Objective: To study the influence of rheumatologists’ adherence to a methotrexate guideline on efficacy and toxicity in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: In a 48 week randomised controlled trial of methotrexate, comparing folates with placebo, rheumatologists were advised on methotrexate dosage using a guideline reflecting daily practice. The influence of guideline non-adherence o...

Purpose: To evaluate doctors’ adherence to Malaysian Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) 2009 in established diabetic patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, renal diseases, obesity, and also to assess factors associated with guideline adherence and diabetes mellitus control in Pulau Pinang Hospital, Malaysia. Method: Prescriptions written by 24 doctors for 480 established diabetic patients wit...

OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify barriers for meeting the fruit, vegetable and fish guidelines in older Dutch adults and to investigate socio-economic status (SES) differences in these barriers. Furthermore, we examined the mediating role of these barriers in the association between SES and adherence to these guidelines. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA...

BACKGROUND Numerous practice guidelines have been developed for patients with low back pain in an attempt to reduce inappropriate variations and improve the cost-effectiveness of care. Guideline implementation has received more research attention than the impact of adherence to guideline recommendations on outcomes and costs of care. OBJECTIVE Examine the association between adherence to the ...

BACKGROUND National guidelines recommend heart failure (HF) disease management programs to facilitate adherence to evidence-based practices. This study examined the influence of dedicated HF clinics on delivery of guideline-recommended therapies for cardiology practice outpatients with HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. METHODS IMPROVE HF, a prospective cohort study, enrolled ...

OBJECTIVES The goals of this analysis were to determine: 1) whether guideline-based care during hospitalization for a myocardial infarction (MI) varied as a function of patients' baseline risk; and 2) whether temporal improvements in guideline adherence occurred in all risk groups. BACKGROUND Guideline-based care of patients with MI improves outcomes, especially among those at higher risk. Pr...

BACKGROUND Sickness absence due to common mental disorders (such as depression, anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder) is a problem in many Western countries. Long-term sickness absence leads to substantial societal and financial costs. In workers with common mental disorders, sickness absence costs are much higher than medical costs. In the Netherlands, a practice guideline was developed that ...

BACKGROUND Low back pain (LBP) is common and associated healthcare costs are significant. While clinical practice guidelines have been established in an attempt to reduce costs and healthcare utilization, it is unclear if adherence to physical therapy guidelines for those with LBP is efficacious. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current evidence and evaluate the impact of phys...