Skip to main content

Table 3 Variables included in multi-level analysis

From: Effectiveness of computerized point-of-care reminders on adherence with multiple clinical recommendations by primary health care providers: protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Variable

Explanation

Variables at the reminder level

 Type of clinical activity requireda

Preventive or follow-up activities, immunizations, treatment initiation

 Reminder generated

Yes or no

 Clinical situation can be improved

Described in Table 1

 Age and sexa

Older populations generate a higher number of clinical situations that can be improved because of the relationship between age and morbidities

 Comorbidity, weighted according to CRGa

CRG (Clinical related groups) classify patients according to morbidity, based on diagnoses, status and severity in different categories. Each category has a morbidity weight. A priori, greater morbidity should generate a greater number of improvable clinical situations

Variables at the professional/PCC level

 Socioeconomic level of the PCC

Medea Index

 Rurality

Construct based on size of municipality and population/Km2

 Teaches family medicine

PCC or team member is accredited for postbaccalaureate training in Family and Community Medicine

 Teaches basic nursing

PCC or team member is accredited for baccalaureate training in Nursing

 Percentage of assigned population visiting the PCC previous year

Percentage of the assigned population who visited the PCC/individual health professional during the year prior to the study. A priori, professionals who see a larger percentage of their assigned patients have more opportunities for interventions to improve clinical situations.

 Frequency of patient visits

Number of visits per year/population with at least one visit in the previous year. A priori, a greater number of patient contacts with a health professional will yield more opportunities to correct clinical situations.

 EQA

Synthetic clinical indicator consisting of a group of indicators based on scientific evidence.

 EQPF

Synthetic indicator developed by the ICS Department of Medication Strategy, including 21 indicators related to the quality of the prescription

 EQR

Synthetic indicator that analyses the difference between population prevalence and a patient cohort, which identifies professionals with a good level of recording quality

  1. EQA quality care indicator, EQPF prescription quality indicator, EQR quality of data recording, CRG clinical related groups, PCC primary care centre
  2. aAnonymized data from patient records