Use of Adjuvant Cisplatin-Based Versus Carboplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Findings From the Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care.

Purpose: For patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer, national guidelines recommend cisplatin-based doublet chemotherapy as the preferred treatment. However, many patients receive a carboplatin-based regimen instead. We aimed to identify factors associated with use of a cisplatin-based regimen and explore its association with other quality-of-care measures.

Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care: Changes in Psychosocial Quality of Care Indicators Over a 3-Year Interval.

Purpose: Identifying and addressing psychosocial concerns is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of cancer care that needs to be improved. As part of the Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care, medical record reviews were conducted to evaluate cancer care, including psychosocial care, at oncology practices in Florida in 2006. Results were subsequently disseminated to the practices, and performance was reassessed at the same practices in 2009.

Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care: improvements in breast cancer quality indicators during a 3-year interval.

Background: The Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care (FIQCC), composed of 11 practice sites across Florida, conducted its initial evaluation of adherence to breast cancer quality of care indicators (QCI) in 2006, with feedback provided to encourage quality improvement efforts at participating sites. In this study, our objective was to reassess changes over time resulting from these efforts.

Study Design: Quality care indicators were derived from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American College of Surgeons, and expert panel consensus.

Changes in the care of non-small-cell lung cancer after audit and feedback: the Florida initiative for quality cancer care.

Purpose: Audit and feedback have been widely used to enhance the performance of various medical practices. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common diseases encountered in medical oncology practice. We investigated the use of audit and feedback to improve the care of NSCLC.

Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care: improvements on colorectal cancer quality of care indicators during a 3-year interval.

Background: The quality of cancer care has become a national priority; however, there are few ongoing efforts to assist medical oncology practices in identifying areas for improvement. The Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care is a consortium of 11 medical oncology practices that evaluates the quality of cancer care across Florida. Within this practice-based system of self-assessment, we determined adherence to colorectal cancer quality of care indicators (QCIs) in 2006, disseminated results to each practice and reassessed adherence in 2009.

Quality of care in non-small-cell lung cancer: findings from 11 oncology practices in Florida.

Background: Limited data on the quality of care in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are available. This study aims to assess the quality of care in NSCLC among 11 medical oncology practices in Florida and to explore the impact of practice volume on care.

Methods: Clinical guidelines and existing indicators were reviewed, and an expert survey was conducted to identify a set of process-based quality of care indicators (QI).

Degree of variability in performance on breast cancer quality indicators: findings from the Florida initiative for quality cancer care.

Purpose: The Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care (FIQCC) comprises 11 Florida practice sites that participate in comprehensive reviews of quality of care specific to patients with cancer. Here, we examined site adherence to performance indicators to assess quality of care for patients with breast cancer (BC).

Methods: Quality indicators were scripted on the basis of accepted guidelines from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American College of Surgeons, and site-specific expert panel consensus.

Positional stretching of the coracohumeral ligament on a patient with adhesive capsulitis: a case report.

Idiopathic frozen shoulder is a common medical diagnosis for patients seeking physical therapy. Radiographic and surgical evidence exists that describes the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) as a major contributor to lack of external rotation in patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder. No stretching techniques targeting the anatomical fiber orientation of the CHL have been reported in the literature.

Treating hyperglycemia and diabetes with insulin therapy: transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

Context: Intensive insulin therapy is recommended to control glucose elevations in the critically ill and has been shown to significantly improve outcomes among hospital inpatients with acute hyperglycemia or newly diagnosed diabetes. Once discharged, the hyperglycemic patient may require ongoing outpatient care, most often under the attention of a primary care physician.

Evidence Acquisition: The purpose of this review is to provide a background of in-hospital hyperglycemia management and discharge planning in preparation for continued outpatient care.

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the vagina: case report with review of the literature, immunohistochemical study, and evaluation for human papilloma virus.

The patient was a 57-year-old white woman who presented with a 3.0 x 2.0-cm partially ulcerated vaginal polyp.

Transforming the traditional discharge planning manual.

Discharge planning resources change frequently, and keeping them current, available, and accessible to case management (CM) staff and others is a challenge. Given the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of updating, many organizations revise them in preparation for the tri-annual survey or when they are hopelessly out-of-date. The reality is that CM staff and others involved with discharges have their own personal "little black book" of resources.

Delirium in the acute care setting.

Older adults are at particular risk for developing delirium, which is often not recognized by health care providers in the acute care setting. Early recog nition with a standardized assessment process provides early treatment. Multifactorial approaches that can be utilized when treating the patient with delirium are described.

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

A spontaneous pneumothorax is a relatively common clinical problem in the United States. A primary spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in otherwise healthy individuals, especially in young adults. It is important for adult-health/medical-surgical nurses to understand the recommended medical treatment and nursing management for patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

Families of youngsters speak out: what works/what doesn't.

This article focuses on the impact of brain injury on families of children and adolescents. It involves an unscientific study of nine families whose youngsters sustained brain injuries ranging from 3.5 to 17 years of age at the time of injury.