Impact of end user involvement in implementing guidelines on routine pre-operative tests.

Objectives: To assess the impact of health professionals' involvement in the implementation of practice guidelines aimed at reducing the use of pre-operative tests in patients at low anaesthetic risk undergoing elective surgery.

Intervention: A 6 month (September 1997 to February 1998) strategy based upon organization of local meetings involving health professionals from six hospitals of Canton Ticino (Switzerland).

Design: Observational study (pre/post) of pre-operative test utilization between March 1996 and December 1998.

[Evaluation of the impact of guidelines for rationalizing the prescription of preop tests for patients ASA 1 and 2 undergoing elective surgery].

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of implementation of guidelines aimed at reducing the use of laboratory and diagnostic preoperative tests in patients with low anesthesiologic risk, admitted to six public hospital of Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale in Cantone Ticino (Switzerland).

Design: Observational study.

Methods: Time series analysis of patterns of use of preoperative tests, on 14,585 patients admitted to public hospitals form March 1996 to June 1998.