scholarly journals A112 THE IMPACT OF CENTRAL COORDINATION ON ENDOSCOPY EFFICIENCY

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 90-92
Author(s):  
M J Stewart ◽  
D Farina ◽  
J Jones

Abstract Background The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far reaching and have necessitated many changes to healthcare delivery. At the QEII Health Sciences Center physical space limitations for patient check-in and recovery have restricted outpatient endoscopy to 3 of 4 available endoscopy suites. On June 1, 2020 a new system of central endoscopy triage and coordination for the Division of Digestive Care and Endoscopy (DC&E) was implemented in an effort to increase efficiency and maintain patient access to endoscopy. The components of the RESET (Re-introduce Endoscopy Safely and EfficienTly) Plan included a) a new endoscopy coordinator role to manage a common endoscopy waitlist, endoscopist schedules, and booking clerks, b) a modified triage system to improve waitlist consistency, c) a common endoscopy waitlist with patients booked in the next available appointment regardless of endoscopist, d) discontinuation of fixed endoscopy slots for endoscopists, and e) appointment scheduling no sooner than 4-weeks in advance to minimize no-shows and last-minute cancellations. Aims The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the RESET Plan on the efficiency of DC&E endoscopy. Methods A retrospective pre- and post-implementation study evaluating the volume and efficiency of outpatient endoscopy before and after implementation of the RESET Plan. The Pre-RESET period included all procedures performed from June 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019. The Post-RESET period included all procedures performed from June 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020. A separate endoscopy suite and triage system is used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and these cases were excluded. Early effectiveness outcomes were reported including a comparison of the number of endoscopic procedures per week and per list, pre- and post- implementation. Data analysis was primarily descriptive with data expressed as frequencies, means (SD), and proportions (%). Exploratory group comparisons were performed using independent-samples T-Test. Results During the 5-month Pre-RESET period, 2203 endoscopic procedures were performed. During the Post-RESET period a total of 1920 procedures were performed. Due to pandemic restrictions, there was a 29% decrease in available endoscopy lists from 2019 to 2020. There was a 24% increase in the number procedures performed per endoscopy list, from 6.4 to 8.0 (p=0.004, 95% CI 0.52–2.53), pre- and post-RESET. Conclusions While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery, it has also provided an opportunity to implement health system structure and process changes. The RESET Plan resulted in significant gains in efficiency which largely offset losses in endoscopy throughput imposed by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Future research will determine what patient and health system factors most significantly impact system efficiency as well as the cost-effectiveness of the RESET Plan. Funding Agencies CAG

Author(s):  
Pei Kuan Lai ◽  
S Nalliah ◽  
CL Teng ◽  
NLP Chen

Background: Impact in research encompasses health, economic, and cultural benefits beyond adding to the knowledge base. Funders are under immense pressure to be accountable for the paybacks from funded research.Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to look into the impact of funded biomedical research between the years 2005 and 2015 in Malaysia from the aspects of knowledge production, research targeting and capacity building, as well as health system policy and decision making.Methods: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Biomedical projects related to breast cancer, coronary heart disease, and dengue, funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), and Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) between the years 2005 and 2015, were included.Findings: From the questionnaire responses (n=58), on average each funded project managed to produce two outputs and one higher degree student. More than half (61.4%) of the funded projects led to subsequent future research. However, low citations in systematic reviews (10.3%), health policies (6.9%), and clinical practice guidelines (5.2%) were reported. In-depth interviews with the key opinion leaders also saw that most of the local research findings were found to be irrelevant to be adopted into policies by the policymakers.Discussion and conclusions: Paybacks on knowledge production as well as research targeting and capacity building had been achieved, but impact on health system policy and decision making had not been well attained, due to the lack of relevant research findings needed by the policymakers.<br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Payback on knowledge production was achieved, as there had been a lot of new knowledge generated as captured in academic publications, conference proceedings, policy briefs, technical reports, and research highlights, which is important to advance the frontiers of knowledge.</li><br /><li>Payback on research targeting was achieved, with the current research leading to future study with identification of the knowledge gap and generation of new ideas for new research.</li><br /><li>Payback on capacity building was achieved with the training of researchers, building up research capacity and competencies, production of MSc and PhD graduates, promotion of lecturers, and development of new partnerships and networks.</li><br /><li>Impact on health system policy and decision making was not well attained. There had been a lack of relevant research data and findings being incorporated into policymaking, due to the basic and fundamental nature of most of the funded biomedical research in Malaysia.</li></ul>


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Ahmad H. Abu Raddaha ◽  
Arwa Obeidat ◽  
Huda Al Awaisi ◽  
Jahara Hayudini

Background: Despite worldwide expanding implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems, healthcare professionals conducted limited number of studies to explore factors that might facilitate or jeopardize using these systems. This study underscores the impact of nurses’ opinions, perceptions, and computer competencies on their attitudes toward using an EHR system.Methods: With randomized sampling, a cross-sectional exploratory design was used. The sample consisted of 169 nurses who worked at a public teaching hospital in Oman. They completed self-administered questionnaire. Several standardized valid and reliable instruments were utilized.Results: Seventy-four percent of our study nurses had high positive attitudes toward the EHR system. The least ranked perception scores (60.4%) were linked to perceiving that suggestions made by nurses about the system would be taken into account. Nurses who reported that the hospital sought for suggestions for customization of the system [OR: 2.54 (95% CI: 1.09, 5.88), p = .03], who found the system as an easy-to-use clinical information system [OR: 6.53 (95% CI: 1.72, 24.75), p = .01], who reported the presence of good relationship with the system’s managing personnel [OR: 3.59 (95% CI: 1.13, 11.36), p = .03] and who reported that the system provided all needed health information [OR: 2.97 (95% CI: 1.16, 7.62), p = .02] were more likely to develop high positive attitudes toward the system.Conclusions: To better develop plans to foster the EHR system’s use facilitators and overcome its usage barriers by nursing professionals, more involvement of nurses in system’s customization endeavors is highly suggested. When the system did not disrupt workflows, it would decrease clinical errors and expand nursing productivity. In order to maximize the utilization of the system in healthcare delivery, future research work to investigate the effect of the system on other healthcare providers and inter-professional communications is pressingly needed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 222 ◽  
pp. 51-75
Author(s):  
Hương Trầm Thị Xuân ◽  
Vinh Võ Xuân ◽  
CẢNH NGUYỄN PHÚC

The paper employs the VAR model to examine the impact of monetary policy on the economy through interest rate channel (IRC) and levels of transmission before and after the 2008 crisis. The results indicate that in the period before the financial crisis, IRC exists in accordance with macroeconomic theory; however, the crisis period, in which increases in SBV monetary policy rates lead to increased inflation, has proved the existence of the cost channel of monetary transmission in Vietnam.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S818-S819
Author(s):  
Ryan Miller ◽  
Jose A Morillas ◽  
Joanne Sitaras ◽  
Jacob Bako ◽  
Elizabeth A Neuner ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In an effort to optimize diagnostic testing for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) our health system changed from stand-alone PCR testing to a “2-step” approach wherein all positive PCR results reflexed to an EIA. We report the effects of this change on publicly reported CDI metrics and treatment days of therapy (DOT). Methods The setting includes 10 Cleveland Clinic Health System hospitals in northeast Ohio and one in Florida. On June 12, 2018, 9 NE Ohio hospitals changed from PCR alone to PCR followed by EIA. Stand-alone PCR testing remained at one and GDH / EIA / PCR for discordant for another. Testing volumes were obtained from the microbiology laboratory. C. difficile LabID event SIRs were obtained from NHSN. Public reporting interpretative categories were identified based on SIR for second half of 2018. DOT for CDI agents were obtained from an antimicrobial stewardship database. Results Among hospitals that changed strategy the volume of PCR testing and the percent PCR + was similar between time periods. EIA positivity ranged from 23% to 53%. 4/11 hospitals improved their public reporting category: 3/9 that changed testing strategy and 1/2 that did not (Table 1). Two of 3 that changed strategy and improved public reporting also had a decrease in DOT. DOT increased in the 2 hospitals that did not change strategy. Conclusion Six months after adopting a 2-step CDI testing strategy 7 of 9 hospitals had a lower SIR with 3 also demonstrating an improvement in public reporting category favorably impacting reputational and reimbursement risk for our healthcare system. CDI agent DOT was similar before and after the change. The impact of choice of test on publicly reported metrics demonstrates the difficulty of utilizing a proxy for hospital onset CDI, the CDI LabID event, as a measure of quality of care provided. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 695-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Morency-Laflamme ◽  
Theodore McLauchlin

Abstract Does ethnic stacking in the armed forces help prevent military defection? Recent research, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, suggests so; by favoring in-groups, regimes can keep in-group soldiers loyal. In-group loyalty comes at the cost of antagonizing members of out-groups, but many regimes gladly run that risk. In this research note, we provide the first large-scale evidence on the impact of ethnic stacking on the incidence of military defection during uprisings from below, using data on fifty-seven popular uprisings in Africa since formal independence. We find clear evidence for the downside: ethnic stacking is associated with more frequent defection if out-group members are still dominant in the armed forces. We find more limited support for the hypothesized payoff. Ethnic stacking may reduce the risk of defection, but only in regimes without a recent history of coup attempts. Future research should therefore trace the solidification of ethnic stacking over time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1718-1728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E Targownik ◽  
Eric I Benchimol ◽  
Julia Witt ◽  
Charles N Bernstein ◽  
Harminder Singh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs are highly effective in the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), but they are very costly. Due to their effectiveness, they could potentially reduce future health care spending on other medical therapies, hospitalization, and surgery. The impact of downstream costs has not previously been quantified in a real-world population-based setting. Methods We used the University of Manitoba IBD Database to identify all persons in a Canadian province with CD or UC who received anti-TNF therapy between 2004 and 2016. All inpatient, outpatient, and drug costs were enumerated both in the year before anti-TNF initiation and for up to 5 years after anti-TNF initiation. Costs before and after anti-TNF initiation were compared, and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to look for predictors of higher costs after anti-TNF initiation. Results A total of 928 people with IBD (676 CD, 252 UC) were included for analyses. The median cost of health care in the year before anti-TNF therapy was $4698 for CD vs $6364 for UC. The median cost rose to $39,749 and $49,327, respectively, in the year after anti-TNF initiation, and to $210,956 and $245,260 in the 5 years after initiation for continuous anti-TNF users. Inpatient and outpatient costs decreased in the year after anti-TNF initiation by 12% and 7%, respectively, when excluding the cost of anti-TNFs. Conclusions Direct health care expenditures markedly increase after anti-TNF initiation and continue to stay elevated over pre-initiation costs for up to 5 years, with only small reductions in the direct costs of non-drug-related health care.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9549-9549
Author(s):  
Chunkit Fung ◽  
Chintan Pandya ◽  
Katia Noyes ◽  
Emelian Scosyrev ◽  
Deepak M. Sahasrabudhe ◽  
...  

9549 Background: The impact of BC on HRQL is poorly understood. To our knowledge, this is the first and largest cross-sectional study that compares HRQL of patients before and after BC diagnosis (DX). Methods: Our sample included 1,476 BC patients (≥ age 65) within the SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey linkage database (1998-2007). We assessed differences in HRQL as measured by SF-36 physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) summary scores in patients who had a survey >1 yr before BC DX (n=620) and those who had a survey after BC DX (n=856). We compared groups by year from BC DX using regression analyses and results were adjusted for cancer stage, race, gender, age at BC DX, marital status, education, income, smoking status, activity of daily living (ADLs), and non-cancer comorbidities. Results: Patients who had a survey after BC DX were diagnosed with BC at an older age than those with a survey before BC DX (55.9% at age ≥75 yr vs. 36.8%; P<0.01). Other baseline demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were similar. Baseline HRQL were poor in patients before DX (PCS mean=40.1; MCS mean=51.1) with 50.6% and 31.9% of them having comorbidity score ≥2 and impairment of ≥1 ADLs, respectively. After BC DX, significant decreases in PCS (-2.7; 95% CI -3.8,-1.7) and MCS (-1.4; 95% CI -2.6, -0.3) were observed, with HRQL being lowest in those who had BC DX within 1 yr (PCS mean= 36.6; MCS mean=49.7). Declines in PCS during the <1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, and 10+ yr periods after BC DX compared to before BC DX were -3.8 (P<0.01), -2.5 (P<0.01), -2.2 (P=0.01), -1.1 (P=0.19) and -0.8 (P=0.57) whereas decreases in MCS were -2.0 (P=0.01), -2.2 (P<0.01), -1.2 (P=0.21), -0.1 (P=0.92), -0.8 (P=0.62) respectively. More advanced BC, lower educational level, higher comorbidity score, and impaired ADLs were significantly associated with both worse PCS and MCS after BC DX (P<0.05). Lower income and older age at BC DX showed significant association with low PCS (P<0.05). Conclusions: Older BC patients are a vulnerable population with poor baseline HRQL. HRQL of patients after BC DX is significantly worse than HRQL of patients before DX, possibly due to therapy and/or disease progression. Future research that evaluates interventions to improve HRQL in older patients with BC is critical.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lanting Lu ◽  
Jaime Peters ◽  
Chris Roome ◽  
Ken Stein

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alemtuzumab (CAMPATH-1H) compared with conventional chemotherapy in people with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL).Methods:We developed a decision-analytic model to assess the costs and benefits of alemtuzumab or conventional therapy based on their effects on quality of life of patients. The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio incorporating costs per additional quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained over lifetime. Due to the limited data available, a large number of assumptions had to be made to construct the cost-utility model. One-way, multi-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were conducted to explore the impact of these uncertainties. Expected values of perfect information were also calculated for four specific scenarios.Results:Depending on different key assumptions made, the PSA suggested distinct conclusions using a willingness-to-pay threshold of 30,000 GBP per QALY gained. Using this threshold, the probability that alemtuzumab would be cost-effective varies from 0 percent to 53 percent for the four modeled scenarios. Population expected value of perfect information analysis suggests that resolving the parameter uncertainty in the analysis for people with T-PLL in the United Kingdom would have considerable value—up to 5.3 million euro.Conclusions:Alemtuzumab appears more likely to be cost-effective if used earlier in the course of T-PLL and where it replaces the use of multiple alternative therapies. However, cost-effectiveness is highly uncertain and future research is clearly justified. Nevertheless, our analysis demonstrates the feasibility of considering the cost-effectiveness of an agent despite the presence of significant uncertainty to provide appropriate assessment information to policy makers.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 282-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Charles Bensoussan ◽  
Michael A. Bolton ◽  
Sarah Pi ◽  
Allycin L. Powell-Hicks ◽  
Anna Postolova ◽  
...  

This article reviews the literature regarding the impact of cosmetic surgery on health-related quality of life (QOL). Studies were identified through PubMed/Medline and PsycINFO searches from January 1960 to December 2011. Twenty-eight studies were included in this review, according to specific selection criteria.The procedures and tools employed in cosmetic surgery research studies were remarkably diverse, thus yielding difficulties with data analysis. However, data indicate that individuals undergoing cosmetic surgery began with lower values on aspects of QOL than control subjects, and experienced significant QOL improvement post-procedurally, an effect that appeared to plateau with time.Despite the complexity of measuring QOL in cosmetic surgery patients, most studies showed an improvement in QOL after cosmetic surgery procedures. However, this finding was clouded by measurement precision as well as heterogeneity of procedures and study populations. Future research needs to focus on refining measurement techniques, including developing cosmetic surgery–specific QOL measures.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ruth Elizabeth Armstrong

<p>The present research examines the effect of music therapy on the affect of hospitalised children. It took place on a paediatric ward of a New Zealand public hospital. This study aimed to investigate the role of music therapy in addressing patients' psychosocial needs. Literature on the impact of hospitalisation, and on the use of music therapy in hospitals and paediatrics was reviewed. The research involved an audit of the therapist's clinical notes from music therapy sessions over the course of seven months. The clinical notes included measurements of children's mood from the beginning and end of sessions, using McGrath's (1990) Affective Facial Scale. It was hypothesised that mood measures following music therapy would be higher than pre-music therapy scores. Statistical analysis of the facial scale data did not show a significant difference between 'before' and 'after' measures. These results were discussed with regard to a ceiling effect (this is, the measurements indicated patients were at the happy end of the scale before the music therapy session, so there was little room on the scale for mood to improve following music therapy). The measurement of emotion did not prove to be straightforward. The hospital environment may have influenced the patients' responses in a number of ways. These environmental influences are discussed with reference to examples from the clinical notes. The usefulness of facial scales in this context is discussed, as well as other limitations of the research. Suggestions for future research include the use of other mood measures, and the inclusion of measurements of parental mood and how this affects the child.</p>


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