Patient-related Causes Research Articles

From the Randomized AMBORA Trial to Clinical Practice: Comparison of Medication Errors inOral Antitumor Therapy.

The randomized AMBORA trial showed that medication errors are frequent in patients treated with oral antitumor therapeutics and that they can be substantially reduced by an intensified clinical pharmacological/pharmaceutical care program. While randomized controlled trials are essential to generate clinical evidence, their generalizability in real-world is not always given. The AMBORA care program was implemented in clinical routine within the AMBORA Competence and Consultation Center (AMBORA Center) at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, allowing a thorough comparison of medication error frequencies and characteristics. Our primary analysis compared data at therapy initiation of new oral antitumor therapeutics from the AMBORA trial intervention group (n = 98) and the AMBORA Center (n = 142). Medication errors involving the oral antitumor therapeutics were twofold higher in real-world compared to the randomized controlled trial (mean 0.83 ± 0.80 per patient vs. 0.41 ± 0.53, P < 0.001). We observed more complex oral antitumor therapeutic regimens, a higher median number of medications, and a higher ECOG status in clinical routine vs. the randomized trial. A high percentage of medication errors was completely solved in both groups (85.7% vs. 88.3%, ns). Medication error characteristics within the complete medication (oralantitumor therapeutics and concomitant medication) were similar in both groups (e.g., patient-related causes, drug-drug/drug-food interactions). Taken together, medication errors were even more frequent in clinical routine than in the randomized controlled trial and a high rate was solved in clinical routine by a clinical pharmacological/pharmaceutical care program.

Adverse events associated with Vibrant Soundbridge: A MAUDE study

ObjectiveTo summarize adverse events and their root causes reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) hearing device (Med-El, Innsbruck, Austria), an active middle ear implant for patients with moderate to severe hearing loss. Materials and methodsThe FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database was queried for reports of VSB adverse events from January 1, 2012, to July 27, 2022. ResultsSix hundred sixty-three total medical device reports were identified, from which 913 adverse events were extracted. Of these, 498 (54.5 %) were adverse events to patients (AEPs), while 415 (45.5 %) were device malfunctions (DMs). The most common AEPs were hearing performance issues 428 (85.9 %). The most common DMs were compromised conductive link 125 (30.1 %). Root causes identified for DMs were iatrogenic 85 (58.6 %), patient-related 28 (19.3 %), and trauma and external causes 32 (22.1 %). The most common iatrogenic root cause 12 (14.1 %) involved damage to the conductive link during revision surgery. The most common patient-related causes of DMs were excessive middle ear tissue growth 16 (57 %), and abrupt body movements 5 (28.6 %). The most common external cause of DM was cleaning of the ear canal or mastoid cavity 20 (62.5 %). ConclusionsDespite its well-known limitations, the MAUDE database provides valuable information on possible complications of VSB as it relates to device malfunction or adverse events for patients. Implementation of standardized reports with relevant and well-defined categories could certainly allow for a more meaningful analysis.

The Frequency and Common Causes of Unscheduled Adult Emergency Department Return Visits Within 72 Hours at King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Emergency Departments (ED) are becoming one of the most overcrowded departments globally. This study aims to investigate the frequency and causes of unscheduled patient return to the ED in King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam (KFSH-D) within 72 hours of discharge. Method: This study is a cross-sectional retrospective study done between February and May, of 2023 at KFSH-D, Saudi Arabia. A total of 295 patients where included. Patients were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Medical record numbers (MRNs) of patients with unscheduled return visits within 72 hours were gathered from the hospital&amp;apos;s electronic medical record-integrated database (Medica Cloudcare) which were then entered on a random number generator. 295 MRNs were selected and included in the study. This study includes male and female patients older than 16 years who returned to the ED within 72 hours. Results: Results showed cancer as the most common comorbidity resulting in revisits within 72 hours. Regarding the emergency department triage category, category 3 was the most common category in revisiting patients (70.2%). Pain was the most common chief complain in the initial and second visit to emergency department, 61.0% and 61.4%, respectively. Most of the patients return due to patient-related causes, specifically no improvement (75.3%). Conclusion: The quality of patient care is negatively affected by the increasing patient demand. Although not much can be done for first visit patients, some simple actions could be done to reduce the rate of second visits.

Leaflet thrombosis in transcatheter aortic valve intervention: mechanisms, prevention, and treatment options.

Transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVR) has emerged as a promising alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for patients with severe aortic stenosis. However, leaflet thrombosis has raised concerns about the long-term durability and outcomes of TAVR. This study aims to provide an overview of the mechanisms, prevention strategies, and treatment options for leaflet thrombosis in TAVR. Leaflet thrombosis refers to the formation of blood clots on bioprosthetic valve leaflets, leading to impaired leaflet mobility, early valve degeneration and dysfunction, and potential clinical implications. While the mechanisms underlying thrombus formation on valve leaflets are not fully understood, several factors, such as altered blood flow patterns within valve neosinuses, prothrombotic surfaces, and patient-related causes, have been implicated. Two distinct entities have been identified, namely, hypoattenuated leaflet thickening and restricted leaflet motion. Their occurrence appears dynamic over time and is related to the valve type. Imaging, including transesophageal echocardiography and multidetector computed tomography, plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and follow-up of leaflet thrombosis. Preventing leaflet thrombosis requires a comprehensive and tailored approach involving identifying high-risk patients, close monitoring, and antithrombotic therapy. Antithrombotic therapy with dual antiplatelet agents or anticoagulation is commonly employed in TAVR patients, although the optimal regimen is yet to be defined. Novel antithrombotic agents, such as direct oral anticoagulants, are being investigated for their efficacy and safety in preventing leaflet thrombosis. When leaflet thrombosis is detected, treatment options include intensified antithrombotic therapy, valve-in-valve intervention, or balloon valvuloplasty. The long-term outcomes and impact of leaflet thrombosis on valve durability and patient prognosis are areas of ongoing research. Leaflet thrombosis in TAVR is a considerable complication affecting valve function and patient outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms underlying thrombus formation and implementing appropriate prevention strategies are essential for mitigating this risk. Treatment options aim to restore leaflet mobility and optimize valve performance. Further research is needed to establish standardized protocols for antithrombotic therapy, identify high-risk patient populations, and determine the long-term consequences of leaflet thrombosis on TAVR outcomes.

Causes and trends of late diagnosis in Korean patients with hydroxychloroquine retinopathy.

Late diagnosis of hydroxychloroquine retinopathy remains a major concern, with the potential for irreversible visual impairment. This study aimed to investigate the causes of late diagnosis in a hospital-based cohort of Korean patients with hydroxychloroquine retinopathy and assess the trend of late diagnosis from 2015 to 2022. Thirty-eight patients with a late diagnosis (severe stage at diagnosis) among 94 patients with hydroxychloroquine retinopathy were included in the analysis. The causes of late diagnosis were categorized as referral-related, patient-related, and screening-related factors. The most prevalent cause was no or late referral to ophthalmologists, contributing to a significant gap in timely identification. Patient-related causes included delayed monitoring visits despite scheduled appointments and early-onset disease. Screening-related causes encompassed an insufficient number of sensitive tests, leading to inadequate evidence for diagnosis, and missed or wrong diagnoses by screening physicians. The proportion of late diagnoses decreased over time, indicating improvements in overall screening and detection. The decreasing proportions of screening-related causes suggest advancements in screening practices and the use of multiple sensitive tests for screening. Efforts to further reduce late diagnoses and improve screening and diagnostic processes are necessary. Our data emphasize the importance of timely referral to ophthalmologists for early detection and management.

OTRE: Where Optimal Transport Guided Unpaired Image-to-Image Translation Meets Regularization by Enhancing.

Non-mydriatic retinal color fundus photography (CFP) is widely available due to the advantage of not requiring pupillary dilation, however, is prone to poor quality due to operators, systemic imperfections, or patient-related causes. Optimal retinal image quality is mandated for accurate medical diagnoses and automated analyses. Herein, we leveraged the Optimal Transport (OT) theory to propose an unpaired image-to-image translation scheme for mapping low-quality retinal CFPs to high-quality counterparts. Furthermore, to improve the flexibility, robustness, and applicability of our image enhancement pipeline in the clinical practice, we generalized a state-of-the-art model-based image reconstruction method, regularization by denoising, by plugging in priors learned by our OT-guided image-to-image translation network. We named it as regularization by enhancing (RE). We validated the integrated framework, OTRE, on three publicly available retinal image datasets by assessing the quality after enhancement and their performance on various downstream tasks, including diabetic retinopathy grading, vessel segmentation, and diabetic lesion segmentation. The experimental results demonstrated the superiority of our proposed framework over some state-of-the-art unsupervised competitors and a state-of-the-art supervised method.

Effect of denosumab treatment on bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in osteoporotic patients: real-life experience 2-year follow-up.

The long-term efficacy of anti-osteoclastic drugs in treatment of osteoporosis is well known. Denosumab, a novel human monoclonal antibody, is an anti-osteoclastic agent that has been shown to lead to reductions in vertebral, nonvertebral, and hip fracture risk in randomized and observational studies. Real-life data of this agent is increasing. In this study, we presented our real-life data about the 2-year follow-up of patients under denosumab treatment. Osteoporotic patients who were treated with at least one denosumab injection between 2014 and 2020years were included. Clinical and demographic data, bone turnover markers, and radiological reports (bone mineral densitometry (BMD), vertebral x-ray) were obtained from patient files retrospectively. A total of 305 patients (f/m: 275/30, 68.1 ± 11.05years) were included. The median injection number was 4 (1-10). Two hundred seventy-three patients (89.8%) were persistent on treatment at the 12th month; 175 patients (57.3%) were persistent at 24th month. Sixty-eight patients (22%) were not using denosumab anymore, 55 of the patients were not continuing by doctor desicion and 13 were not continuing due to patient-related causes. Median BMD levels significantly increased from 0.809 (0.2-1.601, IQR: 0.136) to 0.861 (0.517-1.607, IQR: 0.14) in L1-L4 and from 0.702 (0.349-0.997, IQR: 0.125) to 0.745 (0.508-1.008, IQR: 0.137) in femur area at the 24th month of treatment. An improvement of 8.04% in L1-L4 BMD and 4.5% in femur neck BMD levels at the 24th month of treatment was observed. There was a significant decrease in bone turnover markers at the 24th month of treatment. In our group of patients under denosumab treatment, 53% of persistence was found at 24months and associated with improvement in BMD levels without any significant side effects except one case with urticarial reaction. Denosumab leads to improvements in BMD levels and is a well-tolerated agent in a real-life setting comparable to results of randomized controlled studies in patients with different comorbidities.

INCIDENCE OF CANCELLATIONS OF ELECTIVE OPERATIONS ON THE INTENDED DAY OF SURGERY AT A SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITAL AND THEIR REASONS: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Background: Any elective surgical case that is scheduled on the OT list on the day prior to surgery but not operated upon as scheduled can be regarded as an elective surgical case cancellation. Case cancellation is considered a major cause of wastage of material and human resources in the hospital and has a major impact of psychological setback to patients together with their families as well. Reasons for cancellations are quite complex and vary from hospital to hospital because they are correlated to patients in that area, management of hospital, organizational issues, and other hospital and OR staff. Methods: Among 1600 participants, a retrospective hospital-based, cross-sectional study was carried out in a super speciality hospital. A selfadministered questionnaire with an observatory checklist was used for collecting and assorting data from the OR managers, case related anaesthetists, nurses, and surgeons. Results: In this study, 1600 patients were scheduled for elective surgical operations. Among those, nearly almost one-sixth 259 (16.19%) of the operations were cancelled and 1341 (83.81%) patients were operated on their planned date. The reasons for cancellation were patient related (65.3%), anaesthesia related (10%), management related (9.3%) and rest were surgeon related factors (1.2%). The cancellations happened mainly due to improper scheduling (14.3%) which were rescheduled at some other time, unavailability of surgeons (1.1%), unavailability of oxygen and blood (1.1%) and equipment (0.7%). Department wise if the study was viewed at, General surgery (27%) urology (20.8%) and orthopaedics (15.1%) were the commonest cancelled cases. Conclusion: The cancellation rate at our medical centre remains relatively low. Patient related causes, medical illness, and management related causes were the commonest reason for the cancellation of elective operations.

Cancellation Causes of Elective Surgical Procedures in a Major Pediatric Surgery Department

Introduction: Cancellation of surgical operation is a surgical operation registered in the official schedule the day before or added to the list after and not carried out on the operating day. The purpose of this work was to determine the causes of cancellation of elective surgical operations in a major pediatric surgery department in Senegal. Patients and methods: It was a prospective and descriptive study of 278 patients scheduled during a period of 13 weeks. The study took place between April 3rd, 2017, and January 31st, 2018. Mean age was 2.9 years with extremes of 3 days and 15 years. The age group of 29 days to 30 months was the most represented (62.2%). Sex ratio was 1.41. Causes of cancellation were categorized into administrative and organizational causes, patient-related causes and staff-related causes. Results: Cancellation rate was 29.4%. Patient-related causes were most common (51.2%). Upper Respiratory tract infection (URTI) was commonest reason within this category (57.5%). Organizational causes (28.1%) came second and were mainly represented by the unavailability of the operating room (60.8%) related to breakdowns of anesthesia equipment. Finally, staff-related causes (20.7%) were due for most to the unavailability of the anesthesiologist (12 cases/17). Conclusion: Majority of causes that led to cancellation of elective surgical operations in our Pediatric surgery department are related to intercurrent illnesses affecting the patient, in particular URTI.

Treatment of acute kidney injury in cancer patients.

ABSTRACTAcute kidney injury (AKI), either of pre-renal, renal or post-renal origin, is an important complication in cancer patients, resulting in worse prognosis, withdrawal from effective oncological treatments, longer hospitalizations and increased costs. The aim of this article is to provide a literature review of general and cause-specific treatment strategies for AKI, providing a helpful guide for clinical practice. We propose to classify AKI as patient-related, cancer-related and treatment-related in order to optimize therapeutic interventions. In the setting of patient-related causes, proper assessment of hydration status and avoidance of concomitant nephrotoxic medications is key. Cancer-related causes mainly encompass urinary compression/obstruction, direct tumoural kidney involvement and cancer-induced hypercalcaemia. Rapid recognition and specific treatment can potentially restore renal function. Finally, a pre-treatment comprehensive evaluation of risks and benefits of each treatment should always be performed to identify patients at high risk of treatment-related renal damage and allow the implementation of preventive measures without losing the potentialities of the oncological treatment. Considering the complexity of this field, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary with the goal of reducing the incidence of AKI in cancer patients and improving patient outcomes. The overriding research goal in this area is to gather higher quality data from international collaborative studies.

Reasons for reperfusion delay in ST-elevation myocardial infarction and their impact on mortality.

The impact of reperfusion delay in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is well known. We aimed to describe the specific reasons for delay to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), and their impact on mortality after adjusting for confounders, using the first-medical-contact-to-device (FMCTD) time to measure the delay. Between January 2006 and December 2019, 2149 STEMI patients underwent pPCI at our centre. Delayed pPCI was defined as FMCTD > 90 min or > 120 min in the case of inter-hospital transfer. The causes of delay were classified as system-related (related to the network organization) or patient-related (related to the clinical condition of the patient). Primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. The pPCI was timely in 69.9% of patients, delayed for system-related causes in 16.4% or for patient-related causes in 13.7%. Different patient-related causes induced variable median FMCTD time (from 114 min for technically difficult pPCI to 159 min for ECG and/or symptom resolution). By multivariable Cox-regression models, the main independent risk factors for mortality were delay due to comorbidities [hazard ratio (HR) 2.19 (1.22-3.91)], or hemodynamic instability [HR 2.05 (1.25-3.38)], after adjusting for Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score tertiles and angiographic success. The difference in risk of mortality is maintained over the entire spectrum of time from symptom onset. Different causes of delay had different impacts on mortality, generally more important than the length of the delay. Causes of delay such as hemodynamic instability and comorbidities should prompt specific programs of performance improvement. Timely pPCI maintains prognostic advantages after several hours from symptom onset, mandating prompt reperfusion also in late-presenter patients.

Evaluating factors associated with the cancellation and delay of elective surgical procedures: a systematic review.

Elective surgery cancellation is considered a fundamental problem in health care services-it causes considerable disruption to patient flow, further eroding often already stretched operating capacity, and consequentially reduces both hospital performance and patient satisfaction. This research presents a systematic review (SR) of the reasons for surgery cancellation among different hospitals and countries. By highlighting these causes, we identify how to reduce cancellations, thereby improving the use of surgical capacity and resources and creating a more predicable patient flow. An SR was performed on elective surgery cancellation in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis and by assessing the methodological quality of SR with Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews guidelines. There are different reasons for surgery cancellation that vary between hospitals. This SR demonstrates that hospital-related causes (e.g. unavailable operation room time, inappropriate scheduling policy and lack of beds) are the primary reason for surgery cancellation, followed by work-up related causes (e.g. medically unfit and changes in the treatment plan) and patient-related causes (e.g. absence of a patient and patient refusal). This review demonstrates that the main causes for surgery cancellation can be controlled by hospital managers, who can aim to improve areas such as patient flow and capacity management. Ultimately, this will improve the quality of healthcare delivered by hospitals.

Preventing Surgical Delay and Cancellation with Patient-Centered Interventions

Delay and cancellation can significantly impact cost and outcomes among surgical patients. While the causes of delay and cancellation are not fully enumerated, possible reasons include delivery-related causes such as facility, equipment, and provider availability as well as patient-related issues such as readiness and health status. Despite limited research explaining patient-related causes, there are many studies that evaluate patient-centered interventions to decrease delay and cancellation. This article highlights patient-centered interventions including preoperative clinics, preoperative screening, and focused education that have been shown to reduce delay and cancellation. This information provides perianesthesia nurses and advanced practice nurses ideas to maximize their roles in improving efficiency by prevention of delay and cancellation. This article should also stimulate additional research to help better understand the causes and the role of the nurse in the implementation of evidence-based practice projects that use patient-centered interventions.

Evaluating the delay prior to primary care presentation in patients with lung cancer: a cohort study.

BackgroundLittle is known about 'within-patient delay', which is the time from first symptom of lung cancer to contacting primary care.AimPrimary outcomes were length of within-patient delay and the proportion of total delay it represents. Secondary outcomes were factors causing delay and survival.Design & settingA cohort study of newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer at two hospitals in Norfolk.MethodPatients completed questionnaires regarding onset of symptoms, whether they had delayed, and their reasons. GPs completed correlating questionnaires. Pathway times and other data were extracted from cancer registry and hospital records, and outcomes obtained prospectively. Factors causing delay were compared using ratios of geometric means.ResultsIn 379 patients, mean within-patient delay and pre-secondary care delay were 188.6 days and 241 days (61.4% and 78.5% of total delay, respectively). It was found that 38.8% of patients felt they had delayed. Patient-related causes of delay were denial (ratio of means [ROM] = 4.36; P = 0.002, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71 to 11.1); anxiety (ROM = 3.36; P = 0.026; 95% CI = 1.16 to 9.76); non-recognition of symptoms (ROM = 2.80; P = 0.004; 95% CI = 1.41 to 5.59); and smoking (ROM = 1.76; P = 0.021; 95% CI = 1.09 to 2.86), respectively. These symptoms were associated with delay: finger swelling or discomfort (ROM = 2.72; P = 0.009, 95% CI = 1.29 to 5.74); cough (ROM = 2.53; P<0.001; 95% CI = 1.52 to 4.19); weight loss (ROM = 2.41; P<0.001; 95% CI = 1.49 to 3.88); weakness (ROM = 2.35; P = 0.001; 95% CI = 1.45 to 3.83); dyspnoea (ROM = 2.30; P = 0.001; 95% CI = 1.40 to 3.80); voice change (ROM = 1.90; P = 0.010; 95% CI = 1.17 to 3.10); and sputum (ROM = 1.66; P = 0.039; 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.67), respectively, also having more than five symptoms (compared with 1–3) (ROM = 3.69; P<0.001; 95% CI = 2.05 to 6.64). No overall relation between within-patient delay and survival was seen.ConclusionUsing smoking registers, awareness literature, and self-care manuals, primary care staff could liaise with people who have ever smoked regarding their symptoms to ensure early referral to secondary care.

Histologic changes in early colonic anastomotic healing using autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix

Anastomotic leakage represents a devastating post-surgical event with surgeon- and patient-related causes. The early lag phase of healing (day 0–4) is a time of increased vulnerability. The current role of tissue sealants as anastomotic adjuncts remains unclear, with controversial results reported. Platelet-rich plasma provides a reliable source of growth factors supporting wound healing. We aimed to assess the impact of a novel autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) agent (Obsidian-ASG® matrix; GergMed Medizintechnik, Baiern, Germany) on colonic anastomotic healing in a porcine model. Left-sided colonic anastomoses were constructed in 16 pigs with reinforcement using the Obsidian-ASG® matrix in 12 animals. Animals were sacrificed on days 0, 4, 10 and 30, with histologic assessment of the anastomotic line along with evaluation of fibrotic tissue maturation, foreign body reactivity and mucin production. Collagen maturity and immunohistochemical changes of angiogenesis and infiltrating macrophage profiles were determined as well. There was no observable effect in matrix-treated animals on epithelial line thickness, granulation tissue formation, foreign body reactivity or mucosal restitution. Matrix-treated animals showed higher mucin production on day 4 accompanied by a more mature collagen and a greater degree of early angiogenic response with a higher infiltration density of M2 macrophages. Additionally, anastomotic burst pressure in matrix-treated animals was higher on day 0, 4, 10 and 30 (100, 100, 210, 160 vs. 40, 30, 60, 20 mm Hg, respectively). Obsidian-ASG® matrix may have beneficial effects on anastomotic healing by shifting the inflammatory response towards a mature and more stable collagen phenotype in the early phase.

Examining Causes and Prevention Strategies of Adverse Events in Deceased Hospital Patients: A Retrospective Patient Record Review Study in the Netherlands.

To improve patient safety and possibly prevent mortality from adverse events (AEs) in hospitals, it is important to gain insight in their underlying causes. We aimed to examine root causes and potential prevention strategies of AEs in deceased hospital patients. Data on 571 AEs were used from two retrospective patient record review studies of patients who died during hospitalization in the Netherlands. Trained reviewers assessed contributing factors and potential prevention strategies. The results were analyzed together with data on preventability of the AE and the relationship of the AE with the death of the patient. In 47% of the AEs, patient-related causes were identified, in 35% human causes, in 9% organizational causes, and in 3% technical causes. Preventable AEs were caused by technical, organizational, and human causes (78%, 74%, and 74%, respectively) more often than by patient-related causes (33%). In addition, technical factors caused AEs leading to preventable death (78%) relatively often. Recommended strategies to prevent AEs were quality assurance/peer review, evaluation of safety behavior, improving procedures, and improving information and communication structures. Human failures played an important role in the causation of AEs in Dutch hospitals, because they occurred frequently and they were frequently the cause of preventable AEs. To a lesser extent, latent organizational and technical factors were identified. Patient-related factors were often identified, but the preventability of the AEs with these causes was low. For future research into causes of AEs, we recommend combining record review with interviewing.

Patient-related reasons for late surgery cancellations in a plastic and reconstructive surgery department

SummaryLate cancellations of scheduled operations cause direct and indirect costs for a hospital and economic and emotional stress for the patient. Previously, late cancellation rates for scheduled operations in plastic surgery have been shown to be attributable to patient-related causes in the majority of cases.In this retrospective study, we sought to examine specifically the patient-related reasons for the late cancellations in a plastic surgery operating theatre at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland from 2013 to 2014. We calculated latency between the date of decision for surgery and the scheduled operation day. In cases where the surgery was rescheduled and performed before 31 December 2015, the rescheduled waiting time latency was calculated. We aimed to improve our knowledge of the causes of late cancellations to further optimise the operating theatre efficiency and propose a strategic algorithm to avoid late cancellationsDuring the study period, 327 (5.5%) of all the scheduled operations were recorded as late cancellations. Of these, 45.3% were because of patient-related issues. Acute infection, change in medical condition not noticed before and operation no longer necessary were by far the most common causes of cancellation, comprising 63.5%. Sixty-six per cent of patient-related cancelled operations were performed later, especially when the specific reason was patient's acute illness. Root-cause analysis shows that most of the underlying reasons for the cancellations can be attributed to a failure in communication. The majority of these cancellations were considered to be preventable, thus emphasising the importance of communication and skilful multi-professional planning of the operating theatre list.

Solving the clinical inertia conundrum

Solving the clinical inertia conundrum

Adherence in Asthma and COPD: New Strategies for an Old Problem.

Adherence broadly encompasses the decisions patients make as to whether health care advice should be initiated, as well as the degree to which the recommended health behaviors, once started, are maintained. Disease-related conditions such as severity and duration of illness, as well as treatment-related features such as frequency of dosing and side effects, are 2 of several factors that influence adherence. Other factors affecting adherence include socioeconomic status, patient-related causes, and health system-related reasons. Adherence is rarely, if ever, an all-or-none phenomenon. Typically, patients follow some recommendations closely while deciding others are optional; these decisions are often made without consulting with or notifying health care professionals. Non-adherence can be categorized as either unintentional or intentional. Unintentional non-adherence is easier to remedy because it responds to patient education, simplification of treatment regimens, or the use of a reminder system. Intentional non-adherence is more complex and challenging to address because patients exhibiting these behaviors often do not find evidence-based recommendations compelling, lack the motivation to follow advice, or have deeply entrenched personal beliefs that conflict with health guidance. Novel psychotherapeutic behavioral interventions, such as shared decision-making, motivational interviewing, and coaching are some approaches being tested to determine their effectiveness in mitigating the resistance to treatment that characterizes intentional non-adherence in asthma and COPD populations. In this narrative review, the extent of non-adherence to asthma and COPD management recommendations is explored, the factors affecting adherence are explicated, the methods used to measure adherence are compared and contrasted, and the effectiveness of strategies targeting unintentional and intentional non-adherence is detailed.

Real life profile of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in Turkey.

Despite the presentation of similar symptoms, the airway diseases have different underlying pathophysiological processes and must be distinguished to enable the administration of appropriate treatment. In several studies the clinician- and patient-related causes of poor compliance to treatment in asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have been evaluated. This study aimed to determine the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of newly diagnosed treatment-naïve asthma and COPD patients in Turkey. This national, multicentre, prospective, observational study was conducted in 122 centres. A questionnaire including items related to demographic, clinical, laboratory parameters was applied. All patients were intended to be followed-up for 12 months. 1892 adult patients (1116 asthma and 776 COPD) from 122 centres were enrolled. Overall 95%, 86% and 65% of intermittent, mild persistent and moderate persistent asthma patients were over-treated. Among COPD patients, the percentages of over-treated patients were 66%, 79% and 82% for those with GOLD stage A, B and C. Physicians' adherence to guidelines was appropriate in 93% of severe persistent asthma patients and 89% of GOLD stage D COPD patients. Among patients with high compliance to treatment, proportion of asthma patients with total control was 44% and that of COPD patients at GOLD stage A was 41%. In consecutive two visits, this figure increased to 52% and 63% in asthma patients and 54% and 50% in COPD patients. The main findings are: (a) patients are frequently over-treated and (b) patients do not adhere to visits as expected, in both asthma and COPD.