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Djulbegovic B, Boylan A, Kolo S, Scheurer DB, Anuskiewicz S, Khaledi F, Youkhana K, Madgwick S, Maharjan N, Hozo I. Converting IMPROVE bleeding and VTE risk assessment models into a fast-and-frugal decision tree for optimal hospital VTE prophylaxis. Blood Adv 2024; 8:3214-3224. [PMID: 38621198 PMCID: PMC11225674 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2024013166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Current hospital venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis for medical patients is characterized by both underuse and overuse. The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has endorsed the use of risk assessment models (RAMs) as an approach to individualize VTE prophylaxis by balancing overuse (excessive risk of bleeding) and underuse (risk of avoidable VTE). ASH has endorsed IMPROVE (International Medical Prevention Registry on Venous Thromboembolism) risk assessment models, the only RAMs to assess short-term bleeding and VTE risk in acutely ill medical inpatients. ASH, however, notes that no RAMs have been thoroughly analyzed for their effect on patient outcomes. We aimed to validate the IMPROVE models and adapt them into a simple, fast-and-frugal (FFT) decision tree to evaluate the impact of VTE prevention on health outcomes and costs. We used 3 methods: the "best evidence" from ASH guidelines, a "learning health system paradigm" combining guideline and real-world data from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and a "real-world data" approach based solely on MUSC data retrospectively extracted from electronic records. We found that the most effective VTE prevention strategy used the FFT decision tree based on an IMPROVE VTE score of ≥2 or ≥4 and a bleeding score of <7. This method could prevent 45% of unnecessary treatments, saving ∼$5 million annually for patients such as the MUSC cohort. We recommend integrating IMPROVE models into hospital electronic medical records as a point-of-care tool, thereby enhancing VTE prevention in hospitalized medical patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Boylan
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Shelby Kolo
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | | | - Flora Khaledi
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | | | | | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, IN
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Torres JA, Leite TH, Fonseca TCO, Domingues RMSM, Figueiró AC, Pereira APE, Theme-Filha MM, da Silva Ayres BV, Scott O, de Cássia Sanchez R, Borem P, de Maio Osti MC, Rosa MW, Andrade AS, Filho FMP, Nakamura-Pereira M, do Carmo Leal M. An implementation analysis of a quality improvement project to reduce cesarean section in Brazilian private hospitals. Reprod Health 2024; 20:190. [PMID: 38671479 PMCID: PMC11052714 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-024-01773-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brazil has one of the highest prevalence of cesarean sections in the world. The private health system is responsible for carrying out most of these surgical procedures. A quality improvement project called Adequate Childbirth Project ("Projeto Parto Adequado"- PPA) was developed to identify models of care for labor and childbirth, which place value on vaginal birth and reduce the frequency of cesarean sections without a clinical indication. This research aims to evaluate the implementation of PPA in private hospitals in Brazil. METHOD Evaluative hospital-based survey, carried out in 2017, in 12 private hospitals, including 4,322 women. We used a Bayesian network strategy to develop a theoretical model for implementation analysis. We estimated and compared the degree of implementation of two major driving components of PPA-"Participation of women" and "Reorganization of care" - among the 12 hospitals and according to type of hospital (belonging to a health insurance company or not). To assess whether the degree of implementation was correlated with the rate of vaginal birth data we used the Bayesian Network and compared the difference between the group "Exposed to the PPA model of care" and the group "Standard of care model". RESULTS PPA had a low degree of implementation in both components "Reorganization of Care" (0.17 - 0.32) and "Participation of Women" (0.21 - 0.34). The combined implementation score was 0.39-0.64 and was higher in hospitals that belonged to a health insurance company. The vaginal birth rate was higher in hospitals with a higher degree of implementation of PPA. CONCLUSION The degree of implementation of PPA was low, which reflects the difficulties in changing childbirth care practices. Nevertheless, PPA increased vaginal birth rates in private hospitals with higher implementation scores. PPA is an ongoing quality improvement project and these results demonstrate the need for changes in the involvement of women and the care offered by the provider.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paulo Borem
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Fernando Maia Peixoto Filho
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, National Institute of Health for Women, Children and Adolescents Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Nakamura-Pereira
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, National Institute of Health for Women, Children and Adolescents Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Melesse GT, Amde T, Tezera R. Competency in evidence-based medicine and associated factors among medical radiology technologists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J Med Radiat Sci 2024. [PMID: 38445830 DOI: 10.1002/jmrs.777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Evidence-based medicine integrates clinical expertise, patient values and best research evidence in clinical decision-making. This study aimed to assess evidence-based medicine knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors among medical radiology technologists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 392 medical radiology technologists from May to August 2022 using a self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with evidence-based medicine practice. RESULTS Most medical radiology technologists (57.7%) had moderate evidence-based medicine knowledge and 94.9% had favourable attitudes. However, 64.8% demonstrated poor evidence-based medicine practice. Factors significantly associated with better evidence-based medicine practice were moderate knowledge (AOR 1.949, 95% CI 1.155-3.291), good statistical understanding (AOR 1.824, 95% CI 1.135-2.930), sufficient time for evidence-based medicine (AOR 1.892, 95% CI 1.140-3.141), institutional support (AOR 2.093, 95% CI 1.271-3.440) and evidence-based medicine resource access (AOR 1.653, 95% CI 1.028-2.656). CONCLUSION Despite moderate knowledge and positive attitudes towards evidence-based medicine, most medical radiology technologists had suboptimal utilisation. Strategies to improve knowledge, ensure dedicated time, provide institutional support and resources could enhance evidence-based radiology practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girma Tufa Melesse
- Department of Midwifery, Institute of Health, Bule Hora University, Bule Hora, Ethiopia
| | - Tewodros Amde
- Department of Medical Radiology, College of Medical and Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Robel Tezera
- Department of Medical Radiology, College of Medical and Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Tafur AJ, Barnes GD, Bhagirath VC, Douketis J. Anticoagulation Stewardship to Bridge the Implementation Gap in Perioperative Anticoagulation Management. TH OPEN 2024; 8:e114-e120. [PMID: 38476982 PMCID: PMC10927368 DOI: 10.1055/a-2259-0911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Lack of alignment of care protocols among providers in health care is a driver of increased costs and suboptimal patient outcomes. Perioperative anticoagulation management is a good example of a complex area where protocol creation is a clinical challenge that demands input from multiple experts. Questions regarding the need for anticoagulation interruptions are frequent. Yet, due to layers of complexity involving analysis of anticoagulation indication, surgical risk, and anesthesia-associated bleeding risk as well as institutional practices, there is heterogeneity in how these interruptions are approached. The recent perioperative anticoagulation guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians summarize extensive evidence for the management of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications in patients who undergo elective interventions. However, implementation of these guidelines by individual clinicians is highly varied and often does not follow the best available clinical evidence. Against this background, anticoagulation stewardship units, which exist to improve safety and quality monitoring for the anticoagulated patient, are of growing interest. These units provide a bridge for the implementation of value-based, high-quality guidelines for patients who need perioperative anticoagulation interruption. We use a case to pragmatically illustrate the problem and tactics for change management and implementation science that may facilitate the adoption of perioperative anticoagulation guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso J. Tafur
- Department of Medicine, Vascular Medicine, NorthShore—Edward-Elmhurst Health, Evanston, Illinois, United States
- Department of Medicine-Cardiovascular Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Geoffrey D. Barnes
- Frankel Cardiovascular Center and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | | | - James Douketis
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Wulczyn F, Kaligotla C, Hummel J, Wagner A, MacLeod A. Agent-based simulation and child protection systems: Rationale, implementation, and verification. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 147:106578. [PMID: 38128373 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Simulation models are an important tool used in health care and other disciplines to support operational research and decision-making. In the child protection literature, simulation models are an under-utilized source of research evidence. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING In this paper, we describe the rationale for and the development of an agent-based simulation of a child protection system in the US. Using the investigation, prevention service, and placement histories of 600,000 children served in an urban child welfare system, we walk the reader through the development of a prototype known as OSPEDALE. METHODS The governing equations built into OSPEDALE probabilistically simulate the onset of investigations. Then, drawing from empirical survival distributions, the governing equations trace the probability of subsequent interactions with the system (recurrence of maltreatment, service referrals, and placement) conditional on the characteristics of children, their assessed risk level, and prior child protection system involvement. RESULTS As an initial test of OSPEDALE's utility, we compare empirical admission counts with counts generated from OSPEDALE. Though the verification step is admittedly simple, the comparison shows that OSPEDALE replicates the empirical count of new admissions closely enough to justify further investment in OSPEDALE. CONCLUSIONS Management of public child protection systems is increasingly research evidence-dependent. The emphasis on research evidence as a decision-support tool has elevated evidence acquired through randomized clinical trials. Though important, the evidence from clinical trials represents only one type of research evidence. Properly specified, simulation models are another source of evidence with real-world relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Wulczyn
- Center for State Child Welfare Data, Chapin Hall, University of Chicago, United States of America.
| | | | - John Hummel
- Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, United States of America
| | - Amanda Wagner
- Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago, United States of America
| | - Alex MacLeod
- Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Canada
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Abstract
Today, every country struggles to provide adequate health care to its citizens. Globally, an average of $8.3 trillion or 10% of gross domestic product (GDP) is annually spent on health services. In 2019, the USA spent nearly 18% ($3.2 trillion) of its GDP on health care, projected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Hematology Stewardship Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, IN, USA
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Payton KSE, Gould JB. Vignette Research Methodology: An Essential Tool for Quality Improvement Collaboratives. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 11:healthcare11010007. [PMID: 36611468 PMCID: PMC9818599 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in patient outcomes among institutions and within institutions is a major problem in healthcare. Some of this variation is due to differences in practice, termed practice variation. Some practice variation is expected due to appropriately personalized care for a given patient. However, some practice variation is due to the individual preference or style of the clinicians. Quality improvement collaboratives are commonly used to disseminate quality care on a wide scale. Practice variation is a notable barrier to any quality improvement effort. A detailed and accurate understanding of practice variation can help optimize the quality improvement efforts. The traditional survey methods do not capture the complex nuances of practice variation. Vignette methods have been shown to accurately measure the actual practice variation and quality of care delivered by clinicians. Vignette methods are cost-effective relative to other methods of measuring quality of care. This review describes our experience and lessons from implementing vignette research methods in quality improvement collaboratives in California neonatal intensive care units. Vignette methodology is an ideal tool to address practice variation in quality improvement collaboratives, actively engage a large number of participants, and support more evidence-based practice to improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurlen S. E. Payton
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Jeffrey B. Gould
- California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Celis A, Conway DI, Macpherson LMD, McMahon AD. Data Resource Profile: National Child Oral Health Improvement Programmes for Chile. Int J Epidemiol 2022; 52:e110-e115. [PMID: 36264249 PMCID: PMC10115402 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Celis
- Community Oral Health, University of Glasgow Dental School, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.,Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - David I Conway
- Community Oral Health, University of Glasgow Dental School, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Lorna M D Macpherson
- Community Oral Health, University of Glasgow Dental School, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Alex D McMahon
- Community Oral Health, University of Glasgow Dental School, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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9
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Djulbegovic B, Hozo I, Li SA, Razavi M, Cuker A, Guyatt G. Certainty of evidence and intervention's benefits and harms are key determinants of guidelines' recommendations. J Clin Epidemiol 2021; 136:1-9. [PMID: 33662511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many factors are postulated to affect guidelines developments. We set out to identify the key determinants. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING a) Web-based survey of 12 panels of 153 "voting" members who issued 2941 recommendations; b) qualitative analysis of 13 panels of 311 attendees (panel members, systematic review teams and observers). RESULTS Compared with "no recommendations", when intervention's benefit outweigh harms (BH-balance), probability of issuing strong recommendations in favor of intervention was 0.22 (95%CI: 0.08 to 0.36) when certainty of evidence (CoE) was very low; 0.5 (95%CI:0.36 to 0.63) when low; 0.74 (95%CI 0.61 to 0.87) when moderate and 0.85 (95%CI:0.71 to 1.00) when high. No other postulated factor significantly affected recommendations. The findings are consistent with a J- curve model when recommendations are issued in favor but not against an intervention. Panelists often changed their judgments as a result of the meeting discussion (67% for CoE to 92% for balance between benefits and harms). The panels spent over 50% of their time debating CoE; the chairs and co-chairs dominated discussion. CONCLUSIONS CoE and BH-balance are key determinants of recommendations in favor of an intervention. Chairs and co-chairs dominate discussion. Panelists often change their judgments as a result of panel deliberation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Beckman Research Institute, Department of Computational & Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope, Duarte, CA; Division of Health Analytics, Duarte, CA; Evidence-based Medicine and Comparative Effectiveness Research, Duarte, CA.
| | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University, Gary, IN
| | - Shelly-Anne Li
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Adam Cuker
- Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Gordon Guyatt
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Sonntag J, Landale K, Brorson S, Harris IA. Can the results of a randomized controlled trial change the treatment preferences of orthopaedic surgeons? Bone Jt Open 2020; 1:549-555. [PMID: 33215153 PMCID: PMC7659699 DOI: 10.1302/2633-1462.19.bjo-2020-0093.r1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The aim of this study was to investigate surgeons' reported change of treatment preference in response to the results and conclusion from a randomized contolled trial (RCT) and to study patterns of change between subspecialties and nationalities. Methods Two questionnaires were developed through the Delphi process for this cross-sectional survey of surgical preference. The first questionnaire was sent out before the publication of a RCT and the second questionnaire was sent out after publication. The RCT investigated repair or non-repair of the pronator quadratus (PQ) muscle during volar locked plating of distal radial fractures (DRFs). Overall, 380 orthopaedic surgeons were invited to participate in the first questionnaire, of whom 115 replied. One hundred surgeons were invited to participate in the second questionnaire. The primary outcome was the proportion of surgeons for whom a treatment change was warranted, who then reported a change of treatment preference following the RCT. Secondary outcomes included the reasons for repair or non-repair, reasons for and against following the RCT results, and difference of preferred treatment of the PQ muscle between surgeons of different nationalities, qualifications, years of training, and number of procedures performed per year. Results Of the 100 surgeons invited for the second questionnaire, 74 replied. For the primary outcome, six of 32 surgeons (19%), who usually repaired the PQ muscle and therefore a change of treatment preference was warranted, reported a change of treatment preference based on the RCT publication. Of the secondary outcomes, restoring anatomy was the most common response for repairing the PQ muscle. Conclusion The majority of the orthopaedic surgeons, where a change of treatment preference was warranted based on the results and conclusion of a RCT, did not report willingness to change their treatment preference.Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-9:549-555.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Sonntag
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nordsjaellands Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hilleroed, Denmark
| | - Keith Landale
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital, Tamworth, Australia
| | - Stig Brorson
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Zealand University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ian A Harris
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Redfern J, Hafiz N, Hyun K, Knight A, Hespe C, Chow CK, Briffa T, Gallagher R, Reid C, Hare DL, Zwar N, Woodward M, Jan S, Atkins ER, Laba TL, Halcomb E, Billot L, Johnson T, Usherwood T. QUality improvement in primary care to prevent hospitalisations and improve Effectiveness and efficiency of care for people Living with coronary heart disease (QUEL): protocol for a 24-month cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care. BMC FAMILY PRACTICE 2020; 21:36. [PMID: 32059641 PMCID: PMC7020350 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-020-01105-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, is the leading cause of death and disability globally. A large proportion of mortality occurs in people with prior CHD and effective and scalable strategies are needed to prevent associated deaths and hospitalisations. The aim of this study is to determine if a practice-level collaborative quality improvement program, focused on patients with CHD, reduces the rate of unplanned CVD hospitalisations and major adverse cardiovascular events, and increases the proportion of patients achieving risk factor targets at 24 months. Methods Cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a primary care quality improvement program in 50 primary care practices (n~ 10,000 patients) with 24-month follow-up. Eligible practices will be randomised (1:1) to participate in either the intervention (collaborative quality improvement program) or control (standard care) regimens. Outcomes will be assessed based on randomised allocation, according to intention-to-treat. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with unplanned CVD hospitalisations at 2 years. Secondary outcomes are proportion of patients with major adverse cardiovascular events, proportion of patients who received prescriptions for guideline-recommended medicines, proportion of patients achieving national risk factor targets and proportion with a chronic disease management plan or review. Differences in the proportion of patients who are hospitalised (as well as binary secondary outcomes) will be analysed using log-binomial regression or robust Poisson regression, if necessary. Discussion Despite extensive research with surrogate outcomes, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a data-driven collaborative quality improvement intervention on hospitalisations, CVD events and cardiovascular risk amongst patients with CHD in the primary care setting. The use of data linkage for collection of outcomes will enable evaluation of this potentially efficient strategy for improving management of risk and outcomes for people with heart disease. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) number ACTRN12619001790134 (dated 20th December 2019).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Redfern
- Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, PO Box 154 Westmead, Sydney, NSW, 2154, Australia. .,Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia. .,The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Nashid Hafiz
- Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, PO Box 154 Westmead, Sydney, NSW, 2154, Australia
| | - Karice Hyun
- Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, PO Box 154 Westmead, Sydney, NSW, 2154, Australia
| | - Andrew Knight
- Primary ageind Integrated Care Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Charlotte Hespe
- School of Medicine Sydney, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Clara K Chow
- Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, PO Box 154 Westmead, Sydney, NSW, 2154, Australia.,Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tom Briffa
- School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robyn Gallagher
- Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medcine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christopher Reid
- School of Public Health, Curtin University and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David L Hare
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - Nicholas Zwar
- Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Mark Woodward
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen Jan
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily R Atkins
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tracey-Lea Laba
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Laurent Billot
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Timothy Usherwood
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia.,Department of General Practice and Westmead Applied Research Centre, Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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12
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Clarke GM, Conti S, Wolters AT, Steventon A. Evaluating the impact of healthcare interventions using routine data. BMJ 2019; 365:l2239. [PMID: 31221675 PMCID: PMC6584784 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l2239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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13
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Djulbegovic B, Bennett CL, Guyatt G. A unifying framework for improving health care. J Eval Clin Pract 2019; 25:358-362. [PMID: 30461136 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The quality health care around world is suboptimal. To improve the quality of contemporary health care delivery, advocates have proposed a number of scientific and technical initiatives. All these initiatives, however, have arisen and continue to operate in siloes, resulting in confusion and incommensurability among those concerned with health care improvement. Participants in the quality improvement (QI) space typically stress their own, often narrow, perspective, failing to place QI in context or to acknowledge other approaches. In order to improve delivery of health care, the following is required: Provide a unifying framework for improving health care. We argue this is best done under a Health System Science (HSS) framework but with full understanding that the fundamental principles of HSS are rooted in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and decision sciences. Understand that QI initiatives are fundamentally local activities. Hence, incentivizing bottom-up, local QI initiatives would improve health care delivery to a far greater extent than the current top-down initiatives undertaken in a response to various regulatory mandates. Akin to the "Choosing Wisely" initiative, which challenged professional societies, each institution should identify (a) the extent to which its practices are evidence-based and (b) the top 5 health care practices or interventions that, at a given institution, represent overuse, underuse, or misuse/error or undermine clinicians' efforts to deliver kind and empathic care. Providing a framework that can unify the current patchwork of the initiatives would help create a common basis to help align all the existing QI efforts. In addition, thinking small (at local level) may lead to health care quality improvements that national initiatives (thinking big), focused on regulation, competition, or legal requirements, have failed to achieve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.,Department of Hematology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Charles L Bennett
- South Carolina Center of Economic Excellence for Medication Safety, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Djulbegovic B, Hozo I, Mayrhofer T, van den Ende J, Guyatt G. The threshold model revisited. J Eval Clin Pract 2019; 25:186-195. [PMID: 30575227 PMCID: PMC6590161 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The threshold model represents one of the most significant advances in the field of medical decision-making, yet it often does not apply to the most common class of clinical problems, which include health outcomes as a part of definition of disease. In addition, the original threshold model did not take a decision-maker's values and preferences explicitly into account. METHODS We reformulated the threshold model by (1) applying it to those clinical scenarios, which define disease according to outcomes that treatment is designed to affect, (2) taking into account a decision-maker's values. RESULTS We showed that when outcomes (eg, morbidity) are integral part of definition of disease, the classic threshold model does not apply (as this leads to double counting of outcomes in the probabilities and utilities branches of the model). To avoid double counting, the model can be appropriately analysed by assuming diagnosis is certain (P = 1). This results in deriving a different threshold-the threshold for outcome of disease (Mt ) instead of threshold for probability of disease (Pt ) above which benefits of treatment outweigh its harms. We found that Mt ≤ Pt , which may explain differences between normative models and actual behaviour in practice. When a decision-maker values outcomes related to benefit and harms differently, the new threshold model generates decision thresholds that could be descriptively more accurate. CONCLUSIONS Calculation of the threshold depends on careful disease versus utility definitions and a decision-maker's values and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Department of Supportive Care Medicine, Department of Hematology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA.,Program for Evidence-based Medicine and Comparative Effectiveness Research, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana, USA
| | - Thomas Mayrhofer
- Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jef van den Ende
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gordon Guyatt
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
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Djulbegovic B, Reljic T, Elqayam S, Cuker A, Hozo I, Zhou Q, Li SA, Alexander P, Nieuwlaat R, Wiercioch W, Schünemann H, Guyatt G. Structured decision-making drives guidelines panels' recommendations "for" but not "against" health interventions. J Clin Epidemiol 2019; 110:23-33. [PMID: 30779950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The determinants of guideline panels' recommendations remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to investigate factors considered by members of 8 panels convened by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to develop guidelines using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Web-based survey of the participants in the ASH guidelines panels. ANALYSIS two-level hierarchical, random-effect, multivariable regression analysis to explore the relation between GRADE and non-GRADE factors and strength of recommendations (SOR). RESULTS In the primary analysis, certainty in evidence [OR = 1.83; (95CI% 1.45-2.31)], balance of benefits and harms [OR = 1.49 (95CI% 1.30-1.69)] and variability in patients' values and preferences [OR = 1.47 (95CI% 1.15-1.88)] proved the strongest predictors of SOR. In a secondary analysis, certainty of evidence was associated with a strong recommendation [OR = 3.60 (95% CI 2.16-6.00)] when panel members recommended "for" interventions but not when they made recommendations "against" interventions [OR = 0.98 (95%CI: 0.57-1.8)] consistent with "yes" bias. Agreement between individual members and the group in rating SOR varied (kappa ranged from -0.01 to 0.64). CONCLUSION GRADE's conceptual framework proved, in general, to be highly associated with SOR. Failure of certainty of evidence to be associated with SOR against an intervention, suggest the need for improvements in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope, 1500 East Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA, USA; Department of Hematology, City of Hope, 1500 East Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA, USA.
| | - Tea Reljic
- Department of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Shira Elqayam
- Department of Medicine, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
| | - Adam Cuker
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University, Gary, IN, USA
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Paul Alexander
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Robby Nieuwlaat
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Wojtek Wiercioch
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Holger Schünemann
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Gordon Guyatt
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Torres JA, Leal MDC, Domingues RMSM, Esteves-Pereira AP, Nakano AR, Gomes ML, Figueiró AC, Nakamura-Pereira M, de Oliveira EFV, Ayres BVDS, Sandall J, Belizán JM, Hartz Z. Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention for labour and birth care in Brazilian private hospitals: a protocol. Reprod Health 2018; 15:194. [PMID: 30477517 PMCID: PMC6257968 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-018-0636-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Brazilian private hospitals, caesarean section (CS) is almost universal (88%) and is integrated into the model of birth care. A quality improvement intervention, “Adequate Birth” (PPA), based on four driving components (governance, participation of women and families, reorganisation of care, and monitoring), has been implemented to help 23 hospitals reduce their CS rate. This is a protocol designed to evaluate the implementation of PPA and its effectiveness at reducing CS as a primary outcome of birth care. Methods Case study of PPA intervention conducted in 2017/2018. We integrated quantitative and qualitative methods into data collection and analysis. For the quantitative stage, we selected a convenient sample of twelve hospitals. In each of these hospitals, we included 400 women. This resulted in a total sample of 4800 women. We used this sample to detect a 2.5% reduction in CS rate. We interviewed managers and puerperal women, and extracted data from hospital records. In the qualitative stage, we evaluated a subsample of eight hospitals by means of systematic observation and semi-structured interviews with managers, health professionals and women. We used specific forms for each of the four PPA driving components. Forms for managers and professionals addressed the decision-making process, implemented strategies, participatory process in strategy design, and healthcare practice. Forms for women and neonatal care addressed socio-economic, demographic and health condition; prenatal and birth care; tour of the hospital before delivery; labour expectation vs. real experience; and satisfaction with care received. We will estimate the degree of implementation of PPA strategies related to two of the four driving components: “participation of women and families” and “reorganisation of care”. We will then assess its effect on CS rate and secondary outcomes for each of the twelve selected hospitals, and for the total sample. To allow for clinical, socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics in women, we will conduct multivariate analysis. Additionally, we will evaluate the influence of internal context variables (the PPA driving components “governance” and “monitoring”) on the degree of implementation of the components “participation of women and families” and “reorganisation of care”, by means of thematic content analysis. This analysis will include both quantitative and qualitative data. Discussion The effectiveness of quality improvement interventions that reduce CS rates requires examination. This study will identify strategies that could promote healthier births. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12978-018-0636-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Alves Torres
- Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar, Av. Augusto Severo, 84 - Glória, Diretoria de Desenvolvimento Setorial, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20021-040, Brazil.
| | - Maria do Carmo Leal
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Maysa Luduvice Gomes
- Faculdade de Enfermagem da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia Figueiró
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Nakamura-Pereira
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde da Mulher, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jane Sandall
- Department of Women and children's Health, King's College London, London, England
| | - José M Belizán
- Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Zulmira Hartz
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Djulbegovic B, Hozo I, Dale W. Transforming clinical practice guidelines and clinical pathways into fast-and-frugal decision trees to improve clinical care strategies. J Eval Clin Pract 2018; 24:1247-1254. [PMID: 29484787 DOI: 10.1111/jep.12895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Contemporary delivery of health care is inappropriate in many ways, largely due to suboptimal Q5 decision-making. A typical approach to improve practitioners' decision-making is to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPG) by guidelines panels, who are instructed to use their judgments to derive practice recommendations. However, mechanisms for the formulation of guideline judgments remains a "black-box" operation-a process with defined inputs and outputs but without sufficient knowledge of its internal workings. METHODS Increased explicitness and transparency in the process can be achieved by implementing CPG as clinical pathways (CPs) (also known as clinical algorithms or flow-charts). However, clinical recommendations thus derived are typically ad hoc and developed by experts in a theory-free environment. As any recommendation can be right (true positive or negative), or wrong (false positive or negative), the lack of theoretical structure precludes the quantitative assessment of the management strategies recommended by CPGs/CPs. RESULTS To realize the full potential of CPGs/CPs, they need to be placed on more solid theoretical grounds. We believe this potential can be best realized by converting CPGs/CPs within the heuristic theory of decision-making, often implemented as fast-and-frugal (FFT) decision trees. This is possible because FFT heuristic strategy of decision-making can be linked to signal detection theory, evidence accumulation theory, and a threshold model of decision-making, which, in turn, allows quantitative analysis of the accuracy of clinical management strategies. CONCLUSIONS Fast-and-frugal provides a simple and transparent, yet solid and robust, methodological framework connecting decision science to clinical care, a sorely needed missing link between CPGs/CPs and patient outcomes. We therefore advocate that all guidelines panels express their recommendations as CPs, which in turn should be converted into FFTs to guide clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iztok Hozo
- Department of Mathematics, Indiana University NW, Gary, Indiana, USA
| | - William Dale
- Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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Clinical and Health System Determinants of Venous Thromboembolism Event Rates After Hip Arthroplasty: An International Comparison. Med Care 2018; 56:862-869. [PMID: 30001253 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routinely collected hospital data provide increasing opportunities to assess the performance of health care systems. Several factors may, however, influence performance measures and their interpretation between countries. OBJECTIVE We compared the occurrence of in-hospital venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip replacement across 5 countries and explored factors that could explain differences across these countries. METHODS We performed cross-sectional studies independently in 5 countries: Canada; France; New Zealand; the state of California; and Switzerland. We first calculated the proportion of hospital inpatients with at least one deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism by using numerator codes from the corresponding Patient Safety Indicator. We then compared estimates from each country against a reference value (benchmark) that displayed the baseline risk of VTE in such patients. Finally, we explored length of stay, number of secondary diagnoses coded, and systematic use of ultrasound to detect DVT as potential factors that could explain between-country differences. RESULTS The rates of VTE were 0.16% in Canada, 1.41% in France, 0.84% in New Zealand, 0.66% in California, and 0.37% in Switzerland, while the benchmark was 0.58% (95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.81). Factors that could partially explain differences in VTE rates between countries were hospital length of stay, number of secondary diagnoses coded, and proportion of patients who received lower limb ultrasound to screen for DVT systematically before hospital discharge. An exploration of the French data showed that the systematic use of ultrasound may be associated with over detection of DVT but not pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSIONS In-hospital VTE rates after arthroplasty vary widely across countries, and a combination of clinical, data-related, and health system factors explain some of the variations in VTE rates across countries.
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Djulbegovic B, Elqayam S, Dale W. Rational decision making in medicine: Implications for overuse and underuse. J Eval Clin Pract 2018; 24:655-665. [PMID: 29194876 PMCID: PMC6001794 DOI: 10.1111/jep.12851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In spite of substantial spending and resource utilization, today's health care remains characterized by poor outcomes, largely due to overuse (overtesting/overtreatment) or underuse (undertesting/undertreatment) of health services. To a significant extent, this is a consequence of low-quality decision making that appears to violate various rationality criteria. Such suboptimal decision making is considered a leading cause of death and is responsible for more than 80% of health expenses. In this paper, we address the issue of overuse or underuse of health care interventions from the perspective of rational choice theory. We show that what is considered rational under one decision theory may not be considered rational under a different theory. We posit that the questions and concerns regarding both underuse and overuse have to be addressed within a specific theoretical framework. The applicable rationality criterion, and thus the "appropriateness" of health care delivery choices, depends on theory selection that is appropriate to specific clinical situations. We provide a number of illustrations showing how the choice of theoretical framework influences both our policy and individual decision making. We also highlight the practical implications of our analysis for the current efforts to measure the quality of care and link such measurements to the financing of health care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Department of Supportive Care MedicineCity of HopeDuarteCaliforniaUSA
- Department of HematologyCity of Hope, DuarteCaliforniaUSA
| | - Shira Elqayam
- School of Applied Social Sciences, Division of PsychologyDe Montfort UniversityLeicesterUK
| | - William Dale
- Department of Supportive Care MedicineCity of HopeDuarteCaliforniaUSA
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20
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Winter WE, Harris NS, Flax S. What Are the Goals of Lipid Testing? J Appl Lab Med 2018; 2:816-818. [DOI: 10.1373/jalm.2016.022939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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21
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Djulbegovic B, Elqayam S. Many faces of rationality: Implications of the great rationality debate for clinical decision-making. J Eval Clin Pract 2017; 23:915-922. [PMID: 28730671 PMCID: PMC5655784 DOI: 10.1111/jep.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Given that more than 30% of healthcare costs are wasted on inappropriate care, suboptimal care is increasingly connected to the quality of medical decisions. It has been argued that personal decisions are the leading cause of death, and 80% of healthcare expenditures result from physicians' decisions. Therefore, improving healthcare necessitates improving medical decisions, ie, making decisions (more) rational. Drawing on writings from The Great Rationality Debate from the fields of philosophy, economics, and psychology, we identify core ingredients of rationality commonly encountered across various theoretical models. Rationality is typically classified under umbrella of normative (addressing the question how people "should" or "ought to" make their decisions) and descriptive theories of decision-making (which portray how people actually make their decisions). Normative theories of rational thought of relevance to medicine include epistemic theories that direct practice of evidence-based medicine and expected utility theory, which provides the basis for widely used clinical decision analyses. Descriptive theories of rationality of direct relevance to medical decision-making include bounded rationality, argumentative theory of reasoning, adaptive rationality, dual processing model of rationality, regret-based rationality, pragmatic/substantive rationality, and meta-rationality. For the first time, we provide a review of wide range of theories and models of rationality. We showed that what is "rational" behaviour under one rationality theory may be irrational under the other theory. We also showed that context is of paramount importance to rationality and that no one model of rationality can possibly fit all contexts. We suggest that in context-poor situations, such as policy decision-making, normative theories based on expected utility informed by best research evidence may provide the optimal approach to medical decision-making, whereas in the context-rich circumstances other types of rationality, informed by human cognitive architecture and driven by intuition and emotions such as the aim to minimize regret, may provide better solution to the problem at hand. The choice of theory under which we operate is important as it determines both policy and our individual decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- Program for Comparative Effectiveness ResearchUniversity of South FloridaTampaFLUSA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Evidence‐based Medicine, Morsani College of MedicineUniversity of South FloridaTampaFLUSA
- Department of HematologyH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research InstituteTampaFLUSA
- Department of Health Outcomes and BehaviorH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research InstituteTampaFLUSA
| | - Shira Elqayam
- School of Applied Social Sciences, Division of PsychologyDe Montfort UniversityLeicesterUK
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22
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Djulbegovic B, Guyatt GH. Progress in evidence-based medicine: a quarter century on. Lancet 2017; 390:415-423. [PMID: 28215660 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31592-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 458] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In response to limitations in the understanding and use of published evidence, evidence-based medicine (EBM) began as a movement in the early 1990s. EBM's initial focus was on educating clinicians in the understanding and use of published literature to optimise clinical care, including the science of systematic reviews. EBM progressed to recognise limitations of evidence alone, and has increasingly stressed the need to combine critical appraisal of the evidence with patient's values and preferences through shared decision making. In another progress, EBM incorporated and further developed the science of producing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines pioneered by investigators in the 1980s. EBM's enduring contributions to clinical medicine include placing the practice of medicine on a solid scientific basis, the development of more sophisticated hierarchies of evidence, the recognition of the crucial role of patient values and preferences in clinical decision making, and the development of the methodology for generating trustworthy recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Djulbegovic
- University of South Florida Program for Comparative Effectiveness Research, and Division of Evidence Based Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Gordon H Guyatt
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Portela MC, Pronovost PJ, Woodcock T, Carter P, Dixon-Woods M. How to study improvement interventions: a brief overview of possible study types. Postgrad Med J 2015; 91:343-54. [PMID: 26045562 PMCID: PMC4484358 DOI: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2014-003620rep] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Improvement (defined broadly as purposive efforts to secure positive change) has become an increasingly important activity and field of inquiry within healthcare. This article offers an overview of possible methods for the study of improvement interventions. The choice of available designs is wide, but debates continue about how far improvement efforts can be simultaneously practical (aimed at producing change) and scientific (aimed at producing new knowledge), and whether the distinction between the practical and the scientific is a real and useful one. Quality improvement projects tend to be applied and, in some senses, self-evaluating. They are not necessarily directed at generating new knowledge, but reports of such projects if well conducted and cautious in their inferences may be of considerable value. They can be distinguished heuristically from research studies, which are motivated by and set out explicitly to test a hypothesis, or otherwise generate new knowledge, and from formal evaluations of improvement projects. We discuss variants of trial designs, quasi-experimental designs, systematic reviews, programme evaluations, process evaluations, qualitative studies, and economic evaluations. We note that designs that are better suited to the evaluation of clearly defined and static interventions may be adopted without giving sufficient attention to the challenges associated with the dynamic nature of improvement interventions and their interactions with contextual factors. Reconciling pragmatism and research rigour is highly desirable in the study of improvement. Trade-offs need to be made wisely, taking into account the objectives involved and inferences to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margareth Crisóstomo Portela
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Department of Health Administration and Planning, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Peter J Pronovost
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Surgery, Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, School of Medicine, and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Woodcock
- NIHR CLAHRC for Northwest London, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - Pam Carter
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Mary Dixon-Woods
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Portela MC, Pronovost PJ, Woodcock T, Carter P, Dixon-Woods M. How to study improvement interventions: a brief overview of possible study types. BMJ Qual Saf 2015; 24:325-36. [PMID: 25810415 PMCID: PMC4413733 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Improvement (defined broadly as purposive efforts to secure positive change) has become an increasingly important activity and field of inquiry within healthcare. This article offers an overview of possible methods for the study of improvement interventions. The choice of available designs is wide, but debates continue about how far improvement efforts can be simultaneously practical (aimed at producing change) and scientific (aimed at producing new knowledge), and whether the distinction between the practical and the scientific is a real and useful one. Quality improvement projects tend to be applied and, in some senses, self-evaluating. They are not necessarily directed at generating new knowledge, but reports of such projects if well conducted and cautious in their inferences may be of considerable value. They can be distinguished heuristically from research studies, which are motivated by and set out explicitly to test a hypothesis, or otherwise generate new knowledge, and from formal evaluations of improvement projects. We discuss variants of trial designs, quasi-experimental designs, systematic reviews, programme evaluations, process evaluations, qualitative studies, and economic evaluations. We note that designs that are better suited to the evaluation of clearly defined and static interventions may be adopted without giving sufficient attention to the challenges associated with the dynamic nature of improvement interventions and their interactions with contextual factors. Reconciling pragmatism and research rigour is highly desirable in the study of improvement. Trade-offs need to be made wisely, taking into account the objectives involved and inferences to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margareth Crisóstomo Portela
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Department of Health Administration and Planning, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Peter J Pronovost
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Surgery, Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, School of Medicine, and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Woodcock
- NIHR CLAHRC for Northwest London, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - Pam Carter
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Mary Dixon-Woods
- Social Science Applied to Healthcare Research (SAPPHIRE) Group, Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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