Risk-adjustment models for clean and colorectal surgery surgical site infection for the Spanish health system.

OBJECTIVE: To develop risk-adjusted models for two quality indicators addressing surgical site infection (SSI) in clean and colorectal surgery, to be used for benchmarking and quality improvement in the Spanish National Health System. STUDY DESIGN: A literature review was undertaken to identify candidate adjustment variables. The candidate variables were revised by clinical experts to confirm their clinical relevance to SSI; experts also offered additional candidate variables that were not identified in the literature review. Two risk-adjustment models were developed using multiple logistic regression thus allowing calculation of the adjusted indicator rates. DATA SOURCE: The two SSI indicators, with their corresponding risk-adjustment models, were calculated from administrative databases obtained from nine public hospitals. A dataset was obtained from a 10-year period (2006-2015), and it included data from 21 571 clean surgery patients and 6325 colorectal surgery patients. ANALYSIS METHODS: Risk-adjustment regression models were constructed using Spanish National Health System data. Models were analysed so as to prevent overfitting, then tested for calibration and discrimination and finally bootstrapped. RESULTS: Ten adjustment variables were identified for clean surgery SSI, and 23 for colorectal surgery SSI. The final adjustment models showed fair calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow: clean surgery χ2 = 6.56, P = 0.58; colorectal surgery χ2 = 6.69, P = 0.57) and discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve: clean surgery 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.77; colorectal surgery 0.62, 95% CI 0.60-0.65). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed risk-adjustment models can be used to explain patient-based differences among healthcare providers. They can be used to adjust the two proposed SSI indicators.

[Quality care indicators for neonates with selected pathologies: pilot study.] / Indicadores de calidad de la atención a neonatos con patologías seleccionadas: estudio piloto.

OBJECTIVE: Develop and pilot indicators of quality of care to neonates with relevant conditions in Mexico (prematurity, neonatal sepsis, perinatal asphyxia, and intrauterine hypoxia). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Own indicators were built based on key recommendations of national clinical practice guidelines and indicators found in international repositories. With previous search, selection and prioritization, the indicators were piloted within two hospitals. The feasibility of measuring, (kappa index) reliability and usefulness was analyzed to detect quality problems. RESULTS: 23 indicators were selected and piloted, 12 are compounds, of the total, nine were feasible and reliable. The quality of the hospital's information was diverse and often poor, limiting both the feasibility and the reliability of the indicators. Improvement opportunities were identified thorough the compliance levels. CONCLUSIONS: A set of nine indicators valid, reliable, feasible and useful indicators is proposed in order to monitor the quality of care of pathological neonates.

OBJETIVO: Desarrollar y pilotar indicadores de calidad de la atención a neonatos con padecimientos relevantes en México (prematuridad, sepsis neonatal, asfixia perinatal e hipoxia intrauterina). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se construyeron indicadores propios a partir de recomendaciones clave de las guías de práctica clínica nacionales e indicadores encontrados en repositorios internacionales. Previa búsqueda, selección y priorización, los indicadores fueron pilotados en dos hospitales. Se analizó la factibilidad de medición, fiabilidad (índice kappa) y utilidad para detectar problemas de calidad. RESULTADOS: Se seleccionaron y pilotaron 23 indicadores; 12 eran compuestos. Del total, nueve fueron factibles y fiables. La calidad de la información en los hospitales fue diversa y frecuentemente deficiente, limitando tanto la factibilidad como la fiabilidad de los indicadores. Los niveles de cumplimiento identificaron oportunidades de mejora. CONCLUSIONES: Se propone un set de nueve indicadores válidos, factibles, fiables y útiles para la monitorización de la calidad en la atención a neonatos patológicos.

Development and Pilot Test of a New Set of Good Practice Indicators for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Management.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to address the current relative void of valid measures by developing evidence-based quality indicators for pain management of chronic nonmalignant pain. METHODS: We performed a 10-year literature search to identify guidelines and review articles on chronic pain management to identify evidence-based recommendations for the different conditions associated to chronic pain. A complementary search of indicators and indicator-related articles was also performed. Then, we built new indicators or adapted existing ones to cover all the evidence-based recommendations we found. The resulting set was pilot tested for feasibility, reliability (kappa), and usefulness to identify quality problems, using the Lot Quality Acceptance method (α ≤ 0.05 and ß ≤ 0.01) for 75% (40% threshold) and 95% (70% threshold) compliance standards, and estimates with binomial exact 95% confidence intervals. We reviewed clinical records from a primary care center, a medium-size hospital (250 beds), and a large hospital (500 beds). RESULTS: Forty-six indicators were developed (6 general and 40 condition specific). Thirty-three were feasible in primary care and/or hospitals. Feasible indicators were also reliable (most kappa > 0.7). Regarding compliance, 4 quality indicators obtained compliance levels over 60%, addressing pharmacological treatment, multimodal approach, and appropriate use of neuro-image tests, while 16 obtained compliance scores under 15% (6 with 0% compliance). CONCLUSIONS: The created set has tested to be feasible, reliable, and useful, with the capacity to serve as the baseline for developing the necessary strategies to improve the management of chronic nonmalignant pain, by monitoring and evaluating quality of care.

Development and pilot study of an essential set of indicators for general surgery services. / Desarrollo y estudio piloto de un conjunto esencial de indicadores para los servicios de cirugía general.

INTRODUCTION: At present there is a lack of appropriate quality measures for benchmarking in general surgery units of Spanish National Health System. The aim of this study is to present the selection, development and pilot-testing of an initial set of surgical quality indicators for this purpose. METHODS: A modified Delphi was performed with experts from the Spanish Surgeons Association in order to prioritize previously selected indicators. Then, a pilot study was carried out in a public hospital encompassing qualitative analysis of feasibility for prioritized indicators and an additional qualitative and quantitative three-rater reliability assessment for medical record-based indicators. Observed inter-rater agreement, prevalence adjusted and bias adjusted kappa and non-adjusted kappa were performed, using a systematic random sample (n=30) for each of these indicators. RESULTS: Twelve out of 13 proposed indicators were feasible: 5 medical record-based indicators and 7 indicators based on administrative databases. From medical record-based indicators, 3 were reliable (observed agreement >95%, adjusted kappa index >0.6 or non-adjusted kappa index >0.6 for composites and its components) and 2 needed further refinement. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, medical record-based indicators could be used for comparison purposes, whilst further research must be done for validation and risk-adjustment of outcome indicators from administrative databases. Compliance results in the adequacy of informed consent, diagnosis-to-treatment delay in colorectal cancer, and antibiotic prophylaxis show room for improvement in the pilot-tested hospital.

Quality of Care Indicators for Hospital Physical Therapy Units: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was to identify quality indicators described in the literature that may be used as quality measures in hospital physical therapy units. METHODS: The following sources were searched for quality indicators or articles: Web of Science, MEDLINE, IBECS, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Academic Search Complete, SportDiscus, SciELO, PsychINFO, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, and Scopus databases; the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Health System Indicator Portal, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development websites; and the National Quality Forum's measures inventory tool. Search terms included "quality indicator," "quality measure," "physiotherapy," and "physical therapy." Inclusion criteria were articles written in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese aimed at measuring the quality of care in hospital physical therapy units. Evidence-based indicators with an explicit formula were extracted by 2 independent reviewers and then classified using the structure-process-outcome model, quality domain, and categories defined by a consensus method. RESULTS: Of the 176 articles identified, only 19 met the criteria. From these articles and from the indicator repository searches, 178 clinical care indicators were included in the qualitative synthesis and presented in this paper. Process and outcome measures were prevalent, and 5 out of the 6 quality domains were represented. No efficiency measures were identified. Moreover, structure indicators, equity and accessibility indicators, and indicators in the cardiovascular and circulatory, mental health, pediatrics, and intensive care categories were underrepresented. CONCLUSIONS: A broad selection of quality indicators was identified from international resources, which can be used to measure the quality of physical therapy care in hospital units. IMPACT: This review identified 178 quality of care indicators that can be used in clinical practice monitoring and quality improvement of hospital physical therapy units. The results highlight a lack of accessibility, equity, and efficiency measures for physical therapy units.

"Clinical approach to fibromyalgia: Synthesis of Evidence-based recommendations, a systematic review".

OBJECTIVES: Efforts have been made to standardise evidence-based practice, but clinical practice guidelines do not always follow strict development methods. The objective of this review is to identify the current guidelines, analyse the variability of its recommendations and make a synthesis for clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines was made in electronic databases and guidelines databases; using "fibromyalgia" AND ["guideline" OR "Clinical Practice guideline"] as terms, from January for 2003 to July of 2013. Guidelines were selected according to the following criteria: a) aimed to fibromyalgia treatment in adults; b) based on scientific evidence, systematically searched; c) evidence levels and strength of recommendation included; d) written in English or Spanish. RESULTS: From 249 initial results, six guides fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Clinical practice guidelines analysed in this review show great variability both in the presence and level of evidence and in the strength of recommendation of many treatments. Physical exercise and cognitive-behavioural therapy are first-line treatments, showing high level of evidence. Amitriptyline, used for short periods of time for pain control, is the pharmacologic treatment with the most solid evidence. The multimodal approach reported better results than the isolated application of any treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Final recommendations in this review identify optimal treatments, facilitating the translation of evidence into practice and enabling more efficient and effective quality care.

Indicadores de calidad de la atención a neonatos con patologías seleccionadas: estudio piloto / Quality care indicators for neonates with selected pathologies: pilot study

Resumen: Objetivo: Desarrollar y pilotar indicadores de calidad de la atención a neonatos con padecimientos relevantes en México (prematuridad, sepsis neonatal, asfixia perinatal e hipoxia intrauterina). Material y métodos: Se construyeron indicadores propios a partir de recomendaciones clave de las guías de práctica clínica nacionales e indicadores encontrados en repositorios internacionales. Previa búsqueda, selección y priorización, los indicadores fueron pilotados en dos hospitales. Se analizó la factibilidad de medición, fiabilidad (índice kappa) y utilidad para detectar problemas de calidad. Resultados: Se seleccionaron y pilotaron 23 indicadores; 12 eran compuestos. Del total, nueve fueron factibles y fiables. La calidad de la información en los hospitales fue diversa y frecuentemente deficiente, limitando tanto la factibilidad como la fiabilidad de los indicadores. Los niveles de cumplimiento identificaron oportunidades de mejora. Conclusiones: Se propone un set de nueve indicadores válidos, factibles, fiables y útiles para la monitorización de la calidad en la atención a neonatos patológicos.

Abstract Objective: Develop and pilot indicators of quality of care to neonates with relevant conditions in Mexico (prematurity, neonatal sepsis, perinatal asphyxia, and intrauterine hypoxia). Materials and methods: Own indicators were built based on key recommendations of national clinical practice guidelines and indicators found in international repositories. With previous search, selection and prioritization, the indicators were piloted within two hospitals. The feasibility of measuring, (kappa index) reliability and usefulness was analyzed to detect quality problems. Results: 23 indicators were selected and piloted, 12 are compounds, of the total, nine were feasible and reliable. The quality of the hospital's information was diverse and often poor, limiting both the feasibility and the reliability of the indicators. Improvement opportunities were identified thorough the compliance levels. Conclusions: A set of nine indicators valid, reliable, feasible and useful indicators is proposed in order to monitor the quality of care of pathological neonates.