Evaluation of telemetry utilization, policy, and outcomes in an inner-city academic medical center.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the appropriateness and intermediate outcomes of telemetry admissions. METHODS: We abstracted demographic and clinical data from records of all new telemetry admissions during a 2-month period. To determine appropriateness, 2 authors classified patients using the American College of Cardiology (ACC) guidelines and our telemetry policy. Other utilization and outcome measures were assessed. Agreement between both guidelines was computed (kappa coefficient). Categorical group covariates were compared using chi2 test. Variations in telemetry length of stay (LOS) were compared using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. LOS predictors were ascertained by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 120 patients, appropriate admission was 81.6% (ACC criteria) and 83% by our criteria. Guidelines interrater reliability was .89 (kappa). Telemetry events incidence was 33.3%, with 5.8% major and 27.5% minor. LOS was longer among major than minor events group(7.8 vs. 3.4 days, p = .01). Type of telemetry event was a predictor of LOS (p = .0001). The occurrence of a major telemetry event was associated with cardiology consultation (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate telemetry admission was observed in more than 80% of cases. Our telemetry policy had very good agreement with standard guideline. However, the low rate of major telemetry events in all patient groups suggests current guidelines might have considerable limitations.

The preferred learning style among residents and faculty members of an internal medicine residency program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the preferred learning style, as defined by David Kolb, and predictors of the different learning styles among residents and faculty members at an internal medicine residency program. DESIGN/SETTING: A cross sectional study of internal medicine residents and faculty members at Morehouse School of Medicine was performed using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) version 3.1. MEASUREMENTS: The Kolb LSI is a questionnaire of 12 sentences, each with four phrases for sentence completion that are to be ranked according to how they apply to the subject. RESULTS: Forty-two out of 59 questionnaires that were given out to residents and attending physicians were properly completed and returned. Assimilating style was the predominant learning style among residents (42%) and attending physicians (55%). There was no significant association between age, gender or medical education status, and learning styles. CONCLUSIONS: The understanding of residents' learning styles may facilitate instructional rapport between residents and attending physicians, thereby improving residents' academic performance.

Lung cancer disparities in African Americans: health versus health care.

African Americans with lung cancer have disproportionately worse outcomes than other ethnic groups. The incidence of lung cancer in blacks has remained well above the rates seen for the general population and the 5-year and overall survival rates for blacks with lung cancer are among the lowest of all racial groups. Many studies have focused on socioeconomic status of African Americans as the sole cause of these disparities. Other stu-dies, however, have identified additional factors related to risks for poor outcomes in blacks with lung cancer. This article reviews data on these risks and their relationships to the health and health care of African Americans with lung cancer.

Prevalence and hospital discharge status of human immunodeficiency virus-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension in the United States.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a noninfectious complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that has gained in importance since the advent of antiretroviral therapy. HIV-associated PAH (HIV-PAH) has a higher prevalence than idiopathic PAH (IPAH), although the vascular pathology seen in HIV-PAH is virtually identical to that seen in IPAH. Initiating therapy for PAH at an early stage is associated with a better prognosis; however, because of the nonspecific symptoms associated with PAH, the diagnosis is often delayed. In addition, because of the low prevalence of HIV-PAH, routine screening for this condition has never been recommended. We hypothesize that the failure to create screening guidelines for HIV-PAH has resulted in underdiagnosis of the condition. This, in turn, results in individuals with HIV-PAH remaining undetected, allowing the disease to progress to more advanced stages or even remain unrecognized until death. If this hypothesis is correct, it may provide a strong argument for HIV-PAH screening guidelines, because HIV-PAH portends a poor prognosis and creates a significant economic burden if left untreated. To address this issue, we conducted a retrospective review of the National Hospital Discharge Survey data and the multiple-cause mortality data to determine the prevalence of HIV-PAH at hospital discharge and death. Using these large data sets, we observed that the prevalence of HIV-PAH among HIV-infected individuals at hospital discharge and death was significantly lower than the reported prevalence in the literature. In addition, we found that PAH was designated as the most common cause of mortality in patients with HIV-PAH.

Is telemetry overused? Is it as helpful as thought?

Cardiac telemetry is widely used in hospitals, but it is expensive and labor-intensive. Therefore, it should be used only in those most likely to benefit. The authors review the available evidence and offer their recommendations.