BACKGROUND: To assess performance in medication reconciliation (med rec)-the process of comparing and reconciling patients' medication lists at clinical transition points-and demonstrate improvement in an outpatient setting, sustainable and valid measures are needed. METHODS: An interdisciplinary team at National Jewish Health (Denver) attempted to improve med rec in an ambulatory practice serving patients with respiratory and related diseases. Interventions, which were aimed at physicians, nurses (RNs), and medical assistants, involved changes in practice and changes in documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). New measures designed to assess med rec performance, and to validate the measures, were derived from EHR data. RESULTS: Across 18 months, electronic attestation that med rec was completed at clinic visits increased from 9.8% to 91.3% (p <0.0001). Consistent with this improvement, patients with medication lists missing dose/frequency for at least one prescription-type medication decreased from 18.1% to 15.8% (p <0.0001). Patients with duplicate albuterol inhalers on their list decreased from 4.0% to 2.6% (p <0.0001). Percentages of patients increased for printing of the medication list at the visit (18.7% to 94.0%; p <0.0001) and receipt of the printed medication list at the visit (52.3% to 67.0%; p = 0.0074). Documentation that patient education handouts were offered increased initially then declined to an overall poor performance of 32.4% of clinic visits. Investigation of this result revealed poor buy-in and a highly redundant process. CONCLUSION: Deriving measures reflecting performance and quality of med rec from EHR data is feasible and sustainable over the time periods necessary to demonstrate change. Concurrent, complementary measures may be used to support the validity of summary measures.
Ambulatory Care Facilities/organization & administration , Electronic Health Records/organization & administration , Medication Reconciliation/organization & administration , Quality Improvement/organization & administration , Ambulatory Care Facilities/standards , Attitude of Health Personnel , Documentation/standards , Drug Utilization/standards , Electronic Health Records/standards , Guideline Adherence , Humans , Medication Reconciliation/standards , Patient Education as Topic/organization & administration , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Quality Indicators, Health Care , Staff Development/organization & administration , Work Engagement
RATIONALE: Mycobacterium abscessus group lung infection is characterized by low cure rates. Improvement in quality of life may be a reasonable treatment goal. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate change in quality of life in response to therapy, predictors of improvement in quality of life, and association of quality of life with traditional outcome measures. METHODS: Forty-seven patients were treated for Mycobacterium abscessus group lung infection (including one with Mycobacterium chelonae) and were followed prospectively for 2 years between December 2009 and May 2012. St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was administered, chest computed tomography (CT) imaging was carried out, and culture data were collected at multiple time points. Predictors of improvement in the SGRQ total score greater than or equal to a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at 12 months were evaluated. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were 85% female and 94% white, with a mean age of 65 years. Nine (20%) had a genetic diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (none F508del homozygous). Coinfection with Mycobacterium avium complex occurred in 28% and Pseudomonas in 26%. Chest CT imaging universally indicated bronchiectasis and nodules; 51% had lung cavities. Treatment included a mean of 17 months of antibiotics, and lung resection in 34%. Seventeen patients with M. avium complex (36%) and one with Mycobacterium kansasii were treated for coinfection. The mean SGRQ total score (SD) at baseline was 35 (20). At all follow-up time points, the mean SGRQ total score (SD) was significantly lower (better) than at baseline: 27 (17) at 3 months, P < 0.01; 27 (19) at 6 months, P < 0.01; 27 (20) at 12 months, P < 0.01; and 30 (22) at 24 months, P = 0.02. At 12 and 24 months, respectively, 60% and 56% had improvement greater than or equal to the MCID in SGRQ total score. Improvement greater than or equal to the MCID at 12 months was positively associated with a history of respiratory exacerbation, isolate susceptible to imipenem-cilastatin, and lung resection surgery, and negatively associated with nodules >4 mm in diameter on chest CT imaging, but these associations were not statistically significant in multivariable analysis. At 24 months, 16 patients (48%) with complete data were culture negative for 1 year and had discontinued M. abscessus group treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life was a sensitive indicator of treatment response and has the potential to be a useful parameter to guide treatment.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/psychology , Pneumonectomy/methods , Pneumonia, Bacterial/psychology , Quality of Life , Aged , Cohort Studies , Disease Management , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Multiple Pulmonary Nodules/diagnosis , Multiple Pulmonary Nodules/etiology , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/complications , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/diagnosis , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/therapy , Mycobacterium avium Complex/isolation & purification , Mycobacterium chelonae/isolation & purification , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/methods , Pneumonia, Bacterial/complications , Pneumonia, Bacterial/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Bacterial/microbiology , Pneumonia, Bacterial/therapy , Prospective Studies , Respiratory Function Tests/methods , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods
Repeat failure of any patient to respond to asthma therapy, particularly corticosteroids, should alert physicians to carry out further pulmonary evaluation. This will prevent unnecessary side effects of asthma therapy and provide prompt treatment for other diseases that may require urgent attention.
Anti-Asthmatic Agents/therapeutic use , Asthma/drug therapy , Bronchial Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic/pathology , Respiratory Sounds/etiology , Adult , Asthma/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Respiratory Sounds/drug effects , Treatment Failure
