European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Sep 2022
Do we need blood culture stewardship programs? A quality control study and survey to assess the appropriateness of blood culture collection and the knowledge and attitudes among physicians in Swiss hospitals.
Guidance for blood culture (BC) collection is limited. Inappropriate BC collection may be associated with potentially harmful consequences for the patient such as unnecessary laboratory testing, treatment and additional costs. The aim of the study was to assess the appropriateness of BC collection and related knowledge and attitude of precribers. ⋯ Almost half of the BCs was not collected according to the guidelines, especially in non-severe CAP and in case of FUBCs. Substantial uncertainty among physicians regarding BC ordering practices was identified. The implementation of diagnostic stewardship programs may improve BC collection practices, increase adherence to local guidelines, and may help reducing unnecessary diagnostics and treatment.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Sep 2022
Physician care access plays a significant role in extending global and regional life expectancy.
Previous cross-sectional studies generally did not fully consider the potential confounding factors associated with physician impact on overall population health. This ecological study controlled for health, demographic and socioeconomic confounders while using total physician density for predicting overall population health globally and regionally. ⋯ Physician density is a major independent contributor for LEB both globally and with special regard to the developing world. Telehealth may be an alternative to increase physicians' capacity while funding for increasing physician employment is desirable.