Hospitals that participate in clinical trials appear to provide better care for patients with heart attacks or other acute heart events, and to have lower death rates than hospitals that do not participate in clinical trials, according to a report in the March 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Quality of care for common conditions such as acute coronary syndromes has slowly improved after the implementation of clinical guidelines, performance measurement, and quality improvement efforts. Recent studies suggest that physician leadership, presence of shared goals, administrative support, and credible feedback are associated with better hospital performance. Three of these characteristics are also believed to be important in successfully conducting hospital-based clinical trials.For the full story in the April 10, 2008 issue of the ACRP Wire, click here.For more information about the ACRP Wire, click here.