Rand Ucla Appropriateness Meth - Softcover

Fitch, Kathryn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0833029185 ISBN 13: 9780833029188

Publisher: RAND Corporation, 2001

Synopsis

Health systems should function in such a way that the amount of inappropriate care is minimized, while at the same time stinting as little as possible on appropriate and necessary care. The ability to determine and identify which care is overused and which is underused is essential to this functioning. To this end, the "Rand/UCLA Appropriateness Method" was developed in the 1980s. It has been further developed and refined in North America and, increasingly, in Europe. The rationale behind the method is that randomized clinical trialsthe "gold standard" for evidencebased medicineare generally either not available or cannot provide evidence at a level of detail sufficient to apply to the wide range of patients seen in everyday clinical practice. Although robust scientific evidence about the benefits of many procedures is lacking, physicians must nonetheless make decisions every day about when to use them. Consequently, a method was developed that combined the best available scientific evidence with the collective judgment of experts to yield a statement regarding the appropriateness of performing a procedure at the level of patientspecific symptoms, medical history, and test results. This manual presents stepbystep guidelines for conceptualising, designing, and carrying out a study of the appropriateness of medical or surgical procedures (for either diagnosis or treatment) using the Rand/UCLA Appropriateness Method. The manual distills the experience of many researchers in North America and Europe and presents current (as of the year 2000) thinking on the subject. Although the manual is selfcontained and complete, the authors do not recommend that those unfamiliar with the Rand/UCLA Appropriateness Method independently conduct an appropriateness study; instead, they suggest "seeing one" before "doing one." To this end, contact information is provided to assist potential users of the method.

About this title

Synopsis:

The concepts of appropriate and necessary health care are fundamental to the creation of an efficent and equitable healthcare delivery system. To this end the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method (RAM) was developed by RAND and UCLA in the 1980s and has been further refined in North America and Europe. This manual presents step-by-step guidelines for conceptualising, designing and carrying out a study of the appropriateness of medical or surgical procedures for either medical diagnosis or treatment.

About the Author:

James Paul Kahan (Ph.D., 1968, Mathematical Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is the Research Director, Rand Europe, Leiden, The Netherlands.

About this edition

• Publisher: RAND Corporation
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0833029185
• ISBN 13: 9780833029188
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 124