A cluster randomized controlled Trial to Evaluate an Ambulatory primary care Management program for patients with dyslipidemia: the TEAM study
Julie Villeneuve PhD, Jacques Genest MD, Lucie Blais PhD and colleagues
March 8, 2010

Patients who got collaborative care for dyslipidemia made more visits to health care professionals, underwent more laboratory tests and were more likely to have modifications made to their medications than those getting usual care. Unfortunately, this did not translate into better control of their dyslipidemia. This is the finding of a cluster randomized controlled trial in which community pharmacists were responsible for titrating lipid-lowering medication. Full article

RESEARCH: Effect of point-of-care computer reminders on physician
COMMENTARY: Good prescribing: better systems and prescribers needed

Effect of point-of-care computer reminders on physician behaviour: a systematic review
Kaveh G. Shojania MD, Alison Jennings MA, Alain Mayhew RPT MSc and colleagues
March 8, 2010

Computer reminders to physicians at the point of care made only small to modest improvements in processes of care. Shojania and colleagues come to this conclusion from their systematic review, which included 28 trials. The improvements in care were no larger than those achieved with paper reminders, say the authors. Full article

RESEARCH: The TEAM study
COMMENTARY: Good prescribing: better systems and prescribers needed

Derivation and validation of an index to predict early death or unplanned readmission after discharge from hospital to the community
Carl van Walraven MD, Irfan A. Dhalla MD, Chaim Bell MD and colleagues
March 1, 2010

In a prospective cohort study, 48 patient-level and admission-level variables were collected for 4812 medical and surgical patients who were discharged to the community from 11 hospitals in Ontario. The authors used a split-sample design to derive and validate an index to predict the risk of death or non-elective readmission within 30 days after discharge. Full article