Background: Endoscopies are commonly performed in the inpatient setting, and successful completion frequently requires close coordination among nurses, hospitalists, gastroenterologists, and anesthesiologists. Given the complexity of this multidisciplinary involvement, as well as variability in patient factors like clinical stability and presentation, endoscopies are prone to delays. These delays may cause frustration amongst care providers and [...]

Background: There were nearly 33,000 admissions to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in fiscal year 2017. Symptom-triggered management is the standard of care and, when employed effectively, the number of medication doses during admission is a good proxy for clinical severity of withdrawal. Several evidence-based algorithms for outpatient management of [...]

Background: There were nearly 33,000 admissions to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in fiscal year 2017. Symptom-triggered management is the standard of care and, when employed effectively, the number of medication doses during admission is a good proxy for clinical severity of withdrawal. Several evidence-based algorithms for outpatient management of [...]

Background: Hospital Onset Clostridium difficile infection (HOCDI) is one of the most common causes of hospital acquired diarrhea. As per a recent study, the mean healthcare costs attributable to primary Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is about $24,205 per patient. This would be a lot more if the patients were to be discharged to skilled nursing [...]

Background: Endoscopies are commonly performed in the inpatient setting, and successful completion frequently requires close coordination among nurses, hospitalists, gastroenterologists, and anesthesiologists. Given the complexity of this multidisciplinary involvement, as well as variability in patient factors like clinical stability and presentation, endoscopies are prone to delays. These delays may cause frustration amongst care providers and [...]

Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are often used as devices to extend intravenous treatment for hospitalized patients in post-acute settings. Variation between hospitals, indications for use, device characteristics, and outcomes for patients who receive PICCs and are discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is not well known. Methods: Trained abstractors used a standardized approach [...]