Accurate data capture, essential but only the first step in quality improvement

Continuity of care: important, but only the first step

Continuity of care is critical to achieving the best outcomes, especially for patients with chronic conditions. Israel's strong commitment to primary care as a central organizing concept of the health system, accompanied by investments in health information technology and training primary care physicians, has contributed to its impressive levels of continuity of care. Taking the next steps towa...

Disclosure: only a first step.

A Safe Step, but Only a First Step, in an Integrated Approach to Improving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival

Approximately 330 000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) occur annually in the United States; in essence, there are nearly 1000 OHCA events each day.1 However, despite the presence of extensive emergency medical response systems (especially in heavily populated regions) and aggressive steps by both professional organizations and private industry to enhance public awareness of the magnitude...

Hospital-based trauma quality improvement initiatives: first step toward improving trauma outcomes in the developing world.

BACKGROUND Injuries remain a leading cause of death in the developing world. Whereas new investments are welcome, quality improvement (QI) at the currently available trauma care facilities is essential. The objective of this study was to determine the effect and long-term sustainability of trauma QI initiatives on in-hospital mortality and complications at a large tertiary hospital in a develop...

Quality improvement in neurology: Essential Tremor Quality Measurement Set.

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders in the world, with prevalence rates in the general population ranging from 0.4% to 4.6%. The incidence of ET increases with age, with the average age at onset in mid-to-late 40s. ET is estimated to affect as many as 7 to 10 million Americans. Clinically, ET is characterized by bilateral, symmetric, postural tremor in hands and f...