Limitations in use of the medical record face sheet to determine appropriateness of permanent pacemaker insertion

D. H. Dembo, L. Scherlis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Public Citizen Health Research Group, a Ralph Nader-affiliated organization, reported to Richard S. Schweiker, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources in July 1982 that 36 percent of all permanent pacemakers inserted in Maryland during 1979 and 1980 were inserted for unnecessary or questionable reasons. It was suggested that if this were representative of national trends, $280 million per year are wasted on unnecessary pacemakers in the United States. They reviewed information derived from face sheet data on 2,222 patients in Maryland hospitals who had been reported as having permanent pacemakers inserted in 1979 and 1980. The present study was initiated by the Maryland Society of Cardiology to ascertain validity of the Health Research Group report in using only face sheet data for determination of appropriateness of procedures and accuracy of diagnoses. This report more completely discusses the problems with such analyses than did the original publication and emphasizes the risks of drawing conclusions from face sheet data.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)360-364
Number of pages5
JournalMaryland State Medical Journal
Volume32
Issue number5
StatePublished - Jan 1 1983

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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