title: Evaluating the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases at an urban public hospital outpatient clinic.
abstract: Sexually transmitted diseases occur disproportionately among the poor, are often treated in public hospitals and clinics, and have not been subjected to quality-of-care evaluation. We designed a medical record abstraction system using well-established, specific process-of-care criteria drawn from the medical literature and experts and grouped into three levels of quality: excellent, adequate, and minimal. One hundred seventy-six consecutive patients were identified from the clinic logbook and their medical records abstracted. Deficiencies in history taking, physical examination, laboratory testing, treatment, and public health reporting were identified.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Shekelle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosecoff
mesh_terms: D000043:Abstracting and Indexing / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000592:standards; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000592:standards; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*