International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2005
Post-endoscopy checklist reduces length of stay for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
To examine the effect of improved gastroenterologist-to-admitting service communication on hospital stay for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. ⋯ A checklist, with very specific recommendations to the admitting service, significantly reduced hospital stay for non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2005
An administrative intervention to improve the utilization of laboratory tests within a university hospital.
Improving the appropriateness of testing behavior and reducing the number of laboratory tests have been recognized as essential parts of quality improvement. ⋯ The present study included all hospital medical staff and covered all the available clinical biochemistry tests. This rather simple and low-cost intervention resulted in significant reductions in clinical biochemistry test orders as well as in the ordering of hematological blood tests.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2005
Adherence to management guidelines in acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea in children under 5 years old in primary health care in Botswana.
To evaluate health care providers' adherence to management guidelines for acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea in children under 5 years old in Botswana primary health care. ⋯ Health care providers' adherence to guidelines on history taking was suboptimal in acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea but poor on examination in both conditions. A high level of inappropriate antibiotic prescription was found in acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea. Overall, there is considerable scope for improving diagnostic and therapeutic management of these major childhood diseases in Botswana primary health care.