The American journal of managed care
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Antiplatelet therapy, most notably aspirin, has been well documented to reduce risks of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in secondary prevention, acute myocardial infarction (MI), acute occlusive stroke, as well as in primary prevention. In secondary prevention, the most recent Antithrombotic Trialists' Collaboration reviewed 194 published randomized trials of antiplatelet therapy, mostly aspirin, involving more than 212 000 patients (ie, 135 000 using antiplatelet therapy or control and 77 000 using different antiplatelet regimens). In a very wide range of patients who have survived a prior occlusive vascular event-including MI, transient ischemic attacks, occlusive stroke, unstable and stable angina, percutaneous coronary interventions, and coronary artery bypass graft-aspirin prevents about 25% of serious vascular events. ⋯ Aspirin should be an adjunct, not an alternative, to managing other cardiovascular risk factors. Recently, the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American Heart Association recommended aspirin use for all men and women whose 10-year risks are > 6% and > or = 10%, respectively. In all these patient categories, including secondary prevention, acute MI and acute occlusive stroke, as well as primary prevention, increased and appropriate use of aspirin will prevent large numbers of premature deaths and MIs.
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Because inherent variability may exist in data collected by multiple reviewers or from potential difficulties with data abstraction tools, we developed a standardized method of evaluating interrater reliability (IRR) for clinical studies, HEDIS effectiveness of care measures, and onsite/medical record reviews. ⋯ Standardized methods of data collection and evaluation of IRR results provides health plans increased confidence in data collection, statistical analyses, and in reaching conclusions and deriving relevant recommendations.
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To assess attitudes of physicians, clinic administrators, and patients within a health maintenance organization (HMO) toward using financial incentives to improve the control of hypertension. ⋯ In this nonprofit HMO, none of the stakeholder groups supported direct incentive payments to physicians to improve hypertension control. Trials of financial incentives within managed care organizations should include study arms with clinic-based incentives. Further study is needed to determine if incentives to clinics, which appear to be acceptable, can actually improve blood pressure control.
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Comparative Study
Accuracy of computerized outpatient diagnoses in a Veterans Affairs general medicine clinic.
Electronically available data, both administrative, such as outpatient encounter diagnostic data, and clinical, such as problem lists, are being used increasingly for outcome and quality assessment, risk adjustment, and clinical reminder systems. ⋯ Outpatient encounter diagnoses relevant to hypertension recorded as electronic data had high specificity, and some codes had high sensitivity when collected over multiple visits. The administrative file was more sensitive but less specific than the clinical file. Administrative vs clinical files can be selected to minimize either the false-negative or the false-positive designations, respectively, as dictated by the needs of the quality assessment review.