Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C A Fargason.
If CQI is to become a mind-set and not simply a management fad, adjustments need to be made in all aspects of management, especially human resources management. This article will consider the impact of CQI on human resources philosophy and practice in health services organizations. The effects will be illustrated by the experiences of a group of human resources managers and the organizations in which they work.
BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur commonly in children and may lead to substantial morbidity. Most experts recommend urine cultures for diagnosing UTIs in children. In addition, most experts recommend imaging studies in a portion of children diagnosed with UTIs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess how rates of performance of urine cultures and imaging studies for children in the Alabama Medicaid program diagnosed with a UTI vary by patient demographics, provider characteristics, and service locations. METHODS: The study design was a retrospective review of Alabama Medicaid claims data. Children were included as UTI cases if they had a Medicaid claim for urinary tract infections during 1991, were continuously enrolled in Medicaid for that year, and were younger than 8 years of age. Claims were grouped into episodes of care, and episodes were assigned to a diagnosing physician. Physician locations were classified as rural, suburban, or urban using demographic data. Specific laboratory and imaging procedures were identified using CPT codes (Physician's Current Procedural Technology Codes, 4th Edition). RESULTS: We identified 404 episodes of UTI occurring in 380 children. Only 47% of episodes were associated with claims for urine cultures. Claims for urine cultures were more frequently filed by pediatricians in urban locations. In the subset of 114 patients with multiple UTI episodes, only 68% had imaging studies specific for the urinary tract. Only 44% received both a voiding cystourethrogram and renal ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: Claims data suggest that physicians underuse urine cultures in diagnosing UTIs in Alabama pediatric Medicaid recipients. Urban-based pediatricians perform better than other types of physicians. Imaging studies are also used less frequently than is commonly recommended.
Conflict naturally occurs when multiple organizations with different mandates interact to deliver services to children who have been sexually abused. In this article, the authors review the underlying sources of conflict that impair interorganization functioning, and dysfunctional techniques used to manage such conflict. As an alternative to dysfunctional conflict management strategies, the authors develop a model for managing conflict which builds on concepts from the operations and negotiations literature. The approach the authors advocate involves the three steps of problem characterization, acknowledgement of relevant goals and interests, and negotiation when interests are in conflict. The benefit of this approach, and difficulties encountered when employing it, are discussed.
OBJECTIVE: To perform a decision analysis to understand better the implications of 19 potential group B streptococcus screening and treatment strategies. METHODS: We searched the literature to locate appropriate articles from which to derive probability estimates. Using decision analysis, we determined the likely outcomes of 19 group B streptococcus screening and treatment strategies and focused on three main outcomes: 1) number of expected cases of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis, 2) percentage of gravidas treated with intrapartum antibiotics, and 3) total costs. RESULTS: The strategy recently recommended by two committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics (universal 28-week maternal rectovaginal group B streptococcal culture and treatment of culture-positive, high-risk patients in labor) is among the least effective at reducing neonatal sepsis and the most costly. Strategies based on the currently available rapid streptococcus identification tests are ineffective at reducing neonatal sepsis and are costly. Three strategies outperform the rest: 1) Universal intrapartum maternal antibiotic treatment is the most effective strategy in reducing early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis (6% of expected) and is also the least costly; 2) intrapartum treatment based solely on risk factors (recently endorsed by ACOG) lowers the rate of neonatal sepsis to 31% of expected with an 18% maternal treatment rate and low total costs; and 3) universal 36-week maternal culture, and treatment of all patients experiencing preterm birth and all culture-positive patients results in 14% of expected neonatal sepsis, with a 27% maternal treatment rate and low total costs. CONCLUSION: Given the present state of knowledge, three strategies emerge from this decision analysis as most optimal for the prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis: universal treatment, treatment based on risk factors, and treatment based on preterm delivery and 36-week culture status.
We designed a study to assess the personal gun ownership and safety practices of trauma center workers in Birmingham, Alabama. Survey questionnaires administered to nurses, physicians, and other workers in pediatric and adult trauma centers showed that two thirds (65%) owned a gun and 56% owned a handgun. Gun owners with children were less likely to have loaded, unlocked guns in their homes than those without children (33% vs 56%). Loaded guns were carried in cars by 48% of workers. Worker title and attitude regarding handgun restrictions were the strongest predictors of unsafe gun ownership in a logistic regression model. Workers with loaded, unlocked guns in their home considered themselves and their family at no greater risk of gun injury from family-owned guns than workers without guns. We conclude that many trauma workers had unsafely stored guns and failed to recognize the associated risks.
The pediatric risk of mortality score (PRISM) incorporates 14 physiological and laboratory variables to calculate a patient's score, which is then adjusted for operative status and age to determine the probability of death. Because of the ethical issues surrounding the initiation of dialysis in critically ill children, a scoring system which could differentiate survivors from nonsurvivors prior to the initiation of dialysis would be useful to the clinician. Similarly, a score which could accurately estimate the probability of mortality in children with acute renal failure would be useful to third party payors attempting to evaluate the performance of individual care providers. We calculated PRISM scores on the day dialysis was initiated, retrospectively, in 31 children seen from 1984-1988 with the diagnosis of acute renal failure and requiring dialysis, in order to determine if the PRISM score was accurate in prediction of mortality. In addition, we calculated scores on the day of admission to the intensive care unit (DICU) in order to see if DICU scores accurately reflected mortality risk. The mean PRISM scores of nonsurvivors were significantly higher than the mean scores of survivors on the day dialysis therapy was initiated. However, overlap in the scores of survivors and nonsurvivors would limit the applicability of PRISM scores for clinical decision making. Children that developed acute renal failure requiring dialysis due to extrarenal diseases had a higher mortality rate than those that had primary renal disease (57% versus 12.5%, P < 0.05). DICU scores underestimated the mortality of these patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quality improvement methods first developed in industry can be applied in health care, but major adjustments in the traditional health care organization are needed for continuous improvement processes to work. One change is establishing cross-functional or multidisciplinary teams to carry out integrative decision making in the place of departmental hierarchical decision making within the functional areas and disciplines. This article cites examples from experience with one service process--delivery of care to newborns--and examines techniques from the group behavior and conflict resolution literature which could enhance the success of cross-functional teams in health care organizations.