 26 to 19 in rectal cancer with associated improvements in absolute survival from 73......% to 78% in colon cancer and from 78% to 83% in rectal cancer. The five-year relative survival of colon cancer improved from 58% to 63% and in rectal cancer from 59% to 65%. Comorbidity had major negative impact on outcome. Irrespective of tumor location, outcome improved relatively more in patients...... with stage III and IV disease. The proportion of patients who were spared surgery increased from 8% to 15% in colon cancer and from 13% to 19% in rectal cancer, and these changes were associated with improved outcome for rectal cancer patients, whereas outcome worsened for colon cancer patients. Conclusion...

Ethnicity and health care in cervical cancer survival: comparisons between a Filipino resident population, Filipino-Americans, and Caucasians.

Science.gov (United States)

Redaniel, Maria Theresa; Laudico, Adriano; Mirasol-Lumague, Maria Rica; Gondos, Adam; Uy, Gemma Leonora; Toral, Jean Ann; Benavides, Doris; Brenner, Hermann

2009-08-01

Few studies have assessed and compared cervical cancer survival between developed and developing countries, or between ethnic groups within a country. Fewer still have addressed how much of the international or interracial survival differences can be attributed to ethnicity or health care. To determine the role of ethnicity and health care, 5-year survival of patients with cervical cancer was compared between patients in the Philippines and Filipino-Americans, who have the same ethnicity, and between Filipino-Americans and Caucasians, who have the same health care system. Cervical cancer databases from the Manila and Rizal Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 13 were used. Age-adjusted 5-year survival estimates were computed and compared between the three patient groups. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, potential determinants of survival differences were examined. Overall 5-year relative survival was similar in Filipino-Americans (68.8%) and Caucasians (66.6%), but was lower for Philippine residents (42.9%). Although late stage at diagnosis explained a large proportion of the survival differences between Philippine residents and Filipino-Americans, excess mortality prevailed after adjustment for stage, age, and morphology in multivariate analysis [relative risk (RR), 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.68-2.55]. Excess mortality decreased, but persisted, when treatments were included in the multivariate models (RR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.41-2.23). A moderate, marginally significant excess mortality was found among Caucasians compared with Filipino-Americans (adjusted RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.47). The differences in cervical cancer survival between patients in the Philippines and in the United States highlight the importance of enhanced health care and access to diagnostic and treatment facilities in the Philippines.

Combining Gene Signatures Improves Prediction of Breast Cancer Survival

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xi; Naume, Bjørn; Langerød, Anita; Frigessi, Arnoldo; Kristensen, Vessela N.; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Lingjærde, Ole Christian

2011-01-01

Background Several gene sets for prediction of breast cancer survival have been derived from whole-genome mRNA expression profiles. Here, we develop a statistical framework to explore whether combination of the information from such sets may improve prediction of recurrence and breast cancer specific death in early-stage breast cancers. Microarray data from two clinically similar cohorts of breast cancer patients are used as training (n = 123) and test set (n = 81), respectively. Gene sets from eleven previously published gene signatures are included in the study. Principal Findings To investigate the relationship between breast cancer survival and gene expression on a particular gene set, a Cox proportional hazards model is applied using partial likelihood regression with an L2 penalty to avoid overfitting and using cross-validation to determine the penalty weight. The fitted models are applied to an independent test set to obtain a predicted risk for each individual and each gene set. Hierarchical clustering of the test individuals on the basis of the vector of predicted risks results in two clusters with distinct clinical characteristics in terms of the distribution of molecular subtypes, ER, PR status, TP53 mutation status and histological grade category, and associated with significantly different survival probabilities (recurrence: p = 0.005; breast cancer death: p = 0.014). Finally, principal components analysis of the gene signatures is used to derive combined predictors used to fit a new Cox model. This model classifies test individuals into two risk groups with distinct survival characteristics (recurrence: p = 0.003; breast cancer death: p = 0.001). The latter classifier outperforms all the individual gene signatures, as well as Cox models based on traditional clinical parameters and the Adjuvant! Online for survival prediction. Conclusion Combining the predictive strength of multiple gene signatures improves prediction of breast

Combining gene signatures improves prediction of breast cancer survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Zhao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several gene sets for prediction of breast cancer survival have been derived from whole-genome mRNA expression profiles. Here, we develop a statistical framework to explore whether combination of the information from such sets may improve prediction of recurrence and breast cancer specific death in early-stage breast cancers. Microarray data from two clinically similar cohorts of breast cancer patients are used as training (n = 123 and test set (n = 81, respectively. Gene sets from eleven previously published gene signatures are included in the study. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To investigate the relationship between breast cancer survival and gene expression on a particular gene set, a Cox proportional hazards model is applied using partial likelihood regression with an L2 penalty to avoid overfitting and using cross-validation to determine the penalty weight. The fitted models are applied to an independent test set to obtain a predicted risk for each individual and each gene set. Hierarchical clustering of the test individuals on the basis of the vector of predicted risks results in two clusters with distinct clinical characteristics in terms of the distribution of molecular subtypes, ER, PR status, TP53 mutation status and histological grade category, and associated with significantly different survival probabilities (recurrence: p = 0.005; breast cancer death: p = 0.014. Finally, principal components analysis of the gene signatures is used to derive combined predictors used to fit a new Cox model. This model classifies test individuals into two risk groups with distinct survival characteristics (recurrence: p = 0.003; breast cancer death: p = 0.001. The latter classifier outperforms all the individual gene signatures, as well as Cox models based on traditional clinical parameters and the Adjuvant! Online for survival prediction. CONCLUSION: Combining the predictive strength of multiple gene signatures improves

Cyber Foraging for Improving Survivability of Mobile Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-10

Cyber-Foraging for Improving Survivability of Mobile Systems Sebastián Echeverría ( Universidad de los Andes) Grace A. Lewis James Root Ben...NUMBERS FA8721-05-C-0003 6. AUTHOR(S) Sebastián Echeverría ( Universidad de los Andes), Grace A. Lewis, James Root, & Ben Bradshaw 7. PERFORMING

Intensive care nurses' perceptions of Inter Specialty Trauma Nursing Rounds to improve trauma patient care-A quality improvement project.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Fiona L; Mitchell, Marion

2017-06-01

Trauma patient management is complex and challenging for nurses in the Intensive Care Unit. One strategy to promote quality and evidence based care may be through utilising specialty nursing experts both internal and external to the Intensive Care Unit in the form of a nursing round. Inter Specialty Trauma Nursing Rounds have the potential to improve patient care, collaboration and nurses' knowledge. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve trauma patient care and evaluate the nurses perception of improvement. The project included structured, weekly rounds that were conducted at the bedside. Nursing experts and others collaborated to assess and make changes to trauma patients' care. The rounds were evaluated to assess the nurse's perception of improvement. There were 132 trauma patients assessed. A total of 452 changes to patient care occurred. On average, three changes per patient resulted. Changes included nursing management, medical management and wound care. Nursing staff reported an overall improvement of trauma patient care, trauma knowledge, and collaboration with colleagues. Inter Specialty Trauma Nursing Rounds utilizes expert nursing knowledge. They are suggested as an innovative way to address the clinical challenges of caring for trauma patients and are perceived to enhance patient care and nursing knowledge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved survival with an innovative approach to the treatment of severely burned patients: development of a burn treatment manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Morisada, S; Nosaka, N; Tsukahara, K; Ugawa, T; Sato, K; Ujike, Y

2015-09-30

The management of severely burned patients remains a major issue worldwide as indicated by the high incidence of permanent debilitating complications and poor survival rates. In April 2012, the Advanced Emergency & Critical Care Medical Center of the Okayama University Hospital began implementing guidelines for severely burned patients, distributed as a standard burn treatment manual. The protocol, developed in-house, was validated by comparing the outcomes of patients with severe extensive burns (SEB) treated before and after implementation of these new guidelines at this institution. The patients included in this study had a burn index (BI) ≥30 or a prognostic burn index (PBI = BI + patient's age) ≥100. The survival rate of the patients with BI ≥30 was 65.2% with the traditional treatment and 100% with the new guidelines. Likewise, the survival rate of the patients with PBI ≥100 was 61.1% with the traditional treatment compared to 100% with the new guidelines. Together, these data demonstrate that the new treatment guidelines dramatically improved the treatment outcome and survival of SEB patients.

Colonoscopic surveillance improves survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lutgens, M. W. M. D.; Oldenburg, B.; Siersema, P. D.; van Bodegraven, A. A.; Dijkstra, G.; Hommes, D. W.; de Jong, D. J.; Stokkers, P. C. F.; van der Woude, C. J.; Vleggaar, F. P.

2009-01-01

Colonoscopic surveillance provides the best practical means for preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Strong evidence for improved survival from surveillance programmes is sparse. The aim of this study was to compare tumour stage and survival of IBD

Improving village poultry’s survival rate through community-based poultry health management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sodjinou, Epiphane; Henningsen, Arne; Koudande, Olorounto D.

Community-based poultry health management (CBM) is a strategy for village poultry improvement based on the installment of “poultry interest groups” in experimental villages. These groups serve as a channel for the dissemination of village poultry improvement technologies. The use of CBM is due...... to the fact that village poultry farming is practiced in a total or partial scavenging system which gives the impression that all the birds in the village belong to the same flock. Accordingly, actions that target all farmers of the same village may have a larger impact on the village poultry’s survival rate...... than actions that target individual producers. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of CBM on the survival rate of village poultry. Based on data collected on 353 poultry keepers, the study shows that CBM significantly improves the survival rate of village poultry. The adoption...

Improving Customer Service in Elderly Care

OpenAIRE

Nielsen, Chris

2015-01-01

The elderly care sector is increasingly facing more competition and demanding customers. This leads to a growing pressure on elderly care home providers to find new and improved solutions that will enhance their level of customer service. The will ensure that the elderly service provider is remaining competitive in the elderly care service marketplace. The purpose of this thesis is to identify areas for improvements and propose implementable solutions for enhancing the elderly care custom...

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Background: Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. Objective: To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. Method: A total of 6 states were selected across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country. However, assessments were carried out in 40 facilities in only 5 states. Selection was based on location, coverage, and minimum services offered. The facilities were divided randomly into 2 groups. The treatment group received quality-of-care assessment, continuous feedback, and improvement support, whereas the control group received quality assessment and no other support. Data were collected using the SafeCare Healthcare Standards and managed on the SafeCare Data Management System—AfriDB. Eight core areas were assessed at baseline and end line, and compliance to quality health-care standards was compared. Result: Outcomes from 40 facilities were accepted and analyzed. Overall scores increased in the treatment facilities compared to the control facilities, with strong evidence of improvement (t = 5.28, P = .0004) and 11% average improvement, but no clear pattern of improvement emerged in the control group. Conclusion: The study demonstrated governance support and active community involvement offered potential for quality improvement in primary health-care facilities. PMID:28462280

Using data to improve medical practice by measuring processes and outcomes of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, E C; Splaine, M E; Godfrey, M M; Kahn, V; Hess, A; Batalden, P; Plume, S K

2000-12-01

The purpose of this article is to help clinicians expand their use of data to improve medical practice performance and to do improvement research. Clinical practices can be viewed as small, complex organizations (microsystems) that produce services for specific patient populations. These services can be greatly improved by embedding measurement into the flow of daily work in the practice. WHY DO IT?: Four good reasons to build measures into daily medical practice are to (1) diagnose strengths and weaknesses in practice performance; (2) improve and innovate in providing care and services using improvement research; (3) manage patients and the practice; and (4) evaluate changes in results over time. It is helpful to have a "physiological" model of a medical practice to analyze the practice, to manage it, and to improve it. One model views clinical practices as microsystems that are designed to generate desired health outcomes for specific subsets of patients and to use resources efficiently. This article provides case study examples to show what an office-based practice might look like if it were using front-line measurement to improve care and services most of the time and to conduct clinical improvement research some of the time. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES FOR USING DATA TO IMPROVE PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES OF CARE?: Principles reflected in the case study examples--such as "Keep Measurement Simple. Think Big and Start Small" and "More Data Is Not Necessarily Better Data. Seek Usefulness, Not Perfection, in Your Measures"--may help guide the development of data to study and improve practice. HOW CAN A PRACTICE START TO USE DATA TO IMPROVE CARE AND CONDUCT IMPROVEMENT RESEARCH?: Practical challenges are involved in starting to use data for enhancing care and improvement research. To increase the odds for success, it would be wise to use a change management strategy to launch the startup plan. Other recommendations include "Establish a Sense of Urgency. (Survival Is Not

Hydroxyapatite coating does not improve uncemented stem survival after total hip arthroplasty!

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hailer, N. P.; Lazarinis, S.; MaKela, K. T.

2015-01-01

Background and purpose - It is still being debated whether HA coating of uncemented stems used in total hip arthroplasty (THA) improves implant survival. We therefore investigated different uncemented stem brands, with and without HA coating, regarding early and long-term survival. Patients and m...

Improving Family Meetings in Intensive Care Units: A Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruenewald, David A; Gabriel, Michelle; Rizzo, Dorothy; Luhrs, Carol A

2017-07-01

Family meetings in the intensive care unit are associated with beneficial outcomes for patients, their families, and health care systems, yet these meetings often do not occur in a timely, effective, reliable way. The Department of Veterans Affairs Comprehensive End-of-Life Care Implementation Center sponsored a national initiative to improve family meetings in Veterans Affairs intensive care units across the United States. Process measures of success for the initiative were identified, including development of a curriculum to support facility-based quality improvement projects to implement high-quality family meetings. Identified curriculum requirements included suitability for distance learning and applicability to many clinical intensive care units. Curriculum modules were cross-mapped to the "Plan-Do-Study-Act" model to aid in planning quality improvement projects. A questionnaire was e-mailed to users to evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness. Users rated the curriculum's effectiveness in supporting and achieving aims of the initiative as 3.6 on a scale of 0 (not effective) to 4 (very effective). Users adapted the curriculum to meet local needs. The number of users increased from 6 to 17 quality improvement teams in 2 years. All but 3 teams progressed to implementation of an action plan. Users were satisfied with the effectiveness and adaptability of a family-meeting quality improvement curriculum to support implementation of a quality improvement project in Veterans Affairs intensive care units. This tool may be useful in facilitating projects to improve the quality of family meetings in other intensive care units. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Survival and detection of rotaviruses on environmental surfaces in day care centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Keswick, B H; Pickering, L K; DuPont, H L; Woodward, W E

1983-01-01

Previously, we demonstrated that children in day care centers commonly experience diarrhea due to rotavirus, giardia, and bacterial pathogens. Multiple agents frequently coexist, and the environment is heavily contaminated with enteric bacteria during outbreaks. A study of environmental surface contamination with rotavirus was performed during three non-outbreak periods. Of 25 samples collected from environmental surfaces and teachers hands at a day care center, 4 (16%) were positive for rotavirus antigen when a fluorescence assay was used. We also examined the survival of two animal viruses, rotavirus SA-11 and poliovirus type 1, and bacteriophage 12 on similar environmental surfaces in a laboratory. Poliovirus type 1 and bacteriophage f2 were more resistant to drying than rotavirus SA-11 and could be recovered after a 90-min exposure on a dry surface. Rotavirus SA-11 could be detected for 30 min. All three viruses survived longer when they were suspended in fecal material than when they were suspended in distilled water. These data suggest that several agents, including rotavirus, can remain viable on contaminated surfaces long enough to be transmitted to susceptible children. This finding helps explain why rotavirus shows a mode of spread like that of parasitic and bacterial agents within day care center settings. PMID:6314896

Survival analysis using primary care electronic health record data: A systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgkins, Adam Jose; Bonney, Andrew; Mullan, Judy; Mayne, Darren John; Barnett, Stephen

2018-01-01

An emerging body of research involves observational studies in which survival analysis is applied to data obtained from primary care electronic health records (EHRs). This systematic review of these studies examined the utility of using this approach. An electronic literature search of the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases was conducted. Search terms and exclusion criteria were chosen to select studies where survival analysis was applied to the data extracted wholly from EHRs used in primary care medical practice. A total of 46 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review were examined. All were published within the past decade (2005-2014) with a majority ( n = 26, 57%) being published between 2012 and 2014. Even though citation rates varied from nil to 628, over half ( n = 27, 59%) of the studies were cited 10 times or more. The median number of subjects was 18,042 with five studies including over 1,000,000 patients. Of the included studies, 35 (76%) were published in specialty journals and 11 (24%) in general medical journals. The many conditions studied largely corresponded well with conditions important to general practice. Survival analysis applied to primary care electronic medical data is a research approach that has been frequently used in recent times. The utility of this approach was demonstrated by the ability to produce research with large numbers of subjects, across a wide range of conditions and with the potential of a high impact. Importantly, primary care data were thus available to inform primary care practice.

Addition of gemtuzumab ozogamicin to induction chemotherapy improves survival in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burnett, Alan K; Russell, Nigel H; Hills, Robert K

2012-01-01

PURPOSE There has been little survival improvement in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the last two decades. Improving induction treatment may improve the rate and quality of remission and consequently survival. In our previous trial, in younger patients, we showed improved...

Functional survival after acute care for severe head injury at a designated trauma center in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedict B.T. Taw

2012-07-01

Conclusion: Multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation service is an important component of comprehensive trauma care. Despite significant early mortalities, a proportion of severely head-injured patients who survive acute care may achieve good long-term functional recovery.

Survival analysis of increases in care needs associated with dementia and living alone among older long-term care service users in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Huei-Ru; Otsubo, Tetsuya; Imanaka, Yuichi

2017-08-15

Japan is known for its long life expectancy and rapidly aging society that there are various demands of older adults need to be fulfilled with, and one of them is long-term care needs. Therefore, Japan implemented the Long-Term Care Insurance in year 2000 for citizens who are above 65-year old and citizens who are above 40-year old in needs of long-term care services. This study was undertaken to longitudinally examine the influence of dementia and living alone on care needs increases among older long-term care insurance service users in Japan. Long-term care insurance claims data were used to identify enrollees who applied for long-term care services between October 2010 and September 2011, and subjects were tracked until March 2015. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to examine increases in care needs over time in months. Cox regression models were used to examine the effects of dementia and living alone on care needs increases. The cumulative survival rates before care needs increased over the 4.5-year observation period were 17.6% in the dementia group and 31.9% in the non-dementia group. After adjusting for age, sex, care needs level, and status of living alone, the risk of care needs increases was found to be 1.5 times higher in the dementia group. Living alone was not a significant risk factor of care needs increases, but people with dementia who lived alone had a higher risk of care needs increases than those without dementia. Dementia, older age, the female sex, and lower care needs levels were associated with a higher risk of care needs increases over the study period. Among these variables, dementia had the strongest impact on care needs increases, especially in persons who lived alone.

Improving care at cystic fibrosis centers through quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraynack, Nathan C; McBride, John T

2009-10-01

Quality improvement (QI) using a clinical microsystems approach provides cystic fibrosis (CF) centers the opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the health of their patients. The availability of center-specific outcomes data and the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are important advantages for these quality improvement efforts. This article illustrates how the clinical microsystems methodology can improve care delivery and outcomes by describing the gradual application of quality improvement principles over the past 5 years by the CF team at the Lewis Walker Cystic Fibrosis Center at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio. Using the example of a project to improve the pulmonary function of the pediatric patients at our center as a framework, we describe the QI process from the initial team-building phase, through the assessment of care processes, standardization of care, and developing a culture of continuous improvement. We outline how enthusiastic commitment from physician leadership, clinical managers and central administration, the availability of coaches, and an appreciation of the importance of measurement, patient involvement, communication, and standardization are critical components for successful process improvement. Copyright Thieme Medical Publishers.

Carfilzomib significantly improves the progression-free survival of high-risk patients in multiple myeloma.

Science.gov (United States)

Avet-Loiseau, Hervé; Fonseca, Rafael; Siegel, David; Dimopoulos, Meletios A; Špička, Ivan; Masszi, Tamás; Hájek, Roman; Rosiñol, Laura; Goranova-Marinova, Vesselina; Mihaylov, Georgi; Maisnar, Vladimír; Mateos, Maria-Victoria; Wang, Michael; Niesvizky, Ruben; Oriol, Albert; Jakubowiak, Andrzej; Minarik, Jiri; Palumbo, Antonio; Bensinger, William; Kukreti, Vishal; Ben-Yehuda, Dina; Stewart, A Keith; Obreja, Mihaela; Moreau, Philippe

2016-09-01

The presence of certain high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities, such as translocations (4;14) and (14;16) and deletion (17p), are known to have a negative impact on survival in multiple myeloma (MM). The phase 3 study ASPIRE (N = 792) demonstrated that progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly improved with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd), compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) in relapsed MM. This preplanned subgroup analysis of ASPIRE was conducted to evaluate KRd vs Rd by baseline cytogenetics according to fluorescence in situ hybridization. Of 417 patients with known cytogenetic risk status, 100 patients (24%) were categorized with high-risk cytogenetics (KRd, n = 48; Rd, n = 52) and 317 (76%) were categorized with standard-risk cytogenetics (KRd, n = 147; Rd, n = 170). For patients with high-risk cytogenetics, treatment with KRd resulted in a median PFS of 23.1 months, a 9-month improvement relative to treatment with Rd. For patients with standard-risk cytogenetics, treatment with KRd led to a 10-month improvement in median PFS vs Rd. The overall response rates for KRd vs Rd were 79.2% vs 59.6% (high-risk cytogenetics) and 91.2% vs 73.5% (standard-risk cytogenetics); approximately fivefold as many patients with high- or standard-risk cytogenetics achieved a complete response or better with KRd vs Rd (29.2% vs 5.8% and 38.1% vs 6.5%, respectively). KRd improved but did not abrogate the poor prognosis associated with high-risk cytogenetics. This regimen had a favorable benefit-risk profile in patients with relapsed MM, irrespective of cytogenetic risk status, and should be considered a standard of care in these patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01080391. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Conformity to the surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines among physicians in a general intensive care unit in Nairobi.

Science.gov (United States)

Mung'ayi, V; Karuga, R

2010-08-01

There are emerging therapies for managing septic critically-ill patients. There is little data from the developing world on their usage. To determine the conformity rate for resuscitation and management bundles for septic patients amongst physicians in a general intensive care unit. Cross sectional observational study. The general intensive care unit, Aga Khan University Hospital,Nairobi. Admitting physicians from all specialties in the general intensive care unit. The physicians had high conformity rates of 92% and 96% for the fluid resuscitation and use of va so pressors respectively for the initial resuscitation bundle. They had moderate conformity rates for blood cultures prior to administering antibiotics (57%) and administration of antibiotics within first hour of recognition of septic shock (54%). There was high conformity rate to the glucose control policy (81%), use of protective lung strategy in acute lung injury/Acute respiratory distress syndrome, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (100%) and stress ulcer prophylaxis (100%) in the management bundle. Conformity was moderate for use of sedation, analgesia and muscle relaxant policy (69%), continuous renal replacement therapies (54%) and low for steroid policy (35%), administration ofdrotrecogin alfa (0%) and selective digestive decontamination (15%). There is varying conformity to the international sepsis guidelines among physicians caring for patients in our general ICU. Since increased conformity would improve survival and reduce morbidity, there is need for sustained education and guideline based performance improvement.

Intestine-specific overexpression of IL-10 improves survival in polymicrobial sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajan, Saju; Vyas, Dinesh; Clark, Andrew T; Woolsey, Cheryl A; Clark, Jessica A; Hotchkiss, Richard S; Buchman, Timothy G; Coopersmith, Craig M

2008-04-01

Targeted IL-10 therapy improves survival in preclinical models of critical illness, and intestine-specific IL-10 decreases inflammation in models of chronic Inflammatory disease. We therefore sought to determine whether intestine-specific overexpression of IL-10 would improve survival in sepsis. Transgenic mice that overexpress IL-10 in their gut epithelium (Fabpi-IL-10 mice) and wild-type (WT) littermates (n = 127) were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture with a 27-gauge needle. The 7-day survival rate was 45% in transgenic animals and 30% in WT animals (P < or = 0.05). Systemic levels of IL-10 were undetectable in both groups of animals under basal conditions and were elevated to a similar degree in septic animals regardless of whether they expressed the transgene. Local parameter of injury, including gut epithelial apoptosis, intestinal permeability, peritoneal lavage cytokines, and stimulated cytokines from intraepithelial lymphocytes, were similar between transgenic and WT mice. However, in stimulated splenocytes, proinflammatory cytokines monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (189 +/- 43 vs. 40 +/- 8 pg/mL) and IL-6 (116 +/- 28 vs. 34 +/- 9 pg/mL) were lower in Fabpi-IL-10 mice than WT littermates despite the intestine-specific nature of the transgene (P < 0.05). Cytokine levels were similar in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between the 2 groups, as were circulating LPS levels. Transgenic mice also had lower white blood cell counts associated with lower absolute neutrophil counts (0.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.2 10(3)/mm3; P < 0.05). These results indicate that gut-specific overexpression of IL-10 improves survival in a murine model of sepsis, and interactions between the intestinal epithelium and the systemic immune system may play a role in conferring this survival advantage.

Moving on: researching, surviving, and thriving in the evidence-saturated world of health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheek, Julianne

2011-05-01

In the worlds inhabited by qualitative inquirers working in health-related areas, health care, evidence, qualitative research, and qualitative researchers are four areas of potential tension and, at times, collision. These areas, or at least aspects of them, are constantly reinvented and realigned as the effects of such encounters are navigated. This article is about some of these close encounters, what we might learn from them, and how we might use this to "survive" as qualitative inquirers in an evidence-based world of health care and health care delivery.

Rainfall during parental care reduces reproductive and survival components of fitness in a passerine bird.

Science.gov (United States)

Öberg, Meit; Arlt, Debora; Pärt, Tomas; Laugen, Ane T; Eggers, Sönke; Low, Matthew

2015-01-01

Adverse weather conditions during parental care may have direct consequences for offspring production, but longer-term effects on juvenile and parental survival are less well known. We used long-term data on reproductive output, recruitment, and parental survival in northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) to investigate the effects of rainfall during parental care on fledging success, recruitment success (juvenile survival), and parental survival, and how these effects related to nestling age, breeding time, habitat quality, and parental nest visitation rates. While accounting for effects of temperature, fledging success was negatively related to rainfall (days > 10 mm) in the second half of the nestling period, with the magnitude of this effect being greater for breeding attempts early in the season. Recruitment success was, however, more sensitive to the number of rain days in the first half of the nestling period. Rainfall effects on parental survival differed between the sexes; males were more sensitive to rain during the nestling period than females. We demonstrate a probable mechanism driving the rainfall effects on reproductive output: Parental nest visitation rates decline with increasing amounts of daily rainfall, with this effect becoming stronger after consecutive rain days. Our study shows that rain during the nestling stage not only relates to fledging success but also has longer-term effects on recruitment and subsequent parental survival. Thus, if we want to understand or predict population responses to future climate change, we need to consider the potential impacts of changing rainfall patterns in addition to temperature, and how these will affect target species' vital rates.

Survival in pediatric medulloblastoma: a population-based observational study to improve prognostication.

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Weil, Alexander G; Wang, Anthony C; Westwick, Harrison J; Ibrahim, George M; Ariani, Rojine T; Crevier, Louis; Perreault, Sebastien; Davidson, Tom; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Fallah, Aria

2017-03-01

Medulloblastoma is the most common form of brain malignancy of childhood. The mainstay of epidemiological data regarding childhood medulloblastoma is derived from case series, hence population-based studies are warranted to improve the accuracy of survival estimates. To utilize a big-data approach to update survival estimates in a contemporary cohort of children with medulloblastoma. We performed a population-based retrospective observational cohort study utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database that captures all children, less than 20 years of age, between 1973 and 2012 in 18 geographical regions representing 28% of the US population. We included all participants with a presumed or histologically diagnosis of medulloblastoma. The main outcome of interest is survivors at 1, 5 and 10 years following diagnosis. A cohort of 1735 children with a median (interquartile range) age at diagnosis of 7 (4-11) years, with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma were identified. The incidence and prevalence of pediatric medulloblastoma has remained stable over the past 4 decades. There is a critical time point at 1990 when the overall survival has drastically improved. In the contemporary cohort (1990 onwards), the percentage of participants alive was 86, 70 and 63% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. Multivariate Cox-Regression model demonstrated Radiation (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.30-0.46, p < 0.001) and Surgery (HR 0.42; 95% CI 0.30-0.58, p < 0.001) independently predict survival. The probability of mortality from a neurological cause is <5% in patients who are alive 8 years following diagnosis. The SEER cohort analysis demonstrates significant improvements in pediatric medulloblastoma survival. In contrast to previous reports, the majority of patients survive in the modern era, and those alive 8 years following initial diagnosis are likely a long-term survivor. The importance of minimizing treatment-related toxicity is increasingly apparent given

Will Incremental Hemodialysis Preserve Residual Function and Improve Patient Survival?

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Davenport, Andrew

2015-01-01

The progressive loss of residual renal function in peritoneal dialysis patients is associated with increased mortality. It has been suggested that incremental dialysis may help preserve residual renal function and improve patient survival. Residual renal function depends upon both patient related and dialysis associated factors. Maintaining patients in an over-hydrated state may be associated with better preservation of residual renal function but any benefit comes with a significant risk of cardiovascular consequences. Notably, it is only observational studies that have reported an association between dialysis patient survival and residual renal function; causality has not been established for dialysis patient survival. The tenuous connections between residual renal function and outcomes and between incremental hemodialysis and residual renal function should temper our enthusiasm for interventions in this area. PMID:25385441

A Hyaluronan-Based Injectable Hydrogel Improves the Survival and Integration of Stem Cell Progeny following Transplantation

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Brian G. Ballios

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The utility of stem cells and their progeny in adult transplantation models has been limited by poor survival and integration. We designed an injectable and bioresorbable hydrogel blend of hyaluronan and methylcellulose (HAMC and tested it with two cell types in two animal models, thereby gaining an understanding of its general applicability for enhanced cell distribution, survival, integration, and functional repair relative to conventional cell delivery in saline. HAMC improves cell survival and integration of retinal stem cell (RSC-derived rods in the retina. The pro-survival mechanism of HAMC is ascribed to the interaction of the CD44 receptor with HA. Transient disruption of the retinal outer limiting membrane, combined with HAMC delivery, results in significantly improved rod survival and visual function. HAMC also improves the distribution, viability, and functional repair of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSCs. The HAMC delivery system improves cell transplantation efficacy in two CNS models, suggesting broad applicability.

Health care factors associated with survival among women with breast cancer on hormone therapy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2004 – 2010

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Cláudia de Brito

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objectives To better understand the role that health care plays in breast cancer survival by investigating the effects that hormone therapy adherence and other select health care variables, adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors, had among a population of women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods This was a longitudinal study based on secondary data of 5 861 women treated with hormone therapy (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors at the National Cancer Institute of Brazil (INCA, from 1 January 2004 – 29 October 2010. Four different sources of data were integrated for analysis: INCA Pharmacy Sector Dispensation System; Hospital-based Cancer Registry; Integrated Hospital System and INCA Absolute System; and Mortality Information System. Analyses explored the effects of adherence to hormone therapy, disease care aspects, and sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical variables, on the time of survival, using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. Results The general survival rate was 94% in the first year after initiation of hormone therapy, and 71% in the fifth year. The Cox model indicated a higher hazard of death among women smokers, with more hospitalizations, more exams, and, among those who used, who used only aromatase inhibitors, as hormone therapy modality. The hazard was lower among women with a partner (stable relationship, a high school or college education a family history of cancer, and those who were treated by a mastologist, oncologist, and/or psychotherapist, who underwent surgery, and who adhered to hormone therapy. Conclusions The study indicated more vulnerable sub-groups and the aspects of care that provide best results, bringing new knowledge to improve assistance to this group of women.

Increasing Winter Maximal Metabolic Rate Improves Intrawinter Survival in Small Birds.

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Petit, Magali; Clavijo-Baquet, Sabrina; Vézina, François

Small resident bird species living at northern latitudes increase their metabolism in winter, and this is widely assumed to improve their chances of survival. However, the relationship between winter metabolic performance and survival has yet to be demonstrated. Using capture-mark-recapture, we followed a population of free-living black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) over 3 yr and evaluated their survival probability within and among winters. We also measured the size-independent body mass (M s ), hematocrit (Hct), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and maximal thermogenic capacity (Msum) and investigated how these parameters influenced survival within and among winters. Results showed that survival probability was high and constant both within (0.92) and among (0.96) winters. They also showed that while M s , Hct, and BMR had no significant influence, survival was positively related to Msum-following a sigmoid relationship-within but not among winter. Birds expressing an Msum below 1.26 W (i.e., similar to summer levels) had a winter. Our data therefore suggest that black-capped chickadees that are either too slow or unable to adjust their phenotype from summer to winter have little chances of survival and thus that seasonal upregulation of metabolic performance is highly beneficial. This study is the first to document in an avian system the relationship between thermogenic capacity and winter survival, a proxy of fitness.

Does a trade-off between current reproductive success and survival affect the honesty of male signalling in species with male parental care?

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Kelly, N B; Alonzo, S H

2010-11-01

Recent theory predicted that male advertisement will reliably signal investment in paternal care in species where offspring survival requires paternal care and males allocate resources between advertisement and care. However, the predicted relationship between care and advertisement depended on the marginal gains from investment in current reproductive traits. Life history theory suggests that these fitness gains are also subject to a trade-off between current and future reproduction. Here, we investigate whether male signalling remains a reliable indicator of parental care when males allocate resources between current advertisement, paternal care and survival to future reproduction. We find that advertisement is predicted to remain a reliable signal of male care but that advertisement may cease to reliably indicate male quality because low-quality males are predicted to invest in current reproduction, whereas higher-quality males are able to invest in both current reproduction and survival to future reproduction. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria

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Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Winifred, Ekezie; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Background: Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. Objective: To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. Method: A total of 6 states were selected...

Centers for medicare and medicaid services: using an episode-based payment model to improve oncology care.

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Kline, Ronald M; Bazell, Carol; Smith, Erin; Schumacher, Heidi; Rajkumar, Rahul; Conway, Patrick H

2015-03-01

Cancer is a medically complex and expensive disease with costs projected to rise further as new treatment options increase and the United States population ages. Studies showing significant regional variation in oncology quality and costs and model tests demonstrating cost savings without adverse outcomes suggest there are opportunities to create a system of oncology care in the US that delivers higher quality care at lower cost. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have designed an episode-based payment model centered around 6 month periods of chemotherapy treatment. Monthly per-patient care management payments will be made to practices to support practice transformation, including additional patient services and specific infrastructure enhancements. Quarterly reporting of quality metrics will drive continuous quality improvement and the adoption of best practices among participants. Practices achieving cost savings will also be eligible for performance-based payments. Savings are expected through improved care coordination and appropriately aligned payment incentives, resulting in decreased avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations and more efficient and evidence-based use of imaging, laboratory tests, and therapeutic agents, as well as improved end of life care. New therapies and better supportive care have significantly improved cancer survival in recent decades. This has come at a high cost, with cancer therapy consuming $124 billion in 2010. CMS has designed an episode-based model of oncology care that incorporates elements from several successful model tests. By providing care management and performance based payments in conjunction with quality metrics and a rapid learning environment, it is hoped that this model will demonstrate how oncology care in the US can transform into a high value, high quality system. Copyright © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Quality Improvement in Athletic Health Care.

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Lopes Sauers, Andrea D; Sauers, Eric L; Valier, Alison R Snyder

2017-11-01

  Quality improvement (QI) is a health care concept that ensures patients receive high-quality (safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, patient-centered) and affordable care. Despite its importance, the application of QI in athletic health care has been limited.   To describe the need for and define QI in health care, to describe how to measure quality in health care, and to present a QI case in athletic training.   As the athletic training profession continues to grow, a widespread engagement in QI efforts is necessary to establish the value of athletic training services for the patients that we serve. A review of the importance of QI in health care, historical perspectives of QI, tools to drive QI efforts, and examples of common QI initiatives is presented to assist clinicians in better understanding the value of QI for advancing athletic health care and the profession. Clinical and Research Advantages:  By engaging clinicians in strategies to measure outcomes and improve their patient care services, QI practice can help athletic trainers provide high-quality and affordable care to patients.

Cancer survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a national study of survival rates and excess mortality.

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Condon, John R; Zhang, Xiaohua; Baade, Peter; Griffiths, Kalinda; Cunningham, Joan; Roder, David M; Coory, Michael; Jelfs, Paul L; Threlfall, Tim

2014-01-31

National cancer survival statistics are available for the total Australian population but not Indigenous Australians, although their cancer mortality rates are known to be higher than those of other Australians. We aimed to validate analysis methods and report cancer survival rates for Indigenous Australians as the basis for regular national reporting. We used national cancer registrations data to calculate all-cancer and site-specific relative survival for Indigenous Australians (compared with non-Indigenous Australians) diagnosed in 2001-2005. Because of limited availability of Indigenous life tables, we validated and used cause-specific survival (rather than relative survival) for proportional hazards regression to analyze time trends and regional variation in all-cancer survival between 1991 and 2005. Survival was lower for Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australians for all cancers combined and for many cancer sites. The excess mortality of Indigenous people with cancer was restricted to the first three years after diagnosis, and greatest in the first year. Survival was lower for rural and remote than urban residents; this disparity was much greater for Indigenous people. Survival improved between 1991 and 2005 for non-Indigenous people (mortality decreased by 28%), but to a much lesser extent for Indigenous people (11%) and only for those in remote areas; cancer survival did not improve for urban Indigenous residents. Cancer survival is lower for Indigenous than other Australians, for all cancers combined and many individual cancer sites, although more accurate recording of Indigenous status by cancer registers is required before the extent of this disadvantage can be known with certainty. Cancer care for Indigenous Australians needs to be considerably improved; cancer diagnosis, treatment, and support services need to be redesigned specifically to be accessible and acceptable to Indigenous people.

[Medulloblastoma: improved survival in recent decades. Unicentric experience].

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Igual Estellés, Lucía; Berlanga Charriel, Pablo; Cañete Nieto, Adela

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to analyse variations in the treatment of medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumour, and its impact on survival over the past two decades, as well as its clinical and pathological features. Survival analysis of all patients under 14 years old diagnosed with medulloblastoma between January 1990 and December 2013 in a Paediatric Oncology Unit. Sixty-three patients were diagnosed and treated for medulloblastoma, with a median follow-up of 5.1 years (range 0.65-21.7 years). The overall survival (OS) at 3 and 5 years was 66±13% and 55±14%, respectively. The OS at 5 years was 44%±25% in patients diagnosed in the 1990's, showing an increase to 70%±23% (p=0.032) since 2000. Clinical prognosis factors were included in the logistic regression model: age (p=0.008), presence of metastases and/or residual tumour (p=0.007), and receiving chemotherapy with radiotherapy after surgery (p=0.008). Statistically significant differences were observed for all of them. In our institution there has been a significant increase in medulloblastoma survival in the last decades. Multivariate analysis showed that this improvement was not related to the date of diagnosis, but with the introduction of chemotherapy in adjuvant treatment. This study confirmed that clinical factors significantly associated with worse outcome were age and presence of metastases at diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Rac1 selective activation improves retina ganglion cell survival and regeneration.

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Erika Lorenzetto

Full Text Available In adult mammals, after optic nerve injury, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs do not regenerate their axons and most of them die by apoptosis within a few days. Recently, several strategies that activate neuronal intracellular pathways were proposed to prevent such degenerative processes. The rho-related small GTPase Rac1 is part of a complex, still not fully understood, intracellular signaling network, mediating in neurons many effects, including axon growth and cell survival. However, its role in neuronal survival and regeneration in vivo has not yet been properly investigated. To address this point we intravitreally injected selective cell-penetrating Rac1 mutants after optic nerve crush and studied the effect on RGC survival and axonal regeneration. We injected two well-characterized L61 constitutively active Tat-Rac1 fusion protein mutants, in which a second F37A or Y40C mutation confers selectivity in downstream signaling pathways. Results showed that, 15 days after crush, both mutants were able to improve survival and to prevent dendrite degeneration, while the one harboring the F37A mutation also improved axonal regeneration. The treatment with F37A mutant for one month did not improve the axonal elongation respect to 15 days. Furthermore, we found an increase of Pak1 T212 phosphorylation and ERK1/2 expression in RGCs after F37A treatment, whereas ERK1/2 was more activated in glial cells after Y40C administration. Our data suggest that the selective activation of distinct Rac1-dependent pathways could represent a therapeutic strategy to counteract neuronal degenerative processes in the retina.

Breast cancer survival studies in India: a review

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Jignasa Sathwara; Saurabh Bobdey; Ganesh B.

2016-01-01

Length of survival of cancer patients is an important indicator for knowing the outcome of treatment in any study. Epidemiological features and biological profile of breast cancer appear to be different in developing countries as compared to Western countries. Knowing the factors that influence survival rates among women with breast cancer may help define early detection actions, and improve treatment and care proposals in all the areas of health. Therefore, this study aims to identify, the p...

Bringing quality improvement into the intensive care unit.

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McMillan, Tracy R; Hyzy, Robert C

2007-02-01

During the last several years, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations have championed the application of the principles of quality improvement to the practice of medicine, particularly in the area of critical care. To review the breadth of approaches to quality improvement in the intensive care unit, including measures such as mortality and length of stay, and the use of protocols, bundles, and the role of large, multiple-hospital collaboratives. Several agencies have participated in the application of the quality movement to medicine, culminating in the development of standards such as the intensive care unit core measures of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Although "zero defects" may not be possible in all measurable variables of quality in the intensive care unit, several measures, such as catheter-related bloodstream infections, can be significantly reduced through the implementation of improved processes of care, such as care bundles. Large, multiple-center, quality improvement collaboratives, such as the Michigan Keystone Intensive Care Unit Project, may be particularly effective in improving the quality of care by creating a "bandwagon effect" within a geographic region. The quality revolution is having a significant effect in the critical care unit and is likely to be facilitated by the transition to the electronic medical record.

Are global and regional improvements in life expectancy and in child, adult and senior survival slowing?

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Ryan J Hum

Full Text Available Improvements in life expectancy have been considerable over the past hundred years. Forecasters have taken to applying historical trends under an assumption of continuing improvements in life expectancy in the future. A linear mixed effects model was used to estimate the trends in global and regional rates of improvements in life expectancy, child, adult, and senior survival, in 166 countries between 1950 and 2010. Global improvements in life expectancy, including both child and adult survival rates, decelerated significantly over the study period. Overall life expectancy gains were estimated to have declined from 5.9 to 4.0 months per year for a mean deceleration of -0.07 months/year2; annual child survival gains declined from 4.4 to 1.6 deaths averted per 1000 for a mean deceleration of -0.06 deaths/1000/year2; adult survival gains were estimated to decline from 4.8 to 3.7 deaths averted per 1000 per year for a mean deceleration of -0.08 deaths/1000/year2. Senior survival gains however increased from 2.4 to 4.2 deaths averted per 1000 per year for an acceleration of 0.03 deaths/1000/year2. Regional variation in the four measures was substantial. The rates of global improvements in life expectancy, child survival, and adult survival have declined since 1950 despite an increase in the rate of improvements among seniors. We postulate that low-cost innovation, related to the last half-century progress in health-primarily devoted to children and middle age, is reaping diminishing returns on its investments. Trends are uneven across regions and measures, which may be due in part to the state of epidemiological transition between countries and regions and disparities in the diffusion of innovation, accessible only in high-income countries where life expectancy is already highest.

Did professional attendance at home births improve early neonatal survival in Indonesia?

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Hatt, Laurel; Stanton, Cynthia; Ronsmans, Carine; Makowiecka, Krystyna; Adisasmita, Asri

2009-07-01

BACKGROUND Early neonatal mortality has been persistently high in developing countries. Indonesia, with its national policy of home-based, midwife-assisted birth, is an apt context for assessing the effect of home-based professional birth attendance on early neonatal survival. METHODS We pooled four Indonesian Demographic and Health Surveys and used multivariate logistic regression to analyse trends in first-day and early neonatal mortality. We measured the effect of the context of delivery, including place and type of provider, and tested for changes in trend when the 'Midwife in the Village' programme was initiated. RESULTS Reported first-day mortality did not decrease significantly between 1986 and 2002, whereas early neonatal mortality decreased by an average of 3.2% annually. The rate of the decline did not change over the time period, either in 1989 when the Midwife in the Village programme was initiated, or in any year following when uptake of professional care increased. In simple and multivariate analyses, there were no significant differences in first-day or early neonatal death rates comparing home-based births with or without a professional midwife. Early neonatal mortality was higher in public facilities, likely due to selection. Biological determinants (twin births, male sex, short birth interval, previous early neonatal loss) were important for both outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Decreasing newborn death rates in Indonesia are encouraging, but it is not clear that these decreases are associated with greater uptake of professional delivery care at home or in health facilities. This may suggest a need for improved training in immediate newborn care, strengthened emergency referral, and continued support for family planning policies.

Patients with type 2 diabetes benefit from primary care-based disease management: a propensity score matched survival time analysis.

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Drabik, Anna; Büscher, Guido; Thomas, Karsten; Graf, Christian; Müller, Dirk; Stock, Stephanie

2012-08-01

This study aimed to assess the impact of a nationwide German diabetes mellitus disease management program (DMP) on survival time and costs in comparison to routine care. The authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using routine administration data from Germany's largest sickness fund to identify insured suffering from diabetes in 2002. A total of 95,443 insured with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were born before January 1, 1962 met the defined inclusion criteria, resulting in 19,888 pairs of DMP participants and nonparticipants matched for socioeconomic and health status using propensity score matching methods. This is the first time propensity score matching has been used to evaluate a survival benefit of DMPs. In the time frame analyzed (3 years), mean survival time for the DMP group was 1045 days vs. 985 days for the routine care group (Ptime. They also incurred lower costs compared to propensity score matched insured in routine care.

Administrative data linkage to evaluate a quality improvement program in acute stroke care, Georgia, 2006-2009.

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Ido, Moges Seyoum; Bayakly, Rana; Frankel, Michael; Lyn, Rodney; Okosun, Ike S

2015-01-15

Tracking the vital status of stroke patients through death data is one approach to assessing the impact of quality improvement in stroke care. We assessed the feasibility of linking Georgia hospital discharge data with mortality data to evaluate the effect of participation in the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry on survival rates among acute ischemic stroke patients. Multistage probabilistic matching, using a fine-grained record integration and linkage software program and combinations of key variables, was used to link Georgia hospital discharge data for 2005 through 2009 with mortality data for 2006 through 2010. Data from patients admitted with principal diagnoses of acute ischemic stroke were analyzed by using the extended Cox proportional hazard model. The survival times of patients cared for by hospitals participating in the stroke registry and of those treated at nonparticipating hospitals were compared. Average age of the 50,579 patients analyzed was 69 years, and 56% of patients were treated in Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry hospitals. Thirty-day and 365-day mortality after first admission for stroke were 8.1% and 18.5%, respectively. Patients treated at nonparticipating facilities had a hazard ratio for death of 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.26; P = .01) after the first week of admission compared with patients cared for by hospitals participating in the registry. Hospital discharge data can be linked with death data to assess the impact of clinical-level or community-level chronic disease control initiatives. Hospitals need to undertake quality improvement activities for a better patient outcome.

Parathyroid carcinoma survival: improvements in the era of intact parathyroid hormone monitoring?

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Steve R. Martinez

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH assay is a critical test in the diagnosis and management of PTH-mediated hypercalcemia, including parathyroid carcinoma (PCa. We hypothesized that the survival of patients diagnosed with PCa has improved since adoption of the iPTH assay into clinical practice. We identified all confirmed cases of PCa within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database from 1973 to 2006. Patients were categorized into two eras based upon introduction of the iPTH assay: 1973 to 1997 (era I and 1997 to 2006 (era II, when the iPTH assay was in standard use. We estimated overall survival (OS and disease-specific survival (DSS using the Kaplan-Meier method, with differences among survival curves assessed via log rank. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models compared the survival rates between treatment eras while controlling for patient age, sex, race/ethnicity, tumor size, nodal status, extent of disease, and type of surgery. Multivariate models included patients undergoing potentially curative surgery and excluded those with dis- tant metastases. Risks of overall and disease-specific mortality were reported as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Study criteria were met by 370 patients. Median survival was 15.6 years. Five-year rates of OS and DSS were 78% and 88% for era I and 82% and 96% for era II. On multivariate analysis, age, black race, and unknown extent of disease predicted an increased risk of death from any cause. Treatment era did not predict OS. No factor predicted PCa-specific mortality. In multivariate analysis, neither OS nor DSS have improved in the current era that utilizes iPTH for the detection and management of PCa.

The ReACH Collaborative--improving quality home care.

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Boyce, Patricia Simino; Pace, Karen B; Lauder, Bonnie; Solomon, Debra A

2007-08-01

Research on quality of care has shown that vigorous leadership, clear goals, and compatible incentive systems are critical factors in influencing successful change (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Quality improvement is a complex process, and clinical quality improvement applications are more likely to be effective in organizations that are ready for change and have strong leaders, who are committed to creating and reinforcing a work environment that supports quality goals (Shortell, 1998). Key leadership roles include providing clear and sustained direction, articulating a coherent set of values and incentives to guide group and individual activities, aligning and integrating improvement efforts into organizational priorities, obtaining or freeing up resources to implement improvement activities, and creating a culture of "continuous improvement" that encourages and rewards the pursuit and achievement of shared quality aims (Institute of Medicine, 2001, 70-71). In summary, home health care is a significant and growing sector of the health care system that provides care to millions of vulnerable patients. There seems little doubt that home health agencies want to focus on quality of care issues and provide optimal care to home-based patients. Furthermore, there is a growing awareness of the value for adapting innovative, effective models for improving the culture of home care practice. This awareness stems from the notion that some agencies see quality improvement activities as a way for them to distinguish themselves not only to regulators and customers, but also to meet the cultural and transformational needs to remain viable in a constantly evolving and competitive health care industry.

Health care in China: improvement, challenges, and reform.

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Wang, Chen; Rao, Keqin; Wu, Sinan; Liu, Qian

2013-02-01

Over the past 2 decades, significant progress has been made in improving the health-care system and people's health conditions in China. Following rapid economic growth and social development, China's health-care system is facing new challenges, such as increased health-care demands and expenditure, inefficient use of health-care resources, unsatisfying implementation of disease management guidelines, and inadequate health-care insurance. Facing these challenges, the Chinese government carried out a national health-care reform in 2009. A series of policies were developed and implemented to improve the health-care insurance system, the medical care system, the public health service system, the pharmaceutical supply system, and the health-care institution management system in China. Although these measures have shown promising results, further efforts are needed to achieve the ultimate goal of providing affordable and high-quality care for both urban and rural residents in China. This article not only covers the improvement, challenges, and reform of health care in general in China, but also highlights the status of respiratory medicine-related issues.

ABO blood type correlates with survival on prostate cancer vaccine therapy.

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Muthana, Saddam M; Gulley, James L; Hodge, James W; Schlom, Jeffrey; Gildersleeve, Jeffrey C

2015-10-13

Immunotherapies for cancer are transforming patient care, but clinical responses vary considerably from patient to patient. Simple, inexpensive strategies to target treatment to likely responders could substantially improve efficacy while simultaneously reducing health care costs, but identification of reliable biomarkers has proven challenging. Previously, we found that pre-treatment serum IgM to blood group A (BG-A) correlated with survival for patients treated with PROSTVAC-VF, a therapeutic cancer vaccine in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer. These results suggested that ABO blood type might influence efficacy. Unfortunately, blood types were not available in the clinical records for all but 8 patients and insufficient amounts of sera were left for standard blood typing methods. To test the hypothesis, therefore, we developed a new glycan microarray-based method for determining ABO blood type. The method requires only 4 μL of serum, provides 97% accuracy, and allows simultaneous profiling of many other serum anti-glycan antibodies. After validation with 220 healthy subjects of known blood type, the method was then applied to 74 PROSTVAC-VF patients and 37 control patients from a phase II trial. In this retrospective study, we found that type B and O PROSTVAC-VF patients demonstrated markedly improved clinical outcomes relative to A and AB patients, including longer median survival, longer median survival relative to Halabi predicted survival, and improved overall survival via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p = 0.006). Consequently, blood type may provide an inexpensive screen to pre-select patients likely to benefit from PROSTVAC-VF therapy.

Orthogeriatric care: improving patient outcomes

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Tarazona-Santabalbina FJ

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Francisco José Tarazona-Santabalbina,1,2 Ángel Belenguer-Varea,1,2 Eduardo Rovira,1,2 David Cuesta-Peredó1,21Geriatric Medicine Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitario de la Ribera, 2Medical School, Universidad Católica de Valencia San vicente Mártir, Valencia, SpainAbstract: Hip fractures are a very serious socio-economic problem in western countries. Since the 1950s, orthogeriatric units have introduced improvements in the care of geriatric patients admitted to hospital because of hip fractures. During this period, these units have reduced mean hospital stays, number of complications, and both in-hospital mortality and mortality over the middle term after hospital discharge, along with improvements in the quality of care and a reduction in costs. Likewise, a recent clinical trial has reported greater functional gains among the affected patients. Studies in this field have identified the prognostic factors present upon admission or manifesting themselves during admission and that increase the risk of patient mortality or disability. In addition, improved care afforded by orthogeriatric units has proved to reduce costs. Nevertheless, a number of management issues remain to be clarified, such as the optimum anesthetic, analgesic, and thromboprophylactic protocols; the type of diagnostic and therapeutic approach best suited to patients with cognitive problems; or the efficiency of the programs used in convalescence units or in home rehabilitation care. Randomized clinical trials are needed to consolidate the evidence in this regard. Keywords: hip fractures, geriatric assessment, orthogeriatric care, recovery of function, mortality

Survival curves to support quality improvement in hospitals with excess 30-day mortality after acute myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke and hip fracture: a before-after study.

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Kristoffersen, Doris Tove; Helgeland, Jon; Waage, Halfrid Persdatter; Thalamus, Jacob; Clemens, Dirk; Lindman, Anja Schou; Rygh, Liv Helen; Tjomsland, Ole

2015-03-25

To evaluate survival curves (Kaplan-Meier) as a means of identifying areas in the clinical pathway amenable to quality improvement. Observational before-after study. In Norway, annual public reporting of nationwide 30-day in-and-out-of-hospital mortality (30D) for three medical conditions started in 2011: first time acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke and hip fracture; reported for 2009. 12 of 61 hospitals had statistically significant lower/higher mortality compared with the hospital mean. Three hospitals with significantly higher mortality requested detailed analyses for quality improvement purposes: Telemark Hospital Trust Skien (AMI and stroke), Østfold Hospital Trust Fredrikstad (stroke), Innlandet Hospital Trust Gjøvik (hip fracture). Survival curves, crude and risk-adjusted 30D before (2008-2009) and after (2012-2013). Unadjusted survival curves for the outlier hospitals were compared to curves based on pooled data from the other hospitals for the 30-day period 2008-2009. For patients admitted with AMI (Skien), stroke (Fredrikstad) and hip fracture (Gjøvik), the curves suggested increased mortality from the initial part of the clinical pathway. For stroke (Skien), increased mortality appeared after about 8 days. The curve profiles were thought to reflect suboptimal care in various phases in the clinical pathway. This informed improvement efforts. For 2008-2009, hospital-specific curves differed from other hospitals: borderline significant for AMI (p=0.064), highly significant (p≤0.005) for the remainder. After intervention, no difference was found (p>0.188). Before-after comparison of the curves within each hospital revealed a significant change for Fredrikstad (p=0.006). For the three hospitals, crude 30D declined and they were non-outliers for risk-adjusted 30D for 2013. Survival curves as a supplement to 30D may be useful for identifying suboptimal care in the clinical pathway, and thus informing design of quality improvement projects

Quality assured health care in certified breast centers and improvement of the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, Matthias W; Brucker, Cosima; Hanf, Volker; Rauh, Claudia; Bani, Mayada R; Knob, Stefanie; Petsch, Sabrina; Schick, Stefan; Fasching, Peter A; Hartmann, Arndt; Lux, Michael P; Häberle, Lothar

2011-01-01

Increasing effort has been put in the implementation and certification of breast centers in order to establish standardized, quality assured health care for breast cancer patients. The aim of this analysis was to investigate whether patients treated in certified breast centers (CBC) have a favorable prognosis as compared to patients treated outside of certified breast treatment units. The data of 3,940 patients with invasive nonmetastatic breast cancer were analyzed with regard to differences in patient and tumor characteristics and crude overall survival according to diagnosis in or outside CBC in Middle Franconia, Germany. Patient, tumor, and follow-up data were obtained from the clinical cancer registry. Patients in CBC were younger, and had lower disease stages and lower grading. Independent of the effects of these variables on overall survival, being treated at a CBC added to the prediction of overall survival. Patients treated at a CBC had a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.52-0.93) in the adjusted Cox model. Independent from common prognostic factors, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at a CBC improves the prognosis of patients. It can be hypothesized that this effect is mediated through quality assured health care provided by the certification process. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Improved survival of newborns receiving leukocyte transfusions for sepsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cairo, M.S.; Rucker, R.; Bennetts, G.A.; Hicks, D.; Worcester, C.; Amlie, R.; Johnson, S.; Katz, J.

1984-01-01

To determine the role of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte transfusions in neonates with sepsis, 23 consecutive newborns were prospectively randomly selected during an 18-month period in a treatment plan to receive polymorphonuclear leukocyte transfusions with supportive care or supportive care alone. Thirteen neonates received transfusions every 12 hours for a total of five transfusions. Each transfusion consisting of 15 mL/kg of polymorphonuclear leukocytes was subjected to 1,500 rads of radiation. The polymorphonuclear leukocytes were obtained by continuous-flow centrifugation leukapheresis and contained 0.5 to 1.0 X 10(9) granulocytes per 15 mL with less than 10% lymphocytes. Positive findings on blood cultures were obtained in 14/23 patients and seven were randomly selected for each treatment group. Absolute granulocyte counts were less than 1,500/microL in 13 patients but tibial bone marrow examinations revealed that the neutrophil supply pool was depleted in only three patients. The survival was significantly greater in the treatment group compared with the group that did not receive transfusions

Restructuring primary care for performance improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fawcett, Kenneth J; Brummel, Stacy; Byrnes, John J

2009-01-01

Primary care practices can no longer consider ongoing quality assessment and management processes to be optional. There are ever-increasing demands from any number of interested parties for objectively measured proof of outcomes and quality of care. Primary Care Partners (PCP), a 16-site ambulatory affiliate of the Spectrum Health system in Grand Rapids, Michigan, began such a continuous quality improvement (CQI) effort in 2005. The intent was to develop an ongoing systematic process that would raise its performance potential and improve patient outcomes in the areas of chronic disease management and preventive services. This article describes the partnerships PCP established, specific benchmarks and measurements used, processes utilized, and results to date. This could be used as a roadmap for other primary care systems that are working to establish CQI in their daily operations.

Benchmarking comprehensive cancer care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wind, Anke

2017-01-01

The number of cancer patients and survivors is steadily increasing and despite or perhaps because of rapid improvements in diagnostics and therapeutics, important inequalities in cancer survival exist within and between different countries in Europe. Improving the quality of care is part of the

How can survival processing improve memory encoding?

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Meng; Geng, Haiyan

2013-11-01

We investigated the psychological mechanism of survival processing advantage from the perspective of false memory in two experiments. Using a DRM paradigm in combination with analysis based on signal detection theory, we were able to separately examine participants' utilization of verbatim representation and gist representation. Specifically, in Experiment 1, participants rated semantically related words in a survival scenario for a survival condition but rated pleasantness of words in the same DRM lists for a non-survival control condition. The results showed that participants demonstrated more gist processing in the survival condition than in the pleasantness condition; however, the degree of item-specific processing in the two encoding conditions did not significantly differ. In Experiment 2, the control task was changed to a category rating task, in which participants were asked to make category ratings of words in the category lists. We found that the survival condition involved more item-specific processing than did the category condition, but we found no significant difference between the two encoding conditions at the level of gist processing. Overall, our study demonstrates that survival processing can simultaneously promote gist and item-specific representations. When the control tasks only promoted either item-specific representation or gist representation, memory advantages of survival processing occurred.

Probiotics improve survival of septic rats by suppressing conditioned pathogens in ascites

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Da-Quan; Gao, Qiao-Ying; Liu, Hong-Bin; Li, Dong-Hua; Wu, Shang-Wei

2013-01-01

AIM: To investigate the benefits of probiotics treatment in septic rats. METHODS: The septic rats were induced by cecal ligation and puncture. The animals of control, septic model and probiotics treated groups were treated with vehicle and mixed probiotics, respectively. The mixture of probiotics included Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. We observed the survival of septic rats using different amounts of mixed probiotics. We also detected the bacterial population in ascites and blood of experimental sepsis using cultivation and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The severity of mucosal inflammation in colonic tissues was determined. RESULTS: Probiotics treatment improved survival of the rats significantly and this effect was dose dependent. The survival rate was 30% for vehicle-treated septic model group. However, 1 and 1/4 doses of probiotics treatment increased survival rate significantly compared with septic model group (80% and 55% vs 30%, P probiotics treated group compared with septic model group (5.20 ± 0.57 vs 9.81 ± 0.67, P probiotics treated group compared with septic model group (33.3% vs 100.0%, P probiotics treated group were decreased significantly compared with that of septic model group (3.93 ± 0.73 vs 8.80 ± 0.83, P probiotics treatment, there was a decrease in the scores of inflammatory cell infiltration into the intestinal mucosa in septic animals (1.50 ± 0.25 vs 2.88 ± 0.14, P Probiotics improve survival of septic rats by suppressing these conditioned pathogens. PMID:23840152

Going the Extra Mile: Improved Survival for Pancreatic Cancer Patients Traveling to High-volume Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidsky, Michael E; Sun, Zhifei; Nussbaum, Daniel P; Adam, Mohamed A; Speicher, Paul J; Blazer, Dan G

2017-08-01

This study compares outcomes following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for patients treated at local, low-volume centers and those traveling to high-volume centers. Although outcomes for PD are superior at high-volume institutions, not all patients live in proximity to major medical centers. Theoretical advantages for undergoing surgery locally exist. The 1998 to 2012 National Cancer Data Base was queried for T1-3N0-1M0 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients who underwent PD. Travel distances to treatment centers were calculated. Overlaying the upper and lower quartiles of travel distance with institutional volume established short travel/low-volume (ST/LV) and long travel/high-volume (LT/HV) cohorts. Overall survival was evaluated. Of 7086 patients, 773 ST/LV patients traveled ≤6.3 (median 3.2) miles to centers performing ≤3.3 PDs yearly, and 758 LT/HV patients traveled ≥45 (median 97.3) miles to centers performing ≥16 PDs yearly. LT/HV patients had higher stage disease (P travel to a high-volume center remained associated with reduced long-term mortality (hazard ratio 0.75, P travel burden, patients treated at high-volume centers had improved perioperative outcomes, short-term mortality, and overall survival. These data support ongoing efforts to centralize care for patients undergoing PD.

The Procalcitonin And Survival Study (PASS) – A Randomised multi-center investigator-initiated trial to investigate whether daily measurements biomarker Procalcitonin and pro-active diagnostic and therapeutic responses to abnormal Procalcitonin levels, can improve survival in intensive care unit patients. Calculated sample size (target population): 1000 patients

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Jens-Ulrik; Lundgren, Bettina; Hein, Lars; Mohr, Thomas; Petersen, Pernille L; Andersen, Lasse H; Lauritsen, Anne Ø; Hougaard, Sine; Mantoni, Teit; Bømler, Bonnie; Thornberg, Klaus J; Thormar, Katrin; Løken, Jesper; Steensen, Morten; Carl, Peder; Petersen, J Asger; Tousi, Hamid; Søe-Jensen, Peter; Bestle, Morten; Hestad, Søren; Andersen, Mads H; Fjeldborg, Paul; Larsen, Kim M; Rossau, Charlotte; Thomsen, Carsten B; Østergaard, Christian; Kjær, Jesper; Grarup, Jesper; Lundgren, Jens D

2008-01-01

Background Sepsis and complications to sepsis are major causes of mortality in critically ill patients. Rapid treatment of sepsis is of crucial importance for survival of patients. The infectious status of the critically ill patient is often difficult to assess because symptoms cannot be expressed and signs may present atypically. The established biological markers of inflammation (leucocytes, C-reactive protein) may often be influenced by other parameters than infection, and may be unacceptably slowly released after progression of an infection. At the same time, lack of a relevant antimicrobial therapy in an early course of infection may be fatal for the patient. Specific and rapid markers of bacterial infection have been sought for use in these patients. Methods Multi-centre randomized controlled interventional trial. Powered for superiority and non-inferiority on all measured end points. Complies with, "Good Clinical Practice" (ICH-GCP Guideline (CPMP/ICH/135/95, Directive 2001/20/EC)). Inclusion: 1) Age ≥ 18 years of age, 2) Admitted to the participating intensive care units, 3) Signed written informed consent. Exclusion: 1) Known hyper-bilirubinaemia. or hypertriglyceridaemia, 2) Likely that safety is compromised by blood sampling, 3) Pregnant or breast feeding. Computerized Randomisation: Two arms (1:1), n = 500 per arm: Arm 1: standard of care. Arm 2: standard of care and Procalcitonin guided diagnostics and treatment of infection. Primary Trial Objective: To address whether daily Procalcitonin measurements and immediate diagnostic and therapeutic response on day-to-day changes in procalcitonin can reduce the mortality of critically ill patients. Discussion For the first time ever, a mortality-endpoint, large scale randomized controlled trial with a biomarker-guided strategy compared to the best standard of care, is conducted in an Intensive care setting. Results will, with a high statistical power answer the question: Can the survival of critically ill

The Procalcitonin And Survival Study (PASS – A Randomised multi-center investigator-initiated trial to investigate whether daily measurements biomarker Procalcitonin and pro-active diagnostic and therapeutic responses to abnormal Procalcitonin levels, can improve survival in intensive care unit patients. Calculated sample size (target population: 1000 patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fjeldborg Paul

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sepsis and complications to sepsis are major causes of mortality in critically ill patients. Rapid treatment of sepsis is of crucial importance for survival of patients. The infectious status of the critically ill patient is often difficult to assess because symptoms cannot be expressed and signs may present atypically. The established biological markers of inflammation (leucocytes, C-reactive protein may often be influenced by other parameters than infection, and may be unacceptably slowly released after progression of an infection. At the same time, lack of a relevant antimicrobial therapy in an early course of infection may be fatal for the patient. Specific and rapid markers of bacterial infection have been sought for use in these patients. Methods Multi-centre randomized controlled interventional trial. Powered for superiority and non-inferiority on all measured end points. Complies with, "Good Clinical Practice" (ICH-GCP Guideline (CPMP/ICH/135/95, Directive 2001/20/EC. Inclusion: 1 Age ≥ 18 years of age, 2 Admitted to the participating intensive care units, 3 Signed written informed consent. Exclusion: 1 Known hyper-bilirubinaemia. or hypertriglyceridaemia, 2 Likely that safety is compromised by blood sampling, 3 Pregnant or breast feeding. Computerized Randomisation: Two arms (1:1, n = 500 per arm: Arm 1: standard of care. Arm 2: standard of care and Procalcitonin guided diagnostics and treatment of infection. Primary Trial Objective: To address whether daily Procalcitonin measurements and immediate diagnostic and therapeutic response on day-to-day changes in procalcitonin can reduce the mortality of critically ill patients. Discussion For the first time ever, a mortality-endpoint, large scale randomized controlled trial with a biomarker-guided strategy compared to the best standard of care, is conducted in an Intensive care setting. Results will, with a high statistical power answer the question: Can the survival

Improving aspects of palliative care for children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jagt, C.T.

2017-01-01

This thesis is about improving aspects of palliative care for children, and covers three different areas of quality of care. First of all, palliative care should be anticipating. To be able to deliver this anticipating care, caregivers should know what to expect. The first two chapters of the thesis

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria: Successes and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Winifred, Ekezie; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. A total of 6 states were selected across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country. However, assessments were carried out in 40 facilities in only 5 states. Selection was based on location, coverage, and minimum services offered. The facilities were divided randomly into 2 groups. The treatment group received quality-of-care assessment, continuous feedback, and improvement support, whereas the control group received quality assessment and no other support. Data were collected using the SafeCare Healthcare Standards and managed on the SafeCare Data Management System-AfriDB. Eight core areas were assessed at baseline and end line, and compliance to quality health-care standards was compared. Outcomes from 40 facilities were accepted and analyzed. Overall scores increased in the treatment facilities compared to the control facilities, with strong evidence of improvement ( t = 5.28, P = .0004) and 11% average improvement, but no clear pattern of improvement emerged in the control group. The study demonstrated governance support and active community involvement offered potential for quality improvement in primary health-care facilities.

Evaluation of an Intervention to Improve Essential Obstetric and Newborn Care Access and Quality in Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Broughton, Edward; Hermida, Jorge; Hill, Kathleen; Sloan, Nancy; Chavez, Mario; Gonzalez, Daniel; Freire, Juana Maria; Gudino, Ximena

2016-01-01

between community, primary, and hospital health care. This improved access to, quality, use, and provision of essential obstetric and neonatal care and survival. Ecuador's Ministry of Health is scaling up the model nationally.

Evaluation of an intervention to improve essential obstetric and newborn care access and quality in Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward Broughton

2016-11-01

, primary and hospital health care. This improved access to, quality, use and provision of essential obstetric and neonatal care and survival. Ecuador’s Ministry of Health is scaling up the model nationally.

Physician education programme improves quality of diabetes care

African Journals Online (AJOL)

diabetes have been compiled and circulated to health care workers, but ... studied and attempted to improve the quality of diabetes care in primary care ..... project indicators in the Indian Health Service primary care setting. Diabetes Care ...

Home visit program improves technique survival in peritoneal dialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Francesca; Adıbelli, Z; Mason, G; Nayak, A; Ariyanon, W; Rettore, E; Crepaldi, Carlo; Rodighiero, Mariapia; Ronco, Claudio

2014-01-01

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home therapy, and technique survival is related to the adherence to PD prescription at home. The presence of a home visit program could improve PD outcomes. We evaluated its effects on clinical outcome during 1 year of follow-up. This was a case-control study. The case group included all 96 patients who performed PD in our center on January 1, 2013, and who attended a home visit program; the control group included all 92 patients who performed PD on January 1, 2008. The home visit program consisted of several additional visits to reinforce patients' confidence in PD management in their own environment. Outcomes were defined as technique failure, peritonitis episode, and hospitalization. Clinical and dialysis features were evaluated for each patient. The case group was significantly older (p = 0.048), with a lower grade of autonomy (p = 0.033), but a better hemoglobin level (p = 0.02) than the control group. During the observational period, we had 11 episodes of technique failure. We found a significant reduction in the rate of technique failure in the case group (p = 0.004). Furthermore, survival analysis showed a significant extension of PD treatment in the patients supported by the home visit program (52 vs. 48.8 weeks, p = 0.018). We did not find any difference between the two groups in terms of peritonitis and hospitalization rate; however, trends toward a reduction of Gram-positive peritonitis rates as well as prevalence and duration of hospitalization related to PD problems were identified in the case group. The retrospective nature of the analysis was a limitation of this study. The home visit program improves the survival of PD patients and could reduce the rate of Gram-positive peritonitis and hospitalization. Video Journal Club "Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco" at http://www.karger.com/?doi=365168.

Point-of-care technology: integration for improved delivery of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Debbie; Buckner, Martha

2014-01-01

The growing complexity of technology, equipment, and devices involved in patient care delivery can be staggering and overwhelming. Technology is intended to be a tool to help clinicians, but it can also be a frustrating hindrance if not thoughtfully planned and strategically aligned. Critical care nurses are key partners in the collaborations needed to improve safety and quality through health information technology (IT). Nurses must advocate for systems that are interoperable and adapted to the context of care experiences. The involvement and collaboration between clinicians, information technology specialists, biomedical engineers, and vendors has never been more relevant and applicable. Working together strategically with a shared vision can effectively provide a seamless clinical workflow, maximize technology investments, and ultimately improve patient care delivery and outcomes. Developing a strategic integrated clinical and IT roadmap is a critical component of today's health care environment. How can technology strategy be aligned from the executive suite to the bedside caregiver? What is the model for using clinical workflows to drive technology adoption? How can the voice of the critical care nurse strengthen this process? How can success be assured from the initial assessment and selection of technology to a sustainable support model? What is the vendor's role as a strategic partner and "co-caregiver"?

[Injecting drug abuse: survival after intensive care admission and forensic toxicology reports at death].

Science.gov (United States)

Sigvaldason, Kristinn; Ingvarsson, Thoroddur; Thordardottir, Svava; Kristinsson, Jakob; Karason, Sigurbergur

2014-10-01

Injecting drug abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for the individual and for society. The purpose of this study was to gather information on the most serious complications of injecting drug use from two perspectives, intensive care admissions and forensic toxicology reports. Firstly, intensive care admissions related to injecting drug abuse during a five year period were reviewed for demographics, complications and 5 year survival. Secondly, information from forensic toxicology reports regarding deaths amongst known injecting drug abusers were gathered for the same period. A total of 57 patients with a history of active injecting drug use were admitted to intensive care or approximately 1% of admissions, most often for overdose (52%) or life threatening infections (39%). Median age was 26, males were 66%. The most common substances used were prescription drugs. Hospital mortality was 16% and five year survival 65%. Average time from hospital discharge to death was 916±858 days. During the study period 38 deaths of individuals with a history of injecting drugs were identified by forensic toxicology reports or 4.1/10(5) population/year (age 15-59). Cause of death was most often overdose (53%), usually from prescription opiates but multiple drug use was common. The life expectancy of injecting drug abusers after intensive care admission is substantially decreased, with 35% death rate within five years. A widespread use of prescription drugs is of concern. Injecting drug abuse seems to be a similar health problem in magnitude in Iceland as in other Scandinavian countries.

Survival As a Quality Metric of Cancer Care: Use of the National Cancer Data Base to Assess Hospital Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Shulman, Lawrence N; Palis, Bryan E; McCabe, Ryan; Mallin, Kathy; Loomis, Ashley; Winchester, David; McKellar, Daniel

2018-01-01

Survival is considered an important indicator of the quality of cancer care, but the validity of different methodologies to measure comparative survival rates is less well understood. We explored whether the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) could serve as a source of unadjusted and risk-adjusted cancer survival data and whether these data could be used as quality indicators for individual hospitals or in the aggregate by hospital type. The NCDB, an aggregate of > 1,500 hospital cancer registries, was queried to analyze unadjusted and risk-adjusted hazards of death for patients with stage III breast cancer (n = 116,787) and stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 252,392). Data were analyzed at the individual hospital level and by hospital type. At the hospital level, after risk adjustment, few hospitals had comparative risk-adjusted survival rates that were statistically better or worse. By hospital type, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers had risk-adjusted survival ratios that were statistically significantly better than those of academic cancer centers and community hospitals. Using the NCDB as the data source, survival rates for patients with stage III breast cancer and stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer were statistically better at National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers when compared with other hospital types. Compared with academic hospitals, risk-adjusted survival was lower in community hospitals. At the individual hospital level, after risk adjustment, few hospitals were shown to have statistically better or worse survival, suggesting that, using NCDB data, survival may not be a good metric to determine relative quality of cancer care at this level.

Child survival in England: Strengthening governance for health.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Ingrid; Mandeville, Kate; Harrison, Katherine; Lingam, Raghu

2017-11-01

The United Kingdom, like all European countries, is struggling to strengthen health systems and improve conditions for child health and survival. Child mortality in the UK has failed to improve in line with other countries. Securing optimal conditions for child health requires a healthy society, strong health system, and effective health care. We examine inter-sectoral and intra-sectoral policy and governance for child health and survival in England. Literature reviews and universally applicable clinical scenarios were used to examine child health problems and English policy and governance responses for improving child health through integrating care and strengthening health systems, over the past 15 years. We applied the TAPIC framework for analysing policy governance: transparency, accountability, participation, integrity, and capacity. We identified strengths and weaknesses in child health governance in all the five domains. However there remain policy failures that are not fully explained by the TAPIC framework. Other problems with successfully translating policy to improved health that we identified include policy flux; policies insufficiently supported by delivery mechanisms, measurable targets, and sufficient budgets; and policies with unintended or contradictory aspects. We make recommendations for inter-sectoral and intra-sectoral child health governance, policy, and action to improve child health in England with relevant lessons for other countries. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Demand assessment and price-elasticity estimation of quality-improved primary health care in Palestine: a contribution from the contingent valuation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Mataria, Awad; Luchini, Stéphane; Daoud, Yousef; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2007-10-01

This paper proposes a new methodology to assess demand and price-elasticity for health care, based on patients' stated willingness to pay (WTP) values for certain aspects of health care quality improvements. A conceptual analysis of how respondents consider contingent valuation (CV) questions allowed us to specify a probability density function of stated WTP values, and consequently, to model a demand function for quality-improved health care, using a parametric survival approach. The model was empirically estimated using a CV study intended to assess patients' values for improving the quality of primary health care (PHC) services in Palestine. A random sample of 499 individuals was interviewed following medical consultation in four PHC centers. Quality was assessed using a multi-attribute approach; and respondents valued seven specific quality improvements using a decomposed valuation scenario and a payment card elicitation technique. Our results suggest an inelastic demand at low user fees levels, and when the price-increase is accompanied with substantial quality-improvements. Nevertheless, demand becomes more and more elastic if user fees continue to rise. On the other hand, patients' reactions to price-increase turn out to depend on their level of income. Our results can be used to design successful health care financing strategies that include a consideration of patients' preferences and financial capacities. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improving patients' and staff's experiences of acute care.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaplin, Rob; Crawshaw, Jacob; Hood, Chloe

2015-03-01

The aim of this audit was to assess the effect of the Quality Mark programme on the quality of acute care received by older patients by comparing the experiences of staff and older adults before and after the programme. Data from 31 wards in 12 acute hospitals were collected over two stages. Patients and staff completed questionnaires on the perceived quality of care on the ward. Patients rated improved experiences of nutrition, staff availability and dignity. Staff received an increase in training and reported better access to support, increased time and skill to deliver care and improved morale, leadership and teamwork. Problems remained with ward comfort and mealtimes. Overall, results indicated an improvement in ratings of care quality in most domains during Quality Mark data collection. Further audits need to explore ways of improving ward comfort and mealtime experience.

Initial Steps for Quality Improvement of Obesity Care Across Divisions at a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheila Z. Chang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Pediatric subspecialists can participate in the care of obese children. Objective: To describe steps to help subspecialty providers initiate quality improvement efforts in obesity care. Methods: An anonymous patient data download, provider surveys and interviews assessed subspecialty providers’ identification and perspectives of childhood obesity and gathered information on perceived roles and care strategies. Participating divisions received summary analyses of quantitative and qualitative data and met with study leaders to develop visions for division/service-specific care improvement. Results: Among 13 divisions/services, subspecialists’ perceived role varied by specialty; many expressed the need for cross-collaboration. All survey informants agreed that identification was the first step, and expressed interest in obtaining additional resources to improve care. Conclusions: Subspecialists were interested in improving the quality and coordination of obesity care for patients across our tertiary care setting. Developing quality improvement projects to achieve greater pediatric obesity care goals starts with engagement of providers toward better identifying and managing childhood obesity.

Structuring diabetes care in general practices: many improvements, remaining challenges.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Jennings, S

2009-08-07

BACKGROUND: For people with type 2 diabetes to enjoy improved longevity and quality of life, care needs to be organised in a systematic way. AIM: To test if processes and intermediate outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes changed with the move to structured care in general practice shared with secondary care. METHODS: An audit of process and intermediate outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes before and after the change to structured care in 10 Dublin general practices shared with secondary care four years on. RESULTS: Structured diabetes care in general practice has led to more dedicated clinics improved processes of care and increased access to multidisciplinary expertise. Improvement in blood pressure control, the use of aspirin and the use of lipid lowering agents indicate a significant decrease in absolute risk of vascular events for this population. CONCLUSIONS: Structured care in general practice improves intermediate outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes. Further improvements need to be made to reach international targets.

Procalcitonin-guided interventions against infections to increase early appropriate antibiotics and improve survival in the intensive care unit: a randomized trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens U; Hein, Lars; Lundgren, Bettina

2011-01-01

For patients in intensive care units, sepsis is a common and potentially deadly complication and prompt initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy improves prognosis. The objective of this trial was to determine whether a strategy of antimicrobial spectrum escalation, guided by daily measure...

Development of a Summarized Health Index (SHI) for Use in Predicting Survival in Sea Turtles

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tsung-Hsien; Chang, Chao-Chin; Cheng, I-Jiunn; Lin, Suen-Chuain

2015-01-01

Veterinary care plays an influential role in sea turtle rehabilitation, especially in endangered species. Physiological characteristics, hematological and plasma biochemistry profiles, are useful references for clinical management in animals, especially when animals are during the convalescence period. In this study, these factors associated with sea turtle surviving were analyzed. The blood samples were collected when sea turtles remained alive, and then animals were followed up for surviving status. The results indicated that significantly negative correlation was found between buoyancy disorders (BD) and sea turtle surviving (p turtles had significantly higher levels of aspartate aminotranspherase (AST), creatinine kinase (CK), creatinine and uric acid (UA) than surviving sea turtles (all p turtles and to improve veterinary care at rehabilitation facilities. PMID:25803431

Rituximab is associated with improved survival in Burkitt lymphoma: a retrospective analysis from two US academic medical centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildes, Tanya M; Farrington, Laura; Yeung, Cecilia; Harrington, Alexandra M; Foyil, Kelley V; Liu, Jingxia; Kreisel, Friederike; Bartlett, Nancy L; Fenske, Timothy S

2014-02-01

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a rare, highly aggressive B-cell malignancy treated most successfully with brief-duration, high-intensity chemotherapeutic regimens. The benefit of the addition of rituximab to these regimens remains uncertain. We sought to examine the effectiveness of chemotherapy with and without rituximab in patients with BL. This study is a retrospective cohort study of all adult patients with BL diagnosed and treated with modern, dose-intense chemotherapeutic regimens from 1998-2008 at two tertiary care institutions. All cases were confirmed by application of WHO 2008 criteria by hematopathologists. Medical records were reviewed for patient-, disease-, and treatment- related factors as well as treatment response and survival. Factors associated with survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards modeling. A total of 35 patients were analyzed: 18 patients received rituximab with chemotherapy (R-chemo) and 17 received chemotherapy (chemo) alone. The median age was 42 (range 20-74 years); 57% were male; 71% had Ann Arbor Stage IV disease; 33% had central nervous system involvement; 78% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. R-chemo was associated with significantly longer overall survival (OS) than chemo alone (5-year OS 70% and 29%, respectively, p = 0.040). On multivariate regression analysis, poor performance status and central nervous system involvement were associated with poorer survival. The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in patients with Burkitt lymphoma. Poor performance status and central nervous system involvement were prognostically significant on multivariate analysis.

Involving patients in care decisions improves satisfaction: an outcomes-based quality improvement project.

Science.gov (United States)

Leff, Ellen W

2004-05-01

A home care agency used quality improvement processes to improve patient satisfaction survey ratings. The focus was on involving patients in decisions about their care. A multidisciplinary team developed creative strategies to increase staff awareness and enhance customer service skills, which had dramatic results.

Opioid growth factor improves clinical benefit and survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill P Smith

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Jill P Smith1, Sandra I Bingaman1, David T Mauger2, Harold H Harvey1, Laurence M Demers3, Ian S Zagon41Departments of Medicine, 2Public Health Sciences, 3Pathology, and 4Neurosciences and Anatomy, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USABackground: Advanced pancreatic cancer carries the poorest prognosis of all gastrointestinal malignancies. Once the tumor has spread beyond the margins of the pancreas, chemotherapy is the major treatment modality offered to patients; however, chemotherapy does not significantly improve survival.Objective: Opioid growth factor (OGF; [Met5]-enkephalin is a natural peptide that has been shown to inhibit growth of pancreatic cancer in cell culture and in nude mice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of OGF biotherapy on subjects with advanced pancreatic cancer who failed chemotherapy.Methods: In a prospective phase II open-labeled clinical trial, 24 subjects who failed standard chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer were treated weekly with OGF 250 μg/kg intravenously. Outcomes measured included clinical benefit, tumor response by radiographic imaging, quality of life, and survival.Results: Clinical benefit response was experienced by 53% of OGF-treated patients compared to historical controls of 23.8% and 4.8% for gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, respectively. Of the subjects surviving more than eight weeks, 62% showed either a decrease or stabilization in tumor size by computed tomography. The median survival time for OGF-treated patients was three times that of untreated patients (65.5 versus 21 days, p < 0.001. No adverse effects on hematologic or chemistry parameters were noted, and quality of life surveys suggested improvement with OGF. Limitations: Measurements other than survival were not allowed in control patients, and clinical benefit comparisons were made to historical controls.Conclusion: OGF biotherapy improves the

Surviving the first hours in sepsis: getting the basics right (an intensivist's perspective).

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Daniels, Ron

2011-04-01

Severe sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, claiming between 36 000 and 64 000 lives annually in the UK, with a mortality rate of 35%. International guidelines for the management of severe sepsis were published in 2004 by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and condensed into two Care Bundles. In 2010, the Campaign published results from its improvement programme showing that, although an absolute mortality reduction of 5.4% was seen over a 2 year period in line with increasing compliance with the Bundles, reliability was not achieved and Bundle compliance reached only 31%. This article explores current challenges in sepsis care and opportunities for further improvements. Basic care tasks [microbiological sampling and antibiotic delivery within 1 h, fluid resuscitation, and risk stratification using serum lactate (or alternative)] are likely to benefit patients most, yet are unreliably performed. Barriers include lack of awareness and robust process, the lack of supporting controlled trials, and complex diagnostic criteria leading to recognition delays. Reliable, timely delivery of more complex life-saving tasks (such as early goal-directed therapy) demands greater awareness, faster recognition and initiation of basic care, and more effective collaboration between clinicians and nurses on the front line, in critical care and in specialist support services, such as microbiology and infectious diseases. Organizations such as Survive Sepsis, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and the Global Sepsis Alliance are working to raise awareness and promote further improvement initiatives. Future developments will focus on sepsis biomarkers and microarray techniques to rapidly screen for pathogens, risk stratification using genetic profiling, and the development of novel therapeutic agents targeting immunomodulation.

Changes in Survival and Neonatal Morbidity in Infants with a Birth Weight of 750 g or Less

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claas, M. J.; Bruinse, H. W.; van der Heide-Jalving, M.; Termote, J. U. M.; de Vries, L. S.

2010-01-01

Background: Improvement in perinatal and neonatal care has resulted in increased survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Objectives: To describe survival and neonatal morbidity in a cohort of ELBW infants, to compare two consecutive 5-year periods, and compare appropriate (AGA) with

Colonoscopic surveillance improves survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lutgens, M. W. M. D.; Oldenburg, B.; Siersema, P. D.; van Bodegraven, A. A.; Dijkstra, G.; Hommes, D. W.; de Jong, D. J.; Stokkers, P. C. F.; van der Woude, C. J.; Vleggaar, F. P.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopic surveillance provides the best practical means for preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Strong evidence for improved survival from surveillance programmes is sparse. METHOD: The aim of this study was to compare tumour stage and

Wound Care Center of Excellence: A Process for Continuous Monitoring and Improvement of Wound Care Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Raelina S; Kohan, Lauren S; Woods, Jon S; Criscitelli, Theresa; Gillette, Brian M; Donovan, Virginia; Gorenstein, Scott

2018-05-01

To provide information about a study using a new process for continuous monitoring to improve chronic wound care quality.This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care.After completing this continuing education activity, you should be better able to:1. Recognize problems associated with chronic wound care.2. Identify methods used in this project to improve care.3. Illustrate the findings from this and similar projects and implications for providing improved wound care.Patients with chronic wounds require complex care because of comorbidities that can affect healing. Therefore, the goal of this project was to develop a system of reviewing all hospitalized patients seen by the study authors' wound care service on a weekly basis to decrease readmissions, morbidity, and mortality. Weekly multidisciplinary conferences were conducted to evaluate patient data and systematically assess for adherence to wound care protocols, as well as to create and modify patient care plans. This review of pathology and the performance of root-cause analyses often led to improved patient care.

Retaining caregivers, improving care.

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Bodwell, Wendy; Dent, Sara; Grant, Tracie; Hammerly, Milt; Mamula, Jeanie

2006-01-01

Text Summary In 2004, Centura Health's long-term care centers took part in a pilot project, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, called "Improving Nursing Home Culture through Workforce Retention." A 30-member team comprising Centura leaders and long-term facility staff looked at Centura's eight participating facilities through residents' and employees' eyes. The goal of the team's reflection and subsequent changes was to create a culture in which decisions are focused on resident care and organizational policies are based on respect for employees. At the end of the first year, residents seemed happier and employee satisfaction and involvement increased at all eight Centura facilities.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy improves survival outcome in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Sang Jun; Kim, Jin Hee; Oh, Young Kee; Kim, Byung Hoon

2015-01-01

To evaluate survival rates and prognostic factors related to treatment outcomes after bladder preserving therapy including transurethral resection of bladder tumor, radiotherapy (RT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy in bladder cancer with a curative intent. We retrospectively studied 50 bladder cancer patients treated with bladder-preserving therapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from January 1999 to December 2010. Age ranged from 46 to 89 years (median, 71.5 years). Bladder cancer was the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage II, III, and IV in 9, 27, and 14 patients, respectively. Thirty patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and 20 patients with RT alone. Nine patients received chemotherapy prior to CCRT or RT alone. Radiation was delivered with a four-field box technique (median, 63 Gy; range, 48.6 to 70.2 Gy). The follow-up periods ranged from 2 to 169 months (median, 34 months). Thirty patients (60%) showed complete response and 13 (26%) a partial response. All patients could have their own bladder preserved. Five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 37.2%, and the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 30.2%. In multivariate analysis, tumor grade and CCRT were statistically significant in OS. Tumor grade was a significant prognostic factor related to OS. CCRT is also considered to improve survival outcomes. Further multi-institutional studies are needed to elucidate the impact of RT in bladder cancer

Changes in case-mix and outcomes of critically ill patients in an Australian tertiary intensive care unit.

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Williams, T A; Ho, K M; Dobb, G J; Finn, J C; Knuiman, M W; Webb, S A R

2010-07-01

Critical care service is expensive and the demand for such service is increasing in many developed countries. This study aimed to assess the changes in characteristics of critically ill patients and their effect on long-term outcome. This cohort study utilised linked data between the intensive care unit database and state-wide morbidity and mortality databases. Logistic and Cox regression was used to examine hospital survival and five-year survival of 22,298 intensive care unit patients, respectively. There was a significant increase in age, severity of illness and Charlson Comorbidity Index of the patients over a 16-year study period. Although hospital mortality and median length of intensive care unit and hospital stay remained unchanged, one- and five-year survival had significantly improved with time, after adjusting for age, gender; severity of illness, organ failure, comorbidity, 'new' cancer and diagnostic group. Stratified analyses showed that the improvement in five-year survival was particularly strong among patients admitted after cardiac surgery (P = 0.001). In conclusion, although critical care service is increasingly being provided to patients with a higher severity of acute and chronic illnesses, long-term survival outcome has improved with time suggesting that critical care service may still be cost-effectiveness despite the changes in case-mix.

Gastric dilation-volvulus in dogs attending UK emergency-care veterinary practices: prevalence, risk factors and survival.

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O'Neill, D G; Case, J; Boag, A K; Church, D B; McGreevy, P D; Thomson, P C; Brodbelt, D C

2017-11-01

To report prevalence, risk factors and clinical outcomes for presumptive gastric dilation-volvulus diagnosed among an emergency-care population of UK dogs. The study used a cross-sectional design using emergency-care veterinary clinical records from the VetCompass Programme spanning September 1, 2012 to February 28, 2014 and risk factor analysis using multivariable logistic regression modelling. The study population comprised 77,088 dogs attending 50 Vets Now clinics. Overall, 492 dogs had presumptive gastric dilation-volvulus diagnoses, giving a prevalence of 0·64% (95% Confidence interval: 0·58 to 0·70%). Compared with cross-bred dogs, breeds with the highest odds ratios for the diagnosis of presumptive gastric dilation-volvulus were the great Dane (odds ratio: 114·3, 95% Confidence interval 55·1 to 237·1, Pdogs aged up to 12 years and neutered male dogs had 1·3 (95% Confidence interval 1·0 to 1·8, P=0·041) times the odds compared with entire females. Of the cases that were presented alive, 49·7% survived to discharge overall, but 79·3% of surgical cases survived to discharge. Approximately 80% of surgically managed cases survived to discharge. Certain large breeds were highly predisposed. © 2017 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Family members' experiences with intensive care unit diaries when the patient does not survive.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Maria; Wåhlin, Ingrid; Magnusson, Lennart; Runeson, Ingrid; Hanson, Elizabeth

2018-03-01

The aim of the study was to explore how family members experienced the use of a diary when a relative does not survive the stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). A qualitative method with a hermeneutic approach was used. Nine participants who read/wrote eight diaries in total were interviewed. The collected data were analysed using a hermeneutic technique inspired by Geanellos. The analysis revealed an overall theme 'the diary was experienced as a bridge connecting the past with the future', which was a metaphor referring to the temporal aspect where there was the period with the diary up until the patient's death and then the postbereavement period. The diary contributed to both a rational and emotional understanding of the death of the patient and disclosed glimmers of light that still existed before the illness deteriorated. Further, the diary bridged the space between family members themselves and between family and nursing staff. It helped to maintain a feeling of togetherness and engagement in the care of the patient which family members found comforting. Family members of nonsurvivors had a need to have the ICU time explained and expressed. The diary might work as a form of 'survival kit' to gain coherence and understanding; to meet their needs during the hospital stay; and, finally, to act as a bereavement support by processing the death of the patient. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Incidence, characteristics, and survival following cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the quaternary neonatal intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Foglia, Elizabeth E; Langeveld, Robert; Heimall, Lauren; Deveney, Alyson; Ades, Anne; Jensen, Erik A; Nadkarni, Vinay M

2017-01-01

The contemporary characteristics and outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are poorly described. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, interventions, and outcomes of CPR in a quaternary referral NICU. Retrospective observational study of infants who received chest compressions for resuscitation in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia NICU between April 1, 2011 and June 30, 2015. Patient, event, and survival characteristics were abstracted from the medical record and the hospital-wide resuscitation database. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify patient and event factors associated with survival to discharge. There were 1.2 CPR events per 1000 patient days. CPR was performed in 113 of 5046 (2.2%) infants admitted to the NICU during the study period. The median duration of chest compressions was 2min (interquartile range 1, 6min). Adrenaline was administered in 34 (30%) CPR events. Of 113 infants with at least one CPR event, 69 (61%) survived to hospital discharge. Factors independently associated with decreased survival to hospital discharge were inotrope treatment prior to CPR (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 0.14, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.04, 0.54), and adrenaline administration during CPR (aOR 0.14, 95% CI 0.04, 0.50). Although it was not uncommon, the incidence of CPR was low (CPR and adrenaline administration during CPR were less likely to survive to hospital discharge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center Network: Improving Care and Outcomes in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahay, Sandeep; Melendres-Groves, Lana; Pawar, Leena; Cajigas, Hector R

2017-04-01

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic, progressive, life-threatening disease that requires expert multidisciplinary care. To facilitate this level of care, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association established across the United States a network of pulmonary hypertension care centers (PHCCs) with special expertise in PH, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension, to raise the overall quality of care and outcomes for patients with this life-threatening disease. Since the inception of PHCCs in September 2014, to date 35 centers have been accredited in the United States. This model of care brings together physicians and specialists from other disciplines to provide care, facilitate basic and clinical research, and educate the next generation of providers. PHCCs also offer additional opportunities for improvements in PH care. The patient registry offered through the PHCCs is an organized system by which data are collected to evaluate the outcomes of patients with PH. This registry helps in detecting variations in outcomes across centers, thus identifying opportunities for improvement. Multiple tactics were undertaken to implement the strategic plan, training, and tools throughout the PHCC network. In addition, strategies to foster collaboration between care center staff and individuals with PH and their families are the cornerstone of the PHCCs. The Pulmonary Vascular Network of the American College of Chest Physicians believes this to be a positive step that will improve the quality of care delivered in the United States to patients with PH. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biochemical Control With Radiotherapy Improves Overall Survival in Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Who Have an Estimated 10-Year Overall Survival of >90%

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbert, Christopher; Liu, Mitchell; Tyldesley, Scott; Morris, W. James; Joffres, Michel; Khaira, Mandip; Kwan, Winkle; Moiseenko, Vitali; Pickles, Thomas

2012-01-01

Purpose: To identify subgroups of patients with carcinoma of the prostate treated with radical radiotherapy that have improved overall survival when disease is biochemically controlled. Methods and Materials: A cohort of 1,060 prostate cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy was divided into nine subgroups based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk category and estimated 10-year overall survival (eOS 10y) derived from the age adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index. Patients with and without biochemical control were compared with respect to overall survival. Actuarial estimates of overall survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis of overall survival. Results: Median follow-up was 125 months (range, 51–176 months). Only the subgroups with high or intermediate risk disease and an eOS 10y of >90% had a statistically significantly improved overall survival when prostate cancer was biochemically controlled. In all other groups, biochemical control made no significant difference to overall survival. In the subgroup with high-risk disease and eOS 10y >90%, actuarial overall survival was 86.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78.5%–94.1%) and 62.1% (95% CI 52.9%–71.3%) for patients with biochemical control and biochemical relapse respectively (p = 0.002). In the intermediate risk group with eOS >90%, actuarial overall survival was 95.3% (95% CI 89.0%–100%) and 79.8% (95% CI 68.0%–91.6%) for biochemically controlled and biochemically relapsed patients (p = 0.033). On multivariate analysis, National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group (p = 0.005), biochemical control (p = 0.033) and eOS 10y (p 90%.

Diabetic and Obese Patient Clinical Outcomes Improve During a Care Management Implementation in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Holtrop, Jodi Summers; Luo, Zhehui; Piatt, Gretchen; Green, Lee A; Chen, Qiaoling; Piette, John

2017-10-01

To address the increasing burden of chronic disease, many primary care practices are turning to care management and the hiring of care managers to help patients coordinate their care and self-manage their conditions. Care management is often, but not always, proving effective at improving patient outcomes, but more evidence is needed. In this pair-matched cluster randomized trial, 5 practices implemented care management and were compared with 5 comparison practices within the same practice organization. Targeted patients included diabetic patients with a hemoglobin A1c >9% and nondiabetic obese patients. Clinical values tracked were A1c, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, microalbumin, and weight. Clinically important improvements were demonstrated in the intervention versus comparison practices, with diabetic patients improving A1c control and obese patients experiencing weight loss. There was a 12% relative increase in the proportion of patients meeting the clinical target of A1c management practices lost 5% or more of their body weight as compared with 10% of comparison patients (adjusted relative improvement, 15%; CI, 2%-28%). These findings add to the growing evidence-base for the effectiveness of care management as an effective clinical practice with regard to improving diabetes- and obesity-related outcomes.

Improving Cancer Care for Children in the Developing World: Challenges and Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Lamki, Zakiya

2017-01-01

Cancer is a global health problem particularly in developing countries where the burden of cancer is ever increasing and claiming the lives of about 100,000 children under the age of 15 years every year. Majority of these occur in the Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) where 90% of world children live. Contributing factors to this trend is the reduction of communicable diseases and emergence of new infections, improvement of nutrition and socio-economic conditions, industrialization and urbanization. However, due to its complexity, childhood cancer is given the least priority by the governments' funding. The weak health systems, poor and late access to diagnosis and care, fewer numbers of trained health care professionals and lack of cancer drugs are amongst the many challenges faced. A major challenge for the future is extending the work to reach the many children who die without access to cancer treatment and palliation. Given the inequalities in the survival rates of children with cancer there is therefore an urgent need to close the gap between developed and developing countries. Strategies at individual, institutional, country, regional and global levels must be implemented to improve cancer survival and its effects on human suffering. These strategies are able to strengthen the health systems, improve care and research, increase awareness and coordinate training of professionals thus meeting the challenges. Financial support should be an integral part of the strategy as the cost of drugs is often a substantial barrier to treatment of cancer in poor countries. However, in resource-limited settings without specialized services, much can still be done to support and offer curative and palliative treatment. As have been shown for several cancers, life can be extended with low-tech treatment protocols, which are effective at the same time, decrease sepsis and toxicity. The concept of twinning with privileged nations is paramount to the success of any national

Effectiveness of a Home-Based Counselling Strategy on Neonatal Care and Survival: A Cluster-Randomised Trial in Six Districts of Rural Southern Tanzania.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Hanson

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We report a cluster-randomised trial of a home-based counselling strategy, designed for large-scale implementation, in a population of 1.2 million people in rural southern Tanzania. We hypothesised that the strategy would improve neonatal survival by around 15%.In 2010 we trained 824 female volunteers to make three home visits to women and their families during pregnancy and two visits to them in the first few days of the infant's life in 65 wards, selected randomly from all 132 wards in six districts in Mtwara and Lindi regions, constituting typical rural areas in Southern Tanzania. The remaining wards were comparison areas. Participants were not blinded to the intervention. The primary analysis was an intention-to-treat analysis comparing the neonatal mortality (day 0-27 per 1,000 live births in intervention and comparison wards based on a representative survey in 185,000 households in 2013 with a response rate of 90%. We included 24,381 and 23,307 live births between July 2010 and June 2013 and 7,823 and 7,555 live births in the last year in intervention and comparison wards, respectively. We also compared changes in neonatal mortality and newborn care practices in intervention and comparison wards using baseline census data from 2007 including 225,000 households and 22,243 births in five of the six intervention districts. Amongst the 7,823 women with a live birth in the year prior to survey in intervention wards, 59% and 41% received at least one volunteer visit during pregnancy and postpartum, respectively. Neonatal mortality reduced from 35.0 to 30.5 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2007 and 2013 in the five districts, respectively. There was no evidence of an impact of the intervention on neonatal survival (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-1.2, p = 0.339. Newborn care practices reported by mothers were better in intervention than in comparison wards, including immediate breastfeeding (42% of 7,287 versus 35% of 7

WHO Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project: innovating to improve quality of care around the time of childbirth.

Science.gov (United States)

Oladapo, Olufemi T; Souza, João Paulo; Bohren, Meghan A; Tunçalp, Özge; Vogel, Joshua P; Fawole, Bukola; Mugerwa, Kidza; Gülmezoglu, A Metin

2015-05-26

As most pregnancy-related deaths and morbidities are clustered around the time of childbirth, quality of care during this period is critical to the survival of pregnant women and their babies. Despite the wide acceptance of partograph as the central tool to optimize labour outcomes for over 40 years, its use has not successfully improved outcomes in many settings for several reasons. There are also increasing questions about the validity and applicability of its central feature - "the alert line" - to all women regardless of their labour characteristics. Apart from the known deficiencies in labour care, attempts to improve quality of care in low resource settings have also failed to address and integrate women's birth experience into quality improvement processes. It was against this background that the World Health Organization (WHO) embarked on the Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) project to improve the quality of intrapartum care in low- and middle-income countries. The main goal of the BOLD project is to reduce intrapartum-related stillbirths, maternal and newborn mortalities and morbidities by addressing the critical barriers to the process of good quality intrapartum care and enhancing the connection between health systems and communities. The project seeks to achieve this goal by (1) developing an evidence-based, easy to use, labour monitoring-to-action decision-support tool (currently termed Simplified, Effective, Labour Monitoring-to-Action - SELMA); and (2) by developing innovative service prototypes/tools, co-designed with users of health services (women, their families and communities) and health providers, to promote access to respectful, dignified and emotionally supportive care for pregnant women and their companions at the time of birth ("Passport to Safer Birth"). This two-pronged approach is expected to positively impact on important domains of quality of care relating to both provision and experience of care. In this paper, we briefly

Interact to survive: Phyllobacterium brassicacearum improves Arabidopsis tolerance to severe water deficit and growth recovery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justine Bresson

Full Text Available Mutualistic bacteria can alter plant phenotypes and confer new abilities to plants. Some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR are known to improve both plant growth and tolerance to multiple stresses, including drought, but reports on their effects on plant survival under severe water deficits are scarce. We investigated the effect of Phyllobacterium brassicacearum STM196 strain, a PGPR isolated from the rhizosphere of oilseed rape, on survival, growth and physiological responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to severe water deficits combining destructive and non-destructive high-throughput phenotyping. Soil inoculation with STM196 greatly increased the survival rate of A. thaliana under several scenarios of severe water deficit. Photosystem II efficiency, assessed at the whole-plant level by high-throughput fluorescence imaging (Fv/Fm, was related to the probability of survival and revealed that STM196 delayed plant mortality. Inoculated surviving plants tolerated more damages to the photosynthetic tissues through a delayed dehydration and a better tolerance to low water status. Importantly, STM196 allowed a better recovery of plant growth after rewatering and stressed plants reached a similar biomass at flowering than non-stressed plants. Our results highlight the importance of plant-bacteria interactions in plant responses to severe drought and provide a new avenue of investigations to improve drought tolerance in agriculture.

Mobile technology: streamlining practice and improving care

OpenAIRE

Blake, Holly

2013-01-01

The use of mobile phones in care delivery has the potential to improve the way in which care is delivered. When implemented effectively, mobile technologies can empower patients and enhance communication between patients and their health-care providers. When barriers are recognised and addressed, mobile technologies can change working lives, facilitating rapid access to information and supporting efficiency in practice.

Improving Survival in Decompensated Cirrhosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amar Nath Mukerji

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Mortality in cirrhosis is consequent of decompensation, only treatment being timely liver transplantation. Organ allocation is prioritized for the sickest patients based on Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD score. In order to improve survival in patients with high MELD score it is imperative to preserve them in suitable condition till transplantation. Here we examine means to prolong life in high MELD score patients till a suitable liver is available. We specially emphasize protection of airways by avoidance of sedatives, avoidance of Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure, elective intubation in grade III or higher encephalopathy, maintaining a low threshold for intubation with lesser grades of encephalopathy when undergoing upper endoscopy or colonoscopy as pre transplant evaluation or transferring patient to a transplant center. Consider post-pyloric tube feeding in encephalopathy to maintain muscle mass and minimize risk of aspiration. In non intubated and well controlled encephalopathy, frequent physical mobility by active and passive exercises are recommended. When renal replacement therapy is needed, night-time Continuous Veno-Venous Hemodialysis may be useful in keeping the daytime free for mobility. Sparing and judicious use of steroids needs to be borne in mind in treatment of ARDS and acute hepatitis from alcohol or autoimmune process.

An HIT Solution for Clinical Care and Disaster Planning: How One health Center in Joplin, MO Survived a Tornado and Avoided a Health Information Disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Peter; Jacobs, Feygele

2012-01-01

Since taking office, President Obama has made substantial investments in promoting the diffusion of health information technology (IT). The objective of the national health IT program is, generally, to enable health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Through the use of technologies including electronic health records, providers can better maintain patient care information and facilitate communication, often improving care outcomes. The recent tornado in Joplin, MO highlights the importance of health information technology in the health center context, and illustrates the importance of secure electronic health information systems as a crucial element of disaster and business continuity planning. This article examines the experience of a community health center in the aftermath of the major tornado that swept through the American Midwest in the spring of 2011, and provides insight into the planning for disaster survival and recovery as it relates to patient records and health center data.

Health care managers' views on and approaches to implementing models for improving care processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreasson, Jörgen; Eriksson, Andrea; Dellve, Lotta

2016-03-01

To develop a deeper understanding of health-care managers' views on and approaches to the implementation of models for improving care processes. In health care, there are difficulties in implementing models for improving care processes that have been decided on by upper management. Leadership approaches to this implementation can affect the outcome. In-depth interviews with first- and second-line managers in Swedish hospitals were conducted and analysed using grounded theory. 'Coaching for participation' emerged as a central theme for managers in handling top-down initiated process development. The vertical approach in this coaching addresses how managers attempt to sustain unit integrity through adapting and translating orders from top management. The horizontal approach in the coaching refers to managers' strategies for motivating and engaging their employees in implementation work. Implementation models for improving care processes require a coaching leadership built on close manager-employee interaction, mindfulness regarding the pace of change at the unit level, managers with the competence to share responsibility with their teams and engaged employees with the competence to share responsibility for improving the care processes, and organisational structures that support process-oriented work. Implications for nursing management are the importance of giving nurse managers knowledge of change management. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The difference in blood pressure readings between arms and survival: primary care cohort study

OpenAIRE

Clark, Christopher E; Taylor, Rod S; Shore, Angela C; Campbell, John L

2012-01-01

Objective To determine whether a difference in systolic blood pressure readings between arms can predict a reduced event free survival after 10 years. Design Cohort study. Setting Rural general practice in Devon, United Kingdom. Participants 230 people receiving treatment for hypertension in primary care. Intervention Bilateral blood pressure measurements recorded at three successive surgery attendances. Main outcome measures Cardiovascular events and deaths from all causes during a median fo...

A comparison of the recording of comorbidity in primary and secondary care by using the Charlson Index to predict short-term and long-term survival in a routine linked data cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Crooks, C J; West, J; Card, T R

2015-06-05

Hospital admission records provide snapshots of clinical histories for a subset of the population admitted to hospital. In contrast, primary care records provide continuous clinical histories for complete populations, but might lack detail about inpatient stays. Therefore, combining primary and secondary care records should improve the ability of comorbidity scores to predict survival in population-based studies, and provide better adjustment for case-mix differences when assessing mortality outcomes. Cohort study. English primary and secondary care 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2010. All patients 20 years and older registered to a primary care practice contributing to the linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink from England. The performance of the Charlson index with mortality was compared when derived from either primary or secondary care data or both. This was assessed in relation to short-term and long-term survival, age, consultation rate, and specific acute and chronic diseases. 657,264 people were followed up from 1 January 2005. Although primary care recorded more comorbidity than secondary care, the resulting C statistics for the Charlson index remained similar: 0.86 and 0.87, respectively. Higher consultation rates and restricted age bands reduced the performance of the Charlson index, but the index's excellent performance persisted over longer follow-up; the C statistic was 0.87 over 1 year, and 0.85 over all 5 years of follow-up. The Charlson index derived from secondary care comorbidity had a greater effect than primary care comorbidity in reducing the association of upper gastrointestinal bleeding with mortality. However, they had a similar effect in reducing the association of diabetes with mortality. These findings support the use of the Charlson index from linked data and show that secondary care comorbidity coding performed at least as well as that derived from primary care in predicting survival. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited

Developing evidence-based maternity care in Iran: a quality improvement study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kazem

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current Iranian perinatal statistics indicate that maternity care continues to need improvement. In response, we implemented a multi-faceted intervention to improve the quality of maternity care at an Iranian Social Security Hospital. Using a before-and-after design our aim was to improve the uptake of selected evidence based practices and more closely attend to identified women's needs and preferences. Methods The major steps of the study were to (1 identify women's needs, values and preferences via interviews, (2 select through a process of professional consensus the top evidence-based clinical recommendations requiring local implementation (3 redesign care based on the selected evidence-based recommendations and women's views, and (4 implement the new care model. We measured the impact of the new care model on maternal satisfaction and caesarean birth rates utilising maternal surveys and medical record audit before and after implementation of the new care model. Results Twenty women's needs and requirements as well as ten evidence-based clinical recommendations were selected as a basis for improving care. Following the introduction of the new model of care, women's satisfaction levels improved significantly on 16 of 20 items (p Conclusion The introduction of a quality improvement care model improved compliance with evidence-based guidelines and was associated with an improvement in women's satisfaction levels and a reduction in rates of caesarean birth.

Nationwide quality improvement in lung cancer care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Erik Winther; Green, Anders; Oesterlind, Kell

2013-01-01

To improve prognosis and quality of lung cancer care the Danish Lung Cancer Group has developed a strategy consisting of national clinical guidelines and a clinical quality and research database. The first edition of our guidelines was published in 1998 and our national lung cancer registry...... was opened for registrations in 2000. This article describes methods and results obtained by multidisciplinary collaboration and illustrates how quality of lung cancer care can be improved by establishing and monitoring result and process indicators....

Nurses improve migraine management in primary care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenstra, Petra; Kollen, Boudewijn J.; de Jong, Gosse; Baarveld, Frans; van den Berg, J. S. Peter

Introduction Migraine is a common disorder with a high burden. Adequate treatment results in improvement of quality of life. Migraine patients are mainly treated by general practitioners (GPs), but there is still room for improvement. This study investigated whether primary care nurses could improve

Reducing the iron burden and improving survival in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayanzay K

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Karim Bayanzay, Lama Alzoebie Department of Hematology, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates Abstract: Hypertransfusion regimens for thalassemic patients revolutionized the management of severe thalassemia; transforming a disease which previously led to early infant death into a chronic condition. The devastating effect of the accrued iron from chronic blood transfusions necessitates a more finely tuned approach to limit the complications of the disease, as well as its treatment. A comprehensive approach including carefully tailored transfusion protocol, continuous monitoring and assessment of total body iron levels, and iron chelation are currently the mainstay in treating iron overload. There are also indications for ancillary treatments, such as splenectomy and fetal hemoglobin induction. The main cause of death in iron overload continues to be related to cardiac complications. However, since the widespread use of iron chelation started in the 1970s, there has been a general improvement in survival in these patients. Keywords: hematology, chelators, deferoxamine, deferiserox, deferiprone, liver iron concentration, iron overload, serum ferritin concentration, hepatic iron storage, iron chelation therapy

Context in Quality of Care: Improving Teamwork and Resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Tawfik, Daniel S; Sexton, John Bryan; Adair, Kathryn C; Kaplan, Heather C; Profit, Jochen

2017-09-01

Quality improvement in health care is an ongoing challenge. Consideration of the context of the health care system is of paramount importance. Staff resilience and teamwork climate are key aspects of context that drive quality. Teamwork climate is dynamic, with well-established tools available to improve teamwork for specific tasks or global applications. Similarly, burnout and resilience can be modified with interventions such as cultivating gratitude, positivity, and awe. A growing body of literature has shown that teamwork and burnout relate to quality of care, with improved teamwork and decreased burnout expected to produce improved patient quality and safety. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is there a Role of Palliative Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in India?

OpenAIRE

Dighe, Manjiri P; Muckaden, Maryann A; Manerkar, Swati A; Duraisamy, Balaji P

2011-01-01

Recent advances in medical care have improved the survival of newborn babies born with various problems. Despite this death in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an inevitable reality. For babies who are not going to "get better," the health care team still has a duty to alleviate the physical suffering of the baby and to support the family. Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to relieve the physical, psycho social, and spiritual suffering of patients and their families. P...

Critical Care Nurses' Suggestions to Improve End-of-Life Care Obstacles: Minimal Change Over 17 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckstrand, Renea L; Hadley, Kacie Hart; Luthy, Karlen E; Macintosh, Janelle L B

Critical-care nurses (CCNs) provide end-of-life (EOL) care on a daily basis as 1 in 5 patients dies while in intensive care units. Critical-care nurses overcome many obstacles to perform quality EOL care for dying patients. The purposes of this study were to collect CCNs' current suggestions for improving EOL care and determine if EOL care obstacles have changed by comparing results to data gathered in 1998. A 72-item questionnaire regarding EOL care perceptions was mailed to a national, geographically dispersed, random sample of 2000 members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. One of 3 qualitative questions asked CCNs for suggestions to improve EOL care. Comparative obstacle size (quantitative) data were previously published. Of the 509 returned questionnaires, 322 (63.3%) had 385 written suggestions for improving EOL care. Major themes identified were ensuring characteristics of a good death, improving physician communication with patients and families, adjusting nurse-to-patient ratios to 1:1, recognizing and avoiding futile care, increasing EOL education, physicians who are present and "on the same page," not allowing families to override patients' wishes, and the need for more support staff. When compared with data gathered 17 years previously, major themes remained the same but in a few cases changed in order and possible causation. Critical-care nurses' suggestions were similar to those recommendations from 17 years ago. Although the order of importance changed minimally, the number of similar themes indicated that obstacles to providing EOL care to dying intensive care unit patients continue to exist over time.

Improved survival for rectal cancer compared to colon cancer: the four cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchwald, Pamela; Hall, Claire; Davidson, Callum; Dixon, Liane; Dobbs, Bruce; Robinson, Bridget; Frizelle, Frank

2018-03-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. This study was undertaken to evaluate survival outcomes and changes of disease outcomes of CRC patients over the last decades. A retrospective analysis of CRC patients in Christchurch was performed in four patient cohorts at 5 yearly intervals; 1993-94, 1998-99, 2004-05 and 2009. Data on cancer location, stage, surgical and oncological treatment and survival were collected. Univariate, multivariate and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed. There were 1391 patients (355, 317, 419 and 300 per cohort), 1037 colon and 354 rectal cancers, respectively. For colon cancer, right-sided cancers appeared more common in later cohorts (P = 0.01). There was a significant decrease in the number of permanent stomas for colon cancer patients (P = 0.001). There was an analogous trend for rectal cancers (P = 0.075). More CRC patients with stage IV disease were treated surgically (P = 0.001) and colon cancer stages I and II tended to have increased survival if operated by a colorectal surgeon (P = 0.06). Oncology referrals have increased remarkably (P = 0.001). Overall 56% of patients were alive at 5 years however rectal cancer patients had significantly better 5-year survival than those with colon cancer (P rectal cancer patients have a better 5-year survival than colon cancer patients. The improved survival with early stage colon cancers operated on by specialist colorectal surgeons needs further exploration. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Strategies to improve quality of childbirth care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

farahnaz Changaee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Access to affordable and quality health care is one of the most important ways for reducing maternal and child mortality. The purpose of this study was to provide strategies to promote the quality of care during childbirth in Lorestan province in 2011. Materials and Methods: This research was a mixed method (quantitative, qualitative, study in which quality of 200 care during childbirth in hospitals of Lorestan Province were evaluated. Data gathered through self-made tools (Checklists prepared according to the guidelines of the ministry of health. Descriptive statistics and SPSS software were used to data analysis.In the second part of the study which was qualitative, interview with service providers, hospital officials and high-ranking officials of Lorestan university of medical sciences (decision makers was used to discuss strategies to improve the quality of care. Results: The results showed that the care of the first stage delivery in %54.5, second stage %57 and third stage 66% were in accordance with the desired status and care in this three stages was of moderate quality. Based on the interviews, the officials who are in charge of Lorestan university of medical sciences, proposed strategies such as financial incentives and in-service training of midwives as suitable strategies to improve quality of services. Conclusion: According to the results, strategies such as financial incentives, increased use of private sector services to reduce the workload of the public sector and increase of quality and use of more in-service training, to improve the quality of services, are recommended.

Implementing Family Meetings Into a Respiratory Care Unit: A Care and Communication Quality Improvement Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Loeslie, Vicki; Abcejo, Ma Sunnimpha; Anderson, Claudia; Leibenguth, Emily; Mielke, Cathy; Rabatin, Jeffrey

Substantial evidence in critical care literature identifies a lack of quality and quantity of communication between patients, families, and clinicians while in the intensive care unit. Barriers include time, multiple caregivers, communication skills, culture, language, stress, and optimal meeting space. For patients who are chronically critically ill, the need for a structured method of communication is paramount for discussion of goals of care. The objective of this quality improvement project was to identify barriers to communication, then develop, implement, and evaluate a process for semistructured family meetings in a 9-bed respiratory care unit. Using set dates and times, family meetings were offered to patients and families admitted to the respiratory care unit. Multiple avenues of communication were utilized to facilitate attendance. Utilizing evidence-based family meeting literature, a guide for family meetings was developed. Templates were developed for documentation of the family meeting in the electronic medical record. Multiple communication barriers were identified. Frequency of family meeting occurrence rose from 31% to 88%. Staff satisfaction with meeting frequency, meeting length, and discussion of congruent goals of care between patient/family and health care providers improved. Patient/family satisfaction with consistency of message between team members; understanding of medications, tests, and dismissal plan; and efficacy to address their concerns with the medical team improved. This quality improvement project was implemented to address the communication gap in the care of complex patients who require prolonged hospitalizations. By identifying this need, engaging stakeholders, and developing a family meeting plan to meet to address these needs, communication between all members of the patient's care team has improved.

Crossing boundaries : improving communication in cerebral palsy care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulmans-Weitenberg, Jitske

2012-01-01

The aim of the present thesis was to contribute to the improvement of patient care communication across the integrated care setting of children with cerebral palsy. Hereto, we followed two subsequent phases: 1) obtaining a better understanding of the experienced quality of patient care communication

A quality improvement management model for renal care.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlchek, D L; Day, L M

1991-04-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the potential for applying the theory and tools of quality improvement (total quality management) in the renal care setting. We believe that the coupling of the statistical techniques used in the Deming method of quality improvement, with modern approaches to outcome and process analysis, will provide the renal care community with powerful tools, not only for improved quality (i.e., reduced morbidity and mortality), but also for technology evaluation and resource allocation.

Combined treatment with atorvastatin and imipenem improves survival and vascular functions in mouse model of sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Soumen; Kannan, Kandasamy; Pule Addison, M; Darzi, Sazad A; Singh, Vishakha; Singh, Thakur Uttam; Thangamalai, Ramasamy; Dash, Jeevan Ranjan; Parida, Subhashree; Debroy, Biplab; Paul, Avishek; Mishra, Santosh Kumar

2015-08-01

We have recently reported that pre-treatment, but not the post-treatment with atorvastatin showed survival benefit and improved hemodynamic functions in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of sepsis in mice. Here we examined whether combined treatment with atorvastatin and imipenem after onset of sepsis can prolong survival and improve vascular functions. At 6 and 18h after sepsis induction, treatment with atorvastatin plus imipenem, atorvastatin or imipenem alone or placebo was initiated. Ex vivo experiments were done on mouse aorta to examine the vascular reactivity to nor-adrenaline and acetylcholine and mRNA expressions of α1D AR, GRK2 and eNOS. Atorvastatin plus imipenem extended the survival time to 56.00±4.62h from 20.00±1.66h observed in CLP mice. The survival time with atorvastatin or imipenem alone was 20.50±1.89h and 27.00±4.09h, respectively. The combined treatment reversed the hyporeactivity to nor-adrenaline through preservation of α1D AR mRNA/protein expression and reversal of α1D AR desensitization mediated by GRK2/Gβγ pathway. The treatment also restored endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh through restoration of aortic eNOS mRNA expression and NO availability. In conclusion, combined treatment with atorvastatin and imipenem exhibited survival benefit and improved vascular functions in septic mice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Valproic acid reduces hair loss and improves survival in patients receiving temozolomide-based radiation therapy for high-grade glioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Shinichi; Kuwabara, Yui; Suehiro, Satoshi; Yamashita, Daisuke; Tanaka, Mamoru; Tanaka, Akihiro; Ohue, Shiro; Araki, Hiroaki

2017-03-01

Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is also used to manage seizures in glioblastoma patients. HDAC inhibitors can protect normal cells and tissues from the deleterious effects of radiotherapy, and VPA is reported to improve the survival of glioblastoma patients receiving chemoradiation therapy. VPA also promotes hair growth, and thus has the potential to reduce the radiotherapy side effect of hair loss while improving the survival of patients with glioblastoma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether VPA use during radiotherapy for high-grade glioma is associated with decreased side effects of radiotherapy and an improvement in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Medical records of 112 patients with high-grade glioma were retrospectively reviewed. We grouped patients by VPA use or non-use during radiotherapy, and evaluated hair loss, OS, and PFS. The radiation dose and fractionation at the onset of hair loss were 4 Gy and two fractions higher, respectively, in the VPA group compared with the VPA non-use group (P hair loss and improvement in survival. Hair loss prevention benefits patients suffering from the deleterious effects of radiation.

Invited review: Improving neonatal survival in small ruminants: science into practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, C M; Conington, J; Corbiere, F; Holmøy, I H; Muri, K; Nowak, R; Rooke, J; Vipond, J; Gautier, J-M

2016-03-01

Neonatal mortality in small ruminant livestock has remained stubbornly unchanging over the past 40 years, and represents a significant loss of farm income, contributes to wastage and affects animal welfare. Scientific knowledge about the biology of neonatal adaptation after birth has been accumulating but does not appear to have had an impact in improving survival. In this paper, we ask what might be the reasons for the lack of impact of the scientific studies of lamb and kid mortality, and suggest strategies to move forward. Biologically, it is clear that achieving a good intake of colostrum, as soon as possible after birth, is crucial for neonatal survival. This provides fuel for thermoregulation, passive immunological protection and is involved in the development of attachment between the ewe and lamb. The behaviour of the lamb in finding the udder and sucking rapidly after birth is a key component in ensuring sufficient colostrum is ingested. In experimental studies, the main risk factors for lamb mortality are low birthweight, particularly owing to poor maternal nutrition during gestation, birth difficulty, litter size and genetics, which can all be partly attributed to their effect on the speed with which the lamb reaches the udder and sucks. Similarly, on commercial farms, low birthweight and issues with sucking were identified as important contributors to mortality. In epidemiological studies, management factors such as providing assistance with difficult births, were found to be more important than risk factors associated with housing. Social science studies suggest that farmers generally have a positive attitude to improving neonatal mortality but may differ in beliefs about how this can be achieved, with some farmers believing they had no control over early lamb mortality. Facilitative approaches, where farmers and advisors work together to develop neonatal survival strategies, have been shown to be effective in achieving management goals, such as

Long survival in a 69,XXX triploid infant in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Iliopoulos, Dimitrios; Vassiliou, Georgia; Sekerli, Eleni; Sidiropoulou, Vasiliki; Tsiga, Alexandra; Dimopoulou, Despina; Voyiatzis, Nikolaos

2005-12-30

The live birth of a triploidy infant is a very rare event and death usually occurs within the first hours of life. Triploid cases with a survival of more than two months are infrequent. We report on an infant with a 69,XXX chromosome constitution who survived 164 days. Chromosomal analysis demonstrated a 69,XXX karyotype with no evidence of mosaicism. This is the longest survival reported for this condition to date in Greece and the fourth longest worldwide. The infant was admitted to our clinic several times due to respiratory problems, and supplementary oxygen was required. The improved survival of our case was possibly due to better management of respiratory illness and prematurity, and these are essential factors that physicians should consider carefully with such rare cases.

Improved Survival of Patients With Extensive Burns: Trends in Patient Characteristics and Mortality Among Burn Patients in a Tertiary Care Burn Facility, 2004-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Strassle, Paula D; Williams, Felicia N; Napravnik, Sonia; van Duin, David; Weber, David J; Charles, Anthony; Cairns, Bruce A; Jones, Samuel W

Classic determinants of burn mortality are age, burn size, and the presence of inhalation injury. Our objective was to describe temporal trends in patient and burn characteristics, inpatient mortality, and the relationship between these characteristics and inpatient mortality over time. All patients aged 18 years or older and admitted with burn injury, including inhalation injury only, between 2004 and 2013 were included. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the relationship between admit year and inpatient mortality. A total of 5540 patients were admitted between 2004 and 2013. Significant differences in sex, race/ethnicity, burn mechanisms, TBSA, inhalation injury, and inpatient mortality were observed across calendar years. Patients admitted between 2011 and 2013 were more likely to be women, non-Hispanic Caucasian, with smaller burn size, and less likely to have an inhalation injury, in comparison with patients admitted from 2004 to 2010. After controlling for patient demographics, burn mechanisms, and differential lengths of stay, no calendar year trends in inpatient mortality were detected. However, a significant decrease in inpatient mortality was observed among patients with extensive burns (≥75% TBSA) in more recent calendar years. This large, tertiary care referral burn center has maintained low inpatient mortality rates among burn patients over the past 10 years. While observed decreases in mortality during this time are largely due to changes in patient and burn characteristics, survival among patients with extensive burns has improved.

Witnessed arrest, but not delayed bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves prehospital cardiac arrest survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Vukmir, R B

2004-05-01

This study correlated the effect of witnessing a cardiac arrest and instituting bystander CPR (ByCPR), as a secondary end point in a study evaluating the effect of bicarbonate on survival. This prospective, randomised, double blinded clinical intervention trial enrolled 874 prehospital cardiopulmonary arrest patients encountered in a prehospital urban, suburban, and rural regional emergency medical service (EMS) area. This group underwent conventional advanced cardiac life support intervention followed by empiric early administration of sodium bicarbonate (1 mEq/l), monitoring conventional resuscitation parameters. Survival was measured as presence of vital signs on emergency department (ED) arrival. Data were analysed using chi(2) with Pearson correlation and odds ratio where appropriate. The overall survival rate was 13.9% (110 of 792) of prehospital cardiac arrest patients. The mean (SD) time until provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ByCPR) by laymen was 2.08 (2.77) minutes, and basic life support (BLS) by emergency medical technicians was 6.62 (5.73) minutes. There was improved survival noted with witnessed cardiac arrest-a 2.2-fold increase in survival, 18.9% (76 of 402) versus 8.6% (27 of 315) compared with unwitnessed arrests (ptwo minutes (p = 0.3752). Survival after prehospital cardiac arrest is more likely when witnessed, but not necessarily when ByCPR was performed by laymen.

Big data analytics to improve cardiovascular care: promise and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Rumsfeld, John S; Joynt, Karen E; Maddox, Thomas M

2016-06-01

The potential for big data analytics to improve cardiovascular quality of care and patient outcomes is tremendous. However, the application of big data in health care is at a nascent stage, and the evidence to date demonstrating that big data analytics will improve care and outcomes is scant. This Review provides an overview of the data sources and methods that comprise big data analytics, and describes eight areas of application of big data analytics to improve cardiovascular care, including predictive modelling for risk and resource use, population management, drug and medical device safety surveillance, disease and treatment heterogeneity, precision medicine and clinical decision support, quality of care and performance measurement, and public health and research applications. We also delineate the important challenges for big data applications in cardiovascular care, including the need for evidence of effectiveness and safety, the methodological issues such as data quality and validation, and the critical importance of clinical integration and proof of clinical utility. If big data analytics are shown to improve quality of care and patient outcomes, and can be successfully implemented in cardiovascular practice, big data will fulfil its potential as an important component of a learning health-care system.

Parasitic infection improves survival from septic peritonitis by enhancing mast cell responses to bacteria in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel E Sutherland

Full Text Available Mammals are serially infected with a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and parasites. Each infection reprograms the immune system's responses to re-exposure and potentially alters responses to first-time infection by different microorganisms. To examine whether infection with a metazoan parasite modulates host responses to subsequent bacterial infection, mice were infected with the hookworm-like intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, followed in 2-4 weeks by peritoneal injection of the pathogenic bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. Survival from Klebsiella peritonitis two weeks after parasite infection was better in Nippostrongylus-infected animals than in unparasitized mice, with Nippostrongylus-infected mice having fewer peritoneal bacteria, more neutrophils, and higher levels of protective interleukin 6. The improved survival of Nippostrongylus-infected mice depends on IL-4 because the survival benefit is lost in mice lacking IL-4. Because mast cells protect mice from Klebsiella peritonitis, we examined responses in mast cell-deficient Kit(W-sh/Kit(W-sh mice, in which parasitosis failed to improve survival from Klebsiella peritonitis. However, adoptive transfer of cultured mast cells to Kit(W-sh/Kit(W-sh mice restored survival benefits of parasitosis. These results show that recent infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis protects mice from Klebsiella peritonitis by modulating mast cell contributions to host defense, and suggest more generally that parasitosis can yield survival advantages to a bacterially infected host.

Women's Suggestions for Improving Midwifery Care in The Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Baas, Carien I; Erwich, Jan Jaap H M; Wiegers, Therese A; de Cock, T Paul; Hutton, Eileen K

2015-12-01

The experience of the care a woman receives during pregnancy and childbirth has an immediate and long-lasting effect on her well being. The involvement of patients and clients in health care has increased over the last decades. The Dutch maternity care system offers an excellent opportunity to explore and involve women's suggestions for the improvement of midwifery care in the current maternity care model. This qualitative study is part of the "DELIVER" study. Clients were recruited from 20 midwifery practices. Purposive sampling was used to select the practices. The clients received up to three questionnaires, in which they could respond to the question; "Do you have any suggestions on how your midwife could improve his/her provision of care?" The answers were analyzed with a qualitative thematic content analysis, using the software program MAXQDA. Altogether, 3,499 answers were provided. One overarching concept emerged: clients' desire for individualized care. Within this concept, suggestions could be clustered around 1) provider characteristics: interpersonal skills, communication, and competence, and 2) service characteristics: content and quantity of care, guidance and support, continuity of care provider, continuity of care, information, and coordination of care. Informed by the suggestions of women, care to women and their families could be improved by the following: 1) more continuity of the care provider during the prenatal, natal, and postnatal periods, 2) more information and information specifically tailored for the person, 3) client-centered communication, and 4) a personal approach with 5) enough time spent per client. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Improvement in survival of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: An international collaborative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Amit, Moran; Yen, Tzu-Chen; Liao, Chun-Ta; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Agarwal, Jai Prakash; Kowalski, Luiz P; Ebrahimi, Ardalan; Clark, Jonathan R; Kreppel, Matthias; Zöller, Joachim; Fridman, Eran; Bolzoni, Villaret A; Shah, Jatin P; Binenbaum, Yoav; Patel, Snehal G; Gil, Ziv

2013-12-15

An association between the survival of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and advancements in diagnosis and therapy has not been established. This was a retrospective, longitudinal, international, population-based study of 2738 patients who underwent resection of OCSCC during 2 different decades. Characteristics of patients from 7 international cancer centers who received treatment between 1990 and 2000 (group A; n = 735) were compared with patients who received treatment between 2001 and 2011 (group B; n = 2003). Patients in group B had more advanced tumors and tended to develop distant metastases more frequently than patients in group A (P = .005). More group B patients underwent selective neck dissection and received adjuvant radiotherapy (P < .001). Outcome analysis revealed a significant improvement in 5-year overall survival, from 59% for group A to 70% for group B (P < .001). There was also a significant improvement in disease-specific survival associated with operations performed before and after 2000 (from 69% to 81%, respectively; P < .001). Surgery after 2000, negative margins, adjuvant treatment, and early stage disease were independent predictors of a better outcome in multivariate analysis. The decade of treatment was an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-0.6). The survival rate of patients with OCSCC improved significantly during the past 2 decades despite older age, more advanced disease stage, and a higher rate of distant metastases. The current results suggest that the prognosis for patients with OCSCC has improved over time, presumably because of advances in imaging and therapy. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Applying Bureaucratic Caring Theory and the Chronic Care Model to Improve Staff and Patient Self-Efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Marcia A; Wilson, Candy

Patient activation and engagement can be powerful enablers for health outcomes that are just as important as staff engagement and satisfaction. The authors applied the Bureaucratic Caring Theory and the Chronic Care Model to a process improvement project designed to link activation, engagement, satisfaction, and health outcomes. Twenty-two adults with diabetes and 7 staff members caring for them participated in a 12-week process improvement project that incorporated a time-based element of longitudinal care with skill-based competencies to provide collaborative, team-based care to patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients completed satisfaction surveys at the end of their clinical encounters. Staff members completed satisfaction surveys pre- and postimplementation. The authors analyzed hemoglobin A1C levels pre- and postimplementation. As engagement and activation increased for both staff and patients, hemoglobin A1C levels decreased. The clinical implication is that the use of Bureaucratic Caring Theory may foster caring while broad application of the Chronic Care Model may improve self-efficacy, create healthier populations, and reduce health care costs.

Neonatal intensive care unit: Reservoirs of Nosocomial pathogens ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Improvement in the care and treatment of neonates had contributed to their increased survival. Nosocomial infection remains an important problem in intensive care units. Hospital wards had been shown to act as reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms associated with infection. To assess the prevalence of pathogenic ...

Association of medical home team-based care functions and perceived improvements in patient-centered care at VHA primary care clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Helfrich, Christian D; Dolan, Emily D; Fihn, Stephan D; Rodriguez, Hector P; Meredith, Lisa S; Rosland, Ann-Marie; Lempa, Michele; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Joos, Sandra; Lawler, Lauren H; Harvey, Henry B; Stark, Richard; Schectman, Gordon; Nelson, Karin M

2014-12-01

Team-based care is central to the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), but most PCMH evaluations measure team structure exclusively. We assessed team-based care in terms of team structure, process and effectiveness, and the association with improvements in teams׳ abilities to deliver patient-centered care. We fielded a cross-sectional survey among 913 VA primary care clinics implementing a PCMH model in 2012. The dependent variable was clinic-level respondent-reported improvements in delivery of patient-centered care. Independent variables included three sets of measures: (1) team structure, (2) team process, and (3) team effectiveness. We adjusted for clinic workload and patient comorbidity. 4819 surveys were returned (25% estimated response rate). The highest ratings were for team structure (median of 89% of respondents being assigned to a teamlet, i.e., a PCP working with the same clinical associate, nurse care manager and clerk) and lowest for team process (median of 10% of respondents reporting the lowest level of stress/chaos). In multivariable regression, perceived improvements in patient-centered care were most strongly associated with participatory decision making (β=32, Pteam processes). A stressful/chaotic clinic environment was associated with higher barriers to patient centered care (β=0.16-0.34, P=Team process and effectiveness measures, often omitted from PCMH evaluations, had stronger associations with perceived improvements in patient-centered care than team structure measures. Team process and effectiveness measures may facilitate synthesis of evaluation findings and help identify positive outlier clinics. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Improving care for patients whose recovery is uncertain. The AMBER care bundle: design and implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Irene; Shouls, Susanna; Bristowe, Katherine; Morris, Michelle; Briant, Linda; Robinson, Carole; Caulkin, Ruth; Griffiths, Mathew; Clark, Kieron; Koffman, Jonathan; Hopper, Adrian

2015-12-01

Despite preferences to the contrary, 53% of deaths in England occur in hospital. Difficulties in managing clinical uncertainty can result in delayed recognition that a person may be approaching the end of life, and a failure to address his/her preferences. Planning and shared decision-making for hospital patients need to improve where an underlying condition responds poorly to acute medical treatment and there is a risk of dying in the next 1-2 months. This paper suggests an approach to improve this care. A care bundle (the AMBER care bundle) was designed by a multiprofessional development team, which included service users, utilising the model for improvement following an initial scoping exercise. The care bundle includes two identification questions, four subsequent time restricted actions and systematic daily follow-up. This paper describes the development and implementation of a care bundle. From August 2011 to July 2012, 638 patients received care supported by the AMBER care bundle. In total 42.8% died in hospital and a further 14.5% were readmitted as emergencies within 30 days of discharge. Clinical outcome measures are in development. It has been possible to develop a care bundle addressing a complex area of care which can be a lever for cultural change. The implementation of the AMBER care bundle has the potential to improve care of clinically uncertain hospital patients who may be approaching the end of life by supporting their recognition and prompting discussion of their preferences. Outcomes associated with its use are currently being formally evaluated. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Macrophages improve survival, proliferation and migration of engrafted myogenic precursor cells into MDX skeletal muscle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre-François Lesault

Full Text Available Transplantation of muscle precursor cells is of therapeutic interest for focal skeletal muscular diseases. However, major limitations of cell transplantation are the poor survival, expansion and migration of the injected cells. The massive and early death of transplanted myoblasts is not fully understood although several mechanisms have been suggested. Various attempts have been made to improve their survival or migration. Taking into account that muscle regeneration is associated with the presence of macrophages, which are helpful in repairing the muscle by both cleansing the debris and deliver trophic cues to myoblasts in a sequential way, we attempted in the present work to improve myoblast transplantation by coinjecting macrophages. The present data showed that in the 5 days following the transplantation, macrophages efficiently improved: i myoblast survival by limiting their massive death, ii myoblast expansion within the tissue and iii myoblast migration in the dystrophic muscle. This was confirmed by in vitro analyses showing that macrophages stimulated myoblast adhesion and migration. As a result, myoblast contribution to regenerating host myofibres was increased by macrophages one month after transplantation. Altogether, these data demonstrate that macrophages are beneficial during the early steps of myoblast transplantation into skeletal muscle, showing that coinjecting these stromal cells may be used as a helper to improve the efficiency of parenchymal cell engraftment.

Improving coverage of postnatal care in rural Ethiopia using a community-based, collaborative quality improvement approach.

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Tesfaye, Solomon; Barry, Danika; Gobezayehu, Abebe Gebremariam; Frew, Aynalem Hailemichael; Stover, Kim Ethier; Tessema, Hana; Alamineh, Lamesgin; Sibley, Lynn M

2014-01-01

Ethiopia has high maternal and neonatal mortality and low use of skilled maternity care. The Maternal and Newborn Health in Ethiopia Partnership (MaNHEP), a 3.5-year learning project, used a community collaborative quality improvement approach to improve maternal and newborn health care during the birth-to-48-hour period. This study examines how the promotion of community maternal and newborn health (CMNH) family meetings and labor and birth notification contributed to increased postnatal care within 48 hours by skilled providers or health extension workers. Baseline and endline surveys, monthly quality improvement data, and MaNHEP's CMNH change package, a compendium of the most effective changes developed and tested by communities, were reviewed. Logistic regression assessed factors associated with postnatal care receipt. Monthly postnatal care receipt was plotted with control charts. The baseline (n = 1027) and endline (n = 1019) surveys showed significant increases in postnatal care, from 5% to 51% and from 15% to 47% in the Amhara and Oromiya regions, respectively (both P care. Women with any antenatal care were 1.7 times more likely to have had a postnatal care visit (odds ratio [OR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-2.54; P care (OR, 4.86; 95% CI, 2.67-8.86; P care far exceeds the 7% postnatal care coverage rate reported in the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). This result was linked to ideas generated by community quality improvement teams for labor and birth notification and cooperation with community-level health workers to promote antenatal care and CMNH family meetings. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

No survival benefit to gaining private health insurance coverage for post-lung transplant care in adults with cystic fibrosis.

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Tumin, Dmitry; Foraker, Randi E; Tobias, Joseph D; Hayes, Don

2016-03-01

The use of public insurance is associated with diminished survival in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) following lung transplantation. No data exist on benefits of gaining private health insurance for post-transplant care among such patients previously using public insurance. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was used to identify first-time lung transplant recipients participating in Medicare or Medicaid, diagnosed with CF, and transplanted between 2005 and 2015. Survival outcomes were compared between recipients gaining private insurance after transplantation and those maintaining public coverage throughout follow-up. Since implementation of the lung allocation score, 575 adults with CF received lung transplantation funded by Medicare or Medicaid and contributed data on insurance status post-transplant. There were 128 (22%) patients who gained private insurance. Multivariable analysis of time-varying insurance status found no survival benefit of gaining private insurance (HR = 0.822; 95% CI = 0.525, 1.286; p = 0.390). Further analysis demonstrated that resuming public insurance coverage was detrimental, relative to gaining and keeping private insurance (HR = 2.315; 95% CI = 1.020, 5.258; p = 0.045). Survival disadvantages of lung transplant recipients with CF who have public health insurance were not ameliorated by a switch to private coverage for post-transplant care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Timely disclosure of progress in long-term cancer survival: the boomerang method substantially improved estimates in a comparative study.

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Brenner, Hermann; Jansen, Lina

2016-02-01

Monitoring cancer survival is a key task of cancer registries, but timely disclosure of progress in long-term survival remains a challenge. We introduce and evaluate a novel method, denoted "boomerang method," for deriving more up-to-date estimates of long-term survival. We applied three established methods (cohort, complete, and period analysis) and the boomerang method to derive up-to-date 10-year relative survival of patients diagnosed with common solid cancers and hematological malignancies in the United States. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 9 database, we compared the most up-to-date age-specific estimates that might have been obtained with the database including patients diagnosed up to 2001 with 10-year survival later observed for patients diagnosed in 1997-2001. For cancers with little or no increase in survival over time, the various estimates of 10-year relative survival potentially available by the end of 2001 were generally rather similar. For malignancies with strongly increasing survival over time, including breast and prostate cancer and all hematological malignancies, the boomerang method provided estimates that were closest to later observed 10-year relative survival in 23 of the 34 groups assessed. The boomerang method can substantially improve up-to-dateness of long-term cancer survival estimates in times of ongoing improvement in prognosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemotherapy versus supportive care alone in pediatric palliative care for cancer: comparing the preferences of parents and health care professionals.

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Tomlinson, Deborah; Bartels, Ute; Gammon, Janet; Hinds, Pamela S; Volpe, Jocelyne; Bouffet, Eric; Regier, Dean A; Baruchel, Sylvain; Greenberg, Mark; Barrera, Maru; Llewellyn-Thomas, Hilary; Sung, Lillian

2011-11-22

The choice between palliative chemotherapy (defined as the use of cytotoxic medications delivered intravenously for the purpose of our study) and supportive care alone is one of the most difficult decisions in pediatric oncology, yet little is known about the preferences of parents and health care professionals. We compared the strength of these preferences by considering children's quality of life and survival time as key attributes. In addition, we identified factors associated with the reported preferences. We included parents of children whose cancer had no reasonable chance of being cured and health care professionals in pediatric oncology as participants in our study. We administered separate interviews to parents and to health care professionals. Visual analogue scales were shown to respondents to illustrate the anticipated level of the child's quality of life, the expected duration of survival and the probability of cure (shown only to health care professionals). Respondents were then asked which treatment option they would favour given these baseline attributes. In addition, respondents reported what factors might affect such a decision and ranked all factors identified in order of importance. The primary measure was the desirability score for supportive care alone relative to palliative chemotherapy, as obtained using the threshold technique. A total of 77 parents and 128 health care professionals participated in our study. Important factors influencing the decision between therapeutic options were child quality-of-life and survival time among both parents and health care professionals. Hope was particularly important to parents. Parents significantly favoured chemotherapy (42/77, 54.5%) compared with health care professionals (20/128, 15.6%; p parents' desire for supportive care; for health care professionals, the opinions of parents and children were significant factors influencing this decision. Compared with health care professionals, parents more

Improving Communication About Serious Illness in Primary Care: A Review.

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Lakin, Joshua R; Block, Susan D; Billings, J Andrew; Koritsanszky, Luca A; Cunningham, Rebecca; Wichmann, Lisa; Harvey, Doreen; Lamey, Jan; Bernacki, Rachelle E

2016-09-01

The Institute of Medicine recently called for systematic improvements in clinician-led conversations about goals, values, and care preferences for patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses. Studies suggest that these conversations are associated with improved outcomes for patients and their families, enhanced clinician satisfaction, and lower health care costs; however, the role of primary care clinicians in driving conversations about goals and priorities in serious illness is not well defined. To present a review of a structured search of the evidence base about communication in serious illness in primary care. MEDLINE was searched, via PubMed, on January 19, 2016, finding 911 articles; 126 articles were reviewed and selected titles were added from bibliography searches. Review of the literature informed 2 major topic areas: the role of primary care in communication about serious illness and clinician barriers and system failures that interfere with effective communication. Literature regarding the role that primary care plays in communication focused primarily on the ambiguity about whether primary care clinicians or specialists are responsible for initiating conversations, the benefits of primary care clinicians and specialists conducting conversations, and the quantity and quality of discussions. Timely and effective communication about serious illness in primary care is hampered by key clinician barriers, which include deficits in knowledge, skills, and attitudes; discomfort with prognostication; and lack of clarity about the appropriate timing and initiation of conversations. Finally, system failures in coordination, documentation, feedback, and quality improvement contribute to lack of conversations. Clinician and system barriers will challenge primary care clinicians and institutions to meet the needs of patients with serious illness. Ensuring that conversations about goals and values occur at the appropriate time for seriously ill patients will

Does Medical Malpractice Law Improve Health Care Quality?

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Frakes, Michael; Jena, Anupam B.

2016-01-01

We assess the potential for medical liability forces to deter medical errors and improve health care treatment quality, identifying liability’s influence by drawing on variations in the manner by which states formulate the negligence standard facing physicians. Using hospital discharge records from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and clinically-validated quality metrics inspired by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, we find evidence suggesting that treatment quality may improve upon reforms that expect physicians to adhere to higher quality clinical standards. We do not find evidence, however, suggesting that treatment quality may deteriorate following reforms to liability standards that arguably condone the delivery of lower quality care. Similarly, we do not find evidence of deterioration in health care quality following remedy-focused liability reforms such as caps on non-economic damages awards. PMID:28479642

Improving the rate and quality of medicaid well child care exams in primary care practices.

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Smith, Katy Duncan; Merchen, Eileen; Turner, Crystal D; Vaught, Cara; Fritz, Terrie; Mold, Jim

2010-07-01

Providing recommended well child care to children insured bythe Medicaid Program can be challenging. Members of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center contracted to help practices improve the rates and quality of well child care visits within the Oklahoma Medicaid Program. Sixteen pediatric and family medicine practices in three Oklahoma counties chose to participate in this quality improvement initiative. The records of Sooner Care-insured children age 0-20 were reviewed for both rate and quality of well child care visits made during the previous twelve months. Performance feedback was provided. Practice guidelines, Sooner Care requirements, and tips from exemplary practices were provided. In two of the counties, a case manager helped practices with challenging patients. Practice Enhancement Assistants (PEAs) then helped practices implement a variety of strategies to increase visit rates and improve the quality of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) visits. Information technology (IT) support was provided when needed. The average rates of visits, for all counties combined, increased. Visit rates increased more in the younger age groups (birth to two years). There was significant improvement in quality of visits. Rates and quality improved much more in some practices than in others. A combination of academic detailing, performance feedback, practice facilitation, case management, and IT support produced increases in the quality and rates of EPSDT exams.

Improving immediate newborn care practices in Philippine hospitals: impact of a national quality of care initiative 2008-2015.

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Silvestre, Maria Asuncion A; Mannava, Priya; Corsino, Marie Ann; Capili, Donna S; Calibo, Anthony P; Tan, Cynthia Fernandez; Murray, John C S; Kitong, Jacqueline; Sobel, Howard L

2018-03-31

To determine whether intrapartum and newborn care practices improved in 11 large hospitals between 2008 and 2015. Secondary data analysis of observational assessments conducted in 11 hospitals in 2008 and 2015. Eleven large government hospitals from five regions in the Philippines. One hundred and seven randomly sampled postpartum mother-baby pairs in 2008 and 106 randomly sampled postpartum mothers prior to discharge from hospitals after delivery. A national initiative to improve quality of newborn care starting in 2009 through development of a standard package of intrapartum and newborn care services, practice-based training, formation of multidisciplinary hospital working groups, and regular assessments and meetings in hospitals to identify actions to improve practices, policies and environments. Quality improvement was supported by policy development, health financing packages, health facility standards, capacity building and health communication. Sixteen intrapartum and newborn care practices. Between 2008 and 2015, initiation of drying within 5 s of birth, delayed cord clamping, dry cord care, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, timing and duration of the initial breastfeed, and bathing deferred until 6 h after birth all vastly improved (P<0.001). The proportion of newborns receiving hygienic cord handling and the hepatitis B birth dose decreased by 11-12%. Except for reduced induction of labor, inappropriate maternal care practices persisted. Newborn care practices have vastly improved through an approach focused on improving hospital policies, environments and health worker practices. Maternal care practices remain outdated largely due to the ineffective didactic training approaches adopted for maternal care.

Erythropoietin improves the survival of fat tissue after its transplantation in nude mice.

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Hamed, Saher; Egozi, Dana; Kruchevsky, Danny; Teot, Luc; Gilhar, Amos; Ullmann, Yehuda

2010-11-15

Autologous transplanted fat has a high resorption rate, providing a clinical challenge for the means to reduce it. Erythropoietin (EPO) has non-hematopoietic targets, and we hypothesized that EPO may improve long-term fat graft survival because it has both pro-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic properties. We aimed to determine the effect of EPO on the survival of human fat tissue after its transplantation in nude mice. Human fat tissue was injected subcutaneously into immunologically-compromised nude mice, and the grafts were then treated with either 20 IU or 100 IU EPO. At the end of the 15-week study period, the extent of angiogenesis, apoptosis, and histology were assessed in the fat grafts. The results were compared to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-treated and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated fat grafts. The weight and volume of the EPO-treated grafts were higher than those of the PBS-treated grafts, whose weights and volumes were not different from those of the VEGF-treated grafts. EPO treatment also increased the expression of angiogenic factors and microvascular density, and reduced inflammation and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in the fat grafts. Our data suggest that stimulation of angiogenesis by a cluster of angiogenic factors and decreased fat cell apoptosis account for potential mechanisms that underlie the improved long-term survival of fat transplants following EPO treatment.

How improving practice relationships among clinicians and nonclinicians can improve quality in primary care.

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Lanham, Holly J; McDaniel, Reuben R; Crabtree, Benjamin F; Miller, William L; Stange, Kurt C; Tallia, Alfred F; Nutting, Paula

2009-09-01

Understanding the role of relationships health care organizations (HCOs) offers opportunities for shaping health care delivery. When quality is treated as a property arising from the relationships within HCOs, then different contributors of quality can be investigated and more effective strategies for improvement can be developed. Data were drawn from four large National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies, and an iterative analytic strategy and a grounded theory approach were used to understand the characteristics of relationships within primary care practices. This multimethod approach amassed rich and comparable data sets in all four studies, which were all aimed at primary care practice improvement. The broad range of data included direct observation of practices during work activities and of patient-clinician interactions, in-depth interviews with physicians and other key staff members, surveys, structured checklists of office environments, and chart reviews. Analyses focused on characteristics of relationships in practices that exhibited a range of success in achieving practice improvement. Complex adaptive systems theory informed these analyses. Trust, mindfulness, heedfulness, respectful interaction, diversity, social/task relatedness, and rich/lean communication were identified as important in practice improvement. A model of practice relationships was developed to describe how these characteristics work together and interact with reflection, sensemaking, and learning to influence practice-level quality outcomes. Although this model of practice relationships was developed from data collected in primary care practices, which differ from other HCOs in some important ways, the ideas that quality is emergent and that relationships influence quality of care are universally important for all HCOs and all medical specialties.

Integrated hospital emergency care improves efficiency.

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Boyle, A A; Robinson, S M; Whitwell, D; Myers, S; Bennett, T J H; Hall, N; Haydock, S; Fritz, Z; Atkinson, P

2008-02-01

There is uncertainty about the most efficient model of emergency care. An attempt has been made to improve the process of emergency care in one hospital by developing an integrated model. The medical admissions unit was relocated into the existing emergency department and came under the 4-hour target. Medical case records were redesigned to provide a common assessment document for all patients presenting as an emergency. Medical, surgical and paediatric short-stay wards were opened next to the emergency department. A clinical decision unit replaced the more traditional observation unit. The process of patient assessment was streamlined so that a patient requiring admission was fully clerked by the first attending doctor to a level suitable for registrar or consultant review. Patients were allocated directly to specialty on arrival. The effectiveness of this approach was measured with routine data over the same 3-month periods in 2005 and 2006. There was a 16.3% decrease in emergency medical admissions and a 3.9% decrease in emergency surgical admissions. The median length of stay for emergency medical patients was reduced from 7 to 5 days. The efficiency of the elective surgical services was also improved. Performance against the 4-hour target declined but was still acceptable. The number of bed days for admitted surgical and medical cases rose slightly. There was an increase in the number of medical outliers on surgical wards, a reduction in the number of incident forms and formal complaints and a reduction in income for the hospital. Integrated emergency care has the ability to use spare capacity within emergency care. It offers significant advantages beyond the emergency department. However, improved efficiency in processing emergency patients placed the hospital at a financial disadvantage.

Clinical care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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Radunović, Aleksandar; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi; Leigh, P Nigel

2007-10-01

Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and its variants are readily recognised by neurologists, about 10% of patients are misdiagnosed, and delays in diagnosis are common. Prompt diagnosis, sensitive communication of the diagnosis, the involvement of the patient and their family, and a positive care plan are prerequisites for good clinical management. A multidisciplinary, palliative approach can prolong survival and maintain quality of life. Treatment with riluzole improves survival but has a marginal effect on the rate of functional deterioration, whereas non-invasive ventilation prolongs survival and improves or maintains quality of life. In this Review, we discuss the diagnosis, management, and how to cope with impaired function and end of life on the basis of our experience, the opinions of experts, existing guidelines, and clinical trials. We highlight the need for research on the effectiveness of gastrostomy, access to non-invasive ventilation and palliative care, communication between the care team, the patient and his or her family, and recognition of the clinical and social effects of cognitive impairment. We recommend that the plethora of evidence-based guidelines should be compiled into an internationally agreed guideline of best practice.

Quantifying flooding effects on hardwood seedling survival and growth for bottomland restoration

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John M. Kabrick; Daniel C. Dey; J.W. Van Sambeek; Mark V. Coggeshall; Douglass F. Jacobs

2012-01-01

Growing interest worldwide in bottomland hardwood restoration necessitates improved ecological understanding of flooding effects on forest tree seedlings using methodology that accurately reflects field conditions. We examined hardwood seedling survival and growth in an outdoor laboratory where the timing, depth, duration, and flow rate of flood water can be carefully...

Edaravone improves survival and neurological outcomes after CPR in a ventricular fibrillation model of rats.

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Qin, Tao; Lei, Ling-Yan; Li, Nuo; Shi, Fangying Ruan; Chen, Meng-Hua; Xie, Lu

2016-10-01

Overproduction of free radicals is a main factor contributing to cerebral injury after cardiac arrest (CA)/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We sought to evaluate the impact of edaravone on the survival and neurological outcomes after CA/CPR in rats. Rats were subjected to CA following CPR. For survival study, the rats with restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were randomly allocated to one of the two groups (edaravone and saline group, n=20/each group) to received Edaravone (3 mg/kg) or normal saline. Another 10 rats without experiencing CA and CPR served as the sham group. Survival was observed for 72 hours and the neurological deficit score (NDS) was calculated at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after ROSC. For the neurological biochemical analysis study, rats were subjected to the same experimental procedures. Then, edaravone group (n=24), saline group (n=24) and sham group (n=16) were further divided into 4 subgroups according to the different time intervals (12, 24, 48, and 72 hours following ROSC). Brain tissues were harvested at relative time intervals for evaluation of oxidative stress, TUNEL staining and apoptotic gene expression. Edaravone improved postresuscitative survival time and neurological deficit, decreased brain malonylaldehyde level, increased superoxide dismutase activities, decreased proapoptotic gene expression of capase-8, capase-3, and Bax, and increased antiapoptotic Bcl-2 expression at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after ROSC. Edaravone improves survival and neurological outcomes following CPR via antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects in rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved nurse-parent communication in neonatal intensive care unit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weis, Janne; Zoffmann, Vibeke; Egerod, Ingrid

2014-01-01

of a busy neonatal care unit. Promoting practice uptake was initially underestimated, but nurse guided family-centred care training was improved by increasing the visibility of the study in the unit, demonstrating intervention progress to the nurses and assuring a sense of ownership among nurse leaders...... and adjustment of nurse adherence to guided family-centred care was conducted by monitoring (1) knowledge, (2) delivery, (3) practice uptake and (4) certification. RESULTS: Implementation was improved by the development of a strategic framework and by adjusting the framework according to the real-life context...

Reducing macrophages to improve bone marrow stromal cell survival in the contused spinal cord.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ritfeld, G.J.; Nandoe Tewarie, R.D.S.; Rahiem, S.T.; Hurtado, A.; Roos, R.A.; Grotenhuis, A.; Oudega, M.

2010-01-01

We tested whether reducing macrophage infiltration would improve the survival of allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) transplanted in the contused adult rat thoracic spinal cord. Treatment with cyclosporine, minocycline, or methylprednisolone all resulted in a significant decrease in

Modest improvement in 20 years of kidney cancer care in the Netherlands.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schans, S.A. van de; Aben, K.K.H.; Mulders, P.F.A.; Haanen, J.B.; Herpen, C.M. van; Verhoeven, R.H.A.; Karim-Kos, H.E.; Oosterwijk, E.; Kiemeney, L.A.L.M.

2012-01-01

AIM: For an evaluation of the progress achieved in the field of kidney cancer care in the Netherlands in the last decades, we described trends in incidence, treatment, mortality and relative survival. METHODS: All adult patients newly diagnosed with kidney cancer between 1989 and 2009 (N=32,545)

Depression Care Management: Can Employers Purchase Improved Outcomes?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathryn Rost

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Fourteen vendors are currently selling depression care management products to US employers after randomized trials demonstrate improved work outcomes. The research team interviewed 10 (71.4% of these vendors to compare their products to four key components of interventions demonstrated to improve work outcomes. Five of 10 depression products incorporate all four key components, three of which are sold by health maintenance organizations (HMOs; however, HMOs did not deliver these components at the recommended intensity and/or duration. Only one product delivered by a disease management company delivered all four components of care at the recommended intensity and duration. This “voltage drop,” which we anticipate will increase with product implementation, suggests that every delivery system should carefully evaluate the design of its depression product before implementation for its capacity to deliver evidence-based care, repeating these evaluations as new evidence emerges.

Lung Maturation: The Survival Miracle of Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan H. Jobe

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The increased survival of very preterm infants is generally attributed to improved care strategies. This review develops the thesis that the features of abnormal pregnancies responsible for very preterm deliveries also provide an explanation of why very preterm infants often survive. A normal fetus born at 24 weeks is very unlikely to survive. However, pregnancies that result in deliveries at 24 weeks are generally highly abnormal, and may have been so for prolonged periods prior to the preterm deliveries. Inflammatory or vascular developmental abnormalities resulting in very preterm birth can alter fetal development in such a way that organ system maturation is induced. This is supported clinically by the relative lack of very preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Interventions such as antenatal corticosteroid treatment and postnatal surfactant treatment for infants with respiratory distress syndrome and gentle ventilation strategies maximize fetal adaptations to the abnormal fetal environment and improve outcomes.

Interprofessional simulation to improve patient participation in transitional care.

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Dyrstad, Dagrunn Nåden; Storm, Marianne

2017-06-01

Educating and training healthcare professionals is known to improve the quality of transitional care for older adults. Arranging interprofessional meetings for healthcare professionals might be useful to improve patient participation skills in transitional care. To describe the learning activities used in The Meeting Point programme, focusing on patient participation in transitional care, and assess whether they increase healthcare professionals' awareness of and competencies relating to patient participation in the transitional care of older patients. Data were collected as part of an educational intervention programme, The Meeting Point, including three seminars on 'Patient participation in the transitional care of older patients' and four follow-up meetings. Participants were nurses, care assistants, doctors, physiotherapists, patient coordinators and administrative personnel from hospital, nursing homes and home-based care services. The Meeting Point was organised around four pillars: introduction, teaching session, group work activity and plenary discussion. Qualitative data included log reports, summaries of meetings, notes from group work activities, and reports from participants and from follow-up meetings. Feedback from participants shows that they were satisfied with meeting healthcare professionals from other units of care. A film scenario was perceived relevant for group work activity and useful in focusing participants' attention to patient participation. Follow-up meetings show that some nursing home wards, the emergency department and one medical ward at the hospital continued with ongoing work to improve quality of care. Efforts included implementation of an observational waiting room with comfortable chairs, planning for discharge in hospital admission, a daily patient flow registration system and motivational interviewing during admission to nursing home. The description of the learning activities used at The Meeting Point seminars shows that they

Eight principles for patient-centred and family-centred care for newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roué, Jean-Michel; Kuhn, Pierre; Lopez Maestro, Maria

2017-01-01

Despite the recent improvements in perinatal medical care leading to an increase in survival rates, adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes occur more frequently in preterm and/or high-risk infants. Medical risk factors for neurodevelopmental delays like male gender or intrauterine growth restriction...

Association of antenatal care with facility delivery and perinatal survival – a population-based study in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pervin Jesmin

2012-10-01

and after the MNCH program initiation (Sobel test of mediation P Conclusions ANC visits are associated with increased uptake of facility-based delivery and improved perinatal survival in the icddr,b SA. Further testing of the icddr,b approach to simultaneously improving quality of ANC and facility delivery care is needed in the existing health system in Bangladesh and in other low-income countries to maximize health benefits to mothers and newborns.

Improving the delivery of preventive care services.

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Hung, Dorothy Y

2007-05-01

Performance of preventive services is an important indicator of high-quality health care, but many recommended services are not regularly offered in primary care practices. Health risk assessments, counseling, and referral to community-based programs help address risk behaviors, many of which are leading causes of preventable death and disability in the United States. This study examined various influences on the delivery of preventive services designed to address smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, unhealthy diets, and sedentary lifestyles. More than 300 health care providers in 52 practices nationwide have contributed data to this study. Staff participation in quality improvement enhanced work relationships and also diminished the effect of practice size on the performance of preventive care. The use of nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, clinician reminders, and patient registries were positively associated with care delivery.

Review of factors affecting the growth and survival of follicular grafts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William M Parsley

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Great strides have been made in hair restoration over the past 20 years. A better understanding of natural balding and non-balding patterns along with more respect for ageing has helped guide proper hairline design. Additionally, the use of smaller grafts has created a significantly improved natural appearance to the transplanted grafts. Inconsistent growth and survival of follicular grafts, however, has continued to be a problem that has perplexed hair restoration surgeons. This review attempts to explore the stresses affecting grafts during transplantation and some of the complexities involved in graft growth and survival. These authors reviewed the literature to determine the primary scope of aspects influencing growth and survival of follicular grafts. This scope includes patient selection, operating techniques, graft care, storage solutions and additives. The primary focus of the hair restoration surgeons should first be attention to the fundamentals of hair care, hydration, temperature, time out of body and gentle handling. Factors such as advanced storage solutions and additives can be helpful once the fundamentals have been addressed.

Physician education programme improves quality of diabetes care ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives. To determine if a physician education programme and a structured consultation schedule would improve the quality of diabetes patient care in a diabetes clinic. Setting. Two tertiary care diabetes clinics at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria. Study design. Quasi-experimental controlled before-and-after study. Methods.

Improving quality of care among COPD outpatients in Denmark 2008-2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard; Lange, P.; Thomsen, R.W.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the quality of care among Danish patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has improved since the initiation of a national multidisciplinary quality improvement program. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide, population-based prospective cohort study...... a substantial improvement in the quality of care of COPD in Danish hospitals following the initiation of a national multidisciplinary quality improvement program in 2008. In the forthcoming years, it will be interesting to observe if this will translate into a better prognosis of Danish patients with COPD....... using data from the Danish Clinical Register of COPD (DrCOPD). Since 2008 the register has systematically monitored and audited the use of recommended processes of COPD care. RESULTS: Substantial improvements were observed for all processes of care and registration fulfillment increased to well above 85...

Auto-SCT improves survival in systemic light chain amyloidosis: a retrospective analysis with 14-year follow-up.

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Parmar, S; Kongtim, P; Champlin, R; Dinh, Y; Elgharably, Y; Wang, M; Bashir, Q; Shah, J J; Shah, N; Popat, U; Giralt, S A; Orlowski, R Z; Qazilbash, M H

2014-08-01

Optimal treatment approach continues to remain a challenge for systemic light chain amyloidosis (AL). So far, Auto-SCT is the only modality associated with long-term survival. However, failure to show survival benefit in randomized study raises questions regarding its efficacy. We present a comparative outcome analysis of Auto-SCT to conventional therapies (CTR) in AL patients treated over a 14-year period at our institution. Out of the 145 AL amyloidosis patients, Auto-SCT was performed in 80 patients with 1-year non-relapse mortality rate of 12.5%. Novel agents were used as part of induction therapy in 56% of transplant recipients vs 46% of CTR patients. Hematological and organ responses were seen in 74.6% and 39% in the Auto-SCT arm vs 53% and 12% in the CTR arm, respectively. The projected 5-year survival for Auto-SCT vs CTR was 63% vs 38%, respectively. Landmark analysis of patients alive at 1-year after diagnosis showed improved 5-year OS of 72% with Auto-SCT vs 65% in the CTR arm. In the multivariate analysis, age SCT were associated with improved survival. In conclusion, Auto-SCT is associated with long-term survival for patients with AL amyloidosis.

Health characteristics of heart transplant recipients surviving into their 80s.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabachnick, Deborah R; Bowen, Megan E; Stehlik, Josef; Kfoury, Abdallah G; Caine, William T; Selzman, Craig H; McKellar, Stephen H

2017-08-01

Heart transplantation (HTx) is the preferred treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure and has been successful for >30 y. The clinical course of recipients at the extreme of age is unknown. We reviewed our experience to determine the overall health and prevalence of Tx-related medical problems for recipients in their ninth decade. We reviewed the UCTP experience from 1985 to present to identify patients who survived into their 80s and matched (1:1) with other recipients for gender and age at HTx, but did not survive to ≥80 y. The end point was the prevalence of medical problems. Since 1985, 1129 adult HTx have been performed and 14 patients (1.2%) survived to ≥80 y old. The mean age at HTx was 63 ± 4 y. Of octogenarians, the majority were males with ischemic cardiomyopathy. The average survival after transplant was 19 ± 5 y in the octogenarians and 5 ± 5 y in the controls (P  55%) for all octogenarians at age 80 y. Despite improvements in posttransplant care, survival of HTx patients into the ninth decade is rare (1%). For those surviving into their 80s, cardiac function is preserved but dyslipidemia, renal insufficiency, and skin cancers are common. As the age of Htx patients continues to increase, posttransplant care should be tailored to minimize post-HTx complications and further extend survival. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Primary Care with Human-Centered Design and Partnership-Based Leadership

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May-Lynn Andresen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to empower and activate first-line staff (FLS to improve the six-month depression remission rate in a primary care clinic. Background: Lack of workforce engagement has been identified as an emerging national problem in health care and health care leaders have urged practice redesign to foster the Triple Aim of improved population health, improved care experience, and reduced cost of care (Berwick et al., 2008. Depression is difficult to manage and often exacerbates chronic illnesses and shortens lifespans, yet despite known effective treatments, six-month remission rates are low and care practices are often inadequate. Engaging in empowering leadership behaviors has demonstrated improvement in motivation, work outcomes, and empowerment in various industry settings across the world. Core approaches include: enhancing staff self-determination, encouraging participation in decision-making, and ensuring that staff have the knowledge and tools to achieve their performance goals, in addition to leadership communications that increase confidence in staff’s potential to perform at high levels, and their recognition that their efforts have an impact on improving organizational effectiveness. Methods: In this outpatient setting, care was siloed, staff were disengaged and a hierarchical paradigm was evident. Human-centered design principles were employed to intensively explore stakeholders’ experiences and to deeply engage end users in improving depression remission rates by creating, participating, and partnering in solutions. Leadership was educated in and deployed empowering leadership behaviors, which were synergistic with design thinking, and fostered empowerment. Results: Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated statistically significant improvement in empowerment. The six-month depression remission rate increased 167%, from 7.3% (N=261 to 19.4% (N=247. Conclusion: The convergence of

Improving the quality of depression and pain care in multiple sclerosis using collaborative care: The MS-care trial protocol.

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Ehde, Dawn M; Alschuler, Kevin N; Sullivan, Mark D; Molton, Ivan P; Ciol, Marcia A; Bombardier, Charles H; Curran, Mary C; Gertz, Kevin J; Wundes, Annette; Fann, Jesse R

2018-01-01

Evidence-based pharmacological and behavioral interventions are often underutilized or inaccessible to persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic pain and/or depression. Collaborative care is an evidence-based patient-centered, integrated, system-level approach to improving the quality and outcomes of depression care. We describe the development of and randomized controlled trial testing a novel intervention, MS Care, which uses a collaborative care model to improve the care of depression and chronic pain in a MS specialty care setting. We describe a 16-week randomized controlled trial comparing the MS Care collaborative care intervention to usual care in an outpatient MS specialty center. Eligible participants with chronic pain of at least moderate intensity (≥3/10) and/or major depressive disorder are randomly assigned to MS Care or usual care. MS Care utilizes a care manager to implement and coordinate guideline-based medical and behavioral treatments with the patient, clinic providers, and pain/depression treatment experts. We will compare outcomes at post-treatment and 6-month follow up. We hypothesize that participants randomly assigned to MS Care will demonstrate significantly greater control of both pain and depression at post-treatment (primary endpoint) relative to those assigned to usual care. Secondary analyses will examine quality of care, patient satisfaction, adherence to MS care, and quality of life. Study findings will aid patients, clinicians, healthcare system leaders, and policy makers in making decisions about effective care for pain and depression in MS healthcare systems. (PCORI- IH-1304-6379; clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02137044). This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, protocol NCT02137044. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A improves hepatic differentiation of immortalized adult human hepatocytes and improves liver function and survival.

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Hang, Hua-Lian; Liu, Xin-Yu; Wang, Hai-Tian; Xu, Ning; Bian, Jian-Min; Zhang, Jian-Jun; Xia, Lei; Xia, Qiang

2017-11-15

Immortalized human hepatocytes (IHH) could provide an unlimited supply of hepatocytes, but insufficient differentiation and phenotypic instability restrict their clinical application. This study aimed to determine the role of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A (HNF4A) in hepatic differentiation of IHH, and whether encapsulation of IHH overexpressing HNF4A could improve liver function and survival in rats with acute liver failure (ALF). Primary human hepatocytes were transduced with lentivirus-mediated catalytic subunit of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to establish IHH. Cells were analyzed for telomerase activity, proliferative capacity, hepatocyte markers, and tumorigenicity (c-myc) expression. Hepatocyte markers, hepatocellular functions, and morphology were studied in the HNF4A-overexpressing IHH. Hepatocyte markers and karyotype analysis were completed in the primary hepatocytes using shRNA knockdown of HNF4A. Nuclear translocation of β-catenin was assessed. Rat models of ALF were treated with encapsulated IHH or HNF4A-overexpressing IHH. A HNF4A-positive IHH line was established, which was non-tumorigenic and conserved properties of primary hepatocytes. HNF4A overexpression significantly enhanced mRNA levels of genes related to hepatic differentiation in IHH. Urea levels were increased by the overexpression of HNF4A, as measured 24h after ammonium chloride addition, similar to that of primary hepatocytes. Chromosomal abnormalities were observed in primary hepatocytes transfected with HNF4A shRNA. HNF4α overexpression could significantly promote β-catenin activation. Transplantation of HNF4A overexpressing IHH resulted in better liver function and survival of rats with ALF compared with IHH. HNF4A improved hepatic differentiation of IHH. Transplantation of HNF4A-overexpressing IHH could improve the liver function and survival in a rat model of ALF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving quality of care among patients hospitalised with schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mette; Mainz, Jan; Svendsen, Marie Louise

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of systematic quality improvement initiatives in psychiatric care remains unclear. AIMS: To examine whether quality of care has changed following implementation of a systematic monitoring programme of hospital performance measures. METHOD: In a nationwide population.......27-1.62), psychoeducation (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19-1.48), psychiatric aftercare (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) and suicide risk assessment (RR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.21-1.42). CONCLUSIONS: Quality of care improved from 2004 to 2011 among patients hospitalised with schizophrenia in Denmark. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None. COPYRIGHT...

Leading quality improvement in primary care: recommendations for success.

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Van Hoof, Thomas J; Bisognano, Maureen; Reinertsen, James L; Meehan, Thomas P

2012-09-01

Leadership is increasingly recognized as a potential factor in the success of primary care quality improvement efforts, yet little is definitively known about which specific leadership behaviors are most important. Until more research is available, the authors suggest that primary care clinicians who are committed to developing their leadership skills should commit to a series of actions. These actions include embracing a theory of leadership, modeling the approach for others, focusing on the goal of improving patient outcomes, encouraging teamwork, utilizing available sources of power, and reflecting on one's approach in order to improve it. Primary care clinicians who commit themselves to such actions will be more effective leaders and will be more prepared as new research becomes available on this important factor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

End-of-life chemotherapy is associated with poor survival and aggressive care in patients with small cell lung cancer.

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Zhu, Yingming; Tang, Ke; Zhao, Fen; Zang, Yuanwei; Wang, Xiaodong; Li, Zhenxiang; Sun, Xindong; Yu, Jinming

2018-05-29

Concerns regarding end-of-life (EOL) chemotherapy are being increasingly raised. Tumor chemosensitivity may influence the decision for aggressive chemotherapy near the EOL. Data on EOL chemotherapy in highly chemosensitive tumors, such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), are scarce. A total of 143 SCLC decedents were consecutively included. Data about clinical factors and treatment modalities were obtained from the electronic medical records. The relationships among EOL chemotherapy, clinical features, overall survival (OS), and aggressive care were investigated. About 64% of patients had chemosensitive disease. In total, 30.8 and 16.1% of patients received EOL chemotherapy within the last 1 and 2 months of life, respectively. Younger age was associated with a higher rate of EOL chemotherapy. We determined that EOL chemotherapy was related to inferior OS not only in the entire group, but also in the chemosensitive subgroup. Furthermore, more intensive care was observed among patients who underwent EOL chemotherapy compared with those who did not. EOL chemotherapy was correlated with shorter survival and more aggressive care in patients with SCLC. More research is needed to develop indications for terminating palliative chemotherapy, to help physicians and patients with their difficult choices.

Phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor rolipram improves survival of spiral ganglion neurons in vitro.

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Katharina Kranz

Full Text Available Sensorineural deafness is caused by damage of hair cells followed by degeneration of the spiral ganglion neurons and can be moderated by cochlear implants. However, the benefit of the cochlear implant depends on the excitability of the spiral ganglion neurons. Therefore, current research focuses on the identification of agents that will preserve their degeneration. In this project we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Rolipram as a promising agent to improve the viability of the auditory neurons. It is a pharmaceutical agent that acts by selective inhibition of the phosphodiesterase 4 leading to an increase in cyclic AMP. Different studies reported a neuroprotective effect of Rolipram. However, its significance for the survival of SGN has not been reported so far. Thus, we isolated spiral ganglion cells of neonatal rats for cultivation with different Rolipram concentrations and determined the neuronal survival rate. Furthermore, we examined immunocytologically distinct proteins that might be involved in the neuroprotective signalling pathway of Rolipram and determined endogenous BDNF by ELISA. When applied at a concentration of 0.1 nM, Rolipram improved the survival of SGN in vitro. According to previous studies, our immunocytological data showed that Rolipram application induces the phosphorylation and thereby activation of the transcription factor CREB. This activation can be mediated by the cAMP-PKA-signalling pathway as well as via ERK as a part of the MAP-kinase pathway. However, only in cultures pre-treated with BDNF, an endogenous increase of BDNF was detected. We conclude that Rolipram has the potential to improve the vitality of neonatal auditory nerve cells in vitro. Further investigations are necessary to prove the effect of Rolipram in vivo in the adult organism after lesion of the hair cells and insertion of cochlear implants.

Erythropoietin improves the survival of fat tissue after its transplantation in nude mice.

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Saher Hamed

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Autologous transplanted fat has a high resorption rate, providing a clinical challenge for the means to reduce it. Erythropoietin (EPO has non-hematopoietic targets, and we hypothesized that EPO may improve long-term fat graft survival because it has both pro-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic properties. We aimed to determine the effect of EPO on the survival of human fat tissue after its transplantation in nude mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Human fat tissue was injected subcutaneously into immunologically-compromised nude mice, and the grafts were then treated with either 20 IU or 100 IU EPO. At the end of the 15-week study period, the extent of angiogenesis, apoptosis, and histology were assessed in the fat grafts. The results were compared to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-treated and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS-treated fat grafts. The weight and volume of the EPO-treated grafts were higher than those of the PBS-treated grafts, whose weights and volumes were not different from those of the VEGF-treated grafts. EPO treatment also increased the expression of angiogenic factors and microvascular density, and reduced inflammation and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in the fat grafts. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggest that stimulation of angiogenesis by a cluster of angiogenic factors and decreased fat cell apoptosis account for potential mechanisms that underlie the improved long-term survival of fat transplants following EPO treatment.

Deployment of lean six sigma in care coordination: an improved discharge process.

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Breslin, Susan Ellen; Hamilton, Karen Marie; Paynter, Jacquelyn

2014-01-01

This article presents a quality improvement project to reduce readmissions in the Medicare population related to heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. The article describes a systematic approach to the discharge process aimed at improving transitions of care from hospital to post-acute care, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology. Inpatient acute care hospital. A coordinated discharge process, which includes postdischarge follow-up, can reduce avoidable readmissions. Implications for The quality improvement project demonstrated the significant role case management plays in preventing costly readmissions and improving outcomes for patients through better transitions of care from the hospital to the community. By utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology, hospitals can focus on eliminating waste in their current processes and build more sustainable improvements to deliver a safe, quality, discharge process for their patients. Case managers are leading this effort to improve care transitions and assure a smoother transition into the community postdischarge..

Pravastatin But Not Simvastatin Improves Survival and Neurofunctional Outcome After Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

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Stefan Bergt, MD

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Cardiac arrest (CA followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR is associated with high mortality and poor neurological outcome. We compared the effects of pravastatin and simvastatin on survival and neurofunction in a murine model of CA/CPR. Pravastatin, a hydrophilic statin, increased survival and neurofunction during a 28-day follow-up period. This therapy was associated with improved pulmonary function, reduced pulmonary edema, and increased endothelial cell function in vitro. In contrast, lipophilic simvastatin did not modulate survival but increased pulmonary edema and impaired endothelial cell function. Although pravastatin may display a therapeutic option for post-CA syndrome, the application of simvastatin may require re-evaluation. Key Words: cardiac arrest, endothelial cell function, ischemia and reperfusion injury, pravastatin, resuscitation, simvastatin

Chronic care model in primary care: can it improve health-related quality of life?

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Aryani FMY

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Faridah Md Yusof Aryani,1 Shaun Wen Huey Lee,2 Siew Siang Chua,3 Li Ching Kok,4 Benny Efendie,2 Thomas Paraidathathu5 1Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, 2School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 3Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 4Clinical Research Centre, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, 5School of Pharmacy, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Purpose: Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia are public health concerns. However, little is known about how these affect patient-level health measures. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of a chronic care model (CCM on the participant’s health-related quality of life (QoL. Patients and methods: Participants received either usual care or CCM by a team of health care professionals including pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, and general practitioners. The participants in the intervention group received medication counseling, adherence, and dietary advice from the health care team. The QoL was measured using the EQ-5D (EuroQoL-five dimension, health-related quality of life questionnaire and comparison was made between usual care and intervention groups at the beginning and end of the study at 6 months. Results: Mean (standard deviation EQ-5D index scores improved significantly in the intervention group (0.92±0.10 vs 0.95±0.08; P≤0.01, but not in the usual care group (0.94±0.09 vs 0.95±0.09; P=0.084. Similarly, more participants in the intervention group reported improvements in their QoL compared with the usual care group, especially in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions. Conclusion: The implementation of the CCM resulted in significant improvement in QoL. An interdisciplinary team CCM approach should be encouraged, to ultimately result in behavior changes and improve the QoL of the patients. Keywords: diabetes

Suspension Matrices for Improved Schwann-Cell Survival after Implantation into the Injured Rat Spinal Cord

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Patel, Vivek; Joseph, Gravil; Patel, Amit; Patel, Samik; Bustin, Devin; Mawson, David; Tuesta, Luis M.; Puentes, Rocio; Ghosh, Mousumi

2010-01-01

Abstract Trauma to the spinal cord produces endogenously irreversible tissue and functional loss, requiring the application of therapeutic approaches to achieve meaningful restoration. Cellular strategies, in particular Schwann-cell implantation, have shown promise in overcoming many of the obstacles facing successful repair of the injured spinal cord. Here, we show that the implantation of Schwann cells as cell suspensions with in-situ gelling laminin:collagen matrices after spinal-cord contusion significantly enhances long-term cell survival but not proliferation, as well as improves graft vascularization and the degree of axonal in-growth over the standard implantation vehicle, minimal media. The use of a matrix to suspend cells prior to implantation should be an important consideration for achieving improved survival and effectiveness of cellular therapies for future clinical application. PMID:20144012

Is there a role of palliative care in the neonatal intensive care unit in India?

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Manjiri P Dighe

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Recent advances in medical care have improved the survival of newborn babies born with various problems. Despite this death in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU is an inevitable reality. For babies who are not going to "get better," the health care team still has a duty to alleviate the physical suffering of the baby and to support the family. Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to relieve the physical, psycho social, and spiritual suffering of patients and their families. Palliative care provision in the Indian NICU settings is almost nonexistent at present. In this paper we attempt to "build a case" for palliative care in the Indian NICU setting.

RESEARCH Improving access and quality of care in a TB control ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

or treatment. Improving access and quality of care in a. TB control programme. Vera Scott, Virginia Azevedo, Judy Caldwell. Objectives. To use a quality improvement approach to improve access to and quality of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and care in. Cape Town. Methods. Five HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted infections/TB.

Improvement attributes in healthcare: implications for integrated care.

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Harnett, Patrick John

2018-04-16

Purpose Healthcare quality improvement is a key concern for policy makers, regulators, carers and service users. Despite a contemporary consensus among policy makers that integrated care represents a means to substantially improve service outcomes, progress has been slow. Difficulties achieving sustained improvement at scale imply that methods employed are not sufficient and that healthcare improvement attributes may be different when compared to prior reference domains. The purpose of this paper is to examine and synthesise key improvement attributes relevant to a complex healthcare change process, specifically integrated care. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an integrative literature review on systemic improvement in healthcare. Findings A central theme emerging from the literature review indicates that implementing systemic change needs to address the relationship between vision, methods and participant social dynamics. Practical implications Accommodating personal and professional network dynamics is required for systemic improvement, especially among high autonomy individuals. This reinforces the need to recognise the change process as taking place in a complex adaptive system where personal/professional purpose/meaning is central to the process. Originality/value Shared personal/professional narratives are insufficiently recognised as a powerful change force, under-represented in linear and rational empirical improvement approaches.

Increased Severe Trauma Patient Volume is Associated With Survival Benefit and Reduced Total Health Care Costs: A Retrospective Observational Study Using a Japanese Nationwide Administrative Database.

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Endo, Akira; Shiraishi, Atsushi; Fushimi, Kiyohide; Murata, Kiyoshi; Otomo, Yasuhiro

2017-06-07

The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of severe trauma patient volume with survival benefit and health care costs. The effect of trauma patient volume on survival benefit is inconclusive, and reports on its effects on health care costs are scarce. We conducted a retrospective observational study, including trauma patients who were transferred to government-approved tertiary emergency hospitals, or hospitals with an intensive care unit that provided an equivalent quality of care, using a Japanese nationwide administrative database. We categorized hospitals according to their annual severe trauma patient volumes [1 to 50 (reference), 51 to 100, 101 to 150, 151 to 200, and ≥201]. We evaluated the associations of volume categories with in-hospital survival and total cost per admission using a mixed-effects model adjusting for patient severity and hospital characteristics. A total of 116,329 patients from 559 hospitals were analyzed. Significantly increased in-hospital survival rates were observed in the second, third, fourth, and highest volume categories compared with the reference category [94.2% in the highest volume category vs 88.8% in the reference category, adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval, 95% CI) = 1.75 (1.49-2.07)]. Furthermore, significantly lower costs (in US dollars) were observed in the second and fourth categories [mean (standard deviation) for fourth vs reference = $17,800 ($17,378) vs $20,540 ($32,412), adjusted difference (95% CI) = -$2559 (-$3896 to -$1221)]. Hospitals with high volumes of severe trauma patients were significantly associated with a survival benefit and lower total cost per admission.

Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes.

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McCalman, Janya; Bailie, Ross; Bainbridge, Roxanne; McPhail-Bell, Karen; Percival, Nikki; Askew, Deborah; Fagan, Ruth; Tsey, Komla

2018-01-01

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10-20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally.

Improving standard of care through introduction of laparoscopy for the surgical management of gynecological malignancies.

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Bogani, Giorgio; Cromi, Antonella; Serati, Maurizio; Di Naro, Edoardo; Casarin, Jvan; Pinelli, Ciro; Candeloro, Ilario; Sturla, Davide; Ghezzi, Fabio

2015-05-01

This study aimed to evaluate the impact on perioperative and medium-term oncologic outcomes of the implementation of laparoscopy into a preexisting oncologic setting. Data from consecutive 736 patients undergoing surgery for apparent early stage gynecological malignancies (endometrial, cervical, and adnexal cancers) between 2000 and 2011 were reviewed. Complications were graded per the Accordion classification. Survival outcomes within the first 5 years were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Overall, 493 (67%), 162 (22%), and 81 (11%) had surgery for apparent early stage endometrial, cervical, and adnexal cancer. We assisted at an increase of the number of patients undergoing surgery via laparoscopy through the years (from 10% in the years 2000-2003 to 82% in years 2008-2011; P 0.05). The introduction of laparoscopy did not adversely affect medium-term (within 5 years) survival outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for apparent early stage cancers of the endometrium, uterine cervix, and adnexa (P > 0.05 log-rank test). The introduction of laparoscopy into a preexisting oncologic service allows an improvement of standard of care due to a gain in perioperative results, without detriments of medium-term oncologic outcomes.

Improving the quality of lung cancer care in Ontario: the lung cancer disease pathway initiative.

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Evans, William K; Ung, Yee C; Assouad, Nathalie; Chyjek, Anna; Sawka, Carol

2013-07-01

Before 2008, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) undertook provincial cancer control quality-improvement initiatives on a programmatic basis. CCO has now added Disease Pathway Management (DPM) to its quality improvement strategy, with the intent of achieving high-quality care, processes, and patient experience across the patient pathway for specific cancers. The three goals of DPM are: to describe and share evidence-based best practice along the cancer continuum for specific cancers; identify quality-improvement priorities for specific cancers and catalyze action; monitor performance against best practice for specific cancers. The objective of this article is to describe the process by which the CCO lung cancer (LC) DPM was initiated and some of its early successes. In 2009, LC DPM began with a draft LC disease pathway map and the establishment of five multidisciplinary working groups, each focused on a phase of the LC patient journey: prevention, screening, and early detection; diagnosis; treatment; palliative care, end-of-life care, and survivorship; and patient experience. The working groups held 25 meetings of 2-hour duration and developed concepts for 17 quality-improvement projects across the patient journey. Eight were selected for detailed discussion at a provincial consensus conference, which provided input on priorities for action. A report on the priorities for action was prepared and widely circulated, and regional roadshows were held in all 14 regions of the province of Ontario. Region-specific data on incidence, stage, treatment compliance, and wait times among other issues relevant to LC, were shared with the regional care providers at these roadshows. Funding was provided by CCO to address opportunities for regional improvement based on the data and the priorities identified. The LC disease pathways were refined through substantial multidisciplinary discussion, and the diagnostic pathway was posted on CCO's Web site in February 2012. The treatment pathways

Improving the quality of care for patients with hypertension in Moshupa District, Botswana: Quality improvement cycle

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Cathy Kande

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although there are no prevalence studies on hypertension in Botswana, this condition is thought to be common and the quality of care to be poor.Aim: The aim of this project was to assess and improve the quality of primary care forhypertension.Setting: Moshupa clinic and catchment area, Botswana.Methods: Quality improvement cycle.Results: Two hundred participants were included in the audit. Sixty-eight per cent were women with a mean age of 55 years. In the baseline audit none of the target standards were met. During the re-audit six months later, six out of nine structural target standards, five out of 11 process target standards and one out of two outcome target standards were achieved. Statistically-significant improvement in performance (p < 0.05 was shown in 10 criteria although the target standard was not always met. In the re-audit, the target of achieving blood pressure control (< 140/90 in 70% of patients was achieved.Conclusion: The quality of care for hypertension was suboptimal in our setting. Simple interventions were designed and implemented to improve the quality of care. These interventions led to significant improvement in structural and process criteria. A corresponding significant improvement in the control of blood pressure was also seen.

Survival of the very-low-birth-weight infants after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in neonatal intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostelanetz, Anna S; Dhanireddy, Ramasubbareddy

2004-05-01

To assess whether advances in neonatal care in the last decade have altered the outcome of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Medical records of all VLBW infants (n=283, body weight (BW)=1066+/-281 g, gestational age (GA)=28.3+/-2.9 weeks) admitted to the NICU between 1999 and 2002 were reviewed. In all, 29 (10.25%) infants received CPR in the NICU. Only one of these infants survived. After adjusting for GA, the clinical variables significantly associated with the need for CPR in the NICU were (adjusted odds ratio; 95% CI): pulmonary hemorrhage (7.89; 3.06 to 20.28), pulmonary air leak syndrome (23.90; 7.58 to 75.4), and delivery by Cesarian section (0.26; 0.1 to 0.66). The results were similar when the data were reanalyzed matching the 28 infants in the CPR group with 28 infants of identical GA in the non-CPR group. Survival rate for the infants who require CPR in the NICU remains extremely poor. This poor outcome needs to be discussed with parents and the option of the "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order may be appropriate for these infants, especially for those infants with multiple organ failure unresponsive to therapy.

Adjuvant Autologous Melanoma Vaccine for Macroscopic Stage III Disease: Survival, Biomarkers, and Improved Response to CTLA-4 Blockade

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Michal Lotem

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. There is not yet an agreed adjuvant treatment for melanoma patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages III B and C. We report administration of an autologous melanoma vaccine to prevent disease recurrence. Patients and Methods. 126 patients received eight doses of irradiated autologous melanoma cells conjugated to dinitrophenyl and mixed with BCG. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH response to unmodified melanoma cells was determined on the vaccine days 5 and 8. Gene expression analysis was performed on 35 tumors from patients with good or poor survival. Results. Median overall survival was 88 months with a 5-year survival of 54%. Patients attaining a strong DTH response had a significantly better (p=0.0001 5-year overall survival of 75% compared with 44% in patients without a strong response. Gene expression array linked a 50-gene signature to prognosis, including a cluster of four cancer testis antigens: CTAG2 (NY-ESO-2, MAGEA1, SSX1, and SSX4. Thirty-five patients, who received an autologous vaccine, followed by ipilimumab for progressive disease, had a significantly improved 3-year survival of 46% compared with 19% in nonvaccinated patients treated with ipilimumab alone (p=0.007. Conclusion. Improved survival in patients attaining a strong DTH and increased response rate with subsequent ipilimumab suggests that the autologous vaccine confers protective immunity.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators improve survival after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with severely impaired left ventricular function

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Pasque Michael K

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective Patients with severe left ventricular (LV dysfunction have a poor long term survival despite complete surgical revascularization. Recent data suggests that the use of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD improves survival in patients with severe LV dysfunction. We compared the survival impact of ICD implantation in patients with severe LV dysfunction who underwent CABG. Methods Between January 1996 and August 2004, 305 patients with LV ejection fraction (EF ≤25% had CABG surgery at our institution. Demographics of patients who had received an ICD (ICD+ in the post -operative period was compared to those without ICD (ICD-. Survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of the entire group, 35 (11.5% patients received an ICD with a median of 2 (+/-2 years after CABG. Indication for ICD implantation was clinical evidence of non sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT. There were no differences between the 2 groups with respect to age, gender, NYHA classification, number of bypasses, or other co-morbidities. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 88%, 79%, and 67% for the ICD- group compared to 94%, 89% and 83% for the ICD+ group, respectively (figure, p Conclusion Implantation of ICD after CABG confers improved short and long term survival benefit to patients with severe LV dysfunction. Prophylactic ICD implantation in the setting of severe LV dysfunction and CABG surgery should be considered.

Myosin light chain kinase knockout improves gut barrier function and confers a survival advantage in polymicrobial sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorentz, C Adam; Liang, Zhe; Meng, Mei; Chen, Ching-Wen; Yoseph, Benyam P; Breed, Elise R; Mittal, Rohit; Klingensmith, Nathan J; Farris, Alton B; Burd, Eileen M; Koval, Michael; Ford, Mandy L; Coopersmith, Craig M

2017-06-07

Sepsis-induced intestinal hyperpermeability is mediated by disruption of the epithelial tight junction, which is closely associated with the peri-junctional actin-myosin ring. Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) phosphorylates the myosin regulatory light chain, resulting in increased permeability. The purpose of this study was to determine whether genetic deletion of MLCK would alter gut barrier function and survival from sepsis. MLCK -/- and wild type (WT) mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture and assayed for both survival and mechanistic studies. Survival was significantly increased in MLCK -/- mice (95% vs. 24%, p<0.0001). Intestinal permeability increased in septic WT mice compared to unmanipulated mice. In contrast, permeability in septic MLCK -/- mice was similar to that seen in unmanipulated animals. Improved gut barrier function in MLCK -/- mice was associated with increases in the tight junction mediators ZO-1 and claudin 15 without alterations in claudin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, occludin or JAM-A. Other components of intestinal integrity (apoptosis, proliferation and villus length) were unaffected by MLCK deletion as were local peritoneal inflammation and distant lung injury. Systemic IL-10 was decreased greater than 10-fold in MLCK -/- mice; however, survival was similar between septic MLCK -/- mice given exogenous IL-10 or vehicle. These data demonstrate that deletion of MLCK improves survival following sepsis, associated with normalization of intestinal permeability and selected tight junction proteins.

Kidney transplant survival in pediatric and young adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Acott Phil

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a perception that kidney transplant recipients transferred from pediatric centers to adult care have an increased risk of graft loss. It is not clear whether young adults transplanted in adult centers also suffer from high graft loss rates. Methods We examined death censored graft survival in 3 cohorts of young patients transplanted at a single center. Pediatric (PED patients transplanted at the pediatric center were compared to a cohort of young adults (YAD; age 18- Results In a multivariate Cox model for death-censored graft survival, PED survival was statistically similar to the YAD (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.44, 1.7, p = 0.66, however the ADL cohort (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25, 0.82, p = 0.009 demonstrated better survival. Admitted non-adherence rates were not different among cohorts. Patients were transferred within a narrow age window (18.6 ± 1.0 age in years but at a wide range of times from the date of transplantation (5.1 ± 3.5 years and with a wide range of graft function (serum creatinine 182 ± 81 μmol/L. Conclusions The perception that pediatric transfers do poorly reflects advanced graft dysfunction in some at the time of transfer. The evidence also suggests that it is not the transfer of care that is the critical issue but rather recipients, somewhere between the ages of 11-14 and 25, are a unique and vulnerable cohort. Effective strategies to improve outcomes across this age group need to be identified and applied consistently.

Estimation of age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions using US and Catalan survival data

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Background During the last part of the 1990s the chance of surviving breast cancer increased. Changes in survival functions reflect a mixture of effects. Both, the introduction of adjuvant treatments and early screening with mammography played a role in the decline in mortality. Evaluating the contribution of these interventions using mathematical models requires survival functions before and after their introduction. Furthermore, required survival functions may be different by age groups and are related to disease stage at diagnosis. Sometimes detailed information is not available, as was the case for the region of Catalonia (Spain). Then one may derive the functions using information from other geographical areas. This work presents the methodology used to estimate age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions from scarce Catalan survival data by adapting the age- and stage-specific US functions. Methods Cubic splines were used to smooth data and obtain continuous hazard rate functions. After, we fitted a Poisson model to derive hazard ratios. The model included time as a covariate. Then the hazard ratios were applied to US survival functions detailed by age and stage to obtain Catalan estimations. Results We started estimating the hazard ratios for Catalonia versus the USA before and after the introduction of screening. The hazard ratios were then multiplied by the age- and stage-specific breast cancer hazard rates from the USA to obtain the Catalan hazard rates. We also compared breast cancer survival in Catalonia and the USA in two time periods, before cancer control interventions (USA 1975–79, Catalonia 1980–89) and after (USA and Catalonia 1990–2001). Survival in Catalonia in the 1980–89 period was worse than in the USA during 1975–79, but the differences disappeared in 1990–2001. Conclusion Our results suggest that access to better treatments and quality of care contributed to large improvements in survival in Catalonia. On

Improving pain care through implementation of the Stepped Care Model at a multisite community health center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anderson DR

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Daren R Anderson,1 Ianita Zlateva,1 Emil N Coman,2 Khushbu Khatri,1 Terrence Tian,1 Robert D Kerns3 1Weitzman Institute, Community Health Center, Inc., Middletown, 2UCONN Health Disparities Institute, University of Connecticut, Farmington, 3VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Purpose: Treating pain in primary care is challenging. Primary care providers (PCPs receive limited training in pain care and express low confidence in their knowledge and ability to manage pain effectively. Models to improve pain outcomes have been developed, but not formally implemented in safety net practices where pain is particularly common. This study evaluated the impact of implementing the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM at a large, multisite Federally Qualified Health Center. Methods: The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework guided the implementation of the SCM-PM. The multicomponent intervention included: education on pain care, new protocols for pain assessment and management, implementation of an opioid management dashboard, telehealth consultations, and enhanced onsite specialty resources. Participants included 25 PCPs and their patients with chronic pain (3,357 preintervention and 4,385 postintervention cared for at Community Health Center, Inc. Data were collected from the electronic health record and supplemented by chart reviews. Surveys were administered to PCPs to assess knowledge, attitudes, and confidence. Results: Providers’ pain knowledge scores increased to an average of 11% from baseline; self-rated confidence in ability to manage pain also increased. Use of opioid treatment agreements and urine drug screens increased significantly by 27.3% and 22.6%, respectively. Significant improvements were also noted in documentation of pain, pain treatment, and pain follow-up. Referrals to behavioral health providers for patients with pain increased by 5.96% (P=0.009. There was no

Effects of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on survival of patients in a persistent vegetative state after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kunpeng; Chen, Ying; Yan, Caihong; Huang, Zhijia; Wang, Deming; Gui, Peigen; Bao, Juan

2017-10-01

To assess the effect of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on short- and long-term survival of patients in a persistent vegetative state after stroke and determine the relevant prognostic factors. Stroke may lead to a persistent vegetative state, and the effect of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on survival of stroke patients in a persistent vegetative state remains unclear. Prospective study. A total of 97 stroke patients in a persistent vegetative state hospitalised from January 2009 to December 2011 at the Second Hospital, University of South China, were assessed in this study. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was performed in 55 patients, and mean follow-up time was 18 months. Survival rate and risk factors were analysed. Median survival in the 55 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy-treated patients was 17·6 months, higher compared with 8·2 months obtained for the remaining 42 patients without percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy treatment. Univariate analyses revealed that age, hospitalisation time, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy treatment status, family financial situation, family care, pulmonary infection and nutrition were significantly associated with survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that older age, no gastrostomy, poor family care, pulmonary infection and poor nutritional status were independent risk factors affecting survival. Indeed, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy significantly improved the nutritional status and decreased pulmonary infection rate in patients with persistent vegetative state after stroke. Interestingly, median survival time was 20·3 months in patients with no or one independent risk factors of poor prognosis (n = 38), longer compared with 8·7 months found for patients with two or more independent risk factors (n = 59). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy significantly improves long-term survival of stroke patients in a persistent vegetative state and is associated with improved nutritional status

Comparison of cancer survival in New Zealand and Australia, 2006-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Aye, Phyu S; Elwood, J Mark; Stevanovic, Vladimir

2014-12-19

Previous studies have shown substantially higher mortality rates from cancer in New Zealand compared to Australia, but these studies have not included data on patient survival. This study compares the survival of cancer patients diagnosed in 2006-10 in the whole populations of New Zealand and Australia. Identical period survival methods were used to calculate relative survival ratios for all cancers combined, and for 18 cancers each accounting for more than 50 deaths per year in New Zealand, from 1 to 10 years from diagnosis. Cancer survival was lower in New Zealand, with 5-year relative survival being 4.2% lower in women, and 3.8% lower in men for all cancers combined. Of 18 cancers, 14 showed lower survival in New Zealand; the exceptions, with similar survival in each country, being melanoma, myeloma, mesothelioma, and cervical cancer. For most cancers, the differences in survival were maximum at 1 year after diagnosis, becoming smaller later; however, for breast cancer, the survival difference increased with time after diagnosis. The lower survival in New Zealand, and the higher mortality rates shown earlier, suggest that further improvements in recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in New Zealand should be possible. As the survival differences are seen soon after diagnosis, issues of early management in primary care and time intervals to diagnosis and treatment may be particularly important.

Use of job aids to improve facility-based postnatal counseling and care in rural Benin.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, L; Yebadokpo, A; Affo, J; Agbogbe, M

2015-03-01

This study examined the effect of a job aids-focused intervention on quality of facility-based postnatal counseling, and whether increased communication improved in-hospital newborn care and maternal knowledge of home practices and danger signs requiring urgent care. Ensuring mothers and newborns receive essential postnatal services, including health counseling, is integral to their survival. Yet, quality of clinic-based postnatal services is often low, and evidence on effective improvement strategies is scarce. Using a pre-post randomized design, data were drawn from direct observations and interviews with 411 mother-newborn pairs. Multi-level regression models with difference-in-differences analyses estimated the intervention's relative effect, adjusting for changes in the comparison arm. The mean percent of recommended messages provided to recently-delivered women significantly improved in the intervention arm as compared to the control (difference-in-differences [∆i - ∆c] +30.9, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 19.3, 42.5), and the proportion of newborns thermally protected within the first hour (∆i - ∆c +33.7, 95 % CI 19.0, 48.4) and delayed for bathing (∆i - ∆c +23.9, 95 % CI 9.4, 38.4) significantly increased. No significant changes were observed in early breastfeeding (∆i - ∆c +6.8, 95 % CI -2.8, 16.4) which was nearly universal. Omitting traditional umbilical cord substances rose slightly, but was insignificant (∆i - ∆c +8.5, 95 % CI -2.8, 19.9). The proportion of mothers with correct knowledge of maternal (∆i - ∆c +27.8, 95 % CI 11.0, 44.6) and newborn (∆i - ∆c +40.3, 95 % CI 22.2, 58.4) danger signs grew substantially, as did awareness of several home-care practices (∆i - ∆c +26.0, 95 % CI 7.7, 44.3). Counseling job aids can improve the quality of postnatal services. However, achieving reduction goals in maternal and neonatal mortality will likely require more comprehensive approaches to link enhanced facility services with

Antenatal care strengthening for improved quality of care in Jimma, Ethiopia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villadsen, Sarah Fredsted; Negussie, Dereje; GebreMariam, Abebe

2015-01-01

and assess the implementation process and effectiveness on quality of ANC in Jimma, Ethiopia. METHODS: The intervention comprised trainings, supervisions, equipment, development of health education material, and adaption of guidelines. It was implemented at public facilities and control sites were included...... in the evaluation. Improved content of care (physical examinations, laboratory testing, tetanus toxoid (TT)-immunization, health education, conduct of health professionals, and waiting time) were defined as proximal project outcomes and increased quality of care (better identification of health problems....... The effect of the intervention was assessed by comparing the change in quality of care from before to after the intervention period at intervention sites, relative to control sites, using logistic mixed effect regression. RESULTS: The continued attention to the ANC provision during implementation stimulated...

Improving patient care through student leadership in team quality improvement projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tschannen, Dana; Aebersold, Michelle; Kocan, Mary Jo; Lundy, Francene; Potempa, Kathleen

2015-01-01

In partnership with a major medical center, senior-level nursing students completed a root cause analysis and implementation plan to address a unit-specific quality issue. To evaluate the project, unit leaders were asked their perceptions of the value of the projects and impact on patient care, as well as to provide exemplars depicting how the student root cause analysis work resulted in improved patient outcome and/or unit processes. Liaisons noted benefits of having an RCA team, with positive impact on patient outcomes and care processes.

Improved Survival With Radiation Therapy in High-Grade Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremities: A SEER Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshy, Matthew; Rich, Shayna E.; Mohiuddin, Majid M.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The benefit of radiation therapy in extremity soft tissue sarcomas remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of radiation therapy on overall survival among patients with primary soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity who underwent limb-sparing surgery. Methods and Materials: A retrospective study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database that included data from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2005. A total of 6,960 patients constituted the study population. Overall survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meir method and for patients with low- and high-grade tumors. Hazard ratios were calculated based on multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Of the cohort, 47% received radiation therapy. There was no significant difference in overall survival among patients with low-grade tumors by radiation therapy. In high-grade tumors, the 3-year overall survival was 73% in patients who received radiation therapy vs. 63% for those who did not receive radiation therapy (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, patients with high-grade tumors who received radiation therapy had an improved overall survival (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.57-0.79). In patients receiving radiation therapy, 13.5% received it in a neoadjuvant setting. The incidence of patients receiving neoadjuvant radiation did not change significantly between 1988 and 2005. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study reported in patients undergoing limb-sparing surgery for soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities. It reports that radiation was associated with improved survival in patients with high-grade tumors.

When it is costly to have a caring mother: food limitation erases the benefits of parental care in earwigs

OpenAIRE

Meunier Joel; Koelliker Mathias

2012-01-01

The aggregation of parents with offspring is generally associated with different forms of care that improve offspring survival at potential costs to parents. Under poor environments, the limited amount of resources available can increase the level of competition among family members and consequently lead to adaptive changes in parental investment. However, it remains unclear as to what extent such changes modify offspring fitness, particularly when offspring can survive without parents such a...

Acute and long-term survival in chronically critically ill surgical patients: a retrospective observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartl, Wolfgang H; Wolf, Hilde; Schneider, Christian P; Küchenhoff, Helmut; Jauch, Karl-Walter

2007-01-01

Various cohort studies have shown that acute (short-term) mortality rates in unselected critically ill patients may have improved during the past 15 years. Whether these benefits also affect acute and long-term prognosis in chronically critically ill patients is unclear, as are determinants relevant to prognosis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from March 1993 to February 2005. A cohort of 390 consecutive surgical patients requiring intensive care therapy for more than 28 days was analyzed. The intensive care unit (ICU) survival rate was 53.6%. Survival rates at one, three and five years were 61.8%, 44.7% and 37.0% among ICU survivors. After adjustment for relevant covariates, acute and long-term survival rates did not differ significantly between 1993 to 1999 and 1999 to 2005 intervals. Acute prognosis was determined by disease severity during ICU stay and by primary diagnosis. However, only the latter was independently associated with long-term prognosis. Advanced age was an independent prognostic determinant of poor short-term and long-term survival. Acute and long-term prognosis in chronically critically ill surgical patients has remained unchanged throughout the past 12 years. After successful surgical intervention and intensive care, long-term outcome is reasonably good and is mainly determined by age and underlying disease.

Quality Improvement Process in a Large Intensive Care Unit: Structure and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Anita J; Guzman, Jorge A

2016-11-01

Quality improvement in the health care setting is a complex process, and even more so in the critical care environment. The development of intensive care unit process measures and quality improvement strategies are associated with improved outcomes, but should be individualized to each medical center as structure and culture can differ from institution to institution. The purpose of this report is to describe the structure of quality improvement processes within a large medical intensive care unit while using examples of the study institution's successes and challenges in the areas of stat antibiotic administration, reduction in blood product waste, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and medication errors. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effectiveness of a quality-improvement program in improving management of primary care practices

Science.gov (United States)

Szecsenyi, Joachim; Campbell, Stephen; Broge, Bjoern; Laux, Gunter; Willms, Sara; Wensing, Michel; Goetz, Katja

2011-01-01

Background: The European Practice Assessment program provides feedback and outreach visits to primary care practices to facilitate quality improvement in five domains (infrastructure, people, information, finance, and quality and safety). We examined the effectiveness of this program in improving management in primary care practices in Germany, with a focus on the domain of quality and safety. Methods: In a before–after study, 102 primary care practices completed a practice assessment using the European Practice Assessment instrument at baseline and three years later (intervention group). A comparative group of 102 practices was included that completed their first assessment using this instrument at the time of the intervention group’s second assessment. Mean scores were based on the proportion of indicators for which a positive response was achieved by all of the practices, on a scale of 0 to 100. Results: We found significant improvements in all domains between the first and second assessments in the intervention group. In the domain of quality and safety, improvements in scores (mean scores were based on the proportion of indicators for which a positive response was achieved by all of the practices, on a scale of 0 to 100) were observed in the following dimensions: complaint management (from a mean score of 51.2 at first assessment to 80.7 at second assessment); analysis of critical incidents (from 79.1 to 89.6); and quality development, quality policy (from 40.7 to 55.6). Overall scores at the time of the second assessment were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the comparative group. Interpretation: Primary care practices that completed the European Practice Assessment instrument twice over a three-year period showed improvements in practice management. Our findings show the value of the quality-improvement cycle in the context of practice assessment and the use of established organizational standards for practice management with the

Factors associated with improved survival among older colorectal cancer patients in the US: a population-based analysis

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Earle Craig C

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to estimate the relative impact of changes in demographics, stage at detection, treatment mix, and medical technology on 5-year survival among older colorectal cancer (CRC patients. Methods We selected older patients diagnosed with CRC between 1992 and 2000 from the SEER-Medicare database and followed them through 2005. Trends in demographic characteristics, stage at detection and initial treatment mix were evaluated descriptively. Separate multivariate logistic regression models for colon (CC and rectal cancer (RC patients were estimated to isolate the independent effects of these factors along with technological change (proxied by cohort year on 5-year survival. Results Our sample included 37,808 CC and 13,619 RC patients (combined mean ± SD age: 77.2 ± 7.0 years; 55% female; 87% white. In recent years, more CC patients were diagnosed at Stage I and fewer at Stages II and IV, and more RC patients were diagnosed at Stage I and fewer at Stages II and III. CC and RC patients diagnosed in later years were slightly older with somewhat better Charlson scores and were more likely to be female, from the Northeast, and from areas with higher average education levels. Surgery alone was more common in later years for CC patients while combined surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy was more common for RC patients. Between 1992 and 2000, 5-year observed survival improved from 43.0% to 46.3% for CC patients and from 39.4% to 42.2% for RC patients. Multivariate logistic regressions indicate that patients diagnosed in 2000 had significantly greater odds of 5-year survival than those diagnosed in 1992 (OR: 1.35 for CC, 1.38 for RC. Our decomposition suggests that early detection had little impact on survival; rather, technological improvements (e.g., new medical technologies or more effective use of existing technologies and changing demographics were responsible for the largest share of the change in 5

A Primary Care System to Improve Health Care Efficiency: Lessons from Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldulaimi, Sommer; Mora, Francisco E

2017-01-01

Ecuador is a country with few resources to spend on health care. Historically, Ecuador has struggled to find a model for health care that is efficient, effective, and available to all people in the country, even those in underserved and rural communities. In 2000, the Ecuador Ministry of Public Health implemented a new system of health care that used primary care as its platform. Since then, Ecuador has been able to increase its health care efficiency, increasing its ranking from 111 of 211 countries worldwide in 2000, to 20 of 211 countries in 2014. This article briefly reviews the new components of the system implemented in Ecuador and examines the tools used to accomplish this. The discussion also compares and contrasts the Ecuador and US systems, and identifies concepts and policies from Ecuador that could improve the US system. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Improving organizational climate for excellence in patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Edwin

2013-01-01

Managers in health care organizations today are expected to achieve higher-quality patient care at a lower cost. Developing and maintaining a positive organizational climate can help improve motivation and foster higher employee performance. In turn, this will help the organization deliver better patient care at a lower cost. This article offers metrics for assessing organizational climate, analyzes barriers to a positive climate, and explores strategies that managers can use to build the type of climate that fosters high performance.

[Improving the continuous care process in primary care during weekends and holidays: redesigning and FMEA].

Science.gov (United States)

Cañada Dorado, A; Cárdenas Valladolid, J; Espejo Matorrales, F; García Ferradal, I; Sastre Páez, S; Vicente Martín, I

2010-01-01

To describe a project carried out in order to improve the process of Continuous Health Care (CHC) on Saturdays and bank holidays in Primary Care, area number 4, Madrid. The aim of this project was to guarantee a safe and error-free service to patients receiving home health care on weekends. The urgent need for improving CHC process was identified by the Risk Management Functional Unit (RMFU) of the area. In addition, some complaints had been received from the nurses involved in the process as well as from their patients. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis performed in 2009 highlighted a number of problems with the process. As a result, a project for improvement was drawn up, to be implemented in the following stages: 1. Redesigning and improving the existing process. 2. Application of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) to the new process. 3. Follow up, managing and leading the project. 4. Nurse training. 5. Implementing the process in the whole area. 6. CHC nurse satisfaction surveys. After carrying out this project, the efficiency and level of automation improved considerably. Since implementation of the process enhancement measures, no complaints have been received from patients and surveys show that CHC nurse satisfaction has improved. By using FMEA, errors were given priority and enhancement steps were taken in order to: Inform professionals, back-up personnel and patients about the process. Improve the specialist follow-up report. Provide training in ulcer patient care. The process enhancement, and especially its automation, has resulted in a significant step forward toward achieving greater patient safety. FMEA was a useful tool, which helped in taking some important actions. Finally, CHC nurse satisfaction has clearly improved. Copyright © 2009 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Quality Improvement in Health Care: The Role of Psychologists and Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, Liza

2018-02-21

Quality Improvement (QI) is a health care interprofessional team activity wherein psychology as a field and individual psychologists in health care settings can and should adopt a more robust presence. The current article makes the argument for why psychology's participation in QI is good for health care, is good for our profession, and is the right thing to do for the patients and families we serve. It reviews the varied ways individual psychologists and our profession can integrate quality processes and improve health care through: (1) our approach to our daily work; (2) our roles on health care teams and involvement in organizational initiatives; (3) opportunities for teaching and scholarship; and (4) system redesign and advocacy within our health care organizations and health care environment.

Improving performance management for delivering appropriate care for patients no longer needing acute hospital care.

Science.gov (United States)

Penney, Christine; Henry, Effie

2008-01-01

The public, providers and policy-makers are interested in a service continuum where care is provided in the appropriate place. Alternate level of care is used to define patients who no longer need acute care but remain in an acute care bed. Our aims were to determine how subacute care and convalescent care should be defined in British Columbia (BC); how these care levels should be aligned with existing legislation to provide more consistent service standards to patients and what reporting requirements were needed for system planning and performance management. A literature review was conducted to understand the international trends in performance management, care delivery models and change management. A Canada-wide survey was carried out to determine the directions of other provinces on the defined issues and a BC survey provided a current state analysis of programming within the five regional health authorities (HAs). A provincial policy framework for subacute and convalescent care has been developed to begin to address the concerns raised and provide a base for performance measurement. The policy has been approved and disseminated to BC HAs for implementation. An implementation plan has been developed and implementation activities have been integrated into the work of existing provincial committees. Evaluation will occur through performance measurement. The benefits anticipated include: clear policy guidance for programme development; improved comparability of performance information for system monitoring, planning and integrity of the national acute care Discharge Abstracting Database; improved efficiency in acute care bed use; and improved equity of access, insurability and quality for patients requiring subacute and convalescent care. While a national reporting system exists for acute care in Canada, this project raises questions about the implications for this system, given the shifting definition of acute care as other care levels emerge. Questions are also

Workflow standardization of a novel team care model to improve chronic care: a quasi-experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Panattoni, Laura; Hurlimann, Lily; Wilson, Caroline; Durbin, Meg; Tai-Seale, Ming

2017-04-19

Team-based chronic care models have not been widely adopted in community settings, partly due to their varying effectiveness in randomized control trials, implementation challenges, and concerns about physician acceptance. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation designed and implemented "Champion," a novel team-based model that includes new standard work (e.g. proactive patient outreach, pre-visit schedule grooming, depression screening, care planning, health coaching) to support patients' self-management of hypertension and diabetes. We investigated whether Champion improved clinical outcomes. We conducted a quasi-experimental study comparing the Champion clinic-level intervention (n = 38 physicians) with a usual care clinic (n = 37 physicians) in Northern California. The primary outcomes, blood pressure and glycohemoglobin (A1c), were analyzed using a piecewise linear growth curve model for patients exposed to a Champion physician visit (n = 3156) or usual care visit (n = 8034) in the two years prior and one year post implementation. Secondary outcomes were provider experience, compared at baseline and 12 months in both the intervention and usual care clinics using multi-level ordered logistic modeling, and electronic health record based fidelity measures. Compared to usual care, in the first 6 months after a Champion physician visit, diabetes patients aged 18-75 experienced an additional -1.13 mm Hg (95% CI: -2.23 to -0.04) decline in diastolic blood pressure and -0.47 (95% CI: -0.61 to -0.33) decline in A1c. There were no additional improvements in blood pressure or A1c 6 to 12 months post physician visit. At 12 months, Champion physicians reported improved experience with managing chronic care patients in 6 of 7 survey items (p work was uneven; depression screening was the most commonly documented element (85% of patients), while care plans were the least (30.8% of patients). Champion standard work improved glycemic control over the first 6�

A scoping review of patient discharge from intensive care: opportunities and tools to improve care.

Science.gov (United States)

Stelfox, Henry T; Lane, Dan; Boyd, Jamie M; Taylor, Simon; Perrier, Laure; Straus, Sharon; Zygun, David; Zuege, Danny J

2015-02-01

We conducted a scoping review to systematically review the literature reporting patient discharge from ICUs, identify facilitators and barriers to high-quality care, and describe tools developed to improve care. We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Data were extracted on the article type, study details for research articles, patient population, phase of care during discharge, and dimensions of health-care quality. From 8,154 unique publications we included 224 articles. Of these, 131 articles (58%) were original research, predominantly case series (23%) and cohort (16%) studies; 12% were narrative reviews; and 11% were guidelines/policies. Common themes included patient and family needs/experiences (29% of articles) and the importance of complete and accurate information (26%). Facilitators of high-quality care included provider-patient communication (30%), provider-provider communication (25%), and the use of guidelines/policies (29%). Patient and family anxiety (21%) and limited availability of ICU and ward resources (26%) were reported barriers to high-quality care. A total of 47 tools to facilitate patient discharge from the ICU were identified and focused on patient evaluation for discharge (29%), discharge planning and teaching (47%), and optimized discharge summaries (23%). Common themes, facilitators and barriers related to patient and family needs/experiences, communication, and the use of guidelines/policies to standardize patient discharge from ICU transcend the literature. Candidate tools to improve care are available; comparative evaluation is needed prior to broad implementation and could be tested through local quality-improvement programs.

Improving stroke care for patients at Cavan hospital [poster

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murugasu, G Dr.

2013-07-01

Under the Quality and Continuing Care Directorate (QCCD) in stroke care Cavan General Hospital was identified as a hospital that received a large number of stroke and TIA patients. A programme was established to improve services to this population.

The Green Roof Microbiome: Improving Plant Survival for Ecosystem Service Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Fulthorpe

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Plants are key contributors to ecosystem services delivered by green roofs in cities including stormwater capture, temperature regulation, and wildlife habitat. As a result, current research has primarily focused on their growth in relationship to extensive green roof (e.g., substrates <15 cm depth ecosystem services. Green roofs are exposed to a variety of harsh abiotic factors such as intense solar radiation, wind, and isolation from ground-level habitats, making survival exceedingly difficult. Plants in natural habitats benefit from a variety of interactions with fungi and bacteria. These plant-microbial interactions improve mechanisms of survival and productivity; however, many green roof substrates are sterilized prior to installation and lack microbial communities with unstudied consequences for green roof plant health and subsequent survival and performance. In this paper, we present six hypotheses on the positive role of microbes in green roof applications. In natural and experimental systems, microbial interactions have been linked to plant (1 drought tolerance, (2 pathogen protection, (3 nutrient availability, (4 salt tolerance, (5 phytohormone production, and (6 substrate stabilization, all of which are desirable properties of green roof ecosystems. As few studies exist that directly examine these relationships on green roofs, we explore the existing ecological literature on these topics to unravel the mechanisms that could support more complex green roof ecosystem and lead to new insight into the design, performance, and broader applications in green infrastructure.

Development of a Summarized Health Index (SHI for use in predicting survival in sea turtles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsung-Hsien Li

Full Text Available Veterinary care plays an influential role in sea turtle rehabilitation, especially in endangered species. Physiological characteristics, hematological and plasma biochemistry profiles, are useful references for clinical management in animals, especially when animals are during the convalescence period. In this study, these factors associated with sea turtle surviving were analyzed. The blood samples were collected when sea turtles remained alive, and then animals were followed up for surviving status. The results indicated that significantly negative correlation was found between buoyancy disorders (BD and sea turtle surviving (p < 0.05. Furthermore, non-surviving sea turtles had significantly higher levels of aspartate aminotranspherase (AST, creatinine kinase (CK, creatinine and uric acid (UA than surviving sea turtles (all p < 0.05. After further analysis by multiple logistic regression model, only factors of BD, creatinine and UA were included in the equation for calculating summarized health index (SHI for each individual. Through evaluation by receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve, the result indicated that the area under curve was 0.920 ± 0.037, and a cut-off SHI value of 2.5244 showed 80.0% sensitivity and 86.7% specificity in predicting survival. Therefore, the developed SHI could be a useful index to evaluate health status of sea turtles and to improve veterinary care at rehabilitation facilities.

Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janya McCalman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Continuous quality improvement (CQI processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10–20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally.

Continuous Quality Improvement and Comprehensive Primary Health Care: A Systems Framework to Improve Service Quality and Health Outcomes

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McCalman, Janya; Bailie, Ross; Bainbridge, Roxanne; McPhail-Bell, Karen; Percival, Nikki; Askew, Deborah; Fagan, Ruth; Tsey, Komla

2018-01-01

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes for improving clinical care and health outcomes have been implemented by primary health-care services, with resultant health-care impacts. But only 10–20% of gain in health outcomes is contributed by health-care services; a much larger share is determined by social and cultural factors. This perspective paper argues that health care and health outcomes can be enhanced through applying CQI as a systems approach to comprehensive primary health care. Referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian context as an example, the authors provide a systems framework that includes strategies and conditions to facilitate evidence-based and local decision making by primary health-care services. The framework describes the integration of CQI vertically to improve linkages with governments and community members and horizontally with other sectors to influence the social and cultural determinants of health. Further, government and primary health-care service investment is required to support and extend integration and evaluation of CQI efforts vertically and horizontally. PMID:29623271

Effect of improved glycemic control on health care costs and utilization.

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Wagner, E H; Sandhu, N; Newton, K M; McCulloch, D K; Ramsey, S D; Grothaus, L C

2001-01-10

Because of the additional costs associated with improving diabetes management, there is interest in whether improved glycemic control leads to reductions in health care costs, and, if so, when such cost savings occur. To determine whether sustained improvements in hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) levels among diabetic patients are followed by reductions in health care utilization and costs. Historical cohort study conducted in 1992-1997 in a staff-model health maintenance organization (HMO) in western Washington State. All diabetic patients aged 18 years or older who were continuously enrolled between January 1992 and March 1996 and had HbA(1c) measured at least once per year in 1992-1994 (n = 4744). Patients whose HbA(1c) decreased 1% or more between 1992 and 1993 and sustained the decline through 1994 were considered to be improved (n = 732). All others were classified as unimproved (n = 4012). Total health care costs, percentage hospitalized, and number of primary care and specialty visits among the improved vs unimproved cohorts in 1992-1997. Diabetic patients whose HbA(1c) measurements improved were similar demographically to those whose levels did not improve but had higher baseline HbA(1c) measurements (10.0% vs 7.7%; Pcosts were $685 to $950 less each year in the improved cohort for 1994 (P =.09), 1995 (P =.003), 1996 (P =.002), and 1997 (P =.01). Cost savings in the improved cohort were statistically significant only among those with the highest baseline HbA(1c) levels (>/=10%) for these years but appeared to be unaffected by presence of complications at baseline. Beginning in the year following improvement (1994), utilization was consistently lower in the improved cohort, reaching statistical significance for primary care visits in 1994 (P =.001), 1995 (Pcost savings within 1 to 2 years of improvement.

Rapid learning in practice: A lung cancer survival decision support system in routine patient care data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dekker, Andre; Vinod, Shalini; Holloway, Lois; Oberije, Cary; George, Armia; Goozee, Gary; Delaney, Geoff P.; Lambin, Philippe; Thwaites, David

2014-01-01

Background and purpose: A rapid learning approach has been proposed to extract and apply knowledge from routine care data rather than solely relying on clinical trial evidence. To validate this in practice we deployed a previously developed decision support system (DSS) in a typical, busy clinic for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Material and methods: Gender, age, performance status, lung function, lymph node status, tumor volume and survival were extracted without review from clinical data sources for lung cancer patients. With these data the DSS was tested to predict overall survival. Results: 3919 lung cancer patients were identified with 159 eligible for inclusion, due to ineligible histology or stage, non-radical dose, missing tumor volume or survival. The DSS successfully identified a good prognosis group and a medium/poor prognosis group (2 year OS 69% vs. 27/30%, p < 0.001). Stage was less discriminatory (2 year OS 47% for stage I–II vs. 36% for stage IIIA–IIIB, p = 0.12) with most good prognosis patients having higher stage disease. The DSS predicted a large absolute overall survival benefit (∼40%) for a radical dose compared to a non-radical dose in patients with a good prognosis, while no survival benefit of radical radiotherapy was predicted for patients with a poor prognosis. Conclusions: A rapid learning environment is possible with the quality of clinical data sufficient to validate a DSS. It uses patient and tumor features to identify prognostic groups in whom therapy can be individualized based on predicted outcomes. Especially the survival benefit of a radical versus non-radical dose predicted by the DSS for various prognostic groups has clinical relevance, but needs to be prospectively validated

Chronic intermittent fasting improves the survival following large myocardial ischemia by activation of BDNF/VEGF/PI3K signaling pathway.

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Katare, Rajesh G; Kakinuma, Yoshihiko; Arikawa, Mikihiko; Yamasaki, Fumiyasu; Sato, Takayuki

2009-03-01

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the major cause of death in the developed countries. Calorie restriction is known to improve the recovery in these patients; however, the exact mechanism behind this protective effect is unknown. Here we demonstrate the activation of cell survival PI3kinase/Akt and VEGF pathway as the mechanism behind the protection induced by intermittent fasting in a rat model of established chronic myocardial ischemia (MI). Chronic MI was induced in rats by occlusion of the left coronary artery. Two weeks later, the rats were randomly assigned to a normal feeding group (MI-NF) and an alternate-day feeding group (MI-IF). After 6 weeks of observation, we evaluated the effect of intermittent fasting on cellular and ventricular remodeling and long-term survival after CHF. Compared with the normally fed group, intermittent fasting markedly improved the survival of rats with CHF (88.5% versus 23% survival, Pfasted hearts. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed increased capillary density (Pfasting also upregulated the expression of other anti-apoptotic factors such as Akt and Bcl-2 and reduced the TUNEL positive apoptotic nuclei in the border zone. Chronic intermittent fasting markedly improves the long-term survival after CHF by activation through its pro-angiogenic, anti-apoptotic and anti-remodeling effects.

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study.

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Kwong, Enid Wy; Hung, Maria Sy; Woo, Kevin

2016-11-25

A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs) in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning), changing (action), and refreezing (results) were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff's practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the revised risk assessment method, the timely and appropriate

SafeCare: An Innovative Approach for Improving Quality Through Standards, Benchmarking, and Improvement in Low- and Middle- Income Countries.

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Johnson, Michael C; Schellekens, Onno; Stewart, Jacqui; van Ostenberg, Paul; de Wit, Tobias Rinke; Spieker, Nicole

2016-08-01

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), patients often have limited access to high-quality care because of a shortage of facilities and human resources, inefficiency of resource allocation, and limited health insurance. SafeCare was developed to provide innovative health care standards; surveyor training; a grading system for quality of care; a quality improvement process that is broken down into achievable, measurable steps to facilitate incremental improvement; and a private sector-supported health financing model. Three organizations-PharmAccess Foundation, Joint Commission International, and the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa-launched SafeCare in 2011 as a formal partnership. Five SafeCare levels of improvement are allocated on the basis of an algorithm that incorporates both the overall score and weighted criteria, so that certain high-risk criteria need to be in place before a facility can move to the next SafeCare certification level. A customized quality improvement plan based on the SafeCare assessment results lists the specific, measurable activities that should be undertaken to address gaps in quality found during the initial assessment and to meet the nextlevel SafeCare certificate. The standards have been implemented in more than 800 primary and secondary facilities by qualified local surveyors, in partnership with various local public and private partner organizations, in six sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia). Expanding access to care and improving health care quality in LMICs will require a coordinated effort between institutions and other stakeholders. SafeCare's standards and assessment methodology can help build trust between stakeholders and lay the foundation for country-led quality monitoring systems.

The National Heart Failure Project: a health care financing administration initiative to improve the care of Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure.

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Masoudi, F A; Ordin, D L; Delaney, R J; Krumholz, H M; Havranek, E P

2000-01-01

This is the second in a series describing Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) initiatives to improve care for Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure. The first article outlined the history of HCFA quality-improvement projects and current initiatives to improve care in six priority areas: heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, and breast cancer. This article details the objectives and design of the Medicare National Heart Failure Quality Improvement Project (NHF), which has as its goal the improvement of inpatient heart failure care. (c)2000 by CHF, Inc.

Assessing organizational readiness for depression care quality improvement: relative commitment and implementation capability.

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Rubenstein, Lisa V; Danz, Marjorie S; Crain, A Lauren; Glasgow, Russell E; Whitebird, Robin R; Solberg, Leif I

2014-12-02

Depression is a major cause of morbidity and cost in primary care patient populations. Successful depression improvement models, however, are complex. Based on organizational readiness theory, a practice's commitment to change and its capability to carry out the change are both important predictors of initiating improvement. We empirically explored the links between relative commitment (i.e., the intention to move forward within the following year) and implementation capability. The DIAMOND initiative administered organizational surveys to medical and quality improvement leaders from each of 83 primary care practices in Minnesota. Surveys preceded initiation of activities directed at implementation of a collaborative care model for improving depression care. To assess implementation capability, we developed composites of survey items for five types of organizational factors postulated to be collaborative care barriers and facilitators. To assess relative commitment for each practice, we averaged leader ratings on an identical survey question assessing practice priorities. We used multivariable regression analyses to assess the extent to which implementation capability predicted relative commitment. We explored whether relative commitment or implementation capability measures were associated with earlier initiation of DIAMOND improvements. All five implementation capability measures independently predicted practice leaders' relative commitment to improving depression care in the following year. These included the following: quality improvement culture and attitudes (p = 0.003), depression culture and attitudes (p commitment (p = 0.002) and prior depression quality improvement activities appeared to be associated with earlier participation in the DIAMOND initiative. The study supports the concept of organizational readiness to improve quality of care and the use of practice leader surveys to assess it. Practice leaders' relative commitment to depression care

Communication skills training for health care professionals improves the adult orthopaedic patient's experience of quality of care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Birgitte; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Ohm Kyvik, Kirsten

2012-01-01

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012; Communication skills training for health care professionals improves the adult orthopaedic patient's experience of quality of care Rationale:  Despite the fact that communication has become a core topic in health care, patients still experience the information provided...... as insufficient or incorrect and a lack of involvement. Objective:  To investigate whether adult orthopaedic patients' evaluation of the quality of care had improved after a communication skills training course for healthcare professionals. Design and methods:  The study was designed as an intervention study...... offering professionals training in communicating with patients and colleagues. The outcome was measured by assessing patients' experience of quality of care. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and analysed using a linear regression model. Approval was obtained from the Danish Data Protection...

Research in action: using positive deviance to improve quality of health care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nembhard Ingrid M

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite decades of efforts to improve quality of health care, poor performance persists in many aspects of care. Less than 1% of the enormous national investment in medical research is focused on improving health care delivery. Furthermore, when effective innovations in clinical care are discovered, uptake of these innovations is often delayed and incomplete. In this paper, we build on the established principle of 'positive deviance' to propose an approach to identifying practices that improve health care quality. Methods We synthesize existing literature on positive deviance, describe major alternative approaches, propose benefits and limitations of a positive deviance approach for research directed toward improving quality of health care, and describe an application of this approach in improving hospital care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Results The positive deviance approach, as adapted for use in health care, presumes that the knowledge about 'what works' is available in existing organizations that demonstrate consistently exceptional performance. Steps in this approach: identify 'positive deviants,' i.e., organizations that consistently demonstrate exceptionally high performance in the area of interest (e.g., proper medication use, timeliness of care; study the organizations in-depth using qualitative methods to generate hypotheses about practices that allow organizations to achieve top performance; test hypotheses statistically in larger, representative samples of organizations; and work in partnership with key stakeholders, including potential adopters, to disseminate the evidence about newly characterized best practices. The approach is particularly appropriate in situations where organizations can be ranked reliably based on valid performance measures, where there is substantial natural variation in performance within an industry, when openness about practices to achieve exceptional performance

Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma Survival Improved With Treatment on Multimodality Protocols

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Gerber, Naamit Kurshan; Wexler, Leonard H.; Singer, Samuel; Alektiar, Kaled M.; Keohan, Mary Louise; Shi, Weiji; Zhang, Zhigang; Wolden, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Purpose: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric sarcoma rarely occurring in adults. For unknown reasons, adults with RMS have worse outcomes than do children. Methods and Materials: We analyzed data from all patients who presented to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1990 and 2011 with RMS diagnosed at age 16 or older. One hundred forty-eight patients met the study criteria. Ten were excluded for lack of adequate data. Results: The median age was 28 years. The histologic diagnoses were as follows: embryonal 54%, alveolar 33%, pleomorphic 12%, and not otherwise specified 2%. The tumor site was unfavorable in 67% of patients. Thirty-three patients (24%) were at low risk, 61 (44%) at intermediate risk, and 44 (32%) at high risk. Forty-six percent were treated on or according to a prospective RMS protocol. The 5-year rate of overall survival (OS) was 45% for patients with nonmetastatic disease. The failure rates at 5 years for patients with nonmetastatic disease were 34% for local failure and 42% for distant failure. Among patients with nonmetastatic disease (n=94), significant factors associated with OS were histologic diagnosis, site, risk group, age, and protocol treatment. On multivariate analysis, risk group and protocol treatment were significant after adjustment for age. The 5-year OS was 54% for protocol patients versus 36% for nonprotocol patients. Conclusions: Survival in adult patients with nonmetastatic disease was significantly improved for those treated on RMS protocols, most of which are now open to adults

Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma Survival Improved With Treatment on Multimodality Protocols

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Gerber, Naamit Kurshan [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Wexler, Leonard H. [Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Singer, Samuel [Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Alektiar, Kaled M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Keohan, Mary Louise [Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Shi, Weiji; Zhang, Zhigang [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Wolden, Suzanne, E-mail: woldens@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States)

2013-05-01

Purpose: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric sarcoma rarely occurring in adults. For unknown reasons, adults with RMS have worse outcomes than do children. Methods and Materials: We analyzed data from all patients who presented to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1990 and 2011 with RMS diagnosed at age 16 or older. One hundred forty-eight patients met the study criteria. Ten were excluded for lack of adequate data. Results: The median age was 28 years. The histologic diagnoses were as follows: embryonal 54%, alveolar 33%, pleomorphic 12%, and not otherwise specified 2%. The tumor site was unfavorable in 67% of patients. Thirty-three patients (24%) were at low risk, 61 (44%) at intermediate risk, and 44 (32%) at high risk. Forty-six percent were treated on or according to a prospective RMS protocol. The 5-year rate of overall survival (OS) was 45% for patients with nonmetastatic disease. The failure rates at 5 years for patients with nonmetastatic disease were 34% for local failure and 42% for distant failure. Among patients with nonmetastatic disease (n=94), significant factors associated with OS were histologic diagnosis, site, risk group, age, and protocol treatment. On multivariate analysis, risk group and protocol treatment were significant after adjustment for age. The 5-year OS was 54% for protocol patients versus 36% for nonprotocol patients. Conclusions: Survival in adult patients with nonmetastatic disease was significantly improved for those treated on RMS protocols, most of which are now open to adults.

Practice-level quality improvement interventions in primary care: a review of systematic reviews.

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Irwin, Ryan; Stokes, Tim; Marshall, Tom

2015-11-01

To present an overview of effective interventions for quality improvement in primary care at the practice level utilising existing systematic reviews. Quality improvement in primary care involves a range of approaches from the system-level to patient-level improvement. One key setting in which quality improvement needs to occur is at the level of the basic unit of primary care--the individual general practice. Therefore, there is a need for practitioners to have access to an overview of the effectiveness of quality improvement interventions available in this setting. A tertiary evidence synthesis was conducted (a review of systematic reviews). A systematic approach was used to identify and summarise published literature relevant to understanding primary-care quality improvement at the practice level. Quality assessment was via the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for systematic reviews, with data extraction identifying evidence of effect for the examined interventions. Included reviews had to be relevant to quality improvement at the practice level and relevant to the UK primary-care context. Reviews were excluded if describing system-level interventions. A range of measures across care structure, process and outcomes were defined and interpreted across the quality improvement interventions. Audit and feedback, computerised advice, point-of-care reminders, practice facilitation, educational outreach and processes for patient review and follow-up all demonstrated evidence of a quality improvement effect. Evidence of an improvement effect was higher where baseline performance was low and was particularly demonstrated across process measures and measures related to prescribing. Evidence was not sufficient to suggest that multifaceted approaches were more effective than single interventions. Evidence exists for a range of quality improvement interventions at the primary-care practice level. More research is required to determine the use and impact of quality

Palliative Care: Improving Nursing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors
.

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Harden, Karen; Price, Deborah; Duffy, Elizabeth; Galunas, Laura; Rodgers, Cheryl

2017-10-01

Oncology nurses affect patient care at every point along the cancer journey. This creates the perfect opportunity to educate patients and caregivers about palliative care early and often throughout treatment. However, healthcare providers frequently do not have the knowledge and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations about palliative care.
. The specific aims were to improve oncology nurses' palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors by providing a palliative care nursing education program. An additional aim was to increase the number of conversations with patients and families about palliative care.
. This project had a pre-/post-test design to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at baseline and one month after implementation of an established education curriculum. The teaching strategy included one four-hour class for oncology RNs with topics about the definition of palliative care, pain and symptom management, and how to have palliative care conversations.
. Results showed a statistically significant difference after the educational intervention for knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The number of conversations with patients and caregivers about palliative and end-of-life care increased significantly.

Home Care Nursing Improves Cancer Symptom Management

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Home care nursing (HCN) improves the management of symptoms in breast and colorectal cancer patients who take the oral chemotherapy drug capecitabine, according to a study published online November 16 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

[Strategies for improving care of oncologic patients: SHARE Project results].

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Reñones Crego, María de la Concepción; Fernández Pérez, Dolores; Vena Fernández, Carmen; Zamudio Sánchez, Antonio

2016-01-01

Cancer treatment is a major burden for the patient and its family that requires an individualized management by healthcare professionals. Nurses are in charge of coordinating care and are the closest healthcare professionals to patient and family; however, in Spain, there are not standard protocols yet for the management of oncology patients. The Spanish Oncology Nursing Society developed between 2012 and 2014 the SHARE project, with the aim of establishing strategies to improve quality of life and nursing care in oncology patients. It was developed in 3 phases. First, a literature search and review was performed to identify nursing strategies, interventions and tools to improve cancer patients' care. At the second stage, these interventions were agreed within a group of oncology nursing experts; and at the third phase, a different group of experts in oncology care categorized the interventions to identify the ones with highest priority and most feasible to be implemented. As a result, 3 strategic actions were identified to improve nursing care during cancer treatment: To provide a named nurse to carry out the follow up process by attending to the clinic or telephonic consultation, develop therapeutic education with adapted protocols for each tumor type and treatment and ensure specific training for nurses on the management of the cancer patients. Strategic actions proposed in this paper aim to improve cancer patients' healthcare and quality of life through the development of advanced nursing roles based on a higher level of autonomy, situating nurses as care coordinators to assure an holistic care in oncology patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The right care, every time: improving adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

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Runnacles, Jane; Roueché, Alice; Lachman, Peter

2018-02-01

Guidelines are integral to reducing variation in paediatric care by ensuring that children receive the right care, every time. However, for reasons discussed in this paper, clinicians do not always follow evidence-based guidelines. Strategies to improve guideline usage tend to focus on dissemination and education. These approaches, however, do not address some of the more complex factors that influence whether a guideline is used in clinical practice. In this article, part of the Equipped Quality Improvement series, we outline the literature on barriers to guideline adherence and present practical solutions to address these barriers. Examples outlined include the use of care bundles, integrated care pathways and quality improvement collaboratives. A sophisticated information technology system can improve the use of evidence-based guidelines and provide organisations with valuable data for learning and improvement. Key to success is the support of an organisation that places reliability of service delivery as the way business is done. To do this requires leadership from clinicians in multidisciplinary teams and a system of continual improvement. By learning from successful approaches, we believe that all healthcare organisations can ensure the right care for each patient, every time. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Endothelial Progenitor Cell Mobilization in Preterm Infants With Sepsis Is Associated With Improved Survival.

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Siavashi, Vahid; Asadian, Simin; Taheri-Asl, Masoud; Keshavarz, Samaneh; Zamani-Ahmadmahmudi, Mohamad; Nassiri, Seyed Mahdi

2017-10-01

Microvascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathology of sepsis, leading to multi-organ failure, and death. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) are critically involved in the maintenance of the vascular homeostasis in both physiological and pathological contexts. In this study, concentration of cEPCs in preterm infants with sepsis was determined to recognize whether the EPC mobilization would affect the clinical outcome of infantile sepsis. One hundred and thirty-three preterm infants (81 with sepsis and 52 without sepsis) were enrolled in this study. The release of EPCs in circulation was first quantified. Thereafter, these cells were cultivated and biological features of these cells such as, proliferation and colony forming efficiency were analyzed. The levels of chemoattractant cytokines were also measured in infants. In mouse models of sepsis, effects of VEGF and SDF-1 as well as anti-VEGF and anti-SDF-1 were evaluated in order to shed light upon the role which the EPC mobilization plays in the overall survival of septic animals. Circulating EPCs were significantly higher in preterm infants with sepsis than in the non-sepsis group. Serum levels of VEGF, SDF-1, and Angiopoietin-2 were also higher in preterm infants with sepsis than in control non-sepsis. In the animal experiments, injection of VEGF and SDF-1 prompted the mobilization of EPCs, leading to an improvement in survival whereas injection of anti-VEGF and anti-SDF-1 was associated with significant deterioration of survival. Overall, our results demonstrated the beneficial effects of EPC release in preterm infants with sepsis, with increased mobilization of these cells was associated with improved survival. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3299-3307, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

45 CFR 98.51 - Activities to improve the quality of child care.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... health and safety, nutrition, first aid, the recognition of communicable diseases, child abuse detection... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Activities to improve the quality of child care... CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND Use of Child Care and Development Funds § 98.51 Activities to improve...

Does accelerometer feedback on high-quality chest compression improve survival rate? An in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation.

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Jung, Min Hee; Oh, Je Hyeok; Kim, Chan Woong; Kim, Sung Eun; Lee, Dong Hoon; Chang, Wen Joen

2015-08-01

We investigated whether visual feedback from an accelerometer device facilitated high-quality chest compressions during an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation using a manikin. Thirty health care providers participated in an in-hospital cardiac arrest simulation with 1 minute of continuous chest compressions. Chest compressions were performed on a manikin lying on a bed according to visual feedback from an accelerometer feedback device. The manikin and accelerometer recorded chest compression data simultaneously. The simulated patient was deemed to have survived when the chest compression data satisfied all of the preset high-quality chest compression criteria (depth ≥51 mm, rate >100 per minute, and ≥95% full recoil). Survival rates were calculated from the feedback device and manikin data. The survival rate according to the feedback device data was 80%; however, the manikin data indicated a significantly lower survival rate (46.7%; P = .015). The difference between the accelerometer and manikin survival rates was not significant for participants with a body mass index greater than or equal to 20 kg/m(2) (93.3 vs 73.3%, respectively; P = .330); however, the difference in survival rate was significant in participants with body mass index less than 20 kg/m(2) (66.7 vs 20.0%, respectively; P = .025). The use of accelerometer feedback devices to facilitate high-quality chest compression may not be appropriate for lightweight rescuers because of the potential for compression depth overestimation. Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0001449). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A national survey of the impact of rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy on health-care workers in Malawi: effects on human resources and survival.

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Makombe, Simon D; Jahn, Andreas; Tweya, Hannock; Chuka, Stuart; Yu, Joseph Kwong-Leung; Hochgesang, Mindy; Aberle-Grasse, John; Pasulani, Olesi; Schouten, Erik J; Kamoto, Kelita; Harries, Anthony D

2007-11-01

To assess the human resources impact of Malawis rapidly growing antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme and balance this against the survival benefit of health-care workers who have accessed ART themselves. We conducted a national cross-sectional survey of the human resource allocation in all public-sector health facilities providing ART in mid-2006. We also undertook a survival analysis of health-care workers who had accessed ART in public and private facilities by 30 June 2006, using data from the national ART monitoring and evaluation system. By 30 June 2006, 59 581 patients had accessed ART from 95 public and 28 private facilities. The public sites provided ART services on 2.4 days per week on average, requiring 7% of the clinician workforce, 3% of the nursing workforce and 24% of the ward clerk workforce available at the facilities. We identified 1024 health-care workers in the national ART-patient cohort (2% of all ART patients). The probabilities for survival on ART at 6 months, 12 months and 18 months were 85%, 81% and 78%, respectively. An estimated 250 health-care workers lives were saved 12 months after ART initiation. Their combined work-time of more than 1000 staff-days per week was equivalent to the human resources required to provide ART at the national level. A large number of ART patients in Malawi are managed by a small proportion of the health-care workforce. Many health-care workers have accessed ART with good treatment outcomes. Currently, staffing required for ART balances against health-care workers lives saved through treatment, although this may change in the future.

Evaluating fundamentals of care: The development of a unit-level quality measurement and improvement programme.

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Parr, Jenny M; Bell, Jeanette; Koziol-McLain, Jane

2018-06-01

The project aimed to develop a unit-level quality measurement and improvement programme using evidence-based fundamentals of care. Feedback from patients, families, whānau, staff and audit data in 2014 indicated variability in the delivery of fundamental aspects of care such as monitoring, nutrition, pain management and environmental cleanliness at a New Zealand District Health Board. A general inductive approach was used to explore the fundamentals of care and design a measurement and improvement programme, the Patient and Whānau Centred Care Standards (PWCCS), focused on fundamental care. Five phases were used to explore the evidence, and design and test a measurement and improvement framework. Nine identified fundamental elements of care were used to define expected standards of care and develop and test a measurement and improvement framework. Four six-monthly peer reviews have been undertaken since June 2015. Charge Nurse Managers used results to identify quality improvements. Significant improvement was demonstrated overall, in six of the 27 units, in seven of the nine standards and three of the four measures. In all, 89% (n = 24) of units improved their overall result. The PWCCS measurement and improvement framework make visible nursing fundamentals of care in line with continuous quality improvement to increase quality of care. Delivering fundamentals of care is described by nurses as getting ?back to basics'. Patient and family feedback supports the centrality of fundamentals of care to their hospital experience. Implementing a unit-level fundamentals of care quality measurement and improvement programme clarifies expected standards of care, highlights the contribution of fundamentals of care to quality and provides a mechanism for ongoing improvements. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implementing practice management strategies to improve patient care: the EPIC project.

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Attwell, David; Rogers-Warnock, Leslie; Nemis-White, Joanna

2012-01-01

Healthcare gaps, the difference between usual care and best care, are evident in Canada, particularly with respect to our aging, ailing population. Primary care practitioners are challenged to identify, prevent and close care gaps in their practice environment given the competing demands of informed, litigious patients with complex medical needs, ever-evolving scientific evidence with new treatment recommendations across many disciplines and an enhanced emphasis on quality and accountability in healthcare. Patient-centred health and disease management partnerships using measurement, feedback and communication of practice patterns and outcomes have been shown to narrow care gaps. Practice management strategies such as the use of patient registries and recall systems have also been used to help practitioners better understand, follow and proactively manage populations of patients in their practice. The Enhancing Practice to Improve Care project was initiated to determine the impact of a patient-centred health and disease management partnership using practice management strategies to improve patient care and outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Forty-four general practices from four regions of British Columbia participated and, indeed, demonstrated that care and outcomes for patients with CKD could be improved via the implementation of practice management strategies in a patient-centred partnership measurement model of health and disease management.

Hepatocyte transplantation improves early survival after partial hepatic resection and irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guha, C.; Sharma, A.; Alfieri, A.; Guha, U.; Sokhi, R.; Gagandeep, S.; Gupta, S.; Vikram, B.; RoyChowdhury, J.

1997-01-01

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) is limited in its role as an adjuvant therapy of intrahepatic malignancies because of lower tolerance of human liver to irradiation (TD (5(5)) -TD (50(5)) ∼ 30-40 Gy). Although, surgical resection of primary or metastatic hepatic tumors has been shown to prolong survival, it is often limited by the presence of residual disease. RT could potentially improve survival of patients with positive surgical margins. However, radiation damage to the liver may be enhanced by hepatocellular proliferation induced by partial hepatic (PH) resection. We hypothesize that hepatocyte transplantation would be able to provide metabolic support and modulate the development of radiation-induced liver disease post-resection. The present study was designed to test the potential of hepatocyte transplantation in modifying the outcome of hepatocellular damage induced by PH and RT. Methods: Adult male Fischer 344 rats (Charles River) received hepatic irradiation of 50 Gy in a single fraction, after surgical exposure and shielding of the stomach and intestine, using a 320 MGC Philips orthovoltage unit. Immediately following irradiation, a two-third partial hepatectomy was performed. Four days post-radiation, the treatment group was injected with 5 x 10 6 syngeneic hepatocytes into the splenic pulp after a left subcostal incision, which allows homogeneous liver engraftment of the transplanted hepatocytes. Hematoxylin and eosin stains of liver biopsies, performed at various time points (3 days, 1, 2, 3 weeks or, anytime when animals died) were used for histologic evaluation. Time-adjusted survival was calculated from the date of irradiation by the product-limit Kaplan-Meier method, adjusting the denominator at every time point for the number of rats at risk. Results: Eight weeks after RT, 30% (n = 11) of the control animals (PH + 50 Gy) were alive compared to 100% (n = 9) of the transplant recipients (p <0.05). The median survival of the control group was 15

Spreading improvements for advanced COPD care through a Canadian Collaborative

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Rocker GM

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Graeme M Rocker,1 Claudia Amar,2 Wendy L Laframboise,3 Jane Burns,4 Jennifer Y Verma2 1Division of Respirology, Nova Scotia Health Authority/Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, 2Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, 3The Ottawa Hospital COPD Outreach Program, Ottawa, ON, 4Providence COPD Outreach Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada Background: A year-long pan-Canadian quality improvement collaborative (QIC led by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI supported the spread of the successful Halifax, Nova Scotia-based INSPIRED COPD Outreach Program™ to 19 teams in the 10 Canadian provinces. We describe QIC results, addressing two main questions: 1 Can the results of the Nova Scotia INSPIRED model be replicated elsewhere in Canada? 2 How did the teams implement and evaluate their versions of the INSPIRED program?Methods: Collaborative faculty selected measures that were evidence-based, relatively simple to collect, and relevant to local context. Chosen process and outcome measures are related to four quality domains: 1 patient- and family-centeredness, 2 coordination, 3 efficiency, and 4 appropriateness. Evaluation of a complex intervention followed a mixed-methods approach.Results: Most participants were nurse managers and/or COPD educators. Only 8% were physicians. Fifteen teams incorporated all core INSPIRED interventions. All teams carried out evaluation. Thirteen teams actively involved patients and families in customized, direct care planning, eg, asking them to complete evaluative surveys and/or conducting interviews. Patients consistently reported greater self-confidence in symptom management, a return to daily activities, and improvements to quality of life. Twelve teams collected data on care transitions using the validated three-item Care Transitions Measure (CTM-3. Twelve teams used the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ. Admissions, emergency room visits, and patient-related costs fell substantially for

Improving the health care experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients

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Bolderston, A.; Ralph, S.

2016-01-01

Systematic discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) persists across most contemporary societies and institutions such as health care despite increasing social tolerance and legislative progress. This article explores discrimination against LGBT people, and examines LGBT health and social issues. The implications this has for health care access and quality of care delivered by patient-facing health care professionals such as radiographers are explored. Finally, three categories of suggestions to improve the care of LGBT patients are suggested; changes to the physical environment, improvement in health forms and awareness training. Some of these suggestions can be taken up directly by radiographers, particular accessing training. Others (such as positive changes in the physical space) could be championed by department managers. There is a need to promote better culturally competent training for radiographers to be able to sensitively respond to their LGBT patients' specific health and social needs. - Highlights: • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people can encounter health care discrimination. • Patient-facing professionals like radiographers routinely work with LGBT patients. • Positive changes can be made to improve patient care and access. • These include changes to the environment, health form improvement and training.

Critical care admission following elective surgery was not associated with survival benefit: prospective analysis of data from 27 countries.

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Kahan, Brennan C; Koulenti, Desponia; Arvaniti, Kostoula; Beavis, Vanessa; Campbell, Douglas; Chan, Matthew; Moreno, Rui; Pearse, Rupert M

2017-07-01

As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there is a need to define optimal levels of perioperative care. Our aim was to describe the relationship between the provision and use of critical care resources and postoperative mortality. Planned analysis of data collected during an international 7-day cohort study of adults undergoing elective in-patient surgery. We used risk-adjusted mixed-effects logistic regression models to evaluate the association between admission to critical care immediately after surgery and in-hospital mortality. We evaluated hospital-level associations between mortality and critical care admission immediately after surgery, critical care admission to treat life-threatening complications, and hospital provision of critical care beds. We evaluated the effect of national income using interaction tests. 44,814 patients from 474 hospitals in 27 countries were available for analysis. Death was more frequent amongst patients admitted directly to critical care after surgery (critical care: 103/4317 patients [2%], standard ward: 99/39,566 patients [0.3%]; adjusted OR 3.01 [2.10-5.21]; p analysis including only high-risk patients yielded similar findings. We did not identify any survival benefit from critical care admission following surgery.

Time dependent ethnic convergence in colorectal cancer survival in hawaii

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Hundahl Scott A

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although colorectal cancer death rates have been declining, this trend is not consistent across all ethnic groups. Biological, environmental, behavioral and socioeconomic explanations exist, but the reason for this discrepancy remains inconclusive. We examined the hypothesis that improved cancer screening across all ethnic groups will reduce ethnic differences in colorectal cancer survival. Methods Through the Hawaii Tumor Registry 16,424 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were identified during the years 1960–2000. Cox regression analyses were performed for each of three cohorts stratified by ethnicity (Caucasian, Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Chinese. The models included stage of diagnosis, year of diagnosis, age, and sex as predictors of survival. Results Mortality rates improved significantly for all ethnic groups. Moreover, with the exception of Hawaiians, rates for all ethnic groups converged over time. Persistently lower survival for Hawaiians appeared linked with more cancer treatment. Conclusion Ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer mortality rates appear primarily the result of differential utilization of health care. If modern screening procedures can be provided equally to all ethnic groups, ethnic outcome differences can be virtually eliminated.

Linking Costs and Survival in the Treatment of Older Adults With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: An Analysis of SEER-Medicare Data From 1995 to 2007.

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Lin, Pei-Jung; Winn, Aaron N; Parsons, Susan K; Neumann, Peter J; Weiss, Elisa S; Cohen, Joshua T

2016-04-01

The high prices of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) therapy are well recognized, but less discussion has focused on the value of health care spending on the disease. This study examined whether the added costs have been "worth" the benefits among older adults with CML. We analyzed trends in health care costs and survival over time of 2164 CML patients over age 65 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare-linked database. We estimated life expectancy over a 15-year duration after diagnosis using a Weibull survival model and projected the corresponding costs using a 2-part model, adjusting for patient characteristics. We estimated population-level survival, total health care costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (expressed as cost per life year gained) over the period of 1995-2007. We found that therapeutic improvements in the treatment of CML have been associated with survival gains among older adults. Mean life expectancy was 2.2 years in 1995 and increased to 4.2 years in 2007. During the same timeframe, CML care costs have increased, from $127,000 in 1995 to $278,000 in 2007 (2010 dollars), mostly due to increasing tyrosine kinase inhibitor costs. The aggregated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $74,000/life year gained. Our findings showed that, despite high costs, CML care may provide reasonable value for money among older patients between 1995-2007. Our study sheds light on the value of health care spending on CML by considering both the costs and the benefits. Future research should investigate strategies to improve treatment adherence to maximize the value of CML care.

Survival following ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm before and during the IMPROVE Trial: a single-centre series.

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Ambler, G K; Twine, C P; Shak, J; Rollins, K E; Varty, K; Coughlin, P A; Hayes, P D; Boyle, J R

2014-04-01

The first large-scale randomised trial (Immediate Management of the Patient with Rupture: Open Versus Endovascular repair [IMPROVE]) for endovascular repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rEVAR) has recently finished recruiting patients. The aim of this study was to examine the impact on survival after rEVAR when the IMPROVE protocol was initiated in a high volume abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) centre previously performing rEVAR. One hundred and sixty-nine patients requiring emergency infrarenal AAA repair from January 2006 to April 2013 were included. Eighty-four patients were treated before (38 rEVAR, 46 open) and 85 (31 rEVAR, 54 open) were treated during the trial period. A retrospective analysis was performed. Before the trial, there was a significant survival benefit for rEVAR over open repair (90-day mortality 13% vs. 30%, p = .04, difference remained significant up to 2 years postoperatively). This survival benefit was lost after starting randomisation (90-day mortality 35% vs. 33%, p = .93). There was an increase in overall 30-day mortality from 15% to 31% (p = .02), while there was no change for open repair (p = .438). There was a significant decrease in general anaesthetic use (p = .002) for patients treated during the trial. Randomised patients had shorter hospital and intensive treatment unit stays (p = .006 and p = .03 respectively). The change in survival seen during the IMROVE trial highlights the need for randomised rather than cohort data to eliminate selection bias. These results from a single centre reinforce those recently reported in IMPROVE. Copyright © 2014 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When it is costly to have a caring mother: food limitation erases the benefits of parental care in earwigs.

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Meunier, Joël; Kölliker, Mathias

2012-08-23

The aggregation of parents with offspring is generally associated with different forms of care that improve offspring survival at potential costs to parents. Under poor environments, the limited amount of resources available can increase the level of competition among family members and consequently lead to adaptive changes in parental investment. However, it remains unclear as to what extent such changes modify offspring fitness, particularly when offspring can survive without parents such as in the European earwig, Forficula auricularia. Here, we show that under food restriction, earwig maternal presence decreased offspring survival until adulthood by 43 per cent. This effect was independent of sibling competition and was expressed after separation from the female, indicating lasting detrimental effects. The reduced benefits of maternal presence on offspring survival were not associated with higher investment in future reproduction, suggesting a condition-dependent effect of food restriction on mothers and local mother-offspring competition for food. Overall, these findings demonstrate for the first time a long-term negative effect of maternal presence on offspring survival in a species with maternal care, and highlight the importance of food availability in the early evolution of family life.

The role of maternal behavior and offspring development in the survival of mountain goat kids.

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Théoret-Gosselin, Rachel; Hamel, Sandra; Côté, Steeve D

2015-05-01

Studies on juvenile survival have mainly focused on the effects of environmental conditions and maternal traits. However, growing evidence indicates that the ability of parents to care for their young and the offspring developmental behaviors could be key determinants of their survival. We examined the relative influence of (1) environmental conditions, (2) offspring traits, (3) maternal traits, (4) maternal care behaviors, and (5) offspring developmental behaviors on kid survival to weaning and to 1 year old in mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). Offspring development and maternal care directly affected offspring survival, and this more importantly than did environmental conditions and maternal traits. Frequency of play strongly increased survival before weaning. Greater maternal care increased offspring survival during winter, directly and indirectly through kid mass. Kid mass was also a major determinant of both summer and winter survival. Environmental conditions mainly influenced summer survival while maternal characteristics indirectly affected winter survival through an effect on kid mass. Behavioral adaptations of maternal care and offspring development to local selective pressures can lead to local adaptations and have greater implications in population dynamic studies than previously believed.

Does Surgical Repair of Moderate Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Improve Survival? A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Saurav; Tripathi, Byomesh; Virk, Hafeez Ul Hassan; Ahmed, Mohammed; Bavishi, Chirag; Krishnamoorthy, Parasuram; Sardar, Partha; Giri, Jay; Omidvari, Karan; Chikwe, Joanna

2016-03-01

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is one of the common complications in myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Almost half of the post MI patients have MR (ischemic MR)(17) which is moderate to severe (grade II-IV). Whether there is a mortality benefit of performing mitral valve repair (MVR) along with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with post MI moderate MR remains inconclusive. Literature search was done from PubMed, Google scholar, Ovid, and Medline databases. Studies which included post MI patients with moderate ischemic MR and reported mortality outcomes of performing CABG and MVR were chosen for the systematic review. Our preliminary literature search identified 194 studies, of which 11 studies met our inclusion criteria. Nine studies showed no survival benefit of performing simultaneous MVR and CABG. One study demonstrated survival benefit of performing CABG plus MVR only in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV, and one study suggested survival benefit of performing CABG plus MVR as compared to CABG alone in patient with ischemic MR irrespective of preoperative NYHA functional class. Review of current literature showed mixed results in terms of improvement in functional status but failed to show any survival benefit of performing MVR along with CABG. Limitations of studies include small sample size, difference in baseline demographic variables, and short follow-up period which might influence the outcome of the study. Prospective randomized studies are required to establish clear benefit of performing MVR simultaneously with CABG.

An Employee-Centered Care Model Responds to the Triple Aim: Improving Employee Health.

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Fox, Kelly; McCorkle, Ruth

2018-01-01

Health care expenditures, patient satisfaction, and timely access to care will remain problematic if dramatic changes in health care delivery models are not developed and implemented. To combat this challenge, a Triple Aim approach is essential; Innovation in payment and health care delivery models is required. Using the Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome, this article describes a nurse-led employee-centered care model designed to improve consumers' health care experiences, improve employee health, and increase access to care while reducing health care costs for employees, age 18 and older, in a corporate environment.

Improving survival of culture bacteria in frozen desserts by microentrapment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheu, T Y; Marshall, R T; Heymann, H

1993-07-01

Lactobacillus bulgaricus cells were entrapped in beads of calcium alginate and evaluated for their ability to survive freezing processes. Cells survived freezing (without agitation) in ice milk mix much better than in distilled water, and more entrapped cells survived than did cells that were not entrapped. Glycerol and mannitol were cryoprotective, but glucose was not, when each was added (6%) separately to the beads. Entrapment protected the lactobacilli in batch frozen and continuously frozen ice milk mixes. The percentage of survival for entrapped and unentrapped cells in continuously frozen ice milk approximated 90 and 40%, respectively. Lactobacilli survived better in beads with mean diameters > 30 microns than in those averaging 15 microns. Addition of entrapped lactobacilli had no measurable effect on the sensory characteristics of the ice milk.

[Professional's expectations to improve quality of care and social services utilization in geriatric oncology].

Science.gov (United States)

Antoine, Valéry; de Wazières, Benoît; Houédé, Nadine

2015-02-01

Coordination of a multidisciplinary and multi-professional intervention is a key issue in the management of elderly cancer patients to improve health status and quality of life. Optimizing the links between professionals is needed to improve care planning, health and social services utilization. Descriptive study in a French University Hospital. A 6-item structured questionnaire was addressed to professionals involved in global and supportive cares of elderly cancer patients (name, location, effective health care and services offered, needs to improve the quality of their intervention). After the analysis of answers, definition of propositions to improve cares and services utilization. The 37 respondents identified a total of 166 needs to improve quality of care in geriatric oncology. Major expectations were concerning improvement of global/supportive cares and health care services utilization, a better coordination between geriatric teams and oncologists. Ten propositions, including a model of in-hospital health care planning, were defined to answer to professional's needs with the aim of optimizing cancer treatment and global cares. Identification of effective services and needs can represent a first step in a continuous program to improve quality of cares, according to the French national cancer plan 2014-2019. It allows federating professionals for a coordination effort, a better organization of the clinical activity in geriatric oncology, to optimize clinical practice and global cares. Copyright © 2014 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Improvement of pressure ulcer prevention care in private for-profit residential care homes: an action research study

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Enid WY Kwong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A need exits to develop a protocol for preventing pressure ulcers (PUs in private for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong, where the incidence of PUs is relatively high and which have high proportion of non-professional care staff. The implementation of such protocol would involve changes in the practice of care, likely evoking feelings of fear and uncertainty that may become a barrier to staff adherence. We thus adopted the Systems Model of Action Research in this study to manage the process of change for improving PU prevention care and to develop a pressure ulcer prevention protocol for private for-profit nursing homes. Methods A total of 474 residents and care staff who were health workers, personal care workers, and/or nurses from four private, for-profit nursing homes in Hong Kong participated in this study. Three cyclic stages and steps, namely, unfreezing (planning, changing (action, and refreezing (results were carried out. During each cycle, focus group interviews, field observations of the care staff’s practices and inspections of the skin of the residents for pressure ulcers were conducted to evaluate the implementation of the protocol. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data and methodological triangulation used in this study increased the credibility and validity of the results. Results The following nine themes emerged from this study: prevention practices after the occurrence of PUs, the improper use of pressure ulcer prevention materials, non-compliance with several prevention practices, improper prevention practices, the perception that the preventive care was being performed correctly, inadequate readiness to use the risk assessment tool, an undesirable environment, the supplying of unfavorable resources, and various management styles in the homes with or without nurses. At the end of the third cycle, the changes that were identified included improved compliance with the

Prerequisites for sustainable care improvement using the reflective team as a work model.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonasson, Lise-Lotte; Carlsson, Gunilla; Nyström, Maria

2014-01-01

Several work models for care improvement have been developed in order to meet the requirement for evidence-based care. This study examines a work model for reflection, entitled the reflective team (RT). The main idea behind RTs is that caring skills exist among those who work closest to the patients. The team leader (RTL) encourages sustainable care improvement, rooted in research and proven experience, by using a lifeworld perspective to stimulate further reflection and a developmental process leading to research-based caring actions within the team. In order to maintain focus, it is important that the RTL has a clear idea of what sustainable care improvement means, and what the prerequisites are for such improvement. The aim of the present study is, therefore, to explore the prerequisites for improving sustainable care, seeking to answer how RTLs perceive these and use RTs for concrete planning. Nine RTLs were interviewed, and their statements were phenomenographically analysed. The analysis revealed three separate qualitative categories, which describe personal, interpersonal, and structural aspects of the prerequisites. In the discussion, these categories are compared with previous research on reflection, and the conclusion is reached that the optimal conditions for RTs to work, when focussed on sustainable care improvement, occur when the various aspects of the prerequisites are intertwined and become a natural part of the reflective work.

Survival rate in nasopharyngeal carcinoma improved by high caseload volume: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ching-Chih; Hung, Shih-Kai; Huang, Tze-Ta; Lee, Moon-Sing; Su, Yu-Chieh; Chou, Pesus; Hsiao, Shih-Hsuan; Chiou, Wen-Yen; Lin, Hon-Yi; Chien, Sou-Hsin

2011-01-01

Positive correlation between caseload and outcome has previously been validated for several procedures and cancer treatments. However, there is no information linking caseload and outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment. We used nationwide population-based data to examine the association between physician case volume and survival rates of patients with NPC. Between 1998 and 2000, a total of 1225 patients were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Survival analysis, the Cox proportional hazards model, and propensity score were used to assess the relationship between 10-year survival rates and physician caseloads. As the caseload of individual physicians increased, unadjusted 10-year survival rates increased (p < 0.001). Using a Cox proportional hazard model, patients with NPC treated by high-volume physicians (caseload ≥ 35) had better survival rates (p = 0.001) after adjusting for comorbidities, hospital, and treatment modality. When analyzed by propensity score, the adjusted 10-year survival rate differed significantly between patients treated by high-volume physicians and patients treated by low/medium-volume physicians (75% vs. 61%; p < 0.001). Our data confirm a positive volume-outcome relationship for NPC. After adjusting for differences in the case mix, our analysis found treatment of NPC by high-volume physicians improved 10-year survival rate

Improving work environments in health care: test of a theoretical framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Rathert, Cheryl; Ishqaidef, Ghadir; May, Douglas R

2009-01-01

In light of high levels of staff turnover and variability in the quality of health care, much attention is currently being paid to the health care work environment and how it potentially relates to staff, patient, and organizational outcomes. Although some attention has been paid to staffing variables, more attention must be paid to improving the work environment for patient care. The purpose of this study was to empirically explore a theoretical model linking the work environment in the health care setting and how it might relate to work engagement, organizational commitment, and patient safety. This study also explored how the work environment influences staff psychological safety, which has been show to influence several variables important in health care. Clinical care providers at a large metropolitan hospital were surveyed using a mail methodology. The overall response rate was 42%. This study analyzed perceptions of staff who provided direct care to patients. Using structural equation modeling, we found that different dimensions of the work environment were related to different outcome variables. For example, a climate for continuous quality improvement was positively related to organizational commitment and patient safety, and psychological safety partially mediated these relationships. Patient-centered care was positively related to commitment but negatively related to engagement. Health care managers need to examine how organizational policies and practices are translated into the work environment and how these influence practices on the front lines of care. It appears that care provider perceptions of their work environments may be useful to consider for improvement efforts.

Increasing maternal healthcare use in Rwanda: implications for child nutrition and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Hayley; Heaton, Tim B; Hoffmann, John

2014-04-01

Rwanda has made great progress in improving maternal utilization of health care through coordination of external aid and more efficient health policy. Using data from the 2005 and 2010 Rwandan Demographic and Health Surveys, we examine three related questions regarding the impact of expansion of health care in Rwanda. First, did the increased use of health center deliveries apply to women across varying levels of education, economic status, and area of residency? Second, did the benefits associated with being delivered at a health center diminish as utilization became more widespread? Finally, did inequality in child outcomes decline as a result of increased health care utilization? Propensity score matching was used to address the selectivity that arises when choosing to deliver at a hospital. In addition, the regression models include a linear model to predict child nutritional status and Cox regression to predict child survival. The analysis shows that the largest increases in delivery at a health center occur among less educated, less wealthy, and rural Rwandan women. In addition, delivery at a health center is associated with better nutritional status and survival and the benefit is not diminished following the dramatic increase in use of health centers. Finally, educational, economic and residential inequality in child survival and nutrition did not decline. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can survival prediction be improved by merging gene expression data sets?

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Haleh Yasrebi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: High-throughput gene expression profiling technologies generating a wealth of data, are increasingly used for characterization of tumor biopsies for clinical trials. By applying machine learning algorithms to such clinically documented data sets, one hopes to improve tumor diagnosis, prognosis, as well as prediction of treatment response. However, the limited number of patients enrolled in a single trial study limits the power of machine learning approaches due to over-fitting. One could partially overcome this limitation by merging data from different studies. Nevertheless, such data sets differ from each other with regard to technical biases, patient selection criteria and follow-up treatment. It is therefore not clear at all whether the advantage of increased sample size outweighs the disadvantage of higher heterogeneity of merged data sets. Here, we present a systematic study to answer this question specifically for breast cancer data sets. We use survival prediction based on Cox regression as an assay to measure the added value of merged data sets. RESULTS: Using time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic-Area Under the Curve (ROC-AUC and hazard ratio as performance measures, we see in overall no significant improvement or deterioration of survival prediction with merged data sets as compared to individual data sets. This apparently was due to the fact that a few genes with strong prognostic power were not available on all microarray platforms and thus were not retained in the merged data sets. Surprisingly, we found that the overall best performance was achieved with a single-gene predictor consisting of CYB5D1. CONCLUSIONS: Merging did not deteriorate performance on average despite (a The diversity of microarray platforms used. (b The heterogeneity of patients cohorts. (c The heterogeneity of breast cancer disease. (d Substantial variation of time to death or relapse. (e The reduced number of genes in the merged data

Scotland's Knowledge Network: translating knowledge into action to improve quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Wales, A; Graham, S; Rooney, K; Crawford, A

2012-11-01

The Knowledge Network (www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk) is Scotland's online knowledge service for health and social care. It is designed to support practitioners to apply knowledge in frontline delivery of care, helping to translate knowledge into better health-care outcomes through safe, effective, person-centred care. The Knowledge Network helps to combine the worlds of evidence-based practice and quality improvement by providing access to knowledge about the effectiveness of clinical interventions ('know-what') and knowledge about how to implement this knowledge to support individual patients in working health-care environments ('know-how'). An 'evidence and guidance' search enables clinicians to quickly access quality-assured evidence and best practice, while point of care and mobile solutions provide knowledge in actionable formats to embed in clinical workflow. This research-based knowledge is complemented by social networking services and improvement tools which support the capture and exchange of knowledge from experience, facilitating practice change and systems improvement. In these cases, the Knowledge Network supports key components of the knowledge-to-action cycle--acquiring, creating, sharing and disseminating knowledge to improve performance and innovate. It provides a vehicle for implementing the recommendations of the national Knowledge into Action review, which outlines a new national approach to embedding knowledge in frontline practice and systems improvement.

Survival rate in nasopharyngeal carcinoma improved by high caseload volume: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chou Pesus

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Positive correlation between caseload and outcome has previously been validated for several procedures and cancer treatments. However, there is no information linking caseload and outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC treatment. We used nationwide population-based data to examine the association between physician case volume and survival rates of patients with NPC. Methods Between 1998 and 2000, a total of 1225 patients were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Survival analysis, the Cox proportional hazards model, and propensity score were used to assess the relationship between 10-year survival rates and physician caseloads. Results As the caseload of individual physicians increased, unadjusted 10-year survival rates increased (p p = 0.001 after adjusting for comorbidities, hospital, and treatment modality. When analyzed by propensity score, the adjusted 10-year survival rate differed significantly between patients treated by high-volume physicians and patients treated by low/medium-volume physicians (75% vs. 61%; p Conclusions Our data confirm a positive volume-outcome relationship for NPC. After adjusting for differences in the case mix, our analysis found treatment of NPC by high-volume physicians improved 10-year survival rate.

A systems approach to improving rural care in Ethiopia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth H Bradley

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Multiple interventions have been launched to improve the quality, access, and utilization of primary health care in rural, low-income settings; however, the success of these interventions varies substantially, even within single studies where the measured impact of interventions differs across sites, centers, and regions. Accordingly, we sought to examine the variation in impact of a health systems strengthening intervention and understand factors that might explain the variation in impact across primary health care units. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a mixed methods positive deviance study of 20 Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs in rural Ethiopia. Using longitudinal data from the Ethiopia Millennium Rural Initiative (EMRI, we identified PHCUs with consistently higher performance (n = 2, most improved performance (n = 3, or consistently lower performance (n = 2 in the provision of antenatal care, HIV testing in antenatal care, and skilled birth attendance rates. Using data from site visits and in-depth interviews (n = 51, we applied the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis to identify key themes that distinguished PHCUs with different performance trajectories. Key themes that distinguished PHCUs were 1 managerial problem solving capacity, 2 relationship with the woreda (district health office, and 3 community engagement. In higher performing PHCUs and those with the greatest improvement after the EMRI intervention, health center and health post staff were more able to solve day-to-day problems, staff had better relationships with the woreda health official, and PHCU communities' leadership, particularly religious leadership, were strongly engaged with the health improvement effort. Distance from the nearest city, quality of roads and transportation, and cultural norms did not differ substantially among PHCUs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Effective health strengthening efforts may require intensive

A systems approach to improving rural care in Ethiopia.

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Bradley, Elizabeth H; Byam, Patrick; Alpern, Rachelle; Thompson, Jennifer W; Zerihun, Abraham; Abebe, Yigeremu; Abeb, Yigeremu; Curry, Leslie A

2012-01-01

Multiple interventions have been launched to improve the quality, access, and utilization of primary health care in rural, low-income settings; however, the success of these interventions varies substantially, even within single studies where the measured impact of interventions differs across sites, centers, and regions. Accordingly, we sought to examine the variation in impact of a health systems strengthening intervention and understand factors that might explain the variation in impact across primary health care units. We conducted a mixed methods positive deviance study of 20 Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) in rural Ethiopia. Using longitudinal data from the Ethiopia Millennium Rural Initiative (EMRI), we identified PHCUs with consistently higher performance (n = 2), most improved performance (n = 3), or consistently lower performance (n = 2) in the provision of antenatal care, HIV testing in antenatal care, and skilled birth attendance rates. Using data from site visits and in-depth interviews (n = 51), we applied the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis to identify key themes that distinguished PHCUs with different performance trajectories. Key themes that distinguished PHCUs were 1) managerial problem solving capacity, 2) relationship with the woreda (district) health office, and 3) community engagement. In higher performing PHCUs and those with the greatest improvement after the EMRI intervention, health center and health post staff were more able to solve day-to-day problems, staff had better relationships with the woreda health official, and PHCU communities' leadership, particularly religious leadership, were strongly engaged with the health improvement effort. Distance from the nearest city, quality of roads and transportation, and cultural norms did not differ substantially among PHCUs. Effective health strengthening efforts may require intensive development of managerial problem solving skills, strong relationships with

Improved survival after an educational project on colon cancer management in the county of Stockholm--a population based cohort study.

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Bernhoff, R; Martling, A; Sjövall, A; Granath, F; Hohenberger, W; Holm, T

2015-11-01

Outcomes in rectal cancer have improved dramatically after the introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME). Recently, the TME concept has been transformed into that of complete mesocolic excision (CME) in an attempt to improve prognosis for patients with colon cancer. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) workshops including the CME concept were held annually between 2004 and 2008 at the Karolinska University Hospital. The workshops focused on preoperative staging, surgery and histopathology and included lectures and live surgery sessions. To compare survival before and after the "Stockholm Colon Cancer Project" all patients diagnosed with a right sided colon cancer between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003 (Group 1) and from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2008 (Group 2) in Stockholm were identified from the Swedish ColoRectal Cancer Registry (SCRCR). The proportion of patients having a tumour resection and the proportion having emergency surgery was higher in Group 1. There were more early tumours and more R0 resections in Group 2. Overall survival in all diagnosed patients and disease free survival after tumour resection was improved in the second time period. Surgical teaching programmes may have an impact on the management and outcome in colon cancer. The exact impact from the "Stockholm Colon Cancer Project" cannot be established, however it is likely that it contributed to the improved survival. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Priorities for improving hospital-based trauma care in an African city.

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London, J A; Mock, C N; Quansah, R E; Abantanga, F A; Jurkovich, G J

2001-10-01

This study sought to identify potential cost-effective methods to improve trauma care in hospitals in the developing world. Injured patients admitted to an urban hospital in Ghana over a 1-year period were analyzed prospectively for mechanism of injury, mode of transport to the hospital, injury severity, region of principal injury, operations performed, and mortality. In addition, time from injury until arrival at the hospital and time from arrival at the hospital until emergency surgery were evaluated. Mortality was 9.4%. Most deaths (65%) occurred within 24 hours of admission. Sixty percent of emergency operations were performed over 6 hours after arrival. Tube thoracostomy was performed on only 13 patients (0.6%). Only 58% of patients received intravenous crystalloid and only 3.6% received 1 or more units of blood. We identified several specific interventions as potential low-cost measures to improve hospital-based trauma care in this setting, including shorter times to emergency surgery and improvements in initial resuscitation. In addition to addressing each of these aspects of trauma care individually, quality improvement programs may represent a feasible and sustainable method to improve trauma care in hospitals in the developing world.

Surviving After Suicide

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... fewer tools for communicating their feelings. Surviving After Suicide Fact Sheet 3 Children are especially vulnerable to feelings of guilt and ... to take care of them. Secrecy about the suicide in the hopes of protecting children may cause further complications. Explain the situation and ...

Diagnosing and improving functioning in interdisciplinary health care teams.

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Blackmore, Gail; Persaud, D David

2012-01-01

Interdisciplinary teams play a key role in the delivery of health care. Team functioning can positively or negatively impact the effective and efficient delivery of health care services as well as the personal well-being of group members. Additionally, teams must be able and willing to work together to achieve team goals within a climate that reflects commitment to team goals, accountability, respect, and trust. Not surprisingly, dysfunctional team functioning can limit the success of interdisciplinary health care teams. The first step in improving dysfunctional team function is to conduct an analysis based on criteria necessary for team success, and this article provides meaningful criteria for doing such an analysis. These are the following: a common team goal, the ability and willingness to work together to achieve team goals, decision making, communication, and team member relationships. High-functioning interdisciplinary teams must exhibit features of good team function in all key domains. If a team functions well in some domains and needs to improve in others, targeted strategies are described that can be used to improve team functioning.

SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISION AS A TECHNOLOGY OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HOSPITAL CARE DELIVERY

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Svetlana A. Mukhortova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Improving the quality of medical care is a priority in countries with developed and developing health care system. There are various approaches to improve the quality and safety of patient’s care, as well as various strategies to encourage hospitals to achieve this goal. The purpose of the presented literature review was to analyze existing experience of the implementation of technology of supportive supervision in health care facilities to improve the quality of hospital care delivery. The data sources for publication were obtained from the following medical databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medscape, e-library, and books on the topic of the review written by experts. The article discusses the results of the research studies demonstrating the successes and failures of supportive supervision technology application. Implementation of supportive supervision in medical facilities based on generalized experience of different countries is a promising direction in improving the quality of medical care delivery. This technology opens up opportunities to improve skills and work quality of the staff at pediatric hospitals in the Russian Federation.

Lessons from tele-emergency: improving care quality and health outcomes by expanding support for rural care systems.

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Mueller, Keith J; Potter, Andrew J; MacKinney, A Clinton; Ward, Marcia M

2014-02-01

Tele-emergency services provide immediate and synchronous audio/video connections, most commonly between rural low-volume hospitals and an urban "hub" emergency department. We performed a systematic literature review to identify tele-emergency models and outcomes. We then studied a large tele-emergency service in the upper Midwest. We sent a user survey to all seventy-one hospitals that used the service and received 292 replies. We also conducted telephone interviews and site visits with ninety clinicians and administrators at twenty-nine of these hospitals. Participants reported that tele-emergency improves clinical quality, expands the care team, increases resources during critical events, shortens time to care, improves care coordination, promotes patient-centered care, improves the recruitment of family physicians, and stabilizes the rural hospital patient base. However, inconsistent reimbursement policy, cross-state licensing barriers, and other regulations hinder tele-emergency implementation. New value-based payment systems have the potential to reduce these barriers and accelerate tele-emergency expansion.

76 FR 61365 - Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative

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2011-10-04

...] Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS...: Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: For Model 1 of this initiative, interested organizations must...-improvement.html . Application Submission Deadline: For Model 1 of this initiative, applications must be...

An electronic dashboard to improve nursing care.

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Tan, Yung-Ming; Hii, Joshua; Chan, Katherine; Sardual, Robert; Mah, Benjamin

2013-01-01

With the introduction of CPOE systems, nurses in a Singapore hospital were facing difficulties monitoring key patient information such as critical tasks and alerts. Issues include unfriendly user interfaces of clinical systems, information overload, and the loss of visual cues for action due to paperless workflows. The hospital decided to implement an interactive electronic dashboard on top of their CPOE system to improve visibility of vital patient data. A post-implementation survey was performed to gather end-user feedback and evaluate factors that influence user satisfaction of the dashboard. Questionnaires were sent to all nurses of five pilot wards. 106 valid responses were received. User adoption was good with 86% of nurses using the dashboard every shift. Mean satisfaction score was 3.6 out of 5. User satisfaction was strongly and positively correlated to the system's perceived impact on work efficiency and care quality. From qualitative feedback, nurses generally agreed that the dashboard had improved their awareness of critical patient issues without the hassle of navigating a CPOE system. This study shows that an interactive clinical dashboard when properly integrated with a CPOE system could be a useful tool to improve daily patient care.

Does improving surface cleaning and disinfection reduce health care-associated infections?

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Donskey, Curtis J

2013-05-01

Contaminated environmental surfaces provide an important potential source for transmission of health care-associated pathogens. In recent years, a variety of interventions have been shown to be effective in improving cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. This review examines the evidence that improving environmental disinfection can reduce health care-associated infections. Published by Mosby, Inc.

Improving and ensuring best practice continence management in residential aged care.

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Heckenberg, Gayle

2008-06-01

Background  Continence Management within residential aged care is an every day component of care that requires assessment, implementation of strategies, resource allocation and evaluation. At times the management of incontinence of aged residents can be challenging and unsuccessful. The project chosen through the Clinical Fellowship program was Continence Management with the aim of raising awareness of best practice to assist in improving and providing person-centred resident care. Aims/objectives •  Review the literature on best practice management of incontinence •  Evaluate current practice in continence management for elderly residents within residential aged care services •  Improve adherence to best practice strategies of care for incontinence •  Raise awareness within the nursing home of the best practice management of incontinence •  Promote appropriate and effective use of resources for continence management •  Deliver individualised person-centred care to residents. •  Ensure best practice in continence management Methods  The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System clinical audit tool was utilised to measure current practice against best practice. The results identify gaps that require improvement. The Getting Research into Practice process then allowed analysis of the level of compliance with each of the audit criteria, which would identify any barriers in implementing a selected course of action and aim to improve compliance. The project team was consulted with additional stakeholder consultation to form an action plan and implement strategies to improve practice. Results  Although 100% compliance with all audit criteria in audit 1 and 2 was not achieved, there was improvement in the criteria concerning the documented fluid intake for residents. Further strategies have been identified and implemented and this continues to be a 'work in progress'. Staff now have an acute awareness

Survival among Never-Smokers with Lung Cancer in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Study.

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Clément-Duchêne, Christelle; Stock, Shannon; Xu, Xiangyan; Chang, Ellen T; Gomez, Scarlett Lin; West, Dee W; Wakelee, Heather A; Gould, Michael K

2016-01-01

Differences in patient characteristics and outcomes have been observed among current, former, and never-smokers with lung cancer, but most prior studies included few never-smokers and were not prospective. We used data from a large, prospective study of lung cancer care and outcomes in the United States to compare characteristics of never-smokers and smokers with lung cancer and to examine survival among the never-smokers. Smoking status at diagnosis was determined by self-report and survival was determined from medical records and cancer registries, with follow-up through June 2010 or later. Cox regression was used to examine the association between smoking and survival, and to identify predictors of survival among never-smokers. Among 3,410 patients with lung cancer diagnosed between September 1, 2003 and October 14, 2005 who completed a baseline patient survey, there were 274 never-smokers (8%), 1,612 former smokers (47%), 1,496 current smokers or smokers who quit recently (44%), and 28 with missing information about smoking status (Never-smokers appeared more likely than former and current/recent smokers to be female and of Asian or Hispanic race/ethnicity, and to have adenocarcinoma histology, fewer comorbidities, private insurance, and higher income and education. Compared with never-smokers, the adjusted hazard of death from any cause was 29% higher among former smokers (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.55), and 39% higher among current/recent smokers (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.67). Factors predicting worse overall survival among never-smokers included Hispanic ethnicity, severe comorbidity, undifferentiated histology, and regional or distant stage. Never-smoking Hispanics appeared more likely to have regional or advanced disease at diagnosis and less likely to undergo surgical resection, although these differences were not statistically significant. Never-smokers with lung cancer are more likely than ever

Improving the identification and management of chronic kidney disease in primary care: lessons from a staged improvement collaborative.

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Harvey, Gill; Oliver, Kathryn; Humphreys, John; Rothwell, Katy; Hegarty, Janet

2015-02-01

Undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (CKD) contributes to a high cost and care burden in secondary care. Uptake of evidence-based guidelines in primary care is inconsistent, resulting in variation in the detection and management of CKD. Routinely collected general practice data in one UK region suggested a CKD prevalence of 4.1%, compared with an estimated national prevalence of 8.5%. Of patients on CKD registers, ∼ 30% were estimated to have suboptimal management according to Public Health Observatory analyses. An evidence-based framework for implementation was developed. This informed the design of an improvement collaborative to work with a sample of 30 general practices. A two-phase collaborative was implemented between September 2009 and March 2012. Key elements of the intervention included learning events, improvement targets, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, benchmarking of audit data, facilitator support and staff time reimbursement. Outcomes were evaluated against two indicators: number of patients with CKD on practice registers; percentage of patients achieving evidence-based blood pressure (BP) targets, as a marker for CKD care. In Phase 1, recorded prevalence of CKD in collaborative practices increased ∼ 2-fold more than that in comparator local practices; in Phase 2, this increased to 4-fold, indicating improved case identification. Management of BP according to guideline recommendations also improved. An improvement collaborative with tailored facilitation support appears to promote the uptake of evidence-based guidance on the identification and management of CKD in primary care. A controlled evaluation study is needed to rigorously evaluate the impact of this promising improvement intervention. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care.

The Evaluation of More Lymph Nodes in Colon Cancer Is Associated with Improved Survival in Patients of All Ages.

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Wouter B Aan de Stegge

Full Text Available Improvement in survival of patients with colon cancer is reduced in elderly patients compared to younger patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the removal of ≥ 12 lymph nodes can explain differences in survival rates between elderly and younger patients diagnosed with colon cancer.In a population-based cohort study, all patients (N = 41,074 diagnosed with colon cancer stage I to III from 2003 through 2010 from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were included. Age groups were defined as 75 years of age. Main outcome measures were overall and relative survival, the latter as a proxy for disease specific survival.Over an eight years time period there was a 41.2% increase in patients with ≥ 12 lymph nodes removed, whereas the percentage of patients with the presence of lymph node metastases remained stable (35.7% to 37.5%. After adjustment for patient and tumour characteristics and adjuvant chemotherapy, it was found that for patients in which ≥ 12 lymph nodes were removed compared to patients with 75: HR: 0.734 (95% CI, 0.700-0.771 and relative survival ( 75: RER: 0.621 (95% CI, 0.567-0.681 in all three age groups.The removal of ≥ 12 lymph nodes is associated with an improvement in both overall and relative survival in all patients. This association was stronger in the elderly patient. The biology of this association needs further clarification.

Comparison of survival analysis and palliative care involvement in patients aged over 70 years choosing conservative management or renal replacement therapy in advanced chronic kidney disease.

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Hussain, Jamilla A; Mooney, Andrew; Russon, Lynne

2013-10-01

There are limited data on the outcomes of elderly patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing renal replacement therapy or conservative management. We aimed to compare survival, hospital admissions and palliative care access of patients aged over 70 years with chronic kidney disease stage 5 according to whether they chose renal replacement therapy or conservative management. Retrospective observational study. Patients aged over 70 years attending pre-dialysis clinic. In total, 172 patients chose conservative management and 269 chose renal replacement therapy. The renal replacement therapy group survived for longer when survival was taken from the time estimated glomerular filtration rate management, in patients older than 80 years or with a World Health Organization performance score of 3 or more. There was also a significant reduction in the effect of renal replacement therapy on survival in patients with high Charlson's Comorbidity Index scores. The relative risk of an acute hospital admission (renal replacement therapy vs conservative management) was 1.6 (p management patients died in hospital, compared to 69% undergoing renal replacement therapy (Renal Registry data). Seventy-six percent of the conservative management group accessed community palliative care services compared to 0% of renal replacement therapy patients. For patients aged over 80 years, with a poor performance status or high co-morbidity scores, the survival advantage of renal replacement therapy over conservative management was lost at all levels of disease severity. Those accessing a conservative management pathway had greater access to palliative care services and were less likely to be admitted to or die in hospital.

Improving the Quality of Home Health Care for Children With Medical Complexity.

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Nageswaran, Savithri; Golden, Shannon L

2017-08-01

The objectives of this study are to describe the quality of home health care services for children with medical complexity, identify barriers to delivering optimal home health care, and discuss potential solutions to improve home health care delivery. In this qualitative study, we conducted 20 semistructured in-depth interviews with primary caregivers of children with medical complexity, and 4 focus groups with 18 home health nurses. During an iterative analysis process, we identified themes related to quality of home health care. There is substantial variability between home health nurses in the delivery of home health care to children. Lack of skills in nurses is common and has serious negative health consequences for children with medical complexity, including hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and need for medical procedures. Inadequate home health care also contributes to caregiver burden. A major barrier to delivering optimal home health care is the lack of training of home health nurses in pediatric care and technology use. Potential solutions for improving care include home health agencies training nurses in the care of children with medical complexity, support for nurses in clinical problem solving, and reimbursement for training nurses in pediatric home care. Caregiver-level interventions includes preparation of caregivers about: providing medical care for their children at home and addressing problems with home health care services. There are problems in the quality of home health care delivered to children with medical complexity. Training nurses in the care of children with medical complexity and preparing caregivers about home care could improve home health care quality. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementing knowledge into practice for improved neonatal survival; a cluster-randomised, community-based trial in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huy Tran Q

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Globally, almost 4 million newborns die during the first 4 weeks of life every year. By increased use of evidence-based knowledge in the healthcare system a large proportion of these neonatal deaths could be prevented. But there is a severe lack of knowledge on effective methods for successful implementation of evidence into practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Recent studies have demonstrated promising results with increased survival among both mothers and newborns using community-based approaches. In Vietnam evidence-based guidelines on reproductive health were launched in 2003 and revised in 2009. The overall objective of the current project is to evaluate if a facilitation intervention on the community level, with a problem-solving approach involving local representatives if the healthcare system and the community, results in improvements of neonatal health and survival. Methods/Design The study, which has been given the acronym NeoKIP (Neonatal Health - Knowledge Into Practice, took place in 8 districts composed by 90 communes in a province in northern Vietnam, where neonatal mortality rate was 24/1000 in 2005. A cluster randomised design was used, allocating clusters, as defined as a commune and its correponding Commune Health Center (CHC to either intervention or control arm. The facilitation intervention targeted staff at healthcare centres and key persons in the communes. The facilitator role was performed by lay women (Women's Union representatives using quality improvement techniques to initiate and sustain improvement processes targeting identified problem areas. The intervention has been running over 3 years and data were collected on the facilitation process, healthcare staff knowledge in neonatal care and their behaviour in clinical practice, and reproductive and perinatal health indicators. Primary outcome is neonatal mortality. Discussion The intervention is participatory and dynamic

Validation of Surgical Intensive Care-Infection Registry: a medical informatics system for intensive care unit research, quality of care improvement, and daily patient care.

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Golob, Joseph F; Fadlalla, Adam M A; Kan, Justin A; Patel, Nilam P; Yowler, Charles J; Claridge, Jeffrey A

2008-08-01

We developed a prototype electronic clinical information system called the Surgical Intensive Care-Infection Registry (SIC-IR) to prospectively study infectious complications and monitor quality of care improvement programs in the surgical and trauma intensive care unit. The objective of this study was to validate SIC-IR as a successful health information technology with an accurate clinical data repository. Using the DeLone and McLean Model of Information Systems Success as a framework, we evaluated SIC-IR in a 3-month prospective crossover study of physician use in one of our two surgical and trauma intensive care units (SIC-IR unit versus non SIC-IR unit). Three simultaneous research methodologies were used: a user survey study, a pair of time-motion studies, and an accuracy study of SIC-IR's clinical data repository. The SIC-IR user survey results were positive for system reliability, graphic user interface, efficiency, and overall benefit to patient care. There was a significant decrease in prerounding time of nearly 4 minutes per patient on the SIC-IR unit compared with the non SIC-IR unit. The SIC-IR documentation and data archiving was accurate 74% to 100% of the time depending on the data entry method used. This accuracy was significantly improved compared with normal hand-written documentation on the non SIC-IR unit. SIC-IR proved to be a useful application both at individual user and organizational levels and will serve as an accurate tool to conduct prospective research and monitor quality of care improvement programs.

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities, Liberia.

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Abrampah, Nana Mensah; Montgomery, Maggie; Baller, April; Ndivo, Francis; Gasasira, Alex; Cooper, Catherine; Frescas, Ruben; Gordon, Bruce; Syed, Shamsuzzoha Babar

2017-07-01

The lack of proper water and sanitation infrastructures and poor hygiene practices in health-care facilities reduces facilities' preparedness and response to disease outbreaks and decreases the communities' trust in the health services provided. To improve water and sanitation infrastructures and hygiene practices, the Liberian health ministry held multistakeholder meetings to develop a national water, sanitation and hygiene and environmental health package. A national train-the-trainer course was held for county environmental health technicians, which included infection prevention and control focal persons; the focal persons acted as change agents. In Liberia, only 45% of 701 surveyed health-care facilities had an improved water source in 2015, and only 27% of these health-care facilities had proper disposal for infectious waste. Local ownership, through engagement of local health workers, was introduced to ensure development and refinement of the package. In-county collaborations between health-care facilities, along with multisectoral collaboration, informed national level direction, which led to increased focus on water and sanitation infrastructures and uptake of hygiene practices to improve the overall quality of service delivery. National level leadership was important to identify a vision and create an enabling environment for changing the perception of water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care provision. The involvement of health workers was central to address basic infrastructure and hygiene practices in health-care facilities and they also worked as stimulators for sustainable change. Further, developing a long-term implementation plan for national level initiatives is important to ensure sustainability.

78 FR 29139 - Medicare Program; Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Model 1 Open Period

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2013-05-17

.... Beneficiaries can experience improved health outcomes and encounters in the health care system when providers... providers that are working to redesign care to meet these goals. Payment approaches that reward providers... Care Improvement initiative. Acute care hospitals paid under the inpatient prospective payment systems...

Initial management of pneumonia and sepsis: factors associated with improved outcome.

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Menéndez, R; Torres, A; Reyes, S; Zalacain, R; Capelastegui, A; Aspa, J; Borderías, L; Martín-Villasclaras, J J; Bello, S; Alfageme, I; de Castro, F R; Rello, J; Molinos, L; Ruiz-Manzano, J

2012-01-01

Processes of care and adherence to guidelines have been associated with improved survival in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In sepsis, bundles of processes of care have also increased survival. We aimed to audit compliance with guideline-recommended processes of care and its impact on outcome in hospitalised CAP patients with sepsis. We prospectively studied 4,137 patients hospitalised with CAP in 13 hospitals. The processes of care evaluated were adherence to antibiotic prescription guidelines, first dose within 6 h and oxygen assessment. Outcome measures were mortality and length of stay (LOS). Oxygen assessment was measured in 3,745 (90.5%) patients; 3,024 (73.1%) patients received antibiotics according to guidelines and 3,053 (73.8%) received antibiotics within 6 h. In CAP patients with sepsis, the strongest independent factor for survival was antibiotic adherence (OR 0.4). In severe sepsis, only compliance to antibiotic adherence plus first dose within 6 h was associated with lower mortality (OR 0.60), adjusted for fine prognostic scale and hospital. Antibiotic adherence was related to shorter hospital stay. In sepsis, antibiotic adherence is the strongest protective factor of care associated with survival and LOS. In severe sepsis, combined antibiotic adherence and first dose within 6 h may reduce mortality.

Quality improvement in practice: improving diabetes care and patient outcomes in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

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Stoneman, Alice; Atkinson, David; Davey, Maureen; Marley, Julia V

2014-10-07

Management of chronic disease, including diabetes, is a central focus of most Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in Australia. We have previously demonstrated that diabetes monitoring and outcomes can be improved and maintained over a 10-year period at Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS). While continuous quality improvement (CQI) has been shown to improve service delivery rates and clinical outcome measures, the process of interpreting audit results and developing strategies for improvement is less well described. This paper describes the evaluation of care of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and features of effective CQI in ACCHSs in the remote Kimberley region of north Western Australia. Retrospective audit of records for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care patients aged ≥15 years with a confirmed diagnosis of T2DM at four Kimberley ACCHSs from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. Interviews with health service staff and focus group discussions with patients post audit. diabetes care related activities, clinical outcome measures and factors influencing good diabetes related care and effective CQI. A total of 348 patients from the four ACCHSs were included in the study. Clinical care activities were generally high across three of the four health services (at least 71% of patients had cholesterol recorded, 89% blood pressure, 84% HbA1c). Patients from DAHS had lower median cholesterol levels (4.4 mmol/L) and the highest proportion of patients meeting clinical targets for HbA1c (31% v 16% ACCHS-3; P = 0.02). Features that facilitated good care included clearly defined staff roles for diabetes management, support and involvement of Aboriginal Health Workers, efficient recall systems, and well-coordinated allied health services. Effective CQI features included seamless and timely data collection, local ownership of the process, openness to admitting deficiencies and willingness to embrace change. Well

Improving nurse documentation and record keeping in stoma care.

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Law, Lesley; Akroyd, Karen; Burke, Linda

Evidence suggests that nurse documentation is often inconsistent and lacks a coherent and standardized approach. This article reports on research into the use of nurse documentation on a stoma care ward in a large London hospital, and explores the factors that may affect the process of record keeping by nursing staff. This study uses stoma care as a case study to explore the role of documentation on the ward, focusing on how this can be improved. It is based on quantitative and qualitative methods. The medical notes of 56 patients were analysed and in addition, focus groups with a number of nurses were undertaken. Quantitative findings indicate that although 80% of patients had a chart filed in their medical notes, only a small portion of the form was completed by nursing staff. Focus group findings indicate that this is because forms lacked standardization and because the language used was often ambiguous. Staff also felt that such documentation was not viewed by other nurses and so, was not effective in improving patient care. As a result of this study, significant improvements have been made to documentation used on the stoma care ward. This is an important exploration of record keeping within nursing in the context of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's emphasis on the importance of documentation in achieving effective patient outcomes.

Incorporating movement patterns to improve survival estimates for juvenile bull trout

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Bowerman, Tracy; Budy, Phaedra

2012-01-01

Populations of many fish species are sensitive to changes in vital rates during early life stages, but our understanding of the factors affecting growth, survival, and movement patterns is often extremely limited for juvenile fish. These critical information gaps are particularly evident for bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, a threatened Pacific Northwest char. We combined several active and passive mark–recapture and resight techniques to assess migration rates and estimate survival for juvenile bull trout (70–170 mm total length). We evaluated the relative performance of multiple survival estimation techniques by comparing results from a common Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) model, the less widely used Barker model, and a simple return rate (an index of survival). Juvenile bull trout of all sizes emigrated from their natal habitat throughout the year, and thereafter migrated up to 50 km downstream. With the CJS model, high emigration rates led to an extreme underestimate of apparent survival, a combined estimate of site fidelity and survival. In contrast, the Barker model, which allows survival and emigration to be modeled as separate parameters, produced estimates of survival that were much less biased than the return rate. Estimates of age-class-specific annual survival from the Barker model based on all available data were 0.218±0.028 (estimate±SE) for age-1 bull trout and 0.231±0.065 for age-2 bull trout. This research demonstrates the importance of incorporating movement patterns into survival analyses, and we provide one of the first field-based estimates of juvenile bull trout annual survival in relatively pristine rearing conditions. These estimates can provide a baseline for comparison with future studies in more impacted systems and will help managers develop reliable stage-structured population models to evaluate future recovery strategies.

Long-term survival in advanced melanoma patients using repeated therapies: successive immunomodulation improving the odds?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coventry, Brendon J; Baume, Dominique; Lilly, Carrie

2015-01-01

. Even with recent therapies, the factors for improved survival remain enigmatic; however, one apparent common denominator in most cases was the persistent use of repeated therapies to reduce tumor bulk, induce tumor necrosis, and/or cause immunostimulation. These cases are instructive, suggesting manipulation of an established, endogenous, existing immune response. These observations provide practical evidence that the course for any patient with advanced melanoma at the outset should be considered unpredictable, open to immunomanipulation, and thus not uniformly fatal. The findings were compared and interpreted with reported newer immunotherapeutic approaches

[An approach to care indicators benchmarking. Learning to improve patient safety].

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de Andrés Gimeno, B; Salazar de la Guerra, R M; Ferrer Arnedo, C; Revuelta Zamorano, M; Ayuso Murillo, D; González Soria, J

2014-01-01

Improvements in clinical safety can be achieved by promoting a safety culture, professional training, and learning through benchmarking. The aim of this study was to identify areas for improvement after analysing the safety indicators in two public Hospitals in North-West Madrid Region. Descriptive study performed during 2011 in Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (HUPHM) and Hospital de Guadarrama (HG). The variables under study were 40 indicators on nursing care related to patient safety. Nineteen of them were defined in the SENECA project as care quality standards in order to improve patient safety in the hospitals. The data collected were clinical history, Madrid Health Service assessment reports, care procedures, and direct observation Within the 40 indicators: 22 of them were structured (procedures), HUPHM had 86%, and HG 95% 14 process indicators (training and protocols compliance) with similar results in both hospitals, apart from the care continuity reports and training in hand hygiene. The 4 results indicators (pressure ulcer, falls and pain) showed different results. The analysis of the indicators allowed the following actions to be taken: to identify improvements to be made in each hospital, to develop joint safety recommendations in nursing care protocols in prevention and treatment of chronic wound, to establish systematic pain assessments, and to prepare continuity care reports on all patients transferred from HUPHM to HG. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Improvements in Care and Reduced Self-Management Barriers Among Rural Patients With Diabetes

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Dettori, Nancy; Flook, Benjamin N.; Pessl, Erich; Quesenberry, Kim; Loh, Johnson; Harris, Colleen; McDowall, Janet M.; Butcher, Marcene K.; Helgerson, Steven D.; Gohdes, Dorothy; Harwell, Todd S.

2005-01-01

Improved preventive care and clinical outcomes among patients with diabetes can reduce complications and costs; however, diabetes care continues to be suboptimal. Few studies have described effective strategies for improving care among rural populations with diabetes. In 2000, the Park County Diabetes Project and the Montana Diabetes Control…

ESC guidelines adherence is associated with improved survival in patients from the Norwegian Heart Failure Registry.

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De Blois, Jonathan; Fagerland, Morten Wang; Grundtvig, Morten; Semb, Anne Grete; Gullestad, Lars; Westheim, Arne; Hole, Torstein; Atar, Dan; Agewall, Stefan

2015-01-01

To assess the adherence to heart failure (HF) guidelines for angiotensin-converting enzyme-I (ACE-I), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and β-blockers and the possible association of ACE-I or ARB, β-blockers, and statins with survival in the large contemporary Norwegian Heart Failure Registry. The study included 5761 outpatients who were diagnosed with HF of any aetiology (mean left ventricular ejection fraction 32% ± 11%) from January 2000 to January 2010 and followed up until death or February 2010. Adherence to treatment according to the guidelines was high. Cox regression analysis to identify risk factors for all-cause mortality, after adjustment for many factors, showed that ACE-I ≥ 50% of target dose, use of beta-blockers, and statins were significantly related to improved survival (P = 0.003, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Propensity scoring showed the same benefit for these variables. Both multivariable and propensity scoring analyses showed survival benefits with β-blockers, statins, and adequate doses of ACE-I in this contemporary HF cohort. This study stresses the importance of guidelines adherence, even in the context of high levels of adherence to guidelines. Moreover, respecting the recommended target doses of ACE-I appears to have a crucial role in survival improvement and, in the multivariate Cox regression analysis, ARB treatment was not significantly associated with a lower all-cause mortality. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. ©The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Critical Care Delivery: The Importance of Process of Care and ICU Structure to Improved Outcomes: An Update From the American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force on Models of Critical Care.

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Weled, Barry J; Adzhigirey, Lana A; Hodgman, Tudy M; Brilli, Richard J; Spevetz, Antoinette; Kline, Andrea M; Montgomery, Vicki L; Puri, Nitin; Tisherman, Samuel A; Vespa, Paul M; Pronovost, Peter J; Rainey, Thomas G; Patterson, Andrew J; Wheeler, Derek S

2015-07-01

In 2001, the Society of Critical Care Medicine published practice model guidelines that focused on the delivery of critical care and the roles of different ICU team members. An exhaustive review of the additional literature published since the last guideline has demonstrated that both the structure and process of care in the ICU are important for achieving optimal patient outcomes. Since the publication of the original guideline, several authorities have recognized that improvements in the processes of care, ICU structure, and the use of quality improvement science methodologies can beneficially impact patient outcomes and reduce costs. Herein, we summarize findings of the American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force on Models of Critical Care: 1) An intensivist-led, high-performing, multidisciplinary team dedicated to the ICU is an integral part of effective care delivery; 2) Process improvement is the backbone of achieving high-quality ICU outcomes; 3) Standardized protocols including care bundles and order sets to facilitate measurable processes and outcomes should be used and further developed in the ICU setting; and 4) Institutional support for comprehensive quality improvement programs as well as tele-ICU programs should be provided.

Effects of Quality Improvement System for Child Care Centers

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Ma, Xin; Shen, Jianping; Kavanaugh, Amy; Lu, Xuejin; Brandi, Karen; Goodman, Jeff; Till, Lance; Watson, Grace

2011-01-01

Using multiple years of data collected from about 100 child care centers in Palm Beach County, Florida, the authors studied whether the Quality Improvement System (QIS) made a significant impact on quality of child care centers. Based on a pre- and postresearch design spanning a period of 13 months, QIS appeared to be effective in improving…

Conditional survival is greater than overall survival at diagnosis in patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.

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Miller, Benjamin J; Lynch, Charles F; Buckwalter, Joseph A

2013-11-01

Conditional survival is a measure of the risk of mortality given that a patient has survived a defined period of time. These estimates are clinically helpful, but have not been reported previously for osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma. We determined the conditional survival of patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma given survival of 1 or more years. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database to investigate cases of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma in patients younger than 40 years from 1973 to 2009. The SEER Program is managed by the National Cancer Institute and provides survival data gathered from population-based cancer registries. We used an actuarial life table analysis to determine any cancer cause-specific 5-year survival estimates conditional on 1 to 5 years of survival after diagnosis. We performed a similar analysis to determine 20-year survival from the time of diagnosis. The estimated 5-year survival improved each year after diagnosis. For local/regional osteosarcoma, the 5-year survival improved from 74.8% at baseline to 91.4% at 5 years-meaning that if a patient with localized osteosarcoma lives for 5 years, the chance of living for another 5 years is 91.4%. Similarly, the 5-year survivals for local/regional Ewing's sarcoma improved from 72.9% at baseline to 92.5% at 5 years, for metastatic osteosarcoma 35.5% at baseline to 85.4% at 5 years, and for metastatic Ewing's sarcoma 31.7% at baseline to 83.6% at 5 years. The likelihood of 20-year cause-specific survival from the time of diagnosis in osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma was almost 90% or greater after 10 years of survival, suggesting that while most patients will remain disease-free indefinitely, some experience cancer-related complications years after presumed eradication. The 5-year survival estimates of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma improve with each additional year of patient survival. Knowledge of a changing risk profile is useful in counseling

Antenatal care strengthening for improved quality of care in Jimma, Ethiopia: an effectiveness study.

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Villadsen, Sarah Fredsted; Negussie, Dereje; GebreMariam, Abebe; Tilahun, Abebech; Friis, Henrik; Rasch, Vibeke

2015-04-11

Interventions for curing most diseases and save lives of pregnant and delivering women exist, yet the power of health systems to deliver them to those in most need is not sufficient. The aims of this study were to design a participatory antenatal care (ANC) strengthening intervention and assess the implementation process and effectiveness on quality of ANC in Jimma, Ethiopia. The intervention comprised trainings, supervisions, equipment, development of health education material, and adaption of guidelines. It was implemented at public facilities and control sites were included in the evaluation. Improved content of care (physical examinations, laboratory testing, tetanus toxoid (TT)-immunization, health education, conduct of health professionals, and waiting time) were defined as proximal project outcomes and increased quality of care (better identification of health problems and increased overall user satisfaction with ANC) were distal project outcomes. The process of implementation was documented in monthly supervision reports. Household surveys, before (2008) and after (2010) intervention, were conducted amongst all women who had given birth within the previous 12 months. The effect of the intervention was assessed by comparing the change in quality of care from before to after the intervention period at intervention sites, relative to control sites, using logistic mixed effect regression. The continued attention to the ANC provision during implementation stimulated increased priority of ANC among health care providers. The organizational structure of the facilities and lack of continuity in care provision turned out to be a major challenge for implementation. There was a positive effect of the intervention on health education on danger signs during pregnancy (OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 2.6;5.7), laboratory testing (OR for blood tests other than HIV 2.9, 95% CI: 1.9;4.5), health problem identification (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1;3.1), and satisfaction with the service (OR: 0

Improving Access to Health Care Among New Zealand’s Maori Population

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Ellison-Loschmann, Lis; Pearce, Neil

2006-01-01

The health status of indigenous peoples worldwide varies according to their unique historical, political, and social circumstances. Disparities in health between Maoris and non-Maoris have been evident for all of the colonial history of New Zealand. Explanations for these differences involve a complex mix of components associated with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, availability of health care, and discrimination. Improving access to care is critical to addressing health disparities, and increasing evidence suggests that Maoris and non-Maoris differ in terms of access to primary and secondary health care services. We use 2 approaches to health service development to demonstrate how Maori-led initiatives are seeking to improve access to and quality of health care for Maoris. PMID:16507721

Beyond bankable dollars: establishing a business case for improving health care.

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Bailit, Michael; Dyer, Mary Beth

2004-09-01

To address widespread deficiencies in the quality of health care, the authors argue that health care organizations need to be able to make a "business case" for improving quality--a compelling rationale for financial investment in quality improvement programs. The authors' framework for such a business case is organized around three broad areas: direct financial considerations, strategic considerations, and internal organizational considerations. Within these categories, they offer a total of 10 specific business case arguments, with examples, for investing in quality improvement.

Prognostic factors in patients with advanced cancer: use of the patient-generated subjective global assessment in survival prediction.

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Martin, Lisa; Watanabe, Sharon; Fainsinger, Robin; Lau, Francis; Ghosh, Sunita; Quan, Hue; Atkins, Marlis; Fassbender, Konrad; Downing, G Michael; Baracos, Vickie

2010-10-01

To determine whether elements of a standard nutritional screening assessment are independently prognostic of survival in patients with advanced cancer. A prospective nested cohort of patients with metastatic cancer were accrued from different units of a Regional Palliative Care Program. Patients completed a nutritional screen on admission. Data included age, sex, cancer site, height, weight history, dietary intake, 13 nutrition impact symptoms, and patient- and physician-reported performance status (PS). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted. Concordance statistics (c-statistics) were used to test the predictive accuracy of models based on training and validation sets; a c-statistic of 0.5 indicates the model predicts the outcome as well as chance; perfect prediction has a c-statistic of 1.0. A training set of patients in palliative home care (n = 1,164) was used to identify prognostic variables. Primary disease site, PS, short-term weight change (either gain or loss), dietary intake, and dysphagia predicted survival in multivariate analysis (P statistics between predicted and observed responses for survival in the training set (0.90) and validation set (0.88; n = 603). The addition of weight change, dietary intake, and dysphagia did not further improve the c-statistic of the model. The c-statistic was also not altered by substituting physician-rated palliative PS for patient-reported PS. We demonstrate a high probability of concordance between predicted and observed survival for patients in distinct palliative care settings (home care, tertiary inpatient, ambulatory outpatient) based on patient-reported information.

Integration of palliative care in the context of rapid response: a report from the Improving Palliative Care in the ICU advisory board.

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Nelson, Judith E; Mathews, Kusum S; Weissman, David E; Brasel, Karen J; Campbell, Margaret; Curtis, J Randall; Frontera, Jennifer A; Gabriel, Michelle; Hays, Ross M; Mosenthal, Anne C; Mulkerin, Colleen; Puntillo, Kathleen A; Ray, Daniel E; Weiss, Stefanie P; Bassett, Rick; Boss, Renee D; Lustbader, Dana R

2015-02-01

Rapid response teams (RRTs) can effectively foster discussions about appropriate goals of care and address other emergent palliative care needs of patients and families facing life-threatening illness on hospital wards. In this article, The Improving Palliative Care in the ICU (IPAL-ICU) Project brings together interdisciplinary expertise and existing data to address the following: special challenges for providing palliative care in the rapid response setting, knowledge and skills needed by RRTs for delivery of high-quality palliative care, and strategies for improving the integration of palliative care with rapid response critical care. We discuss key components of communication with patients, families, and primary clinicians to develop a goal-directed treatment approach during a rapid response event. We also highlight the need for RRT expertise to initiate symptom relief. Strategies including specific clinician training and system initiatives are then recommended for RRT care improvement. We conclude by suggesting that as evaluation of their impact on other outcomes continues, performance by RRTs in meeting palliative care needs of patients and families should also be measured and improved.

Does chemotherapy improve survival in high-risk stage I and II Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poulsen, Michael G.; Rischin, Danny; Porter, Ian; Walpole, Euan; Harvey, Jennifer; Hamilton, Chris; Keller, Jacqui; Tripcony, Lee

2006-01-01

Purpose: The effectiveness of synchronous carboplatin, etoposide, and radiation therapy in improving survival was evaluated by comparison of a matched set of historic control subjects with patients treated in a prospective Phase II study that used synchronous chemotherapy and radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: Patients were included in the analysis if they had disease localized to the primary site and nodes, and they were required to have at least one of the following high-risk features: recurrence after initial therapy, involved nodes, primary size greater than 1 cm, or gross residual disease after surgery. All patients who received chemotherapy were treated in a standardized fashion as part of a Phase II study (Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group TROG 96:07) from 1997 to 2001. Radiation was delivered to the primary site and nodes to a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks, and synchronous carboplatin (AUC 4.5) and etoposide, 80 mg/m 2 i.v. on Days 1 to 3, were given in Weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10. The historic group represents a single institution's experience from 1988 to 1996 and was treated with surgery and radiation alone, and patients were included if they fulfilled the eligibility criteria of TROG 96:07. Patients with occult cutaneous disease were not included for the purpose of this analysis. Because of imbalances in the prognostic variables between the two treatment groups, comparisons were made by application of Cox's proportional hazard modeling. Overall survival, disease-specific survival, locoregional control, and distant control were used as endpoints for the study. Results: Of the 102 patients who had high-risk Stage I and II disease, 40 were treated with chemotherapy (TROG 96:07) and 62 were treated without chemotherapy (historic control subjects). When Cox's proportional hazards modeling was applied, the only significant factors for overall survival were recurrent disease, age, and the presence of residual disease. For

Improving regional variation using quality of care measures

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Scott A Berkowitz

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Scott A Berkowitz1, Gary Gerstenblith1, Robert Herbert2, Gerard Anderson1,21Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Center for Hospital Finance and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAAbstract: There is significant regional variability in the quality of care provided in the United States. This article compares regional performance for three measures that focus on transitions in care, and the care of patients with multiple conditions. Admissions for people with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge, and compliance with practice guidelines for people with three chronic conditions (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes were analyzed using data drawn from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Standard Analytic Files for 5% of a 2004 national sample of Medicare beneficiaries which was divided by hospital referral regions and regional performance. There were significant regional differences in performance which we hypothesize could be improved through better care coordination and system management.Keywords: performance, quality, chronic condition, ambulatory care, sensitive conditions, readmissions

Long-term survival in advanced melanoma patients using repeated therapies: successive immunomodulation improving the odds?

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Coventry BJ

2015-04-01

had died. Published studies of melanoma therapies were tabled for comparison. Conclusion: The fact that 18 cases of exceptional survival in advanced melanoma were identified is remarkable in itself. Even with recent therapies, the factors for improved survival remain enigmatic; however, one apparent common denominator in most cases was the persistent use of repeated therapies to reduce tumor bulk, induce tumor necrosis, and/or cause immunostimulation. These cases are instructive, suggesting manipulation of an established, endogenous, existing immune response. These observations provide practical evidence that the course for any patient with advanced melanoma at the outset should be considered unpredictable, open to immunomanipulation, and thus not uniformly fatal. The findings were compared and interpreted with reported newer immunotherapeutic approaches. Keywords: advanced melanoma, clinical responses, immunotherapy, prolonged survival

 Alkaline phosphatase normalization is a biomarker of improved survival in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

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Hilscher, Moira; Enders, Felicity B; Carey, Elizabeth J; Lindor, Keith D; Tabibian, James H

2016-01-01

 Introduction. Recent studies suggest that serum alkaline phosphatase may represent a prognostic biomarker in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. However, this association remains poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance and clinical correlates of alkaline phosphatase normalization in primary sclerosing cholangitis. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with a new diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis made at an academic medical center. The primary endpoint was time to hepatobiliaryneoplasia, liver transplantation, or liver-related death. Secondary endpoints included occurrence of and time to alkaline phosphatase normalization. Patients who did and did not achieve normalization were compared with respect to clinical characteristics and endpoint-free survival, and the association between normalization and the primary endpoint was assessed with univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analyses. Eighty six patients were included in the study, with a total of 755 patient-years of follow-up. Thirty-eight patients (44%) experienced alkaline phosphatase normalization within 12 months of diagnosis. Alkaline phosphatase normalization was associated with longer primary endpoint-free survival (p = 0.0032) and decreased risk of requiring liver transplantation (p = 0.033). Persistent normalization was associated with even fewer adverse endpoints as well as longer survival. In multivariate analyses, alkaline phosphatase normalization (adjusted hazard ratio 0.21, p = 0.012) and baseline bilirubin (adjusted hazard ratio 4.87, p = 0.029) were the only significant predictors of primary endpoint-free survival. Alkaline phosphatase normalization, particularly if persistent, represents a robust biomarker of improved long-term survival and decreased risk of requiring liver transplantation in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Cost-Effectiveness of Improving Health Care to People with HIV in Nicaragua

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Edward Broughton

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. A 2010 evaluation found generally poor outcomes among HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy in Nicaragua. We evaluated an intervention to improve HIV nursing services in hospital outpatient departments to improve patient treatment and retention in care. The intervention included improving patient tracking, extending clinic hours, caring for children of HIV+ mothers, ensuring medication availability, promoting self-help groups and family involvement, and coordinating multidisciplinary care. Methods. This pre/postintervention study examined opportunistic infections and clinical status of HIV patients before and after implementation of changes to the system of nursing care. Hospital expenditure data were collected by auditors and hospital teams tracked intervention expenses. Decision tree analysis determined incremental cost-effectiveness from the implementers’ perspective. Results. Opportunistic infections decreased by 24% (95% CI: 14%–34% and 11.3% of patients improved in CDC clinical stage. Average per-patient costs decreased by $133/patient/year (95% CI: $29–$249. The intervention, compared to business-as-usual strategy, saved money while improving outcomes. Conclusions. Improved efficiency of services can allow more ART-eligible patients to receive therapy. We recommended the intervention be implemented in all HIV service facilities in Nicaragua.

Improving Newborn Survival in Southern Tanzania (INSIST) trial; community-based maternal and newborn care economic analysis.

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Manzi, Fatuma; Daviaud, Emmanuelle; Schellenberg, Joanna; Lawn, Joy E; John, Theopista; Msemo, Georgina; Owen, Helen; Barger, Diana; Hanson, Claudia; Borghi, Josephine

2017-10-01

Despite health systems improvements in Tanzania, gaps in the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health persist. Recent improvements have largely benefited those over one month of age, leading to a greater proportion of under-five mortality in newborns. Community health workers providing home-based counselling have been championed as uniquely qualified to reach the poorest. We provide financial and economic costs of a volunteer home-based counselling programme in southern Tanzania. Financial costs of the programme were extracted from project accounts. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare costs associated with programme implementation were collected based on staff and project monthly activity plans. Household costs associated with facility-based delivery were also estimated based on exit interviews with post-natal women. Time spent on the programme by implementers was assessed by interviews conducted with volunteers and health staff. The programme involved substantial design and set-up costs. The main drivers of set-up costs were activities related to volunteer training. Total annualized costs (design, set-up and implementation) amounted to nearly US$300 000 for financial costs and just over US$400 000 for economic costs. Volunteers (n = 842) spent just under 14 hours per month on programme-related activities. When volunteer time was valued under economic costs, this input amounted to just under half of the costs of implementation. The economic consequences of increased service use to households were estimated at US$36 985. The intervention cost per mother-newborn pair visited was between US$12.60 and US$19.50, and the incremental cost per additional facility-based delivery ranged from US$85.50 to US$137.20 for financial and economic costs (with household costs). Three scale-up scenarios were considered, with the financial cost per home visit respectively varying from $1.44 to $3.21 across scenarios. Cost-effectiveness compares well with supply

Improving Obesity Prevention and Management in Primary Care in Canada.

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Campbell-Scherer, Denise; Sharma, Arya Mitra

2016-09-01

Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic diseases with significant morbidity, mortality and health care cost. There is concern due to the dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in Canada in the last 20 years. The causes of obesity are multifactorial, with underestimation by patients and healthcare providers of the long-term nature of the condition, and its complexity. Solutions related to prevention and management will require multifaceted strategies involving education, health policy, public health and health systems across the care continuum. We believe that to support such strategies we need to have a strong primary care workforce equipped with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to support persons at risk for, or with, obesity. To achieve this end, significant skills building is required to improve primary care obesity prevention and management efforts. This review will first examine the current state, and then will outline how we can improve.

Efficacy of Various Scoring Systems for Predicting the 28-Day Survival Rate among Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Requiring Emergency Intensive Care

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Zhihong Feng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to investigate the efficacy of four severity-of-disease scoring systems in predicting the 28-day survival rate among patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD requiring emergency care. Clinical data of patients with AECOPD who required emergency care were recorded over 2 years. APACHE II, SAPS II, SOFA, and MEDS scores were calculated from severity-of-disease indicators recorded at admission and compared between patients who died within 28 days of admission (death group; 46 patients and those who did not (survival group; 336 patients. Compared to the survival group, the death group had a significantly higher GCS score, frequency of comorbidities including hypertension and heart failure, and age (P<0.05 for all. With all four systems, scores of age, gender, renal inadequacy, hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, anemia, fracture leading to bedridden status, tumor, and the GCS were significantly higher in the death group than the survival group. The prediction efficacy of the APACHE II and SAPS II scores was 88.4%. The survival rates did not differ significantly between APACHE II and SAPS II (P=1.519. Our results may guide triage for early identification of critically ill patients with AECOPD in the emergency department.

Caring for LGBTQ patients: Methods for improving physician cultural competence.

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Klein, Elizabeth W; Nakhai, Maliheh

2016-05-01

This article summarizes the components of a curriculum used to teach family medicine residents and faculty about LGBTQ patients' needs in a family medicine residency program in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. This curriculum was developed to provide primary care physicians and physicians-in-training with skills to provide better health care for LGBTQ-identified patients. The curriculum covers topics that range from implicit and explicit bias and appropriate terminology to techniques for crafting patient-centered treatment plans. Additionally, focus is placed on improving the understanding of specific and unique barriers to competent health care encountered by LGBTQ patients. Through facilitated discussion, learners explore the health disparities that disproportionately affect LGBTQ individuals and develop skills that will improve their ability to care for LGBTQ patients. The goal of the curriculum is to teach family medicine faculty and physicians in training how to more effectively communicate with and treat LGBTQ patients in a safe, non-judgmental, and welcoming primary care environment. © The Author(s) 2016.

Benchmarking and audit of breast units improves quality of care.

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van Dam, P A; Verkinderen, L; Hauspy, J; Vermeulen, P; Dirix, L; Huizing, M; Altintas, S; Papadimitriou, K; Peeters, M; Tjalma, W

2013-01-01

Quality Indicators (QIs) are measures of health care quality that make use of readily available hospital inpatient administrative data. Assessment quality of care can be performed on different levels: national, regional, on a hospital basis or on an individual basis. It can be a mandatory or voluntary system. In all cases development of an adequate database for data extraction, and feedback of the findings is of paramount importance. In the present paper we performed a Medline search on "QIs and breast cancer" and "benchmarking and breast cancer care", and we have added some data from personal experience. The current data clearly show that the use of QIs for breast cancer care, regular internal and external audit of performance of breast units, and benchmarking are effective to improve quality of care. Adherence to guidelines improves markedly (particularly regarding adjuvant treatment) and there are data emerging showing that this results in a better outcome. As quality assurance benefits patients, it will be a challenge for the medical and hospital community to develop affordable quality control systems, which are not leading to excessive workload.

Design and evaluation of a prelicensure interprofessional course on improving care transitions.

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Heflin, Mitchell T; Pinheiro, Sandro O; Konrad, Thomas R; Egerton, Emily O; Thornlow, Deirdre K; White, Heidi K; McConnell, Eleanor J

2014-01-01

Effective management of care transitions for older adults require the coordinated expertise of an interprofessional team. Unfortunately, different health care professions are rarely educated together or trained in teamwork skills. To address this issue, a team of professionally diverse faculty from the Duke University Geriatric Education Center designed an interprofessional course focused on improving transitions of care for older adults. This innovative prelicensure course provided interactive teaching sessions designed to promote critical thinking and foster effective communication among health care professionals, caregivers, and patients. Students were assessed by in-class and online participation, performance on individual assignments, and team-based proposals to improve care transitions for older patients with congestive heart failure. Twenty students representing six professions completed the course; 18 completed all self-efficacy and course evaluation surveys. Students rated their self-efficacy in several domains before and after the course and reported gains in teamwork skills (p competence (p work. This course offers a promising approach to shifting the paradigm of health professions education to empower graduates to promote quality improvement through team-based care.

Long-term outcome of elderly patients requiring intensive care admission for abdominal pathologies: survival and quality of life.

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Merlani, P; Chenaud, C; Mariotti, N; Ricou, B

2007-05-01

Medical developments have allowed the management of patients aged over 70 years with severe abdominal pathologies requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. These patients require enhanced life support and present a high ICU mortality. We investigated the outcome and quality of life (QOL) of elderly patients 2 years after their ICU stay for abdominal pathologies. Patients aged 70 years or over with abdominal pathologies, admitted to our ICU over a period of 2 years, were included. Two years following their ICU stay, a letter informed the patients about the present study. Consent to participate was obtained by telephone. QOL was assessed by the Euro-QOL and Short Form-36 questionnaires. Other patient-centered outcomes were evaluated. Overall, 2780 patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period; 141 (5%) patients were eligible; 112 of the 141 (79%) survived their ICU stay, 95 (67%) survived their hospital stay and 52 (37%) were alive 2 years after their ICU stay; 36 of the 52 survivors (69%) answered the questionnaire. Their QOL 2 years after their ICU stay was decreased in comparison with an age-matched population. Eighty-one per cent of patients lived at home and 57% were totally independent. They perceived their ICU stay as positive and 75% stated that they would agree to go through intensive care again. Factors associated with 2-year survival were the absence of co-morbidity, absence of malignancy and a lower Simplified Acute Physiology II score on ICU admission. A high mortality rate and a decrease in QOL were observed in elderly patients with severe abdominal pathologies. Nonetheless, these patients were able to adapt well to their physical disabilities.

Improving Quality of Care in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

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Saberifiroozi, Mehdi

2017-10-01

Liver cirrhosis is a major chronic disease in the field of digestive diseases. It causes more than one million deaths per year. Despite established evidence based guidelines, the adherence to standard of care or quality indicators are variable. Complete adherence to the recommendations of guidelines is less than 50%. To improve the quality of care in patients with cirrhosis, we need a more holistic view. Because of high rate of death due to cardiovascular disease and neoplasms, the care of comorbid conditions and risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, high blood sugar or cholesterol, would be important in addition to the management of primary liver disease. Despite a holistic multidisciplinary approach for this goal, the management of such patients should be patient centered and individualized. The diagnosis of underlying etiology and its appropriate treatment is the most important step. Definition and customizing the quality indicators for quality measure in patients are needed. Because most suggested quality indicators are designed for measuring the quality of care in decompensated liver cirrhosis, we need special quality indicators for compensated and milder forms of chronic liver disease as well. Training the patients for participation in their own management, design of special clinics with dedicated health professionals in a form of chronic disease model, is suggested for improvement of quality of care in this group of patients. Special day care centers by a dedicated gastroenterologist and a trained nurse may be a practical model for better management of such patients.

Quality of Care Improves for Patients with Diabetes in Medicare Shared Savings Accountable Care Organizations: Organizational Characteristics Associated with Performance.

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Fraze, Taressa K; Lewis, Valerie A; Tierney, Emily; Colla, Carrie H

2017-12-06

Accountable care organizations (ACOs), a primary care-centric delivery and payment model, aim to promote integrated population health, which may improve care for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Research has shown that, overall, the ACO model is effective at reducing costs, but there is substantial variation in how effective different types of ACOs are at impacting costs and improving care delivery. This study examines how ACO organizational characteristics - such as composition, staffing, care management, and experiences with health reform - were associated with quality of care delivered to patients with diabetes. Secondary data were analyzed retrospectively to examine Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs' performance on diabetes metrics in the first 2 years of ACO contracts. Ordinary least squares was used to analyze 162 MSSP ACOs with publicly available performance data and the National Survey of ACOs. ACOs improved performance significantly for patients with diabetes between contract years 1 and 2. In year 1, also having a private payer contract and an increased number of services within the ACO were positively associated with performance, while having a community health center or a hospital were negatively associated with performance. Better performance in year 1 was negatively associated with improved performance in year 2. This study found that ACOs substantively improved diabetes management within initial contract years. ACOs may need different types of support throughout their contracts to ensure continued improvements in performance.

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