Medical care
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Comparative Study
Use and spending on antineoplastic therapy for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer.
Oral antineoplastic drugs, not generally covered by Medicare Part B, have assumed an increasingly important role in cancer treatment. ⋯ Antineoplastic therapy use by Medicare beneficiaries is sensitive to the presence but not type of supplemental insurance. Non-Part B therapy was used by a relatively large proportion of beneficiaries with cancer receiving therapy, although spending was less than for Part B therapy. Monitoring the role of supplemental insurance, and particularly the role of Medicare Part D is a critical area for ongoing research.
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Comparative Study
Improved cardiovascular risk prediction using nonparametric regression and electronic health record data.
Use of the electronic health record (EHR) is expected to increase rapidly in the near future, yet little research exists on whether analyzing internal EHR data using flexible, adaptive statistical methods could improve clinical risk prediction. Extensive implementation of EHR in the Veterans Health Administration provides an opportunity for exploration. ⋯ Despite the EHR lacking some risk factors and its imperfect data quality, health care systems may be able to substantially improve risk prediction for their patients by using internally developed EHR-derived models and flexible statistical methodology.
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Multicenter Study
Evaluating patient access to Electronic Health Records: results from a survey of veterans.
Personal Health Records (PHRs) tethered to an Electronic Health Record (EHR) offer patients unprecedented access to their personal health information. At the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the My HealtheVet Pilot Program was an early PHR prototype enabling patients to import 18 types of information, including clinical notes and laboratory test results, from the VA EHR into a secure PHR portal. The goal of this study was to explore Veteran perceptions about this access to their medical records, including perceived value and effect on satisfaction, self-care, and communication. ⋯ Veterans' primary motivation for use of the pilot Web site was the ability to access their own personal health information from the EHR. With patients viewing such access as beneficial to their health and care, PHRs with access to EHR data are positioned to improve health care quality. Making additional information accessible to patients is crucial to meet their needs and preferences.
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Regret after one of the many decisions and interventions that health care professionals make every day can have an impact on their own health and quality of life, and on their patient care practices. ⋯ The RIS is a valid and reliable measure of care-related regret intensity for hospital-based physicians and nurses.
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Hospital infection control strategies and programs may not consider control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nursing homes in a county. ⋯ Nursing homes, even those not connected by direct patient transfers, may be a vital component of a hospital's infection control strategy. To achieve effective control, a hospital may want to better understand how regional nursing homes and hospitals are connected through both direct and indirect (with intervening stays at home) patient sharing.