The Feasibility of Tracking Elective Deliveries Prior to 39 Gestational Weeks: Lessons From Three California Projects.

The tracking of elective deliveries (ED) prior to 39 gestational weeks has become a mandatory requirement for all hospitals with ≥1,100 deliveries for accreditation by The Joint Commission (TJC); however, the feasibility and accuracy of monitoring efforts remain problematic for many hospitals. Here, we evaluated the feasibility of three operational approaches to tracking ED. We used mixed methods to evaluate the feasibility of 3 different approaches to tracking ED: (1) using administrative data, (2) using electronic medical record (EMR) data, and (3) using targeted data collection in a county-wide quality improvement (QI) effort.

Cardiovascular disease knowledge among culturally Deaf patients in Chicago.

Background: Deaf persons experience communication barriers that may impact on their knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, data measuring this deficit are limited. A comprehensive health survey of Deaf adults included questions on CVD knowledge.

Methods: Between November 2002 and March 2003, 203 Deaf adults participated in the survey, which was conducted via face-to-face interviews in American Sign Language.

The effects of cocaine and heroin use on intubation rates and hospital utilization in patients with acute asthma exacerbations.

Background: The use of both heroin and cocaine has been associated with asthma exacerbations. However, the magnitude of this effect has not been adequately described. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between cocaine or heroin use and asthma severity.