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Background: Tools that measure knowledge, attitudes, and skills reflecting cultural competence of health professionals have not been comprehensively identified, described, or critiqued. Summary: We systematically reviewed English-language articles published from 1980 through June 2003 that evaluated the effectiveness of cultural competence curricula targeted at health professionals by using at least one self-administered tool. We abstracted information about targeted providers, evaluation methods, curricular content, and the psychometric properties of each tool. We included 45 articles in our review. A total of 45 unique instruments (32 learner self-assessments, 13 written exams) were used in the 45 articles. One third (15/45) of the tools had demonstrated either validity or reliability, and only 13% (6/45) had demonstrated both reliability and validity. Conclusions: Most studies of cultural competence training used self-administered tools that have not been validated. The results of cultural competence training could be interpreted more accurately if validated tools were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the preferences and concerns of seriously ill patients about discussing religious and spiritual beliefs with physicians.Design: Three focus group discussions with patients who had experienced a recent life-threatening illness. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify discrete comments for grouping into domains. A third investigator adjudicated differences in opinion. Comments were then independently reviewed for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a pastoral counselor.Setting: Academic medical center.Participants: Referred sample of 22 patients hospitalized with a recent life-threatening illness.Measurements and Main Results: Almost all of the 562 comments could be grouped into one of five broad domains: 1) religiosity/spirituality, 2) prayer, 3) patient-physician relationship, 4) religious/spiritual conversations, and 5) recommendations to physicians. God, prayer, and spiritual beliefs were often mentioned as sources of comfort, support, and healing. All participants stressed the importance of physician empathy. Willingness to participate in spiritual discussions with doctors was closely tied to the patient-physician relationship. Although divided on the proper context, patients agreed that physicians must have strong interpersonal skills for discussions to be fruitful. Physician-initiated conversation without a strong patient-physician relationship was viewed as inappropriate and as implying a poor prognosis.Conclusion: Religion and spirituality are a source of comfort for many patients. Although not necessarily expecting physicians to discuss spirituality, patients want physicians to ask about coping and support mechanisms. This exploratory study suggests that if patients then disclose the importance of spiritual beliefs in their lives, they would like physicians to respect these values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify attitudes that influence patient help-seeking behavior and aspects of treatment that influence patient preferences for management of depression.Design: Three focus group discussions (two patient groups stratified by race and one professional group). Questions addressed experience with depression, help-seeking behaviors, treatment preferences, and perceived barriers to mental health care.Setting: Academic medical center.Patients/participants: Eight black patients and eight white patients with depression: seven health care professionals (four physicians and three social workers).Measurements and Main Results: Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify and group distinct comments into categories with specific themes. Differences were adjudicated by a third investigator. Comments within categories were then checked for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a psychiatrist. More than 90% of the 806 comments could be grouped into one of 16 categories. Black patients raised more concerns than white patients regarding spirituality and stigma. Patients made more comments than professionals regarding the impact of spirituality, social support systems, coping strategies, life experiences, patient-provider relationships, and attributes of specific treatments. They discussed the role these factors played in their help-seeking behavior and adherence to treatment.Conclusions: In-depth focus group discussions with depressed patients can provide valuable and unique information about patient experiences and concerns regarding treatment for depression. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers need to incorporate the range of factors identified by patients into their decision making for individuals with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the attitudes and experiences of abused women to identify characteristics that helped or hindered abuse disclosure to clinicians and to determine how women viewed potential interventions to improve detection and treatment in a medical setting.Design: Focus group data conducted and analyzed with qualitative methodology.Setting: Three community-based mental health centers and one women's shelter.Participants: Twenty-one women in group therapy for domestic violence.Main Results: Eighteen (86%) of the 21 women had seen their "regular doctor" in the prior year; only 1 in 3 had discussed the abuse with the clinician. The major discussion themes were medical problems that were exacerbated with abuse, lack of ability to access medical care due to abuser interference, emotional attitudes about abuse that acted as barriers to disclosure, clinician characteristics that helped or hindered disclosure, and treatment experiences and preferences. Women described how their medical problems began or worsened during the abusive period. one in three women described how abusers blocked them from receiving medical care. Women reported intense shame about the abuse and described their self-denial of abuse. Women stated they were inclined to discuss abuse if they felt the clinician was perceived to be caring, was easy to talk to, had a protective manner, or if the clinician offered a follow-up visit. There was no consistent clinician gender preference among the women. One in four women had received psychotropic medication for problems associated with abuse. Many feared addiction, or a loss of alertness, increasing their risk for more abuse.Conclusions: Many abused women experience worsening health and seek medical care; most do not volunteer a history of violence even to their regular clinicians. Many of the barriers to disclosure of abuse could be overcome by a physician's knowledge of the link between abuse and medical illness, an understanding of the women's emotions about abuse, and her treatment preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Little is known regarding the types of information African American and non-African American patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their families need to inform renal replacement therapy (RRT) decisions. Methods In 20 structured group interviews, we elicited views of African American and non-African American patients with CKD and their families about factors that should be addressed in educational materials informing patients’ RRT selection decisions. We asked participants to select factors from a list and obtained their open-ended feedback. Results Ten groups of patients (5 African American, 5 non-African American; total 68 individuals) and ten groups of family members (5 African American, 5 non-African American; total 62 individuals) participated. Patients and families had a range (none to extensive) of experiences with various RRTs. Patients identified morbidity or mortality, autonomy, treatment delivery, and symptoms as important factors to address. Family members identified similar factors but also cited the effects of RRT decisions on patients’ psychological well-being and finances. Views of African American and non-African American participants were largely similar. Conclusions Educational resources addressing the influence of RRT selection on patients’ morbidity and mortality, autonomy, treatment delivery, and symptoms could help patients and their families select RRT options closely aligned with their values. Including information about the influence of RRT selection on patients’ personal relationships and finances could enhance resources’ cultural relevance for African Americans.

Abstract Background Despite awareness of inequities in health care quality, little is known about strategies that could improve the quality of healthcare for ethnic minority populations. We conducted a systematic literature review and analysis to synthesize the findings of controlled studies evaluating interventions targeted at health care providers to improve health care quality or reduce disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities. Methods We performed electronic and hand searches from 1980 through June 2003 to identify randomized controlled trials or concurrent controlled trials. Reviewers abstracted data from studies to determine study characteristics, results, and quality. We graded the strength of the evidence as excellent, good, fair or poor using predetermined criteria. The main outcome measures were evidence of effectiveness and cost of strategies to improve health care quality or reduce disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities. Results Twenty-seven studies met criteria for review. Almost all (n = 26) took place in the primary care setting, and most (n = 19) focused on improving provision of preventive services. Only two studies were designed specifically to meet the needs of racial/ethnic minority patients. All 10 studies that used a provider reminder system for provision of standardized services (mostly preventive) reported favorable outcomes. The following quality improvement strategies demonstrated favorable results but were used in a small number of studies: bypassing the physician to offer preventive services directly to patients (2 of 2 studies favorable), provider education alone (2 of 2 studies favorable), use of a structured questionnaire to assess adolescent health behaviors (1 of 1 study favorable), and use of remote simultaneous translation (1 of 1 study favorable). Interventions employing more than one main strategy were used in 9 studies with inconsistent results. There were limited data on the costs of these strategies, as only one study reported cost data. Conclusion There are several promising strategies that may improve health care quality for racial/ethnic minorities, but a lack of studies specifically targeting disease areas and processes of care for which disparities have been previously documented. Further research and funding is needed to evaluate strategies designed to reduce disparities in health care quality for racial/ethnic minorities.

Background: Despite an increased risk for cervical cytologic abnormalities, HIV-infected women frequently miss their gynecology appointments. We examined barriers to adherence with gynecologic care in an urban HIV clinic., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 200 women receiving gynecologic services in an urban HIV clinic, followed by focus groups. Primary outcomes included (1) missed gynecology appointments and (2) receipt of a Pap smear in the previous year. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, child care responsibilities, substance use, depressive symptoms, social support, interpersonal violence, CD4 count, and HIV-1 RNA. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between independent variables and outcomes. We then held two focus groups designed to gather opinions on and increase our understanding of the key findings from the survey., Results: Of 200 women, 69% missed at least one gynecology appointment, and 22% had no Pap smear in the past year. In logistic regression, moderate (odds ratio [OR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-6.7) and severe (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3-7.5) depressive symptoms and past-month substance use (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.0-5.3) were associated with missing an appointment in the prior year. An education level of less than high school (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.6) compared with high school diploma or greater was associated with not having a Pap smear in the previous year. When analyses were limited to women with a cervix (n = 166), moderate (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.7) and severe (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0-6.3) depressive systems remained significantly associated with missing a gynecology appointment in the previous year and age >50 (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9), an HIV-1 RNA > 50 (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9), and education level less than high school (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.5) were associated with not having a Pap smear in the past 12 months. Qualitative analysis of the focus group data suggested that fear, inclement weather, and forgetting appointments may contribute to missed gynecology appointments., Conclusion: Gynecologic healthcare is underused among HIV-infected women. We found that depressive symptoms, substance use, fear of the gynecologic examination, and simply forgetting about the appointment may be barriers to gynecologic care. Interventions targeting these barriers may improve use of gynecologic care among this population.

Background: Despite awareness of inequities in health care quality, little is known about strategies that could improve the quality of healthcare for ethnic minority populations. We conducted a systematic literature review and analysis to synthesize the findings of controlled studies evaluating interventions targeted at health care providers to improve health care quality or reduce disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities., Methods: We performed electronic and hand searches from 1980 through June 2003 to identify randomized controlled trials or concurrent controlled trials. Reviewers abstracted data from studies to determine study characteristics, results, and quality. We graded the strength of the evidence as excellent, good, fair or poor using predetermined criteria. The main outcome measures were evidence of effectiveness and cost of strategies to improve health care quality or reduce disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities., Results: Twenty-seven studies met criteria for review. Almost all (n = 26) took place in the primary care setting, and most (n = 19) focused on improving provision of preventive services. Only two studies were designed specifically to meet the needs of racial/ethnic minority patients. All 10 studies that used a provider reminder system for provision of standardized services (mostly preventive) reported favorable outcomes. The following quality improvement strategies demonstrated favorable results but were used in a small number of studies: bypassing the physician to offer preventive services directly to patients (2 of 2 studies favorable), provider education alone (2 of 2 studies favorable), use of a structured questionnaire to assess adolescent health behaviors (1 of 1 study favorable), and use of remote simultaneous translation (1 of 1 study favorable). Interventions employing more than one main strategy were used in 9 studies with inconsistent results. There were limited data on the costs of these strategies, as only one study reported cost data., Conclusion: There are several promising strategies that may improve health care quality for racial/ethnic minorities, but a lack of studies specifically targeting disease areas and processes of care for which disparities have been previously documented. Further research and funding is needed to evaluate strategies designed to reduce disparities in health care quality for racial/ethnic minorities.

Purpose: To systematically examine the methodological rigor of studies using cultural competence training as a strategy to improve minority health care quality. To the authors' knowledge, no prior studies of this type have been conducted., Method: As part of a systematic review, the authors appraised the methodological rigor of studies published in English from 1980 to 2003 that evaluate cultural competence training, and determined whether selected study characteristics were associated with better study quality as defined by five domains (representativeness, intervention description, bias and confounding, outcome assessment, and analytic approach)., Results: Among 64 eligible articles, most studies (no. = 59) were published recently (1990-2003) in education (no. = 26) and nursing (no. = 14) journals. Targeted learners were mostly nurses (no. = 32) and physicians (no. = 19). Study designs included randomized or concurrent controlled trials (no. = 10), pretest/posttest (no. = 22), posttest only (no. = 27), and qualitative evaluation (no. = 5). Curricular content, teaching strategies, and evaluation methods varied. Most studies reported provider outcomes. Twenty-one articles adequately described provider representativeness, 21 completely described curricular interventions, eight had adequate comparison groups, 27 used objective evaluations, three blinded outcome assessors, 14 reported the number or reason for noninclusion of data, and 15 reported magnitude differences and variability indexes. Studies targeted at physicians more often described providers and interventions. Most trials completely described targeted providers, had adequate comparison groups, and reported objective evaluations. Study quality did not differ over time, by journal type, or by the presence or absence of reported funding., Conclusions: Lack of methodological rigor limits the evidence for the impact of cultural competence training on minority health care quality. More attention should be paid to the proper design, evaluation, and reporting of these training programs.

Objective: To evaluate the methodology and cumulative evidence presented in systematic reviews of clinical trials comparing low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) with unfractionated heparin (UFH) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism., Methods: We reviewed all systematic reviews of clinical trials published until March 2002. Fourteen systematic literature reviews were published between 1994 and 2000. Deficiencies in methodological quality were common, particularly in the description of search strategies, assessment of clinical trial quality, and methods used to combine results., Results: Results of reviews indicate that LMWH is superior to UFH for the treatment of venous thromboembolism, particularly in reducing mortality. Patients with isolated deep venous thrombosis or deep venous thrombosis with concomitant pulmonary embolism seemed to have similar benefit. However, the benefits of LMWH over UFH were smaller in magnitude in reviews that included more recent clinical trials.

We conducted a cohort study to characterize patient satisfaction with flexible bronchoscopy (FB) and to determine patient characteristics, care factors, and patient evaluations of bronchoscopy that are associated with a patient's willingness to return for repeat FB. Physicians and patients completed surveys between February 1997 and June 1998. Data from 481 patients were analyzed. Over 80% of the patients rated physicians as very good or excellent, but they were least satisfied with the information that they were provided about FB, waiting time before and after FB, and the FB environment. Seventy-one percent of the patients would definitely return, and 22% would probably return for a repeat FB. Better health status (odds ratio [OR] 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.7), not being bothered by scope insertion (OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.3), better rating of information quality (OR 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0-1.3), and better rating of physician quality (OR 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0-1.2) were associated with patients reporting that they would definitely return for a repeat FB. Although patient satisfaction with providers is high, there are specific patient and process of care factors that should be improved. Sicker patients may be at a risk of dissatisfaction with FB. Process of care measures that could improve satisfaction with FB include providing better information to patients and optimizing the experience of bronchoscope insertion.

Background: Failed extubation is associated with substantially increased morbidity, mortality, and costs for patients receiving mechanical ventilation. A study was designed in 1998 to identify risk factors for failed extubation and use a quality improvement model to reduce failed extubation rates in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) in an academic hospital., Methods: Study design involved a prospective cohort SICU with a concurrent control SICU. The primary outcome was rate of failed extubations per 1,000 ventilator days. Information on risk factors for failed extubations was also collected. Performance improvement staff identified failed extubation patients, and respiratory therapy provided information on ventilator days. The quality improvement model implemented three phases between October 1998 and June 2000: (1) identifying factors associated with failed extubation, (2) developing a guideline to reduce failed extubation, and (3) implementing the guideline., Results: Significant factors associated with failed extubation included suctioning more frequently than every 4 hours versus the current model of "every 4 hours or greater" (odds ratio [OR] 11.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-88.3), being agitated or sedated versus being alert (OR 4.5, CI: 1.2-14.7), and oxygen saturation < or = 95% versus > or = 95% (OR 4.0; CI: 1.2-13). Failed extubation rate in the SICU decreased from 8/1,000 in October 1998 to 1.5/1,000 in June 2000, and control SICU rates remained unchanged (8/1,000)., Discussion: The intervention significantly reduced the rate of failed extubation in the SICU. By employing a quality improvement model and identifying risk factors for failed extubation, providers should be able to decrease risk of failed extubation for SICU patients.

Objective: To identify the preferences and concerns of seriously ill patients about discussing religious and spiritual beliefs with physicians., Design: Three focus group discussions with patients who had experienced a recent life-threatening illness. Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify discrete comments for grouping into domains. A third investigator adjudicated differences in opinion. Comments were then independently reviewed for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a pastoral counselor., Setting: Academic medical center., Participants: Referred sample of 22 patients hospitalized with a recent life-threatening illness., Measurements and Main Results: Almost all of the 562 comments could be grouped into one of five broad domains: 1) religiosity/spirituality, 2) prayer, 3) patient-physician relationship, 4) religious/spiritual conversations, and 5) recommendations to physicians. God, prayer, and spiritual beliefs were often mentioned as sources of comfort, support, and healing. All participants stressed the importance of physician empathy. Willingness to participate in spiritual discussions with doctors was closely tied to the patient-physician relationship. Although divided on the proper context, patients agreed that physicians must have strong interpersonal skills for discussions to be fruitful. Physician-initiated conversation without a strong patient-physician relationship was viewed as inappropriate and as implying a poor prognosis., Conclusion: Religion and spirituality are a source of comfort for many patients. Although not necessarily expecting physicians to discuss spirituality, patients want physicians to ask about coping and support mechanisms. This exploratory study suggests that if patients then disclose the importance of spiritual beliefs in their lives, they would like physicians to respect these values.

Context: We previously found that length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) after abdominal aortic surgery increased when fewer ICU nurses were available per patient. We hypothesized that having fewer nurses increases the risk for medical complications., Objective: To evaluate the association between nurse-to-patient ratio in the ICU and risk for medical and surgical complications after abdominal aortic surgery., Design: Observational study., Setting: All nonfederal acute care hospitals in Maryland., Data Sources: Information about patients came from hospital discharge data on all patients in Maryland with a principal procedure code for abdominal aortic surgery from 1994 through 1996 (n = 2606). The organizational characteristics of ICUs were obtained by surveying ICU medical and nursing directors in 1996 at the 46 Maryland hospitals that performed abdominal aortic surgery. Thirty-nine of the ICU directors (85%) completed the survey., Exposure: Surgery in hospitals with fewer ICU nurses (in which each nurse cared for three or four patients) compared with hospitals with more ICU nurses (in which each nurse cared for one or two patients)., Outcome: Proportion of patients who developed postoperative complications., Results: Seven hospitals with 478 patients had fewer ICU nurses, and 31 hospitals with 2128 patients had more ICU nurses. Patients in hospitals with fewer nurses were more likely than patients in hospitals with more nurses to have complications: 47% vs. 34% had any complication, 43% vs. 28% had any medical complication, 24% vs. 9% had pulmonary insufficiency after a procedure, and 21% vs. 13% were reintubated (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). After adjustment for patient, hospital, and surgeon characteristics, having fewer versus more ICU nurses was associated with an increased risk for any complication (relative risk, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.3 to 2.4]), any medical complication (relative risk, 2.1 [CI, 1.5 to 2.9]), pulmonary insufficiency after procedure (relative risk, 4.5 [CI, 2.9 to 6.9]) and reintubation (relative risk, 1.6 [CI, 1.1 to 2.5])., Conclusion: Having fewer ICU nurses per patient is associated with increased risk for respiratory-related complications after abdominal aortic surgery.

Background: The purpose was to assess the current variation in complication rates and evaluate the association between specific types of complications and in-hospital mortality and total hospital charges for patients having abdominal aortic surgery., Patients/methods: We studied 2987 patients for abdominal aortic surgery in Maryland from 1994 to 1996 and used discharge diagnoses and procedure codes to identify diagnoses that most likely represent major surgery complications. We evaluated how in-hospital mortality and total hospital charges related to specific complications, adjusting for patient demographics, severity of illness, comorbidity, and hospital and surgeon volumes. Discharge data was obtained from the hospital marketing departments., Results: Complication rates varied widely among hospitals. Complications independently associated with increased risk of in-hospital death include cardiac arrest with an odds ratio (OR) of 90 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 32-251, septicemia (OR 6.1, CI 3.3-11.3), acute myocardial infarction (OR 5.7, CI 2.3-14.3), acute renal failure (OR 5.0, CI 2.3-11.0), surgical complications after a procedure (OR 3.1, CI 2.0-4.9), and reoperation for bleeding (OR 2.2, CI 1.1-4.8). The population-attributable risk for in-hospital mortality was 47% for cardiac arrest and 27% for acute renal failure., Conclusions: In abdominal aortic surgery on patients in Maryland, the rates of some complications vary widely and are independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality and hospital charges (charges differ from costs). Efforts to reduce these complications should help to decrease both levels.

This article demonstrates the value of using benchmark patient satisfaction data for Medicaid program quality improvement. The authors compare surveys of Maryland Medicaid and federal employees in Maryland, utilizing the latter as an external benchmark. Unadjusted and adjusted analyses found a significantly lower percentage of Medicaid than federal respondents rated telephone access excellent, very good, or good, whereas more Medicaid respondents rated advice on prevention and choice of primary care doctor highly. Patient satisfaction external benchmark data provide managed care organizations (MCOs) and state policy makers with goals to improve quality and standards to measure care objectively in vulnerable populations.

Objective: Intensive care units (ICUs) account for an increasing percentage of hospital admissions and resource consumption. Adverse events are common in ICU patients and contribute to high mortality rates and costs. Although evidence demonstrates reduced complications and mortality when intensivists manage ICU patients, a dramatic national shortage of these specialists precludes most hospitals from implementing an around-the-clock, on-site intensivist care model. Alternate strategies are needed to bring expertise and proactive, continuous care to the critically ill. We evaluated the feasibility of using telemedicine as a means of achieving 24-hr intensivist oversight and improved clinical outcomes., Design: Observational time series triple cohort study., Setting: A ten-bed surgical ICU in an academic-affiliated community hospital., Patients: All patients whose entire ICU stay occurred within the study periods., Interventions: A 16-wk program of continuous intensivist oversight was instituted in a surgical ICU, where before the intervention, intensivist consultation was available but there were no on-site intensivists. Intensivists provided management during the intervention using remote monitoring methodologies (video conferencing and computer-based data transmission) to obtain clinical information and to communicate with on-site personnel. To assess the benefit of the remote management program, clinical and economic performance during the intervention were compared with two 16-wk periods within the year before the intervention., Measurements and Main Results: ICU and hospital mortality (observed and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III, severity-adjusted), ICU complications, ICU and hospital length-of-stay, and ICU and hospital costs were measured during the 3 study periods. Severity-adjusted ICU mortality decreased during the intervention period by 68% and 46%, compared with baseline periods one and two, respectively. Severity-adjusted hospital mortality decreased by 33% and 30%, and the incidence of ICU complications was decreased by 44% and 50%. ICU length of stay decreased by 34% and 30%, and ICU costs decreased by 33% and 36%, respectively. The cost savings were associated with a lower incidence of complications., Conclusions: Technology-enabled remote care can be used to provide continuous ICU patient management and to achieve improved clinical and economic outcomes. This intervention's success suggests that remote care programs may provide a means of improving quality of care and reducing costs when on-site intensivist coverage is not available.

Although quality-of-life assessment is an important complement to conventional clinical evaluation, there are limited opportunities for researchers in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to examine evidence for a range of quality-of-life measures. To better understand how quality of life has been conceptualized, measured, and evaluated for ESRD, we conducted a structured literature review. Eligible articles were identified from a MEDLINE search, expert input, and review of references from eligible articles. A standardized instrument was created for article review and included type of measure, instrument development process, study sample characteristics, quality-of-life domains, and reliability and validity testing. From 436 citations, 78 articles were eligible for final review, and of those, 47 articles contained evidence of reliability or validity testing. Within this set, there were 113 uses of 53 different instruments: 82% were generic and 18% were disease specific. Only 32% defined quality of life. The most frequently assessed domains were depression (41%), social functioning (32%), positive affect (30%), and role functioning (27%). Testing was completed for test-retest reliability (20%), interrater reliability (13%), internal consistency (22%), content validity (24%), construct validity (41%), criterion validity (55%), and responsiveness (59%). Few articles measuring quality of life in ESRD defined quality-of-life domains or adequately described instrument development and testing. Generic measures, such as the Sickness Impact Profile, and disease-specific measures, such as the Kidney Disease Questionnaire, had been tested more thoroughly than others. Standardized reporting and more rigorous testing could help researchers make informed choices about instruments that would best serve their own and their patients' needs.

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy (FOB) experience pain and to identify patient factors and process of care factors that are associated with pain. We conducted a prospective cohort study on 481 patients undergoing FOB. Overall control of pain during FOB was the primary outcome. The mean age of the patients was 48 yr, 50% were male, and 32% required supplemental oxygen prior to FOB. Pain control was excellent in 36% of patients, but 10% considered it to be fair or poor. Patient factors associated with excellent pain control were excellent health (versus poor health, OR = 6.25 [95% CI, 2.28-16.67]), more education (college education versus high school education, OR = 1.72 [95% CI, 1.05-2.86]), and not having asthma (OR = 2.86 [95% CI, 1.09-7.14]). Process of care factors associated with excellent pain control were not being bothered by scope insertion (versus bothered, OR = 3.65 [95% CI, 1.99-6.98]), no memory of FOB (versus some memory, OR = 2.33 [95% CI, 1.24-4.44]), and higher ratings of information about the procedure (per 1-point increase on a 12-point scale, OR = 1.57 [95% CI, 1.41-1.78]). This is the first large-scale, prospective study to evaluate patient and process of care factors that influence pain control during FOB. It demonstrated that there are patient characteristics and process of care factors that need to be considered when evaluating pain during bronchoscopy. Improved preparation of patients with lower education, inferior health status, and asthma may lead to decreased pain during FOB. Bronchoscopists may be able to reduce pain during FOB by identifying methods to decrease pain on scope insertion, by improving the information provided to patients, and by achieving greater levels of amnesia during FOB.

Study Objectives: To determine the extent to which on-site cytopathology assessment improves diagnostic yield when sampling lung nodules or masses and/or hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy by fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB)., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Two teaching hospitals in Baltimore, MD., Patients: Consecutive adult patients (>/= 18 years) undergoing FOB for evaluation of lung nodules or masses and/or hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy., Intervention: Prospective collection of data on patient factors and details of the procedure on standardized report forms., Measurements and Results: The primary outcome measure was a new diagnosis obtained by FOB. On-site assessment was used in 81 of 204 cases (40%), and overall diagnostic yield was 62%. Yield was greater when on-site cytopathology assessment was used, in unadjusted analysis (81% vs 50%, p < 0.001) and in a multivariate model (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 10.0). Other significant predictors of a new diagnosis included older patient age, higher dose of narcotic used during FOB, and shorter procedure time., Conclusions: We conclude that diagnostic yield was greater when on-site cytopathology was used to assist FOB evaluation of intrathoracic adenopathy and/or lung nodules or masses. Increasing the use of on-site cytopathology assessment may improve the quality of FOB services.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may have quality-of-life (QOL) concerns that are not fully appreciated by their providers. The authors conducted focus groups with dialysis patients and dialysis professionals to determine whether this qualitative method would reveal differences between patients' and providers' views about: 1) domains of QOL that are affected by ESRD and dialysis; and 2) aspects of dialysis that affect QOL., Methods: Separate focus group discussions were held with: 8 adult hemodialysis patients (mean age 50 years; 3 women; mean duration of dialysis 8.5 years), 5 adult peritoneal dialysis patients (mean age 54 years; 3 women; mean duration of dialysis 4.6 years), 8 nephrologists (mean of 12 years of dialysis practice), and 9 other health professionals involved in dialysis care (3 nurses, 2 dietitians, 2 social workers, and 2 technicians; mean of 10 years experience in dialysis care). Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed independently by three investigators to identify and categorize distinct thoughts., Results: 1,271 distinct thoughts were identified and grouped into 20 related categories, which included ten QOL domains and ten aspects of dialysis that affect QOL. Compared with the professionals, the patients identified one additional relevant QOL domain (10 vs 9), and one additional aspect of dialysis that affects QOL (10 vs 9), and expressed more thoughts per domain (p < 0.05), although the contents of their comments were frequently similar. Among QOL domains, the numbers of related thoughts identified by patients and professionals, respectively, were: freedom/control (60, 89); social relationships (36, 11); anxiety (37, 4); role function (24, 10); energy (12, 10); body image (16, 4); sex (11, 21); mental attitude (21, 0); sleep (15, 1), and cognitive function (13, 7). Among aspects of dialysis that affect QOL, the numbers of thoughts identified by patients and professionals were: general dialysis issues (159, 105); relationships with staff (62, 110); patient education (63, 68); diet (44, 40); scheduling (57, 3); vascular or peritoneal access issues (31, 17), adaptation to dialysis (16, 14); dialysis dose (18, 8); symptoms (25, 0), and self-care (5, 24)., Conclusions: Although health professionals have a good understanding of patient concerns about the effects of ESRD and dialysis, the focus group discussions revealed a breadth and depth of QOL concerns that they may not fully appreciate.

Context: Morbidity and mortality rates in intensive care units (ICUs) vary widely among institutions, but whether ICU structure and care processes affect these outcomes is unknown., Objective: To determine whether organizational characteristics of ICUs are related to clinical and economic outcomes for abdominal aortic surgery patients who typically receive care in an ICU., Design: Observational study, with patient data collected retrospectively and ICU data collected prospectively., Setting: All Maryland hospitals that performed abdominal aortic surgery from 1994 to 1996., Patients and Participants: We analyzed hospital discharge data for patients in non-federal acute care hospitals in Maryland who had a principal procedure code for abdominal aortic surgery from January 1994 through December 1996 (n = 2987). We obtained information about ICU organizational characteristics by surveying ICU medical directors at the 46 Maryland hospitals that performed abdominal aortic surgery. Thirty-nine (85%) of the ICU directors completed this survey., Main Outcome Measures: In-hospital mortality and hospital and ICU length of stay., Results: For patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery, in-hospital mortality varied among hospitals from 0% to 66%. In multivariate analysis adjusted for patient demographics, comorbid disease, severity of illness, hospital and surgeon volume, and hospital characteristics, not having daily rounds by an ICU physician was associated with a 3-fold increase in in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-4.9). Furthermore, not having daily rounds by an ICU physician was associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-7.0), acute renal failure (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.9), septicemia (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2-2.6), platelet transfusion (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 3.2-12.4), and reintubation (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0-4.1). Not having daily rounds by an ICU physician, having an ICU nurse-patient ratio of less than 1:2, not having monthly review of morbidity and mortality, and extubating patients in the operating room were associated with increased resource use., Conclusions: Organizational characteristics of ICUs are related to differences among hospitals in outcomes of abdominal aortic surgery. Clinicians and hospital leaders should consider the potential impact of ICU organizational characteristics on outcomes of patients having high-risk operations.

Study Objective: To apply the principles of quality improvement to measure the frequency and severity of symptoms that result from fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB), and to identify opportunities to improve FOB practice by identifying factors about patients and the process of care that predict these symptoms., Design: Concurrent longitudinal cohort study., Patients: Four hundred ninety-three adult patients who underwent FOB., Measurements and Results: Patients completed questionnaires just prior to FOB and again at 48 h postprocedure. Patients were asked to rate the severity of nose pain, throat pain, swallowing pain, and chest pain, and the frequency of coughing, hemoptysis, phlegm, shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty swallowing, fever, and chills. Symptom severity was reported on a four-point ordinal scale., Findings: Significant worsening was found for nose pain, throat pain, swallowing pain, and hemoptysis. Shorter patients experienced more throat pain and hemoptysis, and longer procedure time predicted nose pain and hemoptysis., Conclusions: Bronchoscopy causes nose pain, throat pain, swallowing pain, and hemoptysis to a larger extent than previously has been recognized. There are opportunities to improve the patient experience with bronchoscopy by using smaller bronchoscopes in shorter patients, shortening the procedure length, and reanesthetizing the nares in longer procedures.

Objective: To explore the attitudes and experiences of abused women to identify characteristics that helped or hindered abuse disclosure to clinicians and to determine how women viewed potential interventions to improve detection and treatment in a medical setting., Design: Focus group data conducted and analyzed with qualitative methodology., Setting: Three community-based mental health centers and one women's shelter., Participants: Twenty-one women in group therapy for domestic violence., Main Results: Eighteen (86%) of the 21 women had seen their "regular doctor" in the prior year; only 1 in 3 had discussed the abuse with the clinician. The major discussion themes were medical problems that were exacerbated with abuse, lack of ability to access medical care due to abuser interference, emotional attitudes about abuse that acted as barriers to disclosure, clinician characteristics that helped or hindered disclosure, and treatment experiences and preferences. Women described how their medical problems began or worsened during the abusive period. one in three women described how abusers blocked them from receiving medical care. Women reported intense shame about the abuse and described their self-denial of abuse. Women stated they were inclined to discuss abuse if they felt the clinician was perceived to be caring, was easy to talk to, had a protective manner, or if the clinician offered a follow-up visit. There was no consistent clinician gender preference among the women. One in four women had received psychotropic medication for problems associated with abuse. Many feared addiction, or a loss of alertness, increasing their risk for more abuse., Conclusions: Many abused women experience worsening health and seek medical care; most do not volunteer a history of violence even to their regular clinicians. Many of the barriers to disclosure of abuse could be overcome by a physician's knowledge of the link between abuse and medical illness, an understanding of the women's emotions about abuse, and her treatment preferences.

Quality assessment efforts to enhance public accountability in dialysis care and to support provider efforts to improve care have lacked patient input. To develop brief patient evaluation or satisfaction surveys suitable for busy clinical settings, knowing patients' priorities can be helpful in deciding which aspects of care should be tracked. We conducted a study to identify salient attributes of dialysis care and to rank the importance of these attributes from the perspective of dialysis patients. We analyzed the content of patient focus group transcripts to characterize dialysis care from the patients' perspective. We then surveyed 86 patients to determine how patients would rank the importance of each aspect to quality of dialysis care. The 18 broad aspects of care identified in the focus group included: (1) care provided by nephrologists, (2) care provided by other physicians (nonnephrologists), (3) care provided by dialysis center nurses, (4) care provided by social workers and psychologists, (5) care provided by dieticians, (6) clergy, (7) care provided by technicians and physician assistants/nurse practitioners, (8) care provided by dialysis center staff in general, (9) supplies, (10) treatment choice and effectiveness, (11) patient education and training, (12) self-care, (13) dialysis machines, (14) unit environment and policies, (15) cost containment, (16) billing, (17) cost of care, and (18) health outcomes. Items ranked in the top 10 by both groups of patients included issues related to nephrologists, other doctors, nurses, and patient education and training. Compared with hemodialysis patients, peritoneal dialysis patients gave higher ratings to hospital doctors' and nurses' attention to cleanliness when working with access sites, how correct the nephrologist's instructions to patients are, whether emergency room doctors check with nephrologists, the amount of information patients get about their diet, and how well nurses answer patients' questions. Patients value certain aspects of dialysis care highly, and these aspects differed in some respects for the relatively small number of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients studied. Construction of brief questionnaires for quality assessment and assurance requires thoughtful consideration of what questions to include. Knowing patients' priorities regarding the most important aspects of care that have high potential for dissatisfaction may be helpful to continuous quality improvement of end-stage renal disease care.

Objectives: To identify attitudes that influence patient help-seeking behavior and aspects of treatment that influence patient preferences for management of depression., Design: Three focus group discussions (two patient groups stratified by race and one professional group). Questions addressed experience with depression, help-seeking behaviors, treatment preferences, and perceived barriers to mental health care., Setting: Academic medical center., Patients/participants: Eight black patients and eight white patients with depression: seven health care professionals (four physicians and three social workers)., Measurements and Main Results: Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify and group distinct comments into categories with specific themes. Differences were adjudicated by a third investigator. Comments within categories were then checked for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a psychiatrist. More than 90% of the 806 comments could be grouped into one of 16 categories. Black patients raised more concerns than white patients regarding spirituality and stigma. Patients made more comments than professionals regarding the impact of spirituality, social support systems, coping strategies, life experiences, patient-provider relationships, and attributes of specific treatments. They discussed the role these factors played in their help-seeking behavior and adherence to treatment., Conclusions: In-depth focus group discussions with depressed patients can provide valuable and unique information about patient experiences and concerns regarding treatment for depression. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers need to incorporate the range of factors identified by patients into their decision making for individuals with depression.