A Standardized Method for the Evaluation of Adherence to Practice Guidelines
Stephanie Thomas
McMaster University
Stephanie is a recent Economics PhD graduate from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Her research interests include Applied Nonparametric Analysis, Experimental Economics, Health Economics and Environmental Economics. Stephanie is currently the Bernie O'Brien postdoctoral fellow at the McMaster Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact. Working with Professor Feng Xie she is developing new methods for analyzing health preference data, as well as leading an interdisciplinary collaboration to design a virtual world in which to study health preferences and behaviors. In her thesis, 'Confronting Theory with Evidence: Methods and Applications', Stephanie proposes a novel manner to determine if theoretical predictions and guidelines that are characterized by switch-points are supported (or not) by data. Her poster exhibit extends this work to the case of practice guidelines.
Abstract
Introduction Practice guidelines are widely used in medical settings as a means of improving efficiency and quality of care by aligning service provision with evidence of what is effective. The objective of this work is to... [ view full abstract ]
Introduction
Practice guidelines are widely used in medical settings as a means of improving efficiency and quality of care by aligning service provision with evidence of what is effective. The objective of this work is to propose a methodology for the effective evaluation of the match of clinical practice data with a practice guideline.
Methods
The proposed methodology uses a combination of existing analytical techniques which minimize the need for the analyst to specify a functional form for the process generating the clinical data. The methodology is illustrated in an application to a set of field data on the supplemental oxygen administration decisions of volunteer medical first responders.
Results and Discussion
The result is a methodology for evaluation of guideline adherence which leverages existing patient care records and is generalizable across clinical contexts. In addition, the results are visually intuitive, supporting communication across diverse audiences.
Unnecessary use of medical care is a major concern for health care system administrators and patients. Not only can such care be costly, but it can also have negative health consequences. The Health Council of Canada (2009) cites that health care spending in Canada doubled between 1997 and 2007, with 48% of the increase attributable to increased use of health care services, but that the value of this greater service use is not fully understood. Practice guidelines are often advocated as a means of guiding practitioners in making appropriate care decisions to avoid unnecessary usage. This work serves to improve the ability to evaluate and compare performance against evidence based guidelines across health care systems.
References
Health Council of Canada (2009). Value for money: Making Canadian health care stronger, Technical report, Health Council, Toronto.
Authors
-
Stephanie Thomas
(McMaster University)
Topic Areas
Areas of concurrent underuse and overuse , Identifying overuse in low resource settings , Oversupply of providers (e.g. hospitals, physicians, etc) and technologies (e.g. imaging,
Session
PS-1 » Posters (concurrent w/ Lunch) (12:30 - Friday, 5th May, Rear of Salons 4 & 5)
Presentation Files
The presenter has not uploaded any presentation files.
