Widespread recognition of the benefits of minimally invasive procedures in surgery and medicine is resulting in the rapid development of new advances and new techniques in every speciality. This series of books sets out to meet the needs of those responsible for applying the techniques. This volume deals with the field of minimal access surgery. It covers the philosophy of the concept, team training, pre-operative preparation of the patient, anaesthetic considerations, equipment, lasers, and operative techniques for the various body systems.
Widespread recognition of the benefits of minimally invasive procedures in surgery and medicine is resulting in the rapid development of new advances and new techniques in every speciality. This series of books sets out to meet the needs of those responsible for applying the techniques. This volume deals with the field of minimal access surgery. It covers the philosophy of the concept, team training, pre-operative preparation of the patient, anaesthetic considerations, equipment, lasers, and operative techniques for the various body systems.
This User’s Guide is intended to support the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, and quality evaluation of registries created to increase understanding of patient outcomes. For the purposes of this guide, a patient registry is an organized system that uses observational study methods to collect uniform data (clinical and other) to evaluate specified outcomes for a population defined by a particular disease, condition, or exposure, and that serves one or more predetermined scientific, clinical, or policy purposes. A registry database is a file (or files) derived from the registry. Although registries can serve many purposes, this guide focuses on registries created for one or more of the following purposes: to describe the natural history of disease, to determine clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of health care products and services, to measure or monitor safety and harm, and/or to measure quality of care. Registries are classified according to how their populations are defined. For example, product registries include patients who have been exposed to biopharmaceutical products or medical devices. Health services registries consist of patients who have had a common procedure, clinical encounter, or hospitalization. Disease or condition registries are defined by patients having the same diagnosis, such as cystic fibrosis or heart failure. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews.
Chronic diseases are common and costly, yet they are also among the most preventable health problems. Comprehensive and accurate disease surveillance systems are needed to implement successful efforts which will reduce the burden of chronic diseases on the U.S. population. A number of sources of surveillance data-including population surveys, cohort studies, disease registries, administrative health data, and vital statistics-contribute critical information about chronic disease. But no central surveillance system provides the information needed to analyze how chronic disease impacts the U.S. population, to identify public health priorities, or to track the progress of preventive efforts. A Nationwide Framework for Surveillance of Cardiovascular and Chronic Lung Diseases outlines a conceptual framework for building a national chronic disease surveillance system focused primarily on cardiovascular and chronic lung diseases. This system should be capable of providing data on disparities in incidence and prevalence of the diseases by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, along with data on disease risk factors, clinical care delivery, and functional health outcomes. This coordinated surveillance system is needed to integrate and expand existing information across the multiple levels of decision making in order to generate actionable, timely knowledge for a range of stakeholders at the local, state or regional, and national levels. The recommendations presented in A Nationwide Framework for Surveillance of Cardiovascular and Chronic Lung Diseases focus on data collection, resource allocation, monitoring activities, and implementation. The report also recommends that systems evolve along with new knowledge about emerging risk factors, advancing technologies, and new understanding of the basis for disease. This report will inform decision-making among federal health agencies, especially the Department of Health and Human Services; public health and clinical practitioners; non-governmental organizations; and policy makers, among others.
Care pathways are being developed throughout the health service to track the progress of patients through the system and this guide looks at the potential of IT systems to help organizations and individuals use care pathways to improve the quality and effectiveness of care.
Drawing on practical and theoretical knowledge, this book demonstrates how GPs and their teams can facilitate evidence-based practice, life-long learning and improved patient communication. It ties together clinical governance and health informatics - quality and computing - to show how existing systems in primary care can enable and deliver clinical governance, help with patient-focused care and organizational learning and teamwork. It can be used as an individual resource or for teaching in small groups.
Clinicians and managers are increasingly required to participate in or manage new initiatives which depend heavily on co-operation collaboration and a multidisciplinary approach where effective interpersonal and group skills are of vital importance. This practical guide encourages the reader to determine how their organisations work and the impact they have on their members. It draws on the experiences of primary care research and development projects and contains numerous case studies tips and techniques to manage change. It is an essential guide for healthcare professionals in primary care and will equip those working in practice and facilitators working with practices with a clear understanding of how to achieve successful acceptance and management of change.
You should do more than read this book. It contains direct, practical advice in relation to each of the key cardiovascular disorders, and guidance on developing your own personal development plan and the practice learning plan. It is therefore a book to 'do', or interact with, rather than just read. Make use of this book and you will start to release the full potential of clinical governance and will improve the care of people at risk of, or with, cardiovascular problems.' Richard Baker, in his Foreword 'This book will prove to be of huge value to the many doctors, nurses and other disciplines who have a collective determination to improve the primary and secondary prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. It clarifies how the recommendations made in the NSF can be implemented and, as a result, can help people to believe that better, more effective care is possible. Most importantly, readers will also gain the essential confidence to know that they are, indeed, doing the right thing! Practical advice, information and useful case studies are available to the reader and the book narrows the gap between theory and practice. It will encourage primary healthcare enthusiasts to believe that they have the potential to improve community health. Many congratulations to the authors.' Lynn Young, in her Foreword
The NHS is currently in the middle of the biggest information technology project in Western Europe, which will fundamentally change the working practices of all NHS staff over the next five years. This book explains to ordinary clinicians why they should be bothered with IT, and what their responsibilities are in making it work. This book provides an enlightening and reassuring read that dispels ignorance and suspicion. The user friendly style is helpful, and friendly panels with tips, warnings, reflective pauses and key points highlight important details. It is also suitable for use as a student textbook. The Clinician's Guide to Surviving I.T. is a must for every doctor, nurse and midwife in the NHS.
