DUNDRUM-2: Prospective validation of a structured professional judgment instrument assessing priority for admission from the waiting list for a forensic mental health hospital

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The criteria for deciding who should be admitted first from a waiting list to a forensic secure hospital are not necessarily the same as those for assessing need. Criteria were drafted qualitatively and tested in a prospective 'real life' observational study over a 6-month period.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A researcher rated all those presented at the weekly referrals meeting using the DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale. The key outcome measure was whether or not the individual was admitted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency for the DUNDRUM-2 were acceptable. The DUNDRUM-1 triage security score and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score correlated r = 0.663. At the time of admission, after a mean of 23.9 (SD35.9) days on the waiting list, those admitted had higher scores on the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale than those not admitted, with no significant difference between locations (remand or sentenced prisoners, less secure hospitals) at the time of admission. Those admitted also had higher DUNDRUM-1 triage security scores. At baseline the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve for a combined score was the best predictor of admission while at the time of admission the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score had the largest AUC (0.912, 95% CI 0.838 to 0.986).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The triage urgency items and scale add predictive power to the decision to admit. This is particularly true in maintaining equitability between those referred from different locations.</p

Impact of clinical urgency, physician supply and procedural capacity on regional variations in wait times for coronary angiography

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite universal health care, there continues to be regional access disparities to coronary angiography in Canada. Our objective was to evaluate the extent to which demand-side factors such as clinical urgency/need, and supply-side factors, as reflected by differences in physician and procedural supply account for these inequalities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our cohort consisted of 74,254 consecutive patients referred for coronary angiography in Ontario, Canada between April 1^st2005 and March 31^st2006, divided into three urgency strata based on a clinical urgency scale. Cox-proportional hazard models were developed, adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), region, and urgency score, with greater hazard ratios (HR) indicating shorter wait times. To evaluate mediators of any residual wait-time differences, we examined the influence of the regional supply of cath lab facilities, invasive cardiologists and general practitioners (GP).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that the urgency score was a significant predictor of wait time in all three strata (urgent patients: HR 1.61 for each unit increase in patient urgency (95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.55-1.67); semi-urgent patients: HR 1.55 (95% CI 1.44-1.68); elective patients: HR 1.13 (95% CI 1.08-1.18)). After accounting for clinical need/urgency, regional wait time differences persisted; these were most consistently associated with variation in cath lab supply. The impact of invasive cardiologist supply was restricted to urgent patients while that of GP supply was confined to semi-urgent and elective patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that there remained significant regional disparities in access to coronary angiography after accounting for clinical need. These disparities are partially explained by variations in supply of both procedural capacity and physician services, most notably in elective and semi-urgent patients.</p

Avaliação da qualidade do cuidado hospitalar no Brasil: uma revisão sistemática

Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.A avaliação da qualidade de serviços hospitalares vem ganhando importância no mundo, sendo impulsionada pela demanda de financiadores, prestadores, profissionais e pacientes. O objetivo deste estudo é revisar a literatura sobre estudos de avaliação da qualidade hospitalar no Brasil e analisar as principais abordagens, metodologias e indicadores utilizados. Foi aplicada revisão sistemática de artigos científicos, dissertações e teses com análises empíricas sobre o tema, publicados entre 1990 e 2011. Foram identificados 2.169 documentos e incluídos 62 documentos na revisão, que representam 48 estudos distintos. Predominou o uso de fontes de dados secundárias com análise das dimensões efetividade, adequação, segurança e eficiência, destacando- se a aplicação da taxa de mortalidade, taxa de adequação, taxa de eventos adversos e tempo de permanência. Métodos que controlam diferenças de risco dos pacientes foram majoritariamente aplicados. Busca-se com esta revisão contribuir apontando elementos centrais para o desenvolvimento do tema no país e para a qualificação do cuidado prestado.Quality assessment of hospital services has drawn growing international attention, driven by demand from funders, providers, practitioners, and patients. The objective of this study was to review the literature on hospital quality assessment in Brazil and analyze the main approaches, methodologies, and indicators used in the studies. The research design was a systematic literature review of scientific articles and doctoral and Master’s theses published from 1990 to 2011. The review identified 2,169 documents, and 62 were included in the review, representing 48 separate studies. Most studies used secondary data and analyzed effectiveness, adequacy, safety, and efficiency, emphasizing the application of mortality rate, adequacy rate, adverse events rate, and length of stay. Methods to control differences in patient risks were mostly applied. This review identified central elements for both the development of this theme and the improvement of hospital care in Brazil.La evaluación de la calidad de los servicios hospitalarios está recibiendo cada vez más atención internacional, dirigida por la demanda de inversores (fundadores), proveedores, profesionales y pacientes. El objetivo de este estudio es revisar la literatura de los estudios de evaluación, realizados sobre la calidad de la atención hospitalaria en Brasil, y analizar los enfoques importantes, la metodología y los indicadores aplicados. El diseño de la investigación fue una revisión sistemática de artículos científicos, de tesis de Ph.D. y de M.Sc. con análisis empírico, publicados entre 1990 y 2011. Se identificaron 2.169 documentos de los cuales se incluyeron 62 en la revisión, que representan 48 estudios separados. Principalmente, se utilizaron fuentes secundarias de datos con el análisis de las dimensiones de efectividad, adecuación, seguridad y eficiencia, enfatizando en la aplicación de las tasas de mortalidad, de adecuación y de eventos adversos, y de la duración de la estadía. Fueron aplicados métodos para controlar la diferencia en el riesgo personal de pacientes. Esta revisión señala elementos centrales con el fin de contribuir para el desarrollo del tema en el país y la mejora de la calidad de la asistencia sanitaria prestada