Development and validation of the ITG Health-Related Quality-of-Life Short-Form measure for use in patients with coronary artery disease. Integrated Therapeutics Group.

Background: Available coronary artery disease (CAD)-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measures are not ideally suited for routine clinical practice. We report development of a valid and reliable CAD-specific short-form measure.

Hypothesis: The Integrated Therapeutics Group (ITG) CAD-specific short-form HRQL measure is reliable and valid for assessing the health status of patients with CAD.

Determination of ambulatory blood pressure control in treated patients with controlled office blood pressures.

Office blood pressure measurement is the standard for assessing blood pressure control. Many patients, however, take their antihypertensive medication in the morning, so they are likely to have their office blood pressure measured during the maximal antihypertensive effect. It is therefore unknown whether patients deemed by office blood pressure to be controlled do in fact have 24h blood pressure control.

Reliability of self-reported blood pressure measurements.

Background: Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring improves BP control, but it is unknown whether patients accurately report home BP readings to their physician. This study compared self-reported with electronically stored home BP and heart rate (HR) readings and evaluated this agreement in patients with controlled vs. uncontrolled hypertension.

Comparison of two home blood pressure monitors with a mercury sphygmomanometer in an ambulatory population.

We performed a randomized, single-visit, crossover study to compare the precision of a digital monitor and an aneroid monitor relative to a desktop mercury sphygmomanometer (DMS). Three blood pressure measurements per patient, one per device, were taken over 25 minutes. Of 99 patients, 95 had complete blood pressure data.

Cost-effectiveness comparison of sequential ofloxacin versus standard switch therapy.

Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness of sequential intravenous-to-oral ofloxacin versus intravenous-to-oral standard switch therapy for the treatment of patients with sepsis who are hospitalized with bacterial infections.

Design: Cost-effectiveness analysis from a provider perspective, including resources important to an integrated healthcare network, of a randomized, open-label, controlled, clinical trial.

Setting: Millard Fillmore Health System, Buffalo, NY.