Digital Dietary Behaviors in Individuals With Depression: Real-World Behavioral Observation.

BACKGROUND: Depression is often accompanied by changes in behavior, including dietary behaviors. The relationship between dietary behaviors and depression has been widely studied, yet previous research has relied on self-reported data which is subject to recall bias. Electronic device-based behavioral monitoring offers the potential for objective, real-time data collection of a large amount of continuous, long-term behavior data in naturalistic settings. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to characterize digital dietary behaviors in depression, and to determine whether these behaviors could be used to detect depression. METHODS: A total of 3310 students (2222 healthy controls [HCs], 916 with mild depression, and 172 with moderate-severe depression) were recruited for the study of their dietary behaviors via electronic records over a 1-month period, and depression severity was assessed in the middle of the month. The differences in dietary behaviors across the HCs, mild depression, and moderate-severe depression were determined by ANCOVA (analyses of covariance) with age, gender, BMI, and educational level as covariates. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between dietary behaviors and depression severity. Support vector machine analysis was used to determine whether changes in dietary behaviors could detect mild and moderate-severe depression. RESULTS: The study found that individuals with moderate-severe depression had more irregular eating patterns, more fluctuated feeding times, spent more money on dinner, less diverse food choices, as well as eating breakfast less frequently, and preferred to eat only lunch and dinner, compared with HCs. Moderate-severe depression was found to be negatively associated with the daily 3 regular meals pattern (breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern; OR 0.467, 95% CI 0.239-0.912), and mild depression was positively associated with daily lunch and dinner pattern (OR 1.460, 95% CI 1.016-2.100). These changes in digital dietary behaviors were able to detect mild and moderate-severe depression (accuracy=0.53, precision=0.60), with better accuracy for detecting moderate-severe depression (accuracy=0.67, precision=0.64). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to develop a profile of changes in digital dietary behaviors in individuals with depression using real-world behavioral monitoring. The results suggest that digital markers may be a promising approach for detecting depression.

Registry Studies of Stroke in Japan.

Recently, the Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease Control Act was enacted, for which it was necessary to establish a comprehensive and accurate nationwide database and promote rational and economical stroke countermeasures in Japan, thus serving the public interest. Among the many studies on stroke registries, the Fukuoka Stroke Registry, a regional cohort, provides highly accurate information, and the Japanese Stroke Data Bank, a nationwide cohort, is highly comprehensive. The findings of these studies have contributed to the construction of evidence and the establishment of guidelines for stroke management. In the Nationwide survey of Acute Stroke care capacity for Proper dEsignation of Comprehensive stroke CenTer in Japan, research on improving the quality of medical care to close the gap between guidelines and clinical practice was performed using electronic medical records. This has enabled the recommendation of medical policies in Japan by visualizing medical care. In the era of healthcare big data and the Internet of Things, plenty of healthcare information is automatically recorded electronically and incorporated into databases. Thus, the establishment of stroke registries with the effective utilization of these electronic records can contribute to the development of stroke care.

New Web-Based System for Recording Public Health Nursing Practices and Determining Best Practices: Protocol of an Exploratory Sequential Design.

BACKGROUND: Digitalization and information and communication technology (ICT) promote effective, efficient individual and community care. Clinical terminology or taxonomy and its framework visualize individual patients' and nursing interventions' classifications to improve their outcomes and care quality. Public health nurses (PHNs) provide lifelong individual care and community-based activities while developing projects to promote community health. The linkage between these practices and clinical assessment remains tacit. Owing to Japan's lagging digitalization, supervisory PHNs face difficulties in monitoring each department's activities and staff members' performances and competencies. Randomly selected prefectural or municipal PHNs collect data on daily activities and required hours every 3 years. No study has adopted these data for public health nursing care management. PHNs need ICTs to manage their work and improve care quality; it may help identify health needs and suggest best public health nursing practices. OBJECTIVE: We aim to develop and validate an electronic recording and management system for evaluating different public health nursing practice needs, including individual care, community-based activities, and project development, and for determining their best practices. METHODS: We used a 2-phase exploratory sequential design (in Japan) comprising 2 phases. In phase 1, we developed the system's architectural framework and a hypothetical algorithm to determine the need for practice review through a literature review and a panel discussion. We designed a cloud-based practice recording system, including a daily record system and a termly review system. The panels included 3 supervisors who were prior PHNs at the prefectural or municipal government, and 1 was the executive director of the Japanese Nursing Association. The panels agreed that the draft architectural framework and hypothetical algorithm were reasonable. The system was not linked to electronic nursing records to protect patient privacy. Phase 2 validated each item through interviews with supervisory PHNs using a web-based meeting system. A nationwide survey was distributed to supervisory and midcareer PHNs across local governments. RESULTS: This study was funded in March 2022 and approved by all ethics review boards from July to September and November 2022. Data collection was completed in January 2023. Five PHNs participated in the interviews. In the nationwide survey, responses were obtained from 177 local governments of supervisory PHNs and 196 midcareer ones. CONCLUSIONS: This study will reveal PHNs' tacit knowledge about their practices, assess needs for different approaches, and determine best practices. Additionally, this study will promote ICT-based practices in public health nursing. The system will enable PHNs to record their daily activities and share them with their supervisors to reflect on and improve their performance, and the quality of care to promote health equity in community settings. The system will support supervisory PHNs in creating performance benchmarks for their staff and departments to promote evidence-based human resource development and management. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-ICDR UMIN000049411; https://tinyurl.com/yfvxscfm. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/45342.

An Audit of Orthopaedic Discharge Summaries Comparing Electronic With Handwritten Summaries: A Quality Improvement Project.

Introduction Discharge summaries (DS), which are sent from inpatient to outpatient settings, transmit critical clinical information. DS play a crucial role in the discharge process since they provide critical information about the patients that is simple to remember and help with patient follow-up in the community. This audit sought to determine if a quality improvement (QI) program may have an influence on the severity of mistakes at the moment of discharge and to assess the existing degree of inconsistencies on handwritten DS for orthopaedic patients. Methodology From the orthopaedics department at a tertiary care facility in south India, 100 handwritten DS and 100 electronic DS over six months were randomly chosen, and they were retrospectively audited against a predetermined set of criteria. The errors were compiled and compared by three reviewers. Results Some of the criteria, such as the doctor's signature, the speciality of admission, procedural therapy at the hospital, and the date of admission, were contained in all handwritten and electronic DS. Some of the metrics showed that electronic DS performed better than handwritten DS in areas such as hospital complications, which increased from 50% to 100%, contact information, which increased from 34% to 95%, and condition at discharge, which increased from 66% to 96%. Also, understandability increased from 58% to 100%, prognostic details increased from 70% to 96%, allergies increased from 66% to 100%, physical examination findings increased from 88% to 100%, admission diagnosis increased from 80% to 100%, patient/physician details increased from 92% to 100%, the information given to patient increased from 88% to 100%, problem list/issue pending increased from 35% to 92%, investigation increased from 80% to 100%, discharge medications increased from 88% to 100%, follow-up plan increased from 80% to 100%, discharge diagnosis increased from 94% to 100%, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code increased from 93% to 100%, and days of admission increased from 92% to 100%. Conclusion Following the deployment of electronic DS, we were able to better care for patients and lessen their discomfort. We advise converting to electronic DS to enhance patient care and better record-keeping since this will become a significant problem if all notes are not accurately filled and are not readable.

Validation of an Interoperability Framework for Linking mHealth Apps to Electronic Record Systems in Botswana: Expert Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Electronic record (eRecord) systems and mobile health (mHealth) apps have documented potential to improve health service delivery, resulting in increased global uptake. However, their interoperability remains a global challenge hindering diagnosis, monitoring of health conditions, and data access irrespective of geographic location. Given the widespread use of mobile devices by patients and health care providers, linking mHealth apps and eRecord systems could result in a comprehensive and seamless data exchange within a health care community. The Botswana National eHealth Strategy recognizes interoperability as an issue and mHealth as a potential solution for some health care needs but is silent on how to make mHealth apps interoperable with existing eRecord systems. A literature review and analysis of existing mHealth interoperability frameworks found none suitable for Botswana. As such, it was critical to conceptualize, design, and develop an mHealth-eRecord Interoperability Framework (mHeRIF) to enhance the interoperability pillar of the Botswana National eHealth Strategy and leverage the full benefits of linking mHealth apps with other health information systems. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate the developed mHeRIF and determine whether it requires further refinement before consideration towards enhancing the National eHealth Strategy. METHODS: Published framework validation approaches guided the development of a survey administered to 12 purposively selected local and international eHealth experts. In total, 25% (3/12) of the experts were drawn from Botswana, 25% (3/12) were drawn from low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 25% (3/12) were drawn from low- and middle-income countries outside Africa, and 25% (3/12) were drawn from high-income countries. Quantitative responses were collated in a Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp) spreadsheet for descriptive analysis, and the NVivo software (version 11; QSR International) was used to aid the thematic analysis of the qualitative open-ended questions. RESULTS: The analysis of responses showed overall support for the content and format of the proposed mHeRIF. However, some experts' suggestions led to 4 modest revisions of the mHeRIF. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the experts' reviews showed that the mHeRIF could contribute to the National eHealth Strategy by guiding the linking of mHealth apps to existing eRecord systems in Botswana. Similarly, the experts validated an architectural model derived from the mHeRIF in support of the first mobile telemedicine initiative considered for national rollout in Botswana. The mHeRIF helps identify key components to consider before and after linking mHealth apps to eRecord systems and is being considered for use as the foundation of such interoperability in Botswana.

COVID-19 Conceptual Modeling: Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Conceptual models are abstract representations of the real world. They are used to refine medical and nonmedical health care scopes of service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous analytic predictive models were generated aiming to evaluate the impact of implemented policies on mitigating the spread of the virus. The models also aimed to examine the psychosocial factors that might govern the general population's adherence to these policies and to identify factors that could affect COVID-19 vaccine uptake and allocation. The outcomes of these analytic models helped set priorities when vaccines were available and predicted readiness to resume non-COVID-19 health care services. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our research was to implement a descriptive-analytical conceptual model that analyzes the data of all COVID-19-positive cases admitted to our hospital from March 1 to May 31, 2020, the initial wave of the pandemic, the time interval during which local policies and clinical guidelines were constantly updated to mitigate the local effects of COVID-19, minimize mortality, reduce intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and ensure the safety of health care providers. The primary outcome of interest was to identify factors that might affect mortality and ICU admission rates and the impact of the implemented policy on COVID-19 positivity among health care providers. The secondary outcome of interest was to evaluate the sensitivity of the COVID-19 visual score, implemented by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health for COVID-19 risk assessment, and CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age >65 years) scores in predicting ICU admission or mortality among the study population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. The relevant attributes were constructed based on research findings from the first wave of the pandemic and were electronically retrieved from the hospital database. Analysis of the conceptual model was based on the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines and the Society for Medical Decision-Making. RESULTS: A total of 275 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 within the study design interval. The conceptualization model revealed a low-risk population based on the following attributes: a mean age of 42 (SD 19.2) years; 19% (51/275) of the study population being older adults ≥60 years of age; 80% (220/275) having a CURB-65 score <4; 53% (147/275) having no comorbidities; 5% (13/275) having extreme obesity; and 20% (55/275) having a significant hematological abnormality. The overall rate of ICU admission for the study population was 5% (13/275), and the overall mortality rate was 1.5% (4/275). The multivariate correlation analysis revealed that a high-selectivity approach was adopted, resulting in patients with complex medical problems not being sent to MOH isolation facilities. Furthermore, 5% of health care providers tested positive for COVID-19, none of whom were health care providers allocated to the COVID-19 screening areas, indicating the effectiveness of the policy implemented to ensure the safety of health care providers. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the conceptual model outcome, the selectivity applied in retaining high-risk populations within the hospital might have contributed to the observed low mortality rate, without increasing the risk to attending health care providers.

Digitalizing and Upgrading Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance in Malta: System Development.

BACKGROUND: In late 2020, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Epiconcept started implementing a surveillance system for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) across Europe. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe the process of digitizing and upgrading SARI surveillance in Malta, an island country with a centralized health system, during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to November 2021. We described the characteristics of people included in the surveillance system and compared different SARI case definitions, including their advantages and disadvantages. This study also discusses the process, output, and future for SARI and other public health surveillance opportunities. METHODS: Malta has one main public hospital where, on admission, patient data are entered into electronic records as free text. Symptoms and comorbidities are manually extracted from these records, whereas other data are collected from registers. Collected data are formatted to produce weekly and monthly reports to inform public health actions. From October 2020 to February 2021, we established an analogue incidence-based system for SARI surveillance. From February 2021 onward, we mapped key stakeholders and digitized most surveillance processes. RESULTS: By November 30, 2021, 903 SARI cases were reported, with 380 (42.1%) positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of all SARI hospitalizations, 69 (7.6%) were admitted to the intensive care unit, 769 (85.2%) were discharged, 27 (3%) are still being treated, and 107 (11.8%) died. Among the 107 patients who died, 96 (89.7%) had more than one underlying condition, the most common of which were hypertension (n=57, 53.3%) and chronic heart disease (n=49, 45.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of enhanced SARI surveillance in Malta was completed by the end of May 2021, allowing the monitoring of SARI incidence and patient characteristics. A future shift to register-based surveillance should improve SARI detection through automated processes.

Comparison of Digital Versus Conventional Documentation of Ward Round in Terms of Staff Satisfaction, Effect on Education, and Adherence to British Orthopaedic Association Guidelines.

Objective To compare the role of paper-based versus digital record keeping in the orthopaedic ward in terms of staff satisfaction, education of staff, and adherence to British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) guidelines. Materials and methods Forty-four participants including nurses, senior house officers, foundation year trainees, and consultants completed a questionnaire. The first survey was done to introduce electronic records keeping to the participants and the second survey was conducted to review the collected record. Three parameters were assessed, which were adherence to BOA guidelines, staff satisfaction, and effect of education for both paper-based and electronic records. Comparison between two methods of record keeping was done by independent t-test for continuous data and chi-square test for categorical.  Results For all four questions about staff satisfaction, the score of the electronic method was higher than paperwork statistically. The score for 'opportunity to learn images in ward round' was higher in electronic (3.9±0.8) than paperwork (2.6±1.3) statistically (p<0.001). Comparable results were found for 'educational usefulness of ward round' and 'typing time affecting learning time'. For adherence to guidelines, the electronic record keeping was more effective in storing the patient's ID and name (p=0.05), details of documenting clinician (p<0.001), time of ward round ((p=0.005), whom to contact in case of concern (p=0.050), and grade of ward round clinician (<0.001). Conclusion Electronic records in the orthopaedic ward were deemed better than paperwork in terms of staff satisfaction, positive effect on the education of doctors, and adherence to BOA guidelines.

Monitoring quality of care in acute myocardial infarction complicated by acute heart failure using electronic medical record data: Experience of an underdeveloped country network

Background. Several improvements in performance measure (PM) have been described, in Cuba, in patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). However, it still no clear if reported enhancement has an influence in management of STEMI complicated with Acute Heart Failure. The objective of this study is to determine if those changes in renewed protocol have improved PM of attention of this specific subgroup. Methods and material. Gathering data of patients after June 2014 is mandatory in a web-based tool, which allows, real time following of selected PM. After a first stage, updating in protocol was written, focusing in several gaps. The first stage closed with 81 patients admitted with heart failure after STEMI, meanwhile until late December 2019, other 126 patients were included. Data regarding PM was obtained from all registries, except for those PM related with coronary intervention. Results. Improvement in management was observed for 6 of presented PM for overall population; and in patients with cardiogenic shock, up to 6 PM were fully accomplished in both stages. Pharmacological treatments were administered fulfilling high standards, but no enhancement of in-hospital mortality was observed (19.4% vs. 18.5%; p: 0.86). Although not significant, thrombolytic decreased its prevalence in overall population (57.4 vs 48.1; p: 0.15), and in cardiogenic shock (29.4% vs 25%; p: 0.76). Conclusion. Performance measures were enhanced after an update in protocols of attention. However, most important ones didn’t suffer any changes. Efforts to maintain this increase in PM need to be taken.

Introdução. Diversas melhorias na medida de desempenho (MD) foram descritas, em Cuba, em pacientes com infarto do miocárdio com elevação do segmento ST (STEMI). No entanto, ainda não está claro se o realce relatado tem uma influência no tratamento do STEMI complicado com insuficiência cardíaca aguda. O objetivo deste estudo é determinarse essas mudanças no protocolo renovado melhoraram a atenção do MD deste subgrupo específico. Material e métodos. A coleta de dados dos pacientes após junho de 2014 é obrigatória em uma ferramenta baseada na web, que permite o acompanhamento em tempo real dos MD selecionados. Após uma primeira etapa, foi feita a atualização do protocolo, com foco em várias lacunas. A primeira fase encerrou com 81 pacientes internados com insuficiência cardíaca após IAMCSST, enquanto até o final de dezembro de 2019, outros 126 pacientes foram incluídos. Os dados sobre MD foram obtidos de todos os registros, exceto para MD relacionados com intervenção coronária. Resultados. Melhoria na gestão foi observada para 6 das MD apresentadas. Os tratamentos farmacológicos foram administrados de acordo com altos padrões, mas não foi observado aumento da mortalidade intra-hospitalar (21% vs. 24,6%; p: 0,54). Embora não seja significativo, o trombolítico aumenta sua prevalência fora do hospital (12/46 vs. 26/72; p: 0,256). Conclusão. As medidas de desempenho foram aprimoradas após uma atualização nos protocolos de atenção. No entanto, os mais importantes não sofreram alterações. Esforços para manter esse aumento na MD precisam ser feitos.

Antecedentes. Se han descrito varias mejoras en la medición del desempeño (MD), en Cuba, en pacientes con infarto de miocardio con elevación del ST (IAMCEST). Sin embargo, todavía no está claro si la mejora informada tiene influencia en el tratamiento del IAMCEST complicado con insuficiencia cardíaca aguda. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar si esos cambios en el protocolo renovado han mejorado la MD de atención de este subgrupo específico. Material y métodos. La recopilación de datos de pacientes después de junio de 2014 es obligatoria en una herramienta basada en web, que permite el seguimiento en tiempo real de los MD seleccionados. Luego de una primera etapa, se redactó la actualización en protocolo, enfocándose en varios aspectos de deficiente cumplimiento. La primera etapa cerró con 81 pacientes ingresados por insuficiencia cardíaca tras IAMCEST, mientras que hasta finales de diciembre de 2019 se incluyeron otros 126 pacientes. Los datos sobre MD se obtuvieron de todos los registros, excepto los relacionados con la intervención coronaria. Resultados. Se observó una mejora en el manejo para 6 MD presentados. Los tratamientos farmacológicos se administraron cumpliendo altos estándares, pero no se observó un aumento de la mortalidad hospitalaria (21% vs 24,6%; p=0,54). Aunque no es significativo, los trombolíticos aumentan la prevalencia extrahospitalaria (12/46 vs 26/72; p=0,256). Conclusión. Se mejoraron las medidas de desempeño luego de una actualización en los protocolos de atención. Sin embargo, los más importantes no sufrieron cambios. Es necesario realizar esfuerzos para mantener este aumento de MD.

Validation of cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink in the United Kingdom.

PURPOSE: Strategies to identify and validate acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke in primary-care electronic records may impact effect measures, but to an unknown extent. Additionally, the validity of cardiovascular risk factors that could act as confounders in studies on those endpoints has not been thoroughly assessed in the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink's (CPRD's) GOLD database. We explored the validity of algorithms to identify cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors and evaluated different outcome-identification strategies using these algorithms for estimation of adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs). METHODS: First, we identified AMI, stroke, smoking, obesity, and menopausal status in a cohort treated for overactive bladder by applying computerized algorithms to primary care medical records (2004-2012). We validated these cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors with physician questionnaires (gold standard for this analysis). Second, we estimated IRRs for AMI and stroke using algorithm-identified and questionnaire-confirmed cases, comparing these with IRRs from cases identified through linkage with hospitalization/mortality data (best estimate). RESULTS: For AMI, the algorithm's positive predictive value (PPV) was >90%. Initial algorithms for stroke performed less well because of inclusion of codes for prevalent stroke; algorithm refinement increased PPV to 80% but decreased sensitivity by 20%. Algorithms for smoking and obesity were considered valid. IRRs based on questionnaire-confirmed cases only were closer to IRRs estimated from hospitalization/mortality data than IRRs from algorithm-identified cases. CONCLUSIONS: AMI, stroke, smoking, obesity, and postmenopausal status can be accurately identified in CPRD. Physician questionnaire-validated AMI and stroke cases yield IRRs closest to the best estimate.

My Diabetes My Way: supporting online diabetes self-management: progress and analysis from 2016.

BACKGROUND: My Diabetes My Way (MDMW) is the National Health Service (NHS) Scotland website for people with diabetes and their carers. It consists of an interactive information website and an electronic personal health record (ePHR) available to the 291,981 people with diabetes in Scotland. We aimed to analyse the demographic characteristics of current registrants and system usage and activity during 2016. METHODS: We analysed system audit trails to monitor user activity and page accesses on the information website, and logins and activity within the ePHR. The ePHR contains data from SCI-Diabetes, NHS Scotland's flagship diabetes record, sourcing data from primary and secondary care, specialist screening services and laboratory systems. We reviewed patient registration characteristics to collate demographic data for the MWDH cohort, then compared this to aggregate data published in the 2016 Scottish Diabetes Survey. The Scottish Diabetes Survey is an annual population-based report detailing diabetes statistics for the whole diabetes population in NHS Scotland. RESULTS: The MDMW information website received an average of 101,382 page accesses per month during 2016 (56.9% increase from 2015; n = 64,607). ePHR registrants were more likely to be younger (p < 0.001) and have an ethnicity of "white" (p < 0.001) than the background diabetes population. At the end of 2016, 11,840 people with diabetes had accessed their personal clinical information (58.6% increase since end 2015; n = 7464). During 2016, an average of 1907 people accessed their records each month (48.3% increase from 2015; n = 1286). CONCLUSION: My Diabetes My Way is a useful tool aid to diabetes self-management. The service is unique in offering records access to a national population, providing information from all relevant diabetes-related sources, rather than a single silo. MDMW supports the diabetes improvement, self-management, healthcare quality and eHealth strategies of the Scottish Government. The service also has potential to be adapted to work with other clinical systems and conditions.

Validation of the accuracy of postpartum haemorrhage data in the ObstetriX database: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Data related to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) are important clinical parameters which can be applied to all places of birth, and their recording can be missed by busy clinicians providing critical care to women. We compared the accuracy of electronic ObstetriX records to the paper-based medical records of the women who sustained PPH. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study over a period of one month, 363 electronic records were compared to the paper-based medical records. The volume of blood loss for each patient and interventions for PPH were compared across birth unit, operating theatre and postpartum ward. The kappa statistic for agreement between the two types of recording methods was calculated. RESULTS: There was substantial agreement between the ObstetriX records and medical records for the volume of blood loss at birth (kappa = 0.74), but poor agreement between records for the cumulative total volume of blood loss (kappa = 0.18). More women who experienced PPH and delivered in the operating theatre had errors in their ObstetriX records compared to women who had PPH with births in the birth unit (50% vs 16%; n = 73, P = 0.005). Interventions for PPH were found to be poorly recorded in ObstetriX, with 84% (n = 64/76) of women who experienced PPH having none of the interventions they received recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The ObstetriX database was not a generally reliable source of data relating to PPH. However, some data were recorded reliably, in particular, the volume of blood loss at birth.

Peri-Operative Anaesthetic Documentation: A Report of Three Sequential Audits on the Quality of Outcomes, with an Insight Into Surrounding Legal Issues.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the audits was to assess contemporary performance, with comparison of the same against previous outcomes, to gauge trends in clinical practice. This allowed for completion of the audit cycle, as well as the ability to analyse and consistently improve the quality of care delivered to our patients. METHODS: We undertook three prospective audits on the quality of peri-operative anaesthetic documentation in the years 2009, 2011 and 2014, respectively. Anaesthetic records for patients undergoing elective as well as emergency surgical procedures were assessed for 'adequacy of peri-operative documentation' based on a combination of select criteria outlined by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. RESULTS: A total of 1000 anaesthetic records were analysed in 2009, followed by a review of 412 records and 376 documents in 2011 and 2014 respectively. In the year 2014, 43.8% of pre-operative anaesthetic records were 'appropriately' documented. This was in stark comparison to 16.3% and 25.9% in the years 2009 and 2011, respectively. The quantity of 'adequately' documented intra-operative records increased to 35.1% in 2014, in comparison to 25.5% and 22.7% in 2009 and 2011, respectively. There was an overall improvement in the standards of peri-operative documentation in consecutive audits. CONCLUSION: We propose that regular audits on 'anaesthetic record keeping' can lead to an improvement in the standards of this often overlooked, but essential scope of our practice.

Reliability of self-reported recent antibiotic use among the general population: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at evaluating the reliability of self-reported recent antibiotic use, including ability to name the antibiotic, among pharmacy customers from the general population. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study of adults took place in pharmacies in northeastern France from January to April 2016. Participants were asked if they had used any antibiotics in the preceding 4 months and if so, to name them. Their reports were compared with an electronic pharmacy dispensing record listing all of the medication dispensed to them in France. RESULTS: The study included 653 individual customers from 15 pharmacies. Antibiotics had been dispensed 325 times, according to the records, but the patients reported only 237 courses of treatment. Agreement between self-report and the electronic record about whether or not they had used an antibiotic was 80% (κ 0.60). Among the discordant responses, 57% (81/143) involved underreporting. Only 24% (79/325) of the patients could name the antibiotic for each course of treatment; 49% (160/325) could not. The multivariate analysis showed that patients who had purchased an antibiotic in the previous 30 days were 2.5 times more likely to know its name (p 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Participants' self-reports were relatively reliable for recent use of an antibiotic, but not for its name. Because physicians cannot base prescription decisions on these self-reports only, an electronic pharmacy dispensing file shared among prescribers would be useful.

Antibiotic stewardship in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country: establishment of a system and its application in a unit-GASP Initiative.

PURPOSE: Despite the proven benefits of antimicrobial stewardship, models for executing the same in the developing countries are sparse. The present study highlights the approaches undertaken by our group in initiating one such program in a public sector tertiary level health care setting of a developing country. METHODS: The study focussed on development of a system after evaluation of existing issues and case study of implementation of the program in a unit within the hospital. The system building exercise included (1) development of generic data capture form for prospective audit and feedback; (2) development of an electronic system for data capture; (3) identification of key intervention points for strategy decision for stewardship in a particular unit; (4) application of the stewardship method and (5) evaluation of outcomes. RESULTS: A digital system for prospective audit was constructed after a background study. In the study unit, there was a significant decline in double anaerobic coverage. There was a significant decline in the average number of antimicrobials used per patients and a decrease in Defined Daily Dose of designated antimicrobials was noted. Additionally, there was an increase in the use of optimized doses. CONCLUSION: A system for undertaking antimicrobial stewardship with a mechanism for prospective audit was put in place. The system may be adopted by other public sector hospitals of the developing country.

Evaluation of an electronic information system for the monitoring of chronic diseases / Evaluación de un sistema de información electrónica para el monitoreo de enfermedades crónicas

Abstract: The information system on chronic diseases is an electronic system that was recently established in Mexico to monitor new cases and cumulative chronic diseases that are increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative consistency of the electronic record of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia, in contrast to what was found in the medical records through a validation system exprofeso data. It followed up on 3,293 diseases recorded and compared with the pathologies registered in the files, these were higher than the records (n = 4,188). It was found that there is an electronic sub-register of diseases recorded in medical units with a differential in the quality standards of care. Our results reveal that to increase the effectiveness of electronic health information it is required a mechanism of annual or biennial review by a systematic validation and based on clinical records. This system also enables validation mechanisms and promotes greater adherence to treatment in the management of chronic diseases, contributing to quality improvement and cost containment in health.

Resumen: El sistema de información en enfermedades crónicas, es un sistema electrónico que se estableció en México recientemente para el monitoreo de los casos nuevos y acumulados de enfermedades crónicas que van en aumento. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la consistencia cualitativa y cuantitativa del registro electrónico de enfermedades como la diabetes, obesidad, hipertensión arterial y dislipidemias, en contraste con lo encontrado en el expediente clínico a través de un sistema de validación de datos exprofeso. Se dio seguimiento a 3,293 patologías registradas y se compararon con las patologías registradas en los expedientes las cuales fueron mayores a los registros en los expedientes (n = 4,188). Se encontró que existe un sub-registro electrónico de las enfermedades registradas en las unidades médicas con un diferencial en los estándares de calidad de la atención. Nuestros resultados dejan ver que para incrementar la efectividad de un sistema de información electrónica en salud se requiere de un mecanismo de revisión anual o bianual a través de una validación sistematizada y basada en los expedientes clínicos. Este sistema de validación también permite y promueve mecanismos de mayor adherencia al tratamiento en el manejo de las enfermedades crónicas contribuyendo a mejoras en la calidad y en la contención de costos en salud.

Perfusion Electronic Record Documentation Using Epic Systems Software.

This paper describes the design and use of Epic Systems software for documentation of perfusion activities as part of the patient electronic medical record. The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics adapted the Anesthesia software module and developed an integrated perfusion/anesthesia record for the documentation of cardiac and non-cardiac surgical procedures. This project involved multiple committees, approvals, and training to successfully implement. This article will describe our documentation options, concepts, design, challenges, training, and implementation during our initial experience.

Perfusion Electronic Record Documentation Using Epic Systems Software.

The authors comment on Steffens and Gunser's article describing the University of Wisconsin adoption of the Epic anesthesia record to include perfusion information from the cardiopulmonary bypass patient experience. We highlight the current-day lessons and the valuable quality and safety principles the Wisconsin-Epic model anesthesia-perfusion record provides.

Evaluation and implementation of chemotherapy regimen validation in an electronic health record.

INTRODUCTION: Computerized provider order entry of chemotherapy regimens is quickly becoming the standard for prescribing chemotherapy in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. One of the difficulties with implementation of chemotherapy regimen computerized provider order entry lies in verifying the accuracy and completeness of all regimens built in the system library. Our goal was to develop, implement, and evaluate a process for validating chemotherapy regimens in an electronic health record. METHODS: We describe our experience developing and implementing a process for validating chemotherapy regimens in the setting of a standard, commercially available computerized provider order entry system. The pilot project focused on validating chemotherapy regimens in the adult inpatient oncology setting and adult ambulatory hematologic malignancy setting. RESULTS: A chemotherapy regimen validation process was defined as a result of the pilot project. Over a 27-week pilot period, 32 chemotherapy regimens were validated using the process we developed. Results of the study suggest that by validating chemotherapy regimens, the amount of time spent by pharmacists in daily chemotherapy review was decreased. In addition, the number of pharmacist modifications required to make regimens complete and accurate were decreased. Both physician and pharmacy disciplines showed improved satisfaction and confidence levels with chemotherapy regimens after implementation of the validation system. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy regimen validation required a considerable amount of planning and time but resulted in increased pharmacist efficiency and improved provider confidence and satisfaction.

Toward a Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record: the Department of Veterans Affairs experience with the Nationwide Health Information Network.

Health information exchange is expected of all electronic health records (EHRs) in order to ensure safe, quality care coordination. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a long history of information exchange across VA facilities and with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). However, since a majority of VA and DoD patients receive a portion of their health care from the private sector, it is essential that both agencies enable health information exchange with private sector providers. This has been made possible by the use of the specifications and trust agreement developed by the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) initiative. Currently, VA has 12 medical centers exchanging information with the private sector and is evaluating the value of the exchange. The authors report on the success of these pilots as well as on the challenges, which include stricter technical specifications and a more efficient approach to patient identification (ID) matching and consent management.