The Use of Performance Improvement Methods to Enhance Emergency Department Patient Satisfaction in the United States: A Critical Review of the Literature and Suggestions for Future Research

Objectives: The authors reviewed the evidence on performance improvement methods for increasing emergency department (ED) patient satisfaction to provide evidence-based suggestions for clinical practice.
Methods: Data sources consisted of searches through MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, Cochrane Library, and Emergency Medicine Abstracts and a manual search of references. Articles were included if they reported a performance improvement intervention targeting patient satisfaction in the ED setting. Articles on studies not conducted in the United States or that failed to provide enough details to allow critical evaluation of the study were excluded. Two authors used structured evaluation criteria to independently review each retained study.
Results: Nineteen articles met all selection criteria. Three studies found varying levels of support for multicomponent interventions, predominantly focused on implementation of clinical practice guidelines for specific presenting complaints and process redesign. Sixteen studies evaluated single-component interventions, with the following having at least one supportive study: using alternating patient assignment to provider teams rather than "zone"-based assignment, enhancing provider communication and customer service skills, incorporating information delivery interventions (e.g., pamphlets, video) that target patient expectations, using preformatted charts, and establishing ED-based observation units for specific conditions such as asthma and chest pain.
Conclusions: There is modest evidence supporting a range of performance improvement interventions for improving ED patient satisfaction. Further work is needed before specific, evidence-based recommendations can be made regarding which process changes are most effective. Recommendations are made for improving the quality of performance improvement efforts in the ED setting.     

大鼠脑内儿茶酚胺类递质及其代谢物的同时提取及反向高效液相测定法

目的建立一种操作简便、高效的测定脑组织中去甲肾上腺素(NA)、肾上腺素(AD)、多巴胺(DA)、3,4二羟基苯乙酸(DOPAC)及高香草酸(HVA)的方法,为有关药物作用机理的研究提供实验手段.方法以有机溶剂提取,高效液相色谱--电化学检测器(HPLC-EC)测定大鼠纹状体、皮质、下丘脑NA、AD、DA、DOPAC及HVA的含量.结果测得NA、AD、DA、DOPAC及HVA的绝对回收率依次分别为:80.3%±12.4%,86.5%±14.3%,90.3%±12.1%,89.5%±17.2%、87.6%±[13].2%.线性范围0.2～20ng,批内与批间变异系数分别小于8%及10%.结论该方法具有简便、迅速、回收率较高的特点,便于实验室应用.     

Assessment of functional vision and its rehabilitation

This article, based on a report prepared for the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR), explores the assessment of various aspects of visual functioning as needed to document the outcomes of vision rehabilitation. Documenting patient abilities and functional vision (how the person functions) is distinct from the measurement of visual functions (how the eye functions) and also from the assessment of quality of life. All three areas are important, but their assessment should not be mixed. Observation of task performance offers the most objective measure of functional vision, but it is time‐consuming and not feasible for many tasks. Where possible, timing and error rates provide an easy score. Patient response questionnaires provide an alternative. They may save time and can cover a wider area, but the responses are subjective and proper scoring presents problems. Simple Likert scoring still predominates but Rasch analysis, needed to provide better result scales, is gaining ground. Selection of questions is another problem. If the range of difficulties does not match the range of patient abilities, and if the difficulties are not distributed evenly, the results are not optimal. This may be an argument to use different outcome questions for different conditions. Generic questionnaires are appropriate for the assessment of generic quality of life, but not for specific rehabilitation outcomes. Different questionnaires are also needed for screening, intake and outcomes. Intake questions must be relevant to actual needs to allow prioritization of rehabilitation goals; the activity inventory presents a prototype. Outcome questions should be targeted at predefined rehabilitation goals. The Appendix cites some promising examples. The Low Vision Intervention Trial (LOVIT) is an example of a properly designed randomized control study, and has demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of vision rehabilitation. It is hoped that further similar studies will follow.     

Motor blockade associated with continuous epidural infusion after abdominal hysterectomy: a randomized controlled trial comparing 0.1% ropivacaine-plus-fentanyl versus 0.2% ropivacaine-alone

We compared rates of motor blockade, analgesia, adverse effects and patient satisfaction of 0.1% ropivacaine+fentanyl versus 0.2% ropivacaine-alone in a randomized, controlled trial. Fifty-four women who had undergone abdominal hysterectomy were randomly allocated into two groups to receive an epidural block at L_1–2 or L_2–3: group R received 0.2% ropivacaine-alone and group RF received 0.1% ropivacaine plus 2 μg fentanyl/ml, both at 8 ml/h. Rescue analgesia was provided via a morphine-loaded PCA device. Motor blockade (using a modified Bromage scale), pain intensity (visual analogue scale (VAS)), morphine consumption, level of sensory blockade and adverse effects, were measured at 4, 8 and 21 h after infusion. Patient satisfaction with pain management was assessed at the end of the study. The rates of motor blockade were not different at 8 h after infusion but at 21 h, group RF had significantly less motor blockade than group R. There were no differences in VAS, level of sensory blockade, adverse effects and patient satisfaction. Morphine consumption at each measurement was comparable but the total amount used by group RF was less than group R (12 mg versus 20 mg, P=0.049). Therefore, 0.1% ropivacaine with fentanyl 2 μg/ml appears to offer advantages over 0.2% ropivacaine-alone.     

恢复后期脑卒中综合康复治疗与单纯药物治疗的对比研究

目的 :研究综合康复治疗对恢复后期脑卒中患者运动功能及日常生活能力 (ADL)的影响。方法 :将 92例恢复后期脑卒中患者 ,随机分为康复组 5 0例 ,对照组 4 2例 ,两组一般治疗相同 ,康复组同时配合康复护理、运动疗法、作业疗法和电疗等综合康复治疗 8周。结果 :采用Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分 (FMA)和修订的Barthel指数 (MBI)评分 ,康复组各项指标评分明显优于对照组 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论 :综合康复治疗对于恢复后期脑卒中患者运动功能的恢复有明显效果 ,提高了ADL水平。     

网络模式下临床医师绩效评价指标体系研究

为了充分利用医院信息网络信息，更为全面、客观地对医生进行评价，阐述建立网络模式下临床医师绩效评价指标体系的原则、方法，并对的建立指标体系的可信度及合理性进行了分析。     

Finishing techniques for amalgam restorations: Clinical assessment at three years

Use of the optimum finishing technique for an amalgam restoration may enhance the marginal integrity of the restoration and discourage its unnecessary early replacement. Two hundred and twenty-eight high copper amalgam restorations in 56 patients were evaluated, using clinical assessment criteria, up to three years after placement. Each patient had received at least one carved-only amalgam, at least one immediately finished restoration, and at least one amalgam that was polished at a subsequent appointment. Regardless of the finishing technique, the restorations exhibited similar marginal integrity up to three years after placement. Polished restorations were found to have substantially superior surface texture and less likelihood of surface discoloration. No evidence was found to support the use of immediate finishing techniques. The clinical significance of these findings, with respect to the need to polish amalgam restorations, is discussed.     

A prospective radiologic and neurologic follow-up study of 61 HIV-1 -infected subjects: early beginning and slow progression of brain atrophy

The course of the organic brain disease caused by human immunodeficency virus (HIV-1) was evaluated in a follow-up study. The primary material included 200 consecutive HIV-1 infected persons. Sixty-one subjects, in whom other brain-affecting factors were excluded, consented to the follow-up. They underwent 278 radiologic examinations: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or a combination of both (mean 4.6 examinations/subject). Clinical neurologic status and, in 40 subjects, cognitive performance were repeatedly evaluated. Sixteen subjects were followed up until death and 11 of them were autopsied. Median follow-up time was 27 mo (range 2.5–66 mo). The most common radiologic finding was atrophy, found in 19 subjects at study entry and developing in 10 subjects during the study. Twenty-four subjects (39%) showed the development and/or progression of atrophy. Atrophic changes progressed most rapidly in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but mild developing/progressive atrophy was found even in 33% of asymptomatic or neurologically intact subjects. Cognitive and radiologic worsening were simultaneous in 6/7 subjects with declining neuropsychologic test performance. Signal intensity changes including HIV-1 leukoencephalopathy appeared in AIDS patients with clear cognitive decline.     

阿魏酸在血瘀证兔体内的药代动力学

为验证及研究症治药动学假说（ｓｙｎｄｒｏｍｅａｎｄＴｒｅａｔｍｅｎｔＰｈａｒｍａｃｏｋｉｎｅｔｉｃｓ，Ｓ＆ＴＰＫ）的客观性和基本规律，本文以ＲＰ－ＨＰＬＣ法同时测定了活血祛瘀药物阿魏酸在正常及高分子右旋糖酐所制血瘀症（微循环障碍）兔体内经时浓度，以ＭＣＰＫＰ药动学程序在ＣＯＭＰＡＱ８０３８６机上自动拟合了药动学参数。统计结果表明，与正常组相比，阿魏酸在血瘀症兔体内的分布容积（Ｖ＿１和Ｖ＿Ｂ）及消除速率（ＣＬＢ）显著减小（Ｐ＜０．０５），半衰期（ｔ＿（１／２β）及相同时间段曲线下面积（ＡＵＱ）非常显著增加（Ｐ＜０．０１）。结论：实验结果基本符合Ｓ＆ＴＰＫ的观点：即同一药物在不同证兔体内的药代动力学参数经统计学处理有显著差异。