Sumario: | In partnership with the Army Medical Department (AMEDD), RAND researchers worked to implement clinical practice guidelines in treatment of three common ailments (asthma, diabetes, and low back pain). This report is an evaluation of the asthma practice guideline demonstration. It documents the extent to which intended actions were implemented, assesses short-term effects on clinical practices, and measures the quality and limitations of available data for monitoring practice improvements and clinical outcomes. The authors found that, although the implementation scored some notable successes, resource limitations and organizational barriers curbed overall progress. They conclude that allowing for flexibility, monitoring the facilities consistently, and training providers thoroughly are the keys to implementing the practice guidelines throughout AMEDD. The also concluded that patient education was an area in need of improvement
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