Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27059020›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2016

Utilizing distributional analytics and electronic records to assess timeliness of inpatient blood glucose monitoring in non-critical care wards.

Ying Chen, Shih Ling Kao, E-Shyong Tai, Hwee Lin Wee, Eric Yin Hao Khoo, Yilin Ning, Mark Kevin Salloway, Xiaodong Deng, Chuen Seng Tan

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 29% 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ying ChenSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S117549, Singapore.
Shih Ling KaoDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S119228, Singapore.
E-Shyong TaiDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S119228, Singapore.
Hwee Lin WeeSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S117549, Singapore.
Eric Yin Hao KhooDepartment of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, S119543, Singapore.
Yilin NingDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S119228, Singapore.
Mark Kevin SallowaySaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S117549, Singapore.
Xiaodong DengSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S117549, Singapore.
Chuen Seng TanSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, S117549, Singapore. chuen_seng_tan@nuhs.edu.sg.
National University Health System · SGNational University of Singapore · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRegular and timely monitoring of blood glucose (BG) levels in hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus is crucial to optimizing inpatient glycaemic control. However, methods to quantify timeliness as a measurement of quality of care are lacking. We propose an analytical approach that utilizes BG measurements from electronic records to assess adherence to an inpatient BG monitoring protocol in hospital wards.

methodsWe applied our proposed analytical approach to electronic records obtained from 24 non-critical care wards in November and December 2013 from a tertiary care hospital in Singapore. We applied distributional analytics to evaluate daily adherence to BG monitoring timings. A one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (1S-KS) test was performed to test daily BG timings against non-adherence represented by the uniform distribution. This test was performed among wards with high power, determined through simulation. The 1S-KS test was coupled with visualization via the cumulative distribution function (cdf) plot and a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (2S-KS) test, enabling comparison of the BG timing distributions between two consecutive days. We also applied mixture modelling to identify the key features in daily BG timings.

resultsWe found that 11 out of the 24 wards had high power. Among these wards, 1S-KS test with cdf plots indicated adherence to BG monitoring protocols. Integrating both 1S-KS and 2S-KS information within a moving window consisting of two consecutive days did not suggest frequent potential change from or towards non-adherence to protocol. From mixture modelling among wards with high power, we consistently identified four components with high concentration of BG measurements taken before mealtimes and around bedtime. This agnostic analysis provided additional evidence that the wards were adherent to BG monitoring protocols.

conclusionsWe demonstrated the utility of our proposed analytical approach as a monitoring tool. It provided information to healthcare providers regarding the timeliness of daily BG measurements. From the real data application, there were empirical evidences suggesting adherence of BG timings to protocol among wards with adequate power for assessing timeliness. Our approach is extendable to other areas of healthcare where timeliness of patient care processes is important.

Indexed as

Outcome Assessment, Health CareBlood GlucoseDiabetes MellitusElectronic Health RecordsFemaleHospital UnitsHumansInpatientsMaleModels, StatisticalMonitoring, PhysiologicSingaporeTertiary Care CentersTime FactorsBlood GlucoseDiabetes mellitusDistributional analyticsElectronic medical recordsInpatientQuality of careTimeliness

Identifiers

PMID27059020
PMCPMC4826539
OpenAlexW2323743939

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.