Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine
David Studdert
Michelle Mello
To evaluate the evidence that quality improvement (QI) strategies can improve the processes and outcomes of outpatient pediatric asthma care.
Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group database (January 1966 to April 2006), MEDLINE (January 1966 to April 2006), Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group database (January 1966 to May 2006), and bibliographies of retrieved articles.
To provide a better understanding and summarize recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection in solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients. We examined the efficacy of isoniazid latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment in liver transplant recipients and reviewed systematically all cases of active MTB infection in this population. We found 7 studies that evaluated LTBI treatment and 139 cases of active MTB infection in liver transplant recipients.
Background: Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) are stockpiled internationally for extended use in an influenza pandemic.
Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of extended-duration (>4 weeks) NAI chemoprophylaxis against influenza.
Data Sources: Studies published in any language through 11 June 2009 identified by searching 10 electronic databases and 3 trial registries.
Purpose. Mathematical and simulation models are increasingly used to plan for and evaluate health sector responses to disasters, yet no clear consensus exists regarding best practices for the design, conduct, and reporting of such models. The authors examined a large selection of published health sector disaster response models to generate a set of best practice guidelines for such models.
Objective To evaluate the evidence that quality improvement (QI) strategies can improve the processes and outcomes of outpatient pediatric asthma care.
Data Sources Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group database (January 1966 to April 2006), MEDLINE (January 1966 to April 2006), Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group database (January 1966 to May 2006), and bibliographies of retrieved articles.
Background: A bioterrorism attack with an agent such as anthrax will require rapid deployment of medical and pharmaceutical supplies to exposed individuals. How should such a logistical system be organized? How much capacity should be built into each element of the bioterrorism response supply chain?
Objective: To systematically review all published case reports of children with anthrax to evaluate the predictors of disease progression and mortality.
Data Sources: Fourteen selected journal indexes (1900-1966), MEDLINE (1966-2005), and the bibliographies of all retrieved articles.
Objectives:
Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines for the management of pediatric and adult asthma, there remains a significant gap between accepted best practices for asthma care and actual care delivered to asthma patients. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence that quality improvement (QI) strategies can improve the processes and outcomes of outpatient care for children and adults with asthma.
Data Sources:
A critical question in planning a response to bioterrorism is how antibiotics and medical supplies should be stockpiled and dispensed. The objective of this work was to evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative strategies for maintaining and dispensing local and regional inventories of antibiotics and medical supplies for responses to anthrax bioterrorism. We modeled the regional and local supply chain for antibiotics and medical supplies as well as local dispensing capacity.
Objectives:
To systematically review the literature about children with anthrax to describe their clinical course, treatment responses, and the predictors of disease progression and mortality.
Data Sources:
MEDLINE® (1966-2005), 14 selected journal indexes (1900-1966) and bibliographies of all retrieved articles.
Review Methods:
We sought case reports of pediatric anthrax published between 1900 and 2005 meeting predefined criteria. We abstracted three types of data from the English-language reports:
During the 2001 US anthrax attacks, mortality from inhalational anthrax was significantly lower than had been reported historically, which was attributed in part to early identification and timely treatment. During future attacks, clinicians will rely on published descriptions of the clinical features of inhalational anthrax to rapidly diagnose patients and institute appropriate treatment.
Background:
Mortality from inhalational anthrax during the 2001 U.S. attack was substantially lower than that reported historically.
Purpose:
To systematically review all published inhalational anthrax case reports to evaluate the predictors of disease progression and mortality.
Data Sources:
MEDLINE (1966-2005), 14 selected journal indexes (1900-1966), and bibliographies of all retrieved articles.
Study Selection:
Background: The Geriatric Evaluation and Management study was developed to assess the impact of a comprehensive geriatric assessment service on the care of the elderly.
Objectives: We sought to evaluate the cost and clinical impact of inpatient units and outpatient clinics for geriatric evaluation and management.
Research Design: We undertook a prospective, randomized, controlled trial using a 2 × 2 factorial design, with 1-year follow-up.
Background: The reported accuracy of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) for mediastinal staging in non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varies widely. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the accuracy of TBNA for mediastinal staging in NSCLC.
Methods: We searched Medline, Embase and the bibliographies of retrieved articles, with no language restriction, for studies evaluating TBNA accuracy. We used meta-analytic methods to construct summary receiver- operating characteristic curves and to pool sensitivity and specificity.
The anthrax attacks of 2001, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and weapons of mass destruction tabletop exercises have made it clear that no single community can prepare fully, nor respond completely, to a large-scale bioterrorism event.