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Biomedical subjects

D E Kanouse

Publications and source records attributed to D E Kanouse.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Changing practice patterns in the management of primary breast cancer: Consensus Development Program.

In the last decade, new knowledge has emerged concerning the efficacy of treatment for breast cancer. For that reason, the National Institutes of Health devoted a consensus conference to this topic. To determine whether the consensus conference had influenced practice patterns, and to evaluate the level of quality of care given to women with breast cancer, the medical records of 573 patients treated in ten hospitals throughout the state of Washington were abstracted and analyzed. Results showed no changes with respect to the consensus conference's recommendations for use of a total mastectomy with axillary dissection or the use of a two-step procedure in which the biopsy is performed first and therapeutic options are discussed before a definitive surgery is undertaken. Analyses of quality of care issues not addressed by the consensus conference revealed that 4 percent of the sample were explicitly staged preoperatively and 29 percent postoperatively and that little changed over time in the use of sentinel laboratory tests. These results also show that consensus recommendations will not necessarily change physicians' behavior even where change is possible, and that quality of care in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer still needs to be addressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The relation between resource use and in-hospital mortality for patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

A central issue in health policy with regard to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is whether quality of care and patient outcomes are affected by resource constraints. In an earlier study of 15 California hospitals between October 1986 and October 1987, we observed a markedly lower in-hospital mortality rate for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in the group of patients treated in hospitals that had a high level of experience with AIDS relative to the group treated in hospitals with low experience. We present the patterns of resource use at hospitals with high and low AIDS familiarity. Average charges and resource use did not differ between the two groups of hospitalized patients; however, there were marked variations in how the resources were used. Among survivors, patients who received care at hospitals with high AIDS familiarity stayed in the hospital longer, underwent a bronchoscopy more often, stayed in an intensive care unit longer, and accrued higher average total charges than patients at hospitals with low AIDS familiarity. Conversely, among nonsurvivors, a greater intensity of care was received at the hospitals with low AIDS familiarity. These results suggest that, in these 15 hospitals, the markedly higher rate of in-hospital death at hospitals with low AIDS familiarity was not related to the quantity of resources that were used; rather it was related to differences in how the resources were used. Our results show that additional resources significantly improved the chances of in-hospital survival for patients at hospitals with high AIDS familiarity, but did not affect the chances of survival in hospitals with low AIDS familiarity. Our findings suggest that physicians in those hospitals in which the care of patients with AIDS is relatively infrequent might improve the chances of in-hospital survival of patients with AIDS by more timely and efficient use of resources.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

The relation between hospital experience and in-hospital mortality for patients with AIDS-related PCP.

There is marked debate by physicians and policymakers regarding the creation of regionalized acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) centers. A central issue is whether outcomes of care, particularly mortality, differ as a function of hospital experience with patients with AIDS. We evaluated the experience of 257 patients with AIDS and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia treated at 15 California hospitals between October 1986 and October 1987. An overall 15.2% in-hospital mortality rate was observed. However, a markedly lower in-hospital mortality rate was observed in the group of patients treated at hospitals that had a high level of experience with patients with AIDS (greater than or equal to 30 human immunodeficiency virus-related discharges per 10,000 hospital discharges) relative to the group treated at hospitals with less experience (less than 30 human immunodeficiency virus-related discharges per 10,000 hospital discharges): 12% vs 33%. Other factors significantly associated with in-hospital mortality included intensive care unit use, admission from an emergency department or through an interhospital transfer, and a history of hospitalizations. A logistic regression model indicated that, after controlling for severity indicators, AIDS experience remained significantly related to mortality. Our findings suggest that policymakers should consider three options: creating regional AIDS centers, implementing policies that promote a rapid but carefully monitored increase in experience of low-volume hospitals with human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals, or providing highly focused educational efforts at low-AIDS-experience facilities. Without such policy initiatives, differences in mortality rates like those we have found might persist as cases of AIDS begin to occur in every area of the country.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Effects of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Program on physician practice.

The effects of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Program on physician behavior were investigated. The medical records of 2770 patients treated in ten hospitals throughout the state of Washington were reviewed to determine if quality of care improved with respect to 12 recommendations put forth by four consensus panels concerning surgical management of primary breast cancer, the use of steroid receptors in breast cancer, cesarean childbirth, and coronary artery bypass surgery. Care was studied during 24 months before and 13 to 24 months after each consensus conference. Results showed that the conferences mostly failed to stimulate change in physician practice, despite moderate success in reaching the appropriate target audience. It was concluded that the consensus development conference is an important educational tool whose effects might be enhanced by focusing on areas of practice that need improvement and by encouraging follow-up programs at the state and local level.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1986

Popular press coverage of eight National Institutes of Health consensus development topics.

The quality of medical journalism has been widely criticized. As part of a larger evaluation study, we analyzed popular press coverage of eight topics selected by the National Institutes of Health for consensus development conferences in 1979 and 1980. Using periodical indexes to identify relevant articles, we analyzed the characteristics of 269 topical articles published in newspapers and magazines in the four years surrounding each conference and examined the role that the conference played in subsequent reporting. Most topics received widespread press interest that culminated around the time of each conference. Consensus findings were widely cited in articles that appeared after the conferences. Articles were mostly factual and balanced, relied on experts, and emphasized major themes covered by the conference. We conclude that the popular press can make an important contribution to the dissemination of new medical information.

National Institutes of Health (U.S.)↗
PubMed1982

Informing patients about drug side effects.

Two hundred forty-nine newly diagnosed hypertensive patients prescribed thiazide medication were recruited for study. Two-thirds were given a leaflet or patient package insert (PPI) that described the drug and its possible side effects, and one-third were not. At a revisit about 1 month later, patients were asked whether they had experienced any of 17 different "health problems." For each problem that they experienced, they were asked whether they thought the problem was related to the medicine they were taking. Ten of the health problems were taken verbatim from the PPI's list of possible drug side effects. Patients who received the PPI reported experiencing about the same number of side effects as the non-PPI subjects. However, those who received the PPI were more likely to attribute experienced reactions to the drug. This was true for both reactions specifically listed in the PPI and for similar reactions not listed. Results support the notion of an "attribution-labeling" process rather than a "suggestion" effect.

Benzothiadiazines↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The appropriateness of performing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Information about how appropriately procedures are performed is vital to the understanding of the impact of technology and to the success of efforts to channel its use appropriately. While the efficacy of coronary artery bypass surgery has been addressed in several large-scale, randomized trials, there is little information about how appropriately the procedure is actually being used in the community. We determined the appropriateness of coronary artery bypass surgeries performed in three randomly chosen hospitals in a western state. We determined appropriateness by comparing data obtained from a detailed medical record review with a list of 488 indications. This list, developed by a national panel of physicians, covered all possible reasons for performing the procedure. Three hundred eighty-six cases from the years 1979, 1980, and 1982 were examined. Fifty-six percent of the surgeries were performed for appropriate reasons, 30% for equivocal reasons, and 14% for inappropriate reasons. The percentage of appropriate surgeries varied by hospital, from 37% to 78%, but did not vary by patient age. Eliminating the performance of inappropriate procedures may lead to reductions in health care expenditures or to improved patient outcomes.

Age Factors↗