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 · Feb 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe use of an anaesthetic simulator to assess single-use laryngoscopy equipment.
To compare the view at simulated direct laryngoscopy obtained with a standard laryngoscope, with and without a disposable cover and a disposable laryngoscope blade. ⋯ Single-use equipment, as presently recommended for tonsillectomy surgery by the UK Department of Health, makes laryngoscopy more difficult for anaesthetists.
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Patients at highest risk for developing venous thromboembolism include those undergoing major orthopedic surgery. However, physicians vary in their strategies to prevent venous thromboembolism. We evaluated whether the use of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after orthopedic surgery is related to patient ethnicity. ⋯ Despite consensus recommendations, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis use among high-risk patients remains low. Japanese patients and those undergoing hip fracture surgery are at particular risk for not receiving appropriate prophylaxis in our population. Further research is needed to clarify the reasons for our findings and to determine if this variation is associated with increased risk of thromboembolic complications.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 2006
Challenging the world: patient safety and health care-associated infection.
Improving the safety of patient care is an issue which affects health systems in both developed and developing countries. To co-ordinate and accelerate improvements in patient safety, the World Health Organization (WHO) has supported the creation of the World Alliance for Patient Safety which was launched in October 2004. ⋯ The first Challenge covering 2005-2006 was launched in October 2005 under the banner 'Clean Care is Safer Care'. The Challenge addresses health care-associated infection, a major, patient safety problem affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Dec 2005
Development and validation of an in-patient satisfaction questionnaire.
To develop a psychometrically sound, hospital patient satisfaction questionnaire to be administered to patients discharged from medical and surgical services. ⋯ The results obtained from the development and validation of the questionnaire provide evidence of its psychometric properties, although it would be useful to carry out further analyses to assess time-based properties of reliability. We found a positive relation between the degree of patient satisfaction and overall evaluation of the quality of health care, providing evidence of the ability of the questionnaire to correlate with other concepts. The in-patient satisfaction questionnaire could become a useful instrument in quality-of-care assessment.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Dec 2005
Evaluating claims-based indicators of the intensity of end-of-life cancer care.
To evaluate measures that could use existing administrative data to assess the intensity of end-of-life cancer care. ⋯ The usefulness of these measures will depend on whether the concept of intensity of care near death can be further validated as an acceptable and important quality issue among patients, their families, health care providers, and other stakeholders in oncology.