PubMed · 10174419
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E Zalta. 1997. Diffusing anti-managed care legislation.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10174419/
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Therapy planning plays an increasingly important role in the everyday work of physicians. Clinical protocols or guidelines are typically represented using flow-charts, decision tables, or plain text. These representations are badly suited, however, for complex medical procedures.One representation method that overcomes these problems is the language Asbru. But because Asbru has a LISP-like syntax (and also incorporates many concepts from computer science), it is not suitable for physicians.Therefore, we developed a visualization and user interface to deal with treatment plans expressed in Asbru. We use graphical metaphors to make the underlying concepts easier to grasp, employ glyphs to communicate complex temporal information and colors to make it possible to understand the connection between the two views (Topological View and Temporal View) available in the system. In this paper, we present the design ideas behind AsbruView, and discuss its usefulness based on the results of a usability study we performed with six physicians.
The clinical information available to clinicians is expanding rapidly. It can enhance clinical decision-making, but it can also confuse the process. To be most useful, information should be available at the time and place it is needed and be specific to the task at hand. In the new paradigm of medicine, one based on continuous quality improvement, useful information must be relevant to both the processes and outcomes of care. Clinical practice guidelines have become increasingly popular for improving the quality of health care. The field of medical informatics can bring cogent information to the point where decisions are being made to augment quality improvement activities in general, and practice guidelines in particular. However, such innovations are dependent on the type, quantity, and quality of information available. This article discusses when guidelines can enhance the quality and outcomes of care and how medical informatics can help achieve these goals. In particular, the barriers to the broad implementation of electronic medical records in a variety of health care settings are explored.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents an unrelenting and formidable challenge in the critical care setting even for the most experienced clinician. The morbidity and mortality attributed to untreated VTE have been substantiated by increasing series of epidemiologic and postmortem studies. As a larger group of the general population grows older, with increasing requirements for critical care services, challenges for the intensivist in the diagnosis and management of VTE are expected to grow. Moreover, despite the tremendous development of many critical care technologies, complexities of medical conditions commonly encountered in the critically ill have detracted from suspicion of VTE and made prompt recognition difficult. The approach to diagnosis of VTE should optimize diagnostic yield and outcomes with responsible use of resources. Key to an appropriate approach of VTE diagnosis in the intensive care unit is an understanding of the predisposing risk factors--pretest probability and the strengths and weaknesses of available diagnostic tools. Rational use of ultrasound, impedance plethysmography, computed tomography (CT), echocardiography, contrast venography, angiography, and D-dimer assays have provided the clinicians with a more substantial armamentarium, albeit incomplete, to facilitate diagnosis of VTE. The best use of these diagnostic tests often are dependent on local availability and expertise as part of a multidisciplinary team. With application of sound clinical principles in identifying select patients at risk and disciplined use of diagnostic technologies using simple algorithms, improvements in the diagnosis and management of VTE in the intensive care unit may be expected.