scholarly journals Setting up district audit meetings in psychiatry

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 417-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Roy

Charles Shaw, in a number of articles and his Hospital Handbook (Shaw, 1989, 1990) has played a key role in outlining the principles of medical audit. He arbitrarily divides the process of medical audit into four phases. The philosophical phase which seems to have been negotiated, is whether the medical profession should be involved; the organisational phase; who should lead the process, and the resources required; the practical phase, what should be audited and the methods used; and the invasive phase, how the general concepts and the details of audit are communicated through publication. He goes on to describe a variety of methods of audit including the review of adverse events and general statistics, the assessment of randomly selected records, and finally the review of a topic (which includes medical record review). Another approach in planning audit is through understanding of the organisation itself (Donabedian, 1966) and evaluating quality of care in terms of the structure of the organisation (bricks and mortar, staffing, beds, technology etc.), the process of care, and this may include length of stay, broad out-patients statistics, and perhaps more controversially, face to face contact, group interaction, home visits, day hospital attendance and so on. Finally, and most complex, is outcome.

1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
François M. Mai ◽  
Jean-Yves Gosselin ◽  
Lily Varan ◽  
Luc Bourgon ◽  
Joaquin Ruiz Navarro

Quality controls are becoming an important part of our health care system. A medical audit is one way of evaluating quality of care, and this paper describes the results of an audit conducted to investigate the reasons for a prolonged stay on a psychiatric inpatient unit. The results showed a decrease in the mean length of stay over a five year period, although the figure remained substantially above provincial norms. A review of the hospital charts of a random sample of one in six patients whose hospital stay exceeded 30 days was carried out. It revealed that in 50.0% of cases the reasons were “medically acceptable,” in 10.3% the reasons were “medically unacceptable” and in 39.7% the reasons were “social and administrative” and beyond the control of the treating psychiatrist. The implication of these results are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Spigel ◽  
Jessica A. Lin ◽  
Carly E. Milliren ◽  
Melissa Freizinger ◽  
Julia A. Vitagliano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Shelter-in-place orders and social distancing guidelines, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, have limited traditional face-to-face interactions and led to many clinical providers transitioning to the use of videoconferencing platforms. The present study aims to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted adolescents’/young adults’ (AYA) eating disorder (ED)-related care, and how access to, changes in, perceived disruptions to, and quality of care are associated with ED thoughts and behaviors. Methods AYA enrolled in the RECOVERY study, a pre-existing web-based longitudinal study, and completed a COVID-19-specific survey (n = 89). We examined bivariate associations of four markers of care: i) access to care, ii) changes in care, iii) perceived disruption to care, and iv) quality of care. Using multiple logistic regression, we examined the associations of pandemic-related markers of care with changes in ED thoughts and behaviors. We excluded those not engaged in treatment pre-pandemic (n = 16). Results In the remaining 73 participants, reported access to care was high, with 92% of respondents continuing care with at least one ED provider during the pandemic; however, 47% stopped some treatment during the pandemic. Nearly one-third (32%) perceived a disruption in treatment. Quality of care remained high with 67% reporting care to be better than or as good as pre-pandemic. Respondents acknowledged heightened symptomatology: 81% reported increased ED thoughts and 81% reported increased ED behaviors due to COVID-19-related factors. However, none of the markers of care described were significantly associated with ED thoughts or behaviors in regression analyses adjusting for demographic variables and baseline characteristics, except our quality of care measure which was approaching significance (p = 0.07). Conclusions Our findings show the majority of AYA who had care prior to the pandemic continued receiving some element of their multi-disciplinary ED treatment and perceived their care as high quality. None of the markers of care described were statistically associated with increased ED thoughts and behaviors.


Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L James ◽  
Julian P Yand ◽  
Maria Grau-Sepulveda ◽  
DaiWai M Olson ◽  
Deepak L Bhatt ◽  
...  

Introduction Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can be a devastating condition, requiring intensive intervention. Yet, few studies have examined whether patient insurance status is associated with ICH care or acute outcomes. Methods Using data from 1,711 sites participating in GWTG-Stroke database from April 2003 to April 2011, we identified 156,848 non-transferred subjects with ICH who had known discharge status. Insurance status was categorized as private, Medicaid, Medicare or none. We explored associations between lack of insurance (using private insurance status as the reference group) and in-hospital outcomes (mortality, ambulatory status, & length of stay) and quality of care measures (DVT prophylaxis, smoking cessation, dysphagia screening, stroke education, imaging times, & rehabilitation). We utilized multiple individual (including demographics and medical history) and hospital (including size, geographic region and academic teaching status)lcharacteristics as covariates. Results Subjects without insurance (n=10647) were younger (54.4 v. 71 years), more likely men (60.6 v. 50.8%), more likely black (33.2 v. 17.4%) or Hispanic (15.8 v. 7.9%), from the South (50.6 v. 38.9%), and had fewer vascular risk factors with the exception of smoking when compared with the overall subject population. Further, subjects without insurance were more likely to experience in-hospital mortality (25.9 v. 23.9%; adjusted OR 1.29) and longer length of stay (11.4 v. 7.8 days), but were more likely to receive all quality measures of care, be discharged home (52.1 v. 36.1%), and ambulate independently (47.5 v. 38.5%) at discharge compared with subjects with private insurance (n=40033). Conclusions Among GWTG-Stroke participating hospitals, ICH patients without insurance were more likely to die while in the hospital but experienced higher quality measures of care and were more likely to ambulate independently at discharge should they survive.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shima Tabatabai

The article summarizes evidence about the effectiveness of patient–physician electronic communication. The emphasis was on the importance of understanding the potential impact of e-communication on patient satisfaction, and on the quality of health care. A review of literature was performed in the area of patient–physician electronic communication, and references were appraised, and synthesized for an overview of benefits and challenges of this model of communication. Electronic communication is becoming popular, has the potential to transform the health care system, and support the patient–physician interaction. Patients are enthusiastic about this convenience model of communication, and feel strongly embraced in communicating via email & web messaging. Although, there is evidence that electronic communication could increase quality of care due to increased interaction and would extend health care efficiency, a variety of potential benefits and challenges is reported. Overall, electronic communication introduces a new model of patient-physician interaction that could supplement and reasonably replace a portion of traditional face-to-face encounters. However, further investigation is required to assess its impact on healthcare process efficiency.


1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Thomson ◽  
S Wells ◽  
M Maxwell

Prompt remove of chest tubes by RNs has allowed earlier and more aggressive ambulation of our patients and, along with other interventions, has decreased length of stay by 1.5 days while improving quality of care. Proper education, both didactic and clinical, is the key component in preparing RNs to safely and effectively perform this procedure.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 92-100
Author(s):  
Joseph S Salama ◽  
Alex Lee ◽  
Ashkan Afshin

Healthcare innovation is becoming a popular but poorly defined option for those who are seeking new ways of reducing costs while also improving the quality of care. The process of innovating in healthcare delivery can be improved by identifying and understanding the unmet needs of patients and providers. We conducted two systematic literature reviews to identify the needs of these stakeholders throughout healthcare delivery and developed a conceptual framework for innovating in healthcare. Our results reveal tension between patients’ and providers’ preferences across three major categories—treatment and outcomes, process of care and structure of care. Therefore, innovating in healthcare may be better understood as addressing the unmet needs of each stakeholder by easing or eliminating tensions between stakeholders. This conceptual framework may serve as a useful instrument for health policymakers, payers and innovators to alike make better decisions as they invest in healthcare innovations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 615-647
Author(s):  
Leonardo Nogueira Melo ◽  
Vera Lúcia Freitas ◽  
Emanuel Pereira dos Santos ◽  
Raphael Dias de Mello Pereira ◽  
Vanessa Silva De Oliveira ◽  
...  

Objetivo: Evaluar, según la literatura, cuáles son los principales factores considerados facilitadores y/o agravantes en la realización del transporte de pacientes en estado crítico.Método: Este estudio se trata de una revisión sistemática realizada con el método PICOResultado: Los periódicos seleccionados comprendían un espacio temporal en los últimos diez años, donde 6 periódicos fueron elegibles, basado en los criterios establecidos. Los resultados relatan que los temas encontrados en esta revisión demuestran una alineación entre la práctica asistencial y la literatura, pero para que el transporte sea realizado sin eventos adversos, es necesario que haya unión entre la gestión y los profesionales involucrados.Conclusión: Aunque los hallazgos demuestren una gran preocupación en relación a la calidad en la asistencia y en la preparación del equipo, los autores creen que más estudios deben ser fomentados una vez que el trabajo en equipo, a pesar de ser complejo, es la clave para la realización de los procedimientos con efectividad. Objective: To evaluate, according to the literature, the main factors considered facilitators and/or aggravating in the transportation of patients in critical condition.Method: This study is a systematic review performed using the PICO method.Results: The selected journals comprised a time space in the last 10 years, with six journals eligible, based on the established criteria. The results report that the themes found in this review demonstrate an alignment between care practice and literature, but, for a transportation without adverse events, there must be a union between the management and the professionals involved.Conclusion: Although the findings demonstrate a great concern regarding the quality of care and team preparation, the authors believe that more studies should be encouraged since teamwork, despite being complex, is the key to performing the procedures with effectiveness. Objetivo: Avaliar segundo a literatura quais são os principais fatores que são considerados facilitadores e/ou agravantes na realização do transporte de pacientes em estado crítico.Método: Este estudo trata-se de uma revisão sistemática realizada com método PICOResultado: Os periódicos selecionados compreendiam um espaço temporal nos últimos dez anos, onde 6 periódicos foram elegíveis, baseado nos critérios estabelecidos. Os resultados relatam que os temas encontrados nesta revisão demonstram um alinhamento entre a prática assistencial e a literatura, porém para que o transporte seja realizado sem eventos adversos, é necessário que haja união entre a gestão e os profissionais envolvidos.Conclusão: Embora os achados demonstrem uma grande preocupação em relação à qualidade na assistência e no preparo da equipe, os autores acreditam que mais estudos devem ser fomentados uma vez que o trabalho em equipe apesar de ser complexo, é a chave para a realização dos procedimentos com efetividade.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. A1-A8
Author(s):  
Adriano Caixeta ◽  
Marcelo Franken ◽  
Marcelo Katz ◽  
Pedro A Lemos ◽  
Ivanise Gomes ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective We aim to examine the effect of benchmarking on quality-of-care metrics in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) through the implementation of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) ACTION Registry. Design From January 2005 to December 2017, 712 patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention PCI—499 before NCDR ACTION Registry implementation (prior to 2013) and 213 after implementation. Setting STEMI. Participants 712 patients. Intervention(s) Primary PCI. Main Outcome Measure(s) We examined hospital performance for the quality indicators in processes and outcomes of the management of patients presenting with STEMI. Outcome measures include door-to-balloon time (DBT), antiplatelet therapy and anti-ischemic drugs prescribed at discharge from pre-NCDR ACTION Registry to post-implementation. Results There was improvement in DBT, decreasing from 94 min in 2012 (before NCDR adoption) to reach a median of 47 min in 2017 (Ptrend < 0.001). The percentage of cases with the optimal DBT of < 90 min increased from 55.8% before to 90.1% after the implementation of the NCDR ACTION Registry (Ptrend < 0.001). The rate of aspirin (90.3–100%, P < 0.001), P2Y12 inhibitor (70.1–78.4%, P = 0.02), beta-blocker (76.8–100%, P < 0.001) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (60.1–99.5%, P < 0.001) prescribed at discharge increased from pre-NCDR ACTION Registry to post-implementation. Adjusted mortality before and after NCDR ACTION Registry implementation showed significant change (from 9.04 to 5.92%; P = 0.027). Conclusions The introduction of the ACC NCDR ACTION Registry led to incremental gains in the quality in STEMI management through the benchmarking of process of care and clinical outcomes, achieving reduced DBT, improving guideline-directed medication adherence and increasing patient safety, treatment efficacy and survival.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. e12.1-e12
Author(s):  
Bridie Evans ◽  
Alan Brown ◽  
Jenna Bulger ◽  
Greg Fegan ◽  
Simon Ford ◽  
...  

BackgroundUp to 40% of patients with suspected hip fracture report inadequate or no pre-hospital pain management. Morphine may raise risk of complications and may be avoided by paramedics. Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block (FICB) is used in Emergency Department and orthopaedic wards. The RAPID trial tested feasibility of paramedics administering FICB to patients with suspected hip fracture.ObjectiveTo explore patients’ views and experience of care received for suspected hip fracture and in particular FICB before ambulance transport to hospital.MethodWe interviewed six patients and the daughter of a patient who received FICB to manage their suspected hip fracture. Interviews, by telephone or face-to-face, were audio-recorded with consent. We conducted thematic analysis of transcripts. Two researchers, one paramedic and one lay member were in the analysis teamResultsRespondents’ memory of prehospital care was dominated by their experience of extreme pain. While they recalled events before falling, they only had partial memory of care prior to hip surgery. Although they recalled paramedics’ arrival, which they reported was up to six hours after their injury, respondents said they remembered little else. Just one recalled consenting to receiving FICB and could describe the process. Other respondents said they were in too much pain to comprehend what occurred or respond coherently. They explained their priority was to receive pain management and they expected the paramedics to treat them safely and effectively. Respondents appeared to be a stoical and trusting group who accepted the treatment they were offered. They did recall high quality of care and praised paramedics for their reassuring and calm manner.ConclusionsHip fracture patients’ overwhelming memory of injury and treatment was of pain and their priority was to receive pain relief. The quality of care, reassurance and administration of pain management was more important to patients than the mechanism of delivering the intervention.


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