Author Interviews, Medical Imaging, Outcomes & Safety, Pulmonary Disease, Radiology / 29.05.2015

Evgeniya Sokolovskaya, DO, MD Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch, NJ 07740.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Evgeniya Sokolovskaya, DO, MD Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch, NJ 07740. Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Sokolovskaya: As the utilization of diagnostic imaging has continued to increase in recent years, the workload of radiologists has correspondingly risen. Radiologists are under pressure to increase productivity by increasing workload volume. Previous studies have shown that increasing the number of reporting exams per day can affect the accuracy of radiologic interpretations, increase an error rate and degrade radiologists’ performance in the detection of pathology as viewing time per study decreases. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if faster reporting speed when reading CT imaging studies of the Abdomen and Pelvis, results in higher number of misses and interpretation errors. The results of our study showed that the number of major misses and interpretation errors significantly increased at the faster reporting speed. (more…)
Author Interviews, Critical Care - Intensive Care - ICUs, Infections, Outcomes & Safety / 20.01.2014

Allan J. Walkey, M.D., M.Sc Boston University School of Medicine Pulmonary Center Boston, MassachusettsMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Allan J. Walkey, M.D., M.Sc Boston University School of Medicine Pulmonary Center Boston, Massachusetts MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Walkey: Thank you for the interest in our study.  Current evidence-based treatments for severe sepsis (ie, infection+systemic inflammatory response+ end organ dysfunction) include specific processes of care rather specific therapeutics.  These processes include early administration of antibiotics, early fluid resuscitation, and lung protective ventilation strategies.  We hypothesized that hospitals with more ‘practice’ at treating patients with severe sepsis may have more effective care processes leading to improved patient outcomes.  We examined more than 15,000 severe sepsis admissions from 124 US academic medical centers. Our findings supported our hypothesis. After adjustment for patient severity of illness and hospital characteristics, mortality in the highest quartile severe sepsis case volume hospitals was 22% and  mortality in lowest severe sepsis case volume hospitals was 29%.  The 7% absolute mortality difference would result in an estimated number needed to treat in high severe sepsis volume hospitals to prevent one death in low case volume hospitals of 14 (though we advise caution in interpretation of a number needed to treat in an observational study). Costs and length of stay were not different across levels of severe sepsis case volume.  Results were robust to multiple subgroup and sensitivity analyses. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Health Care Systems, JAMA, Medical Research Centers, Outcomes & Safety / 17.01.2014

Elliot Wakeam MD Center for Surgery and Public Health Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA 02115MedicalResearch.com Interview with Elliot Wakeam MD Center for Surgery and Public Health Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA 02115 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Wakeam: Our study examined failure to rescue (FTR), or death after postoperative complications, in safety net hospitals. Prior work has shown that hospital clinical resources can improve rescue rates, however, despite having higher levels of technology and other clinical resources that should lead to better rates of patient rescue, safety net hospitals still had greater rates of death after major complications. (more…)