Context: The peer review process in small rural hospitals is complicated by limited numbers of physicians, conflict of interest, issues related to appropriate utilization of new technology, possibility for conflicting recommendations, and need for external expertise.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to design, test, and implement a virtual peer review system for small rural hospitals in Texas. We sought to define the characteristics of a virtual peer review system in the context of rural health care, and to explore the benefits from peer review administration within a rural network supported by a university.
Methods: Physicians from small rural hospitals participated in pilot testing of the system. Policies and procedures reflecting the innovative character of the new peer review process were developed based on legal/regulatory requirements and desired educational focus of the process. An information technology system to support the virtual peer review was selected, tested, and deployed.
Findings: The system tests suggested feasibility of the procedures, reliability of the communication lines, and functional anonymity of the hospitals and physicians participating in the virtual peer review. Participating institutions and individual physicians expressed satisfaction with the reliability and user friendliness of the system as demonstrated during the pilot tests.
Conclusions: Hospital licensing and accreditation require a process to monitor and evaluate the care of patients. Utilizing means of virtual communication is a viable option for small rural hospitals. This process is dependable, user-friendly and provides functional anonymity to participating hospitals and physicians. The peer review system has successfully functioned since 2004.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2008.00174.x | DOI Listing |
Front Psychol
December 2024
Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Introduction: It has long been known that highly arousing emotional single items are better recollected than low arousing neutral items. Despite the robustness of this memory advantage, emotional arousing events may not always promote the retrieval of source details (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor Res (Fayettev)
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
Polyphenols, as one of the primary compounds produced by plant secondary metabolism, have garnered considerable attention because of their non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable properties, as well as their notable medicinal value. This study presents a metabolomic analysis of polyphenols from 11 woody plants, including , , and , investigating a total of 40 polyphenolic metabolites. A differential metabolite dynamics map highlighted the five most differentiated substances among the 11 plants, including vitexin, dihydromyricetin, genistin, resveratrol, and isorhamnetin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCan Med Educ J
December 2024
Department of Community Health Sciences, Addiction Studies and Research Programs, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Background And Objective: Virtual patient simulations are cost-effective methods for training health professionals. Yet, this teaching method is rarely used with clinicians who work or plan on working with people with substance use disorders. This scoping review summarizes the current state of the literature concerning virtual substance use disorder patient simulations in health professionals' training and provides suggestions for future directions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRen Fail
December 2025
Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Identifying risk factors for disease onset and progression has been a core focus in nephrology research. Mendelian Randomization (MR) has emerged as a powerful genetic epidemiological approach, utilizing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to establish causal relationships between modifiable risk factors and kidney disease outcomes. MR uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to infer causal relationships between exposures and disease outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
December 2024
Centre for Mindfulness-Based Research and Practices, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common and second most deadly cancer worldwide, with significant morbidity and mortality risks. Despite advancements in surgical care, postoperative complications and recovery challenges persist. The severity of these issues is linked to preoperative functional capacity and emotional distress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!