Practice-Based Evidence (PBE) Project Areas

Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment in Hospitals. Study to improve prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients.

Population: 2,500 at-risk patients/2,500 admissions from 1992 to 1993 in a tertiary-care hospital in the Rocky Mountain West.

Managed Care Outcomes Project. Study to assess consequences of HMO cost containment policies. Further analyses include limiting mental health treatments.

Population: 13,158 patients/90,158 visits/1,871 admissions from 1992 to 1993 (patients followed for one year) in six HMOs throughout the US.

Abdominal Surgery. Study to prevent complications in abdominal surgery. Further analyses include optimal nutrition treatments, pain control (use of PCA pumps), and use of drains vs. extensive irrigation.

Population: 1,007 patients/1,007 admissions from 1994 to 1997 in eight hospitals in the Pacific West.

Pediatric Asthma and Bronchiolitis. Study to improve treatment of asthma and bronchiolitis and to measure pediatric severity of illness generally.

Population: Severity of illness data for 13,884 patients/16,557 admissions from 1995 to 1996 in 10 pediatric hospitals throughout the US. PBE data for 762 asthma patients and 782 bronchiolitis patients.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. Study to improve surgical processes and CABG outcomes.

Population: 2,241 patients/2,243 admissions from 1994 to 1996 in 15 hospitals throughout the US.

Bone Marrow Transplant and Colorectal Cancer. Study to improve nutritional support during chemotherapy and radiotherapy for bone marrow transplant or colorectal cancer patients.

Population: 352 bone marrow transplant patients/443 admissions from 1995 to 1997 in four tertiary-care hospitals in the Northeast and Southwest, and 217 colorectal cancer patients/137 admissions/791 visits from 1992 to 1996 in four hospitals in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Southwest.

Congestive Heart Failure. Studies to improve treatment of congestive heart failure.

Populations: 215 patients/338 admissions/791 visits from 1995 to 1996 in a hospital in the Pacific Northwest, and 116 patients/384 admissions/316 visits from 1994 to 1996 in a hospital in the mid-Atlantic region.

National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study. Study to improve prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in long-term care. Further analyses include best care for nutrition deficiencies, incontinence, dementia, and nurse staffing.

Population: 2,486 patients from 1996 to 1997 in 109 facilities belonging to six long-term-care provider systems throughout the US.

Falls in Hospitals. Study to improve prevention of falls in hospitals.

Population: 280 patients/285 admissions from 1995 to 1996 in a hospital in the Pacific Northwest.

Abdominal Surgery Complications. Study to prevent complications in abdominal surgery.

Population: 977 patients/977 admissions from 1997 to 1998 in three hospitals in the Rocky Mountain West.

Diabetes. Study to prevent diabetic complications through outpatient diabetes care.

Population: 228 patients/3072 clinic visits from 1997 to 1999 in four ambulatory practices in the Pacific West.

Telemedicine Depression Study. Study to discover impact of telemedicine to treat depression in patients in rural areas.

Population: 998 patients/4,273 clinic visits from 1999 to 2000 in rural settings in the Midwest.

Telemedicine Dermatology Study. Study to discover impact of telemedicine to treat dermatology patients in rural areas.

Population: 343 patients/779 visits from 1999 to 2000 in rural settings in the Midwest.

IV Heparin Study. Study to discover optimal ways to prevent IV Heparin medication errors.

Population: 426 patients from 2001 to 2003 in six hospitals in the Pacific West.

National Hospice Outcomes Project. Study to discover optimal pain control, dyspnea control, and self-determined life closure for hospice patients.

Population: 1,306 patients from 2001 to 2003 in 13 hospices throughout the US.

C-Section Study. Study to discover optimal labor and delivery methods to reduce C-section rates and prevent labor and delivery complications.

Population: 1,343 labor and delivery patients from December 2001 and January 2002 in 8 southwest Texas hospitals.

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Outcomes Project. Study to determine optimal interventions in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Population: 1,291 patients from 2001 to 2003 in 7 inpatient rehabilitation facilities (six across the US and one in New Zealand).

Joint Replacement Outcomes in IRFs and Nursing Treatment Sites. Study to discover optimal interventions in hip and knee joint replacement rehabilitation.

Population: 2,158 hip and knee replacement rehabilitation patients from February 2006 through February 2007 in 8 freestanding skilled nursing facilities, one hospital-based SNF, and 11 inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes Project. Study to discover optimal interventions in post-traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

Population: 2,315 traumatic brain injury rehabilitation patients from October 2008 through August 2011 in 10 inpatient rehabilitation facilities (9 across the US and one in Canada).

Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes Project. Study to discover optimal interventions in spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Population: 1,500 spinal cord injury rehabilitation patients from September 2007 through December 2009 in six inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the US.

Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Spinal Cord Injury. Study to discover optimal interventions to prevent pressure ulcers in spinal cord injury patients in hospitals and rehabilitation.

Population: 900 spinal cord injury patients from September 2007 through March 2010 in one hospital and one inpatient rehabilitation facility in the eastern US.

Turning Frequency in Nursing Home Residents. Study to determine the impact of turning at 2, 3, or 4 hour intervals for frail elderly nursing home residents.

Population: 900 frail nursing home residents from March 2008 through December 2010 in nursing homes across the US and Canada.

Pressure Ulcer Healing Outcomes Project. Study to determine optimal treatments for pressure ulcers at various stages.

Population: 700 frail nursing home residents with 1,261 pressure ulcers from December 2007 through December 2009 in nursing homes across the US.

Preventing Falls in Nursing Homes. Study to implement falls prevention strategies in nursing homes. (Study in progress)

Genetic Risk Factors for Severe Influenza in Children. Study to determine genetic factors that are associated with severe influenza in children. (Study in progress)

Severity of Illness Measurement Using the Comprehensive Severity Index.

Population: 14,324 patients/15,853 admissions from 1991 to 1992 in 13 ICUs in the Rocky Mountain West.

Population: 10,856 patients/13,962 admissions from 1993 to 1996 in a tertiary-care hospital in the Pacific West.

Population: 8,014 patients/9,554 admissions/51 visits from 1991 to 1995 in a tertiary-care hospital in the Rocky Mountain West.

Population: 3,490 patients/3,487 admissions/492 visits from 1993 to 1997 in a hospital system in the Midwest.

Population: 480 patients/480 admissions from 1993 to 1995 in a psychiatric hospital in Eastern Canada.