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Lee WG, Ourshalimian S, Keane OA, O'Guinn M, Odegard MN, Sparks SS, Kelley-Quon LI. Sex-based Disparities in the Management of Pediatric Gonadal Torsion. J Pediatr Surg 2024; 59:1355-1361. [PMID: 38599909 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2015, the U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) implemented a quality metric to expedite surgery for testicular torsion (TT), but not ovarian torsion (OT). This study examined OR timing among children with suspected TT and OT before and after this metric. METHODS A single-center retrospective cohort study of children (1-18yr) who underwent surgery for suspected gonadal torsion was performed. Time to OR (TTOR) from hospital presentation to surgery start was calculated. An interrupted time series analysis identified changes in TTOR for suspected TT versus OT after the 2015 USNWR quality metric. RESULTS Overall, 216 patients presented with TT and 120 with OT. Median TTOR for TT was 147 min (IQR:99-198) versus 462 min (IQR:308-606) for OT. Post-quality metric, children with TT experienced a 27.8 min decrease (95% CI:-51.7,-3.9, p = 0.05) in annual median TTOR. No significant decrease was observed for children with OT (p = 0.22). Children with history of a known ovarian mass (N = 62) experienced a shorter TTOR compared to those without (422 vs 499min; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Implementation of a national quality metric for TT expedited surgical care for children with TT, but not children with OT. These findings highlight the need for equitable quality metrics for children presenting with suspected gonadal torsion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III. TYPE OF STUDY Retrospective Comparative Study, Observational Cohort Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Lee
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.
| | - Shadassa Ourshalimian
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Olivia A Keane
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Makayla O'Guinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Marjorie N Odegard
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Stephen S Sparks
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Lorraine I Kelley-Quon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA; Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA; Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
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2
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Cabrera Fernandez DL, Lopez KN, Bravo-Jaimes K, Mackie AS. The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Transition From Pediatric to Adult Cardiology Care. Can J Cardiol 2024; 40:1043-1055. [PMID: 38583706 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2024.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Social determinants of health (SDoH) are the economic, social, environmental, and psychosocial factors that influence health. Adolescents and young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) require lifelong cardiology follow-up and therefore coordinated transition from pediatric to adult healthcare systems. However, gaps in care are common during transition, and they are driven in part by pervasive disparities in SDoH, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, access to insurance, and remote location of residence. These disparities often coexist and compound the challenges faced by patients and families. For example, Black and Indigenous individuals are more likely to be subject to systemic racism and implicit bias within healthcare and other settings, to be unemployed and poor, to have limited access to insurance, and to have a lower likelihood of transfer of care to adult CHD specialists. SDoH also are associated with acquired cardiovascular disease, a comorbidity that adults with CHD face. This review summarizes existing evidence regarding the impact of SDoH on the transition to adult care and proposes strategies at the individual, institutional, and population and/or system levels. to reduce inequities faced by transition-age youth. These strategies include routinely screening for SDoH in clinical settings with referral to appropriate services, providing formal transition education for all transition-age youth, including training on navigating complex medical systems, creating satellite cardiology clinics to facilitate access to care for those who live remote from tertiary centres, advocating for lifelong insurance coverage where applicable, mandating cultural-sensitivity training for providers, and increasing the diversity of healthcare providers in pediatric and adult CHD care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana L Cabrera Fernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Keila N Lopez
- Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Katia Bravo-Jaimes
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Andrew S Mackie
- Division of Cardiology, Stollery Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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3
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Hammill BG, Hoffman MN, Clark AG, Bae JG, Shannon RP, Curtis LH. Incorporating Acute Conditions into Risk-Adjustment for Provider Profiling: The Case of the US News and World Report Best Hospitals Rankings Methodology. Am J Med Qual 2024; 39:69-77. [PMID: 38386971 PMCID: PMC10903999 DOI: 10.1097/jmq.0000000000000171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Several years ago, the US News and World Report changed their risk-adjustment methodology, now relying almost exclusively on chronic conditions for risk adjustment. The impacts of adding selected acute conditions like pneumonia, sepsis, and electrolyte disorders ("augmented") to their current risk models ("base") for 4 specialties-cardiology, neurology, oncology, and pulmonology-on estimates of hospital performance are reported here. In the augmented models, many acute conditions were associated with substantial risks of mortality. Compared to the base models, the discrimination and calibration of the augmented models for all specialties were improved. While estimated hospital performance was highly correlated between the 2 models, the inclusion of acute conditions in risk-adjustment models meaningfully improved the predictive ability of those models and had noticeable effects on hospital performance estimates. Measures or conditions that address disease severity should always be included when risk-adjusting hospitalization outcomes, especially if the goal is provider profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley G. Hammill
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Molly N. Hoffman
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Amy G. Clark
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Jonathan G. Bae
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | | | - Lesley H. Curtis
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
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4
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Fader AN, Ko EM, Pollock BD, Blank SV, Cohn DE, Huh W, Shahin MS, Dowdy SC. An SGO commentary: U.S. News and World Report gynecologic oncology procedural ratings-Do they reflect high-quality care? Gynecol Oncol 2024; 182:188-191. [PMID: 38493022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Fader
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Emily M Ko
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Benjamin D Pollock
- Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States of America
| | - Stephanie V Blank
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - David E Cohn
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Warner Huh
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Mark S Shahin
- Asplundh Cancer Pavilion of Sidney Kimmel Cancer, Jefferson Abington Hospital, Willow Grove, PA, United States of America
| | - Sean C Dowdy
- Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America.
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Is It Time to Follow the Lawyers: Should Hospitals Extract Themselves From US News & World Report Rankings? Am J Med Qual 2023; 38:160-161. [PMID: 36883837 DOI: 10.1097/jmq.0000000000000116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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6
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Warfield C, Lin E, Mendu ML. Nephrology and the US News and World Report Hospital-Based Specialty Rankings. Kidney Med 2023; 5:100620. [PMID: 36970222 PMCID: PMC10031529 DOI: 10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
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Gottlieb ER, Estiverne C, Tolan NV, Melanson SEF, Mendu ML. Estimated GFR With Cystatin C and Creatinine in Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Kidney Med 2023; 5:100600. [PMID: 36879723 PMCID: PMC9984886 DOI: 10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale & Objective Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and staging of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are essential to guide management. Although creatinine is routinely used, a recent national task force recommended the use of cystatin C for confirmation. The objective of this study was to examine the following parameters: (1) how cystatin C correlates with creatinine eGFR; (2) how it indicates differences in CKD staging; and (3) how it may affect kidney care delivery. Study Design Retrospective observational cohort study. Setting & Participants 1,783 inpatients and outpatients who had cystatin C and creatinine levels drawn within 24 hours at Brigham Health-affiliated clinical laboratories. Predictors Serum creatinine levels, basic clinical/sociodemographic variables, and reasons for ordering cystatin C from a structured partial chart review. Analytical Approach Univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression. Results Cystatin C-based eGFR was very strongly correlated with creatinine-based eGFR (Spearman correlation ρ = 0.83). Cystatin C eGFR resulted in a change to a later CKD stage in 27%, an earlier stage in 7%, and no change in 66% of patients. Black race was associated with a lower likelihood of change to a later stage (OR, 0.53; 95% CI [0.36, 0.75]; P < 0.001), whereas age (OR per year OR, 1.03; 95% CI [1.02, 1.04]; P < 0.001) and Elixhauser score (OR per point OR, 1.22; 95% CI [1.10, 1.36]; P < 0.001) were associated with a higher likelihood of change to a later stage. Limitations Single center, no direct measurement of clearance for comparison, and inconsistent self-identification of race/ethnicity. Conclusions Cystatin C eGFR correlates strongly with creatinine eGFR but can have a substantial effect on CKD staging. As cystatin C is adopted, clinicians must be informed on this impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Raphael Gottlieb
- Department of Medicine, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Laboratory for Computational Physiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Christopher Estiverne
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nicole V Tolan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stacy E F Melanson
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mallika L Mendu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Jawitz OK, Vekstein AM, Young R, Vemulapalli S, Zwischenberger BA, Thibault DP, O'Brien S, Shahian DM, Badhwar V, Thourani VH, Jacobs JP, Smith PK. Comparing Consumer-Directed Hospital Rankings With STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Outcomes. Ann Thorac Surg 2023; 115:533-540. [PMID: 35932793 DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Public interest in stratifying hospital performance has led to the proliferation of commercial, consumer-oriented hospital rankings. In cardiac surgery, little is known about how these rankings correlate with clinical registry quality ratings. METHODS The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was queried for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting or coronary artery bypass grafting/valve patients at hospitals among the top 100 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) Cardiology & Heart Surgery rankings from 2016 to 2020. Hospitals were grouped into deciles by risk-adjusted observed/expected (O/E) ratios for morbidity and mortality using the STS 2018 risk models. Agreement between STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database and USNWR ranked deciles was calculated by Bowker symmetry test. The association between each center's annual change in STS O/E ratio and change in USNWR ranking was modeled in repeated measures regression analysis. RESULTS Inclusion criteria were met by 524 393 patients from 149 hospitals that ranked in USNWR top 100 at least once during the study period. There was no agreement between USNWR ranking and STS major morbidity and mortality O/E ratio (P > .50 for all years). Analysis of patients undergoing surgery at the 65 hospitals that were consistently ranked in the top 100 during the study period demonstrated no association between annual change in hospital ranking and change in O/E ratio (P all > .3). CONCLUSIONS There was no agreement between annual USNWR hospital ranking and corresponding risk-adjusted STS morbidity or mortality. Furthermore, annual changes in USNWR rankings could not be accounted for using clinical outcomes. These findings suggest that factors unrelated to key surgical outcomes may be driving consumer-directed rankings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver K Jawitz
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
| | - Andrew M Vekstein
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rebecca Young
- Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sreekanth Vemulapalli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Brittany A Zwischenberger
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Dylan P Thibault
- Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sean O'Brien
- Department of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David M Shahian
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vinay Badhwar
- Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Vinod H Thourani
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jeffrey P Jacobs
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Florida Health, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Peter K Smith
- Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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Warm EJ, Carraccio C, Kelleher M, Kinnear B, Schumacher DJ, Santen S. The education passport: connecting programmatic assessment across learning and practice. CANADIAN MEDICAL EDUCATION JOURNAL 2022; 13:82-91. [PMID: 36091737 PMCID: PMC9441115 DOI: 10.36834/cmej.73871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Competency-based medical education (CBME) shifts us from static assessment of learning to developmental assessment for learning. However, implementation challenges associated with CBME remain a major hurdle, especially after training and into practice. The full benefit of developmental assessment for learning over time requires collaboration, cooperation, and trust among learners, regulators, and the public that transcends each individual phase. The authors introduce the concept of an "Education Passport" that provides evidence of readiness to travel across the boundaries between undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and the expanse of practice. The Education Passport uses programmatic assessment, a process of collecting numerous low stakes assessments from multiple sources over time, judging these data using criterion-referencing, and enhancing this with coaching and competency committees to understand, process, and accelerate growth without end. Information in the Passport is housed on a cloud-based server controlled by the student/physician over the course of training and practice. These data are mapped to various educational frameworks such Entrustable Professional Activities or milestones for ease of longitudinal performance tracking. At each stage of education and practice the student/physician grants Passport access to all entities that can provide data on performance. Database managers use learning analytics to connect and display information over time that are then used by the student/physician, their assigned or chosen coaches, and review committees to maintain or improve performance. Global information is also collected and analyzed to improve the entire system of learning and care. Developing a true continuum that embraces performance and growth will be a long-term adaptive challenge across many organizations and jurisdictions and will require coordination from regulatory and national agencies. An Education Passport could also serve as an organizing tool and will require research and high-value communication strategies to maximize public trust in the work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Warm
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA
- Correspondence to: Eric J. Warm,
| | | | - Matthew Kelleher
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA
| | - Benjamin Kinnear
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA
| | - Daniel J Schumacher
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA
| | - Sally Santen
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Ohio, USA
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Miller BJ. What Do We Do About US News? THE IOWA ORTHOPAEDIC JOURNAL 2022; 42:15-17. [PMID: 35821936 PMCID: PMC9210415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
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11
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Chaulk D, Tran T, Neeley A, Giardino A. Children's hospital quality ratings: where are we and can we do better? Hosp Pract (1995) 2022; 49:405-412. [PMID: 35253559 DOI: 10.1080/21548331.2022.2050650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Hospital quality ratings are intended to guide patients and payers to the highest quality hospitals. Their success in achieving this goal has been limited by inconsistencies between ratings and questionable data collection methods. Despite these shortcomings, their popularity and their importance are increasing. There is little published on how these quality rankings pertain to children's hospitals. The majority of what is available analyzes the US News and World Report's Best Children's Hospitals Survey and the Leapfrog Group's Pediatric Care survey. We provide a narrative review of the literature and our interpretation of the relative strengths and weaknesses of these tools, including a letter grade comparison. Based on our analysis, we provide potential improvements to these rating systems that may benefit both the patient, payer, and the hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Chaulk
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Theresa Tran
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Allison Neeley
- Primary Children's Hospital, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Angelo Giardino
- Department of Pediatrics Chair, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Kierkegaard P, Owen-Smith J. Determinants of physician networks: an ethnographic study examining the processes that inform patterns of collaboration and referral decision-making among physicians. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e042334. [PMID: 33402408 PMCID: PMC7786804 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Most scholarly attention to studying collaborative ties in physician networks has been devoted to quantitatively analysing large, complex datasets. While valuable, such studies can reduce the dynamic and contextual complexities of physician collaborations to numerical values. Qualitative research strategies can contribute to our understanding by addressing the gaps left by more quantitative approaches. This study seeks to contribute to the literature that applies network science approaches to the context of healthcare delivery. We use qualitative, observational and interview, methods to pursue an in-depth, micro-level approach to the deeply social and discursive processes that influence patterns of collaboration and referral decision-making in physician networks. DESIGN Qualitative methodologies that paired ethnographic field observations, semistructured interviews and document analysis were used. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse, identify and describe patterns in those data. SETTING This study took place in a high-volume cardiovascular department at a major academic medical centre (AMC) located in the Midwest region of the USA. PARTICIPANTS Purposive and snowballing sampling were used to recruit study participants for both the observational and face-to-face in-depth interview portions of the study. In total, 25 clinicians and 43 patients participated in this study. RESULTS Two primary thematic categories were identified: (1) circumstances for external engagement; and (2) clinical conditions for engagement. Thematic subcategories included community engagement, scientific engagement, reputational value, experiential information, professional identity, self-awareness of competence, multidisciplinary programmes and situational factors. CONCLUSION This study adds new contextual knowledge about the mechanisms that characterise referral decision-making processes and how these impact the meaning of physician relationships, organisation of healthcare delivery and the knowledge and beliefs that physicians have about their colleagues. This study highlights the nuances that influence how new collaborative networks are formed and maintained by detailing how relationships among physicians develop and evolve over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kierkegaard
- NIHR London In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
- CRUK Convergence Science Centre, Institute of Cancer Research & Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jason Owen-Smith
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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