Graphical analysis of guideline adherence to detect systemwide anomalies in HIV diagnostic testing.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Analyses of electronic medical databases often compare clinical practice to guideline recommendations. These analyses have a limited ability to simultaneously evaluate many interconnected medical decisions. We aimed to overcome this limitation with an alternative method and apply it to the diagnostic workup of HIV, where misuse can contribute to HIV transmission, delay care, and incur unnecessary costs.

Methods

We used graph theory to assess patterns of HIV diagnostic testing in a national healthcare system. We modeled the HIV diagnostic testing guidelines as a directed graph. Each node in the graph represented a test, and the edges pointed from one test to the next in chronological order. We then graphed each patient's HIV testing. This set of patient-level graph

SUBMITTER: Hauser RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9249187 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature