Impact of asthma controller medications on clinical, economic, and patient-reported outcomes.

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate clinical, economic, and patient-reported outcomes associated with various therapeutic classes of asthma controller medications.

Patients And Methods: This observational study, which used administrative claims data from US commercial health plans, included patients with asthma aged 18 through 64 years who filled a prescription for at least 1 asthma controller medication from September 1, 2003, through August 31, 2005. Outcome metrics included the use of short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs), the use of oral corticosteroids, inpatient (INP)/emergency department (ED) visits, and asthma-related health care costs.

Complying with ACGME resident duty hours restrictions: restructuring the 80-hour workweek to enhance education and patient safety at Texas A&M/Scott & White Memorial Hospital.

Compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education resident duty hours rules has created unique educational and patient-care challenges for the general medicine inpatient teaching (GMIT) teams at Texas A&M/Scott & White Memorial Hospital, including multiple patient hand-offs, multiple resident absences during teaching time, and loss of continuity of care for individual patients, all of which may have compromised patient safety. The Texas A&M/Scott & White Memorial Hospital internal medicine residency program initially complied with the duty hours rules by having residents take call every fourth night, followed by a six-hour post-call day. This system proved to be inefficient because it significantly disrupted patient care and resident education.