Quality Patient Care

Quality Patient Care Synopsis

This issue of Medical Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Marc Shalaby and Edward Bollard, is devoted to Quality Patient Care: Making Evidence-Based, High Value Choices. Articles in this issue include: Cardiovascular testing in asymptomatic patients: carotid duplex, cardiac stress testing, screen for PVD; Utility of echocardiogram in the evaluation of heart murmurs; Evidenced-based recommendations for the evaluation of palpitations in the primary care setting; Radiologic evaluation of common orthopedic complaints: low back pain, non-traumatic knee/shoulder/hip pain, and ankle injuries; Indications and usefulness of common injections for non-traumatic orthopedic complaints - shoulder, trochanteric bursa, epidural injections, tennis elbow, and knee; The evidence-based evaluation of chronic cough; Evaluation of uncomplicated headache; Evaluation of syncope; Pre-operative assessment:

• Cataract surgery, pre-operative EKG testing, screening for cardiopulmonary disease, urinalysis, coagulation studies, other lab assessments
• The approach to occult GI bleed
• The role of EGD surveillance for patients with Barrett's esophagus
• The evidence-based evaluation of iron deficiency anemia
• Cancer screening in the elderly
• Utilization and safety of common over the counter dietary/nutritional supplements, herbal agents and homeopathic compounds for disease prevention
• Utilization of oxygen for the patient with dyspnea
• IV fluids, enteral or parenteral nutrition
• and Symptom control at the end of life