A Tool to Assess Patient and Surrogate Knowledge About the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Program

ContextIt is especially important that patients are well informed when making high-stakes, preference-sensitive decisions like those on the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. However, there is currently no way to easily evaluate whether patients understand key concepts when making these important decisions.ObjectivesTo develop a POLST knowledge survey.MethodsExpert (n = 62) ratings of key POLST facts were used to select items for a POLST knowledge survey. The survey was administered to nursing facility residents (n = 97) and surrogate decision-makers (n = 112). A subset (n = 135) were re-administered the survey after a standardized advance care planning discussion to assess the scale's responsiveness to change.ResultsThe 19-item survey demonstrated adequate reliability (α = 0.72.). Residents' scores (x = 11.4, standard deviation 3.3) were significantly lower than surrogate scores (x = 14.7, standard deviation 2.5) (P < 0.001). Scores for both groups increased significantly after administration of a standardized advance care planning discussion (P < 0.001). Although being a surrogate, age, race, education, cognitive functioning, and health literacy were significantly associated with higher POLST Knowledge Survey scores in univariate analyses, only being a surrogate (P < 0.001) and being white (P = 0.028) remained significantly associated with higher scores in multivariate analyses.ConclusionThe 19-item POLST Knowledge Survey demonstrated adequate reliability and responsiveness to change. Findings suggest the survey could be used to identify knowledge deficits and provide targeted education to ensure adequate understanding of key clinical decisions when completing POLST.     

Family Physician Clinical Inertia in Managing Hypoglycemia

AimsClinical inertia behaviour affects family physicians managing chronic disease such as diabetes. Literature addressing clinical inertia in the management of hypoglycemia is scarce. The objectives of this study were to create a measurement for physician clinical inertia in managing hypoglycemia (ClinInert_InHypoDM), and to determine physicians’ characteristics associated with clinical inertia.MethodsThe study was a secondary analysis of data provided by family physicians from the InHypo-DM Study, applying exploratory factor analysis. Principal axis factoring with an Oblimin rotation was employed to detect underlying factors associated with physician behaviors. Multiple linear regression was used to determine association between the ClinInert_InHypoDM scores and physician characteristics.ResultsFactor analysis identified a statistically sound 12-item one-factor scale for clinical inertia behavior. No statistically significant differences in clinical inertia score for the studied independent variables were found.ConclusionsThis study provides a scale for assessing clinical inertia in the management of hypoglycemia. Further testing this scale in other family physician populations will provide deeper understanding about the characteristics and factors that influence clinical inertia. The knowledge derived from better understanding clinical inertia in primary care has potential to improve outcomes for patients with diabetes.     

Predictive factors of positive online patient ratings of spine surgeons

BACKGROUND

Online physician rating websites are increasingly used by patients to evaluate their doctors. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate factors associated with better spine surgeon ratings.

移情对建立新型医患关系伦理模式的利与弊

在现代社会这样一个转轨时期，医患矛盾越来越突出，如何缓和医患关系、建立新型医患关系伦理模式成为大家共同关心的课题。作者从移情的角度入手，阐述了新型医患关系伦理模式的内涵，分析了移情对于缓和医患关系有哪些有利之处与不利之处，并提出了如何适度利用移情的方法，使其发挥最大作用。     

Physician assistants in academic radiology: the harborview experience

We describe a model of how physician assistants can be used in an academic medical center to expand radiologist productivity, and to enhance the departmental academic and educational missions. At Harborview Medical Center, following a training program and graduated responsibility under supervision, physician assistants provide initial interpretation of radiology studies, consultation to referring physicians, and perform less complicated interventional procedures. Acceptance of physician assistants by the radiologists, radiology residents, and referring physicians has been high. Although the impact of physician assistants on departmental clinical productivity is difficult to measure, our data suggest that radiologists are more efficient when physician assistants are assigned to service, both in terms of numbers of studies interpreted, and timeliness of reporting and billing. As a result of the success of our program, we believe that physician assistants can have an important role in radiology practice.     

如何做好主任查房

主任查房是医疗质量的重要保证。主任要做好查房工作，必须：１．思想重视。２．做好查房准备，其中包括选好病人，做到“三看”。３。认真组织，包括查房按时开始，注重三个目的和三个程序，即病历报告，看病人，讨论严格的查房纪律．４查房后要严格检查，包括检查病历，医嘱，病人，了解查房中的意见的记录，执行的情况以及新出现的问题，从而保证主任查房的效果。     

DRG付费对医生行为和医疗质量的影响研究:以踝关节和脊柱融合术为例

目的探究DRG付费对医生诊疗行为和医疗质量的影响。方法从11家实施DRG付费或模拟测算的三级综合医院中选取12名骨科医生进行半结构化访谈,采用Colaizzi 7步法分析。结果共识别重要陈述308条,形成治疗决策、环节把控、患者管理、医疗质量4项基本结构。DRG付费后,医生更关注住院费用,以检查和手术为代表的诊疗行为发生了变化;医生诊疗行为的改变可能引起医疗质量的变化。结论医生应主动控制成本,制定合理的诊疗方案;医院需强化临床指南的使用,加强对医疗质量的考核,以防范医生不规范诊疗行为的发生。