Articles: hospitals.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2003
Multicenter StudyAutomated intensive care unit risk adjustment: results from a National Veterans Affairs study.
Comparison of outcome among intensive care units (ICUs) requires risk adjustment for differences in severity of illness and risk of death at admission to the ICU, historically obtained by costly chart review and manual data entry. ⋯ Automation could broaden access to risk adjustment of ICU outcomes with only a small trade-off in discrimination. Broader use might promote valid evaluation of ICU outcomes, encouraging effective practices and improving ICU quality.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Patient safety events during pediatric hospitalizations.
Our objective was to describe potential patient safety events for hospitalized children, using the patient safety indicators (PSIs), and examine associations with these events. ⋯ The prevalence of birth trauma and other potential patient safety events for hospitalized children is high and comparable to hospitalized adults. These events are associated with increased length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and total charges. Associated factors differ significantly for birth trauma compared with other PSI events. Institutional application of the PSIs may be useful to identify processes of care that warrant further evaluation as the health care industry tackles the problem of patient safety, particularly for children.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2003
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyCommon types of medication errors on long-term psychiatric care units.
This multi-center study identified the most frequent types of medication errors in long-term psychiatric care hospitals. ⋯ Wrong drug administration was the most common type of PADE, and may result in more serious consequences than others. Even a simple organizational quality improvement effort, in which printed patients' names are placed on the drug pouch (not only with each prescription but with each drug administration), could reduce risk to patients from adverse outcomes due to medication errors.
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Multicenter Study
Hospital readmissions after hospital discharge for hip fracture: surgical and nonsurgical causes and effect on outcomes.
To examine the causes of hospital readmission after hip fracture and the relationships between hospital readmission and 6-month physical function and mortality. ⋯ Hospital readmissions after hip fracture are largely due to nonsurgical illness and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Appendicitis 2000: variability in practice, outcomes, and resource utilization at thirty pediatric hospitals.
To improve clinical results and resource utilization in the care of appendicitis in children, the authors examined the current practice and outcomes of 30 pediatric hospitals. ⋯ Significant variability in practice patterns and resource utilization exists in the management of acute appendicitis in pediatric hospitals. Clinical outcomes could be improved by collaborative initiatives to adopt evidence-based best practices.