Veronica Jean Pitt

The Effect of Provider Case Volume on Cancer Mortality: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

The authors systematically reviewed the association between provider case volume and mortality in 101 publications involving greater than 1 million patients with esophageal, gastric, hepatic, pancreatic, colon, or rectal cancer, of whom more than 70,000 died. The majority of studies addressed the relation between hospital surgical case volume and short‐term perioperative mortality. Few studies addressed surgeon case volume or evaluated long‐term survival outcomes. Common methodologic limitations were failure to control for potential confounders, post hoc categorization of provider volume, and unit of analysis errors. A significant volume effect was evident for the majority of gastrointestinal cancers; with each doubling of hospital case volume, the odds of perioperative death decreased by 0.1 to 0.23. The authors calculated that between 10 and 50 patients per year, depending on cancer type, needed to be moved from a “low‐volume” hospital to a “high‐volume” hospital to prevent 1 additional volume‐associated perioperative death. Despite this, approximately one‐third of all analyses did not find a significant volume effect on mortality. The heterogeneity of results from individual studies calls into question the validity of case volume as a proxy for care quality, and leads the authors to conclude that more direct quality measures and the validity of their use to inform policy should also be explored. CA Cancer J Clin 2009;59:192–211.

Haemorrhage control in severely injured patients

Most surgeons have adopted damage control surgery for severely injured patients, in which the initial operation is abbreviated after control of bleeding and contamination to allow ongoing resuscitation in the intensive-care unit. Developments in early resuscitation that emphasise rapid control of bleeding, restrictive volume replacement, and prevention or early management of coagulopathy are making definitive surgery during the first operation possible for many patients. Improved topical haemostatic agents and interventional radiology are becoming increasingly useful adjuncts to surgical control of bleeding. Better understanding of trauma-induced coagulopathy is paving the way for the replacement of blind, unguided protocols for blood component therapy with systemic treatments targeting specific deficiencies in coagulation. Similarly, treatments targeting dysregulated inflammatory responses to severe injury are under investigation. As point-of-care diagnostics become more suited to emergency environments, timely targeted intervention for haemorrhage control will result in better patient outcomes and reduced demand for blood products. Our Series paper describes how our understanding of the roles of the microcirculation, inflammation, and coagulation has shaped new and emerging treatment strategies.

An overview of published research about the acute care and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injured and spinal cord injured patients.

Knowledge of the breadth, nature, and volume of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) research can aid in research planning. This study aimed to provide an overview of existing TBI and SCI research to inform identification of knowledge translation (KT), systematic review (SR), and primary research opportunities. Topics and relevant articles from three large neurotrauma evidence resources were synthesized: the Global Evidence Mapping (GEM) Initiative (129 topics and 1644 articles), the Acquired Brain Injury Evidence-Based Review (ERABI; 152 topics and 732 articles), and the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence (SCIRE) Project (297 topics and 1650 articles). A de-duplicated dataset of SRs, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and other studies identified by these projects was created. In all, 145 topics were identified (66 TBI and 79 SCI), yielding 3466 research articles (1256 TBI and 2210 SCI). Topics with KT potential included cognitive therapies for TBI and prevention/management of urinary tract problems post-SCI, which accounted for 17% and 18%, respectively, of the TBI and SCI yield. Topics that may require SR included management of raised intracranial pressure in TBI, and ventilation and intermittent positive pressure interventions following SCI. Topics for which primary research may be needed included pharmacological therapies for neurological recovery post-TBI, and management of sleep-disordered breathing post-SCI. There was a larger volume of non-intervention (epidemiological) studies in SCI than in TBI. This comprehensive overview of TBI and SCI research can aid funding agencies, researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders in prioritizing and planning TBI and SCI research.

Quality of guidelines for cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury.

Introduction:Cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury can aid in optimizing function, independence, and quality of life by addressing impairments in attention, executive function, cognitive communication, and memory. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the methodological quality of clinical practice guidelines for cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Methods:Systematic searching of databases and Web sites was undertaken between January and March 2012 to identify freely available, English language clinical practice guidelines from 2002 onward. Eligible guidelines were evaluated using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument. Results:The 11 guidelines that met inclusion criteria were independently rated by 4 raters. Results of quality appraisal indicated that guidelines generally employed systematic search and appraisal methods and produced unambiguous, clearly identifiable recommendations. Conversely, only 1 guideline incorporated implementation and audit information, and there was poor reporting of processes for formulating, reviewing, and ensuring currency of recommendations and incorporating patient preferences. Intraclass correlation coefficients for agreement between raters showed high agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.80) for all guidelines except for 1 (moderate agreement; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.76). Conclusion:Future guidelines should address identified limitations by providing implementation information and audit criteria, along with better reporting of guideline development processes and stakeholder engagement.

Referral of people with osteoarthritis to self-management programmes: Barriers and enablers identified by general practitioners

Purpose. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study involving general practitioners (GPs) in Victoria, Australia, to examine the barriers to, and drivers of, referral of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) to self-management programmes. Method. Participating GPs were asked to respond to a series of open-ended questions regarding their referral of patients with OA to self-management programmes and their perception of the advantages and disadvantages of these programmes for people with OA. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analysed to identify primary themes in the data. Results. Results suggest current referral of OA patients to self-management programmes from within general practice is influenced by GP-related factors, patient-related factors, and programme-related factors. A major barrier to referral was GPs limited knowledge about the availability of local programmes and the types of services these programmes provide to people with OA. Some GPs felt OA is less conducive to self-management interventions compared to other chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, asthma) and questioned the clinical benefit of programmes for people with OA. Enablers of GP referral included GP knowledge about content and availability of programmes, positive GP attitudes towards patient involvement in these programmes, and patient awareness of the value and availability of these programmes (i.e., patient-mediated referral). Conclusion. This study suggests multiple barriers and drivers of referral of patients with OA to self-management programmes that could be targeted in the future in order to increase referral to, and uptake of, these programmes in general practice.

Non-surgical interventions for the management of type 2 dens fractures: a systematic review

Non‐surgical immobilization strategies for type 2 odontoid fractures vary considerably, with some surgeons preferring rigid collars, halothoracic bracing or the Minerva brace. Choice of device should be informed by the effectiveness in achieving union, whilst minimizing mortality and complications.

Improving the care of people with traumatic brain injury through the Neurotrauma Evidence Translation (NET) program: protocol for a program of research

The Neurotrauma Evidence Translation (NET) program was funded in 2009 to increase the uptake of research evidence in the clinical care of patients who have sustained traumatic brain injury. This paper reports the rationale and plan for this five-year knowledge translation research program. The overarching aims of the program are threefold: to improve outcomes for people with traumatic brain injury; to create a network of neurotrauma clinicians and researchers with expertise in knowledge translation and evidence-based practice; and to contribute knowledge to the field of knowledge translation research. The program comprises a series of interlinked projects spanning varying clinical environments and disciplines relevant to neurotrauma, anchored within four themes representing core knowledge translation activities: reviewing research evidence; understanding practice; developing and testing interventions for practice change; and building capacity for knowledge translation in neurotrauma. The program uses a range of different methods and study designs, including: an evidence fellowship program; conduct of and training in systematic reviews; mixed method study designs to describe and understand factors that influence current practices (e.g., semi-structured interviews and surveys); theory-based methods to develop targeted interventions aiming to change practice; a cluster randomised trial to test the effectiveness of a targeted theory-informed intervention; stakeholder involvement activities; and knowledge translation events such as consensus conferences.

A Systematic Review of Consumer-Providers’ Effects on Client Outcomes in Statutory Mental Health Services: The Evidence and the Path Beyond

Consumer-provider involvement in the delivery of mental health services has steadily increased in the past several decades; however, the effects on client and service outcomes have remained unclear. The objectives of this paper are to (a) summarize a Cochrane review of consumer-providers’ effects on client outcomes in statutory mental health services and (b) discuss several key issues that, if addressed, might strengthen evidence in this area. We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Current Contents until March 2012 to identify relevant studies. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they randomized adult clients to statutory mental health services delivered with and without consumer-provider involvement. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria and were divided into 2 separate comparison groups: studies comparing consumer-providers with professionals employed in the same role within a mental health service (5 studies) and studies comparing mental health services with and without consumer-providers as an adjunct to the service (6 studies). The limited outcome data available from the studies indicated no difference in quality of life, function, social relations, mental health symptoms, client satisfaction, or attrition in those receiving services from consumer-providers compared with those who did not. None of the studies reported any adverse outcomes for clients. Addressing several key issues could strengthen the evidence such as: core outcome measures, appropriate study designs for evaluating complex interventions, minimal cross-contamination of treatment groups for community-based interventions, improved trial reporting, and the use of systematic reviews to inform future research.

Title and Abstract Screening and Evaluation in Systematic Reviews (TASER): a pilot randomised controlled trial of title and abstract screening by medical students

BackgroundThe production of high quality systematic reviews requires rigorous methods that are time-consuming and resource intensive. Citation screening is a key step in the systematic review process. An opportunity to improve the efficiency of systematic review production involves the use of non-expert groups and new technologies for citation screening. We performed a pilot study of citation screening by medical students using four screening methods and compared students’ performance to experienced review authors.MethodsThe aims of this pilot randomised controlled trial were to provide preliminary data on the accuracy of title and abstract screening by medical students, and on the effect of screening modality on screening accuracy and efficiency. Medical students were randomly allocated to title and abstract screening using one of the four modalities and required to screen 650 citations from a single systematic review update. The four screening modalities were a reference management software program (EndNote), Paper, a web-based systematic review workflow platform (ReGroup) and a mobile screening application (Screen2Go). Screening sensitivity and specificity were analysed in a complete case analysis using a chi-squared test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test according to screening modality and compared to a final set of included citations selected by expert review authors.ResultsSensitivity of medical students’ screening decisions ranged from 46.7% to 66.7%, with students using the web-based platform performing significantly better than the paper-based group. Specificity ranged from 93.2% to 97.4% with the lowest specificity seen with the web-based platform. There was no significant difference in performance between the other three modalities.ConclusionsMedical students are a feasible population to engage in citation screening. Future studies should investigate the effect of incentive systems, training and support and analytical methods on screening performance.Systematic review registrationCochrane Database CD001048

Reporting of allocation method and statistical analyses that deal with bilaterally affected wrists in clinical trials for carpal tunnel syndrome

ABSTRACTThe authors aimed to describe how often the allocation method and the statistical analyses that deal with bilateral involvement are reported in clinical trials for carpal tunnel syndrome and to determine whether reporting has improved over time. Forty-two trials identified from recently published systematic reviews were assessed. Information about allocation method and statistical analyses was obtained from published reports and trialists. Only 15 trialists (36%) reported the method of random sequence generation used, and 6 trialists (14%) reported the method of allocation concealment used. Of 25 trials including participants with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, 17 (68%) reported the method used to allocate the wrists, whereas only 1 (4%) reported using a statistical analysis that appropriately dealt with bilateral involvement. There was no clear trend of improved reporting over time. Interventions are needed to improve reporting quality and statistical analyses of these trials so that these can provide more reliable evidence to inform clinical practice.