Biomedical subjects

Meg Johantgen

Publications and source records attributed to Meg Johantgen.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Perioperative nurses and patient outcomes--mortality, complications, and length of stay.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY described in this article was to identify the relationship between RN staffing factors in the OR and surgical patient outcomes. THE STUDY ADDRESSED two main questions: whether the level of RN staffing in the OR is related to postoperative complications, mortality, and length of stay (LOS) and whether certification, RN agency use, 24-hour staffing, and the performance of multidisciplinary code drills are related to complications, mortality, and LOS. ACCORDING TO THIS STUDY, selected organizational factors in ORs had a significant influence on patient outcomes.

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PubMed2005

Staffing and worker injury in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between nursing home staffing levels and worker injury rates in 445 nursing homes in 3 states. METHODS: We obtained First Reports of Injury and workers' compensation data from 3 states (Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland) for the year 2000. We then linked these data to Medicare's Online Survey, Certification and Reporting system to obtain nursing home staffing details and organizational descriptors. We used ordinary least squares and log-transformed regression models to examine the association between worker injury rate and nursing home staffing and organizational characteristics. RESULTS: Total nursing hours per resident day were significantly associated with worker injury rates in nursing homes after we adjusted for organizational characteristics and state dummy variables (P=.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that nursing home staffing levels have an important impact on worker health. These findings were supported for multiple facilities across different states; therefore, policies and resources that increase staffing levels in nursing homes are warranted.

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PubMed2004

Using state administrative data to study nonfatal worker injuries: challenges and opportunities.

PROBLEM: Administrative data from states have the potential to capture broader representation of worker injury, facilitating examination of trends, correlates, and patterns. While many states use their workers' compensation (WC) data to document frequency and type of injury, few conduct in-depth examinations of patterns of injury and other etiologies. Administrative data are generally an untapped resource. METHOD: Comparisons are made among four state databases used in a study linking worker injuries and patient outcomes in hospitals and nursing homes. RESULTS: Worker injury data varies in terms of inclusion criteria, variables, and coding schemes used. Linkages to organizational level characteristics can be difficult. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations, data can be used to study injury patterns and etiologies. Users must be knowledgeable and recognize how database characteristics may influence results.

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PubMed2003

Is there a relationship between service integration and differentiation and patient outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the level of service integration within Maryland hospitals and service differentiation across the hospital system or network and its affect on heart failure patient clinical and economic outcomes. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission Inpatient Data for 1997 and 1998 were used for secondary data analysis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross sectional. Independent variables were the level of service integration and differentiation created from the 1998 American Hospital Association Annual Survey based on the work of Bazzoli et al. The primary dependent variables were readmission, in-hospital mortality, length of stay and costs. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Patients discharged from Maryland hospitals with a diagnosis that grouped to DRG 127 (heart failure) were extracted. Multivariate linear and logistic models clustered by hospital were used to analyse results at the patient level. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A higher likelihood of readmission was found as the level of Community Differentiation increased. Although costs were higher as Total Differentiation increased in 1998, these results were not validated by 1997 data. No significant relationship was found between integration of services and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Similar outcomes were achieved regardless of the level of service integration or differentiation. Community hospitals produce similar patient outcomes at the same cost for this diagnosis.

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