Category: Quality

Yes, Virginia, we order too many tests.  And, we know it – as evidenced by such conferences on overdiagnosis and costs of care.  And, even more relevant than such academic exercises, as this study indicates, even the general clinician seems to have a fair bit of self-awareness.

In this survey consisting of 435 respondents, 85% of emergency physicians believed excessive testing occurred in their Emergency Department.  Most frequently, such testing was motived by fear of missing even rare diagnoses, but defensive medicine and malpractice came a close second.  Patient expectations, local practice patterns, and time saving were also substantially cited as motivators for ordering.  Thankfully, administrative and personal motivations to increase reimbursement were rarely reported as reasons.

Despite the protestations of some policy-makers, the clinicians surveyed believed the most helpful change to the system would be malpractice reform.  Interestingly, the next ranked helpful interventions included educating patients and increasing shared decision-making.  While the first item may be logistically (or politically) unachievable, there are no obstacles to integrating improved communication behaviors into routine practice.  It does, however, show a need for increased availability of tools for clinicians to use at the point of care.

There are flaws in these sorts of perception-based surveys with regard to the accuracy of such anecdotal self-assessment.  Physician assessment of their own practice and that of others can certainly be questioned.  It must be admitted, however, a more intensive just-in-time surveying method would likely impact the variables measured.

There are also some highly entertaining outliers in Figure 2, of course, the perception of self vs. colleague ordering.  There is a handful of physicians who believe they, themselves, order over 80% of their CTs and MRIs unnecessarily – but that no one else in their group does.  Likewise, there is a handful with just the opposite perception – that their colleagues over-order, while they, themselves rarely do.  I wonder if they work in the same department?

Regardless, first step is admitting you have a problem.  We have many steps yet to go.

“Emergency Physician Perceptions of Medically Unnecessary Advanced Diagnostic Imaging”
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acem.12625/abstract

Pressure ulcers, catheter-associated UTIs, central-line infections, and injuries from falls are all iatrogenic injuries associated with healthcare and hospitalization.  Fewer of all these events would be ideal.

Of course, since asking nicely isn’t much of a motivation for healthcare delivery systems to improve practice, Medicare had a different solution – non-payment.  In 2008, Medicare ceased allowing hospitals to claim higher severity diagnosis related group codes to account for costs incurred by eight “never event” complications.  Money, on the other hand, is a strong motivator for change.  This study tries to evaluate just how successful such a heavy stick is at influencing care delivery.

These authors looked at the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators, counting reported ulcers, falls, CLABSI, and CAUTI occurring between 2006 and 2010.  The trends reported for each differ starkly.  For CLABSI and CAUTI, in the quarters leading up to CMS policy change, the prevalence of each was gradually increasing.  After 2008, however, both trends show abrupt and consistent reversal and downward movement.  For pressure ulcers and injurious falls, however, the prevalence was gradually decreasing at the time of CMS policy implementation, and the slope of the line after 2008 is consistent with that same gradual decline.

The authors go into the limitations of each data source, but, the general takeaway is likely still valid – some “never events” just aren’t consistently, systematically preventable.  There are concerted, teachable best-practices involved with decreasing CLASBI and CAUTI.  Fall prevention and pressure ulcer prevention, on the other hand, are less amenable to care bundles, and seem to depend on gradual cultural changes and vigilance.  Thus, while outcomes-focused quality improvement using a financial motivator, while a reasonable method to try, will probably have the greatest impact and yield where a validated, evidence-based strategy can be implemented.

“Effect of Medicare’s Nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired Conditions Lessons for Future Policy”
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2087876