Impact of a new palliative care consultation team on opioid prescription in a University Hospital

BMC Palliative Care

Table 4 Proposed Indicator of efficiency and ratio of improvement in pain treatment in oncology inpatients

Indicators	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Efficiency index	37%	45%	50%	64%	61%	82%	87%
Rate of improvement	-	12%	11%	27%	-7%	54%	27%

(we estimate that 64% of oncology inpatients have to be under opioid treatment: see in the text). Efficiency index [DDD/1000HS × 640^-1 × 100]: Proportion of patients receiving opioid treatments in relation to the total number estimated who should be receiving them. Rate of improvement [(Final DDD/1000HS - Initial DDD/1000HS) × (640 - Initial DDD/1000HS)^-1 × 100]: Proportion of patients requiring opioids who began to use them in the time considered.

ISSN: 1472-684X