Impact of Training on Adherence to Clinical Guidelines and Improving Hospital Indicators in Urology Department: A Case Study
نویسندگان
1 Department of Urology, Medical Faculty, Tabriz Medical University, Tabriz, Iran
2 Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management (IceHM), Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management (IceHM), Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management (IceHM), Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
doi
10.22034/ircmj.2025.510767.1966چکیده
Background and Objectives: The integration of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) into clinical practice has become increasingly essential for improving patient care and surgical outcomes across various medical disciplines, including urology. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in adherence to clinical guidelines for transurethral lithotripsy (TUL) and transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), as well as in two hospital indicators—length of stay(LOS) and drug costs—between physicians trained in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and those who are untrained. Methods: This study employed a quantitative descriptive design within the urology department at Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz. A total of 325 patient records were analyzed. The sample size, collected over a three-month period (September 22 to December 20) was determined based on the number of additional visits recorded during this time, in consultation with clinical experts. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: For TUL, physicians who had received training demonstrated significantly shorter lengths of hospital stay, lower medication costs, and reduced prescriptions of Meropenem compared to untrained physicians, with all differences being statistically significant (P<0.001). Similarly, for TURBT, trained physicians showed higher rates of adherence to guideline-recommended Mitomycin prescriptions (P=0.008) and cytology requests (P=0.04). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that targeted training programs improved physicians’ adherence to CGs for TUL and TURBT, resulting in reduced LOS and lower medication costs. These findings underscore the importance of personalized educational strategies to support the effective implementation of clinical guidelines.
