Costs and quality of medication reconciliation practice in primary care clinics

Medication reconciliation, with the aim to resolve medication discrepancy, is one of the Joint Commission patient safety goals. Medication errors and adverse drug events that could result from medication discrepancy affect a large population. At least 1.5 million adverse drug events and $3.5 billion of financial burden yearly associated with medication errors could be prevented by interventions such as medication reconciliation. This research was conducted to answer the following research questions: (1a) What are the frequency range and type of measures used to report outpatient medication discrepancy? (1b) Which effective and efficient strategies for medication reconciliation in the outpatient setting have been reported? (2) What are the costs associated with medication reconciliation practice in primary care clinics? (3) What is the quality of medication reconciliation practice in primary care clinics? (4) Is medication reconciliation practice in primary care clinics cost-effective from the clinic perspective? Study designs used to answer these questions included a systematic review, cost analysis, quality assessments, and cost-effectiveness analysis. Data sources were published articles in the medical literature and data from a prospective workflow study, which included 150 patients and 1,238 medications. The systematic review confirmed that the prevalence of medication discrepancy was high in ambulatory care and higher in primary care settings. Effective strategies for medication reconciliation included the use of pharmacists, letters, a standardized practice approach, and partnership between providers and patients. Our cost analysis showed that costs associated with medication reconciliation practice were not substantially different between primary care clinics using or not using electronic medical records (EMR) ($0.95 per patient per medication in EMR clinics vs. $0.96 per patient per medication in non-EMR clinics, p=0.78). Even though medication reconciliation was frequently practiced (97-98%), the quality of such practice was poor (0-33% of process completeness measured by concordance of medication numbers and 29-33% of accuracy measured by concordance of medication names) and negatively (though not significantly) associated with medication regimen complexity. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for concordance of medication number per patient per medication and concordance of medication names per patient per medication were both 0.08, favoring EMR. Future studies including potential cost-savings from medication features of the EMR and potential benefits to minimize severity of harm to patients from medication discrepancy are warranted. ^

Beyond Bullying: Transforming the Culture of Peer Abuse

Bullying needs to be understood and positioned as a form of child abuse – peer abuse. For too many people, bullying is a benign term. This article will include information collected from a wide-range of researchers and discussions with over 50,000 students that I have facilitated during the past twenty years. The content will focus on new morbidities related to bullying such as depression and suicide, obesity, eating disorders, food allergies, juvenile diabetes, truancy, and substance and alcohol abuse. Making a cultural change in our society will require identified Change Agents, along with recommendations for collaboration, policies, projects and legislation.

Cost -effectiveness of services and treatments for ambulatory dually diagnosed CMHC clients: Implications for managed care

This paper reports a cost-effectiveness analysis of standard therapeutic interventions received by ambulatory dually diagnosed clients of a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC). For the purposes of this study dually diagnosed was defined as a DSM-III-R or IV diagnosis of a major mental disorder and a concomitant substance abuse disorder. The prevalence of dually diagnosed people among the mentally ill and their unique and problematic nature continues to challenge and encumber CMHCs and poses grave public health risks. An absence of research on these clients in community-based settings and the cost-effectiveness of their standard CMHC care has hindered the development of effective community-based intervention strategies. This exploratory and descriptive effort is a first step toward providing information on which to base programmatic management decisions.^ Data for this study were derived from electronic client records of a CMHC located in a large Southwestern, Sun-belt metropolitan area. A total of 220 records were collected on clients consecutively admitted during a two-and-one-half year period. Information was gathered profiling the clients' background characteristics, receipt of standard services and treatments, costs of the care they received, and length of CMHC enrollment and subsequent psychiatric hospitalizations. The services and treatments were compared with regard to their costs and predicted contributions toward maintaining clients in the community and out of public psychiatric hospitals.^ This study investigated: (1) the study groups' background, mental illness, and substance abuse characteristics; (2) types, extent, and patterns of their receipt of standard services and treatments; (3) associations between the receipt of services and treatments, community tenure, and risk of psychiatric hospitalization; and, (4) comparisons of average costs for services and treatments in terms of their contributions toward maintaining the clients in the community.^ The results suggest that substance abuse and other lifestyle factors were related to the dually diagnosed clients' admissions to the CMHC. The dually diagnosed clients' receipt of care was associated strongly with their insurability and global functioning. Medication Services were the most expensive yet effective service or treatment. Supported Education was the third most expensive and second most effective. Psychosocial Services, the second most expensive, were only effective in terms of maintaining clients in the community. Group Counseling, the fourth most expensive, had no effect on community maintenance and increased the risk of hospitalization when accompanied by Medication Services. Individual Counseling, the least expensive, had no effect on community maintenance. But it reduced the risk of hospitalization when accompanied by Medication Services. Networking/Referral, the fifth most expensive service or treatment, was ineffective.^ The study compared the results with findings in the literature. Implications are discussed regarding further research, study limitations, practical applications and benefits, and improvements to theoretical understandings, in particular, concepts underscoring Managed Care. ^

Evaluación de conductas adictivas en personal médico y no médico en un hospital de agudos : estudio comparativo

Objetivo: Identificar abuso, dependencia, adicciones (tabaquismo, problemas con alcohol y alimentación) y automedicación en el personal de la salud de un Hospital de agudos.- Material y Métodos: Estudio protocolizado y observacional mediante. encuesta estructurada, autoadministrada y anónima. Se realizó el análisis en 4 grupos: Médicos (M) (MS: Staff y MF: en formación), NO M: enfermeros (E) y otros (O: administración, laboratorio, farmacia, servicios generales). Se realizó un estudio comparativo con una población encuestada en el año 2004. Resultados: Se incluyeron 373 personas: 195 M (73 MS y 122 MF), 83 E y 92 O; 225 mujeres (60,3%); edad promedio grupal: 36.1 años (DS± 9.98). El 77.5% con pareja estable, el 98.1% heterosexuales y 67,3% universitarios. El 67.3% se automedicaba, el 35.1% eran tabaquistas activos; el 28.4% presentaba problemas con el alcohol y el 36.2% con la alimentación. El tabaquismo fue más frecuente entre 40-50 años (42,5%) y en E: 56.6%; MS: 21,9%; MF: 27% y O: 36.9%(p<0.05). Se incrementó la intención de abandonar el cigarrillo comparado con el año 2004 (74.6 vs 56.3%)(p<0.05). Los problemas con el alcohol fueron frecuentes entre 20 y 30 años (47.2%), en personas con pareja inestable (73.6%), sin diferencias entre los grupos y en 51.8% coexistía con tabaquismo. Los problemas de alimentación ocurrieron significativamente en MF (46,9%) comparados con MS (22.5%) (p<0.05). Se detectó automedicación en el 68.3 del Grupo O y en 48.1% del Grupo M (p<0.05). Al comparar la automedicación en las encuestas del año 2004 y 2007, se comprobó una reducción en E (87.8 vs 52.4%) y en O (77.5 vs 48.1%)(p<0.05).- Conclusiones: Se detectó elevada prevalencia de tabaquismo, problemas con el alcohol, alimentación y automedicación en todo el personal hospitalario. El tabaquismo predominó en enfermeros, los trastornos alimentarios en médicos en formación y el alcoholismo en solteros con pareja inestable.

Pregnancy resulting from sexual abuse: Reasons alleged by Brazilian women for carrying out the abortion - Pregnancy and violence

http://www.healthmedjournal.com/vol06-no3.pdf

Medication double-checking procedures in clinical practice: a cross-sectional survey of oncology nurses' experiences.

BACKGROUND Double-checking is widely recommended as an essential method to prevent medication errors. However, prior research has shown that the concept of double-checking is not clearly defined, and that little is known about actual practice in oncology, for example, what kind of checking procedures are applied. OBJECTIVE To study the practice of different double-checking procedures in chemotherapy administration and to explore nurses' experiences, for example, how often they actually find errors using a certain procedure. General evaluations regarding double-checking, for example, frequency of interruptions during and caused by a check, or what is regarded as its essential feature was assessed. METHODS In a cross-sectional survey, qualified nurses working in oncology departments of 3 hospitals were asked to rate 5 different scenarios of double-checking procedures regarding dimensions such as frequency of use in practice and appropriateness to prevent medication errors; they were also asked general questions about double-checking. RESULTS Overall, 274 nurses (70% response rate) participated in the survey. The procedure of jointly double-checking (read-read back) was most commonly used (69% of respondents) and rated as very appropriate to prevent medication errors. Jointly checking medication was seen as the essential characteristic of double-checking-more frequently than 'carrying out checks independently' (54% vs 24%). Most nurses (78%) found the frequency of double-checking in their department appropriate. Being interrupted in one's own current activity for supporting a double-check was reported to occur frequently. Regression analysis revealed a strong preference towards checks that are currently implemented at the responders' workplace. CONCLUSIONS Double-checking is well regarded by oncology nurses as a procedure to help prevent errors, with jointly checking being used most frequently. Our results show that the notion of independent checking needs to be transferred more actively into clinical practice. The high frequency of reported interruptions during and caused by double-checks is of concern.

Use and abuse of audivisual media in the college classroom. Slides show and web pages

The multimedia development that has taken place within the university classrooms in recent years has caused a revolution at psychological level within the collectivity of students and teachers inside and outside the classrooms. The slide show applications have become a key supporting element for university professors, who, in many cases, rely blindly in the use of them for teaching. Additionally, ill-conceived slides, poorly structured and with a vast amount of multimedia content, can be the basis of a faulty communication between teacher and student, which is overwhelmed by the appearance and presentation, neglecting their content. The same applies to web pages. This paper focuses on the study and analysis of the impact caused in the process of teaching and learning by the slide show presentations and web pages, and its positive and negative influence on the student’s learning process, paying particular attention to the consequences on the level of attention within the classroom, and on the study outside the classroom. The study is performed by means of a qualitative analysis of student surveys conducted during the last 8 school Civil Engineering School at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. It presents some of the weaknesses of multimedia material, including the difficulties for students to study them, because of the many distractions they face and the need for incentives web pages offer, or the insignificant content and shallowness of the studies due to wrongly formulated presentations.

Uso do protocolo no serviço de psicologia e avaliação psicodinâmica em candidatos à cirurgia bariátrica

A clínica da Obesidade Mórbida e a Cirurgia Bariátrica exige estudos e acompanhamentos do paciente. Os benefícios e riscos do emagrecimento por tratamento cirúrgico devem servir como ponto de alerta aos profissionais da saúde. O uso do questionário no serviço de psicologia é norteado pela escuta psicológica. Objetivos: 1) Descrever o perfil sócio-demográfico candidatos à cirurgia bariátrica. 2) Analisar a percepção dos pacientes sobre características de personalidade associadas à obesidade e transtornos alimentares. 3) Descrever os conteúdos psicodinâmicos da narrativa do sujeito e avaliar o sistema tensional inconsciente de dois pacientes por meio do Teste das Relações Objetais de Phillipson (TRO). Método: O delineamento metodológico com análise de dados pelo método epidemiológico e estudo de caso clínico, orientação psicanalítica. Na primeira etapa foram consultados 300 questionários do serviço de psicologia e na segunda dois pacientes com ganho de peso após 24 meses. São pacientes que procuraram tratamento em clínica especializada, em uma metrópole do sudeste brasileiro, sob consentimento pós-informado. Os questionários foram preenchidos por 227 mulheres e 73 homens; com média de idade igual a 36 anos; escolaridade ensino médio e superior, 53%; maioria casados; IMC entre grave e super mórbido (94,3%). Técnicas cirúrgicas indicadas Capella Bypass e Fobi-Capella (67%). Resultados: características psicológicas referidas pelos pacientes, a ansiedade apontou em 93,7% das respostas, seguidas por impulsividade, depressão, tolerância à frustração, baixa auto-estima, resolvedor de problemas dos outros (mais de 50%). No histórico familiar da obesidade está em mais de 70% depressão e uso do álcool em 30%; realização de psicoterapia (30%) e medicamentos para depressão e ansiedade (10%). Na segunda etapa, foi realizado o diagnóstico psicodinâmico, por meio do Teste das Relações Objetais de Phillipson com duas pacientes, cuja análise indicou necessidade de psicoterapia psicanalítica, pois tinham fixações na posição esquizoparanóide e apresentavam dificuldade em lidar com perdas e baixa motivação para mudança e insigth. Conclusões: Com a aplicação do questionário e o registro das observações empíricas, este questionário de entrevista semidirigida preenche condições de melhor acessar e avaliar os conteúdos revelados pelos pacientes. As contradições entre as respostas e o discurso, no contato individual com o psicólogo, apontam a necessidade de investimento no preparo do paciente para a cirurgia e mais acentuadamente o acompanhamento psicológico no primeiro ano do pós-operatório. Há um pensamento mágico a ser trabalhado durante a aplicação do questionário sobre as crenças frente à cirurgia e o emagrecimento e assim convocar o paciente a ocupar o lugar do sujeito implicado em seu processo pré e pós-operatório. O TRO contribuiu na compreensão do diagnóstico psicodinâmico de pacientes com ganho de peso após cirurgia e reforçou a necessidade de maior investimento no pré-operatório.(AU)

Uso do protocolo no serviço de psicologia e avaliação psicodinâmica em candidatos à cirurgia bariátrica

A clínica da Obesidade Mórbida e a Cirurgia Bariátrica exige estudos e acompanhamentos do paciente. Os benefícios e riscos do emagrecimento por tratamento cirúrgico devem servir como ponto de alerta aos profissionais da saúde. O uso do questionário no serviço de psicologia é norteado pela escuta psicológica. Objetivos: 1) Descrever o perfil sócio-demográfico candidatos à cirurgia bariátrica. 2) Analisar a percepção dos pacientes sobre características de personalidade associadas à obesidade e transtornos alimentares. 3) Descrever os conteúdos psicodinâmicos da narrativa do sujeito e avaliar o sistema tensional inconsciente de dois pacientes por meio do Teste das Relações Objetais de Phillipson (TRO). Método: O delineamento metodológico com análise de dados pelo método epidemiológico e estudo de caso clínico, orientação psicanalítica. Na primeira etapa foram consultados 300 questionários do serviço de psicologia e na segunda dois pacientes com ganho de peso após 24 meses. São pacientes que procuraram tratamento em clínica especializada, em uma metrópole do sudeste brasileiro, sob consentimento pós-informado. Os questionários foram preenchidos por 227 mulheres e 73 homens; com média de idade igual a 36 anos; escolaridade ensino médio e superior, 53%; maioria casados; IMC entre grave e super mórbido (94,3%). Técnicas cirúrgicas indicadas Capella Bypass e Fobi-Capella (67%). Resultados: características psicológicas referidas pelos pacientes, a ansiedade apontou em 93,7% das respostas, seguidas por impulsividade, depressão, tolerância à frustração, baixa auto-estima, resolvedor de problemas dos outros (mais de 50%). No histórico familiar da obesidade está em mais de 70% depressão e uso do álcool em 30%; realização de psicoterapia (30%) e medicamentos para depressão e ansiedade (10%). Na segunda etapa, foi realizado o diagnóstico psicodinâmico, por meio do Teste das Relações Objetais de Phillipson com duas pacientes, cuja análise indicou necessidade de psicoterapia psicanalítica, pois tinham fixações na posição esquizoparanóide e apresentavam dificuldade em lidar com perdas e baixa motivação para mudança e insigth. Conclusões: Com a aplicação do questionário e o registro das observações empíricas, este questionário de entrevista semidirigida preenche condições de melhor acessar e avaliar os conteúdos revelados pelos pacientes. As contradições entre as respostas e o discurso, no contato individual com o psicólogo, apontam a necessidade de investimento no preparo do paciente para a cirurgia e mais acentuadamente o acompanhamento psicológico no primeiro ano do pós-operatório. Há um pensamento mágico a ser trabalhado durante a aplicação do questionário sobre as crenças frente à cirurgia e o emagrecimento e assim convocar o paciente a ocupar o lugar do sujeito implicado em seu processo pré e pós-operatório. O TRO contribuiu na compreensão do diagnóstico psicodinâmico de pacientes com ganho de peso após cirurgia e reforçou a necessidade de maior investimento no pré-operatório.(AU)

PTSD, Depression, and Substance Abuse Symptoms in Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Abuse

The present study explores relationships among several established correlates of trauma in women exposed to intimate partner abuse (IPA), including PTSD, depression, and dissociation symptoms as well as alcohol use as well as other trauma-related variables, such as social support and violence exposure. Two analysis methods were utilized: variable-oriented methods, which examine relationships between variables, and person-oriented analysis methods, which examine groupings of participants within a larger sample (N = 233). Results of the variable-oriented analyses indicated positive links among depression, PTSD, dissociation, and alcohol use in women exposed to IPA, as well as positive links between the aforementioned psychological symptoms and exposure to violence. Social support was related to decreased psychological symptoms. Person-oriented analyses indicated the presence of four unique profiles of women within the larger study sample: Profile 1 (n = 21), which was labeled High Dissociation, Low Depression/PTSD; Profile 2 (n = 150), which was labeled Low Symptoms, High Social Support, Profile 3 (n = 41); which was labeled Low Dissociation, High Depression/PTSD; and Profile 4 (n = 22), which was labeled High Symptoms, Low Social Support. This research supports previous findings about the relationships among several variables related to IPA as well as suggests the need for careful consideration of differences among women within the larger context of research, advocacy, and clinical interventions related to IPA.