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Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:350-352
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Data Base Panel

Using database information in your clinical practice

Stanley W. Dziuban, Jr, MDa

a St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany, New York, USA

Address reprint requests to Dr Dziuban, 319 South Manning Blvd, Suite 301, Albany, NY 12208
e-mail: sdziuban{at}albany.net

Presented at the Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, New Orleans, LA, Jan 26–28, 1998.

Abstract

Background. Clinical database information is in wide demand, but it is not always used to its full potential. Clinicians must learn to be the experts and to assert leadership in the use of their own data.

Methods. Clinical databases provide unique perspectives on the full process of care for a heterogeneous population of patients. They focus beyond individual providers, to their interaction within a complex system of care. Exploring questions that arise from this data can identify system issues, which are invisible to individual practitioners or specialties using other traditional review methods.

Results. Clinical database information helped our hospital staff identify problems in their approach to a small subset of high risk coronary bypass patients. Multiple system changes resulted in a dramatic reduction in mortality. Collateral impact on all care reduced overall mortality from 4.5% to below 2%.

Conclusions. The greatest opportunities for improvement in patient care often lie in the areas where specialties or teams interface, eg, in overlapping or transferring care. The whole system of care for each patient must be optimized, not just the individual specialty components. Clinical database information provides a way to evaluate and improve the overall process and results of the broader system of patient care.






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Copyright © 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.