Biomedical subjects

H F Sanderson

Publications and source records attributed to H F Sanderson.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1989

Evaluation of diagnosis-related groups in the National Health Service.

Evaluation of the use of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) has revealed a number of technical problems in coding of diagnoses and operative procedures, as well as unresolved issues in the clinical acceptability of existing groupings. An investigation of the statistical homogeneity of DRGs, in terms of duration of patient stay, is described. Consideration of data relating to some 990,000 episodes of in-patient care in three English Regions discloses wide variations in statistical homogeneity, both between DRGs and in relation to individual clinical specialties. The greatest homogeneity is found in ENT surgery and gynaecology; and the least in general medicine and orthopaedic surgery. The need for improved data collection and coding procedures is discussed, together with the advisability of sensitivity in the interpretation of DRGs, as well as the need for a co-ordinated approach to their refinement for application in any wider introduction in the NHS.

Diagnosis-Related Groups↗

PubMed1987

Performance indicators.

Performance indicators have been introduced by the DHSS for scrutinizing the activity of regional and district health authorities. Because these are based on routine information, there are a number of problems in understanding what these indicators mean and there is a need to look at alternative ways of measuring performance.

Data Collection↗

PubMed1972

The control by ventilation of airborne bacterial transfer between hospital patients, and its assessment by means of a particle tracer. 3. Studies with an airborne-particle tracer in an isolation ward for burned patients.

Airborne-particle transfer has been studied in a burns unit using potassium iodide particles. The observed rates of transfer were in good agreement with the values predicted by a theoretical model.An estimate of the average transfer between rooms under conditions of normal activity and with correctly functioning ventilation showed that the isolation system was highly efficient, the proportion transferred being probably less than 1 in 10(5). However, the ventilation often did not function as designed and under these conditions the efficiency was reduced by a maximum of a factor of ten. These rates of transfer do not seem great enough to account for the high rate of cross-infection found in this unit.

Air Microbiology↗