Use of electronic medical record data for quality improvement in schizophrenia treatment.
An understanding of the strengths and limitations of automated data is valuable when using administrative or clinical databases to monitor and improve the quality of health care. This study discusses the feasibility and validity of using data electronically extracted from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) computer database (VistA) to monitor guideline performance for inpatient and outpatient treatment of schizophrenia. The authors also discuss preliminary results and their experience in applying these methods to monitor antipsychotic prescribing using the South Central VA Healthcare Network (SCVAHCN) Data Warehouse as a tool for quality improvement.
Owen
Richard R
RR
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Health Services Research and Development Service, Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, North Little Rock 72114, USA. owenrichardr@uams.edu
Thrush
Carol R
CR
Cannon
Dale
D
Sloan
Kevin L
KL
Curran
Geoff
G
Hudson
Teresa
T
Austen
Mark
M
Ritchie
Mona
M
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019985:Benchmarking; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents