Evidence map›Paper›PMID 11258209›Full record

ArticleCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2001

Guidelines as rationing tools: a qualitative analysis of psychosocial patient selection criteria for cardiac procedures.

M K Giacomini, D J Cook, D L Streiner, S S Anand

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2001. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Nonclinical factors in patient selection for surgery.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2001
    Article
  4. Psychosocial patient selection criteria in clinical practice guidelines: an ethical basis for rationing?CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2001
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

M K GiacominiDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. giacomin@mcmaster.ca
D J Cook
D L Streiner
S S Anand
McMaster University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiac procedure guidelines often include psychosocial criteria for selecting patients that potentially introduce social value judgements into clinical decisions and decisions about the rationing of care. The aim of this study was to investigate the terms and justifications for and the meanings of psychosocial patient characteristics used in cardiac procedure guidelines.

methodsWe selected English-language guidelines published since 1990 and chapters in textbooks published since 1989. These guidelines amalgamated multiple sources of evidence and expertise and made recommendations regarding patient selection for specific procedures. A multidisciplinary team of physicians and social scientists extracted passages regarding psychosocial criteria and developed categories and conceptual relationships to describe and interpret their content.

resultsSixty-five papers met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Forty-five (69%) mentioned psychosocial criteria as procedure indications or contraindications. The latter fell into several categories, including behavioural and psychological issues, relationships with significant others, financial resources, social roles and environmental circumstances.

interpretationPsychosocial characteristics are portrayed as having 2 roles in patient selection: as risk factors intrinsic to the candidate or as indicators of need for special intervention. Guidelines typically simply list psychosocial contraindications without clarifying their specific nature or providing any justification for their use. Psychosocial considerations can help in the evaluation of patients for cardiac procedures, but they become ethically controversial when used to restrict access. The use of psychosocial indications and contraindications could be improved by more precise descriptions of the psychosocial problem at issue, explanations regarding why the criterion matters and justification of the characteristic using a biological rationale or research evidence.

Indexed as

Cardiac Surgical ProceduresEthics, MedicalHealth Care RationingPatient SelectionPractice Guidelines as TopicSocial SupportAttitude of Health PersonnelHumansPatient CompliancePreoperative CareQualitative ResearchSocioeconomic FactorsVulnerable PopulationsEmpirical ApproachHealth Care and Public HealthProfessional Patient Relationship

Identifiers

PMID11258209
PMCPMC80816
OpenAlexW2161089709

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.