Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of chronic care management for diabetes: investigating heterogeneity in outcomes.
The study aims to support decision making on how best to redesign diabetes care by investigating three potential sources of heterogeneity in effectiveness across trials of diabetes care management. ⋯ The outcomes of chronic care management for diabetes are generally positive, yet differ considerably across trials. The most promising results are attained in studies with limited follow-up (<1 year) and by programmes including more than two CCM components. These factors can, however, explain only part of the heterogeneity in effectiveness between studies. Other potential sources of heterogeneity should be investigated to ensure implementation of evidence-based improvements in diabetes care.
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Urgent readmission to hospital is commonly used to measure hospital quality of care. Hospitals that measure the proportion of urgent readmissions judged avoidable need to know previously published rates for comparison. In this study, we generated a literature-based estimate for the proportion of 30-day urgent readmissions deemed avoidable for hospitals to use to gauge their performance in avoidable readmissions. ⋯ Less than one in four readmissions were deemed avoidable. Health system planners need to use caution in interpreting all cause readmission statistics as they are only partially influenced by quality of care.
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Meta Analysis
Clinical effectiveness in cardiovascular trials in relation to the importance to the patient of the end-points measured.
In order to increase the statistical power of a trial design, it is common practice for trialists to place a strong emphasis on end-points other than mortality. To assess the validity of this practice, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the effectiveness of cardiovascular interventions in clinical trials and the importance to the patient of the end-point used to measure this effectiveness. ⋯ The proportion of interventions tested in the cardiovascular trials considered in this study that have a substantial beneficial effect relative to the control decreases as the end-point used to measure this effect becomes more important to the patient, that is, as the end-point severity increases from minor outcome to major outcome to death. Also, the analysis presented in this study strongly suggests that most of these interventions are likely to have close to no genuine effect on mortality relative to the control. Overall, this study substantially strengthens the empirical basis for the belief that the actions of trialists in choosing to study and heavily emphasize end-points other than mortality in cardiovascular trials and in particular end-points that are of only moderate or major importance to patients, may mislead practitioners and policy-makers about the overall effectiveness of the intervention concerned.
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Review Meta Analysis
Supplemental perioperative oxygen for reducing surgical site infection: a meta-analysis.
To assess the efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation for prevention of surgical site infection (SSI). Data sources Computerized PUBMED and MEDLINE search supplemented by manual searches for relevant articles. Study selection Randomized, controlled trials evaluating efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation versus standard care for prevention of SSI in patients' undergoing colorectal surgery. Data synthesis Data on incidence of SSI were abstracted as dichotomous variables. Pooled estimates of the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model and the Mantel-Haenzel fixed effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q statistic and I(2). ⋯ Our analysis showed that supplemental perioperative oxygenation is beneficial in preventing SSI in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Because of heterogeneity in study design and patient population, additional randomized trials are needed to determine whether this confers benefit in all patient populations undergoing other types of surgery. Supplemental perioperative oxygenation is a low-cost intervention that we recommend be implemented in patients undergoing colorectal surgery pending the results of further studies. Further research is needed to determine whether or not supplemental hyperoxia may cause unanticipated adverse effects.