Parkinsonism in Ontario: physician utilization.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinsonism have a progressive disorder requiring substantial expertise to manage effectively. METHODS: Over a six-year period we evaluated physician utilization and related costs for a large, unselected cohort of 15,304 Parkinsonian patients from the general population, comparing them to 30,608 age- and sex-matched controls within a universal health care system in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: On average, 45% of Parkinsonian patients saw neurologists annually. The cumulative rate of at least one neurological consultation was only 59.5% over the six years. Patients aged < 65 had a much greater likelihood of consulting a neurologist (73.3%) compared to those > or = 65 (37.2%). Most Parkinsonian patients (97.2%), regardless of age, saw family physicians/general practitioners each year; 50.4% saw internal medicine consultants. CONCLUSIONS: Parkinsonian patients had increased likelihood of utilizing neurologists, primary care physicians and internists compared to controls; related costs of physicians' services were higher. Further research is necessary to evaluate differences in outcomes and costs between neurologists and other physician service providers.

Parkinsonism in Ontario: increased mortality compared with controls in a large cohort study.

BACKGROUND: PD was associated with increased mortality before levodopa therapy became available. There have been conflicting reports of PD mortality in the modern era. OBJECTIVE: To assess current mortality rates in a large unselected population receiving treatment for parkinsonism (PKM) followed for up to 6 years. METHODS: Cases were identified using linked administrative databases, including physician service and prescription drug claims, generated in Ontario's universal health insurance system. Control subjects were identified from the provincial registry of citizens and age and sex matched to cases. Comparative mortality was evaluated over the 6-year period of the study (1993/94 to 1998/99). The sensitivity of the findings was tested with differing case definitions. RESULTS: In 1993, 15,304 patients with PKM were identified and were age and sex matched to 30,608 control subjects (1:2 ratio). Over the study period, 50.8% (7,779) of the cases with PKM died compared with 29.1% (8,899) of the control subjects. The cases with PKM had an overall mortality odds ratio of 2.5 (95% CI: 2.4, 2.6) compared with the control group. Results were consistent whether cases were defined by physician diagnosis, use of anti-PD drugs, or both criteria. CONCLUSION: Despite modern drug therapy, PKM continues to confer a sharply increased mortality on unselected patients followed for several years.

Trends in clinical and economic outcomes of coronary angioplasty from 1992 to 1995: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: The impact of recent developments in coronary angioplasty on the broad spectrum of patients treated in routine practice is largely undefined. Analysis of population-based data can provide insight into trends in clinical outcomes and associated costs of coronary angioplasty procedures. METHODS AND RESULTS: With the use of a comprehensive hospital discharge database covering more than 11 million Canadians, we analyzed 12,748 first-time angioplasty procedures performed from 1992 to 1995 inclusive. Patient demographics and major adverse events were recorded. With the use of forward linkage, readmissions within 12 months were classified according to procedure performed and/or most responsible diagnosis. The proportion of patients readmitted, the number of readmissions per index procedure, and diagnosis-specific readmission costs were compared by calendar year. Over the 4-year study period, there was a 21% increase in the annual volume of index procedures. There were no statistically significant differences between 1992 and 1995 in sex distribution, mean age, comorbid conditions, length of stay, or need for coronary bypass surgery related to the index procedure. The all-cause readmission rate declined from 51.6% to 47.2% between 1992 and 1995 (P <.001), primarily because of a decline in the admission rate for repeat revascularization from 24.8% to 19.6% (P <.001). The 12-month readmission cost declined by $435 (1994 Canadian dollars) per patient. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcomes of coronary angioplasty in a broad cohort of patients have improved in recent years. Although readmissions within 1 year of an angioplasty procedure remain common, the number related to repeat revascularization has declined, with an associated decline in downstream costs.

Reconsidering sore throats. Part I: Problems with current clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence-based answers to clinical questions posed by family physicians about Group A streptococcus pharyngitis and to further understanding of why management is controversial. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: Evidence from randomized trials was not found for most questions. The most critical information came from high-quality community prevalence studies and criterion standard studies of physician clinical judgement. MAIN FINDINGS: Expert recommendations for physician management are not likely to help prevent rheumatic fever, as most people with sore throats do not seek medical care. Current clinical practices result in overuse of antibiotics because accuracy of clinical judgment is limited. CONCLUSIONS: Costs associated with visits for upper respiratory infections as well as increasing antibiotic resistance necessitate reconsidering the current clinical approach. An alternative management strategy is presented in part 2.

Reconsidering sore throats. Part 2: Alternative approach and practical office tool.

OBJECTIVE: To identify a management approach for Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis that would address overuse of antibiotics and could be implemented immediately. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: No randomized, controlled trials were found; four observational studies met our criteria: simplicity, discrimination ability for GAS pharyngitis compared with throat culture, and validation in a different patient population. Only one scoring system fulfilled all three criteria. MAIN FINDINGS: Formal clinical scoring systems have the potential to improve family physicians' ability to identify and manage GAS pharyngitis. One system had been sufficiently validated to support its use in clinical practice. Four clinical characteristics (no cough, fever higher than 38 degrees C, exudate, and tender cervical nodes) linked to explicit management decisions form the basis for a sore throat score. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a clinical score for management of GAS pharyngitis can be recommended on the basis of the rarity of rheumatic fever in modern society, the resources devoted to management of upper respiratory tract illnesses, the volume of antibiotics prescribed, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance as a growing health issue.

Good judgement or sex bias in the referral of patients for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease? An exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the sex-specific prevalence of referral to a cardiologist for noninvasive ischemic testing (NIIT) or angiography among outpatients with clinical suspicion of new coronary artery disease (CAD). DESIGN: Retrospective records-based cohort study. SETTING: Group cardiology referral practice in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Toronto. PATIENTS: Of 1212 new patients referred between Mar. 1, 1991, and Mar. 31, 1993, 339 (232 men and 107 women) had symptoms of CAD and had initiation or modification of antianginal therapy, or were prescribed NIIT or angiography by their cardiologist. OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of prior NIIT and of subsequent diagnostic procedures for women and men. RESULTS: Women were less likely than men to have had prior NIIT (51 [47.7%] v. 162 [69.8%]) (p < 0.001). Women with class I or II angina were less likely than their male counterparts to have had prior NIIT (20/40 [50.0%] v. 84/109 [77.1%]) (p = 0.001); a similar difference was found between women and men with class III or IV angina (5/15 [33.3%] v. 43/60 [71.7%]) (p = 0.006). Men and women with atypical angina were equally likely to have had prior NIIT. Among patients with a positive initial NIIT result a higher proportion of women than of men did not have any further testing done by the cardiologist (53.5% v. 33.7%) (p = 0.02). Cardiologists referred a higher proportion of women (40.2%) than of men (25.4%) for NIIT (p = 0.006) and, for patients with a positive prior NIIT result, were also more likely to refer women (25.7% [9/43]) than men (12.0% [16/133]) for further NIIT (p = 0.04). Women with a positive prior NIIT result were more likely than their male counterparts to have a negative retest result (42.8% v. 18.2%). After adjustment for age, anginal class and overall result of NIIT, women were less likely than men to be referred for angiography (odds ratio 1.4), although the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study sex-related differences in patterns of use of NIIT by cardiologists seem largely based on differences in testing before referral by family physicians and general internists.

A single center randomized trial assessing use of a vascular hemostasis device vs. conventional manual compression following PTCA: what are the potential resource savings?

We undertook a randomized controlled trial comparing VasoSeal, a collagen vascular hemostasis device (VHD), with manual compression to assess its role and potential cost savings in the PTCA population. Of 460 patients, 359 were excluded due to clinical instability (30%), groin problems (18%), suboptimal PTCA result (15%), and other reasons (37%). The remaining 101 patients were randomized to either VHD (51) or manual compression (50). Hemostasis time, time to ambulation, duration of hospital stay, and nursing time and intensity were significantly reduced in the VHD group. There were no major groin complications in either treatment arm but there was a trend toward more minor groin complications in the VHD patients. The application of VasoSeal reduced resource use in this randomized study and may translate into significant cost reductions in the general coronary angioplasty population.