Sample records for care classification system

  1. Subacute and non-acute casemix in Australia.

    PubMed

    Lee, L A; Eagar, K M; Smith, M C

    1998-10-19

    The costs of subacute care (palliative care, rehabilitation medicine, psychogeriatrics, and geriatric evaluation and management) and non-acute care (nursing home, convalescent and planned respite care) are not adequately described by existing casemix classifications. The predominant treatment goals in subacute care are enhancement of quality of life and/or improvement in functional status and, in non-acute care, maintenance of current health and functional status. A national classification system for this area has now been developed--the Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient Classification System (AN-SNAP). The AN-SNAP system, based on analysis of over 30,000 episodes of care, defines four case types of subacute care (palliative care, rehabilitation, psychogeriatric care, and geriatric evaluation and management and one case type of non-acute care (maintenance care), and classifies both overnight and ambulatory care. The AN-SNAP system reflects the goal of management--a change in functional status or improvement in quality of life--rather than the patient's diagnosis. It will complement the existing AN-DRG classification.

  2. Understanding the use of standardized nursing terminology and classification systems in published research: A case study using the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®).

    PubMed

    Strudwick, Gillian; Hardiker, Nicholas R

    2016-10-01

    In the era of evidenced based healthcare, nursing is required to demonstrate that care provided by nurses is associated with optimal patient outcomes, and a high degree of quality and safety. The use of standardized nursing terminologies and classification systems are a way that nursing documentation can be leveraged to generate evidence related to nursing practice. Several widely-reported nursing specific terminologies and classifications systems currently exist including the Clinical Care Classification System, International Classification for Nursing Practice(®), Nursing Intervention Classification, Nursing Outcome Classification, Omaha System, Perioperative Nursing Data Set and NANDA International. However, the influence of these systems on demonstrating the value of nursing and the professions' impact on quality, safety and patient outcomes in published research is relatively unknown. This paper seeks to understand the use of standardized nursing terminology and classification systems in published research, using the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®) as a case study. A systematic review of international published empirical studies on, or using, the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®) were completed using Medline and the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Since 2006, 38 studies have been published on the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®). The main objectives of the published studies have been to validate the appropriateness of the classification system for particular care areas or populations, further develop the classification system, or utilize it to support the generation of new nursing knowledge. To date, most studies have focused on the classification system itself, and a lesser number of studies have used the system to generate information about the outcomes of nursing practice. Based on the published literature that features the International Classification for Nursing Practice, standardized nursing terminology and classification systems appear to be well developed for various populations, settings and to harmonize with other health-related terminology systems. However, the use of the systems to generate new nursing knowledge, and to validate nursing practice is still in its infancy. There is an opportunity now to utilize the well-developed systems in their current state to further what is know about nursing practice, and how best to demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes through nursing care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Resource utilization groups. A patient classification system for long-term care.

    PubMed

    Fries, B E; Cooney, L M

    1985-02-01

    The ability to understand, control, manage, regulate, and reimburse nursing home care has been hampered by the unavailability of a classification system of long-term care patients. A study of 1,469 patients in Connecticut nursing homes has resulted in such a classification system that clusters patients with similar relative needs for resources, in particular, for nursing time. The nine groups formed can be used to develop a case-mix profile of the relative care needs of these patients, and their development demonstrates that only a few measures of the functional status of patients, rather than diagnosis or psychosocial/behavioral problems, are sufficient to form such a system.

  4. Enhancing communication by using the Coordinated Care Classification System.

    PubMed

    O'Neal, P V; Kozeny, D K; Garland, P P; Gaunt, S M; Gordon, S C

    1998-07-01

    Because of the changes in our healthcare system, some clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are having to expand their traditional roles of clinician, educator, consultant, leader, and researcher to include case management activities. The CNSs at Promina Gwinnett Health System in Lawrenceville, Georgia, have combined CNS and case manager activities and have adopted the title "CNS/Outcomes Coordinator." The CNS/Outcomes Coordinator is responsible for coordinating patient care, promoting team collaboration, and facilitating communication. To inform the healthcare team of the CNS/Outcomes Coordinator's patient responsibilities, the CNS/Outcomes Coordinators developed a Coordinated Care Classification System. This article describes how coordinating patient care, promoting team collaboration, and facilitating communication can be enhanced by the use of a classification system.

  5. 42 CFR 412.513 - Patient classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Patient classification system. 412.513 Section 412... Long-Term Care Hospitals § 412.513 Patient classification system. (a) Classification methodology. CMS...-DRGs. (1) The classification of a particular discharge is based, as appropriate, on the patient's age...

  6. 42 CFR 412.513 - Patient classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Patient classification system. 412.513 Section 412... Long-Term Care Hospitals § 412.513 Patient classification system. (a) Classification methodology. CMS...-DRGs. (1) The classification of a particular discharge is based, as appropriate, on the patient's age...

  7. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Charles D

    2015-01-01

    Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges.

  8. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

    PubMed Central

    Phillips, Charles D.

    2015-01-01

    Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges. PMID:26740744

  9. Resource utilization groups (RUGs): defining chronic care, rehabilitation and nursing home case mix in Canada.

    PubMed

    Botz, C K; Bestard, S; Demaray, M; Molloy, G

    1993-01-01

    The two major purposes of this study were: (1) to evaluate Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs III) as a unified method for classifying all residential, chronic care and rehabilitation patients at the St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, and (2) to compare the potential funding implications of RUGs and other patient/resident classification systems. RUGs were used to classify a total of 336 patients/residents in residential, extended care, chronic care and rehabilitation beds at the Health Centre. Patients were also concurrently classified according to the Alberta Long Term Care Classification System and the Medicus Long Term Care System. Results show that RUGs provide relatively more credit for higher acuity patients than do the Alberta or Medicus systems. If used as a basis for funding, chronic care and rehabilitation hospitals would be entitled to more funding (relative to residential/nursing homes) under RUGs than under the other two patient classification mechanisms.

  10. More than a name: Heterogeneity in characteristics of models of maternity care reported from the Australian Maternity Care Classification System validation study.

    PubMed

    Donnolley, Natasha R; Chambers, Georgina M; Butler-Henderson, Kerryn A; Chapman, Michael G; Sullivan, Elizabeth A

    2017-08-01

    Without a standard terminology to classify models of maternity care, it is problematic to compare and evaluate clinical outcomes across different models. The Maternity Care Classification System is a novel system developed in Australia to classify models of maternity care based on their characteristics and an overarching broad model descriptor (Major Model Category). This study aimed to assess the extent of variability in the defining characteristics of models of care grouped to the same Major Model Category, using the Maternity Care Classification System. All public hospital maternity services in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to complete a web-based survey classifying two local models of care using the Maternity Care Classification System. A descriptive analysis of the variation in 15 attributes of models of care was conducted to evaluate the level of heterogeneity within and across Major Model Categories. Sixty-nine out of seventy hospitals responded, classifying 129 models of care. There was wide variation in a number of important attributes of models classified to the same Major Model Category. The category of 'Public hospital maternity care' contained the most variation across all characteristics. This study demonstrated that although models of care can be grouped into a distinct set of Major Model Categories, there are significant variations in models of the same type. This could result in seemingly 'like' models of care being incorrectly compared if grouped only by the Major Model Category. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The development of a classification system for maternity models of care.

    PubMed

    Donnolley, Natasha; Butler-Henderson, Kerryn; Chapman, Michael; Sullivan, Elizabeth

    2016-08-01

    A lack of standard terminology or means to identify and define models of maternity care in Australia has prevented accurate evaluations of outcomes for mothers and babies in different models of maternity care. As part of the Commonwealth-funded National Maternity Data Development Project, a classification system was developed utilising a data set specification that defines characteristics of models of maternity care. The Maternity Care Classification System or MaCCS was developed using a participatory action research design that built upon the published and grey literature. The study identified the characteristics that differentiate models of care and classifies models into eleven different Major Model Categories. The MaCCS will enable individual health services, local health districts (networks), jurisdictional and national health authorities to make better informed decisions for planning, policy development and delivery of maternity services in Australia. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. A Review of Major Nursing Vocabularies and the Extent to Which They Have the Characteristics Required for Implementation in Computer-based Systems

    PubMed Central

    Henry, Suzanne Bakken; Warren, Judith J.; Lange, Linda; Button, Patricia

    1998-01-01

    Building on the work of previous authors, the Computer-based Patient Record Institute (CPRI) Work Group on Codes and Structures has described features of a classification scheme for implementation within a computer-based patient record. The authors of the current study reviewed the evaluation literature related to six major nursing vocabularies (the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association Taxonomy 1, the Nursing Interventions Classification, the Nursing Outcomes Classification, the Home Health Care Classification, the Omaha System, and the International Classification for Nursing Practice) to determine the extent to which the vocabularies include the CPRI features. None of the vocabularies met all criteria. The Omaha System, Home Health Care Classification, and International Classification for Nursing Practice each included five features. Criteria not fully met by any systems were clear and non-redundant representation of concepts, administrative cross-references, syntax and grammar, synonyms, uncertainty, context-free identifiers, and language independence. PMID:9670127

  13. Patient classification tool in home health care.

    PubMed

    Pavasaris, B

    1989-01-01

    Medicare's system of diagnosis related groups for health care cost reimbursements is inadequate for the special requirements of home health care. A visiting nurses association's patient classification tool correlates a meticulous record of professional time spent per patient with patient diagnosis and level of care, aimed at helping policymakers develop a more equitable DRG-based prospective payment formula for home care costs.

  14. Electronic Nursing Documentation: Patient Care Continuity Using the Clinical Care Classification System (CCC).

    PubMed

    Whittenburg, Luann; Meetim, Aunchisa

    2016-01-01

    An innovative nursing documentation project conducted at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand demonstrated patient care continuity between nursing patient assessments and nursing Plans of Care using the Clinical Care Classification System (CCC). The project developed a new generation of interactive nursing Plans of Care using the six steps of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing process and the MEDCIN® clinical knowledgebase to present CCC coded concepts as a natural by-product of a nurse's documentation process. The MEDCIN® clinical knowledgebase is a standardized point-of-care terminology intended for use in electronic health record systems. The CCC is an ANA recognized nursing terminology.

  15. Using patient classification systems to identify ambulatory care costs.

    PubMed

    Karpiel, M S

    1994-11-01

    Ambulatory care continues to increase as a percentage of total hospital revenue. Until recently, reimbursement for ambulatory care was provided on a cost basis. However, payers are attempting to exert more control over reimbursement for ambulatory care. The Health Care Financing Administration, for example, is expanding the use of prospective payment to cover more forms of outpatient care. Thus, in order to ensure the financial viability of their organizations, healthcare financial managers will need cost-accounting tools, such as patient classification systems, to ascertain the direct and indirect costs of emergency or outpatient visits and thereby to refine pricing, contracting, staffing, productivity, and profitability analyses for ambulatory care.

  16. Clinical care costing method for the Clinical Care Classification System.

    PubMed

    Saba, Virginia K; Arnold, Jean M

    2004-01-01

    To provide a means for calculating the cost of nursing care using the Clinical Care Classification System (CCCS). Three CCCS indicators of care components, actions, and outcomes in conjunction with Clinical Care Pathways (CCPs). The cost of patient care is based on the type of action time multiplied by care components and nursing costs. The CCCM for the CCCS makes it possible to measure and cost out clinical practice. The CCCM may be used with CCPs in the electronic patient medical record. The CCPs make it easy to track the clinical nursing care across time, settings, population groups, and geographical locations. Collected data may be used many times, allowing for improved documentation, analysis, and costing out of care.

  17. Capability of Using Clinical Care Classification System to Represent Nursing Practice in Acute Setting in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Feng, Rung-Chuang; Tseng, Kuan-Jui; Yan, Hsiu-Fang; Huang, Hsiu-Ya; Chang, Polun

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the capability of the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) system to represent nursing record data in a medical center in Taiwan. Nursing care records were analyzed using the process of knowledge discovery in data sets. The study data set included all the nursing care plan records from December 1998 to October 2008, totaling 2,060,214 care plan documentation entries. Results show that 75.42% of the documented diagnosis terms could be mapped using the CCC system. A total of 21 established nursing diagnoses were recommended to be added into the CCC system. Results show that one-third of the assessment and care tasks were provided by nursing professionals. This study shows that the CCC system is useful for identifying patterns in nursing practices and can be used to construct a nursing database in the acute setting. PMID:24199066

  18. [Assessment of geriatric patients' care needs based on sosia classification: the reality of the lombardy region in nursing home.

    PubMed

    Vanalli, Mariangela

    2016-11-01

    The increased demand to care that originates from demographic changes called in Italy a rapid development in Nursing Home with particular emergency the problem of programme the welfare response. It is essential the development of a classification system able to describe the stratification of the case mix on the basis of the care requirements, allowing a remuneration in function of the complexity care. Since 2003, the Lombardy region has introduced a case-mix reimbursement system for nursing homes based on the SOSIA form which classifies residents into eight classes of frailty. In the present study the agreement between SOSIA classification and other well documented instruments, including Barthel Index, Mini-Mental State Examination on the basis of three indicators (mobility, cognition, comorbidity) is evaluated in eight classes of frailty. However, it is not any research project was published in order to assess the agreement between SOSIA classification and other measuring instruments. Although various methods exist by which researchers have attempted to measure the need for nursing care, there is no nationally accepted system for determining the total amount of registered nursing resources required by residents in long-term care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between SOSIA and filing systems widely used, such as the degree of Barthel disability rating scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination to offer care appropriate for the case-mix. Only the higher complexity care has classified in the first two classes, while the remaining levels has categorized in the lowest paid. Misclassification therefore induces an underestimation of the real care needs and, consequently, inadequate remuneration.

  19. Acuity systems dialogue and patient classification system essentials.

    PubMed

    Harper, Kelle; McCully, Crystal

    2007-01-01

    Obtaining resources for quality patient care is a major responsibility of nurse leaders and requires accurate information in the political world of budgeting. Patient classification systems (PCS) assist nurse managers in controlling cost and improving patient care while appropriately using financial resources. This paper communicates acuity systems development, background, flaws, and components while discussing a few tools currently available. It also disseminates the development of a new acuity tool, the Patient Classification System. The PCS tool, developed in a small rural hospital, uses 5 broad concepts: (1) medications, (2) complicated procedures, (3) education, (4) psychosocial issues, and (5) complicated intravenous medications. These concepts embrace a 4-tiered scale that differentiates significant patient characteristics and assists in staffing measures for equality in patient staffing and improving quality of care and performance. Data obtained through use of the PCS can be used by nurse leaders to effectively and objectively lobby for appropriate patient care resources. Two questionnaires distributed to registered nurses on a medical-surgical unit evaluated the nurses' opinion of the 5 concepts and the importance for establishing patient acuity for in-patient care. Interrater reliability among nurses was 87% with the author's acuity tool.

  20. The Surgical Nosology In Primary-care Settings (SNIPS): a simple bridging classification for the interface between primary and specialist care

    PubMed Central

    Gruen, Russell L; Knox, Stephanie; Britt, Helena; Bailie, Ross S

    2004-01-01

    Background The interface between primary care and specialist medical services is an important domain for health services research and policy. Of particular concern is optimising specialist services and the organisation of the specialist workforce to meet the needs and demands for specialist care, particularly those generated by referral from primary care. However, differences in the disease classification and reporting of the work of primary and specialist surgical sectors hamper such research. This paper describes the development of a bridging classification for use in the study of potential surgical problems in primary care settings, and for classifying referrals to surgical specialties. Methods A three stage process was undertaken, which involved: (1) defining the categories of surgical disorders from a specialist perspective that were relevant to the specialist-primary care interface; (2) classifying the 'terms' in the International Classification of Primary Care Version 2-Plus (ICPC-2 Plus) to the surgical categories; and (3) using referral data from 303,000 patient encounters in the BEACH study of general practice activity in Australia to define a core set of surgical conditions. Inclusion of terms was based on the probability of specialist referral of patients with such problems, and specialists' perception that they constitute part of normal surgical practice. Results A four-level hierarchy was developed, containing 8, 27 and 79 categories in the first, second and third levels, respectively. These categories classified 2050 ICPC-2 Plus terms that constituted the fourth level, and which covered the spectrum of problems that were managed in primary care and referred to surgical specialists. Conclusion Our method of classifying terms from a primary care classification system to categories delineated by specialists should be applicable to research addressing the interface between primary and specialist care. By describing the process and putting the bridging classification system in the public domain, we invite comment and application in other settings where similar problems might be faced. PMID:15142280

  1. Cost-effectiveness of a classification-based system for sub-acute and chronic low back pain.

    PubMed

    Apeldoorn, Adri T; Bosmans, Judith E; Ostelo, Raymond W; de Vet, Henrica C W; van Tulder, Maurits W

    2012-07-01

    Identifying relevant subgroups in patients with low back pain (LBP) is considered important to guide physical therapy practice and to improve outcomes. The aim of the present study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a modified version of Delitto's classification-based treatment approach compared with usual physical therapy care in patients with sub-acute and chronic LBP with 1 year follow-up. All patients were classified using the modified version of Delitto's classification-based system and then randomly assigned to receive either classification-based treatment or usual physical therapy care. The main clinical outcomes measured were; global perceived effect, intensity of pain, functional disability and quality of life. Costs were measured from a societal perspective. Multiple imputations were used for missing data. Uncertainty surrounding cost differences and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios was estimated using bootstrapping. Cost-effectiveness planes and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were estimated. In total, 156 patients were included. The outcome analyses showed a significantly better outcome on global perceived effect favoring the classification-based approach, and no differences between the groups on pain, disability and quality-adjusted life-years. Mean total societal costs for the classification-based group were 2,287, and for the usual physical therapy care group 2,020. The difference was 266 (95% CI -720 to 1,612) and not statistically significant. Cost-effectiveness analyses showed that the classification-based approach was not cost-effective in comparison with usual physical therapy care for any clinical outcome measure. The classification-based treatment approach as used in this study was not cost-effective in comparison with usual physical therapy care in a population of patients with sub-acute and chronic LBP.

  2. A theory for classification of health care organizations in the new economy.

    PubMed

    Vimarlund, Vivian; Sjöberg, Cecilia; Timpka, Toomas

    2003-10-01

    Most of the available studies into information technology (IT) have been limited to investigating specific issues, such as how IT can support decision makers distributing the information throughout health care organization, or how technology impacts organizational performance. In this study, for use in the planning of information system development projects, a theoretical model for the classification of health care organizations is proposed. We try to reflect the development in the contemporary digital economy by theoretically classifying health care organizations into three types, namely traditional, developing, and flexible. We describe traditional health care organizations as organizations with a centralized system for management and control. In developing health care organizations, IT is spread over the horizontal dimension and is used for coordinating the different parties throughout the organization. Finally, flexible health care organizations are those which work actively with the design of new health care organizational structure while they are designing the information system.

  3. Coding of procedures documented by general practitioners in Swedish primary care-an explorative study using two procedure coding systems

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Procedures documented by general practitioners in primary care have not been studied in relation to procedure coding systems. We aimed to describe procedures documented by Swedish general practitioners in electronic patient records and to compare them to the Swedish Classification of Health Interventions (KVÅ) and SNOMED CT. Methods Procedures in 200 record entries were identified, coded, assessed in relation to two procedure coding systems and analysed. Results 417 procedures found in the 200 electronic patient record entries were coded with 36 different Classification of Health Interventions categories and 148 different SNOMED CT concepts. 22.8% of the procedures could not be coded with any Classification of Health Interventions category and 4.3% could not be coded with any SNOMED CT concept. 206 procedure-concept/category pairs were assessed as a complete match in SNOMED CT compared to 10 in the Classification of Health Interventions. Conclusions Procedures documented by general practitioners were present in nearly all electronic patient record entries. Almost all procedures could be coded using SNOMED CT. Classification of Health Interventions covered the procedures to a lesser extent and with a much lower degree of concordance. SNOMED CT is a more flexible terminology system that can be used for different purposes for procedure coding in primary care. PMID:22230095

  4. Cross-mapping the ICNP with NANDA, HHCC, Omaha System and NIC for unified nursing language system development. International Classification for Nursing Practice. International Council of Nurses. North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. Home Health Care Classification. Nursing Interventions Classification.

    PubMed

    Hyun, S; Park, H A

    2002-06-01

    Nursing language plays an important role in describing and defining nursing phenomena and nursing actions. There are numerous vocabularies describing nursing diagnoses, interventions and outcomes in nursing. However, the lack of a standardized unified nursing language is considered a problem for further development of the discipline of nursing. In an effort to unify the nursing languages, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has proposed the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) as a unified nursing language system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inclusiveness and expressiveness of the ICNP terms by cross-mapping them with the existing nursing terminologies, specifically the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) taxonomy I, the Omaha System, the Home Health Care Classification (HHCC) and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). Nine hundred and seventy-four terms from these four classifications were cross-mapped with the ICNP terms. This was performed in accordance with the Guidelines for Composing a Nursing Diagnosis and Guidelines for Composing a Nursing Intervention, which were suggested by the ICNP development team. An expert group verified the results. The ICNP Phenomena Classification described 87.5% of the NANDA diagnoses, 89.7% of the HHCC diagnoses and 72.7% of the Omaha System problem classification scheme. The ICNP Action Classification described 79.4% of the NIC interventions, 80.6% of the HHCC interventions and 71.4% of the Omaha System intervention scheme. The results of this study suggest that the ICNP has a sound starting structure for a unified nursing language system and can be used to describe most of the existing terminologies. Recommendations for the addition of terms to the ICNP are provided.

  5. Nursing home resident assessment classification and focused care.

    PubMed

    Boondas, J

    1991-06-01

    Boondas provides the reader with an interesting history of the development of nursing homes as a prelude to discussion of reimbursement issues and case mix classification for today's residents. The need for minimal data sets and patient classification systems is stressed.

  6. Nursing Classification Systems

    PubMed Central

    Henry, Suzanne Bakken; Mead, Charles N.

    1997-01-01

    Abstract Our premise is that from the perspective of maximum flexibility of data usage by computer-based record (CPR) systems, existing nursing classification systems are necessary, but not sufficient, for representing important aspects of “what nurses do.” In particular, we have focused our attention on those classification systems that represent nurses' clinical activities through the abstraction of activities into categories of nursing interventions. In this theoretical paper, we argue that taxonomic, combinatorial vocabularies capable of coding atomic-level nursing activities are required to effectively capture in a reproducible and reversible manner the clinical decisions and actions of nurses, and that, without such vocabularies and associated grammars, potentially important clinical process data is lost during the encoding process. Existing nursing intervention classification systems do not fulfill these criteria. As background to our argument, we first present an overview of the content, methods, and evaluation criteria used in previous studies whose focus has been to evaluate the effectiveness of existing coding and classification systems. Next, using the Ingenerf typology of taxonomic vocabularies, we categorize the formal type and structure of three existing nursing intervention classification systems—Nursing Interventions Classification, Omaha System, and Home Health Care Classification. Third, we use records from home care patients to show examples of lossy data transformation, the loss of potentially significant atomic data, resulting from encoding using each of the three systems. Last, we provide an example of the application of a formal representation methodology (conceptual graphs) which we believe could be used as a model to build the required combinatorial, taxonomic vocabulary for representing nursing interventions. PMID:9147341

  7. Australian diagnosis related groups: Drivers of complexity adjustment.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Terri; Dimitropoulos, Vera; Madden, Richard; Gillett, Steve

    2015-11-01

    In undertaking a major revision to the Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Group (ARDRG) classification, we set out to contrast Australia's approach to using data on additional (not principal) diagnoses with major international approaches in splitting base or Adjacent Diagnosis Related Groups (ADRGs). Comparative policy analysis/narrative review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on international approaches to use of additional (secondary) diagnoses in the development of Australian and international DRG systems. European and US approaches to characterise complexity of inpatient care are well-documented, providing useful points of comparison with Australia's. Australia, with good data sources, has continued to refine its national DRG classification using increasingly sophisticated approaches. Hospital funders in Australia and in other systems are often under pressure from provider groups to expand classifications to reflect clinical complexity. DRG development in most healthcare systems reviewed here reflects four critical factors: these socio-political factors, the quality and depth of the coded data available to characterise the mix of cases in a healthcare system, the size of the underlying population, and the intended scope and use of the classification. Australia's relatively small national population has constrained the size of its DRG classifications, and development has been concentrated on inpatient care in public hospitals. Development of casemix classifications in health care is driven by both technical and socio-political factors. Use of additional diagnoses to adjust for patient complexity and cost needs to respond to these in each casemix application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Novel nursing terminologies for the rapid response system.

    PubMed

    Wong, Elizabeth

    2009-01-01

    Nursing terminology with implications for the rapid response system (RRS) is introduced and proposed: critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND), defined as the recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication; critical incident nursing intervention, defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse-initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a CIND; and critical incident control, defined as a response that attempts to reverse a life-threatening condition. The current literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. The current nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and nursing outcomes listed in the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), respectively, are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of such standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations when activating the RRS. The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, NIC, and NOC are urged to refine their classifications and include CIND, critical incident nursing intervention, and critical incident control. The RRS should incorporate standardized nursing terminology to describe patient care during life-threatening situations. Refining the diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes classifications will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on the efficacy of the proposed novel nursing terminology when providing care to patients during life-threatening situations. In addition, including the proposed novel nursing terminology in the RRS offers a means of improving care in such situations.

  9. From Classification to Epilepsy Ontology and Informatics

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Sahoo, Satya S; Lhatoo, Samden D

    2012-01-01

    Summary The 2010 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification and terminology commission report proposed a much needed departure from previous classifications to incorporate advances in molecular biology, neuroimaging, and genetics. It proposed an interim classification and defined two key requirements that need to be satisfied. The first is the ability to classify epilepsy in dimensions according to a variety of purposes including clinical research, patient care, and drug discovery. The second is the ability of the classification system to evolve with new discoveries. Multi-dimensionality and flexibility are crucial to the success of any future classification. In addition, a successful classification system must play a central role in the rapidly growing field of epilepsy informatics. An epilepsy ontology, based on classification, will allow information systems to facilitate data-intensive studies and provide a proven route to meeting the two foregoing key requirements. Epilepsy ontology will be a structured terminology system that accommodates proposed and evolving ILAE classifications, the NIH/NINDS Common Data Elements, the ICD systems and explicitly specifies all known relationships between epilepsy concepts in a proper framework. This will aid evidence based epilepsy diagnosis, investigation, treatment and research for a diverse community of clinicians and researchers. Benefits range from systematization of electronic patient records to multi-modal data repositories for research and training manuals for those involved in epilepsy care. Given the complexity, heterogeneity and pace of research advances in the epilepsy domain, such an ontology must be collaboratively developed by key stakeholders in the epilepsy community and experts in knowledge engineering and computer science. PMID:22765502

  10. [Effects of residents' care needs classification (and misclassification) in nursing homes: the example of SOSIA classification].

    PubMed

    Nebuloni, G; Di Giulio, P; Gregori, D; Sandonà, P; Berchialla, P; Foltran, F; Renga, G

    2011-01-01

    Since 2003, the Lombardy region has introduced a case-mix reimbursement system for nursing homes based on the SOSIA form which classifies residents into eight classes of frailty. In the present study the agreement between SOSIA classification and other well documented instruments, including Barthel Index, Mini Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale is evaluated in 100 nursing home residents. Only 50% of residents with severe dementia have been recognized as seriously impaired when assessed with SOSIA form; since misclassification errors underestimate residents' care needs, they determine an insufficient reimbursement limiting nursing home possibility to offer care appropriate for the case-mix.

  11. The risk of upcoding in casemix systems: a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Steinbusch, Paul J M; Oostenbrink, Jan B; Zuurbier, Joost J; Schaepkens, Frans J M

    2007-05-01

    With the introduction of a diagnosis related group (DRG) classification system in the Netherlands in 2005 it has become relevant to investigate the risk of upcoding. The problem of upcoding in the US casemix system is substantial. In 2004, the US Centres for Medicare and Medicaid estimated that the total number of improper Medicare payments for the Prospective Payment system for acute inpatient care (both short term and long term) amounted to US$ 4.8 billion (5.2%). By comparing the casemix systems in the US, Australian and Dutch healthcare systems, this article illustrates why certain casemix systems are more open to the risk of upcoding than other systems. This study identifies various market, control and casemix characteristics determining the weaknesses of a casemix reimbursement system to upcoding. It can be concluded that fewer opportunities for upcoding occur in casemix systems that do not allow for-profit ownership and in which the coder's salary does not depend on the outcome of the classification process. In addition, casemix systems in which the first point in time of registration is at the beginning of the care process and in which there are a limited number of occasions to alter the registration are less vulnerable to the risk of upcoding. Finally, the risk of upcoding is smaller in casemix systems that use classification criteria that are medically meaningful and aligned with clinical practice. Comparing the US, Australian and Dutch systems the following conclusions can be drawn. Given the combined occurrences of for-profit hospitals and the use of the secondary diagnosis criterion to classify DRGs, the US casemix system tends to be more open to upcoding than the Australian system. The strength of the Dutch system is related to the detailed classification scheme, using medically meaningful classification criteria. Nevertheless, the detailed classification scheme also causes a weakness, because of its increased complexity compared with the US and Australian system. It is recommended that researchers and policy makers carefully consider all relevant market, control and casemix characteristics when developing and restructuring casemix reimbursement systems.

  12. Challenges of rehabilitation case mix measurement in Ontario hospitals.

    PubMed

    Sutherland, Jason Murray; Walker, Jan

    2008-03-01

    Case mix classification systems have been adopted in many countries as a method to manage and finance healthcare in acute care settings; the most popular systems are based on diagnosis related groups. The most successful of those case mix systems differentiate patient types by reflecting both the intensity of resources consumed and patient acuity. Case mix systems for use with non-acute hospital activity have not been as wide-spread; other than in the United States, little attention has been directed towards case mix classification for rehabilitation activity. In a province with over 13 million inhabitants with 2496 rehabilitation beds, inpatient rehabilitation is an important component of hospital care in Ontario, Canada, and consists of the spectrum of intensive rehabilitation activities intended to restore function. Although case mix adjusted activity has been the currency in Ontario's Integrated Population Based Allocation hospital funding formula, rehabilitation activity has not been subjected to case mix measurement. A project to examine case mix classification for adult inpatient rehabilitation activity was initiated by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care whose outcome was a case mix system and associated cost weights that would result in rehabilitation activity being incorporated into the hospital funding formula. The process described in this study provides Ontario's provincial government with a case mix classification system for adult inpatient rehabilitation activity although there remain areas for improvement.

  13. Benefits and entitlements in the Hungarian health care system.

    PubMed

    Gaal, Peter

    2005-12-01

    This contribution considers entitlements and benefits in the Hungarian health care system. After a brief introduction to the organizational structure of the system the decision-making processes are discussed in detail, including the most important actors, types and pieces of legislation, formal structures, decision-making criteria, and outputs in terms of benefit catalogues. Within the two main public financing systems (social insurance and tax-funded services) there are four types of regulatory regimes: (a) traditional political decision making, (b) price negotiations, (c) updating of classification systems for payment purposes, and (d) the procedure for the inclusion of registered medicines in the scope of the social health insurance system. As an example we discuss the benefit regulations and benefit catalogues in the category of services of curative care (HC.1) of the OECD classification of health services.

  14. Benefits and entitlements in the Hungarian health care system

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    This contribution considers entitlements and benefits in the Hungarian health care system. After a brief introduction to the organizational structure of the system the decision-making processes are discussed in detail, including the most important actors, types and pieces of legislation, formal structures, decision-making criteria, and outputs in terms of benefit catalogues. Within the two main public financing systems (social insurance and tax-funded services) there are four types of regulatory regimes: (a) traditional political decision making, (b) price negotiations, (c) updating of classification systems for payment purposes, and (d) the procedure for the inclusion of registered medicines in the scope of the social health insurance system. As an example we discuss the benefit regulations and benefit catalogues in the category of services of curative care (HC.1) of the OECD classification of health services. PMID:16267656

  15. [Nursing care systematization for outpatient treatment care of patients with multiple sclerosis].

    PubMed

    Corso, Nair Assunta Antônia; Gondim, Ana Paula Soares; Dalmeida, Patrícia Chagas Rocha; Albuquerque, Maria Girlene de Freitas

    2013-06-01

    An experience report of nurses in the implementation of care systematization in ambulatory care in an interdisciplinary care center for patients with multiple sclerosis of a public hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. This implementation is based on the NANDA International, Inc., Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcomes Classifications. One of the results concerns systemized nursing care, which has enabled the identification and understanding of the responses of MS patients to potential and current health problems. Systematization entails expanding knowledge through a practice based on approach and encourage further research scientific evidence, in addition to promoting the role of the nurse in acomprehensive approachand encourage further research.

  16. Evaluation of The Products of Ambulatory Care and Products of Ambulatory Surgery Classification System For the Military Health Care System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-09-14

    Paranoid Disorder, Atypical 29830 2983 Paranoid Disorder, Acute 29889 2988 Psychosis, Brief Reactive 29890 2989 Psychosis, Atypical 2990 29900 Autism ...Complication, Hemodialysis 99892 9999 Complication, Peritoneal Dialysis 999 9999 Compli,:ation, Medical Care 99901 9999 Complication, Vaccination , Nos 84

  17. Emergence of a Policy, closure of a sector: regarding the management of penitentiary health care in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Batista E Silva, Martinho Braga

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this study is to understand recent transformations in penitentiary health care management in Brazil, during the implementation of the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for People Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System, and the closure of the National Sector for Penitentiary Health Care. The scientific problem investigated is the language of penitentiary health care policy. The theoretical-methodological framework adopted is Pierre Bourdieu's genetic structuralism. In this manner, we carry out an analysis of documents and public statements in search of State categories and classifications. We note the consolidation of a state classification that separates the 'penitentiary' domain from the 'prison' domain, as well as the creation of the State category of 'person deprived of liberty in the prison system'. Penitentiary health care management constitutes itself as a question of primary care.

  18. Variation of Care Time Between Nursing Units in Classification-Based Nurse-to-Resident Ratios: A Multilevel Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Planer, Katarina; Hagel, Anja

    2018-01-01

    A validity test was conducted to determine how care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios compare with actual daily care times per resident in Germany. Stability across different long-term care facilities was tested. Care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios were compared with the standard minimum nurse-to-resident ratios. Levels of care are determined by classification authorities in long-term care insurance programs and are used to distribute resources. Care levels are a powerful tool for classifying authorities in long-term care insurance. We used observer-based measurement of assignable direct and indirect care time in 68 nursing units for 2028 residents across 2 working days. Organizational data were collected at the end of the quarter in which the observation was made. Data were collected from January to March, 2012. We used a null multilevel model with random intercepts and multilevel models with fixed and random slopes to analyze data at both the organization and resident levels. A total of 14% of the variance in total care time per day was explained by membership in nursing units. The impact of care levels on care time differed significantly between nursing units. Forty percent of residents at the lowest care level received less than the standard minimum registered nursing time per day. For facilities that have been significantly disadvantaged in the current staffing system, a higher minimum standard will function more effectively than a complex classification system without scientific controls. PMID:29442533

  19. Variation of Care Time Between Nursing Units in Classification-Based Nurse-to-Resident Ratios: A Multilevel Analysis.

    PubMed

    Brühl, Albert; Planer, Katarina; Hagel, Anja

    2018-01-01

    A validity test was conducted to determine how care level-based nurse-to-resident ratios compare with actual daily care times per resident in Germany. Stability across different long-term care facilities was tested. Care level-based nurse-to-resident ratios were compared with the standard minimum nurse-to-resident ratios. Levels of care are determined by classification authorities in long-term care insurance programs and are used to distribute resources. Care levels are a powerful tool for classifying authorities in long-term care insurance. We used observer-based measurement of assignable direct and indirect care time in 68 nursing units for 2028 residents across 2 working days. Organizational data were collected at the end of the quarter in which the observation was made. Data were collected from January to March, 2012. We used a null multilevel model with random intercepts and multilevel models with fixed and random slopes to analyze data at both the organization and resident levels. A total of 14% of the variance in total care time per day was explained by membership in nursing units. The impact of care levels on care time differed significantly between nursing units. Forty percent of residents at the lowest care level received less than the standard minimum registered nursing time per day. For facilities that have been significantly disadvantaged in the current staffing system, a higher minimum standard will function more effectively than a complex classification system without scientific controls.

  20. Developing a dementia-specific health state classification system for a new preference-based instrument AD-5D.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Kim-Huong; Mulhern, Brendan; Kularatna, Sanjeewa; Byrnes, Joshua; Moyle, Wendy; Comans, Tracy

    2017-01-25

    With an ageing population, the number of people with dementia is rising. The economic impact on the health care system is considerable and new treatment methods and approaches to dementia care must be cost effective. Economic evaluation requires valid patient reported outcome measures, and this study aims to develop a dementia-specific health state classification system based on the Quality of Life for Alzheimer's disease (QOL-AD) instrument (nursing home version). This classification system will subsequently be valued to generate a preference-based measure for use in the economic evaluation of interventions for people with dementia. We assessed the dimensionality of the QOL-AD to develop a new classification system. This was done using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and further assessment of the structure of the measure to ensure coverage of the key areas of quality of life. Secondly, we used Rasch analysis to test the psychometric performance of the items, and select item(s) to describe each dimension. This was done on 13 items of the QOL-AD (excluding two general health items) using a sample of 284 residents living in long-term care facilities in Australia who had a diagnosis of dementia. A five dimension classification system is proposed resulting from the three factor structure (defined as 'interpersonal environment', 'physical health' and 'self-functioning') derived from the factor analysis and two factors ('memory' and 'mood') from the accompanying review. For the first three dimensions, Rasch analysis selected three questions of the QOL-AD ('living situation', 'physical health', and 'do fun things') with memory and mood questions representing their own dimensions. The resulting classification system (AD-5D) includes many of the health-related quality of life dimensions considered important to people with dementia, including mood, global function and skill in daily living. The development of the AD-5D classification system is an important step in the future application of the widely used QOL-AD in economic evaluations. Future valuation studies will enable this tool to be used to calculate quality adjusted life years to evaluate treatments and interventions for people diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia.

  1. The Advantages and Limitations of International Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death from Aspect of Existing Health Care System of Bosnia and Herzegovina

    PubMed Central

    Kurbasic, Izeta; Pandza, Haris; Masic, Izet; Huseinagic, Senad; Tandir, Salih; Alicajic, Fredi; Toromanovic, Selim

    2008-01-01

    CONFLICT OF INTEREST: NONE DECLARED Introduction The International classification of diseases (ICD) is the most important classification in medicine. It is used by all medical professionals. Concept The basic concept of ICD is founded on the standardization of the nomenclature for the names of diseases and their basic systematization in the hierarchically structured category. Advantages and disadvantages The health care provider institutions such as hospitals are subjects that should facilitate implementation of medical applications that follows the patient medical condition and facts connected with him. The definitive diagnosis that can be coded using ICD can be achieved after several visits of patient and rarely during the first visit. Conclusion The ICD classification is one of the oldest and most important classifications in medicine. In the scope of ICD are all fields of medicine. It is used in statistical purpose and as a coding system in medical databases. PMID:24109155

  2. Development of the Connecticut Airway Risk Evaluation (CARE) system to improve handoff communication in pediatric patients with tracheotomy.

    PubMed

    Lawrason Hughes, Amy; Murray, Nicole; Valdez, Tulio A; Kelly, Raeanne; Kavanagh, Katherine

    2014-01-01

    National attention has focused on the importance of handoffs in medicine. Our practice during airway patient handoffs is to communicate a patient-specific emergency plan for airway reestablishment; patients who are not intubatable by standard means are at higher risk for failure. There is currently no standard classification system describing airway risk in tracheotomized patients. To introduce and assess the interrater reliability of a simple airway risk classification system, the Connecticut Airway Risk Evaluation (CARE) system. We created a novel classification system, the CARE system, based on ease of intubation and the need for ventilation: group 1, easily intubatable; group 2, intubatable with special equipment and/or maneuvers; group 3, not intubatable. A "v" was appended to any group number to indicate the need for mechanical ventilation. We performed a retrospective medical chart review of patients aged 0 to 18 years who were undergoing tracheotomy at our tertiary care pediatric hospital between January 2000 and April 2011. INTERVENTIONS Each patient's medical history, including airway disease and means of intubation, was reviewed by 4 raters. Patient airways were separately rated as CARE groups 1, 2, or 3, each group with or without a v appended, as appropriate, based on the available information. After the patients were assigned to an airway group by each of the 4 raters, the interrater reliability was calculated to determine the ease of use of the rating system. We identified complete data for 155 of 169 patients (92%), resulting in a total of 620 ratings. Based on the patient's ease of intubation, raters categorized tracheotomized patients into group 1 (70%, 432 of 620); group 2 (25%, 157 of 620); or group 3 (5%, 29 of 620), each with a v appended if appropriate. The interrater reliability was κ = 0.95. We propose an airway risk classification system for tracheotomized patients, CARE, that has high interrater reliability and is easy to use and interpret. As medical providers and national organizations place more focus on improvements in interprovider communication, the creation of an airway handoff tool is integral to improving patient safety and airway management strategies following tracheotomy complications.

  3. Nursing home case-mix instruments: validation of the RUG-III system in Italy.

    PubMed

    Brizioli, Enrico; Bernabei, Roberto; Grechi, Francesca; Masera, Filippo; Landi, Francesco; Bandinelli, Stefania; Cavazzini, Chiara; Gangemi, Salvatore; Ferrucci, Luigi

    2003-06-01

    The current Italian reimbursement system for long-term care does not adequately consider the great variability in the health and functional status of older persons who are admitted to long-term care institutions. Furthermore, no procedure is implemented to monitor the quality of care provided to older residents. We conducted this study to verify whether the RUG-III (Resource Utilization Groups-version III), a tool for assessing the case-mix of nursing home residents, which is widely used in the United States and in many European countries, can be effectively used in the Italian health care system. We administered an Italian version of the RUG-III to 1000 older residents of 11 intermediate- and long-term care institutions. We also collected objective information on the amount of care provided directly or indirectly to each resident by nurses, physical therapists, and other health professionals. The RUG-III 44 group classification system explained 61 and 44% of the variance in rehabilitative and nursing wage-adjusted care time, respectively. Our findings provide strong evidence that the RUG-III classification, applied to Italian intermediate- and long-term care institutions, provides a robust estimate of the amount of nursing and rehabilitation resources consumed by older residents.

  4. Changing Patient Classification System for Hospital Reimbursement in Romania

    PubMed Central

    Radu, Ciprian-Paul; Chiriac, Delia Nona; Vladescu, Cristian

    2010-01-01

    Aim To evaluate the effects of the change in the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system on patient morbidity and hospital financial performance in the Romanian public health care system. Methods Three variables were assessed before and after the classification switch in July 2007: clinical outcomes, the case mix index, and hospital budgets, using the database of the National School of Public Health and Health Services Management, which contains data regularly received from hospitals reimbursed through the Romanian DRG scheme (291 in 2009). Results The lack of a Romanian system for the calculation of cost-weights imposed the necessity to use an imported system, which was criticized by some clinicians for not accurately reflecting resource consumption in Romanian hospitals. The new DRG classification system allowed a more accurate clinical classification. However, it also exposed a lack of physicians’ knowledge on diagnosing and coding procedures, which led to incorrect coding. Consequently, the reported hospital morbidity changed after the DRG switch, reflecting an increase in the national case mix index of 25% in 2009 (compared with 2007). Since hospitals received the same reimbursement over the first two years after the classification switch, the new DRG system led them sometimes to change patients' diagnoses in order to receive more funding. Conclusion Lack of oversight of hospital coding and reporting to the national reimbursement scheme allowed the increase in the case mix index. The complexity of the new classification system requires more resources (human and financial), better monitoring and evaluation, and improved legislation in order to achieve better hospital resource allocation and more efficient patient care. PMID:20564769

  5. Changing patient classification system for hospital reimbursement in Romania.

    PubMed

    Radu, Ciprian-Paul; Chiriac, Delia Nona; Vladescu, Cristian

    2010-06-01

    To evaluate the effects of the change in the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system on patient morbidity and hospital financial performance in the Romanian public health care system. Three variables were assessed before and after the classification switch in July 2007: clinical outcomes, the case mix index, and hospital budgets, using the database of the National School of Public Health and Health Services Management, which contains data regularly received from hospitals reimbursed through the Romanian DRG scheme (291 in 2009). The lack of a Romanian system for the calculation of cost-weights imposed the necessity to use an imported system, which was criticized by some clinicians for not accurately reflecting resource consumption in Romanian hospitals. The new DRG classification system allowed a more accurate clinical classification. However, it also exposed a lack of physicians' knowledge on diagnosing and coding procedures, which led to incorrect coding. Consequently, the reported hospital morbidity changed after the DRG switch, reflecting an increase in the national case-mix index of 25% in 2009 (compared with 2007). Since hospitals received the same reimbursement over the first two years after the classification switch, the new DRG system led them sometimes to change patients' diagnoses in order to receive more funding. Lack of oversight of hospital coding and reporting to the national reimbursement scheme allowed the increase in the case-mix index. The complexity of the new classification system requires more resources (human and financial), better monitoring and evaluation, and improved legislation in order to achieve better hospital resource allocation and more efficient patient care.

  6. Utilization of patient classification systems in Swedish hospitals and the degree of satisfaction among nursing staff.

    PubMed

    Perroca, Marcia Galan; Ek, Anna-Christina

    2007-07-01

    Although patient classification tools have been used in Sweden since the 1980s, few studies have examined how they are utilized and monitored. This paper investigates the patient classification systems implemented in hospitals in the country as well as the level of satisfaction of nurses with the implemented instrument. A postal survey method was used in which a total of 128 questionnaires were sent to nurse managers. Twenty-three hospitals were identified with patient classification systems currently in operation. The Zebra and Beakta systems are the most commonly used instruments. Nurse managers appear to be satisfied with the patient classification systems in use on their wards as a whole except for their inability to measure the quality of care provided, the time spent to use the instruments and the fact that the administration do not estimate nursing staff requirements using the system.

  7. International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps: A Manual of Classification Relating to the Consequences of Disease.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Health Organization, Geneva (Switzerland).

    This classification system is intended to offer a conceptual framework for information; the framework is relevant to the long-term consequences of disease, injuries or disorders, and applicable both to personal health care, including early identification and prevention, and to the mitigation of environmental and societal barriers. It begins with…

  8. Development and initial validation of the Classification of Early-Onset Scoliosis (C-EOS).

    PubMed

    Williams, Brendan A; Matsumoto, Hiroko; McCalla, Daren J; Akbarnia, Behrooz A; Blakemore, Laurel C; Betz, Randal R; Flynn, John M; Johnston, Charles E; McCarthy, Richard E; Roye, David P; Skaggs, David L; Smith, John T; Snyder, Brian D; Sponseller, Paul D; Sturm, Peter F; Thompson, George H; Yazici, Muharrem; Vitale, Michael G

    2014-08-20

    Early-onset scoliosis is a heterogeneous condition, with highly variable manifestations and natural history. No standardized classification system exists to describe and group patients, to guide optimal care, or to prognosticate outcomes within this population. A classification system for early-onset scoliosis is thus a necessary prerequisite to the timely evolution of care of these patients. Fifteen experienced surgeons participated in a nominal group technique designed to achieve a consensus-based classification system for early-onset scoliosis. A comprehensive list of factors important in managing early-onset scoliosis was generated using a standardized literature review, semi-structured interviews, and open forum discussion. Three group meetings and two rounds of surveying guided the selection of classification components, subgroupings, and cut-points. Initial validation of the system was conducted using an interobserver reliability assessment based on the classification of a series of thirty cases. Nominal group technique was used to identify three core variables (major curve angle, etiology, and kyphosis) with high group content validity scores. Age and curve progression ranked slightly lower. Participants evaluated the cases of thirty patients with early-onset scoliosis for reliability testing. The mean kappa value for etiology (0.64) was substantial, while the mean kappa values for major curve angle (0.95) and kyphosis (0.93) indicated almost perfect agreement. The final classification consisted of a continuous age prefix, etiology (congenital or structural, neuromuscular, syndromic, and idiopathic), major curve angle (1, 2, 3, or 4), and kyphosis (-, N, or +) variables, and an optional progression modifier (P0, P1, or P2). Utilizing formal consensus-building methods in a large group of surgeons experienced in treating early-onset scoliosis, a novel classification system for early-onset scoliosis was developed with all core components demonstrating substantial to excellent interobserver reliability. This classification system will serve as a foundation to guide ongoing research efforts and standardize communication in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

  9. Correlation between patients' reasons for encounters/health problems and population density in Japan: a systematic review of observational studies coded by the International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) and the International Classification of Primary care (ICPC).

    PubMed

    Kaneko, Makoto; Ohta, Ryuichi; Nago, Naoki; Fukushi, Motoharu; Matsushima, Masato

    2017-09-13

    The Japanese health care system has yet to establish structured training for primary care physicians; therefore, physicians who received an internal medicine based training program continue to play a principal role in the primary care setting. To promote the development of a more efficient primary health care system, the assessment of its current status in regard to the spectrum of patients' reasons for encounters (RFEs) and health problems is an important step. Recognizing the proportions of patients' RFEs and health problems, which are not generally covered by an internist, can provide valuable information to promote the development of a primary care physician-centered system. We conducted a systematic review in which we searched six databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Ichushi-Web, JDreamIII and CiNii) for observational studies in Japan coded by International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) and International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) up to March 2015. We employed population density as index of accessibility. We calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to examine the correlation between the proportion of "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs and health problems in each study area in consideration of the population density. We found 17 studies with diverse designs and settings. Among these studies, "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs, which was not thought to be covered by internists, ranged from about 4% to 40%. In addition, "non-internal medicine-related" health problems ranged from about 10% to 40%. However, no significant correlation was found between population density and the proportion of "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs and health problems. This is the first systematic review on RFEs and health problems coded by ICHPPC and ICPC undertaken to reveal the diversity of health problems in Japanese primary care. These results suggest that primary care physicians in some rural areas of Japan need to be able to deal with "non-internal-medicine-related" RFEs and health problems, and that curriculum including practical non-internal medicine-related training is likely to be important.

  10. A systematic literature review of automated clinical coding and classification systems

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Margaret; Fenton, Susan H; Jenders, Robert A; Hersh, William R

    2010-01-01

    Clinical coding and classification processes transform natural language descriptions in clinical text into data that can subsequently be used for clinical care, research, and other purposes. This systematic literature review examined studies that evaluated all types of automated coding and classification systems to determine the performance of such systems. Studies indexed in Medline or other relevant databases prior to March 2009 were considered. The 113 studies included in this review show that automated tools exist for a variety of coding and classification purposes, focus on various healthcare specialties, and handle a wide variety of clinical document types. Automated coding and classification systems themselves are not generalizable, nor are the results of the studies evaluating them. Published research shows these systems hold promise, but these data must be considered in context, with performance relative to the complexity of the task and the desired outcome. PMID:20962126

  11. A systematic literature review of automated clinical coding and classification systems.

    PubMed

    Stanfill, Mary H; Williams, Margaret; Fenton, Susan H; Jenders, Robert A; Hersh, William R

    2010-01-01

    Clinical coding and classification processes transform natural language descriptions in clinical text into data that can subsequently be used for clinical care, research, and other purposes. This systematic literature review examined studies that evaluated all types of automated coding and classification systems to determine the performance of such systems. Studies indexed in Medline or other relevant databases prior to March 2009 were considered. The 113 studies included in this review show that automated tools exist for a variety of coding and classification purposes, focus on various healthcare specialties, and handle a wide variety of clinical document types. Automated coding and classification systems themselves are not generalizable, nor are the results of the studies evaluating them. Published research shows these systems hold promise, but these data must be considered in context, with performance relative to the complexity of the task and the desired outcome.

  12. Casemix classification payment for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care, Thailand.

    PubMed

    Khiaocharoen, Orathai; Pannarunothai, Supasit; Zungsontiporn, Chairoj; Riewpaiboon, Wachara

    2010-07-01

    There is a need to develop other casemix classifications, apart from DRG for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care payment mechanism in Thailand. To develop a casemix classification for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service. The study began with developing a classification system, analyzing cost, assigning payment weights, and ended with testing the validity of this new casemix system. Coefficient of variation, reduction in variance, linear regression, and split-half cross-validation were employed. The casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services contained 98 groups. Two percent of them had a coefficient of variation of the cost of higher than 1.5. The reduction in variance of cost after the classification was 32%. Two classification variables (physical function and the rehabilitation impairment categories) were key determinants of the cost (adjusted R2 = 0.749, p = .001). Validity results of split-half cross-validation of sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service were high. The present study indicated that the casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services closely predicted the hospital resource use and should be further developed for payment of the inpatients sub-acute and non-acute phase.

  13. Automatic classification of radiological reports for clinical care.

    PubMed

    Gerevini, Alfonso Emilio; Lavelli, Alberto; Maffi, Alessandro; Maroldi, Roberto; Minard, Anne-Lyse; Serina, Ivan; Squassina, Guido

    2018-06-07

    Radiological reporting generates a large amount of free-text clinical narratives, a potentially valuable source of information for improving clinical care and supporting research. The use of automatic techniques to analyze such reports is necessary to make their content effectively available to radiologists in an aggregated form. In this paper we focus on the classification of chest computed tomography reports according to a classification schema proposed for this task by radiologists of the Italian hospital ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia. The proposed system is built exploiting a training data set containing reports annotated by radiologists. Each report is classified according to the schema developed by radiologists and textual evidences are marked in the report. The annotations are then used to train different machine learning based classifiers. We present in this paper a method based on a cascade of classifiers which make use of a set of syntactic and semantic features. The resulting system is a novel hierarchical classification system for the given task, that we have experimentally evaluated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. [Autonomy and health needs in the systematization of nursing assistance under the optics of the primary care].

    PubMed

    Barros, Débora Gomes; Chiesa, Anna Maria

    2007-12-01

    Given recent changes in the organization of the primary health care in Brazil, it is necessary to reflect on the contributions of nursing care. This article aims to review the concepts of autonomy and health needs and its applications in different proposals for the systematization of the nursing care. It is a literature review on systematization of the nursing assistance, autonomy and health needs in databases LILACS and BDENF. The most relevant results indicate that autonomy incorporates aspects professional and patient's that are sustained by their respective categories. About needs we found that tracks biological needs and social needs, which intersect with the psychological to cover biopsychosocial needs. It was found that the application of the concepts was not present in classification systems of nursing. However, they were more related to International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP) and International Classification of Nursing Practice in Collective Heath (ICNPCH) projects.

  15. What do primary care practitioners want to know? A content analysis of questions asked at the point of care.

    PubMed

    Bjerre, Lise M; Paterson, Nicholas R; McGowan, Jessie; Hogg, William; Campbell, Craig M; Viner, Gary; Archibald, Douglas

    2013-01-01

    Assessing physician needs to develop continuing medical education (CME) activities is an integral part of CME curriculum development. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the feasibility of identifying areas of perceived greatest needs for continuing medical education (CME) by using questions collected electronically at the point of care. This study is a secondary analysis of the "Just-in-Time" (JIT) information librarian consultation service database of questions using quantitative content analysis methods. The original JIT project demonstrated the feasibility of a real-time librarian service for answering questions asked by primary care clinicians at the point of care using a Web-based platform or handheld device. Data were collected from 88 primary care practitioners in Ontario, Canada, from October 2005 to April 2006. Questions were answered in less than 15 minutes, enabling clinicians to use the answer during patient encounters. Description of type and frequency of questions asked, including the organ system on which the questions focused, was produced using 2 classification systems, the "taxonomy of generic clinical questions" (TGCQ), and the International Classification for Primary Care version 2 (ICPC-2). Of the original 1889 questions, 1871 (99.0%) were suitable for analysis. A total of 970 (52%) of questions related to therapy; of these, 671 (69.2%) addressed questions about drug therapy, representing 36% of all questions. Questions related to diagnosis (24.8%) and epidemiology (13.5%) were also common. Organ systems questions concerning musculoskeletal, endocrine, skin, cardiac, and digestive systems were asked more than other categories. Questions collected at the point of care provide a valuable and unique source of information on the true learning needs of practicing clinicians. The TGCQ classification allowed us to show that a majority of questions had to do with treatment, particularly drug treatment, whereas the use of the ICPC-2 classification illustrated the great variety of questions asked about the diverse conditions encountered in primary care. It is feasible to use electronically collected questions asked by primary care clinicians in clinical practice to categorize self-identified knowledge and practice needs. This could be used to inform the development of future learning activities. Copyright © 2013 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  16. Analytical Procedures for Testability.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-01-01

    Beat Internal Classifications", AD: A018516. "A System of Computer Aided Diagnosis with Blood Serum Chemistry Tests and Bayesian Statistics", AD: 786284...6 LIST OF TALS .. 1. Truth Table ......................................... 49 2. Covering Problem .............................. 93 3. Primary and...quential classification procedure in a coronary care ward is evaluated. In the toxicology field "A System of Computer Aided Diagnosis with Blood Serum

  17. System for selecting relevant information for decision support.

    PubMed

    Kalina, Jan; Seidl, Libor; Zvára, Karel; Grünfeldová, Hana; Slovák, Dalibor; Zvárová, Jana

    2013-01-01

    We implemented a prototype of a decision support system called SIR which has a form of a web-based classification service for diagnostic decision support. The system has the ability to select the most relevant variables and to learn a classification rule, which is guaranteed to be suitable also for high-dimensional measurements. The classification system can be useful for clinicians in primary care to support their decision-making tasks with relevant information extracted from any available clinical study. The implemented prototype was tested on a sample of patients in a cardiological study and performs an information extraction from a high-dimensional set containing both clinical and gene expression data.

  18. Classification of cardiac patient states using artificial neural networks

    PubMed Central

    Kannathal, N; Acharya, U Rajendra; Lim, Choo Min; Sadasivan, PK; Krishnan, SM

    2003-01-01

    Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a nonstationary signal; therefore, the disease indicators may occur at random in the time scale. This may require the patient be kept under observation for long intervals in the intensive care unit of hospitals for accurate diagnosis. The present study examined the classification of the states of patients with certain diseases in the intensive care unit using their ECG and an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) classification system. The states were classified into normal, abnormal and life threatening. Seven significant features extracted from the ECG were fed as input parameters to the ANN for classification. Three neural network techniques, namely, back propagation, self-organizing maps and radial basis functions, were used for classification of the patient states. The ANN classifier in this case was observed to be correct in approximately 99% of the test cases. This result was further improved by taking 13 features of the ECG as input for the ANN classifier. PMID:19649222

  19. Classifying diseases and remedies in ethnomedicine and ethnopharmacology.

    PubMed

    Staub, Peter O; Geck, Matthias S; Weckerle, Caroline S; Casu, Laura; Leonti, Marco

    2015-11-04

    Ethnopharmacology focuses on the understanding of local and indigenous use of medicines and therefore an emic approach is inevitable. Often, however, standard biomedical disease classifications are used to describe and analyse local diseases and remedies. Standard classifications might be a valid tool for cross-cultural comparisons and bioprospecting purposes but are not suitable to understand the local perception of disease and use of remedies. Different standard disease classification systems exist but their suitability for cross-cultural comparisons of ethnomedical data has never been assessed. Depending on the research focus, (I) ethnomedical, (II) cross-cultural, and (III) bioprospecting, we provide suggestions for the use of specific classification systems. We analyse three different standard biomedical classification systems (the International Classification of Diseases (ICD); the Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS); and the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC)), and discuss their value for categorizing diseases of ethnomedical systems and their suitability for cross-cultural research in ethnopharmacology. Moreover, based on the biomedical uses of all approved plant derived biomedical drugs, we propose a biomedical therapy-based classification system as a guide for the discovery of drugs from ethnopharmacological sources. Widely used standards, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) by the WHO and the Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS) are either technically challenging due to a categorisation system based on clinical examinations, which are usually not possible during field research (ICD) or lack clear biomedical criteria combining disorders and medical effects in an imprecise and confusing way (EBDCS). The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), also accepted by the WHO, has more in common with ethnomedical reality than the ICD or the EBDCS, as the categories are designed according to patient's perceptions and are less influenced by clinical medicine. Since diagnostic tools are not required, medical ethnobotanists and ethnopharmacologists can easily classify reported symptoms and complaints with the ICPC in one of the "chapters" based on 17 body systems, psychological and social problems. Also the biomedical uses of plant-derived drugs are classifiable into 17 broad organ- and therapy-based use-categories but can easily be divided into more specific subcategories. Depending on the research focus (I-III) we propose the following classification systems: I. Ethnomedicine: Ethnomedicine is culture-bound and local classifications have to be understood from an emic perspective. Consequently, the application of prefabricated, "one-size fits all" biomedical classification schemes is of limited value. II. Cross-cultural analysis: The ICPC is a suitable standard that can be applied but modified as required. III. Bioprospecting: We suggest a biomedical therapy-driven classification system with currently 17 use-categories based on biomedical uses of all approved plant derived natural product drugs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. [To represent needs of nursing care using nursing diagnoses: potentials and restrictions of the NANDA classification and ICNP].

    PubMed

    Schilder, Michael

    2005-03-01

    Nursing diagnoses represent individual reactions to existing or potential changes in one's state of health. They are result of a diagnostic process, which is part of the dynamic nursing care process in its whole. Thus, as a basis of nursing interventions diagnoses have to be proved continuously. The classification of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) as well as the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) can be account to the international well-known classifications of nursing diagnoses. Comparing their structures, some fundamental differences between both classifications become obvious. While the NANDA classification represents a systematic structured body of nursing knowledge with regard to human health reactions patterns, the ICNP reflects a more comprehensive part of the nursing reality, since it also contains nursing interventions and outcomes. Until the latest changes by establishing the taxonomy II, NANDA diagnoses have primarily focused deficits. But in contrast to the diagnoses of the ICNP they also comprise etiological factors. To prove the applicability of both classifications to nursing practice, they have been applied to a case study of a female resident living in a nursing home. The results of analysis show that because of their different structures the NANDA classification and ICNP have their own possibilities and limitations in covering the resident's individual needs of nursing care. These characteristic potentials and restrictions have to be taken into account when one of the classification systems is going to be implemented into nursing practice.

  1. Critical evaluation of the PALM-COEIN classification system among women with abnormal uterine bleeding in low-resource settings.

    PubMed

    Shubham, Divya; Kawthalkar, Anjali S

    2018-05-01

    To assess the feasibility of the PALM-COEIN system for the classification of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in low-resource settings and to suggest modifications. A prospective study was conducted among women with AUB who were admitted to the gynecology ward of a tertiary care hospital and research center in central India between November 2014 and October 2016. All patients were managed as per department protocols. The causes of AUB were classified before treatment using the PALM-COEIN system (classification I) and on the basis of the histopathology reports of the hysterectomy specimens (classification II); the results were compared using classification II as the gold standard. The study included 200 women with AUB; hysterectomy was performed in 174 women. Preoperative classification of AUB per the PALM-COEIN system was correct in 130 (65.0%) women. Adenomyosis (evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography) and endometrial hyperplasia (evaluated by endometrial curettage) were underdiagnosed. The PALM-COEIN classification system helps in deciding the best treatment modality for women with AUB on a case-by-case basis. The incorporation of suggested modifications will further strengthen its utility as a pretreatment classification system in low-resource settings. © 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

  2. Classification of Patient Care Complexity: Cloud Technology.

    PubMed

    de Oliveira Riboldi, Caren; Macedo, Andrea Barcellos Teixeira; Mergen, Thiane; Dias, Vera Lúcia Mendes; da Costa, Diovane Ghignatti; Malvezzi, Maria Luiza Falsarella; Magalhães, Ana Maria Muller; Silveira, Denise Tolfo

    2016-01-01

    Presentation of the computerized structure to implement, in a university hospital in the South of Brazil, the Patients Classification System of Perroca, which categorizes patients according to the care complexity. This solution also aims to corroborate a recent study at the hospital, which evidenced that the increasing workload presents a direct relation with the institutional quality indicators. The tools used were the Google applications with high productivity interconnecting the topic knowledge on behalf of the nursing professionals and information technology professionals.

  3. Direct costs of emergency medical care: a diagnosis-based case-mix classification system.

    PubMed

    Baraff, L J; Cameron, J M; Sekhon, R

    1991-01-01

    To develop a diagnosis-based case mix classification system for emergency department patient visits based on direct costs of care designed for an outpatient setting. Prospective provider time study with collection of financial data from each hospital's accounts receivable system and medical information, including discharge diagnosis, from hospital medical records. Three community hospital EDs in Los Angeles County during selected times in 1984. Only direct costs of care were included: health care provider time, ED management and clerical personnel excluding registration, nonlabor ED expense including supplies, and ancillary hospital services. Indirect costs for hospitals and physicians, including depreciation and amortization, debt service, utilities, malpractice insurance, administration, billing, registration, and medical records were not included. Costs were derived by valuing provider time based on a formula using annual income or salary and fringe benefits, productivity and direct care factors, and using hospital direct cost to charge ratios. Physician costs were based on a national study of emergency physician income and excluded practice costs. Patients were classified into one of 216 emergency department groups (EDGs) on the basis of the discharge diagnosis, patient disposition, age, and the presence of a limited number of physician procedures. Total mean direct costs ranged from $23 for follow-up visit to $936 for trauma, admitted, with critical care procedure. The mean total direct costs for the 16,771 nonadmitted patients was $69. Of this, 34% was for ED costs, 45% was for ancillary service costs, and 21% was for physician costs. The mean total direct costs for the 1,955 admitted patients was $259. Of this, 23% was for ED costs, 63% was for ancillary service costs, and 14% was for physician costs. Laboratory and radiographic services accounted for approximately 85% of all ancillary service costs and 38% of total direct costs for nonadmitted patients versus 80% of ancillary service costs and 51% of total direct costs for admitted patients. We have developed a diagnosis-based case mix classification system for ED patient visits based on direct costs of care designed for an outpatient setting which, unlike diagnosis-related groups, includes the measurement of time-based cost for physician and nonphysician services. This classification system helps to define direct costs of hospital and physician emergency services by type of patient.

  4. A pilot study to explore the feasibility of using theClinical Care Classification System for developing a reliable costing method for nursing services.

    PubMed

    Dykes, Patricia C; Wantland, Dean; Whittenburg, Luann; Lipsitz, Stuart; Saba, Virginia K

    2013-01-01

    While nursing activities represent a significant proportion of inpatient care, there are no reliable methods for determining nursing costs based on the actual services provided by the nursing staff. Capture of data to support accurate measurement and reporting on the cost of nursing services is fundamental to effective resource utilization. Adopting standard terminologies that support tracking both the quality and the cost of care could reduce the data entry burden on direct care providers. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of using a standardized nursing terminology, the Clinical Care Classification System (CCC), for developing a reliable costing method for nursing services. Two different approaches are explored; the Relative Value Unit RVU and the simple cost-to-time methods. We found that the simple cost-to-time method was more accurate and more transparent in its derivation than the RVU method and may support a more consistent and reliable approach for costing nursing services.

  5. Classification of patients with low back-related leg pain: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Stynes, Siobhán; Konstantinou, Kika; Dunn, Kate M

    2016-05-23

    The identification of clinically relevant subgroups of low back pain (LBP) is considered the number one LBP research priority in primary care. One subgroup of LBP patients are those with back related leg pain. Leg pain frequently accompanies LBP and is associated with increased levels of disability and higher health costs than simple low back pain. Distinguishing between different types of low back-related leg pain (LBLP) is important for clinical management and research applications, but there is currently no clear agreement on how to define and identify LBLP due to nerve root involvement. The aim of this systematic review was to identify, describe and appraise papers that classify or subgroup populations with LBLP, and summarise how leg pain due to nerve root involvement is described and diagnosed in the various systems. The search strategy involved nine electronic databases including Medline and Embase, reference lists of eligible studies and relevant reviews. Selected papers were appraised independently by two reviewers using a standardised scoring tool. Of 13,358 initial potential eligible citations, 50 relevant papers were identified that reported on 22 classification systems. Papers were grouped according to purpose and criteria of the classification systems. Five themes emerged: (i) clinical features (ii) pathoanatomy (iii) treatment-based approach (iv) screening tools and prediction rules and (v) pain mechanisms. Three of the twenty two systems focused specifically on LBLP populations. Systems that scored highest following quality appraisal were ones where authors generally included statistical methods to develop their classifications, and supporting work had been published on the systems' validity, reliability and generalisability. There was lack of consistency in how LBLP due to nerve root involvement was described and diagnosed within the systems. Numerous classification systems exist that include patients with leg pain, a minority of them focus specifically on distinguishing between different presentations of leg pain. Further work is needed to identify clinically meaningful subgroups of LBLP patients, ideally based on large primary care cohort populations and using recommended methods for classification system development.

  6. CHANGING OUR DIAGNOSTIC PARADIGM: MOVEMENT SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC CLASSIFICATION

    PubMed Central

    Kamonseki, Danilo H.; Staker, Justin L.; Lawrence, Rebekah L.; Braman, Jonathan P.

    2017-01-01

    Proper diagnosis is a first step in applying best available treatments, and prognosticating outcomes for clients. Currently, the majority of musculoskeletal diagnoses are classified according to pathoanatomy. However, the majority of physical therapy treatments are applied toward movement system impairments or pain. While advocated within the physical therapy profession for over thirty years, diagnostic classification within a movement system framework has not been uniformly developed or adopted. We propose a basic framework and rationale for application of a movement system diagnostic classification for atraumatic shoulder pain conditions, as a case for the broader development of movement system diagnostic labels. Shifting our diagnostic paradigm has potential to enhance communication, improve educational efficiency, facilitate research, directly link to function, improve clinical care, and accelerate preventive interventions. PMID:29158950

  7. Web-based triage in a college health setting.

    PubMed

    Sole, Mary Lou; Stuart, Patricia L; Deichen, Michael

    2006-01-01

    The authors describe the initiation and use of a Web-based triage system in a college health setting. During the first 4 months of implementation, the system recorded 1,290 encounters. More women accessed the system (70%); the average age was 21.8 years. The Web-based triage system advised the majority of students to seek care within 24 hours; however, it recommended self-care management in 22.7% of encounters. Sore throat was the most frequent chief complaint (14.2%). A subset of 59 students received treatment at student health services after requesting an appointment via e-mail. The authors used kappa statistics to compare congruence between chief complaint and 24/7 WebMed classification (kappa = .94), between chief complaint and student health center diagnosis (kappa = .91), and between 24/7 WebMed classification and student health center diagnosis (kappa = .89). Initial evaluation showed high use and good accuracy of Web-based triage. This service provides education and advice to students about their health care concerns.

  8. [Models of care and classification of "Children with special health care needs-CSHCN": Recommendations from the CSHCN Committee, Chilean Paediatric Society].

    PubMed

    Flores Cano, Juan Carlos; Lizama Calvo, Macarena; Rodríguez Zamora, Natalie; Ávalos Anguita, María Eugenia; Galanti De La Paz, Mónica; Barja Yañez, Salesa; Becerra Flores, Carlos; Sanhueza Sepúlveda, Carolina; Cabezas Tamayo, Ana María; Orellana Welch, Jorge; Zillmann Geerdts, Gisela; Antilef, Rosa María; Cox Melane, Alfonso; Valle Maluenda, Marcelo; Vargas Catalán, Nelson

    2016-01-01

    "Children with special health care needs" (CSHCN) is an emerging and heterogeneous group of paediatric patients, with a wide variety of medical conditions and with different uses of health care services. There is consensus on how to classify and assess these patients according to their needs, but not for their specific diagnosis. Needs are classified into 6 areas: a) specialised medical care; b) use or need of prescription medication; c) special nutrition; d) dependence on technology; e) rehabilitation therapy for functional limitation; and f) special education services. From the evaluation of each area, a classification for CSHCN is proposed according to low, medium, or high complexity health needs, to guide and distribute their care at an appropriate level of the health care system. Low complexity CSHCN should be incorporated into Primary Care services, to improve benefits for patients and families at this level. It is critical to train health care professionals in taking care of CSHCN, promoting a coordinated, dynamic and communicated work between different levels of the health care system. Compliance with these guidelines will achieve a high quality and integrated care for this vulnerable group of children. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  9. A Web-Based, Hospital-Wide Health Care-Associated Bloodstream Infection Surveillance and Classification System: Development and Evaluation.

    PubMed

    Tseng, Yi-Ju; Wu, Jung-Hsuan; Lin, Hui-Chi; Chen, Ming-Yuan; Ping, Xiao-Ou; Sun, Chun-Chuan; Shang, Rung-Ji; Sheng, Wang-Huei; Chen, Yee-Chun; Lai, Feipei; Chang, Shan-Chwen

    2015-09-21

    Surveillance of health care-associated infections is an essential component of infection prevention programs, but conventional systems are labor intensive and performance dependent. To develop an automatic surveillance and classification system for health care-associated bloodstream infection (HABSI), and to evaluate its performance by comparing it with a conventional infection control personnel (ICP)-based surveillance system. We developed a Web-based system that was integrated into the medical information system of a 2200-bed teaching hospital in Taiwan. The system automatically detects and classifies HABSIs. In this study, the number of computer-detected HABSIs correlated closely with the number of HABSIs detected by ICP by department (n=20; r=.999 P<.001) and by time (n=14; r=.941; P<.001). Compared with reference standards, this system performed excellently with regard to sensitivity (98.16%), specificity (99.96%), positive predictive value (95.81%), and negative predictive value (99.98%). The system enabled decreasing the delay in confirmation of HABSI cases, on average, by 29 days. This system provides reliable and objective HABSI data for quality indicators, improving the delay caused by a conventional surveillance system.

  10. 76 FR 79685 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records Notice

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-22

    ... pertain to individual office-based health care providers who are enrolled with the ONC Health IT Regional.../ rural classification) or demographic data (e.g., health care provider type, such as office-based...-based health care providers who are enrolled with the ONC Health IT Regional Extension Centers (REC) and...

  11. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: Current Classification and Clinical Management.

    PubMed

    Bacon, Janice L

    2017-06-01

    Abnormal uterine bleeding is now classified and categorized according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics classification system: PALM-COEIN. This applies to nongravid women during their reproductive years and allows more clear designation of causes, thus aiding clinical care and future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Declining amenable mortality: a reflection of health care systems?

    PubMed

    Gianino, Maria Michela; Lenzi, Jacopo; Fantini, Maria Pia; Ricciardi, Walter; Damiani, Gianfranco

    2017-11-15

    Some studies have analyzed the association of health care systems variables, such as health service resources or expenditures, with amenable mortality, but the association of types of health care systems with the decline of amenable mortality has yet to be studied. The present study examines whether specific health care system types are associated with different time trend declines in amenable mortality from 2000 to 2014 in 22 European OECD countries. A time trend analysis was performed. Using Nolte and McKee's list, age-standardized amenable mortality rates (SDRs) were calculated as the annual number of deaths over the population aged 0-74 years per 100,000 inhabitants. We classified health care systems according to a deductively generated classification by Böhm. This classification identifies three dimensions that are not entirely independent of each other but follow a clear order: the regulation dimension is first, followed by the financing dimension and finally service provision. We performed a hierarchical semi-log polynomial regression analysis on the annual SDRs to determine whether specific health care systems were associated with different SDR trajectories over time. The results showed a clear decline in SDRs in all 22 health care systems between 2000 and 2014 although at different annual changes (slopes). Regression analysis showed that there was a significant difference among the slopes according to provision dimension. Health care systems with a private provision exhibited a slowdown in the decline of amenable mortality over time. It therefore seems that ownership is the most relevant dimension in determining a different pattern of decline in mortality. All countries experienced decreases in amenable mortality between 2000 and 2014; this decline seems to be partially a reflection of health care systems, especially when affected by the provision dimension. If the private ownership is maintained or promoted by health systems, these findings might be considered when thinking about regulation policies to control factors that might influence health care performance.

  13. Use of Headings and Classifications by Physicians in Medical Narratives of EHRs

    PubMed Central

    Häyrinen, K.; Harno, K.; Nykänen, P.

    2011-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate patient care documentation by hospital physicians in EHRs and especially the use of national headings and classifications in these documentations Material and Methods The initial material consisted of a random sample of 3,481 medical narratives documented in EHRs during the period 2004-2005 in one department of a Finnish central hospital. The final material comprised a subset of 1,974 medical records with a focus on consultation requests and consultation responses by two specialist groups from 871 patients. This electronic documentation was analyzed using deductive content analyses and descriptive statistics. Results The physicians documented patient care in EHRs principally as narrative text. The medical narratives recorded by specialists were structured with headings in less than half of the patient cases. Consultation responses in general were more often structured with headings than consultation requests. The use of classifications was otherwise insignificant, but diagnoses were documented as ICD 10 codes in over 50% of consultation responses by both medical specialties. Conclusion There is an obvious need to improve the structuring of narrative text with national headings and classifications. According to the findings of this study, reason for care, patient history, health status, follow-up care plan and diagnosis are meaningful headings in physicians’ documentation. The existing list of headings needs to be analyzed within a consistent unified terminology system as a basis for further development. Adhering to headings and classifications in EHR documentation enables patient data to be shared and aggregated. The secondary use of data is expected to improve care management and quality of care. PMID:23616866

  14. Validation of Resource Utilization Groups version III for Home Care (RUG-III/HC): evidence from a Canadian home care jurisdiction.

    PubMed

    Poss, Jeffrey W; Hirdes, John P; Fries, Brant E; McKillop, Ian; Chase, Mary

    2008-04-01

    The case-mix system Resource Utilization Groups version III for Home Care (RUG-III/HC) was derived using a modest data sample from Michigan, but to date no comprehensive large scale validation has been done. This work examines the performance of the RUG-III/HC classification using a large sample from Ontario, Canada. Cost episodes over a 13-week period were aggregated from individual level client billing records and matched to assessment information collected using the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care, from which classification rules for RUG-III/HC are drawn. The dependent variable, service cost, was constructed using formal services plus informal care valued at approximately one-half that of a replacement worker. An analytic dataset of 29,921 episodes showed a skewed distribution with over 56% of cases falling into the lowest hierarchical level, reduced physical functions. Case-mix index values for formal and informal cost showed very close similarities to those found in the Michigan derivation. Explained variance for a function of combined formal and informal cost was 37.3% (20.5% for formal cost alone), with personal support services as well as informal care showing the strongest fit to the RUG-III/HC classification. RUG-III/HC validates well compared with the Michigan derivation work. Potential enhancements to the present classification should consider the large numbers of undifferentiated cases in the reduced physical function group, and the low explained variance for professional disciplines.

  15. 32 CFR 732.25 - Accounting classifications for nonnaval medical and dental care expenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and dental care expenses. 732.25 Section 732.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard Document Numbers § 732.25 Accounting classifications for...

  16. 32 CFR 732.25 - Accounting classifications for nonnaval medical and dental care expenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... and dental care expenses. 732.25 Section 732.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard Document Numbers § 732.25 Accounting classifications for...

  17. 32 CFR 732.25 - Accounting classifications for nonnaval medical and dental care expenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... and dental care expenses. 732.25 Section 732.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard Document Numbers § 732.25 Accounting classifications for...

  18. 32 CFR 732.25 - Accounting classifications for nonnaval medical and dental care expenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... and dental care expenses. 732.25 Section 732.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard Document Numbers § 732.25 Accounting classifications for...

  19. 32 CFR 732.25 - Accounting classifications for nonnaval medical and dental care expenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... and dental care expenses. 732.25 Section 732.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard Document Numbers § 732.25 Accounting classifications for...

  20. Evaluation of the Products of Ambulatory Care and Products of Ambulatory Surgery Classification System for the Military Health Care System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-09-01

    Brief Reactive 29890 2989 Psychosis, Atypical 2990 29900 Autism 300 3009 Neupotic Disorder 3000 30000 Anxiety Disorder 30003 30000 Anxiety/Tension Nos...Complication, Vaccination , Nos 84 I i REFERENCES Georgoulakis, J.M., Guillen, A.C., Gaffney, Cherry L., Akins, S.E., Bolling, D.R. & Austin, V.R. (1990

  1. Information management for aged care provision in Australia: development of an aged care minimum dataset and strategies to improve quality and continuity of care.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jenny; Morgans, Amee; Burgess, Stephen

    2016-04-01

    Efficient information systems support the provision of multi-disciplinary aged care and a variety of organisational purposes, including quality, funding, communication and continuity of care. Agreed minimum data sets enable accurate communication across multiple care settings. However, in aged care multiple and poorly integrated data collection frameworks are commonly used for client assessment, government reporting and funding purposes. To determine key information needs in aged care settings to improve information quality, information transfer, safety, quality and continuity of care to meet the complex needs of aged care clients. Modified Delphi methods involving five stages were employed by one aged care provider in Victoria, Australia, to establish stakeholder consensus for a derived minimum data set and address barriers to data quality. Eleven different aged care programs were identified; with five related data dictionaries, three minimum data sets, five program standards or quality frameworks. The remaining data collection frameworks related to diseases classification, funding, service activity reporting, and statistical standards and classifications. A total of 170 different data items collected across seven internal information systems were consolidated to a derived set of 60 core data items and aligned with nationally consistent data collection frameworks. Barriers to data quality related to inconsistencies in data items, staff knowledge, workflow, system access and configuration. The development an internal aged care minimum data set highlighted the critical role of primary data quality in the upstream and downstream use of client information; and presents a platform to build national consistency across the sector.

  2. A language of health in action: Read Codes, classifications and groupings.

    PubMed Central

    Stuart-Buttle, C. D.; Read, J. D.; Sanderson, H. F.; Sutton, Y. M.

    1996-01-01

    A cornerstone of the Information Management and Technology Strategy of the National Health Service's (NHS) Executive is fully operational, person-based clinical information systems, from which flow all of the data needed for direct and indirect care of patients by healthcare providers, and local and national management of the NHS. The currency of these data flows are firstly Read-coded clinical terms, secondly the classifications, the International, Classification of Disease and Health Related Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10) and The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Classification of Surgical Operations and Procedures, 4th Revision (OPCS-4), and thirdly Healthcare Resource Groups and Health Benefit Groups, all of which together are called the "language of health", an essential element of the electronic clinical record. This paper briefly describes the three main constituents of the language, and how, together with person-based, fully operational clinical information systems, it enables more effective and efficient healthcare delivery. It also describes how the remaining projects of the IM&T Strategy complete the key components necessary to provide the systems that will enable the flow of person-based data, collected once at the point of care and shared amongst all legitimate users via the electronic patient record. PMID:8947631

  3. Surgical management of morbidity due to lymphatic filariasis: the usefulness of a standardized international clinical classification of hydroceles.

    PubMed

    Capuano, G P; Capuano, C

    2012-03-01

    The objective of this work is to evaluate the usefulness of a standardized clinical classification of hydroceles in lymphatic filariasis endemic countries to guide their surgical management. 64 patients with hydroceles were operated in 2009-2010, in Level II hospitals (WHO classification), during two visits to Fiji, by the same mobile surgical team. The number of hydroceles treated was 83. We developed and evaluated a much needed clinical classification of hydroceles based on four criteria: Type (uni/bilateral); Side (left/right); Stage of enlargement of the scrotum rated from I to VI; Grade of burial of the penis rated from 0 to 4. It lead to the conclusion that 1) A Stage I or II hydrocele, associated with Grade 0 or 1 penis burial could be considered a "Simple Hydrocele". The surgical treatment is simple with no anticipated early complication. WHO Level II of health care structure seems adapted. 2) A Stage III or IV hydrocele associated with Grade 2, 3 or 4 penis burial could be considered a "Complicated Hydrocele". The operation is longer, more complicated and the possibility of occurrence of complications seems greater. A level III health care facility would be more adapted under the normal functioning of the health system. We conclude that a standardized clinical classification of hydroceles based on the Stage of enlargement of the scrotum and the Grade of burial of the penis appears to be a useful tool to guide the decision about the level of care and the surgical technique required. We use the same classification for penoscrotal lymphoedema. A decision tree is presented for the management of hydroceles in lymphatic filariasis endemic countries which could usefully complement the "Algorithm for management of scrotal swelling" proposed by WHO in 2002. An international classification system of hydroceles would also allow standardization and facilitate study design and comparisons of their results.

  4. Nursing Home Levels of Care: Problems and Alternatives

    PubMed Central

    Bishop, Christine E.; Plough, Alonzo L.; Willemain, Thomas R.

    1980-01-01

    Providers and recipients of nursing home care under Medicaid are currently classified into two levels of care to facilitate appropriate placement, care, and reimbursement. The inherent imprecision of the two level system leads to problems of increased cost to Medicaid, lowered quality of care, and inadequate access to care for Medicaid recipients. However, a more refined system is likely to encounter difficulties in carrying out the functions performed by the broad two-level system, including assessment of residents, prescription of needed services, and implementation of service plans. The service type-service intensity classification proposed here can work in combination with a three-part reimbursement rate to encourage more accurate matching of resident needs, services, and Medicaid payment, while avoiding disruption of care. PMID:10309329

  5. Classification of diabetic foot ulcers.

    PubMed

    Game, Frances

    2016-01-01

    It is known that the relative importance of factors involved in the development of diabetic foot problems can vary in both their presence and severity between patients and lesions. This may be one of the reasons why outcomes seem to vary centre to centre and why some treatments may seem more effective in some people than others. There is a need therefore to classify and describe lesions of the foot in patients with diabetes in a manner that is agreed across all communities but is simple to use in clinical practice. No single system is currently in widespread use, although a number have been published. Not all are well validated outside the system from which they were derived, and it has not always been made clear the clinical purposes to which such classifications should be put to use, whether that be for research, clinical description in routine clinical care or audit. Here the currently published classification systems, their validation in clinical practice, whether they were designed for research, audit or clinical care, and the strengths and weaknesses of each are explored. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Can a Smartphone Diagnose Parkinson Disease? A Deep Neural Network Method and Telediagnosis System Implementation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Y N

    2017-01-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is primarily diagnosed by clinical examinations, such as walking test, handwriting test, and MRI diagnostic. In this paper, we propose a machine learning based PD telediagnosis method for smartphone. Classification of PD using speech records is a challenging task owing to the fact that the classification accuracy is still lower than doctor-level. Here we demonstrate automatic classification of PD using time frequency features, stacked autoencoders (SAE), and K nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier. KNN classifier can produce promising classification results from useful representations which were learned by SAE. Empirical results show that the proposed method achieves better performance with all tested cases across classification tasks, demonstrating machine learning capable of classifying PD with a level of competence comparable to doctor. It concludes that a smartphone can therefore potentially provide low-cost PD diagnostic care. This paper also gives an implementation on browser/server system and reports the running time cost. Both advantages and disadvantages of the proposed telediagnosis system are discussed.

  7. Can a Smartphone Diagnose Parkinson Disease? A Deep Neural Network Method and Telediagnosis System Implementation

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is primarily diagnosed by clinical examinations, such as walking test, handwriting test, and MRI diagnostic. In this paper, we propose a machine learning based PD telediagnosis method for smartphone. Classification of PD using speech records is a challenging task owing to the fact that the classification accuracy is still lower than doctor-level. Here we demonstrate automatic classification of PD using time frequency features, stacked autoencoders (SAE), and K nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier. KNN classifier can produce promising classification results from useful representations which were learned by SAE. Empirical results show that the proposed method achieves better performance with all tested cases across classification tasks, demonstrating machine learning capable of classifying PD with a level of competence comparable to doctor. It concludes that a smartphone can therefore potentially provide low-cost PD diagnostic care. This paper also gives an implementation on browser/server system and reports the running time cost. Both advantages and disadvantages of the proposed telediagnosis system are discussed. PMID:29075547

  8. Factors affecting general practitioners' decisions about plain radiography for back pain: implications for classification of guideline barriers--a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Espeland, Ansgar; Baerheim, Anders

    2003-03-24

    General practitioners often diverge from clinical guidelines regarding spine radiography. This study aimed to identify and describe A) factors general practitioners consider may affect their decisions about ordering plain radiography for back pain and B) barriers to guideline adherence suggested by such factors. Focus group interviews regarding factors affecting ordering decisions were carried out on a diverse sample of Norwegian general practitioners and were analysed qualitatively. Results of this study and two qualitative studies from the Netherlands and USA on use of spine radiography were interpreted for barriers to guideline adherence. These were compared with an existing barrier classification system described by Dr Cabana's group. The factors which Norwegian general practitioners considered might affect their decisions about ordering plain radiography for back pain concerned the following broader issues: clinical ordering criteria, patients' wishes for radiography and the general practitioner's response, uncertainty, professional dignity, access to radiology services, perception of whether the patient really was ill, sense of pressure from other health care providers/social security, and expectations about the consequences of ordering radiography. The three studies suggested several attitude-related and external barriers as classified in a previously reported system described by Dr Cabana in another study. Identified barriers not listed in this system were: lack of expectancy that guideline adherence will lead to desired health care process, emotional difficulty with adherence, improper access to actual/alternative health care services, and pressure from health care providers/organisations. Our findings may help implement spine radiography guidelines. They also indicate that Cabana et al.'s barrier classification system needs extending. A revised system is proposed.

  9. Factors affecting general practitioners' decisions about plain radiography for back pain: implications for classification of guideline barriers – a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Espeland, Ansgar; Baerheim, Anders

    2003-01-01

    Background General practitioners often diverge from clinical guidelines regarding spine radiography. This study aimed to identify and describe A) factors general practitioners consider may affect their decisions about ordering plain radiography for back pain and B) barriers to guideline adherence suggested by such factors. Methods Focus group interviews regarding factors affecting ordering decisions were carried out on a diverse sample of Norwegian general practitioners and were analysed qualitatively. Results of this study and two qualitative studies from the Netherlands and USA on use of spine radiography were interpreted for barriers to guideline adherence. These were compared with an existing barrier classification system described by Dr Cabana's group. Results The factors which Norwegian general practitioners considered might affect their decisions about ordering plain radiography for back pain concerned the following broader issues: clinical ordering criteria, patients' wishes for radiography and the general practitioner's response, uncertainty, professional dignity, access to radiology services, perception of whether the patient really was ill, sense of pressure from other health care providers/social security, and expectations about the consequences of ordering radiography. The three studies suggested several attitude-related and external barriers as classified in a previously reported system described by Dr Cabana in another study. Identified barriers not listed in this system were: lack of expectancy that guideline adherence will lead to desired health care process, emotional difficulty with adherence, improper access to actual/alternative health care services, and pressure from health care providers/organisations. Conclusions Our findings may help implement spine radiography guidelines. They also indicate that Cabana et al.'s barrier classification system needs extending. A revised system is proposed. PMID:12659640

  10. Linking the integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) and health information system (HIS) classifications: issues and options.

    PubMed Central

    Rowe, A. K.; Hirnschall, G.; Lambrechts, T.; Bryce, J.

    1999-01-01

    Differences in the terms used to classify diseases in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines and for health information system (HIS) disease surveillance could easily create confusion among health care workers. If the equivalent terms in the two classifications are not clear to health workers who are following the guidelines, they may have problems in performing the dual activities of case management and disease surveillance. These difficulties could adversely affect an individual's performance as well as the overall effectiveness of the IMCI strategy or HIS surveillance, or both. We interviewed key informants to determine the effect of these differences between the IMCI and HIS classifications on the countries that were implementing the IMCI guidelines. Four general approaches for addressing the problem were identified: translating the IMCI classifications into HIS classifications; changing the HIS list to include the IMCI classifications; using both the IMCI and HIS classification systems at the time of consultations; and doing nothing. No single approach can satisfy the needs of all countries. However, if the short-term or medium-term goal of IMCI planners is to find a solution that will reduce the problem for health workers and is also easy to implement, the approach most likely to succeed is translation of IMCI classifications into HIS classifications. Where feasible, a modification of the health information system to include the IMCI classifications may also be considered. PMID:10680246

  11. Self-care and mobility skills in children with cerebral palsy, related to their manual ability and gross motor function classifications.

    PubMed

    Öhrvall, Ann-Marie; Eliasson, Ann-Christin; Löwing, Kristina; Ödman, Pia; Krumlinde-Sundholm, Lena

    2010-11-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the acquisition of self-care and mobility skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in relation to their manual ability and gross motor function. Data from the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) self-care and mobility functional skill scales, the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) were collected from 195 children with CP (73 females, 122 males; mean age 8 y 1 mo; SD 3 y 11 mo; range 3-15 y); 51% had spastic bilateral CP, 36% spastic unilateral CP, 8% dyskinetic CP, and 3% ataxic CP. The percentage of children classified as MACS levels I to V was 28%, 34%, 17%, 7%, and 14% respectively, and classified as GMFCS levels I to V was 46%, 16%, 15%, 11%, and 12% respectively. Children classified as MACS and GMFCS levels I or II scored higher than children in MACS and GMFCS levels III to V on both the self-care and mobility domains of the PEDI, with significant differences between all classification levels (p<0.001). The stepwise multiple regression analysis verified that MACS was the strongest predictor of self-care skills (66%) and that GMFCS was the strongest predictor of mobility skills (76%). A strong correlation between age and self-care ability was found among children classified as MACS level I or II and between age and mobility among children classified as GMFCS level I. Many of these children achieved independence, but at a later age than typically developing children. Children at other MACS and GMFCS levels demonstrated minimal progress with age. Knowledge of a child's MACS and GMFCS level can be useful when discussing expectations of, and goals for, the development of functional skills. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Mac Keith Press 2010.

  12. 2008 International Conference on Ectodermal Dysplasias Classification Conference Report

    PubMed Central

    Salinas, Carlos F.; Jorgenson, Ronald J.; Wright, J. Timothy; DiGiovanna, John J.; Fete, Mary D.

    2009-01-01

    There are many ways to classify ectodermal dysplasia syndromes. Clinicians in practice use a list of syndromes from which to choose a potential diagnosis, paging through a volume, such as Freire-Maia and Pinheiro's corpus, matching their patient's findings to listed syndromes. Medical researchers may want a list of syndromes that share one (monothetic system) or several (polythetic system) traits in order to focus research on a narrowly defined group. Special interest groups may want a list from which they can choose constituencies, and insurance companies and government agencies may want a list to determine for whom to provide (or deny) health care coverage. Furthermore, various molecular biologists are now promoting classification systems based on gene mutation (e.g. TP63 associated syndromes) or common molecular pathways. The challenge will be to balance comprehensiveness within the classification with usability and accessibility so that the benefits truly serve the needs of researchers, health care providers and ultimately the individuals and families directly affected by ectodermal dysplasias. It is also recognized that a new classification approach is an ongoing process and will require periodical reviews or updates. Whatever scheme is developed, however, will have far-reaching application for other groups of disorders for which classification is complicated by the number of interested parties and advances in diagnostic acumen. Consensus among interested parties is necessary for optimizing communication among the diverse groups whether it be for equitable distribution of funds, correctness of diagnosis and treatment, or focusing research efforts. PMID:19681152

  13. Nursing's next advance: an internal classification for nursing practice.

    PubMed

    Clark, J; Lang, N

    1992-01-01

    An International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP) is needed to support the processes of nursing practice and advance the knowledge necessary for cost-effective delivery of quality nursing care. Below, the authors present their case for developing such a system that will provide nursing with a nomenclature, a language and a classification that can be used to describe and organize nursing data. It is their belief that this landmark project is achievable and that ICN should lead the work in collaboration with its member associations, the World Health Organization and key national, international, governmental and nongovernmental groups. But to ensure that the system will be adaptable across borders, nurses and organizations are being encouraged to share their ideas and research on such a system.

  14. Rural long-term care work, gender, and restructuring.

    PubMed

    Leach, Belinda; Joseph, Gillian

    2011-06-01

    Restructuring--the introduction of changes that alter the way health care is delivered for maximum efficiency and least cost--layered with rurality and with rural gender ideologies and practices, results in rural long-term care settings that have particular consequences for the women working in them, and for the residents and communities that they serve. This research investigated how rurality affects the implementation of patient classification in Ontario long-term care homes. Methods involved interviews and focus groups with front-line long-term care workers, administrators, and key participants. The findings revealed that rural long-term care delivery takes place when a restructured work environment intersects with gender ideologies and practices that take on particular characteristics when developed and sustained in a rural context. These factors shape the labor market and working conditions for rural women. We argue that this produces a uniquely rural experience for long-term care workers and conclude that those implementing classification systems must consider contextual factors as well as practical and financial exigencies.

  15. The debate over diagnosis related groups.

    PubMed

    Spiegel, A D; Kavaler, F

    1985-01-01

    With the advent of the Prospective Payment System (PPS) using Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) as a classification method, the pros and cons of that mechanism have been sharply debated. Grouping the comments into categories related to administration/management, DRG system and quality of care, a review of relevant literature highlights the pertinent attitudes and views of professionals and organizations. Points constantly argued include data utilization, meaningful medical classifications, resource use, gaming, profit centers, patient homogeneity, severity of illness, length of stay, technology limitations and the erosion of standards.

  16. Towards An Improvement of Hospital Services and Streamlining of Health Care Costs: The DRG Analysis in Italy.

    PubMed

    Bellavia, M; Tomasello, G; Damiani, P; Damiani, F; Geraci, A; Accardo, Fm; Gioviale, Mc; Lo Monte, Ai

    2012-01-01

    The term Diagnosis-related Group (DRG) refers to a classification system used to assess hospital services with the aim of a better management of health care costs and improving performance. The DRG system focuses on the utilization of resources, and is not concerned with the specific type of care provided to the patient. This system highlights any diseconomies and eventual critical aspects of the hospital system. This article, starting from the history of heath care financing in Italy and pointing out the difficulty to define the "quality" of health care services, describes the variables used to evaluate correctly hospital performance based on the DRG system. These include Average Length of Stay, Average Daily Patient Load, Comparative Performance Index, and Case Mix Index.

  17. The impact of casemix on the care of the elderly.

    PubMed

    Finnegan, T P

    2001-06-01

    The Australian Health care system is a mix of public and private provision. The Federal Government funds medical care and the pharmaceutical benefit scheme while the State Governments are responsible for funding the public hospitals. Geriatric Medical care is provided in the public hospital system. The Australian DRG system has evolved to more adequately explain illness severity by a greater use of the complications and comorbidities. The structure of the Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient (SNAP) classification is outlined. While it is anecdotally said that the introduction of DRG-based funding is detrimental to the elderly, the published evidence does not support this. The potential benefits of a casemix system are discussed.

  18. An Australian casemix classification for palliative care: technical development and results.

    PubMed

    Eagar, Kathy; Green, Janette; Gordon, Robert

    2004-04-01

    To develop a palliative care casemix classification for use in all settings including hospital, hospice and home-based care. 3866 palliative care patients who, in a three-month period, had 4596 episodes of care provided by 58 palliative care services in Australia and New Zealand. A detailed clinical and service utilization profile was collected on each patient with staff time and other resources measured on a daily basis. Each day of care was costed using actual cost data from each study site. Regression tree analysis was used to group episodes of care with similar costs and clinical characteristics. In the resulting classification, the Australian National Sub-acute and Non-acute Patient (AN-SNAP) Classification Version 1, the branch for classifying inpatient palliative care episodes (including hospice care) has 11 classes and explains 20.98% of the variance in inpatient palliative care phase costs using trimmed data. There are 22 classes in the ambulatory palliative care branch that explains 17.14% variation in ambulatory phase cost using trimmed data. The term 'subacute' is used in Australia to describe health care in which the goal--a change in functional status or improvement in quality of life--is a better predictor of the need for, and the cost of, care than the patient's underlying diagnosis. The results suggest that phase of care (stage of illness) is the best predictor of the cost of Australian palliative care. Other predictors of cost are functional status and age. In the ambulatory setting, symptom severity and the model of palliative care are also predictive of cost. These variables are used in the AN-SNAP Version 1 classification to create 33 palliative care classes. The classification has clinical meaning but the overall statistical performance is only moderate. The structure of the classification allows for it to be improved over time as models of palliative care service delivery develop.

  19. Rework the workload.

    PubMed

    O'Bryan, Linda; Krueger, Janelle; Lusk, Ruth

    2002-03-01

    Kindred Healthcare, Inc., the nation's largest full-service network of long-term acute care hospitals, initiated a 3-year strategic plan to re-evaluate its workload management system. Here, follow the project's most important and difficult phase--designing and implementing the patient classification system.

  20. Towards linking patients and clinical information: detecting UMLS concepts in e-mail.

    PubMed

    Brennan, Patricia Flatley; Aronson, Alan R

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility of detecting terms within the electronic messages of patients that could be used to effectively search electronic knowledge resources and bring health information resources into the hands of patients. Our team is exploring the application of the natural language processing (NLP) tools built within the Lister Hill Center at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to the challenge of detecting relevant concepts from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) within the free text of lay people's electronic messages (e-mail). We obtained a sample of electronic messages sent by patients participating in a randomized field evaluation of an internet-based home care support service to the project nurse, and we subjected elements of these messages to a series of analyses using several vocabularies from the UMLS Metathesaurus and the selected NLP tools. The nursing vocabularies provide an excellent starting point for this exercise because their domain encompasses patient's responses to health challenges. In successive runs we augmented six nursing vocabularies (NANDA Nursing Diagnosis, Nursing Interventions Classification, Nursing Outcomes Classification, Home Health Classification, Omaha System, and the Patient Care Data Set) with selected sets of clinical terminologies (International Classification of Primary Care; International Classification of Primary Care- American English; Micromedex DRUGDEX; National Drug Data File; Thesaurus of Psychological Terms; WHO Adverse Drug Reaction Terminology) and then additionally with either Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) or SNOMED International terms. The best performance was obtained when the nursing vocabularies were complemented with selected clinical terminologies. These findings have implications not only for facilitating lay people's access to electronic knowledge resources but may also be of assistance in developing new tools to aid in linking free text (e.g., clinical notes) to lexically complex knowledge resources such as those emerging from the Human Genome Project.

  1. Assessment of nursing management and utilization of nursing resources with the RAFAELA patient classification system--case study from the general wards of one central hospital.

    PubMed

    Rainio, Anna-Kaisa; Ohinmaa, Arto E

    2005-07-01

    RAFAELA is a new Finnish PCS, which is used in several University Hospitals and Central Hospitals and has aroused considerable interest in hospitals in Europe. The aim of the research is firstly to assess the feasibility of the RAFAELA Patient Classification System (PCS) in nursing staff management and, secondly, whether it can be seen as the transferring of nursing resources between wards according to the information received from nursing care intensity classification. The material was received from the Central Hospital's 12 general wards between 2000 and 2001. The RAFAELA PCS consists of three different measures: a system measuring patient care intensity, a system recording daily nursing resources, and a system measuring the optimal nursing care intensity/nurse situation. The data were analysed in proportion to the labour costs of nursing work and, from that, we calculated the employer's loss (a situation below the optimal level) and savings (a situation above the optimal level) per ward as both costs and the number of nurses. In 2000 the wards had on average 77 days below the optimal level and 106 days above it. In 2001 the wards had on average 71 days below the optimal level and 129 above it. Converting all these days to monetary and personnel resources the employer lost 307,745 or 9.84 nurses and saved 369,080 or 11.80 nurses in total in 2000. In 2001 the employer lost in total 242,143 or 7.58 nurses and saved 457,615 or 14.32 nurses. During the time period of the research nursing resources seemed not have been transferred between wards. RAFAELA PCS is applicable to the allocation of nursing resources but its possibilities have not been entirely used in the researched hospital. The management of nursing work should actively use the information received in nursing care intensity classification and plan and implement the transferring of nursing resources in order to ensure the quality of patient care. Information on which units resources should be allocated to is needed in the planning of staff resources of the whole hospital. More resources do not solve the managerial problem of the right allocation of resources. If resources are placed wrongly, the problems of daily staff management and cost control continue.

  2. Classification and management of extensive obstetric perineal injuries in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

    PubMed

    Zahumensky, Jozef; Menzlova, Erika; Korbel, Miroslav; Zmrhalova, Barbora; Vasicka, Ian; Sottner, Oldrich

    2010-09-01

    To assess the classification, repair, and follow up of extensive obstetric perineal injuries in the Czech and Slovak Republics. A survey conducted in 2009 using questionnaires distributed to obstetric departments regarding classification and management of obstetric perineal injuries. Although 15 centers in the Czech Republic and 2 in the Slovak Republic indicated use of a 4-degree classification system, none of these centers reported using the classification accepted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Use of a 3-degree classification system in accordance with definitions in Czech textbooks was reported by 14 Czech and 3 Slovak maternity hospitals. There was significant heterogeneity in clinical practice regarding techniques to repair extensive obstetric perineal injuries, antibiotic prophylaxis, early postpartum care, and follow up. There is great inconsistency in the classification and management of extensive obstetric perineal injuries. Uniform recommendations should be created and accepted, not only in the Czech and Slovak Republics, but worldwide. Copyright 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum: reliability of four classification systems using radiographs and computed tomography.

    PubMed

    Claessen, Femke M A P; van den Ende, Kimberly I M; Doornberg, Job N; Guitton, Thierry G; Eygendaal, Denise; van den Bekerom, Michel P J

    2015-10-01

    The radiographic appearance of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum varies according to the stage of the lesion. It is important to evaluate the stage of OCD lesion carefully to guide treatment. We compared the interobserver reliability of currently used classification systems for OCD of the humeral capitellum to identify the most reliable classification system. Thirty-two musculoskeletal radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons specialized in elbow surgery from several countries evaluated anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and corresponding computed tomography (CT) scans of 22 patients to classify the stage of OCD of the humeral capitellum according to the classification systems developed by (1) Minami, (2) Berndt and Harty, (3) Ferkel and Sgaglione, and (4) Anderson on a Web-based study platform including a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine viewer. Magnetic resonance imaging was not evaluated as part of this study. We measured agreement among observers using the Siegel and Castellan multirater κ. All OCD classification systems, except for Berndt and Harty, which had poor agreement among observers (κ = 0.20), had fair interobserver agreement: κ was 0.27 for the Minami, 0.23 for Anderson, and 0.22 for Ferkel and Sgaglione classifications. The Minami Classification was significantly more reliable than the other classifications (P < .001). The Minami Classification was the most reliable for classifying different stages of OCD of the humeral capitellum. However, it is unclear whether radiographic evidence of OCD of the humeral capitellum, as categorized by the Minami Classification, guides treatment in clinical practice as a result of this fair agreement. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Integrating disease management and wound care critical pathways in home care.

    PubMed

    Barr, J E

    1999-10-01

    This article discusses the need for an integration of the concepts of disease management and critical pathways as a foundation of a healthcare delivery system. The steps in the process for development, implementation, and evaluation of a wound care critical pathway are reviewed and variance classifications are defined. Co-pathways and algorithms are presented as methodologies for dealing with variances. A template of a wound care critical pathway that has been developed for use in the home care setting is included.

  5. The Influence of Organizational Systems on Information Exchange in Long-Term Care Facilities: An Institutional Ethnography.

    PubMed

    Caspar, Sienna; Ratner, Pamela A; Phinney, Alison; MacKinnon, Karen

    2016-06-01

    Person-centered care is heavily dependent on effective information exchange among health care team members. We explored the organizational systems that influence resident care attendants' (RCAs) access to care information in long-term care (LTC) settings. We conducted an institutional ethnography in three LTC facilities. Investigative methods included naturalistic observations, in-depth interviews, and textual analysis. Practical access to texts containing individualized care-related information (e.g., care plans) was dependent on job classification. Regulated health care professionals accessed these texts daily. RCAs lacked practical access to these texts and primarily received and shared information orally. Microsystems of care, based on information exchange formats, emerged. Organizational systems mandated written exchange of information and did not formally support an oral exchange. Thus, oral information exchanges were largely dependent on the quality of workplace relationships. Formal systems are needed to support structured oral information exchange within and between the microsystems of care found in LTC. © The Author(s) 2016.

  6. Clinical limitations of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification of uterine fibroids.

    PubMed

    Laughlin-Tommaso, Shannon K; Hesley, Gina K; Hopkins, Matthew R; Brandt, Kathleen R; Zhu, Yunxiao; Stewart, Elizabeth A

    2017-11-01

    To determine the reproducibility of classifying uterine fibroids using the 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system. The present retrospective cohort study included patients presenting for the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids at the Gynecology Fibroid Clinic at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, between April 1, 2013 and April 1, 2014. Magnetic resonance imaging of fibroid uteri was performed and the images were independently reviewed by two academic gynecologists and two radiologists specializing in fibroid care. Fibroid classifications assigned by each physician were compared and the significance of the variations was graded by whether they would affect surgical planning. There were 42 fibroids from 23 patients; only 6 (14%) fibroids had unanimous classification agreement. The majority (36 [86%]) had at least two unique answers and 4 (10%) fibroids had four unique classifications. Variations in classification were not associated with physician specialty. More than one-third of the classification discrepancies would have impacted surgical planning. FIGO fibroid classification was not consistent among four fibroid specialists. The variation was clinically significant for 36% of the fibroids. Additional validation of the FIGO fibroid classification system is needed. © 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

  7. The Affordable Care Act's implications for a public health workforce agenda: taxonomy, enumeration, and the Standard Occupational Classification system.

    PubMed

    Montes, J Henry; Webb, Susan C

    2015-01-01

    The Affordable Care Act brings a renewed emphasis on the importance of public health services and those whose occupations are defined by performing the essential public health functions. The Affordable Care Act Prevention and Public Health Fund is a signal to the field that its work is important and critical to the health of the nation. Recent reports by the Institute of Medicine describe the changing dimensions of public health work in primary care integration and the need for enhanced financing of public health as investment. Gaining knowledge about the public health workforce, that is, how many workers there are and what they are doing, is of growing interest and concern for the field. Although enumeration of the public health workforce has been attempted several times by the federal government beginning as early as 1982, it was not until the year 2000 that a major effort was undertaken to obtain more complete information. Limitations that hampered Enumeration 2000 have persisted however. With implementation of the Affordable Care Act and other new ventures, key federal agencies are developing strategies to pursue a systemic and systematic enumeration and consistent taxonomy process. Included in these efforts is use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Standard Occupational Classification system. A clear and accurate understanding of the public health workforce and its characteristics is a major challenge. A well-constructed, systematic enumeration process can add to our understanding of the nature and functions of that workforce. In addition, discussion of enumeration must include the need for a consensus within the field that leads to a consistent taxonomy for the public health occupations. This article will provide a stage-setting brief of historical actions regarding enumeration, and it will examine selected enumeration activities taking place currently. It will discuss positive and negative implications facing public health and the potential for enhancing the existing Standard Occupational Classification system to aid enumeration studies.

  8. Electronic health record use to classify patients with newly diagnosed versus preexisting type 2 diabetes: infrastructure for comparative effectiveness research and population health management.

    PubMed

    Kudyakov, Rustam; Bowen, James; Ewen, Edward; West, Suzanne L; Daoud, Yahya; Fleming, Neil; Masica, Andrew

    2012-02-01

    Use of electronic health record (EHR) content for comparative effectiveness research (CER) and population health management requires significant data configuration. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using patients with diabetes followed longitudinally (N=36,353) in the EHR deployed at outpatient practice networks of 2 health care systems. A data extraction and classification algorithm targeting identification of patients with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was applied, with the main criterion being a minimum 30-day window between the first visit documented in the EHR and the entry of T2DM on the EHR problem list. Chart reviews (N=144) validated the performance of refining this EHR classification algorithm with external administrative data. Extraction using EHR data alone designated 3205 patients as newly diagnosed with T2DM with classification accuracy of 70.1%. Use of external administrative data on that preselected population improved classification accuracy of cases identified as new T2DM diagnosis (positive predictive value was 91.9% with that step). Laboratory and medication data did not help case classification. The final cohort using this 2-stage classification process comprised 1972 patients with a new diagnosis of T2DM. Data use from current EHR systems for CER and disease management mandates substantial tailoring. Quality between EHR clinical data generated in daily care and that required for population health research varies. As evidenced by this process for classification of newly diagnosed T2DM cases, validation of EHR data with external sources can be a valuable step.

  9. Applicability of the NANDA-I and Nursing Interventions Classification taxonomies to mental health nursing practice.

    PubMed

    Thomé, Emi da Silva; Centena, Renata Cardoso; Behenck, Andressa da Silva; Marini, Maiko; Heldt, Elizeth

    2014-10-01

    To assess the applicability of the systematization of nursing care (NCS) to outpatient nursing appointments using the NANDA-I and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) taxonomies. Data were collected from 40 patients who had appointments with a nurse who specialized in mental health. Nursing diagnoses (NDs) and interventions were classified using the NANDA-I and NIC taxonomies, respectively. A total of 14 different NDs were detected (minimum of one and maximum of three per appointment). The most frequently made diagnoses were impaired social interaction (00052), anxiety (00146), and ineffective self-health management (00078). A total of 23 nursing interventions were prescribed (approximately two per appointment), of which the most frequent were socialization enhancement (5100), self-care assistance (1800), and exercise promotion (0200). Significant associations were found between the most frequently detected NDs and the most commonly prescribed interventions (p > .05). The NCS through the use of classification systems allows mental health nurses to better identify and assist poorly adjusted patients. The assessment of the applicability of the NCS to different areas of health care and types of medical assistance contributes significantly to the quality of nursing care. © 2014 NANDA International, Inc.

  10. Classification of hospital admissions into emergency and elective care: a machine learning approach.

    PubMed

    Krämer, Jonas; Schreyögg, Jonas; Busse, Reinhard

    2017-11-25

    Rising admissions from emergency departments (EDs) to hospitals are a primary concern for many healthcare systems. The issue of how to differentiate urgent admissions from non-urgent or even elective admissions is crucial. We aim to develop a model for classifying inpatient admissions based on a patient's primary diagnosis as either emergency care or elective care and predicting urgency as a numerical value. We use supervised machine learning techniques and train the model with physician-expert judgments. Our model is accurate (96%) and has a high area under the ROC curve (>.99). We provide the first comprehensive classification and urgency categorization for inpatient emergency and elective care. This model assigns urgency values to every relevant diagnosis in the ICD catalog, and these values are easily applicable to existing hospital data. Our findings may provide a basis for policy makers to create incentives for hospitals to reduce the number of inappropriate ED admissions.

  11. Cloud based intelligent system for delivering health care as a service.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Pankaj Deep; Chana, Inderveer

    2014-01-01

    The promising potential of cloud computing and its convergence with technologies such as mobile computing, wireless networks, sensor technologies allows for creation and delivery of newer type of cloud services. In this paper, we advocate the use of cloud computing for the creation and management of cloud based health care services. As a representative case study, we design a Cloud Based Intelligent Health Care Service (CBIHCS) that performs real time monitoring of user health data for diagnosis of chronic illness such as diabetes. Advance body sensor components are utilized to gather user specific health data and store in cloud based storage repositories for subsequent analysis and classification. In addition, infrastructure level mechanisms are proposed to provide dynamic resource elasticity for CBIHCS. Experimental results demonstrate that classification accuracy of 92.59% is achieved with our prototype system and the predicted patterns of CPU usage offer better opportunities for adaptive resource elasticity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Evaluation of Ambulatory Care Classification Systems for the Military Health Care System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-31

    EXERCISE TRNG 06045 97118 FACILITATION/INHIBITION TECHS 06046 94667 POSTURAL DRAINAGE /CHEST 06047 97139 OTHER PROCEDURE (PT) 06048 97012 TRACTION AND HOT...NEEDLE ASP,CARINAL/PARATRACHEAL NOD 32001 32000 THORACENTESIS, THERAPEUTIC W/ DRAINAGE 36432 36430 TRANSFUSION, RBC 36433 36430 TRANSFUSION... CRANIOTOMY V5890 V571 AFTERCARE, AMPUTATION, OTHER (PT) V5891 VS71 AFTERCARE, AMPUTATION, UPPER ARM (PT) V5892 V571 AFTERCARE, AMPUTATION, FOREARM (PT) V5893

  13. An Evaluative Study of the Navy Medical Department’s Patient Classification System and Staffing Allocation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-08-01

    the greatest impact on the modern patient classification system were conducted by R.J. Connor in the late 50’s and early 60’s at Johns *Hopkins...Administration 10 (December 1980): 25-31. Bartko, John J., and Carpenter, W.T. "On the Method and Theory of Reliability." The Journal of Nervous and Mental...Staffing in Acute Care Hospitals: A Review and A Critique of the Literature by J. Young.- P. Giovannetti, D. Lewison , and M.L. Thomas. DHEW Publication

  14. Preprocessing and meta-classification for brain-computer interfaces.

    PubMed

    Hammon, Paul S; de Sa, Virginia R

    2007-03-01

    A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system which allows direct translation of brain states into actions, bypassing the usual muscular pathways. A BCI system works by extracting user brain signals, applying machine learning algorithms to classify the user's brain state, and performing a computer-controlled action. Our goal is to improve brain state classification. Perhaps the most obvious way to improve classification performance is the selection of an advanced learning algorithm. However, it is now well known in the BCI community that careful selection of preprocessing steps is crucial to the success of any classification scheme. Furthermore, recent work indicates that combining the output of multiple classifiers (meta-classification) leads to improved classification rates relative to single classifiers (Dornhege et al., 2004). In this paper, we develop an automated approach which systematically analyzes the relative contributions of different preprocessing and meta-classification approaches. We apply this procedure to three data sets drawn from BCI Competition 2003 (Blankertz et al., 2004) and BCI Competition III (Blankertz et al., 2006), each of which exhibit very different characteristics. Our final classification results compare favorably with those from past BCI competitions. Additionally, we analyze the relative contributions of individual preprocessing and meta-classification choices and discuss which types of BCI data benefit most from specific algorithms.

  15. The First AO Classification System for Fractures of the Craniomaxillofacial Skeleton: Rationale, Methodological Background, Developmental Process, and Objectives

    PubMed Central

    Audigé, Laurent; Cornelius, Carl-Peter; Ieva, Antonio Di; Prein, Joachim

    2014-01-01

    Validated trauma classification systems are the sole means to provide the basis for reliable documentation and evaluation of patient care, which will open the gateway to evidence-based procedures and healthcare in the coming years. With the support of AO Investigation and Documentation, a classification group was established to develop and evaluate a comprehensive classification system for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures. Blueprints for fracture classification in the major constituents of the human skull were drafted and then evaluated by a multispecialty group of experienced CMF surgeons and a radiologist in a structured process during iterative agreement sessions. At each session, surgeons independently classified the radiological imaging of up to 150 consecutive cases with CMF fractures. During subsequent review meetings, all discrepancies in the classification outcome were critically appraised for clarification and improvement until consensus was reached. The resulting CMF classification system is structured in a hierarchical fashion with three levels of increasing complexity. The most elementary level 1 simply distinguishes four fracture locations within the skull: mandible (code 91), midface (code 92), skull base (code 93), and cranial vault (code 94). Levels 2 and 3 focus on further defining the fracture locations and for fracture morphology, achieving an almost individual mapping of the fracture pattern. This introductory article describes the rationale for the comprehensive AO CMF classification system, discusses the methodological framework, and provides insight into the experiences and interactions during the evaluation process within the core groups. The details of this system in terms of anatomy and levels are presented in a series of focused tutorials illustrated with case examples in this special issue of the Journal. PMID:25489387

  16. The First AO Classification System for Fractures of the Craniomaxillofacial Skeleton: Rationale, Methodological Background, Developmental Process, and Objectives.

    PubMed

    Audigé, Laurent; Cornelius, Carl-Peter; Di Ieva, Antonio; Prein, Joachim

    2014-12-01

    Validated trauma classification systems are the sole means to provide the basis for reliable documentation and evaluation of patient care, which will open the gateway to evidence-based procedures and healthcare in the coming years. With the support of AO Investigation and Documentation, a classification group was established to develop and evaluate a comprehensive classification system for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures. Blueprints for fracture classification in the major constituents of the human skull were drafted and then evaluated by a multispecialty group of experienced CMF surgeons and a radiologist in a structured process during iterative agreement sessions. At each session, surgeons independently classified the radiological imaging of up to 150 consecutive cases with CMF fractures. During subsequent review meetings, all discrepancies in the classification outcome were critically appraised for clarification and improvement until consensus was reached. The resulting CMF classification system is structured in a hierarchical fashion with three levels of increasing complexity. The most elementary level 1 simply distinguishes four fracture locations within the skull: mandible (code 91), midface (code 92), skull base (code 93), and cranial vault (code 94). Levels 2 and 3 focus on further defining the fracture locations and for fracture morphology, achieving an almost individual mapping of the fracture pattern. This introductory article describes the rationale for the comprehensive AO CMF classification system, discusses the methodological framework, and provides insight into the experiences and interactions during the evaluation process within the core groups. The details of this system in terms of anatomy and levels are presented in a series of focused tutorials illustrated with case examples in this special issue of the Journal.

  17. Modern radiosurgical and endovascular classification schemes for brain arteriovenous malformations.

    PubMed

    Tayebi Meybodi, Ali; Lawton, Michael T

    2018-05-04

    Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and endovascular techniques are commonly used for treating brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). They are usually used as ancillary techniques to microsurgery but may also be used as solitary treatment options. Careful patient selection requires a clear estimate of the treatment efficacy and complication rates for the individual patient. As such, classification schemes are an essential part of patient selection paradigm for each treatment modality. While the Spetzler-Martin grading system and its subsequent modifications are commonly used for microsurgical outcome prediction for bAVMs, the same system(s) may not be easily applicable to SRS and endovascular therapy. Several radiosurgical- and endovascular-based grading scales have been proposed for bAVMs. However, a comprehensive review of these systems including a discussion on their relative advantages and disadvantages is missing. This paper is dedicated to modern classification schemes designed for SRS and endovascular techniques.

  18. [Gastroenterology in the G-DRG-System 2004].

    PubMed

    Bunzemeier, H; Frühmorgen, P; Caspary, W F; Roeder, N

    2003-11-01

    After a year of preliminary voluntarily introduction of casemix funding in hospitals in 2003 nearly every German hospital will be confronted with lump sump payments on the basis of the G-DRG system for their inpatient care starting from January 2004. To analyse weaknesses referring to gastroenterology services within the G-DRG version 1.0 the German Association for Disorders of the Digestive System and Metabolism (DGVS) and the DRG-Research-Group from the University of Muenster conducted a DRG evaluation project. In the analysis patient data from 16 hospitals were included. As a result of the project recommendations for G-DRG adjustments were generated. Those recommendations were implemented in the advancement to G-DRG version 2004. Also the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) was modified to ICD-10 German Modification. The classification of procedures OPS-301 was revised. The main adjustments to the G-DRG system and both classifications will be presented in this paper.

  19. Clinical classification of age-related macular degeneration.

    PubMed

    Ferris, Frederick L; Wilkinson, C P; Bird, Alan; Chakravarthy, Usha; Chew, Emily; Csaky, Karl; Sadda, SriniVas R

    2013-04-01

    To develop a clinical classification system for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Evidence-based investigation, using a modified Delphi process. Twenty-six AMD experts, 1 neuro-ophthalmologist, 2 committee chairmen, and 1 methodologist. Each committee member completed an online assessment of statements summarizing current AMD classification criteria, indicating agreement or disagreement with each statement on a 9-step scale. The group met, reviewed the survey results, discussed the important components of a clinical classification system, and defined new data analyses needed to refine a classification system. After the meeting, additional data analyses from large studies were provided to the committee to provide risk estimates related to the presence of various AMD lesions. Delphi review of the 9-item set of statements resulting from the meeting. Consensus was achieved in generating a basic clinical classification system based on fundus lesions assessed within 2 disc diameters of the fovea in persons older than 55 years. The committee agreed that a single term, age-related macular degeneration, should be used for the disease. Persons with no visible drusen or pigmentary abnormalities should be considered to have no signs of AMD. Persons with small drusen (<63 μm), also termed drupelets, should be considered to have normal aging changes with no clinically relevant increased risk of late AMD developing. Persons with medium drusen (≥ 63-<125 μm), but without pigmentary abnormalities thought to be related to AMD, should be considered to have early AMD. Persons with large drusen or with pigmentary abnormalities associated with at least medium drusen should be considered to have intermediate AMD. Persons with lesions associated with neovascular AMD or geographic atrophy should be considered to have late AMD. Five-year risks of progressing to late AMD are estimated to increase approximately 100 fold, ranging from a 0.5% 5-year risk for normal aging changes to a 50% risk for the highest intermediate AMD risk group. The proposed basic clinical classification scale seems to be of value in predicting the risk of late AMD. Incorporating consistent nomenclature into the practice patterns of all eye care providers may improve communication and patient care. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Animated Simulation: Determining Cost Effective Nurse Staffing for an Acute Care Unit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-06-19

    Rate - Unscheduled Physician Visits Post- - Decubitus Ulcer Rate Discharge - Nosocomial Infection Rate (total) - Patient Knowledge of Disease...Condition - Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection Rate and Care Requirements - Nosocomial Pneumonia Rate - Nosocomial Surgical Wound Infection Rate PROCESS...Nagaprasanna, 1988). A maternity unit at Bristol Hospital displayed dissatisfaction with their patient classification system. They found the patient

  1. Post Anesthesia Care Unit Patient Classification System: The Direct Care Nursing Time Component

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-07-18

    Removal 1304 Enema - Cleansing 1305 Enema - Retention 1306 Colostomy - Irrigation 1307 Colostomy - Dressing Change 1308 Lavage 1309 Paracentesis 1310...Curettage 1910 Vaginal /Pelvic Ex,.iiination 1911 Urinary Bladder Training 1912 Condom Catheter Application 1913 Peritoneal Dialysis - Initiation 1914...Hypothermia/Hyperthermia Treatment 2101 Oral Medication 2102 Intramuscular Medication 2103 Subcutaneous Medication 2104 Suppository, Rectal/ Vaginal

  2. Providing appropriate services to individuals in the community: a preliminary case-mix for model allocating personal care services.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Charles D; Dyer, James; Janousek, Vit; Halperin, Lisa; Hawes, Catherine

    2008-01-01

    Personal care services are often provided to clients in community settings through highly discretionary processes. Such processes provide little guidance for caseworkers concerning how public resources should be allocated. The results of such processes almost guarantee that individuals with very similar needs will receive very different levels of care resources. Such disparities in treatment open the door to inequity and ineffectiveness. One way to address this problem is through case-mix classification systems that allocate hours of care according to client needs. This paper outlines the preliminary steps taken by one state in its movement toward such a system.

  3. 75 FR 78246 - Medicare Program; Re-Chartering of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-15

    ... Administrator among the fields of hospital payment systems; hospital medical care delivery systems; provider billing and accounting systems; APC groups; Current Procedural Terminology codes; HCPCS codes; the use of, and payment for, drugs, medical devices, and other services in the outpatient setting; and other forms...

  4. Classifying Chinese Questions Related to Health Care Posted by Consumers Via the Internet.

    PubMed

    Guo, Haihong; Na, Xu; Hou, Li; Li, Jiao

    2017-06-20

    In question answering (QA) system development, question classification is crucial for identifying information needs and improving the accuracy of returned answers. Although the questions are domain-specific, they are asked by non-professionals, making the question classification task more challenging. This study aimed to classify health care-related questions posted by the general public (Chinese speakers) on the Internet. A topic-based classification schema for health-related questions was built by manually annotating randomly selected questions. The Kappa statistic was used to measure the interrater reliability of multiple annotation results. Using the above corpus, we developed a machine-learning method to automatically classify these questions into one of the following six classes: Condition Management, Healthy Lifestyle, Diagnosis, Health Provider Choice, Treatment, and Epidemiology. The consumer health question schema was developed with a four-hierarchical-level of specificity, comprising 48 quaternary categories and 35 annotation rules. The 2000 sample questions were coded with 2000 major codes and 607 minor codes. Using natural language processing techniques, we expressed the Chinese questions as a set of lexical, grammatical, and semantic features. Furthermore, the effective features were selected to improve the question classification performance. From the 6-category classification results, we achieved an average precision of 91.41%, recall of 89.62%, and F 1 score of 90.24%. In this study, we developed an automatic method to classify questions related to Chinese health care posted by the general public. It enables Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents to understand Internet users' information needs on health care. ©Haihong Guo, Xu Na, Li Hou, Jiao Li. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 20.06.2017.

  5. Applying the WHO conceptual framework for the International Classification for Patient Safety to a surgical population

    PubMed Central

    McElroy, L. M.; Woods, D. M.; Yanes, A. F.; Skaro, A. I.; Daud, A.; Curtis, T.; Wymore, E.; Holl, J. L.; Abecassis, M. M.; Ladner, D. P.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Efforts to improve patient safety are challenged by the lack of universally agreed upon terms. The International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) was developed by the World Health Organization for this purpose. This study aimed to test the applicability of the ICPS to a surgical population. Design A web-based safety debriefing was sent to clinicians involved in surgical care of abdominal organ transplant patients. A multidisciplinary team of patient safety experts, surgeons and researchers used the data to develop a system of classification based on the ICPS. Disagreements were reconciled via consensus, and a codebook was developed for future use by researchers. Results A total of 320 debriefing responses were used for the initial review and codebook development. In total, the 320 debriefing responses contained 227 patient safety incidents (range: 0–7 per debriefing) and 156 contributing factors/hazards (0–5 per response). The most common severity classification was ‘reportable circumstance,’ followed by ‘near miss.’ The most common incident types were ‘resources/organizational management,’ followed by ‘medical device/equipment.’ Several aspects of surgical care were encompassed by more than one classification, including operating room scheduling, delays in care, trainee-related incidents, interruptions and handoffs. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a framework for patient safety can be applied to facilitate the organization and analysis of surgical safety data. Several unique aspects of surgical care require consideration, and by using a standardized framework for describing concepts, research findings can be compared and disseminated across surgical specialties. The codebook is intended for use as a framework for other specialties and institutions. PMID:26803539

  6. Care ideologies reflected in 4 conceptions of pharmaceutical care.

    PubMed

    Björkman, Ingeborg K; Bernsten, Cecilia B; Sanner, Margareta A

    2008-12-01

    Different ways to practice pharmaceutical care have been developed. One expression of this fact is the existence of many different classification systems to document drug-related problems (DRPs). Evidence suggests that classification systems have different characteristics and that these characteristics reflect different conceptions of pharmaceutical care. To increase the understanding of conceptions of pharmaceutical care, underlying values and beliefs (ideologies) can be explored. To explore various conceptions of pharmaceutical care to identify the care ideologies on which these conceptions are based. Representatives of 4 selected conceptions of pharmaceutical care were interviewed in face-to-face meetings. During the interviews, 4 basic questions were asked. Three were focused on pharmaceutical care and 1 on DRPs. Interview transcripts were analyzed by an inductive method inspired by grounded theory. The conceptions studied were Strand, Granada-II, PCNE v5.0, and Apoteket. In Strand, patients are given a more active role in the pharmaceutical care process, as compared to Granada-II, PCNE v5.0, and Apoteket. Pharmacists in all the conceptions of pharmaceutical care assume they have special knowledge that patients benefit from. However, they use their knowledge in different ways in the various pharmaceutical care conceptions. In Strand, individual goals of drug therapy are established together with the patient, whereas in Granada-II, PCNE, and Apoteket goals are not explicitly discussed. The identified differences correspond to different care ideologies. The pharmaceutical care conceptions are based on different care ideologies. The ideology is expressed in how therapy goals are set and patient needs defined. Strand is based on a patient-centered ideology; patient therapy goals and needs are defined by the patient together with the practitioners. Granada-II, PCNE, and Apoteket are based on an evidence-based medicine approach; patient therapy goals and needs are defined by the practitioners, based on available scientific knowledge.

  7. Classifying breast cancer surgery: a novel, complexity-based system for oncological, oncoplastic and reconstructive procedures, and proof of principle by analysis of 1225 operations in 1166 patients.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann, Jürgen; Wallwiener, Diethelm

    2009-04-08

    One of the basic prerequisites for generating evidence-based data is the availability of classification systems. Attempts to date to classify breast cancer operations have focussed on specific problems, e.g. the avoidance of secondary corrective surgery for surgical defects, rather than taking a generic approach. Starting from an existing, simpler empirical scheme based on the complexity of breast surgical procedures, which was used in-house primarily in operative report-writing, a novel classification of ablative and breast-conserving procedures initially needed to be developed and elaborated systematically. To obtain proof of principle, a prospectively planned analysis of patient records for all major breast cancer-related operations performed at our breast centre in 2005 and 2006 was conducted using the new classification. Data were analysed using basic descriptive statistics such as frequency tables. A novel two-type, six-tier classification system comprising 12 main categories, 13 subcategories and 39 sub-subcategories of oncological, oncoplastic and reconstructive breast cancer-related surgery was successfully developed. Our system permitted unequivocal classification, without exception, of all 1225 procedures performed in 1166 breast cancer patients in 2005 and 2006. Breast cancer-related surgical procedures can be generically classified according to their surgical complexity. Analysis of all major procedures performed at our breast centre during the study period provides proof of principle for this novel classification system. We envisage various applications for this classification, including uses in randomised clinical trials, guideline development, specialist surgical training, continuing professional development as well as quality of care and public health research.

  8. Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social and Cultural Inequalities. Lithuania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seibokiene, Grazina

    2008-01-01

    In Lithuania early childhood education and care embraces children of the age from one to seven and is an integrated part of the education system. According to Lithuanian education classification, it belongs to the zero level of education. Though defined as pre-school education yet this stage is composed of two parts--pre-school education of…

  9. Quality assurance: The 10-Group Classification System (Robson classification), induction of labor, and cesarean delivery.

    PubMed

    Robson, Michael; Murphy, Martina; Byrne, Fionnuala

    2015-10-01

    Quality assurance in labor and delivery is needed. The method must be simple and consistent, and be of universal value. It needs to be clinically relevant, robust, and prospective, and must incorporate epidemiological variables. The 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) is a simple method providing a common starting point for further detailed analysis within which all perinatal events and outcomes can be measured and compared. The system is demonstrated in the present paper using data for 2013 from the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Interpretation of the classification can be easily taught. The standard table can provide much insight into the philosophy of care in the population of women studied and also provide information on data quality. With standardization of audit of events and outcomes, any differences in either sizes of groups, events or outcomes can be explained only by poor data collection, significant epidemiological variables, or differences in practice. In April 2015, WHO proposed that the TGCS (also known as the Robson classification) is used as a global standard for assessing, monitoring, and comparing cesarean delivery rates within and between healthcare facilities. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  10. The classification systems of nursing practice--the historical and practical perspective.

    PubMed

    Górajek-Jóźwik, Jolanta

    2003-01-01

    The contribution into activities connected with the development of the quality of nursing care is closely combined with the process of systematic recording of accumulated data, of undertaken activities and achieved results. This in turn constitutes the essence of the 31st Aim of WHO which speaks not only about the need to continue the rational contribution towards the increase in the nursing care quality but also the application of adequate computer technologies to improve this quality. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the scope and character of the activities that have been over years undertaken by the nursing community towards the development of the classification systems which are comparable with those used in medicine. The focus has been specifically put on the taxonomy of diagnosis used by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) and the European International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP). The analysis of the reference sources constitutes the methodological foundation applied in this work. It has allowed to show the pioneering contribution of the American Nursing Association (ANA) into the process of recording and coding of the data that are essential in care delivery as well as their value for the development of ICNP. The latter one is a systematic and multi-axial structure which uses unified terminology and numeric codes for the three categories of variables: the recognized conditions, the undertaken activities and the achieved results.

  11. SVM classifier on chip for melanoma detection.

    PubMed

    Afifi, Shereen; GholamHosseini, Hamid; Sinha, Roopak

    2017-07-01

    Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a common classifier used for efficient classification with high accuracy. SVM shows high accuracy for classifying melanoma (skin cancer) clinical images within computer-aided diagnosis systems used by skin cancer specialists to detect melanoma early and save lives. We aim to develop a medical low-cost handheld device that runs a real-time embedded SVM-based diagnosis system for use in primary care for early detection of melanoma. In this paper, an optimized SVM classifier is implemented onto a recent FPGA platform using the latest design methodology to be embedded into the proposed device for realizing online efficient melanoma detection on a single system on chip/device. The hardware implementation results demonstrate a high classification accuracy of 97.9% and a significant acceleration factor of 26 from equivalent software implementation on an embedded processor, with 34% of resources utilization and 2 watts for power consumption. Consequently, the implemented system meets crucial embedded systems constraints of high performance and low cost, resources utilization and power consumption, while achieving high classification accuracy.

  12. The Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient casemix classification.

    PubMed

    Eagar, K

    1999-01-01

    The Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient (AN-SNAP) Version 1 casemix classification was completed in 1997. AN-SNAP is designed for the classification of sub-acute and non-acute care provided in both inpatient and ambulatory settings and is intended to be useful for both funding and clinical management purposes. The National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Casemix Classification study has produced the first version of a national classification of sub-acute and non-acute care. Ongoing refinement (leading to Version 2) will be possible through further analysis of the existing data set in combination with analysis of the results of a carefully planned and phased implementation.

  13. Development of a database of health insurance claims: standardization of disease classifications and anonymous record linkage.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Shinya; Sato, Toshihiko; Ikeda, Shunya; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Nakayama, Takeo

    2010-01-01

    Health insurance claims (ie, receipts) record patient health care treatments and expenses and, although created for the health care payment system, are potentially useful for research. Combining different types of receipts generated for the same patient would dramatically increase the utility of these receipts. However, technical problems, including standardization of disease names and classifications, and anonymous linkage of individual receipts, must be addressed. In collaboration with health insurance societies, all information from receipts (inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy) was collected. To standardize disease names and classifications, we developed a computer-aided post-entry standardization method using a disease name dictionary based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 classifications. We also developed an anonymous linkage system by using an encryption code generated from a combination of hash values and stream ciphers. Using different sets of the original data (data set 1: insurance certificate number, name, and sex; data set 2: insurance certificate number, date of birth, and relationship status), we compared the percentage of successful record matches obtained by using data set 1 to generate key codes with the percentage obtained when both data sets were used. The dictionary's automatic conversion of disease names successfully standardized 98.1% of approximately 2 million new receipts entered into the database. The percentage of anonymous matches was higher for the combined data sets (98.0%) than for data set 1 (88.5%). The use of standardized disease classifications and anonymous record linkage substantially contributed to the construction of a large, chronologically organized database of receipts. This database is expected to aid in epidemiologic and health services research using receipt information.

  14. An Australian casemix classification for palliative care: lessons and policy implications of a national study.

    PubMed

    Eagar, Kathy; Gordon, Robert; Green, Janette; Smith, Michael

    2004-04-01

    To provide a nontechnical discussion of the development of a palliative care casemix classification and some policy implications of its implementation. 3866 palliative care patients who, in a three month period, had 4596 episodes of care provided by 58 palliative care services in Australia and New Zealand. A detailed clinical and service utilization profile was collected on each patient with staff time and other resources measured on a daily basis. A statistical summary of the clinical variables was compiled as the first stage of the analysis. Palliative care phase was found to be a good predictor of resource use, with patients fairly evenly distributed across the five categories. Clients treated in an inpatient setting had poorer function and higher symptom severity scores than those treated in an ambulatory setting, a result that is not surprising in this Australian setting. Implementation of the resultant AN-SNAP classification has been proceeding since 1998 in some Australian jurisdictions. The development and implementation of a classification such as AN-SNAP provides the possibility of having a consistent approach to collecting palliative care data in Australia as well as a growing body of experience on how to progressively improve the classification over time.

  15. Testing a diagnosis-related group index for skilled nursing facilities

    PubMed Central

    Cotterill, Philip G.

    1986-01-01

    Interest in case-mix measures for use in nursing home payment systems has been stimulated by the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for short-term acute-care hospitals. Appropriately matching payment with care needs is important to equitably compensate providers and to encourage them to admit patients who are most in need of nursing home care. The skilled nursing facility (SNF) Medicare benefit covers skilled convalescent or rehabilitative care following a hospital stay. Therefore, it might appear that diagnosis-related groups (DRG's), the basis for patient classification in PPS, could also be used for the Medicare SNF program. In this study, a DRG-based case-mix index (CMI) was developed and tested to determine how well it explains cost differences among SNF's. The results suggest that a DRG-based SNF payment system would be highly problematic. Incentives of this system would appear to discourage placement of patients who require relatively expensive care. PMID:10311674

  16. Testing a diagnosis-related group index for skilled nursing facilities.

    PubMed

    Cotterill, P G

    1986-01-01

    Interest in case-mix measures for use in nursing home payment systems has been stimulated by the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for short-term acute-care hospitals. Appropriately matching payment with care needs is important to equitably compensate providers and to encourage them to admit patients who are most in need of nursing home care. The skilled nursing facility (SNF) Medicare benefit covers skilled convalescent or rehabilitative care following a hospital stay. Therefore, it might appear that diagnosis-related groups (DRG's), the basis for patient classification in PPS, could also be used for the Medicare SNF program. In this study, a DRG-based case-mix index (CMI) was developed and tested to determine how well it explains cost differences among SNF's. The results suggest that a DRG-based SNF payment system would be highly problematic. Incentives of this system would appear to discourage placement of patients who require relatively expensive care.

  17. Current funding and financing issues in the Australian hospice and palliative care sector.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Robert; Eagar, Kathy; Currow, David; Green, Janette

    2009-07-01

    This article overviews current funding and financing issues in the Australian hospice and palliative care sector. Within Australia, the major responsibilities for managing the health care system are shared between two levels of government. Funding arrangements vary according to the type of care. The delivery of palliative care services is a State/Territory responsibility. Recently, almost all States/Territories have developed overarching frameworks to guide the development of palliative care policies, including funding and service delivery structures. Palliative care services in Australia comprise a mix of specialist providers, generalist providers, and support services in the public, nongovernment, and private sectors. The National Palliative Care Strategy is a joint strategy of the Commonwealth and States that commenced in 2002 and includes a number of major issues. Following a national study in 1996, the Australian National Subacute and Nonacute Patient (AN-SNAP) system was endorsed as the national casemix classification for subacute and nonacute care. Funding for palliative care services varies depending on the type of service and the setting in which it is provided. There is no national model for funding inpatient or community services, which is a State/Territory responsibility. A summary of funding arrangements is provided in this article. Palliative care continues to evolve at a rapid rate in Australia. Increasingly flexible evidence-based models of care delivery are emerging. This article argues that it will be critical for equally flexible funding and financing models to be developed. Furthermore, it is critical that palliative care patients can be identified, classified, and costed. Casemix classifications such as AN-SNAP represent an important starting point but further work is required.

  18. [Scoring systems in intensive care medicine : principles, models, application and limits].

    PubMed

    Fleig, V; Brenck, F; Wolff, M; Weigand, M A

    2011-10-01

    Scoring systems are used in all diagnostic areas of medicine. Several parameters are evaluated and rated with points according to their value in order to simplify a complex clinical situation with a score. The application ranges from the classification of disease severity through determining the number of staff for the intensive care unit (ICU) to the evaluation of new therapies under study conditions. Since the introduction of scoring systems in the 1980's a variety of different score models has been developed. The scoring systems that are employed in intensive care and are discussed in this article can be categorized into prognostic scores, expenses scores and disease-specific scores. Since the introduction of compulsory recording of two scoring systems for accounting in the German diagnosis-related groups (DRG) system, these tools have gained more importance for all intensive care physicians. Problems remain in the valid calculation of scores and interpretation of the results.

  19. Does the Use of a Classification for Nursing Diagnoses Affect Nursing Students’ Choice of Nursing Interventions?

    PubMed Central

    Falk, Joakim; Björvell, Catrin

    2012-01-01

    The Swedish health care system stands before an implementation of standardized language. The first classification of nursing diagnoses translated into Swedish, The NANDA, was released in January 2011. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the usage of the NANDA classification affected nursing students’ choice of nursing interventions. Thirty-three nursing students in a clinical setting were divided into two groups. The intervention group had access to the NANDA classification text book, while the comparison group did not. In total 78 nursing assessments were performed and 218 nursing interventions initiated. The principle findings show that there were no statistical significant differences between the groups regarding the amount, quality or category of nursing interventions when using the NANDA classification compared to free text format nursing diagnoses. PMID:24199065

  20. Comparing the MRI-based Goutallier Classification to an experimental quantitative MR spectroscopic fat measurement of the supraspinatus muscle.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Fabian; Böhm, Dirk; Eden, Lars; Schmalzl, Jonas; Meffert, Rainer H; Köstler, Herbert; Weng, Andreas M; Ziegler, Dirk

    2016-08-22

    The Goutallier Classification is a semi quantitative classification system to determine the amount of fatty degeneration in rotator cuff muscles. Although initially proposed for axial computer tomography scans it is currently applied to magnet-resonance-imaging-scans. The role for its clinical use is controversial, as the reliability of the classification has been shown to be inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to compare the semi quantitative MRI-based Goutallier Classification applied by 5 different raters to experimental MR spectroscopic quantitative fat measurement in order to determine the correlation between this classification system and the true extent of fatty degeneration shown by spectroscopy. MRI-scans of 42 patients with rotator cuff tears were examined by 5 shoulder surgeons and were graduated according to the MRI-based Goutallier Classification proposed by Fuchs et al. Additionally the fat/water ratio was measured with MR spectroscopy using the experimental SPLASH technique. The semi quantitative grading according to the Goutallier Classification was statistically correlated with the quantitative measured fat/water ratio using Spearman's rank correlation. Statistical analysis of the data revealed only fair correlation of the Goutallier Classification system and the quantitative fat/water ratio with R = 0.35 (p < 0.05). By dichotomizing the scale the correlation was 0.72. The interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities were substantial with R = 0.62 and R = 0.74 (p < 0.01). The correlation between the semi quantitative MRI based Goutallier Classification system and MR spectroscopic fat measurement is weak. As an adequate estimation of fatty degeneration based on standard MRI may not be possible, quantitative methods need to be considered in order to increase diagnostic safety and thus provide patients with ideal care in regard to the amount of fatty degeneration. Spectroscopic MR measurement may increase the accuracy of the Goutallier classification and thus improve the prediction of clinical results after rotator cuff repair. However, these techniques are currently only available in an experimental setting.

  1. The effectiveness of health systems in influencing avoidable mortality: a study in Valencia, Spain, 1975-90.

    PubMed Central

    Albert, X; Bayo, A; Alfonso, J L; Cortina, P; Corella, D

    1996-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To measure variations in the Holland and Charlton classifications of avoidable death causes and to estimate the effect of the Spanish national health system on avoidable mortality. DESIGN: Mortality in the Valencian Community was assessed between 1975 and 1990. The classifications of Holland and Charlton, used to assess avoidable causes of death, were compared. Holland's classification was then used to divide avoidable mortality into two groups--medical care indicators (MCI), which show the effectiveness of health care, and national health policy indicators (NHPI), which show the status of primary prevention. Comparisons were made with rates, group rates, and population rates. Trends and indices were also studied. SETTING: Valencia, Spain, 1975-90. RESULTS: During the study period, avoidable morality (only assessed by MCI) fell 63%, whereas the remainder of the mortality (non-MCI causes, that is all the non-avoidable causes together with the NHPI group) fell by 17%. If it is assumed that the mortality due to non-MCI causes indicates the overall effect of the environmental, social, nutritional, and genetic influences, then the difference between this and the MCI group would take us nearer the actual effect of the intervention of the health system. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that in this community, the health system has been responsible for approximately 47% of the total reduction in mortality from avoidable causes in the period studied. PMID:8935465

  2. Linking and integrating computers for maternity care.

    PubMed

    Lumb, M; Fawdry, R

    1990-12-01

    Functionally separate computer systems have been developed for many different areas relevant to maternity care, e.g. maternity data collection, pathology and imaging reports, staff rostering, personnel, accounting, audit, primary care etc. Using land lines, modems and network gateways, many such quite distinct computer programs or databases can be made accessible from a single terminal. If computer systems are to attain their full potential for the improvement of the maternity care, there will be a need not only for terminal emulation but also for more complex integration. Major obstacles must be overcome before such integration is widely achieved. Technical and conceptual progress towards overcoming these problems is discussed, with particular reference to the OSI (open systems interconnection) initiative, to the Read clinical classification and to the MUMMIES CBS (Common Basic Specification) Maternity Care Project. The issue of confidentiality is also briefly explored.

  3. Comparisons of severity classification systems for oropharyngeal dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: Relations with other functional profiles.

    PubMed

    Goh, Yu-Ra; Choi, Ja Young; Kim, Seon Ah; Park, Jieun; Park, Eun Sook

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the relationships between various classification systems assessing the severity of oropharyngeal dysphagia and communication function and other functional profiles in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This is a prospective, cross-sectional, study in a university-affiliated, tertiary-care hospital. We recruited 151 children with CP (mean age 6.11 years, SD 3.42, range 3-18yr). The Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS) and the dysphagia scales of Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), Swallow Function Scales (SFS), and Food Intake Level Scale (FILS) were used. The Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) and Viking Speech Scale (VSS) were employed to classify communication function and speech intelligibility, respectively. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GFMCS) and the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) level were also assessed. Spearman correlation analysis to investigate the associations between measures and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to identify significant factors were used. Median GMFCS level of participants was III (interquartile range II-IV). Significant dysphagia based on EDACS level III-V was noted in 23 children (15.2%). There were strong to very strong relationships between the EDACS level with the dysphagia scales. The EDACS presented strong associations with MACS, CFCS, and VSS, a moderate association with GMFCS level, and a moderate to strong association with each domain of the PEDI. In multivariate analysis, poor functioning in EDACS were associated with poor functioning in gross motor and communication functions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Adding an alcohol-related risk score to an existing categorical risk classification for older adults: sensitivity to group differences.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Sandra R; Fink, Arlene; Verghese, Shinu; Beck, John C; Nguyen, Khue; Lavori, Philip

    2007-03-01

    To evaluate a new alcohol-related risk score for research use. Using data from a previously reported trial of a screening and education system for older adults (Computerized Alcohol-Related Problems Survey), secondary analyses were conducted comparing the ability of two different measures of risk to detect post-intervention group differences: the original categorical outcome measure and a new, finely grained quantitative risk score based on the same research-based risk factors. Three primary care group practices in southern California. Six hundred sixty-five patients aged 65 and older. A previously calculated, three-level categorical classification of alcohol-related risk and a newly developed quantitative risk score. Mean post-intervention risk scores differed between the three experimental conditions: usual care, patient report, and combined report (P<.001). The difference between the combined report and usual care was significant (P<.001) and directly proportional to baseline risk. The three-level risk classification did not reveal approximately 57.3% of the intervention effect detected by the risk score. The risk score also was sufficiently sensitive to detect the intervention effect within the subset of hypertensive patients (n=112; P=.001). As an outcome measure in intervention trials, the finely grained risk score is more sensitive than the trinary risk classification. The additional clinical value of the risk score relative to the categorical measure needs to be determined.

  5. Post-operative rotator cuff integrity, based on Sugaya's classification, can reflect abduction muscle strength of the shoulder.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Masahito; Collin, Phillipe; Josseaume, Thierry; Lädermann, Alexandre; Goto, Hideyuki; Sugimoto, Katumasa; Otsuka, Takanobu

    2018-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is common in structural and qualitative assessment of the rotator cuff post-operatively. Rotator cuff integrity has been thought to be associated with clinical outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-observer reliability of cuff integrity (Sugaya's classification) and assess the correlation between Sugaya's classification and the clinical outcome. It was hypothesized that Sugaya's classification would show good reliability and good correlation with the clinical outcome. Post-operative MR images were taken two years post-operatively, following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. For assessment of inter-rater reliability, all radiographic evaluations for the supraspinatus muscle were done by two orthopaedic surgeons and one radiologist. Rotator cuff integrity was classified into five categories, according to Sugaya's classification. Fatty infiltration was graded into four categories, based on the Fuchs' classification grading system. Muscle hypotrophy was graded as four grades, according to the scale proposed by Warner. The clinical outcome was assessed according to the constant scoring system pre-operatively and 2 years post-operatively. Of the sixty-two consecutive patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears, fifty-two patients were reviewed in this study. These subjects included twenty-three men and twenty-nine women, with an average age of fifty-seven years. In terms of the inter-rater reliability between orthopaedic surgeons, Sugaya's classification showed the highest agreement [ICC (2.1) = 0.82] for rotator cuff integrity. The grade of fatty infiltration and muscle atrophy demonstrated good agreement, respectively (0.722 and 0.758). With regard to the inter-rater reliability between orthopaedic surgeon and radiologist, Sugaya's classification showed good reliability [ICC (2.1) = 0.70]. On the other hand, fatty infiltration and muscle hypotrophy classifications demonstrated fair and moderate agreement [ICC (2.1) = 0.39 and 0.49]. Although no significant correlation was found between overall post-operative constant score and Sugaya's classification, Sugaya's classification indicated significant correlation with the muscle strength score. Sugaya's classification showed repeatability and good agreement between the orthopaedist and radiologist, who are involved in the patient care for the rotator cuff tear. Common classification of rotator cuff integrity with good reliability will give appropriate information for clinicians to improve the patient care of the rotator cuff tear. This classification also would be helpful to predict the strength of arm abduction in the scapular plane. IV.

  6. Placement in Foster Care Enhances Quality of Attachment among Young Institutionalized Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smyke, Anna T.; Zeanah, Charles H.; Fox, Nathan A.; Nelson, Charles A.; Guthrie, Donald

    2010-01-01

    This study examined classifications of attachment in 42-month-old Romanian children (N = 169). Institutionalized since birth, children were assessed comprehensively, randomly assigned to care as usual (CAU) or to foster care, and compared to family-reared children. Attachment classifications for children in foster care were markedly different from…

  7. The influence of economic incentives and regulatory factors on the adoption of treatment technologies: a case study of technologies used to treat heart attacks.

    PubMed

    Bech, Mickael; Christiansen, Terkel; Dunham, Kelly; Lauridsen, Jørgen; Lyttkens, Carl Hampus; McDonald, Kathryn; McGuire, Alistair

    2009-10-01

    The Technological Change in Health Care Research Network collected unique patient-level data on three procedures for treatment of heart attack patients (catheterization, coronary artery bypass grafts and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) for 17 countries over a 15-year period to examine the impact of economic and institutional factors on technology adoption. Specific institutional factors are shown to be important to the uptake of these technologies. Health-care systems characterized as public contract systems and reimbursement systems have higher adoption rates than public-integrated health-care systems. Central control of funding of investments is negatively associated with adoption rates and the impact is of the same magnitude as the overall health-care system classification. GDP per capita also has a strong role in initial adoption. The impact of income and institutional characteristics on the utilization rates of the three procedures diminishes over time.

  8. International Classification of Primary Care-2 coding of primary care data at the general out-patients' clinic of General Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Olagundoye, Olawunmi Abimbola; van Boven, Kees; van Weel, Chris

    2016-01-01

    Primary care serves as an integral part of the health systems of nations especially the African continent. It is the portal of entry for nearly all patients into the health care system. Paucity of accurate data for health statistics remains a challenge in the most parts of Africa because of inadequate technical manpower and infrastructure. Inadequate quality of data systems contributes to inaccurate data. A simple-to-use classification system such as the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) may be a solution to this problem at the primary care level. To apply ICPC-2 for secondary coding of reasons for encounter (RfE), problems managed and processes of care in a Nigerian primary care setting. Furthermore, to analyze the value of selected presented symptoms as predictors of the most common diagnoses encountered in the study setting. Content analysis of randomly selected patients' paper records for data collection at the end of clinic sessions conducted by family physicians at the general out-patients' clinics. Contents of clinical consultations were secondarily coded with the ICPC-2 and recorded into excel spreadsheets with fields for sociodemographic data such as age, sex, occupation, religion, and ICPC elements of an encounter: RfE/complaints, diagnoses/problems, and interventions/processes of care. Four hundred and one encounters considered in this study yielded 915 RfEs, 546 diagnoses, and 1221 processes. This implies an average of 2.3 RfE, 1.4 diagnoses, and 3.0 processes per encounter. The top 10 RfE, diagnoses/common illnesses, and processes were determined. Through the determination of the probability of the occurrence of certain diseases beginning with a RfE/complaint, the top five diagnoses that resulted from each of the top five RfE were also obtained. The top five RfE were: headache, fever, pain general/multiple sites, visual disturbance other and abdominal pain/cramps general. The top five diagnoses were: Malaria, hypertension uncomplicated, visual disturbance other, peptic ulcer, and upper respiratory infection. From the determination of the posterior probability given the top five RfE, malaria, hypertension, upper respiratory infection, refractive error, and conjuctivitis were the five most frequent diagnoses that resulted from a complaint of a headache. The study demonstrated that ICPC-2 can be applied to primary care data in the Nigerian context to generate information about morbidity and services provided. It also provided an empirical basis to support diagnosis and prognostication in a primary care setting. In developing countries where the transition to electronic health records is still evolving and fraught with limitations, more reliable data collection can be achieved from paper records through the application of the ICPC-2.

  9. [A comparative study of coding and information systems for the evaluation of medical and social conditions: the case of addictive disorders].

    PubMed

    Bourdais-Mannone, Claire; Cherikh, Faredj; Gicquel, Nathalie; Gelsi, Eve; Jove, Frédérique; Staccini, Pascal

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to conduct a descriptive and comparative analysis of the tools used by healthcare professionals specializing in addictive disorders to promote a rapprochement of information systems. The evaluation guide used to assess the compensation needs of disabled persons treated in "Maisons Départementales des Personnes Handicapées" (centres for disabled people) organizes information in different areas, including a psychological component. The guide includes social and environmental information in the "Recueil Commun sur les Addictions et les Prises en charges" (Joint Report on Drug Addiction and Drug Treatment). While the program for the medicalization of information systems includes care data, the current information about social situations remains inadequate. The international classification of diseases provides synthetic diagnostic codes to describe substance use, etiologic factors and the somatic and psychological complications inherent to addictive disorders. The current system could be radically simplified and harmonized and would benefit from adopting a more individualized approach to non-substance behavioral addictions. The international classification of disabilities provides tools for evaluating the psychological component included in the recent definition of addictive disorders. Legal information should play an integral role in the structure of the information system and in international classifications. The prevalence of episodes of care and treatment of addictive and psychological disorders was assessed at Nice University Hospital in all disciplines. Except in addiction treatment units, very few patients were found to have a RECAP file.

  10. An economic analysis of money follows the patient.

    PubMed

    McElroy, B; Murphy, A

    2014-03-01

    As part of the proposed changes to re-design the Irish health-care system, the Department of Health (money follows the patient-policy paper on hospital financing, 2013b) outlined a new funding model for Irish hospitals-money follows the patient (MFTP). This will replace the existing system which is predominately prospective with hospitals receiving a block grant per annum. MFTP will fund episodes of care rather than hospitals. Thus, hospital revenue will be directly linked to activity [activity-based funding (ABF)]. With ABF there is a fundamental shift to a system where hospitals generate their own income and this changes incentive structures. While some of these incentives are intended (reducing cost per case and increasing coding quality), others are less intended and less desirable. As a result, there may be reductions in quality, upcoding, cream skimming and increased pressure on other parts of the health system. In addition, MFTP may distort health system priorities. There are some feasibility concerns associated with the implementation of MFTP. Data collection, coding and classification capacity are crucial for its success. While MFTP can build on existing systems, significant investment is required for its success. This includes investment in coding and classification, infrastructure, skills, IT, contracting, commissioning, auditing and performance monitoring systems. Despite the challenges facing implementers, MFTP could greatly improve the transparency and accountability of the system. Thus if the downside risks are managed, there is potential for MFTP to confer significant benefits to Irish hospital care.

  11. Resources planning for radiological incidents management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamid, Amy Hamijah binti Ab.; Rozan, Mohd Zaidi Abd; Ibrahim, Roliana; Deris, Safaai; Yunus, Muhd. Noor Muhd.

    2017-01-01

    Disastrous radiation and nuclear meltdown require an intricate scale of emergency health and social care capacity planning framework. In Malaysia, multiple agencies are responsible for implementing radiological and nuclear safety and security. This research project focused on the Radiological Trauma Triage (RTT) System. This system applies patient's classification based on their injury and level of radiation sickness. This classification prioritizes on the diagnostic and treatment of the casualties which include resources estimation of the medical delivery system supply and demand. Also, this system consists of the leading rescue agency organization and disaster coordinator, as well as the technical support and radiological medical response teams. This research implemented and developed the resources planning simulator for radiological incidents management. The objective of the simulator is to assist the authorities in planning their resources while managing the radiological incidents within the Internal Treatment Area (ITA), Reception Area Treatment (RAT) and Hospital Care Treatment (HCT) phases. The majority (75%) of the stakeholders and experts, who had been interviewed, witnessed and accepted that the simulator would be effective to resolve various types of disaster and resources management issues.

  12. A Joint Force Medical Command is Required to Fix Combat Casualty Care

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-05

    that poses an operations security risk. Author: ☒ PA: ☒ 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Word Count: 10,665 14. ABSTRACT The Military Health System...15. SUBJECT TERMS Military Health System, Joint Trauma System, Defense Health Agency, PROFIS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...The Military Health System (MHS) is required to provide medical operational forces for military and contingency operations while also providing

  13. [Integrated health information system based on Resident Assessment Instruments].

    PubMed

    Frijters, D; Achterberg, W; Hirdes, J P; Fries, B E; Morris, J N; Steel, K

    2001-02-01

    The paper explores the meaning of Resident Assessment Instruments. It gives a summary of existing RAI instruments and derived applications. It argues how all of these form the basis for an integrated health information system for "chain care" (home care, home for the elderly care, nursing home care, mental health care and acute care). The primary application of RAI systems is the assessment of client care needs, followed by an analysis of the required and administered care with the objective to make an optimal individual care plan. On the basis of RAI, however, applications have been derived for reimbursement systems, quality improvement programs, accreditation, benchmarking, best practice comparison and care eligibility systems. These applications have become possible by the development on the basis of the Minimum Data Set of RAI of outcome measures (item scores, scales and indices), case-mix classifications and quality indicators. To illustrate the possibilities of outcome measures of RAI we present a table and a figure with data of six Dutch nursing homes which shows how social engagement is related to ADL and cognition. We argue that RAI/MDS assessment instruments comprise an integrated health information system because they have consistent terminology, common core items, and a common conceptual basis in a clinical approach that emphasizes the identification of functional problems.

  14. Classification systems for lower extremity amputation prediction in subjects with active diabetic foot ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Monteiro-Soares, M; Martins-Mendes, D; Vaz-Carneiro, A; Sampaio, S; Dinis-Ribeiro, M

    2014-10-01

    We systematically review the available systems used to classify diabetic foot ulcers in order to synthesize their methodological qualitative issues and accuracy to predict lower extremity amputation, as this may represent a critical point in these patients' care. Two investigators searched, in EBSCO, ISI, PubMed and SCOPUS databases, and independently selected studies published until May 2013 and reporting prognostic accuracy and/or reliability of specific systems for patients with diabetic foot ulcer in order to predict lower extremity amputation. We included 25 studies reporting a prevalence of lower extremity amputation between 6% and 78%. Eight different diabetic foot ulcer descriptions and seven prognostic stratification classification systems were addressed with a variable (1-9) number of factors included, specially peripheral arterial disease (n = 12) or infection at the ulcer site (n = 10) or ulcer depth (n = 10). The Meggitt-Wagner, S(AD)SAD and Texas University Classification systems were the most extensively validated, whereas ten classifications were derived or validated only once. Reliability was reported in a single study, and accuracy measures were reported in five studies with another eight allowing their calculation. Pooled accuracy ranged from 0.65 (for gangrene) to 0.74 (for infection). There are numerous classification systems for diabetic foot ulcer outcome prediction, but only few studies evaluated their reliability or external validity. Studies rarely validated several systems simultaneously and only a few reported accuracy measures. Further studies assessing reliability and accuracy of the available systems and their composing variables are needed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Treatment-Based Classification versus Usual Care for Management of Low Back Pain

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-11-1-0657 TITLE: Treatment-Based Classification versus Usual Care for Management of Low Back Pain PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...Treatment-Based Classification versus Usual Care for Management of Low Back Pain 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-11-1-0657 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...AUTHOR(S) MAJ Daniel Rhon – daniel_rhon@baylor.edu 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S

  16. Geodemographics as a tool for targeting neighbourhoods in public health campaigns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petersen, Jakob; Gibin, Maurizio; Longley, Paul; Mateos, Pablo; Atkinson, Philip; Ashby, David

    2011-06-01

    Geodemographics offers the prospects of integrating, modelling and mapping health care needs and other health indicators that are useful for targeting neighbourhoods in public health campaigns. Yet reports about this application domain has to date been sporadic. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of a bespoke geodemographic system for neighbourhood targeting in an inner city public health authority, Southwark Primary Care Trust, London. This system, the London Output Area Classification (LOAC), is compared to six other geodemographic systems from both governmental and commercial sources. The paper proposes two new indicators for assessing the performance of geodemographic systems for neighbourhood targeting based on local hospital demand data. The paper also analyses and discusses the utility of age- and sex standardisation of geodemographic profiles of health care demand.

  17. Seniors' need for and use of Medicare home health services.

    PubMed

    Hubbert, Ann O; Hays, Bevely J

    2002-01-01

    This study examined: (a) nature and extent of seniors' need for care both at time of admission to and discharge from Medicare home health services, and (b) relationships among admission need, service utilization, need at discharge, and discharge disposition for one episode of home care services. The sample of 195 was stratified by home health discharge disposition: (a) acute group, (b) chronic group, and (c) stable home group. Two classification systems were used to access the seniors' level of need, the mandated Medicare case-mix system (CMS) and a holistic intensity of need system. Findings show that there were no differences in services received by the three groups, that discharge did not mean seniors' need for home care services had been eliminated or reduced, and that caregiver support impacts seniors' need for home care.

  18. [Primary Health Care in the coordination of health care networks: an integrative review].

    PubMed

    Rodrigues, Ludmila Barbosa Bandeira; Silva, Patricia Costa Dos Santos; Peruhype, Rarianne Carvalho; Palha, Pedro Fredemir; Popolin, Marcela Paschoal; Crispim, Juliane de Almeida; Pinto, Ione Carvalho; Monroe, Aline Aparecida; Arcêncio, Ricardo Alexandre

    2014-02-01

    Health systems organized in health care networks and coordinated by Primary Health Care can contribute to an improvement in clinical quality with a positive impact on health outcomes and user satisfaction (by improving access and resolubility) and a reduction in the costs of local health systems. Thus, the scope of this paper is to analyze the scientific output about the evidence, potential, challenges and prospects of Primary Health Care in the coordination of Health Care Networks. To achieve this, the integrative review method was selected covering the period between 2000 and 2011. The databases selected were Medline (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System online), Lilacs (Latin American Literature in Health Sciences) and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). Eighteen articles fulfilled the selection criteria. It was seen that the potential impacts of primary care services supersede the inherent weaknesses. However, the results revealed the need for research with a higher level of classification of the scientific evidence about the role of Primary Healh Care in the coordination of Health Care Networks.

  19. Classification in childhood disability: focusing on function in the 21st century.

    PubMed

    Rosenbaum, Peter; Eliasson, Ann-Christin; Hidecker, Mary Jo Cooley; Palisano, Robert J

    2014-08-01

    Classification systems in health care are usually based on current understanding of the condition. They are often derived empirically and adopted applying sound principles of measurement science to assess whether they are reliable (consistent) and valid (true) for the purposes to which they are applied. In the past 15 years, the authors have developed and validated classification systems for specific aspects of everyday function in people with cerebral palsy--gross motor function, manual abilities, and communicative function. This article describes the approaches used to conceptualize each aspect of function, develop the tools, and assess their reliability and validity. We report on the utility of each system with respect to clinical applicability, use of these tools for research, and the uptake and impact that they have had around the world. We hope that readers will find these accounts interesting, relevant, and applicable to their daily work with children and youth with disabilities. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. Development and validation of a casemix classification to predict costs of specialist palliative care provision across inpatient hospice, hospital and community settings in the UK: a study protocol

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Ping; Dzingina, Mendwas; Firth, Alice M; Davies, Joanna M; Douiri, Abdel; O’Brien, Suzanne M; Pinto, Cathryn; Pask, Sophie; Higginson, Irene J; Eagar, Kathy; Murtagh, Fliss E M

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Provision of palliative care is inequitable with wide variations across conditions and settings in the UK. Lack of a standard way to classify by case complexity is one of the principle obstacles to addressing this. We aim to develop and validate a casemix classification to support the prediction of costs of specialist palliative care provision. Methods and analysis Phase I: A cohort study to determine the variables and potential classes to be included in a casemix classification. Data are collected from clinicians in palliative care services across inpatient hospice, hospital and community settings on: patient demographics, potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use. Cost predictors are derived using multivariate regression and then incorporated into a classification using classification and regression trees. Internal validation will be conducted by bootstrapping to quantify any optimism in the predictive performance (calibration and discrimination) of the developed classification. Phase II: A mixed-methods cohort study across settings for external validation of the classification developed in phase I. Patient and family caregiver data will be collected longitudinally on demographics, potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use. This will be triangulated with data collected from clinicians on potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use, and with qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers about care provision across difference settings. The classification will be refined on the basis of its performance in the validation data set. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the National Health Service Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee. The results are expected to be disseminated in 2018 through papers for publication in major palliative care journals; policy briefs for clinicians, commissioning leads and policy makers; and lay summaries for patients and public. Trial registration number ISRCTN90752212. PMID:29550781

  1. Development and validation of a casemix classification to predict costs of specialist palliative care provision across inpatient hospice, hospital and community settings in the UK: a study protocol.

    PubMed

    Guo, Ping; Dzingina, Mendwas; Firth, Alice M; Davies, Joanna M; Douiri, Abdel; O'Brien, Suzanne M; Pinto, Cathryn; Pask, Sophie; Higginson, Irene J; Eagar, Kathy; Murtagh, Fliss E M

    2018-03-17

    Provision of palliative care is inequitable with wide variations across conditions and settings in the UK. Lack of a standard way to classify by case complexity is one of the principle obstacles to addressing this. We aim to develop and validate a casemix classification to support the prediction of costs of specialist palliative care provision. Phase I: A cohort study to determine the variables and potential classes to be included in a casemix classification. Data are collected from clinicians in palliative care services across inpatient hospice, hospital and community settings on: patient demographics, potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use. Cost predictors are derived using multivariate regression and then incorporated into a classification using classification and regression trees. Internal validation will be conducted by bootstrapping to quantify any optimism in the predictive performance (calibration and discrimination) of the developed classification. Phase II: A mixed-methods cohort study across settings for external validation of the classification developed in phase I. Patient and family caregiver data will be collected longitudinally on demographics, potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use. This will be triangulated with data collected from clinicians on potential complexity/casemix criteria and patient-level resource use, and with qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers about care provision across difference settings. The classification will be refined on the basis of its performance in the validation data set. The study has been approved by the National Health Service Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee. The results are expected to be disseminated in 2018 through papers for publication in major palliative care journals; policy briefs for clinicians, commissioning leads and policy makers; and lay summaries for patients and public. ISRCTN90752212. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  2. Management of colorectal trauma: a review.

    PubMed

    Cheong, Ju Yong; Keshava, Anil

    2017-07-01

    Traumatic colorectal injuries are common during times of military conflict, and major improvements in their care have arisen in such periods. Since World War II, many classification systems for colorectal trauma have been proposed, including (i) Flint Grading System; (ii) Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index; (iii) Colonic/Rectal Injury Scale; and (iv) destructive/non-destructive colonic injuries. The primary goal of these classifications was to aid surgical management and, more particularly, to determine whether a primary repair or faecal diversion should be performed. Primary repair is now the preferred surgical option. Patients who have been identified as having destructive injuries have been found to have higher anastomotic leak rates after a primary repair. Damage control principles need to be adhered to in surgical decision-making. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of injury, classifications, clinical presentation and current recommendations for the management of colorectal trauma. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  3. Nursing Outcomes Classification implementation projects across the care continuum.

    PubMed

    Moorhead, S; Clarke, M; Willits, M; Tomsha, K A

    1998-06-01

    The health care environment in which nurses deliver care is experiencing constant change characterized by decreased lengths of stay in acute care settings, increased use of technology, increasing emphasis on computerized patient records and care planning options, increasing markets dominated by managed care, and an emphasis on outcomes rather than process. These changes dictate that nursing as a profession ensures that the work of nursing is visible in this health care environment and included in the data used to make health policy decisions. This article describes the rich history of a Midwestern hospital's use of standardized nursing languages for the last 25 years. Currently this facility is in the process of implementing the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). Four projects are described that illustrate the ways nurses can use this language with diagnoses from the North American Nursing Diagnoses Association (NANDA) and interventions from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC).

  4. Harmonising Nursing Terminologies Using a Conceptual Framework.

    PubMed

    Jansen, Kay; Kim, Tae Youn; Coenen, Amy; Saba, Virginia; Hardiker, Nicholas

    2016-01-01

    The International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) and the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) System are standardised nursing terminologies that identify discrete elements of nursing practice, including nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes. While CCC uses a conceptual framework or model with 21 Care Components to classify these elements, ICNP, built on a formal Web Ontology Language (OWL) description logic foundation, uses a logical hierarchical framework that is useful for computing and maintenance of ICNP. Since the logical framework of ICNP may not always align with the needs of nursing practice, an informal framework may be a more useful organisational tool to represent nursing content. The purpose of this study was to classify ICNP nursing diagnoses using the 21 Care Components of the CCC as a conceptual framework to facilitate usability and inter-operability of nursing diagnoses in electronic health records. Findings resulted in all 521 ICNP diagnoses being assigned to one of the 21 CCC Care Components. Further research is needed to validate the resulting product of this study with practitioners and develop recommendations for improvement of both terminologies.

  5. The Ambulatory Care Workload Management System for Nursing Reference Manual

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-05-31

    MEDICAL DATA SERVICES CENTER BETHESDA, MARYLAND 2088Q-506. 91-03029 SECuRItY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEr REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Ia. REPORT SECURITY...ORGANIZATION 6b OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Naval Medical Data Servics (If applicable) Center 6c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIPCode) 7b...staffing methodology developed for emergency and ambulatory care departments in naval medical treatment facilities . The staffing model translates varying

  6. An integrated healthcare system for personalized chronic disease care in home-hospital environments.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Sangjin; Youn, Chan-Hyun; Shim, Eun Bo; Kim, Moonjung; Cho, Young Min; Peng, Limei

    2012-07-01

    Facing the increasing demands and challenges in the area of chronic disease care, various studies on the healthcare system which can, whenever and wherever, extract and process patient data have been conducted. Chronic diseases are the long-term diseases and require the processes of the real-time monitoring, multidimensional quantitative analysis, and the classification of patients' diagnostic information. A healthcare system for chronic diseases is characterized as an at-hospital and at-home service according to a targeted environment. Both services basically aim to provide patients with accurate diagnoses of disease by monitoring a variety of physical states with a number of monitoring methods, but there are differences between home and hospital environments, and the different characteristics should be considered in order to provide more accurate diagnoses for patients, especially, patients having chronic diseases. In this paper, we propose a patient status classification method for effectively identifying and classifying chronic diseases and show the validity of the proposed method. Furthermore, we present a new healthcare system architecture that integrates the at-home and at-hospital environment and discuss the applicability of the architecture using practical target services.

  7. Evidence for the Existing American Nurses Association-Recognized Standardized Nursing Terminologies: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Tastan, Sevinc; Linch, Graciele C. F.; Keenan, Gail M.; Stifter, Janet; McKinney, Dawn; Fahey, Linda; Dunn Lopez, Karen; Yao, Yingwei; Wilkie, Diana J.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To determine the state of the science for the five standardized nursing terminology sets in terms of level of evidence and study focus. Design Systematic Review. Data sources Keyword search of PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases from 1960s to March 19, 2012 revealed 1,257 publications. Review Methods From abstract review we removed duplicate articles, those not in English or with no identifiable standardized nursing terminology, and those with a low-level of evidence. From full text review of the remaining 312 articles, eight trained raters used a coding system to record standardized nursing terminology names, publication year, country, and study focus. Inter-rater reliability confirmed the level of evidence. We analyzed coded results. Results On average there were 4 studies per year between 1985 and 1995. The yearly number increased to 14 for the decade between 1996–2005, 21 between 2006–2010, and 25 in 2011. Investigators conducted the research in 27 countries. By evidence level for the 312 studies 72.4% were descriptive, 18.9% were observational, and 8.7% were intervention studies. Of the 312 reports, 72.1% focused on North American Nursing Diagnosis-International, Nursing Interventions Classification, Nursing Outcome Classification, or some combination of those three standardized nursing terminologies; 9.6% on Omaha System; 7.1% on International Classification for Nursing Practice; 1.6% on Clinical Care Classification/Home Health Care Classification; 1.6% on Perioperative Nursing Data Set; and 8.0% on two or more standardized nursing terminology sets. There were studies in all 10 foci categories including those focused on concept analysis/classification infrastructure (n = 43), the identification of the standardized nursing terminology concepts applicable to a health setting from registered nurses’ documentation (n = 54), mapping one terminology to another (n = 58), implementation of standardized nursing terminologies into electronic health records (n = 12), and secondary use of electronic health record data (n = 19). Conclusions Findings reveal that the number of standardized nursing terminology publications increased primarily since 2000 with most focusing on North American Nursing Diagnosis-International, Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcome Classification. The majority of the studies were descriptive, qualitative, or correlational designs that provide a strong base for understanding the validity and reliability of the concepts underlying the standardized nursing terminologies. There is evidence supporting the successful integration and use in electronic health records for two standardized nursing terminology sets: (1) the North American Nursing Diagnosis-International, Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcome Classification set; and (2) the Omaha System set. Researchers, however, should continue to strengthen standardized nursing terminology study designs to promote continuous improvement of the standardized nursing terminologies and use in clinical practice. PMID:24412062

  8. [Health systems and traditional medicine in Ecuador].

    PubMed

    Ortega, F

    1988-01-01

    2 systems of health care coexist in Ecuador. The traditional system combines elements of the indigenous system, the modifications brought by the Incas, and elements of medieval European medical theory and practice. The official medical system comprising both public and private institutions is inaccessible for large sectors of the population due to shortages of manpower and materials and high costs of services. The official system tends to address itself primarily to the relatively high income urban population. Ecuador's high infant mortality rate of 64/1000 attests to the limitations of its health care system. The traditional system provides care for much of the rural population and areas where western medical care is not available, but it is also represented in the city. According to traditional beliefs, illness is a social phenomenon indicating a problem in relations with one's peers, nature, or supernatural beings. Traditional disease classifications are different from those of western medicine and show strong regional variation. Improvements in health conditions in Ecuador should take into account the coexistence of multiple medical practices serving large numbers of people.

  9. Vascular Anomalies (Part I): Classification and Diagnostics of Vascular Anomalies.

    PubMed

    Sadick, Maliha; Müller-Wille, René; Wildgruber, Moritz; Wohlgemuth, Walter A

    2018-06-06

     Vascular anomalies are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. They require dedicated interdisciplinary management. Optimal patient care relies on integral medical evaluation and a classification system established by experts in the field, to provide a better understanding of these complex vascular entities.  A dedicated classification system according to the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) and the German Interdisciplinary Society of Vascular Anomalies (DiGGefA) is presented. The vast spectrum of diagnostic modalities, ranging from ultrasound with color Doppler, conventional X-ray, CT with 4 D imaging and MRI as well as catheter angiography for appropriate assessment is discussed.  Congenital vascular anomalies are comprised of vascular tumors, based on endothelial cell proliferation and vascular malformations with underlying mesenchymal and angiogenetic disorder. Vascular tumors tend to regress with patient's age, vascular malformations increase in size and are subdivided into capillary, venous, lymphatic, arterio-venous and combined malformations, depending on their dominant vasculature. According to their appearance, venous malformations are the most common representative of vascular anomalies (70 %), followed by lymphatic malformations (12 %), arterio-venous malformations (8 %), combined malformation syndromes (6 %) and capillary malformations (4 %).  The aim is to provide an overview of the current classification system and diagnostic characterization of vascular anomalies in order to facilitate interdisciplinary management of vascular anomalies.   · Vascular anomalies are comprised of vascular tumors and vascular malformations, both considered to be rare diseases.. · Appropriate treatment depends on correct classification and diagnosis of vascular anomalies, which is based on established national and international classification systems, recommendations and guidelines.. · In the classification, diagnosis and treatment of congenital vascular anomalies, radiology plays an integral part in patient management.. · Sadick M, Müller-Wille R, Wildgruber M et al. Vascular Anomalies (Part I): Classification and Diagnostics of Vascular Anomalies. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2018; DOI: 10.1055/a-0620-8925. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  10. Case study: child with global developmental delay.

    PubMed

    Okumakpeyi, Pearline; Lunney, Margaret

    2010-01-01

    This case study focused on the care of a child with global developmental delay. Data were obtained through the author's clinical practice in long-term care pediatric rehabilitation and literature sources. NANDA-International Classifications, the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) were used to identify the appropriate nursing diagnosis, nursing interventions, and patient outcomes. This case study provides the pertinent nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes for a child with global developmental delay. The interdisciplinary team approach and family involvement is addressed. Use of NANDA, NIC, and NOC outcomes constructs for enhancing the care of a child with global developmental delay.

  11. Wound healing.

    PubMed

    Harvey, Carol

    2005-01-01

    Wound healing in orthopaedic care is affected by the causes of the wound, as well as concomitant therapies used to repair musculoskeletal structures. Promoting the health of the host and creating an environment to foster natural healing processes is essential for helping to restore skin integrity. Normal wound healing physiologic processes, factors affecting wound healing, wound classification systems, unique characteristics of orthopaedic wounds, wound contamination and drainage characteristics, and potential complications are important to understand in anticipation of patient needs. Accurate wound assessment and knowledge of nursing implications with specific wound care measures (cleansing, debridement, and dressings) is important for quality care. New technologies are enhancing traditional wound care measures with goals of effective comfortable wound care to promote restoration of skin integrity.

  12. [Application of the balanced scorecard for evaluating the training process].

    PubMed

    Picogna, Michele

    2009-01-01

    Over the last 20 years systems for standardizing nursing care have been elaborated and refined. Such systems are widely employed in teaching and research but very little in clinical practice (Kautz D., et al., 2006) ) However, it would be useful to integrate these systems with synthetic descriptions of nursing intervention to improve our knowledge of "offer and demand" in this field (Jungher, 2006). It is no coincidence that these systems are used more in countries where the type of health system makes it necessary to quantify the contribution of each single health operator in the overall care procedure. The aim of the study was to assess the relevance of the different classifications , considering them not only influenced by nursing but also to some degree influential.

  13. Utility of CT classifications to predict unfavorable outcomes in children with acute pancreatitis.

    PubMed

    Izquierdo, Yojhan E; Fonseca, Eileen V; Moreno, Luz-Ángela; Montoya, Rubén D; Guerrero Lozano, Rafael

    2018-02-21

    Computed tomography (CT) is useful for the diagnosis of local complications in children with acute pancreatitis but its role as a prognostic tool remains controversial. To establish the correlation between the CT Severity Index and the Revised Atlanta Classification regarding unfavorable outcomes such as severe acute pancreatitis and need for Pediatric Special Care Unit attention in children with acute pancreatitis. We conducted a retrospective and concordance cohort study in which we obtained abdominal CT scans from 30 patients ages 0 to 18 years with acute pancreatitis. Two pediatric radiologists interpreted the results using the CT Severity Index and the Revised Atlanta Classification. The kappa coefficient was determined for each scale. The association among severe acute pancreatitis, need for admission to the Pediatric Special Care Unit and CT systems were established using chi-square or Mann-Whitney U tests. The best CT Severity Index value to predict the need for admission to the Pediatric Special Care Unit was estimated through a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Mean CT Severity Index was 5.1±2.8 (mean ± standard deviation on a scale of 0 to 10) for the severe acute pancreatitis group vs. 3.8±2.7 for the mild acute pancreatitis group (P=0.230). The CT Severity Index for the children who were not hospitalized at the Pediatric Special Care Unit was 2.2±2.2 vs. 5.6±2.4 for the group hospitalized at the Pediatric Special Care Unit (P=0.001). Only parenchymal necrosis >30% was associated with severe acute pancreatitis (P=0.021). A CT Severity Index ≥3 has a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 72% to predict need for admission to the Pediatric Special Care Unit. None of the Revised Atlanta Classification categories was associated with severe acute pancreatitis or admission to the Pediatric Special Care Unit. A CT Severity Index ≥3 in children with acute pancreatitis who require CT assessment based on clinical criteria is associated with the need for admission to the Pediatric Special Care Unit. We found that pancreatic necrosis greater than 30% is the only tomographic parameter related to severe acute pancreatitis. New studies with a greater sample size are necessary to confirm this result.

  14. Mixed anxiety depression should not be included in DSM-5.

    PubMed

    Batelaan, Neeltje M; Spijker, Jan; de Graaf, Ron; Cuijpers, Pim

    2012-06-01

    Subthreshold anxiety and subthreshold depressive symptoms often co-occur in the general population and in primary care. Based on their associated significant distress and impairment, a psychiatric classification seems justified. To enable classification, mixed anxiety depression (MAD) has been proposed as a new diagnostic category in DSM-5. In this report, we discuss arguments against the classification of MAD. More research is needed before reifying a new category we know so little about. Moreover, we argue that in patients with MAD symptoms and a history of an anxiety or depressive disorder, symptoms should be labeled as part of the course trajectories of these disorders, rather than calling it a different diagnostic entity. In patients with incident co-occurring subthreshold anxiety and subthreshold depression, subthreshold categories of both anxiety and depression could be classified to maintain a consistent classification system at both threshold and subthreshold levels.

  15. Accuracy of the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups Classification System in Congenital Heart Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Parnell, Aimee S.; Shults, Justine; Gaynor, J. William; Leonard, Mary B.; Dai, Dingwei; Feudtner, Chris

    2015-01-01

    Background Administrative data is increasingly used to evaluate clinical outcomes and quality of care in pediatric congenital heart surgery (CHS) programs. Several published analyses of large pediatric administrative datasets have relied on the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG, version 24) diagnostic classification system. The accuracy of this classification system for patients undergoing CHS is unclear. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of all 14,098 patients 0-5 years of age undergoing any of six selected congenital heart operations, ranging in complexity from isolated closure of a ventricular septal defect to single ventricle palliation, at 40 tertiary care pediatric centers in the Pediatric Health Information Systems database between 2007 and 2010. Assigned APR-DRGs (cardiac versus non-cardiac) were compared using chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests between those patients admitted during the first day of life versus later and between those receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support versus not. Recursive partitioning was used to assess the greatest determinants of APR-DRG type in the model. Results Every patient admitted on day of life 1 was assigned to a non-cardiac APR-DRG (p < 0.001 for each procedure). Similarly, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was highly associated with misclassification of congenital heart surgery patients into a non-cardiac APR-DRG (p < 0.001 for each procedure). Cases misclassified into a non-cardiac APR-DRG experienced a significantly increased mortality (p < 0.001). Conclusions In classifying patients undergoing congenital heart surgery, APR-DRG coding has systematic misclassifications, which may result in inaccurate reporting of CHS case volumes and mortality. PMID:24200398

  16. Comparison of clinical causes of death with autopsy diagnosis using discrepency classification.

    PubMed

    Ullah, Khalil; Alamgir, Wasim

    2006-12-01

    To determine the usefulness of autopsy findings in the quality improvement of patients care. An observational study. Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Kharian, a tertiary care hospital, from January 2001 to December 2003. The clinical and necropsy findings of all the cases, who died in hospital and had undergone autopsy examination at CMH, Kharian, from January 2001 to December 2003, were retrieved from record of clinical case sheet data and autopsy record of the hospital. The two were analyzed and compared according to the discrepancy classification. The exclusion and inclusion criteria, the international classification of disease (ICD) to code deaths, the global burden of disease (GBD) system to classify and group diseases, and the Goldman discrepancy classification to compare clinical and autopsy diagnosis and classify the discrepancies, were used as described. The death rate varied from 0.94% to 1.29% and autopsy rate from 4.69% to 10.10% annually between January 2001 and December 2003. The number of cases classified according to GBD system was 3 (5%) in Group 1, 26 (43.33 %) in Group 2 and 31 (51.66 %) in Group 3. The discrepancy classes included 9 (15 %) class I major discrepancies and 3 (5 %) class II major discrepancies. Non-discrepant diagnosis was seen in 37 cases (61.66 %) and 11 cases (18.32 %) were non-classifiable. This study showed the usefulness of autopsy findings in the quality improvement of the diagnosis and management of the disease by showing only a minority of cases with discrepant diagnosis of the cause of death.

  17. Library Automation: Guidelines to Costing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Geoffrey

    As with all new programs, the costs associated with library automation must be carefully considered before implementation. This document suggests guidelines to be followed and areas to be considered in the costing of library procedures. An existing system model has been suggested as a standard (Appendix A) and a classification of library tasks…

  18. Differences in the diagnosis and management of systemic lupus erythematosus by primary care and specialist providers in the American Indian/Alaska Native population.

    PubMed

    McDougall, J A; Helmick, C G; Lim, S S; Johnston, J M; Gaddy, J R; Gordon, C; Ferucci, E D

    2018-06-01

    Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate differences in the diagnosis and management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by primary care and specialist physicians in a population-based registry. Methods This study includes individuals from the 2009 Indian Health Service lupus registry population with a diagnosis of SLE documented by either a primary care provider or specialist. SLE classification criteria, laboratory testing, and medication use at any time during the course of disease were determined by medical record abstraction. Results Of the 320 individuals with a diagnosis of SLE, 249 had the diagnosis documented by a specialist, with 71 documented by primary care. Individuals with a specialist diagnosis of SLE were more likely to have medical record documentation of meeting criteria for SLE by all criteria sets (American College of Rheumatology, 79% vs 22%; Boston Weighted, 82% vs 32%; and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics, 83% vs 35%; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). In addition, specialist diagnosis was associated with documentation of ever having been tested for anti-double-stranded DNA antibody and complement 3 and complement 4 ( p < 0.001). Documentation of ever receiving hydroxychloroquine was also more common with specialist diagnosis (86% vs 64%, p < 0.001). Conclusions Within the population studied, specialist diagnosis of SLE was associated with a higher likelihood of having SLE classification criteria documented, being tested for biomarkers of disease, and ever receiving treatment with hydroxychloroquine. These data support efforts both to increase specialist access for patients with suspected SLE and to provide lupus education to primary care providers.

  19. Documentation of pharmaceutical care: Validation of an intervention oriented classification system.

    PubMed

    Maes, Karen A; Studer, Helene; Berger, Jérôme; Hersberger, Kurt E; Lampert, Markus L

    2017-12-01

    During the dispensing process, pharmacists may come across technical and clinical issues requiring a pharmaceutical intervention (PI). An intervention-oriented classification system is a helpful tool to document these PIs in a structured manner. Therefore, we developed the PharmDISC classification system (Pharmacists' Documentation of Interventions in Seamless Care). The aim of this study was to evaluate the PharmDISC system in the daily practice environment (in terms of interrater reliability, appropriateness, interpretability, acceptability, feasibility, and validity); to assess its user satisfaction, the descriptive manual, and the online training; and to explore first implementation aspects. Twenty-one pharmacists from different community pharmacies each classified 30 prescriptions requiring a PI with the PharmDISC system on 5 selected days within 5 weeks. Interrater reliability was determined using model PIs and Fleiss's kappa coefficients (κ) were calculated. User satisfaction was assessed by questionnaire with a 4-point Likert scale. The main outcome measures were interrater reliability (κ); appropriateness, interpretability, validity (ratio of completely classified PIs/all PIs); feasibility, and acceptability (user satisfaction and suggestions). The PharmDISC system reached an average substantial agreement (κ = 0.66). Of documented 519 PIs, 430 (82.9%) were completely classified. Most users found the system comprehensive (median user agreement 3 [2/3.25 quartiles]) and practical (3[2.75/3]). The PharmDISC system raised the awareness regarding drug-related problems for most users (n = 16). To facilitate its implementation, an electronic version that automatically connects to the prescription together with a task manager for PIs needing follow-up was suggested. Barriers could be time expenditure and lack of understanding the benefits. Substantial interrater reliability and acceptable user satisfaction indicate that the PharmDISC system is a valid system to document PIs in daily community pharmacy practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Visual Impairment/lntracranial Pressure Risk Clinical Care Data Tools

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Baalen, Mary; Mason, Sara S.; Taiym, Wafa; Wear, Mary L.; Moynihan, Shannan; Alexander, David; Hart, Steve; Tarver, William

    2014-01-01

    Prior to 2010, several ISS crewmembers returned from spaceflight with changes to their vision, ranging from a mild hyperopic shift to frank disc edema. As a result, NASA expanded clinical vision testing to include more comprehensive medical imaging, including Optical Coherence Tomography and 3 Tesla Brain and Orbit MRIs. The Space and Clinical Operations (SCO) Division developed a clinical practice guideline that classified individuals based on their symptoms and diagnoses to facilitate clinical care. For the purposes of clinical surveillance, this classification was applied retrospectively to all crewmembers who had sufficient testing for classification. This classification is also a tool that has been leveraged for researchers to identify potential risk factors. In March 2014, driven in part by a more comprehensive understanding of the imaging data and increased imaging capability on orbit, the SCO Division revised their clinical care guidance to outline in-flight care and increase post-flight follow up. The new clinical guidance does not include a classification scheme

  1. Cancer Pain: A Critical Review of Mechanism-based Classification and Physical Therapy Management in Palliative Care

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Senthil P

    2011-01-01

    Mechanism-based classification and physical therapy management of pain is essential to effectively manage painful symptoms in patients attending palliative care. The objective of this review is to provide a detailed review of mechanism-based classification and physical therapy management of patients with cancer pain. Cancer pain can be classified based upon pain symptoms, pain mechanisms and pain syndromes. Classification based upon mechanisms not only addresses the underlying pathophysiology but also provides us with an understanding behind patient's symptoms and treatment responses. Existing evidence suggests that the five mechanisms – central sensitization, peripheral sensitization, sympathetically maintained pain, nociceptive and cognitive-affective – operate in patients with cancer pain. Summary of studies showing evidence for physical therapy treatment methods for cancer pain follows with suggested therapeutic implications. Effective palliative physical therapy care using a mechanism-based classification model should be tailored to suit each patient's findings, using a biopsychosocial model of pain. PMID:21976851

  2. The RAFAELA system: a workforce planning tool for nurse staffing and human resource management.

    PubMed

    Fagerström, Lisbeth; Lønning, Kjersti; Andersen, Marit Helen

    2014-05-01

    The RAFAELA system was developed in Finland during the 1990s to help with the systematic and daily measurement of nursing intensity (NI) and allocation of nursing staff. The system has now been rolled out across almost all hospitals in Finland, and implementation has started elsewhere in Europe and Asia. This article describes the system, which aims to uphold staffing levels in accordance with patients' care needs, and its structure, which consists of three parts: the Oulu Patient Classification instrument; registration of available nursing resources; and the Professional Assessment of Optimal Nursing Care Intensity Level method, as an alternative to classical time studies. The article also highlights the benefits of using a systematic measurement of NI.

  3. Implementation of standardized nomenclature in the electronic medical record.

    PubMed

    Klehr, Joan; Hafner, Jennifer; Spelz, Leah Mylrea; Steen, Sara; Weaver, Kathy

    2009-01-01

    To describe a customized electronic medical record documentation system which provides an electronic health record, Epic, which was implemented in December 2006 using standardized taxonomies for nursing documentation. Descriptive data is provided regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation processes for the electronic medical record system. Nurses used standardized nursing nomenclature including NANDA-I diagnoses, Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcomes Classification in a measurable and user-friendly format using the care plan activity. Key factors in the success of the project included close collaboration among staff nurses and information technology staff, ongoing support and encouragement from the vice president/chief nursing officer, the ready availability of expert resources, and nursing ownership of the project. Use of this evidence-based documentation enhanced institutional leadership in clinical documentation.

  4. Epilepsy informatics and an ontology-driven infrastructure for large database research and patient care in epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Satya S; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Lhatoo, Samden D

    2013-08-01

    The epilepsy community increasingly recognizes the need for a modern classification system that can also be easily integrated with effective informatics tools. The 2010 reports by the United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) identified informatics as a critical resource to improve quality of patient care, drive clinical research, and reduce the cost of health services. An effective informatics infrastructure for epilepsy, which is underpinned by a formal knowledge model or ontology, can leverage an ever increasing amount of multimodal data to improve (1) clinical decision support, (2) access to information for patients and their families, (3) easier data sharing, and (4) accelerate secondary use of clinical data. Modeling the recommendations of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification system in the form of an epilepsy domain ontology is essential for consistent use of terminology in a variety of applications, including electronic health records systems and clinical applications. In this review, we discuss the data management issues in epilepsy and explore the benefits of an ontology-driven informatics infrastructure and its role in adoption of a "data-driven" paradigm in epilepsy research. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.

  5. Epilepsy informatics and an ontology-driven infrastructure for large database research and patient care in epilepsy

    PubMed Central

    Sahoo, Satya S.; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Lhatoo, Samden D.

    2013-01-01

    Summary The epilepsy community increasingly recognizes the need for a modern classification system that can also be easily integrated with effective informatics tools. The 2010 reports by the United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) identified informatics as a critical resource to improve quality of patient care, drive clinical research, and reduce the cost of health services. An effective informatics infrastructure for epilepsy, which is underpinned by a formal knowledge model or ontology, can leverage an ever increasing amount of multimodal data to improve (1) clinical decision support, (2) access to information for patients and their families, (3) easier data sharing, and (4) accelerate secondary use of clinical data. Modeling the recommendations of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification system in the form of an epilepsy domain ontology is essential for consistent use of terminology in a variety of applications, including electronic health records systems and clinical applications. In this review, we discuss the data management issues in epilepsy and explore the benefits of an ontology-driven informatics infrastructure and its role in adoption of a “data-driven” paradigm in epilepsy research. PMID:23647220

  6. Meeting the criteria of a nursing diagnosis classification: Evaluation of ICNP, ICF, NANDA and ZEFP.

    PubMed

    Müller-Staub, Maria; Lavin, Mary Ann; Needham, Ian; van Achterberg, Theo

    2007-07-01

    Few studies described nursing diagnosis classification criteria and how classifications meet these criteria. The purpose was to identify criteria for nursing diagnosis classifications and to assess how these criteria are met by different classifications. First, a literature review was conducted (N=50) to identify criteria for nursing diagnoses classifications and to evaluate how these criteria are met by the International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP), the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the International Nursing Diagnoses Classification (NANDA), and the Nursing Diagnostic System of the Centre for Nursing Development and Research (ZEFP). Using literature review based general and specific criteria, the principal investigator evaluated each classification, applying a matrix. Second, a convenience sample of 20 nursing experts from different Swiss care institutions answered standardized interview forms, querying current national and international classification state and use. The first general criterion is that a diagnosis classification should describe the knowledge base and subject matter for which the nursing profession is responsible. ICNP) and NANDA meet this goal. The second general criterion is that each class fits within a central concept. The ICF and NANDA are the only two classifications built on conceptually driven classes. The third general classification criterion is that each diagnosis possesses a description, diagnostic criteria, and related etiologies. Although ICF and ICNP describe diagnostic terms, only NANDA fulfils this criterion. The analysis indicated that NANDA fulfilled most of the specific classification criteria in the matrix. The nursing experts considered NANDA to be the best-researched and most widely implemented classification in Switzerland and internationally. The international literature and the opinion of Swiss expert nurses indicate that-from the perspective of classifying comprehensive nursing diagnoses-NANDA should be recommended for nursing practice and electronic nursing documentation. Study limitations and future research needs are discussed.

  7. Predicting heart failure mortality in frail seniors: comparing the NYHA functional classification with the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) 2.0.

    PubMed

    Tjam, Erin Y; Heckman, George A; Smith, Stuart; Arai, Bruce; Hirdes, John; Poss, Jeff; McKelvie, Robert S

    2012-02-23

    Though the NYHA functional classification is recommended in clinical settings, concerns have been raised about its reliability particularly among older patients. The RAI 2.0 is a comprehensive assessment system specifically developed for frail seniors. We hypothesized that a prognostic model for heart failure (HF) developed from the RAI 2.0 would be superior to the NYHA classification. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a HF-specific prognostic model based on the RAI 2.0 is superior to the NYHA functional classification in predicting mortality in frail older HF patients. Secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of a HF education program for care providers in long-term care and retirement homes. Univariate analyses identified RAI 2.0 variables predicting death at 6 months. These and the NYHA classification were used to develop logistic models. Two RAI 2.0 models were derived. The first includes six items: "weight gain of 5% or more of total body weight over 30 days", "leaving 25% or more food uneaten", "unable to lie flat", "unstable cognitive, ADL, moods, or behavioural patterns", "change in cognitive function" and "needing help to walk in room"; the C statistic was 0.866. The second includes the CHESS health instability scale and the item "requiring help walking in room"; the C statistic was 0.838. The C statistic for the NYHA scale was 0.686. These results suggest that data from the RAI 2.0, an instrument for comprehensive assessment of frail seniors, can better predict mortality than the NYHA classification. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Sexual orientation and gender identity: review of concepts, controversies and their relation to psychopathology classification systems

    PubMed Central

    Moleiro, Carla; Pinto, Nuno

    2015-01-01

    Numerous controversies and debates have taken place throughout the history of psychopathology (and its main classification systems) with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. These are still reflected on present reformulations of gender dysphoria in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the International Classification of Diseases, and in more or less subtle micro-aggressions experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans patients in mental health care. The present paper critically reviews this history and current controversies. It reveals that this deeply complex field contributes (i) to the reflection on the very concept of mental illness; (ii) to the focus on subjective distress and person-centered experience of psychopathology; and (iii) to the recognition of stigma and discrimination as significant intervening variables. Finally, it argues that sexual orientation and gender identity have been viewed, in the history of the field of psychopathology, between two poles: gender transgression and gender variance/fluidity. PMID:26483748

  9. Sexual orientation and gender identity: review of concepts, controversies and their relation to psychopathology classification systems.

    PubMed

    Moleiro, Carla; Pinto, Nuno

    2015-01-01

    Numerous controversies and debates have taken place throughout the history of psychopathology (and its main classification systems) with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. These are still reflected on present reformulations of gender dysphoria in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the International Classification of Diseases, and in more or less subtle micro-aggressions experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans patients in mental health care. The present paper critically reviews this history and current controversies. It reveals that this deeply complex field contributes (i) to the reflection on the very concept of mental illness; (ii) to the focus on subjective distress and person-centered experience of psychopathology; and (iii) to the recognition of stigma and discrimination as significant intervening variables. Finally, it argues that sexual orientation and gender identity have been viewed, in the history of the field of psychopathology, between two poles: gender transgression and gender variance/fluidity.

  10. [Evaluation of new and emerging health technologies. Proposal for classification].

    PubMed

    Prados-Torres, J D; Vidal-España, F; Barnestein-Fonseca, P; Gallo-García, C; Irastorza-Aldasoro, A; Leiva-Fernández, F

    2011-01-01

    Review and develop a proposal for the classification of health technologies (HT) evaluated by the Health Technology Assessment Agencies (HTAA). Peer review of AETS of the previous proposed classification of HT. Analysis of their input and suggestions for amendments. Construction of a new classification. Pilot study with physicians. Andalusian Public Health System. Spanish HTAA. Experts from HTAA. Tutors of family medicine residents. HT Update classification previously made by the research team. Peer review by Spanish HTAA. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of responses. Construction of a new and pilot study based on 12 evaluation reports of the HTAA. We obtained 11 thematic categories that are classified into 6 major head groups: 1, prevention technology; 2, diagnostic technology; 3, therapeutic technologies; 4, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies; 5, organizational technology, and 6, knowledge management and quality of care. In the pilot there was a good concordance in the classification of 8 of the 12 reports reviewed by physicians. Experts agree on 11 thematic categories of HT. A new classification of HT with double entry (Nature and purpose of HT) is proposed. APPLICABILITY: According to experts, the classification of the work of the HTAA may represent a useful tool to transfer and manage knowledge. Moreover, an adequate classification of the HTAA reports would help clinicians and other potential users to locate them and this can facilitate their dissemination. Copyright © 2010 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  11. Critical care nursing interventions and the time required for their completion in Intensive Care Units: A Delphi study.

    PubMed

    Palomar-Aumatell, Xavier; Subirana-Casacuberta, Mireia; Mila-Villarroel, Raimon

    2017-12-01

    To determine which interventions within the Nursing Interventions Classification are most often applied in intensive care units and to validate the time required for each. A three-stage e-Delphi was conducted; 21 panelists were recruited, seven manager nurses and 14 clinical nurses with higher degrees and more than five years experience in intensive care nursing. The first round explored the most common interventions applied. Additionally, panelists were asked to propose others. In the second round, participants reflected on the interventions where no consensus was reached as well as to estimate the time required for each intervention. In the third, panelists were queried about the time required for the interventions for which consensus regarding the time was not reached. A total of 183 interventions were included; 50% of the "Physiological: Complex" domain. The list included 52 (90%) of the 58 "core interventions for critical care nursing" identified in the Nursing Interventions Classification. The time required for 89.1% of the interventions was the same as in the Nursing Interventions Classification seminal work recommendations. Results provide a clear picture of nursing activity in general intensive care units, allows to tailor the Nursing Intervetions Classification in Catalonia context and to confirm findings of previous studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Introduction to the Management Process (NS 222): Competency-Based Course Syllabus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brady, Marilyn H.

    "Introduction to the Management Process" (NS 222) is an associate degree nursing course offered at Chattanooga State Technical Community College to introduce students to basic management concepts, methods of nursing care delivery, patient classification systems, and methods of enacting change and working as a change agent. Upon completion of the…

  13. Identification of ICD Codes Suggestive of Child Maltreatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schnitzer, Patricia G.; Slusher, Paula L.; Kruse, Robin L.; Tarleton, Molly M.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: In order to be reimbursed for the care they provide, hospitals in the United States are required to use a standard system to code all discharge diagnoses: the International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9). Although ICD-9 codes specific for child maltreatment exist, they do not identify all…

  14. Defining and classifying medical error: lessons for patient safety reporting systems.

    PubMed

    Tamuz, M; Thomas, E J; Franchois, K E

    2004-02-01

    It is important for healthcare providers to report safety related events, but little attention has been paid to how the definition and classification of events affects a hospital's ability to learn from its experience. To examine how the definition and classification of safety related events influences key organizational routines for gathering information, allocating incentives, and analyzing event reporting data. In semi-structured interviews, professional staff and administrators in a tertiary care teaching hospital and its pharmacy were asked to describe the existing programs designed to monitor medication safety, including the reporting systems. With a focus primarily on the pharmacy staff, interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative research methods. Eighty six interviews were conducted, including 36 in the hospital pharmacy. Examples are presented which show that: (1) the definition of an event could lead to under-reporting; (2) the classification of a medication error into alternative categories can influence the perceived incentives and disincentives for incident reporting; (3) event classification can enhance or impede organizational routines for data analysis and learning; and (4) routines that promote organizational learning within the pharmacy can reduce the flow of medication error data to the hospital. These findings from one hospital raise important practical and research questions about how reporting systems are influenced by the definition and classification of safety related events. By understanding more clearly how hospitals define and classify their experience, we may improve our capacity to learn and ultimately improve patient safety.

  15. Children's Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease. Progress and Future Horizons.

    PubMed

    Deterding, Robin R

    2015-10-01

    Children's interstitial and diffuse lung disease (chILD) is a term that encompasses a large and diverse group of rare pediatric diseases and disorders. Significant progress has been made over the last 2 decades in classification, clinical care, research, and organizational structure to enhance the care of children with these high-morbidity and -mortality diseases. New diseases have been defined clinically and genetically, classification systems developed and applied, organizations formed such as the chILD Research Network (chILDRN) and chILD Foundation, and basic and translational science expanded to focus on chILD diseases. Multidisciplinary collaborations and efforts to advance understanding and treatment of chILD have been extended worldwide. The future horizon holds great promise to expand scientific discoveries, collaborate more broadly, and bring new treatment to these children. An overview of key historical past developments, major clinical and research updates, and opportunities for the future in chILD is reviewed in this Perspective.

  16. A preliminary case-mix classification system for Medicare home health clients.

    PubMed

    Branch, L G; Goldberg, H B

    1993-04-01

    In this study, a hierarchical case-mix model was developed for grouping Medicare home health beneficiaries homogeneously, based on the allowed charges for their home care. Based on information from a two-page form from 2,830 clients from ten states and using the classification and regression trees method, a four-component model was developed that yielded 11 case-mix groups and explained 22% of the variance for the test sample of 1,929 clients. The four components are rehabilitation, special care, skilled-nurse monitoring, and paralysis; each are categorized as present or absent. The range of mean-allowed charges for the 11 groups in the total sample was $473 to $2,562 with a mean of $847. Of the six groups with mean charges above $1,000, none exceeded 5.2% of clients; thus, the high-cost groups are relatively rare.

  17. Filing Reprints: A Simple System For The Family Physician

    PubMed Central

    Berner, Mark

    1978-01-01

    This flexible method of filing medical literature without using cards is based on the International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care. 1Articles, reprints, notes of lectures and rounds, etc. are filed in manilla folders according to a few simple guidelines. This system has proved to be practical and efficient, can be modified for individual needs, and once established requires little time to maintain. PMID:20469289

  18. [An analysis of caesarean sections in Uruguay by type of hospital].

    PubMed

    Aguirre, Rafael; Antón, José-Ignacio; Triunfo, Patricia

    2018-04-20

    To analyse on a comparative basis the incidence of caesarean sections among the different health care systems in Uruguay and with respect to the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards, taking into account the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births, particularly, the Robson classification. We examine 190,847 births registered by the Perinatal Information System in Uruguay between 2009 and 2014 by type of health care system. Using logit models, we analyse the probability of caesarean section taking into account the Robson classification, other risk factors and the mothers' characteristics. We compared the caesarean rates predicted by the different subsystems for a common population. Furthermore, we contrast the caesarean rates observed in each subsystem with the rates that resulted if the Uruguayan hospitals followed the guidelines of the sample of WHO reference hospitals. Private health systems in Uruguay exhibit a much higher incidence of caesarean sections than public ones, even after considering the medical-obstetric characteristics of the births. Caesarean rates are more than 75% higher than those observed if the WHO standards are applied. Uruguay has a very high incidence of caesarean sections with respect to WHO standards, particularly, in the private sector. This fact is unrelated to the clinical characteristics of the births. Copyright © 2018 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  19. RUGs and "Medi-Cal" systems for classifying nursing home patients.

    PubMed

    Grimaldi, P L

    1985-12-01

    Medicare and most state Medicaid programs currently use indirect case-mix measures to determine reimbursement for nursing home care. In the future, however, they probably will incorporate more direct case-mix measures into their payment systems. Care must be exercised in designing a case-based prospective payment system to ensure that its financial incentives motivate providers to expedite recovery, prevent deterioration, and admit heavy-care patients. For example, although use of a services-rendered approach helps guarantee that care will be provided when needed, it also offers providers an incentive to furnish a service regardless of whether it is in the patient's best interest. Consideration must be given to the frequency with which patients are reassessed. The implications of the timing of reassessments for quality of care also must be studied. Ideally, quality would be measured on an outcome basis--that is, payment would depend on whether targeted goals for individual patients are reached--rather than on structural or process measures alone. Two recent classification systems--Resource Utilization Groups and Medi-Cal groups--may serve as models for case-based prospective payment systems. Each method classifies patients into distinct, meaningful categories based on activities of daily living and services received.

  20. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the regulation of the health insurance industry.

    PubMed

    Jha, Saurabh; Baker, Tom

    2012-12-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive and multipronged reform of the US health care system. The legislation makes incremental changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and the market for employer-sponsored health insurance. However, it makes substantial changes to the market for individual and small-group health insurance. The purpose of this article is to introduce the key regulatory reforms in the market for individual and small-group health insurance and explain how these reforms tackle adverse selection and risk classification and improve access to health care for the hitherto uninsured or underinsured population. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Causes of death and associated conditions (Codac) – a utilitarian approach to the classification of perinatal deaths

    PubMed Central

    Frøen, J Frederik; Pinar, Halit; Flenady, Vicki; Bahrin, Safiah; Charles, Adrian; Chauke, Lawrence; Day, Katie; Duke, Charles W; Facchinetti, Fabio; Fretts, Ruth C; Gardener, Glenn; Gilshenan, Kristen; Gordijn, Sanne J; Gordon, Adrienne; Guyon, Grace; Harrison, Catherine; Koshy, Rachel; Pattinson, Robert C; Petersson, Karin; Russell, Laurie; Saastad, Eli; Smith, Gordon CS; Torabi, Rozbeh

    2009-01-01

    A carefully classified dataset of perinatal mortality will retain the most significant information on the causes of death. Such information is needed for health care policy development, surveillance and international comparisons, clinical services and research. For comparability purposes, we propose a classification system that could serve all these needs, and be applicable in both developing and developed countries. It is developed to adhere to basic concepts of underlying cause in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), although gaps in ICD prevent classification of perinatal deaths solely on existing ICD codes. We tested the Causes of Death and Associated Conditions (Codac) classification for perinatal deaths in seven populations, including two developing country settings. We identified areas of potential improvements in the ability to retain existing information, ease of use and inter-rater agreement. After revisions to address these issues we propose Version II of Codac with detailed coding instructions. The ten main categories of Codac consist of three key contributors to global perinatal mortality (intrapartum events, infections and congenital anomalies), two crucial aspects of perinatal mortality (unknown causes of death and termination of pregnancy), a clear distinction of conditions relevant only to the neonatal period and the remaining conditions are arranged in the four anatomical compartments (fetal, cord, placental and maternal). For more detail there are 94 subcategories, further specified in 577 categories in the full version. Codac is designed to accommodate both the main cause of death as well as two associated conditions. We suggest reporting not only the main cause of death, but also the associated relevant conditions so that scenarios of combined conditions and events are captured. The appropriately applied Codac system promises to better manage information on causes of perinatal deaths, the conditions associated with them, and the most common clinical scenarios for future study and comparisons. PMID:19515228

  2. Causes of death and associated conditions (Codac): a utilitarian approach to the classification of perinatal deaths.

    PubMed

    Frøen, J Frederik; Pinar, Halit; Flenady, Vicki; Bahrin, Safiah; Charles, Adrian; Chauke, Lawrence; Day, Katie; Duke, Charles W; Facchinetti, Fabio; Fretts, Ruth C; Gardener, Glenn; Gilshenan, Kristen; Gordijn, Sanne J; Gordon, Adrienne; Guyon, Grace; Harrison, Catherine; Koshy, Rachel; Pattinson, Robert C; Petersson, Karin; Russell, Laurie; Saastad, Eli; Smith, Gordon C S; Torabi, Rozbeh

    2009-06-10

    A carefully classified dataset of perinatal mortality will retain the most significant information on the causes of death. Such information is needed for health care policy development, surveillance and international comparisons, clinical services and research. For comparability purposes, we propose a classification system that could serve all these needs, and be applicable in both developing and developed countries. It is developed to adhere to basic concepts of underlying cause in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), although gaps in ICD prevent classification of perinatal deaths solely on existing ICD codes.We tested the Causes of Death and Associated Conditions (Codac) classification for perinatal deaths in seven populations, including two developing country settings. We identified areas of potential improvements in the ability to retain existing information, ease of use and inter-rater agreement. After revisions to address these issues we propose Version II of Codac with detailed coding instructions.The ten main categories of Codac consist of three key contributors to global perinatal mortality (intrapartum events, infections and congenital anomalies), two crucial aspects of perinatal mortality (unknown causes of death and termination of pregnancy), a clear distinction of conditions relevant only to the neonatal period and the remaining conditions are arranged in the four anatomical compartments (fetal, cord, placental and maternal).For more detail there are 94 subcategories, further specified in 577 categories in the full version. Codac is designed to accommodate both the main cause of death as well as two associated conditions. We suggest reporting not only the main cause of death, but also the associated relevant conditions so that scenarios of combined conditions and events are captured.The appropriately applied Codac system promises to better manage information on causes of perinatal deaths, the conditions associated with them, and the most common clinical scenarios for future study and comparisons.

  3. Multispectral imaging burn wound tissue classification system: a comparison of test accuracies between several common machine learning algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Squiers, John J.; Li, Weizhi; King, Darlene R.; Mo, Weirong; Zhang, Xu; Lu, Yang; Sellke, Eric W.; Fan, Wensheng; DiMaio, J. Michael; Thatcher, Jeffrey E.

    2016-03-01

    The clinical judgment of expert burn surgeons is currently the standard on which diagnostic and therapeutic decisionmaking regarding burn injuries is based. Multispectral imaging (MSI) has the potential to increase the accuracy of burn depth assessment and the intraoperative identification of viable wound bed during surgical debridement of burn injuries. A highly accurate classification model must be developed using machine-learning techniques in order to translate MSI data into clinically-relevant information. An animal burn model was developed to build an MSI training database and to study the burn tissue classification ability of several models trained via common machine-learning algorithms. The algorithms tested, from least to most complex, were: K-nearest neighbors (KNN), decision tree (DT), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), weighted linear discriminant analysis (W-LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA), ensemble linear discriminant analysis (EN-LDA), ensemble K-nearest neighbors (EN-KNN), and ensemble decision tree (EN-DT). After the ground-truth database of six tissue types (healthy skin, wound bed, blood, hyperemia, partial injury, full injury) was generated by histopathological analysis, we used 10-fold cross validation to compare the algorithms' performances based on their accuracies in classifying data against the ground truth, and each algorithm was tested 100 times. The mean test accuracy of the algorithms were KNN 68.3%, DT 61.5%, LDA 70.5%, W-LDA 68.1%, QDA 68.9%, EN-LDA 56.8%, EN-KNN 49.7%, and EN-DT 36.5%. LDA had the highest test accuracy, reflecting the bias-variance tradeoff over the range of complexities inherent to the algorithms tested. Several algorithms were able to match the current standard in burn tissue classification, the clinical judgment of expert burn surgeons. These results will guide further development of an MSI burn tissue classification system. Given that there are few surgeons and facilities specializing in burn care, this technology may improve the standard of burn care for patients without access to specialized facilities.

  4. Life concerns of elderly people living at home determined as by Community General Support Center staff: implications for organizing a more effective integrated community care system. The Kurihara Project.

    PubMed

    Takada, Junko; Meguro, Kenichi; Sato, Yuko; Chiba, Yumiko

    2014-09-01

    In Japan, the integrated community care system aims to enable people to continue to live in their homes. Based on the concept, one of the activities of a Community General Support Center (CGSC) is to provide preventive intervention based on a Community Support Program. Currently, a Basic Checklist (BC) is sent to elderly people to identify persons appropriate for a Secondary Prevention Program. To find people who had not responded to the BC, CGSC staff evaluated the files of 592 subjects who had participated in the Kurihara Project to identify activities they cannot do that they did in the past, decreased activity levels at home, loss of interaction with people other than their family, and the need for medical interventions. This information was classified, when applicable, into the following categories: (A) 'no life concerns'; (B) 'undecided'; and (C) 'life concerns'. The relationships between these classifications and clinical information, certified need for long-term care, and items on the BC were examined. The numbers of subjects in categories A, B, and C were 291, 42, and 186, respectively. Life concerns were related to scores on the Clinical Dementia Rating, global cognitive function, depressive state, and apathy. Most items on the BC were not associated with classification into category C, but ≥25% of the subjects had life concerns related to these items. Assessment of life concerns by the CGSC staff has clinical validity. The results suggest that there are people who do not respond to the checklist or apply for Long-Term Care Insurance, meaning that they 'hide' in the community, probably due to apathy or depressive state. To organize a more effective integrated community care system, the CGSC staff should focus mainly on preventive care. © 2014 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2014 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  5. Accuracy of the all patient refined diagnosis related groups classification system in congenital heart surgery.

    PubMed

    Parnell, Aimee S; Shults, Justine; Gaynor, J William; Leonard, Mary B; Dai, Dingwei; Feudtner, Chris

    2014-02-01

    Administrative data are increasingly used to evaluate clinical outcomes and quality of care in pediatric congenital heart surgery (CHS) programs. Several published analyses of large pediatric administrative data sets have relied on the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG, version 24) diagnostic classification system. The accuracy of this classification system for patients undergoing CHS is unclear. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all 14,098 patients 0 to 5 years of age undergoing any of six selected congenital heart operations, ranging in complexity from isolated closure of a ventricular septal defect to single-ventricle palliation, at 40 tertiary-care pediatric centers in the Pediatric Health Information Systems database between 2007 and 2010. Assigned APR-DRGs (cardiac versus noncardiac) were compared using χ2 or Fisher's exact tests between those patients admitted during the first day of life versus later and between those receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support versus those not. Recursive partitioning was used to assess the greatest determinants of APR-DRG type in the model. Every patient admitted on day 1 of life was assigned to a noncardiac APR-DRG (p<0.001 for each procedure). Similarly, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was highly associated with misclassification of CHS patients into a noncardiac APR-DRG (p<0.001 for each procedure). Cases misclassified into a noncardiac APR-DRG experienced a significantly increased mortality (p<0.001). In classifying patients undergoing CHS, APR-DRG coding has systematic misclassifications, which may result in inaccurate reporting of CHS case volumes and mortality. Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. A European classification of services for long-term care—the EU-project eDESDE-LTC

    PubMed Central

    Weber, Germain; Brehmer, Barbara; Zeilinger, Elisabeth; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

    2009-01-01

    Purpose and theory The eDESDE-LTC project aims at developing an operational system for coding, mapping and comparing services for long-term care (LTC) across EU. The projects strategy is to improve EU listing and access to relevant sources of healthcare information via development of SEMANTIC INTER-OPERABILITY in eHEALTH (coding and listing of services for LTC); to increase access to relevant sources of information on LTC services, and to improve linkages between national and regional websites; to foster cooperation with international organizations (OECD). Methods This operational system will include a standard classification of main types of care for persons with LTC needs and an instrument for mapping and standard description of services. These instruments are based on previous classification systems for mental health services (ESMS), disabilities services (DESDE) and ageing services (DESDAE). A Delphi panel made by seven partners developed a DESDE-LTC beta version, which was translated into six languages. The feasibility of DESDE-LTC is tested in six countries using national focal groups. Then the final version will be developed by the Delphi panel, a webpage, training material and course will be carried out. Results and conclusions The eDESDE-LTC system will be piloted in two EU countries (Spain and Bulgaria). Evaluation will focus primarily on usability and impact analysis. Discussion The added value of this project is related to the right of “having access to high-quality healthcare when and where it is needed” by EU citizens. Due to semantic variability and service complexity, existing national listings of services do not provide an adequate framework for patient mobility.

  7. Diagnosis-related groups for stroke in Europe: patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 countries.

    PubMed

    Peltola, Mikko; Quentin, Wilm

    2013-01-01

    Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) are increasingly being used for various purposes in many countries. However, there are no studies comparing different DRG systems in the care of stroke. As part of the EuroDRG project, researchers from 11 countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Spain) compared how their DRG systems deal with stroke patients. The study aims to assist clinicians and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a diagnosis of stroke. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually represent at least 1% of stroke cases. In addition, standardized case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify stroke patients according to different sets of variables (between 1 and 7 classification variables) into diverging numbers of DRGs (between 1 and 10 DRGs). In 6 of the countries more than half of the patients are concentrated within a single DRG. The countries' systems also vary with respect to the evaluation of different kinds of stroke patients. The most complex DRG is considered 3.8 times more resource intensive than an index case in Finland. By contrast, in England, the DRG system does not account for complex cases. Comparisons of quasi prices for the case vignettes show that hypothetical payments for the index case amount to only EUR 907 in Poland but to EUR 7,881 in Ireland. Large variations in the classification of stroke patients raise concerns whether all systems rely on the most appropriate classification variables and whether the DRGs adequately reflect differences in the complexity of treating different groups of patients. Learning from other DRG systems may help in improving the national systems. Clinicians and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify stroke patients in order to optimize their DRG system and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement. In future, quantitative research is needed to verify whether the most important determinants of cost are considered in different patient classification systems, and whether differences between systems reflect country-specific differences in treatment patterns and, most importantly, what influence they have on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Do pre-trained deep learning models improve computer-aided classification of digital mammograms?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aboutalib, Sarah S.; Mohamed, Aly A.; Zuley, Margarita L.; Berg, Wendie A.; Luo, Yahong; Wu, Shandong

    2018-02-01

    Digital mammography screening is an important exam for the early detection of breast cancer and reduction in mortality. False positives leading to high recall rates, however, results in unnecessary negative consequences to patients and health care systems. In order to better aid radiologists, computer-aided tools can be utilized to improve distinction between image classifications and thus potentially reduce false recalls. The emergence of deep learning has shown promising results in the area of biomedical imaging data analysis. This study aimed to investigate deep learning and transfer learning methods that can improve digital mammography classification performance. In particular, we evaluated the effect of pre-training deep learning models with other imaging datasets in order to boost classification performance on a digital mammography dataset. Two types of datasets were used for pre-training: (1) a digitized film mammography dataset, and (2) a very large non-medical imaging dataset. By using either of these datasets to pre-train the network initially, and then fine-tuning with the digital mammography dataset, we found an increase in overall classification performance in comparison to a model without pre-training, with the very large non-medical dataset performing the best in improving the classification accuracy.

  9. 77 FR 54663 - Administrative Simplification: Adoption of a Standard for a Unique Health Plan Identifier...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-05

    ...This final rule adopts the standard for a national unique health plan identifier (HPID) and establishes requirements for the implementation of the HPID. In addition, it adopts a data element that will serve as an other entity identifier (OEID), or an identifier for entities that are not health plans, health care providers, or individuals, but that need to be identified in standard transactions. This final rule also specifies the circumstances under which an organization covered health care provider must require certain noncovered individual health care providers who are prescribers to obtain and disclose a National Provider Identifier (NPI). Lastly, this final rule changes the compliance date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD- 10-CM) for diagnosis coding, including the Official ICD-10-CM Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) for inpatient hospital procedure coding, including the Official ICD-10-PCS Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, from October 1, 2013 to October 1, 2014.

  10. Use of a New International Classification of Health Interventions for Capturing Information on Health Interventions Relevant to People with Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Fortune, Nicola; Madden, Richard; Almborg, Ann-Helene

    2018-01-17

    Development of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) is currently underway. Once finalised, ICHI will provide a standard basis for collecting, aggregating, analysing, and comparing data on health interventions across all sectors of the health system. In this paper, we introduce the classification, describing its underlying tri-axial structure, organisation and content. We then discuss the potential value of ICHI for capturing information on met and unmet need for health interventions relevant to people with a disability, with a particular focus on interventions to support functioning and health promotion interventions. Early experiences of use of the Swedish National Classification of Social Care Interventions and Activities, which is based closely on ICHI, illustrate the value of a standard classification to support practice and collect statistical data. Testing of the ICHI beta version in a wide range of countries and contexts is now needed so that improvements can be made before it is finalised. Input from those with an interest in the health of people with disabilities and health promotion more broadly is welcomed.

  11. Forecasting Daily Volume and Acuity of Patients in the Emergency Department.

    PubMed

    Calegari, Rafael; Fogliatto, Flavio S; Lucini, Filipe R; Neyeloff, Jeruza; Kuchenbecker, Ricardo S; Schaan, Beatriz D

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at analyzing the performance of four forecasting models in predicting the demand for medical care in terms of daily visits in an emergency department (ED) that handles high complexity cases, testing the influence of climatic and calendrical factors on demand behavior. We tested different mathematical models to forecast ED daily visits at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), which is a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Southern Brazil. Model accuracy was evaluated using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), considering forecasting horizons of 1, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days. The demand time series was stratified according to patient classification using the Manchester Triage System's (MTS) criteria. Models tested were the simple seasonal exponential smoothing (SS), seasonal multiplicative Holt-Winters (SMHW), seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), and multivariate autoregressive integrated moving average (MSARIMA). Performance of models varied according to patient classification, such that SS was the best choice when all types of patients were jointly considered, and SARIMA was the most accurate for modeling demands of very urgent (VU) and urgent (U) patients. The MSARIMA models taking into account climatic factors did not improve the performance of the SARIMA models, independent of patient classification.

  12. Bayesian logistic regression approaches to predict incorrect DRG assignment.

    PubMed

    Suleiman, Mani; Demirhan, Haydar; Boyd, Leanne; Girosi, Federico; Aksakalli, Vural

    2018-05-07

    Episodes of care involving similar diagnoses and treatments and requiring similar levels of resource utilisation are grouped to the same Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG). In jurisdictions which implement DRG based payment systems, DRGs are a major determinant of funding for inpatient care. Hence, service providers often dedicate auditing staff to the task of checking that episodes have been coded to the correct DRG. The use of statistical models to estimate an episode's probability of DRG error can significantly improve the efficiency of clinical coding audits. This study implements Bayesian logistic regression models with weakly informative prior distributions to estimate the likelihood that episodes require a DRG revision, comparing these models with each other and to classical maximum likelihood estimates. All Bayesian approaches had more stable model parameters than maximum likelihood. The best performing Bayesian model improved overall classification per- formance by 6% compared to maximum likelihood, with a 34% gain compared to random classification, respectively. We found that the original DRG, coder and the day of coding all have a significant effect on the likelihood of DRG error. Use of Bayesian approaches has improved model parameter stability and classification accuracy. This method has already lead to improved audit efficiency in an operational capacity.

  13. Forecasting Daily Volume and Acuity of Patients in the Emergency Department

    PubMed Central

    Fogliatto, Flavio S.; Neyeloff, Jeruza; Kuchenbecker, Ricardo S.; Schaan, Beatriz D.

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at analyzing the performance of four forecasting models in predicting the demand for medical care in terms of daily visits in an emergency department (ED) that handles high complexity cases, testing the influence of climatic and calendrical factors on demand behavior. We tested different mathematical models to forecast ED daily visits at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), which is a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Southern Brazil. Model accuracy was evaluated using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), considering forecasting horizons of 1, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days. The demand time series was stratified according to patient classification using the Manchester Triage System's (MTS) criteria. Models tested were the simple seasonal exponential smoothing (SS), seasonal multiplicative Holt-Winters (SMHW), seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), and multivariate autoregressive integrated moving average (MSARIMA). Performance of models varied according to patient classification, such that SS was the best choice when all types of patients were jointly considered, and SARIMA was the most accurate for modeling demands of very urgent (VU) and urgent (U) patients. The MSARIMA models taking into account climatic factors did not improve the performance of the SARIMA models, independent of patient classification. PMID:27725842

  14. Personnel and Training Subsystem Integration in an Armor System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-12

    designated Uy other authorized documents. Unclasifi ed SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (1Wh,or DVte Entered) RUNREAD INSTRUCTIONSREPORT...initial fielding. 9 Increased contractor responoibility for system design implies that Requests for Proposals be given wider and more careful review...5 4-3 XM1 Design Characteristics in Order of Priorlty (Advanced Development) 4-7 4-4 Comparative Data: Chrysler XM1, GMC XM1, M60A1 4-12 4-5 Critical

  15. [Clinical nursing manpower: development and future prospects].

    PubMed

    Lin, Chiou-Fen; Kao, Ching-Chiu

    2014-04-01

    The significant changes in nursing manpower utilization in Taiwan over the past two decades are due in large part to the implementation of the National Health Insurance program and the rising need for long-term care. The changes have impacted clinical nursing manpower utilization in two important ways. Firstly, there has been a substantial increase in overall demand for nursing manpower. In particular, the need for clinical nurses has nearly quadrupled during this time period. Secondly, the level of difficulty involved in patient care has risen dramatically, with factors including increased disease severity and increased care quality expectations, among others. These changes, coupled with demands on nursing manpower imposed from other sectors, underpin and further exacerbate the problem of nursing manpower shortages throughout the healthcare system. To raise the quality of the nursing work environment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) brought together Taiwan's key professional nursing organizations to promote 10 care-reform strategies, establish the nursing-aid manpower system, and create the nursing classification system as an approach to effectively attract nurses to take positions in the medical system.

  16. A comparison of two patient classification instruments in an acute care hospital.

    PubMed

    Seago, Jean Ann

    2002-05-01

    Patient classification systems are alternately praised and vilified by staff nurses, nurse managers, and nurse executives. Most nurses agree that substantial resources are used to create or find, implement, manage, and maintain the systems, and that the predictive ability of the instruments is intermittent. The purpose of this study is to compare the predictive validity of two types of patient classification instruments commonly used in acute care hospitals in California. Acute care hospitals in California are required by both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and California Title 22 to have a reliable and valid patient classification system (PCS). The two general types of systems commonly used are the summative task type PCS and the critical incident or criterion type PCS. There is little to assist nurse executives in deciding which type of PCS to choose. There is modest research demonstrating the validity and reliability of different PCSs but no published data comparing the predictive validity of the different types of systems. The unit of analysis is one patient shift called the study shift. The study shift is defined as the first day shift after the patient has been in the hospital for a full 24 hours. Data were collected using medical record review only. Both types, criterion and summative, of PCS data collection instruments were completed for all patients at both collection points. Each patient had a before and after score for each type of instrument. Three hundred forty-nine medical records for inpatients meeting the inclusion criteria were examined. The average patient age was 76 years, the average length of stay was 6.6 days with an average of 6.7 secondary diagnoses recorded. Fifty-five percent of the sample was female and the most common primary diagnosis was CHF, followed by COPD, CVA, and pneumonia. There was a difference in mean summative predictor score and the mean summative actual score of 1.57 points with the predictor score higher (P =.001; CI =.62--2.5). For the criterion instrument, 68.4% of the predictor criterion scores were in category 2 compared to 65.5% of the actual criterion scores. The criterion predictor agreed with the criterion actual score 45% of the time for category 1 patients, 87.3% of the time for category 2 patients, 77.1% of the time for category 3 patients and 72.7% of the time for category 4 patients, with an overall agreement between predictor and actual criterion scores of 79.9% (Kappa P <.001, indicating agreement is not by chance). The most significant finding of this study is that there are virtually no differences in the predictive ability of summative versus criterion patient classification instruments. Using the same patients, both types of instruments predicted the actual score over 78% of the time.

  17. Caregivers: the intellectual capital of healing.

    PubMed

    Authier, Philip

    2007-01-01

    This article helps you to make a distinction that CARING not only fits under the classification of intellectual capital but is also one of the most valuable assets a healthcare organization can have. It takes this basic concept, which is often seen as soft, or even ignored by some, and ties it into the success of the future healthcare system.

  18. A Comparative Analysis of Nursing Manpower Requirements: Traditional Staffing Methodology versus Patient Classification System at Madigan Army Medical Center

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-07-01

    Bathing an infant 22. Bed bath (complete - adult) 23. Back bath (partial - legs, back, abdomen) 24. Bed shampoo (female) 25. Catheter care ( cleansing ...Stool testing 126. Applying condum catheter 127. Removal chest tubes 128. Assisting with vaginal /pelvic examination INDIRECT 1. Admission of a patient

  19. Comparison of rates of potentially inappropriate medication use according to the Zhan criteria for VA versus private sector medicare HMOs.

    PubMed

    Barnett, Mitchell J; Perry, Paul J; Langstaff, Jodi D; Kaboli, Peter J

    2006-06-01

    Inappropriate prescribing in the elderly is common, but rates across different health care systems and the impact of formulary restrictions are not well described. To determine if rates of inappropriate medication use in the elderly differ between the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system and the private sector Medicare health maintenance organization (HMO) patients. A cross-sectional study design compared administrative pharmacy claims from 10 distinct geographic regions in the United States in the VA health care system and 10 analogous regions for patients enrolled in Medicare HMOs. The cohorts included 123,633 VA and 157,517 Medicare HMO patients aged 65 years and older. Inappropriate medication use was identified using the Zhan modification of the Beers criteria, which categorizes 33 potentially inappropriate drugs into 3 major classifications: "always avoid," "rarely appropriate," and "some indications." Comparisons between the VA health care system and the private sector Medicare HMO were performed for overall differences and stratified by gender and age. The drug formulary status of the Zhan-criteria drugs was known for the VA health system but not for the Medicare HMO patients. Compared with private sector patients, VA patients were less likely to receive any inappropriate medication (21% vs. 29%, P <0.001), and in each classification: always avoid (2% vs. 5%, P <0.001), rarely appropriate (8% vs. 13%, P<0.001), and some indications (15% vs. 17%, P <0.001). The rate of inappropriate drug use was lower in the VA compared with the private sector for males (21% vs. 24%, P <0.001) and females (28% vs. 32%, P <0.001). Differences were consistent when stratified by age. Compared with private sector Medicare HMOs, elderly VA patients were less likely to receive medications defined by the Zhan criteria as potentially inappropriate. A restrictive formulary that excludes 12 of the 33 Zhan criteria drugs may be a factor in the reduction of undesired prescribing patterns in elderly populations.

  20. The science of stakeholder engagement in research: classification, implementation, and evaluation.

    PubMed

    Goodman, Melody S; Sanders Thompson, Vetta L

    2017-09-01

    In this commentary, we discuss the science of stakeholder engagement in research. We propose a classification system with definitions to determine where projects lie on the stakeholder engagement continuum. We discuss the key elements of implementation and evaluation of stakeholder engagement in research posing key questions to consider when doing this work. We commend and critique the work of Hamilton et al. in their multilevel stakeholder engagement in a VA implementation trial of evidence-based quality improvement in women's health primary care. We also discuss the need for more work in this area to enhance the science of stakeholder engagement in research.

  1. Using the manual ability classification system in young adults with cerebral palsy and normal intelligence.

    PubMed

    van Meeteren, Jetty; Nieuwenhuijsen, Channah; de Grund, Arthur; Stam, Henk J; Roebroeck, Marij E

    2010-01-01

    The study aimed to establish whether the manual ability classification system (MACS), a valid classification system for manual ability in children with cerebral palsy (CP), is applicable in young adults with CP and normal intelligence. The participants (n = 83) were young adults with CP and normal intelligence and had a mean age of 19.9 years. In this study, inter observer reliability of the MACS was determined. We investigated relationships between the MACS level and patient characteristics (such as the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) level, limb distribution of the spastic paresis and educational level) and with functional activities of the upper extremity (assessed with the Melbourne assessment, the Abilhand questionnaire and the domain self-care of the functional independence measure (FIM)). Furthermore, with a linear regression analysis it was determined whether the MACS is a significant determinant of activity limitations and participation restrictions. The reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.83). The Spearman correlation coefficients with GMFCS level, limb distribution of the spastic paresis and educational level were 0.53, 0.46, and 0.26, respectively. MACS level correlated moderately with outcome measures of functional activities (correlations ranging from -0.38 to -0.55). MACS level is, in addition to the GMFCS level, an important determinant for limitations in activities and restrictions in participation. We conclude that the MACS is a feasible method to classify manual ability in young adults with CP and normal intelligence with a good manual ability.

  2. The cost-effectiveness of a treatment-based classification system for low back pain: design of a randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Systematic reviews have shown that exercise therapy and spinal manipulation are both more effective for low back pain (LBP) than no treatment at all. However, the effects are at best modest. To enhance the clinical outcomes, recommendations are to improve the patient selection process, and to identify relevant subgroups to guide clinical decision-making. One of the systems that has potentials to improve clinical decision-making is a treatment-based classification system that is intended to identify those patients who are most likely to respond to direction-specific exercises, manipulation, or stabilisation exercises. Methods/Design The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial will be to assess the effectiveness of a classification-based system. A sample of 150 patients with subacute and chronic LBP who attend a private physical therapy clinic for treatment will be recruited. At baseline, all participants will undergo a standard evaluation by trained research physical therapists and will be classified into one of the following subgroups: direction-specific exercises, manipulation, or stabilisation. The patient will not be informed about the results of the examination. Patients will be randomly assigned to classification-based treatment or usual care according to the Dutch LBP guidelines, and will complete questionnaires at baseline, and 8, 26, and 52 weeks after the start of the treatment. The primary outcomes will be general perceived recovery, functional status, and pain intensity. Alongside this trial, an economic evaluation of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility will be conducted from a societal perspective. Discussion The present study will contribute to our knowledge about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of classification-based treatment in patients with LBP. Trial registration Trial registration number: NTR1176 PMID:20346133

  3. Assessment and classification of cancer breakthrough pain: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Haugen, Dagny Faksvåg; Hjermstad, Marianne Jensen; Hagen, Neil; Caraceni, Augusto; Kaasa, Stein

    2010-06-01

    Temporal variations in cancer pain intensity are highly prevalent, and are often difficult to manage. However, the phenomenon is not well understood: several definitions and approaches to classification and bedside assessment of cancer breakthrough pain (BTP) have been described. The present study is a systematic review of published literature on cancer BTP to answer the following questions: which terms and definitions have been used; are there validated assessment tools; which domains of BTP do the tools delineate, and which items do they contain; how have assessment tools been applied within clinical studies; and are there validated classification systems for BTP. A systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature was performed using five major databases. Of 375 titles and abstracts initially identified, 51 articles were examined in detail. Analysis of these publications indicates a range of overlapping but distinct definitions have been used to characterize BTP; 42 of the included papers presented one or more ways of classifying BTP; and while 10 tools to assess patients' experience of BTP were identified, only 2 have been partially validated. We conclude that there is no widely accepted definition, classification system or well-validated assessment tool for cancer-related breakthrough pain, but there is strong concurrence on most of its key attributes. With further work in this area, an internationally agreed upon definition and classification system for cancer-related breakthrough pain, and a standard approach on how to measure it, hold the promise to improve patient care and support research in this poor-prognosis cancer pain syndrome.

  4. Classification of oxidative stress based on its intensity

    PubMed Central

    Lushchak, Volodymyr I.

    2014-01-01

    In living organisms production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is counterbalanced by their elimination and/or prevention of formation which in concert can typically maintain a steady-state (stationary) ROS level. However, this balance may be disturbed and lead to elevated ROS levels called oxidative stress. To our best knowledge, there is no broadly acceptable system of classification of oxidative stress based on its intensity due to which proposed here system may be helpful for interpretation of experimental data. Oxidative stress field is the hot topic in biology and, to date, many details related to ROS-induced damage to cellular components, ROS-based signaling, cellular responses and adaptation have been disclosed. However, it is common situation when researchers experience substantial difficulties in the correct interpretation of oxidative stress development especially when there is a need to characterize its intensity. Careful selection of specific biomarkers (ROS-modified targets) and some system may be helpful here. A classification of oxidative stress based on its intensity is proposed here. According to this classification there are four zones of function in the relationship between “Dose/concentration of inducer” and the measured “Endpoint”: I – basal oxidative stress (BOS); II – low intensity oxidative stress (LOS); III – intermediate intensity oxidative stress (IOS); IV – high intensity oxidative stress (HOS). The proposed classification will be helpful to describe experimental data where oxidative stress is induced and systematize it based on its intensity, but further studies will be in need to clear discriminate between stress of different intensity. PMID:26417312

  5. Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health system to symptoms of the Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies.

    PubMed

    Conway, Kristin M; Ciafaloni, Emma; Matthews, Dennis; Westfield, Chris; James, Kathy; Paramsothy, Pangaja; Romitti, Paul A

    2018-07-01

    Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, collectively referred to as dystrophinopathies, are X-linked recessive diseases that affect dystrophin production resulting in compromised muscle function across multiple systems. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health provides a systematic classification scheme from which body functions affected by a dystrophinopathy can be identified and used to examine functional health. The infrastructure of the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network was used to identify commonly affected body functions and link selected functions to clinical surveillance data collected through medical record abstraction. Seventy-one (24 second-, 41 third- and 7 fourth-level) body function categories were selected via clinician review and consensus. Of these, 15 of 24 retained second-level categories were linked to data elements from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network surveillance database. Our findings support continued development of a core set of body functions from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health system that are representative of disease progression in dystrophinopathies and the incorporation of these functions in standardized evaluations of functional health and implementation of individualized rehabilitation care plans. Implications for Rehabilitation Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, collectively referred to as dystrophinopathies, are X-linked recessive disorders that affect the production of dystrophin resulting in compromised muscle function across multiple systems. The severity and progressive nature of dystrophinopathies can have considerable impact on a patient's participation in activities across multiple life domains. Our findings support continued development of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health core set for childhood-onset dystrophinopathies. A standardized dystrophinopathy International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health documentation form can be used as a screening tool by rehabilitation professionals and for patient goal setting when developing rehabilitation plans. Patient reports of perceived functional health should be incorporated into the rehabilitation plan and therapeutic progress monitored by a standardized form.

  6. Clinical Decision Support System to Enhance Quality Control of Spirometry Using Information and Communication Technologies

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background We recently demonstrated that quality of spirometry in primary care could markedly improve with remote offline support from specialized professionals. It is hypothesized that implementation of automatic online assessment of quality of spirometry using information and communication technologies may significantly enhance the potential for extensive deployment of a high quality spirometry program in integrated care settings. Objective The objective of the study was to elaborate and validate a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for automatic online quality assessment of spirometry. Methods The CDSS was done through a three step process including: (1) identification of optimal sampling frequency; (2) iterations to build-up an initial version using the 24 standard spirometry curves recommended by the American Thoracic Society; and (3) iterations to refine the CDSS using 270 curves from 90 patients. In each of these steps the results were checked against one expert. Finally, 778 spirometry curves from 291 patients were analyzed for validation purposes. Results The CDSS generated appropriate online classification and certification in 685/778 (88.1%) of spirometry testing, with 96% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Conclusions Consequently, only 93/778 (11.9%) of spirometry testing required offline remote classification by an expert, indicating a potential positive role of the CDSS in the deployment of a high quality spirometry program in an integrated care setting. PMID:25600957

  7. Automation of Physiologic Data Presentation and Alarms in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit

    PubMed Central

    Aukburg, S.J.; Ketikidis, P.H.; Kitz, D.S.; Mavrides, T.G.; Matschinsky, B.B.

    1989-01-01

    The routine use of pulse oximeters, non-invasive blood pressure monitors and electrocardiogram monitors have considerably improved patient care in the post anesthesia period. Using an automated data collection system, we investigated the occurrence of several adverse events frequently revealed by these monitors. We found that the incidence of hypoxia was 35%, hypertension 12%, hypotension 8%, tachycardia 25% and bradycardia 1%. Discriminant analysis was able to correctly predict classification of about 90% of patients into normal vs. hypotensive or hypotensive groups. The system software minimizes artifact, validates data for epidemiologic studies, and is able to identify variables that predict adverse events through application of appropriate statistical and artificial intelligence techniques.

  8. Comments on the 2001 WHO proposal for the classification of haematopoietic neoplasms.

    PubMed

    Paietta, Elisabeth

    2003-12-01

    In the preface, the World Health Organization (WHO) classification vows to offer pathologists, oncologists and geneticists worldwide a system of classification for human neoplasms based on histopathological and genetic features. Standardization of nomenclature and agreed-upon criteria for definition of the various types of cancer are felt to be a prerequisite for progress in clinical oncology, multicentre therapy trials and comparative studies in different countries. In fact, the WHO effort represents the first worldwide comprehensive consensus classification of the haematological malignancies. Consensus was reached among a subgroup of investigators, carefully selected for their experience and contributions to existing classifications. In the present climate of daily new discoveries that yield a constant stream of fascinating insights into the biology of leukaemias and lymphomas and, above all, resulting in an explosion of potential therapeutic targets, the WHO system has taken the stand of compiling established classification approaches and providing order to known facts. This furnishes an essential skeleton upon which to build in the future. The WHO committee decided that sorting neoplasms according to prognosis was neither practical nor necessary and could be misleading. While justifiable at the present time, it is important to realize that the classifications of the haematological malignancies are a moving target and that the trend is to move away from currently accepted gold standards, such as morphological evaluations, in favour of genetic characterizations, especially those with therapeutic relevance. The goal of this chapter is to fill in some gaps that, as per the author's opinion, exist in the WHO classification, predominantly, where it concerns the role of immunophenotyping as a complementary discipline for genotyping through its potential to generate surrogate marker profiles for molecular lesions. By introducing some state-of-the-art classification modalities, some of which are still awaiting confirmation, this chapter also aims to spark excitement and provide a glimpse at the future.

  9. Current knowledge related to intelligence and thinking with implications for the development and use of case studies.

    PubMed

    Lunney, Margaret

    2008-01-01

    This paper reviews current knowledge regarding intelligence and thinking, and relates this knowledge to learning to diagnose human responses and to select health outcomes and nursing interventions. Knowledge from relevant literature sources was summarized. The provision of high-quality nursing care requires use of critical thinking with three elements of nursing care: nursing diagnosis, health outcomes, and nursing interventions. Metacognition (thinking about thinking) should be used with knowledge of the subject matter and repeated practice in using the knowledge. Because there are limited clinical opportunities to practice using metacognition and knowledge of these nursing care elements, case studies can be used to foster nurses' expertise. Simulations of clinical cases are needed that illustrate application of the nursing knowledge represented in NANDA International, Nursing Outcomes Classification, and Nursing Interventions Classification. The International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications will promote the dispersion of case studies as a means of facilitating the implementation and use of nursing languages and classifications.

  10. Supporting breast-feeding when a woman is homeless.

    PubMed

    Crespo-Fierro, Michele; Lunney, Margaret

    2011-01-01

    This case study demonstrates use of standardized nursing languages in the care of new mothers in community settings. The author collected data from clinical practice as an instructor in a baccalaureate nursing program and from the research literature. The appropriate nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions were identified in partnership with the new mother. This case shows that NANDA International (NANDA-I), the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) are useful to direct nursing care in community settings. When teaching nursing students in a baccalaureate program, nurse faculty can use NANDA-I, NOC, and NIC classifications to guide the growing practice of nursing students in community settings. © 2011, The Authors. International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications © 2011, NANDA International.

  11. Prevalence of physical activity, screen time, and obesity among US children by the service type of special health care needs.

    PubMed

    Kim, Juhee; Greaney, Mary L

    2014-07-01

    Children with special health care needs (SHCN) may be at greater risk of obesity than children without SHCN. A new classification system categorizes SHCN among children by service type using the following categories: No-SHCN, medication use only, services use only, medication + service use, and functional limitations. Research is needed to examine obesity and obesity-related behaviors among children using the new classification system. To determine the prevalence of inadequate vigorous physical activity (VPA), high screen time and obesity by SHCN category using the new classification system. Multivariate regression models were fitted for inadequate VPA, high screen time, and obesity to determine if there were differences in these outcomes by SHCN category, adjusting for multistage-sampling and survey-design effects using a nationally representative sample of children in the National Survey of Children's Health 2007. 22.9% of the sample was classified as having SHCN: 9% medication use only, 5% medication + service use, 4% service use only, and 5% functional limitations. Children in the medication use only and medication + service use groups were not at increased risk for inadequate VPA, high screen time, or obesity. Children in the service use only and functional limitation groups had increased odds of high screen time and obesity, which disappeared after controlling for confounders. However, the higher odds of inadequate VPA remained significant in the service use only [OR (95% CI) = 2.00 (1.34-3.00)] and the functional limitations groups with 2.21 (1.55-3.15). Physical activity promotion programs are needed for children with SHCN, especially children with functional limitations and those who require service use only and do not use prescribed medication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Nursing Care Hour Standards Study. Part 1. Section A. Patient Classification System Model Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-09-01

    Change = 2311 (257) Teaching - Diabetic = 2313 (258) Labor Room Examination and Preparation, Routine = 2434 (259) Fetal Heart Tones, Manual = 2412 (260... Fetal Heart Tones, Doppler = 2413 (261) Dilatation and Effecement Assessment = 2403 (262) Dilatation and Effacement Assessment, Assisting Physician...Ultrasonic Transducer/Tocotransducer = 2435 (270) Monitoring Fetal Heart Tones, Ultrasonic Transducer = 2436 (271) Monitoring Fetal Heart Tones, Ultrasonic

  13. Military Interoperable Digital Hospital Testbed (MIDHT) Phase II

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    personal health records has been limited, resulting in a small sample size to date. Additional providers and a new disease condition ( gestational diabetes ...Syndrome Picture Archive and Communications System User Satisfaction Gestational Diabetes 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...Consumer Informatics in the Chronic Care Model: Metabolic Syndrome and Gestational Diabetes in a Rural Setting. This arm focuses on finding innovative

  14. Rational Rationing: Impossible or Inevitable?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-04-01

    AD-A276 769 1993 Executive Research Project S45 Rational Rationing : Impossible or Inevitable? Commander Albert Benjamin Long, III Medical Service...used until exhausted. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE All other editions are obsolete. UNCLASSIFIED Rational Rationing : Inevitable or Inpossible...dilemma requires that we--as individuals and as a Nation--consciously and rationally decide what we expect from our future health care delivery system and

  15. Pathological Bases for a Robust Application of Cancer Molecular Classification

    PubMed Central

    Diaz-Cano, Salvador J.

    2015-01-01

    Any robust classification system depends on its purpose and must refer to accepted standards, its strength relying on predictive values and a careful consideration of known factors that can affect its reliability. In this context, a molecular classification of human cancer must refer to the current gold standard (histological classification) and try to improve it with key prognosticators for metastatic potential, staging and grading. Although organ-specific examples have been published based on proteomics, transcriptomics and genomics evaluations, the most popular approach uses gene expression analysis as a direct correlate of cellular differentiation, which represents the key feature of the histological classification. RNA is a labile molecule that varies significantly according with the preservation protocol, its transcription reflect the adaptation of the tumor cells to the microenvironment, it can be passed through mechanisms of intercellular transference of genetic information (exosomes), and it is exposed to epigenetic modifications. More robust classifications should be based on stable molecules, at the genetic level represented by DNA to improve reliability, and its analysis must deal with the concept of intratumoral heterogeneity, which is at the origin of tumor progression and is the byproduct of the selection process during the clonal expansion and progression of neoplasms. The simultaneous analysis of multiple DNA targets and next generation sequencing offer the best practical approach for an analytical genomic classification of tumors. PMID:25898411

  16. Web-Enabled Distributed Health-Care Framework for Automated Malaria Parasite Classification: an E-Health Approach.

    PubMed

    Maity, Maitreya; Dhane, Dhiraj; Mungle, Tushar; Maiti, A K; Chakraborty, Chandan

    2017-10-26

    Web-enabled e-healthcare system or computer assisted disease diagnosis has a potential to improve the quality and service of conventional healthcare delivery approach. The article describes the design and development of a web-based distributed healthcare management system for medical information and quantitative evaluation of microscopic images using machine learning approach for malaria. In the proposed study, all the health-care centres are connected in a distributed computer network. Each peripheral centre manages its' own health-care service independently and communicates with the central server for remote assistance. The proposed methodology for automated evaluation of parasites includes pre-processing of blood smear microscopic images followed by erythrocytes segmentation. To differentiate between different parasites; a total of 138 quantitative features characterising colour, morphology, and texture are extracted from segmented erythrocytes. An integrated pattern classification framework is designed where four feature selection methods viz. Correlation-based Feature Selection (CFS), Chi-square, Information Gain, and RELIEF are employed with three different classifiers i.e. Naive Bayes', C4.5, and Instance-Based Learning (IB1) individually. Optimal features subset with the best classifier is selected for achieving maximum diagnostic precision. It is seen that the proposed method achieved with 99.2% sensitivity and 99.6% specificity by combining CFS and C4.5 in comparison with other methods. Moreover, the web-based tool is entirely designed using open standards like Java for a web application, ImageJ for image processing, and WEKA for data mining considering its feasibility in rural places with minimal health care facilities.

  17. The proportion of uncoded diagnoses in computerized health insurance claims in Japan in May 2010 according to ICD-10 disease categories.

    PubMed

    Tanihara, Shinichi

    2014-01-01

    Uncoded diagnoses in computerized health insurance claims are excluded from statistical summaries of health-related risks and other factors. The effects of these uncoded diagnoses, coded according to ICD-10 disease categories, have not been investigated to date in Japan. I obtained all computerized health insurance claims (outpatient medical care, inpatient medical care, and diagnosis procedure-combination per-diem payment system [DPC/PDPS] claims) submitted to the National Health Insurance Organization of Kumamoto Prefecture in May 2010. These were classified according to the disease categories of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10). I used accompanying text documentation related to the uncoded diagnoses to classify these diagnoses. Using these classifications, I calculated the proportion of uncoded diagnoses by ICD-10 category. The number of analyzed diagnoses was 3,804,246, with uncoded diagnoses accounting for 9.6% of the total. The proportion of uncoded diagnoses in claims for outpatient medical care, inpatient medical care, and DPC/PDPS were 9.3%, 10.9%, and 14.2%, respectively. Among the diagnoses, Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities had the highest proportion of uncoded diagnoses (19.3%), and Diseases of the respiratory system had the lowest proportion of uncoded diagnoses (4.7%). The proportion of uncoded diagnoses differed by the type of health insurance claim and disease category. These findings indicate that Japanese health statistics computed using computerized health insurance claims might be biased by the exclusion of uncoded diagnoses.

  18. A preliminary examination of patient loyalty: an application of the customer loyalty classification framework in the health care industry.

    PubMed

    Heiens, R A; Pleshko, L P

    1997-01-01

    The present article applies the customer loyalty classification framework developed by Dick and Basu (1994) to the health care industry. Based on a two factor classification, consisting of repeat patronage and relative attitude, four categories of patient loyalty are proposed and examined, including true loyalty, latent loyalty, spurious loyalty, and no loyalty. Data is collected and the four patient loyalty categories are profiled and compared on the basis of perceived risk, product class importance, provider decision importance, provider awareness, provider consideration, number of providers visited, and self-reported loyalty.

  19. Redeeming Hollow Promises: The Case for Mandatory Spending on Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives

    PubMed Central

    Westmoreland, Timothy M.; Watson, Kathryn R.

    2006-01-01

    The reliance on discretionary spending for American Indian/ Alaska Native health care has produced a system that is insufficient and unreliable and is associated with ongoing health disparities. Moreover, the gap between mandatory spending on a Medicare beneficiary and discretionary spending on an American Indian/Alaska Native beneficiary has grown dramatically, thus compounding the problem. The budget classification for American Indian/Alaska Native health services should be changed, and health care delivery to this population should be designated as mandatory spending. If a correct structure is in place, mandatory spending is more likely to provide adequate funding that keeps pace with changes in costs and need. PMID:16507732

  20. Advances in rehabilitation medicine.

    PubMed

    Ng, Yee Sien; Chew, Effie; Samuel, Geoffrey S; Tan, Yeow Leng; Kong, Keng He

    2013-10-01

    Rehabilitation medicine is the medical specialty that integrates rehabilitation as its core therapeutic modality in disability management. More than a billion people worldwide are disabled, and the World Health Organization has developed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework through which disability is addressed. Herein, we explore paradigm shifts in neurorehabilitation, with a focus on restoration, and provide overviews on developments in neuropharmacology, rehabilitation robotics, virtual reality, constraint-induced therapy and brain stimulation. We also discuss important issues in rehabilitation systems of care, including integrated care pathways, very early rehabilitation, early supported discharge and telerehabilitation. Finally, we highlight major new fields of rehabilitation such as spasticity management, frailty and geriatric rehabilitation, intensive care and cancer rehabilitation.

  1. Evaluation of an integrated system for classification, assessment and comparison of services for long-term care in Europe: the eDESDE-LTC study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The harmonization of European health systems brings with it a need for tools to allow the standardized collection of information about medical care. A common coding system and standards for the description of services are needed to allow local data to be incorporated into evidence-informed policy, and to permit equity and mobility to be assessed. The aim of this project has been to design such a classification and a related tool for the coding of services for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC), based on the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS). Methods The development of DESDE-LTC followed an iterative process using nominal groups in 6 European countries. 54 researchers and stakeholders in health and social services contributed to this process. In order to classify services, we use the minimal organization unit or “Basic Stable Input of Care” (BSIC), coded by its principal function or “Main Type of Care” (MTC). The evaluation of the tool included an analysis of feasibility, consistency, ontology, inter-rater reliability, Boolean Factor Analysis, and a preliminary impact analysis (screening, scoping and appraisal). Results DESDE-LTC includes an alpha-numerical coding system, a glossary and an assessment instrument for mapping and counting LTC. It shows high feasibility, consistency, inter-rater reliability and face, content and construct validity. DESDE-LTC is ontologically consistent. It is regarded by experts as useful and relevant for evidence-informed decision making. Conclusion DESDE-LTC contributes to establishing a common terminology, taxonomy and coding of LTC services in a European context, and a standard procedure for data collection and international comparison. PMID:23768163

  2. Implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in national legislation and policy in Japan.

    PubMed

    Okawa, Yayoi; Ueda, Satoshi

    2008-03-01

    The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a survey on the implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in legislation and policy in the fields of health, welfare and disability in Japan. In pursuance of this aim, we scrutinized the relevant laws, regulations and policy statements issued in Japan in recent years. As a result, it was found that the ICF had been introduced into the following regional and national policy statements and legislations: (i) the 'Biwako Millenium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific'; (ii) the 'Basic Programme for Persons with Disabilities'; (iii) national medical and personal care insurance systems; (iv) the report of the commission on 'the Care of the Elderly People'; (v) the report of the commission on 'the Rehabilitation of the Elderly People'; (vi) disability prevention in the elderly population; (vii) support for an independent life for people with mental disability living in the community; (viii) disability prevention after natural disasters; and (ix) the survey and care of patients with asthma due to air pollution.

  3. Burn patients' return to daily activities and participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Osborne, Candice L; Meyer, Walter J; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J; Arcari, Christine M

    2017-06-01

    The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a universal classification system of health and health-related domains. The ICF has been successfully applied to a wide range of health conditions and diseases; however, its application in the field of burn recovery has been minimal. This systematic review uses the domains of the ICF component 'activities and participation' to explore: (1) the extent to which return to daily activities and community participation after burn has been examined in the pediatric population, (2) the most common assessments used to determine activity and participation outcomes, and (3) what activity and participation areas are most affected in the pediatric burn population after discharge from acute care. Results determined that it is difficult to draw overarching conclusions in the area of return to 'activities and participation' for children with burn based on the paucity of current evidence. Of the studies conducted, few examined the same subtopics or used similar measurements. This suggests a need for more robust studies in this area in order to inform and improve burn rehabilitation practices to meet the potential needs of burn patients beyond an acute care setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  4. Genomic Sequencing: Assessing The Health Care System, Policy, And Big-Data Implications

    PubMed Central

    Phillips, Kathryn A.; Trosman, Julia; Kelley, Robin K.; Pletcher, Mark J.; Douglas, Michael P.; Weldon, Christine B.

    2014-01-01

    New genomic sequencing technologies enable the high-speed analysis of multiple genes simultaneously, including all of those in a person's genome. Sequencing is a prominent example of a “big data” technology because of the massive amount of information it produces and its complexity, diversity, and timeliness. Our objective in this article is to provide a policy primer on sequencing and illustrate how it can affect health care system and policy issues. Toward this end, we developed an easily applied classification of sequencing based on inputs, methods, and outputs. We used it to examine the implications of sequencing for three health care system and policy issues: making care more patient-centered, developing coverage and reimbursement policies, and assessing economic value. We conclude that sequencing has great promise but that policy challenges include how to optimize patient engagement as well as privacy, develop coverage policies that distinguish research from clinical uses and account for bioinformatics costs, and determine the economic value of sequencing through complex economic models that take into account multiple findings and downstream costs. PMID:25006153

  5. Genomic sequencing: assessing the health care system, policy, and big-data implications.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Kathryn A; Trosman, Julia R; Kelley, Robin K; Pletcher, Mark J; Douglas, Michael P; Weldon, Christine B

    2014-07-01

    New genomic sequencing technologies enable the high-speed analysis of multiple genes simultaneously, including all of those in a person's genome. Sequencing is a prominent example of a "big data" technology because of the massive amount of information it produces and its complexity, diversity, and timeliness. Our objective in this article is to provide a policy primer on sequencing and illustrate how it can affect health care system and policy issues. Toward this end, we developed an easily applied classification of sequencing based on inputs, methods, and outputs. We used it to examine the implications of sequencing for three health care system and policy issues: making care more patient-centered, developing coverage and reimbursement policies, and assessing economic value. We conclude that sequencing has great promise but that policy challenges include how to optimize patient engagement as well as privacy, develop coverage policies that distinguish research from clinical uses and account for bioinformatics costs, and determine the economic value of sequencing through complex economic models that take into account multiple findings and downstream costs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  6. The FIGO systems for nomenclature and classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years: who needs them?

    PubMed

    Munro, Malcolm G; Critchley, Hilary O D; Fraser, Ian S

    2012-10-01

    In November 2010, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics formally accepted a new classification system for causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years. The system, based on the acronym PALM-COEIN (polyps, adenomyosis, leiomyoma, malignancy and hyperplasia-coagulopathy, ovulatory disorders, endometrial causes, iatrogenic, not classified) was developed in response to concerns about the design and interpretation of basic science and clinical investigation that relates to the problem of abnormal uterine bleeding. A system of nomenclature for the description of normal uterine bleeding and the various symptoms that comprise abnormal bleeding has also been included. This article describes the rationale, the structured methods that involved stakeholders worldwide, and the suggested use of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics system for research, education, and clinical care. Investigators in the field are encouraged to use the system in the design of their abnormal uterine bleeding-related research because it is an approach that should improve our understanding and management of this often perplexing clinical condition. Copyright © 2012. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  7. A comparison of outcomes according to different diagnostic systems for delirium (DSM-5, DSM-IV, CAM, and DRS-R98).

    PubMed

    Adamis, Dimitrios; Meagher, David; Rooney, Siobhan; Mulligan, Owen; McCarthy, Geraldine

    2018-04-01

    ABSTRACTStudies indicate that DSM-5 criteria for delirium are relatively restrictive, and identify different cases of delirium compared with previous systems. We evaluate four outcomes of delirium (mortality, length of hospital stay, institutionalization, and cognitive improvement) in relation to delirium defined by different DSM classification systems.Prospective, longitudinal study of patients aged 70+ admitted to medical wards of a general hospital. Participants were assessed up to a maximum of four times during two weeks, using DSM-5 and DSM-IV criteria, DRS-R98 and CAM scales as proxies for DSM III-R and DSM III.Of the 200 assessed patients (mean age 81.1, SD = 6.5; and 50% female) during hospitalization, delirium was identified in 41 (20.5%) using DSM-5, 45 (22.5%) according to DSM-IV, 46 (23%) with CAM positive, and 37 (18.5%) with DRS-R98 severity score >15. Mortality was significantly associated with delirium according to any classification system, but those identified with DSM-5 were at greater risk. Length of stay was significantly longer for those with DSM-IV delirium. Discharge to a care home was associated only with DRS-R98 defined delirium. Cognitive improvement was only associated with CAM and DSM-IV. Different classification systems for delirium identify populations with different outcomes.

  8. Consensus-validation study identifies relevant nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and health outcomes for people with traumatic brain injuries.

    PubMed

    Lunney, Margaret; McGuire, Maria; Endozo, Nancy; McIntosh-Waddy, Dorothy

    2010-01-01

    A consensus-validation study used action research methods to identify relevant nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and patient outcomes for a population of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in long-term care. In meetings totaling 159 hours to reach 100% consensus through group discussions, the three classifications of NANDA International's (NANDA-I's) approved nursing diagnoses, the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) were used as the basis for three nurses experienced in working with adults with TBI to select the elements of nursing care. Among almost 200 NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, 29 were identified as relevant for comprehensive nursing care of this population. Each nursing diagnosis was associated with 3-11 of the more than 500 NIC interventions and 1-13 of more than 300 NOC outcomes. The nurses became aware of the complexity and the need for critical thinking. The findings were used to refine the facility's nursing standards of care, which were to be combined with the interdisciplinary plan of care and included in future electronic health records.

  9. An Automated and Intelligent Medical Decision Support System for Brain MRI Scans Classification.

    PubMed

    Siddiqui, Muhammad Faisal; Reza, Ahmed Wasif; Kanesan, Jeevan

    2015-01-01

    A wide interest has been observed in the medical health care applications that interpret neuroimaging scans by machine learning systems. This research proposes an intelligent, automatic, accurate, and robust classification technique to classify the human brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) as normal or abnormal, to cater down the human error during identifying the diseases in brain MRIs. In this study, fast discrete wavelet transform (DWT), principal component analysis (PCA), and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) are used as basic components. Firstly, fast DWT is employed to extract the salient features of brain MRI, followed by PCA, which reduces the dimensions of the features. These reduced feature vectors also shrink the memory storage consumption by 99.5%. At last, an advanced classification technique based on LS-SVM is applied to brain MR image classification using reduced features. For improving the efficiency, LS-SVM is used with non-linear radial basis function (RBF) kernel. The proposed algorithm intelligently determines the optimized values of the hyper-parameters of the RBF kernel and also applied k-fold stratified cross validation to enhance the generalization of the system. The method was tested by 340 patients' benchmark datasets of T1-weighted and T2-weighted scans. From the analysis of experimental results and performance comparisons, it is observed that the proposed medical decision support system outperformed all other modern classifiers and achieves 100% accuracy rate (specificity/sensitivity 100%/100%). Furthermore, in terms of computation time, the proposed technique is significantly faster than the recent well-known methods, and it improves the efficiency by 71%, 3%, and 4% on feature extraction stage, feature reduction stage, and classification stage, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed well-trained machine learning system has the potential to make accurate predictions about brain abnormalities from the individual subjects, therefore, it can be used as a significant tool in clinical practice.

  10. [Revision of the primary care version of the ICD-10. Mental disorders].

    PubMed

    Varela-González, O; López-Ibor, J J

    2007-01-01

    Although the difficulty of applying psychiatric classifications to primary care has been widely criticized, there have been few investigations up to now to define and systematize the real demands in regards to these nosological systems. Recently, the revised version of the Mental and Behavior Disorders Chapter of the ICD 10 has been published. The new tool is the result of an elaboration process mainly developed by a group of 971 primary care physicians coordinated by 55 psychiatrists. The project was organized into three phases: a) evaluation of the current version and collection of proposals for change; b) definition of objectives for an optimized version; and c) writing a proposal of revised text. The result is a text that is more assimilable to a diagnostic and therapeutic guide than a mere coding system, more adapted to the role that the primary care physician can play in each disorder, more up-dated (especially in the treatment section) and more specific in many aspects.

  11. Applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to guide home health care services planning and delivery in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Pimdee, Atipong; Nualnetr, Nomjit

    2017-01-01

    Home health care is an essential service for home-bound patients in Thailand. In this action research study, we used the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to modify home health care services provided by a university hospital. Staff responsible for delivering the services (physical therapist, nurses, and Thai traditional medicine practitioners) participated in the development of an ICF-based assessment tool and home health care service procedure. After an 8-month trial of implementing these changes, professional satisfaction and empowerment were high among the home health care team members. Patients and their caregivers were also satisfied with the services. In conclusion, the ICF is an effective means of guiding home health care.

  12. Integrated mental health atlas of the Western Sydney Local Health District: gaps and recommendations.

    PubMed

    Fernandez, Ana; Gillespie, James A; Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Feng, Xiaoqi; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Maas, Cailin; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

    2017-03-01

    Objective Australian mental health care remains hospital centric and fragmented; it is riddled with gaps and does little to promote recovery. Reform must be built on better knowledge of the shape of existing services. Mental health atlases are an essential part of this knowledge base, enabling comparison with other regions and jurisdictions, but must be based on a rigorous classification of services. The main aim of this study is to create an integrated mental health atlas of the Western Sydney LHD in order to help decision makers to better plan informed by local evidence. Methods The standard classification system, namely the Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories in Europe for Long-term Care model, was used to describe and classify adult mental health services in the Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD). This information provided the foundation for accessibility maps and the analysis of the provision of care for people with a lived experience of mental illness in Western Sydney LHD. All this data was used to create the Integrated Mental Health Atlas of Western Sydney LHD. Results The atlas identified four major gaps in mental health care in Western Sydney LHD: (1) a lack of acute and sub-acute community residential care; (2) an absence of services providing acute day care and non-acute day care; (3) low availability of specific employment services for people with a lived experience of mental ill-health; and (4) a lack of comprehensive data on the availability of supported housing. Conclusions The integrated mental health atlas of the Western Sydney LHD provides a tool for evidence-informed planning and critical analysis of the pattern of adult mental health care. What is known about the topic? Several reports have highlighted that the Australian mental health system is hospital based and fragmented. However, this knowledge has had little effect on actually changing the system. What does this paper add? This paper provides a critical analysis of the pattern of adult mental health care provided within the boundaries of the Western Sydney LHD using a standard, internationally validated tool to describe and classify the services. This provides a good picture of the availability of adult mental health care at the local level that was hitherto lacking. What are the implications for practitioners? The data presented herein provide a better understanding of the context in which mental health practitioners work. Managers and planners of services providing care for people with a lived experience of mental illness can use the information herein for better planning informed by local evidence.

  13. Automatically high accurate and efficient photomask defects management solution for advanced lithography manufacture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Jun; Chen, Lijun; Ma, Lantao; Li, Dejian; Jiang, Wei; Pan, Lihong; Shen, Huiting; Jia, Hongmin; Hsiang, Chingyun; Cheng, Guojie; Ling, Li; Chen, Shijie; Wang, Jun; Liao, Wenkui; Zhang, Gary

    2014-04-01

    Defect review is a time consuming job. Human error makes result inconsistent. The defects located on don't care area would not hurt the yield and no need to review them such as defects on dark area. However, critical area defects can impact yield dramatically and need more attention to review them such as defects on clear area. With decrease in integrated circuit dimensions, mask defects are always thousands detected during inspection even more. Traditional manual or simple classification approaches are unable to meet efficient and accuracy requirement. This paper focuses on automatic defect management and classification solution using image output of Lasertec inspection equipment and Anchor pattern centric image process technology. The number of mask defect found during an inspection is always in the range of thousands or even more. This system can handle large number defects with quick and accurate defect classification result. Our experiment includes Die to Die and Single Die modes. The classification accuracy can reach 87.4% and 93.3%. No critical or printable defects are missing in our test cases. The missing classification defects are 0.25% and 0.24% in Die to Die mode and Single Die mode. This kind of missing rate is encouraging and acceptable to apply on production line. The result can be output and reloaded back to inspection machine to have further review. This step helps users to validate some unsure defects with clear and magnification images when captured images can't provide enough information to make judgment. This system effectively reduces expensive inline defect review time. As a fully inline automated defect management solution, the system could be compatible with current inspection approach and integrated with optical simulation even scoring function and guide wafer level defect inspection.

  14. Extraction of texture features with a multiresolution neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lepage, Richard; Laurendeau, Denis; Gagnon, Roger A.

    1992-09-01

    Texture is an important surface characteristic. Many industrial materials such as wood, textile, or paper are best characterized by their texture. Detection of defaults occurring on such materials or classification for quality control anD matching can be carried out through careful texture analysis. A system for the classification of pieces of wood used in the furniture industry is proposed. This paper is concerned with a neural network implementation of the features extraction and classification components of the proposed system. Texture appears differently depending at which spatial scale it is observed. A complete description of a texture thus implies an analysis at several spatial scales. We propose a compact pyramidal representation of the input image for multiresolution analysis. The feature extraction system is implemented on a multilayer artificial neural network. Each level of the pyramid, which is a representation of the input image at a given spatial resolution scale, is mapped into a layer of the neural network. A full resolution texture image is input at the base of the pyramid and a representation of the texture image at multiple resolutions is generated by the feedforward pyramid structure of the neural network. The receptive field of each neuron at a given pyramid level is preprogrammed as a discrete Gaussian low-pass filter. Meaningful characteristics of the textured image must be extracted if a good resolving power of the classifier must be achieved. Local dominant orientation is the principal feature which is extracted from the textured image. Local edge orientation is computed with a Sobel mask at four orientation angles (multiple of (pi) /4). The resulting intrinsic image, that is, the local dominant orientation image, is fed to the texture classification neural network. The classification network is a three-layer feedforward back-propagation neural network.

  15. Problems with health information technology and their effects on care delivery and patient outcomes: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Kim, Mi Ok; Coiera, Enrico; Magrabi, Farah

    2017-03-01

    To systematically review studies reporting problems with information technology (IT) in health care and their effects on care delivery and patient outcomes. We searched bibliographic databases including Scopus, PubMed, and Science Citation Index Expanded from January 2004 to December 2015 for studies reporting problems with IT and their effects. A framework called the information value chain, which connects technology use to final outcome, was used to assess how IT problems affect user interaction, information receipt, decision-making, care processes, and patient outcomes. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Of the 34 studies identified, the majority ( n  = 14, 41%) were analyses of incidents reported from 6 countries. There were 7 descriptive studies, 9 ethnographic studies, and 4 case reports. The types of IT problems were similar to those described in earlier classifications of safety problems associated with health IT. The frequency, scale, and severity of IT problems were not adequately captured within these studies. Use errors and poor user interfaces interfered with the receipt of information and led to errors of commission when making decisions. Clinical errors involving medications were well characterized. Issues with system functionality, including poor user interfaces and fragmented displays, delayed care delivery. Issues with system access, system configuration, and software updates also delayed care. In 18 studies (53%), IT problems were linked to patient harm and death. Near-miss events were reported in 10 studies (29%). The research evidence describing problems with health IT remains largely qualitative, and many opportunities remain to systematically study and quantify risks and benefits with regard to patient safety. The information value chain, when used in conjunction with existing classifications for health IT safety problems, can enhance measurement and should facilitate identification of the most significant risks to patient safety. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  16. A case-mix classification system for explaining healthcare costs using administrative data in Italy.

    PubMed

    Corti, Maria Chiara; Avossa, Francesco; Schievano, Elena; Gallina, Pietro; Ferroni, Eliana; Alba, Natalia; Dotto, Matilde; Basso, Cristina; Netti, Silvia Tiozzo; Fedeli, Ugo; Mantoan, Domenico

    2018-03-04

    The Italian National Health Service (NHS) provides universal coverage to all citizens, granting primary and hospital care with a copayment system for outpatient and drug services. Financing of Local Health Trusts (LHTs) is based on a capitation system adjusted only for age, gender and area of residence. We applied a risk-adjustment system (Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups System, ACG® System) in order to explain health care costs using routinely collected administrative data in the Veneto Region (North-eastern Italy). All residents in the Veneto Region were included in the study. The ACG system was applied to classify the regional population based on the following information sources for the year 2015: Hospital Discharges, Emergency Room visits, Chronic disease registry for copayment exemptions, ambulatory visits, medications, the Home care database, and drug prescriptions. Simple linear regressions were used to contrast an age-gender model to models incorporating more comprehensive risk measures aimed at predicting health care costs. A simple age-gender model explained only 8% of the variance of 2015 total costs. Adding diagnoses-related variables provided a 23% increase, while pharmacy based variables provided an additional 17% increase in explained variance. The adjusted R-squared of the comprehensive model was 6 times that of the simple age-gender model. ACG System provides substantial improvement in predicting health care costs when compared to simple age-gender adjustments. Aging itself is not the main determinant of the increase of health care costs, which is better explained by the accumulation of chronic conditions and the resulting multimorbidity. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Poststernotomy mediastinitis: a classification to initiate and evaluate reconstructive management based on evidence from a structured review.

    PubMed

    van Wingerden, Jan J; Ubbink, Dirk T; van der Horst, Chantal M A M; de Mol, Bas A J M

    2014-11-23

    Early recognition and, where possible, avoidance of risk factors that contribute to the development of poststernotomy mediastinitis (PSM) form the basis for successful prevention. Once the presence of PSM is diagnosed, the known risk factors have been shown to have limited influence on management decisions. Evidence-based knowledge on treatment decisions, which include the extent and type of surgical intervention (other than debridement), timing and others is available but has not yet been incorporated into a classification on management decisions regarding PSM. Ours is a first attempt at developing a classification system for management of PSM, taking the various evidence-based reconstructive options into consideration. The classification is simple to introduce (there are four Types) and relies on the careful establishment of two variables (sternal stability and sternal bone viability and stock) prior to deciding on the best available reconstructive option. It should allow better insight into why treatment decisions fail or have to be altered and will allow better comparison of treatment outcomes between various institutions.

  18. [Which definition and taxonomy of incident to use for a French reporting system in primary care settings?].

    PubMed

    Keriel-Gascou, M; Brami, J; Chanelière, M; Haeringer-Cholet, A; Larrieu, C; Villebrun, F; Robert, T; Michel, P

    2014-02-01

    There is no widely accepted definition of incident for primary care doctors in France and no taxonomic classification system for epidemiological use. In preparation for a future epidemiological study on primary care incidents in France (the ESPRIT study), this work was designed to identify the definitions and taxonomic classifications used internationally along with the usual methods and results in terms of frequency in the literature. The goal was to determine a French definition and taxonomy. Systematic review of the literature and consensus methods. An exhaustive search of epidemiological surveys was performed. A structured grid was used. After having identified the definitions used in the literature, a definition was chosen using the focus groups method. Taxonomies identified in the literature were classified by relationship, architecture, code number, and number of studies published. Subsequently, a consensus among experts, who independently tested these taxonomies on six incidents, was reached for choosing the most appropriate for epidemiological data collection (little information on a large number of cases). Twenty-four papers reporting 17 studies were selected among 139 articles. Five definitions and eight taxonomies were found. The chosen definition of incident was based on the WHO definition "A patient safety incident is an event or circumstance that could have resulted, or did result, in harm to a patient, and whose wish it is not repeated again". The test of incidents resulted in the choice of the TAPS version of the International Taxonomy of Medical Error in Primary Care for a reproducible and internationally recognized codification and the tempos method for its current use in French general practice. The definitions, taxonomies, data collection characteristics and frequency of incidents results in the international literature on incidents in primary care are key components for the preparation of an epidemiological survey on incidents in primary care. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  19. Health and Care Related Risk Factors for Suicide Among Nursing Home Residents: A Data Linkage Study.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Briony; Kennedy, Briohny; Martin, Catherine; Bugeja, Lyndal; Willoughby, Melissa; Ibrahim, Joseph E

    2018-04-17

    This study aimed to examine associations between health status and care needs of nursing home residents and risk of death from suicide compared to other causes through a retrospective data linkage cohort study examining nursing home resident deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2013. Data linkage was performed between aged care assessment tools-Resident Classification System and Aged Care Funding Instrument-and the National Coronial Information System. A competing risks survival analysis was performed to determine the association between care assessment variables (activities of daily living (ADL), behavior, and complex health care) and the risk of death from suicide and any other cause. Of the 146 nursing home residents who died from suicide, 130 (89%) were matched to their assessment data, with comparable information available for 95 residents (65%). Residents who required high levels of care with ADL, physical health care, and cognitive and behavioral issues had a higher risk of dying from all other causes, yet lower risk of dying from suicide. The study findings demonstrate the feasibility and value of linking these two data sets; highlight a need for improved data collection processes; and support a person-centered care approach for prevention of suicide among nursing home residents. © 2018 The American Association of Suicidology.

  20. A Labor and Delivery Patient Classification System Based on Direct Nursing Care Time

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-08-01

    physician 2409 Internal or external monitoring--uterine contraction/ fetal heart tones 2410 Manual contraction assessment 2411 Pitocin induction...assisting physician 2412 Fetal heart tones, manual 2413 Fetal heart tones, doppler 2414 Fetal scalp sampling, assisting physician 241E Routine delivery room... heart tones, ultrasonic transducer 2437 Monitoring fetal heart tones, ultrasonic transducer and uterine contraction, tocotransducer 69 Appendix B: List

  1. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Risk Stratification of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) by the Primary Care Physician Using the NAFLD Fibrosis Score.

    PubMed

    Tapper, Elliot B; Hunink, M G Myriam; Afdhal, Nezam H; Lai, Michelle; Sengupta, Neil

    2016-01-01

    The complications of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) are dependent on the presence of advanced fibrosis. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the US, the optimal evaluation of NAFLD likely involves triage by a primary care physician (PCP) with advanced disease managed by gastroenterologists. We compared the cost-effectiveness of fibrosis risk-assessment strategies in a cohort of 10,000 simulated American patients with NAFLD performed in either PCP or referral clinics using a decision analytical microsimulation state-transition model. The strategies included use of vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), combination testing with NFS and VCTE, and liver biopsy (usual care by a specialist only). NFS and VCTE performance was obtained from a prospective cohort of 164 patients with NAFLD. Outcomes included cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) and correct classification of fibrosis. Risk-stratification by the PCP using the NFS alone costs $5,985 per QALY while usual care costs $7,229/QALY. In the microsimulation, at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000, the NFS alone in PCP clinic was the most cost-effective strategy in 94.2% of samples, followed by combination NFS/VCTE in the PCP clinic (5.6%) and usual care in 0.2%. The NFS based strategies yield the best biopsy-correct classification ratios (3.5) while the NFS/VCTE and usual care strategies yield more correct-classifications of advanced fibrosis at the cost of 3 and 37 additional biopsies per classification. Risk-stratification of patients with NAFLD primary care clinic is a cost-effective strategy that should be formally explored in clinical practice.

  2. Using the RUG-III classification system for understanding the resource intensity of persons with intellectual disability residing in nursing homes.

    PubMed

    Martin, Lynn; Fries, Brant E; Hirdes, John P; James, Mary

    2011-06-01

    Since 1991, the Minimum Data Set 2.0 (MDS 2.0) has been the mandated assessment in US nursing homes. The Resource Utilization Groups III (RUG-III) case-mix system provides person-specific means of allocating resources based on the variable costs of caring for persons with different needs. Retrospective analyses of data collected on a sample of 9707 nursing home residents (2.4% had an intellectual disability) were used to examine the fit of the RUG-III case-mix system for determining the cost of supporting persons with intellectual disability (intellectual disability). The RUG-III system explained 33.3% of the variance in age-weighted nursing time among persons with intellectual disability compared to 29.6% among other residents, making it a good fit among persons with intellectual disability in nursing homes. The RUG-III may also serve as the basis for the development of a classification system that describes the resource intensity of persons with intellectual disability in other settings that provide similar types of support.

  3. Sensitivity and specificity of the Manchester Triage System in risk prioritization of patients with acute myocardial infarction who present with chest pain.

    PubMed

    Nishi, Fernanda A; Polak, Catarina; Cruz, Diná de Almeida Lopes Monteiro da

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of the Manchester Triage System is to clinically prioritize each patient seeking care in an emergency department. Patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction who have typical symptoms including chest pain should be classified in the highest priority groups, requiring immediate medical assistance or care within 10 min. As such, the Manchester Triage System should present adequate sensitivity and specificity. This study estimated the sensitivity and specificity of the Manchester Triage System in the triage of patients with chest pain related to the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, and the associations between the performance of the Manchester Triage System and selected variables. This was an observational, analytical, cross-sectional, retrospective study. The sensitivity and specificity of the Manchester Triage System were estimated by verifying the triage classification received by these patients and their established medical diagnoses. The sample was composed of 10,087 triage episodes, in which 139 (1.38%) patients had a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. In 49 episodes, confirmation of medical diagnosis was not possible. The estimated sensitivity of the Manchester Triage System was 44.60% (36.18-53.27%) and the estimated specificity was 91.30% (90.73-91.85%). Of the 10,038 episodes in which the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction was confirmed or excluded, 938 patients (9.34%) received an incorrect classification - undertriage or overtriage. This study showed that the specificity of the Manchester Triage System was very good. However, the low sensitivity based on the Manchester Triage System indicated that patients in high priority categories were undertriaged, leading to longer wait times and associated increased risks of adverse events.

  4. Developing the FARSEEING Taxonomy of Technologies: Classification and description of technology use (including ICT) in falls prevention studies.

    PubMed

    Boulton, Elisabeth; Hawley-Hague, Helen; Vereijken, Beatrix; Clifford, Amanda; Guldemond, Nick; Pfeiffer, Klaus; Hall, Alex; Chesani, Federico; Mellone, Sabato; Bourke, Alan; Todd, Chris

    2016-06-01

    Recent Cochrane reviews on falls and fall prevention have shown that it is possible to prevent falls in older adults living in the community and in care facilities. Technologies aimed at fall detection, assessment, prediction and prevention are emerging, yet there has been no consistency in describing or reporting on interventions using technologies. With the growth of eHealth and data driven interventions, a common language and classification is required. The FARSEEING Taxonomy of Technologies was developed as a tool for those in the field of biomedical informatics to classify and characterise components of studies and interventions. The Taxonomy Development Group (TDG) comprised experts from across Europe. Through face-to-face meetings and contributions via email, five domains were developed, modified and agreed: Approach; Base; Components of outcome measures; Descriptors of technologies; and Evaluation. Each domain included sub-domains and categories with accompanying definitions. The classification system was tested against published papers and further amendments undertaken, including development of an online tool. Six papers were classified by the TDG with levels of consensus recorded. Testing the taxonomy with papers highlighted difficulties in definitions across international healthcare systems, together with differences of TDG members' backgrounds. Definitions were clarified and amended accordingly, but some difficulties remained. The taxonomy and manual were large documents leading to a lengthy classification process. The development of the online application enabled a much simpler classification process, as categories and definitions appeared only when relevant. Overall consensus for the classified papers was 70.66%. Consensus scores increased as modifications were made to the taxonomy. The FARSEEING Taxonomy of Technologies presents a common language, which should now be adopted in the field of biomedical informatics. In developing the taxonomy as an online tool, it has become possible to continue to develop and modify the classification system to incorporate new technologies and interventions. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Nursing workload, patient safety incidents and mortality: an observational study from Finland

    PubMed Central

    Kinnunen, Marina; Saarela, Jan

    2018-01-01

    Objective To investigate whether the daily workload per nurse (Oulu Patient Classification (OPCq)/nurse) as measured by the RAFAELA system correlates with different types of patient safety incidents and with patient mortality, and to compare the results with regressions based on the standard patients/nurse measure. Setting We obtained data from 36 units from four Finnish hospitals. One was a tertiary acute care hospital, and the three others were secondary acute care hospitals. Participants Patients’ nursing intensity (249 123 classifications), nursing resources, patient safety incidents and patient mortality were collected on a daily basis during 1 year, corresponding to 12 475 data points. Associations between OPC/nurse and patient safety incidents or mortality were estimated using unadjusted logistic regression models, and models that adjusted for ward-specific effects, and effects of day of the week, holiday and season. Primary and secondary outcome measures Main outcome measures were patient safety incidents and death of a patient. Results When OPC/nurse was above the assumed optimal level, the adjusted odds for a patient safety incident were 1.24 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.42) that of the assumed optimal level, and 0.79 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.93) if it was below the assumed optimal level. Corresponding estimates for patient mortality were 1.43 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.73) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.60 to 1.00), respectively. As compared with the patients/nurse classification, models estimated on basis of the RAFAELA classification system generally provided larger effect sizes, greater statistical power and better model fit, although the difference was not very large. Net benefits as calculated on the basis of decision analysis did not provide any clear evidence on which measure to prefer. Conclusions We have demonstrated an association between daily workload per nurse and patient safety incidents and mortality. Current findings need to be replicated by future studies. PMID:29691240

  6. Assessing the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases codes to identify abusive head trauma: a feasibility study.

    PubMed

    Berger, Rachel P; Parks, Sharyn; Fromkin, Janet; Rubin, Pamela; Pecora, Peter J

    2015-04-01

    To assess the accuracy of an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code-based operational case definition for abusive head trauma (AHT). Subjects were children <5 years of age evaluated for AHT by a hospital-based Child Protection Team (CPT) at a tertiary care paediatric hospital with a completely electronic medical record (EMR) system. Subjects were designated as non-AHT traumatic brain injury (TBI) or AHT based on whether the CPT determined that the injuries were due to AHT. The sensitivity and specificity of the ICD-based definition were calculated. There were 223 children evaluated for AHT: 117 AHT and 106 non-AHT TBI. The sensitivity and specificity of the ICD-based operational case definition were 92% (95% CI 85.8 to 96.2) and 96% (95% CI 92.3 to 99.7), respectively. All errors in sensitivity and three of the four specificity errors were due to coder error; one specificity error was a physician error. In a paediatric tertiary care hospital with an EMR system, the accuracy of an ICD-based case definition for AHT was high. Additional studies are needed to assess the accuracy of this definition in all types of hospitals in which children with AHT are cared for. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  7. Nursing home case mix in Wisconsin. Findings and policy implications.

    PubMed

    Arling, G; Zimmerman, D; Updike, L

    1989-02-01

    Along with many other states, Wisconsin is considering a case mix approach to Medicaid nursing home reimbursement. To support this effort, a nursing home case mix model was developed from a representative sample of 410 Medicaid nursing home residents from 56 facilities in Wisconsin. The model classified residents into mutually exclusive groups that were homogeneous in their use of direct care resources, i.e., minutes of direct care time (weighted for nurse skill level) over a 7-day period. Groups were defined initially by intense, Special, or Routine nursing requirements. Within these nursing requirement categories, subgroups were formed by the presence/absence of behavioral problems and dependency in activities of daily living (ADL). Wisconsin's current Skilled/Intermediate Care (SNF/ICF) classification system was analyzed in light of the case mix model and found to be less effective in distinguishing residents by resource use. The case mix model accounted for 48% of the variance in resource use, whereas the SNF/ICF classification system explained 22%. Comparisons were drawn with nursing home case mix models in New York State (RUG-II) and Minnesota. Despite progress in the study of nursing home case mix and its application to reimbursement reform, methodologic and policy issues remain. These include the differing operational definitions for nursing requirements and ADL dependency, the inconsistency in findings concerning psychobehavioral problems, and the problem of promoting positive health and functional outcomes based on models that may be insensitive to change in resident conditions over time.

  8. CAC-DRS: Coronary Artery Calcium Data and Reporting System. An expert consensus document of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT).

    PubMed

    Hecht, Harvey S; Blaha, Michael J; Kazerooni, Ella A; Cury, Ricardo C; Budoff, Matt; Leipsic, Jonathon; Shaw, Leslee

    2018-03-30

    The goal of CAC-DRS: Coronary Artery Calcium Data and Reporting System is to create a standardized method to communicate findings of CAC scanning on all noncontrast CT scans, irrespective of the indication, in order to facilitate clinical decision-making, with recommendations for subsequent patient management. The CAC-DRS classification is applied on a per-patient basis and represents the total calcium score and the number of involved arteries. General recommendations are provided for further management of patients with different degrees of calcified plaque burden based on CAC-DRS classification. In addition, CAC-DRS will provide a framework of standardization that may benefit quality assurance and tracking patient outcomes with the potential to ultimately result in improved quality of care. Copyright © 2018 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. All rights reserved.

  9. Surgical anatomy of the hypoglossal nerve: A new classification system for selective upper airway stimulation.

    PubMed

    Heiser, Clemens; Knopf, Andreas; Hofauer, Benedikt

    2017-12-01

    Selective upper airway stimulation (UAS) has shown effectiveness in treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The terminating branches of the hypoglossal nerve show a wide complexity, requiring careful discernment of a functional breakpoint between branches for inclusion and exclusion from the stimulation cuff electrode. The purpose of this study was to describe and categorize the topographic phenotypes of these branches. Thirty patients who received an implant with selective UAS from July 2015 to June 2016 were included. All implantations were recorded using a microscope and resultant tongue motions were captured perioperatively for comparison. Eight different variations of the branches were encountered and described, both in a tabular numeric fashion and in pictorial schema. The examinations showed the complex phenotypic surgical anatomy of the hypoglossal nerve. A schematic classification system has been developed to help surgeons identify the optimal location for cuff placement in UAS. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Development of the Austrian Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS-AT): the third Delphi Round, a quantitative online survey.

    PubMed

    Ranegger, Renate; Hackl, Werner O; Ammenwerth, Elske

    2015-01-01

    A Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) aims at systematically describing nursing care in terms of patient problems, nursing activities, and patient outcomes. In an earlier Delphi study, 56 data elements were proposed to be included in an Austrian Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS-AT). To identify the most important data elements of this list, and to identify appropriate coding systems. Online Delphi-based survey with 88 experts. 43 data elements were rated as relevant for an NMDS-AT (strong agreement of more than half of the experts): nine data elements concerning the institution, patient demographics, and medical condition; 18 data elements concerning patient problems by using nursing diagnosis; seven data elements concerning nursing outcomes, and nine data elements concerning nursing interventions. As classification systems, national classification systems were proposed besides ICNP, NNN, and nursing-sensitive indicators. The resulting proposal for an NMDS-AT will now be tested with routine data.

  11. Acute care alternate-level-of-care days due to delayed discharge for traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.

    PubMed

    Amy, Chen; Zagorski, Brandon; Chan, Vincy; Parsons, Daria; Vander Laan, Rika; Colantonio, Angela

    2012-05-01

    Alternate-level-of-care (ALC) days represent hospital beds that are taken up by patients who would more appropriately be cared for in other settings. ALC days have been found to be costly and may result in worse functional outcomes, reduced motor skills and longer lengths of stay in rehabilitation. This study examines the factors that are associated with acute care ALC days among patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). We used the Discharge Abstract Database to identify patients with ABI using International Classification of Disease-10 codes. From fiscal years 2007/08 to 2009/10, 17.5% of patients with traumatic and 14% of patients with non-traumatic brain injury had at least one ALC day. Significant predictors include having a psychiatric co-morbidity, increasing age and length of stay in acute care. These findings can inform planning for care of people with ABI in a publicly funded healthcare system.

  12. The experience of an information system for nursing practice: the importance of nursing records in the management of a care plan.

    PubMed

    Nunes, Sofia R T; Rego, Guilhermina; Nunes, Rui

    2014-07-01

    Health information systems are becoming common because they are important tools to support decision making and assist nurses in their daily interventions. The Information System for Nursing Practice promotes consistent nursing records, as it is directed to the nursing practice and process. The aims of this study were to identify and describe the most frequent type of nursing actions in the care plan for a patient after acute myocardial infarction, considering the seven-axis model of the International Classification of Nursing Practice and the rate of health education given to patients during hospitalization. A cross-sectional analysis was performed retrospectively by searching the computerized database of the Information System for Nursing Practice. We verified some gaps in information with regard to unidentified records of diagnoses and interventions. During hospitalization, the most used interventions were in the fields of observing (40%) and managing (23%). Interventions associated with management of signs and symptoms were more frequent and were performed in 84.9% of the patients. In the field of informing, health education in relation to diet was performed in 21.7% of the patients; exercise, in 16%; and tobacco, in 11.3%. The use of nursing records and information systems can improve nursing care coordination and care plan management.

  13. Manchester Triage System: main flowcharts, discriminators and outcomes of a pediatric emergency care 1

    PubMed Central

    Amthauer, Camila; da Cunha, Maria Luzia Chollopetz

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objetive: to characterize the care services performed through risk rating by the Manchester Triage System, identifying demographics (age, gender), main flowcharts, discriminators and outcomes in pediatric emergency Method: cross-sectional quantitative study. Data on risk classification were obtained through a search of computerized registration data from medical records of patients treated in the pediatric emergency within one year. Descriptive statistics with absolute and relative frequencies was used for the analysis. Results: 10,921 visits were conducted in the pediatric emergency, mostly male (54.4%), aged between 29 days and two years (44.5%). There was a prevalence of the urgent risk category (43.6%). The main flowchart used in the care was worried parents (22.4%) and the most prevalent discriminator was recent event (15.3%). The hospitalization outcome occurred in 10.4% of care performed in the pediatric emergency, however 61.8% of care needed to stay under observation and / or being under the health team care in the pediatric emergency. Conclusion: worried parents was the main flowchart used and recent events the most prevalent discriminator, comprising the hospitalization outcomes and permanency in observation in the pediatric emergency before discharge from the hospital. PMID:27579934

  14. Combining logistic regression with classification and regression tree to predict quality of care in a home health nursing data set.

    PubMed

    Guo, Huey-Ming; Shyu, Yea-Ing Lotus; Chang, Her-Kun

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the authors provide an overview of a research method to predict quality of care in home health nursing data set. The results of this study can be visualized through classification an regression tree (CART) graphs. The analysis was more effective, and the results were more informative since the home health nursing dataset was analyzed with a combination of the logistic regression and CART, these two techniques complete each other. And the results more informative that more patients' characters were related to quality of care in home care. The results contributed to home health nurse predict patient outcome in case management. Improved prediction is needed for interventions to be appropriately targeted for improved patient outcome and quality of care.

  15. Defining lactation acuity to improve patient safety and outcomes.

    PubMed

    Mannel, Rebecca

    2011-05-01

    While substantial evidence exists identifying risks factors associated with premature weaning from breastfeeding, there are no previously published definitions of patient acuity in the lactation field. This article defines evidence-based levels of lactation acuity based on maternal and infant characteristics. Patient acuity, matching severity of illness to intensity of care required, is an important determinant of patient safety and outcomes. It is often used as part of a patient classification system to determine staffing needs and acceptable workloads in health care settings. As acuity increases, more resources, including more skilled clinicians, are needed to provide optimal care. Developing an evidence-based definition of lactation acuity can help to standardize terminology, more effectively distribute health care staff resources, encourage research to verify the validity and reliability of lactation acuity, and potentially improve breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.

  16. User embracement with risk classification in an emergency care unit: an evaluative study.

    PubMed

    Hermida, Patrícia Madalena Vieira; Nascimento, Eliane Regina Pereira do; Echevarría-Guanilo, Maria Elena; Brüggemann, Odaléa Maria; Malfussi, Luciana Bihain Hagemann de

    2018-01-01

    Objective Describing the evaluation of the Structure, Process and Outcome of User Embracement with Risk Classification of an Emergency Care Unit from the perspective of physicians and nurses. Method An evaluative, descriptive, quantitative study developed in Santa Catarina. Data were collected using a validated and adapted instrument consisting of 21 items distributed in the dimensions of Structure (facilities), Process (activities and relationships in providing care) and Outcome (care effects). In the analysis, descriptive statistics and the Mean Ranking and Mean Score calculations were applied. Results The sample consisted of 37 participants. From the 21 evaluated items, 11 (52.4%) had a Mean Ranking between 3 and 4, and none of them reached the maximum ranking (5 points). "Prioritization of severe cases" and "Primary care according to the severity of the case" reached a higher Mean Ranking (4.5), while "Flowchart discussion" had the lowest Ranking (2.1). The dimensions of Structure, Process and Outcome reached mean scores of 23.9, 21.9 and 25.5, respectively, indicating a Precarious evaluation (17.5 to 26.1 points). Conclusion User Embracement with Risk Classification is precarious, especially regarding the Process which obtained a lower satisfaction level from the participants.

  17. Applications for detection of acute kidney injury using electronic medical records and clinical information systems: workgroup statements from the 15(th) ADQI Consensus Conference.

    PubMed

    James, Matthew T; Hobson, Charles E; Darmon, Michael; Mohan, Sumit; Hudson, Darren; Goldstein, Stuart L; Ronco, Claudio; Kellum, John A; Bagshaw, Sean M

    2016-01-01

    Electronic medical records and clinical information systems are increasingly used in hospitals and can be leveraged to improve recognition and care for acute kidney injury. This Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) workgroup was convened to develop consensus around principles for the design of automated AKI detection systems to produce real-time AKI alerts using electronic systems. AKI alerts were recognized by the workgroup as an opportunity to prompt earlier clinical evaluation, further testing and ultimately intervention, rather than as a diagnostic label. Workgroup members agreed with designing AKI alert systems to align with the existing KDIGO classification system, but recommended future work to further refine the appropriateness of AKI alerts and to link these alerts to actionable recommendations for AKI care. The consensus statements developed in this review can be used as a roadmap for development of future electronic applications for automated detection and reporting of AKI.

  18. A Q-backpropagated time delay neural network for diagnosing severity of gait disturbances in Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Nancy Jane, Y; Khanna Nehemiah, H; Arputharaj, Kannan

    2016-04-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder that affects the patient's nervous system and health-care applications mostly uses wearable sensors to collect these data. Since these sensors generate time stamped data, analyzing gait disturbances in PD becomes challenging task. The objective of this paper is to develop an effective clinical decision-making system (CDMS) that aids the physician in diagnosing the severity of gait disturbances in PD affected patients. This paper presents a Q-backpropagated time delay neural network (Q-BTDNN) classifier that builds a temporal classification model, which performs the task of classification and prediction in CDMS. The proposed Q-learning induced backpropagation (Q-BP) training algorithm trains the Q-BTDNN by generating a reinforced error signal. The network's weights are adjusted through backpropagating the generated error signal. For experimentation, the proposed work uses a PD gait database, which contains gait measures collected through wearable sensors from three different PD research studies. The experimental result proves the efficiency of Q-BP in terms of its improved classification accuracy of 91.49%, 92.19% and 90.91% with three datasets accordingly compared to other neural network training algorithms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Musculoskeletal manifestations of systemic lupus erythmatosus.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud, Khaled; Zayat, Ahmed; Vital, Edward M

    2017-09-01

    Imaging studies suggest potential changes to the classification and assessment of inflammatory musculoskeletal lupus. This is important because of the burden of disease but the potential for new targeted therapies. Using our current classification and treatment, musculoskeletal symptoms continue to impact significantly on quality of life and work disability. Ultrasound and MRI studies suggested that new approaches to the diagnosis, classification, and evaluation of these symptoms are needed. Many patients with pain but no synovitis have ultrasound-proven joint and tendon inflammation but would not qualify for clinical trials or score highly on disease activity instruments. MRI studies show that erosions are more common than previously thought and may have a different pathogenesis than RA. Immunology studies suggest differences from other autoimmune synovitis, with a complex role for type I interferons. A wide range of biologic therapies appear more consistently effective for arthritis than some other manifestations. Changes to the selection of patients for therapy and stratification using musculoskeletal imaging may offer new approaches to clinical trials and the routine care of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with inflammatory musculoskeletal symptoms. Outcomes may thereby be improved using existing therapies. There are significant knowledge gaps that must be addressed to achieve these potential improved outcomes.

  20. Development and validation of an administrative case definition for inflammatory bowel diseases

    PubMed Central

    Rezaie, Ali; Quan, Hude; Fedorak, Richard N; Panaccione, Remo; Hilsden, Robert J

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: A population-based database of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is invaluable to explore and monitor the epidemiology and outcome of the disease. In this context, an accurate and validated population-based case definition for IBD becomes critical for researchers and health care providers. METHODS: IBD and non-IBD individuals were identified through an endoscopy database in a western Canadian health region (Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta). Subsequently, using a novel algorithm, a series of case definitions were developed to capture IBD cases in the administrative databases. In the second stage of the study, the criteria were validated in the Capital Health Region (Edmonton, Alberta). RESULTS: A total of 150 IBD case definitions were developed using 1399 IBD patients and 15,439 controls in the development phase. In the validation phase, 318,382 endoscopic procedures were searched and 5201 IBD patients were identified. After consideration of sensitivity, specificity and temporal stability of each validated case definition, a diagnosis of IBD was assigned to individuals who experienced at least two hospitalizations or had four physician claims, or two medical contacts in the Ambulatory Care Classification System database with an IBD diagnostic code within a two-year period (specificity 99.8%; sensitivity 83.4%; positive predictive value 97.4%; negative predictive value 98.5%). An alternative case definition was developed for regions without access to the Ambulatory Care Classification System database. A novel scoring system was developed that detected Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis patients with a specificity of >99% and a sensitivity of 99.1% and 86.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Through a robust methodology, a reproducible set of criteria to capture IBD patients through administrative databases was developed. The methodology may be used to develop similar administrative definitions for chronic diseases. PMID:23061064

  1. New Atlanta Classification of acute pancreatitis in intensive care unit: Complications and prognosis.

    PubMed

    Pintado, María-Consuelo; Trascasa, María; Arenillas, Cristina; de Zárate, Yaiza Ortiz; Pardo, Ana; Blandino Ortiz, Aaron; de Pablo, Raúl

    2016-05-01

    The updated Atlanta Classification of acute pancreatitis (AP) in adults defined three levels of severity according to the presence of local and/or systemic complications and presence and length of organ failure. No study focused on complications and mortality of patients with moderately severe AP admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). The main aim of this study is to describe the complications developed and outcomes of these patients and compare them to those with severe AP. Prospective, observational study. We included patients with acute moderately severe or severe AP admitted in a medical-surgical ICU during 5years. We collected demographic data, admission criteria, pancreatitis etiology, severity of illness, presence of organ failure, local and systemic complications, ICU length of stay, and mortality. Fifty-six patients were included: 12 with moderately severe AP and 44 with severe. All patients developed some kind of complications without differences on complications rate between moderately severe or severe AP. All the patients present non-infectious systemic complications, mainly acute respiratory failure and hemodynamic failure. 82.1% had an infectious complication, mainly non-pancreatic infection (66.7% on moderately severe AP vs. 79.5% on severe, p=0.0443). None of the patients with moderately severe AP died during their intensive care unit stay vs. 29.5% with severe AP (p=0.049). Moderately severe AP has a high rate of complications with similar rates to patients with severe AP admitted to ICU. However, their ICU mortality remains very low, which supports the existence of this new group of pancreatitis according to their severity. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Enterocutaneous Fistula: Proven Strategies and Updates

    PubMed Central

    Gribovskaja-Rupp, Irena; Melton, Genevieve B.

    2016-01-01

    Management of enterocutaneous fistula represents one of the most protracted and difficult problems in colorectal surgery with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. This article summarizes the current classification systems and successful management protocols, provides an in-depth review of fluid resuscitation, sepsis control, nutrition management, medication management of output quantity, wound care, nonoperative intervention measures, operative timeline, and considerations, and discusses special considerations such as inflammatory bowel disease and enteroatmospheric fistula. PMID:27247538

  3. Emergency Department Groups Classification System: An Evaluation for Military Health Care Use

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-05-01

    EXAM BABA ALLERGY CLINIC V718 OBSERVATION FOR OTHER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS BACA CARDIOLOGY V717 OBSERVATION FOR OTHER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS BAEA DIABETIC ...CLINIC 25000 DIABETES MELLITUS WITHOUT MENTION OF COMPLICATION, UNSPECIFIED BAFA ENDOCRINOLOGY V718 OBSERVATION OF OTHER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS BAHA...TREATMENT BBJA PEDIATRIC SURGERY V670 FOLLOW-UP EXAM FOLLOWING SURGERY BCAA FAMILY PLANNING V2509 CONTRACEPTIVE MANAGEMENT, OTHER BCBA GYNECOLOGY V670

  4. Care for the Critically Injured Burn Patient Modulation of Burn Scars Through Laser Deliver of Stem Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    average 1 hour per response , including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed...dermal remodeling 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON USAMRMC a...evaluations made prior to each biopsy. The initial grading system took into account vascularity , pliability, color, contour, texture, and

  5. Nurse practitioners' focus on health care in terms of cure and care: analysis of graduate theses using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

    PubMed

    Stallinga, Hillegonda A; Jansen, Gerard J; Kastermans, Marijke C; Pranger, Albert; Dijkstra, Pieter U; Roodbol, Petrie F

    2016-07-01

    To explore the focus of nurse practitioners on health care in terms of cure and care. Nurse practitioners are expected to act on the intersection of cure and care. However, in clinical practice and education, a clear model covering this area is lacking; therefore, it is unknown to what extent nurse practitioners are focused on this specific area. Graduate theses may reflect the focus of nurse practitioners. Sequential exploratory mixed method. In total, 413 published abstracts of graduate theses of a Dutch Master of Advanced Nursing Practice (2000-2015) were analysed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Data source included aim, question and outcome of each thesis and graduates' characteristics. A qualitative deductive approach was used for the analyses. Theses were classified as focused on cure, care, or on the intersection of cure and care. A small majority of 53% (N = 219) of the graduate theses addressed patient's health status and could be classified in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Of the classified theses, 48% were focused on cure, 39% on the intersection of cure and care and 13% on care. While the percentage of theses addressing health status increased significantly over the 15-year period, the percentage of theses focused on cure, care and on the intersection of cure and care remained the same. The graduate theses reflected that nurse practitioners are increasingly oriented towards patients' health status. However, their focus is predominantly on cure rather than on the intersection of cure and care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Creating a Canonical Scientific and Technical Information Classification System for NCSTRL+

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tiffany, Melissa E.; Nelson, Michael L.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the new subject classification system for the NCSTRL+ project. NCSTRL+ is a canonical digital library (DL) based on the Networked Computer Science Technical Report Library (NCSTRL). The current NCSTRL+ classification system uses the NASA Scientific and Technical (STI) subject classifications, which has a bias towards the aerospace, aeronautics, and engineering disciplines. Examination of other scientific and technical information classification systems showed similar discipline-centric weaknesses. Traditional, library-oriented classification systems represented all disciplines, but were too generalized to serve the needs of a scientific and technically oriented digital library. Lack of a suitable existing classification system led to the creation of a lightweight, balanced, general classification system that allows the mapping of more specialized classification schemes into the new framework. We have developed the following classification system to give equal weight to all STI disciplines, while being compact and lightweight.

  7. Defining and incorporating basic nursing care actions into the electronic health record.

    PubMed

    Englebright, Jane; Aldrich, Kelly; Taylor, Cathy R

    2014-01-01

    To develop a definition of basic nursing care for the hospitalized adult patient and drive uptake of that definition through the implementation of an electronic health record. A team of direct care nurses, assisted by subject matter experts, analyzed nursing theory and regulatory requirements related to basic nursing care. The resulting list of activities was coded using the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) system and incorporated into the electronic health record system of a 170-bed community hospital. Nine basic nursing care activities were identified as a result of analyzing nursing theory and regulatory requirements in the framework of a hypothetical "well" patient. One additional basic nursing care activity was identified following the pilot implementation in the electronic health record. The pilot hospital has successfully passed a post-implementation regulatory review with no recommendations related to the documentation of basic patient care. This project demonstrated that it is possible to define the concept of basic nursing care and to distinguish it from the interdisciplinary, problem-focused plan of care. The use of the electronic health record can help clarify, document, and communicate basic care elements and improve uptake among nurses. This project to define basic nursing care activities and incorporate into the electronic health record represents a first step in capturing meaningful data elements. When fully implemented, these data could be translated into knowledge for improving care outcomes and collaborative processes. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  8. Toward automated consumer question answering: automatically separating consumer questions from professional questions in the healthcare domain.

    PubMed

    Liu, Feifan; Antieau, Lamont D; Yu, Hong

    2011-12-01

    Both healthcare professionals and healthcare consumers have information needs that can be met through the use of computers, specifically via medical question answering systems. However, the information needs of both groups are different in terms of literacy levels and technical expertise, and an effective question answering system must be able to account for these differences if it is to formulate the most relevant responses for users from each group. In this paper, we propose that a first step toward answering the queries of different users is automatically classifying questions according to whether they were asked by healthcare professionals or consumers. We obtained two sets of consumer questions (~10,000 questions in total) from Yahoo answers. The professional questions consist of two question collections: 4654 point-of-care questions (denoted as PointCare) obtained from interviews of a group of family doctors following patient visits and 5378 questions from physician practices through professional online services (denoted as OnlinePractice). With more than 20,000 questions combined, we developed supervised machine-learning models for automatic classification between consumer questions and professional questions. To evaluate the robustness of our models, we tested the model that was trained on the Consumer-PointCare dataset on the Consumer-OnlinePractice dataset. We evaluated both linguistic features and statistical features and examined how the characteristics in two different types of professional questions (PointCare vs. OnlinePractice) may affect the classification performance. We explored information gain for feature reduction and the back-off linguistic category features. The 10-fold cross-validation results showed the best F1-measure of 0.936 and 0.946 on Consumer-PointCare and Consumer-OnlinePractice respectively, and the best F1-measure of 0.891 when testing the Consumer-PointCare model on the Consumer-OnlinePractice dataset. Healthcare consumer questions posted at Yahoo online communities can be reliably classified from professional questions posted by point-of-care clinicians and online physicians. The supervised machine-learning models are robust for this task. Our study will significantly benefit further development in automated consumer question answering. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Filing Reprints: Can Office Staff Help?

    PubMed Central

    Putnam, R. W.; Gass, D. A.; Curry, Lynn

    1985-01-01

    Filing systems for reprints must be tailored to the individual's practice profile, to maximize usefulness as a resource for clinical problem solving. However, the clerical time involved often reduces the physician's ability to maintain such a filing system. The authors tested two hypotheses that using the International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) nurses or receptionists could code, cross reference and file reprints after the physician has selected the articles. Contents pages of five primary care journals were given to two academic family physicians, two practicing physicians, a research assistant and two receptionists, one of whom had used ICHPPC to record patient encounters. All coders except the second receptionist, who was unfamiliar with ICHPPC, reached good agreement in coding. Filing reprints may therefore be done by trained staff for groups of physicians. PMID:21274020

  10. Patient casemix classification for medicare psychiatric prospective payment.

    PubMed

    Drozd, Edward M; Cromwell, Jerry; Gage, Barbara; Maier, Jan; Greenwald, Leslie M; Goldman, Howard H

    2006-04-01

    For a proposed Medicare prospective payment system for inpatient psychiatric facility treatment, the authors developed a casemix classification to capture differences in patients' real daily resource use. Primary data on patient characteristics and daily time spent in various activities were collected in a survey of 696 patients from 40 inpatient psychiatric facilities. Survey data were combined with Medicare claims data to estimate intensity-adjusted daily cost. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) analysis of average daily routine and ancillary costs yielded several hierarchical classification groupings. Regression analysis was used to control for facility and day-of-stay effects in order to compare hierarchical models with models based on the recently proposed payment system of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CART analysis identified a small set of patient characteristics strongly associated with higher daily costs, including age, psychiatric diagnosis, deficits in daily living activities, and detox or ECT use. A parsimonious, 16-group, fully interactive model that used five major DSM-IV categories and stratified by age, illness severity, deficits in daily living activities, dangerousness, and use of ECT explained 40% (out of a possible 76%) of daily cost variation not attributable to idiosyncratic daily changes within patients. A noninteractive model based on diagnosis-related groups, age, and medical comorbidity had explanatory power of only 32%. A regression model with 16 casemix groups restricted to using "appropriate" payment variables (i.e., those with clinical face validity and low administrative burden that are easily validated and provide proper care incentives) produced more efficient and equitable payments than did a noninteractive system based on diagnosis-related groups.

  11. Open source electronic health record and patient data management system for intensive care.

    PubMed

    Massaut, Jacques; Reper, Pascal

    2008-01-01

    In Intensive Care Units, the amount of data to be processed for patients care, the turn over of the patients, the necessity for reliability and for review processes indicate the use of Patient Data Management Systems (PDMS) and electronic health records (EHR). To respond to the needs of an Intensive Care Unit and not to be locked with proprietary software, we developed a PDMS and EHR based on open source software and components. The software was designed as a client-server architecture running on the Linux operating system and powered by the PostgreSQL data base system. The client software was developed in C using GTK interface library. The application offers to the users the following functions: medical notes captures, observations and treatments, nursing charts with administration of medications, scoring systems for classification, and possibilities to encode medical activities for billing processes. Since his deployment in February 2004, the PDMS was used to care more than three thousands patients with the expected software reliability and facilitated data management and review processes. Communications with other medical software were not developed from the start, and are realized by the use of the Mirth HL7 communication engine. Further upgrade of the system will include multi-platform support, use of typed language with static analysis, and configurable interface. The developed system based on open source software components was able to respond to the medical needs of the local ICU environment. The use of OSS for development allowed us to customize the software to the preexisting organization and contributed to the acceptability of the whole system.

  12. Perspectives on current tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging of cancers of the colon and rectum.

    PubMed

    Hu, Huankai; Krasinskas, Alyssa; Willis, Joseph

    2011-08-01

    Improvements in classifications of cancers based on discovery and validation of important histopathological parameters and new molecular markers continue unabated. Though still not perfect, recent updates of classification schemes in gastrointestinal oncology by the American Joint Commission on Cancer (tumor-node-metastasis [TNM] staging) and the World Health Organization further stratify patients and guide optimization of treatment strategies and better predict patient outcomes. These updates recognize the heterogeneity of patient populations with significant subgrouping of each tumor stage and use of tumor deposits to significantly "up-stage" some cancers; change staging parameters for subsets of IIIB and IIIC cancers; and introduce of several new subtypes of colon carcinomas. By the nature of the process, recent discoveries that are important to improving even routine standards of patient care, especially new advances in molecular medicine, are not incorporated into these systems. Nonetheless, these classifications significantly advance clinical standards and are welcome enhancements to our current methods of cancer reporting. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. The comprehensiveness of the ESHRE/ESGE classification of female genital tract congenital anomalies: a systematic review of cases not classified by the AFS system.

    PubMed

    Di Spiezio Sardo, A; Campo, R; Gordts, S; Spinelli, M; Cosimato, C; Tanos, V; Brucker, S; Li, T C; Gergolet, M; De Angelis, C; Gianaroli, L; Grimbizis, G

    2015-05-01

    How comprehensive is the recently published European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) classification system of female genital anomalies? The ESHRE/ESGE classification provides a comprehensive description and categorization of almost all of the currently known anomalies that could not be classified properly with the American Fertility Society (AFS) system. Until now, the more accepted classification system, namely that of the AFS, is associated with serious limitations in effective categorization of female genital anomalies. Many cases published in the literature could not be properly classified using the AFS system, yet a clear and accurate classification is a prerequisite for treatment. The CONUTA (CONgenital UTerine Anomalies) ESHRE/ESGE group conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine if those types of anomalies that could not be properly classified with the AFS system could be effectively classified with the use of the new ESHRE/ESGE system. An electronic literature search through Medline, Embase and Cochrane library was carried out from January 1988 to January 2014. Three participants independently screened, selected articles of potential interest and finally extracted data from all the included studies. Any disagreement was discussed and resolved after consultation with a fourth reviewer and the results were assessed independently and approved by all members of the CONUTA group. Among the 143 articles assessed in detail, 120 were finally selected reporting 140 cases that could not properly fit into a specific class of the AFS system. Those 140 cases were clustered in 39 different types of anomalies. The congenital anomaly involved a single organ in 12 (30.8%) out of the 39 types of anomalies, while multiple organs and/or segments of Müllerian ducts (complex anomaly) were involved in 27 (69.2%) types. Uterus was the organ most frequently involved (30/39: 76.9%), followed by cervix (26/39: 66.7%) and vagina (23/39: 59%). In all 39 types, the ESHRE/ESGE classification system provided a comprehensive description of each single or complex anomaly. A precise categorization was reached in 38 out of 39 types studied. Only one case of a bizarre uterine anomaly, with no clear embryological defect, could not be categorized and thus was placed in Class 6 (un-classified) of the ESHRE/ESGE system. The review of the literature was thorough but we cannot rule out the possibility that other defects exist which will also require testing in the new ESHRE/ESGE system. These anomalies, however, must be rare. The comprehensiveness of the ESHRE/ESGE classification adds objective scientific validity to its use. This may, therefore, promote its further dissemination and acceptance, which will have a positive outcome in clinical care and research. None. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

  14. Patient centered care: A path to better health outcomes through engagement and activation.

    PubMed

    Miller, Kenneth L

    2016-10-14

    Patient Activation and Health confidence are constructs to assess patient engagement and are utilized to encourage patient engagement. A health care provider may increase patient engagement further by utilizing behavior change theories and models such as the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change (TTM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to realize effective and lasting health behavior change by placing accountability increasingly on the patient/caregiver to choose to make changes in their health behavior on their terms. Reducing or eliminating harmful behaviors such as smoking and/or beginning or increasing beneficial health behaviors such as diet modification or performance of an exercise program, patients realize improved outcomes and better health. The purpose of this article is to define health confidence as a measurement tool for patient engagement, use the TTM as a measure of the patient's readiness to change, use TTM, SDT and MI as interventional approaches to effect patient change of behavior encouraged by physical therapists and incorporate the ICF as a means of identifying barriers and facilitators and incorporate the bio-psychosocial model for patient-centered care to improve health behavior, health and patient outcomes. Patient-centered care requires involvement of the patient and/or their caregiver at the center of the plan. Use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to identify facilitators and barriers unique to the patient/caregiver offers another opportunity to successfully engage the patient by incorporating the patient's bio-psychosocial support system into care delivery and for sustainability. The ICF is a taxonomy and classification system that prompts clinicians to identify environmental factors (facilitators and barriers) that will influence the patient's ability to perform during therapy session and to sustain the interventions and employ suggestions outside of formal therapy sessions. Using the facilitators to encourage sustainable change and removing barriers, patients are more likely to realize positive health behavior change and in turn demonstrate improved outcomes and health as a result of physical therapy intervention.

  15. Health status transitions in community-living elderly with complex care needs: a latent class approach.

    PubMed

    Lafortune, Louise; Béland, François; Bergman, Howard; Ankri, Joël

    2009-02-03

    For older persons with complex care needs, accounting for the variability and interdependency in how health dimensions manifest themselves is necessary to understand the dynamic of health status. Our objective is to test the hypothesis that a latent classification can capture this heterogeneity in a population of frail elderly persons living in the community. Based on a person-centered approach, the classification corresponds to substantively meaningful groups of individuals who present with a comparable constellation of health problems. Using data collected for the SIPA project, a system of integrated care for frail older people (n = 1164), we performed latent class analyses to identify homogenous categories of health status (i.e. health profiles) based on 17 indicators of prevalent health problems (chronic conditions; depression; cognition; functional and sensory limitations; instrumental, mobility and personal care disability) Then, we conducted latent transition analyses to study change in profile membership over 2 consecutive periods of 12 and 10 months, respectively. We modeled competing risks for mortality and lost to follow-up as absorbing states to avoid attrition biases. We identified four health profiles that distinguish the physical and cognitive dimensions of health and capture severity along the disability dimension. The profiles are stable over time and robust to mortality and lost to follow-up attrition. The differentiated and gender-specific patterns of transition probabilities demonstrate the profiles' sensitivity to change in health status and unmasked the differential relationship of physical and cognitive domains with progression in disability. Our approach may prove useful at organization and policy levels where many issues call for classification of individuals into pragmatically meaningful groups. In dealing with attrition biases, our analytical strategy could provide critical information for the planning of longitudinal studies of aging. Combined, these findings address a central challenge in geriatrics by making the multidimensional and dynamic nature of health computationally tractable.

  16. A web-based land cover classification system based on ontology model of different classification systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Y.; Chen, X.

    2016-12-01

    Land cover classification systems used in remote sensing image data have been developed to meet the needs for depicting land covers in scientific investigations and policy decisions. However, accuracy assessments of a spate of data sets demonstrate that compared with the real physiognomy, each of the thematic map of specific land cover classification system contains some unavoidable flaws and unintended deviation. This work proposes a web-based land cover classification system, an integrated prototype, based on an ontology model of various classification systems, each of which is assigned the same weight in the final determination of land cover type. Ontology, a formal explication of specific concepts and relations, is employed in this prototype to build up the connections among different systems to resolve the naming conflicts. The process is initialized by measuring semantic similarity between terminologies in the systems and the search key to produce certain set of satisfied classifications, and carries on through searching the predefined relations in concepts of all classification systems to generate classification maps with user-specified land cover type highlighted, based on probability calculated by votes from data sets with different classification system adopted. The present system is verified and validated by comparing the classification results with those most common systems. Due to full consideration and meaningful expression of each classification system using ontology and the convenience that the web brings with itself, this system, as a preliminary model, proposes a flexible and extensible architecture for classification system integration and data fusion, thereby providing a strong foundation for the future work.

  17. Perception of medical care systems and stress responses in preschoolers' caregivers at a pediatric emergency department in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Kao, Jun-Kai; Cherng, Chian-Fang G; Tsai, Ru-Chiao; Tsao, Lon-Yen; Hung, Chin-Yi

    2012-11-01

    This study was undertaken to understand caregivers' perception of medical care systems and their stress responses throughout their stay with preschoolers at a pediatric emergency department (ED). Overall, 201 preschoolers' caregivers in pediatric ED were recruited in this study. They were asked to answer self-made questionnaires regarding the perception of medical care systems and their stress responses immediately before preschoolers' release. The results show that caregivers with a low education or low income level were prone to exhibit greater appreciation for the efficiency of medical care systems and greater degree of anxiety for their lack of treatment and care knowledge than those of caregivers with a high education or high income level. Interestingly, caregivers older than 38 years reported greater emotional responses and physical exhaustion than did younger caregivers. Immigrant caregivers had higher emotional reaction and lower concentration than did Taiwanese caregivers. Paradoxically, caregivers undergoing over 3-time pediatric ED visits for observation expressed stronger stress reactions as compared with caregivers with less observation experiences. Not surprisingly, caregivers reported the highest emotional responses when their preschoolers were diagnosed as having very urgent degree in triage classification. Finally, caregivers' perception of "lack of family support" and "lack of treatment and care knowledge" correlated positively with all aspects of the stress responses. These results indicate that attention should be paid to the specific psychological weakness and need for the caregivers with certain demographic characteristics by the medical team in pediatric ED.

  18. Medicare program; prospective payment system and consolidated billing for skilled nursing facilities for FY 2012. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2011-08-08

    This final rule updates the payment rates used under the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for fiscal year 2012. In addition, it recalibrates the case-mix indexes so that they more accurately reflect parity in expenditures between RUG-IV and the previous case-mix classification system. It also includes a discussion of a Non-Therapy Ancillary component currently under development within CMS. In addition, this final rule discusses the impact of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and reduces the SNF market basket percentage by the multi-factor productivity adjustment. This rule also implements certain changes relating to the payment of group therapy services and implements new resident assessment policies. Finally, this rule announces that the proposed provisions regarding the ownership disclosure requirements set forth in section 6101 of the Affordable Care Act will be finalized at a later date.

  19. Innovative Digital Tools and Surveillance Systems for the Timely Detection of Adverse Events at the Point of Care: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

    PubMed

    Hoppe, Christian; Obermeier, Patrick; Muehlhans, Susann; Alchikh, Maren; Seeber, Lea; Tief, Franziska; Karsch, Katharina; Chen, Xi; Boettcher, Sindy; Diedrich, Sabine; Conrad, Tim; Kisler, Bron; Rath, Barbara

    2016-10-01

    Regulatory authorities often receive poorly structured safety reports requiring considerable effort to investigate potential adverse events post hoc. Automated question-and-answer systems may help to improve the overall quality of safety information transmitted to pharmacovigilance agencies. This paper explores the use of the VACC-Tool (ViVI Automated Case Classification Tool) 2.0, a mobile application enabling physicians to classify clinical cases according to 14 pre-defined case definitions for neuroinflammatory adverse events (NIAE) and in full compliance with data standards issued by the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium. The validation of the VACC-Tool 2.0 (beta-version) was conducted in the context of a unique quality management program for children with suspected NIAE in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, Germany. The VACC-Tool was used for instant case classification and for longitudinal follow-up throughout the course of hospitalization. Results were compared to International Classification of Diseases , Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes assigned in the emergency department (ED). From 07/2013 to 10/2014, a total of 34,368 patients were seen in the ED, and 5243 patients were hospitalized; 243 of these were admitted for suspected NIAE (mean age: 8.5 years), thus participating in the quality management program. Using the VACC-Tool in the ED, 209 cases were classified successfully, 69 % of which had been missed or miscoded in the ED reports. Longitudinal follow-up with the VACC-Tool identified additional NIAE. Mobile applications are taking data standards to the point of care, enabling clinicians to ascertain potential adverse events in the ED setting and during inpatient follow-up. Compliance with Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) data standards facilitates data interoperability according to regulatory requirements.

  20. Results from the Veterans Health Administration ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Weems, Shelley; Heller, Pamela; Fenton, Susan H

    2015-01-01

    The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been preparing for the October 1, 2015, conversion to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and Procedural Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) for more than four years. The VHA's Office of Informatics and Analytics ICD-10 Program Management Office established an ICD-10 Learning Lab to explore expected operational challenges. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the classification system conversion on coding productivity. ICD codes are integral to VHA business processes and are used for purposes such as clinical studies, performance measurement, workload capture, cost determination, Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) determination, morbidity and mortality classification, indexing of hospital records by disease and operations, data storage and retrieval, research purposes, and reimbursement. The data collection for this study occurred in multiple VHA sites across several months using standardized methods. It is commonly accepted that coding productivity will decrease with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS. The findings of this study suggest that the decrease will be more significant for inpatient coding productivity (64.5 percent productivity decrease) than for ambulatory care coding productivity (6.7 percent productivity decrease). This study reveals the following important points regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity: 1. Ambulatory care ICD-10-CM coding productivity is not expected to decrease as significantly as inpatient ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity. 2. Coder training and type of record (inpatient versus outpatient) affect coding productivity. 3. Inpatient coding productivity is decreased when a procedure requiring ICD-10-PCS coding is present. It is highly recommended that organizations perform their own analyses to determine the effects of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation on coding productivity.

  1. Results from the Veterans Health Administration ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Weems, Shelley; Heller, Pamela; Fenton, Susan H.

    2015-01-01

    The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been preparing for the October 1, 2015, conversion to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and Procedural Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) for more than four years. The VHA's Office of Informatics and Analytics ICD-10 Program Management Office established an ICD-10 Learning Lab to explore expected operational challenges. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the classification system conversion on coding productivity. ICD codes are integral to VHA business processes and are used for purposes such as clinical studies, performance measurement, workload capture, cost determination, Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) determination, morbidity and mortality classification, indexing of hospital records by disease and operations, data storage and retrieval, research purposes, and reimbursement. The data collection for this study occurred in multiple VHA sites across several months using standardized methods. It is commonly accepted that coding productivity will decrease with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS. The findings of this study suggest that the decrease will be more significant for inpatient coding productivity (64.5 percent productivity decrease) than for ambulatory care coding productivity (6.7 percent productivity decrease). This study reveals the following important points regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity: Ambulatory care ICD-10-CM coding productivity is not expected to decrease as significantly as inpatient ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity.Coder training and type of record (inpatient versus outpatient) affect coding productivity.Inpatient coding productivity is decreased when a procedure requiring ICD-10-PCS coding is present. It is highly recommended that organizations perform their own analyses to determine the effects of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation on coding productivity. PMID:26396553

  2. Evaluation of the Melanocytic Pathology Assessment Tool and Hierarchy for Diagnosis (MPATH-Dx) classification scheme for diagnosis of cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms: Results from the International Melanoma Pathology Study Group.

    PubMed

    Lott, Jason P; Elmore, Joann G; Zhao, Ge A; Knezevich, Stevan R; Frederick, Paul D; Reisch, Lisa M; Chu, Emily Y; Cook, Martin G; Duncan, Lyn M; Elenitsas, Rosalie; Gerami, Pedram; Landman, Gilles; Lowe, Lori; Messina, Jane L; Mihm, Martin C; van den Oord, Joost J; Rabkin, Michael S; Schmidt, Birgitta; Shea, Christopher R; Yun, Sook Jung; Xu, George X; Piepkorn, Michael W; Elder, David E; Barnhill, Raymond L

    2016-08-01

    Pathologists use diverse terminology when interpreting melanocytic neoplasms, potentially compromising quality of care. We sought to evaluate the Melanocytic Pathology Assessment Tool and Hierarchy for Diagnosis (MPATH-Dx) scheme, a 5-category classification system for melanocytic lesions. Participants (n = 16) of the 2013 International Melanoma Pathology Study Group Workshop provided independent case-level diagnoses and treatment suggestions for 48 melanocytic lesions. Individual diagnoses (including, when necessary, least and most severe diagnoses) were mapped to corresponding MPATH-Dx classes. Interrater agreement and correlation between MPATH-Dx categorization and treatment suggestions were evaluated. Most participants were board-certified dermatopathologists (n = 15), age 50 years or older (n = 12), male (n = 9), based in the United States (n = 11), and primary academic faculty (n = 14). Overall, participants generated 634 case-level diagnoses with treatment suggestions. Mean weighted kappa coefficients for diagnostic agreement after MPATH-Dx mapping (assuming least and most severe diagnoses, when necessary) were 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.68-0.71) and 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.71-0.73), respectively, whereas correlation between MPATH-Dx categorization and treatment suggestions was 0.91. This was a small sample size of experienced pathologists in a testing situation. Varying diagnostic nomenclature can be classified into a concise hierarchy using the MPATH-Dx scheme. Further research is needed to determine whether this classification system can facilitate diagnostic concordance in general pathology practice and improve patient care. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Toward Improving Quality of End-of-Life Care: Encoding Clinical Guidelines and Standing Orders Using the Omaha System.

    PubMed

    Slipka, Allison F; Monsen, Karen A

    2018-02-01

    End-of-life care (EOLC) relieves the suffering of millions of people around the globe each year. A growing body of hospice care research has led to the creation of several evidence-based clinical guidelines for EOLC. As evidence for the effectiveness of timely EOLC swells, so does the increased need for efficient information exchange between disciplines and across the care continuum. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the Omaha System as a framework for encoding interoperable evidence-based EOL interventions with specified temporality for use across disciplines and settings. Four evidence-based clinical guidelines and one current set of hospice standing orders were encoded using the Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme and Intervention Scheme, as well as Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT). The resulting encoded guideline was entered on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and made available for public use on the Omaha System Guidelines website. The resulting EOLC guideline consisted of 153 interventions that may enable patients and their surrogates, clinicians, and ancillary providers to communicate interventions in a universally comprehensible way. Evidence-based interventions from diverse disciplines involved in EOLC are described within this guideline using the Omaha System. Because the Omaha System and clinical guidelines are maintained in the public domain, encoding interventions is achievable by anyone with access to the Internet and basic Excel skills. Using the guideline as a documentation template customized for unique patient needs, clinicians can quantify and track patient care across the care continuum to ensure timely evidence-based interventions. Clinical guidelines coded in the Omaha System can support the use of multidisciplinary evidence-based interventions to improve quality of EOLC across settings and professions. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  4. Health care needs in end-stage COPD: a structured literature review.

    PubMed

    Habraken, Jolanda M; Willems, Dick L; de Kort, Susanne J; Bindels, Patrick J E

    2007-10-01

    To give an overview of relevant literature regarding health care needs in end-stage COPD and to identify specific areas where knowledge about needs is still lacking. We conducted a structured literature review. We used Bradshaw's classification system. Seventy-seven publications were found. Ten publications were included in the review. The results reported cover a wide range of subjects, all regarded as health care needs. Most reported on 'felt need', i.e. needs that are mentioned by patients themselves. Results on 'normative need' (based on expert judgement) were lacking. The literature about the health care needs of patients in the end-stage of COPD is sparse, and there is no commonly accepted definition of health care needs. Looking at the increasing demand for end of life care for COPD patients, there is a clear need for further research on this subject. We especially need to focus on agreement between experts and professionals so that guidelines can be developed. To attend to the unfulfilled needs of end-stage COPD patients, the delivery of health care should be re-examined carefully.

  5. 42 CFR 412.620 - Patient classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Patient classification system. 412.620 Section 412... Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals and Rehabilitation Units § 412.620 Patient classification system. (a) Classification methodology. (1) A patient classification system is used to classify patients in inpatient...

  6. 42 CFR 412.620 - Patient classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Patient classification system. 412.620 Section 412... Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals and Rehabilitation Units § 412.620 Patient classification system. (a) Classification methodology. (1) A patient classification system is used to classify patients in inpatient...

  7. Convolutional neural network for high-accuracy functional near-infrared spectroscopy in a brain-computer interface: three-class classification of rest, right-, and left-hand motor execution.

    PubMed

    Trakoolwilaiwan, Thanawin; Behboodi, Bahareh; Lee, Jaeseok; Kim, Kyungsoo; Choi, Ji-Woong

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this work is to develop an effective brain-computer interface (BCI) method based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In order to improve the performance of the BCI system in terms of accuracy, the ability to discriminate features from input signals and proper classification are desired. Previous studies have mainly extracted features from the signal manually, but proper features need to be selected carefully. To avoid performance degradation caused by manual feature selection, we applied convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as the automatic feature extractor and classifier for fNIRS-based BCI. In this study, the hemodynamic responses evoked by performing rest, right-, and left-hand motor execution tasks were measured on eight healthy subjects to compare performances. Our CNN-based method provided improvements in classification accuracy over conventional methods employing the most commonly used features of mean, peak, slope, variance, kurtosis, and skewness, classified by support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN). Specifically, up to 6.49% and 3.33% improvement in classification accuracy was achieved by CNN compared with SVM and ANN, respectively.

  8. Classification of anemia for gastroenterologists

    PubMed Central

    Moreno Chulilla, Jose Antonio; Romero Colás, Maria Soledad; Gutiérrez Martín, Martín

    2009-01-01

    Most anemia is related to the digestive system by dietary deficiency, malabsorption, or chronic bleeding. We review the World Health Organization definition of anemia, its morphological classification (microcytic, macrocytic and normocytic) and pathogenic classification (regenerative and hypo regenerative), and integration of these classifications. Interpretation of laboratory tests is included, from the simplest (blood count, routine biochemistry) to the more specific (iron metabolism, vitamin B12, folic acid, reticulocytes, erythropoietin, bone marrow examination and Schilling test). In the text and various algorithms, we propose a hierarchical and logical way to reach a diagnosis as quickly as possible, by properly managing the medical interview, physical examination, appropriate laboratory tests, bone marrow examination, and other complementary tests. The prevalence is emphasized in all sections so that the gastroenterologist can direct the diagnosis to the most common diseases, although the tables also include rare diseases. Digestive diseases potentially causing anemia have been studied in preference, but other causes of anemia have been included in the text and tables. Primitive hematological diseases that cause anemia are only listed, but are not discussed in depth. The last section is dedicated to simplifying all items discussed above, using practical rules to guide diagnosis and medical care with the greatest economy of resources and time. PMID:19787825

  9. Evaluation of cognitive and social functioning in patients requiring long-term inpatient psychiatric care using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: a large-scale, multi-institutional observational study.

    PubMed

    Kawaguchi, Hideaki; Taguchi, Masamoto; Sukigara, Masune; Sakuragi, Shoji; Sugiyama, Naoya; Chiba, Hisomu; Kawasaki, Tatsuhito

    2017-06-15

    We comprehensively evaluated cognitive and social functioning in patients requiring long-term inpatient psychiatric care using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. We surveyed 1967 patients receiving long-term inpatient psychiatric care. Patients were further categorized into an old long-stay group (n = 892, >5 years in hospitals) and a new long-stay group (n = 1075, 1-5 years in hospitals). We obtained responses for all the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health items in domain b (Body Functions) and domain d (Activities and Participation). We estimated weighted means for each item using the propensity score to adjust for confounding factors. Responses were received from 307 hospitals (response rate of hospitals: 25.5%). Cognitive and social functioning in the old long-stay group was more severely impaired than in the new long-stay group. No statistically significant differences were observed regarding the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health items associated with basic activities of daily living between the two groups. Combined therapy consisting of cognitive remediation and rehabilitation on social functioning for this patient population should be started from the early stage of hospitalization. Non-restrictive, independent environments may also be optimal for this patient population. Implications for rehabilitation Rehabilitation of cognitive and social functioning for patients requiring long-term inpatient psychiatric care should be started in the early stages of hospitalization. In psychiatric fields, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health checklist could facilitate individualized rehabilitation planning by allowing healthcare professionals to visually assess the comprehensive functioning of each patient using graphics such as radar charts.

  10. Electronic Health Record for Intensive Care based on Usual Windows Based Software.

    PubMed

    Reper, Arnaud; Reper, Pascal

    2015-08-01

    In Intensive Care Units, the amount of data to be processed for patients care, the turn over of the patients, the necessity for reliability and for review processes indicate the use of Patient Data Management Systems (PDMS) and electronic health records (EHR). To respond to the needs of an Intensive Care Unit and not to be locked with proprietary software, we developed an EHR based on usual software and components. The software was designed as a client-server architecture running on the Windows operating system and powered by the access data base system. The client software was developed using Visual Basic interface library. The application offers to the users the following functions: medical notes captures, observations and treatments, nursing charts with administration of medications, scoring systems for classification, and possibilities to encode medical activities for billing processes. Since his deployment in September 2004, the EHR was used to care more than five thousands patients with the expected software reliability and facilitated data management and review processes. Communications with other medical software were not developed from the start, and are realized by the use of basic functionalities communication engine. Further upgrade of the system will include multi-platform support, use of typed language with static analysis, and configurable interface. The developed system based on usual software components was able to respond to the medical needs of the local ICU environment. The use of Windows for development allowed us to customize the software to the preexisting organization and contributed to the acceptability of the whole system.

  11. A critical view of transgender health care in Germany: Psychopathologizing gender identity - Symptom of 'disordered' psychiatric/psychological diagnostics?

    PubMed

    Güldenring, Annette

    2015-01-01

    After explaining the essential trans* terminology, I offer a short historical overview of the way health care has dealt with the subject of gender, trans* and health in different times. In the third section, I compare the world's most important diagnostic manuals, namely the International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD) and the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM), i.e. their criteria for 'gender identity disorders' (ICD-10) and 'gender dysphoria' (DSM-5). The fourth section branch out the factors which influence every diagnostic conception - of no matter whom - in the health care system. The last section discusses the implications resulting from this diagnostic dilemma for the health situation of gender nonconforming people.

  12. Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2017 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Graduate Medical Education; Hospital Notification Procedures Applicable to Beneficiaries Receiving Observation Services; Technical Changes Relating to Costs to Organizations and Medicare Cost Reports; Finalization of Interim Final Rules With Comment Period on LTCH PPS Payments for Severe Wounds, Modifications of Limitations on Redesignation by the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board, and Extensions of Payments to MDHs and Low-Volume Hospitals. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2016-08-22

    We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2017. Some of these changes will implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform Act of 2013, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implications for Care Eligibility Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are providing the estimated market basket update to apply to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2017. We are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2017. In addition, we are making changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education payments; establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific Medicare providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities), including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program; implementing statutory provisions that require hospitals and CAHs to furnish notification to Medicare beneficiaries, including Medicare Advantage enrollees, when the beneficiaries receive outpatient observation services for more than 24 hours; announcing the implementation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration; and making technical corrections and changes to regulations relating to costs to related organizations and Medicare cost reports; we are providing notice of the closure of three teaching hospitals and the opportunity to apply for available GME resident slots under section 5506 of the Affordable Care Act. We are finalizing the provisions of interim final rules with comment period that relate to a temporary exception for certain wound care discharges from the application of the site neutral payment rate under the LTCH PPS for certain LTCHs; application of two judicial decisions relating to modifications of limitations on redesignation by the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board; and legislative extensions of the Medicare-dependent, small rural hospital program and changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals.

  13. Intra- and Interobserver Reliability of Three Classification Systems for Hallux Rigidus.

    PubMed

    Dillard, Sarita; Schilero, Christina; Chiang, Sharon; Pham, Peter

    2018-04-18

    There are over ten classification systems currently used in the staging of hallux rigidus. This results in confusion and inconsistency with radiographic interpretation and treatment. The reliability of hallux rigidus classification systems has not yet been tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intra- and interobserver reliability using three commonly used classifications for hallux rigidus. Twenty-one plain radiograph sets were presented to ten ACFAS board-certified foot and ankle surgeons. Each physician classified each radiograph based on clinical experience and knowledge according to the Regnauld, Roukis, and Hattrup and Johnson classification systems. The two-way mixed single-measure consistency intraclass correlation was used to calculate intra- and interrater reliability. The intrarater reliability of individual sets for the Roukis and Hattrup and Johnson classification systems was "fair to good" (Roukis, 0.62±0.19; Hattrup and Johnson, 0.62±0.28), whereas the intrarater reliability of individual sets for the Regnauld system bordered between "fair to good" and "poor" (0.43±0.24). The interrater reliability of the mean classification was "excellent" for all three classification systems. Conclusions Reliable and reproducible classification systems are essential for treatment and prognostic implications in hallux rigidus. In our study, Roukis classification system had the best intrarater reliability. Although there are various classification systems for hallux rigidus, our results indicate that all three of these classification systems show reliability and reproducibility.

  14. Obtaining the mean relative weights of the cost of care in Catalonia (Spain): retrospective application of the adjusted clinical groups case-mix system in primary health care.

    PubMed

    Sicras-Mainar, Antoni; Velasco-Velasco, Soledad; Navarro-Artieda, Ruth; Aguado Jodar, Alba; Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer; Hermosilla-Pérez, Eduardo; Bolibar-Ribas, Bonaventura; Prados-Torres, Alejandra; Violan-Fors, Concepción

    2013-04-01

    The study aims to obtain the mean relative weights (MRWs) of the cost of care through the retrospective application of the adjusted clinical groups (ACGs) in several primary health care (PHC) centres in Catalonia (Spain) in routine clinical practice. This is a retrospective study based on computerized medical records. All patients attended by 13 PHC teams in 2008 were included. The principle measurements were: demographic variables (age and sex), dependent variables (number of diagnoses and total costs), and case-mix or co-morbidity variables (International Classification of Primary Care). The costs model for each patient was established by differentiating the fix costs from the variable costs. In the bivariate analysis, the Student's t, analysis of variance, chi-squared, Pearson's linear correlation and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests were used. In order to compare the MRW of the present study with those of the United States (US), the concordance [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC)] and the correlation (coefficient of determination: R²) were measured. The total number of patients studied was 227,235, and the frequentation was 5.9 visits/habitant/year) and with a mean diagnoses number of 4.5 (3.2). The distribution of costs was €148.7 million, of which 29.1% were fixed costs. The mean total cost per patient/year was €654.2 (851.7), which was considered to be the reference MRW. Relationship between study-MRW and US-MRW: ICC was 0.40 [confidential interval (CI) 95%: 0.21-0.60] and the CCC was 0.42 (CI 95%: 0.35-0.49). The correlation between the US MRW and the MRW of the present study can be seen; the adjusted R² value is 0.691. The explanatory power of the ACG classification was 36.9% for the total costs. The R² of the total cost without considering outliers was 56.9%. The methodology has been shown appropriate for promoting the calculation of the MRW for each category of the classification. The results provide a possible practical application in PHC clinical management. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Effects of gross motor function and manual function levels on performance-based ADL motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy.

    PubMed

    Park, Myoung-Ok

    2017-02-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine effects of Gross Motor Function Classification System and Manual Ability Classification System levels on performance-based motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-three children with cerebral palsy were included. The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills was used to evaluate performance-based motor skills in daily life. Gross motor function was assessed using Gross Motor Function Classification Systems, and manual function was measured using the Manual Ability Classification System. [Results] Motor skills in daily activities were significantly different on Gross Motor Function Classification System level and Manual Ability Classification System level. According to the results of multiple regression analysis, children categorized as Gross Motor Function Classification System level III scored lower in terms of performance based motor skills than Gross Motor Function Classification System level I children. Also, when analyzed with respect to Manual Ability Classification System level, level II was lower than level I, and level III was lower than level II in terms of performance based motor skills. [Conclusion] The results of this study indicate that performance-based motor skills differ among children categorized based on Gross Motor Function Classification System and Manual Ability Classification System levels of cerebral palsy.

  16. [Electronic data records in primary health care and aspects of their development in Bosnia and Herzegovina].

    PubMed

    Novo, Ahmed; Masić, Izet; Toromanović, Selim; Karić, Mediha; Zunić, Lejla

    2004-01-01

    In Medical Informatics medical documentation and evidention are most probably the key areas. Also, in primary health care it is very important and part of daily activity of medical staff. Bosnia and Herzegovina is trying to be close to developed countries and to modernize and computerize current systems of documentation and to cross over from manual and semi manual methods to computerized medical data analysis. The most of European countries have developed standards and classification systems in primary health care for collecting, examination, analysis and interpretation of medical data assessed. One of possibilities as well as dilemma, which data carrier should be used for storage and manipulation of patient data in primary health care, is use of electronic medical record. Most of the South East European countries use chip or smart card and some of countries in neighborhood (Italy) choose laser card as patient data carrier. Both technologies have the advantages and disadvantages what was comprehensively colaborated by the authors in this paper, with intention to help experts who make decisions in this segment to create and to correctly influence on improvement of quality, correctness and accuracy of medical documentation in primary health care.

  17. Differences in care burden of patients undergoing dialysis in different centres in the netherlands.

    PubMed

    de Kleijn, Ria; Uyl-de Groot, Carin; Hagen, Chris; Diepenbroek, Adry; Pasker-de Jong, Pieternel; Ter Wee, Piet

    2017-06-01

    A classification model was developed to simplify planning of personnel at dialysis centres. This model predicted the care burden based on dialysis characteristics. However, patient characteristics and different dialysis centre categories might also influence the amount of care time required. To determine if there is a difference in care burden between different categories of dialysis centres and if specific patient characteristics predict nursing time needed for patient treatment. An observational study. Two hundred and forty-two patients from 12 dialysis centres. In 12 dialysis centres, nurses filled out the classification list per patient and completed a form with patient characteristics. Nephrologists filled out the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Independent observers clocked the time nurses spent on separate steps of the dialysis for each patient. Dialysis centres were categorised into four types. Data were analysed using regression models. In contrast to other dialysis centres, academic centres needed 14 minutes more care time per patient per dialysis treatment than predicted in the classification model. No patient characteristics were found that influenced this difference. The only patient characteristic that predicted the time required was gender, with more time required to treat women. Gender did not affect the difference between measured and predicted care time. Differences in care burden were observed between academic and other centres, with more time required for treatment in academic centres. Contribution of patient characteristics to the time difference was minimal. The only patient characteristics that predicted care time were previous transplantation, which reduced the time required, and gender, with women requiring more care time. © 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

  18. Nursing Diagnoses in Inpatient Psychiatry.

    PubMed

    Frauenfelder, Fritz; van Achterberg, Theo; Needham, Ian; Müller Staub, Maria

    2016-01-01

    This study explored how well NANDA-I covers the reality of adult inpatient psychiatric nursing care. Patient observations documented by registered nurses in records were analyzed using content analysis and mapped with the classification NANDA-I. A total of 1,818 notes were examined and contained 46 different patient responses. Twenty-nine patient responses were recognizable as NANDA-I diagnoses at the level of definitions, 15 as diagnoses-related factors, and 12 did not match with any NANDA-I diagnosis. This study demonstrates that NANDA-I describes the adult inpatient psychiatric nursing care to a large extent. Nevertheless, further development of the classification is important. The results of this study will spur nursing research and further classification development. © 2014 NANDA International, Inc.

  19. 78 FR 18252 - Prevailing Rate Systems; North American Industry Classification System Based Federal Wage System...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-26

    ...-AM78 Prevailing Rate Systems; North American Industry Classification System Based Federal Wage System... 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes currently used in Federal Wage System... (OPM) issued a final rule (73 FR 45853) to update the 2002 North American Industry Classification...

  20. Evaluation of nursing manpower allocation in a nursing home.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chun-Hsi; Tsai, Wen-Chen; Chang, Wei-Chieh

    2007-03-01

    The subjects of this study encompassed the nursing staffs (nurses and nursing aids) and residents of a public hospital-based nursing home. By intensive sampling, this study explored the differences in actual times that nurses spent caring for residents. We assessed the functional status of nursing home residents of various illness severities as well as measured the actual nursing manpower needed to meet the residents' care needs using Typology of the Aged with Illustration (TAI). Results showed that current nursing manpower levels in nursing homes was adequate, although some units had excessive manpower allocation. As a result, this study suggests the establishment of a resident classification system for use in long-term care (LTC) facilities to assist with manpower allocation and reasonable utilization of resources within the facility. Adequate nurse staffing will enhance the quality and accessibility of care for the residents with severe illnesses in LTC facilities.

  1. Development prospects of health and reform of the fiscal system in bosnia and herzegovina.

    PubMed

    Salihbasic, Sehzada

    2011-01-01

    The functions of the health system, according to the key objectives and relationships within the sub-systems that are available to the policy makers and managers in the Health Care system in Bosnia and Herzegovina - B&H, have been elaborated in detail, with the analytical overview of relevant indicators, thus confirming the limitations of the health promotion in B&H. The ability to overcome the expressed problems is in the startup of process for structural adjustment of the health sector, reform of the health care system and its financing. The reform in health system implies fundamental changes that need to take place, in B&H, as a state in health policy and institutions in the health care system, in order to improve the functioning of health systems with the aim of ensuring better health of the population. Reform implies the existence of documents with clearly formulated health policy objectives, for which the state stands, and for which a consensus was reached on the national level with all key actors in the political structure: public promotion of the basic principles for carrying out the reform, its implementation within a reasonable time frame, the corresponding effects for providers and customer satisfaction, as well as improving health services' efficacy (i.e. micro and macro) and the quality of healthcare. In this article, we elaborated the criteria for the classification of health systems, whereby the scientifically-based and empirical analysis is conducted on the health system in B&H and elaborated the key levers of the system. Leveraged organizational arrangements relating to the economic and political environment, organization and management functions, in connection with the services of finance, funds, customers and service providers, from which it follows the framework of state legislation related to health policy and health institutions at the state level are responsible for finance, planning, the organization, payment, regulation and conduct. If we start from the administrative criteria for the classification of "health sub-systems" in B&H, it is difficult to fit them in a pluralistic, decentralized or monistic, because in the system for each organization, there should be health policy at the state level, which is in the most countries represents the Ministry of Health.

  2. [Quantitative Prediction of Drug-Drug Interaction Caused by CYP Inhibition and Induction from In Vivo Data and Its Application in Daily Clinical Practices-Proposal for the Pharmacokinetic Interaction Significance Classification System (PISCS)].

    PubMed

    Ohno, Yoshiyuki

    2018-01-01

     Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) can affect the clearance of various drugs from the body; however, these effects are difficult to sufficiently evaluate in clinical studies. This article outlines our approach to improving methods for evaluating and providing drug information relative to the effects of DDIs. In a previous study, total exposure changes to many substrate drugs of CYP caused by the co-administration of inhibitor or inducer drugs were successfully predicted using in vivo data. There are two parameters for the prediction: the contribution ratio of the enzyme to oral clearance for substrates (CR), and either the inhibition ratio for inhibitors (IR) or the increase in clearance of substrates produced by induction (IC). To apply these predictions in daily pharmacotherapy, the clinical significance of any pharmacokinetic changes must be carefully evaluated. We constructed a pharmacokinetic interaction significance classification system (PISCS) in which the clinical significance of DDIs was considered in a systematic manner, according to pharmacokinetic changes. The PISCS suggests that many current 'alert' classifications are potentially inappropriate, especially for drug combinations in which pharmacokinetics have not yet been evaluated. It is expected that PISCS would contribute to constructing a reliable system to alert pharmacists, physicians and consumers of a broad range of pharmacokinetic DDIs in order to more safely manage daily clinical practices.

  3. Mapping the categories of the Swedish primary health care version of ICD-10 to SNOMED CT concepts: Rule development and intercoder reliability in a mapping trial

    PubMed Central

    Vikström, Anna; Skånér, Ylva; Strender, Lars-Erik; Nilsson, Gunnar H

    2007-01-01

    Background Terminologies and classifications are used for different purposes and have different structures and content. Linking or mapping terminologies and classifications has been pointed out as a possible way to achieve various aims as well as to attain additional advantages in describing and documenting health care data. The objectives of this study were: • to explore and develop rules to be used in a mapping process • to evaluate intercoder reliability and the assessed degree of concordance when the 'Swedish primary health care version of the International Classification of Diseases version 10' (ICD-10) is matched to the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine, Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) • to describe characteristics in the coding systems that are related to obstacles to high quality mapping. Methods Mapping (interpretation, matching, assessment and rule development) was done by two coders. The Swedish primary health care version of ICD-10 with 972 codes was randomly divided into an allotment of three sets of categories, used in three mapping sequences, A, B and C. Mapping was done independently by the coders and new rules were developed between the sequences. Intercoder reliability was measured by comparing the results after each set. The extent of matching was assessed as either 'partly' or 'completely concordant' Results General principles for mapping were outlined before the first sequence, A. New mapping rules had significant impact on the results between sequences A - B (p < 0.01) and A - C (p < 0.001). The intercoder reliability in our study reached 83%. Obstacles to high quality mapping were mainly a lack of agreement by the coders due to structural and content factors in SNOMED CT and in the current ICD-10 version. The predominant reasons for this were difficulties in interpreting the meaning of the categories in the current ICD-10 version, and the presence of many related concepts in SNOMED CT. Conclusion Mapping from ICD-10-categories to SNOMED CT needs clear and extensive rules. It is possible to reach high intercoder reliability in mapping from ICD-10-categories to SNOMED CT. However, several obstacles to high quality mapping remain due to structure and content characteristics in both coding systems. PMID:17472757

  4. Cloud Classification in Polar and Desert Regions and Smoke Classification from Biomass Burning Using a Hierarchical Neural Network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alexander, June; Corwin, Edward; Lloyd, David; Logar, Antonette; Welch, Ronald

    1996-01-01

    This research focuses on a new neural network scene classification technique. The task is to identify scene elements in Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometry (AVHRR) data from three scene types: polar, desert and smoke from biomass burning in South America (smoke). The ultimate goal of this research is to design and implement a computer system which will identify the clouds present on a whole-Earth satellite view as a means of tracking global climate changes. Previous research has reported results for rule-based systems (Tovinkere et at 1992, 1993) for standard back propagation (Watters et at. 1993) and for a hierarchical approach (Corwin et al 1994) for polar data. This research uses a hierarchical neural network with don't care conditions and applies this technique to complex scenes. A hierarchical neural network consists of a switching network and a collection of leaf networks. The idea of the hierarchical neural network is that it is a simpler task to classify a certain pattern from a subset of patterns than it is to classify a pattern from the entire set. Therefore, the first task is to cluster the classes into groups. The switching, or decision network, performs an initial classification by selecting a leaf network. The leaf networks contain a reduced set of similar classes, and it is in the various leaf networks that the actual classification takes place. The grouping of classes in the various leaf networks is determined by applying an iterative clustering algorithm. Several clustering algorithms were investigated, but due to the size of the data sets, the exhaustive search algorithms were eliminated. A heuristic approach using a confusion matrix from a lightly trained neural network provided the basis for the clustering algorithm. Once the clusters have been identified, the hierarchical network can be trained. The approach of using don't care nodes results from the difficulty in generating extremely complex surfaces in order to separate one class from all of the others. This approach finds pairwise separating surfaces and forms the more complex separating surface from combinations of simpler surfaces. This technique both reduces training time and improves accuracy over the previously reported results. Accuracies of 97.47%, 95.70%, and 99.05% were achieved for the polar, desert and smoke data sets.

  5. Optimal Anti-cancer Drug Profiles for Effective Penetration of the Anti-cancer Drug Market by Generic Drugs in Japan.

    PubMed

    Shibata, Shoyo; Matsushita, Maiko; Saito, Yoshimasa; Suzuki, Takeshi

    2017-01-01

    The increased use of generic drugs is a good indicator of the need to reduce the increasing costs of prescription drugs. Since there are more expensive drugs compared with other therapeutic areas, "oncology" is an important one for generic drugs. The primary objective of this article was to quantify the extent to which generic drugs in Japan occupy each level of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. The dataset used in this study was created from publicly available information obtained from the IMS Japan Pharmaceutical Market database. Data on the total amount of sales and number of prescriptions for anti-cancer drugs between 2010 and 2016 in Japan were selected. The data were categorized according to the third level of the ATC classification system. All categories of the ATC classification system had increased market shares in Japan between 2010 and 2016. The barriers to market entry were relatively low in L01F (platinum anti-neoplastics), L01C (plant-based neoplastics), L02B (cytostatic hormone antagonists), and L01D (anti-neoplastic antibiotics) but were high in L02A (cytostatic hormones), L01H (protein kinase inhibitors), and L01B (anti-metabolites). Generic cancer drugs could bring savings to Japanese health care systems. Therefore, their development should be directed toward niche markets, such as L02A, L01H, and L01B, and not competitive markets.

  6. [Nursing service certification. Norm UNE-EN-ISO 9001-2008].

    PubMed

    Salazar de la Guerra, R; Ferrer Arnedo, C; Labrador Domínguez, M J; Sangregorio Matesanz, A

    2014-01-01

    To certify the nursing services using a quality management system, taking an international standard as a reference, and based on a continuous improvement process. The standard was revised, and the Quality Management System documentation was updated, consisting of a Quality Manual and 7 control procedures. All the existing procedures were coded in accordance with the documentation control process. Each operational procedure was associated with a set of indicators which permitted to know the results obtained, analyze the deviations and to implement further improvements. The system was implemented successfully. Twenty-eight care procedures and eleven procedures concerning techniques were incorporated into the management system. Thirty indicators were established that allowed the whole process to be monitored. All patients were assigned to a nurse in their clinical notes and all of them had a personalized Care Plan according to planning methodology using North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) international rankings. The incidence of falls, as well as the incidence of chronic skin wounds, was low, taking into account the characteristics of the patient and the duration of the stay (mean=35.87 days). The safety indicators had a high level of compliance, with 90% of patients clearly identified and 100% with hygiene protocol. The confidence rating given to the nurses was 91%. The certification enabled the quality of the service to be improved using a structured process, analyzing the results, dealing with non-conformities and introducing improvements. Copyright © 2014 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. Identifying Nursing Interventions in a Cancer Screening Program Using Nursing Interventions Classification Taxonomy.

    PubMed

    Benito, Llucia; Lluch, María Teresa; Falcó, Anna Marta; García, Montse; Puig, Montse

    2017-04-01

    This study aimed to investigate which Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) labels correspond to specific nursing interventions provided during cancer screening to establish a nursing documentation system. This descriptive study was conducted to identify and classify the interventions that cancer screening nurses perform based on an initial list. The initial list was grouped into 15 interventions that corresponded to four domains and eight classes. The study found expert consensus regarding the duties of cancer screening nurses and identified 15 interventions that should be implemented in clinical practice for cancer screening care, according to the NIC taxonomy. This study is the first step in developing indicators to assess nursing performance in cancer screening, and it helps to establish the core competency requirements for cancer screening nurses. © 2015 NANDA International, Inc.

  8. Translation and integration of CCC nursing diagnoses into ICNP.

    PubMed

    Matney, Susan A; DaDamio, Rebecca; Couderc, Carmela; Dlugos, Mary; Evans, Jonathan; Gianonne, Gay; Haskell, Robert; Hardiker, Nicholas; Coenen, Amy; Saba, Virginia K

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to translate and integrate nursing diagnosis concepts from the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) System Version 2.0 to DiagnosticPhenomenon or nursing diagnostic statements in the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) Version 1.0. Source concepts for CCC were mapped by the project team, where possible, to pre-coordinated ICNP terms. The manual decomposition of source concepts according to the ICNP 7-Axis Model served to validate the mappings. A total of 62% of the CCC Nursing Diagnoses were a pre-coordinated match to an ICNP concept, 35% were a post-coordinated match and only 3% had no match. During the mapping process, missing CCC concepts were submitted to the ICNP Programme, with a recommendation for inclusion in future releases.

  9. Patient classification in home health care: are we ready?

    PubMed

    Cox, C L; Wood, J E; Montgomery, A C; Smith, P C

    1990-09-01

    This longitudinal descriptive study retrospectively profiled the acutely ill patient in home health care and explored the utility of using patient record data in predicting agency resource use and patient outcome. The findings suggest that those variables traditionally relied on for reimbursement qualification and as components of patient-classification schemes may not be wholly adequate to explain resource use and patient outcome in the home health setting. Professional nursing judgment of the patient's prognosis was found to be the most sensitive variable predicting outcome. Selected diagnoses and self-care capacity of the patient were the major predictors of resource use. Suggestions are offered for further studies that may move public health nursing more quickly toward the development of consistent and accurate home health care case mix measures.

  10. Definition and classification of chyle leak after pancreatic operation: A consensus statement by the International Study Group on Pancreatic Surgery.

    PubMed

    Besselink, Marc G; van Rijssen, L Bengt; Bassi, Claudio; Dervenis, Christos; Montorsi, Marco; Adham, Mustapha; Asbun, Horacio J; Bockhorn, Maximillian; Strobel, Oliver; Büchler, Markus W; Busch, Olivier R; Charnley, Richard M; Conlon, Kevin C; Fernández-Cruz, Laureano; Fingerhut, Abe; Friess, Helmut; Izbicki, Jakob R; Lillemoe, Keith D; Neoptolemos, John P; Sarr, Michael G; Shrikhande, Shailesh V; Sitarz, Robert; Vollmer, Charles M; Yeo, Charles J; Hartwig, Werner; Wolfgang, Christopher L; Gouma, Dirk J

    2017-02-01

    Recent literature suggests that chyle leak may complicate up to 10% of pancreatic resections. Treatment depends on its severity, which may include chylous ascites. No international consensus definition or grading system of chyle leak currently is available. The International Study Group on Pancreatic Surgery, an international panel of pancreatic surgeons working in well-known, high-volume centers, reviewed the literature and worked together to establish a consensus on the definition and classification of chyle leak after pancreatic operation. Chyle leak was defined as output of milky-colored fluid from a drain, drain site, or wound on or after postoperative day 3, with a triglyceride content ≥110 mg/dL (≥1.2 mmol/L). Three different grades of severity were defined according to the management needed: grade A, no specific intervention other than oral dietary restrictions; grade B, prolongation of hospital stay, nasoenteral nutrition with dietary restriction, total parenteral nutrition, octreotide, maintenance of surgical drains, or placement of new percutaneous drains; and grade C, need for other more invasive in-hospital treatment, intensive care unit admission, or mortality. This classification and grading system for chyle leak after pancreatic resection allows for comparison of outcomes between series. As with the other the International Study Group on Pancreatic Surgery consensus statements, this classification should facilitate communication and evaluation of different approaches to the prevention and treatment of this complication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Mapping the Content of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Using the International Classification of Functioning, Health and Disability

    PubMed Central

    Tucker, Carole A; Escorpizo, Reuben; Cieza, Alarcos; Lai, Jin Shei; Stucki, Gerold; Ustun, T. Bedirhan; Kostanjsek, Nenad; Cella, David; Forrest, Christopher B.

    2014-01-01

    Background The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) is a U.S. National Institutes of Health initiative that has produced self-reported item banks for physical, mental, and social health. Objective To describe the content of PROMIS at the item level using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Methods All PROMIS adult items (publicly available as of 2012) were assigned to relevant ICF concepts. The content of the PROMIS adult item banks were then described using the mapped ICF code descriptors. Results The 1006 items in the PROMIS instruments could all be mapped to ICF concepts at the second level of classification, with the exception of 3 items of global or general health that mapped across the first-level classification of ICF activity and participation component (d categories). Individual PROMIS item banks mapped from 1 to 5 separate ICF codes indicating one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-one mappings between PROMIS item banks and ICF second level classification codes. PROMIS supports measurement of the majority of major concepts in the ICF Body Functions (b) and Activity & Participation (d) components using PROMIS item banks or subsets of PROMIS items that could, with care, be used to develop customized instruments. Given the focus of PROMIS is on measurement of person health outcomes, concepts in body structures (s) and some body functions (b), as well as many ICF environmental factor have minimal coverage in PROMIS. Discussion The PROMIS-ICF mapped items provide a basis for users to evaluate the ICF related content of specific PROMIS instruments, and to select PROMIS instruments in ICF based measurement applications. PMID:24760532

  12. A Competition between Care Teams Improved Recording of Diagnoses in Primary Dental Care: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

    PubMed

    Kallio, Jouko; Kauppila, Timo; Suominen, Lasse; Heikkinen, Anna Maria

    2017-01-01

    A playful competition was launched in a primary dental health care system to improve the recording of diagnoses into an electronic patient chart system and to study what diagnoses were used in primary dental care. This was a longitudinal follow-up study with public sector primary dental care practices in a Finnish city. A one-year-lasting playful competition between the dental care teams was launched and the monthly percentage of dentists' visits with recorded diagnosis before, during, and after the intervention was recorded. The assessed diagnoses were recorded with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Before the competition, the level of diagnosis recordings was practically zero. At the end of this intervention, about 25% of the visits had a recorded diagnosis. Two years after the competition, this percentage was 35% without any additional measures. The most frequent diagnoses were dental caries (K02, 38.6%), other diseases of hard tissues of teeth (K03, 14.8%), and diseases of pulp and periapical tissues (K04, 11.4%). Commitment to the idea that recording of diagnoses was beneficial improved the recording of dental diagnoses. However, the diagnoses obtained did not accurately reflect the reputed prevalence of oral diseases in the Finnish population.

  13. Clinical information systems for the management of tuberculosis in primary health care.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, Eliabe Rodrigues de; Silva, Sandy Yasmine Bezerra E; Ataide, Cáthia Alessandra Varela; Pinto, Erika Simone Galvão; Silva, Maria de Lourdes Costa da; Villa, Tereza Cristina Scatena

    2017-12-11

    to analyze the clinical information systems used in the management of tuberculosis in Primary Health Care. descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study with 100 health professionals with data collected through a questionnaire to assess local institutional capacity for the model of attention to chronic conditions, as adapted for tuberculosis care. The analysis was performed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Nurses and the Community Health Agents were classified as having fair capacity with a mean of 6.4 and 6.3, respectively. The city was classified as having fair capacity, with a mean of 6.0 and standard deviation of 1.5. Family Health Units had higher capacity than Basic Health Units and Mixed Units, although not statistically relevant. Clinical records and data on tuberculosis patients, items of the clinical information systems, had a higher classification than the other items, classified as having fair capacity, with a mean of 7.3 and standard deviation of 1.6, and the registry of TB patients had a mean of 6.6 and standard deviation of 2.0. clinical information systems are present in the city, mainly in clinical records and patient data, and they have the contribution of professionals linked with tuberculosis patients.

  14. Pre-implementation studies of a workforce planning tool for nurse staffing and human resource management in university hospitals.

    PubMed

    van Oostveen, Catharina J; Ubbink, Dirk T; Mens, Marian A; Pompe, Edwin A; Vermeulen, Hester

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the reliability, validity and feasibility of the RAFAELA workforce planning system (including the Oulu patient classification system - OPCq), before deciding on implementation in Dutch hospitals. The complexity of care, budgetary restraints and demand for high-quality patient care have ignited the need for transparent hospital workforce planning. Nurses from 12 wards of two university hospitals were trained to test the reliability of the OPCq by investigating the absolute agreement of nursing care intensity (NCI) measurements among nurses. Validity was tested by assessing whether optimal NCI/nurse ratio, as calculated by a regression analysis in RAFAELA, was realistic. System feasibility was investigated through a questionnaire among all nurses involved. Almost 67 000 NCI measurements were performed between December 2013 and June 2014. Agreement using the OPCq varied between 38% and 91%. For only 1 in 12 wards was the optimal NCI area calculated judged as valid. Although the majority of respondents was positive about the applicability and user-friendliness, RAFAELA was not accepted as useful workforce planning system. Nurses' performance using the RAFAELA system did not warrant its implementation. Hospital managers should first focus on enlarging the readiness of nurses regarding the implementation of a workforce planning system. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Refined 4-group classification of left ventricular hypertrophy based on ventricular concentricity and volume dilatation outlines distinct noninvasive hemodynamic profiles in a large contemporary echocardiographic population.

    PubMed

    Barbieri, Andrea; Rossi, Andrea; Gaibazzi, Nicola; Erlicher, Andrea; Mureddu, Gian Francesco; Frattini, Silvia; Faden, Giacomo; Manicardi, Marcella; Beraldi, Monica; Agostini, Francesco; Lazzarini, Valentina; Moreo, Antonella; Temporelli, Pier Luigi; Faggiano, Pompilio

    2018-05-23

    Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) may reflect a wide variety of physiologic and pathologic conditions. Thus, it can be misleading to consider all LVH to be homogenous or similar. Refined 4-group classification of LVH based on ventricular concentricity and dilatation may be identified. To determine whether the 4-group classification of LVH identified distinct phenotypes, we compared their association with various noninvasive markers of cardiac stress. Cohort of unselected adult outpatients referred to a seven tertiary care echocardiographic laboratory for any indication in a 2-week period. We evaluated the LV geometric patterns using validated echocardiographic indexation methods and partition values. Standard echocardiography was performed in 1137 consecutive subjects, and LVH was found in 42%. The newly proposed 4-group classification of LVH was applicable in 88% of patients. The most common pattern resulted in concentric LVH (19%). The worst functional and hemodynamic profile was associated with eccentric LVH and those with mixed LVH had a higher prevalence of reduced EF than those with concentric LVH (P < .001 for all). The new 4-group classification of LVH system showed distinct differences in cardiac function and noninvasive hemodynamics allowing clinicians to distinguish different LV hemodynamic stress adaptations in patients with LVH. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Natural Resources Inventory and Land Evaluation in Switzerland

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haefner, H. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. A system was developed to operationally map and measure the areal extent of various land use categories for updating existing and producing new and actual thematic maps showing the latest state of rural and urban landscapes and its changes. The processing system includes: (1) preprocessing steps for radiometric and geometric corrections; (2) classification of the data by a multivariate procedure, using a stepwise linear discriminant analysis based on carefully selected training cells; and (3) output in form of color maps by printing black and white theme overlays of a selected scale with photomation system and its coloring and combination into a color composite.

  17. Using UMLS to map from a library to a clinical classification: Improving the functionality of a digital library.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Judas; de Lusignan, Simon; Kostkova, Patty; Madge, Bruce

    2006-01-01

    The Metathesaurus of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) offers the possibility of mapping between various medical vocabularies. The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) contains a database of over six thousand Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) describing the resources of the electronic library. We were interested to know if it was possible to map from MeSH to the Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT). Such a mapping would aid healthcare professionals to retrieve relevant data from our digital library as it would enable links between clinical systems and indexed material.

  18. The development of the friction coefficient inspection equipment for skin using a load cell.

    PubMed

    Song, Han Wook; Park, Yon Kyu; Lee, Sung Jun; Woo, Sam Yong; Kim, Sun Hyung; Kim, Dal Rae

    2008-01-01

    The skin is an indispensible organ for human because it contributes to the metabolism using its own biochemical functions as well as it protects the human body from the exterior stimuli. Recently, the friction coefficient have been used as the decision index of the progress for the bacterial aliments in the field of the skin physiology and the importance of friction coefficient have been increased in the skin care market because of the needs of the well being times. In addition, the usage of friction coefficient is known to have the big discrimination ability in classification of human constitutions, which is utilized in the alternative medicine. In this study, we designed a system which used the multi axes load cell and hemi-circular probe and tried to measure the friction coefficient of hand skins repeatedly. Using this system, the relative repeatability error for the measurement of the friction coefficient was below 4 %. The coefficient is not concerned in curvatures of tips. Using this system, we will try to establish the standard for classification of constitutions.

  19. Comparing Canadian and American normative scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Allyson G; Armstrong, Irene T; Harrison, Laura E; Lange, Rael T; Iverson, Grant L

    2014-12-01

    Psychologists practicing in Canada must decide which set of normative data to use for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). The purpose of this study was to compare the interpretive effects of applying American versus Canadian normative systems in a sample of 432 Canadian postsecondary-level students who were administered the WAIS-IV as part of an evaluation for a learning disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other mental health problems. Employing the Canadian normative system yielded IQ, Index, and subtest scores that were systematically lower than those obtained using the American norms. Furthermore, the percentage agreement in normative classifications, defined as American and Canadian index scores within five points or within the same classification range, was between 49% and 76%. Substantial differences are present between the American and Canadian WAIS-IV norms. Clinicians should consider carefully the implications regarding which normative system is most appropriate for specific types of evaluations. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. The biopsychosocial domains and the functions of the medical interview in primary care: construct validity of the Verona Medical Interview Classification System.

    PubMed

    Del Piccolo, Lidia; Putnam, Samuel M; Mazzi, Maria Angela; Zimmermann, Christa

    2004-04-01

    Factor analysis (FA) is a powerful method of testing the construct validity of coding systems of the medical interview. The study uses FA to test the underlying assumptions of the Verona Medical Interview Classification System (VR-MICS). The relationship between factor scores and patient characteristics was also examined. The VR-MICS coding categories consider the three domains of the biopsychosocial model and the main functions of the medical interview-data gathering, relationship building and patient education. FA was performed on the frequencies of the VR-MICS categories based on 238 medical interviews. Seven factors (62.5% of variance explained) distinguished different strategies patients and physicians use to exchange information, build a relationship and negotiate treatment within the domains of the biopsychosocial model. Three factors, Psychological, Social Inquiry and Management of Patient Agenda, were related to patient data: sociodemographic (female gender, age and employment), social (stressful events), clinical (GHQ-12 score), personality (chance external health locus of control) and clinical characteristics (psychiatric history, chronic illness, attributed presence of emotional distress).

  1. Practice, science and governance in interaction: European effort for the system-wide implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

    PubMed

    Stucki, Gerold; Zampolini, Mauro; Juocevicius, Alvydas; Negrini, Stefano; Christodoulou, Nicolas

    2017-04-01

    Since its launch in 2001, relevant international, regional and national PRM bodies have aimed to implement the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), whereby contributing to the development of suitable practical tools. These tools are available for implementing the ICF in day-to-day clinical practice, standardized reporting of functioning outcomes in quality management and research, and guiding evidence-informed policy. Educational efforts have reinforced PRM physicians' and other rehabilitation professionals' ICF knowledge, and numerous implementation projects have explored how the ICF is applied in clinical practice, research and policy. Largely lacking though is the system-wide implementation of ICF in day-to-day practice across all rehabilitation services of national health systems. In Europe, system-wide implementation of ICF requires the interaction between practice, science and governance. Considering its mandate, the UEMS PRM Section and Board have decided to lead a European effort towards system-wide ICF implementation in PRM, rehabilitation and health care at large, in interaction with governments, non-governmental actors and the private sector, and aligned with ISPRM's collaboration plan with WHO. In this paper we present the current PRM internal and external policy agenda towards system-wide ICF implementation and the corresponding implementation action plan, while highlighting priority action steps - promotion of ICF-based standardized reporting in national quality management and assurance programs, development of unambiguous rehabilitation service descriptions using the International Classification System for Service Organization in Health-related Rehabilitation, development of Clinical Assessment Schedules, qualitative linkage and quantitative mapping of data to the ICF, and the cultural adaptation of the ICF Clinical Data Collection Tool in European languages.

  2. Ecological Land Classification: Applications to Identify the Productive Potential of Southern Forests

    Treesearch

    Dennis L. Mengel; D. Thompson Tew; [Editors

    1991-01-01

    Eighteen papers representing four categories-Regional Overviews; Classification System Development; Classification System Interpretation; Mapping/GIS Applications in Classification Systems-present the state of the art in forest-land classification and evaluation in the South. In addition, nine poster papers are presented.

  3. Deep feature learning for knee cartilage segmentation using a triplanar convolutional neural network.

    PubMed

    Prasoon, Adhish; Petersen, Kersten; Igel, Christian; Lauze, François; Dam, Erik; Nielsen, Mads

    2013-01-01

    Segmentation of anatomical structures in medical images is often based on a voxel/pixel classification approach. Deep learning systems, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), can infer a hierarchical representation of images that fosters categorization. We propose a novel system for voxel classification integrating three 2D CNNs, which have a one-to-one association with the xy, yz and zx planes of 3D image, respectively. We applied our method to the segmentation of tibial cartilage in low field knee MRI scans and tested it on 114 unseen scans. Although our method uses only 2D features at a single scale, it performs better than a state-of-the-art method using 3D multi-scale features. In the latter approach, the features and the classifier have been carefully adapted to the problem at hand. That we were able to get better results by a deep learning architecture that autonomously learns the features from the images is the main insight of this study.

  4. Performance of International Classification of Diseases-based injury severity measures used to predict in-hospital mortality and intensive care admission among traumatic brain-injured patients.

    PubMed

    Gagné, Mathieu; Moore, Lynne; Sirois, Marie-Josée; Simard, Marc; Beaudoin, Claudia; Kuimi, Brice Lionel Batomen

    2017-02-01

    The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the main classification system used for population-based traumatic brain injury (TBI) surveillance activities but does not contain direct information on injury severity. International Classification of Diseases-based injury severity measures can be empirically derived or mapped to the Abbreviated Injury Scale, but no single approach has been formally recommended for TBI. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of different ICD-based injury severity measures for predicting in-hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in TBI patients. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study. We identified all patients 16 years or older with a TBI diagnosis who received acute care between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2013, from the Quebec Hospital Discharge Database. The accuracy of five ICD-based injury severity measures for predicting mortality and ICU admission was compared using measures of discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]) and calibration (calibration plot and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic). Of 31,087 traumatic brain-injured patients in the study population, 9.0% died in hospital, and 34.4% were admitted to the ICU. Among ICD-based severity measures that were assessed, the multiplied derivative of ICD-based Injury Severity Score (ICISS-Multiplicative) demonstrated the best discriminative ability for predicting in-hospital mortality (AUC, 0.858; 95% confidence interval, 0.852-0.864) and ICU admissions (AUC, 0.813; 95% confidence interval, 0.808-0.818). Calibration assessments showed good agreement between observed and predicted in-hospital mortality for ICISS measures. All severity measures presented high agreement between observed and expected probabilities of ICU admission for all deciles of risk. The ICD-based injury severity measures can be used to accurately predict in-hospital mortality and ICU admission in TBI patients. The ICISS-Multiplicative generally outperformed other ICD-based injury severity measures and should be preferred to control for differences in baseline characteristics between TBI patients in surveillance activities or injury research when only ICD codes are available. Prognostic study, level III.

  5. 9 CFR 3.58 - Classification and separation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Classification and separation. 3.58 Section 3.58 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment and...

  6. Determinants of the Delegation of Health Care Aboard Ships with Women Assigned

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-06-07

    Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) code7 by one of five research staff memners. 4 RESULTS Of the original 2,906 patient visits, the research staff was tnable...was recomputed: (1) neoplasms, (2) endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases , and immunity disorders, (3) diseases of the blood and blood-forming...organs, (4) diseases of the circulatory system, (5) complications o pregnancy, and (6) congenital anomalies. As shown in Figure 2, the results of this

  7. Postoperative ileus: Recent developments in pathophysiology and management.

    PubMed

    Bragg, Damian; El-Sharkawy, Ahmed M; Psaltis, Emmanouil; Maxwell-Armstrong, Charles A; Lobo, Dileep N

    2015-06-01

    Postoperative ileus (POI) is a frequent occurrence after abdominal and other types of surgery, and is associated with significant morbidity and costs to health care providers. The aims of this narrative review were to provide an update of classification systems, preventive techniques, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment options for established POI. The Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched using the key phrases 'ileus', 'postoperative ileus' and 'definition', for relevant studies published in English from January 1997 to August 2014. POI is still a problematic and frequent complication of surgery. Fluid overload, exogenous opioids, neurohormonal dysfunction, and gastrointestinal stretch and inflammation are key mechanisms in the pathophysiology of POI. Evidence is supportive of thoracic epidural analgesia, avoidance of salt and water overload, alvimopan and gum chewing as measures for the prevention of POI, and should be incorporated into perioperative care protocols. Minimal access surgery and avoidance of nasogastric tubes may also help. Novel strategies are emerging, but further studies are required for the treatment of prolonged POI, where evidence is still lacking. Although POI is often inevitable, methods to reduce its duration and facilitate recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function are evolving rapidly. Utilisation of standardised diagnostic classification systems will help improve applicability of future studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

  8. Examining transgender health through the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health's (ICF) Contextual Factors.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Melissa; Cox, Steven R

    2017-12-01

    For many transgender individuals, medical intervention is necessary to live as their desired gender. However, little is known about Contextual Factors (i.e., Environmental and Personal) that may act as facilitators and barriers in the health of transgender individuals. Therefore, this paper sought to examine Contextual Factors of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health that may facilitate or negatively impact the physical, psychological, and social functioning of transgender individuals. A literature review was conducted to identify Environmental and Personal Factors that may influence transgender individuals' physical, psychological, and social functioning. Seven electronic databases were searched. In total, 154 records were reviewed, and 41 articles and other records met inclusion criteria. Three general themes emerged for Environmental Factors: family and social networks, education, and health care. Three general themes also emerged for Personal Factors: socioeconomic status, race, and age. Transgender individuals benefit from gender-affirming services, improved family and social support systems, and competent provider care. Educational training programs, including medical curricula or workshops, might provide the greatest benefit in improving transgender health by increasing the knowledge and cultural competency of health professionals working with this population. Given the diversity of gender expression, differences in lived experiences, and potential for enduring persistent "double discrimination" due to the intersectional relationships between socioeconomic status, race, and/or age, health professionals must approach transgender health using a holistic lens such as the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

  9. Nursing home case-mix reimbursement in Mississippi and South Dakota.

    PubMed

    Arling, Greg; Daneman, Barry

    2002-04-01

    To evaluate the effects of nursing home case-mix reimbursement on facility case mix and costs in Mississippi and South Dakota. Secondary data from resident assessments and Medicaid cost reports from 154 Mississippi and 107 South Dakota nursing facilities in 1992 and 1994, before and after implementation of new case-mix reimbursement systems. The study relied on a two-wave panel design to examine case mix (resident acuity) and direct care costs in 1-year periods before and after implementation of a nursing home case-mix reimbursement system. Cross-lagged regression models were used to assess change in case mix and costs between periods while taking into account facility characteristics. Facility-level measures were constructed from Medicaid cost reports and Minimum Data Set-Plus assessment records supplied by each state. Resident case mix was based on the RUG-III classification system. Facility case-mix scores and direct care costs increased significantly between periods in both states. Changes in facility costs and case mix were significantly related in a positive direction. Medicare utilization and the rate of hospitalizations from the nursing facility also increased significantly between periods, particularly in Mississippi. The case-mix reimbursement systems appeared to achieve their intended goals: improved access for heavy-care residents and increased direct care expenditures in facilities with higher acuity residents. However, increases in Medicare utilization may have influenced facility case mix or costs, and some facilities may have been unprepared to care for higher acuity residents, as indicated by increased rates of hospitalization.

  10. The comprehensiveness of the ESHRE/ESGE classification of female genital tract congenital anomalies: a systematic review of cases not classified by the AFS system

    PubMed Central

    Di Spiezio Sardo, A.; Campo, R.; Gordts, S.; Spinelli, M.; Cosimato, C.; Tanos, V.; Brucker, S.; Li, T. C.; Gergolet, M.; De Angelis, C.; Gianaroli, L.; Grimbizis, G.

    2015-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION How comprehensive is the recently published European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) classification system of female genital anomalies? SUMMARY ANSWER The ESHRE/ESGE classification provides a comprehensive description and categorization of almost all of the currently known anomalies that could not be classified properly with the American Fertility Society (AFS) system. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Until now, the more accepted classification system, namely that of the AFS, is associated with serious limitations in effective categorization of female genital anomalies. Many cases published in the literature could not be properly classified using the AFS system, yet a clear and accurate classification is a prerequisite for treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION The CONUTA (CONgenital UTerine Anomalies) ESHRE/ESGE group conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine if those types of anomalies that could not be properly classified with the AFS system could be effectively classified with the use of the new ESHRE/ESGE system. An electronic literature search through Medline, Embase and Cochrane library was carried out from January 1988 to January 2014. Three participants independently screened, selected articles of potential interest and finally extracted data from all the included studies. Any disagreement was discussed and resolved after consultation with a fourth reviewer and the results were assessed independently and approved by all members of the CONUTA group. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Among the 143 articles assessed in detail, 120 were finally selected reporting 140 cases that could not properly fit into a specific class of the AFS system. Those 140 cases were clustered in 39 different types of anomalies. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The congenital anomaly involved a single organ in 12 (30.8%) out of the 39 types of anomalies, while multiple organs and/or segments of Müllerian ducts (complex anomaly) were involved in 27 (69.2%) types. Uterus was the organ most frequently involved (30/39: 76.9%), followed by cervix (26/39: 66.7%) and vagina (23/39: 59%). In all 39 types, the ESHRE/ESGE classification system provided a comprehensive description of each single or complex anomaly. A precise categorization was reached in 38 out of 39 types studied. Only one case of a bizarre uterine anomaly, with no clear embryological defect, could not be categorized and thus was placed in Class 6 (un-classified) of the ESHRE/ESGE system. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The review of the literature was thorough but we cannot rule out the possibility that other defects exist which will also require testing in the new ESHRE/ESGE system. These anomalies, however, must be rare. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The comprehensiveness of the ESHRE/ESGE classification adds objective scientific validity to its use. This may, therefore, promote its further dissemination and acceptance, which will have a positive outcome in clinical care and research. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) None. PMID:25788565

  11. Systematically evaluating the impact of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) on health care delivery: a matrix of ethical implications.

    PubMed

    Fourie, Carina; Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Wild, Verina

    2014-04-01

    Swiss hospitals were required to implement a prospective payment system for reimbursement using a diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) classification system by the beginning of 2012. Reforms to a health care system should be assessed for their impact, including their impact on ethically relevant factors. Over a number of years and in a number of countries, questions have been raised in the literature about the ethical implications of the implementation of DRGs. However, despite this, researchers have not attempted to identify the major ethical issues associated with DRGs systematically. To address this gap in the literature, we have developed a matrix for identifying the ethical implications of the implementation of DRGs. It was developed using a literature review, and empirical studies on DRGs, as well as a review and analysis of existing ethics frameworks. The matrix consists of the ethically relevant parameters of health care systems on which DRGs are likely to have an impact; the ethical values underlying these parameters; and examples of specific research questions associated with DRGs to illustrate how the matrix can be applied. While the matrix has been developed in light of the Swiss health care reform, it could be used as a basis for identifying the ethical implications of DRG-based systems worldwide and for highlighting the ethical implications of other kinds of provider payment systems (PPS). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. 3P: Personalized Pregnancy Prediction in IVF Treatment Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uyar, Asli; Ciray, H. Nadir; Bener, Ayse; Bahceci, Mustafa

    We present an intelligent learning system for improving pregnancy success rate of IVF treatment. Our proposed model uses an SVM based classification system for training a model from past data and making predictions on implantation outcome of new embryos. This study employs an embryo-centered approach. Each embryo is represented with a data feature vector including 17 features related to patient characteristics, clinical diagnosis, treatment method and embryo morphological parameters. Our experimental results demonstrate a prediction accuracy of 82.7%. We have obtained the IVF dataset from Bahceci Women Health, Care Centre, in Istanbul, Turkey.

  13. Pathohistological classification systems in gastric cancer: Diagnostic relevance and prognostic value

    PubMed Central

    Berlth, Felix; Bollschweiler, Elfriede; Drebber, Uta; Hoelscher, Arnulf H; Moenig, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    Several pathohistological classification systems exist for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Many studies have investigated the correlation between the pathohistological characteristics in gastric cancer and patient characteristics, disease specific criteria and overall outcome. It is still controversial as to which classification system imparts the most reliable information, and therefore, the choice of system may vary in clinical routine. In addition to the most common classification systems, such as the Laurén and the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications, other authors have tried to characterize and classify gastric cancer based on the microscopic morphology and in reference to the clinical outcome of the patients. In more than 50 years of systematic classification of the pathohistological characteristics of gastric cancer, there is no sole classification system that is consistently used worldwide in diagnostics and research. However, several national guidelines for the treatment of gastric cancer refer to the Laurén or the WHO classifications regarding therapeutic decision-making, which underlines the importance of a reliable classification system for gastric cancer. The latest results from gastric cancer studies indicate that it might be useful to integrate DNA- and RNA-based features of gastric cancer into the classification systems to establish prognostic relevance. This article reviews the diagnostic relevance and the prognostic value of different pathohistological classification systems in gastric cancer. PMID:24914328

  14. Structured health care for subjects with diabetic foot ulcers results in a reduction of major amputation rates.

    PubMed

    Weck, Matthias; Slesaczeck, Torsten; Paetzold, Hartmut; Muench, Dirk; Nanning, Thomas; von Gagern, Georg; Brechow, Andrej; Dietrich, Ulf; Holfert, Mandy; Bornstein, Stefan; Barthel, Andreas; Thomas, Antje; Koehler, Carsta; Hanefeld, Markolf

    2013-03-13

    We tested the effects of structured health care for the diabetic foot in one region in Germany aiming to reduce the number of major amputations. In a prospective study we investigated patients with diabetic foot in a structured system of outpatient, in-patient and rehabilitative treatment. Subjects were recruited between January 1st, 2000 and December 31, 2007. All participants underwent a two-year follow-up. The modified University of Texas Wound Classification System (UT) was the basis for documentation and data analysis. We evaluated numbers of major amputations, rates of ulcer healing and mortality. In order to compare the effect of the structured health care program with usual care in patients with diabetic foot we evaluated the same parameters at another regional hospital without interdisciplinary care of diabetic foot (controls). 684 patients with diabetic foot and 508 controls were investigated. At discharge from hospital 28.3% (structured health care program, SHC) vs. 23.0% (controls) of all ulcers had healed completely. 51.5% (SHC) vs. 49.8% (controls) were in UT grade 1.Major amputations were performed in 32 subjects of the structured health care program group (4.7%) vs. 110 (21.7%) in controls (p<0.0001). Mortality during hospitalization was 2.5% (SHC) vs. 9.4% in controls (p<0.001). With the structured health care program we achieved a significant reduction of major amputation rates by more than 75% as compared to standard care.

  15. Clinical Diagnosis of Dental Caries in the 21st Century: Introductory Paper - ORCA Saturday Afternoon Symposium, 2016.

    PubMed

    Machiulskiene, Vita; Carvalho, Joana Christina

    2018-03-05

    Classifications employed to measure dental caries should first of all reflect the dynamics of the disease, in order to provide a solid basis for subsequent treatment decisions and for further monitoring of dental health of individual patients and populations. The contemporary philosophy of dental caries management implies that nonoperative treatment of caries lesions should be implemented whenever possible, limiting operative interventions to the severe and irreversible cases. The ORCA Saturday Afternoon Symposium 2016, held back-to-back to the 63rd ORCA Congress in Athens, Greece, was intended to provide an update on general requirements for clinical caries diagnosis and to overview caries diagnostic classifications including their rationale, validation, advantages, and limitations. Clinical caries diagnostic criteria and caries management outcomes are interrelated, and any diagnostic classification disregarding this concept is outdated, according to the current understanding of oral health care. Choosing clinical caries diagnostic classifications that assess the activity status of detected lesions should be a priority for dental professionals since these classifications favor the best clinical practice directed towards nonoperative interventions. The choice of clinical caries diagnostic classifications in research, in clinical practice, and in public health services should be guided by the best available scientific evidence. The clinical caries diagnostic classifications should be universally applicable in all these fields. Policy making in oral health care and the underlying policy analyses should follow the same standards. Any clinical caries diagnostic classification disregarding the universality of its use is of limited or no interest in the context of the clinical caries diagnosis of today. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Do mental health professionals use diagnostic classifications the way we think they do? A global survey

    PubMed Central

    First, Michael B.; Rebello, Tahilia J.; Keeley, Jared W.; Bhargava, Rachna; Dai, Yunfei; Kulygina, Maya; Matsumoto, Chihiro; Robles, Rebeca; Stona, Anne‐Claire; Reed, Geoffrey M.

    2018-01-01

    We report on a global survey of diagnosing mental health professionals, primarily psychiatrists, conducted as a part of the development of the ICD‐11 mental and behavioural disorders classification. The survey assessed these professionals' use of various components of the ICD‐10 and the DSM, their attitudes concerning the utility of these systems, and usage of “residual” (i.e., “other” or “unspecified”) categories. In previous surveys, most mental health professionals reported they often use a formal classification system in everyday clinical work, but very little is known about precisely how they are using those systems. For example, it has been suggested that most clinicians employ only the diagnostic labels or codes from the ICD‐10 in order to meet administrative requirements. The present survey was conducted with clinicians who were members of the Global Clinical Practice Network (GCPN), established by the World Health Organization as a tool for global participation in ICD‐11 field studies. A total of 1,764 GCPN members from 92 countries completed the survey, with 1,335 answering the questions with reference to the ICD‐10 and 429 to the DSM (DSM‐IV, DSM‐IV‐TR or DSM‐5). The most frequent reported use of the classification systems was for administrative or billing purposes, with 68.1% reporting often or routinely using them for that purpose. A bit more than half (57.4%) of respondents reported often or routinely going through diagnostic guidelines or criteria systematically to determine whether they apply to individual patients. Although ICD‐10 users were more likely than DSM‐5 users to utilize the classification for administrative purposes, other differences were either slight or not significant. Both classifications were rated to be most useful for assigning a diagnosis, communicating with other health care professionals and teaching, and least useful for treatment selection and determining prognosis. ICD‐10 was rated more useful than DSM‐5 for administrative purposes. A majority of clinicians reported using “residual” categories at least sometimes, with around 12% of ICD‐10 users and 19% of DSM users employing them often or routinely, most commonly for clinical presentations that do not conform to a specific diagnostic category or when there is insufficient information to make a more specific diagnosis. These results provide the most comprehensive available information about the use of diagnostic classifications of mental disorders in ordinary clinical practice. PMID:29856559

  17. Do mental health professionals use diagnostic classifications the way we think they do? A global survey.

    PubMed

    First, Michael B; Rebello, Tahilia J; Keeley, Jared W; Bhargava, Rachna; Dai, Yunfei; Kulygina, Maya; Matsumoto, Chihiro; Robles, Rebeca; Stona, Anne-Claire; Reed, Geoffrey M

    2018-06-01

    We report on a global survey of diagnosing mental health professionals, primarily psychiatrists, conducted as a part of the development of the ICD-11 mental and behavioural disorders classification. The survey assessed these professionals' use of various components of the ICD-10 and the DSM, their attitudes concerning the utility of these systems, and usage of "residual" (i.e., "other" or "unspecified") categories. In previous surveys, most mental health professionals reported they often use a formal classification system in everyday clinical work, but very little is known about precisely how they are using those systems. For example, it has been suggested that most clinicians employ only the diagnostic labels or codes from the ICD-10 in order to meet administrative requirements. The present survey was conducted with clinicians who were members of the Global Clinical Practice Network (GCPN), established by the World Health Organization as a tool for global participation in ICD-11 field studies. A total of 1,764 GCPN members from 92 countries completed the survey, with 1,335 answering the questions with reference to the ICD-10 and 429 to the DSM (DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR or DSM-5). The most frequent reported use of the classification systems was for administrative or billing purposes, with 68.1% reporting often or routinely using them for that purpose. A bit more than half (57.4%) of respondents reported often or routinely going through diagnostic guidelines or criteria systematically to determine whether they apply to individual patients. Although ICD-10 users were more likely than DSM-5 users to utilize the classification for administrative purposes, other differences were either slight or not significant. Both classifications were rated to be most useful for assigning a diagnosis, communicating with other health care professionals and teaching, and least useful for treatment selection and determining prognosis. ICD-10 was rated more useful than DSM-5 for administrative purposes. A majority of clinicians reported using "residual" categories at least sometimes, with around 12% of ICD-10 users and 19% of DSM users employing them often or routinely, most commonly for clinical presentations that do not conform to a specific diagnostic category or when there is insufficient information to make a more specific diagnosis. These results provide the most comprehensive available information about the use of diagnostic classifications of mental disorders in ordinary clinical practice. © 2018 World Psychiatric Association.

  18. Biomedical waste management in Ayurveda hospitals - current practices & future prospectives.

    PubMed

    Rajan, Renju; Robin, Delvin T; M, Vandanarani

    2018-03-16

    Biomedical waste management is an integral part of traditional and contemporary system of health care. The paper focuses on the identification and classification of biomedical wastes in Ayurvedic hospitals, current practices of its management in Ayurveda hospitals and its future prospective. Databases like PubMed (1975-2017 Feb), Scopus (1960-2017), AYUSH Portal, DOAJ, DHARA and Google scholar were searched. We used the medical subject headings 'biomedical waste' and 'health care waste' for identification and classification. The terms 'biomedical waste management', 'health care waste management' alone and combined with 'Ayurveda' or 'Ayurvedic' for current practices and recent advances in the treatment of these wastes were used. We made a humble attempt to categorize the biomedical wastes from Ayurvedic hospitals as the available data about its grouping is very scarce. Proper biomedical waste management is the mainstay of hospital cleanliness, hospital hygiene and maintenance activities. Current disposal techniques adopted for Ayurveda biomedical wastes are - sewage/drains, incineration and land fill. But these methods are having some merits as well as demerits. Our review has identified a number of interesting areas for future research such as the logical application of bioremediation techniques in biomedical waste management and the usage of effective micro-organisms and solar energy in waste disposal. Copyright © 2017 Transdisciplinary University, Bangalore and World Ayurveda Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Categorization of allergic disorders in the new World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases.

    PubMed

    Tanno, Luciana Kase; Calderon, Moises A; Goldberg, Bruce J; Akdis, Cezmi A; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G; Demoly, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    Although efforts to improve the classification of hypersensitivity/allergic diseases have been made, they have not been considered a top-level category in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 and still are not in the ICD-11 beta phase linearization. ICD-10 is the most used classification system by the allergy community worldwide but it is not considered as appropriate for clinical practice. The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) on the other hand contains a tightly integrated classification of hypersensitivity/allergic disorders based on the EAACI/WAO nomenclature and the World Health Organization (WHO) may plan to align ICD-11 with SNOMED CT so that they share a common ontological basis. With the aim of actively supporting the ongoing ICD-11 revision and the optimal practice of Allergology, we performed a careful comparison of ICD-10 and 11 beta phase linearization codes to identify gaps, areas of regression in allergy coding and possibly reach solutions, in collaboration with committees in charge of the ICD-11 revision. We have found a significant degree of misclassification of terms in the allergy-related hierarchies. This stems not only from unclear definitions of these conditions but also the use of common names that falsely imply allergy. The lack of understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying some of the conditions contributes to the difficulty in classification. More than providing data to support specific changes into the ongoing linearization, these results highlight the need for either a new chapter entitled Hypersensitivity/Allergic Disorders as in SNOMED CT or a high level structure in the Immunology chapter in order to make classification more appropriate and usable.

  20. Health Care Psychology: Prospects for the Well-Being of Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Logan

    1979-01-01

    Health care psychology is distinguished from traditional child psychology in that it emphasizes clinical application and is concerned with primary mental health care. Diagnosis, classification, prediction, and treatment and control strategies in the field offer definite solutions to problems such as tracheotomy addiction, encopresis, psychogenic…

  1. Care needs of residents in community-based long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Li, I-Chuan; Yin, Teresa Jeo-Chen

    2005-07-01

    The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding both of the characteristics of residents who receive the services of nursing assistants and the service intensity (service tasks, service time and cost) of nursing assistants as a means of developing a patient classification based upon resource consumption. Most people in Taiwan send their disabled older family members to community-based long-term care facilities instead of nursing homes because they are much cheaper, and because they are generally closer to their homes, making visits more convenient. Nursing assistants make up the largest group of personnel in long-term care facilities. To determine resource use, both the service time and the actual activities performed for a resident by nursing assistants need to be assessed and this will help to develop a patient classification system to predict resource use and patient outcomes. A descriptive survey method was used to identify the tasks performed by nursing assistants in community-based long-term care facilities in Taiwan. Nursing assistants were recruited from 10 long-term care facilities in the Shihlin and Peitou Districts of Taipei City. Thirty-four nursing assistants and 112 residents participated in this study. Findings showed that each nursing assistant spent 5.05 hours per day doing direct service care, which is much higher than the 2.08 hours for nursing assistants in the United States. Among service tasks provided by nursing assistants, personal care consumed 35.1% of their time. Non-complex treatments were second (33.3%). Skilled nursing and medical services were third (31.6%). The service intensity required of nursing assistants was strongly related to the residents' activities of daily living and their needs. Complex nursing procedures are normally provided by Registered Nurses in nursing homes and consumed almost as much of the nursing assistants' time as did personal care activities in this study. It is suggested that a training program for nursing assistants, especially for foreigners in community-based long-term care facilities, should be mandated to assure the quality of service.

  2. Economic growth and health progress in Italy: 30 years of National Health Service.

    PubMed

    Vannelli, Alberto; Buongiorno, Massimo; Zanardo, Michele; Basilico, Valerio; Capriata, Giulio; Rossi, Fabrizio; Pruiti, Vincenzo; Battaglia, Luigi

    2012-01-01

    On December 23 of 1978, during first Italian recession since the end of World War II, Parliament voted for Law 833 that gives birth to the Italian National Public Health Services (SSN) as the new and alternative model of health care system. It was the beginning of the match of Italian health care with the world class level of the public health care. Each crisis requires solidarity and actions. Maintaining levels of health and other social expenditures is critical to protect life and livelihood and to boost productivity. The purpose of the present study is to establish an alternative point of view to demonstrate that Gross Domestic Product, is a function of health care expenditure. The chronology of the events was created by using the laws published on "Gazzetta Ufficiale" (GU). In order to analyze the corporate effectiveness and efficiency, we have divided the SSN into its three main components, namely resources (input), services (output) and performances (outcome). Health services have certainly been pioneers and are still today standard-bearers of a challenge which has borne its fruits. According to the "Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development", SSN ranks second in the world classification of the return on the health care services in 2000. The World Health Organization has published in 2005 the same result: SSN ranks second in the world for ability and quality of the health care in relationship to the resources invested The continuous reforms of health care system introduced stability to the Italian system more than others countries. Success of SSN function rooted in the ability of system to adapt assuring mechanism of positive feed-back correction. In the future SSN, will required new set of reforms, such as redefinition of structures and mechanisms of governance, strategic plans, clinical administrations.

  3. The Integrated Taxonomy of Health Care: Classifying Both Complementary and Biomedical Practices Using a Uniform Classification Protocol

    PubMed Central

    Porcino, Antony; MacDougall, Colleen

    2009-01-01

    Background: Since the late 1980s, several taxonomies have been developed to help map and describe the interrelationships of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities. In these taxonomies, several issues are often incompletely addressed: A simple categorization process that clearly isolates a modality to a single conceptual categoryClear delineation of verticality—that is, a differentiation of scale being observed from individually applied techniques, through modalities (therapies), to whole medical systemsRecognition of CAM as part of the general field of health care Methods: Development of the Integrated Taxonomy of Health Care (ITHC) involved three stages: Development of a precise, uniform health glossaryAnalysis of the extant taxonomiesUse of an iterative process of classifying modalities and medical systems into categories until a failure to singularly classify a modality occurred, requiring a return to the glossary and adjustment of the classifying protocol Results: A full vertical taxonomy was developed that includes and clearly differentiates between techniques, modalities, domains (clusters of similar modalities), systems of health care (coordinated care system involving multiple modalities), and integrative health care. Domains are the classical primary focus of taxonomies. The ITHC has eleven domains: chemical/substance-based work, device-based work, soft tissue–focused manipulation, skeletal manipulation, fitness/movement instruction, mind–body integration/classical somatics work, mental/emotional–based work, bio-energy work based on physical manipulation, bio-energy modulation, spiritual-based work, unique assessments. Modalities are assigned to the domains based on the primary mode of interaction with the client, according the literature of the practitioners. Conclusions: The ITHC has several strengths: little interpretation is used while successfully assigning modalities to single domains; the issue of taxonomic verticality is fully resolved; and the design fully integrates the complementary health care fields of biomedicine and CAM. PMID:21589735

  4. Classification Model That Predicts Medical Students' Choices of Primary Care or Non-Primary Care Specialties.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fincher, Ruth-Marie E.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    This study identified factors in graduating medical students' choice of primary versus nonprimary care specialty. Subjects were 509 students at the Medical College of Georgia in 1988-90. Students could be classified by such factors as desire for longitudinal patient care opportunities, monetary rewards, perception of lifestyle, and perception of…

  5. Accounting for care: Healthcare Resource Groups for paediatric critical care.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Janet; Morris, Kevin

    2008-02-01

    Healthcare Resource Groups are a way of grouping patients in relation to the amount of healthcare resources they consume. They are the basis for implementation of Payment by Results by the Department of Health in England. An expert working group was set up to define a dataset for paediatric critical care that would in turn support the derivation of Healthcare Resource Groups. Three relevant classification systems were identified and tested with data from ten PICUs, including data about diagnoses, number of organ systems supported, interventions and nursing activity. Each PICU provided detailed costing for the financial year 2005/2006. Eighty-three per cent of PICU costs were found to be related to staff costs, with the largest cost being nursing costs. The Nursing Activity Score system was found to be a poor predictor of staff resource use, as was the adult HRG model based on the number of organ systems supported. It was decided to develop the HRGs based on a 'levels of care' approach; 32 data items were defined to support HRG allocation. From October 2007, data have been collected daily to identify the HRGs for each PICU patient and are being used by the Department of Health to estimate reference costs for PICU services. The data can also be used to support improved audit of PICU activity nationally as well as comparison of workload across different units and modelling of staff requirements within a unit.

  6. How should children with speech sound disorders be classified? A review and critical evaluation of current classification systems.

    PubMed

    Waring, R; Knight, R

    2013-01-01

    Children with speech sound disorders (SSD) form a heterogeneous group who differ in terms of the severity of their condition, underlying cause, speech errors, involvement of other aspects of the linguistic system and treatment response. To date there is no universal and agreed-upon classification system. Instead, a number of theoretically differing classification systems have been proposed based on either an aetiological (medical) approach, a descriptive-linguistic approach or a processing approach. To describe and review the supporting evidence, and to provide a critical evaluation of the current childhood SSD classification systems. Descriptions of the major specific approaches to classification are reviewed and research papers supporting the reliability and validity of the systems are evaluated. Three specific paediatric SSD classification systems; the aetiologic-based Speech Disorders Classification System, the descriptive-linguistic Differential Diagnosis system, and the processing-based Psycholinguistic Framework are identified as potentially useful in classifying children with SSD into homogeneous subgroups. The Differential Diagnosis system has a growing body of empirical support from clinical population studies, across language error pattern studies and treatment efficacy studies. The Speech Disorders Classification System is currently a research tool with eight proposed subgroups. The Psycholinguistic Framework is a potential bridge to linking cause and surface level speech errors. There is a need for a universally agreed-upon classification system that is useful to clinicians and researchers. The resulting classification system needs to be robust, reliable and valid. A universal classification system would allow for improved tailoring of treatments to subgroups of SSD which may, in turn, lead to improved treatment efficacy. © 2012 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  7. 5 CFR 9701.231 - Conversion of positions and employees to the DHS classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... the DHS classification system. 9701.231 Section 9701.231 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF... MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Transitional Provisions § 9701.231 Conversion of positions and employees to the DHS classification system. (a) This...

  8. Effect of phenotype on health care costs in Crohn's disease: A European study using the Montreal classification.

    PubMed

    Odes, Selwyn; Vardi, Hillel; Friger, Michael; Wolters, Frank; Hoie, Ole; Moum, Bjørn; Bernklev, Tomm; Yona, Hagit; Russel, Maurice; Munkholm, Pia; Langholz, Ebbe; Riis, Lene; Politi, Patrizia; Bondini, Paolo; Tsianos, Epameinondas; Katsanos, Kostas; Clofent, Juan; Vermeire, Severine; Freitas, João; Mouzas, Iannis; Limonard, Charles; O'Morain, Colm; Monteiro, Estela; Fornaciari, Giovanni; Vatn, Morten; Stockbrugger, Reinhold

    2007-12-01

    Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract associated with life-long high health care costs. We aimed to determine the effect of disease phenotype on cost. Clinical and economic data of a community-based CD cohort with 10-year follow-up were analyzed retrospectively in relation to Montreal classification phenotypes. In 418 patients, mean total costs of health care for the behavior phenotypes were: nonstricturing-nonpenetrating 1690, stricturing 2081, penetrating 3133 and penetrating-with-perianal-fistula 3356 €/patient-phenotype-year (P<0.001), and mean costs of surgical hospitalization 215, 751, 1293 and 1275 €/patient-phenotype-year respectively (P<0.001). Penetrating-with-perianal-fistula patients incurred significantly greater expenses than penetrating patients for total care, diagnosis and drugs, but not surgical hospitalization. Total costs were similar in the location phenotypes: ileum 1893, colon 1748, ileo-colonic 2010 and upper gastrointestinal tract 1758 €/patient-phenotype-year, but surgical hospitalization costs differed significantly, 558, 209, 492 and 542 €/patient-phenotype-year respectively (P<0.001). By multivariate analysis, the behavior phenotype significantly impacted total, medical and surgical hospitalization costs, whereas the location phenotype affected only surgical costs. Younger age at diagnosis predicted greater surgical expenses. Behavior is the dominant phenotype driving health care cost. Use of the Montreal classification permits detection of cost differences caused by perianal fistula.

  9. Application of Neural Networks for classification of Patau, Edwards, Down, Turner and Klinefelter Syndrome based on first trimester maternal serum screening data, ultrasonographic findings and patient demographics.

    PubMed

    Catic, Aida; Gurbeta, Lejla; Kurtovic-Kozaric, Amina; Mehmedbasic, Senad; Badnjevic, Almir

    2018-02-13

    The usage of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for genome-enabled classifications and establishing genome-phenotype correlations have been investigated more extensively over the past few years. The reason for this is that ANNs are good approximates of complex functions, so classification can be performed without the need for explicitly defined input-output model. This engineering tool can be applied for optimization of existing methods for disease/syndrome classification. Cytogenetic and molecular analyses are the most frequent tests used in prenatal diagnostic for the early detection of Turner, Klinefelter, Patau, Edwards and Down syndrome. These procedures can be lengthy, repetitive; and often employ invasive techniques so a robust automated method for classifying and reporting prenatal diagnostics would greatly help the clinicians with their routine work. The database consisted of data collected from 2500 pregnant woman that came to the Institute of Gynecology, Infertility and Perinatology "Mehmedbasic" for routine antenatal care between January 2000 and December 2016. During first trimester all women were subject to screening test where values of maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and free beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) were measured. Also, fetal nuchal translucency thickness and the presence or absence of the nasal bone was observed using ultrasound. The architectures of linear feedforward and feedback neural networks were investigated for various training data distributions and number of neurons in hidden layer. Feedback neural network architecture out performed feedforward neural network architecture in predictive ability for all five aneuploidy prenatal syndrome classes. Feedforward neural network with 15 neurons in hidden layer achieved classification sensitivity of 92.00%. Classification sensitivity of feedback (Elman's) neural network was 99.00%. Average accuracy of feedforward neural network was 89.6% and for feedback was 98.8%. The results presented in this paper prove that an expert diagnostic system based on neural networks can be efficiently used for classification of five aneuploidy syndromes, covered with this study, based on first trimester maternal serum screening data, ultrasonographic findings and patient demographics. Developed Expert System proved to be simple, robust, and powerful in properly classifying prenatal aneuploidy syndromes.

  10. CLARIPED: a new tool for risk classification in pediatric emergencies.

    PubMed

    Magalhães-Barbosa, Maria Clara de; Prata-Barbosa, Arnaldo; Alves da Cunha, Antonio José Ledo; Lopes, Cláudia de Souza

    2016-09-01

    To present a new pediatric risk classification tool, CLARIPED, and describe its development steps. Development steps: (i) first round of discussion among experts, first prototype; (ii) pre-test of reliability, 36 hypothetical cases; (iii) second round of discussion to perform adjustments; (iv) team training; (v) pre-test with patients in real time; (vi) third round of discussion to perform new adjustments; (vii) final pre-test of validity (20% of medical treatments in five days). CLARIPED features five urgency categories: Red (Emergency), Orange (very urgent), Yellow (urgent), Green (little urgent) and Blue (not urgent). The first classification step includes the measurement of four vital signs (Vipe score); the second step consists in the urgency discrimination assessment. Each step results in assigning a color, selecting the most urgent one for the final classification. Each color corresponds to a maximum waiting time for medical care and referral to the most appropriate physical area for the patient's clinical condition. The interobserver agreement was substantial (kappa=0.79) and the final pre-test, with 82 medical treatments, showed good correlation between the proportion of patients in each urgency category and the number of used resources (p<0.001). CLARIPED is an objective and easy-to-use tool for simple risk classification, of which pre-tests suggest good reliability and validity. Larger-scale studies on its validity and reliability in different health contexts are ongoing and can contribute to the implementation of a nationwide pediatric risk classification system. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. Computational Support for Early Elicitation and Classification of Tone

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bird, Steven; Lee, Haejoong

    2014-01-01

    Investigating a tone language involves careful transcription of tone on words and phrases. This is challenging when the phonological categories--the tones or melodies--have not been identified. Effects such as coarticulation, sandhi, and phrase-level prosody appear as obstacles to early elicitation and classification of tone. This article presents…

  12. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: American College of Nurse-Midwives.

    PubMed

    2016-07-01

    Variations in uterine bleeding, termed abnormal uterine bleeding, occur commonly among women and often are physiologic in nature with no significant consequences. However, abnormal uterine bleeding can cause significant distress to women or may signify an underlying pathologic condition. Most women experience variations in menstrual and perimenstrual bleeding in their lifetimes; therefore, the ability of the midwife to differentiate between normal and abnormal bleeding is a key diagnostic skill. A comprehensive history and use of the PALM-COEIN classification system will provide clear guidelines for clinical management, evidence-based treatment, and an individualized plan of care. The purpose of this Clinical Bulletin is to define and describe classifications of abnormal uterine bleeding, review updated terminology, and identify methods of assessment and treatment using a woman-centered approach. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  13. Severity and duration of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) before seeking care as predictors of healing time: A retrospective cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Iversen, Marjolein M.; Igland, Jannicke; Østbye, Truls; Graue, Marit; Skeie, Svein; Wu, Bei; Rokne, Berit

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To investigate whether A) duration of ulcer before start of treatment in specialist health care, and B) severity of ulcer according to University of Texas classification system (UT) at start of treatment (baseline), are independent predictors of healing time. Methods This retrospective cohort study, based on electronic medical record data, included 105 patients from two outpatient clinics in Western Norway with a new diabetic foot ulcer during 2009–2011. The associations of duration of ulcer and ulcer severity with healing time were assessed using cumulative incidence curves and subdistribution hazard ratio estimated using competing risk regression with adjustment for potential confounders. Results Of the 105 participants, 45.7% achieved ulcer healing, 36.2% underwent amputations, 9.5% died before ulcer healing and 8.5% were lost to follow-up. Patients who were referred to specialist health care by a general practitioner ≥ 52 days after ulcer onset had a 58% (SHR 0.42, CI 0.18–0.98) decreased healing rate compared to patients who were referred earlier, in the adjusted model. High severity (grade 2/3, stage C/D) according to the UT classification system was associated with a decreased healing rate compared to low severity (grade1, stage A/B or grade 2, stage A) with SHR (95% CI) equal to 0.14 (0.05–0.43) after adjustment for referral time and other potential confounders. Conclusion Early detection and referral by both the patient and general practitioner are crucial for optimal foot ulcer healing. Ulcer grade and severity are also important predictors for healing time, and early screening to assess the severity and initiation of prompt treatment is important. PMID:28498862

  14. Expansion of U.S. emergency medical service routing for stroke care: 2000-2010.

    PubMed

    Hanks, Natalie; Wen, Ge; He, Shuhan; Song, Sarah; Saver, Jeffrey L; Cen, Steven; Kim-Tenser, May; Mack, William; Sanossian, Nerses

    2014-07-01

    Organized stroke systems of care include preferential emergency medical services (EMS) routing to deliver suspected stroke patients to designated hospitals. To characterize the growth and implementation of EMS routing of stroke nationwide, we describe the proportion of stroke hospitalizations in the United States (U.S.) occurring within regions having adopted these protocols. We collected data on ischemic stroke using International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) coding from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from the years 2000-2010. The NIS contains all discharge data from 1,051 hospitals located in 45 states, approximating a 20% stratified sample. We obtained data on EMS systems of care from a review of archives, reports, and interviews with state emergency medical services (EMS) officials. A county or state was considered to be in transition if the protocol was adopted in the calendar year, with establishment in the year following transition. Nationwide, stroke hospitalizations remained constant over the course of the study period: 583,000 in 2000 and 573,000 in 2010. From 2000-2003 there were no states or counties participating in the NIS with EMS systems of care. The proportion of U.S. stroke hospitalizations occurring in jurisdictions with established EMS regional systems of acute stroke care increased steadily from 2004 to 2010 (1%, 13%, 28%, 30%, 30%, 34%, 49%). In 2010, 278,538 stroke hospitalizations, 49% of all U.S. stroke hospitalizations, occurred in areas with established EMS routing, with an additional 18,979 (3%) patients in regions undergoing a transition to EMS routing. In 2010, a majority of stroke patients in the U.S. were hospitalized in states with established or transitioning to organized stroke systems of care. This milestone coverage of half the U.S. population is a major advance in systematic stroke care and emphasizes the need for novel approaches to further extend access to stroke center care to all patients.

  15. Casemix: the allied health response.

    PubMed

    Byron, A L; McCathie, H C

    1998-10-19

    Casemix has given allied health professionals the opportunity to review their approaches to patient care, contribute to reducing inpatient costs and improve quality of care. The National Allied Health Casemix Committee was formed in 1993 to advance allied health participation in casemix. The Committee has taken the first step in establishing cost weights for allied health through the Australian Allied Health Activity Classification, which defines allied health inputs in terms of clinical care, clinical service management, teaching and training, and research. Work is being done on generic classification of allied health inputs, and studies are examining what allied health activities are accounted for by DRGs and ICD-9-CM. Allied health has taken up the challenge of casemix, but better access to information technology will enhance its continued contribution.

  16. Gynecomastia Classification for Surgical Management: A Systematic Review and Novel Classification System.

    PubMed

    Waltho, Daniel; Hatchell, Alexandra; Thoma, Achilleas

    2017-03-01

    Gynecomastia is a common deformity of the male breast, where certain cases warrant surgical management. There are several surgical options, which vary depending on the breast characteristics. To guide surgical management, several classification systems for gynecomastia have been proposed. A systematic review was performed to (1) identify all classification systems for the surgical management of gynecomastia, and (2) determine the adequacy of these classification systems to appropriately categorize the condition for surgical decision-making. The search yielded 1012 articles, and 11 articles were included in the review. Eleven classification systems in total were ascertained, and a total of 10 unique features were identified: (1) breast size, (2) skin redundancy, (3) breast ptosis, (4) tissue predominance, (5) upper abdominal laxity, (6) breast tuberosity, (7) nipple malposition, (8) chest shape, (9) absence of sternal notch, and (10) breast skin elasticity. On average, classification systems included two or three of these features. Breast size and ptosis were the most commonly included features. Based on their review of the current classification systems, the authors believe the ideal classification system should be universal and cater to all causes of gynecomastia; be surgically useful and easy to use; and should include a comprehensive set of clinically appropriate patient-related features, such as breast size, breast ptosis, tissue predominance, and skin redundancy. None of the current classification systems appears to fulfill these criteria.

  17. Do differences in profiling criteria bias performance measurements? Economic profiling of medical clinics under the Korea National Health Insurance program: an observational study using claims data.

    PubMed

    Kang, Hee-Chung; Hong, Jae-Seok

    2011-08-16

    With a greater emphasis on cost containment in many health care systems, it has become common to evaluate each physician's relative resource use. This study explored the major factors that influence the economic performance rankings of medical clinics in the Korea National Health Insurance (NHI) program by assessing the consistency between cost-efficiency indices constructed using different profiling criteria. Data on medical care benefit costs for outpatient care at medical clinics nationwide were collected from the NHI claims database. We calculated eight types of cost-efficiency index with different profiling criteria for each medical clinic and investigated the agreement between the decile rankings of each index pair using the weighted kappa statistic. The exclusion of pharmacy cost lowered agreement between rankings to the lowest level, and differences in case-mix classification also lowered agreement considerably. A medical clinic may be identified as either cost-efficient or cost-inefficient, even when using the same index, depending on the profiling criteria applied. Whether a country has a single insurance or a multiple-insurer system, it is very important to have standardized profiling criteria for the consolidated management of health care costs.

  18. Analysing the Costs of Integrated Care: A Case on Model Selection for Chronic Care Purposes

    PubMed Central

    Sánchez-Pérez, Inma; Ibern, Pere; Coderch, Jordi; Inoriza, José María

    2016-01-01

    Background: The objective of this study is to investigate whether the algorithm proposed by Manning and Mullahy, a consolidated health economics procedure, can also be used to estimate individual costs for different groups of healthcare services in the context of integrated care. Methods: A cross-sectional study focused on the population of the Baix Empordà (Catalonia-Spain) for the year 2012 (N = 92,498 individuals). A set of individual cost models as a function of sex, age and morbidity burden were adjusted and individual healthcare costs were calculated using a retrospective full-costing system. The individual morbidity burden was inferred using the Clinical Risk Groups (CRG) patient classification system. Results: Depending on the characteristics of the data, and according to the algorithm criteria, the choice of model was a linear model on the log of costs or a generalized linear model with a log link. We checked for goodness of fit, accuracy, linear structure and heteroscedasticity for the models obtained. Conclusion: The proposed algorithm identified a set of suitable cost models for the distinct groups of services integrated care entails. The individual morbidity burden was found to be indispensable when allocating appropriate resources to targeted individuals. PMID:28316542

  19. Computational assessment of mammography accreditation phantom images and correlation with human observer analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barufaldi, Bruno; Lau, Kristen C.; Schiabel, Homero; Maidment, D. A.

    2015-03-01

    Routine performance of basic test procedures and dose measurements are essential for assuring high quality of mammograms. International guidelines recommend that breast care providers ascertain that mammography systems produce a constant high quality image, using as low a radiation dose as is reasonably achievable. The main purpose of this research is to develop a framework to monitor radiation dose and image quality in a mixed breast screening and diagnostic imaging environment using an automated tracking system. This study presents a module of this framework, consisting of a computerized system to measure the image quality of the American College of Radiology mammography accreditation phantom. The methods developed combine correlation approaches, matched filters, and data mining techniques. These methods have been used to analyze radiological images of the accreditation phantom. The classification of structures of interest is based upon reports produced by four trained readers. As previously reported, human observers demonstrate great variation in their analysis due to the subjectivity of human visual inspection. The software tool was trained with three sets of 60 phantom images in order to generate decision trees using the software WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis). When tested with 240 images during the classification step, the tool correctly classified 88%, 99%, and 98%, of fibers, speck groups and masses, respectively. The variation between the computer classification and human reading was comparable to the variation between human readers. This computerized system not only automates the quality control procedure in mammography, but also decreases the subjectivity in the expert evaluation of the phantom images.

  20. A Job Classification Scheme for Health Manpower

    PubMed Central

    Weiss, Jeffrey H.

    1968-01-01

    The Census Bureau's occupational classification scheme and concept of the “health services industry” are inadequate tools for analysis of the changing job structure of health manpower. In an attempt to remedy their inadequacies, a new analytical framework—drawing upon the work of James Scoville on the job content of the U.S. economy—was devised. The first stage in formulating this new framework was to determine which jobs should be considered health jobs. The overall health care job family was designed to encompass jobs in which the primary technical focus or function is oriented toward the provision of health services. There are two dimensions to the job classification scheme presented here. The first describes each job in terms of job content; relative income data and minimum education and training requirements were employed as surrogate measures. By this means, health care jobs were grouped by three levels of job content: high, medium, and low. The other dimension describes each job in terms of its technical focus or function; by this means, health care jobs were grouped into nine job families. PMID:5673666

  1. Nursing phenomena in inpatient psychiatry.

    PubMed

    Frauenfelder, F; Müller-Staub, M; Needham, I; Van Achterberg, T

    2011-04-01

    Little is known about the question if the nursing diagnosis classification of North American Nursing Association-International (NANDA-I) describes the adult inpatient psychiatric nursing care. The present study aimed to identify nursing phenomena mentioned in journal articles about the psychiatric inpatient nursing care and to compare these phenomena with the labels and the definitions of the nursing diagnoses to elucidate how well this classification covers these phenomena. A search of journal articles took place in the databases MedLine, PsychInfo, Cochrane and CINAHL. A qualitative content analysis approach was used to identify nursing phenomena in the articles. Various phenomena were found in the articles. The study demonstrated that NANDA-I describes essential phenomena for the adult inpatient psychiatry on the level of labels and definitions. However, some apparently important nursing phenomena are not covered by the labels or definitions of NANDA-I. Other phenomena are assigned as defining characteristics or as related factors to construct nursing diagnoses. The further development of the classification NANDA-I will strengthen the application in the daily work of psychiatric nurses and enhance the quality of nursing care in the inpatient setting. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

  2. [Management characteristics in charity hospitals in Brazil].

    PubMed

    Lima, Sheyla Maria Lemos; Barbosa, Pedro Ribeiro; Portela, Margareth C; Ugá, Maria Alicia Dominguez; Vasconcellos, Miguel Murat; Gerschman, Silvia

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents the management characteristics of charity hospitals in Brazil, based on data from a national survey developed in 2001. The sample accounted for the random inclusion of 66 Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) inpatient care providers with less than 599 beds and all 26 hospitals with at least 599 beds. It also included 10 institutions assumed as non-providers of services to the SUS. The analyses are descriptive, focusing on the classification of the hospitals according to their managerial development level, as well as selected issues regarding the utilization of specific managerial technologies, human resources, technical services, and services contracting. Distinct managerial levels were identified, but it is important to note that 83% of the SUS providers with less than 599 beds were classified as having incipient management. The authors discuss implications of the findings for inpatient care policies, considering the importance of charity hospitals for the Brazilian Health System.

  3. Adverse Drug Events in Children: How Big is the Problem?

    PubMed

    Zed, Peter J

    2015-01-01

    Adverse drug events in children is an under appreciated but significant cause of health care contact resulting in ED visits and hospital admissions with associated resource utilization. In recent years we have started to better understand the impact of ADEs in children but there remains significant questions that must be addressed to further improve our understanding of the etiology of these ADEs and strategies for prevention and management. This paper will describe what is known regarding the frequency, severity, preventability and classification of ADEs in children. It will also describe some of the challenges and unanswered questions regarding patient, drug and system factors, which contribute to ADEs in children. Finally, areas of future research will be identified to further improve our understanding of ADEs in children to inform prevention strategies as well as early recognition and management approaches to minimize the significant ADEs can have on children, families and our health care system.

  4. Frail elderly patients. New model for integrated service delivery.

    PubMed Central

    Hébert, Rejean; Durand, Pierre J.; Dubuc, Nicole; Tourigny, André

    2003-01-01

    PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED: Given the complex needs of frail older people and the multiplicity of care providers and services, care for this clientele lacks continuity. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: Integrated service delivery (ISD) systems have been developed to improve continuity and increase the efficacy and efficiency of services. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy (PRISMA) is an innovative ISD model based on coordination. It includes coordination between decision makers and managers of different organizations and services; a single entry point; a case-management process; individualized service plans; a single assessment instrument based on clients' functional autonomy, coupled with a case-mix classification system; and a computerized clinical chart for communicating between institutions and professionals for client monitoring. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results on the efficacy of this model showed a decreased incidence of functional decline, a decreased burden for caregivers, and a smaller proportion of older people wishing to enter institutions. PMID:12943358

  5. Data mining in radiology

    PubMed Central

    Kharat, Amit T; Singh, Amarjit; Kulkarni, Vilas M; Shah, Digish

    2014-01-01

    Data mining facilitates the study of radiology data in various dimensions. It converts large patient image and text datasets into useful information that helps in improving patient care and provides informative reports. Data mining technology analyzes data within the Radiology Information System and Hospital Information System using specialized software which assesses relationships and agreement in available information. By using similar data analysis tools, radiologists can make informed decisions and predict the future outcome of a particular imaging finding. Data, information and knowledge are the components of data mining. Classes, Clusters, Associations, Sequential patterns, Classification, Prediction and Decision tree are the various types of data mining. Data mining has the potential to make delivery of health care affordable and ensure that the best imaging practices are followed. It is a tool for academic research. Data mining is considered to be ethically neutral, however concerns regarding privacy and legality exists which need to be addressed to ensure success of data mining. PMID:25024513

  6. A model of strategic marketing alliances for hospices: vertical, internal, osmotic alliances and the complete model.

    PubMed

    Starnes, B J; Self, D R

    1999-01-01

    This article develops two previous research efforts. William J. Winston (1994, 1995) has proposed a set of strategies by which health care organizations can benefit from forging strategic alliances. Raadt and Self (1997) have proposed a classification model of alliances including horizontal, vertical, internal, and osmotic. In the second of two articles, this paper presents a model of vertical, internal, and osmotic alliances. Advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. Finally, the complete alliance system model is presented.

  7. Computerized classification of auditory trauma: Results of an investigation on screening employees exposed to noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klockhoff, I.

    1977-01-01

    An automatic, computerized method was developed to classify results from a screening of employees exposed to noise, resulting in a fast and effective method of identifying and taking measures against auditory trauma. This technique also satisfies the urgent need for quick discovery of cases which deserve compensation in accordance with the Law on Industrial Accident Insurance. Unfortunately, use of this method increases the burden on the already overloaded investigatory resources of the auditory health care system.

  8. A preliminary case-mix classification system for Home and Community Care Clients in Western Australia.

    PubMed

    Calver, Janine; Holman, C D'Arcy; Lewin, Gill

    2004-01-01

    political and policy settlement further institutionalised surveillance as the basis of the MCHS. The restructured Service has remained constrained by the dominance of health surveillance as the primary program goal even after more varied contracting arrangements replaced CCT. Although recent initiatives indicate signs of hange, narrow surveillancebased guidelines for Victorian MCH Services are not consistent, we argue, with recent early years of life policy which calls for approaches derived from socio-ecological models of health.

  9. PREDICT-CP: study protocol of implementation of comprehensive surveillance to predict outcomes for school-aged children with cerebral palsy

    PubMed Central

    Boyd, Roslyn N; Davies, Peter SW; Ziviani, Jenny; Trost, Stewart; Barber, Lee; Ware, Robert; Rose, Stephen; Whittingham, Koa; Bell, Kristie; Carty, Christopher; Obst, Steven; Benfer, Katherine; Reedman, Sarah; Edwards, Priya; Kentish, Megan; Copeland, Lisa; Weir, Kelly; Davenport, Camilla; Brooks, Denise; Coulthard, Alan; Pelekanos, Rebecca; Guzzetta, Andrea; Fiori, Simona; Wynter, Meredith; Finn, Christine; Burgess, Andrea; Morris, Kym; Walsh, John; Lloyd, Owen; Whitty, Jennifer A; Scuffham, Paul A

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Cerebral palsy (CP) remains the world’s most common childhood physical disability with total annual costs of care and lost well-being of $A3.87b. The PREDICT-CP (NHMRC 1077257 Partnership Project: Comprehensive surveillance to PREDICT outcomes for school age children with CP) study will investigate the influence of brain structure, body composition, dietary intake, oropharyngeal function, habitual physical activity, musculoskeletal development (hip status, bone health) and muscle performance on motor attainment, cognition, executive function, communication, participation, quality of life and related health resource use costs. The PREDICT-CP cohort provides further follow-up at 8–12 years of two overlapping preschool-age cohorts examined from 1.5 to 5 years (NHMRC 465128 motor and brain development; NHMRC 569605 growth, nutrition and physical activity). Methods and analyses This population-based cohort study undertakes state-wide surveillance of 245 children with CP born in Queensland (birth years 2006–2009). Children will be classified for Gross Motor Function Classification System; Manual Ability Classification System, Communication Function Classification System and Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System. Outcomes include gross motor function, musculoskeletal development (hip displacement, spasticity, muscle contracture), upper limb function, communication difficulties, oropharyngeal dysphagia, dietary intake and body composition, participation, parent-reported and child-reported quality of life and medical and allied health resource use. These detailed phenotypical data will be compared with brain macrostructure and microstructure using 3 Tesla MRI (3T MRI). Relationships between brain lesion severity and outcomes will be analysed using multilevel mixed-effects models. Ethics and dissemination The PREDICT-CP protocol is a prospectively registered and ethically accepted study protocol. The study combines data at 1.5–5 then 8–12 years of direct clinical assessment to enable prediction of outcomes and healthcare needs essential for tailoring interventions (eg, rehabilitation, orthopaedic surgery and nutritional supplements) and the projected healthcare utilisation. Trial registration number ACTRN: 12616001488493 PMID:28706091

  10. A new diagnosis grouping system for child emergency department visits.

    PubMed

    Alessandrini, Evaline A; Alpern, Elizabeth R; Chamberlain, James M; Shea, Judy A; Gorelick, Marc H

    2010-02-01

    A clinically sensible system of grouping diseases is needed for describing pediatric emergency diagnoses for research and reporting. This project aimed to create an International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-based diagnosis grouping system (DGS) for child emergency department (ED) visits that is 1) clinically sensible with regard to how diagnoses are grouped and 2) comprehensive in accounting for nearly all diagnoses (>95%). The second objective was to assess the construct validity of the DGS by examining variation in the frequency of targeted groups of diagnoses within the concepts of season, age, sex, and hospital type. A panel of general and pediatric emergency physicians used the nominal group technique and Delphi surveys to create the DGS. The primary data source used to develop the DGS was the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Core Data Project (PCDP). A total of 3,041 ICD-9 codes, accounting for 98.9% of all diagnoses in the PCDP, served as the basis for creation of the DGS. The expert panel developed a DGS framework representing a clinical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric emergency patients. The resulting DGS has 21 major groups and 77 subgroups and accounts for 96.5% to 99% of diagnoses when applied to three external data sets. Variations in the frequency of targeted groups of diagnoses related to seasonality, age, sex, and site of care confirm construct validity. The DGS offers a clinically sensible method for describing pediatric ED visits by grouping ICD-9 codes in a consensus-derived classification scheme. This system may be used for research, reporting, needs assessment, and resource planning. (c) 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  11. The medication reconciliation process and classification of discrepancies: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Almanasreh, Enas; Moles, Rebekah; Chen, Timothy F

    2016-09-01

    Medication reconciliation is a part of the medication management process and facilitates improved patient safety during care transitions. The aims of the study were to evaluate how medication reconciliation has been conducted and how medication discrepancies have been classified. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and Web of Science (WOS), in accordance with the PRISMA statement up to April 2016. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they evaluated the types of medication discrepancy found through the medication reconciliation process and contained a classification system for discrepancies. Data were extracted by one author based on a predefined table, and 10% of included studies were verified by two authors. Ninety-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Approximately one-third of included studies (n = 35, 36.8%) utilized a 'gold' standard medication list. The majority of studies (n = 57, 60%) used an empirical classification system and the number of classification terms ranged from 2 to 50 terms. Whilst we identified three taxonomies, only eight studies utilized these tools to categorize discrepancies, and 11.6% of included studies used different patient safety related terms rather than discrepancy to describe the disagreement between the medication lists. We suggest that clear and consistent information on prevalence, types, causes and contributory factors of medication discrepancy are required to develop suitable strategies to reduce the risk of adverse consequences on patient safety. Therefore, to obtain that information, we need a well-designed taxonomy to be able to accurately measure, report and classify medication discrepancies in clinical practice. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

  12. Computerization of a preanesthetic evaluation and user satisfaction evaluation.

    PubMed

    Arias, Antonio; Benítez, Sonia; Canosa, Daniela; Borbolla, Damián; Staccia, Gustavo; Plazzotta, Fernando; Casais, Marcela; Michelangelo, Hernán; Luna, Daniel; Bernaldo de Quirós, Fernán Gonzalez

    2010-01-01

    Preanesthetic evaluation purpose is to reduce morbidity and mortality through the review of the patient's medical history, clinical examination, and targeted clinical studies, providing referrals for medical consultations when appropriated. Changes in patient care, standards of health information management and patterns of perioperative care, have resulted in a re-conceptualization of this process where the documentation of patient medical information, the efforts in training and maintaining the integrity of the medical-legal evaluation are areas of concern. The aim of this paper is to describe the design, development, training, and implementation of a computerized preanesthetic evaluation form associated to the evaluation of the user satisfaction with the system. Since the system went live in September 2008 there were 15121 closed structured forms, 60% for ambulatory procedures and 40 % for procedures that required hospital admission. 82% of total closed structured forms had recorded a risk of the procedures of 1-2, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification. The survey indicates a positive general satisfaction of the users with the system.

  13. The groningen laryngomalacia classification system--based on systematic review and dynamic airway changes.

    PubMed

    van der Heijden, Martijn; Dikkers, Frederik G; Halmos, Gyorgy B

    2015-12-01

    Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of dyspnea and stridor in newborn infants. Laryngomalacia is a dynamic change of the upper airway based on abnormally pliable supraglottic structures, which causes upper airway obstruction. In the past, different classification systems have been introduced. Until now no classification system is widely accepted and applied. Our goal is to provide a simple and complete classification system based on systematic literature search and our experiences. Retrospective cohort study with literature review. All patients with laryngomalacia under the age of 5 at time of diagnosis were included. Photo and video documentation was used to confirm diagnosis and characteristics of dynamic airway change. Outcome was compared with available classification systems in literature. Eighty-five patients were included. In contrast to other classification systems, only three typical different dynamic changes have been identified in our series. Two existing classification systems covered 100% of our findings, but there was an unnecessary overlap between different types in most of the systems. Based on our finding, we propose a new a classification system for laryngomalacia, which is purely based on dynamic airway changes. The groningen laryngomalacia classification is a new, simplified classification system with three types, based on purely dynamic laryngeal changes, tested in a tertiary referral center: Type 1: inward collapse of arytenoids cartilages, Type 2: medial displacement of aryepiglottic folds, and Type 3: posterocaudal displacement of epiglottis against the posterior pharyngeal wall. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Validation of the new diagnosis grouping system for pediatric emergency department visits using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jin Hee; Hong, Ki Jeong; Kim, Do Kyun; Kwak, Young Ho; Jang, Hye Young; Kim, Hahn Bom; Noh, Hyun; Park, Jungho; Song, Bongkyu; Jung, Jae Yun

    2013-12-01

    A clinically sensible diagnosis grouping system (DGS) is needed for describing pediatric emergency diagnoses for research, medical resource preparedness, and making national policy for pediatric emergency medical care. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) developed the DGS successfully. We developed the modified PECARN DGS based on the different pediatric population of South Korea and validated the system to obtain the accurate and comparable epidemiologic data of pediatric emergent conditions of the selected population. The data source used to develop and validate the modified PECARN DGS was the National Emergency Department Information System of South Korea, which was coded by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code system. To develop the modified DGS based on ICD-10 code, we matched the selected ICD-10 codes with those of the PECARN DGS by the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). After converting ICD-10 codes to ICD-9 codes by GEMs, we matched ICD-9 codes into PECARN DGS categories using the matrix developed by PECARN group. Lastly, we conducted the expert panel survey using Delphi method for the remaining diagnosis codes that were not matched. A total of 1879 ICD-10 codes were used in development of the modified DGS. After 1078 (57.4%) of 1879 ICD-10 codes were assigned to the modified DGS by GEM and PECARN conversion tools, investigators assigned each of the remaining 801 codes (42.6%) to DGS subgroups by 2 rounds of electronic Delphi surveys. And we assigned the remaining 29 codes (4%) into the modified DGS at the second expert consensus meeting. The modified DGS accounts for 98.7% and 95.2% of diagnoses of the 2008 and 2009 National Emergency Department Information System data set. This modified DGS also exhibited strong construct validity using the concepts of age, sex, site of care, and seasons. This also reflected the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Korea. We developed and validated clinically feasible and sensible DGS system for describing pediatric emergent conditions in Korea. The modified PECARN DGS showed good comprehensiveness and demonstrated reliable construct validity. This modified DGS based on PECARN DGS framework may be effectively implemented for research, reporting, and resource planning in pediatric emergency system of South Korea.

  15. Integration of naturopathic medicine into acute inpatient care: An approach for patient-centred medicine under diagnosis-related groups.

    PubMed

    Romeyke, Tobias; Nöhammer, Elisabeth; Scheuer, Hans Christoph; Stummer, Harald

    2017-08-01

    The integration of naturopathic methods into acute inpatient care has been the subject of very few scientific studies. Patient expectations of the service received in hospital are increasing, and the integration of naturopathy into clinical practice can serve as Unique Selling Proposition. The present study was conducted over a period of two years. In total, over 1700 patients were included in the study. The setting is an acute hospital specialising in a multimodal, patient-centred approach to treatment. Patient satisfaction with the use of holistic care, patient perception of adherence to treatment and the amount of time care staff spend with patients were all investigated. The patients' principal diagnoses were also recorded using the DRG classification system, as were the number of concomitant diseases and the length of their stay in hospital. The majority of patients rate the integration of complementary care in the acute hospital very positively. The effects on patient perception of adherence to treatment and the amount of time care staff spend with patients are also assessed positively. At the same time, we can see that patients who receive patient-centred care in this study predominantly suffer from diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, diseases of the nervous system and mental diseases and disorders. They also have numerous concomitant diseases. It could be shown that patients are very satisfied with the combination of naturopathy and academic medicine and with approaches that take patient preferences into account. Integrating naturopathy can be considered for multimorbid patients, in particular. Moreover, patient-centred care can improve staff satisfaction levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. On-the-spot lung cancer differential diagnosis by label-free, molecular vibrational imaging and knowledge-based classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Liang; Li, Fuhai; Thrall, Michael J.; Yang, Yaliang; Xing, Jiong; Hammoudi, Ahmad A.; Zhao, Hong; Massoud, Yehia; Cagle, Philip T.; Fan, Yubo; Wong, Kelvin K.; Wang, Zhiyong; Wong, Stephen T. C.

    2011-09-01

    We report the development and application of a knowledge-based coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy system for label-free imaging, pattern recognition, and classification of cells and tissue structures for differentiating lung cancer from non-neoplastic lung tissues and identifying lung cancer subtypes. A total of 1014 CARS images were acquired from 92 fresh frozen lung tissue samples. The established pathological workup and diagnostic cellular were used as prior knowledge for establishment of a knowledge-based CARS system using a machine learning approach. This system functions to separate normal, non-neoplastic, and subtypes of lung cancer tissues based on extracted quantitative features describing fibrils and cell morphology. The knowledge-based CARS system showed the ability to distinguish lung cancer from normal and non-neoplastic lung tissue with 91% sensitivity and 92% specificity. Small cell carcinomas were distinguished from nonsmall cell carcinomas with 100% sensitivity and specificity. As an adjunct to submitting tissue samples to routine pathology, our novel system recognizes the patterns of fibril and cell morphology, enabling medical practitioners to perform differential diagnosis of lung lesions in mere minutes. The demonstration of the strategy is also a necessary step toward in vivo point-of-care diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lung lesions with a fiber-based CARS microendoscope.

  17. [Consensus on nursing diagnoses, interventions and outcomes for home care of patients with heart failure].

    PubMed

    Azzolin, Karina; de Souza, Emiliane Nogueira; Ruschel, Karen Brasil; Mussi, Cláudia Motta; de Lucena, Amália Fátima; Rabelo, Eneida Rejane

    2012-12-01

    This was a consensus study with six cardiology nurses with the objective of selecting nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions described by NANDA International (NANDA-I), Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC), for home care of patients with heart failure (HF). Eight nursing diagnoses (NDs) were pre-selected and a consensus was achieved in three stages, during which interventions/activities and outcomes/indicators of each NDs were validated and those considered valid obtained 70% to 100% consensus. From the eight pre-selected NDs, two were excluded due to the lack of consensus on appropriate interventions for the clinical home care scenario. Eleven interventions were selected from a total of 96 pre-selected ones and seven outcomes were validated out of 71. The practice of consensus among expert nurses provides assistance to the qualifications of the care process and deepens the knowledge about the use of tazonomies in nursing clinical practice.

  18. A comprehensive payment model for short- and long-stay psychiatric patients.

    PubMed

    Fries, B E; Durance, P W; Nerenz, D R; Ashcraft, M L

    1993-01-01

    In this article, a payment model is developed for a hospital system with both acute- and chronic-stay psychiatric patients. "Transition pricing" provides a balance between the incentives of an episode-based system and the necessity of per diem long-term payments. Payment is dependent on two new psychiatric resident classification systems for short- and long-term stays. Data on per diem cost of inpatient care, by day of stay, was computed from a sample of 2,968 patients from 100 psychiatric units in 51 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers. Using a 9-month cohort of all VA psychiatric discharges nationwide (79,337 with non-chronic stays), profits and losses were simulated.

  19. How Technology in Care at Home Affects Patient Self-Care and Self-Management: A Scoping Review

    PubMed Central

    Peeters, José M.; Wiegers, Therese A.; Friele, Roland D.

    2013-01-01

    The use of technology in care at home has potential benefits such as improved quality of care. This includes greater focus on the patients’ role in managing their health and increased patient involvement in the care process. The objective of this scoping review is to analyse the existing evidence for effects of technology in home-based care on patients’ self-care and self-management. Using suitable search terms we searched the databases of Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Cinahl, Picarta and NIVEL dating from 2002 to 2012. Thirty-three studies (six review studies and twenty-seven individual studies) were selected. Effects were extracted from each study and were classified. In almost all the studies, the concepts self-care and self-management are not clearly defined or operationalized. Therefore, based on a meta-analysis, we made a new classification of outcome measures, with hierarchical levels: (1) competence (2) illness-management (3) independence (social participation, autonomy). In general, patient outcomes appear to be positive or promising, but most studies were pilot studies. We did not find strong evidence that technology in care at home has (a positive) effect on patient self-care and self-management according to the above classification. Future research is needed to clarify how technology can be used to maximize its benefits. PMID:24173139

  20. Knowledge discovery from patients' behavior via clustering-classification algorithms based on weighted eRFM and CLV model: An empirical study in public health care services.

    PubMed

    Zare Hosseini, Zeinab; Mohammadzadeh, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    The rapid growing of information technology (IT) motivates and makes competitive advantages in health care industry. Nowadays, many hospitals try to build a successful customer relationship management (CRM) to recognize target and potential patients, increase patient loyalty and satisfaction and finally maximize their profitability. Many hospitals have large data warehouses containing customer demographic and transactions information. Data mining techniques can be used to analyze this data and discover hidden knowledge of customers. This research develops an extended RFM model, namely RFML (added parameter: Length) based on health care services for a public sector hospital in Iran with the idea that there is contrast between patient and customer loyalty, to estimate customer life time value (CLV) for each patient. We used Two-step and K-means algorithms as clustering methods and Decision tree (CHAID) as classification technique to segment the patients to find out target, potential and loyal customers in order to implement strengthen CRM. Two approaches are used for classification: first, the result of clustering is considered as Decision attribute in classification process and second, the result of segmentation based on CLV value of patients (estimated by RFML) is considered as Decision attribute. Finally the results of CHAID algorithm show the significant hidden rules and identify existing patterns of hospital consumers.

  1. Knowledge discovery from patients’ behavior via clustering-classification algorithms based on weighted eRFM and CLV model: An empirical study in public health care services

    PubMed Central

    Zare Hosseini, Zeinab; Mohammadzadeh, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    The rapid growing of information technology (IT) motivates and makes competitive advantages in health care industry. Nowadays, many hospitals try to build a successful customer relationship management (CRM) to recognize target and potential patients, increase patient loyalty and satisfaction and finally maximize their profitability. Many hospitals have large data warehouses containing customer demographic and transactions information. Data mining techniques can be used to analyze this data and discover hidden knowledge of customers. This research develops an extended RFM model, namely RFML (added parameter: Length) based on health care services for a public sector hospital in Iran with the idea that there is contrast between patient and customer loyalty, to estimate customer life time value (CLV) for each patient. We used Two-step and K-means algorithms as clustering methods and Decision tree (CHAID) as classification technique to segment the patients to find out target, potential and loyal customers in order to implement strengthen CRM. Two approaches are used for classification: first, the result of clustering is considered as Decision attribute in classification process and second, the result of segmentation based on CLV value of patients (estimated by RFML) is considered as Decision attribute. Finally the results of CHAID algorithm show the significant hidden rules and identify existing patterns of hospital consumers. PMID:27610177

  2. Designing and Implementation of River Classification Assistant Management System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Yinjun; Jiang, Wenyuan; Yang, Rujun; Yang, Nan; Liu, Haiyan

    2018-03-01

    In an earlier publication, we proposed a new Decision Classifier (DCF) for Chinese river classification based on their structures. To expand, enhance and promote the application of the DCF, we build a computer system to support river classification named River Classification Assistant Management System. Based on ArcEngine and ArcServer platform, this system implements many functions such as data management, extraction of river network, river classification, and results publication under combining Client / Server with Browser / Server framework.

  3. Effect of e-learning program on risk assessment and pressure ulcer classification - A randomized study.

    PubMed

    Bredesen, Ida Marie; Bjøro, Karen; Gunningberg, Lena; Hofoss, Dag

    2016-05-01

    Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a problem in health care. Staff competency is paramount to PU prevention. Education is essential to increase skills in pressure ulcer classification and risk assessment. Currently, no pressure ulcer learning programs are available in Norwegian. Develop and test an e-learning program for assessment of pressure ulcer risk and pressure ulcer classification. Forty-four nurses working in acute care hospital wards or nursing homes participated and were assigned randomly into two groups: an e-learning program group (intervention) and a traditional classroom lecture group (control). Data was collected immediately before and after training, and again after three months. The study was conducted at one nursing home and two hospitals between May and December 2012. Accuracy of risk assessment (five patient cases) and pressure ulcer classification (40 photos [normal skin, pressure ulcer categories I-IV] split in two sets) were measured by comparing nurse evaluations in each of the two groups to a pre-established standard based on ratings by experts in pressure ulcer classification and risk assessment. Inter-rater reliability was measured by exact percent agreement and multi-rater Fleiss kappa. A Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous sum score variables. An e-learning program did not improve Braden subscale scoring. For pressure ulcer classification, however, the intervention group scored significantly higher than the control group on several of the categories in post-test immediately after training. However, after three months there were no significant differences in classification skills between the groups. An e-learning program appears to have a greater effect on the accuracy of pressure ulcer classification than classroom teaching in the short term. For proficiency in Braden scoring, no significant effect of educational methods on learning results was detected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A Study to Determine the Best Method of Improving the Flow of Patients Through the Surgical Critical Care Units at Letterman Army Medical Center

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-07-01

    CLASSIFICATION AMTHdRITY " 3. DISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY OF REPORT N/A S &" D-i’ -’ , I 2b. DECLASSIFICATION/ DOWN, G ;tUE - -J : iN/A 14’ el UNCLASSIFIED...UNLIMITED 4. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION I"RT NUMB- ) 5. MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER( S ) 1-89 6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b OFFICE SYMBOL 7a...iTLE (Include Security Classification) A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE BEST METHOD OF IMPROVING THE FLOW OF PATIENTS THROUGH THE S .. RGICAL CRITICAL CARE

  5. 42 CFR 412.10 - Changes in the DRG classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Changes in the DRG classification system. 412.10... § 412.10 Changes in the DRG classification system. (a) General rule. CMS issues changes in the DRG classification system in a Federal Register notice at least annually. Except as specified in paragraphs (c) and...

  6. 42 CFR 412.10 - Changes in the DRG classification system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Changes in the DRG classification system. 412.10... § 412.10 Changes in the DRG classification system. (a) General rule. CMS issues changes in the DRG classification system in a Federal Register notice at least annually. Except as specified in paragraphs (c) and...

  7. Inter-Relationships of Functional Status in Cerebral Palsy: Analyzing Gross Motor Function, Manual Ability, and Communication Function Classification Systems in Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hidecker, Mary Jo Cooley; Ho, Nhan Thi; Dodge, Nancy; Hurvitz, Edward A.; Slaughter, Jaime; Workinger, Marilyn Seif; Kent, Ray D.; Rosenbaum, Peter; Lenski, Madeleine; Messaros, Bridget M.; Vanderbeek, Suzette B.; Deroos, Steven; Paneth, Nigel

    2012-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the relationships among the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: Using questionnaires describing each scale, mothers reported GMFCS, MACS, and CFCS levels in 222…

  8. The importance and pitfalls of correlational science in palliative care research.

    PubMed

    Klepstad, Pål; Kaasa, Stein

    2012-12-01

    Correlational science discovers associations between patient characteristics, symptoms and biomarkers. Correlational science using data from cross-sectional studies is the most frequently applied study design in palliative care research. The purpose of this review is to address the importance and potential pitfalls in correlational science. Associations observed in correlational science studies can be the basis for generating hypotheses that can be tested in experimental studies and are the basic data needed to develop classification systems that can predict patient outcomes. Major pitfalls in correlational science are that associations do not equate with causality and that statistical significance does not necessarily equal a correlation that is of clinical interest. Researchers should be aware of the end-points that are clinically relevant, that end-points should be defined before the start of the analyses, and that studies with several end-points should account for multiplicity. Correlational science in palliative care research can identify related clinical factors and biomarkers. Interpretation of identified associations should be done with careful consideration of the limitations underlying correlational analyses.

  9. What is the impact of multi-professional emergency obstetric and neonatal care training?

    PubMed

    Bergh, Anne-Marie; Baloyi, Shisana; Pattinson, Robert C

    2015-11-01

    This paper reviews evidence regarding change in health-care provider behaviour and maternal and neonatal outcomes as a result of emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) training. A refined version of the Kirkpatrick classification for programme evaluation was used to focus on change in efficiency and impact of training (levels 3 and 4). Twenty-three studies were reviewed - five randomised controlled trials, two quasi-experimental studies and 16 before-and-after observational studies. Training programmes had all been developed in high-income countries and adapted for use in low- and middle-income countries. Nine studies reported on behaviour change and 13 on process and patient outcomes. Most showed positive results. Every maternity unit should provide EmONC teamwork training, mandatory for all health-care providers. The challenges are as follows: scaling up such training to all institutions, sustaining regular in-service training, integrating training into institutional and health-system patient safety initiatives and 'thinking out of the box' in evaluation research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Life Years Lost and Lifetime Health Care Expenditures Associated With Diabetes in the U.S., National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2000

    PubMed Central

    Leung, Man-Yee Mallory; Pollack, Lisa M.; Colditz, Graham A.

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE This study analyzed the lifetime health care expenditures and life years lost associated with diabetes in the U.S. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1997 to 2000, and the NHIS Linked Mortality Public-use Files with a mortality follow-up to 2006 were used to estimate age-, race-, sex-, and BMI-specific risk of diabetes, mortality, and annual health care expenditures for both patients with diabetes and those without diabetes. A Markov model populated by the risk and cost estimates was used to compute life years and total lifetime health care expenditures by age, race, sex, and BMI classifications for patients with diabetes and without diabetes. RESULTS Predicted life expectancy for patients with diabetes and without diabetes demonstrated an inverted U shape across most BMI classifications, with highest life expectancy being for the overweight. Lifetime health care expenditures were higher for whites than blacks and for females than males. Using U.S. adults aged 50 years as an example, we found that diabetic white females with a BMI >40 kg/m2 had 17.9 remaining life years and lifetime health expenditures of $185,609, whereas diabetic white females with normal weight had 22.2 remaining life years and lifetime health expenditures of $183,704. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that diabetes is associated with large decreases in life expectancy and large increases in lifetime health care expenditures. In addition to decreasing life expectancy by 3.3 to 18.7 years, diabetes increased lifetime health care expenditures by $8,946 to $159,380 depending on age-race-sex-BMI classification groups. PMID:25552420

  11. Correlation of the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) System with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS): Introduction of the Weak Rock Mass Rating System (W-RMR)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warren, Sean N.; Kallu, Raj R.; Barnard, Chase K.

    2016-11-01

    Underground gold mines in Nevada are exploiting increasingly deeper ore bodies comprised of weak to very weak rock masses. The Rock Mass Rating (RMR) classification system is widely used at underground gold mines in Nevada and is applicable in fair to good-quality rock masses, but is difficult to apply and loses reliability in very weak rock mass to soil-like material. Because very weak rock masses are transition materials that border engineering rock mass and soil classification systems, soil classification may sometimes be easier and more appropriate to provide insight into material behavior and properties. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is the most likely choice for the classification of very weak rock mass to soil-like material because of its accepted use in tunnel engineering projects and its ability to predict soil-like material behavior underground. A correlation between the RMR and USCS systems was developed by comparing underground geotechnical RMR mapping to laboratory testing of bulk samples from the same locations, thereby assigning a numeric RMR value to the USCS classification that can be used in spreadsheet calculations and geostatistical analyses. The geotechnical classification system presented in this paper including a USCS-RMR correlation, RMR rating equations, and the Geo-Pick Strike Index is collectively introduced as the Weak Rock Mass Rating System (W-RMR). It is the authors' hope that this system will aid in the classification of weak rock masses and more usable design tools based on the RMR system. More broadly, the RMR-USCS correlation and the W-RMR system help define the transition between engineering soil and rock mass classification systems and may provide insight for geotechnical design in very weak rock masses.

  12. Overweight and Obesity Prevalence Among School-Aged Nunavik Inuit Children According to Three Body Mass Index Classification Systems.

    PubMed

    Medehouenou, Thierry Comlan Marc; Ayotte, Pierre; St-Jean, Audray; Meziou, Salma; Roy, Cynthia; Muckle, Gina; Lucas, Michel

    2015-07-01

    Little is known about the suitability of three commonly used body mass index (BMI) classification system for Indigenous children. This study aims to estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among school-aged Nunavik Inuit children according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO) BMI classification systems, to measure agreement between those classification systems, and to investigate whether BMI status as defined by these classification systems is associated with levels of metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Data were collected on 290 school-aged children (aged 8-14 years; 50.7% girls) from the Nunavik Child Development Study with data collected in 2005-2010. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood sampled. Participants were classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese according to BMI classification systems. Weighted kappa (κw) statistics assessed agreement between different BMI classification systems, and multivariate analysis of variance ascertained their relationship with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. The combined prevalence rate of overweight/obesity was 26.9% (with 6.6% obesity) with IOTF, 24.1% (11.0%) with CDC, and 40.4% (12.8%) with WHO classification systems. Agreement was the highest between IOTF and CDC (κw = .87) classifications, and substantial for IOTF and WHO (κw = .69) and for CDC and WHO (κw = .73). Insulin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein plasma levels were significantly higher from normal weight to obesity, regardless of classification system. Among obese subjects, higher insulin level was observed with IOTF. Compared with other systems, IOTF classification appears to be more specific to identify overweight and obesity in Inuit children. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Does the Aged Care Funding Instrument provide increased funding in residential care? Comparisons with the Residential Classification Scale.

    PubMed

    Chan, Geoffrey Z P; Chin, Collin K L; McKitrick, Douglas J; Warne, Roger W

    2014-06-01

    To determine whether the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) provides more funding than the Residential Classification Scale (RCS) for residents in the Hellenic Residential Care Facility. All residents within the care facility were assessed over a six 6-month period using ACFI, RCS and Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE) scores. Differences in funding levels were calculated using ACFI and RCS instruments against a standardised CAPE score. CAPE dependency RCS funding per resident per day varied from $32.20 for grade A to $116.20 for grade E4 residents. CAPE ACFI funding varied from $20.20 for grade A to $127.50 for grade E4. There was no significant difference in mean overall funding between the two scales (ACFI $92.50 vs RCS $90.35, P = 0.76). The ACFI does provide a small but not significant increase in funding to residents in residential care. It redirects funding to higher dependency residents. © 2013 The Authors. Australasian Journal on Ageing © 2013 ACOTA.

  14. Stroke subtyping for genetic association studies? A comparison of the CCS and TOAST classifications.

    PubMed

    Lanfranconi, Silvia; Markus, Hugh S

    2013-12-01

    A reliable and reproducible classification system of stroke subtype is essential for epidemiological and genetic studies. The Causative Classification of Stroke system is an evidence-based computerized algorithm with excellent inter-rater reliability. It has been suggested that, compared to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification, it increases the proportion of cases with defined subtype that may increase power in genetic association studies. We compared Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment and Causative Classification of Stroke system classifications in a large cohort of well-phenotyped stroke patients. Six hundred ninety consecutively recruited patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were classified, using review of clinical data and original imaging, according to the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment and Causative Classification of Stroke system classifications. There was excellent agreement subtype assigned by between Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment and Causative Classification of Stroke system (kappa = 0·85). The agreement was excellent for the major individual subtypes: large artery atherosclerosis kappa = 0·888, small-artery occlusion kappa = 0·869, cardiac embolism kappa = 0·89, and undetermined category kappa = 0·884. There was only moderate agreement (kappa = 0·41) for the subjects with at least two competing underlying mechanism. Thirty-five (5·8%) patients classified as undetermined by Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment were assigned to a definite subtype by Causative Classification of Stroke system. Thirty-two subjects assigned to a definite subtype by Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment were classified as undetermined by Causative Classification of Stroke system. There is excellent agreement between classification using Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment and Causative Classification of Stroke systems but no evidence that Causative Classification of Stroke system reduced the proportion of patients classified to undetermined subtypes. The excellent inter-rater reproducibility and web-based semiautomated nature make Causative Classification of Stroke system suitable for multicenter studies, but the benefit of reclassifying cases already classified using the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment system on existing databases is likely to be small. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

  15. Management of Lower Extremity Long-bone Fractures in Spinal Cord Injury Patients.

    PubMed

    Schulte, Leah M; Scully, Ryan D; Kappa, Jason E

    2017-09-01

    The AO classification system, used as a guide for modern fracture care and fixation, follows a basic philosophy of care that emphasizes early mobility and return to function. Lower extremity long-bone fractures in patients with spinal cord injury often are pathologic injuries that present unique challenges, to which the AO principles may not be entirely applicable. Optimal treatment achieves healing without affecting the functional level of the patient. These injuries often result from low-energy mechanisms in nonambulatory patients with osteopenic bone and a thin, insensate soft-tissue envelope. The complication rate can be high, and the outcomes can be catastrophic without proper care. Satisfactory results can be obtained through various methods of immobilization. Less frequently, internal fixation is applied. In certain cases, after discussion with the patient, amputation may be suitable. Prevention strategies aim to minimize bone loss and muscle atrophy.

  16. [Proposing a physiological model for Emergency Department. Operating principles, classification of overcrowding and guidelines for redesign].

    PubMed

    Herrera Carranza, M; Aguado Correa, F; Padilla Garrido, N; López Camacho, F

    2017-04-30

    The operation of Emergency Departments (ED) is determined by demand, their own organizational structures and the connection to other medical care levels. When these elements are not simultaneous, it hinders patient flow and decreases capacity, making it necessary to employ a systemic approach to the chain of emergency care as a single operational entity. With this theoretical orientation, we suggest a conceptual model similar to the physiological cardiac output, in which the preload is the demand, the contractile or flow pump is the organizational structure, the afterload is the hospital, the pre-ED valve is primary care and outpatient emergencies, and the post-ED valve is the diagnostic support services and the specialist consultants. Based on this theoretical approach we classify the different types of ED overcrowding and systematise its causes and the different waiting lists that it generates, which can help to redesign the service and avoid its saturation.

  17. School Nurse Workload.

    PubMed

    Endsley, Patricia

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this scoping review was to survey the most recent (5 years) acute care, community health, and mental health nursing workload literature to understand themes and research avenues that may be applicable to school nursing workload research. The search for empirical and nonempirical literature was conducted using search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, and Medline. Twenty-nine empirical studies and nine nonempirical articles were selected for inclusion. Themes that emerged consistent with school nurse practice include patient classification systems, environmental factors, assistive personnel, missed nursing care, and nurse satisfaction. School nursing is a public health discipline and population studies are an inherent research priority but may overlook workload variables at the clinical level. School nurses need a consistent method of population assessment, as well as evaluation of appropriate use of assistive personnel and school environment factors. Assessment of tasks not directly related to student care and professional development must also be considered in total workload.

  18. Morbidity and process of care in urban Malaysian general practice: the impact of payment system.

    PubMed

    Teng, C L; Aljunid, S M; Cheah, Molly; Leong, K C; Kwa, S K

    2003-08-01

    The majority of primary care consultations in Malaysia occur in the general practice clinics. To date, there is no comprehensive documentation of the morbidity and practice activities in this setting. We reported the reasons for encounter, diagnoses and process of care in urban general practice and the influence of payment system on the morbidity and practice activities. 115 clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang participated in this study. General practitioners in these clinics completed a 2-page questionnaire for each of the 30 consecutive patients. The questionnaire requested for the following information: demographic data, reasons for encounter, important physical findings, diagnoses, investigations ordered, outpatient procedures performed, medical certificate given, medication prescribed and referral made. The morbidity (reasons for encounter and diagnoses) was coded using ICPC-2 and the medication data was coded using MIMS Classification Index. During 3481 encounters, 5300 RFEs (152 RFEs per 100 encounters) and 3342 diagnoses (96 diagnoses per 100 encounters) were recorded. The majority of the RFEs and diagnoses are in the following ICPC Chapters: Respiratory, General and unspecified, Digestive, Neurological, Musculoskeletal and Skin. The frequencies of selected aspects of the process of care (rate per 100 encounters) were: laboratory investigations 14.7, outpatient procedures 2.4, sick certification 26.9, referral 2.4, and medication prescription 244. Consultation for chronic diseases and acute infections were influenced more by demographic variables (age, employment) rather than payment system. Cash-paying patients were more likely to receive laboratory investigations and injections. This study demonstrated the breadth of clinical care in the general practice. Relatively fewer patients consulted specifically for preventive care and treatment of chronic diseases. The frequencies of outpatient procedures and referrals appeared to be low. Payment system results in important differences in patient mix and influences some types of practice activities.

  19. A new hierarchical method for inter-patient heartbeat classification using random projections and RR intervals

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The inter-patient classification schema and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards are important to the construction and evaluation of automated heartbeat classification systems. The majority of previously proposed methods that take the above two aspects into consideration use the same features and classification method to classify different classes of heartbeats. The performance of the classification system is often unsatisfactory with respect to the ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) and supraventricular ectopic beat (SVEB). Methods Based on the different characteristics of VEB and SVEB, a novel hierarchical heartbeat classification system was constructed. This was done in order to improve the classification performance of these two classes of heartbeats by using different features and classification methods. First, random projection and support vector machine (SVM) ensemble were used to detect VEB. Then, the ratio of the RR interval was compared to a predetermined threshold to detect SVEB. The optimal parameters for the classification models were selected on the training set and used in the independent testing set to assess the final performance of the classification system. Meanwhile, the effect of different lead configurations on the classification results was evaluated. Results Results showed that the performance of this classification system was notably superior to that of other methods. The VEB detection sensitivity was 93.9% with a positive predictive value of 90.9%, and the SVEB detection sensitivity was 91.1% with a positive predictive value of 42.2%. In addition, this classification process was relatively fast. Conclusions A hierarchical heartbeat classification system was proposed based on the inter-patient data division to detect VEB and SVEB. It demonstrated better classification performance than existing methods. It can be regarded as a promising system for detecting VEB and SVEB of unknown patients in clinical practice. PMID:24981916

  20. Extensions to the Speech Disorders Classification System (SDCS)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shriberg, Lawrence D.; Fourakis, Marios; Hall, Sheryl D.; Karlsson, Heather B.; Lohmeier, Heather L.; McSweeny, Jane L.; Potter, Nancy L.; Scheer-Cohen, Alison R.; Strand, Edythe A.; Tilkens, Christie M.; Wilson, David L.

    2010-01-01

    This report describes three extensions to a classification system for paediatric speech sound disorders termed the Speech Disorders Classification System (SDCS). Part I describes a classification extension to the SDCS to differentiate motor speech disorders from speech delay and to differentiate among three sub-types of motor speech disorders.…

  1. Structured health care for subjects with diabetic foot ulcers results in a reduction of major amputation rates

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Objective We tested the effects of structured health care for the diabetic foot in one region in Germany aiming to reduce the number of major amputations. Research design and methods In a prospective study we investigated patients with diabetic foot in a structured system of outpatient, in-patient and rehabilitative treatment. Subjects were recruited between January 1st, 2000 and December 31, 2007. All participants underwent a two-year follow-up. The modified University of Texas Wound Classification System (UT) was the basis for documentation and data analysis. We evaluated numbers of major amputations, rates of ulcer healing and mortality. In order to compare the effect of the structured health care program with usual care in patients with diabetic foot we evaluated the same parameters at another regional hospital without interdisciplinary care of diabetic foot (controls). Results 684 patients with diabetic foot and 508 controls were investigated. At discharge from hospital 28.3% (structured health care program, SHC) vs. 23.0% (controls) of all ulcers had healed completely. 51.5% (SHC) vs. 49.8% (controls) were in UT grade 1. Major amputations were performed in 32 subjects of the structured health care program group (4.7%) vs. 110 (21.7%) in controls (p<0.0001). Mortality during hospitalization was 2.5% (SHC) vs. 9.4% in controls (p<0.001). Conclusions With the structured health care program we achieved a significant reduction of major amputation rates by more than 75% as compared to standard care. PMID:23497152

  2. Comparison of Danish dichotomous and BI-RADS classifications of mammographic density.

    PubMed

    Hodge, Rebecca; Hellmann, Sophie Sell; von Euler-Chelpin, My; Vejborg, Ilse; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic

    2014-06-01

    In the Copenhagen mammography screening program from 1991 to 2001, mammographic density was classified either as fatty or mixed/dense. This dichotomous mammographic density classification system is unique internationally, and has not been validated before. To compare the Danish dichotomous mammographic density classification system from 1991 to 2001 with the density BI-RADS classifications, in an attempt to validate the Danish classification system. The study sample consisted of 120 mammograms taken in Copenhagen in 1991-2001, which tested false positive, and which were in 2012 re-assessed and classified according to the BI-RADS classification system. We calculated inter-rater agreement between the Danish dichotomous mammographic classification as fatty or mixed/dense and the four-level BI-RADS classification by the linear weighted Kappa statistic. Of the 120 women, 32 (26.7%) were classified as having fatty and 88 (73.3%) as mixed/dense mammographic density, according to Danish dichotomous classification. According to BI-RADS density classification, 12 (10.0%) women were classified as having predominantly fatty (BI-RADS code 1), 46 (38.3%) as having scattered fibroglandular (BI-RADS code 2), 57 (47.5%) as having heterogeneously dense (BI-RADS 3), and five (4.2%) as having extremely dense (BI-RADS code 4) mammographic density. The inter-rater variability assessed by weighted kappa statistic showed a substantial agreement (0.75). The dichotomous mammographic density classification system utilized in early years of Copenhagen's mammographic screening program (1991-2001) agreed well with the BI-RADS density classification system.

  3. Why patients visit their doctors: assessing the most prevalent conditions in a defined American population.

    PubMed

    St Sauver, Jennifer L; Warner, David O; Yawn, Barbara P; Jacobson, Debra J; McGree, Michaela E; Pankratz, Joshua J; Melton, L Joseph; Roger, Véronique L; Ebbert, Jon O; Rocca, Walter A

    2013-01-01

    To describe the prevalence of nonacute conditions among patients seeking health care in a defined US population, emphasizing age, sex, and ethnic differences. The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) medical records linkage system was used to identify all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, on April 1, 2009, who had consented to review of their medical records for research (142,377 patients). We then electronically extracted all International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes noted in the records of these patients by any health care institution between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009. We grouped International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes into clinical classification codes and then into 47 broader disease groups associated with health-related quality of life. Age- and sex-specific prevalence was estimated by dividing the number of individuals within each group by the corresponding age- and sex-specific population. Patients within a group who had multiple codes were counted only once. We included a total of 142,377 patients, 75,512 (53%) of whom were female. Skin disorders (42.7%), osteoarthritis and joint disorders (33.6%), back problems (23.9%), disorders of lipid metabolism (22.4%), and upper respiratory tract disease (22.1%, excluding asthma) were the most prevalent disease groups in this population. Ten of the 15 most prevalent disease groups were more common in women in almost all age groups, whereas disorders of lipid metabolism, hypertension, and diabetes were more common in men. Additionally, the prevalence of 7 of the 10 most common groups increased with advancing age. Prevalence also varied across ethnic groups (whites, blacks, and Asians). Our findings suggest areas for focused research that may lead to better health care delivery and improved population health. Copyright © 2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe children referred to special care or paediatric dental services.

    PubMed

    Faulks, Denise; Norderyd, Johanna; Molina, Gustavo; Macgiolla Phadraig, Caoimhin; Scagnet, Gabriela; Eschevins, Caroline; Hennequin, Martine

    2013-01-01

    Children in dentistry are traditionally described in terms of medical diagnosis and prevalence of oral disease. This approach gives little information regarding a child's capacity to maintain oral health or regarding the social determinants of oral health. The biopsychosocial approach, embodied in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Child and Youth version (ICF-CY) (WHO), provides a wider picture of a child's real-life experience, but practical tools for the application of this model are lacking. This article describes the preliminary empirical study necessary for development of such a tool - an ICF-CY Core Set for Oral Health. An ICF-CY questionnaire was used to identify the medical, functional, social and environmental context of 218 children and adolescents referred to special care or paediatric dental services in France, Sweden, Argentina and Ireland (mean age 8 years ± 3.6 yrs). International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) diagnoses included disorders of the nervous system (26.1%), Down syndrome (22.0%), mental retardation (17.0%), autistic disorders (16.1%), and dental anxiety alone (11.0%). The most frequently impaired items in the ICF Body functions domain were 'Intellectual functions', 'High-level cognitive functions', and 'Attention functions'. In the Activities and Participation domain, participation restriction was frequently reported for 25 items including 'Handling stress', 'Caring for body parts', 'Looking after one's health' and 'Speaking'. In the Environment domain, facilitating items included 'Support of friends', 'Attitude of friends' and 'Support of immediate family'. One item was reported as an environmental barrier - 'Societal attitudes'. The ICF-CY can be used to highlight common profiles of functioning, activities, participation and environment shared by children in relation to oral health, despite widely differing medical, social and geographical contexts. The results of this empirical study might be used to develop an ICF-CY Core Set for Oral Health - a holistic but practical tool for clinical and epidemiological use.

  5. The history of female genital tract malformation classifications and proposal of an updated system.

    PubMed

    Acién, Pedro; Acién, Maribel I

    2011-01-01

    A correct classification of malformations of the female genital tract is essential to prevent unnecessary and inadequate surgical operations and to compare reproductive results. An ideal classification system should be based on aetiopathogenesis and should suggest the appropriate therapeutic strategy. We conducted a systematic review of relevant articles found in PubMed, Scopus, Scirus and ISI webknowledge, and analysis of historical collections of 'female genital malformations' and 'classifications'. Of 124 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 64 were included because they contained original general, partial or modified classifications. All the existing classifications were analysed and grouped. The unification of terms and concepts was also analysed. Traditionally, malformations of the female genital tract have been catalogued and classified as Müllerian malformations due to agenesis, lack of fusion, the absence of resorption and lack of posterior development of the Müllerian ducts. The American Fertility Society classification of the late 1980s included seven basic groups of malformations also considering the Müllerian development and the relationship of the malformations to fertility. Other classifications are based on different aspects: functional, defects in vertical fusion, embryological or anatomical (Vagina, Cervix, Uterus, Adnex and Associated Malformation: VCUAM classification). However, an embryological-clinical classification system seems to be the most appropriate. Accepting the need for a new classification system of genitourinary malformations that considers the experience gained from the application of the current classification systems, the aetiopathogenesis and that also suggests the appropriate treatment, we proposed an update of our embryological-clinical classification as a new system with six groups of female genitourinary anomalies.

  6. Comparison between two race/skin color classifications in relation to health-related outcomes in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Travassos, Claudia; Laguardia, Josué; Marques, Priscilla M; Mota, Jurema C; Szwarcwald, Celia L

    2011-08-25

    This paper aims to compare the classification of race/skin color based on the discrete categories used by the Demographic Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and a skin color scale with values ranging from 1 (lighter skin) to 10 (darker skin), examining whether choosing one alternative or the other can influence measures of self-evaluation of health status, health care service utilization and discrimination in the health services. This is a cross-sectional study based on data from the World Health Survey carried out in Brazil in 2003 with a sample of 5000 individuals older than 18 years. Similarities between the two classifications were evaluated by means of correspondence analysis. The effect of the two classifications on health outcomes was tested through logistic regression models for each sex, using age, educational level and ownership of consumer goods as covariables. Both measures of race/skin color represent the same race/skin color construct. The results show a tendency among Brazilians to classify their skin color in shades closer to the center of the color gradient. Women tend to classify their race/skin color as a little lighter than men in the skin color scale, an effect not observed when IBGE categories are used. With regard to health and health care utilization, race/skin color was not relevant in explaining any of them, regardless of the race/skin color classification. Lack of money and social class were the most prevalent reasons for discrimination in healthcare reported in the survey, suggesting that in Brazil the discussion about discrimination in the health care must not be restricted to racial discrimination and should also consider class-based discrimination. The study shows that the differences of the two classifications of race/skin color are small. However, the interval scale measure appeared to increase the freedom of choice of the respondent.

  7. Comparison between two race/skin color classifications in relation to health-related outcomes in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background This paper aims to compare the classification of race/skin color based on the discrete categories used by the Demographic Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and a skin color scale with values ranging from 1 (lighter skin) to 10 (darker skin), examining whether choosing one alternative or the other can influence measures of self-evaluation of health status, health care service utilization and discrimination in the health services. Methods This is a cross-sectional study based on data from the World Health Survey carried out in Brazil in 2003 with a sample of 5000 individuals older than 18 years. Similarities between the two classifications were evaluated by means of correspondence analysis. The effect of the two classifications on health outcomes was tested through logistic regression models for each sex, using age, educational level and ownership of consumer goods as covariables. Results Both measures of race/skin color represent the same race/skin color construct. The results show a tendency among Brazilians to classify their skin color in shades closer to the center of the color gradient. Women tend to classify their race/skin color as a little lighter than men in the skin color scale, an effect not observed when IBGE categories are used. With regard to health and health care utilization, race/skin color was not relevant in explaining any of them, regardless of the race/skin color classification. Lack of money and social class were the most prevalent reasons for discrimination in healthcare reported in the survey, suggesting that in Brazil the discussion about discrimination in the health care must not be restricted to racial discrimination and should also consider class-based discrimination. The study shows that the differences of the two classifications of race/skin color are small. However, the interval scale measure appeared to increase the freedom of choice of the respondent. PMID:21867522

  8. Conceptual foundations of a palliative approach: a knowledge synthesis.

    PubMed

    Sawatzky, Richard; Porterfield, Pat; Lee, Joyce; Dixon, Duncan; Lounsbury, Kathleen; Pesut, Barbara; Roberts, Della; Tayler, Carolyn; Voth, James; Stajduhar, Kelli

    2016-01-15

    Much of what we understand about the design of healthcare systems to support care of the dying comes from our experiences with providing palliative care for dying cancer patients. It is increasingly recognized that in addition to cancer, high quality end of life care should be an integral part of care that is provided for those with other advancing chronic life-limiting conditions. A "palliative approach" has been articulated as one way of conceptualizing this care. However, there is a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the essential characteristics of a palliative approach to care. The goal of this research was to delineate the key characteristics of a palliative approach found in the empiric literature in order to establish conceptual clarity. We conducted a knowledge synthesis of empirical peer-reviewed literature. Search terms pertaining to "palliative care" and "chronic life-limiting conditions" were identified. A comprehensive database search of 11 research databases for the intersection of these terms yielded 190,204 documents. A subsequent computer-assisted approach using statistical predictive classification methods was used to identify relevant documents, resulting in a final yield of 91 studies. Narrative synthesis methods and thematic analysis were used to then identify and conceptualize key characteristics of a palliative approach. The following three overarching themes were conceptualized to delineate a palliative approach: (1) upstream orientation towards the needs of people who have life-limiting conditions and their families, (2) adaptation of palliative care knowledge and expertise, (3) operationalization of a palliative approach through integration into systems and models of care that do not specialize in palliative care. Our findings provide much needed conceptual clarity regarding a palliative approach. Such clarity is of fundamental importance for the development of healthcare systems that facilitate the integration of a palliative approach in the care of people who have chronic life-limiting conditions.

  9. Telehealth: current practices and future directions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    David, Yadin B.

    1996-02-01

    When we review the positive impact that the integration of ostensibly independent patient-care services have on the efficient management of quality care, education, and collaborative research, it is not surprising that telehealth deployment is on the rise. The forces that drive this phenomenon include: the need to manage the entire disease episode; the desire for wider geographically-distributed quality health care; the escalation of customer expectations; globalization of healthcare and its support services; an increase in patient and provider convenience; and the acceptance of the present technological community. At the Telehealth Center at the Texas Children's Hospital, current classifications of clinical applications are listed: (1) initial urgent evaluation of patients, (2) triage decisions and pretransfer arrangements, (3) medical and surgical follow-up and medication review, (4) consultation for primary care encounters, (5) real-time subspecialty care consultation and planning, (6) management of chronic diseases and conditions, (7) extended diagnostic work-ups, (8) review of diagnostic images, and (9) preventive medicine and patient education. The delivery of such services is associated with challenges and opportunities. As we move forward from limited data processing to an integrated communication system, from centralized main frame functions to personalized and location-independent workstations, and from hospitals to clinics and homecare, an increase in the minimum features provided by the equipment and the communication systems must accompany the widening variety of clinical applications. Future expansion of telehealth systems stands to revolutionize the delivery of services to the benefits of providers' networks, our economy, and patients through integration.

  10. Performance measurement in cancer care: uses and challenges.

    PubMed

    Lazar, G S; Desch, C E

    1998-05-15

    Unnecessary, inappropriate, and futile care are given in all areas of health care including cancer care. Not only does such care increase costs and waste precious resources, but patients may have adverse outcomes when the wrong care is given. One of the ways to address this issue is to measure performance with the use of administrative data sets. Through performance measurement, the best providers can be chosen, providers can be rewarded on the basis of the quality of their performance, opportunities for improvement can be identified, and variation in practice can be minimized. Purchasers should take leadership role in creating data sets that will enhance, clinical performance. Specifically, purchasers should require the following from payers: 1) staging information; 2) requirements and/or incentives for proper International Classification of Diseases coding, including other important (comorbid) conditions; 3) incentives or requirements for proper data collection if the payer is using a reimbursement strategy that places the risk on the provider; and 4) a willingness to collect and report information to providers of care, with a view toward increasing quality and decreasing the costs of cancer care. Demanding better clinical performance can lead to better outcomes. Once good data is presented to patients and providers, better clinical behavior and improved cancer care systems will quickly follow.

  11. Developing a prenatal nursing care International Classification for Nursing Practice catalogue.

    PubMed

    Liu, L; Coenen, A; Tao, H; Jansen, K R; Jiang, A L

    2017-09-01

    This study aimed to develop a prenatal nursing care catalogue of International Classification for Nursing Practice. As a programme of the International Council of Nurses, International Classification for Nursing Practice aims to support standardized electronic nursing documentation and facilitate collection of comparable nursing data across settings. This initiative enables the study of relationships among nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes for best practice, healthcare management decisions, and policy development. The catalogues are usually focused on target populations. Pregnant women are the nursing population addressed in this project. According to the guidelines for catalogue development, three research steps have been adopted: (a) identifying relevant nursing diagnoses, interventions and outcomes; (b) developing a conceptual framework for the catalogue; (c) expert's validation. This project established a prenatal nursing care catalogue with 228 terms in total, including 69 nursing diagnosis, 92 nursing interventions and 67 nursing outcomes, among them, 57 nursing terms were newly developed. All terms in the catalogue were organized by a framework with two main categories, i.e. Expected Changes of Pregnancy and Pregnancy at Risk. Each category had four domains, representing the physical, psychological, behavioral and environmental perspectives of nursing practice. This catalogue can ease the documentation workload among prenatal care nurses, and facilitate storage and retrieval of standardized data for many purposes, such as quality improvement, administration decision-support and researches. The documentations of prenatal care provided data that can be more fluently communicated, compared and evaluated across various healthcare providers and clinic settings. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

  12. Prototype Expert System for Climate Classification.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Clay

    Many students find climate classification laborious and time-consuming, and through their lack of repetition fail to grasp the details of classification. This paper describes an expert system for climate classification that is being developed at Middle Tennessee State University. Topics include: (1) an introduction to the nature of classification,…

  13. The application of fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy inference system in supplier ranking and selection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tahriri, Farzad; Mousavi, Maryam; Hozhabri Haghighi, Siamak; Zawiah Md Dawal, Siti

    2014-06-01

    In today's highly rival market, an effective supplier selection process is vital to the success of any manufacturing system. Selecting the appropriate supplier is always a difficult task because suppliers posses varied strengths and weaknesses that necessitate careful evaluations prior to suppliers' ranking. This is a complex process with many subjective and objective factors to consider before the benefits of supplier selection are achieved. This paper identifies six extremely critical criteria and thirteen sub-criteria based on the literature. A new methodology employing those criteria and sub-criteria is proposed for the assessment and ranking of a given set of suppliers. To handle the subjectivity of the decision maker's assessment, an integration of fuzzy Delphi with fuzzy inference system has been applied and a new ranking method is proposed for supplier selection problem. This supplier selection model enables decision makers to rank the suppliers based on three classifications including "extremely preferred", "moderately preferred", and "weakly preferred". In addition, in each classification, suppliers are put in order from highest final score to the lowest. Finally, the methodology is verified and validated through an example of a numerical test bed.

  14. Acute pesticide poisoning: a proposed classification tool.

    PubMed

    Thundiyil, Josef G; Stober, Judy; Besbelli, Nida; Pronczuk, Jenny

    2008-03-01

    Cases of acute pesticide poisoning (APP) account for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Developing countries are particularly susceptible due to poorer regulation, lack of surveillance systems, less enforcement, lack of training and inadequate access to information systems. Previous research has demonstrated wide variability in incidence rates for APP. This is possibly due to inconsistent reporting methodology and exclusion of occupational and non-intentional poisonings. The purpose of this document is to create a standard case definition to facilitate the identification and diagnosis of all causes of APP, especially at the field level, rural clinics and primary health-care systems. This document is a synthesis of existing literature and case definitions that have been previously proposed by other authors around the world. It provides a standardized case definition and classification scheme for APP into categories of probable, possible and unlikely/unknown cases. Its use is intended to be applicable worldwide to contribute to identification of the scope of existing problems and thus promote action for improved management and prevention. By enabling a field diagnosis for APP, this standardized case definition may facilitate immediate medical management of pesticide poisoning and aid in estimating its incidence.

  15. A New Dusts Sensor for Cultural Heritage Applications Based on Image Processing

    PubMed Central

    Proietti, Andrea; Leccese, Fabio; Caciotta, Maurizio; Morresi, Fabio; Santamaria, Ulderico; Malomo, Carmela

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a new sensor for the detection and analysis of dusts (seen as powders and fibers) in indoor environments, especially designed for applications in the field of Cultural Heritage or in other contexts where the presence of dust requires special care (surgery, clean rooms, etc.). The presented system relies on image processing techniques (enhancement, noise reduction, segmentation, metrics analysis) and it allows obtaining both qualitative and quantitative information on the accumulation of dust. This information aims to identify the geometric and topological features of the elements of the deposit. The curators can use this information in order to design suitable prevention and maintenance actions for objects and environments. The sensor consists of simple and relatively cheap tools, based on a high-resolution image acquisition system, a preprocessing software to improve the captured image and an analysis algorithm for the feature extraction and the classification of the elements of the dust deposit. We carried out some tests in order to validate the system operation. These tests were performed within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums, showing the good performance of the proposed sensor in terms of execution time and classification accuracy. PMID:24901977

  16. Planned NLM/AHCPR large-scale vocabulary test: using UMLS technology to determine the extent to which controlled vocabularies cover terminology needed for health care and public health.

    PubMed Central

    Humphreys, B L; Hole, W T; McCray, A T; Fitzmaurice, J M

    1996-01-01

    The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) are sponsoring a test to determine the extent to which a combination of existing health-related terminologies covers vocabulary needed in health information systems. The test vocabularies are the 30 that are fully or partially represented in the 1996 edition of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus, plus three planned additions: the portions of SNOMED International not in the 1996 Metathesaurus Read Clinical Classification, and the Logical Observations Identifiers, Names, and Codes (LOINC) system. These vocabularies are available to testers through a special interface to the Internet-based UMLS Knowledge Source Server. The test will determine the ability of the test vocabularies to serve as a source of controlled vocabulary for health data systems and applications. It should provide the basis for realistic resource estimates for developing and maintaining a comprehensive "standard" health vocabulary that is based on existing terminologies. PMID:8816351

  17. Somatoform disorders and recent diagnostic controversies.

    PubMed

    Kroenke, Kurt

    2007-12-01

    Classification is not a trivial matter. In Burmese Days, George Orwell writes, "It is devilish to suffer from a pain that is all but nameless. Blessed are they who are stricken only with classifiable diseases! Blessed are the poor, the sick, the crossed in love, for at least other people know what is the matter with them and will listen to their belly-achings with sympathy." Patients who have somatoform disorders are particularly susceptible to this Orwellian lamentation. They are afflicted by symptoms that defy simple explanations. As detailed in this article, there is a spectrum of medical and psychiatric factors that can cause or contribute to somatic symptom burden. Research is continuing to reveal the central mechanisms that may provide a common pathway for physical and psychologic symptoms. The dualism that places some somatic symptom disorders on Axis I and others on Axis III gradually may fade in the coming decades as what the unifying causes are among common symptoms and the multicausal nature of many symptoms are discovered. Meanwhile, the classification systems should continue to operate on pragmatic principles where mechanistic explanations are lacking. This will allow grouping patients into categories that inform research, scientific and patient communication, prognostication, and clinical management. Coupling a heuristic classification system with evidence-based measures for assessing severity and monitoring treatment outcomes are important steps in the optimal care of symptomatic patients.

  18. Case study: a young male with auditory hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Kotowski, Abigail

    2012-02-01

    The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate use of the nursing process and the standardized nursing languages of NANDA International (NANDA-I), the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) to assist a young male with paranoid schizophrenia to deal with auditory hallucinations. Data were obtained from the experience and expertise of the author and published literature. This case study demonstrates nurses' clinical decision making in providing care for an adolescent with mental illness. This case study provides the pertinent nursing diagnosis, patient outcomes, and nursing interventions for a young male with auditory hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia. The use of NANDA-I, NOC, and NIC can provide the necessary framework for enhancing and improving the management of care with patients who experience auditory hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia. © 2011, The Authors. International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications © 2011, NANDA International.

  19. 5 CFR 9901.221 - Classification requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Section 9901.221 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND LABOR RELATIONS SYSTEMS (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM (NSPS) Classification Classification Process § 9901.221 Classification...

  20. 5 CFR 9701.221 - Classification requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Section 9701.221 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Classification Process § 9701.221 Classification...

  1. 5 CFR 9701.221 - Classification requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Section 9701.221 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Classification Process § 9701.221 Classification...

  2. 5 CFR 9701.221 - Classification requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Section 9701.221 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Classification Process § 9701.221 Classification...

  3. 5 CFR 9701.221 - Classification requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Section 9701.221 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Classification Classification Process § 9701.221 Classification...

  4. Diagnosis and treatment of dyspeptic patients in Japan.

    PubMed

    Manabe, Noriaki; Haruma, Ken

    2011-04-01

    Although functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders has been paid more attention recently in Japan, similar to Western countries, the clinical characteristics of dyspeptic patients, current diagnostic approach to dyspeptic patients and current standard treatments for dyspeptic patients are not well known in Japan. This review, in the most part, summarizes two topics about Japanese dyspeptic patients. The first topic is the pros and cons of the diagnosis of Japanese dyspeptic patients using Rome III classification on the basis of our data and the second topic deals with standard treatments for dyspeptic patients-especially by primary care doctors in Japan. We conducted a PubMed search using the following key words alone or in combination: functional dyspepsia (FD), medical treatment, Rome III classification and Japanese. The Rome III classification for FD does not adequately identify a large proportion of Japanese dyspeptic patients, primarily due to their earlier presentation for medical evaluation. There are many kinds of options for the treatment of FD in Japan: proton-pump inhibitors, histamine H(2) receptor antagonists, mucoprotective agents, Japanese traditional herbal medicines, Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy and prokinetics. Under the current situation, Japanese primary care doctors choose drugs according to each subtype of FD, which means that they prescribe medicine according to the pathogenesis of each patient. While the Rome III classification seems logical, some aspects need further evaluation for Japanese dyspeptic patients. Japanese primary care doctors choose drugs appropriately based on the pathogenesis of FD. However, efforts to further elucidate underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and identify the appropriate patient population using modified Rome classification will be required. © 2011 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  5. Wearable-Sensor-Based Classification Models of Faller Status in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Howcroft, Jennifer; Lemaire, Edward D; Kofman, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Wearable sensors have potential for quantitative, gait-based, point-of-care fall risk assessment that can be easily and quickly implemented in clinical-care and older-adult living environments. This investigation generated models for wearable-sensor based fall-risk classification in older adults and identified the optimal sensor type, location, combination, and modelling method; for walking with and without a cognitive load task. A convenience sample of 100 older individuals (75.5 ± 6.7 years; 76 non-fallers, 24 fallers based on 6 month retrospective fall occurrence) walked 7.62 m under single-task and dual-task conditions while wearing pressure-sensing insoles and tri-axial accelerometers at the head, pelvis, and left and right shanks. Participants also completed the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire, six minute walk test, and ranked their fear of falling. Fall risk classification models were assessed for all sensor combinations and three model types: multi-layer perceptron neural network, naïve Bayesian, and support vector machine. The best performing model was a multi-layer perceptron neural network with input parameters from pressure-sensing insoles and head, pelvis, and left shank accelerometers (accuracy = 84%, F1 score = 0.600, MCC score = 0.521). Head sensor-based models had the best performance of the single-sensor models for single-task gait assessment. Single-task gait assessment models outperformed models based on dual-task walking or clinical assessment data. Support vector machines and neural networks were the best modelling technique for fall risk classification. Fall risk classification models developed for point-of-care environments should be developed using support vector machines and neural networks, with a multi-sensor single-task gait assessment.

  6. Managing the Sick Child in the Era of Declining Malaria Transmission: Development of ALMANACH, an Electronic Algorithm for Appropriate Use of Antimicrobials.

    PubMed

    Rambaud-Althaus, Clotilde; Shao, Amani Flexson; Kahama-Maro, Judith; Genton, Blaise; d'Acremont, Valérie

    2015-01-01

    To review the available knowledge on epidemiology and diagnoses of acute infections in children aged 2 to 59 months in primary care setting and develop an electronic algorithm for the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness to reach optimal clinical outcome and rational use of medicines. A structured literature review in Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review (CDRS) looked for available estimations of diseases prevalence in outpatients aged 2-59 months, and for available evidence on i) accuracy of clinical predictors, and ii) performance of point-of-care tests for targeted diseases. A new algorithm for the management of childhood illness (ALMANACH) was designed based on evidence retrieved and results of a study on etiologies of fever in Tanzanian children outpatients. The major changes in ALMANACH compared to IMCI (2008 version) are the following: i) assessment of 10 danger signs, ii) classification of non-severe children into febrile and non-febrile illness, the latter receiving no antibiotics, iii) classification of pneumonia based on a respiratory rate threshold of 50 assessed twice for febrile children 12-59 months; iv) malaria rapid diagnostic test performed for all febrile children. In the absence of identified source of fever at the end of the assessment, v) urine dipstick performed for febrile children <2 years to consider urinary tract infection, vi) classification of 'possible typhoid' for febrile children >2 years with abdominal tenderness; and lastly vii) classification of 'likely viral infection' in case of negative results. This smartphone-run algorithm based on new evidence and two point-of-care tests should improve the quality of care of <5 year children and lead to more rational use of antimicrobials.

  7. Managing the Sick Child in the Era of Declining Malaria Transmission: Development of ALMANACH, an Electronic Algorithm for Appropriate Use of Antimicrobials

    PubMed Central

    Rambaud-Althaus, Clotilde; Shao, Amani Flexson; Genton, Blaise; d’Acremont, Valérie

    2015-01-01

    Objective To review the available knowledge on epidemiology and diagnoses of acute infections in children aged 2 to 59 months in primary care setting and develop an electronic algorithm for the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness to reach optimal clinical outcome and rational use of medicines. Methods A structured literature review in Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review (CDRS) looked for available estimations of diseases prevalence in outpatients aged 2-59 months, and for available evidence on i) accuracy of clinical predictors, and ii) performance of point-of-care tests for targeted diseases. A new algorithm for the management of childhood illness (ALMANACH) was designed based on evidence retrieved and results of a study on etiologies of fever in Tanzanian children outpatients. Findings The major changes in ALMANACH compared to IMCI (2008 version) are the following: i) assessment of 10 danger signs, ii) classification of non-severe children into febrile and non-febrile illness, the latter receiving no antibiotics, iii) classification of pneumonia based on a respiratory rate threshold of 50 assessed twice for febrile children 12-59 months; iv) malaria rapid diagnostic test performed for all febrile children. In the absence of identified source of fever at the end of the assessment, v) urine dipstick performed for febrile children <2years to consider urinary tract infection, vi) classification of ‘possible typhoid’ for febrile children >2 years with abdominal tenderness; and lastly vii) classification of ‘likely viral infection’ in case of negative results. Conclusion This smartphone-run algorithm based on new evidence and two point-of-care tests should improve the quality of care of <5 year children and lead to more rational use of antimicrobials. PMID:26161753

  8. Patient-initiated switching between private and public inpatient hospitalisation in Western Australia 1980 – 2001: An analysis using linked data

    PubMed Central

    Moorin, Rachael E; Holman, C D'Arcy J

    2005-01-01

    Background The aim of the study was to identify any distinct behavioural patterns in switching between public and privately insured payment classifications between successive episodes of inpatient care within Western Australia between 1980 and 2001 using a novel 'couplet' method of analysing longitudinal data. Methods The WA Data Linkage System was used to extract all hospital morbidity records from 1980 to 2001. For each individual, episodes of hospitalisation were paired into couplets, which were classified according to the sequential combination of public and privately insured episodes. Behavioural patterns were analysed using the mean intra-couplet interval and proportion of discordant couplets in each year. Results Discordant couplets were consistently associated with the longest intra-couplet intervals (ratio to the average annual mean interval being 1.35), while the shortest intra-couplet intervals were associated with public concordant couplets (0.5). Overall, privately insured patients were more likely to switch payment classification at their next admission compared with public patients (the average rate of loss across all age groups being 0.55% and 2.16% respectively). The rate of loss from the privately insured payment classification was inversely associated with time between episodes (2.49% for intervals of 0 to 13 years and 0.83% for intervals of 14 to 21 years). In all age groups, the average rate of loss from the privately insured payment classification was greater between 1981 and 1990 compared with that between 1991 and 2001 (3.45% and 3.10% per year respectively). Conclusion A small but statistically significant reduction in rate of switching away from PHI over the latter period of observation indicated that health care policies encouraging uptake of PHI implemented in the 1990s by the federal government had some of their intended impact on behaviour. PMID:15978139

  9. Advanced Nursing Process quality: Comparing the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) with the NANDA-International (NANDA-I) and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC).

    PubMed

    Rabelo-Silva, Eneida Rejane; Dantas Cavalcanti, Ana Carla; Ramos Goulart Caldas, Maria Cristina; Lucena, Amália de Fátima; Almeida, Miriam de Abreu; Linch, Graciele Fernanda da Costa; da Silva, Marcos Barragan; Müller-Staub, Maria

    2017-02-01

    To assess the quality of the advanced nursing process in nursing documentation in two hospitals. Various standardised terminologies are employed by nurses worldwide, whether for teaching, research or patient care. These systems can improve the quality of nursing records, enable care continuity, consistency in written communication and enhance safety for patients and providers alike. Cross-sectional study. A total of 138 records from two facilities (69 records from each facility) were analysed, one using the NANDA-International and Nursing Interventions Classification terminology (Centre 1) and one the International Classification for Nursing Practice (Centre 2), by means of the Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions, and Outcomes instrument. Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions, and Outcomes scores range from 0-58 points. Nursing records were dated 2012-2013 for Centre 1 and 2010-2011 for Centre 2. Centre 1 had a Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions, and Outcomes score of 35·46 (±6·45), whereas Centre 2 had a Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions, and Outcomes score of 31·72 (±4·62) (p < 0·001). Centre 2 had higher scores in the 'Nursing Diagnoses as Process' dimension, whereas in the 'Nursing Diagnoses as Product', 'Nursing Interventions' and 'Nursing Outcomes' dimensions, Centre 1 exhibited superior performance; acceptable reliability values were obtained for both centres, except for the 'Nursing Interventions' domain in Centre 1 and the 'Nursing Diagnoses as Process' and 'Nursing Diagnoses as Product' domains in Centre 2. The quality of nursing documentation was superior at Centre 1, although both facilities demonstrated moderate scores considering the maximum potential score of 58 points. Reliability analyses showed satisfactory results for both standardised terminologies. Nursing leaders should use a validated instrument to investigate the quality of nursing records after implementation of standardised terminologies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The Bellevue Classification System: nursing's voice upon the library shelves*†

    PubMed Central

    Mages, Keith C

    2011-01-01

    This article examines the inspiration, construction, and meaning of the Bellevue Classification System (BCS), created during the 1930s for use in the Bellevue School of Nursing Library. Nursing instructor Ann Doyle, with assistance from librarian Mary Casamajor, designed the BCS after consulting with library leaders and examining leading contemporary classification systems, including the Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress, Ballard, and National Health Library classification systems. A close textual reading of the classes, subclasses, and subdivisions of these classification systems against those of the resulting BCS, reveals Doyle's belief that the BCS was created not only to organize the literature, but also to promote the burgeoning intellectualism and professionalism of early twentieth-century American nursing. PMID:21243054

  11. Coordination of Local Road Classification with the State Highway System Classification: Impact and Clarification of Related Language in the LVR Manual

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-02-01

    This study reviewed the low volume road (LVR) classifications in Kansas in conjunction with the State A, B, C, D, E road classification system and addressed alignment of these differences. As an extension to the State system, an F, G, H classificatio...

  12. Weak scratch detection and defect classification methods for a large-aperture optical element

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, Xian; Xu, De; Zhang, Zheng-Tao; Zhang, Feng; Liu, Xi-Long; Zhang, Da-Peng

    2017-03-01

    Surface defects on optics cause optic failure and heavy loss to the optical system. Therefore, surface defects on optics must be carefully inspected. This paper proposes a coarse-to-fine detection strategy of weak scratches in complicated dark-field images. First, all possible scratches are detected based on bionic vision. Then, each possible scratch is precisely positioned and connected to a complete scratch by the LSD and a priori knowledge. Finally, multiple scratches with various types can be detected in dark-field images. To classify defects and pollutants, a classification method based on GIST features is proposed. This paper uses many real dark-field images as experimental images. The results show that this method can detect multiple types of weak scratches in complex images and that the defects can be correctly distinguished with interference. This method satisfies the real-time and accurate detection requirements of surface defects.

  13. Modeling uncertainty in computerized guidelines using fuzzy logic.

    PubMed Central

    Jaulent, M. C.; Joyaux, C.; Colombet, I.; Gillois, P.; Degoulet, P.; Chatellier, G.

    2001-01-01

    Computerized Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) improve quality of care by assisting physicians in their decision making. A number of problems emerges since patients with close characteristics are given contradictory recommendations. In this article, we propose to use fuzzy logic to model uncertainty due to the use of thresholds in CPGs. A fuzzy classification procedure has been developed that provides for each message of the CPG, a strength of recommendation that rates the appropriateness of the recommendation for the patient under consideration. This work is done in the context of a CPG for the diagnosis and the management of hypertension, published in 1997 by the French agency ANAES. A population of 82 patients with mild to moderate hypertension was selected and the results of the classification system were compared to whose given by a classical decision tree. Observed agreement is 86.6% and the variability of recommendations for patients with close characteristics is reduced. PMID:11825196

  14. A support vector machine approach for classification of welding defects from ultrasonic signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yuan; Ma, Hong-Wei; Zhang, Guang-Ming

    2014-07-01

    Defect classification is an important issue in ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation. A layered multi-class support vector machine (LMSVM) classification system, which combines multiple SVM classifiers through a layered architecture, is proposed in this paper. The proposed LMSVM classification system is applied to the classification of welding defects from ultrasonic test signals. The measured ultrasonic defect echo signals are first decomposed into wavelet coefficients by the wavelet packet transform. The energy of the wavelet coefficients at different frequency channels are used to construct the feature vectors. The bees algorithm (BA) is then used for feature selection and SVM parameter optimisation for the LMSVM classification system. The BA-based feature selection optimises the energy feature vectors. The optimised feature vectors are input to the LMSVM classification system for training and testing. Experimental results of classifying welding defects demonstrate that the proposed technique is highly robust, precise and reliable for ultrasonic defect classification.

  15. The Design of Cluster Randomized Trials with Random Cross-Classifications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moerbeek, Mirjam; Safarkhani, Maryam

    2018-01-01

    Data from cluster randomized trials do not always have a pure hierarchical structure. For instance, students are nested within schools that may be crossed by neighborhoods, and soldiers are nested within army units that may be crossed by mental health-care professionals. It is important that the random cross-classification is taken into account…

  16. Classifications of Acute Scaphoid Fractures: A Systematic Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Ten Berg, Paul W; Drijkoningen, Tessa; Strackee, Simon D; Buijze, Geert A

    2016-05-01

    Background In the lack of consensus, surgeon-based preference determines how acute scaphoid fractures are classified. There is a great variety of classification systems with considerable controversies. Purposes The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the different classification systems, clarifying their subgroups and analyzing their popularity by comparing citation indexes. The intention was to improve data comparison between studies using heterogeneous fracture descriptions. Methods We performed a systematic review of the literature based on a search of medical literature from 1950 to 2015, and a manual search using the reference lists in relevant book chapters. Only original descriptions of classifications of acute scaphoid fractures in adults were included. Popularity was based on citation index as reported in the databases of Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar. Articles that were cited <10 times in WoS were excluded. Results Our literature search resulted in 308 potentially eligible descriptive reports of which 12 reports met the inclusion criteria. We distinguished 13 different (sub) classification systems based on (1) fracture location, (2) fracture plane orientation, and (3) fracture stability/displacement. Based on citations numbers, the Herbert classification was most popular, followed by the Russe and Mayo classifications. All classification systems were based on plain radiography. Conclusions Most classification systems were based on fracture location, displacement, or stability. Based on the controversy and limited reliability of current classification systems, suggested research areas for an updated classification include three-dimensional fracture pattern etiology and fracture fragment mobility assessed by dynamic imaging.

  17. Nursing Information Flow in Long-Term Care Facilities.

    PubMed

    Wei, Quan; Courtney, Karen L

    2018-04-01

     Long-term care (LTC), residential care requiring 24-hour nursing services, plays an important role in the health care service delivery system. The purpose of this study was to identify the needed clinical information and information flow to support LTC Registered Nurses (RNs) in care collaboration and clinical decision making.  This descriptive qualitative study combines direct observations and semistructured interviews, conducted at Alberta's LTC facilities between May 2014 and August 2015. The constant comparative method (CCM) of joint coding was used for data analysis.  Nine RNs from six LTC facilities participated in the study. The RN practice environment includes two essential RN information management aspects: information resources and information spaces. Ten commonly used information resources by RNs included: (1) RN-personal notes; (2) facility-specific templates/forms; (3) nursing processes/tasks; (4) paper-based resident profile; (5) daily care plans; (6) RN-notebooks; (7) medication administration records (MARs); (8) reporting software application (RAI-MDS); (9) people (care providers); and (10) references (i.e., books). Nurses used a combination of shared information spaces, such as the Nurses Station or RN-notebook, and personal information spaces, such as personal notebooks or "sticky" notes. Four essential RN information management functions were identified: collection, classification, storage, and distribution. Six sets of information were necessary to perform RN care tasks and communication, including: (1) admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT); (2) assessment; (3) care plan; (4) intervention (with two subsets: medication and care procedure); (5) report; and (6) reference. Based on the RN information management system requirements, a graphic information flow model was constructed.  This baseline study identified key components of a current LTC nursing information management system. The information flow model may assist health information technology (HIT) developers to consolidate the design of HIT solutions for LTC, and serve as a communication tool between nurses and information technology (IT) staff to refine requirements and support further LTC HIT research. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

  18. Classification of close binary systems by Svechnikov

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dryomova, G. N.

    The paper presents the historical overview of classification schemes of eclipsing variable stars with the foreground of advantages of the classification scheme by Svechnikov being widely appreciated for Close Binary Systems due to simplicity of classification criteria and brevity.

  19. Recursive heuristic classification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkins, David C.

    1994-01-01

    The author will describe a new problem-solving approach called recursive heuristic classification, whereby a subproblem of heuristic classification is itself formulated and solved by heuristic classification. This allows the construction of more knowledge-intensive classification programs in a way that yields a clean organization. Further, standard knowledge acquisition and learning techniques for heuristic classification can be used to create, refine, and maintain the knowledge base associated with the recursively called classification expert system. The method of recursive heuristic classification was used in the Minerva blackboard shell for heuristic classification. Minerva recursively calls itself every problem-solving cycle to solve the important blackboard scheduler task, which involves assigning a desirability rating to alternative problem-solving actions. Knowing these ratings is critical to the use of an expert system as a component of a critiquing or apprenticeship tutoring system. One innovation of this research is a method called dynamic heuristic classification, which allows selection among dynamically generated classification categories instead of requiring them to be prenumerated.

  20. Burden reduction of caregivers for users of care services provided by the public long-term care insurance system in Japan.

    PubMed

    Umegaki, Hiroyuki; Yanagawa, Madoka; Nonogaki, Zen; Nakashima, Hirotaka; Kuzuya, Masafumi; Endo, Hidetoshi

    2014-01-01

    We surveyed the care burden of family caregivers, their satisfaction with the services, and whether their care burden was reduced by the introduction of the LTCI care services. We randomly enrolled 3000 of 43,250 residents of Nagoya City aged 65 and over who had been certified as requiring long-term care and who used at least one type of service provided by the public LTCI; 1835 (61.2%) subjects returned the survey. A total of 1015 subjects for whom complete sets of data were available were employed for statistical analysis. Analysis of variance for the continuous variables and χ(2) analysis for that categorical variance were performed. Multiple logistic analysis was performed with the factors with p values of <0.2 in the χ(2) analysis of burden reduction. A total of 68.8% of the caregivers indicated that the care burden was reduced by the introduction of the LTCI care services, and 86.8% of the caregivers were satisfied with the LTCI care services. A lower age of caregivers, a more advanced need classification level, and more satisfaction with the services were independently associated with a reduction of the care burden. In Japanese LTCI, the overall satisfaction of the caregivers appears to be relatively high and is associated with the reduction of the care burden. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Drug-induced sedation endoscopy (DISE) classification systems: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Dijemeni, Esuabom; D'Amone, Gabriele; Gbati, Israel

    2017-12-01

    Drug-induced sedation endoscopy (DISE) classification systems have been used to assess anatomical findings on upper airway obstruction, and decide and plan surgical treatments and act as a predictor for surgical treatment outcome for obstructive sleep apnoea management. The first objective is to identify if there is a universally accepted DISE grading and classification system for analysing DISE findings. The second objective is to identify if there is one DISE grading and classification treatment planning framework for deciding appropriate surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The third objective is to identify if there is one DISE grading and classification treatment outcome framework for determining the likelihood of success for a given OSA surgical intervention. A systematic review was performed to identify new and significantly modified DISE classification systems: concept, advantages and disadvantages. Fourteen studies proposing a new DISE classification system and three studies proposing a significantly modified DISE classification were identified. None of the studies were based on randomised control trials. DISE is an objective method for visualising upper airway obstruction. The classification and assessment of clinical findings based on DISE is highly subjective due to the increasing number of DISE classification systems. Hence, this creates a growing divergence in surgical treatment planning and treatment outcome. Further research on a universally accepted objective DISE assessment is critically needed.

  2. A New Tool for Climatic Analysis Using the Koppen Climate Classification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Paul R.; Lohrengel, C. Frederick, II

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of climate classification is to help make order of the seemingly endless spatial distribution of climates. The Koppen classification system in a modified format is the most widely applied system in use today. This system may not be the best nor most complete climate classification that can be conceived, but it has gained widespread…

  3. Classification of parotidectomy: a proposed modification to the European Salivary Gland Society classification system.

    PubMed

    Wong, Wai Keat; Shetty, Subhaschandra

    2017-08-01

    Parotidectomy remains the mainstay of treatment for both benign and malignant lesions of the parotid gland. There exists a wide range of possible surgical options in parotidectomy in terms of extent of parotid tissue removed. There is increasing need for uniformity of terminology resulting from growing interest in modifications of the conventional parotidectomy. It is, therefore, of paramount importance for a standardized classification system in describing extent of parotidectomy. Recently, the European Salivary Gland Society (ESGS) proposed a novel classification system for parotidectomy. The aim of this study is to evaluate this system. A classification system proposed by the ESGS was critically re-evaluated and modified to increase its accuracy and its acceptability. Modifications mainly focused on subdividing Levels I and II into IA, IB, IIA, and IIB. From June 2006 to June 2016, 126 patients underwent 130 parotidectomies at our hospital. The classification system was tested in that cohort of patient. While the ESGS classification system is comprehensive, it does not cover all possibilities. The addition of Sublevels IA, IB, IIA, and IIB may help to address some of the clinical situations seen and is clinically relevant. We aim to test the modified classification system for partial parotidectomy to address some of the challenges mentioned.

  4. [Quality assurance in intensive care: the situation in Switzerland].

    PubMed

    Frutiger, A

    1999-10-30

    The movement for quality in medicine is starting to take on the dimensions of a crusade. Quite logically it has also reached the intensive care community. Due to their complex multidisciplinary functioning and because of the high costs involved, ICUs are model services reflecting the overall situation in our hospitals. The situation of Swiss intensive care is particularly interesting, because for over 25 years standards for design and staffing of Swiss ICUs have been in effect and were enforced via onsite visits by the Swiss Society of Intensive Care without government involvement. Swiss intensive care thus defined its structures long before the word "accreditation" had even been used in this context. While intensive care in Switzerland is practised in clearly defined, well equipped and adequately staffed units, much less is known about process quality and outcomes of these services. Statistics on admissions, length of stay and length of mechanical ventilation, as well as severity data based on a simple classification system, are collected nationwide and allow some limited insight into the overall process of care. Results of intensive care are not systematically assessed. In response to the constant threat of cost containment, Swiss ICUs should increasingly focus on process quality and results, while maintaining their existing good structures.

  5. History matters: childhood weight trajectories as a basis for planning community-based obesity prevention to adolescents.

    PubMed

    Ekberg, J; Angbratt, M; Valter, L; Nordvall, M; Timpka, T

    2012-04-01

    To use epidemiological data and a standardized economic model to compare projected costs for obesity prevention in late adolescence accrued using a cross-sectional weight classification for selecting adolescents at age 15 years compared with a longitudinal classification. All children born in a Swedish county (population 440 000) in 1991 who participated in all regular measurements of height and weight at ages 5, 10 and 15 years (n=4312) were included in the study. The selection strategies were compared by calculating the projected financial load resulting from supply of obesity prevention services from providers at all levels in the health care system. The difference in marginal cost per 1000 children was used as the primary end point for the analyses. Using the cross-sectional selection strategy, 3.8% of adolescents at age 15 years were selected for evaluation by a pediatric specialist, and 96.2% were chosen for population-based interventions. In the trajectory-based strategy, 2.4% of the adolescents were selected for intensive pediatric care, 1.4% for individual clinical interventions in primary health care, 14.0% for individual primary obesity prevention using the Internet and 82.1% for population-based interventions. Costs for the cross-sectional selection strategy were projected to USD463 581 per 1000 adolescents and for the trajectory-based strategy were USD 302 016 per 1000 adolescents. Using projections from epidemiological data, we found that by basing the selection of adolescents for obesity prevention on weight trajectories, the load on highly specialized pediatric care can be reduced by one-third and total health service costs for obesity management among adolescents reduced by one-third. Before use in policies and prevention program planning, our findings warrant confirmation in prospective cost-benefit studies.

  6. World Endometriosis Society consensus on the classification of endometriosis.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Neil P; Hummelshoj, Lone; Adamson, G David; Keckstein, Jörg; Taylor, Hugh S; Abrao, Mauricio S; Bush, Deborah; Kiesel, Ludwig; Tamimi, Rulla; Sharpe-Timms, Kathy L; Rombauts, Luk; Giudice, Linda C

    2017-02-01

    What is the global consensus on the classification of endometriosis that considers the views of women with endometriosis? We have produced an international consensus statement on the classification of endometriosis through systematic appraisal of evidence and a consensus process that included representatives of national and international, medical and non-medical societies, patient organizations, and companies with an interest in endometriosis. Classification systems of endometriosis, developed by several professional organizations, traditionally have been based on lesion appearance, pelvic adhesions, and anatomic location of disease. One system predicts fertility outcome and none predicts pelvic pain, response to medications, disease recurrence, risks for associated disorders, quality of life measures, and other endpoints important to women and health care providers for guiding appropriate therapeutic options and prognosis. A consensus meeting, in conjunction with pre- and post-meeting processes, was undertaken. A consensus meeting was held on 30 April 2014 in conjunction with the World Endometriosis Society's 12th World Congress on Endometriosis. Rigorous pre- and post-meeting processes, involving 55 representatives of 29 national and international, medical and non-medical organizations from a range of disciplines, led to this consensus statement. A total of 28 consensus statements were made. Of all, 10 statements had unanimous consensus, however none of the statements was made without expression of a caveat about the strength of the statement or the statement itself. Two statements did not achieve majority consensus. The statements covered women's priorities, aspects of classification, impact of low resources, as well as all the major classification systems for endometriosis. Until better classification systems are developed, we propose a classification toolbox (that includes the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine and, where appropriate, the Enzian and Endometriosis Fertility Index staging systems), that may be used by all surgeons in each case of surgery undertaken for women with endometriosis. We also propose wider use of the World Endometriosis Research Foundation Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project surgical and clinical data collection tools for research to improve classification of endometriosis in the future, of particular relevance when surgery is not undertaken. This consensus process differed from that of formal guideline development, although based on the same available evidence. A different group of international experts from those participating in this process may have yielded subtly different consensus statements. This is the first time that a large, global, consortium-representing 29 major stake-holding organizations, from 19 countries - has convened to systematically evaluate the best available evidence on the classification of endometriosis and reach consensus. In addition to 21 international medical organizations and companies, representatives from eight national endometriosis organizations were involved, including lay support groups, thus generating and including input from women who suffer from endometriosis in an endeavour to keep uppermost the goal of optimizing quality of life for women with endometriosis. The World Endometriosis Society convened and hosted the consensus meeting. Financial support for participants to attend the meeting was provided by the organizations that they represented. There was no other specific funding for this consensus process. Mauricio Abrao is an advisor to Bayer Pharma, and a consultant to AbbVie and AstraZeneca; G David Adamson is the Owner of Advanced Reproductive Care Inc and Ziva and a consultant to Bayer Pharma, Ferring, and AbbVie; Deborah Bush has received travel grants from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Bayer Pharmaceuticals; Linda Giudice is a consultant to AbbVie, Juniper Pharmaceutical, and NextGen Jane, holds research grant from the NIH, is site PI on a clinical trial sponsored by Bayer, and is a shareholder in Merck and Pfizer; Lone Hummelshoj is an unpaid consultant to AbbVie; Neil Johnson has received conference expenses from Bayer Pharma, Merck-Serono, and MSD, research funding from AbbVie, and is a consultant to Vifor Pharma and Guerbet; Jörg Keckstein has received a travel grant from AbbVie; Ludwig Kiesel is a consultant to Bayer Pharma, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Gedeon Richter, and Shionogi, and holds a research grant from Bayer Pharma; Luk Rombauts is an advisor to MSD, Merck Serono, and Ferring, and a shareholder in Monash IVF. The following have declared that they have nothing to disclose: Kathy Sharpe Timms; Rulla Tamimi; Hugh Taylor. N/A. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Utilization of an Academic Nursing Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Frank L.; Mackey, Thomas

    1996-01-01

    Using data from an academic nursing center that cared for 3,263 patients over eight months, diseases were classified using International Classification of Diseases codes, and procedures were classified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Patterns of health care emerged, with implications for clinical teaching. (SK)

  8. Communication technologies through an etymological lens: looking for a classification, reflections about health, medicine and care.

    PubMed

    Colucci, Massimiliano

    2015-11-01

    Information and communication technologies are widely used in healthcare. However, there is not still a unified taxonomy for them. The lack of understanding of this phenomenon implies theoretical and ethical issues. This paper attempts to find out the basis for a classification, starting from a new perspective: the structural elements are obtained from the etymologies of the lexicon commonly used, that is words like telemedicine, telehealth, telecare and telecure. This will promote a better understanding of communication technologies; at the same time, it will allow to draw some reflection about health, medicine and care, and their semantic and relational nature.

  9. The postoperative COFAS end-stage ankle arthritis classification system: interobserver and intraobserver reliability.

    PubMed

    Krause, Fabian G; Di Silvestro, Matthew; Penner, Murray J; Wing, Kevin J; Glazebrook, Mark A; Daniels, Timothy R; Lau, Johnny T C; Younger, Alastair S E

    2012-02-01

    End-stage ankle arthritis is operatively treated with numerous designs of total ankle replacement and different techniques for ankle fusion. For superior comparison of these procedures, outcome research requires a classification system to stratify patients appropriately. A postoperative 4-type classification system was designed by 6 fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons. Four surgeons reviewed blinded patient profiles and radiographs on 2 occasions to determine the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the classification. Excellent interobserver reliability (κ = .89) and intraobserver reproducibility (κ = .87) were demonstrated for the postoperative classification system. In conclusion, the postoperative Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) end-stage ankle arthritis classification system appears to be a valid tool to evaluate the outcome of patients operated for end-stage ankle arthritis.

  10. A new ambulatory classification and funding model for radiation oncology: non-admitted patients in Victorian hospitals.

    PubMed

    Antioch, K M; Walsh, M K; Anderson, D; Wilson, R; Chambers, C; Willmer, P

    1998-01-01

    The Victorian Department of Human Services has developed a classification and funding model for non-admitted radiation oncology patients. Agencies were previously funded on an historical cost input basis. For 1996-97, payments were made according to the new Non-admitted Radiation Oncology Classification System and include four key components. Fixed grants are based on Weighted Radiation Therapy Services targets for megavoltage courses, planning procedures (dosimetry and simulation) and consultations. The additional throughput pool covers additional Weighted Radiation Therapy Services once targets are reached, with access conditional on the utilisation of a minimum number of megavoltage fields by each hospital. Block grants cover specialised treatments, such as brachytherapy, allied health payments and other support services. Compensation grants were available to bring payments up to the level of the previous year. There is potential to provide incentives to promote best practice in Australia through linking appropriate practice to funding models. Key Australian and international developments should be monitored, including economic evaluation studies, classification and funding models, and the deliberations of the American College of Radiology, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group and the Council of Oncology Societies of Australia. National impact on clinical practice guidelines in Australia can be achieved through the Quality of Care and Health Outcomes Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

  11. Fast clustering algorithm for large ECG data sets based on CS theory in combination with PCA and K-NN methods.

    PubMed

    Balouchestani, Mohammadreza; Krishnan, Sridhar

    2014-01-01

    Long-term recording of Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals plays an important role in health care systems for diagnostic and treatment purposes of heart diseases. Clustering and classification of collecting data are essential parts for detecting concealed information of P-QRS-T waves in the long-term ECG recording. Currently used algorithms do have their share of drawbacks: 1) clustering and classification cannot be done in real time; 2) they suffer from huge energy consumption and load of sampling. These drawbacks motivated us in developing novel optimized clustering algorithm which could easily scan large ECG datasets for establishing low power long-term ECG recording. In this paper, we present an advanced K-means clustering algorithm based on Compressed Sensing (CS) theory as a random sampling procedure. Then, two dimensionality reduction methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Correlation Coefficient (LCC) followed by sorting the data using the K-Nearest Neighbours (K-NN) and Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) classifiers are applied to the proposed algorithm. We show our algorithm based on PCA features in combination with K-NN classifier shows better performance than other methods. The proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms by increasing 11% classification accuracy. In addition, the proposed algorithm illustrates classification accuracy for K-NN and PNN classifiers, and a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) area of 99.98%, 99.83%, and 99.75% respectively.

  12. Automatic classification of background EEG activity in healthy and sick neonates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Löfhede, Johan; Thordstein, Magnus; Löfgren, Nils; Flisberg, Anders; Rosa-Zurera, Manuel; Kjellmer, Ingemar; Lindecrantz, Kaj

    2010-02-01

    The overall aim of our research is to develop methods for a monitoring system to be used at neonatal intensive care units. When monitoring a baby, a range of different types of background activity needs to be considered. In this work, we have developed a scheme for automatic classification of background EEG activity in newborn babies. EEG from six full-term babies who were displaying a burst suppression pattern while suffering from the after-effects of asphyxia during birth was included along with EEG from 20 full-term healthy newborn babies. The signals from the healthy babies were divided into four behavioural states: active awake, quiet awake, active sleep and quiet sleep. By using a number of features extracted from the EEG together with Fisher's linear discriminant classifier we have managed to achieve 100% correct classification when separating burst suppression EEG from all four healthy EEG types and 93% true positive classification when separating quiet sleep from the other types. The other three sleep stages could not be classified. When the pathological burst suppression pattern was detected, the analysis was taken one step further and the signal was segmented into burst and suppression, allowing clinically relevant parameters such as suppression length and burst suppression ratio to be calculated. The segmentation of the burst suppression EEG works well, with a probability of error around 4%.

  13. Issues of diagnostic review in brain tumor studies: from the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium.

    PubMed

    Davis, Faith G; Malmer, Beatrice S; Aldape, Ken; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill S; Bondy, Melissa L; Brännström, Thomas; Bruner, Janet M; Burger, Peter C; Collins, V Peter; Inskip, Peter D; Kruchko, Carol; McCarthy, Bridget J; McLendon, Roger E; Sadetzki, Siegal; Tihan, Tarik; Wrensch, Margaret R; Buffler, Patricia A

    2008-03-01

    Epidemiologists routinely conduct centralized single pathology reviews to minimize interobserver diagnostic variability, but this practice does not facilitate the combination of studies across geographic regions and institutions where diagnostic practices differ. A meeting of neuropathologists and epidemiologists focused on brain tumor classification issues in the context of protocol needs for consortial studies (http://epi.grants.cancer.gov/btec/). It resulted in recommendations relevant to brain tumors and possibly other rare disease studies. Two categories of brain tumors have enough general agreement over time, across regions, and between individual pathologists that one can consider using existing diagnostic data without further review: glioblastomas and meningiomas (as long as uniform guidelines such as those provided by the WHO are used). Prospective studies of these tumors benefit from collection of pathology reports, at a minimum recording the pathology department and classification system used in the diagnosis. Other brain tumors, such as oligodendroglioma, are less distinct and require careful histopathologic review for consistent classification across study centers. Epidemiologic study protocols must consider the study specific aims, diagnostic changes that have taken place over time, and other issues unique to the type(s) of tumor being studied. As diagnostic changes are being made rapidly, there are no readily available answers on disease classification issues. It is essential that epidemiologists and neuropathologists collaborate to develop appropriate study designs and protocols for specific hypothesis and populations.

  14. Railroad Classification Yard Technology Manual: Volume II : Yard Computer Systems

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1981-08-01

    This volume (Volume II) of the Railroad Classification Yard Technology Manual documents the railroad classification yard computer systems methodology. The subjects covered are: functional description of process control and inventory computer systems,...

  15. Detecting tympanostomy tubes from otoscopic images via offline and online training.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xin; Valdez, Tulio A; Bi, Jinbo

    2015-06-01

    Tympanostomy tube placement has been commonly used nowadays as a surgical treatment for otitis media. Following the placement, regular scheduled follow-ups for checking the status of the tympanostomy tubes are important during the treatment. The complexity of performing the follow up care mainly lies on identifying the presence and patency of the tympanostomy tube. An automated tube detection program will largely reduce the care costs and enhance the clinical efficiency of the ear nose and throat specialists and general practitioners. In this paper, we develop a computer vision system that is able to automatically detect a tympanostomy tube in an otoscopic image of the ear drum. The system comprises an offline classifier training process followed by a real-time refinement stage performed at the point of care. The offline training process constructs a three-layer cascaded classifier with each layer reflecting specific characteristics of the tube. The real-time refinement process enables the end users to interact and adjust the system over time based on their otoscopic images and patient care. The support vector machine (SVM) algorithm has been applied to train all of the classifiers. Empirical evaluation of the proposed system on both high quality hospital images and low quality internet images demonstrates the effectiveness of the system. The offline classifier trained using 215 images could achieve a 90% accuracy in terms of classifying otoscopic images with and without a tympanostomy tube, and then the real-time refinement process could improve the classification accuracy by 3-5% based on additional 20 images. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. [Coding in general practice-Will the ICD-11 be a step forward?

    PubMed

    Kühlein, Thomas; Virtanen, Martti; Claus, Christoph; Popert, Uwe; van Boven, Kees

    2018-07-01

    Primary care physicians in Germany don't benefit from coding diagnoses-they are coding for the needs of others. For coding, they mostly are using either the thesaurus of the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) or self-made cheat-sheets. Coding quality is low but seems to be sufficient for the main use case of the resulting data, which is the morbidity adjusted risk compensation scheme that distributes financial resources between the many German health insurance companies.Neither the International Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems (ICD-10) nor the German thesaurus as an interface terminology are adequate for coding in primary care. The ICD-11 itself will not recognizably be a step forward from the perspective of primary care. At least the browser database format will be advantageous. An implementation into the 182 different electronic health records (EHR) on the German market would probably standardize the coding process and make code finding easier. This method of coding would still be more cumbersome than the current coding with self-made cheat-sheets.The first steps towards a useful official cheat-sheet for primary care have been taken, awaiting implementation and evaluation. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2) already provides an adequate classification standard for primary care that can also be used in combination with ICD-10. A new version of ICPC (ICPC-3) is under development. As the ICPC-2 has already been integrated into the foundation layer of ICD-11 it might easily become the future standard for coding in primary care. Improving communication between the different EHR would make taking over codes from other healthcare providers possible. Another opportunity to improve the coding quality might be creating use cases for the resulting data for the primary care physicians themselves.

  17. Cause of and factors associated with stillbirth: a systematic review of classification systems.

    PubMed

    Aminu, Mamuda; Bar-Zeev, Sarah; van den Broek, Nynke

    2017-05-01

    An estimated 2.6 million stillbirths occur worldwide each year. A standardized classification system setting out possible cause of death and contributing factors is useful to help obtain comparative data across different settings. We undertook a systematic review of stillbirth classification systems to highlight their strengths and weaknesses for practitioners and policymakers. We conducted a systematic search and review of the literature to identify the classification systems used to aggregate information for stillbirth and perinatal deaths. Narrative synthesis was used to compare the range and depth of information required to apply the systems, and the different categories provided for cause of and factors contributing to stillbirth. A total of 118 documents were screened; 31 classification systems were included, of which six were designed specifically for stillbirth, 14 for perinatal death, three systems included neonatal deaths and two included infant deaths. Most (27/31) were developed in and first tested using data obtained from high-income settings. All systems required information from clinical records. One-third of the classification systems (11/31) included information obtained from histology or autopsy. The percentage where cause of death remained unknown ranged from 0.39% using the Nordic-Baltic classification to 46.4% using the Keeling system. Over time, classification systems have become more complex. The success of application is dependent on the availability of detailed clinical information and laboratory investigations. Systems that adopt a layered approach allow for classification of cause of death to a broad as well as to a more detailed level. © 2017 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).

  18. Identification of extremely premature infants at high risk of rehospitalization.

    PubMed

    Ambalavanan, Namasivayam; Carlo, Waldemar A; McDonald, Scott A; Yao, Qing; Das, Abhik; Higgins, Rosemary D

    2011-11-01

    Extremely low birth weight infants often require rehospitalization during infancy. Our objective was to identify at the time of discharge which extremely low birth weight infants are at higher risk for rehospitalization. Data from extremely low birth weight infants in Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network centers from 2002-2005 were analyzed. The primary outcome was rehospitalization by the 18- to 22-month follow-up, and secondary outcome was rehospitalization for respiratory causes in the first year. Using variables and odds ratios identified by stepwise logistic regression, scoring systems were developed with scores proportional to odds ratios. Classification and regression-tree analysis was performed by recursive partitioning and automatic selection of optimal cutoff points of variables. A total of 3787 infants were evaluated (mean ± SD birth weight: 787 ± 136 g; gestational age: 26 ± 2 weeks; 48% male, 42% black). Forty-five percent of the infants were rehospitalized by 18 to 22 months; 14.7% were rehospitalized for respiratory causes in the first year. Both regression models (area under the curve: 0.63) and classification and regression-tree models (mean misclassification rate: 40%-42%) were moderately accurate. Predictors for the primary outcome by regression were shunt surgery for hydrocephalus, hospital stay of >120 days for pulmonary reasons, necrotizing enterocolitis stage II or higher or spontaneous gastrointestinal perforation, higher fraction of inspired oxygen at 36 weeks, and male gender. By classification and regression-tree analysis, infants with hospital stays of >120 days for pulmonary reasons had a 66% rehospitalization rate compared with 42% without such a stay. The scoring systems and classification and regression-tree analysis models identified infants at higher risk of rehospitalization and might assist planning for care after discharge.

  19. Identification of Extremely Premature Infants at High Risk of Rehospitalization

    PubMed Central

    Carlo, Waldemar A.; McDonald, Scott A.; Yao, Qing; Das, Abhik; Higgins, Rosemary D.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Extremely low birth weight infants often require rehospitalization during infancy. Our objective was to identify at the time of discharge which extremely low birth weight infants are at higher risk for rehospitalization. METHODS: Data from extremely low birth weight infants in Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network centers from 2002–2005 were analyzed. The primary outcome was rehospitalization by the 18- to 22-month follow-up, and secondary outcome was rehospitalization for respiratory causes in the first year. Using variables and odds ratios identified by stepwise logistic regression, scoring systems were developed with scores proportional to odds ratios. Classification and regression-tree analysis was performed by recursive partitioning and automatic selection of optimal cutoff points of variables. RESULTS: A total of 3787 infants were evaluated (mean ± SD birth weight: 787 ± 136 g; gestational age: 26 ± 2 weeks; 48% male, 42% black). Forty-five percent of the infants were rehospitalized by 18 to 22 months; 14.7% were rehospitalized for respiratory causes in the first year. Both regression models (area under the curve: 0.63) and classification and regression-tree models (mean misclassification rate: 40%–42%) were moderately accurate. Predictors for the primary outcome by regression were shunt surgery for hydrocephalus, hospital stay of >120 days for pulmonary reasons, necrotizing enterocolitis stage II or higher or spontaneous gastrointestinal perforation, higher fraction of inspired oxygen at 36 weeks, and male gender. By classification and regression-tree analysis, infants with hospital stays of >120 days for pulmonary reasons had a 66% rehospitalization rate compared with 42% without such a stay. CONCLUSIONS: The scoring systems and classification and regression-tree analysis models identified infants at higher risk of rehospitalization and might assist planning for care after discharge. PMID:22007016

  20. A method to assess obstetric outcomes using the 10-Group Classification System: a quantitative descriptive study

    PubMed Central

    Rossen, Janne; Lucovnik, Miha; Eggebø, Torbjørn Moe; Tul, Natasa; Murphy, Martina; Vistad, Ingvild; Robson, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Internationally, the 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) has been used to report caesarean section rates, but analysis of other outcomes is also recommended. We now aim to present the TGCS as a method to assess outcomes of labour and delivery using routine collection of perinatal information. Design This research is a methodological study to describe the use of the TGCS. Setting Stavanger University Hospital (SUH), Norway, National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and Slovenian National Perinatal Database (SLO), Slovenia. Participants 9848 women from SUH, Norway, 9250 women from National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and 106 167 women, from SLO, Slovenia. Main outcome measures All women were classified according to the TGCS within which caesarean section, oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia, operative vaginal deliveries, episiotomy, sphincter rupture, postpartum haemorrhage, blood transfusion, maternal age >35 years, body mass index >30, Apgar score, umbilical cord pH, hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy, antepartum and perinatal deaths were incorporated. Results There were significant differences in the sizes of the groups of women and the incidences of events and outcomes within the TGCS between the three perinatal databases. Conclusions The TGCS is a standardised objective classification system where events and outcomes of labour and delivery can be incorporated. Obstetric core events and outcomes should be agreed and defined to set standards of care. This method provides continuous and available observations from delivery wards, possibly used for further interpretation, questions and international comparisons. The definition of quality may vary in different units and can only be ascertained when all the necessary information is available and considered together. PMID:28706102

  1. A Comprehensive Payment Model for Short- and Long-Stay Psychiatric Patients

    PubMed Central

    Fries, Brant E.; Durance, Paul W.; Nerenz, David R.; Ashcraft, Marie L.F.

    1993-01-01

    In this article, a payment model is developed for a hospital system with both acute- and chronic-stay psychiatric patients. “Transition pricing” provides a balance between the incentives of an episode-based system and the necessity of per diem long-term payments. Payment is dependent on two new psychiatric resident classification systems for short- and long-term stays. Data on per diem cost of inpatient care, by day of stay, was computed from a sample of 2,968 patients from 100 psychiatric units in 51 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers. Using a 9-month cohort of all VA psychiatric discharges nationwide (79,337 with non-chronic stays), profits and losses were simulated. PMID:10135343

  2. Systemic sclerosis and localized scleroderma in childhood.

    PubMed

    Zulian, Francesco

    2008-02-01

    Juvenile scleroderma syndromes, including the systemic and the localized varieties, represent the third most frequent chronic rheumatic conditions in pediatric rheumatology practice. In children, systemic sclerosis shows a significantly less frequent involvement of all organs, a higher prevalence of arthritis and myositis, and a better outcome than in adults. Recently, new classification criteria were proposed, which help improve patient care by enabling earlier, more definite diagnoses and by standardizing the conduct of clinical trials. Localized scleroderma is the more frequent subtype of scleroderma in childhood. It comprises a group of distinct conditions that involve mainly the skin and subcutaneous tissues. They range from small plaques of fibrosis involving only the skin to diseases causing significant functional deformity with various extracutaneous features.

  3. [Evaluation of the healthcare network for persons with arterial hypertension: study of a health district].

    PubMed

    Santos, Cleuzieli Moraes Dos; Barbieri, Ana Rita; Gonçalves, Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone; Tsuha, Daniel Henrique

    2017-06-12

    In the context of public health policies, healthcare network is a strategy that aims to promote people's equitable access to services and to reduce fragmentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of development of components in a healthcare network for hypertension. This was an ex-ante, cross-sectional evaluative study focused on the implementation of a healthcare network for persons with chronic diseases, applying a questionnaire to 17 health administrators from the municipalities (counties) comprising the largest health district in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. The questionnaire consisted of 65 questions covering the five components: Primary Health Care; Specialized Care; Support Systems; Logistics Systems; and Governance. The study conducted descriptive statistical tests and the classification of services provided in each component using the Friedman test, followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc test, with significance set at 5%. The results were distributed in quartiles and presented in boxplot graphs. Correlations were established between the dimensions. According to the findings, the components are in an intermediate degree of implementation, with low development of the items needed for establishing networks. Primary Health Care does not coordinate the care, and the Specialized Care and Governance components showed the worst results. The findings indicate predominance of installed services that still fall short of the necessary practices for establishing healthcare networks, which can compromise their implementation.

  4. Outpatient Clinic for Health Education: Contribution to Self-Management and Self-Care for People With Heart Failure.

    PubMed

    Carneiro, Camila de Souza; Oliveira, Ana Paula Dias de; Lopes, Juliana de Lima; Bachion, Maria Márcia; Herdman, T Heather; Moorhead, Sue A; Barros, Alba Lúcia Bottura Leite de

    2016-01-01

    To report the experience of an outpatient nursing education clinic caring for people with chronic heart failure. In this service, qualified "listening," recreational educational actions about the disease and its treatment are conducted, based on the interventions from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), as well as the evaluation of self-care behaviors with the outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). This article describes the practice of health education activities and the use of NANDA-I-NIC-NOC in a nursing clinic. The outpatient clinic supports client learning about the treatment of disease and stimulates self-control of health behaviors. This experience report will guide nurses in the establishment of outpatient nursing education clinics for different populations of patients with chronic health conditions. © 2015 NANDA International, Inc.

  5. [Nursing care in fluorescein angiography].

    PubMed

    Santos-Blanco, Feliciano

    2008-01-01

    Fluoresceinic angiography of the ocular fundus is a diagnostic technique to study retinal and choroidal circulation. This technique consists of parenteral administration of 500 mg of sodium fluorescein 10% and photographing the fluorescence in the eye vessels. Although this substance is fairly safe, it may also produce mild, moderate or severe local and/or general adverse reactions. The nursing process is routinely used in hospital units but not always in outpatient clinics, even through the use of invasive procedures with intravenous medication administration is common. Therefore, nurses, as those reponsible for intravenous administration, should use the nursing process to guarantee the quality of care required by the patient. To do this, we describe an individualized care plan based on evaluation by Marjorie Gordon's functional health patterns, NANDA's nursing diagnoses Taxonomy II, Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), Nursing Interventions Classifications (NIC) and potential complications of the procedure.

  6. The impact of a simplified documentation method for the Edmonton classification system for cancer pain (ECS-CP) on clinician utilization.

    PubMed

    Tanco, Kimberson; Arthur, Joseph; Haider, Ali; Stephen, Saneese; Yennu, Sriram; Liu, Diane; Bruera, Eduardo

    2017-02-01

    The use of standardized pain classification systems such as the ECS-CP can assist in the assessment and management of cancer pain. However, its completion has been limited due to its perceived complexity of decoding each feature. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate of clinician documentation and completion of the ECS-CP features after revision and simplification of the response for each feature. Electronic records of consecutive patient visits at the outpatient supportive care center seen by 12 palliative medicine specialists were collected at 6 months before (pre-interventional period), 6 and 24 months after (post-interventional period) the implementation of the simplified ECS-CP tool. Rate of ECS-CP documentation, completion, and analysis of patient and physician predictors were completed. One thousand and twelve patients' documentation was analyzed: 343 patients, before; 341 patients, 6 months after, and 328 patients, 24 months after the intervention. ≥2/5 items were completed before the intervention, 6 months after the intervention and 24 months after intervention in 0/343 (0 %), 136/341 (40 %), and 238/328 (73 %), respectively (p < 0.001). 5/5 items were completed before the intervention, 6 months after the intervention and 24 months after intervention in 0/343 (0 %), 131/341 (38 %), and 222/328 (68 %), respectively, (p < 0.001). There were no patient or physician predictors found significant for successful documentation of ECS-CP. Our findings suggest that significant simplification and intensive education is necessary for successful adoption of a scoring system. More research is needed in order to identify how to adopt tools for daily clinical practice in palliative care.

  7. [Analysis of demand for family medical care in Brazil using the International Classification of Primary Care].

    PubMed

    Landsberg, Gustavo de Araújo Porto; Savassi, Leonardo Cançado Monteiro; de Sousa, André Bonamigo; de Freitas, Janaína Miranda Rocha; Nascimento, Janaína Le Sann; Azagra, Rafael

    2012-11-01

    In various countries, motives for contact of patients with Primary Health Care (PHC) is classified by the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2). This instrument enables the assessment of why people seek care, thereby assisting in planning strategies to attend the population's health needs. The scope of this study was to identify the main reasons for same-day appointments in PHC units of a medium-sized Brazilian city. The methodology used was to examine all records of a typical month of three family practice residents. Data were extracted from a secondary database of same-day appointments during the spring of 2010, classified with ICPC and then statistically analyzed. 1222 records were considered; 32 motives accounted for 50% of contacts. Most common motives were related to the General and Unspecific chapter of the ICPC. About 20% of visits occurred for administrative reasons. Female sex and greater age were determinants of greater motives for consultation. Knowing the motives for appointments by gender and age may help PHC teams in tackling health problems at the critical point of access to PHC.

  8. Cloud classification from satellite data using a fuzzy sets algorithm: A polar example

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Key, J. R.; Maslanik, J. A.; Barry, R. G.

    1988-01-01

    Where spatial boundaries between phenomena are diffuse, classification methods which construct mutually exclusive clusters seem inappropriate. The Fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm assigns each observation to all clusters, with membership values as a function of distance to the cluster center. The FCM algorithm is applied to AVHRR data for the purpose of classifying polar clouds and surfaces. Careful analysis of the fuzzy sets can provide information on which spectral channels are best suited to the classification of particular features, and can help determine likely areas of misclassification. General agreement in the resulting classes and cloud fraction was found between the FCM algorithm, a manual classification, and an unsupervised maximum likelihood classifier.

  9. Searching bioremediation patents through Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC).

    PubMed

    Prasad, Rajendra

    2016-03-01

    Patent classification systems have traditionally evolved independently at each patent jurisdiction to classify patents handled by their examiners to be able to search previous patents while dealing with new patent applications. As patent databases maintained by them went online for free access to public as also for global search of prior art by examiners, the need arose for a common platform and uniform structure of patent databases. The diversity of different classification, however, posed problems of integrating and searching relevant patents across patent jurisdictions. To address this problem of comparability of data from different sources and searching patents, WIPO in the recent past developed what is known as International Patent Classification (IPC) system which most countries readily adopted to code their patents with IPC codes along with their own codes. The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is the latest patent classification system based on IPC/European Classification (ECLA) system, developed by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which is likely to become a global standard. This paper discusses this new classification system with reference to patents on bioremediation.

  10. Relationship between the hip and low back pain in athletes who participate in rotation-related sports.

    PubMed

    Harris-Hayes, Marcie; Sahrmann, Shirley A; Van Dillen, Linda R

    2009-02-01

    Hip function has been proposed to be related to low back pain (LBP) because of the anatomical proximity of the hip and lumbopelvic region. To date, findings have been inconclusive, possibly because the samples studied were heterogeneous. Sub-grouping samples based on characteristics such as activity demand, LBP classification, and sex might clarify research findings. To describe and summarize studies that examine 3 factors proposed to be important to the study of the hip-LBP relationship. Review of cross-sectional studies. Academic health-care center and research laboratory. 3 groups: athletes with a history of LBP who regularly participate in rotation-related sports, athletes without a history of LBP who are active but do not regularly participate in rotation-related sports, and athletes without a history of LBP who participate in rotation-related sports. Hip range of motion and hip-lumbopelvic region coordination. Hip range of motion was measured with an inclinometer. Coordination was examined based on kinematics obtained with a 3-dimensional motion-capture system. Differences among groups were found based on activity demand, LBP classification, and sex. When assessing athletes with and without LBP, characteristics such as activity demand, LBP classification, and sex should be considered.

  11. Photoacoustic discrimination of vascular and pigmented lesions using classical and Bayesian methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swearingen, Jennifer A.; Holan, Scott H.; Feldman, Mary M.; Viator, John A.

    2010-01-01

    Discrimination of pigmented and vascular lesions in skin can be difficult due to factors such as size, subungual location, and the nature of lesions containing both melanin and vascularity. Misdiagnosis may lead to precancerous or cancerous lesions not receiving proper medical care. To aid in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of such pathologies, we develop a photoacoustic system to determine the nature of skin lesions in vivo. By irradiating skin with two laser wavelengths, 422 and 530 nm, we induce photoacoustic responses, and the relative response at these two wavelengths indicates whether the lesion is pigmented or vascular. This response is due to the distinct absorption spectrum of melanin and hemoglobin. In particular, pigmented lesions have ratios of photoacoustic amplitudes of approximately 1.4 to 1 at the two wavelengths, while vascular lesions have ratios of about 4.0 to 1. Furthermore, we consider two statistical methods for conducting classification of lesions: standard multivariate analysis classification techniques and a Bayesian-model-based approach. We study 15 human subjects with eight vascular and seven pigmented lesions. Using the classical method, we achieve a perfect classification rate, while the Bayesian approach has an error rate of 20%.

  12. Automatic evidence quality prediction to support evidence-based decision making.

    PubMed

    Sarker, Abeed; Mollá, Diego; Paris, Cécile

    2015-06-01

    Evidence-based medicine practice requires practitioners to obtain the best available medical evidence, and appraise the quality of the evidence when making clinical decisions. Primarily due to the plethora of electronically available data from the medical literature, the manual appraisal of the quality of evidence is a time-consuming process. We present a fully automatic approach for predicting the quality of medical evidence in order to aid practitioners at point-of-care. Our approach extracts relevant information from medical article abstracts and utilises data from a specialised corpus to apply supervised machine learning for the prediction of the quality grades. Following an in-depth analysis of the usefulness of features (e.g., publication types of articles), they are extracted from the text via rule-based approaches and from the meta-data associated with the articles, and then applied in the supervised classification model. We propose the use of a highly scalable and portable approach using a sequence of high precision classifiers, and introduce a simple evaluation metric called average error distance (AED) that simplifies the comparison of systems. We also perform elaborate human evaluations to compare the performance of our system against human judgments. We test and evaluate our approaches on a publicly available, specialised, annotated corpus containing 1132 evidence-based recommendations. Our rule-based approach performs exceptionally well at the automatic extraction of publication types of articles, with F-scores of up to 0.99 for high-quality publication types. For evidence quality classification, our approach obtains an accuracy of 63.84% and an AED of 0.271. The human evaluations show that the performance of our system, in terms of AED and accuracy, is comparable to the performance of humans on the same data. The experiments suggest that our structured text classification framework achieves evaluation results comparable to those of human performance. Our overall classification approach and evaluation technique are also highly portable and can be used for various evidence grading scales. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Changes in the 7th edition of the AJCC TNM classification and recommendations for pathologic analysis of lacrimal gland tumors.

    PubMed

    Rootman, Jack; White, Valerie A

    2009-08-01

    In our recent work to update the American Joint Committee on Cancer's AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, we brought the staging system in line with that of salivary gland malignancies to better describe the range of these tumors. In addition, we have suggested that information be collected on biomarkers and clinical and histologic data points. This revised staging, along with careful histologic analysis and patient follow-up, may provide information that helps develop more targeted management for these lesions.

  14. Applications of artificial intelligence 1993: Knowledge-based systems in aerospace and industry; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 13-15, 1993

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fayyad, Usama M. (Editor); Uthurusamy, Ramasamy (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    The present volume on applications of artificial intelligence with regard to knowledge-based systems in aerospace and industry discusses machine learning and clustering, expert systems and optimization techniques, monitoring and diagnosis, and automated design and expert systems. Attention is given to the integration of AI reasoning systems and hardware description languages, care-based reasoning, knowledge, retrieval, and training systems, and scheduling and planning. Topics addressed include the preprocessing of remotely sensed data for efficient analysis and classification, autonomous agents as air combat simulation adversaries, intelligent data presentation for real-time spacecraft monitoring, and an integrated reasoner for diagnosis in satellite control. Also discussed are a knowledge-based system for the design of heat exchangers, reuse of design information for model-based diagnosis, automatic compilation of expert systems, and a case-based approach to handling aircraft malfunctions.

  15. 32 CFR 732.26 - Standard document numbers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standard document numbers. 732.26 Section 732.26 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard...

  16. 32 CFR 732.26 - Standard document numbers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Standard document numbers. 732.26 Section 732.26 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard...

  17. 32 CFR 732.26 - Standard document numbers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standard document numbers. 732.26 Section 732.26 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard...

  18. 32 CFR 732.26 - Standard document numbers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Standard document numbers. 732.26 Section 732.26 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard...

  19. 32 CFR 732.26 - Standard document numbers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Standard document numbers. 732.26 Section 732.26 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL NONNAVAL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE Accounting Classifications for Nonnaval Medical and Dental Care Expenses and Standard...

  20. Use of mutation profiles to refine the classification of endometrial carcinomas

    PubMed Central

    Cheang, Maggie CU; Wiegand, Kimberly; Senz, Janine; Tone, Alicia; Yang, Winnie; Prentice, Leah; Tse, Kane; Zeng, Thomas; McDonald, Helen; Schmidt, Amy P.; Mutch, David G.; McAlpine, Jessica N; Hirst, Martin; Shah, Sohrab P; Lee, Cheng-Han; Goodfellow, Paul J; Gilks, C. Blake; Huntsman, David G

    2014-01-01

    The classification of endometrial carcinomas is based on pathological assessment of tumour cell type; the different cell types (endometrioid, serous, carcinosarcoma, mixed, and clear cell) are associated with distinct molecular alterations. This current classification system for high-grade subtypes, in particular the distinction between high-grade endometrioid (EEC-3) and serous carcinomas (ESC), is limited in its reproducibility and prognostic abilities. Therefore, a search for specific molecular classifiers to improve endometrial carcinoma subclassification is warranted. We performed target enrichment sequencing on 393 endometrial carcinomas from two large cohorts, sequencing exons from the following 9 genes; ARID1A, PPP2R1A, PTEN, PIK3CA, KRAS, CTNNB1, TP53, BRAF and PPP2R5C. Based on this gene panel each endometrial carcinoma subtype shows a distinct mutation profile. EEC-3s have significantly different frequencies of PTEN and TP53 mutations when compared to low-grade endometrioid carcinomas. ESCs and EEC-3s are distinct subtypes with significantly different frequencies of mutations in PTEN, ARID1A, PPP2R1A, TP53, and CTNNB1. From the mutation profiles we were able to identify subtype outliers, i.e. cases diagnosed morphologically as one subtype but with a mutation profile suggestive of a different subtype. Careful review of these diagnostically challenging cases suggested that the original morphological classification was incorrect in most instances. The molecular profile of carcinosarcomas suggests two distinct mutation profiles for these tumours; endometrioid-type (PTEN, PIK3CA, ARID1A, KRAS mutations), and serous-type (TP53 and PPP2R1A mutations). While this nine gene panel does not allow for a purely molecularly based classification of endometrial carcinoma, it may prove useful as an adjunct to morphological classification and serve as an aid in the classification of problematic cases. If used in practice, it may lead to improved diagnostic reproducibility and may also serve to stratify patients for targeted therapeutics. PMID:22653804

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