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2023-12-28

Wennberg J, Gittelsohn A. Small Area Variations in Health Care Delivery A population-based health information system can guide planning and regulatory decision-making. Science. 1973;182(4117):1102-1108.

Link

Empirical study

Groups

Organisations - hospitals

Variation

A seminal paper from one of the pioneers in the study of the wide and often unjustified variations in clinical practices from place to place. It is worth noting and rather depressing that this important paper was rejected by several leading medical journals. In some services the importance of looking for and correcting unjustified variations in the evidence based processes, outcomes and costs of clinical practice are still overlooked.

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