title: Appropriateness of percutaneous coronary interventions in Washington State.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In anticipation of applying Appropriate Use Criteria for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) quality improvement, we determined the prevalence of appropriate, uncertain, and inappropriate PCIs stratified by indication for all PCIs performed in the state of Washington.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program, we assigned appropriateness ratings to all PCIs performed in 2010 in accordance with published Appropriate Use Criteria. Of 13 291 PCIs, we successfully mapped the clinical scenario to the Appropriate Use Criteria in 9924 (75%) cases. Of the 3367 PCIs not classified, common failures to map to the criteria included nonacute PCI without prior noninvasive stress results (n = 1906; 57%) and unstable angina without high-risk features (n = 902; 27%). Of mapped PCIs, 8010 (71%) were for acute indications, with 7887 (98%) rated as appropriate, 39 (<1%) as uncertain, and 84 (1%) as inappropriate. Of 1914 mapped nonacute indications, 847 (44%) were rated as appropriate, 748 (39%) as uncertain, and 319 (17%) as inappropriate. Assuming results for noninvasive stress tests when data were missing, in the best-case scenario, 319 (8%) of nonacute PCIs were classified as inappropriate compared with 1459 (38%) in the worst-case scenario. Variation in inappropriate PCIs by facility was greatest for mapped nonacute indications (median = 14%; 25(th) to 75(th) percentiles = 9% to 24%) and nonacute indications with missing data precluding appropriateness classification (median = 54%; 25(th) to 75(th) percentiles = 35% to 66%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a complete cohort of PCIs performed in Washington state, 1% of PCIs for acute indications and 17% of PCIs for nonacute indications were classified as inappropriate. Missing data on noninvasive stress tests present a challenge in the application of the criteria for quality improvement.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA. Steven.Bradley@va.gov
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.forename: Chris L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bryson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014861:Washington