Table A4: GRADE Evidence Profile for Measures of Efficiency.
| No. of Studies (Design) | Risk of Bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Upgrade Considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of PCPs Receiving Discharge Summary Within 1-7 Days | |||||||
| 1 (RCT) | No serious limitations | Not relevant | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕⊕⊕⊕ High |
| Time to First Measure of LDL-C | |||||||
| 1 (RCT) | Serious limitations (−1)a | Not relevant | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
| Time to Change in Statin Prescription | |||||||
| 1 (RCT) | Serious limitations (−1)a | Not relevant | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
| Time Spent by Providers With Patients | |||||||
| 1 (RCT) | Very serious limitations (−2)b | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
| Time Spent by Nurses With Patients | |||||||
| 1 (RCT) | Very serious limitations (−2)b | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
| Number of Letters From GP to Consultant | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)c | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
| Number of Letters From Consultant to GP | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)c | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
| Number of Patient Contacts With GP | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)c | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
| Number of Patient Contacts With Consultant | |||||||
| 1 (observational) | Serious limitations (−1)c | Not relevant | Serious limitations (−1)d | No serious limitations | Undetected | None identified | ⊕ Very low |
Abbreviations: GP, general practitioner; eTool, electronic tool; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; PCP, primary care physician; No., number; RCT, randomized controlled trial;
Potential bias as a result of cross-contamination of study groups.
Physicians to receive intervention were nominated by the study sites, but with unknown selection methodology. Additionally, while the study design was that of an RCT, this outcome was measured through observational data collected.
Physicians with greatest number of referrals were provided with electronic intervention, while the others were considered the control group.
The correlation between physician time and quality of patient care is unclear. Decrease physician time spent with a patient could be due to improved efficiency or decreased quality of care.