Publications by authors named "Giulia Cardinali"
Purpose: The overuse of laboratory tests contributes to impair health systems effectiveness, tumor markers (TMs) being a paradigmatic example. In the present study we applied indicators of TMs appropriateness developed from administrative datasets to appraise regionwide overordering in the clinical practice.
Patients And Methods: TMs ordered to outpatients in the Veneto Region over 6 years were obtained from the eletronic Outpatients' Records of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) regarding diagnostic tests in asymptomatic women with breast cancer during follow-up, using health data from the Veneto Region in Italy.
- A specific algorithm was created to categorize patients based on follow-up diagnostic results, revealing that 3930 breast cancer cases were monitored over five years.
- Findings indicated significant overordering of tumor markers and imaging exams in patients with no evidence of disease, highlighting the need for better adherence to CPGs and the potential for the algorithm to improve monitoring of compliance in healthcare settings.
Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: Although the issue of monitoring appropriateness of tumour markers (TMs) request in outpatients remains crucial, proper indicators are still demanding. The present study developed and explored indicators of inappropriate TM ordering in outpatients through the data mining of electronic health records (EHRs).
Methods: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alfa-fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen (CA)125, CA15.
Background: White matter lesions (WMLs) are associated with hypertension, an increased risk of falling, and impaired physical and cognitive performance that may affect the mechanical effect of falls.
Methods: We hypothesized that WMLs are a risk factor for hip fracture (HF). We studied a sample of 820 community-dwelling Italian persons 65 years and older from the cohort of the Progetto Veneto Anziani Study who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at baseline.