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J L Lichtenstein

Publications and source records attributed to J L Lichtenstein.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Diagnosis-related group refinement with diagnosis- and procedure-specific comorbidities and complications.

Diagnosis-related groups have been revised through more refined uses of secondary diagnoses. Under the refined diagnosis-related groups, patients are distinguished with respect to classes of secondary diagnoses that are disease- and procedure-specific. Each class represents a different level of utilization for a given principal diagnosis or surgical procedure. The refined system was evaluated with national data from the Medicare program. Estimates of hospital costs and utilization based on refined diagnosis-related groups were more precise than those based on unrefined diagnosis-related groups. This approach to diagnosis-related group refinement does not represent a radical departure from the current diagnosis-related group framework and does not require new data collection efforts. Moreover, a payment system based on the refined model is less affected by the ordering of the diagnoses than under the existing diagnosis-related group system. How the refined diagnosis-related group framework can accommodate future refinements at all levels of the classification scheme is also discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Ambulatory visit groups: a framework for measuring productivity in ambulatory care.

This article describes Ambulatory Visit Groups (AVGs) and the process by which they were defined. An approach to the analysis of physician productivity in the ambulatory setting is then demonstrated, with data derived from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey [1]. Finally, recommendations for future work are presented to make this approach more effective in designing and managing ambulatory care delivery organizations.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1980

The effectiveness of panendoscopy on diagnostic and therapeutic decisions about chronic abdominal pain.

To evaluate the impact of panendoscopy on diagnosis and management, we asked several gastroenterologists to state their diagnoses, management plans, and confidence in these plans before performing endoscopy in patients with chronic abdominal or thoracic pain; and to repeat the same decisions after endoscopy. To evaluate acceptance of the procedure, patients were later interviewed about their discomfort during its performance. To check the way that changes in diagnosis may have affected patient management, we formed six diagnostic groups that roughly correspond to differing treatments. The postendoscopic diagnostic groupings revealed two unsuspected cancers and disagreed with the original classification in 38 (45%) of 84 patients. Dramatic or substantial changes in management occurred in 37 (44%) patients, but often did not correspond to changes in diagnosis. Conversely, management was often unchanged despite alterations in diagnosis. Patients expressed about equal preferences for barium meal as for panendoscopy, and 75% would have agreed to a repeat endoscopy without hesitation. Although the ultimate benefits of postendoscopy management changes were not ascertained, we believe that these results support the use of panendoscopy in patients with persistent and unexplained symptoms.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of malignant biliary obstruction by endoscopic implantation of iridium 192 using a new double lumen endoprosthesis.

Iridium 192 seeds contained in a ribbon were preloaded into a new double lumen 11 Fr endoprosthesis which was then inserted into malignant strictures of the bile duct and ampulla and left in place for 48 hours until 5000 rads were delivered to the tumor. The procedure was carried out in 14 patients (7 women, 7 men; mean age, 63.2 years; range, 46 to 86 years). Six patients were treated for cholangiocarcinomas, four with pancreatic carcinomas, and four with ampullary carcinomas. No complications occurred. The mean survival of the group was 7 months (range, 3 days to 27 months). This new technique provides both intraluminal brachytherapy and biliary drainage and is inserted intraduodenally across the papilla of Vater avoiding puncture of the liver and external hardware required by the percutaneous technique and hardware necessitated with a nasobiliary tube. Following removal of the iridium prosthesis, a large caliber endoprosthesis is inserted for continued decompression. Because of proven efficacy of endoprostheses, this new technique should be considered when intraluminal irradiation is indicated.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗