Articles: outcome-assessment-health-care.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 2006
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyImpact of intensive care unit discharge time on patient outcome.
To determine the impact of nighttime intensive care unit (ICU) discharge on patient outcome. ⋯ Patients discharged from the ICU at night have an increased risk of mortality compared with those discharged during the day.
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Multicenter Study
Effects of compression depth and pre-shock pauses predict defibrillation failure during cardiac arrest.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and electrical defibrillation are the primary treatment options for ventricular fibrillation (VF). While recent studies have shown that providing CPR prior to defibrillation may improve outcomes, the effects of CPR quality remain unclear. Specifically, the clinical effects of compression depth and pauses in chest compression prior to defibrillation (pre-shock pauses) are unknown. ⋯ The quality of CPR prior to defibrillation directly affects clinical outcomes. Specifically, longer pre-shock pauses and shallow chest compressions are associated with defibrillation failure. Strategies to correct these deficiencies should be developed and consideration should be made to replacing current-generation automated external defibrillators that require long pre-shock pauses for rhythm analysis.
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The introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) provides a quantitative way of assessing quality of care in general practice. We explore the achievements of general practice in the first year of the QOF, with specific reference to practice funding and contract status. ⋯ GMS practices are the most efficient contract status, achieving high quality scores for an average of pound 62.51 per patient per year. By contrast, EMS practices are underperforming, achieving low quality scores for an average of pound 105.37 per patient per year. Funding and contract status are therefore important factors in determining achievement in the QOF.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Oct 2006
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAssessing utility values in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison between time trade-off and the EuroQol.
To compare the utility values and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) obtained by the Time Trade-Off instrument (TTO) and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); to analyze the association between utility values and Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). ⋯ TTO and EQ-5D do not yield the same utility values. The results suggest that the EQ-5D is more representative of RA status than the TTO, a valuable conclusion when addressing economic evaluations in RA.
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Langenbecks Arch Surg · Aug 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEvaluation of the McPeek postoperative outcome score in three trials.
Postoperative outcome of patients is determined by recovery characteristics and self-reported quality of life. The first can be assessed with the McPeek score which values three aspects of recovery: mortality, postoperative critical care and duration of hospitalization. ⋯ The McPeek score values the postoperative outcome on a nonlinear scale. A priori, the average duration of hospitalization and critical care for a specific operation has to be defined. Our validation suggests that it is a reliable, valid, sensitive, and practical instrument for outcome analysis after anesthesia and surgery.