PS1-58: Clinicians' Use of Automated Reports of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Qualitative Study

Background/Aims Improving both awareness and identification of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important among primary care providers so they can provide appropriate clinical care; one method that has been widely embraced is the use of automated reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by clinical laboratories. We undertook a qualitative study to examine how clinicians responded to the onset of automated reporting of eGFR at Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW). Methods We conducted 19 semi-structured interviews among primary care clinicians including both physicians (n=13) and allied health providers (n=6), recruited from KPNW, a non-profit health maintenance organization. Interviews were approximately 30-45 minutes in length, audio-recorded and transcribed. A standard, qualitative content analysis approach was employed. Results Clinicians generally held favorable views toward automated eGFR reporting as useful information they wish they had easy access to previously. Most (n=15) reported using the eGFR in conjunction with serum creatinine in their clinical decision-making. Benefits of the automated eGFR reporting included saving valuable clinic time in not having to calculate it on their own, increased awareness of and attention to tracking CKD stages, and improved patient care. Increased patient education and counseling on CKD prevention and kidney health was reported by 10 of the clinicians interviewed, and 14 reported minor increases in their referral to Nephrology. Challenges experienced as a result of the automated eGFR reporting included managing patient confusion or fear from the reporting, and increased workload. Suggested improvements included offering yearly trainings on CKD management, providing regular feedback from Nephrology about appropriateness of clinician referral request, improving the integration of eGFR value with other tools in the electronic medical record, and providing tools to facilitate discussion of eGFR findings with patients. Discussion Overall, clinicians used automated eGFR as a tool to help identify CKD stage, educate and counsel patients about their kidney function and health, and make treatment decisions. The manner in which clinicians use eGFRs appears to be more complex than previously understood, and our study illustrates some of the efforts that might be usefully undertaken (e.g. specific clinician education) when encouraging further promulgation of eGFR reporting and usage.     

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: capacity, discussion and documentation

BACKGROUND: End-of-life care decisions, including treatment such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), are complex issues requiring a patient to have the capacity for effective decision-making. Aim: To assess the prevalence and documentation of CPR decisions in our hospital in patients aged > 65 years. DESIGN: Prospective audit. METHODS: Review of patient notes and resuscitation forms within our acute Trust on Elderly Care and General Medicine wards, including the decisions made, involvement of patient and/or family members and whether an assessment of capacity was made. RESULTS: On the Elderly Care wards, 37 CPR decisions were made on 104 patients, and nearly all of these were clearly documented. On the General Medical wards, only one decision out of 40 patients was made. Geriatricians incorporated patient views in one quarter of decisions; all but one of these patients wanted CPR. Of those patients 'not for CPR', family members were informed in only one third of cases, according to the documentation. Capacity was documented on only four occasions. DISCUSSION: Geriatricians make significantly more CPR decisions than general physicians do, but still involve patient and family views in only a minority of cases, and an assessment of capacity is rarely explicitly documented. We suggest a three-step approach to clinical decision making, to increase both the volume and the quality of CPR decisions, which may be improved further by the use of information leaflets for patients and their families.     

Making the case for a clinical information system: the chief information officer view

Adequate decision support for clinicians and other caregivers requires accessible and reliable patient information. Powerful societal and economic forces are moving us toward an integrated, patient-centered health care information system that will allow caregivers to exchange up-to-date patient health information quickly and easily. These forces include patient safety, potential health care cost savings, empowerment of consumers (and their subsequent demands for quality), new federal policies, and growing regional health care initiatives. Underspending on health care information technologies has gone on for many years; and the creation and implementation of a comprehensive clinical information system will entail many difficulties, particularly in regard to patients' privacy and control of their information, standardization of electronic health records, cost of adopting information technology, unbalanced financial incentives, and the varying levels of preparation across caregivers. There will also be potential effects on the physician-patient relationship. Ultimately, an integrated system will require a concerted transformation of the health care industry that is akin to what the banking industry has accomplished with electronic automation. Critical care units provide a good starting point for how information system technologies can be used and electronic patient information collected, although the robust systems designed for intensive care units are not always used to their potential.     

Epidemiology of Alcohol-related Emergency Department Visits

Abstract. Objective : To examine the population and geographic patterns, patient characteristics, and clinical presentations and outcomes of alcohol-related ED visits at a national level. Methods : Cross-sectional data on a probability sample of 21,886 ED visits from the 1995 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed with consideration of the individual patient visit weight. The annual number and rates of alcohol-related ED visits were computed based on weighted analysis in relation to demographic characteristics and geographic region. Specific variables of alcohol-related ED visits examined included demographic and medical characteristics, patient-reported reasons for visit, and physicians' principal diagnoses. Results : Of the 96.5 million ED visits in 1995, an estimated 2.6 million (2.7%) were related to alcohol abuse. The overall annual rate of alcohol-related ED visits was 10.0 visits per 1,000 population [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.7–11.3]. Higher rates were found for men (14.7 per 1,000, 95% CI 12.5–16.9), adults aged 25 to 44 years (17.8 per 1,000, 95% CI 15.0–20.6), blacks (18.1 per 1,000, 95% CI 14.0–22.1), and residents living in the northeast region (15.2 per 1,000, 95% CI 12.1–18.2). Patients whose visits were alcohol-related were more likely than other patients to be uninsured, smokers, or depressive. Alcohol-related ED visits were 1.6 times as likely as other visits to be injury-related, and 1.8 times as likely to be rated as "urgent" or "emergent." The leading principal reasons for alcohol-related ED visits were complaints of pain, injury, and drinking problems. Alcohol abuse/dependence was the principal diagnosis for 20% of the alcohol-related visits. Conclusion : Alcohol abuse poses a major burden on the emergency medical care system. The age, gender, and geographic characteristics of alcohol-related ED visits are consistent with drinking patterns in the general population.     

The National Hospice Outcomes Project: development and implementation of a multi-site hospice outcomes study

Hospice has become a major component of end-of-life care, but little scientific information is available to guide clinicians in knowing when the use of hospice is appropriate, in knowing how to measure the impact of its care, and in knowing which hospice interventions lead to the best outcomes. The National Hospice Outcomes Project (NHOP) arose from the need to identify patient factors and hospice interventions that are associated with better end-of-life outcomes. Clinical Practice Improvement (CPI) methodology allowed us to generate a large comprehensive database that could identify scientifically hospice interventions associated with better outcomes for specific patient populations. The complex interplay of patients, medical and complementary treatments, and families can be evaluated. This paper describes an overview of the research methods used for the NHOP, describes the project's 13 clinical sites and study population of 1,306 patients, and presents some basic findings from the study.     

Freestanding emergency centers and the patient population of internists

To compare the characteristics of patients seeking care in freestanding emergency centers with the patients seen by internists, we studied the adult populations of two freestanding emergency centers (FECs) through an audit of medical records for 20 days randomly selected throughout 1983. We recorded the age, sex, time of visit, whether the patient claimed a family physician, diagnosis, laboratory tests, and charges, and compared the data with those from earlier national studies of internists' practices. Of the 1,061 FEC visits audited, 78% were by patients 20 to 44 years of age. Only 3.2% of FEC patients were 65 or older, an age group that accounted for more than a third (35.2%) of the patients seen by a national sample of internists. More than half (55.3%) of the FEC patients claimed family physicians. Visits to FECs were most frequently trauma-related (34.1%) or for medical or special examinations (17.1%). Laboratory tests were ordered in 35.5% of FEC encounters. Fees for 62.1% of FEC visits were less than $41.     

CC1-02: Technological Resources and Personnel Costs Required to Implement an Automated Alert System for Primary Care Physicians When Patients Transition from Hospitals to Home

Background/Aims With the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) by medical group practices, there are opportunities to improve the quality of care for patients who are discharged from hospitals and intermediate care facilities. While transitions within vertically-integrated healthcare systems are amenable to EMR-based transition interventions, there is little guidance for medical groups without integrated hospital-EMR access who wish to automate the flow of patient information during critical transitions in care. Our aim was to describe the technological resources, expertise and time needed to develop and implement an automated system providing critical information and alerts to primary care physicians when their patients transition from hospitals or skilled nursing facilities to home. Methods Within a large medical group practice with an EMR, we developed and implemented an automated alert system that provides notification of discharges, reminders of the need for follow-up visits, new drugs added during the in-patient stay, warnings about drug-drug interactions, and recommendations for dosing changes and laboratory monitoring of high risk drugs. We tracked components of the information system required to accomplish this as well as the time spent by team members. We used US national averages of relevant hourly wages to estimate personnel costs. Results Critical components of the information system are notifications of hospital discharges through an admission, discharge and transfer registration (ADT) interface, linkage to the group practice scheduling system, timely access to information on pharmacy dispensing and lab tests, and an interface engine to direct messages to specific physicians and staff. Total personnel cost was $76,314. Nearly half (47%) was for 614 hours by physicians who developed content, provided overall project management, and reviewed alerts during a test period to ensure that only "actionable" alerts would be sent. Discussion Implementing a system to provide a flow of critical information about patient transitions requires strong internal informatics expertise, cooperation between facilities and ambulatory providers, development of a number of electronic linkages, and extensive commitment of physician time.     

Managing acute lower respiratory tract infections in an era of antibacterial resistance

Respiratory tract infections account for more than 116 million office visits and an estimated 3 million visits to hospital EDs annually. Patients presenting at EDs with symptoms suggestive of lower respiratory tract infections of suspected bacterial etiology are often severely ill, thus requiring a rapid presumptive diagnosis and empiric antimicrobial treatment. Traditionally, clinicians have relied on beta-lactam or macrolide antibiotics to manage community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections. However, the emerging resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to beta-lactams and/or macrolides may affect the clinical efficacy of these agents. Inappropriate use of antibiotics and use of agents with an overly broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity have contributed to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. When treating respiratory infections, clinicians need to prescribe antimicrobial agents only for those individuals with infections of suspected bacterial etiology; to select agents with a targeted spectrum of activity that ensures coverage against typical S pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis strains, including antibiotic-resistant strains and atypical pathogens; and to consider agents with specific chemical properties that limit the development of antimicrobial resistance and that achieve concentrations at sites of infection that exceed those required for bactericidal activity. Newer classes of antimicrobial agents, such as the oxazolidinones and ketolides, will likely play a significant role in this era of antimicrobial resistance.     

Trends in off-label beta-blocker use: a secondary data analysis

BACKGROUND: The off-label use of beta-blockers might be prevalent, but no studies have provided empiric data on the off-label use based on utilization data. OBJECTIVE: This secondary data analysis was conducted to describe the trends of off-label use of beta-blockers among ambulatory visits made to office-based physicians in the United States. METHODS: Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys from 1999 to 2002 were used in this study. Physician visits at which beta-blockers were prescribed (beta-blocker visits) were included and classified as within-label or off-label visits according to whether an approved indication for the beta-blocker was coded for the visits. Variables of patient demographic characteristics, diagnosis, prescriber's specialty, and concomitant medication use were also analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the potential determinants for the off-label use of beta-blockers. RESULTS: A total of 3349 million visits were made to office-based physicians during the study period. About 65% (2167 million) of all visits were prescribed with > or =1 medication (medication visits). Beta-blockers were prescribed in 5.9% (127.3 million) of all medication visits in the years 1999 to 2002. The 3 most frequently prescribed beta-blockers in this study were atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol. The proportions of off-label use among beta-blocker visits were 44.3% (1999), 56.3% (2000), 62.3% (2001), and 46.9% (2002); overall, 52.0% (66.2 million). About 11% (75.7 million) of these off-label uses were prescribed to patients with concomitant conditions that required judicious use of beta-blockers. Specialists, such as cardiologists, were more likely to prescribe beta-blockers for off-label use than primary care physicians (odds ratio, 2.147; 95% CI, 2.1464-2.1473). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that the off-label use rate of beta-blockers was higher than what has been previously reported for other diseases and medications. Compared with visits made to general practitioners, visits made to specialists were more likely to be prescribed off-label use of beta-blockers. Future studies are needed to understand the legal, economic, and clinical impact of off-label use.     

Clinical information systems and the electronic medical record in the intensive care unit

The integration of computers into critical care is by no means a new concept. Clinical information systems have evolved in the critical care setting over the past three decades. Their use by critical care healthcare providers has increased exponentially in the past few years. More recently, with the advent of the electronic medical record, clinicians in the ICU may obtain and share useful information both bedside and remotely. Clinical information systems and the electronic medical record in the ICU have the potential to improve medical record movement problems, to improve quality and coherence of the patient care process, to automate guidelines and care pathways, and to assist in clinical care and research, outcome management, and process improvement. In this article, we provide some historical background on the clinical information system and the electronic medical record and describe their current utilization in the ICU and their role in the practice of critical care medicine in decades to come.     

Hospital burden of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States, 2007

Background

Unintentional, non–fire-related (UNFR) carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a leading cause of poisoning in the United States, but the overall hospital burden is unknown. This study presents patient characteristics and the most recent comprehensive national estimates of UNFR CO–related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations.

Methods

Data from the 2007 Nationwide Inpatient and Emergency Department Sample of the Hospitalization Cost and Utilization Project were analyzed. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists' CO poisoning case definition was used to classify confirmed, probable, and suspected cases.

Results

In 2007, more than 230 000 ED visits (772 visits/million) and more than 22 000 hospitalizations (75 stays/million) were related to UNFR CO poisoning. Of these, 21 304 ED visits (71 visits/million) and 2302 hospitalizations (8 stays/million) were confirmed cases of UNFR CO poisoning. Among the confirmed cases, the highest ED visit rates were among persons aged 0 to 17 years (76 visits/million) and 18 to 44 years (87 visits/million); the highest hospitalization rate was among persons aged 85 years or older (18 stays/million). Women visited EDs more frequently than men, but men were more likely to be hospitalized. Patients residing in a nonmetropolitan area and in the northeast and midwest regions of the country had higher ED visit and hospitalization rates. Carbon monoxide exposures occurred mostly (>60%) at home. The hospitalization cost for confirmed CO poisonings was more than $26 million.

Conclusion

Unintentional, non–fire-related CO poisonings pose significant economic and health burden; continuous monitoring and surveillance of CO poisoning are needed to guide prevention efforts. Public health programs should emphasize CO alarm use at home as the main prevention strategy.     

Assessing Chronic Pain Treatment Practices and Evaluating Adherence to Chronic Pain Clinical Guidelines in Outpatient Practices in the United States

Chronic pain is a major health concern in the United States. Several guidelines have been developed for clinicians to promote effective management and provide an analytical framework for evaluation of treatments for chronic pain. This study explores sample population demographics and the utilization of various therapeutic modalities in an adult population with common nonmalignant chronic pain (NMCP) indications in U.S. outpatient settings. A cross-sectional study using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data from 2000 to 2007 was used to analyze various treatment practices for the management of NMCP and evaluate the results in comparison with guidelines. The study population of 690,205,290 comprised 63% females, with 45.17% of patient visits occurring in primary care settings. Treatment with at least 1 chronic pain medication was reported in 99.7% of patients. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents were the most common treatment prescribed, with use reported in approximately 95% of the patient visits. No other pain medication drug class or nonmedication therapy was prescribed more than 26.4%. These results point to a potential underutilization of many recommended NMCP treatments including combination therapies and the need for enhanced education of chronic pain guidelines.PerspectiveThis study, representing over 690 million patient visits, contributes to the relative paucity of data on the use of therapeutic modalities in the management of NMCP. These results may assist clinicians and healthcare policymakers in identifying areas where practices are at odds with guidelines with the goal to improve care.     

Resuscitating an idea: prone CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is widely recognized as an essential part of the medical response to cardiac arrest. Traditional ('basic') CPR has remained essentially unchanged for 40 years despite major problems with training and performance, and survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remain disappointingly low, despite massive resources devoted to CPR training and public awareness. More than a decade ago, an article described an alternative method-prone CPR-which offered many potential advantages over traditional CPR, including much simpler training and increased likelihood of actual performance by bystanders. The article received little notice at the time; however, the method of prone CPR merits further consideration based on a number of subsequent supporting studies and case reports. Prone CPR may represent a superior alternative to traditional CPR; research into its effectiveness should be given high priority.     

Public Expectations of Survival Following Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Previous studies have demonstrated that the public maintains unrealistic expectations of the potential for successful recovery following administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Others have attributed this phenomenon to misrepresentation of CPR outcomes on television and other sources of public information. OBJECTIVES: To determine public expectations of CPR and correlate these expectations with various sources of information regarding CPR, including age, television, personal medical training, public programs, friends/family with medical training, and personal experience with CPR. METHODS: A written survey was randomly distributed to local church congregations and completed on a voluntary basis. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent of the respondents expected CPR to be unrealistically effective. Those factors found to increase predicted CPR survival rate were as follows: 1) being under 50 years of age, 2) use of television as a source of information regarding CPR, 3) personal medical training, and 4) use of public programs about CPR. Neither exposure to friends or family with medical training nor personal experience with CPR resulted in increased CPR survival predictions. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the source, the public is not accurately informed about the effectiveness of CPR. This creates a situation in which people may elect CPR for themselves or for family members when survival, not to mention recovery, is unlikely. Without dissemination of realistic statistics regarding survival and recovery following CPR, the public will maintain unrealistic expectations of CPR, and be unable to make well-informed decisions concerning its use.     

An Open,Interoperable, and Scalable Prehospital Information Technology Network Architecture

Abstract

Some of the most intractable challenges in prehospital medicine include response time optimization, inefficiencies at the emergency medical services (EMS)–emergency department (ED) interface, and the ability to correlate field interventions with patient outcomes. Information technology (IT) can address these and other concerns by ensuring that system and patient information is received when and where it is needed, is fully integrated with prior and subsequent patient information, and is securely archived. Some EMS agencies have begun adopting information technologies, such as wireless transmission of 12-lead electrocardiograms, but few agencies have developed a comprehensive plan for management of their prehospital information and integration with other electronic medical records. This perspective article highlights the challenges and limitations of integrating IT elements without a strategic plan, and proposes an open, interoperable, and scalable prehospital information technology (PHIT) architecture. The two core components of this PHIT architecture are 1) routers with broadband network connectivity to share data between ambulance devices and EMS system information services and 2) an electronic patient care report to organize and archive all electronic prehospital data. To successfully implement this comprehensive PHIT architecture, data and technology requirements must be based on best available evidence, and the system must adhere to health data standards as well as privacy and security regulations. Recent federal legislation prioritizing health information technology may position federal agencies to help design and fund PHIT architectures.     

The Epidemiology of Emergency Medical Services Use by Older Adults: An Analysis of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

Objectives To characterize older adult emergency department (ED) visits arriving by emergency medical services (EMS) and to identify factors associated with those patient visits.
Methods A secondary analysis of the ED component of the 1997–2000 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey using logistic regression analyses was conducted. The dependent variable was the modes of arrival (EMS vs. not EMS) to the ED. Independent variables were grouped into four domains: demographic, clinical, system, and service characteristics.
Results Between 1997 and 2000, 38% of EMS responses were for patients aged 65 years and older. During that period, 62.2 million older adult ED patient visits occurred; 38% arrived via EMS. The average rate of EMS utilization by older adults was 167/1,000 population per year, more than four times the rate for younger patients (39/1,000 population). Fifty-three percent of EMS responses with transport to an ED for older adults resulted in hospital admission. Factors found to be associated with EMS mode of arrival included demographic (older age and urban residence), clinical (need for more rapid care and circulatory system illnesses), and service (need for procedures).
Conclusions Older adults account for a large proportion of EMS responses and use EMS at a disproportionately high rate. As the older adult population grows, EMS systems must prepare for the increased volume of older adults by making changes in training, operations, and equipment.