WorldWideScience

Sample records for general hospital setting

  1. [Philanthropic general hospitals: a new setting for psychiatric admissions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larrobla, Cristina; Botega, Neury José

    2006-12-01

    To understand the process that led Brazilian philanthropic general hospitals to implement psychiatric units and to describe the main characteristics and therapeutic approaches of these services. Ten institutions in three Brazilian states (Minas Gerais, São Paulo e Santa Catarina) were assessed in 2002. Forty-three semi-structured interviews were carried out with health professionals who worked at the hospitals to collect data on service implementation process, therapeutic approaches and current situation. The interviews were audio-recorded and their content was analyzed. There was no mental hospital in the cities where the institutions were located. In five hospitals, psychiatric patients were admitted to general medical wards because there was no psychiatric unit. The therapeutic approach in six hospitals was based on psychopharmacological treatment. Due to lack of resources and more appropriate therapeutic planning, the admission of patients presenting psychomotor agitation increases resistance against psychiatric patients in general hospitals. Financial constraints regarding laboratory testing is still a challenge. There is no exchange between local authorities and hospital administrators of these institutions that are compelled to exceed the allowed number of admissions to meet the demand of neighboring cities. The need for mental health care to local populations combined with individual requests of local authorities and psychiatrists made possible the implementation of psychiatric units in these localities. In spite of the efforts and flexibility of health professional working in these institutions, there are some obstacles to be overcome: resistance of hospital community against psychiatric admissions, financial constraints, limited professional training in mental health and the lack of a therapeutic approach that goes beyond psychopharmacological treatment alone.

  2. Higher surgical training opportunities in the general hospital setting; getting the balance right.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, I; Traynor, O; Khan, W; Waldron, R; Barry, K

    2013-12-01

    The general hospital can play an important role in training of higher surgical trainees (HSTs) in Ireland and abroad. Training opportunities in such a setting have not been closely analysed to date. The aim of this study was to quantify operative exposure for HSTs over a 5-year period in a single institution. Analysis of electronic training logbooks (over a 5-year period, 2007-2012) was performed for general surgery trainees on the higher surgical training programme in Ireland. The most commonly performed adult and paediatric procedures per trainee, per year were analysed. Standard general surgery operations such as herniae (average 58, range 32-86) and cholecystectomy (average 60, range 49-72) ranked highly in each logbook. The most frequently performed emergency operations were appendicectomy (average 45, range 33-53) and laparotomy for acute abdomen (average 48, range 10-79). Paediatric surgical experience included appendicectomy, circumcision, orchidopexy and hernia/hydrocoele repair. Overall, the procedure most commonly performed in the adult setting was endoscopy, with each trainee recording an average of 116 (range 98-132) oesophagogastroduodenoscopies and 284 (range 227-354) colonoscopies. General hospitals continue to play a major role in the training of higher surgical trainees. Analysis of the electronic logbooks over a 5-year period reveals the high volume of procedures available to trainees in a non-specialist centre. Such training opportunities are invaluable in the context of changing work practices and limited resources.

  3. Dementia training programmes for staff working in general hospital settings - a systematic review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scerri, Anthony; Innes, Anthea; Scerri, Charles

    2017-08-01

    Although literature describing and evaluating training programmes in hospital settings increased in recent years, there are no reviews that summarise these programmes. This review sought to address this, by collecting the current evidence on dementia training programmes directed to staff working in general hospitals. Literature from five databases were searched, based on a number of inclusion criteria. The selected studies were summarised and data was extracted and compared using narrative synthesis based on a set of pre-defined categories. Methodological quality was assessed. Fourteen peer-reviewed studies were identified with the majority being pre-test post-test investigations. No randomised controlled trials were found. Methodological quality was variable with selection bias being the major limitation. There was a great variability in the development and mode of delivery although, interdisciplinary ward based, tailor-made, short sessions using experiential and active learning were the most utilised. The majority of the studies mainly evaluated learning, with few studies evaluating changes in staff behaviour/practices and patients' outcomes. This review indicates that high quality studies are needed that especially evaluate staff behaviours and patient outcomes and their sustainability over time. It also highlights measures that could be used to develop and deliver training programmes in hospital settings.

  4. Liaison psychiatry professionals' views of general hospital care for patients with mental illness: The care of patients with mental illness in the general hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noblett, J; Caffrey, A; Deb, T; Khan, A; Lagunes-Cordoba, E; Gale-Grant, O; Henderson, C

    2017-04-01

    Explore the experiences of liaison psychiatry professionals, to gain a greater understanding of the quality of care patients with mental illness receive in the general hospital setting; the factors that affect the quality of care; and their insights on interventions that could improve care. A survey questionnaire and qualitative in depth interviews were used to collect data. Data collection took place at the Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry Annual conference. Qualitative analysis was done using thematic analysis. Areas of concern in the quality of care of patients with co-morbid mental illness included 'diagnostic overshadowing', 'poor communication with patient', 'patient dignity not respected' and 'delay in investigation or treatment'. Eleven contributing factors were identified, the two most frequently mentioned were 'stigmatising attitudes of staff towards patients with co-morbid mental illness' and 'complex diagnosis'. The general overview of care was positive with areas for improvement highlighted. Interventions suggested included 'formal education' and 'changing the liaison psychiatry team'. The cases discussed highlighted several areas where the quality of care received by patients with co-morbid mental illness is lacking, the consequences of which could be contributing to physical health disparities. It was acknowledged that it is the dual responsibility of both the general hospital staff and liaison staff in improving care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings: Evidence from a scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Britton, Lauren; Rosenwax, Lorna; McNamara, Beverley

    2015-12-01

    Increased accountability and growing fiscal limitations in global health care continue to challenge how occupational therapy practices are undertaken. Little is known about how these changes affect current practice in acute hospital settings. This article reviews the relevant literature to further understanding of occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings. A scoping review of five electronic databases was completed using the keywords Occupational therapy, acute hospital settings/acute physical hospital settings, acute care setting/acute care hospital setting, general medicine/general medical wards, occupational therapy service provision/teaching hospitals/tertiary care hospitals. Criteria were applied to determine suitability for inclusion and the articles were analysed to uncover key themes. In total 34 publications were included in the review. Analysis of the publications revealed four themes: (1) Comparisons between the practice of novice and experienced occupational therapists in acute care (2) Occupational therapists and the discharge planning process (3) Role of occupation in the acute care setting and (4) Personal skills needed and organisation factors affecting acute care practice. The current literature has highlighted the challenges occupational therapists face in practicing within an acute setting. Findings from this review enhance understanding of how occupational therapy department managers and educators can best support staff that practise in acute hospital settings. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  6. Impact of hyperglycemia on morbidity and mortality, length of hospitalization and rates of re-hospitalization in a general hospital setting in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leite Silmara AO

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients is known to be related to a higher incidence of clinical and surgical complications and poorer outcomes. Adequate glycemic control and earlier diagnosis of type 2 diabetes during hospitalization are cost-effective measures. Methods This prospective cohort study was designed to determine the impact of hyperglycemia on morbidity and mortality in a general hospital setting during a 3-month period by reviewing patients' records. The primary purposes of this trial were to verify that hyperglycemia was diagnosed properly and sufficiently early and that it was managed during the hospital stay; we also aimed to evaluate the relationship between in-hospital hyperglycemia control and outcomes such as complications during the hospital stay, extent of hospitalization, frequency of re-hospitalization, death rates and number of days in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit after admission. Statistical analyses utilized the Kruskall-Wallis complemented by the "a posteriori" d.m.s. test, Spearman correlation and Chi-squared test, with a level of significance of 5% (p Results We reviewed 779 patient records that fulfilled inclusion criteria. The patients were divided into 5 groups: group (1 diabetic with normal glycemic levels according to American Diabetes Association criteria for in-hospital patients (n = 123; group (2 diabetics with hyperglycemia (n = 76; group (3 non-diabetics with hyperglycemia (n = 225; group (4diabetics and non-diabetics with persistent hyperglycemia during 3 consecutive days (n = 57 and group (5 those with normal glucose control (n = 298. Compared to patients in groups 1 and 5, patients in groups 2, 3 and 4 had significantly higher mortality rates (17.7% vs. 2.8% and Intensive Care Unit admissions with complications (23.3% vs. 4.5%. Patients in group 4 had the longest hospitalizations (mean 15.5 days, and group 5 had the lowest re-hospitalization rate (mean of 1.28 hospitalizations. Only

  7. Characterizing and predicting rates of delirium across general hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Thomas H; Hart, Kamber L; Perlis, Roy H

    2017-05-01

    To better understand variation in reported rates of delirium, this study characterized delirium occurrence rate by department of service and primary admitting diagnosis. Nine consecutive years (2005-2013) of general hospital admissions (N=831,348) were identified across two academic medical centers using electronic health records. The primary admitting diagnosis and the treating clinical department were used to calculate occurrence rates of a previously published delirium definition composed of billing codes and natural language processing of discharge summaries. Delirium rates varied significantly across both admitting diagnosis group (X 2 10 =12786, pdelirium (86/109764; 0.08%) and neurological admissions the greatest (2851/25450; 11.2%). Although the rate of delirium varied across the two hospitals the relative rates within departments (r=0.96, pdelirium varies significantly across admitting diagnosis and hospital department. Both admitting diagnosis and department of care are even stronger predictors of risk than age; as such, simple risk stratification may offer avenues for targeted prevention and treatment efforts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of the appropriate use of a CIWA-Ar alcohol withdrawal protocol in the general hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eloma, Amanda S; Tucciarone, Jason M; Hayes, Edmund M; Bronson, Brian D

    2018-01-01

    The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol, Revised (CIWA-Ar) is an assessment tool used to quantify alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) severity and inform benzodiazepine treatment for alcohol withdrawal. To evaluate the prescribing patterns and appropriate use of the CIWA-Ar protocol in a general hospital setting, as determined by the presence or absence of documented AWS risk factors, patients' ability to communicate, and provider awareness of the CIWA-Ar order. This retrospective chart review included 118 encounters of hospitalized patients placed on a CIWA-Ar protocol during one year. The following data were collected for each encounter: patient demographics, admitting diagnosis, ability to communicate, and admission blood alcohol level; and medical specialty of the clinician ordering CIWA-Ar, documentation of the presence or absence of established AWS risk factors, specific parameters of the protocol ordered, service admitted to, provider documentation of awareness of the active protocol within 48 h of initial order, total benzodiazepine dose equivalents administered and associated adverse events. 57% of patients who started on a CIWA-Ar protocol had either zero or one documented risk factor for AWS (19% and 38% respectively). 20% had no documentation of recent alcohol use. 14% were unable to communicate. 19% of medical records lacked documentation of provider awareness of the ordered protocol. Benzodiazepine associated adverse events were documented in 15% of encounters. The judicious use of CIWA-Ar protocols in general hospitals requires mechanisms to ensure assessment of validated alcohol withdrawal risk factors, exclusion of patients who cannot communicate, and continuity of care during transitions.

  9. Caring for homeless persons with serious mental illness in general hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Leah K; Baggett, Travis P; Stern, Theodore A; O'Connell, Jim J; Shtasel, Derri

    2013-01-01

    The care of homeless persons with serious mental illness remains a common and challenging problem in general hospital settings. This article aims to review data on homelessness and its psychiatric comorbidities, and to expand the skills of providers who encounter homeless individuals in general hospital settings. Literature review reveals patient, provider, and systems factors that contribute to suboptimal health outcomes in homeless individuals. Diagnostic rigor, integrated medical and psychiatric care, trauma-informed interventions, special considerations in capacity evaluations, and health care reform initiatives can improve the treatment of homeless persons with serious mental illness. Copyright © 2013 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Primary prevention in psychiatry in general hospitals in South Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sood, Mamta; Chadda, Rakesh Kumar; Kallivayalil, Roy Abraham

    2017-01-01

    The focus of primary prevention is on reducing the disease incidence. Primary prevention in mental health has been given minimal priority in low-resource settings with no significant investments. General hospitals are one of the main providers of mental health services in South Asia. This paper focuses on primary prevention activities, which can be undertaken in a general hospital in South Asia with abysmally low-mental health resources. For implementing primary prevention in psychiatry, a general hospital may be conceptualized as a population unit, located in a well-populated area with easy accessibility where different kinds of communities, for example, students and resident doctors, consultants, patients and their caregivers, and paramedical, nursing, administrative and other supportive staff, coexist and have varied functions. All the functional components of the general hospital psychiatric units (GHPUs) offer scope for introducing primary preventive psychiatry services. Psychiatrists in GHPUs can lead efforts for primary prevention in mental health in the hospital by employing strategies in the framework of universal, selective, and indicated prevention. The preventive strategies could be targeted at the patients visiting the hospital for various health services and their caregivers, employees, and the trainees. Similar principles can be employed in teaching and training. PMID:29497199

  11. The first general practitioner hospital in The Netherlands: towards a new form of integrated care?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moll van Charante, E.; Hartman, E.; IJzermans, J.; Voogt, E.; Klazinga, N.; Bindels, P.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To describe the types of patients admitted to the first Dutch general practitioner (GP) hospital, their health-related quality of life and its substitute function. Design: A prospective observational study. Setting. The remaining 20-bed ward of a former district general hospital west of

  12. The first general practitioner hospital in The Netherlands: towards a new form of integrated care?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moll van Charante, Eric; Hartman, Esther; Yzermans, Joris; Voogt, Elsbeth; Klazinga, Niek; Bindels, Patrick

    2004-01-01

    Objective - To describe the types of patients admitted to the first Dutch general practitioner (GP) hospital, their health-related quality of life and its substitute function. Design - A prospective observational study. Setting - The remaining 20-bed ward of a former district general hospital west

  13. Measuring The Impact Of Innovations On Efficiency In Complex Hospital Settings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonća Petra Došenović

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the authors propose an approach for measuring the impact of innovations on hospital efficiency. The suggested methodology can be applied to any type of innovation, including technology-based innovations, as well as consumer-focused and business model innovations. The authors apply the proposed approach to measure the impact of transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR, i.e. an innovation introduced in the surgical procedure for treating a tear duct blockage, on the efficiency of general hospitals in Slovenia. They demonstrate that the impact of an innovation on hospital efficiency depends not only on the features of the studied innovation but also on the characteristics of hospitals adopting the innovation and their external environment represented by a set of comparable hospitals.

  14. Workplace violence in different settings and among various health professionals in an Italian general hospital: a cross-sectional study

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    Ferri P

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Paola Ferri,1 Monica Silvestri,1 Cecilia Artoni,2 Rosaria Di Lorenzo3 1Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing, 2School of Psychiatry, University of Modena and Reggio, 3Department of Mental Health, Service of Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment, Modena, Italy Background: Workplace violence (WPV against health professionals is a global problem with an increasing incidence. The aims of this study were as follows: 1 to examine the frequency and characteristics of WPV in different settings and professionals of a general hospital and 2 to identify the clinical and organizational factors related to this phenomenon. Methods: The study was cross-sectional. In a 1-month period, we administered the “Violent Incident Form” to 745 professionals (physicians, head nurses, nurses, nursing assistants, who worked in 15 wards of a general hospital in northern Italy. Results: With a response rate of 56%, 45% of professionals reported WPV. The most frequently assaulted were nurses (67%, followed by nursing assistants (18% and physicians (12%. The first two categories were correlated, in a statistically significant way, with the risk of WPV (P=0.005, P=0.004, multiple logistic regression. The violent incidents more frequently occurred in psychiatry department (86%, emergency department (71%, and in geriatric wards (57%. The assailants more frequently were males whereas assaulted professionals more often were females. Men committed physical violence more frequently than women, in a statistically significant way (P=0.034, chi-squared test. Verbal violence (51% was often committed by people in a lucid and normal state of consciousness; physical violence (49% was most often perpetrated by assailants affected by dementia, mental retardation, drug and substance abuse, or other psychiatric disorders. The variables positively related to WPV were “calling for help during the attack” and “physical injuries suffered in violent

  15. Cost-effectiveness of collaborative care for chronically ill patients with comorbid depressive disorder in the general hospital setting, a randomised controlled trial

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    Beekman Aartjan TF

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Depressive disorder is one of the most common disorders, and is highly prevalent in chronically ill patients. The presence of comorbid depression has a negative influence on quality of life, health care costs, self-care, morbidity, and mortality. Early diagnosis and well-organized treatment of depression has a positive influence on these aspects. Earlier research in the USA has reported good results with regard to the treatment of depression with a collaborative care approach and an antidepressant algorithm. In the UK 'Problem Solving Treatment' has proved to be feasible. However, in the general hospital setting this approach has not yet been evaluated. Methods/Design CC: DIM (Collaborative Care: Depression Initiative in the Medical setting is a two-armed randomised controlled trial with randomisation at patient level. The aim of the trial is to evaluate the treatment of depressive disorder in general hospitals in the Netherlands based on a collaborative care framework, including contracting, 'Problem Solving Treatment', antidepressant algorithm, and manual-guided self-help. 126 outpatients with diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cardiovascular diseases will be randomised to either the intervention group or the control group. Patients will be included if they have been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression, based on the DSM-IV criteria in a two-step screening method. The intervention group will receive treatment based on the collaborative care approach; the control group will receive 'care as usual'. Baseline and follow-up measurements (after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months will be performed by means of questionnaires. The primary outcome measure is severity of depressive symptoms, as measured with the PHQ-9. The secondary outcome measure is the cost-effectiveness of these treatments according to the TiC-P, the EuroQol and the SF-36. Discussion Earlier research has indicated that depressive disorder is

  16. Nutrition screening tools: Does one size fit all? A systematic review of screening tools for the hospital setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren, M.A.E.; Guaitoli, P.R.; Jansma, E.P.; de Vet, H.C.W.

    2014-01-01

    Background & aims: Numerous nutrition screening tools for the hospital setting have been developed. The aim of this systematic review is to study construct or criterion validity and predictive validity of nutrition screening tools for the general hospital setting. Methods: A systematic review of

  17. General practice: the DREEM attachment? Comparing the educational environment of hospital and general practice placements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Martina; Bennett, Deirdre; O'Flynn, Siun

    2012-01-01

    The clinical learning environment is changing. General practice placements are now a fundamental part of undergraduate medical education. There is growing recognition that changes in hospital work practices are altering the breadth of exposure available to students. Surprisingly little work has been done comparing the quality of clinical placements between the hospital and community using validated tools. Such comparisons inform curriculum planning and resource allocation. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of the educational environment experienced by junior medical students during hospital and general practice placements using a widely used tool. Following the introduction of a new integrated curriculum, all Year 3 students (n=108) completed a standardised evaluation instrument, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) at the end of each of their clinical attachments (two different hospital sites and one in general practice), giving a total of 324 questionnaires. All forms were analysed and input into Graphpad INSTAT version 3. Total DREEM scores as well as subscale scores were calculated for each site. These were compared across sites using a Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test. By comparison with international standards, clinical attachments in our new integrated curriculum were rated highly. In particular, attachments in general practice scored highly with a mean score of 156.6 and perform significantly better (P students' perceptions of atmosphere and students' social self-perceptions. Finally, significant differences also emerged in students' perceptions of teachers in general practice when compared to those in the hospital setting. These findings provide evidence of the high-quality educational environment afforded students in primary care. They challenge the traditional emphasis on hospital-based teaching and preempt the question - Is the community a better place for junior students to learn?

  18. [Dementia friendly care services in general hospitals : Representative results of the general hospital study (GHoSt)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendlmeier, Ingrid; Bickel, Horst; Hessler, Johannes Baltasar; Weber, Joshua; Junge, Magdalena Nora; Leonhardt, Sarah; Schäufele, Martina

    2017-11-06

    Mostly model projects report on special care services and procedures for general hospital patients with cognitive impairment. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of special care services and procedures in general hospitals on the basis of a representative cross-sectional study. From a list of all general hospitals in southern Germany we randomly selected a specified number of hospitals und somatic wards. The hospitals were visited and all older patients on the selected wards on that day were included in the study. Information about care services and their utilization was collected with standardized instruments. A total of 33 general hospitals and 172 wards participated in the study. The patient sample included 1469 persons over 65 (mean age 78.6 years) and 40% of the patients showed cognitive impairments. The staff reported that the most frequent measures for patients with cognitive impairments concerned patients with wandering behavior (63.1%), efforts to involve the patients' relatives to help with their daily care (60.1%), conducting nonintrusive interviews to identify cognitive impairments (59.9%), allocation to other rooms (58%) and visual aids for place orientation of patients (50.6%). In accordance with earlier studies our results show that other dementia friendly services implemented in pilot projects were rare. The existing special services for patients with cognitive impairment were rarely used by the patients or their relatives. The results demonstrate the urgent need to improve special care services and routines for identification of elderly patients with cognitive impairment and risk of delirium in general hospitals.

  19. Establishing a general medical outpatient clinic for cancer survivors in a public city hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goytia, Elliott J; Lounsbury, David W; McCabe, Mary S; Weiss, Elisa; Newcomer, Meghan; Nelson, Deena J; Brennessel, Debra; Rapkin, Bruce D; Kemeny, M Margaret

    2009-11-01

    Many cancer centers and community hospitals are developing novel models of survivorship care. However, few are specifically focused on services for socio-economically disadvantaged cancer survivors. To describe a new model of survivorship care serving culturally diverse, urban adult cancer patients and to present findings from a feasibility evaluation. Adult cancer patients treated at a public city hospital cancer center. The clinic provides comprehensive medical and psychosocial services for patients within a public hospital cancer center where they receive their oncology care. Longitudinal data collected over a 3-year period were used to describe patient demographics, patient needs, and services delivered. Since inception, 410 cancer patients have been served. Demand for services has grown steadily. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbid condition treated. Pain, depression, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, and bowel dysfunction were the most common post-treatment problems experienced by the patients. Financial counseling was an important patient resource. This new clinical service has been well-integrated into its public urban hospital setting and constitutes an innovative model of health-care delivery for socio-economically challenged, culturally diverse adult cancer survivors.

  20. Attitudes of Malaysian general hospital staff towards patients with mental illness and diabetes

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    Midin Marhani

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The context of the study is the increased assessment and treatment of persons with mental illness in general hospital settings by general health staff, as the move away from mental hospitals gathers pace in low and middle income countries. The purpose of the study was to examine whether general attitudes of hospital staff towards persons with mental illness, and extent of mental health training and clinical experience, are associated with different attitudes and behaviours towards a patient with mental illness than towards a patients with a general health problem - diabetes. Methods General hospital health professionals in Malaysia were randomly allocated one of two vignettes, one describing a patient with mental illness and the other a patient with diabetes, and invited to complete a questionnaire examining attitudes and health care practices in relation to the case. The questionnaires completed by respondents included questions on demographics, training in mental health, exposure in clinical practice to people with mental illness, attitudes and expected health care behaviour towards the patient in the vignette, and a general questionnaire exploring negative attitudes towards people with mental illness. Questionnaires with complete responses were received from 654 study participants. Results Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness were common. Those responding to the mental illness vignette (N = 356 gave significantly lower ratings on care and support and higher ratings on avoidance and negative stereotype expectations compared with those responding the diabetes vignette (N = 298. Conclusions Results support the view that, in the Malaysian setting, patients with mental illness may receive differential care from general hospital staff and that general stigmatising attitudes among professionals may influence their care practices. More direct measurement of clinician behaviours than able to be implemented

  1. Nurses' work-related stress in China: a comparison between psychiatric and general hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Yun-Ke; Xiang, Yu-Tao; An, Feng-Rong; Wang, Jing; Zeng, Jiao-Ying; Ungvari, Gabor S; Newhouse, Robin; Yu, Doris S F; Lai, Kelly Y C; Ding, Yan-Ming; Yu, Liuyang; Zhang, Xiang-Yang; Chiu, Helen F K

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the level of work-related stress in nurses in China.This study compared the level of work-related stress between female nurses working in psychiatric and general hospitals in China. A descriptive comparative cross-sectional design was used.A consecutive sample of nurses from two psychiatric hospitals (N = 297) and a medical unit (N = 408) of a general hospital completed a written survey including socio-demographic data and a measure of work-related stress (Nurse Stress Inventory). Compared to the nurses working in the general hospital, those working in the psychiatric setting had a higher level of stress in the domains of working environment and resources (p working experience, and working in psychiatric hospitals were associated with high work-related stress (b = .2, p work-related stress, specific stress management workshops and effective staff supportive initiatives for Chinese nurses are warranted.

  2. Nurse odor perception in various Japanese hospital settings

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    Masami Horiguchi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Because unpleasant hospital odors affect the nursing environment, we investigated nurses' perceptions of the odors of various hospital settings: hospital rooms, nurse stations, and human waste disposal rooms to discard the urine, stools and diapers. A questionnaire based on the Japanese Ministry of the Environment's guidelines on odor index regulation was used to assess nurses' perceptions of odor intensity, comfort, tolerability, and description in the aforementioned settings. Questionnaires were distributed to nursing department directors at three Japanese hospitals, who then disseminated the questionnaires to nursing staff. Of the 1,151 questionnaires distributed, 496 nurses participated. Human waste disposal rooms had greater odor intensity and were perceived as more uncomfortable than the other settings. Unpleasant odors in disposal rooms, hospital rooms, and nurse stations were rated as slightly intolerable in comparison. Hospital and disposal rooms were mainly described as having a “pungent odor such as of urine and stool.” In contrast, nurse stations were described as having other unpleasant odors, such as chemical, human-body-related, or sewage-like odors. Given that nurses spend much of their time in hospital rooms and nurse stations, odor management in these two settings would likely improve nurses' working conditions at hospitals. Improving odors at nurse stations is feasible. Such improvements could have indirect effects on nurse turnover and burnout.

  3. The impact of the board's strategy-setting role on board-management relations and hospital performance.

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    Büchner, Vera Antonia; Schreyögg, Jonas; Schultz, Carsten

    2014-01-01

    The appropriate governance of hospitals largely depends on effective cooperation between governing boards and hospital management. Governing boards play an important role in strategy-setting as part of their support for hospital management. However, in certain situations, this active strategic role may also generate discord within this relationship. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the roles, attributes, and processes of governing boards on hospital performance. We examine the impact of the governing board's strategy-setting role on board-management collaboration quality and on financial performance while also analyzing the interaction effects of board diversity and board activity level. The data are derived from a survey that was sent simultaneously to German hospitals and their associated governing board, combined with objective performance information from annual financial statements and quality reports. We use a structural equation modeling approach to test the model. The results indicate that different board characteristics have a significant impact on hospital performance (R = .37). The strategy-setting role and board-management collaboration quality have a positive effect on hospital performance, whereas the impact of strategy-setting on collaboration quality is negative. We find that the positive effect of strategy-setting on performance increases with decreasing board diversity. When board members have more homogeneous backgrounds and exhibit higher board activity levels, the negative effect of the strategy-setting on collaboration quality also increases. Active strategy-setting by a governing board may generally improve hospital performance. Diverse members of governing boards should be involved in strategy-setting for hospitals. However, high board-management collaboration quality may be compromised if managerial autonomy is too highly restricted. Consequently, hospitals should support board-management collaboration about

  4. GENERAL PRACTITIONERS AND HOSPITALS

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In recent years in South Africa the position of the general practi- tioner in hospitals has ... ments, and it is in these hospitals that difficulties have arisen. On the other hand, ... great extent deprived of contact with his colleagues. He comes to ... eventually lose interest in the results of treatment and advances in medicine. In fact ...

  5. The use of the truth and deception in dementia care amongst general hospital staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Alex; Eccles, Fiona; Keady, John; Simpson, Jane; Elvish, Ruth

    2017-08-01

    Deceptive practice has been shown to be endemic in long-term care settings. However, little is known about the use of deception in dementia care within general hospitals and staff attitudes towards this practice. This study aimed to develop understanding of the experiences of general hospital staff and explore their decision-making processes when choosing whether to tell the truth or deceive a patient with dementia. This qualitative study drew upon a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyse data gathered from semi-structured interviews with a range of hospital staff. A model, grounded in participant experiences, was developed to describe their decision-making processes. Participants identified particular triggers that set in motion the need for a response. Various mediating factors influenced how staff chose to respond to these triggers. Overall, hospital staff were reluctant to either tell the truth or to lie to patients. Instead, 'distracting' or 'passing the buck' to another member of staff were preferred strategies. The issue of how truth and deception are defined was identified. The study adds to the growing research regarding the use of lies in dementia care by considering the decision-making processes for staff in general hospitals. Various factors influence how staff choose to respond to patients with dementia and whether deception is used. Similarities and differences with long-term dementia care settings are discussed. Clinical and research implications include: opening up the topic for further debate, implementing staff training about communication and evaluating the impact of these processes.

  6. Multifaceted Pharmacist-led Interventions in the Hospital Setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skjøt-Arkil, Helene; Olesen, Carina Lundby; Kjeldsen, Lene Juel

    2018-01-01

    Clinical pharmacy services often comprise complex interventions. In this MiniReview, we conducted a systematic review aiming to evaluate the impact of multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions in a hospital setting. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and CINAHL for peer-reviewed articles...... published from 2006 to 1 March 2018. Controlled trials concerning hospitalized patients in any setting receiving patient-related multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions were considered. All types of outcomes were accepted. Inclusion and data extraction was performed. Study characteristics were collected......) showed no significant results. This rMiniReview indicates that multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions in a hospital setting may improve the quality of medication use, reduce hospital visits and length of stay, while no effect was seen on mortality, patient-reported outcomes and cost...

  7. Perceptions of organizational justice among nurses working in university hospitals of shiraz: a comparison between general and specialty settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatam, Nahid; Fardid, Mozhgan; Kavosi, Zahra

    2013-12-01

    Justice has gained much attention in social and human studies and has many consequences on employees and the organizations, especially on health system workers such as nurses who are among the key factors in health care systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate perception of organizational justice among nurses in educational hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), and to compare the results of general and specialty hospitals. In this research, 400 nurses at SUMS hospitals were selected by random sampling method. A 19-item questionnaire was applied to measure distributive, procedural and interactional justice. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, frequency, mean, and standard deviation. Also, the t-test and one way ANOVA were used to measure the differences between different hospitals and wards. Of 400 nurses, 66% perceived a high level of organizational justice. In this study the mean scores of total perceived organizational justice (P = 0.035), procedural justice (P = 0.031), and interactional justice (P = 0.046) in specialty hospitals were higher than general ones. Furthermore, the mean score of interactional justice was higher than the other components of organizational justice, respectively 3.58 ± 1.02 for general and 3.76 ± 0.86 for specialty hospitals. Significant differences were observed between overall perceived justice (P = 0.013) and its components (P = 0.024, P = 0.013, and P = 0.036) in different wards. Most nurses who participated in this study had a high perception of organizational justice. The mean score of organizational justice was higher in specialty hospitals. Health care policy makers and hospital managers should support their employees, especially nurses through fairness in distributions, procedures, and interactions.

  8. Workplace violence in different settings and among various health professionals in an Italian general hospital: a cross-sectional study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferri, Paola; Silvestri, Monica; Artoni, Cecilia; Di Lorenzo, Rosaria

    2016-01-01

    Background Workplace violence (WPV) against health professionals is a global problem with an increasing incidence. The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to examine the frequency and characteristics of WPV in different settings and professionals of a general hospital and 2) to identify the clinical and organizational factors related to this phenomenon. Methods The study was cross-sectional. In a 1-month period, we administered the “Violent Incident Form” to 745 professionals (physicians, head nurses, nurses, nursing assistants), who worked in 15 wards of a general hospital in northern Italy. Results With a response rate of 56%, 45% of professionals reported WPV. The most frequently assaulted were nurses (67%), followed by nursing assistants (18%) and physicians (12%). The first two categories were correlated, in a statistically significant way, with the risk of WPV (P=0.005, P=0.004, multiple logistic regression). The violent incidents more frequently occurred in psychiatry department (86%), emergency department (71%), and in geriatric wards (57%). The assailants more frequently were males whereas assaulted professionals more often were females. Men committed physical violence more frequently than women, in a statistically significant way (P=0.034, chi-squared test). Verbal violence (51%) was often committed by people in a lucid and normal state of consciousness; physical violence (49%) was most often perpetrated by assailants affected by dementia, mental retardation, drug and substance abuse, or other psychiatric disorders. The variables positively related to WPV were “calling for help during the attack” and “physical injuries suffered in violent attack” (P=0.02, P=0.03, multiple logistic regression). Conclusion This study suggests that violence is a significant phenomenon and that all health workers, especially nurses, are at risk of suffering aggressive assaults. WPV presented specific characteristics related to the health care settings, where

  9. Total quality management in the hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernst, D F

    1994-01-01

    With the increasing demands on hospitals for improved quality and lower costs, hospitals have been forced to reevaluate their manner of operation and quality assurance (QA) programs. Hospitals have been faced with customer dissatisfaction with services, escalating costs, intense competition, and reduced reimbursement for services. As a result, many hospitals have incorporated total quality management (TQM), also known as continuous quality improvement (CQI) and quality improvement (QI), to improve quality care and decrease costs. This article examines the concept of TQM, its rationale, and how it can be implemented in a hospital. A comparison of TQM and QA is made. Examples of hospital implementation of TQM and problems and issues associated with TQM in the hospital setting are explored.

  10. Alcohol misuse in the general hospital: some hard facts.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Bradshaw, P

    2012-02-03

    AIMS: To examine (1) the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in adult general hospital inpatients; (2) the accuracy of documentation in relation to alcohol use. METHODS: A total of 210 random patients were interviewed out of 1,448 consecutive new admissions to CUH over 7 days. Case notes were reviewed for 206 (98%). Alcohol consumption was assessed using the Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) and weekly drinking diary. FAST-positive (and a random sample of FAST-negative) patients then had a standardized interview. RESULTS: A total of 82% admitted for drinking alcohol. Among them 22% were drinking in excess of guidelines, 9% had DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and 7% dependence. The sensitivity and specificity of the FAST for detecting those drinking above guidelines were 89 and 94% and for detecting a DSM-IV diagnosis was 100 and 73%. The majority of case notes contained inadequate information about alcohol intake. CONCLUSION: Alcohol use disorders are common and often undetected in the general hospital setting.

  11. An alcohol-focused intervention versus a healthy living intervention for problem drinkers identified in a general hospital setting (ADAPTA): study protocol for a randomized, controlled pilot trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Judith; Tober, Gillian; Raistrick, Duncan; Mdege, Noreen; Dale, Veronica; Crosby, Helen; Godfrey, Christine; Lloyd, Charlie; Toner, Paul; Parrott, Steve

    2013-04-30

    Alcohol misuse is a major cause of premature mortality and ill health. Although there is a high prevalence of alcohol problems among patients presenting to general hospital, many of these people are not help seekers and do not engage in specialist treatment. Hospital admission is an opportunity to steer people towards specialist treatment, which can reduce health-care utilization and costs to the public sector and produce substantial individual health and social benefits. Alcohol misuse is associated with other lifestyle problems, which are amenable to intervention. It has been suggested that the development of a healthy or balanced lifestyle is potentially beneficial for reducing or abstaining from alcohol use, and relapse prevention. The aim of the study is to test whether or not the offer of a choice of health-related lifestyle interventions is more acceptable, and therefore able to engage more problem drinkers in treatment, than an alcohol-focused intervention. This is a pragmatic, randomized, controlled, open pilot study in a UK general hospital setting with concurrent economic evaluation and a qualitative component. Potential participants are those admitted to hospital with a diagnosis likely to be responsive to addiction interventions who score equal to or more than 16 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The main purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the acceptability of two sorts of interventions (healthy living related versus alcohol focused) to the participants and to assess the components and processes of the design. Qualitative research will be undertaken to explore acceptability and the impact of the approach, assessment, recruitment and intervention on trial participants and non-participants. The effectiveness of the two treatments will be compared at 6 months using AUDIT scores as the primary outcome measure. There will be additional economic, qualitative and secondary outcome measurements. Development of the study was a

  12. Ambulatory surgery center and general hospital competition: entry decisions and strategic choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Amin, Mona; Housman, Michael

    2012-01-01

    General hospitals are consistently under pressure to control cost and improve quality. In addition to mounting payers' demands, hospitals operate under evolving market conditions that might threaten their survival. While hospitals traditionally were concerned mainly with competition from other hospitals, today's reimbursement schemes and entrepreneurial activities encouraged the proliferation of outpatient facilities such as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that can jeopardize hospitals' survival. The purpose of this article was to examine the relationship between ASCs and general hospitals. More specifically, we apply the niche overlap theory to study the impact that competition between ASCs and general hospitals has on the survival chances of both of these organizational populations. Our analysis examined interpopulation competition in models of organizational mortality and market demand. We utilized Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the impact of competition from each on ASC and hospital exit while controlling for market factors. We relied on two data sets collected and developed by Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration: outpatient facility licensure data and inpatient and outpatient surgical procedure data. Although ASCs do tend to exit markets in which there are high levels of ASC competition, we found no evidence to suggest that ASC exit rates are affected by hospital density. On the other hand, hospitals not only tend to exit markets with high levels of hospital competition but also experience high exit rates in markets with high ASC density. The implications from our study differ for ASCs and hospitals. When making decisions about market entry, ASCs should choose their markets according to the following: demand for outpatient surgery, number of physicians who would practice in the surgery center, and the number of surgery centers that already exist in the market. Hospitals, on the other hand, should account for competition from ASCs

  13. Leadership and priority setting: the perspective of hospital CEOs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeleder, David; Goel, Vivek; Singer, Peter A; Martin, Douglas K

    2006-11-01

    The role of leadership in health care priority setting remains largely unexplored. While the management leadership literature has grown rapidly, the growing literature on priority setting in health care has looked in other directions to improve priority setting practices--to health economics and ethical approaches. Consequently, potential for improvement in hospital priority setting practices may be overlooked. A qualitative study involving interviews with 46 Ontario hospital CEOs was done to describe the role of leadership in priority setting through the perspective of hospital leaders. For the first time, we report a framework of leadership domains including vision, alignment, relationships, values and process to facilitate priority setting practices in health services' organizations. We believe this fledgling framework forms the basis for the sharing of good leadership practices for health reform. It also provides a leadership guide for decision makers to improve the quality of their leadership, and in so doing, we believe, the fairness of their priority setting.

  14. [Improvement approaches in the hospital setting: From total quality management to Lean].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curatolo, N; Lamouri, S; Huet, J-C; Rieutord, A

    2015-07-01

    Hospitals have to deal strong with economic constraints and increasing requirements in terms of quality and safety of care. To address these constraints, one solution could be the adoption of approaches from the industry sector. Following the decree of April 6, 2011 on the quality management of the medication use process, some of these approaches, such as risk management, are now part of the everyday work of healthcare professionals. However, other approaches, such as business process improvement, are still poorly developed in the hospital setting. In this general review, we discuss the main approaches of business process improvements that have been used in hospitals by focusing specifically on one of the newest and most currently used: Lean. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  15. Improving the smoking patterns in a general hospital psychiatric unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celso Iglesias García

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the effects of a smoking ban in a general hospital psychiatric unit. Methods: We study the effects of smoking ban in 40 consecutive psychiatric inpatients. The staff registered socio-demographic and tobacco-related variables. We also registered any kind of behavioral effects of smoking ban.Results: The patients were willing to stop smoking during their hospital stay (with or without nicotine replacement with two mild behavioural incidences registered throughout the study. Conclusions: The benefits of non-smoking policy in a psychiatric unit can be significant. The introduction of smoking bans in psychiatric inpatients settings is possible and safe.

  16. On θ-generalized closed sets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Dontchev

    1999-01-01

    θ-generalized Λ-sets and R0-, T1/2- and T1-spaces are characterized. The relations with other notions directly or indirectly connected with generalized closed sets are investigated. The notion of TGO-connectedness is introduced.

  17. [Mental Health in the General Hospital: Results of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in Four Hospital Services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Camacho, Leonidas; Escobar, Juan Manuel; Sáenz-Moncaleano, Camilo; Delgado-Barrera, Lucía; Aparicio-Turbay, Soraya; Molano, Juan Carlos; Noguera, Efraín

    2012-03-01

    Few individuals have access to mental health services due in part to underdetection. As it is more likely to consult for medical conditions, primary care may be a useful gateway for early detection of mental health problems. Detection of the frequency of mental health problems in four hospital services at the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá: Outpatient unit, hospitalization, emergency department, and primary care through a brief detection questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Cross-sectional study of patients seen at the four services who answered a Demographic Data Questionnaire and the PHQ together with information gathered about current medical diagnosis, history of visits, and hospitalizations during the last year. 1094 patients seen at the four hospital services between September 2010 and May 2011 were selected at random. A mental health problem was detected in 36.7% of the total sample. Major depressive disorder (7.3%), alcohol abuse (14.4%), and any anxiety disorder (7.7%) showed the highest prevalence with the emergency department showing the highest frequency of detection. The usefulness of a brief detection questionnaire such as the PHQ in hospital settings is demonstrated and implications in the design of mental health programs in the general hospital are discussed. The need to replicate this study in other settings and to undertake further research is outlined. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  18. Bacteriological Evaluation of Kwale General Hospital Environment ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Pharmacy (40.7%) and Theatre (18.5%). This study showed that Kwale General Hospital environment is heavily contaminated and therefore underlies the necessity for regular evaluation of the hospital environment. Keywords: Bacteriological evaluation, hospital, environment. Journal of Medical Laboratory Sciences Vol.

  19. Book Review: Review Manual for Massachusetts General Hospital ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract. Book Title: Review Manual for Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of. General Hospital Psychiatry. 5th ed. Book Author: Theodore A. Stern. Pp 121. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby. 2004. ISBN 0-323-02768-7.

  20. The difference in pharmacists' interventions across the diverse settings in a children's hospital.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hesty Utami Ramadaniati

    Full Text Available This study aimed to document and compare the nature of clinical pharmacists' interventions made in different practice settings within a children's hospital.The primary investigator observed and documented all clinical interventions performed by clinical pharmacists for between 35-37 days on each of the five study wards from the three practice settings, namely general medical, general surgical and hematology-oncology. The rates, types and significance of the pharmacists' interventions in the different settings were compared.A total of 982 interventions were documented, related to the 16,700 medication orders reviewed on the five wards in the three practice settings over the duration of the study. Taking medication histories and/or patient counselling were the most common pharmacists' interventions in the general settings; constituting more than half of all interventions. On the Hematology-Oncology Ward the pattern was different with drug therapy changes being the most common interventions (n = 73/195, 37.4% of all interventions. Active interventions (pharmacists' activities leading to a change in drug therapy constituted less than a quarter of all interventions on the general medical and surgical wards compared to nearly half on the specialty Hematology-Oncology Ward. The majority (n = 37/42, 88.1% of a random sample of the active interventions reviewed were rated as clinically significant. Dose adjustment was the most frequent active interventions in the general settings, whilst drug addition constituted the most common active interventions on the Hematology-Oncology Ward. The degree of acceptance of pharmacists' active interventions by prescribers was high (n = 223/244, 91.4%.The rate of pharmacists' active interventions differed across different practice settings, being most frequent in the specialty hematology-oncology setting. The nature and type of the interventions documented in the hematology-oncology were also different

  1. Posttraumatic stress following childbirth in homelike- and hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stramrood, Claire A I; Paarlberg, K Marieke; Huis In 't Veld, Elisabeth M J; Berger, Leonard W A R; Vingerhoets, Ad J J M; Schultz, Willibrord C M Weijmar; van Pampus, Maria G

    2011-06-01

    To assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth in homelike versus hospital settings and to determine risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. METHODS.: Multi-center cross-sectional study at midwifery practices, general hospitals and a tertiary (university) referral center. An unselected population of 907 women was invited to complete questionnaires on PTSD, demographic, psychosocial, and obstetric characteristics 2 to 6 months after delivery. Prevalence of PTSD was based on women who met all criteria of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), whereas risk factors were determined using the severity (sum-score) of posttraumatic stress symptoms. PTSD following childbirth was found in 1.2% of the respondents (5/428 women, response rate 47%), while 9.1% of women (39/428) had experienced the delivery as traumatic. Posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with unplanned cesarean section, low sense of coherence (coping skills), and high intensity of pain. Initial differences in posttraumatic stress symptoms between home and hospital deliveries disappeared after taking into account the (by definition) uncomplicated nature of home births. In this Dutch study, 1 in 100 women had PTSD following childbirth, with no differences between home- and hospital deliveries after controlling for complications and interventions. Emergency cesarean section, severe labor pain, and poor coping skills were associated with more posttraumatic stress symptoms.

  2. Setting healthcare priorities in hospitals: a review of empirical studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barasa, Edwine W; Molyneux, Sassy; English, Mike; Cleary, Susan

    2015-04-01

    Priority setting research has focused on the macro (national) and micro (bedside) level, leaving the meso (institutional, hospital) level relatively neglected. This is surprising given the key role that hospitals play in the delivery of healthcare services and the large proportion of health systems resources that they absorb. To explore the factors that impact upon priority setting at the hospital level, we conducted a thematic review of empirical studies. A systematic search of PubMed, EBSCOHOST, Econlit databases and Google scholar was supplemented by a search of key websites and a manual search of relevant papers' reference lists. A total of 24 papers were identified from developed and developing countries. We applied a policy analysis framework to examine and synthesize the findings of the selected papers. Findings suggest that priority setting practice in hospitals was influenced by (1) contextual factors such as decision space, resource availability, financing arrangements, availability and use of information, organizational culture and leadership, (2) priority setting processes that depend on the type of priority setting activity, (3) content factors such as priority setting criteria and (4) actors, their interests and power relations. We observe that there is need for studies to examine these issues and the interplay between them in greater depth and propose a conceptual framework that might be useful in examining priority setting practices in hospitals. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

  3. Postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up: Perspectives of Australian hospital clinicians and general practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilgour, Catherine; Bogossian, Fiona Elizabeth; Callaway, Leonie; Gallois, Cindy

    2018-05-04

    The reasons for low postnatal screening rates for women with gestational diabetes mellitus are not well understood. Multiple care providers, settings and changes to diagnostic criteria, may contribute to confusion over postnatal care. Quality of communication between clinicians may be an important influence for the completion of postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up. Describe and analyse communication processes between hospital clinicians (midwives, medical, allied staff) and general practitioners who provide postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus care. Purposive sampling and convergent interviews explored participants' communication experiences providing gestational diabetes mellitus postnatal follow-up. Data were analysed with Leximancer automated content analysis software; interpretation was undertaken using Communication Accommodation Theory. Clinicians who provided maternity care at a tertiary referral hospital (n=13) in Queensland, Australia, and general practitioners (n=16) who provided maternity shared care with that hospital between December 2012 and July 2013. Thematic analysis identified very different perspectives between the experiences of General Practitioners and hospital clinicians; six themes emerged. General practitioners were concerned about themes relating to discharge summaries and follow-up guidelines. In contrast, hospital clinicians were more concerned about themes relating to gestational diabetes mellitus antenatal care and specialist clinics. Two themes, gestational diabetes mellitus women and postnatal checks were shared. Gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up is characterised by communication where general practitioners appear to be information seekers whose communication needs are not met by hospital clinicians. Midwives are ideally placed to assist in improving communication and postnatal gestational diabetes mellitus follow-up. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  4. Theta-Generalized closed sets in fuzzy topological spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Shafei, M.E.; Zakari, A.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper we introduce the concepts of theta-generalized closed fuzzy sets and generalized fuzzy sets in topological spaces. Furthermore, generalized fuzzy sets are extended to theta-generalized fuzzy sets. Also, we introduce the concepts of fuzzy theta-generalized continuous and fuzzy theta-generalized irresolute mappings. (author)

  5. Hospital Web site 'tops' in Louisiana. Hospital PR, marketing group cites East Jefferson General Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Tom

    2002-01-01

    East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La., launched a new Web site in October 2001. Its user-friendly home page offers links to hospital services, medical staff, and employer information. Its jobline is a powerful tool for recruitment. The site was awarded the 2002 Pelican Award for Best Consumer Web site by the Louisiana Society for Hospital Public Relations & Marketing.

  6. A BEME systematic review of UK undergraduate medical education in the general practice setting: BEME Guide No. 32.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sophie; Khan, Nada F; Hampshire, Mandy; Knox, Richard; Malpass, Alice; Thomas, James; Anagnostelis, Betsy; Newman, Mark; Bower, Peter; Rosenthal, Joe; Murray, Elizabeth; Iliffe, Steve; Heneghan, Carl; Band, Amanda; Georgieva, Zoya

    2015-05-06

    General practice is increasingly used as a learning environment in undergraduate medical education in the UK. The aim of this project was to identify, summarise and synthesise research about undergraduate medical education in general practice in the UK. We systematically identified studies of undergraduate medical education within a general practice setting in the UK from 1990 onwards. All papers were summarised in a descriptive report and categorised into two in-depth syntheses: a quantitative and a qualitative in-depth review. 169 papers were identified, representing research from 26 UK medical schools. The in-depth review of quantitative papers (n = 7) showed that medical students learned clinical skills as well or better in general practice settings. Students receive more teaching, and clerk and examine more patients in the general practice setting than in hospital. Patient satisfaction and enablement are similar whether a student is present or not in a consultation, however, patients experience lower relational empathy. Two main thematic groups emerged from the qualitative in-depth review (n = 10): the interpersonal interactions within the teaching consultation and the socio-cultural spaces of learning which shape these interactions. The GP has a role as a broker of the interactions between patients and students. General practice is a socio-cultural and developmental learning space for students, who need to negotiate the competing cultures between hospital and general practice. Lastly, patients are transient members of the learning community, and their role requires careful facilitation. General practice is as good, if not better, than hospital delivery of teaching of clinical skills. Our meta-ethnography has produced rich understandings of the complex relationships shaping possibilities for student and patient active participation in learning.

  7. Preparing for the aged in investigative medicine in a General Hospital setting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richards, P.A.C.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: The inequalities which exist today between the health of various sectors of society have grown partly out of the different rates of improvement experienced during the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries. This is especially so for social class, racial and regional differences. Differential health problems between various age groups and disease groups have probably arisen for other reasons. People can now expect to live well into their 70s or early 80s. Many things have contributed to these health gains, including improved public health measures, high quality clinical treatment services, social and environmental conditions and lifestyle changes. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the major health problems of the community served by the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Launceston General Hospital (Northern Regional Health) with the following perspectives: (i) How an ageing population is impacting in the level of service; (ii) How the aged are to be managed during investigation, after care and follow-up; and (iii) Major areas of investigations and age group analysis

  8. ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: Dispensing and administration--2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Craig A; Schneider, Philip J; Scheckelhoff, Douglas J

    2015-07-01

    The results of the 2014 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to dispensing and administration are described. A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1435 general and children's medical-surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail. In this national probability sample survey, the response rate was 29.7%. Ninety-seven percent of hospitals used automated dispensing cabinets in their medication distribution systems, 65.7% of which used individually secured lidded pockets as the predominant configuration. Overall, 44.8% of hospitals used some form of machine-readable coding to verify doses before dispensing in the pharmacy. Overall, 65% of hospital pharmacy departments reported having a cleanroom compliant with United States Pharmacopeia chapter 797. Pharmacists reviewed and approved all medication orders before the first dose was administered, either onsite or by remote order view, except in procedure areas and emergency situations, in 81.2% of hospitals. Adoption rates of electronic health information have rapidly increased, with the widespread use of electronic health records, computer prescriber order entry, barcodes, and smart pumps. Overall, 31.4% of hospitals had pharmacists practicing in ambulatory or primary care clinics. Transitions-of-care services offered by the pharmacy department have generally increased since 2012. Discharge prescription services increased from 11.8% of hospitals in 2012 to 21.5% in 2014. Approximately 15% of hospitals outsourced pharmacy management operations to a contract pharmacy services provider, an increase from 8% in 2011. Health-system pharmacists continue to have a positive impact on improving healthcare through programs that improve the efficiency, safety, and clinical outcomes of medication use in health systems. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. SARS and hospital priority setting: a qualitative case study and evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Upshur Ross EG

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Priority setting is one of the most difficult issues facing hospitals because of funding restrictions and changing patient need. A deadly communicable disease outbreak, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS in Toronto in 2003, amplifies the difficulties of hospital priority setting. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting in a hospital in response to SARS using the ethical framework 'accountability for reasonableness'. Methods This study was conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada. There were two data sources: 1 over 200 key documents (e.g. emails, bulletins, and 2 35 interviews with key informants. Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. Results Participants described the types of priority setting decisions, the decision making process and the reasoning used. Although the hospital leadership made an effort to meet the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness', they acknowledged that the decision making was not ideal. We described good practices and opportunities for improvement. Conclusions 'Accountability for reasonableness' is a framework that can be used to guide fair priority setting in health care organizations, such as hospitals. In the midst of a crisis such as SARS where guidance is incomplete, consequences uncertain, and information constantly changing, where hour-by-hour decisions involve life and death, fairness is more important rather than less.

  10. SARS and hospital priority setting: a qualitative case study and evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Jennifer A H; Hyland, Sylvia; DePellegrin, Tania; Upshur, Ross E G; Bernstein, Mark; Martin, Douglas K

    2004-12-19

    Priority setting is one of the most difficult issues facing hospitals because of funding restrictions and changing patient need. A deadly communicable disease outbreak, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto in 2003, amplifies the difficulties of hospital priority setting. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting in a hospital in response to SARS using the ethical framework 'accountability for reasonableness'. This study was conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada. There were two data sources: 1) over 200 key documents (e.g. emails, bulletins), and 2) 35 interviews with key informants. Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. Participants described the types of priority setting decisions, the decision making process and the reasoning used. Although the hospital leadership made an effort to meet the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness', they acknowledged that the decision making was not ideal. We described good practices and opportunities for improvement. 'Accountability for reasonableness' is a framework that can be used to guide fair priority setting in health care organizations, such as hospitals. In the midst of a crisis such as SARS where guidance is incomplete, consequences uncertain, and information constantly changing, where hour-by-hour decisions involve life and death, fairness is more important rather than less.

  11. Psychiatric units in Brazilian general hospitals: a growing philanthropic field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botega, Neury José

    2002-06-01

    Some countries, mainly in North America and Europe, have adopted psychiatric wards in the general hospital as an alternative to the classic psychiatric hospital. In Brazil there are 6,169 general hospitals, 1.3% of which with a psychiatric unit. This service strategy is scarcely developed in the country and comprises only 4% of all psychiatric admissions. There was no information on the facilities and functioning of the psychiatric units in general hospitals. To determine the main characteristics of psychiatric units in Brazilian general hospitals and to assess the current trends in the services provided. A mailing survey assessed all 94 Brazilian general hospitals which made psychiatric admissions. A two-page questionnaire was designed to determine the main characteristics of each institution and of the psychiatric unit. Seventy-nine (84%) questionnaires were returned. In contrast to the 1970s and 1980s, in the last decade the installation of psychiatric units has spread to smaller philanthropic institutions that are not linked to medical schools. A fifth of hospitals admit psychiatric patients to medical wards because there is no specialist psychiatric ward. They try to meet all the local emergency demands, usually alcohol-dependent patients who need short term admission. This could signal the beginning of a program through which mental health professionals may become an integral part of general health services. The inauguration of psychiatric wards in philanthropic hospitals, as well as the admission of psychiatric patients in their medical wards, is a phenomenon peculiar to this decade. The installation of psychiatric services in these and other general hospitals would overcome two of major difficulties encountered: prejudice and a lack of financial resources.

  12. Appropriateness of pediatric hospitalization in a general hospital in Kuwait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafik, Magdy H; Seoudi, Tarek M M; Raway, Tarek S; Al Harbash, Nowair Z; Ahmad, Meshal M A; Al Mutairi, Hanan F

    2012-01-01

    To determine the rate of inappropriate pediatric admissions using the Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PAEP) and to examine variables associated with inappropriateness of admissions. A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Farwania General Hospital, Kuwait, to examine successive admissions for appropriateness of admission as well as several sociodemographic characteristics over a 5-month period (August 2010 to December 2010). A total of 1,022 admissions were included. Of the 1,022 admissions, 416 (40.7%) were considered inappropriate. Factors associated with a higher rate of inappropriate admission included older age of patients and self-referral. The rate of inappropriate hospitalization of children was high in Farwania Hospital, Kuwait, probably due to the relatively free health care services, parental preference for hospital care, easy access to hospital services, and insufficient education about the child's condition. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Psychiatric referrals in two general hospitals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doongaji D

    1989-07-01

    Full Text Available A prospective study was undertaken to compare the patterns of psychiatric referrals in two general hospitals in Bombay viz. the King Edward Memorial Hospital (64 cases and the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre (62 cases. It was observed that depressive symptoms were the most common presenting symptoms in these patients attending either of the hospitals. Similarly, the commonest diagnoses were depression and organic mental disorder. Attempted suicide with organophosphorous compounds was the commonest reason for hospitalization at K.E.M. Hospital (p less than 0.001. A significant number of these patients were females (p less than 0.05. The psychiatric referrals at Jaslok had been hospitalized mainly for suspected medical or neurological illness (p less than 0.001. These patients belonged to higher economic strata and hence had a better paying capacity compared to patients at KEM hospital, a significant number of whom were unemployed (p less than 0.001. The duration of pre-referred illness of patients and their stay at Jaslok hospital were longer as compared to those at KEM Hospital (p less than 0.01. The number of non-relevant special investigations carried out on patients in Jaslok was more (p less than 0.01. Further analysis of diagnoses revealed that a significant number of patients at KEM Hospital were admitted as primary psychiatric illness (p less than 0.05.

  14. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS: validation in a Greek general hospital sample

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patapis Paulos

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS has been used in several languages to assess anxiety and depression in general hospital patients with good results. Methods The HADS was administered to 521 participants (275 controls and 246 inpatients and outpatients of the Internal Medicine and Surgical Departments in 'Attikon' General Hospital in Athens. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI were used as 'gold standards' for depression and anxiety respectively. Results The HADS presented high internal consistency; Cronbach's α cofficient was 0.884 (0.829 for anxiety and 0.840 for depression and stability (test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient 0.944. Factor analysis showed a two-factor structure. The HADS showed high concurrent validity; the correlations of the scale and its subscales with the BDI and the STAI were high (0.722 – 0.749. Conclusion The Greek version of HADS showed good psychometric properties and could serve as a useful tool for clinicians to assess anxiety and depression in general hospital patients.

  15. Generalized rough sets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rady, E.A.; Kozae, A.M.; Abd El-Monsef, M.M.E.

    2004-01-01

    The process of analyzing data under uncertainty is a main goal for many real life problems. Statistical analysis for such data is an interested area for research. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new method concerning the generalization and modification of the rough set theory introduced early by Pawlak [Int. J. Comput. Inform. Sci. 11 (1982) 314

  16. High prevalence of missed opportunities for secondary fracture prevention in a regional general hospital setting in Singapore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gani, Linsey; Reddy, Saripalli K; Alsuwaigh, Rayan; Khoo, Joan; King, Thomas F J

    2017-12-01

    This study aims at assessing the gap in secondary fracture prevention at a regional general hospital setting in Singapore. Male patients have significantly lower rate of being investigated and treated for osteoporosis than their female counterparts. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in our population. Secondary fracture prevention services are not routine in Singapore; we seek to assess the treatment gap that exists in the lack of diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in fragility fracture patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of all admissions for fragility fractures between December 2013 and December 2014. Demographic data, rates of BMD performance, serum vitamin D investigation and calcium and vitamin D supplementation as well as antiresorptive initiation 1 year post admission were analysed. There were 125 fragility fractures in patients below 65 and 615 fractures in older patients. There was a slightly higher proportion of males in the younger population, whereas females predominated in the older population. Median vitamin D levels were low in both younger (19.1 μg/L) and older (22.0 μg/L) groups, but supplementation was lower in younger patients (4.8 versus 16.6%, p = 0.003). Rate of BMD performance was lower in younger patients (34.4 versus 64.6%, p Singapore. Male osteoporosis remains inadequately investigated and treated in both age groups.

  17. The scale of hospital production in different settings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Asmild, Mette; Hollingsworth, Bruce; Birch, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    This paper analyses the productive efficiency of 141 public hospitals from 1998-2004 in two Canadian provinces; one a small province with a few small cities and a generally more rural population and the other a large province that is more urban in nature, with a population who mainly live in large...... - different hospitals may have different optimal sizes, or different efficient modes of operation, depending on location, the population they serve, and the policies their respective provincial governments wish to implement. In addition, there are lessons to be learned by comparing the hospitals across...

  18. General Practice Teaching--Within the Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drury, M.

    1976-01-01

    A program of integrated teaching by consultants and general practitioners is described. The teaching took place in the hospitals used for the purpose by the Medical Faculty of the University of Birmingham. (Author)

  19. Observed Handwashing with Soap Practices among Cholera Patients and Accompanying Household Members in a Hospital Setting (CHoBI7 Trial)

    OpenAIRE

    Zohura, Fatema; Bhuyian, Sazzadul Islam; Monira, Shirajum; Begum, Farzana; Biswas, Shwapon K.; Parvin, Tahmina; Sack, David; Sack, R. Bradley; Leontsini, Elli; Saif-Ur-Rahman, K. M.; Rashid, Mahamud-ur; Sharmin, Rumana; Zhang, Xiaotong; Alam, Munirul; George, Christine Marie

    2016-01-01

    Household members of cholera patients are at a 100 times higher risk of cholera than the general population. Despite this risk, there are only a handful of studies that have investigated the handwashing practices among hospitalized diarrhea patients and their accompanying household members. To investigate handwashing practices in a hospital setting among this high-risk population, 444 hours of structured observation was conducted in a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, among 148 cholera patients ...

  20. Terapia ocupacional en un hospital general de pacientes agudos = Occupational therapy in a general hospital for acute pacients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ocello, M. G

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available RESUMEN Desde su creación, el Hospital Provincial “Dr. José María Cullen” posee la característica de ser un hospital de emergencias, sostenido por la Sociedad de Beneficencia y la Hermanas de la Caridad.Su funcionamiento responde a un Modelo Clínico-Asistencial, lo cual influye en la inserción de Terapia Ocupacional debiendo adaptar sus funciones a las características de la Institución.Los marcos de referencia teóricos y programas que se implementandeber ser acordes con las necesidades surgidas de un Hospital General de Agudos y de emergencias.En el Sector de Terapia Ocupacional se desarrolla la actividad docente cumpliendo con los requisitos reglamentados por el Ministerio de Salud de la Provincia de Santa Fe.ABSTRACT Ever since its start the Provincial Hospital “Dr. José María Cullen” is characterised for being an emergency hospital under the guidance of the Benfit Society of Hermanas de la Caridad.Its function responds to a Clinical Assistential Model, which influences the insertion of Occupational Therapy, adapting its functiones to the characteristics of the Institution as and when called for.The theoretical points of reference and programmes that are used must be in accordance with tehe necessities that appear in an Acute and Emergency General Hospital.In the Occupational Therapy Sector the teaching activity is developed as required by rules and regulations of the Ministry of Health for the Province of Santa Fe.

  1. Validation of the PHEEM instrument in a Danish hospital setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aspegren, Knut; Bastholt, Lars; Bested, K.M.

    2007-01-01

    The Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) has been translated into Danish and then validated with good internal consistency by 342 Danish junior and senior hospital doctors. Four of the 40 items are culturally dependent in the Danish hospital setting. Factor analysis...... demonstrated that seven items are interconnected. This information can be used to shorten the instrument by perhaps another three items...

  2. ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: dispensing and administration--2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Craig A; Schneider, Philip J; Scheckelhoff, Douglas J

    2012-05-01

    Results of the 2011 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to dispensing and administration are presented. A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1401 general and children's medical-surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail. In this national probability sample survey, the response rate was 40.1%. Decentralization of the medication-use system continues, with 40% of hospitals using a decentralized system and 58% of hospitals planning to use a decentralized model in the future. Automated dispensing cabinets were used by 89% of hospitals, robots were used by 11%, carousels were used in 18%, and machine-readable coding was used in 34% of hospitals to verify doses before dispensing. Overall, 65% of hospitals had a United States Pharmacopeia chapter 797 compliant cleanroom for compounding sterile preparations. Medication administration records (MARs) have become increasingly computerized, with 67% of hospitals using electronic MARs. Bar-code-assisted medication administration was used in 50% of hospitals, and 68% of hospitals had smart infusion pumps. Health information is becoming more electronic, with 67% of hospitals having partially or completely implemented an electronic health record and 34% of hospitals having computerized prescriber order entry. The use of these technologies has substantially increased over the past year. The average number of full-time equivalent staff per 100 occupied beds averaged 17.5 for pharmacists and 15.0 for technicians. Directors of pharmacy reported declining vacancy rates for pharmacists. Pharmacists continue to improve medication use at the dispensing and administration steps of the medication-use system. The adoption of new technology is changing the philosophy of medication distribution, and health information is rapidly becoming electronic.

  3. Acidosis in the hospital setting: is metformin a common precipitant?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, K A; Martin, J H; Inder, W J

    2010-05-01

    Acidosis is commonly seen in the acute hospital setting, and carries a high mortality. Metformin has been associated with lactic acidosis, but it is unclear how frequently this is a cause of acidosis in hospitalized inpatients. The aim of this study is to explore the underlying comorbidities and acute precipitants of acidosis in the hospital setting, including the relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and metformin use. Retrospective review. Cases of acidosis were identified using the hospital discharge code for acidosis for a 3-month period: October-December 2005. A total of 101 episodes of acidosis were identified: 29% had isolated respiratory acidosis, 31% had metabolic acidosis and 40% had a mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis. There were 28 cases of confirmed lactic acidosis. Twenty-nine patients had T2DM, but only five of the subjects with T2DM had lactic acidosis; two were on metformin. The major risk factors for development of lactic acidosis were hepatic impairment (OR 33.8, P = 0.01), severe left ventricular dysfunction (OR 25.3, P = 0.074) and impaired renal function (OR 9.7, P = 0.09), but not metformin use. Most cases of metabolic and lactic acidosis in the hospital setting occur in patients not taking metformin. Hepatic, renal and cardiac dysfunction are more important predictors for the development of acidosis.

  4. Hernia Surgery in Nyeri Provincial General Hospital, Kenya: Our 6 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The average length of hospital stay was 3 days. Of the inguinal ... on hernia disease with reference to prevalence, pattern and management at a provincial general hospital in Kenya. Methods. After obtaining permission from the hospital administration, we .... financial constraint on hospitals, length of hospital stay and enable ...

  5. Medical psychology services in dutch general hospitals: state of the art developments and recommendations for the future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soons, Paul; Denollet, Johan

    2009-06-01

    In this article an overview is presented of the emergence of medical psychology in the care of somatically ill patients. The situation in the Netherlands can be considered as prototypical. For 60 years, clinical psychologists have been working in general, teaching and academic hospitals. Nowadays, they are an integrated non-medical specialism working in the medical setting of hospitals in the Netherlands, and are a full-member of the medical board. This paper discusses several topics: the position of the general hospital in the health care system in the Netherlands, the emergence of medical psychology in Dutch hospitals, the role of the professional association of medical psychologists, and the characteristics of patients seen by clinical psychologists. Following the discussion about the situation of medical psychology in other countries, recommendations are formulated for the further development of medical psychology in the Netherlands as well as in other countries.

  6. Hip osteoarthritis in Douala General Hospital: Clinical, radiological ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and radiological profile of hip OA, and also treatment options offered to patients presenting with this condition at the Douala General Hospital, Cameroon. Methods: After prior ethical clearance, a hospital-based cross sectional descriptive study was carried out, including ...

  7. How can general paediatric training be optimised in highly specialised tertiary settings? Twelve tips from an interview-based study of trainees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Yassin, Amina; Long, Andrew; Sharma, Sanjiv; May, Joanne

    2017-01-01

    Both general and subspecialty paediatric trainees undertake attachments in highly specialised tertiary hospitals. Trainee feedback suggests that mismatches in expectations between trainees and supervisors and a perceived lack of educational opportunities may lead to trainee dissatisfaction in such settings. With the 'Shape of Training' review (reshaping postgraduate training in the UK to focus on more general themes), this issue is likely to become more apparent. We wished to explore the factors that contribute to a positive educational environment and training experience and identify how this may be improved in highly specialised settings. General paediatric trainees working at all levels in subspecialty teams at a tertiary hospital were recruited (n=12). Semistructured interviews were undertaken to explore the strengths and weaknesses of training in such a setting and how this could be optimised. Appreciative inquiry methodology was used to identify areas of perceived best practice and consider how these could be promoted and disseminated. Twelve best practice themes were identified: (1) managing expectations by acknowledging the challenges; (2) educational contracting to identify learning needs and opportunities; (3) creative educational supervision; (4) centralised teaching events; (5) signposting learning opportunities; (6) curriculum-mapped pan-hospital teaching programmes; (7) local faculty groups with trainee representation; (8) interprofessional learning; (9) pastoral support systems; (10) crossover weeks to increase clinical exposure; (11) adequate clinical supervision; and (12) rota design to include teaching and clinic time. Tertiary settings have strengths, as well as challenges, for general paediatric training. Twelve trainee-generated tips have been identified to capitalise on the educational potential within these settings. Trainee feedback is essential to diagnose and improve educational environments and appreciative inquiry is a useful tool for

  8. Time and cost analysis: pediatric dental rehabilitation with general anesthesia in the office and the hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashewsky, Stephanie; Parameswaran, Ashish; Sloane, Carole; Ferguson, Fred; Epstein, Ralph

    2012-01-01

    Pediatric dental patients who cannot receive dental care in the clinic due to uncooperative behavior are often referred to receive dental care under general anesthesia (GA). At Stony Brook Medicine, dental patients requiring treatment with GA receive dental care in our outpatient facility at the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine (SDM) or in the Stony Brook University Hospital ambulatory setting (SBUH). This study investigates the time and cost for ambulatory American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class I pediatric patients receiving full-mouth dental rehabilitation using GA in these 2 locations, along with a descriptive analysis of the patients and dental services provided. In this institutional review board-approved cross-sectional retrospective study, ICD-9 codes for dental caries (521.00) were used to collect patient records between July 2009 and May 2011. Participants were limited to ASA I patients aged 36-60 months. Complete records from 96 patients were reviewed. There were significant differences in cost, total anesthesia time, and recovery room time (P average total time (anesthesia end time minus anesthesia start time) to treat a child at SBUH under GA was 222 ± 62.7 minutes, and recovery time (time of discharge minus anesthesia end time) was 157 ± 97.2 minutes; the average total cost was $7,303. At the SDM, the average total time was 175 ± 36.8 minutes, and recovery time was 25 ± 12.7 minutes; the average total cost was $414. After controlling for anesthesia time and procedures, we found that SBUH cost 13.2 times more than SDM. This study provides evidence that ASA I pediatric patients can receive full-mouth dental rehabilitation utilizing GA under the direction of dentist anesthesiologists in an office-based dental setting more quickly and at a lower cost. This is very promising for patients with the least access to care, including patients with special needs and lack of insurance.

  9. A study on generalized hesitant intuitionistic Fuzzy soft sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazra, A.; Syafruddin; Wicaksono, G. C.; Syafwan, M.

    2018-03-01

    By combining the concept of hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy sets, fuzzy soft sets and fuzzy sets, we extend hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets to a generalized hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets. Some operations on generalized hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets, such as union, complement, operations “AND” and “OR”, and intersection are defined. From such operations the authors obtain related properties such as commutative, associative and De Morgan's laws. The authors also get an algebraic structure of the collection of all generalized hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets over a set.

  10. An educational conference in a general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, Gordon

    2011-12-01

    Western Sussex Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust comprises the District General Hospitals of Worthing and Chichester. Both hospitals have successful postgraduate medical education centres, providing training for junior doctors and continuing professional development for senior doctors. Until now, there have been limited multi-professional teaching and learning activities available. The two hospitals have recently merged. The education executive felt that workplace learning had become undervalued since the implementation of Modernising Medical Careers in the UK. The executive wanted to provide a multi-professional conference on Workplace Learning, both to support the merger and to promote the value of workplace and multi-professional learning. The conference topic covering the 'how' of workplace learning was innovative. Many educational conferences concentrate on the organisation and evaluation of classroom learning, rather than on how learning can be facilitated in the workplace during ordinary working practice. It was also innovative to ensure that the presenters were representative of the multi-professional workforce. The presentations were limited to 8 minutes each to promote high-impact short presentations. The talks were recorded for publishing on the trust's intranet and the internet. A committed team in a district general hospital can provide a high-quality educational conference with wide appeal. Local health care professionals can produce short high-impact presentations. The use of modern information technology and audio-visual systems can make the presentations available to both local and worldwide audiences. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

  11. Nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment in placements outside traditional hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørk, Ida T; Berntsen, Karin; Brynildsen, Grethe; Hestetun, Margrete

    2014-10-01

    To explore students' opinions of the learning environment during clinical placement in settings outside traditional hospital settings. Clinical placement experiences may influence positively on nursing students attitudes towards the clinical setting in question. Most studies exploring the quality of clinical placements have targeted students' experience in hospital settings. The number of studies exploring students' experiences of the learning environment in healthcare settings outside of the hospital venue does not match the growing importance of such settings in the delivery of health care, nor the growing number of nurses needed in these venues. A survey design was used. The Clinical Learning Environment Inventory was administered to two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n = 184) after clinical placement in mental health care, home care and nursing home care. Nursing students' overall contentment with the learning environment was quite similar across all three placement areas. Students in mental health care had significantly higher scores on the subscale individualisation, and older students had significantly higher scores on the total scale. Compared with other studies where the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory has been used, the students' total scores in this study are similar or higher than scores in studies including students from hospital settings. Results from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings. Students' experience of the learning environment during placements in mental health care, home care and nursing homes indicates the relevance of clinical education in settings outside the hospital setting. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. An Elder Abuse Assessment Team in an Acute Hospital Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Beth Israel Hospital Elder Assessment Team

    1986-01-01

    Describes a hospital-based multidisciplinary team designed to assess and respond to cases of suspected abuse or neglect of elders from both institutional and community settings. Presence of the team has increased the hospital staff's awareness of elder abuse and neglect, as well as their willingness to refer suspected cases for further assessment.…

  13. Groebner basis, resultants and the generalized Mandelbrot set

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geum, Young Hee [Centre of Research for Computational Sciences and Informatics in Biology, Bioindustry, Environment, Agriculture and Healthcare, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)], E-mail: conpana@empal.com; Hare, Kevin G. [Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont., N2L 3G1 (Canada)], E-mail: kghare@math.uwaterloo.ca

    2009-10-30

    This paper demonstrates how the Groebner basis algorithm can be used for finding the bifurcation points in the generalized Mandelbrot set. It also shows how resultants can be used to find components of the generalized Mandelbrot set.

  14. Groebner basis, resultants and the generalized Mandelbrot set

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geum, Young Hee; Hare, Kevin G.

    2009-01-01

    This paper demonstrates how the Groebner basis algorithm can be used for finding the bifurcation points in the generalized Mandelbrot set. It also shows how resultants can be used to find components of the generalized Mandelbrot set.

  15. Bed blocking by elderly patients in general-hospital wards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, S G; Davies, G H

    1975-08-01

    A point prevalence survey, using a questionnaire, was performed in three general hospitals to investigate the problem of elderly patients blocking acute-hospital beds. A total of 1010 occupied general beds were surveyed and all patients, over the age of 60 years, who had been in hospital more than four weeks, and who, in the opinion of medical and nursing staff, were no longer in need of the facilities of a general hospital, were investigated. Forty-eight patients (4.8 per cent of the total) were found to be genuinely in bed inappropriate to their needs. Rehabilitation, together with assessment of these patients, appeared disorganized and lacked consistency, and decisions regarding suitable 'disposal' appeared to be made without sufficient consultation and conformed to no detectable pattern. The main reason for the continuing bed occupancy of the patients was the length of the waiting lists for alternative residential accommodation and the main single medical factor preventing discharge home or to a hostel was the problem of mobility. By interviewing staff and patients and scrutinizing the questionnaires, it was found that 23 patients (48 per cent) were only suitable for transfer to a long-stay hospital. Of these, however, 15 (31 per cent) could be placed in specialized accommodation if some degree of nursing care, at present not available, was provided.

  16. Generalized rough sets hybrid structure and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Mukherjee, Anjan

    2015-01-01

    The book introduces the concept of “generalized interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets”. It presents the basic properties of these sets and also, investigates an application of generalized interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets in decision making with respect to interval of degree of preference. The concept of “interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft rough sets” is discussed and interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft rough set based multi criteria group decision making scheme is presented, which refines the primary evaluation of the whole expert group and enables us to select the optimal object in a most reliable manner. The book also details concept of interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets of type 2. It presents the basic properties of these sets. The book also introduces the concept of “interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft topological space (IVIFS topological space)” together with intuitionistic fuzzy soft open sets (IVIFS open sets) and intuitionistic fuzzy soft cl...

  17. Mentor Tutoring: An Efficient Method for Teaching Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgical Skills in a General Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichikawa, Nobuki; Homma, Shigenori; Yoshida, Tadashi; Ohno, Yosuke; Kawamura, Hideki; Wakizaka, Kazuki; Nakanishi, Kazuaki; Kazui, Keizo; Iijima, Hiroaki; Shomura, Hiroki; Funakoshi, Tohru; Nakano, Shiro; Taketomi, Akinobu

    2017-12-01

    We retrospectively assessed the efficacy of our mentor tutoring system for teaching laparoscopic colorectal surgical skills in a general hospital. A series of 55 laparoscopic colectomies performed by 1 trainee were evaluated. Next, the learning curves for high anterior resection performed by the trainee (n=20) were compared with those of a self-trained surgeon (n=19). Cumulative sum analysis and multivariate regression analyses showed that 38 completed cases were needed to reduce the operative time. In high anterior resection, the mean operative times were significantly shorter after the seventh average for the tutored surgeon compared with that for the self-trained surgeon. In cumulative sum charting, the curve reached a plateau by the seventh case for the tutored surgeon, but continued to increase for the self-trained surgeon. Mentor tutoring effectively teaches laparoscopic colorectal surgical skills in a general hospital setting.

  18. A família e a internação psiquiátrica em hospital geral La familia y la internación psiquiátrica en hospital general Patient's relatives and the psychiatric hospitalization in a general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita Mello de Mello

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Estudo com abordagem qualitativa de natureza na sociologia fenomenológica, de Alfred Schutz, que teve como objetivo identificar os motivos para- relacionados à Internação Psiquiátrica em um Hospital Geral (UIPHG para os familiares. Para tanto, foram entrevistados 14 familiares que possuíam um de seus membros internados na UIPHP no período de agosto a outubro de 2009. Utilizou-se como questão orientadora da entrevista fenomenológica: "o que você espera da Internação Psiquiátrica em um Hospital Geral?". Para compreensão e interpretação dos depoimentos, utilizou-se o referencial teórico da sociologia fenomenológica. Os discursos revelaram três categorias concretas que remeteram aos motivos para: orientação e continuidade no tratamento; perspectivas de melhora e projeções sobre normalidade. Com essa investigação é possível mostrar o tipo vivido desses familiares e contribuir para que os profissionais de saúde mental reflitam sobre suas ações e sobre o envolvimento da família em uma unidade de internação psiquiátrica em hospital geral.Estudio cualitativo con enfoque en la sociología fenomenológica de Alfred Schutz tiene el objetivo de identificar los motivos relacionados a la internación psiquiátrica en un hospital general de los familiares. Para eso se entrevistaron 14 familiares que tenían uno de sus miembros internados en la unidad psiquiátrica de un hospital general entre Agosto y Octubre del 2009. Se utilizará como pregunta orientadora de la entrevista fenomenológica: "qué espera de la internación psiquiátrica en un hospital general?" Para el análisis de los testimonios se utilizó el referencial de la sociología fenomenológica, surgiendo tres categorías concretas que remitían a los motivos para: orientación y continuidad del tratamiento; perspectivas de mejoría; proyecciones sobre normalidad. Con esta investigación podemos indicar el tipo vivido de esos familiares, contribuyendo para que los

  19. Risk factor for preterm labor in Haji Adam Malik General Hospital, Pirngadi General hospital and satellite hospitals in Medan from January 2014 to December 2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sukatendel, K.; Hasibuan, C. L.; Pasaribu, H. P.; Sihite, H.; Ardyansah, E.; Situmorang, M. F.

    2018-03-01

    In 2010, Indonesia was ranked fifth in the world for the number of premature birth. Prematurity is a multifactorial problem. Preterm Labor (PTL) can occur spontaneously without a clear cause. Preventing PTL, its associated risk factors must be recognized first. To analyze risk factors associated with the incidence of PTL. It is a cross sectional study using secondary data obtained from medical records in Haji Adam Malik general hospital, Pirngadi general hospital and satellite hospitals in Medan from January 2014 to December 2016. Data were analyzed using chi-square method and logistic regression test. 148 cases for each group of preterm labor and obtained term laborin this study. Using the logistic regression test, three factors with astrong association to the incidence of identifiedpreterm labor. Antenatal Care frequency (OR 2,326; CI 95%), leucorrhea (OR 6,291; 95%), and premature rupture of membrane (OR 9,755; CI 95%). In conclusion, antenatal care frequency, leucorrhea, and history of premature rupture of themembrane may increase the incidence of Preterm Labor (PTL).

  20. Implementing managed alcohol programs in hospital settings: A review of academic and grey literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Hannah L; Kassam, Shehzad; Salvalaggio, Ginetta; Hyshka, Elaine

    2018-04-01

    People with severe alcohol use disorders are at increased risk of poor acute-care outcomes, in part due to difficulties maintaining abstinence from alcohol while hospitalised. Managed alcohol programs (MAP), which administer controlled doses of beverage alcohol to prevent withdrawal and stabilise drinking patterns, are one strategy for increasing adherence to treatment, and improving health outcomes for hospital inpatients with severe alcohol use disorders. Minimal research has examined the implementation of MAPs in hospital settings. We conducted a scoping review to describe extant literature on MAPs in community settings, as well as the therapeutic provision of alcohol to hospital inpatients, to assess the feasibility of implementing formal MAPs in hospital settings and identify knowledge gaps requiring further study. Four academic and 10 grey literature databases were searched. Evidence was synthesised using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Forty-two studies met review inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight examined the administration of alcohol to hospital inpatients, with most reporting positive outcomes related to prevention or treatment of alcohol withdrawal. Fourteen studies examined MAPs in the community and reported that they help stabilise drinking patterns, reduce alcohol-related harms and facilitate non-judgemental health and social care. MAPs in the community have been well described and research has documented effective provision of alcohol in hospital settings for addressing withdrawal. Implementing MAPs as a harm reduction approach in hospital settings is potentially feasible. However, there remains a need to build off extant literature and develop and evaluate standardised MAP protocols tailored to acute-care settings. © 2018 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  1. Provision of general paediatric surgical services in a regional hospital.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Zgraj, O

    2012-01-31

    BACKGROUND: In Ireland, specialist paediatric surgery is carried out in paediatric hospitals in Dublin. General surgeons\\/consultants in other surgical specialities provide paediatric surgical care in regional centres. There has been a failure to train general surgeons with paediatric skills to replace these surgeons upon retirement. AIM: To assess paediatric surgical workload in one regional centre to focus the debate regarding the future provision of general paediatric surgery in Ireland. METHODS: Hospital in-patient enquiry (HIPE) system was used to identify total number of paediatric surgical admissions and procedures. Cases assessed requiring hospital transfer. RESULTS: Of 17,478 surgical patients treated, 2,584 (14.8%) were under 14 years. A total of 2,154 procedures were performed. CONCLUSION: Regional centres without dedicated paediatric surgeons deliver care to large numbers of paediatric patients. The demand for care highlights the need for formal paediatric services\\/appropriate surgical training for general surgical trainees.

  2. 2009 VHA Facility Quality and Safety Report - Hospital Settings

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Veterans Affairs — The 2008 Hospital Report Card was mandated by the FY08 Appropriations Act, and focused on Congressionally-mandated metrics applicable to general patient populations....

  3. The Best of Intentions. Interior Architecture: Massachusetts General Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryder, Sharon Lee

    1974-01-01

    The Massachusetts General Hospital/Surgical and Special Services study, an information processing system for redesigning an outmoded existing hospital, structured information into small-scale elements that could be analyzed, reassembled into different solutions, and the solution selected that best accommodates all of the complex requirements. (MF)

  4. Advocacy for the Provision of Dental Hygiene Services Within the Hospital Setting: Development of a Dental Hygiene Student Rotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juhl, Jacqueline A; Stedman, Lynn

    2016-06-01

    Educational preparation of dental hygiene students for hospital-based practice, and advocacy efforts promote inclusion of dental hygienists within hospital-based interdisciplinary health care teams. Although the value of attending to the oral care needs of patients in critical care units has been recognized, the potential impact of optimal oral health care for the general hospital population is now gaining attention. This article describes a hospital-based educational experience for dental hygiene students and provides advocacy strategies for inclusion of dental hygienists within the hospital interdisciplinary team. The dental hygienist authors, both educators committed to evidence-based oral health care and the profession of dental hygiene, studied hospital health care and recognized a critical void in oral health care provision within that setting. They collaboratively developed and implemented a hospital-based rotation within the curriculum of a dental hygiene educational program and used advocacy skills to encourage hospital administrators to include a dental hygiene presence within hospital-based care teams. Hospital-based dental hygiene practice, as part of interprofessional health care delivery, has the potential to improve patient well-being, shorten hospital stays, and provide fiscal savings for patients, institutions, and third party payers. Advocacy efforts can promote dental hygienists as members of hospital-based health care teams. Further research is needed to document: (1) patient outcomes resulting from optimal oral care provision in hospitals; (2) best ways to prepare dental hygienists for career opportunities within hospitals and other similar health care settings; and (3) most effective advocacy strategies to promote inclusion of dental hygienists within care teams. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. DRUG MANAGEMENT REVIEWS IN DISTRICT DRUG MANAGEMENT UNIT AND GENERAL HOSPITAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Max Joseph Herman

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Drug is one of the essential elements in healthcare that should be effectively and efficiently managed. Following thedecentralization in 2001 in Indonesia, drug management has changed in district drug management units and also in District General Hospitals. Certainly this condition influences the sustainability of drug access in primary health care such as in Community Health Center and District General Hospital, especially in drug financing policy. A cross sectional descriptive study to obtain information on drug management in public healthcare in district had been carried out between July and December 2006 in 10 District Public Drug Management Units from 10 district health offices and 9 district general hospitals as samples. Data were collected by interviewing heads of Drug Section in District Health Offices and heads of Hospital Pharmacies using structured questionnaires and observing drug storage in District Drug Management Units, Community Health Centers, and Hospital Pharmacies. Results of the study show that drug planning in District Health Offices and General Hospitals did not meet the basic real need in some districts nor District Hospitals. The minimum health service standards had no been achieved yet. Furthermore, drug procurement, storage and recording as well as reporting was not good enough either, such as shown by the existence of expired drugs. Lead time for drug delivery to community health centers in some districts was longer than the average of lead time in the past 3 years.

  6. Environmental survey to assess viral contamination of air and surfaces in hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carducci, A; Verani, M; Lombardi, R; Casini, B; Privitera, G

    2011-03-01

    The presence of pathogenic viruses in healthcare settings represents a serious risk for both staff and patients. Direct viral detection in the environment poses significant technical problems and the indirect indicators currently in use suffer from serious limitations. The aim of this study was to monitor surfaces and air in hospital settings to reveal the presence of hepatitis C virus, human adenovirus, norovirus, human rotavirus and torque teno virus by nucleic acid assays, in parallel with measurements of total bacterial count and haemoglobin presence. In total, 114 surface and 62 air samples were collected. Bacterial contamination was very low (air was 282 cfu/m(3). Overall, 19 (16.7%) surface samples tested positive for viral nucleic acids: one for norovirus, one for human adenovirus and 17 (14.9%) for torque teno virus (TTV). Only this latter virus was directly detected in 10 air samples (16.1%). Haemoglobin was found on two surfaces. No relationship was found between viral, biochemical or bacterial indicators. The data obtained confirm the difficulty of assessing viral contamination using bacterial indicators. The frequent detection of TTV suggests its possible use as an indicator for general viral contamination of the environment. Copyright © 2010 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Retrospective chart review of elderly patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy in a tertiary general hospital

    OpenAIRE

    Mosam Phirke; Harshal Sathe; Nilesh Shah; Sushma Sonavane; Anup Bharati; Avinash DeSousa

    2015-01-01

    Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the one of the oldest and effective treatments in psychiatry today. It has been used in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders in both young and old patients. Aims of the study: The present study is a retrospective chart review of geriatric patients receiving ECT as a treatment option in a tertiary care general hospital psychiatry setting. Methodology: The study evaluated ECT records over a 5-year period between the years 2010 and 2014...

  8. Zolpidem prescribing and adverse drug reactions in hospitalized general medicine patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Jane E; Webb, Melissa J; Gray, Shelly L

    2004-03-01

    Zolpidem is prescribed for sleep disruption in hospitalized patients, but data on the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are based largely on outpatient studies. Thus, the incidence of ADRs in hospitalized patients may be much higher. The goal of this study was to describe prescribing patterns of zolpidem for hospitalized medical patients aged 50 years, the incidence of ADRs possibly and probably associated with its use, and the factors associated with central nervous system (CNS) ADRs. This case series was conducted in 4 general medicine wards at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was a consecutive sample of patients aged 50 years who were hospitalized between 1993 and 1997 and received zolpidem as a hypnotic during hospitalization, but had not received it in the previous 3 months. Chart review was conducted by 2 evaluators. Data extracted from the medical records included admission demographic characteristics, medications, comorbidities, and levels of function in performing basic and instrumental activities of daily living. The main outcome measure was ADRs possibly or probably related to zolpidem use. The association between zolpidem and the occurrence of CNS ADRs (eg, confusion, dizziness, daytime somnolence) was analyzed separately. The review included 119 medical patients aged > or =50 years who had newly received zolpidem for sleep disruption during hospitalization. The median age of the population was 70 years; 86 (72.3%) patients were aged 65 years. The initial zolpidem dose was 5 mg in 42 patients (35.3%) and 10 mg in 77 patients (64.7%). Twenty-three patients had a respective 16 and 10 ADRs possibly and probably related to zolpidem use (19.3% incidence). Of a total of 26 ADRs, 21 (80.8%) were CNS ADRs, occurring with both zolpidem 5 mg (10.8% of users) and 10 mg (18.3% of users). On univariate analyses, the only factor significantly associated with a CNS ADR was functional impairment at baseline (P = 0.003). Zolpidem was discontinued in 38.8% of

  9. [Crisis unit at the general hospital: Determinants of further hospitalization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norotte, C; Omnès, C; Crozier, C; Verlyck, C; Romanos, M

    2017-10-01

    The availability of short-stay beds for brief admission (less than 72hours) of crisis patients presenting to the emergency room is a model that has gained a growing interest because it allows time for developing alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization and favors a maintained functioning in the community. Still, the determinants influencing the disposition decision at discharge after crisis intervention remain largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study was to determine the factors predicting aftercare dispositions at crisis unit discharge: transfer for further hospitalization or return to the community. Secondary objectives included the description of clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of patients admitted to the crisis unit upon presentation to the emergency room. All patients (n=255) admitted to the short-stay unit of the emergency department of Rambouillet General Hospital during a one-year period were included in the study. Patient characteristics were collected in a retrospective manner from medical records: patterns of referral, acute stressors, presenting symptoms, initial patient demand, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5) disorders, psychiatric history, and socio-demographic characteristics were inferred. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with hospitalization decision upon crisis intervention at discharge. Following crisis intervention at the short-stay unit, 100 patients (39.2%) required further hospitalization and were transferred. Statistically significant factors associated with a higher probability of hospitalization (P<0.05) included the patient's initial wish to be hospitalized (OR=4.28), the presence of a comorbid disorder (OR=3.43), a referral by family or friends (OR=2.89), a history of psychiatric hospitalization (OR=2.71) and suicidal ideation on arrival in the emergency room (OR=2.26). Conversely, significant factors associated with a lower probability of

  10. Deconstructing myths, building alliances: a networking model to enhance tobacco control in hospital mental health settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballbè, Montse; Gual, Antoni; Nieva, Gemma; Saltó, Esteve; Fernández, Esteve

    2016-01-01

    Life expectancy for people with severe mental disorders is up to 25 years less in comparison to the general population, mainly due to diseases caused or worsened by smoking. However, smoking is usually a neglected issue in mental healthcare settings. The aim of this article is to describe a strategy to improve tobacco control in the hospital mental healthcare services of Catalonia (Spain). To bridge this gap, the Catalan Network of Smoke-free Hospitals launched a nationwide bottom-up strategy in Catalonia in 2007. The strategy relied on the creation of a working group of key professionals from various hospitals -the early adopters- based on Rogers' theory of the Diffusion of Innovations. In 2016, the working group is composed of professionals from 17 hospitals (70.8% of all hospitals in the region with mental health inpatient units). Since 2007, tobacco control has improved in different areas such as increasing mental health professionals' awareness of smoking, training professionals on smoking cessation interventions and achieving good compliance with the national smoking ban. The working group has produced and disseminated various materials, including clinical practice and best practice guidelines, implemented smoking cessation programmes and organised seminars and training sessions on smoking cessation measures in patients with mental illnesses. The next challenge is to ensure effective follow-up for smoking cessation after discharge. While some areas of tobacco control within these services still require significant improvement, the aforementioned initiative promotes successful tobacco control in these settings. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. [Audit of general hospitals and private surgical clinics in Israel].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freund, Ruth; Dor, Michael; Lotan, Yoram; Haver, Eitan

    2007-12-01

    Supervision and inspection of medical facilities are among the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health (MOH) anchored in the "Public Health Act 1940". In order to implement the law, the General Medical Division of the MOH began the process of auditing hospitals and private surgical clinics prior to considering the reissue of their license. The audit aimed to implement the law, activate supervision on general hospitals and private surgical clinics, provide feed-back to the audited institution and upgrade quality assurance, regulate medical activities according to the activities elaborated in the license and recommend the license renewal. Prior to the audits, 20 areas of activity were chosen for inspection. For each activity a check list was developed as a tool for inspection. Each area was inspected during a 4-5 hour visit by a MOH expert, accompanied by the local service manager in the institution under inspection. A comprehensive report, summarizing the findings was sent to the medical institute, requesting correction in those areas where improvements were needed. Recommendation for license renewal was sent to the Director of Licensing Division Ministry of Health. Between June 2003 and July 2006, 91 structured audits took place. A total of 47 general hospitals and 24 private surgical clinics were visited at least once. Most general hospitals were found abiding, functioning according to the required standards and eligible for license renewal. Licenses of institutions that complied with the standards determined by the audit teams, were renewed. Two private hospitals in central Israel, that were given an overall poor evaluation, were issued with a temporary license and subsequently re-audited 4 times over the next two years. Generally, the standards in private surgical clinics were lower than those found in general public hospitals. In one clinic the license was not renewed, and in another an order was issued to cease surgical procedures requiring general

  12. A new localization set for generalized eigenvalues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Gao

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A new localization set for generalized eigenvalues is obtained. It is shown that the new set is tighter than that in (Numer. Linear Algebra Appl. 16:883-898, 2009. Numerical examples are given to verify the corresponding results.

  13. Generalizations of γ-open set in topological spaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharya, Baby, E-mail: babybhatt75@gmail.com; Paul, Arnab, E-mail: mrarnabpaul87@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics, NIT Agartala, Jirania, Tripura (India)

    2016-06-21

    The main aim of this work is to study three generalized forms of γ-open set due to D. Andrijevic (D. Andrijevic, On the Topology Generated by pre-open sets, Presented at the Sixth Prague Topological Symposium, 39 (1987), 367-376)in a topological space. Out of which the dual appearance of one is the stronger form of b-locally closed set in the sense of Arafa A. Nasef (A. A Nasef,On b-locally closed sets and related topics, CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS 12(2001) 1909-1915). Also, we introduce the concept of different types of continuity and study their basic properties by using these newly defined sets. Finally, we establish the interrelationships among themselves together with some already existing generalized forms of continuity.

  14. Cost implication of irrational prescribing of chloroquine in Lagos State general hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aina, Bolajoko A; Tayo, Fola; Taylor, Ogori

    2008-02-01

    A major share of the hospital budget is spent on drugs. Irrational use of these drugs is a waste of financial and human resources that could have been deployed for another use within the hospital setting especially in cases where such drugs are provided free to patients. Also there is increased morbidity and progression of severity with irrational use. The objective of this study was to determine the irrational use of chloroquine and the subsequent cost implications in Lagos State general hospitals. A retrospective study period of one year (January to December, 2000) was selected. A total of 18,781 prescription forms of "Free Eko Malaria" were sampled for children and adults from all the Lagos State general hospitals. Drug costs in each prescription form were identified. Cost effectiveness analysis of chloroquine tablet and intramuscular injection was undertaken. The average cost of medicine per prescription was 132.071 ($1.03) which should have been 94.22 ($0.73) if prescribed rationally. The total cost of prescriptions for malaria under study was 2,480,425.00 ($19,348.09). About 68% {(1,679,444.00) ($13,100.19)} of the total cost was lost to irrational prescribing. This is a waste of scarce resources. When the prescriptions were differentiated into the different dosage forms prescribed, the prescriptions containing intramuscular injections only had over 90% of the cost lost to irrational prescribing. Cost effectiveness analysis showed that chloroquine tablet was 17 times more cost effective than chloroquine injection (intramuscular) from a health care system perspective while it was 14 times more cost effective from a patient perspective. There is waste of scarce resources with irrational dispensing of drugs and these resources could have been deployed to other uses or areas within the hospitals. The tablet chloroquine was more cost effective than injection chloroquine (intramuscular). Increasing the cost of tablets, decreasing effectiveness of tablets

  15. Pain management of opioid-treated cancer patients in hospital settings in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundorff, L.; Peuckmann, V.; Sjøgren, Per

    2008-01-01

    AIM: To evaluate the performance and quality of cancer pain management in hospital settings. METHODS: Anaesthesiologists specialised in pain and palliative medicine studied pain management in departments of oncology and surgery. Study days were randomly chosen and patients treated with oral opioids......-treated patients in hospital settings: however, focussing on average pain intensity, the outcome seems favourable compared with other countries. Pain mechanisms were seldom examined and adjuvant drugs were not specifically used for neuropathic pain. Opioid dosing intervals and supplemental opioid doses were most...

  16. Posttraumatic stress following childbirth in homelike- and hospital settings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stramrood, C.A.; Paarlberg, K.M.; Huis In 't Veld, E.M.; Berger, L.W.; Vingerhoets, A.J.; Weijmar Schultz, W.C.; van Pampus, M.G.

    Methods. aEuro integral Multi-center cross-sectional study at midwifery practices, general hospitals and a tertiary (university) referral center. An unselected population of 907 women was invited to complete questionnaires on PTSD, demographic, psychosocial, and obstetric characteristics 2 to 6

  17. First 101 Robotic General Surgery Cases in a Community Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Jarrod C.; Alrajhi, Sharifah

    2016-01-01

    Background and Objectives: The general surgeon's robotic learning curve may improve if the experience is classified into categories based on the complexity of the procedures in a small community hospital. The intraoperative time should decrease and the incidence of complications should be comparable to conventional laparoscopy. The learning curve of a single robotic general surgeon in a small community hospital using the da Vinci S platform was analyzed. Methods: Measured parameters were operative time, console time, conversion rates, complications, surgical site infections (SSIs), surgical site occurrences (SSOs), length of stay, and patient demographics. Results: Between March 2014 and August 2015, 101 robotic general surgery cases were performed by a single surgeon in a 266-bed community hospital, including laparoscopic cholecystectomies, inguinal hernia repairs; ventral, incisional, and umbilical hernia repairs; and colorectal, foregut, bariatric, and miscellaneous procedures. Ninety-nine of the cases were completed robotically. Seven patients were readmitted within 30 days. There were 8 complications (7.92%). There were no mortalities and all complications were resolved with good outcomes. The mean operative time was 233.0 minutes. The mean console operative time was 117.6 minutes. Conclusion: A robotic general surgery program can be safely implemented in a small community hospital with extensive training of the surgical team through basic robotic skills courses as well as supplemental educational experiences. Although the use of the robotic platform in general surgery could be limited to complex procedures such as foregut and colorectal surgery, it can also be safely used in a large variety of operations with results similar to those of conventional laparoscopy. PMID:27667913

  18. Regular Generalized Star Star closed sets in Bitopological Spaces

    OpenAIRE

    K. Kannan; D. Narasimhan; K. Chandrasekhara Rao; R. Ravikumar

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to introduce the concepts of τ1τ2-regular generalized star star closed sets , τ1τ2-regular generalized star star open sets and study their basic properties in bitopological spaces.

  19. Non-fatal suicidal behaviour at the Johannesburg General Hospital ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Non-fatal suicidal behaviour at the Johannesburg General Hospital. ... African Journal of Psychiatry ... Patients who threaten deliberate self-harm and who have a history of previous NFSB, past psychiatric illness and physical or sexual abuse, are at a higher risk of this behaviour as compared to the general population.

  20. Opportunities and Design Considerations for Peer Support in a Hospital Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haldar, Shefali; Mishra, Sonali R; Khelifi, Maher; Pollack, Ari H; Pratt, Wanda

    2017-05-01

    Although research has demonstrated improved outcomes for outpatients who receive peer support-such as through online health communities, support groups, and mentoring systems-hospitalized patients have few mechanisms to receive such valuable support. To explore the opportunities for a hospital-based peer support system, we administered a survey to 146 pediatric patients and caregivers, and conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve patients and three caregivers in a children's hospital. Our analysis revealed that hospitalized individuals need peer support for five key purposes: (1) to ask about medical details-such as procedures, treatments, and medications; (2) to learn about healthcare providers; (3) to report and prevent medical errors; (4) to exchange emotional support; and (5) to manage their time in the hospital. In this paper, we examine these themes and describe potential barriers to using a hospital-based peer support system. We then discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that the hospital environment presents when designing for peer support in this setting.

  1. Generalized algebra-valued models of set theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Löwe, B.; Tarafder, S.

    2015-01-01

    We generalize the construction of lattice-valued models of set theory due to Takeuti, Titani, Kozawa and Ozawa to a wider class of algebras and show that this yields a model of a paraconsistent logic that validates all axioms of the negation-free fragment of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory.

  2. 42 CFR 412.370 - General provisions for hospitals located in Puerto Rico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Prospective Payment System for Inpatient Hospital Capital Costs Special Rules for Puerto Rico Hospitals § 412.370 General provisions for hospitals located in Puerto Rico. Except as provided in § 412.374, hospitals located in Puerto Rico are subject to the rules in this subpart governing the prospective payment...

  3. 21 CFR 880.5440 - Intravascular administration set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Intravascular administration set. 880.5440 Section 880.5440 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL HOSPITAL AND PERSONAL USE DEVICES General Hospital and Personal Use...

  4. URGENCIAS PSIQUIÁTRICAS EN EL HOSPITAL GENERAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Rodrigo Nieto

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Las urgencias psiquiátricas pueden presentarse en diversos escenarios clínicos, incluyendo la consulta ambulatoria, el servicio de urgencias, o el hospital general. Por este motivo, es importante que tanto psiquiatras como médicos de otras especialidades estén capacitados para su reconocimiento y manejo inicial. Especialmente en el contexto del hospital general, es importante considerar la relación entre enfermedades médicas y psiquiátricas, desde los síntomas físicos que pueden presentarse producto de un trastorno psiquiátrico, hasta los síntomas psiquiátricos que son el resultado de enfermedades orgánicas, medicamentos o abuso de sustancias. Adicionalmente, en este artículo se entregan elementos para el manejo de algunas urgencias psiquiátricas particularmente relevantes, tales como la ideación suicida, la agitación psicomotora o el delirium, donde las intervenciones iniciales pueden ser de gran importancia para la evolución y el pronóstico del paciente.

  5. Hospital Costs Associated With Agitation in the Acute Care Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cots, Francesc; Chiarello, Pietro; Pérez, Victor; Gracia, Alfredo; Becerra, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    The study determined hospital costs associated with a diagnosis of agitation among patients at 14 general hospitals in Spain. Data from discharge records of adult patients (2008-2012) with a diagnosis of agitation (ICD-9-CM code 293.0) were analyzed. Incremental hospital costs for agitated patients and a control group of patients without agitation were quantified, and the adjusted cost and incremental cost for both groups were compared by use of a recycled-predictions approach. The analysis included 355,496 hospital discharges, 5,334 of which were of patients with a diagnosis of agitation. Among patients with a diagnosis of agitation, hospital stays were significantly longer (12 days versus nine days). A significant difference in mean costs of €472 (95% confidence interval [CI]=€351-€593) was noted between patients with agitation and those in the control group. A recycled-predictions approach showed a difference of €1,593(CI=€1,556-€1,631). Findings indicate that agitation increased the use of hospital resources by at least 8%.

  6. The hospital component of general practice vocational training--the Irish experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, A W

    1992-12-01

    All second and third year general practice vocational trainees in the Irish Republic in 1991 were invited to complete a questionnaire concerning the hospital component of their training. The questionnaire was based on specific recommendations published by the I.C.G.P. regarding hospital training posts. Replies were received from 39 trainees constituting 70% of the total number of eligible trainees. In general, hospital posts were perceived to be of relevance and to offer adequate exposure to outpatient management and to the development of useful practical skills. More than 70% of the trainees were free to attend at least 75% of the study release course. Everyone entitled to study leave for examination purposes obtained it. However, 95% of trainees found their hospital teachers unfamiliar with the aims and objectives of Vocational Training. Two-thirds of trainees received less than two hours a week of formal or informal teaching. More than two-thirds did not participate in an introductory general practice period and less than a quarter had their individual needs assessed early on. Substantial realisation of the guidelines issued by the ICGP has been achieved. Further work is necessary in the areas of individual needs assessment, relevant structured teaching and general practice liaison. Three specific recommendations are made to achieve these aims.

  7. Setting up a child eye care centre: the Mercy Eye Hospital, Abak ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aim: To document and share our experience in setting up a Child Eye Care Centre within a rural mission eye hospital and document subsequent development of services. Method: The location of the project was Mercy Eye Hospital (MEH) Abak, Akwa Ibom State in the South South zone of Nigeria). Consent to commence ...

  8. A review of governance of maternity services at South Tipperary general hospital

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Flory, David

    2015-09-01

    This review of the governance of maternity services at South Tipperary General Hospital has focussed on the systems and processes for assurance of service quality, risk management and patient safety primarily inside the hospital but also in the Hospital Group structure within which it operates. The effectiveness of the governance arrangements is largely determined by the quality of the leadership and management – both clinical and general – which designs, implements, and oversees those systems and processes and is ultimately responsible and accountable.\\r\

  9. Modelling uncertainty with generalized credal sets: application to conjunction and decision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronevich, Andrey G.; Rozenberg, Igor N.

    2018-01-01

    To model conflict, non-specificity and contradiction in information, upper and lower generalized credal sets are introduced. Any upper generalized credal set is a convex subset of plausibility measures interpreted as lower probabilities whose bodies of evidence consist of singletons and a certain event. Analogously, contradiction is modelled in the theory of evidence by a belief function that is greater than zero at empty set. Based on generalized credal sets, we extend the conjunctive rule for contradictory sources of information, introduce constructions like natural extension in the theory of imprecise probabilities and show that the model of generalized credal sets coincides with the model of imprecise probabilities if the profile of a generalized credal set consists of probability measures. We give ways how the introduced model can be applied to decision problems.

  10. Pride and confidence at work: potential predictors of occupational health in a hospital setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petterson Inga-Lill

    2005-09-01

    the general negative effects of downsizing observed elsewhere in the hospital, and in the literature. Conclusion Research illuminating health-promoting aspects is rather unusual. This study could be seen as explorative. The themes and core dimensions we found could be used as a basis for further intervention studies in similar health-care settings. The result could also be used in future health promotion studies in larger populations. One of the first steps in such a strategy is to formulate relevant questions, and we consider that this study contributes to this.

  11. Simulating policy options for psychiatric care in general hospitals under Medicare's PPS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freiman, M P; Mitchell, J B; Rosenbach, M L

    1988-11-01

    Psychiatric hospitals and certain distinct part psychiatric units of general hospitals are currently exempt from diagnosis related group (DRG)-based payment under Medicare's prospective payment system (PPS), in large part due to concern about the degree to which such payment would match historical costs for these facilities. This communication simulates DRG-based payments for psychiatric admissions to general hospitals under the PPS and also under a modified version of the PPS. Two major types of modifications are made: (1) an increase in the role of outlier payments and (2) a restructuring of the DRG classification to allow for a difference in the basic payment rate, depending on whether or not care is provided in a facility that is currently exempt. When compared with cost data from just before the start of the PPS, the simulation results show the degree to which these hypothetical modifications will decrease the systematic risk of general hospitals with exempt units from receiving payments that fall short of costs.

  12. Application of Neutrosophic Set Theory in Generalized Assignment Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supriya Kar

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the application of Neutrosophic Set Theory (NST in solving Generalized Assignment Problem (GAP. GAP has been solved earlier under fuzzy environment. NST is a generalization of the concept of classical set, fuzzy set, interval-valued fuzzy set, intuitionistic fuzzy set. Elements of Neutrosophic set are characterized by a truth-membership function, falsity and also indeterminacy which is a more realistic way of expressing the parameters in real life problem. Here the elements of the cost matrix for the GAP are considered as neutrosophic elements which have not been considered earlier by any other author. The problem has been solved by evaluating score function matrix and then solving it by Extremum Difference Method (EDM [1] to get the optimal assignment. The method has been demonstrated by a suitable numerical example.

  13. Safety of Intranasal Fentanyl in the Out-of-Hospital Setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karlsen, Anders P H; Pedersen, Danny M B; Trautner, Sven

    2014-01-01

    : In this prospective observational study, we administered intranasal fentanyl in the out-of-hospital setting to adults and children older than 8 years with severe pain resulting from orthopedic conditions, abdominal pain, or acute coronary syndrome refractory to nitroglycerin spray. Patients received 1 to 3 doses...

  14. Behavioural and psychological symptoms in general hospital patients with dementia, distress for nursing staff and complications in care: results of the General Hospital Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hessler, J B; Schäufele, M; Hendlmeier, I; Junge, M N; Leonhardt, S; Weber, J; Bickel, H

    2018-06-01

    Little is known about how behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) manifest in the general hospital. The aim was to examine the frequency of BPSD in general hospitals and their associations with nursing staff distress and complications in care. Cross-sectional representative study with 1469 patients aged ≥65, including 270 patients with dementia, of 33 randomly selected general hospitals in Germany. BPSD and complications were reported by nurses. Overall frequency of BPSD was higher in patients with dementia (76%) than without (38%). The most frequent symptoms in patients with dementia were nighttime disturbances (38%), depression (29%) and aberrant motor behaviour (28%) and the most distressing symptoms for nursing staff were delusions, aggression and nighttime disturbances. The overall frequency of BPSD increased from 67% in mild dementia, to 76% in moderate dementia and to 88% in severe dementia. The most frequent symptoms in patients without dementia were depression (19%), nighttime disturbances (13%) and irritability (13%). The most distressing symptoms were aggression and delusions, while the same symptoms were consistently rated as less distressing than in patients with dementia. Factor analysis revealed three independent groups of BPSD that explained 45% of the total variance. First, expansive symptoms (aggression, irritability, nighttime disturbances, aberrant motor behaviour and disinhibition) were frequent, distressing for nursing staff and associated with many complications. Second, psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) were infrequent, distressing and associated with some complications. Third, affective symptoms (apathy, anxiety and depression) were frequent, non-distressing and associated with few complications. The results did not change when cases with delirium were excluded from both groups. BPSD are common in older hospital patients with dementia and associated with considerable distress in nursing staff, as well as

  15. Care complexity in the general hospital - Results from a European study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jonge, P; Huyse, FJ; Slaets, JPJ; Herzog, T; Lobo, A; Lyons, JS; Opmeer, BC; Stein, B; Arolt, [No Value; Balogh, N; Cardoso, G; Fink, P; Rigatelli, M; van Dijck, R; Mellenbergh, GJ

    2001-01-01

    There is increasing pressure to effectively treat patients with complex care needs from the moment of admission to the general hospital. In this study, the authors developed a measurement strategy for hospital-based care complexity. The authors' four-factor model describes the interrelations between

  16. Admission rates in a general practitioner-based versus a hospital specialist based, hospital-at-home model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Christian Backer; Ankersen, Ejnar Skytte; Lindberg, Mats J

    2018-01-01

    . CONCLUSIONS: The GP based HaH model was more effective than the hospital specialist model in avoiding hospital admissions within 7 days among elderly patients with an acute medical condition with no differences in mental or physical recovery rates or deaths between the two models. REGISTRATION: No. NCT......BACKGROUND: Hospital at home (HaH) is an alternative to acute admission for elderly patients. It is unclear if should be cared for a primarily by a hospital intern specialist or by the patient's own general practitioner (GP). The study assessed whether a GP based model was more effective than...... Denmark, including + 65 years old patients with an acute medical condition that required acute hospital in-patient care. The patients were randomly assigned to hospital specialist based model or GP model of HaH care. Five physical and cognitive performance tests were performed at inclusion and after 7...

  17. Data linkage of inpatient hospitalization and workers' claims data sets to characterize occupational falls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunn, Terry L; Slavova, Svetla; Bathke, Arne

    2007-07-01

    The identification of industry, occupation, and associated injury costs for worker falls in Kentucky have not been fully examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between industry and occupation and 1) hospitalization length of stay; 2) hospitalization charges; and 3) workers' claims costs in workers suffering falls, using linked inpatient hospitalization discharge and workers' claims data sets. Hospitalization cases were selected with ICD-9-CM external cause of injury codes for falls and payer code of workers' claims for years 2000-2004. Selection criteria for workers'claims cases were International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions Electronic Data Interchange Nature (IAIABCEDIN) injuries coded as falls and/or slips. Common data variables between the two data sets such as date of birth, gender, date of injury, and hospital admission date were used to perform probabilistic data linkage using LinkSolv software. Statistical analysis was performed with non-parametric tests. Construction falls were the most prevalent for male workers and incurred the highest hospitalization and workers' compensation costs, whereas most female worker falls occurred in the services industry. The largest percentage of male worker falls was from one level to another, while the largest percentage of females experienced a fall, slip, or trip (not otherwise classified). When male construction worker falls were further analyzed, laborers and helpers had longer hospital stays as well as higher total charges when the worker fell from one level to another. Data linkage of hospitalization and workers' claims falls data provides additional information on industry, occupation, and costs that are not available when examining either data set alone.

  18. Evaluation of a radioisotope service in a general hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mateil, P.-Y.

    1978-12-01

    The value of radioisotopes in medicine has become increasingly apparent over the last few years. Nuclear medicine however recent, has nevertheless reached adult hood and doctors appreciate its substantial contribution in the field of diagnosis especially. So far nuclear medicine has been confined to University Hospital Centres, mainly for legal reasons. However the considerable help offered by this discipline is now taken for granted in the medical world and the wholly experimental stage is long past. While this aspect of nuclar medicine still exists, and is still dealt with by the services of University Hospital Centres, radioisotopes are now used to a large extend and on a day-to-day basis in pathology. Owing to pressure of work it is difficult for UH Centres to meet all request for examinations, so would the presence of nuclear medicine Service be justified in general Hospitals. The existence of one such service at the Bayonne HC might help to answer this question. For this reason the activity of the Bayonne HC Nuclear Medicine Service during its first year of practice is examined here. For a better understanding of the position this report first presents the Bayonne Hospital and the place occupied by a nuclear Medicine service in such an establishment. The activity of this service during its first year is then studied and the situation weighed up generally [fr

  19. MAGMA: Generalized Gene-Set Analysis of GWAS Data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Leeuw, C.A.; Mooij, J.M.; Heskes, T.; Posthuma, D.

    2015-01-01

    By aggregating data for complex traits in a biologically meaningful way, gene and gene-set analysis constitute a valuable addition to single-marker analysis. However, although various methods for gene and gene-set analysis currently exist, they generally suffer from a number of issues. Statistical

  20. MAGMA: generalized gene-set analysis of GWAS data.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Leeuw, C.A.; Mooij, J.M.; Heskes, T.; Posthuma, D.

    2015-01-01

    By aggregating data for complex traits in a biologically meaningful way, gene and gene-set analysis constitute a valuable addition to single-marker analysis. However, although various methods for gene and gene-set analysis currently exist, they generally suffer from a number of issues. Statistical

  1. The hospital educational environment and performance of residents in the General Medicine In-Training Examination: a multicenter study in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shimizu T

    2013-07-01

    completed the exam. There were no residents who declined to participate in the exam. The mean GM-ITE score was 58 (standard deviation 8.4. The mixed-effects linear regression analysis showed that a higher PHEEM score was associated with a higher GM-ITE score (P = 0.02. Having a department of general medicine, and hospital location in a provincial community (versus an urban setting, were also shown to have a significant relationship with the higher score  (P = 0.03, and P = 0.02, respectively. Conclusion: We found that the performance of the medical knowledge base of resident physicians was significantly associated with the educational environment of their hospitals. Improvement of the educational environment in teaching hospitals might be crucial for enhancing the performance of resident physicians in Japan. Keywords: outcome-based education, postgraduate medical education, educational environment, general medicine, provincial hospital

  2. History of Cardiovascular Surgery at Toronto General Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Myunghyun M; Alvarez, Juglans; Rao, Vivek

    2016-01-01

    The Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Toronto General Hospital has enjoyed an enviable history of academic achievement and clinical success. The foundations of this success are innovation, creativity and excellence in patient care, which continue to influence the current members of the division. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. nutritional status in pregnant women attending kiru general hospital

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    2012-12-02

    Dec 2, 2012 ... of pregnant women in General Hospital Kiru, Kiru. Local Government .... AACC, American Association for Clinical Chemistry,. 2012. ... Animal. Reproductive Science. 72: pp. 235. Das, S. C. and Isechei, U. P. (1996). Serum ...

  4. The effectiveness of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the general hospital setting: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Rebecca; Wand, Anne P F

    2014-03-01

    The aim of this study was to review how the effectiveness of consultation liaison psychiatry (CLP) services has been measured and to evaluate the strength of the evidence for effectiveness. Systematic review of medical databases using broad search terms as well as expert opinion was sought. The literature search was restricted to studies of general, whole-of-hospital inpatient CLP services. Forty articles were found and grouped into five measurements of effectiveness: cost effectiveness including length of stay, concordance, staff and patient feedback, and follow-up outcome studies. All measurements contributed to the evaluation of CLP services, but no one measure in isolation could adequately cover the multifaceted roles of CLP. Concordance was the only measurement with an established, consistent approach for evaluation. Cost effectiveness and follow-up outcome studies were the only measures with levels of evidence above four, however the three follow-up outcome studies reported conflicting results. Subjective evidence derived from patient and staff feedback is important but presently lacking due to methodological problems. The effectiveness of CLP services was demonstrated by cost-effectiveness, earlier referrals to CLP predicting shorter length of stay, and concordance with some management recommendations. There is evidence that some CLP services are cost-effective and reduce length of stay when involved early and that referrers follow certain recommendations. However, many studies had disparate results and were methodologically flawed. Future research should focus on standardising patient and staff feedback, and short-term patient outcomes. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Group of family companions of hospitalized patients: an occupational therapy intervention strategy in a general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Ferreira Dahdah

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available There is a consensus in the literature that the company of a family member during the hospitalization period increases patient recovery. However, this can have some negative effects on the caregiver’s health. With the purpose of reducing these negatives effects, it is useful to let family members express themselves. The State Hospital of Ribeirão Preto created a Group of Family Companions coordinated by the Occupational Therapy and Social Service. This study focuses on the assistance offered in a general hospital to families that undergo the whole illness and hospitalization process of their family member, suffering the impacts of this process in their daily lives, and on the intervention of Occupational Therapy in these cases.

  6. On semi star generalized closed sets in bitopological spaces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Kannan

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available K. Chandrasekhara Rao and K. Joseph [5] introduced the concepts of semi star generalized open sets and semi star generalized closed sets in a topological space. The same concept was extended to bitopological spaces by K. Chan-drasekhara Rao and K. Kannan [6,7]. In this paper, we continue the study of τ1τ2-s∗g closed sets inbitopology and we introduced the newly related concept of pairwise s∗g-continuous mappings. Also S∗GO-connectedness and S∗GO-compactness are introduced in bitopological spaces and some of their properties are established.

  7. Royal london hospital set P28 plans 30th anniversary reunion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibthorpe, Fran

    2013-04-03

    Members of Set P28 at the Royal London Hospital who began their training in February 1980 are planning a reunion on July 27 in London. The venue will be announced later. Email fran-joy@hotmail.com for details.

  8. Satisfaction degree evaluation of the users of "Attikon" University General Hospital's library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamouli, Maria-Aggeliki; Balis, Charalampos; Georgakopoulou, Konstantina-Maria

    2013-01-01

    The ability of hospital medical libraries to meet users' needs is a complicated issue and has been examined by many surveys. The aim of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction degree of the users of "Attikon" University General Hospital's medical library. A questionnaire was used to collect the necessary information Although, in general, the users seems to be satisfied, some adjustments, such as up-to-date books, journals and computers, have to be made.

  9. Emergency general surgery in a low-middle income health care setting: Determinants of outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Adil A; Latif, Asad; Zogg, Cheryl K; Zafar, Syed Nabeel; Riviello, Robert; Halim, Muhammad Sohail; Rehman, Zia; Haider, Adil H; Zafar, Hasnain

    2016-02-01

    Emergency general surgery (EGS) has emerged as an important component of frontline operative care. Efforts in high-income settings have described its burden but have yet to consider low- and middle-income health care settings in which emergent conditions represent a high proportion of operative need. The objective of this study was to describe the disease spectrum of EGS conditions and associated factors among patients presenting in a low-middle income context. March 2009-April 2014 discharge data from a university teaching hospital in South Asia were obtained for patients (≥16 years) with primary International Classification of Diseases, 9(th) revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes consistent with an EGS condition as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality and occurrence of ≥1 major complication(s). Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusting for differences in demographic and case-mix factors. A total of 13,893 discharge records corresponded to EGS conditions. Average age was 47.2 years (±16.8, standard deviation), with a male preponderance (59.9%). The majority presented with admitting diagnoses of biliary disease (20.2%), followed by soft-tissue disorders (15.7%), hernias (14.9%), and colorectal disease (14.3%). Rates of death and complications were 2.7% and 6.6%, respectively; increasing age was an independent predictor of both. Patients in need of resuscitation (n = 225) had the greatest rates of mortality (72.9%) and complications (94.2%). This study takes an important step toward quantifying outcomes and complications of EGS, providing one of the first assessments of EGS conditions using American Association for the Surgery of Trauma definitions in a low-middle income health care setting. Further efforts in varied settings are needed to promote representative benchmarking worldwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN CELJE GENERAL HOSPITAL IN 1999

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregor Veninšek

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available Background. DIGAMI study showed that intrahospital mortality and mortality at one year after myocardial infarction can be significantly reduced in diabetics treated in acute phase of myocardial infarction by GI infusion and afterwards for at least three months with intensive insulin treatment. Mortality can be reduced for more than 50% in a subgroup of patients younger than 70 years, without congestive heart failure, with first myocardial infarction, not treated with insulin or digitalis. In this perspective we reviewed treatment of diabetics with acute myocardial infarction in 1999 in Celje General Hospital.Methods. We reviewed documentation of treatment of all diabetics with acute myocardial infarction treated in Celje General Hospital in 1999. We collected data on number of newly discovered diabetes, on previous treatment of diabetes, on treatment of diabetes during hospitalization and at discharge, on drugs used for treatment of diabetes and on mortality during hospitalization.Results. Diabetics presented 20% of all patients with acute myocardial infarction treated in Celje General Hospital in 1999. None of patients received GI infusion, none had intensively managed blood sugar. 24% of patients were treated with sulfonylureas in acute phase of myocardial infarction. 33% of patients were discharged from hospital with insulin therapy. Intrahospital mortality was 9%, comparable with patients without diabetes.Conclusions. In 1999 was intrahospital treatment of diabetics with acute myocardial infarction in Celje General Hospital successful as their intrahospital mortality equaled non-diabetics. Treatment of diabetes itself, during hospitalization and after discharge, on the other hand, in 1999 had not been up to date according to results of recent studies. In our opinion, it is mandatory for diabetologist to make part of the team that treats diabetic with acute myocardial infarction

  11. Carotid Surgery in a District General Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairgrieve, John

    1981-01-01

    The carotid surgical experience of Cheltenham General Hospital over a 13 year period (1968-81) is presented. This includes 42 operations for stenosis, and 12 further operations for carotid body tumour, carotid aneurysm, subclavian steal syndrome and trauma to the internal carotid artery. The operative techniques and complications are briefly discussed and reasons advanced for a more agressive approach to the problems of extra-cerebral carotid disease in this country. PMID:7185417

  12. Microbiological etiology of bacterial prostatitis in general hospital and primary care clinic in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Sun Choi

    2013-09-01

    Conclusions: The total portion of chronic bacterial prostatitis was 59.3% (174/293. Culture-positive patients in the PCC were significantly higher than in the general hospital, but the number of PCR positive patients in the PCC was the same as in the general hospital.

  13. Patient characteristics, resource use and outcomes associated with general internal medicine hospital care: the General Medicine Inpatient Initiative (GEMINI) retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Amol A; Guo, Yishan; Kwan, Janice L; Lapointe-Shaw, Lauren; Rawal, Shail; Tang, Terence; Weinerman, Adina; Cram, Peter; Dhalla, Irfan A; Hwang, Stephen W; Laupacis, Andreas; Mamdani, Muhammad M; Shadowitz, Steven; Upshur, Ross; Reid, Robert J; Razak, Fahad

    2017-12-11

    The precise scope of hospital care delivered under general internal medicine services remains poorly quantified. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics, medical conditions, health outcomes and resource use of patients admitted to general internal medicine at 7 hospital sites in the Greater Toronto Area. This was a retrospective cohort study involving all patients who were admitted to or discharged from general internal medicine at the study sites between Apr. 1, 2010, and Mar. 31, 2015. Clinical data from hospital electronic information systems were linked to administrative data from each hospital. We examined trends in resource use and patient characteristics over the study period. There were 136 208 admissions to general internal medicine involving 88 121 unique patients over the study period. General internal medicine admissions accounted for 38.8% of all admissions from the emergency department and 23.7% of all hospital bed-days. Over the study period, the number of admissions to general internal medicine increased by 32.4%; there was no meaningful change in the median length of stay or cost per hospital stay. The median patient age was 73 (interquartile range [IQR] 57-84) years, and the median number of coexisting conditions was 6 (IQR 3-9). The median acute length of stay was 4.6 (IQR 2.5-8.6) days, and the median total cost per hospital stay was $5850 (IQR $3915-$10 061). Patients received at least 1 computed tomography scan in 52.2% of admissions. The most common primary discharge diagnoses were pneumonia (5.0% of admissions), heart failure (4.7%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4.1%), urinary tract infection (4.0%) and stroke (3.6%). Patients admitted to general internal medicine services represent a large, heterogeneous, resource-intensive and growing population. Understanding and improving general internal medicine care is essential to promote a high-quality, sustainable health care system. Copyright 2017

  14. MAGMA: generalized gene-set analysis of GWAS data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Leeuw, Christiaan A; Mooij, Joris M; Heskes, Tom; Posthuma, Danielle

    2015-04-01

    By aggregating data for complex traits in a biologically meaningful way, gene and gene-set analysis constitute a valuable addition to single-marker analysis. However, although various methods for gene and gene-set analysis currently exist, they generally suffer from a number of issues. Statistical power for most methods is strongly affected by linkage disequilibrium between markers, multi-marker associations are often hard to detect, and the reliance on permutation to compute p-values tends to make the analysis computationally very expensive. To address these issues we have developed MAGMA, a novel tool for gene and gene-set analysis. The gene analysis is based on a multiple regression model, to provide better statistical performance. The gene-set analysis is built as a separate layer around the gene analysis for additional flexibility. This gene-set analysis also uses a regression structure to allow generalization to analysis of continuous properties of genes and simultaneous analysis of multiple gene sets and other gene properties. Simulations and an analysis of Crohn's Disease data are used to evaluate the performance of MAGMA and to compare it to a number of other gene and gene-set analysis tools. The results show that MAGMA has significantly more power than other tools for both the gene and the gene-set analysis, identifying more genes and gene sets associated with Crohn's Disease while maintaining a correct type 1 error rate. Moreover, the MAGMA analysis of the Crohn's Disease data was found to be considerably faster as well.

  15. Environmental qualities and patient wellbeing in hospital settings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Anne Kathrine

    2013-01-01

    undertaken by Architecture and Design and the Danish Building Research Institute (Aalborg University) set out in 2008 to review research on the impact of the environmental qualities of health-care facilities on patients and staff. The objective of the review team was to develop a tool that would allow......Within the last decades the impacts of the physical environments of hospitals on healing and health-care outcomes have been subject to ample research. The amount of documentation linking the design of physical environments to patient and staff outcomes is increasing. A Danish research project...

  16. Nutrition screening tools: does one size fit all? A systematic review of screening tools for the hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren, Marian A E; Guaitoli, Patrícia Realino; Jansma, Elise P; de Vet, Henrica C W

    2014-02-01

    Numerous nutrition screening tools for the hospital setting have been developed. The aim of this systematic review is to study construct or criterion validity and predictive validity of nutrition screening tools for the general hospital setting. A systematic review of English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch articles identified via MEDLINE, Cinahl and EMBASE (from inception to the 2nd of February 2012). Additional studies were identified by checking reference lists of identified manuscripts. Search terms included key words for malnutrition, screening or assessment instruments, and terms for hospital setting and adults. Data were extracted independently by 2 authors. Only studies expressing the (construct, criterion or predictive) validity of a tool were included. 83 studies (32 screening tools) were identified: 42 studies on construct or criterion validity versus a reference method and 51 studies on predictive validity on outcome (i.e. length of stay, mortality or complications). None of the tools performed consistently well to establish the patients' nutritional status. For the elderly, MNA performed fair to good, for the adults MUST performed fair to good. SGA, NRS-2002 and MUST performed well in predicting outcome in approximately half of the studies reviewed in adults, but not in older patients. Not one single screening or assessment tool is capable of adequate nutrition screening as well as predicting poor nutrition related outcome. Development of new tools seems redundant and will most probably not lead to new insights. New studies comparing different tools within one patient population are required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

  17. Transforming Patient Value: Comparison of Hospital, Surgical, and General Surgery Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitt, Henry A; Tsypenyuk, Ella; Freeman, Susan L; Carson, Steven R; Shinefeld, Jonathan A; Hinkle, Sally M; Powers, Benjamin D; Goldberg, Amy J; DiSesa, Verdi J; Kaiser, Larry R

    2016-04-01

    Patient value (V) is enhanced when quality (Q) is increased and cost (C) is diminished (V = Q/C). However, calculating value has been inhibited by a lack of risk-adjusted cost data. The aim of this analysis was to measure patient value before and after implementation of quality improvement and cost reduction programs. Multidisciplinary efforts to improve patient value were initiated at a safety-net hospital in 2012. Quality improvement focused on adoption of multiple best practices, and minimizing practice variation was the strategy to control cost. University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) risk-adjusted quality (patient mortality + safety + satisfaction + effectiveness) and cost (length of stay + direct cost) data were used to calculate patient value over 3 fiscal years. Normalized ranks in the UHC Quality and Accountability Scorecard were used in the value equation. For all hospital patients, quality scores improved from 50.3 to 66.5, with most of the change occurring in decreased mortality. Similar trends were observed for all surgery patients (42.6 to 48.4) and for general surgery patients (30.9 to 64.6). For all hospital patients, cost scores improved from 71.0 to 2.9. Similar changes were noted for all surgical (71.6 to 27.1) and general surgery (85.7 to 23.0) patients. Therefore, value increased more than 30-fold for all patients, 3-fold for all surgical patients, and almost 8-fold for general surgery patients. Multidisciplinary quality and cost efforts resulted in significant improvements in value for all hospitalized patients as well as general surgery patients. Mortality improved the most in general surgery patients, and satisfaction was highest among surgical patients. Copyright © 2016 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Geometric fit of a point set by generalized circles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Körner, Mark-Christopher; Brimberg, Jack; Juel, Henrik

    2010-01-01

    In our paper we approximate a set of given points by a general circle. More precisely, given two norms k 1 and k 2 and a set of points in the plane, we consider the problem of locating and scaling the unit circle of norm k 1 such that the sum of weighted distances between the circumference...... of the circle and the given points is minimized, where the distance is measured by a norm k 2. We present results for the general case. In the case that k 1 and k 2 are both polyhedral norms, we are able to solve the problem by investigating a finite candidate set....

  19. Is laparoscopic appendicectomy a safe procedure for trainees in the peripheral hospital setting?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Emmanuel, A

    2011-10-01

    Laparoscopic appendicectomy has become standard in the treatment of acute appendicitis in most hospitals in Ireland. Studies have shown that it is a safe procedure for trainees to perform. However, these studies were conducted in university teaching hospitals whereas a significant proportion of training in Ireland takes place in peripheral hospitals which provide a different training environment. The aim of this study was to determine whether laparoscopic appendicectomy is a safe procedure for surgical trainees to perform in a peripheral hospital setting. A retrospective analysis was performed of appendicectomies carried out at a peripheral hospital over a 12 month period. Comparisons were made between consultant surgeons and trainees for a variety of outcomes. Of 155 appendicectomies, 129 (83.2%) were performed laparoscopically, of which 10 (7.75%) were converted to open. Consultants performed 99 (77%) laparoscopic appendicectomies. There were no statistically significant differences between consultants and trainees in complication rates (19 (19.2%) vs. 4 (13.3%), p = 0.46), mean length of hospital stay (4.7 +\\/- 4.0 vs. 3.4 +\\/- 3.3 days, p = 0.13), or rate of conversion to open operation (9 (9.1%) vs. 1 (3.3%), p = 0.45). For cases of complicated appendicitis there were no significant differences between consultants and trainees in complication rates (12 vs. 2, p = 0.40) or length of hospital stay (6.4 +\\/- 3.9 vs. 4.7 +\\/- 5.6 days, p = 0.27). We conclude that laparoscopic appendicectomy is a safe procedure for trainees to perform in the peripheral hospital setting and should be incorporated into surgical training programs at an early stage of training.

  20. Pressure Ulcer Prevention : Performance and Implementation in Hospital Settings

    OpenAIRE

    Sving, Eva

    2014-01-01

    Background: Pressure ulcers are related to reduced quality of life for patients and high costs for health care. Guidelines for pressure ulcer prevention have been available for many years but the problem remains. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate hospital setting factors that are important to the performance of pressure ulcer prevention and to evaluate an intervention focused on implementing evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention. Methods: Four studies with a qualitativ...

  1. Comparing salivary cotinine concentration in non-smokers from the general population and hospitality workers in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Sánchez, Jose M; Fu, Marcela; Pérez-Ríos, Mónica; López, María J; Moncada, Albert; Fernández, Esteve

    2009-12-01

    The objective was to compare the pattern of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) among non-smokers in the general population and in hospitality workers. We used the adult (16-64 years) non-smokers of two independent studies (general population and hospitality workers) in Spain. We assessed the exposure to SHS by means of questionnaire and salivary cotinine concentration. The salivary cotinine concentration by sex, age, educational level, day of week of saliva collection, and exposure to SHS were always higher in hospitality workers than in the general population. Our results indicated that non-smoker hospitality workers have higher levels of exposure to SHS than general population.

  2. Emergency general surgery in Rwandan district hospitals: a cross-sectional study of spectrum, management, and patient outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mpirimbanyi, Christophe; Nyirimodoka, Alexandre; Lin, Yihan; Hedt-Gauthier, Bethany L; Odhiambo, Jackline; Nkurunziza, Theoneste; Havens, Joaquim M; Omondi, Jack; Rwamasirabo, Emile; Ntirenganya, Faustin; Toma, Gabriel; Mubiligi, Joel; Bayitondere, Scheilla; Riviello, Robert

    2017-12-01

    Management of emergency general surgical conditions remains a challenge in rural sub-Saharan Africa due to issues such as insufficient human capacity and infrastructure. This study describes the burden of emergency general surgical conditions and the ability to provide care for these conditions at three rural district hospitals in Rwanda. This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients presenting to Butaro, Kirehe and Rwinkwavu District Hospitals between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2015 with emergency general surgical conditions, defined as non-traumatic, non-obstetric acute care surgical conditions. We describe patient demographics, clinical characteristics, management and outcomes. In 2015, 356 patients presented with emergency general surgical conditions. The majority were male (57.2%) and adults aged 15-60 years (54.5%). The most common diagnostic group was soft tissue infections (71.6%), followed by acute abdominal conditions (14.3%). The median length of symptoms prior to diagnosis differed significantly by diagnosis type (p operated on at the district hospital, either by a general surgeon or general practitioner. Patients were more likely to receive surgery if they presented to a hospital with a general surgeon compared to a hospital with only general practitioners (75% vs 43%, p operation in a hospital with a general surgeon as opposed to a general practitioner. This provides evidence to support increasing the surgical workforce in district hospitals in order to increase surgical availability for patients.

  3. Risk factors for geriatric patient falls in rehabilitation hospital settings: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Edgar Ramos; Freund-Heritage, Rosalie; da Costa, Bruno R

    2011-09-01

    To review the literature to identify and synthesize the evidence on risk factors for patient falls in geriatric rehabilitation hospital settings. Eligible studies were systematically searched on 16 databases from inception to December 2010. The search strategies used a combination of terms for rehabilitation hospital patients, falls, risk factors and older adults. Cross-sectional, cohort, case-control studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published in English that investigated risks for falls among patients ≥65 years of age in rehabilitation hospital settings were included. Studies that investigated fall risk assessment tools, but did not investigate risk factors themselves or did not report a measure of risk (e.g. odds ratio, relative risk) were excluded. A total of 2,824 references were identified; only eight articles concerning six studies met the inclusion criteria. In these, 1,924 geriatric rehabilitation patients were followed. The average age of the patients ranged from 77 to 83 years, the percentage of women ranged from 56% to 81%, and the percentage of fallers ranged from 15% to 54%. Two were case-control studies, two were RCTs and four were prospective cohort studies. Several intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for falls were identified. Carpet flooring, vertigo, being an amputee, confusion, cognitive impairment, stroke, sleep disturbance, anticonvulsants, tranquilizers and antihypertensive medications, age between 71 and 80, previous falls, and need for transfer assistance are risk factors for geriatric patient falls in rehabilitation hospital settings.

  4. Strategy, leadership and change: the North York General Hospital transformation journey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamson, Bonnie; Kwolek, Susan

    2008-01-01

    Improvements in the emergency department and general internal medicine will serve as a case study to examine how North York General Hospital cultural transformation efforts led to improvements in these departments, and why we believe this approach will enable the organization to sustain these improvements over time.

  5. Martin Luther King, Jr., General Hospital and community involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphrey, M M

    1973-07-01

    Community involvement is not just one facet of the new Martin Luther King, Jr., General Hospital's existence. It is the mainstream from which all other activities flow. In addition to meeting the conventional needs of a conventional hospital staff with the core collection of texts and journals, this library goes one step further. It acts as a resource for its community health workers, dietitians, and nurses in their various outreach programs. It serves as a stimulus for the high school or community college student who may be curious about a health career. It also finds time to provide reading material for its patients.

  6. Medicare's prospective payment system for hospitals: new evidence on transitions among health care settings

    OpenAIRE

    Qian, Xufeng; Russell, Louise B.; Valiyeva, Elmira; Miller, Jane E.

    2007-01-01

    Previous studies of Medicare’s prospective payment system for hospitals (PPS), introduced in 1983, evaluated only its first few years, using data collected during the hospital stay to control for patients’ health. We examine transitions among health care settings over a full decade following implementation of PPS, using survival models and a national longitudinal survey with independent information on health. We find that the rate of discharge from hospitals to nursing homes continued to rise...

  7. [Acute care of critically ill children in general hospitals: organisation and training].

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Sambeeck, S J L; Janssen, E J M; Hundscheid, T; Martens, S J L; Vos, G D

    2013-01-01

    To gain insight into how the acute care of critically ill children at general hospitals is organised, whether staff is sufficiently trained and whether the necessary materials and medications are present. Questionnaire combined with a site visit. Questionnaires were sent to all primarily involved specialists (emergency room specialists and paediatricians), and to the auxiliary anaesthetists and intensivists involved, at the nine general hospitals in Southeast Netherlands. Two researchers performed standardised interviews with the lead paediatricians on site and checked for materials and medication present in the emergency and paediatric departments. Of the 195 questionnaires sent, 97 (49.7%) were deemed suitable for analysis. The response from the primary specialists involved (77.6%) was more than twice that of the auxiliary specialists (31.9%). At 7 hospitals, verbal agreements on the organisation of acute care were maintained, 1 hospital had a written protocol, and 2 hospitals had a task force addressing this topic. One out of 5 respondents was unaware of the verbal agreements and 1 out of 3 mistakenly assumed that a protocol existed. Two out of 3 primary specialists involved were certified for Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS); 1 out of 13 of the auxiliary specialists had such a certificate. Scenario training was being conducted at 8 hospitals. A paediatric resuscitation cart was available at both the emergency and paediatric departments of 8 hospitals, 3 of which were fully stocked at both departments. Laryngeal mask airways and PEEP-valves (Positive End Expiratory Pressure) were lacking at 6 of the 9 hospitals. The medication stock was complete at all the hospitals. The organisation of and training for the acute care of critically ill children and presence of materials - the aspects we investigated - need attention at all general hospitals evaluated. It appeared that many specialists are not APLS certified and written protocols concerning organisation

  8. Mobile Phones as a Potential Vehicle of Infection in a Hospital Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao Foong, Yi; Green, Mark; Zargari, Ahmad; Siddique, Romana; Tan, Vanessa; Brain, Terry; Ogden, Kathryn

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this article is to investigate the potential role of mobile phones as a reservoir for bacterial colonization and the risk factors for bacterial colonization in a hospital setting. We screened 226 staff members at a regional Australian hospital (146 doctors and 80 medical students) between January 2013 and March 2014. The main outcomes of interest were the types of microorganisms and the amount of contamination of the mobile phones. This study found a high level of bacterial contamination (n = 168/226, 74%) on the mobile phones of staff members in a tertiary hospital, with similar organisms isolated from the staff member's dominant hand and mobile phones. While most of the isolated organisms were normal skin flora, a small percentage were potentially pathogenic (n = 12/226, 5%). Being a junior medical staff was found to be a risk factor for heavy microbial growth (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.54, 10.37). Only 31% (70/226) of our participants reported cleaning their phones routinely, and only 21% (47/226) reported using alcohol containing wipes on their phones. This study demonstrates that mobile phones are potentially vehicles for pathogenic bacteria in a hospital setting. Only a minority of our participants reported cleaning their phones routinely. Disinfection guidelines utilizing alcohol wipes should be developed and implemented.

  9. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, PEMEX; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Ciudad del Carmen, PEMEX

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Hernandez C, J. E.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J

    2003-02-15

    The Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  10. Psychometric properties of the postgraduate hospital educational environment measure in an Iranian hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shokoohi, Shahrzad; Hossein Emami, Amir; Mohammadi, Aeen; Ahmadi, Soleiman; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita

    2014-01-01

    Students' perceptions of the educational environment are an important construct in assessing and enhancing the quality of medical training programs. Reliable and valid measurement, however, can be problematic - especially as instruments developed and tested in one culture are translated for use in another. This study sought to explore the psychometric properties of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) for use in an Iranian hospital training setting. We translated the instrument into Persian and ensured its content validity by back translation and expert review prior to administering it to 127 residents of Urmia University of Medical Science. Overall internal consistency of the translated measure was good (a=0.94). Principal components analysis revealed five factors accounting for 52.8% of the variance. The Persian version of the PHEEM appears to be a reliable and potentially valid instrument for use in Iranian medical schools and may find favor in evaluating the educational environments of residency programs nationwide.

  11. Psychometric properties of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure in an Iranian hospital setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahrzad Shokoohi

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Students’ perceptions of the educational environment are an important construct in assessing and enhancing the quality of medical training programs. Reliable and valid measurement, however, can be problematic – especially as instruments developed and tested in one culture are translated for use in another. Materials and method: This study sought to explore the psychometric properties of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM for use in an Iranian hospital training setting. We translated the instrument into Persian and ensured its content validity by back translation and expert review prior to administering it to 127 residents of Urmia University of Medical Science. Results: Overall internal consistency of the translated measure was good (a=0.94. Principal components analysis revealed five factors accounting for 52.8% of the variance. Conclusion: The Persian version of the PHEEM appears to be a reliable and potentially valid instrument for use in Iranian medical schools and may find favor in evaluating the educational environments of residency programs nationwide.

  12. Collaboration between physicians and a hospital-based palliative care team in a general acute-care hospital in Japan

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    Nishikitani Mariko

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Continual collaboration between physicians and hospital-based palliative care teams represents a very important contributor to focusing on patients' symptoms and maintaining their quality of life during all stages of their illness. However, the traditionally late introduction of palliative care has caused misconceptions about hospital-based palliative care teams (PCTs among patients and general physicians in Japan. The objective of this study is to identify the factors related to physicians' attitudes toward continual collaboration with hospital-based PCTs. Methods This cross-sectional anonymous questionnaire-based survey was conducted to clarify physicians' attitudes toward continual collaboration with PCTs and to describe the factors that contribute to such attitudes. We surveyed 339 full-time physicians, including interns, employed in a general acute-care hospital in an urban area in Japan; the response rate was 53% (N = 155. We assessed the basic characteristics, experience, knowledge, and education of respondents. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the main factors affecting the physicians' attitudes toward PCTs. Results We found that the physicians who were aware of the World Health Organization (WHO analgesic ladder were 6.7 times (OR = 6.7, 95% CI = 1.98-25.79 more likely to want to treat and care for their patients in collaboration with the hospital-based PCTs than were those physicians without such awareness. Conclusion Basic knowledge of palliative care is important in promoting physicians' positive attitudes toward collaboration with hospital-based PCTs.

  13. A comparison of antibiotic point prevalence survey data from four Irish regional/general hospitals.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Naughton, C

    2011-06-01

    Point prevalence surveys (PPS) are increasingly used to examining and compare hospital antibiotic consumption. The aim of this study was to identify the (1) point prevalence of antibiotic use in one regional hospital and (2) compare PPS data from similar regional\\/general hospitals.

  14. Manual cleaning of hospital mattresses: an observational study comparing high- and low-resource settings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hopman, J.; Hakizimana, B.; Meintjes, W.A.; Nillessen, M.; Both, E. de; Voss, A.; Mehtar, S.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are more frequently encountered in low- than in high-resource settings. There is a need to identify and implement feasible and sustainable approaches to strengthen HAI prevention in low-resource settings. AIM: To evaluate the biological contamination

  15. Healthy Settings in Hospital - How to Prevent Burnout Syndrome in Nurses: Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friganović, Adriano; Kovačević, Irena; Ilić, Boris; Žulec, Mirna; Krikšić, Valentina; Grgas Bile, Cecilija

    2017-06-01

    Healthy settings involve a holistic and multidisciplinary method that integrates actions towards risk factors. In hospital settings, a high level of stress can lead to depression, anxiety, decreased job satisfaction and lower loyalty to the organization. Burnout syndrome can be defined as physical, psychological and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment. The aim of this literature review was to make systematic literature analysis to provide scientific evidence for the consequences of constant exposure to high levels of stress and for the methods to be used to prevent burnout syndrome among health care workers. The Medline database was searched to identify relevant studies and articles published during the last 15 years. The key words used in this survey were burnout syndrome, prevention, nurses, and healthy settings. The 6 eligible studies were included in literature review. Evidence showed nurses to be exposed to stress and to have symptoms of burnout syndrome. As a result of burnout syndrome, chronic fatigue and reduced working capacity occur, thus raising the risk of adverse events. In conclusion, the occurrence of burnout syndrome is a major problem for hospitals and healthcare system. Action plan for hospital burnout syndrome prevention would greatly reduce the incidence and improve the quality of health care.

  16. Stroke admissions in Kubwa General Hospital: A 30-month review

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    Osaze Ojo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available >Background: Stroke is a common neurological disorder that contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of medical admissions.Objectives: To review the types, risk factors, hemispheric involvement, and outcomes of admitted stroke patients in Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.Subjects and Methods: We carried out a retrospective study of patients who had a clinical diagnosis of stroke in Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria, between January 2013 and June 2015.Results: A total of 60 patients who had stroke were admitted during this period, accounting for 4.25% of medical admissions. Men and women accounted for 68.3% and 31.7%, respectively, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. Their mean age was 54.9 ± 13.5 years while the median age was 52.5 years. The mean hospital stay for these patients was 8.4 ± 5.5 days. Ischemic stroke occurred more frequently (65% compared with hemorrhagic stroke (35%. Hypertension (65%, alcohol (25%, previous stroke (18.3%, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia (18.3% were the common identifiable risk factors for stroke. Ten patients (16.7% had two risk factors for stroke, whereas 8 patients (13.3% had three risk factors for stroke. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures on admission were 171.5 ± 41.6 mmHg and 103.3 ± 24.0 mmHg, respectively. The left hemisphere (53.3% was more often affected than the right hemisphere in these patients. Majority of the patients (48.3% were discharged following improvement while the case fatality was 11.7%.Conclusion: Stroke is not uncommon as a cause of medical admission in Kubwa General Hospital. Ischemic stroke occurred more commonly and the left hemisphere was more often involved compared with the right hemisphere. Hypertension was the most common risk factor for stroke in these patients.

  17. Organisation and Evaluation of General Palliative Care in a Danish Hospital

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergenholtz, Heidi; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Jarlbæk, Lene

    2015-01-01

    and evaluation of generalist palliative care in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to investigate the organization and evaluation of generalist palliative care in a large regional hospital by comparing results from existing evaluations. Methods: Results from three different data sets, all aiming...... of palliative care in order to identify concordances and/or discrepancies. Results: The triangulation indicated poor validity of the results from existing methods used to evaluate palliativecare in hospitals. When the datasets were compared, several discrepancies occurred with regard to the organizationand...... the performance of generalist palliative care. Five types of discrepancies were found in 35 out of 56 sections inthe fulfilment of the national accreditation standard for palliative care. Responses from the hospital management and the department managements indicated that generalist palliative care was organized...

  18. A profile of babies born before arrival to hospital in a peri-urban setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Parag*

    2013-12-01

    Conclusions: Prevalence of BBAs is comparable to other developing countries, and is associated with poor antenatal attendance, prematurity, delay in presentation to hospital and lengthier hospital stays. These factors have implications on prehospital care of newborns and access to maternal and child health care in general.

  19. Quality of stroke care at an Irish Regional General Hospital and Stroke Rehabilitation Unit.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Walsh, T

    2012-01-31

    BACKGROUND: Robust international data support the effectiveness of stroke unit (SU) care. Despite this, most stroke care in Ireland are provided outside of this setting. Limited data currently exist on the quality of care provided. AIM: The aim of this study is to examine the quality of care for patients with stroke in two care settings-Regional General Hospital (RGH) and Stroke Rehabilitation Unit (SRU). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the stroke records of consecutive patients admitted to the SRU between May-November 2002 and April-November 2004 was performed applying the UK National Sentinel Audit of Stroke (NSAS) tool. RESULTS: The results of the study reveal that while SRU processes of care was 74% compliant with standards; compliance with stroke service organisational standards was only 15 and 43% in the RGH and SRU, respectively. CONCLUSION: The quality of stroke care in our area is deficient. Comprehensive reorganisation of stroke services is imperative.

  20. Retail food reform: How to effectively bridge what we say and what we do in our hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dojeiji, Laurie; Taylor, Andra; Boland, Cholly; Brennan, Carolyn; Penney, Randy

    2017-03-01

    Hospital leaders in Eastern Ontario, Canada, have acknowledged the critical role of food to health and the need for progressive change that goes beyond personal responsibility paradigms. The Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals program aims to create supportive, healthy nutrition environments in hospital retail food settings. Twenty independent hospital corporations have collectively initiated a plan to transition cafeteria, vending, franchise, and volunteer operations towards healthier offerings. Hospitals are actively implementing a set of progressively phased, evidence-based nutrition criteria, which cover food and beverage categories, preparation methods, product placement, and provision of nutrition information. Implementation strategies and successes, as well as challenges and limitations, are discussed.

  1. Art viewing directives in hospital settings effect on mood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Rainbow T H; Potash, Jordan S; Fang, Fan; Rollins, Judy

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effect viewing directives can have when encountering art in hospitals. A secondary objective of the study was to understand the responses of viewers to an art exhibit on the theme of medical student empathy toward patient pain and suffering. Displaying art in hospitals has been credited with increasing well-being of patients, visitors, and staff. Generally, hospital curators have focused on the type of art to display (natural, symbolic, and abstract). This focus has neglected the possibility that in addition to the type of art, the way that viewers engage art may also be responsible for the healing effect. Participants (n = 97) were randomly allocated into one of the viewing directives: (1) reflecting on one artwork, (2) creating a drawing or poem in response to one artwork, or (3) no direction. Prior to looking at the art and immediately after, participants were administered the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) and offered an opportunity to participate in an interview. Pre-post results of the BMIS demonstrated that viewers who received directions achieved some therapeutic effect. Qualitative themes from the post-exhibit interviews identified that the empathy themed exhibit was well received, although there were differences among responses from patients, visitors, and staff. The results imply that hospitals may consider offering prompts to help viewers engage with art to enhance mood and exhibiting art that demonstrates empathy for patient suffering. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. A new casemix adjustment index for hospital mortality among patients with congestive heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polanczyk, C A; Rohde, L E; Philbin, E A; Di Salvo, T G

    1998-10-01

    Comparative analysis of hospital outcomes requires reliable adjustment for casemix. Although congestive heart failure is one of the most common indications for hospitalization, congestive heart failure casemix adjustment has not been widely studied. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe and validate a new congestive heart failure-specific casemix adjustment index to predict in-hospital mortality and (2) to compare its performance to the Charlson comorbidity index. Data from all 4,608 admissions to the Massachusetts General Hospital from January 1990 to July 1996 with a principal ICD-9-CM discharge diagnosis of congestive heart failure were evaluated. Massachusetts General Hospital patients were randomly divided in a derivation and a validation set. By logistic regression, odds ratios for in-hospital death were computed and weights were assigned to construct a new predictive index in the derivation set. The performance of the index was tested in an internal Massachusetts General Hospital validation set and in a non-Massachusetts General Hospital external validation set incorporating data from all 1995 New York state hospital discharges with a primary discharge diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Overall in-hospital mortality was 6.4%. Based on the new index, patients were assigned to six categories with incrementally increasing hospital mortality rates ranging from 0.5% to 31%. By logistic regression, "c" statistics of the congestive heart failure-specific index (0.83 and 0.78, derivation and validation set) were significantly superior to the Charlson index (0.66). Similar incrementally increasing hospital mortality rates were observed in the New York database with the congestive heart failure-specific index ("c" statistics 0.75). In an administrative database, this congestive heart failure-specific index may be a more adequate casemix adjustment tool to predict hospital mortality in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure.

  3. Exploratory Use of Microaerosol Decontamination Technology (PAEROSOL) in Enclosed, Unoccupied Hospital Setting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rainina, Evguenia I.; McCune, D. E.; Luna, Maria L.; Cook, J. E.; Soltis, Michele A.; Demons, Samandra T.; Godoy-Kain, Patricia; Weston, J. H.

    2012-05-31

    The goal of this study was to validate the previously observed high biological kill performance of PAEROSOL, a semi-dry, micro-aerosol decontamination technology, against common HAI in a non-human subject trial within a hospital setting of Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington. In addition to validating the disinfecting efficacy of PAEROSOL, the objectives of the trial included a demonstration of PAEROSOL environmental safety, (i.e., impact to hospital interior materials and electronic equipment exposed during testing) and PAEROSOL parameters optimization for future deployment.

  4. Psychopathology of adolescents with an intellectual disability who present to general hospital services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theodoratos, Oreste; McPherson, Lyn; Franklin, Catherine; Tonge, Bruce; Einfeld, Stewart; Lennox, Nicholas; Ware, Robert S

    2017-10-01

    Adolescents with intellectual disability have increased rates of psychopathology compared with their typically developing peers and present to hospital more frequently for ambulant conditions. The aim of this study is to describe the psychopathology and related characteristics of a sample of adolescents with intellectual disability who presented to general hospital services. We investigated a cohort of adolescents with intellectual disability in South East Queensland, Australia between January 2006 and June 2010. Demographic and clinical data were obtained via mailed questionnaires and from general practice notes. Psychopathology was measured with the Short Form of the Developmental Behaviour Checklist. Of 98 individuals presenting to hospital, 71 (72.5%) had significant levels of psychopathology. Unknown aetiology for the intellectual disability was associated with presence of problem behaviours. Adolescents with more severe intellectual disability were more likely to have major problem behaviours. Co-morbid physical health issues were not associated with psychopathology. Only 12 (12.1%) adolescents had undergone specialized mental health intervention. The general hospital environment may offer opportunities for liaison psychiatry services to screen and provide management expertise for adolescent individuals with intellectual disability presenting for physical health issues.

  5. Interconsulta psicológica: demanda e assistência em hospital geral Interconsulta psicológica: demanda y asistencia en hospital general Consultation-liaison psychology: demand and assistance in general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nátali Castro Antunes Santos

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available A interconsulta psicológica no hospital geral representa uma modalidade de atendimento clínico e um instrumento metodológico utilizado pelo psicólogo na assistência ao paciente internado, mediante solicitação de outros profissionais da saúde. O estudo objetivou caracterizar a demanda da interconsulta psicológica em um hospital geral, a partir da análise dos registros de solicitação de atendimento. Cento e sete pacientes foram atendidos entre janeiro e junho de 2010, dos quais 53% eram do sexo masculino e 57% eram adultos acima de 45 anos. A maioria das solicitações foi realizada por médicos (44% e enfermeiros (38%, formalmente (59%, e mediante contato prévio entre interconsultor e solicitante (85%. Os principais motivos alegados para a solicitação da interconsulta foram sintomas psicológicos relacionados ao adoecimento (43% e identificação de comprometimento na adaptação do paciente à hospitalização (41%. O modelo de interconsulta psicológica adotado no contexto estudado foi adequado, havendo engajamento da equipe multiprofissional na efetivação da prática.La interconsulta psicológica en los hospitals generales representan una modalidad de clínica y una herramienta metodológica utilizada por los psicólogos en la atención hospitalaria del paciente, a petición de los profesionales de la salud. El objetivo del estudio fue caracterizar la demanda psicológica para referirlo a un hospital general, desde el análisis del servicio de solicitud de registros. Ciento siete pacientes fueron tratados entre enero y junio de 2010, siendo 53% hombres y 57% de los adultos mayores de 45 años. La mayoría de las solicitudes fueron realizadas por los médicos (44% y enfermeras (38%, de manera formal (59% y el contacto previo entre interconsultor y su interés (85%. Las razones principales de la solicitud de remisión fueron: síntomas psicológicos relacionados con la enfermedad (43% y la identificación de la deficiencia en la

  6. Economic impact of electronic prescribing in the hospital setting: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Zamzam; Barber, Nick; Jani, Yogini; Garfield, Sara; Franklin, Bryony Dean

    2016-04-01

    To examine evidence on the economic impact of electronic prescribing (EP) systems in the hospital setting. We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, the NHS Economic Evaluation Database, the European Network of Health Economic Evaluation Database and Web of Science from inception to October 2013. Full and partial economic evaluations of EP or computerized provider order entry were included. We excluded studies assessing prescribing packages for specific drugs, and monetary outcomes that were not related to medicines. A checklist was used to evaluate risk of bias and evidence quality. The search yielded 1160 articles of which three met the inclusion criteria. Two were full economic evaluations and one a partial economic evaluation. A meta-analysis was not appropriate as studies were heterogeneous in design, economic evaluation method, interventions and outcome measures. Two studies investigated the financial impact of reducing preventable adverse drug events. The third measured savings related to various aspects of the system including those related to medication. Two studies reported positive financial effects. However the overall quality of the economic evidence was low and key details often not reported. There seems to be some evidence of financial benefits of EP in the hospital setting. However, it is not clear if evidence is transferable to other settings. Research is scarce and limited in quality, and reported methods are not always transparent. Further robust, high quality research is required to establish if hospital EP is cost effective and thus inform policy makers' decisions. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  7. How do NHS general hospitals in England deal with patients with alcohol-related problems? A questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Lynn; Gilmore, Ian T; Pirmohamed, Munir

    2005-01-01

    Alcohol-related disease represents a major burden on hospitals. However, it is unclear whether hospitals have developed the necessary expertise and guidelines to deal with this burden. The aim of this survey was to determine what measures general hospital NHS Trusts in England had in place to deal with alcohol-related problems, including the employment of dedicated alcohol specialist nurses. Two postal surveys of all NHS general hospital Trusts in England, the first in 2000 (n = 138; 54% response rate) and the second in 2003 after the publication of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) report on alcohol in secondary care (n = 164; 75% response rate). Between the two surveys, there was a significant increase (P = 0.005) in the number of dedicated alcohol nurses employed by general hospital trusts; however, the numbers remain low (n = 21). Additionally, the availability of prescribing guidelines for the management of alcohol withdrawal increased significantly (P = 0.0001). The survey indicates that most general hospitals do not have appropriate services in place to deal with such patients. Although there is a need and willingness to develop alcohol services in general hospitals, which is one of the key recommendations of the RCP report, the lack of funding is going to act as a major barrier.

  8. Weekend admission to hospital has a higher risk of death in the elective setting than in the emergency setting: a retrospective database study of national health service hospitals in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Mohammed A

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although acute hospitals offer a twenty-four hour seven day a week service levels of staffing are lower over the weekends and some health care processes may be less readily available over the weekend. Whilst it is thought that emergency admission to hospital on the weekend is associated with an increased risk of death, the extent to which this applies to elective admissions is less well known. We investigated the risk of death in elective and elective patients admitted over the weekend versus the weekdays. Methods Retrospective statistical analysis of routinely collected acute hospital admissions in England, involving all patient discharges from all acute hospitals in England over a year (April 2008-March 2009, using a logistic regression model which adjusted for a range of patient case-mix variables, seasonality and admission over a weekend separately for elective and emergency (but excluding zero day stay emergency admissions discharged alive admissions. Results Of the 1,535,267 elective admissions, 91.7% (1,407,705 were admitted on the weekday and 8.3% (127,562 were admitted on the weekend. The mortality following weekday admission was 0.52% (7,276/1,407,705 compared with 0.77% (986/127,562 following weekend admission. Of the 3,105,249 emergency admissions, 76.3% (2,369,316 were admitted on the weekday and 23.7% (735,933 were admitted on the weekend. The mortality following emergency weekday admission was 6.53% (154,761/2,369,316 compared to 7.06% (51,922/735,933 following weekend admission. After case-mix adjustment, weekend admissions were associated with an increased risk of death, especially in the elective setting (elective Odds Ratio: 1.32, 95% Confidence Interval 1.23 to 1.41; vs emergency Odds Ratio: 1.09, 95% Confidence Interval 1.05 to 1.13. Conclusions Weekend admission appears to be an independent risk factor for dying in hospital and this risk is more pronounced in the elective setting. Given the planned

  9. [A set of quality and safety indicators for hospitals of the "Agencia Valenciana de Salud"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nebot-Marzal, C M; Mira-Solves, J J; Guilabert-Mora, M; Pérez-Jover, V; Pablo-Comeche, D; Quirós-Morató, T; Cuesta Peredo, D

    2014-01-01

    To prepare a set of quality and safety indicators for Hospitals of the «Agencia Valenciana de Salud». The qualitative technique Metaplan® was applied in order to gather proposals on sustainability and nursing. The catalogue of the «Spanish Society of Quality in Healthcare» was adopted as a starting point for clinical indicators. Using the Delphi technique, 207 professionals were invited to participate in the selecting the most reliable and feasible indicators. Lastly, the resulting proposal was validated with the managers of 12 hospitals, taking into account the variability, objectivity, feasibility, reliability and sensitivity, of the indicators. Participation rates varied between 66.67% and 80.71%. Of the 159 initial indicators, 68 were prioritized and selected (21 economic or management indicators, 22 nursing indicators, and 25 clinical or hospital indicators). Three of them were common to all three categories and two did not match the specified criteria during the validation phase, thus obtaining a final catalogue of 63 indicators. A set of quality and safety indicators for Hospitals was prepared. They are currently being monitored using the hospital information systems. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  10. Manual cleaning of hospital mattresses: an observational study comparing high- and low-resource settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopman, J; Hakizimana, B; Meintjes, W A J; Nillessen, M; de Both, E; Voss, A; Mehtar, S

    2016-01-01

    Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are more frequently encountered in low- than in high-resource settings. There is a need to identify and implement feasible and sustainable approaches to strengthen HAI prevention in low-resource settings. To evaluate the biological contamination of routinely cleaned mattresses in both high- and low-resource settings. In this two-stage observational study, routine manual bed cleaning was evaluated at two university hospitals using adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Standardized training of cleaning personnel was achieved in both high- and low-resource settings. Qualitative analysis of the cleaning process was performed to identify predictors of cleaning outcome in low-resource settings. Mattresses in low-resource settings were highly contaminated prior to cleaning. Cleaning significantly reduced biological contamination of mattresses in low-resource settings (P cleaning in both the high- and low-resource settings seemed comparable. Cleaning with appropriate type of cleaning materials reduced the contamination of mattresses adequately. Predictors for mattresses that remained contaminated in a low-resource setting included: type of product used, type of ward, training, and the level of contamination prior to cleaning. In low-resource settings mattresses were highly contaminated as noted by ATP levels. Routine manual cleaning by trained staff can be as effective in a low-resource setting as in a high-resource setting. We recommend a multi-modal cleaning strategy that consists of training of domestic services staff, availability of adequate time to clean beds between patients, and application of the correct type of cleaning products. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Nutritional screening for improving professional practice for patient outcomes in hospital and primary care settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omidvari, Amir-Houshang; Vali, Yasaman; Murray, Susan M; Wonderling, David; Rashidian, Arash

    2013-06-06

    Given the prevalence of under-nutrition and reports of inadequate nutritional management of patients in hospitals and the community, nutritional screening may play a role in reducing the risks of malnutrition. Screening programmes can invoke costs to health systems and patients. It is therefore important to assess the effectiveness of nutritional screening programmes. To examine the effectiveness of nutritional screening in improving quality of care (professional practice) and patient outcomes compared with usual care. We searched the following databases: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL up to June 2012 to find relevant studies. Randomised controlled studies, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series studies assessing the effectiveness of nutritional screening were eligible for inclusion in the review. We considered process outcomes (for example patient identification, referral to dietitian) and patient outcomes (for example mortality, change in body mass index (BMI)). Participants were adult patients aged 16 years or over. We included studies conducted in different settings, including hospitals, out-patient clinics, primary care or long term care settings. We independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted data from the included studies. Meta-analysis was considered but was not conducted due to the discrepancies between the studies. The studies were heterogeneous in their design, setting, intervention and outcomes. We analysed the data using a narrative synthesis approach. After conducting initial searches and screening the titles and abstracts of the identified literature, 77 full text papers were retrieved and read. Ultimately three studies were included. Two controlled before-after studies were conducted in hospital settings (one in the UK and one in the Netherlands) and one cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in a primary care setting (in the USA).The study conducted in

  12. TRANSPORT OF PATIENTS FOR PRIMARY PTCA FROM GENERAL HOSPITAL NOVO MESTO TO LJUBLJANA IN 2002

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Okrajšek

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Background. The treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS with ST-segment elevation with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA is the best way to treat these patients. Primary PTCA is also practicable with patients who are admitted into institution without catheter laboratory. The transport of patients into the tertiary institution is safe, but it is important to keep the time of ischemia as short as possible and to reach the time interval of door-balloon as recommended by the guidelines. The ACS patients with ST-segment elevation that were directed into General Hospital Novo mesto after examination at the internistic emergency department have been redirected to KC Ljubljana for realization of PTCA since October 2001.Methods. A prospective analysis of patients with ACS with STsegment elevation, who had been transferred from General Hospital Novo mesto to KC Ljubljana in the period from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002 to have a primary PTCA, was performed. The analysis comprised the following: the time interval of handling the patients at Internistic department of General Hospital Novo mesto, the time of transport of patients to Ljubljana and total time interval from the arrival of patients to General Hospital Novo mesto to the first inflation of balloon in Ljubljana. We monitored the complications that occurred during the treatment of the patients.Results. In the above mentioned period 29 patients (24 males and 5 females were transported from the General Hospital Novo mesto to the KC Ljubljana to have a primary PTCA performed. The total time interval measured between the patients’ arrival to General Hospital Novo mesto to the first inflation of balloon in Ljubljana in the year 2002 was 145 minutes, which is 17 minutes better than in the previous period. The time interval recommended by the guidelines was achieved with four patients.Conclusions. By recognizing the problems that had encountered with directing the

  13. Exploring barriers to accessing physiotherapy services for stroke patients at Tema general hospital, Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nketia-Kyere, Mercy; Aryeetey, Genevieve Cecilia; Nonvignon, Justice; Aikins, Moses

    2017-01-01

    Physiotherapy has been shown to reduce the risk of disability among stroke patients. Poor adherence to physiotherapy can negatively affect outcomes and healthcare cost. However, very little is known about barriers especially to physiotherapy services in Ghana. The objective of this study was to assess the barriers to physiotherapy services for stroke patients at Tema General Hospital (TGH). The individual/personal and health system barriers to physiotherapy services at TGH were determined. A cross-sectional study design was employed. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 207 respondents for a face-to-face interview. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on individual/personal barriers of respondents to physiotherapy services and were described using the Likert's scale. Health system barriers were assessed using a self-structured questionnaire which had section under the following heading: human factors, physiotherapy modalities, physical barriers and material/equipment factors. The time spent waiting for physiotherapy and attitude of physiotherapist towards patients; physiotherapy modality such as electrotherapy, exercise therapy and massage therapy among others were some of the indices measured. Respondents' adherence to Medication was assessed with the Morisky 8-item medication adherence questionnaire. Data were entered and analysed using Epi info 7 and STATA 12.0. Associations between the variables were determined using a chi-square test and logistic regression model was used to test the strength of associations between the independent and the dependent variables. The level of statistical significance was set at p  Tema General Hospital.

  14. Hospital management. The reflective practitioner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, I

    Ian Campbell's paper, originally delivered at a conference on the development of 'The reflective practitioner' while he was Unit General Manager of Sunderland Royal Infirmary, describes the liaison between general and nurse managers in the hospital. Management must give a hospital organisation direction and must set the parameters of corporate and individual performance, but it must also be responsive to the feedback received from practising clinicians. The key concept is quality of service, and in this managers and practitioners can work together towards a common goal.

  15. Perfectionism Group Treatment for Eating Disorders in an Inpatient, Partial Hospitalization, and Outpatient Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levinson, Cheri A; Brosof, Leigh C; Vanzhula, Irina A; Bumberry, Laura; Zerwas, Stephanie; Bulik, Cynthia M

    2017-11-01

    Perfectionism is elevated in individuals with eating disorders and is posited to be a risk factor, maintaining factor, and treatment barrier. However, there has been little literature testing the feasibility and effectiveness of perfectionism interventions in individuals specifically with eating disorders in an open group format. In the current study, we tested the feasibility of (a) a short cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism intervention delivered in an inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient for eating disorders setting (combined N = 28; inpatient n = 15; partial hospital n = 9; outpatient n = 4), as well as (b) a training for disseminating the treatment in these settings (N = 9). Overall, we found that it was feasible to implement a perfectionism group in each treatment setting, with both an open and closed group format. This research adds additional support for the implementation of perfectionism group treatment for eating disorders and provides information on the feasibility of implementing such interventions across multiple settings. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

  16. Health professional perspectives on lifestyle behaviour change in the paediatric hospital setting: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elwell, Laura; Powell, Jane; Wordsworth, Sharon; Cummins, Carole

    2014-03-13

    Research exists examining the challenges of delivering lifestyle behaviour change initiatives in practice. However, at present much of this research has been conducted with primary care health professionals, or in acute adult hospital settings. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators associated with implementing routine lifestyle behaviour change brief advice into practice in an acute children's hospital. Thirty-three health professionals (nurses, junior doctors, allied health professionals and clinical support staff) from inpatient and outpatient departments at a UK children's hospital were interviewed about their attitudes and beliefs towards supporting lifestyle behaviour change in hospital patients and their families. Responses were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Health professionals identified a range of barriers and facilitators to supporting lifestyle behaviour change in a children's hospital. These included (1) personal experience of effectiveness, (2) constraints associated with the hospital environment, (3) appropriateness of advice delivery given the patient's condition and care pathway and (4) job role priorities, and (5) perceived benefits of the advice given. Delivery of lifestyle behaviour change advice was often seen as an educational activity, rather than a behaviour change activity. Factors underpinning the successful delivery of routine lifestyle behaviour change support must be understood if this is to be implemented effectively in paediatric acute settings. This study reveals key areas where paediatric health professionals may need further support and training to achieve successful implementation.

  17. The influence of power and actor relations on priority setting and resource allocation practices at the hospital level in Kenya: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barasa, Edwine W; Cleary, Susan; English, Mike; Molyneux, Sassy

    2016-09-30

    Priority setting and resource allocation in healthcare organizations often involves the balancing of competing interests and values in the context of hierarchical and politically complex settings with multiple interacting actor relationships. Despite this, few studies have examined the influence of actor and power dynamics on priority setting practices in healthcare organizations. This paper examines the influence of power relations among different actors on the implementation of priority setting and resource allocation processes in public hospitals in Kenya. We used a qualitative case study approach to examine priority setting and resource allocation practices in two public hospitals in coastal Kenya. We collected data by a combination of in-depth interviews of national level policy makers, hospital managers, and frontline practitioners in the case study hospitals (n = 72), review of documents such as hospital plans and budgets, minutes of meetings and accounting records, and non-participant observations in case study hospitals over a period of 7 months. We applied a combination of two frameworks, Norman Long's actor interface analysis and VeneKlasen and Miller's expressions of power framework to examine and interpret our findings RESULTS: The interactions of actors in the case study hospitals resulted in socially constructed interfaces between: 1) senior managers and middle level managers 2) non-clinical managers and clinicians, and 3) hospital managers and the community. Power imbalances resulted in the exclusion of middle level managers (in one of the hospitals) and clinicians and the community (in both hospitals) from decision making processes. This resulted in, amongst others, perceptions of unfairness, and reduced motivation in hospital staff. It also puts to question the legitimacy of priority setting processes in these hospitals. Designing hospital decision making structures to strengthen participation and inclusion of relevant stakeholders could

  18. Methods for extracellular vesicles isolation in a hospital setting

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    Matías eSáenz-Cuesta

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The research in extracellular vesicles (EVs has been rising during the last decade. However, there is no clear consensus on the most accurate protocol to isolate and analyze them. Besides, most of the current protocols are difficult to implement in a hospital setting due to being very time consuming or to requirements of specific infrastructure. Thus, our aim is to compare five different protocols (comprising two different medium-speed differential centrifugation protocols; commercially polymeric precipitation -exoquick-; acid precipitation; and ultracentrifugation for blood and urine samples to determine the most suitable one for the isolation of EVs. Nanoparticle tracking analysis, flow cytometry, western blot, electronic microscopy and spectrophotometry were used to characterize basic aspects of EVs such us concentration, size distribution, cell-origin and transmembrane markers and RNA concentration. The highest EV concentrations were obtained using the exoquick protocol, followed by both differential centrifugation protocols, while the ultracentrifugation and acid-precipitation protocols yielded considerably lower EV concentrations. The five protocols isolated EVs of similar characteristics regarding markers and RNA concentration however standard protocol recovered only small EVs. EV isolated with exoquick presented difficult to be analyzed with western blot. The RNA concentrations obtained from urine-derived EVs were similar to those obtained from blood-derived ones, despite the urine EV concentration being 10 to 20 times lower. We consider that a medium-speed differential centrifugation could be suitable to be applied in a hospital setting due to require the simplest infrastructure and recover higher concentration of EV than standard protocol. A workflow from sampling to characterization of EVs is proposed.

  19. Challenges of implementing routine health behavior change support in a children's hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elwell, Laura; Powell, Jane; Wordsworth, Sharon; Cummins, Carole

    2014-07-01

    Evidence indicates that health behavior change initiatives are often not implemented successfully. This qualitative study aims to understand the barriers and facilitators to implementation of health behavior change brief advice into routine practice in an acute children's hospital setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals working at a UK children's hospital (n=33). Participants were purposively sampled to incorporate a range of specialties, job roles and training. An inductive thematic framework analysis identified two emergent themes. These capture the challenges of implementing routine health behavior change support in a children's hospital setting: (1) 'health professional knowledge, beliefs and behaviors' and (2) 'patient and family related challenges'. This study enhances findings from previous research by outlining the challenges pediatric health professionals face in relation to supporting health behavior change. Challenges include failure to assume responsibility, low confidence, prioritization of the health provider relationship with patients and families, health provider and patient knowledge, and low patient and family motivation. Skills-based behavior change training is needed for pediatric health professionals to effectively support health behavior change. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Implementation of nursing process in clinical settings: the case of three governmental hospitals in Ethiopia, 2017.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semachew, Ayele

    2018-03-13

    The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the implementation of the nursing process at three randomly selected governmental hospitals found in Amhara Region North West Ethiopia. From the total 338 reviewed documents, 264 (78.1%) have a nursing process format attached with the patient's profile/file, 107 (31.7%) had no nursing diagnosis, 185 (54.7%) of nurses stated their plan of care based on priority, 173 (51.2%) of nurses did not document their interventions based on plan and 179 (53.0%) of nurses did not evaluate their interventions. The overall implementation of nursing process among Felege Hiwot Referal hospital, Debretabor general hospital and Finoteselam general hospitals were 49.12, 68.18, and 69.42% respectively. Nursing professionals shall improve documentation required in implementing the nursing process. Nursing managers (matron, ward heads) shall supervise the overall implementation of nursing process. Hospital nursing services managers (matrons) shall arrange and facilitate case presentations by the nursing staffs which focus on documentation and updates on nursing process. Hospitals need to establish and support nursing process coordinating staff in their institution.

  1. Interoperability prototype between hospitals and general practitioners in Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Bruno; Müller, Henning; Schumacher, Michael; Godel, David; Abu Khaled, Omar

    2010-01-01

    Interoperability in data exchange has the potential to improve the care processes and decrease costs of the health care system. Many countries have related eHealth initiatives in preparation or already implemented. In this area, Switzerland has yet to catch up. Its health system is fragmented, because of the federated nature of cantons. It is thus more difficult to coordinate efforts between the existing healthcare actors. In the Medicoordination project a pragmatic approach was selected: integrating several partners in healthcare on a regional scale in French speaking Switzerland. In parallel with the Swiss eHealth strategy, currently being elaborated by the Swiss confederation, particularly medium-sized hospitals and general practitioners were targeted in Medicoordination to implement concrete scenarios of information exchange between hospitals and general practitioners with a high added value. In this paper we focus our attention on a prototype implementation of one chosen scenario: the discharge summary. Although simple in concept, exchanging release letters shows small, hidden difficulties due to the multi-partner nature of the project. The added value of such a prototype is potentially high and it is now important to show that interoperability can work in practice.

  2. Review of paediatric cardiology services in district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Hannah; Singh, Yogen

    2016-03-01

    Following the Safe and Sustainable review of Paediatric Services in 2012/2013, National Health Service England recommended that local paediatric cardiology services should be provided by specially trained paediatricians with expertise in cardiology in all non-specialist hospitals. To understand the variation in local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom. An internet-based questionnaire was sent out via the Paediatrician with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group and the Neonatologists with Interest in Cardiology and Haemodynamics contact databases and the National Health Service directory. Non-responders were followed-up via telephone. The response rate was 80% (141 of 177 hospitals), and paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were available in 68% of those. Local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were provided in 96 hospitals (68%), whereas specialist outreach clinics were held in 123 centres (87%). A total of 11 hospitals provided neither specialist outreach clinics nor any local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology. Paediatric echocardiography services were provided in 83% of the hospitals, 12-lead electrocardiogram in 96%, Holter electrocardiogram in 91%, and exercise testing in only 47% of the responding hospitals. Telemedicine facilities were established in only 52% of the centres, where sharing echocardiogram images via picture archiving and communication system was used most commonly. There has been a substantial increase in the availability of paediatricians with expertise in cardiology since 2008. Most of the hospitals are well-supported by specialist cardiology centres via outreach clinics; however, there remains significant variation in the local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.

  3. The 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test as a bedside screening for dementia in general hospital patients: results of the General Hospital Study (GHoSt).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hessler, Johannes Baltasar; Schäufele, Martina; Hendlmeier, Ingrid; Nora Junge, Magdalena; Leonhardt, Sarah; Weber, Joshua; Bickel, Horst

    2017-07-01

    The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric quality of the 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT) as a bedside screening for the detection of dementia in general hospital patients. Participants (N = 1,440) were inpatients aged ≥65 of 33 randomly selected general hospitals in Southern Germany. The 6CIT was conducted at bedside, and dementia was diagnosed according to DSM-IV. Nursing staff was asked to rate the patients' cognitive status, and previous diagnoses of dementia were extracted from medical records. Completion rates and validity statistics were calculated. Two-hundred seventy patients had dementia. Cases with delirium but no dementia were excluded. Feasibility was 97.9% and 83.3% for patients without and with dementia, respectively, and decreased from moderate (93.8%) to severe dementia (53%). The area under the curve of the 6CIT was 0.98. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for the cutoffs 7/8 (0.96, 0.82, 0.85, 0.52, 0.99) and 10/11 (0.88, 0.95, 0.94, 0.76, 0.98). The nurse ratings and medical records information had lower validity statistics. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the 6CIT statistically significantly provided information above nurse ratings and medical records. Twenty-five and 37 additional patients were correctly classified by the 7/8 and 10/11 cutoffs, respectively. The 6CIT is a feasible and valid screening tool for the detection of dementia in older general hospital patients. The 6CIT outperformed the nurse ratings of cognitive status and dementia diagnoses from medical records, suggesting that standardized screening may have benefits with regard to case finding. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Setting healthcare priorities: a description and evaluation of the budgeting and planning process in county hospitals in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barasa, Edwine W; Cleary, Susan; Molyneux, Sassy; English, Mike

    2017-04-01

    This paper describes and evaluates the budgeting and planning processes in public hospitals in Kenya. We used a qualitative case study approach to examine these processes in two hospitals in Kenya. We collected data by in-depth interviews of national level policy makers, hospital managers, and frontline practitioners in the case study hospitals (n = 72), a review of documents, and non-participant observations within the hospitals over a 7 month period. We applied an evaluative framework that considers both consequentialist and proceduralist conditions as important to the quality of priority-setting processes. The budgeting and planning process in the case study hospitals was characterized by lack of alignment, inadequate role clarity and the use of informal priority-setting criteria. With regard to consequentialist conditions, the hospitals incorporated economic criteria by considering the affordability of alternatives, but rarely considered the equity of allocative decisions. In the first hospital, stakeholders were aware of - and somewhat satisfied with - the budgeting and planning process, while in the second hospital they were not. Decision making in both hospitals did not result in reallocation of resources. With regard to proceduralist conditions, the budgeting and planning process in the first hospital was more inclusive and transparent, with the stakeholders more empowered compared to the second hospital. In both hospitals, decisions were not based on evidence, implementation of decisions was poor and the community was not included. There were no mechanisms for appeals or to ensure that the proceduralist conditions were met in both hospitals. Public hospitals in Kenya could improve their budgeting and planning processes by harmonizing these processes, improving role clarity, using explicit priority-setting criteria, and by incorporating both consequentialist (efficiency, equity, stakeholder satisfaction and understanding, shifted priorities

  5. Psychiatric aspects of acute withdrawal from gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its analogue gamma-butyrolactone (GBL): implications for psychiatry services in the general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhuri, Debajeet; Cross, Sean; Dargan, Paul I; Wood, David M; Ranjith, Gopinath

    2013-06-01

    The objective of this study was to describe the psychiatric symptoms, management and outcomes in a consecutive series of patients being managed medically for symptoms of withdrawal from gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its analogue gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in a general hospital setting. A toxicology database was used to identify patients presenting with a history suggestive of withdrawal from GHB and analogues. Electronic and paper medical records were searched for demographic features, neuropsychiatric symptoms, psychiatric management while in hospital and overall outcome. There were 31 presentations with withdrawal from the drugs involving 20 patients. Of these 17 (54%) were referred to and seen by the liaison psychiatry team. Anxiety (61.3%) and agitation (48.4%) were the most common symptoms. Of the 17 cases seen by the liaison psychiatry team, 52.9% required close constant observation by a mental health nurse and 29.4% required to be detained in hospital under mental health legislation. The significant proportion of patients presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms and requiring intensive input from the liaison psychiatry team during withdrawal from GHB and its analogues points to the importance of close liaison between medical and psychiatric teams in managing these patients in the general hospital.

  6. Recent Trends in Imaging Use in Hospital Settings: Implications for Future Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, David C; Parker, Laurence; Rao, Vijay M

    2017-03-01

    To compare trends in utilization rates of imaging in the three hospital-based settings where imaging is conducted. The nationwide Medicare Part B databases for 2004-2014 were used. All discretionary noninvasive diagnostic imaging (NDI) CPT codes were selected and grouped by modality. Procedure volumes of each code were available from the databases and converted to utilization rates per 1,000 Medicare enrollees. Medicare's place-of-service codes were used to identify imaging examinations done in hospital inpatients, hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), and emergency departments (EDs). Trends were observed over the life of the study. Trendlines were strongly affected by code bundling in echocardiography in 2009, nuclear imaging in 2010, and CT in 2011. However, even aside from these artifactual effects, important trends could be discerned. Inpatient imaging utilization rates of all modalities are trending downward. In HOPDs, the utilization rate of conventional radiographic examinations (CREs) is declining but rates of CT, MRI, echocardiography, and noncardiac ultrasound (US) are increasing. In EDs, utilization rates of CREs, CT, and US are increasing. In the 3 years after 2011, when no further code bundling occurred, the total inpatient NDI utilization rate dropped 15%, whereas the rate in EDs increased 12% and that in HOPDs increased 1%. The trends in utilization of NDI in the three hospital-based settings where imaging occurs are distinctly different. Radiologists and others who are involved in deciding what kinds of equipment to purchase and where to locate it should be cognizant of these trends in making their decisions. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. [Management accounting in hospital setting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzović, Z; Richter, D; Simunić, S; Bozić, R; Hadjina, N; Piacun, D; Harcet, B

    1998-12-01

    The periodic income and expenditure accounts produced at the hospital and departmental level enable successful short term management, but, in the long run do not help remove tensions between health care demand and limited resources, nor do they enable optimal medical planning within the limited financial resources. We are trying to estabilish disease category costs based on case mixing according to diagnostic categories (diagnosis related groups, DRG, or health care resource groups, HRG) and calculation of hospital standard product costs, e.g., radiology cost, preoperative nursing cost etc. The average DRG cost is composed of standard product costs plus any costs specific to a diagnostic category. As an example, current costing procedure for hip artheroplasty in the University Hospital Center Zagreb is compared to the management accounting approach based on British Health Care Resource experience. The knowledge of disease category costs based on management accounting requirements facilitates the implementation of medical programs within the given financial resources and devolves managerial responsibility closer to the clinical level where medical decisions take place.

  8. Environmental scan of infection prevention and control practices for containment of hospital-acquired infectious disease outbreaks in acute care hospital settings across Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocampo, Wrechelle; Geransar, Rose; Clayden, Nancy; Jones, Jessica; de Grood, Jill; Joffe, Mark; Taylor, Geoffrey; Missaghi, Bayan; Pearce, Craig; Ghali, William; Conly, John

    2017-10-01

    Ward closure is a method of controlling hospital-acquired infectious diseases outbreaks and is often coupled with other practices. However, the value and efficacy of ward closures remains uncertain. To understand the current practices and perceptions with respect to ward closure for hospital-acquired infectious disease outbreaks in acute care hospital settings across Canada. A Web-based environmental scan survey was developed by a team of infection prevention and control (IPC) experts and distributed to 235 IPC professionals at acute care sites across Canada. Data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. A total of 110 completed responses showed that 70% of sites reported at least 1 outbreak during 2013, 44% of these sites reported the use of ward closure. Ward closure was considered an "appropriate," "sometimes appropriate," or "not appropriate" strategy to control outbreaks by 50%, 45%, and 5% of participants, respectively. System capacity issues and overall risk assessment were main factors influencing the decision to close hospital wards following an outbreak. Results suggest the use of ward closure for containment of hospital-acquired infectious disease outbreaks in Canadian acute care health settings is mixed, with outbreak control methods varying. The successful implementation of ward closure was dependent on overall support for the IPC team within hospital administration. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A randomised controlled trial of extended brief intervention for alcohol dependent patients in an acute hospital setting (ADPAC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Williamson Paula

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Alcohol dependence affects approximately 3% of the English population, and accounts for significant medical and psychiatric morbidity. Only 5.6% of alcohol-dependent individuals ever access specialist treatment and only a small percentage ever seek treatment. As people who are alcohol dependent are more likely to have experienced health problems leading to frequent attendance at acute hospitals it would seem both sensible and practical to ensure that this setting is utilised as a major access point for treatment, and to test the effectiveness of these treatments. Methods/Design This is a randomised controlled trial with a primary hypothesis that extended brief interventions (EBI delivered to alcohol-dependent patients in a hospital setting by an Alcohol Specialist Nurse (ASN will be effective when compared to usual care in reducing overall alcohol consumption and improving on the standard measures of alcohol dependence. Consecutive patients will be screened for alcohol misuse in the Emergency Department (ED of a district general hospital. On identification of an alcohol-related problem, following informed written consent, we aim to randomize 130 patients per group. The ASN will discharge to usual clinical care all control group patients, and plan a programme of EBI for treatment group patients. Follow-up interview will be undertaken by a researcher blinded to the intervention at 12 and 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure is level of alcohol dependence as determined by the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ score. Secondary outcome measures include; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT score, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, health-related quality of life measures, service utilisation, and patient experience. The trial will also allow an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of EBI in an acute hospital setting. In addition, patient experience will be assessed using qualitative methods

  10. Scleroderma in hospital settings in Lomé: 50 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akakpo, A S; Teclessou, J N; Mouhari-Touré, A; Saka, B; Matakloe, H; Kakpovi, K; Kombate, K; Pitché, P

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to document the epidemiological and clinical profile, treatment used, and outcome of patients with scleroderma in hospital settings in Lomé. This descriptive study examined the records of all patients seen as outpatients or admitted for scleroderma in hospital dermatology and rheumatology departments in Lomé during the 20-year period of 1993-2012. During the study period, 50 (0.04%) of the 121,021 patients seen in these departments had scleroderma. There were 29 cases of localized scleroderma and 21 systemic cases, predominantly women (sex-ratio=0.2). The patients' mean age was 36 years. All patients with systemic scleroderma had speckled achromia (100%), and most (90.48%) had cutaneous sclerosis. After a mean follow-up period of 43.5 days, 71.43% of the patients had been lost to follow-up. All of the patients with localized scleroderma had cutaneous sclerosis, and the rate of loss to follow-up (after a mean of 17 days) was 96.55%. The results of this study confirm the extreme rarity of scleroderma in the teaching hospitals in Lomé and a clear female predominance. It points out the difficulty of management, which both influences and is aggravated by the high rate of loss to follow-up.

  11. Suicidal behaviour characteristics and factors associated with mortality in the hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sendra-Gutiérrez, Juan Manuel; Esteban-Vasallo, María; Domínguez-Berjón, M Felicitas

    2016-04-29

    Suicide is a major public health problem worldwide, and an approach is necessary due to its high potential for prevention. This paper examines the main characteristics of people admitted to hospitals in the Community of Madrid (Spain) with suicidal behaviour, and the factors associated with their hospital mortality. A study was conducted on patients with E950-E959 codes of suicide and self-inflicted injuries of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, contained in any diagnostic field of the minimum basic data set at hospital discharge between 2003 and 2013. Sociodemographic, clinical and health care variables were assessed by uni- and multivariate logistic regression analysis in the evaluation of factors associated with hospital mortality. Hospital suicidal behaviour predominates in women (58.7%) and in middle-age. Hospital mortality is 2.2% (1.6% in women and 3.2% in men), increasing with age. Mental disorders are detected 3-4 times more in secondary diagnoses. The main primary diagnosis (>74%) is poisoning with substances, with lower mortality (∼1%) than injury by hanging and jumping from high places (≥12%), which have the highest numbers. Other factors associated with increased mortality include different medical comorbidities and severity of the injury, while length of stay and mental disorders are protective factors. Type of hospital, poisoning, and Charlson index are associated differently with mortality in men and women. Hospitalised suicidal acts show a low mortality, mainly related to comorbidities and the severity of injuries. Copyright © 2016 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  12. Trends in fatalities due to poisoning at Umtata General Hospital, Mthatha (1993–2005

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    Banwari L. Meel

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Poisoning is a common method of committing suicide in this region of South Africa. Females generally ingest poisons but it is increasingly becoming common in males too. This is a record review of autopsies carried out at the Umtata (Mthatha General Hospital mortuary, which forms part of the teaching hospital of the Walter Sisulu University Medical School. There were 10 230 unnatural deaths between 1993 and 2005. Of these deaths, 161 (1.6% were deaths due to poisoning. There was a marked increase in death by poisoning from 2.5% in 1993 to 13.7% in 2004. The highest percentage (17.4% of poison-related deaths was in 2001, and the lowest (2.5% was in 1993 and 1994. About two-thirds of victims (66% were males, and more than half of the victims (51.5% were in the 11 to 30 age group. There is an increasing trend in fatalities due to poisoning at Umtata General Hospital, Mthatha.

  13. Communication at the interface between hospitals and primary care - a general practice audit of hospital discharge summaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belleli, Esther; Naccarella, Lucio; Pirotta, Marie

    2013-12-01

    Timeliness and quality of hospital discharge summaries are crucial for patient safety and efficient health service provision after discharge. We audited receipt rates, timeliness and the quality of discharge summaries for 49 admissions among 38 patients in an urban general practice. For missing discharge summaries, a hospital medical record search was performed. Discharge summaries were received for 92% of identified admissions; 73% were received within three days and 55% before the first post-discharge visit to the general practitioner (GP). Administrative information and clinical content, including diagnosis, treatment and follow-up plans, were well reported. However, information regarding tests, referrals and discharge medication was often missing; 57% of summaries were entirely typed and 13% had legibility issues. Completion rates were good but utility was compromised by delays, content omissions and formatting. Digital searching enables extraction of information from rich existing datasets contained in GP records for accurate measurement of discharge summary receipt rate and timing.

  14. Percutaneous injuries among healthcare workers at a general hospital

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    Ibak Gönen, Mehmet Faruk Geyik

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Percutaneous injuries (PCIs remain a common incident among healthcare workers (HCWs despite the introductionof safety programs. The aim of this study was to assess the PCIs, required precautions, and applications after the injuries among healthcare workers in a small general hospital.Materials and methods: We assessed the occurrence of PCIs at a General Hospital (EGH from January 2007 to November2010. During this period, all injury cases among HCWs were reported to the Infection Control Committee (ICC using percutaneous injury notification form. The injury notification forms were evaluated retrospectively.Results: Totally 275 health personnel were working in our hospital, 36 healthy workers have been exposed to PCIs during this period. The incidence of PCIs was 2,9/10000 in 2007, 3,1/10000 in 2008, 3,8/10000 in 2009 and 3,9/10000 patient-days in 2010. Injured staff were recorded as, 16 nurses (44%, 12 cleaning staffs (34%, and eight (22% doctors. The device leading to damage was most frequently the needle-channel. Ten sources (27% were detected positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV, four (11% for hepatitis C virus (HCV, and two (5% for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV. No case of seroconversion has been recognized for any of the above mentioned infections.Conclusions: Percutaneous injuries remain to occur among HCWs. Since some the sources were infected, the health personnel are endangered for infections due to PCIs. The health personnel should presume that all patients are infected,and thus should work following universal precautions to avoid complications about the PCIs. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2011;1(1:26-30.

  15. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. V. - November of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. V.- Noviembre de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Garcia A, J.; Rodriguez A, F

    2002-01-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  16. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. III.- September of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. III.- Septiembre de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J

    2001-12-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  17. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. II.- August of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. II.- Agosto de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J

    2001-10-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  18. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. I.- July of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. I.- Julio de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J

    2001-09-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic. The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  19. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. VI. - December of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. VI.- Diciembre de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A; Vizuet G, J; Benitez S, J A; Garcia A, J; Rodriguez A, F

    2002-01-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  20. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. IV. - October of 2001; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Tula, PEMEX. IV.- Octubre de 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A; Vizuet G, J; Benitez S, J A; Garcia A, J; Rodriguez A, F

    2002-01-15

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  1. Outcomes of hospitalized patients undergoing emergency general surgery remote from admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharoky, Catherine E; Bailey, Elizabeth A; Sellers, Morgan M; Kaufman, Elinore J; Sinnamon, Andrew J; Wirtalla, Christopher J; Holena, Daniel N; Kelz, Rachel R

    2017-09-01

    Emergency general surgery during hospitalization has not been well characterized. We examined emergency operations remote from admission to identify predictors of postoperative 30-day mortality, postoperative duration of stay >30 days, and complications. Patients >18 years in The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2011-2014) who had 1 of 7 emergency operations between hospital day 3-18 were included. Patients with operations >95th percentile after admission (>18 days; n = 581) were excluded. Exploratory laparotomy only (with no secondary procedure) represented either nontherapeutic or decompressive laparotomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of study outcomes. Of 10,093 patients with emergency operations, most were elderly (median 66 years old [interquartile ratio: 53-77 years]), white, and female. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 12.6% (n = 1,275). Almost half the cohort (40.1%) had a complication. A small subset (6.8%) had postoperative duration of stay >30 days. Postoperative mortality after exploratory laparotomy only was particularly high (>40%). In multivariable analysis, an operation on hospital day 11-18 compared with day 3-6 was associated with death (odds ratio 1.6 [1.3-2.0]), postoperative duration of stay >30 days (odds ratio 2.0 [1.6-2.6]), and complications (odds ratio 1.5 [1.3-1.8]). Exploratory laparotomy only also was associated with death (odds ratio 5.4 [2.8-10.4]). Emergency general surgery performed during a hospitalization is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A longer hospital course before an emergency operation is a predictor of poor outcomes, as is undergoing exploratory laparotomy only. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Screening for sepsis in general hospitalized patients: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberto, L; Marshall, A P; Walker, R; Aitken, L M

    2017-08-01

    Sepsis is a condition widely observed outside critical care areas. To examine the application of sepsis screening tools for early recognition of sepsis in general hospitalized patients to: (i) identify the accuracy of these tools; (ii) determine the outcomes associated with their implementation; and (iii) describe the implementation process. A systematic review method was used. PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were systematically searched for primary articles, published from January 1990 to June 2016, that investigated screening tools or alert mechanisms for early identification of sepsis in adult general hospitalized patients. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016042261). More than 8000 citations were screened for eligibility after duplicates had been removed. Six articles met the inclusion criteria testing two types of sepsis screening tools. Electronic tools can capture, recognize abnormal variables, and activate an alert in real time. However, accuracy of these tools was inconsistent across studies with only one demonstrating high specificity and sensitivity. Paper-based, nurse-led screening tools appear to be more sensitive in the identification of septic patients but were only studied in small samples and particular populations. The process of care measures appears to be enhanced; however, demonstrating improved outcomes is more challenging. Implementation details are rarely reported. Heterogeneity of studies prevented meta-analysis. Clinicians, researchers and health decision-makers should consider these findings and limitations when implementing screening tools, research or policy on sepsis recognition in general hospitalized patients. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Use of antibacterial drugs in Jesenice General hospital in years 1998 to 2004

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brigita Mavsar-Najdenov

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Continuous monitoring of drug consumption is an important strategy for prudent and cost-effective use of drugs. Antimicrobials are among the most prescribed drugs in outpatient practice and in hospital care. In most cases antimicrobials are improperly prescribed or are even misused. Irrational use of antimicrobials is clinically ineffective and leads to higher treatment costs. Clinical ineffectiveness due to irrational use additionally leads to loss of confidence in antimicrobial drugs, unnecessary exposure of patients and development of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major global health problem as it presents an imperative for development of new potent antimicrobials which are necessarily associated with markedly higher treatment costs.Material and methods: This survey was focused on rational prescribing of antimicrobial drugs. The data on consumption of antimicrobials for various clinical departments of the Jesenice General Hospital were collected by the hospital pharmacy. WHO ATC 2005 classification system, which ranks antimicrobials in a large group J01: drugs for systemic treatment of bacterial infections and Defined Daily Dose as a measuring unit according to the WHO ATC/DDD methodology was used. Antimicrobial use at the Jesenice General Hospital in the period between 1998 and 2004 was estimated by the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Centre Ljubljana as a part of European Surveillance on Antibiotic Consumption project (ESAC. Statistical part of survey was performed by the Chair of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana.Results: After year 2000 a trend of decrease in antimicrobial consumption was observed. Compared to European Surveillance on Antibiotic Consumption results in the year 2003 higher usage of penicillins with extended spectrum, fluoroquinolones and 3rd generation cephalosporins in Slovenian hospitals was estimated. These three

  4. (In-)formal caregivers' and general practitioners' views on hospitalizations of people with dementia - an exploratory qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pohontsch, Nadine Janis; Scherer, Martin; Eisele, Marion

    2017-08-04

    Dementia is an irreversible chronic disease with wide-ranging effects on patients', caregivers' and families' lives. Hospitalizations are significant events for people with dementia. They tend to have poorer outcomes compared to those without dementia. Most of the previous studies focused on diagnoses leading to hospitalizations using claims data. Further factors (e.g. context factors) for hospitalizations are not reproduced in this data. Therefore, we investigated the factors leading to hospitalization with an explorative, qualitative study design. We interviewed informal caregivers (N = 12), general practitioners (GPs, N = 12) and formal caregivers (N = 5) of 12 persons with dementia using a semi-structured interview guideline. The persons with dementia were sampled using criteria regarding their living situation (home care vs. nursing home care) and gender. The transcripts were analyzed using the method of structuring content analysis. Almost none of the hospitalizations, discussed with the (in-)formal caregivers and GPs, seemed to have been preventable or seemed unjustifiable from the interviewees' points of view. We identified several dementia-specific factors promoting hospitalizations (e.g. the neglect of constricted mobility, the declining ability to communicate about symptoms/accidents and the shift of responsibility from person with dementia to informal or formal caregivers) and context-specific factors promoting hospitalizations (e.g. qualification of nursing home personal, the non-availability of the GP and hospitalizations for examinations/treatments also available in ambulatory settings). Hospitalizations were always the result of the interrelation of two factors: illnesses/accidents and context factors. The impact of both seems to be stronger in presence of dementia. Points for action in terms of reducing hospitalization rates were: better qualified nurses, a 24-h-GP-emergency service and better compensation for ambulatory monitoring

  5. Application of smart phone and supporting set for fundus imaging in primary hospital of rural area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong-Feng Jing

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To describe the application of smart phone and supporting set for acquiring fundus images with slitlamp examination and non-contact lens in primary hospital of the rural area. METHODS: The supporting set for smart phone was purchased from taobao and securely connected to the ocular lens of slitlamp microscopy. The fundus photos were imaged with assistance of non-contact slitlamp lens from Volk. RESULTS: High quality images of various retinal diseases could be successfully taken with smart phone and supporting set by slitlamp examination. The fundus images were send to patients with Wechat as medical records or used for telconsultant. CONCLUSION: High resolution smart phones are wildly used nowadays and supporting sets are very accessible; thus high quality of images could be obtained with minimal cost in rural hospitals. The digital fundus images will be beneficial for medical record and rapid diagnosis with telconsultant.

  6. The Cost of Nurse-Midwifery Care: Use of Interventions, Resources, and Associated Costs in the Hospital Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altman, Molly R; Murphy, Sean M; Fitzgerald, Cynthia E; Andersen, H Frank; Daratha, Kenn B

    Obstetrical care often involves multiple expensive, and often elective, interventions that may increase costs to patients, payers, and the health care system with little effect on patient outcomes. The objectives of this study were to examine the following hospital related outcomes: 1) use of labor and birth interventions, 2) inpatient duration of stay, and 3) total direct health care costs for patients attended by a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) compared with those attended by an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN), within an environment of safe and high-quality care. Electronic health records for 1,441 medically low-risk women who gave birth at a hospital located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest between January and September 2013 were sampled. Multilevel regression and generalized linear models were used for analysis. Reduced use of selected labor and birth interventions (cesarean delivery, vacuum-assisted delivery, epidural anesthesia, labor induction, and cervical ripening), reduced maternal duration of stay, and reduced overall costs associated with CNM-led care relative to OB-GYN-led care were observed for medically low-risk women in a hospital setting. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were comparable across groups. This study supports consideration of increased use of CNMs as providers for the care of women at low risk for complications to decrease costs for the health care system. The use of CNMs to the fullest extent within state-regulated scopes of practice could result in more efficient use of hospital resources. Copyright © 2017 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A combination of process of care and clinical target among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in general medical clinics and specialist diabetes clinics at hospital levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sieng, Sokha; Hurst, Cameron

    2017-08-07

    This study compares a combination of processes of care and clinical targets among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) between specialist diabetes clinics (SDCs) and general medical clinics (GMCs), and how differences between these two types of clinics differ with hospital type (community, provincial and regional). Type 2 diabetes mellitus patient medical records were collected from 595 hospitals (499 community, 70 provincial, 26 regional) in Thailand between April 1 to June 30, 2012 resulting in a cross-sectional sample of 26,860 patients. Generalized linear mixed modeling was conducted to examine associations between clinic type and quality of care. The outcome variables of interest were split into clinical targets and process of care. A subsequent subgroup analysis was conducted to examine if the nature of clinical target and process of care differences between GMCs and SDCs varied with hospital type (regional, provincial, community). Regardless of the types of hospitals (regional, provincial, or community) patients attending SDCs were considerably more likely to have eye and foot exam. In terms of larger hospitals (regional and provincial) patients attending SDCs were more likely to achieve HbA1c exam, All FACE exam, BP target, and the Num7Q. Interestingly, SDCs performed better than GMCs at only provincial hospitals for LDL-C target and the All7Q. Finally, patients with T2DM who attended community hospital-GMCs had a better chance of achieving the blood pressure target than patients who attended community hospital-SDCs. Specialized diabetes clinics outperform general medical clinics for both regional and provincial hospitals for all quality of care indicators and the number of quality of care indicators achieved was never lower. However, this better performance of SDC was not observed in community hospital. Indeed, GMCs outperformed SDCs for some quality of care indicators in the community level setting.

  8. Perceived Transcultural Self-Efficacy of Nurses in General Hospitals in Guangzhou, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Juan; He, Zhuang; Luo, Yong; Zhang, Rong

    2016-01-01

    Background Conflicts arising from cultural diversity among patients and hospital staff in China have become intense. Hospitals have an urgent need to improve transcultural self-efficacy of nurses for providing effective transcultural nursing. Objective The purpose of the research was to (a) evaluate the current status of perceived transcultural self-efficacy of nurses in general hospitals in Guangzhou, China; (b) explore associations between demographic characteristics of nurses and their perceived transcultural self-efficacy; and (c) assess the reliability and validity of scores on the Chinese version of the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET). Methods A cross-sectional survey of registered nurses from three general hospitals was conducted. Quota and convenience sampling were used. Participants provided demographic information and answered questions on the TSET. Results A total of 1,156 registered nurses took part. Most nurses had a moderate level of self-efficacy on the Cognitive (87.9%), Practical (87%), and Affective (89.2%) TSET subscales. Nurses who were older; who had more years of work experience, higher professional titles, higher incomes, and a minority background; and who were officially employed (not temporary positions) had higher perceived transcultural self-efficacy. Reliability estimated using Cronbach’s alpha was .99 for the total TSET score; reliability for the three subscales ranged from .97 to .98. Confirmatory factor analysis of TSET scores showed good fit with a three-factor model. Conclusion The results of this study can provide insights and guidelines for hospital nursing management to facilitate design of in-service education systems to improve transcultural self-efficacy of nurses. PMID:27454552

  9. Total direct cost, length of hospital stay, institutional discharges and their determinants from rehabilitation settings in stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, S K; Ng, T P; Yong, D; Fong, N P; Gerald, K

    2006-11-01

    Length of hospital stay (LOHS) is the largest determinant of direct cost for stroke care. Institutional discharges (acute care and nursing homes) from rehabilitation settings add to the direct cost. It is important to identify potentially preventable medical and non-medical reasons determining LOHS and institutional discharges to reduce the direct cost of stroke care. The aim of the study was to ascertain the total direct cost, LOHS, frequency of institutional discharges and their determinants from rehabilitation settings. Observational study was conducted on 200 stroke patients in two rehabilitation settings. The patients were examined for various socio-demographic, neurological and clinical variables upon admission to the rehabilitation hospitals. Information on total direct cost and medical complications during hospitalization were also recorded. The outcome variables measured were total direct cost, LOHS and discharges to institutions (acute care and nursing home facility) and their determinants. The mean and median LOHS in our study were 34 days (SD = 18) and 32 days respectively. LOHS and the cost of hospital stay were significantly correlated. The significant variables associated with LOHS on multiple linear regression analysis were: (i) severe functional impairment/functional dependence Barthel Index institutional discharges (22 to acute care and 17 to nursing homes). On multivariate analysis the significant predictors of discharges to institutions from rehabilitation hospitals were medical complications (OR = 4.37; 95% CI 1.01-12.53) and severe functional impairment/functional dependence. (OR = 5.90, 95% CI 2.32-14.98). Length of hospital stay and discharges to institutions from rehabilitation settings are significantly determined by medical complications. Importance of adhering to clinical pathway/protocol for stroke care is further discussed.

  10. Occupational health in a hospital setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorothy Blacklaws

    1981-09-01

    Full Text Available Health services and especially hospitals, are amongst the employers with the largest number of employees in the country. Those employed in the service have the right to as high a standard of occupational health as found in industry at its best. Health services in hospitals should use techniques of preventive employees and reduces absenteeism due to sickness and other causes. It health requirements of the employees. Hospitals should serve as examples to the public regarding health education, preventive medicine and job safety. Hospitals have a moral and legal obligation to: — provide a safe and healthful working environment for employees; — protect employees from special risks and hazards associated with their occ u p a t i o n s , su c h as c o n t a g io u s diseases; — protect patients from risks associated with unhealthy employees. Experience in other employee groups has shown that an occupational health service results in healthier, more effective employees and reduces absenteeism due to sickness and other causes. It also reduces labour turnover and Workmen’s compensation and other insurance claims.

  11. A comparative analysis of exposure doses between the radiation workers in dental and general hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Nam Hee; Chung, Woon Kwan; Dong, Kyung Rae; Ju, Yong Jin; Song, Ha Jin; Choi, Eun Jin

    2015-01-01

    Research and investigation is required for the exposure dose of radiation workers to work in the dental hospital as increasing interest in exposure dose of the dental hospital recently accordingly, study aim to minimize radiation exposure by making a follow-up study of individual exposure doses of radiation workers, analyzing the status on individual radiation exposure management, prediction the radiation disability risk levels by radiation, and alerting the workers to the danger of radiation exposure. Especially given the changes in the dental hospital radiation safety awareness conducted the study in order to minimize radiation exposure. This study performed analyses by a comparison between general and dental hospital, comparing each occupation, with the 116,220 exposure dose data by quarter and year of 5,811 subjects at general and dental hospital across South Korea from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012. The following are the results obtained by analyzing average values year and quarter. In term of hospital, average doses were significantly higher in general hospitals than detal ones. In terms of job, average doses were higher in radiological technologists the other workers. Especially, they showed statistically significant differences between radiological technologists than dentists. The above-mentioned results indicate that radiation workers were exposed to radiation for the past 5 years to the extent not exceeding the dose limit (maximum 50 mSv y -1 ). The limitation of this study is that radiation workers before 2008 were excluded from the study. Objective evaluation standards did not apply to the work circumstance or condition of each hospital. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to work out analysis criteria that will be used as objective evaluation standard. It will be necessary to study radiation exposure in more precise ways on the basis of objective analysis standard in the future. Should try to minimize the radiation individual dose of

  12. A comparative analysis of exposure doses between the radiation workers in dental and general hospital

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Nam Hee; Chung, Woon Kwan; Dong, Kyung Rae; Ju, Yong Jin; Song, Ha Jin [Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Eun Jin [Dept. of Public Health and Medicine, Dongshin University, Naju (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-02-15

    Research and investigation is required for the exposure dose of radiation workers to work in the dental hospital as increasing interest in exposure dose of the dental hospital recently accordingly, study aim to minimize radiation exposure by making a follow-up study of individual exposure doses of radiation workers, analyzing the status on individual radiation exposure management, prediction the radiation disability risk levels by radiation, and alerting the workers to the danger of radiation exposure. Especially given the changes in the dental hospital radiation safety awareness conducted the study in order to minimize radiation exposure. This study performed analyses by a comparison between general and dental hospital, comparing each occupation, with the 116,220 exposure dose data by quarter and year of 5,811 subjects at general and dental hospital across South Korea from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012. The following are the results obtained by analyzing average values year and quarter. In term of hospital, average doses were significantly higher in general hospitals than detal ones. In terms of job, average doses were higher in radiological technologists the other workers. Especially, they showed statistically significant differences between radiological technologists than dentists. The above-mentioned results indicate that radiation workers were exposed to radiation for the past 5 years to the extent not exceeding the dose limit (maximum 50 mSv y{sup -1}). The limitation of this study is that radiation workers before 2008 were excluded from the study. Objective evaluation standards did not apply to the work circumstance or condition of each hospital. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to work out analysis criteria that will be used as objective evaluation standard. It will be necessary to study radiation exposure in more precise ways on the basis of objective analysis standard in the future. Should try to minimize the radiation individual dose of

  13. Can patients report patient safety incidents in a hospital setting? A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Jane K; Armitage, Gerry

    2012-08-01

    Patients are increasingly being thought of as central to patient safety. A small but growing body of work suggests that patients may have a role in reporting patient safety problems within a hospital setting. This review considers this disparate body of work, aiming to establish a collective view on hospital-based patient reporting. This review asks: (a) What can patients report? (b) In what settings can they report? (c) At what times have patients been asked to report? (d) How have patients been asked to report? 5 databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, (Kings Fund) HMIC and PsycINFO) were searched for published literature on patient reporting of patient safety 'problems' (a number of search terms were utilised) within a hospital setting. In addition, reference lists of all included papers were checked for relevant literature. 13 papers were included within this review. All included papers were quality assessed using a framework for comparing both qualitative and quantitative designs, and reviewed in line with the study objectives. Patients are clearly in a position to report on patient safety, but included papers varied considerably in focus, design and analysis, with all papers lacking a theoretical underpinning. In all papers, reports were actively solicited from patients, with no evidence currently supporting spontaneous reporting. The impact of timing upon accuracy of information has yet to be established, and many vulnerable patients are not currently being included in patient reporting studies, potentially introducing bias and underestimating the scale of patient reporting. The future of patient reporting may well be as part of an 'error detection jigsaw' used alongside other methods as part of a quality improvement toolkit.

  14. Early breast cancer detection in the hospital setting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega, A.; Ortega, E.; Garcia-Valtuille, R.; Erasun, F.; Millan, R.; Garijo, F.

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits of mammography in general and particularly as a screening method in the early detection of breast cancer in our hospital. All the cases of breast carcinoma registered in our section between 1989 and 1995 were reviewed retrospectively. The total number of carcinomas was 775, 168 (22%) of which were diagnosed solely on the basis of mammography. The percentage of carcinomas detected on the basis of mammography alone increased progressively (from 13% in 1989-1990 to 28% in 1994-1995), coinciding with a progressive rise in the volume of screening mammography. Early carcinomas, referring to those in stages O or I, represented 67% of those detected by mammography in general and 17% of those detected by palpation (p<0.001). The proportion was even greater among cases of carcinoma detected exclusively by screening mammography (78 versus 17%; p<0.001). Although mammography has been instrumental in increasing the rate of early detection of breast carcinoma in our center, a large number of patients still present with palpable lesions. Thus, a greater effort should be made to increase the practice of mammography in asymptomatic women. (Author) 13 refs

  15. Prevalence and cost of hospital medical errors in the general and elderly United States populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallow, Peter J; Pandya, Bhavik; Horblyuk, Ruslan; Kaplan, Harold S

    2013-12-01

    The primary objective of this study was to quantify the differences in the prevalence rate and costs of hospital medical errors between the general population and an elderly population aged ≥65 years. Methods from an actuarial study of medical errors were modified to identify medical errors in the Premier Hospital Database using data from 2009. Visits with more than four medical errors were removed from the population to avoid over-estimation of cost. Prevalence rates were calculated based on the total number of inpatient visits. There were 3,466,596 total inpatient visits in 2009. Of these, 1,230,836 (36%) occurred in people aged ≥ 65. The prevalence rate was 49 medical errors per 1000 inpatient visits in the general cohort and 79 medical errors per 1000 inpatient visits for the elderly cohort. The top 10 medical errors accounted for more than 80% of the total in the general cohort and the 65+ cohort. The most costly medical error for the general population was postoperative infection ($569,287,000). Pressure ulcers were most costly ($347,166,257) in the elderly population. This study was conducted with a hospital administrative database, and assumptions were necessary to identify medical errors in the database. Further, there was no method to identify errors of omission or misdiagnoses within the database. This study indicates that prevalence of hospital medical errors for the elderly is greater than the general population and the associated cost of medical errors in the elderly population is quite substantial. Hospitals which further focus their attention on medical errors in the elderly population may see a significant reduction in costs due to medical errors as a disproportionate percentage of medical errors occur in this age group.

  16. Financial management challenges for general hospital psychiatry 2001.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, R J

    2001-01-01

    Psychiatry programs are facing significant business and financial challenges. This paper provides an overview of these management challenges in five areas: departmental, hospital, payment system, general finance, and policy. Psychiatric leaders will require skills in a variety of business management areas to ensure their program success. Many programs will need to develop new compensation models with more of an emphasis on revenue collection and overhead management. Programs which cannot master these areas are likely to go out of business. For academic programs, incentive systems must address not only clinical productivity, but academic and teaching output as well. General hospital programs will need to develop increased sophistication in differential cost accounting in order to be able to advocate for their patients and program in the current management climate. Clinical leaders will need the skills (ranging from actuarial to negotiations) to be at the table with contract development, since those decisions are inseparable from clinical care issues. Strategic planning needs to consider the value of improving integration with primary care, along with the ability to understand the advantages and disadvantages of risk-sharing models. Psychiatry leaders need to define and develop useful reports shared with clinical division leadership to track progress and identify problems and opportunities. Leaders should be responsible for a strategy for developing appropriate information system architecture and infrastructure. Finally, it is hoped that some leaders will emerge who can further our needs to address inequities in mental health fee schedules and parity issues which affect our program viability.

  17. 'Being a conduit' between hospital and home: stakeholders' views and perceptions of a nurse-led Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Service in an acute hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatasalu, Munikumar Ramasamy; Clarke, Amanda; Atkinson, Joanne

    2015-06-01

    To explore and critically examine stakeholders' views and perceptions concerning the nurse-led Palliative Care Discharge Service in an acute hospital setting and to inform sustainability, service development and future service configuration. The drive in policy and practice is to enable individuals to achieve their preferred place of care during their last days of life. However, most people in UK die in acute hospital settings against their wishes. To facilitate individuals' preferred place of care, a large acute hospital in northeast England implemented a pilot project to establish a nurse-led Macmillan Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Service. A pluralistic evaluation design using qualitative methods was used to seek stakeholders' views and perceptions of this service. In total, 12 participants (five bereaved carers and seven health professionals) participated in the evaluation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved carers who used this service for their relatives. A focus group and an individual interview were undertaken with health professionals who had used the service since its inception. Individual interviews were also conducted with the Discharge Facilitator and service manager. Analysis of all data was guided by Framework Analysis. Four key themes emerged relating to the role of the Discharge Facilitator Service: achieving preferred place of care; the Discharge Facilitator as the 'conduit' between hospital and community settings; delays in hospital discharge and stakeholders' perceptions of the way forward for the service. The Discharge Facilitator Service acted as a reliable resource and support for facilitating the fast-tracking of end-of-life patients to their preferred place of care. Future planning for hospital-based palliative care discharge facilitating services need to consider incorporating strategies that include: increased profile of the service, expansion of service provision and the Discharge Facilitator's earlier

  18. Friendliness, functionality and freedom: Design characteristics that support midwifery practice in the hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammond, Athena; Homer, Caroline S E; Foureur, Maralyn

    2017-07-01

    to identify and describe the design characteristics of hospital birth rooms that support midwives and their practice. this study used a qualitative exploratory descriptive methodology underpinned by the theoretical approach of critical realism. Data was collected through 21 in-depth, face-to-face photo-elicitation interviews and a thematic analysis guided by study objectives and the aims of exploratory research was undertaken. the study was set at a recently renovated tertiary hospital in a large Australian city. participants were 16 registered midwives working in a tertiary hospital; seven in delivery suite and nine in birth centre settings. Experience as a midwife ranged from three to 39 years and the sample included midwives in diverse roles such as educator, student support and unit manager. three design characteristics were identified that supported midwifery practice. They were friendliness, functionality and freedom. Friendly rooms reduced stress and increased midwives' feelings of safety. Functional rooms enabled choice and provided options to better meet the needs of labouring women. And freedom allowed for flexible, spontaneous and responsive midwifery practice. hospital birth rooms that possess the characteristics of friendliness, functionality and freedom offer enhanced support for midwives and may therefore increase effective care provision. new and existing birth rooms can be designed or adapted to better support the wellbeing and effectiveness of midwives and may thereby enhance the quality of midwifery care delivered in the hospital. Quality midwifery care is associated with positive outcomes and experiences for labouring women. Further research is required to investigate the benefit that may be transmitted to women by implementing design intended to support and enhance midwifery practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The frequency of smoking and problem drinking among general hospital inpatients in Brazil - using the AUDIT and Fagerström questionnaires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neliana Buzi Figlie

    2000-09-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: Although the CAGE questionnaire is one of the most widely used alcohol screening instruments, it has been criticized for not identifying people who are drinking heavily or who have alcohol related problems but do not as yet show symptoms of alcohol dependence. The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test questionnaire was developed by WHO as a screening instrument specifically designed to identify problem drinkers, as well as those who were already dependent on alcohol. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use the AUDIT and Fagerström questionnaires in a general hospital inpatient population to measure the frequency of problem drinking and nicotine dependence, and to see if levels varied between medical speciality. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Federally funded public teaching hospital. SAMPLE: 275 inpatients from both genders. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Socio-demographic data, AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. RESULTS: We interviewed 275 inpatients, 49% of whom were men and 51% women. Thirty-four patients were identified as "cases" by the Audit questionnaire; 22% of the male patients and 3% of the females. Just over 21% of inpatients were current smokers. The gastroenterology (26% and general medicine (16% inpatient units had the largest number of individual cases. CONCLUSIONS: Only by knowing the prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence and nicotine dependence in a general hospital can we evaluate the need for a specialized liaison service to identify and treat these patients.

  20. Supervising nursing students in a technology-driven medication administration process in a hospital setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaard, Mette; Orbæk, Janne

    2016-01-01

    REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to identify, describe and synthesize the experiences of nurse supervisors and the factors that influence the supervision of pre-graduate nursing students in undertaking technology-driven medication administration in hospital settings...

  1. Barriers to antenatal psychosocial assessment and depression screening in private hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connell, Tanya; Barnett, Bryanne; Waters, Donna

    2017-10-11

    The evidence of benefit for antenatal psychosocial assessment and depression screening has been sufficient to lead the implementation of screening in public hospitals in all states of Australia. Details of the implementation of perinatal screening in private obstetric settings is less well known. As any successful implementation relies on the identification of local barriers, we aimed to determine what perceived or actual barriers may exist for the implementation of evidence-based perinatal screening interventions in private obstetric care, and specifically within small private hospitals. The integrative literature review method offers a structured systematic approach to organise, synthesize and critique research from a range of sources. This method was used to determine what barriers have been identified in implementing psychosocial assessment and depression screening with women receiving obstetric care in private hospital settings. The integrative review findings suggest that barriers to implementing psychosocial screening in the private sector are similar to those experienced in the public sector but may also be influenced by the corporate focus of private services. Barriers were identified among health professionals, within the personal and psychosocial context of women and their families, and at provider or system level. Once identified, barriers can be systematically addressed to enhance the success of implementing psychosocial and depression screening in the private sector. Screening is likely to be influenced by the business models and operating systems of private service providers. Health professionals working within this environment need more support to conduct perinatal assessment within this context. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Maribor General Hospital from its foundation until World War II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivec, Gregor

    2006-01-01

    The author describes the history of Maribor General Hospital from its foundation in 1799 until the beginning of World War II. In 1799 the magistrate of the town of Maribor issued a memorandum regarding the establishment of a town hospital in the renovated building of the town hospice, providing space for 24 patients. The work of the hospital was carried out in the former hospice building until 1855. In the period between its establishment and eventual relocation 26 beds were added. The last two decades of the hospital's operation at the original location were marked by the assiduous work of the town's physicist, Dr. Anton Kuker. In the first half of the 19th century, the population of Maribor grew rapidly as a consequence of the construction of the Southern Railway. The town authorities therefore purchased the Prosenjak family villa in the Magdalena suburbs and relocated the hospital to it in 1855, providing 28 rooms for 110 patients. For a whole century, the care of patients was taken over by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The hospital was soon admitting over 1000 patients a year, the most common complaints being pulmonary catarrh, gastritis and fever. In 1872, when the Master of Surgery Feliks Ferk joined the hospital, the internal "medical" and the "external" surgical departments were formed. Although medical studies were not easily accessible, there were a number of Slovene physicians working in the hospital and the town in that period. In the last decades of the 19th century, the hospital was often renovated and enlarged. The infrastructure (telephone, water supply system, heating, lighting) had also been modernized before World War I. In 1914, the first X-ray apparatus was purchased. Between the wars, the hospital's development was boosted by recruitment of the Slovene physicians Ivan Matko, Mirko Cernic, Janko Dernovsek and Hugon Robic. The initial external and medical departments split into several departments: internal medicine, surgery

  3. Indications of Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dini Atiyah

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Tonsillectomy is the intervention to take out the palatine tonsils either whole or sub capsular, while adenoidectomy is the intervention of extraction of the adenoid gland which is commonly done with curettage method. Both interventions are done to eliminate repeated infections and also obstructions due to inflammation and hypertrophy of the tonsils and adenoids. This study was conducted to examine the indications of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in the Departement of Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung in the period of January 2009–December 2011. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in October–November of 2012 using 207 medical records of patients who had tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy executed in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung in the period of January 2009–December 2011. Data collected were age, gender, main complaint, tonsil size, history of repeated infections, history of snoring as well as of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS. The indication for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy such as infection, obstruction and neoplasia was selected. Results: The indications of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were infection at 106 (51.2% patients, obstruction at 100 (48.3% patients, and neoplasia at 1 (0.05% patient. Conclusions: The most numerous indications for tonsillectomy and tonsilloadenoidectomy in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital were infection.

  4. Adventure Counseling as an Adjunct to Group Counseling in Hospital and Clinical Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillen, Mark C.; Balkin, Richard S.

    2006-01-01

    Adventure counseling has been thought of as a highly specialized application of group counseling skills in a wilderness environment. In fact, adventure counseling is based on a developmental theory of group, can be useful for a variety of clients, and can be thoughtfully integrated into clinical and hospital settings. This article describes the…

  5. Generalization of the Right Acute Stroke Prevention Strategies in Reducing in-Hospital Delays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Huang

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to reduce the door-to-needle (DTN time of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT in acute ischemic stroke (AIS through a comprehensive, hospital-based implementation strategy. The intervention involved a systemic literature review, identifying barriers to rapid IVT treatment at our hospital, setting target DTN time intervals, and building an evolving model for IVT candidate selection. The rate of non-in-hospital delay (DTN time ≤ 60 min was set as the primary endpoint. A total of 348 IVT cases were enrolled in the study (202 and 146 in the pre- and post-intervention group, respectively. The median age was 61 years in both groups; 25.2% and 26.7% of patients in the pre- and post-intervention groups, respectively, were female. The post-intervention group had higher rates of dyslipidemia and minor stroke [defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS ≤ 3]; less frequent atrial fibrillation; higher numbers of current smokers, heavy drinkers, referrals, and multi-model head imaging cases; and lower NIHSS scores and blood sugar level (all P 0.05. These findings indicate that it is possible to achieve a DTN time ≤ 60 min for up to 60% of hospitals in the current Chinese system, and that this logistical change can yield a notable improvement in the outcome of IVT patients.

  6. An analysis of acute admissions to a general hospital psychiatric unit

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rapid turnover of patients in a general hospital psychiatric unit demands stabilization and discharge as soon as possible. It is likely that patients are being prematurely discharged because of this pressure. Aim: The study sought to analyse admissions to an acute psychiatric unit with a view to determining the demographic ...

  7. Transferable and non-transferable drug resistance in enteric bacteria from hospital and from general practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, JK; Bak, AL; Bülow, P

    1976-01-01

    Drug resistance to 8 different antibiotics in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from different hospitals and two groups of general practitioners was studied. Escherichia coli dominated among the 632 strains investigated. Drug resistance was found in 62% of the 512 hospital strains and in 38% of the 120...

  8. Global Dynamical Systems Involving Generalized -Projection Operators and Set-Valued Perturbation in Banach Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun-zhi Zou

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A new class of generalized dynamical systems involving generalized f-projection operators is introduced and studied in Banach spaces. By using the fixed-point theorem due to Nadler, the equilibrium points set of this class of generalized global dynamical systems is proved to be nonempty and closed under some suitable conditions. Moreover, the solutions set of the systems with set-valued perturbation is showed to be continuous with respect to the initial value.

  9. The association between job satisfaction and general health among employees of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Dashti, Rezvan; Zergani, Nadia

    2016-04-01

    Job satisfaction is one of the most challenging organizational concepts, and it is the basis of management policies to increase productivity and efficiency of the organization. The general health rate may affect job satisfaction in several ways. This study aimed to determine the association between job satisfaction and general health among employees of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. The study population of this cross-sectional research included 100 employees of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. The data collection instruments were the General Health Questionnaire (28-GHQ) and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA statistical tests in SPSS software. The mean general health was calculated as 26.19 ± 11.04, which indicated a positive psychiatric condition. Job satisfaction with a mean score of 89.67 ± 23.3 was deemed to be relatively dissatisfied. A medium negative and significant association was observed between job satisfaction and general health and its subscales (physical health, anxiety, social, and depression). General health subscales and job satisfaction are associated. Some actions must be planned to cope with the negative factors in general health in order to increase employees' satisfaction in university educational hospitals.

  10. Acute general hospital admissions in people with serious mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayatilleke, Nishamali; Hayes, Richard D; Chang, Chin-Kuo; Stewart, Robert

    2018-02-28

    Serious mental illness (SMI, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder) is associated with worse general health. However, admissions to general hospitals have received little investigation. We sought to delineate frequencies of and causes for non-psychiatric hospital admissions in SMI and compare with the general population in the same area. Records of 18 380 individuals with SMI aged ⩾20 years in southeast London were linked to hospitalisation data. Age- and gender-standardised admission ratios (SARs) were calculated by primary discharge diagnoses in the 10th edition of the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes, referencing geographic catchment data. Commonest discharge diagnosis categories in the SMI cohort were urinary conditions, digestive conditions, unclassified symptoms, neoplasms, and respiratory conditions. SARs were raised for most major categories, except neoplasms for a significantly lower risk. Hospitalisation risks were specifically higher for poisoning and external causes, injury, endocrine/metabolic conditions, haematological, neurological, dermatological, infectious and non-specific ('Z-code') causes. The five commonest specific ICD-10 diagnoses at discharge were 'chronic renal failure' (N18), a non-specific code (Z04), 'dental caries' (K02), 'other disorders of the urinary system' (N39), and 'pain in throat and chest' (R07), all of which were higher than expected (SARs ranging 1.57-6.66). A range of reasons for non-psychiatric hospitalisation in SMI is apparent, with self-harm, self-neglect and/or reduced healthcare access, and medically unexplained symptoms as potential underlying explanations.

  11. [Attitudes towards patient safety culture in a hospital setting and related variables].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mir-Abellán, Ramon; Falcó-Pegueroles, Anna; de la Puente-Martorell, María Luisa

    To describe attitudes towards patient safety culture among workers in a hospital setting and determine the influence of socio-demographic and professional variables. The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture was distributed among a sample of professionals and nursing assistants. A dimension was considered a strength if positive responses exceeded 75% and an opportunity for improvement if more than 50% of responses were negative. 59% (n=123) of respondents rated safety between 7 and 8. 53% (n=103) stated that they had not used the notification system to report any incidents in the previous twelve months. The strength identified was "teamwork in the unit/service" and the opportunity for improvement was "staffing". A more positive attitude was observed in outpatient services and among nursing professionals and part-time staff. This study has allowed us to determine the rating of the hospital in patient safety culture. This is vital for developing improvement strategies. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  12. [Comparison of the "Trigger" tool with the minimum basic data set for detecting adverse events in general surgery].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez Zapata, A I; Gutiérrez Samaniego, M; Rodríguez Cuéllar, E; Gómez de la Cámara, A; Ruiz López, P

    Surgery is a high risk for the occurrence of adverse events (AE). The main objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the Trigger tool with the Hospital National Health System registration of Discharges, the minimum basic data set (MBDS), in detecting adverse events in patients admitted to General Surgery and undergoing surgery. Observational and descriptive retrospective study of patients admitted to general surgery of a tertiary hospital, and undergoing surgery in 2012. The identification of adverse events was made by reviewing the medical records, using an adaptation of "Global Trigger Tool" methodology, as well as the (MBDS) registered on the same patients. Once the AE were identified, they were classified according to damage and to the extent to which these could have been avoided. The area under the curve (ROC) were used to determine the discriminatory power of the tools. The Hanley and Mcneil test was used to compare both tools. AE prevalence was 36.8%. The TT detected 89.9% of all AE, while the MBDS detected 28.48%. The TT provides more information on the nature and characteristics of the AE. The area under the curve was 0.89 for the TT and 0.66 for the MBDS. These differences were statistically significant (P<.001). The Trigger tool detects three times more adverse events than the MBDS registry. The prevalence of adverse events in General Surgery is higher than that estimated in other studies. Copyright © 2017 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Are hospitals too clean to trigger good hand hygiene?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vegt, D.S. van der; Voss, A.

    2009-01-01

    Compliance with hand hygiene in the healthcare setting is generally low. The aim of the present study was to investigate the degree of compliance with hand hygiene after toilet visits inside and outside the hospital. We observed hospital/laboratory staff, participants of the European Congress of

  14. Changing patterns of psychiatric inpatient care for children and adolescents in general hospitals, 1988-1995.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pottick, K J; McAlpine, D D; Andelman, R B

    2000-08-01

    The authors examine patterns in utilization of psychiatric inpatient services by children and adolescents in general hospitals during 1988-1995. National Hospital Discharge Survey data were used to describe utilization patterns for children and adolescents with primary psychiatric diagnoses in general hospitals from 1988 to 1995. During the study period, there was a 36% increase in hospital discharges and a 44% decline in mean length of stay, resulting in a 23% decline in the number of bed-days, from more than 3 million to about 2.5 million. The number of nonpsychotic major depressive disorders increased significantly. Discharges from public hospitals have declined, and those from proprietary hospitals have risen. Concurrently, the role of private insurance declined and the role of Medicaid increased. During the period of study, the mean and median length of stay declined most for children and adolescents who were hospitalized in private facilities and those covered by private insurance. Across the United States, the mean length of stay declined significantly; this decline was almost 60% in the West. Discharges also declined in the West, in contrast to the Midwest and the South, where they significantly increased. Increased numbers of discharges and decreased length of stay may reflect evolving market forces and characteristics of hospitals. Further penetration by managed care into the public insurance system or modifications in existing Medicaid policy could have a profound impact on the availability of inpatient resources.

  15. Ben Taub General Hospital & LifeGift: Strengthening a Partnership to Save Lives and Improve Healthcare Delivery

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Philpot, Douglas G

    2007-01-01

    Ben Taub General Hospital, working closely with LifeGift, consistently ranks at or near the top of the list of hospitals in the United States that receive informed consent for organ donation from patients' families...

  16. Stakeholder perspectives on handovers between hospital staff and general practitioners: An evaluation through the microsystems lens

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gobel, B.; Zwart, D. De; Hesselink, G.J.; Pijnenborg, L.; Barach, P.; Kalkman, C.J.; Johnson, J.K.

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Much of the research on improving patient handovers has focused on enhancing communication within the hospital system, but there have been relatively few efforts aimed at addressing the challenges at the interface between the hospital and the primary care setting. METHODS: A qualitative

  17. 'I do the best I can': an in-depth exploration of the aphasia management pathway in the acute hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Abby M; Worrall, Linda E; Rose, Miranda L; O'Halloran, Robyn

    2016-09-01

    While research has begun to explore the management of aphasia across the continuum of care, to date there is little in-depth, context specific knowledge relating to the speech pathology aphasia management pathway. This research aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of the current aphasia management pathway in the acute hospital setting, from the perspective of speech pathologists. Underpinned by a social constructivist paradigm, the researchers implemented an interpretive phenomenological method when conducting in-depth interviews with 14 Australian speech pathologists working in the acute hospital setting. Interview transcripts and interviewer field notes were subjected to a qualitative content analysis. Analysis identified a single guiding construct and five main categories to describe the management of aphasia in the acute hospital setting. The guiding construct, First contact with the profession, informed the entire management pathway. Five additional main categories were identified: Referral processes; Screening and assessment; Therapeutic intervention; Educational and affective counselling; and Advocacy. Findings suggest significant diversity in the pathways of care for people with aphasia and their families in the acute hospital setting. Additional support mechanisms are required in order to support speech pathologists to minimise the evidence-practice gap. Implications for Rehabilitation Significant diversity exists in the current aphasia management pathway for people with acute post-stroke aphasia and their families in the acute hospital setting. Mechanisms that support speech pathologists to minimise the evidence-practice gap, and consequently reduce their sense of professional dissonance, are required.

  18. Behavior Assessment in Children Following Hospital-Based General Anesthesia versus Office-Based General Anesthesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LaQuia A. Vinson

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in behavior exist following dental treatment under hospital-based general anesthesia (HBGA or office-based general anesthesia (OBGA in the percentage of patients exhibiting positive behavior and in the mean Frankl scores at recall visits. This retrospective study examined records of a pediatric dental office over a 4 year period. Patients presenting before 48 months of age for an initial exam who were diagnosed with early childhood caries were included in the study. Following an initial exam, patients were treated under HBGA or OBGA. Patients were followed to determine their behavior at 6-, 12- and 18-month recall appointments. Fifty-four patients received treatment under HBGA and 26 were treated under OBGA. OBGA patients were significantly more likely to exhibit positive behavior at the 6- and 12-month recall visits p = 0.038 & p = 0.029. Clinicians should consider future behavior when determining general anesthesia treatment modalities in children with early childhood caries presenting to their office.

  19. The bacterial contamination rate of glucose meter test strips in the hospital setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Rubeaan, Khalid A.; Saeb, Amr T. M.; AlNaqeb, Dhekra M.; AlQumaidi, Hamed M.; AlMogbel, Turki A.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: To assess the rate of bacterial contamination of the multi-use vial and single-use packed glucose meter strips, and to identify the type and frequency of various bacterial contamination in different hospital wards. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted by a team from the Strategic Center for Diabetes Research in 7 general hospitals in the Central region of Saudi Arabia during the period from August to September 2014 to assess the bacterial contamination rate of the unused strips. A total of 10,447 strips were cultured using proper agar media and incubated both aerobically and anaerobically. Results: The total bacterial contamination rate for the multi-use vials glucose strips was 31.7%, while single-use packed strips were not contaminated at all. Ministry of Health hospitals had the highest contamination rates compared with other hospitals. Critical, obstetric, and surgical wards had the highest bacterial isolates number, where most were in the risk group 3 according to the National Institute of Health guidelines. Staphylococcus species were the most common bacteria found. Conclusion: Glucose meter strips should be recognized as a source of bacterial contamination that could be behind serious hospital acquired infections. The hospital infection control team should adopt proper measures to implement protocols for glucose meter cleaning and glucose strips handling. PMID:27570855

  20. Audit and account billing process in a private general hospital: a case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Silva Bicalho Zunta

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Our study aimed to map, describe and, validate the audit, account billing and billing reports processes in a large, private general hospital.  An exploratory, descriptive, case report study. We conducted non-participatory observation moments in Internal Audit Sectors and  Billing Reports from the hospital, aiming to map the processes which were the study objects. The data obtained was validated by internal and external audit specialists in hospital bills. The described and illustrated processes in three flow-charts favor professionals to rationalize their activities and the time spent in hospital billing, avoiding or minimizing the occurrence of flaws and, generating more effective financial results. The mapping, the description and the audit validation process and billing and, the billing reports propitiated more visibility and legitimacy to actions developed by auditor nurses.

  1. Matroidal Structure of Generalized Rough Sets Based on Tolerance Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Li

    2014-01-01

    of the generalized rough set based on the tolerance relation. The matroid can also induce a new relation. We investigate the connection between the original tolerance relation and the induced relation.

  2. Generalized index for spatial data sets as a measure of complete spatial randomness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackett-Jones, Emily J.; Davies, Kale J.; Binder, Benjamin J.; Landman, Kerry A.

    2012-06-01

    Spatial data sets, generated from a wide range of physical systems can be analyzed by counting the number of objects in a set of bins. Previous work has been limited to equal-sized bins, which are inappropriate for some domains (e.g., circular). We consider a nonequal size bin configuration whereby overlapping or nonoverlapping bins cover the domain. A generalized index, defined in terms of a variance between bin counts, is developed to indicate whether or not a spatial data set, generated from exclusion or nonexclusion processes, is at the complete spatial randomness (CSR) state. Limiting values of the index are determined. Using examples, we investigate trends in the generalized index as a function of density and compare the results with those using equal size bins. The smallest bin size must be much larger than the mean size of the objects. We can determine whether a spatial data set is at the CSR state or not by comparing the values of a generalized index for different bin configurations—the values will be approximately the same if the data is at the CSR state, while the values will differ if the data set is not at the CSR state. In general, the generalized index is lower than the limiting value of the index, since objects do not have access to the entire region due to blocking by other objects. These methods are applied to two applications: (i) spatial data sets generated from a cellular automata model of cell aggregation in the enteric nervous system and (ii) a known plant data distribution.

  3. Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Mhealth In Maternal Health Care In Nakuru Provincial General Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Munyua

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Access to timely and quality maternal health care remains to be a major development challenge in many developing economies particularly in Kenya. The countrys system of providing maternal health care also continue to be anchored on conventional methods of physical presence of the patient and the doctor in a hospital setup. The countrys ICT and health policies also place very little emphasis on the use of these platforms. This study therefore sought to establish the factors affecting the adoption of mHealth by focusing on maternal health in Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. Objectives of the study were to determine the extent to knowledge and awareness affects the adoption of mHealth in maternal health care at Nakuru PGH to identify the government policies affecting the adoption of mHealth in maternal health care at Nakuru PGH to assess how access to technology affects the adoption of mHealth in maternal healthcare to establish the effects of ICT infrastructure on the adoption of mHealth in maternal health care and to identify the cost aspects affecting the adoption of mHealth in maternal health care at Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. It is envisaged that the study could provide useful information on the adoption of mHealth in managing maternal health care in Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. Descriptive survey research design will be used where all the medical staff and patients of Nakuru Provincial General Hospital was surveyed. The study population therefore was made up of 24 medical staff and 3460 mothers visiting the antenatal clinic selected using clustered random sampling technique. The main instrument for primary data collection was the questionnaire. Data analysis was then done using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics to be used include frequency counts percentages and measures of central tendency. Inferential statistics on the other hand include t-test analysis and spearman correlation

  4. Causes and predictors of mortality in hospitalized lupus patient in Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teh, C L; Ling, G R

    2013-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a serious autoimmune disease that can be life threatening and fatal if left untreated. Causes and prognostic indicators of death in SLE have been well studied in developed countries but lacking in developing countries. We aimed to investigate the causes of mortality in hospitalized patients with SLE and determine the prognostic indicators of mortality during hospitalization in our center. All SLE patients who were admitted to Sarawak General Hospital from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010, were followed up in a prospective study using a standard protocol. Demographic data, clinical features, disease activities and damage indices were collected. Logistic regression and Cox regression analysis were used to determine the prognostic indicators of mortality in our patients. There were a total of 251 patients in our study, with the female to male ratio 10 to 1. Our study patients were of multiethnic origins. They had a mean age of 30.5 ± 12.2 years and a mean duration of illness of 36.5 ± 51.6 months. The main involvements were hematologic (73.3%), renal (70.9%) and mucocutaneous (67.3%). There were 26 deaths (10.4%), with the main causes being: infection and flare (50%), infection alone (19%), flare alone (19%) and others (12%). Independent predictors of mortality in our cohort of SLE patients were the presence of both infection and flare of disease (hazard ratio (HR) 5.56) and high damage indices at the time of admission (HR 1.91). Infection and flare were the main causes of death in hospitalized Asian patients with SLE. The presence of infection with flare and high damage indices at the time of admission were independent prognostic indicators of mortality.

  5. Our experiences with vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Jesenice General hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Ribič

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE present a great problem in health care, especially because of their resistance to many groups of antibiotics and because of the way of their spreading in health care and long-term care institutions. Genes responsible for resistance to vancomycin can be transmitted to other species of enterococci and also to other grampositive cocci, for example Staphylococcus aureus. Experts anticipate that failure to control methicilin-resistant S. aureus and VRE may make control of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus impossible.Methods: In the medical microbiology laboratory of Institute Public Health Kranj we perform microbiology diagnosis for Jesenice General Hospital, where surveillance culturing for VRE started in May 2007. Until 15th June, 364 surveillance samples for VRE were taken from 92 patients. We also analysed the results of enterococci that were isolated in our laboratory during routine work in the period from 2004 to 2006.Results: In the three-year period we isolated 1593 strains of enterococci and among them 7 strains were VRE. In the Jesenice General Hospital, the first strain of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was isolated in May 2007 in a patient, treated in internal intensive care unit. Nine strains of VRE with the same resistance type in nine patients followed the first case. The first four patients with VRE were moved from the same hospital. Among next six patients the common risk factor was contact with VRE positive patient.Conclusions: Control of VRE strains claims for intensive action. Active surveillance of colonised and infected patients, contact precautions with barrier isolation, intensive hand hygiene measures, aggressive environmental decontamination and prudent use of antimicrobials are needed.

  6. GENERAL HOSPITAL MARIBOR FROM ITS FOUNDATION TILL WORLD WAR II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregor Pivec

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Author describes the history of General Hospital Maribor from its foundation (1799 to the beginning of World War II. In 1799 the magistrate of the town Maribor issued a memorandum regarding establishment of a town hospital in the renovated building of the town hospice, providing space for 24 patients. The work of the hospital was carried out in the former hospice building until 1855. 26 beds were added in the period between its establishment and eventual relocation. The last two decades of the hospital’s operation at the original location were marked by the assiduous work of the town’s physicist, Dr. Anton Kuker. In the first half of the 19th century, the population of Maribor rapidly grew as a consequence of the construction of the Southern Railway. The city authorities therefore purchased the Prosenjak family villa in the Magdalena suburbs and relocated the hospital to it in 1855, providing 28 rooms for 110 patients. For a whole century, the care of patients was taken over by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The hospital was soon admitting over 1000 patients a year; the most common complaints being pulmonary catarrh, gastritis and fever. In 1872, when the Master of Surgery, Feliks Ferk, joined the hospital, the internal, medical, and the »external« surgical departments were formed. Although medical studies were not easily accessible, there was a number of Slovene physicians working in the hospital and the town in that period. In the last decades of the 19th century, the hospital was often renovated and enlarged. The infrastructure (telephone, water supply system, heating, lighting had also been modernized by World War I. In 1914, the first X-ray apparatus was purchased. Between the wars, the hospital’s development was stepped up by the recruitment of the Slovene physicians Ivan Matko, Mirko Černič, Janko Dernovšek and Hugon Robič. The initial external and medical departments split into several departments

  7. How organizational context affects bioethical decision-making: pharmacists' management of gatekeeping processes in retail and hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiarello, Elizabeth

    2013-12-01

    Social science studies of bioethics demonstrate that ethics are highly contextual, functioning differently across local settings as actors make daily decisions "on the ground." Sociological studies that demonstrate the key role organizations play in shaping ethical decision-making have disproportionately focused on physicians and nurses working in hospital settings where they contend with life and death issues. This study broadens our understanding of the contexts of ethical decision-making by empirically examining understudied healthcare professionals - pharmacists - working in two organizational settings, retail and hospital, where they act as gatekeepers to regulated goods and services as they contend with ethical issues ranging from the serious to the mundane. This study asks: How do organizations shape pharmacists' identification, negotiation, and resolution of ethical challenges; in other words, how do organizations shape pharmacists' gatekeeping processes? Based on 95 semi-structured interviews with U.S. pharmacists practicing in retail and hospital pharmacies conducted between September 2009 and May 2011, this research finds that organizations influence ethical decision-making by shaping how pharmacists construct four gatekeeping processes: medical, legal, fiscal, and moral. Each gatekeeping process manifests differently across organizations due to how these settings structure inter-professional power dynamics, proximity to patients, and means of accessing information. Findings suggest new directions for theorizing about ethical decision-making in medical contexts by drawing attention to new ethical actors, new organizational settings, an expanded definition of ethical challenges, and a broader conceptualization of gatekeeping. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. STUDIES OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTION PROFILE OF ANTISNAKE VENOM AT DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL

    OpenAIRE

    Mulchand Shende *, Sneha Gawali , Kanchan Bhongade , Vivek Bhuskade , Abhijit Nandgaonkar

    2017-01-01

    Snake bite is a common predominant problem of the rural and periurban areas, neglected and frequently devastating environmental and occupational disease, especially in rural areas of tropical developing countries. This study aimed to investigate of the adverse drug reaction profile of anti-snake venom (ASV) in a district general hospital. An observational study was conducted in hospital for six months. A total number of 142 indoor case papers of snake bite from October 2016 to April 2017 were...

  9. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, PEMEX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Hernandez C, J. E.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J.

    2003-02-01

    The Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  10. Hospital discharge summary scorecard: a quality improvement tool used in a tertiary hospital general medicine service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, G; Harvey, R; Dyne, A; Said, A; Scott, I

    2015-12-01

    We assessed the impact of completion and feedback of discharge summary scorecards on the quality of discharge summaries written by interns in a general medicine service of a tertiary hospital. The scorecards significantly improved summary quality in the first three rotations of the intern year and could be readily adopted by other units as a quality improvement intervention for optimizing clinical handover to primary care providers. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  11. Assessment of the Penta-XT radiography table at Mansfield General Hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-07-01

    A DHSS assessment report, prepared by Mansfield General Hospital, is presented for a Penta-XT radiographic table. The table has a fully floating table top with longitudinal and lateral movement and a variable height which has proved to be very acceptable to both staff and patients utilising the equipment. Details of operational experience and reliability are given. (U.K.)

  12. An assessment of the quality of sleep among health professionals of the general hospital of Karpenissi

    OpenAIRE

    Ifanti Ε.; Zagkotsi Μ.; Gketsios Ι.; Armagos P.; Ifantis Α.; Charalampopoulou Ν.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Employees in cyclic or night shifts often complain of sleep disturbances. The latter are extremely frequent among health care workers. Aim: To evaluate sleep quality in health care workers of a Greek provincial general hospital Material and Methods: Seventy seven health professionals of General Hospital of Karpenisi took part in the study( doctors, nurses and paramedicals). 49 were women and 28 were men. Athens Insomnia Scale was used to evaluate sleep quality. The scale include...

  13. Factors affecting length of stay in forensic hospital setting: need for therapeutic security and course of admission.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Davoren, Mary

    2015-01-01

    Patients admitted to a secure forensic hospital are at risk of a long hospital stay. Forensic hospital beds are a scarce and expensive resource and ability to identify the factors predicting length of stay at time of admission would be beneficial. The DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale are designed to assess need for therapeutic security and urgency of that need while the HCR-20 predicts risk of violence. We hypothesized that items on the DUNDRUM-1 and DUNDRUM-2 scales, rated at the time of pre-admission assessment, would predict length of stay in a medium secure forensic hospital setting.

  14. Care of "new" long-stay patients in a district general hospital psychiatric unit. The first two years of a hospital-hostel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbons, J S

    1986-05-01

    The paper describes the need for long-term inpatient care in an English health district whose psychiatric services were based on a unit in a District General Hospital. Patients who became long-stay were placed in a new hospital-hostel in a city centre. Three quarters of those eligible could be managed in the hostel, with those rejected posing more control problems. Patients in the hostel became less withdrawn and increased their activity and use of community facilities.

  15. [Treatment outcome of alcoholics in a general hospital alcoholic clinic: effects of adopting moderation as a practical treatment goal].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muto, Takeo; Sunami, Takashi; Cho, Sachiko; Miyashita, Aya; Tsurumaru, Aiko; Yuzuriha, Takefumi

    2013-02-01

    It's almost 50 years since medical treatment for alcoholism began to be practiced in Japan in 1960s. Since then, treatment goal for alcohol use disorders has always been absolute abstinence, and only severe cases have been treated. Recently, many people are concerned about lifestyle-related diseases, suicides, depression, and drunken-driving accidents. Reduction in alcohol consumption of heavy drinkers began to draw attention, and brief motivational intervention study was launched at last in 2007 in Japan. In 2009 we set up alcohol clinic in a general hospital in order that the alcoholics may get easier access to their treatments. The basic roles of our alcohol satellite clinicare as follows: 1. Assessment and diagnosis of patient's alcohol-related problem are our primary role. 2. Referral to a specialized hospital is offered in case special treatments for alcohol dependence are needed. 3. Our standard treatment is a brief intervention, not exceeding 3 sessions, to enhance the patients' self-efficacy. 4. Our treatment goal is not limited to total abstinence. Moderation of drinking can also be a goal. We examined the treatment outcome to verify these roles and meanings. Of all the patients visited this hospital from 2009 to 2011, 77 patients were diagnosed as alcohol dependent. Out of those 77 patients, 21 patients set up a moderation of drinking as their temporal treatment goal and 10 achieved good outcome at the inquiry point of 8 to 41 (average: 22) months after intervention. This result suggests that moderation can be a practical treatment goal in some alcoholics.

  16. Why a successful task substitution in glaucoma care could not be transferred from a hospital setting to a primary care setting: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holtzer-Goor Kim M

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Healthcare systems are challenged by a demand that exceeds available resources. One policy to meet this challenge is task substitution-transferring tasks to other professions and settings. Our study aimed to explore stakeholders’ perceived feasibility of transferring hospital-based monitoring of stable glaucoma patients to primary care optometrists. Methods A case study was undertaken in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (REH using semi-structured interviews and document reviews. They were inductively analysed using three implementation related theoretical perspectives: sociological theories on professionalism, management theories, and applied political analysis. Results Currently it is not feasible to use primary care optometrists as substitutes for optometrists and ophthalmic technicians working in a hospital-based glaucoma follow-up unit (GFU. Respondents’ narratives revealed that: the glaucoma specialists’ sense of urgency for task substitution outside the hospital diminished after establishing a GFU that satisfied their professionalization needs; the return on investments were unclear; and reluctant key stakeholders with strong power positions blocked implementation. The window of opportunity that existed for task substitution in person and setting in 1999 closed with the institutionalization of the GFU. Conclusions Transferring the monitoring of stable glaucoma patients to primary care optometrists in Rotterdam did not seem feasible. The main reasons were the lack of agreement on professional boundaries and work domains, the institutionalization of the GFU in the REH, and the absence of an appropriate reimbursement system. Policy makers considering substituting tasks to other professionals should carefully think about the implementation process, especially in a two-step implementation process (substitution in person and in setting such as this case. Involving the substituting professionals early on to ensure all

  17. Aetiology and prognosis of encephalopathic patterns on electroencephalogram in a general hospital.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Sullivan, S S

    2012-02-03

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinical outcome of patients with encephalopathic electroencephalograms (EEGs) in a neurophysiology department based in a general hospital. We performed a retrospective review of all EEGs obtained during an 18-month period in a large tertiary referral hospital. The referral reasons for EEG, the diagnoses reached, and patient outcomes were reviewed according to EEG severity. One hundred and twenty-three patients with encephalopathic EEGs were reviewed. The most common referral reason found was for an assessment of a possible first-onset seizure. The most common diagnosis found was one of dementia or learning disability. Of patients who were followed-up for a median of 19 months, 20.7% had died. The mortality rate generally increased according to the severity of the encephalopathy on EEG. However, 21.4% of those patients with excessive theta activity only on EEG had died. This study highlights an increased mortality even in the apparently \\'milder\\' degrees of EEG abnormalities.

  18. Negotiating jurisdiction in the workplace: a multiple-case study of nurse prescribing in hospital settings.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kroezen, M.; Mistiaen, P.; Dijk, L. van; Groenewegen, P.P.; Francke, A.L.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on a multiple-case study of prescribing by nurse specialists in Dutch hospital settings. Most analyses of interprofessional negotiations over professional boundaries take a macro sociological approach and ignore workplace jurisdictions. Yet boundary blurring takes place and

  19. Negotiating jurisdiction in the workplace: A multiple-case study of nurse prescribing in hospital settings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kroezen, M.; Mistiaen, P.; van Dijk, L.; Groenewegen, P.P.; Francke, A.L.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on a multiple-case study of prescribing by nurse specialists in Dutch hospital settings. Most analyses of interprofessional negotiations over professional boundaries take a macro sociological approach and ignore workplace jurisdictions. Yet boundary blurring takes place and

  20. Negotiating jurisdiction in the workplace : A multiple-case study of nurse prescribing in hospital settings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kroezen, M.; Mistiaen, P.; van Dijk, L.; Groenewegen, P. P.; Francke, A. L.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on a multiple-case study of prescribing by nurse specialists in Dutch hospital settings. Most analyses of interprofessional negotiations over professional boundaries take a macro sociological approach and ignore workplace jurisdictions. Yet boundary blurring takes place and

  1. Lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations among American Indian/Alaska Native children and the general United States child population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric M. Foote

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: The lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI-associated hospitalization rate in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN children aged <5 years declined during 1998–2008, yet remained 1.6 times higher than the general US child population in 2006–2008. Purpose: Describe the change in LRTI-associated hospitalization rates for AI/AN children and for the general US child population aged <5 years. Methods: A retrospective analysis of hospitalizations with discharge ICD-9-CM codes for LRTI for AI/AN children and for the general US child population <5 years during 2009–2011 was conducted using Indian Health Service direct and contract care inpatient data and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, respectively. We calculated hospitalization rates and made comparisons to previously published 1998–1999 rates prior to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction. Results: The average annual LRTI-associated hospitalization rate declined from 1998–1999 to 2009–2011 in AI/AN (35%, p<0.01 and the general US child population (19%, SE: 4.5%, p<0.01. The 2009–2011 AI/AN child average annual LRTI-associated hospitalization rate was 20.7 per 1,000, 1.5 times higher than the US child rate (13.7 95% CI: 12.6–14.8. The Alaska (38.9 and Southwest regions (27.3 had the highest rates. The disparity was greatest for infant (<1 year pneumonia-associated and 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza-associated hospitalizations. Conclusions: Although the LRTI-associated hospitalization rate declined, the 2009–2011 AI/AN child rate remained higher than the US child rate, especially in the Alaska and Southwest regions. The residual disparity is likely multi-factorial and partly related to household crowding, indoor smoke exposure, lack of piped water and poverty. Implementation of interventions proven to reduce LRTI is needed among AI/AN children.

  2. Planning Development for a Family Planning Centre in Nursing Unit of the General Hospital of Argolida

    OpenAIRE

    Koukoufilippou J; Koinis A.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: The family planning centres must be upgraded to a cornerstone of primary health care, and prevent, advise and protect the citizen's health while reducing hospitalization costs for hospitals. Aim: The purpose of this literature review is the family planning centre development in general hospital of Argolida that has a similar clinic. Material and Methods: Literature review was conducted of published English and Greek Articles from bibliographic databases Medline, Goog...

  3. An historical document analysis of the introduction of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative into the Australian setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

    2017-02-01

    Breastfeeding has many known benefits yet its support across Australian health systems was suboptimal throughout the 20th Century. The World Health Organization launched a global health promotion strategy to help create a 'breastfeeding culture'. Research on the programme has revealed multiple barriers since implementation. To analyse the sociopolitical challenges associated with implementing a global programme into a national setting via an examination of the influences on the early period of implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in Australia. A focused historical document analysis was attended as part of an instrumental case study. A purposeful sampling strategy obtained a comprehensive sample of public and private documents related to the introduction of the BFHI in Australia. Analysis was informed by a 'documents as commentary' approach to gain insight into individual and collective social practices not otherwise observable. Four major themes were identified: "a breastfeeding culture"; "resource implications"; "ambivalent support for breastfeeding and the BFHI" and "business versus advocacy". "A breastfeeding culture" included several subthemes. No tangible support for breastfeeding generally, or the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative specifically, was identified. Australian policy did not follow international recommendations. There were no financial or policy incentives for BFHI implementation. Key stakeholders' decisions negatively impacted on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative at a crucial time in its implementation in Australia. The potential impact of the programme was not realised, representing a missed opportunity to establish and provide sustainable standardised breastfeeding support to Australian women and their families. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Radiological protection study at the 'Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins'/Peru

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luna Q, R.

    1996-01-01

    Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Hospital of the Peruvian Institute of Social Security started its activities in 1957, as the largest metropolitan general hospital for the insured workers of the I.P.S.S. At present, it has 1350 hospital beds, attends 36,600 external consults per month, about 10,700 x-rays examinations, as well as 16,800 radiotherapy treatments monthly. 200 brachytherapies with Cesium or Radium are performed annually, besides many other (examinations) imaging exams that use ionizing radiation are carried out by our radiology staff with diagnosis or therapeutic purposes. This is the reason why the hospital directory sent some staff physicians abroad to learn all about radiation protection in a hospital setting, so that they will be able to organize a Radiation Protection Committee to advise and to set up rules and regulations to protect exposed personnel, as well as public in general, improving quality and, consequently, saving costs to the institution. The Constitution of the Radiation Protection Committee, its importance in a medical institution, is informed, and finally its experiences of the every day work and how to act in hospital accidents where ionizing radiation is involved, are transmitted. (author). 1 fig

  5. Hospital costs associated with surgical site infections in general and vascular surgery patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boltz, Melissa M; Hollenbeak, Christopher S; Julian, Kathleen G; Ortenzi, Gail; Dillon, Peter W

    2011-11-01

    Although much has been written about excess cost and duration of stay (DOS) associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) after cardiothoracic surgery, less has been reported after vascular and general surgery. We used data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to estimate the total cost and DOS associated with SSIs in patients undergoing general and vascular surgery. Using standard NSQIP practices, data were collected on patients undergoing general and vascular surgery at a single academic center between 2007 and 2009 and were merged with fully loaded operating costs obtained from the hospital accounting database. Logistic regression was used to determine which patient and preoperative variables influenced the occurrence of SSIs. After adjusting for patient characteristics, costs and DOS were fit to linear regression models to determine the effect of SSIs. Of the 2,250 general and vascular surgery patients sampled, SSIs were observed in 186 inpatients. Predisposing factors of SSIs were male sex, insulin-dependent diabetes, steroid use, wound classification, and operative time (P surgery. Although the excess costs and DOS associated with SSIs after general and vascular surgery are somewhat less, they still represent substantial financial and opportunity costs to hospitals and suggest, along with the implications for patient care, a continuing need for cost-effective quality improvement and programs of infection prevention. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Managing in-hospital quality improvement: An importance-performance analysis to set priorities for ST-elevation myocardial infarction care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aeyels, Daan; Seys, Deborah; Sinnaeve, Peter R; Claeys, Marc J; Gevaert, Sofie; Schoors, Danny; Sermeus, Walter; Panella, Massimiliano; Bruyneel, Luk; Vanhaecht, Kris

    2018-02-01

    A focus on specific priorities increases the success rate of quality improvement efforts for broad and complex-care processes. Importance-performance analysis presents a possible approach to set priorities around which to design and implement effective quality improvement initiatives. Persistent variation in hospital performance makes ST-elevation myocardial infarction care relevant to consider for importance-performance analysis. The purpose of this study was to identify quality improvement priorities in ST-elevation myocardial infarction care. Importance and performance levels of ST-elevation myocardial infarction key interventions were combined in an importance-performance analysis. Content validity indexes on 23 ST-elevation myocardial infarction key interventions of a multidisciplinary RAND Delphi Survey defined importance levels. Structured review of 300 patient records in 15 acute hospitals determined performance levels. The significance of between-hospital variation was determined by a Kruskal-Wallis test. A performance heat-map allowed for hospital-specific priority setting. Seven key interventions were each rated as an overall improvement priority. Priority key interventions related to risk assessment, timely reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention and secondary prevention. Between-hospital performance varied significantly for the majority of key interventions. The type and number of priorities varied strongly across hospitals. Guideline adherence in ST-elevation myocardial infarction care is low and improvement priorities vary between hospitals. Importance-performance analysis helps clinicians and management in demarcation of the nature, number and order of improvement priorities. By offering a tailored improvement focus, this methodology makes improvement efforts more specific and achievable.

  7. Balanced scorecard: application in the General Panarcadian Hospital of Tripolis, Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koumpouros, Yiannis

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of the balanced scorecard (BSC) in the Greek public health sector. The basic balanced scorecard theory has been adopted in the characteristics and individualities of the Greek public health system. The theoretical model developed was applied in the General Panarcadian Hospital of Tripolis (GPHT) in Greece. GPHT is a representative paradigm of a big regional Greek public hospital. It has about 300 beds and many clinics and specialties (internal medicine, cardiology, general surgery, intensive care unit, artificial kidney unit, etc.). Strategic management was performed for almost three years. The BSC model was formulated in an appropriate software program. The problems (both technical and managerial) faced during a three-year period along with the results of this management approach are presented in the current paper. The paper highlights some important gaps in the Greek public health system, while proposing actions to be taken. The BSC theory can be very successful under certain conditions. Special attention is given to the peculiarities of the Greek public health situation. The paper presents for the first time a real life example of applying BSC in the Greek public health sector.

  8. Medical students' attitudes to mental illnesses and to psychiatry before and after the psychiatric clerkship: Training in a specialty and a general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Economou, Marina; Kontoangelos, Kontantinos; Peppou, Lily Evangelia; Arvaniti, Aikaterini; Samakouri, Maria; Douzenis, Athanasios; Papadimitriou, George N

    2017-12-01

    Medical students' attitudes to mental illnesses and psychiatry may be reshaped during the psychiatric training, with important implications in their future practice of the profession. Therefore, the present study set out to explore the impact of the psychiatric clerkship in students' attitudes, while taking into consideration the site of their practical training. To this end, a total of 678 final-year medical students were recruited. Students completed a self-reported questionnaire entailing the Attitudes to Psychiatry scale, the Attitudes to Mental Illness scale and the Greek Social Distance scale before and after their placement. Findings indicate that the psychiatric clerkship had a positive effect in reducing stigma towards both psychiatry and mental illnesses, with the effect being more pronounced in the general hospital with respect to the former, while in the specialty hospital was more marked regarding the latter. A further exploration of the determinants of change revealed that the improvement discerned in the general hospital was only among those without professional experience of mental illnesses. Therefore, the psychiatric clerkship may exert a substantial influence on shaping favourable attitudes towards mental illnesses and psychiatry; however, other elements should also be taken into consideration, if the clerkship is to tackle stigma in healthcare. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. [Epidemiology of gunshot wounds at Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua General Hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moye-Elizalde, G A; Ruiz-Martínez, F; Suarez-Santamaría, J J; Ruiz-Ramírez, M; Reyes-Gallardo, A; Díaz-Apodaca, B A

    2013-01-01

    Since 2007, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua has been considered as one of the most violent cities in the world. The General Hospital in this city is the main facility where patients with gunshot wounds are taken. The increased number of admissions of patients with these injuries to many hospitals in the country deserves special attention, as it has an impact on hospital resources and management protocols. To disseminate the epidemiology of fractures caused by gunshot wounds and the hospital care of these patients. A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted of patients admitted to the Traumatology and Orthopedics Service, Cd. Juárez General Hospital, in Chihuahua, Mexico, from January 2008 to December 2010. All of them sustained fractures resulting from gunshot wounds. A total of 1281 patients with a diagnosis of gunshot wounds were admitted to the hospital; 402 of them were included in this study with 559 fractures; 329 were males and 73 females. Of the 559 fractures, 257 involved the upper limb, 294 the lower limb, and 8 the pelvis. Gunshot wounds-related fractures were classified according to the Gustilo classification. Seventy-nine patients had grade I fractures, 302 grade III, and 21 patients had both grades. Conservative treatment was used in 44.3% of fractures and osteosynthesis in 55%. One patient underwent amputation upon admission. The most widely used osteosynthesis methods were external fixator (37%), straight plates (21%) and intramedullary nail (17%). Five patients (1.3%) underwent amputation: two with femur fracture and 3 with humeral fracture. There were 27 deep infections (6%); one of them resulted in late amputation of the pelvic limb. The most common associated injuries included: chest injuries in 20 patients and abdominal injuries in 17. The range of hospital stay was 1-18 days, with a mean stay of 11 days. The overall mortality rate considering the total number of patients admitted (1,281) was 99 patients (7.72%). From 2006 to 2010 the

  10. In a niche of time: do specialty hospitals outperform general services hospitals?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, LeJon; Davis, Jullet A; Gunby, Norris W

    2013-01-01

    Niche hospitals represent a growing segment in the health care industry. Niche facilities are primarily engaged in the treatment of cardiac or orthopedic conditions. The effectiveness of this strategy is of interest because niche hospitals focus on only the most profitable services. The purpose of this research was to assess the financial effectiveness of the niche strategy. We theorize that firm and market-level factors concomitantly with the strategy of the hospital-niche versus traditional-are associated with financial performance. This research used 2 data sources, the 2003 Medicare Cost Report and the 2003 Area Resource File. The sample was limited to only for-profit, urban, nongovernmental hospitals (n = 995). The data were analyzed using hierarchical least squares regression. Financial performance was operationalized using the hospital's return on assets. The principal finding of this project is that niche hospitals had significantly higher performance than traditional facilities. From the organizational perspective, the niche strategy leads to better financial performance. From a societal perspective, the niche strategy provides increased focus and efficiencies through repetition. Despite the limited focus of this strategy, patients who can access these providers may experience better outcomes than patients in more traditional hospitals.

  11. Admission of foreign citizens to the general teaching hospital of Bologna, northeastern Italy: an epidemiological and clinical survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabbatani, Sergio; Baldi, Elena; Manfredi, Roberto; Chiodo, Francesco

    2006-04-01

    The emergency regarding recent immigration waves into Italy makes continued healthcare monitoring of these populations necessary. Through a survey of hospital admissions carried out during the last five years at the S. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital of Bologna (Italy), all causes of admission of these subjects were evaluated, together with their correlates. Subsequently, we focused on admissions due to infectious diseases. All available data regarding foreign citizens admitted as inpatients or in Day-Hospital settings of our teaching hospital from January 1, 1999, to March 31, 2004, were assessed. Diagnosis-related group (DRG) features, and single discharge diagnoses, were also evaluated, and a further assessment of infectious diseases was subsequently made. Within a comprehensive pool of 339,051 hospitalized patients, foreign citizen discharges numbered 7,312 (2.15%), including 2,542 males (34.8%) and 4,769 females (65.2%). Males had a mean age of 36.8+/-14.7 years, while females were aged 30.8+/-12.2 years. In the assessment of the areas of origin, 34.6% of hospitalizations were attributed to patients coming from Eastern Europe, 15.3% from Northern Africa, 7.3% (comprehensively) from Western Europe and United States, 6.9% from the Indian subcontinent, 5.9% from sub-Saharan Africa, 5.7% from Latin America, 4.1% from China, 2.5% from the Philippines, and 1.1% from the Middle East. Among women, most hospitalizations (58.8%) were due to obstetrical-gynecological procedures or diseases, including assistance with delivery (27.1%), and pregnancy complications (18.7%), followed by psycho-social disturbances (5.9%), malignancies (5.1%), gastrointestinal diseases (4.7%), and voluntary pregnancy interruption (4.4%). Among men, the most frequent causes of admissions were related to trauma (15.9%), followed by gastroenteric disorders (12%), heart-vascular diseases (8.9%), psycho-social disorders (8.4%), respiratory (7.1%), kidney (6.1%), liver (5.2%), and metabolic (4

  12. Admission of foreign citizens to the general teaching hospital of bologna, northeastern Italy: An epidemiological and clinical survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Sabbatani

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The emergency regarding recent immigration waves into Italy makes continued healthcare monitoring of these populations necessary. METHODS: Through a survey of hospital admissions carried out during the last five years at the S. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital of Bologna (Italy, all causes of admission of these subjects were evaluated, together with their correlates. Subsequently, we focused on admissions due to infectious diseases. All available data regarding foreign citizens admitted as inpatients or in Day-Hospital settings of our teaching hospital from January 1, 1999, to March 31, 2004, were assessed. Diagnosis-related group (DRG features, and single discharge diagnoses, were also evaluated, and a further assessment of infectious diseases was subsequently made. RESULTS: Within a comprehensive pool of 339,051 hospitalized patients, foreign citizen discharges numbered 7,312 (2.15%, including 2,542 males (34.8% and 4,769 females (65.2%. Males had a mean age of 36.8±14.7 years, while females were aged 30.8±12.2 years. In the assessment of the areas of origin, 34.6% of hospitalizations were attributed to patients coming from Eastern Europe, 15.3% from Northern Africa, 7.3% (comprehensively from Western Europe and United States, 6.9% from the Indian subcontinent, 5.9% from sub-Saharan Africa, 5.7% from Latin America, 4.1% from China, 2.5% from the Philippines, and 1.1% from the Middle East. Among women, most hospitalizations (58.8% were due to obstetrical-gynecological procedures or diseases, including assistance with delivery (27.1%, and pregnancy complications (18.7%, followed by psycho-social disturbances (5.9%, malignancies (5.1%, gastrointestinal diseases (4.7%, and voluntary pregnancy interruption (4.4%. Among men, the most frequent causes of admissions were related to trauma (15.9%, followed by gastroenteric disorders (12%, heart-vascular diseases (8.9%, psycho-social disorders (8.4%, respiratory (7.1%, kidney (6.1%, liver

  13. Hospital dental practice in special patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestre-Rangil, Javier; Espín-Gálvez, Fernando

    2014-01-01

    Dental patients with special needs are people with different systemic diseases, multiple disorders or severe physical and/or mental disabilities. A Medline search was made, yielding a total of 29 articles that served as the basis for this study, which offers a brief description of the dental intervention protocols in medically compromised patients. Dental treatment in patients with special needs, whether presenting medical problems or disabilities, is sometimes complex. For this reason the hospital should be regarded as the ideal setting for the care of these individuals. Before starting any dental intervention, a correct patient evaluation is needed, based on a correct anamnesis, medical records and interconsultation reports, and with due assessment of the medical risks involved. The hospital setting offers the advantage of access to electronic medical records and to data referred to any complementary tests that may have been made, and we moreover have the possibility of performing treatments under general anesthesia. In this context, ambulatory major surgery is the best approach when considering general anesthesia in patients of this kind. Key words:Hospital dentistry, special patients, medically compromised patients. PMID:24121921

  14. Do nurses provide a safe sleep environment for infants in the hospital setting? An integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Carla; Stiltner, Denise; Wright, Kelly Barnhardt; Kautz, Donald D

    2015-02-01

    noncompliance with AAP safe sleep recommendations. Eleven of the 16 studies found that some nurses were recommending incorrect sleep positions to mothers. Five of the 16 studies noted that some nurses and mothers gave fear of aspiration as the reason they chose to use a nonsupine sleep position. In the majority of the studies, the information was self-reported, which could impact the validity of the findings. Also, the studies used convenience sampling, which makes study findings difficult to generalize. The research indicates that there has been a plateau in safe sleeping practices in the hospital setting. Some infants continue to be placed in positions that increase the risk for SIDS. The research also shows that some nurses are not following the 2011 AAP recommendations for a safe sleep environment. Clearly, nurses need additional education on SIDS prevention and the safe sleep environment, and additional measures need to be adopted to ensure that all nurses and all families understand the research supporting the AAP recommendation that supine sleep is best. Further work is needed to promote evidence-based practice among healthcare professionals and families.

  15. Perfil clínico del adulto mayor atendido ambulatoriamente en un hospital general.

    OpenAIRE

    Casas, Paola; Varela, Luis; Tello, Tania; Ortiz, Pedro; Chávez, Helver

    2012-01-01

    Objetivo: Describir el perfil clínico del adulto mayor atendido ambulatoriamente en un hospital general. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, realizado a través de encuestas aplicadas a pacientes en la consulta ambulatoria de geriatría del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH), entre agosto de 2011 y enero 2012. Resultados: Se evaluaron 290 pacientes, el 69,3% fueron mujeres; el 65,5% tenía entre 60 y 79 años. La hipertensión arterial fue el diagnóstico más frecuente (55,...

  16. Management of perforated peptic ulcer in a district general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Critchley, A C; Phillips, A W; Bawa, S M; Gallagher, P V

    2011-11-01

    Laparoscopic surgery has become increasingly popular for elective surgery but it has gained slow transference to emergency surgery. The management of perforated peptic ulcers (PPU) laparoscopically is an accepted strategy yet it still remains infrequently used. The purpose of this study was to analyse the utility and outcomes of laparoscopy versus open repair for PPU in a district general hospital. In addition, we evaluated whether the subspecialty of the on-call consultant affected the method of repair performed and the training opportunities for trainee surgeons. Between 2003 and 2009, 53 patients underwent laparoscopic repair, 89 patients underwent open repair and a further 20 patients had laparoscopic repair that was converted to open repair for PPU. The results from a prospectively compiled database were analysed with primary outcome measures including operative time, length of hospital stay and mortality. The median operating time in the laparoscopic group was 60.0 minutes compared with 50.5 minutes in the open group. Hospital stay in surviving patients was significantly shorter in patients treated completely laparoscopically (5 days) when compared with the open group (6 days) ( p management of PPU. Our findings support the view that this procedure can be successfully used as a training operation.

  17. Characteristics and outcomes of paracetamol poisoning cases at a general hospital in Northern Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohd Zain, Z; Fathelrahman, A I; Ab Rahman, A F

    2006-02-01

    Paracetamol is available as an over-the-counter medication in many countries including Malaysia. This drug has been implicated in many poisoning cases admitted to hospitals throughout the country. We conducted a three-year retrospective review of 165 medical records of patients admitted to the Penang General Hospital for acute paracetamol poisoning. Cases were identified according to the discharge diagnosis documented in their medical records. Acute paracetamol poisoning occurred in all major ethnic groups. About 70 percent of our patients were female. There was minimal involvement of children. Admissions were more likely to be due to deliberate ingestions rather than accidental poisoning. In most cases, serum concentrations data plotted on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram predicted the majority of cases to be unlikely to be hepatotoxic, which were consistent with their mild clinical courses. Patients who acutely ingested more than 140 mg/kg or predicted to be hepatotoxic, based on their serum concentrations, had a significantly longer hospital stay. Although acute paracetamol poisoning was common, the outcome was generally good.

  18. Ten thousand steps: a pedometer study of junior dentists in a major British teaching hospital and a district general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keat, R M; Thomas, M; McKechnie, A

    2017-05-01

    Sedentary behaviour is widely associated with deleterious health outcomes that in modern medicine have similar connotations to smoking tobacco and alcohol misuse. The integration of e-portfolio, e-logbook, British National Formulary (BNF) and encrypted emails has made smartphones a necessity for trainees. Smartphones also have the ability to record the amount of exercise taken, which allows activity at work to be monitored. The aim of this study to compare the activity of the same group of dental core trainees when they worked within a large multisite teaching hospital and a smaller district general hospital, to find out if supplementary activity was needed outside work. Data were collected from smartphones. To ensure continuity, data were collected only from those who had calibrated iPhones (n=10). At the teaching hospital six of the trainees walked over 10 000 steps a day while working (mean (SD) 10 004 (639)). At the district hospital none of the trainees walked 10 000 steps. The mean (SD) number of steps completed by all trainees was 6265 (119). Walking at work provides the full quota of recommended daily exercise most of the time for those working in the teaching hospital, but additional exercise is occasionally required. While working at the district hospital they walk less, meaning that they should try to increase their activity outside work. Trainees working in the teaching hospital walk significantly more steps than in the district hospital. Copyright © 2016 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Assessing knowledge and attitudes towards addictions in medical residents of a general hospital

    OpenAIRE

    Barral, Carmen; Eiroa-Orosa, Francisco Jose; Navarro-Marfisis, Maria Cecilia; Roncero, Carlos; Casas, Miguel

    2014-01-01

    Addiction treatment training has been recognized to be an essential part of the curriculum in psychiatry and general medicine. Our objective in this study was to measure the knowledge and attitudes towards addictions among medical residents of a general hospital in Catalonia, Spain.\\ud \\ud Method\\ud Within a sample of medical residents, we administered a questionnaire based on previous literature including attitudes towards patients with drug use problems, evaluation of knowledge and beliefs ...

  20. Drug utilization pattern of Chinese herbal medicines in a general hospital in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, L C; Wang, B R; Chou, Y C; Tien, J H

    2005-09-01

    Drug utilization studies are important for the optimization of drug therapy and have received a great attention in recent years. Most of the information on drug use patterns has been derived from studies in modern Western medicines; however, studies regarding the drug utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (CM) are few. The present study was the first clinical research to evaluate the drug utilization patterns of Chinese herbal medicines in a general hospital in Taiwan. Data were collected prospectively from the patients attending the Traditional Medicine Center of Taipei Veteran General Hospital under CM drug treatments. The study was carried out over a period of 1 year, from January 2002 to December 2002. Core drug use indicators, such as the average number of drugs per prescriptions, the dosing frequency of prescriptions, and the most common prescribed CM herbs and formulae were evaluated. The primary diagnosis and the CM drugs prescribed for were also revealed. All data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. A total of 10 737 patients, representing 52 255 CM drugs, were screened during the study period. Regarding the prescriptions, the average number of drugs per prescription was 4.87 and 37.21% of prescriptions were composed by five drugs. Most of prescriptions (91.38%) were prescribed for three times a day. The most often prescribed Chinese herb was Hong-Hwa (5.76%) and the most common Chinese herbal formula was Jia-Wey-Shiau-Yau-San (3.80%). The most frequent main diagnosis was insomnia (15.58%), followed by menopause (5.22%) and constipation (5.09%). The survey revealed the drug use pattern of CMs in a general hospital. The majority of CM prescriptions were composed by 3-6 drugs and often prescribed for three times a day. Generally, the rational drug uses of CM drugs were provided with respect to the various diagnoses. (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Characteristics of High-Risk Pregnancy in Sanglah General Hospital 2011-2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Saktika Mulyana

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pregnant women with a high-risk pregnancy are women with increased risk in pregnancy or childbirth. There is no readily available data available about the characteristics of the high-risk pregnancy in Bali. Objective: Our study aimed to provide a data, to be the base of Sanglah General Hospital resource planning to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Method: This was an observational study using medical records of high risk pregnancy patients at Sanglah General Hospital from 2011 to 2014. Inclusion criteria were the patients with complete medical record and exclusion criteria are patient whose medical report incomplete. There was no missing data in this study.Result Over the 4 year study period at Sanglah, there were 1027 high-risk deliveries in 2011, 1590 in 2012, 1590 in 2013, and 948 in 2014. In the 4 years, there were 748 with age ≥ 35 years. The majority were in the age group of 26-30 years. As many as 2932 were multiparous. Overall, 3082 were multigravida and only 197 were grandemultipara. There were 1406 preterm (<37 week. By onset and mode of delivery, 2027 (41.50% had a caesarean section, There were 9 (0.18% Breech deliveries and Neonatal outcomes were recorded, showing that 296 (6.29% had moderate asphyxia and 2189 (4.63% had severe asphyxia. The multiple pregnancy was 197 (3.82% twin pregnancies and 5 (0.1% cases of triplets. The largest group of obstetrics complications in Sanglah hospital was premature rupture of membrane 1652 cases (30.99%. The most common medical disorder of pregnant women at our hospital was anemia, 353 cases (45.43%. The most prevalent congenital anomalies were multiple congenital abnormalities, as many as 18 infants (20.22%.Conclusion: There were a significant number of high-risk pregnancies delivered at Sanglah, with nearly 46.85% being high risk deliveries. Characteristics of these high risk pregnancies can be used to plan appropriate care to reduce the maternal mortality rate.

  2. Development and pilot study of an essential set of indicators for general surgery services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soria-Aledo, Victor; Angel-Garcia, Daniel; Martinez-Nicolas, Ismael; Rebasa Cladera, Pere; Cabezali Sanchez, Roger; Pereira García, Luis Francisco

    2016-11-01

    At present there is a lack of appropriate quality measures for benchmarking in general surgery units of Spanish National Health System. The aim of this study is to present the selection, development and pilot-testing of an initial set of surgical quality indicators for this purpose. A modified Delphi was performed with experts from the Spanish Surgeons Association in order to prioritize previously selected indicators. Then, a pilot study was carried out in a public hospital encompassing qualitative analysis of feasibility for prioritized indicators and an additional qualitative and quantitative three-rater reliability assessment for medical record-based indicators. Observed inter-rater agreement, prevalence adjusted and bias adjusted kappa and non-adjusted kappa were performed, using a systematic random sample (n=30) for each of these indicators. Twelve out of 13 proposed indicators were feasible: 5 medical record-based indicators and 7 indicators based on administrative databases. From medical record-based indicators, 3 were reliable (observed agreement >95%, adjusted kappa index >0.6 or non-adjusted kappa index >0.6 for composites and its components) and 2 needed further refinement. Currently, medical record-based indicators could be used for comparison purposes, whilst further research must be done for validation and risk-adjustment of outcome indicators from administrative databases. Compliance results in the adequacy of informed consent, diagnosis-to-treatment delay in colorectal cancer, and antibiotic prophylaxis show room for improvement in the pilot-tested hospital. Copyright © 2016 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  3. Integrating the hospital library with patient care, teaching and research: model and Web 2.0 tools to create a social and collaborative community of clinical research in a hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montano, Blanca San José; Garcia Carretero, Rafael; Varela Entrecanales, Manuel; Pozuelo, Paz Martin

    2010-09-01

    Research in hospital settings faces several difficulties. Information technologies and certain Web 2.0 tools may provide new models to tackle these problems, allowing for a collaborative approach and bridging the gap between clinical practice, teaching and research. We aim to gather a community of researchers involved in the development of a network of learning and investigation resources in a hospital setting. A multi-disciplinary work group analysed the needs of the research community. We studied the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 tools and finally we defined the spaces that would be developed, describing their elements, members and different access levels. WIKINVESTIGACION is a collaborative web space with the aim of integrating the management of all the hospital's teaching and research resources. It is composed of five spaces, with different access privileges. The spaces are: Research Group Space 'wiki for each individual research group', Learning Resources Centre devoted to the Library, News Space, Forum and Repositories. The Internet, and most notably the Web 2.0 movement, is introducing some overwhelming changes in our society. Research and teaching in the hospital setting will join this current and take advantage of these tools to socialise and improve knowledge management.

  4. PRIORITY SETTING IN AN ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL IN ARGENTINA: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY DISTRIBUCIÓN PRIORITARIA EN UN HOSPITAL DE CUIDADOS INTENSIVOS EN ARGENTINA: ESTUDIO CUALITATIVO DE UN CASO DISTRIBUIÇÃO PRIORITÁRIA EM UM HOSPITAL DE CUIDADOS INTENSIVOS NA ARGENTINA: ESTUDO QUALITATIVO DE UM CASO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Gordon

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To describe and evaluate priority setting in an Acute Care hospital in Argentina, using Accountability for Reasonableness, an ethical framework for fair priority setting. Methods: Case Study involving key informant interviews and document review. Thirty respondents were identified using a snowball sampling strategy. A modified thematic approach was used in analyzing the data. Results: Priorities are primarily determined at the Department of Health. The committee which is supposed to set priorities within the hospital was thought not to have much influence. Decisions were based on government policies and objectives, personal relationships, economic, political, historical and arbitrary reasons. Decisions at the DOH were publicized through internet; however, apart from the tenders and a general budget, details of hospital decisions were not publicized. CATA provided an accessible but ineffective forum for appeals. There were no clear mechanisms for appeals and leadership to ensure adherence to a fair process. Conclusions: In spite of their efforts to ensure fairness, Priority setting in the study hospital did not meet all the four conditions of a fair process. Policy discussions on improving legitimacy and fairness provided an opportunity for improving fairness in the hospital and Accountability for Reasonableness might be a useful framework for analysis and for identifying and improving strategies.Propósito: Describir y evaluar el establecimiento de prioridades en un hospital de cuidados intensivos en Argentina, empleando la Administración Razonable como marco ético para una justa asignación. Métodos: Estudio de un Caso que incluía entrevistas a un informante y revisión de documentos. Se identificó a treinta participantes empleando la estrategia de muestras tipo "bola de nieve". Al analizar los datos, se empleó un enfoque temático modificado. Resultados: Las prioridades se determinan principalmente en el Departamento de Salud

  5. Assessment of Barriers to Providing Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs in the Hospital Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew J Gibson

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The primary objective of the study is to identify the barriers to providing Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs in the hospital setting. Methods: Potential barriers to IPPEs were identified via literature review and interviews with current IPPE preceptors from various institutions. Based on this information, an electronic survey was developed and distributed to IPPE preceptors in order to assess student, preceptor, logistical and college or school of pharmacy related barriers that potentially exist for providing IPPE in the hospital setting. Results: Sixty-eight of the 287 eligible survey respondents (24% completed the electronic survey. Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that available time was a barrier to precepting IPPE students even though a majority of respondents reported spending a third or more of their day with an IPPE student when on rotation. Seventy-three percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that all preceptors have consistent performance expectations for students, while just 46% agreed or strongly agreed that they had adequate training to precept IPPEs. Sixty-five percent of respondents agreed that IPPE students have the ability to be a participant in patient care and 70% of preceptors believe that IPPE students should be involved in patient care. Conclusions: Conducting IPPEs in the institutional setting comes with challenges. Based on the results of this study, experiential directors and colleges/schools of pharmacy could make a positive impact on the quality and consistency of IPPEs by setting student expectations and training preceptors on appropriate and consistent expectations for students.   Type: Original Research

  6. Pentraxin-3 level at admission is a strong predictor of short-term mortality in a community-based hospital setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bastrup-Birk, S; Munthe-Fog, L; Skjødt, Mikkel-Ole

    2015-01-01

    hospital setting is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 1326 unselected, consecutive patients (age >40 years) admitted to a community hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. Patients were followed until death or for a median of 11.5 years after admission. The main outcome measure was all...

  7. Impact of the Syrian Crisis on the Hospitalization of Syrians in a Psychiatric Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lama, Souaiby; François, Kazour; Marwan, Zoghbi; Sami, Richa

    2016-01-01

    Determine the impact of the Syrian crisis on the hospitalization of Syrians in a psychiatric setting. All Syrians admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Lebanon between the 1st of January 2009 and the 31st of December 2013 were included. Number of admissions, psychiatric disorders and demographic and clinical data relative to patients were compared between those admitted before and after the crisis. 44 patients were admitted before the crisis and 106 after it. The distribution of diagnosis varied significantly after the crisis (p = 0.056) with the majority of patients being admitted for schizophrenia (37.7 %). The prevalence of suicidal ideation was higher after the crisis (p = 0.03) but suicidal attempts, need for electroconvulsive therapy and length of hospitalization did not differ significantly between both groups. Clinicians should be aware of the possible burden of mental illness in Syrians after the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

  8. Risk of Post-Discharge Venous Thromboembolism and Associated Mortality in General Surgery: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using Linked Hospital and Primary Care Data in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouras, George; Burns, Elaine Marie; Howell, Ann-Marie; Bottle, Alex; Athanasiou, Thanos; Darzi, Ara

    2015-01-01

    Trends towards day case surgery and enhanced recovery mean that postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) may increasingly arise after hospital discharge. However, hospital data alone are unable to capture adverse events that occur outside of the hospital setting. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has suggested the use of primary care data to quantify hospital care-related VTE. Data in surgical patients using these resources is lacking. The aim of this study was to measure VTE risk and associated mortality in general surgery using linked primary care and hospital databases, to improve our understanding of harm from VTE that arises beyond hospital stay. This was a longitudinal cohort study using nationally linked primary care (Clinical Practice Research Datalink, CPRD), hospital administrative (Hospital Episodes Statistics, HES), population statistics (Office of National Statistics, ONS) and National Cancer Intelligence Network databases. Routinely collected information was used to quantify 90-day in-hospital VTE, 90-day post-discharge VTE and 90-day mortality in adults undergoing one of twelve general surgical procedures between 1st April 1997 and 31st March 2012. The earliest postoperative recording of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism in CPRD, HES and ONS was counted in each patient. Covariates from multiple datasets were combined to derive detailed prediction models for VTE and mortality. Limitation included the capture of VTE presenting to healthcare only and the lack of information on adherence to pharmacological thromboprophylaxis as there was no data linkage to hospital pharmacy records. There were 981 VTE events captured within 90 days of surgery in 168005 procedures (23.7/1000 patient-years). Overall, primary care data increased the detection of postoperative VTE by a factor of 1.38 (981/710) when compared with using HES and ONS only. Total VTE rates ranged between 3.2/1000 patient-years in haemorrhoidectomy to 118

  9. Attitudes and relationship between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry in a public general hospital in Lima, Peru.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aldo De Ferrari

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The interaction between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry influences physicians' attitudes and prescribing behavior. Although largely studied in the US, this topic has not been well studied in resource-poor settings, where a close relationship between physicians and industry still exists. OBJECTIVE: To describe physician interactions with and attitudes towards the pharmaceutical industry in a public general hospital in Lima, Peru. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study through an anonymous, self-filled questionnaire distributed among faculty and trainee physicians of five different clinical departments working in a Peruvian public general hospital. A transcultural validation of an existing Spanish questionnaire was performed. Exposure to marketing activities, motivations to contact pharmaceutical representatives and attitudes towards industry were studied. Collected data was analyzed by degree of training, clinical department, gender and teaching status. Attitudes were measured on a four-point LIKERT scale. RESULTS: 155 physicians completed the survey, of which 148 were included in the study sample. 94.5% of attending physicians reported ongoing encounters with pharmaceutical representatives. The most common industry-related activities were receiving medical samples (91.2%, promotional material (87.8% and attending meetings in restaurants (81.8%. Respondents considered medical samples and continuing medical education the most ethically acceptable benefits. We found significant differences between attendings and residents, and teaching and non-teaching attendings. An association between the amount of encounters with pharmaceutical representatives, and attitudes towards industry and acceptance of medical samples was found. CONCLUSIONS: A close physician-industry relationship exists in the population under study. The contact is established mainly through pharmaceutical representatives. Medical samples are the most received

  10. Anorectal pathology amongst HIV infected patients attending the Douala General Hospital: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luma, Henry Namme; Eloumou, Servais Albert Fiacre Bagnaka; Fualefeh-Morfaw, Ellis Atemlefeh; Malongue, Agnes; Temfack, Elvis; Lekpa, Fernando Kemta; Donfack-Sontsa, Olivier; Ndip, Lucy; Ditah, Ivo Che

    2017-03-01

    While gastrointestinal disease is common among HIV infected individuals, the prevalence and distribution of ano-rectal pathology has not been well studied in our setting. The objective of this study therefore was to determine the prevalence and determinants of ano-rectal pathology in HIV infected patients attending the Douala General Hospital HIV treatment centre. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was undertaken. We collected socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data using a structured questionnaire and patients' files. Each study participant had a full physical and ano-rectal examination. We further studied factors associated with having at least one ano-rectal lesion by logistic regression reporting odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included 390 HIV infected patients. The mean age was 41 (SD: 8) years and 48% were men. Median duration since HIV diagnosis was 3 (interquartile range: 2-5) years and median CD4 cell count was 411 (interquartile range: 234-601) cells/mm 3 . Prevalence of ano-rectal pathology was 22.8% (95% CI: 18.7-27.3). Hemorrhoids and proctitis were most common lesions found; each in 10% of patients. From multivariate logistic regression, factors associated with ano-rectal pathology were CD4 HIV infected patients. Care givers should actively investigate and treat them as this will improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS.

  11. Contact among healthcare workers in the hospital setting: developing the evidence base for innovative approaches to infection control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    English, Krista M; Langley, Joanne M; McGeer, Allison; Hupert, Nathaniel; Tellier, Raymond; Henry, Bonnie; Halperin, Scott A; Johnston, Lynn; Pourbohloul, Babak

    2018-04-17

    Nosocomial, or healthcare-associated infections (HAI), exact a high medical and financial toll on patients, healthcare workers, caretakers, and the health system. Interpersonal contact patterns play a large role in infectious disease spread, but little is known about the relationship between health care workers' (HCW) movements and contact patterns within a heath care facility and HAI. Quantitatively capturing these patterns will aid in understanding the dynamics of HAI and may lead to more targeted and effective control strategies in the hospital setting. Staff at 3 urban university-based tertiary care hospitals in Canada completed a detailed questionnaire on demographics, interpersonal contacts, in-hospital movement, and infection prevention and control practices. Staff were divided into categories of administrative/support, nurses, physicians, and "Other HCWs" - a fourth distinct category, which excludes physicians and nurses. Using quantitative network modeling tools, we constructed the resulting HCW "co-location network" to illustrate contacts among different occupations and with locations in hospital settings. Among 3048 respondents (response rate 38%) an average of 3.79, 3.69 and 3.88 floors were visited by each HCW each week in the 3 hospitals, with a standard deviation of 2.63, 1.74 and 2.08, respectively. Physicians reported the highest rate of direct patient contacts (> 20 patients/day) but the lowest rate of contacts with other HCWs; nurses had the most extended (> 20 min) periods of direct patient contact. "Other HCWs" had the most direct daily contact with all other HCWs. Physicians also reported significantly more locations visited per week than nurses, other HCW, or administrators; nurses visited the fewest. Public spaces such as the cafeteria had the most staff visits per week, but the least mean hours spent per visit. Inpatient settings had significantly more HCW interactions per week than outpatient settings. HCW contact patterns and spatial

  12. Health professionals' experience of teamwork education in acute hospital settings: a systematic review of qualitative literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eddy, Kylie; Jordan, Zoe; Stephenson, Matthew

    2016-04-01

    Teamwork is seen as an important element of patient care in acute hospital settings. The complexity of the journey of care for patients highlights the need for health professionals to collaborate and communicate clearly with each other. Health organizations in western countries are committed to improving patient safety through education of staff and teamwork education programs have been integral to this focus. There are no current systematic reviews of the experience of health professionals who participate in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. The objective of this systematic review was to search for the best available evidence on the experiences of health professionals who participate in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. This review considered studies reporting on experiences of registered health professionals who work in acute hospitals. This included medical, nursing and midwifery and allied health professionals. The focus of the meta-synthesis was the experiences and reflections of health professionals who were involved in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. The geographical context for this review was acute hospitals in rural or metropolitan settings in Australia and overseas countries. The review focused on the experiences of health professionals who work in acute hospitals and participated in teamwork education programs. This review considered studies that focused on qualitative data including, but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research.In the absence of research studies, other text such as opinion papers, discussion papers and reports were considered. Studies published in English and from 1990 to 2013 were included in this review. The literature search for relevant papers occurred between 13 September and 26 October 2013. A three-step search strategy was utilized in this review. The databases searched were PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus. The

  13. The proton therapy system for Massachusetts General Hospital's Northeast Proton Therapy Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jongen, Y.

    1996-01-01

    In 1989, two companies, Ion Beam Applications in Belgium (IBA) and Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan (SHI) started to design proton therapy equipments based on cyclotrons. In 1991, SHI and IBA decided to join their development efforts in this field. In 1993, the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), pioneer in the field of proton therapy, launched an international request for proposals for the procurement of an in-hospital proton therapy facility. The 18 may 1994, the contract was signed with a team of industries led by IBA, including also SHI and General Atomics (GA) of California. The proposed system is based on a fixed energy, isochronous cyclotron, followed by an energy degrader and an energy selection system. The variable energy beam can be rapidly switched in any one of three treatment rooms. Two rooms are equipped with large isocentric gantries and robotic patient positioners allowing to direct the proton beam within the patient from any direction. The third room is equipped with fixed horizontal beam. The complete system is computer controlled by a distributed network of computers, programmable logic controllers and workstations. This computer control allows to change the energy in one treatment room is less than two second, a performance matching or exceeding the flexibility offered by synchrotrons. The system is now built and undergoing factory tests. The beam has been accelerated to full energy in the cyclotron, and beam extraction tests are underway. Installation in the hospital building will take place in 1997. (author)

  14. Chemical restraint in routine clinical practice: a report from a general hospital psychiatric ward in Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Papamichael Georgios

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a dearth of studies regarding chemical restraint in routine clinical psychiatric practice. There may be wide variations between different settings and countries. Methods A retrospective study on chemical restraint was performed in the 11-bed psychiatric ward of the General Hospital of Arta, in northwestern Greece. All admissions over a 2-year-period (from March 2008 to March 2010 were examined. Results Chemical restraint was applied in 33 cases (10.5% of total admissions. From a total of 82 injections, 22 involved a benzodiazepine and/or levomepromazine, whereas 60 injections involved an antipsychotic agent, almost exclusively haloperidol (96.7% of cases, usually in combination with a benzodiazepine (61.7% of cases. In 36.4% of cases the patient was further subjected to restraint or seclusion. Conclusions In our unit, clinicians prefer the combined antipsychotic/benzodiazepine regimen for the management of patients' acute agitation and violent behaviour. Conventional antipsychotics are administrated almost exclusively and in a significant proportion of cases further coercive measures are applied. Studies on the practice of chemical restraint should be regularly performed in clinical settings.

  15. Emergency department boarding and adverse hospitalization outcomes among patients admitted to a general medical service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lord, Kito; Parwani, Vivek; Ulrich, Andrew; Finn, Emily B; Rothenberg, Craig; Emerson, Beth; Rosenberg, Alana; Venkatesh, Arjun K

    2018-03-20

    Overcrowding in the emergency department (ED) has been associated with patient harm, yet little is known about the association between ED boarding and adverse hospitalization outcomes. We sought to examine the association between ED boarding and three common adverse hospitalization outcomes: rapid response team activation (RRT), escalation in care, and mortality. We conducted an observational analysis of consecutive patient encounters admitted from the ED to the general medical service between February 2013 and June 2015. This study was conducted in an urban, academic hospital with an annual adult ED census over 90,000. We defined boarding as patients with greater than 4h from ED bed order to ED departure to hospital ward. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse outcomes in the first 24h of admission, including RRT activation, care escalation to intensive care, or in-hospital mortality. A total of 31,426 patient encounters were included of which 3978 (12.7%) boarded in the ED for 4h or more. Adverse outcomes occurred in 1.92% of all encounters. Comparing boarded vs. non-boarded patients, 41 (1.03%) vs. 244 (0.90%) patients experienced a RRT activation, 53 (1.33%) vs. 387 (1.42%) experienced a care escalation, and 1 (0.03%) vs.12 (0.04%) experienced unanticipated in-hospital death, within 24h of ED admission. In unadjusted analysis, there was no difference in the composite outcome between boarding and non-boarding patients (1.91% vs. 1.91%, p=0.994). Regression analysis adjusted for patient demographics, acuity, and comorbidities also showed no association between boarding and the primary outcome. A sensitivity analysis showed an association between ED boarding and the composite outcome inclusive of the entire inpatient hospital stay (5.8% vs. 4.7%, p=0.003). Within the first 24h of hospital admission to a general medicine service, adverse hospitalization outcomes are rare and not associated with ED boarding. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  16. Modeling antecedents of electronic medical record system implementation success in low-resource setting hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tilahun, Binyam; Fritz, Fleur

    2015-08-01

    With the increasing implementation of Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR) in developing countries, there is a growing need to identify antecedents of EMR success to measure and predict the level of adoption before costly implementation. However, less evidence is available about EMR success in the context of low-resource setting implementations. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the constructs and relationships of the widely used DeLone and MacLean (D&M) information system success model to determine whether it can be applied to measure EMR success in those settings. A quantitative cross sectional study design using self-administered questionnaires was used to collect data from 384 health professionals working in five governmental hospitals in Ethiopia. The hospitals use a comprehensive EMR system since three years. Descriptive and structural equation modeling methods were applied to describe and validate the extent of relationship of constructs and mediating effects. The findings of the structural equation modeling shows that system quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.32, P quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.44, P service quality has strong significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.36, P effect of EMR use on user satisfaction was not significant. Both EMR use and user satisfaction have significant influence on perceived net-benefit (β = 0.31, P mediating factor in the relationship between service quality and EMR use (P effect on perceived net-benefit of health professionals. EMR implementers and managers in developing countries are in urgent need of implementation models to design proper implementation strategies. In this study, the constructs and relationships depicted in the updated D&M model were found to be applicable to assess the success of EMR in low resource settings. Additionally, computer literacy was found to be a mediating factor in EMR use and user satisfaction of

  17. Alcohol dependence and physical comorbidity: Increased prevalence but reduced relevance of individual comorbidities for hospital-based mortality during a 12.5-year observation period in general hospital admissions in urban North-West England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoepf, D; Heun, R

    2015-06-01

    Alcohol dependence (AD) is associated with an increase in physical comorbidities. The effects of these diseases on general hospital-based mortality are unclear. Consequently, we conducted a mortality study in which we investigated if the burden of physical comorbidities and their relevance on general hospital-based mortality differs between individuals with and without AD during a 12.5-year observation period in general hospital admissions. During 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2012, 23,371 individuals with AD were admitted at least once to seven General Manchester Hospitals. Their physical comorbidities with a prevalence≥1% were compared to those of 233,710 randomly selected hospital controls, group-matched for age and gender (regardless of primary admission diagnosis or specialized treatments). Physical comorbidities that increased the risk of hospital-based mortality (but not outside of the hospital) during the observation period were identified using multiple logistic regression analyses. Hospital-based mortality rates were 20.4% in the AD sample and 8.3% in the control sample. Individuals with AD compared to controls had a higher burden of physical comorbidities, i.e. alcoholic liver and pancreatic diseases, diseases of the conducting airways, neurological and circulatory diseases, diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract, renal diseases, cellulitis, iron deficiency anemia, fracture neck of femur, and peripheral vascular disease. In contrast, coronary heart related diseases, risk factors of cardiovascular disease, diverticular disease and cataracts were less frequent in individuals with AD than in controls. Thirty-two individual physical comorbidities contributed to the prediction of hospital-based mortality in univariate analyses in the AD sample; alcoholic liver disease (33.7%), hypertension (16.9%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14.1%), and pneumonia (13.3%) were the most frequent diagnoses in deceased individuals with AD. Multiple forward

  18. The pattern of trauma in private general medical practice set-up Port ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    BACKGROUND: Private general medical practice establishments appear to be treating a significant number of trauma cases including more serious ones. Aim: To find out the extent of such treatment of trauma and what has made this possible. METHODS: All trauma cases treated in a private general medical practice set up ...

  19. Causes of recurrent pneumonia in children in a general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoving, M F Paulien; Brand, Paul L P

    2013-03-01

    Because the few previous studies on underlying causes of recurrent pneumonia in children have come from tertiary care referral centres where selection bias may be important, the aim of this study was to examine underlying causes of recurrent pneumonia in children in a general hospital. We performed a retrospective chart review in a general hospital of 62 children with recurrent pneumonia over a 7.5 years period. In 19 patients (30.6%), no cause was identified, commonly because favourable natural history obviated the need for a full and invasive diagnostic work-up. Other underlying causes included recurrent aspiration in 16 patients (25.7%), lung disease (airway stenosis, bronchiectasis, middle lobe syndrome or tracheooesophageal fistula) in 10 patients (16.1%) and immune deficiency in 10 patients (16.1%). In contrast to previous studies, asthma was never diagnosed as an underlying cause, but diagnostic confusion between asthma (or recurrent upper respiratory tract infections) and recurrent pneumonia was common. The cause of recurrent pneumonia in children remains elusive in almost a third of patients, partly because the favourable natural history consistent with immune system maturation eliminates the need for further diagnostic procedures. Asthma is more likely a differential diagnostic consideration than an underlying cause of recurrent pneumonia in children. A standardised diagnostic guideline is needed to improve knowledge on causes of recurrent pneumonia in children. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  20. Assessment of Random Assignment in Training and Test Sets using Generalized Cluster Analysis Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sorana D. BOLBOACĂ

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The properness of random assignment of compounds in training and validation sets was assessed using the generalized cluster technique. Material and Method: A quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship model using Molecular Descriptors Family on Vertices was evaluated in terms of assignment of carboquinone derivatives in training and test sets during the leave-many-out analysis. Assignment of compounds was investigated using five variables: observed anticancer activity and four structure descriptors. Generalized cluster analysis with K-means algorithm was applied in order to investigate if the assignment of compounds was or not proper. The Euclidian distance and maximization of the initial distance using a cross-validation with a v-fold of 10 was applied. Results: All five variables included in analysis proved to have statistically significant contribution in identification of clusters. Three clusters were identified, each of them containing both carboquinone derivatives belonging to training as well as to test sets. The observed activity of carboquinone derivatives proved to be normal distributed on every. The presence of training and test sets in all clusters identified using generalized cluster analysis with K-means algorithm and the distribution of observed activity within clusters sustain a proper assignment of compounds in training and test set. Conclusion: Generalized cluster analysis using the K-means algorithm proved to be a valid method in assessment of random assignment of carboquinone derivatives in training and test sets.

  1. Excess mortality in general hospital patients with delirium: A 5-year follow-up of 519 patients seen in psychiatric consultation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.M. van Hemert (Bert); R.C. van der Mast (Roos); M.W. Hengeveld (Michiel); M. Vorstenbosch (Marielle)

    1994-01-01

    textabstractMortality was determined in 519 patients with delirium who were seen in psychiatric consultation in two general hospitals. Among 419 patients with simple delirium (DSM-III: 293.00) in-hospital mortality was 26%. As compared to average hospital patients the age adjusted in-hospital excess

  2. The Prevalence, Profile, and Risk Factor of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis at Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang General Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syifa Mustika

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The prevalence ulcerative colitis (UC in RSCM Jakarta in 1991-1995 is 2.5%. The disease affects men and women at similar rates or slightly more common in women than in men. Age of onset follows a bimodal pattern, with a peak at 15-25 years and a smaller one at 55-65 years, although the disease can occur in people of any age. The precise etiology of UC is not well understood. UC is precipitated by a complex interaction of environmental (cigarretes, diet, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug/NSAID, etc, genetic, and immunoregulatory factors. This study aimed to identify the prevalence, profile and risk factor of ulcerative colitis in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital Malang. Method: This is a retrospective survey analysis from medical record which was taken from 2170 patients who underwent colonoscopy in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital Malang from January 2010 to December 2014. Demographic setting (sex, age, clinical features, lifestyle, diagnosis based on colonoscopy were analyzed as the variables. Results: Total patients with UC was 176 patients. The prevalence of UC during 2010-2014 was 8.2% at Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital. There was a similar prevalence of sex between male and female patients, in which 95 (53.4% were male and 81 (46.6% were female. The average age of patients with UC was 41,6 years. Most patients were presented with abdominal pain (32.90% and weight loss (42.1%. The diagnosis based on colonoscopy were pancolitis (36%, proctosigmoiditis/proctitis (31.81%, and left-sided colitis (21.9%. The risk factors of UC identified in this study were current smoker, use of NSAIDs/traditional herbs/potion and fiber diet. Majority of ulcerative colitis study samples were non-smoker (75%, not consuming herbal treatment/NSAID (60.22%, and rarely consuming fiber (36.93%. There is a significan correlation between frequency of fiber diet and UC (r = -0.106, p = 0.000. Conclusion: The prevalence of UC was 8.2% in our hospital

  3. Venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in the acute hospital care setting: the Irish results of the ENDORSE study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Murphy, O

    2012-05-01

    ENDORSE (Epidemiologic International Day for the Evaluation of Patients at Risk for Venous Thromboembolism in the Acute Hospital Care Setting), is a multinational, cross-sectional survey of venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk prevalence and effective prophylaxis in the acute hospital care setting. Three Irish hospitals enrolled in the study. The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines were employed to evaluate VTE risk and prophylaxis. Of 552 patients, 297 (53.8%) and 255 (46.2%) were categorised as surgical or medical, respectively, with 175 (59%) surgical and 109 (43%) medical patients deemed to be at risk for VTE. Of these, only 112 (64%) and 51 (47%) received recommended VTE prophylaxis, respectively. The results are consistent with those observed in other countries and demonstrate a high prevalence of risk for VTE and a low rate of prophylaxis use, particularly in medical patients. Awareness of VTE guidelines should be an integral component of health policy.

  4. SGLT2-I in the Hospital Setting: Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Other Benefits and Concerns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Joshua A; Karam, Susan L; Aleppo, Grazia

    2017-07-01

    Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are the newest class of antihyperglycemic agents. They are increasingly being prescribed in the outpatient diabetic population. In this review, we examine the risks and benefits of continuation and initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors in the inpatient setting. There are currently no published data regarding safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitor use in the hospital. Outpatient data suggests that SGLT2 inhibitors have low hypoglycemic risk. They also decrease systolic blood pressure and can prevent cardiovascular death. The EMPA-REG study also showed a decrease in admissions for acute decompensated heart failure. There have been increasing cases of diabetic ketoacidosis, and specifically the euglycemic manifestation, associated with SGLT2 inhibitors use. We present two cases of inpatient SGLT2 inhibitor use, one of continuation of outpatient therapy and one of new initiation of therapy. We then discuss potential risks and methods to mitigate these as well as benefits of these medications in the inpatient setting. We cautiously suggest the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in the hospital. However, these must be used judiciously and the practitioner must be aware of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and its risk factors in this population.

  5. Hospital System Readmissions: A Care Cycle Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cody Mullen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hospital readmission rates can be used as an indicator of the quality of health care services and can highlight high-priority research areas to ensure better health. A readmission is defined as when a patient is discharged from an acute care hospital and is admitted back to an acute care hospital in a set amount of days, with 30 days being the current national standard. On average, 19.6% of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge and 56.1% within a year (Jencks, Williams, & Coleman, 2009. The hypothesis of this study was that the discharge location, or where a patient went immediately after discharge, would not have a significant effect on readmissions. A data set with all admission records was obtained from a major health provider. These data contain all hospital patients’ demographic and diagnosis information. General, women’s, and children’s hospitals were looked at from a system perspective to study the discharge location of patients as well as the effects of patient demographics on discharge location. By using a z-significance test in Microsoft Excel and SAS 9.2, it was discovered that patients discharged to home have a significantly lower likelihood of readmission. Generally, patients who are discharged to an extended care or intermediate care facility or patients with home health carerelated services had a significantly higher likelihood of being readmitted. The findings may indicate a possible need for an institution-to-institution intervention as well as institution-to-patient intervention. Future work will develop potential interventions in partnership with hospital staff.

  6. Generalization of some hidden subgroup algorithms for input sets of arbitrary size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poslu, Damla; Say, A. C. Cem

    2006-05-01

    We consider the problem of generalizing some quantum algorithms so that they will work on input domains whose cardinalities are not necessarily powers of two. When analyzing the algorithms we assume that generating superpositions of arbitrary subsets of basis states whose cardinalities are not necessarily powers of two perfectly is possible. We have taken Ballhysa's model as a template and have extended it to Chi, Kim and Lee's generalizations of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm and to Simon's algorithm. With perfectly equal superpositions of input sets of arbitrary size, Chi, Kim and Lee's generalized Deutsch-Jozsa algorithms, both for evenly-distributed and evenly-balanced functions, worked with one-sided error property. For Simon's algorithm the success probability of the generalized algorithm is the same as that of the original for input sets of arbitrary cardinalities with equiprobable superpositions, since the property that the measured strings are all those which have dot product zero with the string we search, for the case where the function is 2-to-1, is not lost.

  7. Mentoring Nurse Practitioners in a Hospital Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pop, Rodica S

    2017-08-01

    Nursing philosophy is the foundation of nurse practitioner (NP) training. However, NP practice is based on the medical care model. Thus, the necessity of mediating between these two approaches is often problematic for new NPs who are transitioning into their new roles. Mentoring has been used successfully to facilitate role transition and role understanding for nurses, NPs, and physicians. However, mentoring has been rarely studied in NPs. The purpose of this study was to develop a theory of mentoring for new NPs in a hospital setting. Grounded theory methodology was used. The sampling approach was initially purposive and was then shifted to theoretical to ensure the collection of meaningful data. Semistructuredinterviews were recorded and transcribed into Word documents for analysis. The three-phase analysis developed by Corbin and Strauss was initiated after the second interview. Sixteen participants (eight mentors and eight mentees) were interviewed between February and June 2011. The core category that emerged from the data was "defining self," and the main categories were forming the relationship, developing the relationship, and mentoring outcomes. A well-designed formal mentoring program may greatly improve the transition of NPs into a new role. The theory generated by the data from these study participants provides clearly defined categories that may be operationally defined and utilized to develop evaluation tools for mentoring programs.

  8. Using path analysis to examine causal relationships among balanced scorecard performance indicators for general hospitals: the case of a public hospital system in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ming-Chin; Tung, Yu-Chi

    2006-01-01

    Examining whether the causal relationships among the performance indicators of the balanced scorecard (BSC) framework exist in hospitals is the aim of this article. Data were collected from all twenty-one general hospitals in a public hospital system and their supervising agency for the 3-year period, 2000-2002. The results of the path analyses identified significant causal relationships among four perspectives in the BSC model. We also verified the relationships among indicators within each perspective, some of which varied as time changed. We conclude that hospital administrators can use path analysis to help them identify and manage leading indicators when adopting the BSC model. However, they should also validate causal relationships between leading and lagging indicators periodically because the management environment changes constantly.

  9. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. IV. - October of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Garcia A, J.; Rodriguez A, F.

    2002-01-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  10. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. VI. - December of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Garcia A, J.; Rodriguez A, F.

    2002-01-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  11. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. II.- August of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J.

    2001-10-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  12. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. III.- September of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J.

    2001-12-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  13. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. V. - November of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.; Benitez S, J. A.; Garcia A, J.; Rodriguez A, F.

    2002-01-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  14. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Tula general hospital, PEMEX. I.- July of 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Vizuet G, J.

    2001-09-01

    The Tula general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic. The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  15. Evaluation of low-dose CT implementation for lung cancer screening in a general practice hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karostik, D. V.; Kamyshanskaya, I. G.; Cheremisin, V. M.; Drozdov, A. A.; Vodovatov, A. V.

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the current study was to evaluate the possibility of the implementation of LDCT for the screening for lung cancer and tuberculosis in a typical general hospital practice. Diagnostic and economic effectiveness, patient doses and the corresponding radiation risks for LDCT were compared with the existing digital chest screening radiography. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of LDCT allowed verifying false-positive cases or providing additional excessive diagnostic information, but did not significantly improve the sensitivity of screening. Per capita costs for LDCT were higher compared to digital radiography up to a factor of 12; corresponding radiation risk - by a factor of 4. Hence, it was considered unjustified to implement LDCT in a general practice hospital.

  16. Factors contributing to nurse job satisfaction in the acute hospital setting: a review of recent literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Bronwyn; Bonner, Ann; Pryor, Julie

    2010-10-01

    To explore and discuss from recent literature the common factors contributing to nurse job satisfaction in the acute hospital setting. Nursing dissatisfaction is linked to high rates of nurses leaving the profession, poor morale, poor patient outcomes and increased financial expenditure. Understanding factors that contribute to job satisfaction could increase nurse retention. A literature search from January 2004 to March 2009 was conducted using the keywords nursing, (dis)satisfaction, job (dis)satisfaction to identify factors contributing to satisfaction for nurses working in acute hospital settings. This review identified 44 factors in three clusters (intra-, inter- and extra-personal). Job satisfaction for nurses in acute hospitals can be influenced by a combination of any or all of these factors. Important factors included coping strategies, autonomy, co-worker interaction, direct patient care, organizational policies, resource adequacy and educational opportunities. Research suggests that job satisfaction is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. Collaboration between individual nurses, their managers and others is crucial to increase nursing satisfaction with their job. Recognition and regular reviewing by nurse managers of factors that contribute to job satisfaction for nurses working in acute care areas is pivotal to the retention of valued staff. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. The diagnosis, prevalence and outcome of delirium in a cohort of older people with mental health problems on general hospital wards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittamore, Kathy H; Goldberg, Sarah E; Gladman, John R F; Bradshaw, Lucy E; Jones, Rob G; Harwood, Rowan H

    2014-01-01

    This paper aimed to measure the prevalence and outcomes of delirium for patients over 70 admitted to a general hospital for acute medical care and to assess the validity of the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R-98) in this setting. Prospective study in a British acute general hospital providing sole emergency medical services for its locality. We screened consecutive patients over 70 with an unplanned emergency hospital admission and recruited a cohort of 249 patients likely to have mental health problems. They were assessed for health status at baseline and followed over 6 months. A sub-sample of 93 participants was assessed clinically for delirium. 27% (95% confidence interval (CI) 23-31) of all older medical patients admitted to hospital had DRS-diagnosed delirium, and 41% (95% CI 37-45) had dementia (including 19% with co-morbid delirium and dementia). Compared with clinician diagnosis, DRS-R-98 sensitivity was at least 0.75, specificity 0.71. Compared with reversible cognitive impairment, sensitivity was at least 0.50, specificity 0.67. DRS-diagnosed delirium was associated with cognitive impairment, mood, behavioural and psychological symptoms, activities of daily living, and number of drugs prescribed, supporting construct validity. Of those with DRS-diagnosed delirium, 37% died within 6 months (relative risk 1.4, 95% CI 0.97-2.2), 43% had reversible cognitive impairment, but only 25% had clinically important recovery in activities of daily living. Behavioural and psychological symptoms were common and mostly resolved, but new symptoms frequently developed. Delirium is common. Some, but not all, features are reversible. DRS-R-98 has reasonable validity in populations where co-morbid dementia is prevalent. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Management of chronic orofacial pain: a survey of general dentists in german university hospitals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wirz, Stefan; Ellerkmann, Richard K.; Buecheler, Marcus; Putensen, Christian; Nadstawek, Joachim; Wartenberg, Hans-Christian

    2010-01-01

    AIM: This survey assessed procedures performed by general dentists in German university hospitals treating patients with chronic orofacial pain (COP). METHODS: A standardized questionnaire was sent to dentists at all 42 German universities. Doctors were asked to describe demographics, diagnoses,

  19. Factors contributing to fecal incontinence in older people and outcome of routine management in home, hospital and nursing home settings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asangaedem Akpan

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Asangaedem Akpan1,2,3, Margot A Gosney2, James Barrett3,4, 1Directorate of Medicine and Elderly Care, Warrington Hospital, Warrington, Cheshire, UK; 2School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, UK; 3Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; 4Directorate of Elderly Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clatterbridge Hospital, Merseyside, UKObjective: Fecal loading, cognitive impairment, loose stools, functional disability, comorbidity and anorectal incontinence are recognized as factors contributing to loss of fecal continence in older adults. The objective of this project was to assess the relative distribution of these factors in a variety of settings along with the outcome of usual management. Methods: One hundred and twenty adults aged 65 years and over with fecal incontinence recruited by convenience sampling from four different settings were studied. They were either living at home or in a nursing home or receiving care on an acute or rehabilitation elderly care ward. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit which factors associated with fecal incontinence were present from subjects who had given written informed consent or for whom assent for inclusion in the study had been obtained.Results: Fecal loading (Homes 6 [20%]; Acute care wards 17 [57%]; Rehabilitation wards 19 [63%]; Nursing homes 21 [70%] and functional disability (Homes 5 [17%]; Acute care wards 25 [83%]; Rehabilitation wards 25 [83%]; Nursing homes 20 [67%] were significantly more prevalent in the hospital and nursing home settings than in those living at home (P < 0.01. Loose stools were more prevalent in the hospital setting than in the other settings (Homes 11 [37%]; Acute care wards 20 [67%]; Rehabilitation wards 17 [57%]; Nursing homes 6 [20%] (P < 0.01. Cognitive impairment was significantly more common in the nursing home than in the other settings (Nursing homes 26 [87%], Homes 5 [17%], Acute care wards 13 [43%], Rehabilitation

  20. Hospital management practices and availability of surgery in sub-Saharan Africa: a pilot study of three hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funk, Luke M; Conley, Dante M; Berry, William R; Gawande, Atul A

    2013-11-01

    Sub-Saharan Africa has a high surgical burden of disease but performs a disproportionately low volume of surgery. Closing this surgical gap will require increased surgical productivity of existing systems. We examined specific hospital management practices in three sub-Saharan African hospitals that are associated with surgical productivity and quality. We conducted 54 face-to-face, structured interviews with administrators, clinicians, and technicians at a teaching hospital, district hospital, and religious mission hospital across two countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Questions focused on recommended general management practices within five domains: goal setting, operations management, talent management, quality monitoring, and financial oversight. Records from each interview were analyzed in a qualitative fashion. Each hospital's management practices were scored according to the degree of implementation of the management practices (1 = none; 3 = some; 5 = systematic). The mission hospital had the highest number of employees per 100 beds (226), surgeons per operating room (3), and annual number of operations per operating room (1,800). None of the three hospitals had achieved systematic implementation of management practices in all 14 measures. The mission hospital had the highest total management score (44/70 points; average = 3.1 for each of the 14 measures). The teaching and district hospitals had statistically significantly lower management scores (average 1.3 and 1.1, respectively; p management practices in low resource settings. We observed substantial variation in implementation of basic management practices at the three hospitals. Future research should focus on whether enhancing management practices can improve surgical capacity and outcomes.

  1. Making reasonable and achievable adjustments: the contributions of learning disability liaison nurses in 'Getting it right' for people with learning disabilities receiving general hospitals care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacArthur, Juliet; Brown, Michael; McKechanie, Andrew; Mack, Siobhan; Hayes, Matthew; Fletcher, Joan

    2015-07-01

    To examine the role of learning disability liaison nurses in facilitating reasonable and achievable adjustments to support access to general hospital services for people with learning disabilities. Mixed methods study involving four health boards in Scotland with established Learning Disability Liaison Nurses (LDLN) Services. Quantitative data of all liaison nursing referrals over 18 months and qualitative data collected from stakeholders with experience of using the liaison services within the previous 3-6 months. Six liaison nurses collected quantitative data of 323 referrals and activity between September 2008-March 2010. Interviews and focus groups were held with 85 participants included adults with learning disabilities (n = 5), carers (n = 16), primary care (n = 39), general hospital (n = 19) and liaison nurses (n = 6). Facilitating reasonable and achievable adjustments was an important element of the LDLNs' role and focussed on access to information; adjustments to care; appropriate environment of care; ensuring equitable care; identifying patient need; meeting patient needs; and specialist tools/resources. Ensuring that reasonable adjustments are made in the general hospital setting promotes person-centred care and equal health outcomes for people with a learning disability. This view accords with 'Getting it right' charter produced by the UK Charity Mencap which argues that healthcare professionals need support, encouragement and guidance to make reasonable adjustments for this group. LDLNs have an important and increasing role to play in advising on and establishing adjustments that are both reasonable and achievable. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Viabilidade de unidades psiquiátricas em hospitais gerais no Brasil Viabilidad de unidades psiquiátricas en hospitales generales en Brasil Feasibility of general hospitals psychiatric units in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurício Lucchesi

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Compreender o estigma voltado aos portadores de transtornos mentais na cultura de hospitais gerais enquanto fator limitante para a implantação de unidades psiquiátricas em hospitais gerais no Brasil. PROCEDIMENTOS METODOLÓGICOS: Foi delineada uma pesquisa social, de natureza qualitativa. Adotou-se como estratégia a pesquisa-ação para a implantação de uma unidade psiquiátrica em um hospital geral em Taubaté, SP, 2005-2006. As evidências foram obtidas por meio de entrevistas, observação participante e palestras sobre o projeto da unidade psiquiátrica para o corpo clínico do hospital. RESULTADOS: O investimento do órgão gestor possibilitou que as concepções estigmatizantes presentes na cultura do hospital estudado (violência, fraqueza moral e intratabilidade fossem ressignificadas por meio de discussões clínicas e sanitárias, viabilizando a implantação da unidade psiquiátrica. A análise mostrou que essas concepções eram reatualizadas pelo contexto assistencial, no qual o acesso dos portadores de transtornos mentais era restrito. CONCLUSÕES: A postura assumida pelo órgão gestor, que decidiu pelo financiamento adequado da unidade psiquiátrica e exerceu sua ascendência sobre o hospital prestador, foi decisiva para o desfecho do caso. A principal dificuldade para a implantação das unidades psiquiátricas não é o estigma presente na cultura dos hospitais gerais, mas uma limitação de ordem estratégica: a falta de uma política afirmativa para essas unidades.OBJETIVO: Comprender el estigma dirigido a los portadores de trastornos mentales en la cultura de hospitales generales con relación al factor limitante para la implantación de unidades psiquiátricas en hospitales generales en Brasil. PROCEDIMIENTOS METODOLÓGICOS: Fue delineada una pesquisa social, de naturaleza cualitativa. Se adoptó como estrategia la pesquisa-acción para la implantación de una unidad psiquiátrica en un hospital general en

  3. Causes of prolonged hospitalization among general internal medicine patients of a tertiary care center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruangkriengsin, Darat; Phisalprapa, Pochamana

    2014-03-01

    Unnecessary days of prolonged hospitalization may lead to the increase in hospital-related complications and costs, especially in tertiary care center Currently, there have not been many studies about the causes of prolonged hospitalization. Some identified causes could, however, be prevented and improved. To identify the prevalence, causes, predictive factors, prognosis, and economic burden of prolonged hospitalization in patients who had been in general internal medicine wards of the tertiary care center for 7 days or more. Retrospective chart review study was conducted among all patients who were admitted for 7 days or more in general internal medicine wards of Siriraj Hospital, the largest tertiary care center in Thailand. The period of this study was from 1 August 2012 to 30 September 2012. Demographic data, principle diagnosis, comorbid diseases, complications, discharge status, total costs of admission and percentage of reimbursement were collected. The causes of prolonged hospitalization at day 7, 14, 30, and 90 were assessed. Five hundred and sixty-two charts were reviewed. The average length of stay was 25.9 days. The two most common causes of prolonged admission at day 7 were treatment of main diagnosed disease with stable condition (27.6%) and waiting for completion of intravenous antibiotics administration with stable condition (19.5%). The causes of prolonged hospitalization at day 14 were unstable condition from complications (22.6%) and those waiting for completion of intravenous antibiotics administration with stable condition (15.8%). The causes of prolonged admission at day 30 were unstable conditions from complications (25.6%), difficulty weaning or ventilator dependence (17.6%), and caregiver problems (15.2%). The causes of prolonged hospitalization at day 90 were unstable condition from complications (30.0%), caregiver problems (30.0%), and palliative care (25.0%). Poor outcomes were shown in the patients admitted more than 90 days. Percentage

  4. Physical Violence against General Practitioners and Nurses in Chinese Township Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Xing

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors of physical violence in Chinese township hospitals.A cross-sectional survey was used in a sample of 442 general practitioners and 398 general nurses from 90 township hospitals located in Heilongjiang province, China (response rate = 84.8%.A total of 106 of the 840 (12.6% respondents reported being physically attacked in their workplace in the previous 12 months. Most perpetrators were the patients' relatives (62.3%, followed by the patient (22.6%; 73.6% of perpetrators were aged between 20 and 40 years. Of the physical violence incidents, about 56.6% (n = 60 resulted in a physical injury, and 45.4% of respondents took two or three days of sick leave. Reporting workplace violence in hospitals to superiors or authorities was low (9.4%. Most respondents (62.8% did not receive training on how to avoid workplace violence. Logistic regression analyses indicated that general nurses, aged 35 years or younger, and with a higher-level professional title were more likely to experience physical violence. Healthcare workers with direct physical contact (washing, turning, lifting with patients had a higher risk of physical violence compared to other health care workers. Procedures for reporting workplace violence were a protective factor for physical violence; when in place, reporting after psychological violence (verbal abuse, bullying/mobbing, harassment, and threats was more protective than waiting until an instance of physical violence (beating, kicking, slapping, stabbing, etc..Physical violence in Chinese township hospitals is an occupational hazard of rural public health concern. Policies, procedures, and intervention strategies should be undertaken to manage this issue.

  5. General sets of coherent states and the Jaynes-Cummings model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daoud, M.; Hussin, V.

    2002-01-01

    General sets of coherent states are constructed for quantum systems admitting a nondegenerate infinite discrete energy spectrum. They are eigenstates of an annihilation operator and satisfy the usual properties of standard coherent states. The application of such a construction to the quantum optics Jaynes-Cummings model leads to a new understanding of the properties of this model. (author)

  6. Accurate Computation of Periodic Regions' Centers in the General M-Set with Integer Index Number

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xingyuan

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents two methods for accurately computing the periodic regions' centers. One method fits for the general M-sets with integer index number, the other fits for the general M-sets with negative integer index number. Both methods improve the precision of computation by transforming the polynomial equations which determine the periodic regions' centers. We primarily discuss the general M-sets with negative integer index, and analyze the relationship between the number of periodic regions' centers on the principal symmetric axis and in the principal symmetric interior. We can get the centers' coordinates with at least 48 significant digits after the decimal point in both real and imaginary parts by applying the Newton's method to the transformed polynomial equation which determine the periodic regions' centers. In this paper, we list some centers' coordinates of general M-sets' k-periodic regions (k=3,4,5,6 for the index numbers α=−25,−24,…,−1 , all of which have highly numerical accuracy.

  7. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of an Automated Medication System Implemented in a Danish Hospital Setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Risoer, Bettina Wulff; Lisby, Marianne; Soerensen, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an automated medication system (AMS) implemented in a Danish hospital setting. Methods An economic evaluation was performed alongside a controlled before-and-after effectiveness study with one control ward and one intervention ward. The primary...... outcome measure was the number of errors in the medication administration process observed prospectively before and after implementation. To determine the difference in proportion of errors after implementation of the AMS, logistic regression was applied with the presence of error(s) as the dependent...... variable. Time, group, and interaction between time and group were the independent variables. The cost analysis used the hospital perspective with a short-term incremental costing approach. The total 6-month costs with and without the AMS were calculated as well as the incremental costs. The number...

  8. Trastornos psicóticos en el servicio de urgencias de un Hospital General.

    OpenAIRE

    AI González Vázquez; F Battle Battle; E Ferrer Gómez del Valle; MC García Mahía; David Simón Lorda; L Docasar Bertolo; José Mazaira Castro; A Albarrán Barrado; A Rodríguez López

    1994-01-01

    El presente artículo pretende reflexionar acerca del papel que los Servicios de Urgencia Psiquiátrica están teniendo en la atención del paciente psicótico no institucionalizado, en el marco particular de un Area Sanitaria en plena reestructuración. Para ello se analizan diversos datos de los pacientes atendidos en el Servicio General de Urgencias de un Hospital General que fueron diagnosticados como trastornos psicóticos, tratándose de valorar los factores que influyen en la decisión de ingre...

  9. Locum tenens consultant doctors in a rural general hospital - an essential part of the medical workforce or an expensive stopgap?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sim, Andrew Jw

    2011-01-01

    Maintaining hospital consultant staffing levels often requires the employment of locum tenens to meet service needs. This is particularly so in hospitals where core clinical services are run by a small number of permanently appointed consultants. The problems associated with locum employment are underestimated and little attention has been directed towards addressing the issue in the rural general hospitals of Scotland. This study looked at the permanent and short- and long-term locum consultant usage over an 8 year period in one Scottish rural general hospital, the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway. Data were extracted from the Human Resources Department of NHS Western Isles' list of locum consultants for most weeks from the beginning of January 2002 to the end of December 2009. The Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway has an establishment of 17 permanent consultants. During the 8 year study period 239 different consultants were employed, 20 held substantive permanent positions, 31 were long-term locums (employed >3 months) and 188 were short-term locums. The short-term locums worked for 535 different locum episodes. The pattern of usage varied according to service configuration. Study data revealed the alarming scope of the locum tenens issue, which will increase unless action is taken. For sustainable medical services to continue in the rural general hospitals of Scotland, staffing models must minimise the need to employ locum consultants.

  10. Comparison of the prevalence of respiratory viruses in patients with acute respiratory infections at different hospital settings in North China, 2012-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jianxing; Xie, Zhengde; Zhang, Tiegang; Lu, Yanqin; Fan, Hongwei; Yang, Donghong; Bénet, Thomas; Vanhems, Philippe; Shen, Kunling; Huang, Fang; Han, Jinxiang; Li, Taisheng; Gao, Zhancheng; Ren, Lili; Wang, Jianwei

    2018-02-08

    Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a great public health challenge globally. The prevalence of respiratory viruses in patients with ARIs attending at different hospital settings is fully undetermined. Laboratory-based surveillance for ARIs was conducted at inpatient and outpatient settings of 11 hospitals in North China. The first 2-5 patients with ARIs were recruited in each hospital weekly from 2012 through 2015. The presence of respiratory viruses was screened by PCR assays. The prevalence of respiratory viruses was determined and compared between patients at different hospital settings. A total of 3487 hospitalized cases and 6437 outpatients/Emergency Department (ED) patients were enrolled. The most commonly detected viruses in the hospitalized cases were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, 33.3%) in children less than two years old, adenoviruses (13.0%) in patients 15-34 years old, and influenza viruses (IFVs, 9.6%) in patients ≥65 years. IFVs were the most common virus in outpatient/ED patients across all age groups (22.7%). After controlling for the confounders caused by other viruses and covariates, adenoviruses (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.97, 99% confidence interval [99% CI]: 2.19-7.20) and RSV (aOR: 2.04, 99% CI: 1.34-3.11) were independently associated with increased hospitalization in children, as well as adenoviruses in adults (aOR: 2.14, 99% CI: 1.19-3.85). Additionally, co-infection of RSV with IFVs was associated with increased hospitalization in children (aOR: 12.20, 99% CI: 2.65-56.18). A substantial proportion of ARIs was associated with respiratory viruses in North China. RSV, adenoviruses, and co-infection of RSV and IFVs were more frequent in hospitalized children (or adenoviruses in adults), which might predict the severity of ARIs. Attending clinicians should be more vigilant of these infections.

  11. Twenty years of electroconvulsive therapy in a psychiatric unit at a university general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amilton dos Santos Jr.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients who underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT at a university general hospital. Method: In this retrospective study, records from all patients undergoing ECT between January 1988 and January 2008 at the psychiatric unit of the general hospital of Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP were reviewed. Telephone contact was made with patients/relatives to collect follow-up data. Results: A total of 200 charts were reviewed. The majority of patients were women, with a mean age of 39 years, and history of psychiatric hospitalization. The main indications for ECT were depression and catatonia. Complications were observed in less than half of the cases, and most were temporary and not severe. There was a good psychiatric outcome for 89.7% of the patients, especially for catatonic patients (100%, p = 0.02. Thirty-four percent of the cases were later contacted by telephone calls, at a mean of 8.5 years between the procedure and the contact. Among these, three (1.5% reported persistent memory disorders and 73% considered ECT a good treatment. Conclusion: ECT has been performed according to international guidelines. In the vast majority of cases, undesirable effects were temporary and not severe. Response to ECT was positive in most cases, particularly in catatonic patients.

  12. Investigation of Irrigation Reuse Potential of Wastewater Treatment Effluent from Hamedan Atieh-Sazan General Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Binavapour

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Hospital wastewater is a type of municipal wastewater which may contain pathogenic agents and different microorganisms. If properly treated, the effluent from hospital wastewater treatment facilities can be used for irrigation purposes. To investigate this, the effluent from Hamedan Atieh-Sazan General Hospital was studied. The existing treatment facility uses an extended aeration system with an average wastewater flow rate of approximately 150 m3/day. In addition to evaluating the performance of the wastewater facility at Atieh-Sazan General Hospital, quality parameters of the raw wastewater and the effluent were measured. The mean values obtained for pH, BOD, COD, MPN for total Coliform/100ml, and Nematode/lit in raw wastewater were about 7.1, 238 mg/l, 352 mg/l, 5.5´106, and 2340, respectively. The mean values obtained for pH, BOD, COD, Na%, MPN for total Coliform/100 ml, and Nematode/lit in the effluent were 7.1, 35 mg/L, 77 mg/L, 61, 1561, and 575, respectively. Based on these results, the efficiency of the existing system in removing BOD, COD, and MPN/100 ml were %85.3, %78.3, and %99.97, respectively. With respect to water quality standards available, the quality of the effluent was considered to be suitable for irrigation except for its Na%, MPN for total Coliform, and Nematodes values.

  13. [Hospital organizational analysis based on the Mintzberg model: the case of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rabat].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makhloufi, Imane; Saadi, Janad; El Hiki, Lahcen; El Hassani, Amine

    2012-01-01

    The new system of hospital governance requires health institutions to develop new managerial, financial and social skills beyond their public service duties. As part of this new approach, the organizational modernization of hospitals involves introducing good management practices. However, managing the transition requires taking into account the specificities of existing organizational systems. Organizational systems are generally difficult to model and involve diverse and sometimes competing interests, concerns, habits, languages, cultures, tools and representations. This explains the high failure rate observed in hospital development projects at an organizational level. A number of organizational theories from a range of disciplines (sociology, biology, history, etc.) have examined the question of organization in hospitals. The many theories developed in this area are not incompatible. Rather, they form a set of useful tools for the analysis of organizational management. The purpose of this study was to conduct an organizational analysis of Sheikh Zayed Hospital (Rabat) based on the Mintzberg model as a prerequisite for the development and implementation of a restructuring plan.

  14. Profile of Immunization Practice by General Practitioners and Pediatricians in Private Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soedjatmiko Soedjatmiko

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Basic immunization coverage in Indonesia in 2013 was still low (59.2% (IBHS, 2013. Physicians’ attitude and practice were among the determinant factors of a successful immunization program. This survey aimed to describe general practitioner’s (GP and pediatrician’s attitude towards immunization and its coverage  in private practices. This cross-sectional study was performed by distributing questionnaires consisting of 5 items on opinion and 10 items on immunization practices to 100 respondents in November 2014. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 29 GPs and 65 pediatricians. Most respondents considered that the Expanded Program in Immunization vaccine should be given. First dose of hepatitis B vaccine was mostly given in the first 12 hours after birth (90% GPs and 74% pediatricians. Oral polio vaccine was mostly given shortly before hospital discharge (65% of GPs and 81% pediatricians while the DTwP-HB-Hib vaccine were given by 27% of GPs and 21% of pediatricians to >75% patients. Pneumococcal, rotavirus, hepatitis A, typhoid, and influenza vaccines were provided by less than 25% GPs and pediatricians, except for the influenza vaccine which was provided by 31% pediatricians. MMR vaccine was given to >75% patients by 16% of GPs and 29% of pediatricians. This pilot survey of immunization practice in private setting might be the first study in Indonesia that this can be considered as a preliminary report of immunization in private setting. Further studies need to be done, especially regarding problems in immunization in private practices.  Key words: Attitude, general practitioners, immunization practice, private setting, pediatricians Gambaran Praktek Imunisasi Dokter Umum dan Dokter Spesialis Anak di Praktek Swasta Riset Kesehatan Dasar 2013 melaporkan bahwa cakupan imunisasi Indonesia masih rendah (59,2%. Sikap dan praktik imunisasi dokter merupakan salah satu faktor penentu keberhasilan. Tujuan penelitian ini mengetahui sikap

  15. The relationship between healthy work environments and retention of nurses in a hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritter, Desiree

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of the present paper was to determine the effect a healthy work environment has on the retention of nurses in a hospital setting. There is a nursing shortage that has been ongoing and is expected to continue, resulting in challenges for the healthcare system in the United States. The significance of this issue is the impact the nursing shortage will have on healthcare organizations and patients. The present paper included an extensive review of the current literature. The literature reviewed encompassed scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles. This article focused on nurses, work environments and the impact of the work environments on retention. Important issues that emerged from this analysis were the dangers of an unhealthy environment, the impact a healthy work environment has on patient outcomes and retention, the Magnet link to healthy work environments and the manager's role in creating and sustaining a healthy work environment. The literature provided evidence of the link between healthy work environments and the retention of nurses in a hospital setting. The implications for management are to implement changes now to create a healthy work environment that will recruit and retain nurses to secure their position in the future. © 2010 The Author. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Job satisfaction and turnover intent among hospital social workers in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugh, Greg L

    2016-08-01

    Feelings of job satisfaction and turnover intentions among social workers affect work quality for both social workers and the people for whom they provide services. Existing literature on job satisfaction among hospital social workers is limited, and is overly focused on issues of compensation. There is job satisfaction research with hospital nurses available for comparison. Other informative social work research on job satisfaction and turnover exists in mental health and generally, across settings. Research on turnover intent in social work is primarily from child welfare settings and may not generalize. The literature notes gaps and contradictions about predictors of job satisfaction and turnover intent. Using a large national dataset of hospital social workers, this research clarifies and fills gaps regarding hospital social workers, and explores how Herzberg's theory of work can clarify the difference between sources of job dissatisfaction and job satisfaction. Findings include hospital social workers reporting high job satisfaction and that demographics do not contribute to the predictive models. The findings do support centralized social work departments and variety in the job functions of hospital social workers, and are consistent with the theoretical framework.

  17. The utility of imputed matched sets. Analyzing probabilistically linked databases in a low information setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, A M; Cook, L J; Dean, J M; Olson, L M

    2014-01-01

    To compare results from high probability matched sets versus imputed matched sets across differing levels of linkage information. A series of linkages with varying amounts of available information were performed on two simulated datasets derived from multiyear motor vehicle crash (MVC) and hospital databases, where true matches were known. Distributions of high probability and imputed matched sets were compared against the true match population for occupant age, MVC county, and MVC hour. Regression models were fit to simulated log hospital charges and hospitalization status. High probability and imputed matched sets were not significantly different from occupant age, MVC county, and MVC hour in high information settings (p > 0.999). In low information settings, high probability matched sets were significantly different from occupant age and MVC county (p sets were not (p > 0.493). High information settings saw no significant differences in inference of simulated log hospital charges and hospitalization status between the two methods. High probability and imputed matched sets were significantly different from the outcomes in low information settings; however, imputed matched sets were more robust. The level of information available to a linkage is an important consideration. High probability matched sets are suitable for high to moderate information settings and for situations involving case-specific analysis. Conversely, imputed matched sets are preferable for low information settings when conducting population-based analyses.

  18. Awareness of Stroke Risk after TIA in Swiss General Practitioners and Hospital Physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streit, Sven; Baumann, Philippe; Barth, Jürgen; Mattle, Heinrich P; Arnold, Marcel; Bassetti, Claudio L; Meli, Damian N; Fischer, Urs

    2015-01-01

    Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are stroke warning signs and emergency situations, and, if immediately investigated, doctors can intervene to prevent strokes. Nevertheless, many patients delay going to the doctor, and doctors might delay urgently needed investigations and preventative treatments. We set out to determine how much general practitioners (GPs) and hospital physicians (HPs) knew about stroke risk after TIA, and to measure their referral rates. We used a structured questionnaire to ask GPs and HPs in the catchment area of the University Hospital of Bern to estimate a patient's risk of stroke after TIA. We also assessed their referral behavior. We then statistically analysed their reasons for deciding not to immediately refer patients. Of the 1545 physicians, 40% (614) returned the survey. Of these, 75% (457) overestimated stroke risk within 24 hours, and 40% (245) overestimated risk within 3 months after TIA. Only 9% (53) underestimated stroke risk within 24 hours and 26% (158) underestimated risk within 3 months; 78% (473) of physicians overestimated the amount that carotid endarterectomy reduces stroke risk; 93% (543) would rigorously investigate the cause of a TIA, but only 38% (229) would refer TIA patients for urgent investigations "very often". Physicians most commonly gave these reasons for not making emergency referrals: patient's advanced age; patient's preference; patient was multimorbid; and, patient needed long-term care. Although physicians overestimate stroke risk after TIA, their rate of emergency referral is modest, mainly because they tend not to refer multimorbid and elderly patients at the appropriate rate. Since old and frail patients benefit from urgent investigations and treatment after TIA as much as younger patients, future educational campaigns should focus on the importance of emergency evaluations for all TIA patients.

  19. Awareness of Stroke Risk after TIA in Swiss General Practitioners and Hospital Physicians.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Streit

    Full Text Available Transient ischemic attacks (TIA are stroke warning signs and emergency situations, and, if immediately investigated, doctors can intervene to prevent strokes. Nevertheless, many patients delay going to the doctor, and doctors might delay urgently needed investigations and preventative treatments. We set out to determine how much general practitioners (GPs and hospital physicians (HPs knew about stroke risk after TIA, and to measure their referral rates.We used a structured questionnaire to ask GPs and HPs in the catchment area of the University Hospital of Bern to estimate a patient's risk of stroke after TIA. We also assessed their referral behavior. We then statistically analysed their reasons for deciding not to immediately refer patients.Of the 1545 physicians, 40% (614 returned the survey. Of these, 75% (457 overestimated stroke risk within 24 hours, and 40% (245 overestimated risk within 3 months after TIA. Only 9% (53 underestimated stroke risk within 24 hours and 26% (158 underestimated risk within 3 months; 78% (473 of physicians overestimated the amount that carotid endarterectomy reduces stroke risk; 93% (543 would rigorously investigate the cause of a TIA, but only 38% (229 would refer TIA patients for urgent investigations "very often". Physicians most commonly gave these reasons for not making emergency referrals: patient's advanced age; patient's preference; patient was multimorbid; and, patient needed long-term care.Although physicians overestimate stroke risk after TIA, their rate of emergency referral is modest, mainly because they tend not to refer multimorbid and elderly patients at the appropriate rate. Since old and frail patients benefit from urgent investigations and treatment after TIA as much as younger patients, future educational campaigns should focus on the importance of emergency evaluations for all TIA patients.

  20. An analysis of OSHA inspections assessing contaminant exposures in general medical and surgical hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Jordan L; Sleeth, Darrah K; Larson, Rodney R; Pahler, Leon F

    2013-04-01

    This study analyzed data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Chemical Exposure Health Database to assess contaminant exposures in general medical and surgical hospitals. Seventy-five inspections conducted in these hospitals from 2005 through 2009 were identified. Five categories of inspections were conducted, the three most common being complaint-based, planned, and referral-based inspections. Complaint-based inspections comprised the majority of inspections-55 (73%) of the 75 conducted. The overall violation rate for all inspection types was 68%. This finding was compared to the violation rates of planned inspections (100%), referral-based inspections (83%), and complaint-based inspections (62%). Asbestos was the hazardous substance most commonly sampled and cited by OSHA in hospitals, with 127 samples collected during 24 inspections; 31% of the total 75 inspections resulting in one or more violations were due to asbestos. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  1. Two decades of external peer review of cancer care in general hospitals; the Dutch experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilsdonk, Melvin J; Siesling, Sabine; Otter, Rene; van Harten, Wim H

    2016-03-01

    External peer review was introduced in general hospitals in the Netherlands in 1994 to assess and improve the multidisciplinary team approach in cancer care. This paper aims to explore the value, perceived impact, and (future) role of external peer review in cancer care. Semistructured interviews were held with clinicians, oncology nurses, and managers from fifteen general hospitals that participated in three rounds of peer review over a period of 16 years. Interviewees reflected on the goals and expectations, experiences, perceived impact, and future role of external peer review. Transcriptions of the interviews were coded to discover recurrent themes. Improving clinical care and organization were the main motives for participation. Positive impact was perceived on multiple aspects of care such as shared responsibilities, internal prioritization of cancer care, improved communication, and a clear structure and position of cancer care within general hospitals. Establishing a direct relationship between the external peer review and organizational or clinical impact proved to be difficult. Criticism was raised on the content of the program being too theoretical and organization-focussed after three rounds. According to most stakeholders, external peer review can improve multidisciplinary team work in cancer care; however, the acceptance is threatened by a perceived disbalance between effort and visible clinical impact. Leaner and more clinically focused programs are needed to keep repeated peer reviews challenging and worthwhile. © 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Biomechanical evaluation of nursing tasks in a hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, R; Karwowski, W; Quesada, P M; Rodrick, D; Sherehiy, B; Cronin, S N; Layer, J K

    2007-11-01

    A field study was conducted to investigate spinal kinematics and loading in the nursing profession using objective and subjective measurements of selected nursing tasks observed in a hospital setting. Spinal loading was estimated using trunk motion dynamics measured by the lumbar motion monitor (LMM) and lower back compressive and shear forces were estimated using the three-dimensional (3D) Static Strength Prediction Program. Subjective measures included the rate of perceived physical effort and the perceived risk of low back pain. A multiple logistic regression model, reported in the literature for predicting low back injury based on defined risk groups, was tested. The study results concluded that the major risk factors for low back injury in nurses were the weight of patients handled, trunk moment, and trunk axial rotation. The activities that required long time exposure to awkward postures were perceived by nurses as a high physical effort. This study also concluded that self-reported perceived exertion could be used as a tool to identify nursing activities with a high risk of low-back injury.

  3. Evolution of the Whipple procedure at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-del Castillo, Carlos; Morales-Oyarvide, Vicente; McGrath, Deborah; Wargo, Jennifer A; Ferrone, Cristina R; Thayer, Sarah P; Lillemoe, Keith D; Warshaw, Andrew L

    2012-09-01

    Since Allen O. Whipple published his seminal paper in 1935, the procedure that bears his name has been performed widely throughout the world and is now a common operation in major medical centers. The goal of this study was to investigate the evolution of pancreatoduodenectomy at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). We sought to identify all pancreatoduodenectomies performed at the MGH since 1935. Cases were obtained from a computerized database, hospital medical records, and the MGH historical archive. Demographics, diagnosis, intraoperative variables and short-term surgical outcomes were recorded. The first pancreatoduodenectomy at the MGH was carried out in 1941; since then, 2,050 Whipple procedures have been performed. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was the most frequent indication (36%). Pylorus preservation has been the most important variation in technique, accounting for 45% of Whipple procedures in the 1980s; observation of frequent delayed gastric emptying after this procedure led to decline in its use. Pancreatic fistula was the most frequent complication (13%). Operative blood replacement and reoperation rates have decreased markedly over time; the most frequent indication for reoperation was intra-abdominal bleeding. Mortality has decreased from 45% to 0.8%, with sepsis and hypovolemic shock being the most frequent causes of death. Mean duration of hospital stay has decreased from >30 to 9.5 days, along with an increasing readmission rate (currently 19%). The Whipple procedure in the 21st century is a well-established operation. Improvements in operative technique and perioperative care have contributed in making it a safe operation that continues evolving. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Linking Brief Functional Analysis to Intervention Design in General Education Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishuin, Tifanie

    2009-01-01

    This study focused on the utility and applicability of brief functional analysis in general education settings. The purpose of the study was to first identify the environmental variables maintaining noncompliance through a brief functional analysis, and then to design and implement a functionally equivalent intervention. The participant exhibited…

  5. Analysis on the Implementation of Nutrition Services in Tugurejo General Hospital Semarang

    OpenAIRE

    Dewi, Emy Shinta; Kartasurya, Martha Irene; Sriatmi, Ayun

    2015-01-01

    Nutrition was an important factor for patient care and cure. Results of an evaluation by nutritionalresearch and development unit of Tugurejo district general hospital (RSUD) in 2011 indicated thatfood remains of patient were still below the minimal standard of service. Objective of this study wasto analyze the implementation of nutritional service in the RSUD Tugurejo Semarang.This was a qualitative study with 4 nutritionists, 8 cook assistants, and 8 waitresses as maininformants. Triangulat...

  6. New onset of insomnia in hospitalized patients in general medical wards: incidence, causes, and resolution rate

    OpenAIRE

    Ho, An; Raja, Bronson; Waldhorn, Richard; Baez, Valentina; Mohammed, Idiris

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Insomnia is common in hospitalized patients. However, no study has examined new onset of insomnia in patients without a prior history of insomnia. Objectives: Incidence of new onset of insomnia in inpatients, associated factors and resolution rate after 2 weeks. Method: This is a prospective observational study conducted at a community hospital. We used the Insomnia Severity Index questionnaire to screen for insomnia in all patients located in the general medical floors f...

  7. Relay model for recruiting alcohol dependent patients in general hospitals--a single-blind pragmatic randomized trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwarz, Anne-Sophie; Bilberg, Randi; Bjerregaard, Lene Berit Skov

    2016-01-01

    - The Relay Model. METHOD/DESIGN: The study is a single-blind pragmatic randomized controlled trial including patients admitted to the hospital. The study group (n = 500) will receive an intervention, and the control group (n = 500) will be referred to treatment by usual procedures. All patients complete......://register.clinicaltrials.gov/by identifier: RESCueH_Relay NCT02188043 Project Relay Model for Recruiting Alcohol Dependent Patients in General Hospitals (TRN Registration: 07/09/2014)....

  8. [Geographical coverage of the Mexican Healthcare System and a spatial analysis of utilization of its General Hospitals in 1998].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Avila, Juan E; Rodríguez, Mario H; Rodríguez, Norma E; Santos, René; Morales, Evangelina; Cruz, Carlos; Sepúlveda-Amor, Jaime

    2002-01-01

    To describe the geographical coverage of the Mexican Healthcare System (MHS) services and to assess the utilization of its General Hospitals. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to include sociodemographic data by locality, the geographical location of all MHS healthcare services, and data on hospital discharge records. A maximum likelihood estimation model was developed to assess the utilization levels of 217 MHS General Hospitals. The model included data on human resources, additional infrastructure, and the population within a 25 km radius. In 1998, 10,806 localities with 72 million inhabitants had at least one public healthcare unit, and 97.2% of the population lived within 50 km of a healthcare unit; however, over 18 million people lived in rural localities without a healthcare unit. The mean annual hospital occupation rate was 48.5 +/- 28.5 per 100 bed/years, with high variability within and between states. Hospital occupation was significantly associated with the number of physicians in the unit, and in the Mexican Institute of Social Security units utilization was associated with additional health infrastructure, and with the population's poverty index. GIS analysis allows improved estimation of the coverage and utilization of MHS hospitals.

  9. Tackling the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement (COP 21: Green leadership empowers public hospitals to overcome obstacles and challenges in a resource-constrained environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Weimann

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The healthcare sector itself contributes to climate change, the creation of hazardous waste, use of toxic metals such as mercury, and water and air pollution. To mitigate the effect of healthcare provision on the deteriorating environment and avoid creating further challenges for already burdened health systems, Global Green Hospitals was formed as a global network. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH, as the leading academic hospital in Africa, joined the network in 2014. Since then, several projects have been initiated to reduce the amount of general waste, energy consumption and food waste, and create an environmentally friendlier and more sustainable hospital in a resource-constrained public healthcare setting. We outline the various efforts made to reduce the carbon footprint of GSH and reduce waste and hazardous substances such as mercury and polystyrene, and elaborate how obstacles and resistance to change were overcome. The hospital was able to halve the amount of coal and water used, increase recycling by 50% over 6 months, replace polystyrene cups and packaging with Forest Stewardship Council recyclable paper-based products, reduce the effect of food wastage by making use of local farmers, and implement measures to reduce the amount of expired pharmaceutical drugs. To improve commitment from all involved roleplayers, political leadership, supportive government policies and financial funding is mandatory, or public hospitals will be unable to tackle the exponentially increasing costs related to climate change and its effects on healthcare.

  10. Tackling the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement (COP 21): Green leadership empowers public hospitals to overcome obstacles and challenges in a resource-constrained environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weimann, E; Patel, B

    2016-12-21

    The healthcare sector itself contributes to climate change, the creation of hazardous waste, use of toxic metals such as mercury, and water and air pollution. To mitigate the effect of healthcare provision on the deteriorating environment and avoid creating further challenges for already burdened health systems, Global Green Hospitals was formed as a global network. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), as the leading academic hospital in Africa, joined the network in 2014. Since then, several projects have been initiated to reduce the amount of general waste, energy consumption and food waste, and create an environmentally friendlier and more sustainable hospital in a resource-constrained public healthcare setting. We outline the various efforts made to reduce the carbon footprint of GSH and reduce waste and hazardous substances such as mercury and polystyrene, and elaborate how obstacles and resistance to change were overcome. The hospital was able to halve the amount of coal and water used, increase recycling by 50% over 6 months, replace polystyrene cups and packaging with Forest Stewardship Council recyclable paper-based products, reduce the effect of food wastage by making use of local farmers, and implement measures to reduce the amount of expired pharmaceutical drugs. To improve commitment from all involved roleplayers, political leadership, supportive government policies and financial funding is mandatory, or public hospitals will be unable to tackle the exponentially increasing costs related to climate change and its effects on healthcare.

  11. Childhood astrovirus-associated diarrhea in the ambulatory setting in a Public Hospital in Cordoba city, Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giordano Miguel O.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Human astroviruses have been increasingly identified as important agents of diarrheal disease in children. However, the disease burden of astrovirus infection is still incompletely assessed. This paper reports results on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of astrovirus-associated diarrhea, as well as the impact of astrovirus infection on the ambulatory setting at a Public Hospital in Córdoba city, Argentina. From February 2001 through January 2002, 97 randomly selected outpatient visits for diarrhea among children 0.05. According to our estimation about one out of seventy-four children in this cohort would be assisted annually for an astroviral-diarrheal episode in the Public Hospital and one out of eight diarrheal cases could be attributed to astrovirus infection. Astrovirus is a common symptomatic infection in pediatric outpatient visits in the public hospital in the study area, contributing 12.37% of the overall morbidity from diarrhea.

  12. Psiquiatría de Enlace. Experiencia en el Hospital General de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.C. González-Salas

    2014-07-01

    El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar algunos antecedentes históricos de la Salud Mental en México y en el Hospital General de México «Dr. Eduardo Liceaga» (HGM-DEL considerando la evolución institucional y las características de los pacientes que recibe el Servicio de Salud Mental, como parte del equipo multidisciplinario de salud.

  13. Hospital policies on life-sustaining treatments and advance directives in Canada.

    OpenAIRE

    Rasooly, I; Lavery, J V; Urowitz, S; Choudhry, S; Seeman, N; Meslin, E M; Lowy, F H; Singer, P A

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and content of hospital policies on life-sustaining treatments (cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR], mechanical ventilation, dialysis, artificial nutrition and hydration, and antibiotic therapy for life-threatening infections) and advance directives in Canada. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mailed survey. SETTING: Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Chief executive officers or their designates at public general hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Information regarding the exis...

  14. Do organizational and clinical ethics in a hospital setting need different venues?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Førde, Reidun; Hansen, Thor Willy Ruud

    2014-06-01

    The structure of ethics work in a hospital is complex. Professional ethics, research ethics and clinical ethics committees (CECs) are important parts of this structure, in addition to laws and national and institutional codes of ethics. In Norway all hospital trusts have a CEC, most of these discuss cases by means of a method which seeks to include relevant guidelines and laws into the discussion. In recent years many committees have received more cases which have concerned questions of principle. According to Ellen Fox and co-authors the traditional CEC model suffers from a number of weaknesses. Therefore, in their organization a separate body deals with organizational matters. In this paper, we discuss what is gained and what is lost by creating two separate bodies doing ethics consultation. We do this through an analysis of detailed minutes of CEC discussions in one CEC during a 6-year period. 30 % of all referrals concerned matters of principle. Some of these discussions originated in a dilemma related to a particular patient. Most of the discussions had some consequences within the hospital organization, for clinical practice, for adjustment of guidelines, or may have influenced national policy. We conclude that a multiprofessional CEC with law and ethics competency and patient representation may be well suited also for discussion of general ethical principles. A CEC is a forum which can help bridge the gap between clinicians and management by increasing understanding for each others' perspectives.

  15. Control costs, enhance quality, and increase revenue in three top general public hospitals in Beijing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lue-Ping; Yu, Guo-Pei; Liu, Hui; Ma, Xie-Min; Wang, Jing; Kong, Gui-Lan; Li, Yi; Ma, Wen; Cui, Yong; Xu, Beibei; Yu, Na; Bao, Xiao-Yuan; Guo, Yu; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Jun; Li, Yan; Xie, Xue-Qin; Jiang, Bao-Guo; Ke, Yang

    2013-01-01

    With market-oriented economic and health-care reform, public hospitals in China have received unprecedented pressures from governmental regulations, public opinions, and financial demands. To adapt the changing environment and keep pace of modernizing healthcare delivery system, public hospitals in China are expanding clinical services and improving delivery efficiency, while controlling costs. Recent experiences are valuable lessons for guiding future healthcare reform. Here we carefully study three teaching hospitals, to exemplify their experiences during this period. We performed a systematic analysis on hospitalization costs, health-care quality and delivery efficiencies from 2006 to 2010 in three teaching hospitals in Beijing, China. The analysis measured temporal changes of inpatient cost per stay (CPS), cost per day (CPD), inpatient mortality rate (IMR), and length of stay (LOS), using a generalized additive model. There were 651,559 hospitalizations during the period analyzed. Averaged CPS was stable over time, while averaged CPD steadily increased by 41.7% (Phospitalizations with higher costs, along with an overall stable CPS, reduced IMR, and shorter LOS, appear to be the major characteristics of these three hospitals at present. These three teaching hospitals have gained some success in controlling costs, improving cares, adopting modern medical technologies, and increasing hospital revenues. Effective hospital governance and physicians' professional capacity plus government regulations and supervisions may have played a role. However, purely market-oriented health-care reform could also misguide future healthcare reform.

  16. Economic analysis of an epilepsy outreach model of care in a university hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloney, Eimer; McGinty, Ronan N; Costello, Daniel J

    2017-07-01

    The prevalence of epilepsy in people with intellectual disability is higher than in the general population and prevalence rates increase with increasing levels of disability. Prevalence rates of epilepsy are highest among those living in residential care. The healthcare needs of people with intellectual disability and epilepsy are complex and deserve special consideration in terms of healthcare provision and access to specialist epilepsy clinics, which are usually held in acute hospital campuses. This patient population is at risk of suboptimal care because of significant difficulties accessing specialist epilepsy care which is typically delivered in the environs of acute hospitals. In 2014, the epilepsy service at Cork University Hospital established an Epilepsy Outreach Service providing regular, ambulatory outpatient follow up at residential care facilities in Cork city and county in an effort to improve access to care, reduce the burden and expense of patient and carer travel to hospital outpatient appointments, and to provide a dedicated specialist phone service for epilepsy related queries in order to reduce emergency room visits when possible. We present the findings of an economic analysis of the outreach service model of care compared to the traditional hospital outpatient service and demonstrate significant cost savings and improved access to care with this model. Ideally these cost savings should be used to develop novel ways to enhance epilepsy care for persons with disability. We propose that this model of care can be more suitable for persons with disability living in residential care who are at risk of losing access to specialist epilepsy care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Use of portable electronic devices in a hospital setting and their potential for bacterial colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Amber; Rao, Amitha; Reyes-Sacin, Carlos; Hayakawa, Kayoko; Szpunar, Susan; Riederer, Kathleen; Kaye, Keith; Fishbain, Joel T; Levine, Diane

    2015-03-01

    Portable electronic devices are increasingly being used in the hospital setting. As with other fomites, these devices represent a potential reservoir for the transmission of pathogens. We conducted a convenience sampling of devices in 2 large medical centers to identify bacterial colonization rates and potential risk factors. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Enfermos del Hospital General de Mallorca a fines del siglo XV

    OpenAIRE

    Contreras Mas, Antonio

    2012-01-01

    Introducción: Presentamos un estudio sobre los hombres y mujeres que fueron internados en el Hospital General de Mallorca en los últimos años del siglo XV. Se basa en los listados donde se recogieron los detalles personales de algunos de los sujetos allí acogidos entre los años 1482 y 1494. Tras revisar las causas principales de la fundación del establecimiento y algunas noticias sobre este proceso, se examinan determinadas características de los hombres y mujeres a los que prestó asistencia ...

  19. Cooperation between Japanese and Cambodian Dietitians in Setting up a Hospital Diet Management System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ly, Koung Ry; Saito, Shino; Kusama, Kaoru

    2015-01-01

    Cambodia faces a considerably high percentage of the stunted under 5 (Unicef, 2014). Despite the National Nutrition Strategy Launched by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with development partners, nutrition improvement projects have not always been effective. It is generally said these issues are addressed in many other developing nations, and the literature largely documented that successful nutrition programmes are community-based programmes because of their sustainability and the intensive communications between health workers and beneficiaries. Learning from the past experiences, the Foundation for International Development/Relief organized a project team with a Cambodian dietitian and an experienced Japanese dietitian to implement a hospital diet programme for children from April 2006 to March 2014 in the National Pediatric Hospital (NPH) in Cambodia. The project has two objectives: establishing a hospital diet management system, and developing the capacity of NPH staff. Hospital food menus were created paying particular attention to Cambodian culture, eating habits and accessibility to the ingredients for the purpose of continuous supply. We have also put emphasis on the communication between dietitians and family members of the children to let them understand the importance of a nutritious diet. After 8 y of project implementation, the hospital diet management system was established providing 7 types of menu with nutritious diets. The final evaluation of the project showed that NPH staff have the intention to continue hospital food supply with their acquired knowledge and capacity. In practice, a Cambodian dietitian currently takes the initiative for a continuous nutritional diet in NPH. The key to this success is the collaboration between Japanese dietitians with experience and Cambodian dietitians with knowledge of Cambodian eating habits. Taking our experience into account, it is highly recommended to educate Cambodian dietitians, as they are

  20. Exposure in emergency general surgery in a time-based residency ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: This paper aimed to characterize the resident exposure to acute general surgical conditions during a three-months rotation in a general surgical unit. Setting: The Department of Surgery, University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Nairobi. MethodS: Four residents (in their first to ...

  1. Western University (No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital): a study of medical volunteerism in the First World War.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Istl, Alexandra C; McAlister, Vivian C

    2016-12-01

    The Canadian government depended on chaotic civilian volunteerism to staff a huge medical commitment during the First World War. Offers from Canadian universities to raise, staff and equip hospitals for deployment, initially rejected, were incrementally accepted as casualties mounted. When its offer was accepted in 1916, Western University Hospital quickly adopted military decorum and equipped itself using Canadian Red Cross Commission guidelines. Staff of the No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital retained excellent morale throughout the war despite heavy medical demand, poor conditions, aerial bombardment and external medical politics. The overwhelming majority of volunteers were Canadian-born and educated. The story of the hospital's commanding officer, Edwin Seaborn, is examined to understand the background upon which the urge to volunteer in the First World War was based. Although many Western volunteers came from British stock, they promoted Canadian independence. A classical education and a broad range of interests outside of medicine, including biology, history and native Canadian culture, were features that Seaborn shared with other leaders in Canadian medicine, such as William Osler, who also volunteered quickly in the First World War.

  2. A new generalization of contra-continuity via Levine's g-closed sets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caldas, Miguel; Jafari, Saeid; Noiri, Takashi; Simoes, Marilda

    2007-01-01

    In [Dontchev J. Contra-continuous functions and strongly S-closed spaces. Int J Math Math Sci 1996;19:303-10], Dontchev introduced and investigated a new notion of continuity called contra-continuity. Recently, Jafari and Noiri [Jafari S, Noiri T. Contra-α-continuous functions between topological spaces. Iran Int J Sci 2001;2:153-67, Jafari S, Noiri T. Contra-super-continuous functions. Ann Univ Sci Budapest 1999;42:27-34, Jafari S, Noiri T. On contra-precontinuous functions. Bull Malaysian Math Sci Soc 2002;25(2):115-28] introduced new generalizations of contra-continuity called contra-α-continuity, contra-super-continuity and contra-precontinuity. In this paper, we introduce and investigate a generalization of contra-continuity by utilizing Levine's generalized closed sets

  3. [Proposal of a method for collective analysis of work-related accidents in the hospital setting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osório, Claudia; Machado, Jorge Mesquita Huet; Minayo-Gomez, Carlos

    2005-01-01

    The article presents a method for the analysis of work-related accidents in hospitals, with the double aim of analyzing accidents in light of actual work activity and enhancing the vitality of the various professions that comprise hospital work. This process involves both research and intervention, combining knowledge output with training of health professionals, fostering expanded participation by workers in managing their daily work. The method consists of stimulating workers to recreate the situation in which a given accident occurred, shifting themselves to the position of observers of their own work. In the first stage of analysis, workers are asked to show the work analyst how the accident occurred; in the second stage, the work accident victim and analyst jointly record the described series of events in a diagram; in the third, the resulting record is re-discussed and further elaborated; in the fourth, the work accident victim and analyst evaluate and implement measures aimed to prevent the accident from recurring. The article concludes by discussing the method's possibilities and limitations in the hospital setting.

  4. Convergent and divergent country trends in coordinated wage-setting and collective bargaining in the public hospitals sector

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grimshaw, D.; Jaehrling, K.; van der Meer, M.; Méhaut, P.; Shimron, N.

    2007-01-01

    Drawing on the findings of research in the public hospitals sector in five European countries1—France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK—this article assesses the character of change in wage setting and collective bargaining. It demonstrates the diversity of national arrangements by

  5. Lahore general hospital protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma caused by retinal disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khaqan, H.A.; Haider, S.A.

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate efficacy of LGH (Lahore General Hospital) protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma caused by retinal diseases. Material and Methods: This case series was performed on 9 consecutive eyes of nine patients with uncontrolled neovascular glaucoma at Department of Ophthalmology, Unit II, Lahore General Hospital/PGMI, Lahore. All nine patients completed six months follow up. Among them 6 patients were having PDR (proliferative diabetic retinopathy) and 3 patients having CRVO (central retinal vein occlusion). LGH protocol for treatment of neovascular glaucoma was: To give intravitreal injection of avastin and then PRP (Pan Retinal Photocoagulation) or Trabeculectomy with MMC (Mitomycin C), if PRP and intravitreal avastin fails to control the intra ocular-pressure (IOP). Results: Three patients had IOP control after intravitreal injection of avastin and PRP, 5 patients had uncontrolled IOP after intravitreal avastin and two sessions of PRP, so they under went trabeculectomy with MMC. One patient had uncontrolled IOP despite of full treatment protocol. All other 8 patients IOP remained stable for six months. Conclusion: Significant decrease in intraocular pressure was achieved after observing LGH protocol for treatment of NVG (Neovascular Glaucoma) caused by retinal diseases. (author)

  6. Client perception of service quality at the outpatient clinics of a General hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogunnowo, Babatunde Enitan; Olufunlayo, Tolulope Florence; Sule, Salami Suberu

    2015-01-01

    Service quality assessments have assumed increasing importance in the last two decades. They are useful in identifying gaps in services been provided with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing quality assurance. The objective of this study was to assess the client perception of service quality at the outpatient clinics of Randle General hospital, Lagos. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from March to May 2013. A multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents and data was collected with the aid of modified SERVQUAL questionnaires. The data was analysed with aid of EPI-INFO 2002 and statistical significance was set at a P value 0.05 for statistical significance. Total of 400 respondents were interviewed. The mean age was 40 years with a standard deviation of 15.2 yrs. The highest mean score of 4.35 out of a possible maximum of 5 was recorded in assurance domain while the lowest mean score of 4.00 was recorded in the responsiveness domain. The overall mean score of all the domains was 4.20 with standard deviation of 0.51. Overall majority (80.8%) of respondents rated the overall service quality as good/ very good. After linear regression, the assurance domain was the most important predictor of the overall perceived service quality (pservice quality was good. The major deficiencies were in the responsiveness domain and especially the waiting time. The hospital management should implement measures to improve the responsiveness of services by ensuring prompt delivery of services.

  7. General Paleoclimatology Data Sets

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Data of past climate and environment derived from unusual proxy evidence. Parameter keywords describe what was measured in this data set. Additional summary...

  8. Capacitación sobre lactancia materna al personal de enfermería del Hospital General de México

    OpenAIRE

    Hernández-Garduño Adolfo Gabriel; Rosa-Ruiz Leticia de la

    2000-01-01

    OBJETIVO: Evaluar el cambio de conocimientos acerca de la lactancia entre el personal de enfermería del Hospital General de México que asistió a un curso teórico-práctico sobre lactancia materna de 18 horas de duración. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó una intervención educativa sobre lactancia materna, con evaluación inicial y final, en el Hospital General de México, de mayo de 1996 a mayo de 1997. Se capacitó a 152 enfermeras. Se aplicó la prueba t de Student para muestras dependientes y anál...

  9. Pediatric emergency care capacity in a low-resource setting: An assessment of district hospitals in Rwanda.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celestin Hategeka

    Full Text Available Health system strengthening is crucial to improving infant and child health outcomes in low-resource countries. While the knowledge related to improving newborn and child survival has advanced remarkably over the past few decades, many healthcare systems in such settings remain unable to effectively deliver pediatric advance life support management. With the introduction of the Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment plus Admission care (ETAT+-a locally adapted pediatric advanced life support management program-in Rwandan district hospitals, we undertook this study to assess the extent to which these hospitals are prepared to provide this pediatric advanced life support management. The results of the study will shed light on the resources and support that are currently available to implement ETAT+, which aims to improve care for severely ill infants and children.A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in eight district hospitals across Rwanda focusing on the availability of physical and human resources, as well as hospital services organizations to provide emergency triage, assessment and treatment plus admission care for severely ill infants and children.Many of essential resources deemed necessary for the provision of emergency care for severely ill infants and children were readily available (e.g. drugs and laboratory services. However, only 4/8 hospitals had BVM for newborns; while nebulizer and MDI were not available in 2/8 hospitals. Only 3/8 hospitals had F-75 and ReSoMal. Moreover, there was no adequate triage system across any of the hospitals evaluated. Further, guidelines for neonatal resuscitation and management of malaria were available in 5/8 and in 7/8 hospitals, respectively; while those for child resuscitation and management of sepsis, pneumonia, dehydration and severe malnutrition were available in less than half of the hospitals evaluated.Our assessment provides evidence to inform new strategies to enhance the capacity of

  10. Pediatric emergency care capacity in a low-resource setting: An assessment of district hospitals in Rwanda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoveller, Jean; Tuyisenge, Lisine; Kenyon, Cynthia; Cechetto, David F.; Lynd, Larry D.

    2017-01-01

    Background Health system strengthening is crucial to improving infant and child health outcomes in low-resource countries. While the knowledge related to improving newborn and child survival has advanced remarkably over the past few decades, many healthcare systems in such settings remain unable to effectively deliver pediatric advance life support management. With the introduction of the Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment plus Admission care (ETAT+)–a locally adapted pediatric advanced life support management program–in Rwandan district hospitals, we undertook this study to assess the extent to which these hospitals are prepared to provide this pediatric advanced life support management. The results of the study will shed light on the resources and support that are currently available to implement ETAT+, which aims to improve care for severely ill infants and children. Methods A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in eight district hospitals across Rwanda focusing on the availability of physical and human resources, as well as hospital services organizations to provide emergency triage, assessment and treatment plus admission care for severely ill infants and children. Results Many of essential resources deemed necessary for the provision of emergency care for severely ill infants and children were readily available (e.g. drugs and laboratory services). However, only 4/8 hospitals had BVM for newborns; while nebulizer and MDI were not available in 2/8 hospitals. Only 3/8 hospitals had F-75 and ReSoMal. Moreover, there was no adequate triage system across any of the hospitals evaluated. Further, guidelines for neonatal resuscitation and management of malaria were available in 5/8 and in 7/8 hospitals, respectively; while those for child resuscitation and management of sepsis, pneumonia, dehydration and severe malnutrition were available in less than half of the hospitals evaluated. Conclusions Our assessment provides evidence to inform new strategies

  11. Dextrose infusion and glucose disorders in people without diabetes hospitalized in general wards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman-Billard, Sylvie; Joubert, Michael; Reznik, Yves

    2013-11-01

    We measured fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on a single day in all persons without diabetes history admitted in general wards (N=1922). After age and length of stay adjustment, dextrose infusion was associated with a 3-fold increase (p<0.001) of hospital-related hyperglycemia (FPG ≥ 7 mmol/l), highlighting the need to interpret glucose disorders cautiously. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Perception of transformational leadership behaviour among general hospital nurses in Ogun State, Nigeria

    OpenAIRE

    Oluwatosin Olu-Abiodun; Olumide Abiodun

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Effective nursing leadership engenders staff retention, job satisfaction, commitment, work unit climate and client satisfaction with nursing services. This study assessed the perception of transformational leadership among nurses working in general hospitals in Nigeria. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 176 nurses in Ogun State, Nigeria. The independent student t-test was used to test the relationship between respondents’ characteristics and l...

  13. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, PEMEX. III.- September and October of 2002; Asesoria especializada en seguridad radiologica al hospital general Ciudad del Carmen, PEMEX. III.- Septiembre y Octubre de 2002

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angeles C, A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J

    2003-02-15

    The Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  14. Promoting mobility and reducing length of stay in hospitalized general medicine patients: A quality-improvement project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoyer, Erik H; Friedman, Michael; Lavezza, Annette; Wagner-Kosmakos, Kathleen; Lewis-Cherry, Robin; Skolnik, Judy L; Byers, Sherrie P; Atanelov, Levan; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Brotman, Daniel J; Needham, Dale M

    2016-05-01

    To determine whether a multidisciplinary mobility promotion quality-improvement (QI) project would increase patient mobility and reduce hospital length of stay (LOS). Implemented using a structured QI model, the project took place between March 1, 2013 and March 1, 2014 on 2 general medicine units in a large academic medical center. There were 3352 patients admitted during the QI project period. The Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility (JH-HLM) scale, an 8-point ordinal scale ranging from bed rest (score = 1) to ambulating ≥250 feet (score = 8), was used to quantify mobility. Changes in JH-HLM scores were compared for the first 4 months of the project (ramp-up phase) versus 4 months after project completion (post-QI phase) using generalized estimating equations. We compared the relative change in median LOS for the project months versus 12 months prior among the QI units, using multivariable linear regression analysis adjusting for 7 demographic and clinically relevant variables. Comparing the ramp-up versus post-QI phases, patients reaching JH-HLM's ambulation status increased from 43% to 70% (P mobility scores between admission and discharge increased from 32% to 45% (P 7 days), were associated with a significantly greater adjusted median reduction in LOS of 1.11 (95% CI: -1.53 to -0.65, P mobility was not associated with an increase in injurious falls compared to 12 months prior on the QI units (P = 0.73). Active prevention of a decline in physical function that commonly occurs during hospitalization may be achieved with a structured QI approach. In an adult medicine population, our QI project was associated with improved mobility, and this may have contributed to a reduction in LOS, particularly for more complex patients with longer expected hospital stay. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  15. Profilaxia para tromboembolia venosa em um hospital geral Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in a general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Fuzinatto

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prática de profilaxia para tromboembolia venosa (TEV em pacientes em um hospital geral. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte transversal conduzido no Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, localizado na cidade de Porto Alegre (RS, com uma amostra constituída de pacientes internados selecionados randomicamente entre outubro de 2008 e fevereiro de 2009. Foram incluídos pacientes maiores de 18 anos e internados por mais de 48 h. Os critérios de exclusão foram pacientes em uso de anticoagulantes, história de doença tromboembólica, gestação e puerpério. A adequação da profilaxia foi avaliada seguindo as recomendações de um protocolo criado pela instituição e tendo como base principal a diretriz da American College of Chest Physician, oitava edição. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 262 pacientes com média de idade de 59,1 ± 16,6 anos. Os fatores de risco mais comuns foram imobilização (70,6%, infecção (44,3%, câncer (27,5%, obesidade (23,3% e cirurgia maior (14,1%. Na avaliação do nível de risco para TEV, 143 (54,6% e 117 pacientes (44,7%, respectivamente, foram classificados como de risco alto e moderado. No geral, 46,2% dos pacientes tiveram profilaxia adequada, assim como 25% dos pacientes com três ou mais fatores de risco e 18% dos pacientes com câncer, e houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre esses grupos quando comparados àqueles com menos de três fatores de risco e sem câncer (p OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of venous thromboembolism (VTE prophylaxis in a general hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional cohort study at the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, located in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, involving a random sample of patients admitted between October of 2008 and February of 2009. We included patients over 18 years of age and hospitalized for more than 48 h. The exclusion criteria were anticoagulant use, pregnancy, puerperium, and a history of thromboembolic disease. The

  16. Dysphagia referrals to a district general hospital gastroenterology unit: hard to swallow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melleney, Elizabeth Mary-Ann; Subhani, Javaid Mohammed; Willoughby, Charles Peter

    2004-01-01

    The aim of our study was to audit dysphagia referrals received by a specialist gastroenterology unit during an entire year. We used a prospective audit carried out over a 12-month period at the District General Hospital gastroenterology unit. The audit included 396 consecutive patients who were referred with swallowing difficulties. We found that 60 referrals (15.2%) were inaccurate and the patients had no swallowing problem. Of the 336 patients with genuine dysphagia, only 29 (8.6%) were new cancer cases. The large majority of subjects had benign disease mostly related to acid reflux. Weight loss was significantly associated with malignancy but also occurred in one third of patients with reflux alone. The temporal pattern of dysphagia was not significantly predictive of cancer. All the cancer patients were above the age of 50 years. Although patients were in general assessed rapidly after hospital referral, the productivity, in terms of early tumor diagnosis, was extremely low. We conclude that there is a substantial rate of inaccurate referrals of dysphagia patients. Most true cases of swallowing difficulty relate to benign disease. Even the devotion of considerable resources to the early diagnosis of esophago gastric malignancy in an attempt to conform with best practice guidelines results in a very low success rate in terms of the detection of potentially curable tumors.

  17. Impact of electronic prescribing in a hospital setting: a process-focused evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Thomas R; Geller, E Scott; Clarke, Steven W

    2008-08-01

    To evaluate effects of a natural CPOE implementation in a hospital setting and inform the efficacy of using CPOE rather than traditional paper medication orders. A multiple-baseline, quasi-experimental study of a naturally occurring CPOE intervention, with a non-equivalent control site. Compliance with medication-ordering protocols and time to first dose of antibiotics. Medication orders placed using CPOE were significantly more compliant than paper-based medication orders, and first doses of antibiotics were delivered significantly faster when ordered with CPOE than when placed using the standard paper-based system (p<.01). Findings support the use of CPOE and justify the need for interventions to increase CPOE adoption and consistent use among physicians.

  18. Job satisfaction of nurses who work in private psychiatric hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronson, Keith R

    2005-01-01

    This study assessed the job satisfaction of nurses who work in private psychiatric hospitals. In 1998 and 1999 an anonymous employee satisfaction survey was completed by all 3,024 employees of 39 for-profit psychiatric hospitals owned by the same hospital corporation. Of this total, 546 were registered nurses (RNs). Generally RNs reported fair levels of satisfaction. They reported high levels of pride in their hospitals but low levels of satisfaction with the parent company. Differences in satisfaction were noted as a function of work shift, supervisory role, work setting, and tenure. RNs were less satisfied than employees in all other hospital job classifications. RNs' low level of satisfaction relative to other positions is concerning.

  19. The Generalized Higher Criticism for Testing SNP-Set Effects in Genetic Association Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Ian; Mukherjee, Rajarshi; Lin, Xihong

    2017-01-01

    It is of substantial interest to study the effects of genes, genetic pathways, and networks on the risk of complex diseases. These genetic constructs each contain multiple SNPs, which are often correlated and function jointly, and might be large in number. However, only a sparse subset of SNPs in a genetic construct is generally associated with the disease of interest. In this article, we propose the generalized higher criticism (GHC) to test for the association between an SNP set and a disease outcome. The higher criticism is a test traditionally used in high-dimensional signal detection settings when marginal test statistics are independent and the number of parameters is very large. However, these assumptions do not always hold in genetic association studies, due to linkage disequilibrium among SNPs and the finite number of SNPs in an SNP set in each genetic construct. The proposed GHC overcomes the limitations of the higher criticism by allowing for arbitrary correlation structures among the SNPs in an SNP-set, while performing accurate analytic p-value calculations for any finite number of SNPs in the SNP-set. We obtain the detection boundary of the GHC test. We compared empirically using simulations the power of the GHC method with existing SNP-set tests over a range of genetic regions with varied correlation structures and signal sparsity. We apply the proposed methods to analyze the CGEM breast cancer genome-wide association study. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. PMID:28736464

  20. Changing Smoking Behavior of Staff at Dr. Zainoel Abidin Provincial General Hospital, Banda Aceh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Said Usman

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Smoking tobacco is a habit of individuals. Determinants of smoking behavior are multiple factors both within the individual and in the social environment around the individual. Staff smoking has been an undesirable phenomenon at Dr. Zainoel Abidin Provincial General Hospital in Banda Aceh. Health promotion efforts are a strategy that has resulted in behavioral changes with reductions in smoking by staff. This action research was designed to analyze changes in smoking behavior of hospital staff. The sample for this research was all 152 male staff who were smokers. The results of this research showed that Health Promotion Interventions (HPI consisting of personal empowerment plus social support and advocacy to improve employee knowledge and attitudes influenced staff to stop or to significantly. HPI employed included counseling programs, distribution of antismoking leaflets, putting up antismoking posters, and installation of no smoking signs. These HPI proved effective to increase knowledge and create a positive attitude to nonsmoking that resulted in major reductions in smoking by staff when offsite and complete cessation of smoking whilst in the hospital. Continuous evaluation, monitoring, and strengthening of policies banning smoking should be maintained in all hospitals.

  1. Patient flow based allocation of hospital resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vissers, J M

    1995-01-01

    The current practice of allocating resources within a hospital introduces peaks and troughs in the workloads of departments and leads therefore to loss of capacity. This happens when requirements for capacity coordination are not adequately taken into account in the decision making process of allocating resources to specialties. The first part of this research involved an analysis of the hospital's production system on dependencies between resources, resulting in a number of capacity coordination requirements that need to be fulfilled for optimized resource utilization. The second, modelling, part of the study involved the development of a framework for resource management decision making, of a set of computer models to support hospital managerial decision making on resource allocation issues in various parts of the hospital, and of an implementation strategy for the application of the models to concrete hospital settings. The third part of the study was devoted to a number of case-studies, illustrating the use of the models when applied in various resource management projects, such as a reorganization of an operating theatre timetable, or the development of a master plan for activities of a group of general surgeons serving two locations of a merged hospital system. The paper summarizes the main findings of the study and concludes with a discussion of results obtained with the new allocation procedure and with recommendations for future research.

  2. Exclusive contracts in the hospital setting: a two-edged sword, part 1: legal issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portman, Robert M

    2007-05-01

    Hospitals routinely enter into contracts with radiology groups for the right to be the exclusive provider of radiology services at the facility in exchange for the group agreeing to provide and manage all aspects of that service within the hospital. These "exclusive contracts" generally result in the radiology department and associated equipment being closed off to physicians who are not part of the contracting group. Exclusive contracts are generally considered to be good for physicians who have them and bad for those excluded by them. In fact, while exclusive contracts offer obvious benefits to the physicians who receive them and obvious disadvantages for those who are excluded, they also present pitfalls for physicians in the chosen group. Part I of this article discusses the legal issues raised by exclusive contracts. Although these agreements appear to be anti-competitive, most courts have rejected antitrust challenges to exclusive contracts. Excluded physicians have had much greater success in attacking exclusive contracting arrangements on breach of contract and procedural/due process grounds. Exclusive contracting arrangements can also raise concerns under the Medicare-Medicaid anti-kickback statute if the contracting physicians are required to pay consideration or accept less than fair market value compensation in exchange for exclusive contracts. These agreements can also raise issues under the Stark II physician self-referral law if the contracting physicians are in a position to refer Medicare or Medicaid patients to the hospital. Part II of this article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of exclusive contracts for physicians covered and not covered by such contracts, as well as strategies for avoiding them or minimizing their potential adverse impact. It also will discuss specific provisions of exclusive contracts that should be included or avoided.

  3. Nurses' experiences of inpatients suicide in a general hospital*

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirriam Matandela

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available When suicide occurs, it is regarded as an adverse event. Often, little attention is given to the nurses who cared for the patients prior to the adverse event. Instead the affected nurses are expected to write statements and incident reports about the adverse event. The aim was to explore the experiences of nurses who cared for patients who successfully committed suicide whilst admitted at a specific general hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative exploratory research was conducted. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of six nurses and content analysis was done. Nurses experienced feelings of shock; blame and condemnation; inadequacy and feared reprisal. This study suggests a basis for development of support strategies to assist the nurses to deal with their emotions following experience of adverse events.

  4. The role of the Director Zmago Slokan in the development of Maribor General Hospital in the first period after the Second World War (1953-1970).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivec, Gregor

    2015-12-01

    The author explores and explains the role of the director of Maribor General Hospital in the first period after Second World War. The period was problematic on account of the difficult economic situation and changes in the political system. On one hand the hospital suffered relatively large damage due to bombing attacks during the war and on the other it had to face numerous staffing problems, especially with a lack of physicians and trained nursing staff (from 1948 an executive order entered into force forbidding the nursing nuns from performing nursing care in hospitals). The change in the political system required the management of the hospital to be taken over by an individual who enjoyed the political, professional and economic trust of the then authorities. Based on his engagement during the Second World War, the director, Zmago Slokan, represented a form of guarantee for the political system of that time, which nevertheless wanted the quality-based, professional and economic progress of the hospital. Using his personal characteristics, professional medical and economic knowledge as well as political experience, he was able to manage different tendencies to continue the quality-based progress of the institution. Thus, he set a proper foundation for its development in the periods that followed, in the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia as well as in the independent Republic of Slovenia (after 1991). The author discusses the role of the director in the hospital's progress chronologically.

  5. [Prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders in cardiovascular outpatients from 14 tertiary general hospitals of 5 Chinese cities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guo; Jiang, Ronghuan; Guo, Chengjun; Liu, Meiyan; Zhang, Lijun

    2014-12-01

    To explore the prevalence of depression and (or) anxiety disorders among cardiovascular outpatients of tertiary general hospitals of five Chinese cities. A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the cardiovascular out-patient departments of 14 tertiary general hospitals in five Chinese cities. The patients aged 18 years and over were recruited consecutively, who were conscious and with informed consent, and can finish the questionnaire independently. All the subjects were screened with Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). The subjects with HADS score of 8 and over were interviewed and diagnosed by psychiatrists using mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI). The physicians made the diagnosis and management without knowing the results of MINI and HADS score. Subjects who refused MINI were defined as the case of loss of follow-up. A total 2 123 subjects were included in the survey. The adjusted prevalence rate of depressive and anxiety disorder was 4.05% (86/2 123), the depressive and/or anxiety disorder was 14.27 % (303/2 123), depressive and anxiety disorder and mixed depressive or anxiety disorder was 14.37% (305/2 123) according to MINI. The adjusted prevalence of lifetime depressive and anxiety disorder was 5.37% (114/2 123), depressive and/or anxiety disorder was 16.91% (359/2 123), depressive and anxiety disorder and mixed depressive-anxiety disorder was 17.00% (361/2 123). There is a high prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorder among cardiovascular outpatients from tertiary general hospitals in China. Therefore, doctors must pay attention to this disorder and try to reduce the impact of this disorder in cardiovascular patients.

  6. Substantial shifts in ranking of California hospitals by hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection following adjustment for hospital characteristics and case mix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tehrani, David M; Phelan, Michael J; Cao, Chenghua; Billimek, John; Datta, Rupak; Nguyen, Hoanglong; Kwark, Homin; Huang, Susan S

    2014-10-01

    States have established public reporting of hospital-associated (HA) infections-including those of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-but do not account for hospital case mix or postdischarge events. Identify facility-level characteristics associated with HA-MRSA infection admissions and create adjusted hospital rankings. A retrospective cohort study of 2009-2010 California acute care hospitals. We defined HA-MRSA admissions as involving MRSA pneumonia or septicemia events arising during hospitalization or within 30 days after discharge. We used mandatory hospitalization and US Census data sets to generate hospital population characteristics by summarizing across admissions. Facility-level factors associated with hospitals' proportions of HA-MRSA infection admissions were identified using generalized linear models. Using state methodology, hospitals were categorized into 3 tiers of HA-MRSA infection prevention performance, using raw and adjusted values. Among 323 hospitals, a median of 16 HA-MRSA infections (range, 0-102) per 10,000 admissions was found. Hospitals serving a greater proportion of patients who had serious comorbidities, were from low-education zip codes, and were discharged to locations other than home were associated with higher HA-MRSA infection risk. Total concordance between all raw and adjusted hospital rankings was 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.51). Among 53 community hospitals in the poor-performance category, more than 20% moved into the average-performance category after adjustment. Similarly, among 71 hospitals in the superior-performance category, half moved into the average-performance category after adjustment. When adjusting for nonmodifiable facility characteristics and case mix, hospital rankings based on HA-MRSA infections substantially changed. Quality indicators for hospitals require adequate adjustment for patient population characteristics for valid interhospital performance comparisons.

  7. [A cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of depressive-anxiety disorders among general hospital outpatients in five cities in China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yan-ling; Ma, Hong; Zhang, Lan; Liu, Zhe-ning; Jia, Fu-jun; Zhang, Ming-yuan

    2009-09-01

    To find the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders among general hospital outpatients and to evaluate the diagnoses and treatment provided by physicians in China. A multi-center, hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 8478 subjects were screened by using HADS and PHQ-15 together with medical history review list and were followed by regular clinical visit process. Physician's diagnoses and management were recorded. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to evaluate by psychiatrists afterwards for 4172 subjects scored >or= 8 on HADS. The adjusted prevalence rates of MINI-diagnosed depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, depression and anxiety, depression or anxiety disorders were 12.0%, 8.6%, 4.1% and 16.5%, respectively. The prevalence of depressive and/or anxiety disorder in outpatients visiting department of neurology and digestive diseases were higher than that in patients visiting departments of cardiovascular diseases and gynecology with statistical significance (P depressive and/or anxiety disorders were found in the general hospitals. In order to improve the status quo, training program for physicians and specialists other than psychiatric professionals in general hospitals should be enhanced together with psychiatric consultation.

  8. General aspects of radiological protection to consider for the licensing a hospital cyclotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrada Contardi, F.A.; Fruttero, N.H.; Bozzo, R.H.; Moschella, E.G.

    2010-01-01

    The use of PET/PET-CT studies for a variety of diagnoses has increased significantly on a global scale. Modern medical cyclotrons must be placed in or near hospitals on account of the short radioactive half-life of the pharmaceuticals used in such studies. Many countries in Latin America are now licensing cyclotrons and laboratories for the production of radio-pharmaceuticals for the first time, and most are expected to have installations within the near future. This report outlines the general aspects of radiological protection important to consideration during the licensing of these facilities, and includes the following: general operation of the cyclotron and laboratory for the production of radiopharmaceuticals, safety systems (shielding, interlocks, ventilation, manual safety systems, alarms and monitors), and general aspects for licensing an installation (monitoring, accidental and incidental events, activation of components, etc.) and personnel. (authors) [es

  9. Molecular basis sets - a general similarity-based approach for representing chemical spaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghavendra, Akshay S; Maggiora, Gerald M

    2007-01-01

    A new method, based on generalized Fourier analysis, is described that utilizes the concept of "molecular basis sets" to represent chemical space within an abstract vector space. The basis vectors in this space are abstract molecular vectors. Inner products among the basis vectors are determined using an ansatz that associates molecular similarities between pairs of molecules with their corresponding inner products. Moreover, the fact that similarities between pairs of molecules are, in essentially all cases, nonzero implies that the abstract molecular basis vectors are nonorthogonal, but since the similarity of a molecule with itself is unity, the molecular vectors are normalized to unity. A symmetric orthogonalization procedure, which optimally preserves the character of the original set of molecular basis vectors, is used to construct appropriate orthonormal basis sets. Molecules can then be represented, in general, by sets of orthonormal "molecule-like" basis vectors within a proper Euclidean vector space. However, the dimension of the space can become quite large. Thus, the work presented here assesses the effect of basis set size on a number of properties including the average squared error and average norm of molecular vectors represented in the space-the results clearly show the expected reduction in average squared error and increase in average norm as the basis set size is increased. Several distance-based statistics are also considered. These include the distribution of distances and their differences with respect to basis sets of differing size and several comparative distance measures such as Spearman rank correlation and Kruscal stress. All of the measures show that, even though the dimension can be high, the chemical spaces they represent, nonetheless, behave in a well-controlled and reasonable manner. Other abstract vector spaces analogous to that described here can also be constructed providing that the appropriate inner products can be directly

  10. Cost-utility of collaborative care for the treatment of comorbid major depressive disorder in outpatients with chronic physical conditions. A randomized controlled trial in the general hospital setting (CC-DIM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goorden M

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Maartje Goorden,1 Christina M van der Feltz-Cornelis,2,3 Kirsten M van Steenbergen-Weijenburg,4 Eva K Horn,5 Aartjan TF Beekman,6,7 Leona Hakkaart-van Roijen1 1Institute of Health Policy and Management (iBMG/Institute for Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, 2Tranzo Department, Tilburg University, 3Clinical Centre of Excellence for Body, Mind and Health, GGzBreburg, Tilburg, 4Trimbos Instituut, Utrecht, 5Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, 6Department of Psychiatry, 7EMGO+ Research Institute VUmc, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Purpose: Major depressive disorder (MDD is highly prevalent in patients with a chronic physical condition, and this comorbidity has a negative influence on quality of life, health care costs, self-care, morbidity, and mortality. Research has shown that collaborative care (CC may be a cost-effective treatment. However, its cost-effectiveness in this patient group has not yet been established. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-utility of CC for the treatment of comorbid MDD in chronically ill patients in the outpatient general hospital setting. The study was conducted from a health care and societal perspective.Patients and methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 81 patients with moderate-to-severe MDD were included; 42 were randomly assigned to the CC group and 39 to the care as usual (CAU group. We applied the TiC-P, short-form Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire, and EuroQol EQ-5D 3 level version, measuring the use of health care, informal care, and household work, respectively, at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months follow-up.Results: The mean annual direct medical costs in the CC group were €6,718 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3,541 to 10,680 compared to €4,582 (95% CI: 2,782 to 6,740 in the CAU group. The average quality-adjusted life years (QALYs gained were 0.07 higher

  11. Readmissions due to traffic accidents at a general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paiva, Luciana; Monteiro, Damiana Aparecida Trindade; Pompeo, Daniele Alcalá; Ciol, Márcia Aparecida; Dantas, Rosana Aparecida Spadotti; Rossi, Lídia Aparecida

    2015-01-01

    to verify the occurrence and the causes of hospital readmissions within a year after discharge from hospitalizations due to traffic accidents. victims of multiple traumas due to traffic accidents were included, who were admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. Sociodemographic data, accident circumstances, body regions affected and cause of readmission were collected from the patient histories. among the 109 victims of traffic accidents, the majority were young and adult men. Most hospitalizations due to accidents involved motorcycle drivers (56.9%). The causes of the return to the hospital were: need to continue the surgical treatment (63.2%), surgical site infection (26.3%) and fall related to the physical sequelae of the trauma (10.5%). The rehospitalization rate corresponded to 174/1,000 people/year. the hospital readmission rate in the study population is similar to the rates found in other studies. Victims of severe limb traumas need multiple surgical procedures, lengthier hospitalizations and extended rehabilitation.

  12. Readmissions due to traffic accidents at a general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana Paiva

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available AbstractObjective: to verify the occurrence and the causes of hospital readmissions within a year after discharge from hospitalizations due to traffic accidents.Methods: victims of multiple traumas due to traffic accidents were included, who were admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. Sociodemographic data, accident circumstances, body regions affected and cause of readmission were collected from the patient histories.Results: among the 109 victims of traffic accidents, the majority were young and adult men. Most hospitalizations due to accidents involved motorcycle drivers (56.9%. The causes of the return to the hospital were: need to continue the surgical treatment (63.2%, surgical site infection (26.3% and fall related to the physical sequelae of the trauma (10.5%. The rehospitalization rate corresponded to 174/1,000 people/year.Conclusion: the hospital readmission rate in the study population is similar to the rates found in other studies. Victims of severe limb traumas need multiple surgical procedures, lengthier hospitalizations and extended rehabilitation.

  13. Generalization of the Classic Combination Rules to DSm Hyper-Power Sets

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Daniel, Milan

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 20, - (2006), s. 50-64 ISSN 1311-1493 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET100300419 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : Dempster-Shafer theory * Dempster's rule * Yager's rule * Dubois-Prade's rule * DSm theory * hyper-power set * DSm model * DSm rule of combination Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics http://procon.bg/node/1485

  14. Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety amongst Cancer Patients in a Hospital Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anish Khalil

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The biomedical care for cancer has not been complemented by psychosocial progressions in cancer care. Objectives. To find the prevalence of anxiety and depression amongst cancer patients in a hospital setting. Design and Setting. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the tertiary care hospitals Shifa International Hospital Islamabad and Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, and Radiotherapy Institute [NORI]. Patients and Methods. 300 patients were interviewed from both the outpatient and inpatient department using The Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (AKUADS. Main Outcome Measures. Using a score of 20 and above on the AKUADS, 146 (48.7% patients were suffering from anxiety and depression. Results. When cross tabulation was done between different factors and the cancer patients with anxiety and depression, the following factors were found out to be significant with associated p value < 0.05: education of the patient, presence of cancer in the family, the severity of pain, and the patient’s awareness of his anxiety and depression. Out of 143 (47.7% uneducated patients, 85 (59.4% were depressed, hence making it the highest educational category suffering from depression and anxiety. Conclusion. The prevalence of anxiety and depression amongst cancer patients was high showing that importance should be given to screening and counseling cancer patients for anxiety and depression, to help them cope with cancer as a disease and its impact on their mental wellbeing. Limitations. The frequency of female patients in our research was higher than those of male patients.

  15. Vascular disease in women: comparison of diagnoses in hospital episode statistics and general practice records in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wright F

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Electronic linkage to routine administrative datasets, such as the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES in England, is increasingly used in medical research. Relatively little is known about the reliability of HES diagnostic information for epidemiological studies. In the United Kingdom (UK, general practitioners hold comprehensive records for individuals relating to their primary, secondary and tertiary care. For a random sample of participants in a large UK cohort, we compared vascular disease diagnoses in HES and general practice records to assess agreement between the two sources. Methods Million Women Study participants with a HES record of hospital admission with vascular disease (ischaemic heart disease [ICD-10 codes I20-I25], cerebrovascular disease [G45, I60-I69] or venous thromboembolism [I26, I80-I82] between April 1st 1997 and March 31st 2005 were identified. In each broad diagnostic group and in women with no such HES diagnoses, a random sample of about a thousand women was selected for study. We asked each woman’s general practitioner to provide information on her history of vascular disease and this information was compared with the HES diagnosis record. Results Over 90% of study forms sent to general practitioners were returned and 88% of these contained analysable data. For the vast majority of study participants for whom information was available, diagnostic information from general practice and HES records was consistent. Overall, for 93% of women with a HES diagnosis of vascular disease, general practice records agreed with the HES diagnosis; and for 97% of women with no HES diagnosis of vascular disease, the general practitioner had no record of a diagnosis of vascular disease. For severe vascular disease, including myocardial infarction (I21-22, stroke, both overall (I60-64 and by subtype, and pulmonary embolism (I26, HES records appeared to be both reliable and complete. Conclusion Hospital admission data

  16. Inertial Sensor-Based Robust Gait Analysis in Non-Hospital Settings for Neurological Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Can Tunca

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The gold standards for gait analysis are instrumented walkways and marker-based motion capture systems, which require costly infrastructure and are only available in hospitals and specialized gait clinics. Even though the completeness and the accuracy of these systems are unquestionable, a mobile and pervasive gait analysis alternative suitable for non-hospital settings is a clinical necessity. Using inertial sensors for gait analysis has been well explored in the literature with promising results. However, the majority of the existing work does not consider realistic conditions where data collection and sensor placement imperfections are imminent. Moreover, some of the underlying assumptions of the existing work are not compatible with pathological gait, decreasing the accuracy. To overcome these challenges, we propose a foot-mounted inertial sensor-based gait analysis system that extends the well-established zero-velocity update and Kalman filtering methodology. Our system copes with various cases of data collection difficulties and relaxes some of the assumptions invalid for pathological gait (e.g., the assumption of observing a heel strike during a gait cycle. The system is able to extract a rich set of standard gait metrics, including stride length, cadence, cycle time, stance time, swing time, stance ratio, speed, maximum/minimum clearance and turning rate. We validated the spatio-temporal accuracy of the proposed system by comparing the stride length and swing time output with an IR depth-camera-based reference system on a dataset comprised of 22 subjects. Furthermore, to highlight the clinical applicability of the system, we present a clinical discussion of the extracted metrics on a disjoint dataset of 17 subjects with various neurological conditions.

  17. How do Perceptions of Autonomy Differ in General Surgery Training Between Faculty, Senior Residents, Hospital Administrators, and the General Public? A Multi-Institutional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempenich, Jason W; Willis, Ross E; Rakosi, Robert; Wiersch, John; Schenarts, Paul Joseph

    2015-01-01

    Identify barriers to resident autonomy in today's educational environment as perceived through 4 selected groups: senior surgical residents, teaching faculty, hospital administration, and the general public. Anonymous surveys were created and distributed to senior residents, faculty, and hospital administrators working within 3 residency programs. The opinions of a convenience sample of the general public were also assessed using a similar survey. Keesler Medical Center, Keesler AFB, MS; the University of Texas Health Science of San Antonio, TX; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. A total of 169 responses were collected: 32 residents, 50 faculty, 20 administrators, and 67 general public. Faculty and residents agree that when attending staff grant more autonomy, residents' self-confidence and sense of ownership improve. Faculty felt that residents should have less autonomy than residents did (p autonomy at their institution, 47% of residents felt that they had too little autonomy and 38% of faculty agreed. No resident or faculty felt that residents had too much autonomy at their institution. The general public were more welcoming of resident participation than faculty (p = 0.002) and administrators (p = 0.02) predicted they would be. When the general public were asked regarding their opinions about resident participation with complex procedures, they were less welcoming than faculty, administrators, and residents thought (p autonomy as important for resident development. The general public are more receptive to resident participation than anticipated. However, with increasing procedural complexity and resident independence, they were less inclined to have residents involved. The general public also had more concerns regarding quality of care provided by residents than the other groups had. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Workplace violence directed at nursing staff at a general hospital in southern Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamchuchat, Chalermrat; Chongsuvivatwong, Virasakdi; Oncheunjit, Suparnee; Yip, Teem Wing; Sangthong, Rassamee

    2008-01-01

    This study aimed to document the characteristics of workplace violence directed at nursing staff, an issue which has rarely been studied in a developing country. Two study methods, a survey and a key informant interview, were conducted at a general hospital in southern Thailand. A total of 545 out of 594 questionnaires sent were returned for statistical analysis (response rate=91.7%). The 12-month prevalence of violence experience was 38.9% for verbal abuse, 3.1% for physical abuse, and 0.7% for sexual harassment. Psychological consequences including poor relationships with colleagues and family members were the major concerns. Patients and their relatives were the main perpetrators in verbal and physical abuse while co-workers were the main perpetrators in cases of sexual harassment. Common factors to incidents of violence were psychological setting, illness of the perpetrators, miscommunication, and alcohol use. Logistic regression analysis showed younger age to be a personal risk factor. Working in the out-patient unit, trauma and emergency unit, operating room, or medical or surgical unit increased the odds of violence by 80%. Training related to violence prevention and control was found to be effective and decreased the risk of being a victim of violence by 40%. We recommend providing training to high risk groups as a means of controlling workplace violence directed at nursing staff.

  19. Nursing Education Interventions for Managing Acute Pain in Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes and Teaching Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drake, Gareth; de C Williams, Amanda C

    2017-02-01

    The objective of this review was to examine the effects of nursing education interventions on clinical outcomes for acute pain management in hospital settings, relating interventions to health care behavior change theory. Three databases were searched for nursing education interventions from 2002 to 2015 in acute hospital settings with clinical outcomes reported. Methodological quality was rated as strong, moderate, or weak using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for quantitative studies. The 12 eligible studies used varied didactic and interactive teaching methods. Several studies had weaknesses attributable to selection biases, uncontrolled confounders, and lack of blinding of outcome assessors. No studies made reference to behavior change theory in their design. Eight of the 12 studies investigated nursing documentation of pain assessment as the main outcome, with the majority reporting positive effects of education interventions on nursing pain assessment. Of the remaining studies, two reported mixed findings on patient self-report of pain scores as the key measure, one reported improvements in patient satisfaction with pain management after a nursing intervention, and one study found an increase in nurses' delivery of a relaxation treatment following an intervention. Improvements in design and evaluation of nursing education interventions are suggested, drawing on behavior change theory and emphasizing the relational, contextual, and emotionally demanding nature of nursing pain management in hospital settings. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Implementation of Patient Safety and Patient-Centeredness Strategies in Iranian Hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghaei Hashjin, Asgar; Kringos, Dionne S.; Manoochehri, Jila; Ravaghi, Hamid; Klazinga, Niek S.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To examine the extent of implementation for patient safety (PS) and patient-centeredness (PC) strategies and their association with hospital characteristics (type, ownership, teaching status, annual evaluation grade) in Iran. Methods A cross-sectional study through an adapted version of the MARQuIS questionnaire, eliciting information from hospital and nursing managers in 84 Iranian hospitals on the implementation of PS and PC strategies in 2009–2010. Results The majority of hospitals reported to have implemented 84% of the PS and 72% of the PC strategies. In general, implementation of PS strategies was unrelated to the type of hospital, with the exception of health promotion reports, which were more common in the Social Security Organization (SSO), and MRSA testing, which was reported more often in nonprofit hospitals. MRSA testing was also more common among teaching hospitals compared to non-teaching hospitals. The higher grade hospitals reported PS strategies significantly more frequently than lower grade hospitals. Overall, there was no significant difference in the reported implementation of PC strategies across general and specialized hospitals; except for the provision of information in different languages and recording of patient’s diet which were reported significantly more often by general than specialized hospitals. Moreover, patient hotel services were more common in private compared to public hospitals. Conclusions Despite substantial reporting of PS and PC strategies, there is still room for strengthening standard setting on safety, patient services and patient-centered information strategies in Iranian hospitals. To assure effective implementation of PS and PC strategies, enforcing standards, creating a PS and PC culture, increasing organizational responsiveness, and partnering with patients and their families need more attention. PMID:25268797

  1. Implementation of patient safety and patient-centeredness strategies in Iranian hospitals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asgar Aghaei Hashjin

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent of implementation for patient safety (PS and patient-centeredness (PC strategies and their association with hospital characteristics (type, ownership, teaching status, annual evaluation grade in Iran. METHODS: A cross-sectional study through an adapted version of the MARQuIS questionnaire, eliciting information from hospital and nursing managers in 84 Iranian hospitals on the implementation of PS and PC strategies in 2009-2010. RESULTS: The majority of hospitals reported to have implemented 84% of the PS and 72% of the PC strategies. In general, implementation of PS strategies was unrelated to the type of hospital, with the exception of health promotion reports, which were more common in the Social Security Organization (SSO, and MRSA testing, which was reported more often in nonprofit hospitals. MRSA testing was also more common among teaching hospitals compared to non-teaching hospitals. The higher grade hospitals reported PS strategies significantly more frequently than lower grade hospitals. Overall, there was no significant difference in the reported implementation of PC strategies across general and specialized hospitals; except for the provision of information in different languages and recording of patient's diet which were reported significantly more often by general than specialized hospitals. Moreover, patient hotel services were more common in private compared to public hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Despite substantial reporting of PS and PC strategies, there is still room for strengthening standard setting on safety, patient services and patient-centered information strategies in Iranian hospitals. To assure effective implementation of PS and PC strategies, enforcing standards, creating a PS and PC culture, increasing organizational responsiveness, and partnering with patients and their families need more attention.

  2. Implementation of patient safety and patient-centeredness strategies in Iranian hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghaei Hashjin, Asgar; Kringos, Dionne S; Manoochehri, Jila; Ravaghi, Hamid; Klazinga, Niek S

    2014-01-01

    To examine the extent of implementation for patient safety (PS) and patient-centeredness (PC) strategies and their association with hospital characteristics (type, ownership, teaching status, annual evaluation grade) in Iran. A cross-sectional study through an adapted version of the MARQuIS questionnaire, eliciting information from hospital and nursing managers in 84 Iranian hospitals on the implementation of PS and PC strategies in 2009-2010. The majority of hospitals reported to have implemented 84% of the PS and 72% of the PC strategies. In general, implementation of PS strategies was unrelated to the type of hospital, with the exception of health promotion reports, which were more common in the Social Security Organization (SSO), and MRSA testing, which was reported more often in nonprofit hospitals. MRSA testing was also more common among teaching hospitals compared to non-teaching hospitals. The higher grade hospitals reported PS strategies significantly more frequently than lower grade hospitals. Overall, there was no significant difference in the reported implementation of PC strategies across general and specialized hospitals; except for the provision of information in different languages and recording of patient's diet which were reported significantly more often by general than specialized hospitals. Moreover, patient hotel services were more common in private compared to public hospitals. Despite substantial reporting of PS and PC strategies, there is still room for strengthening standard setting on safety, patient services and patient-centered information strategies in Iranian hospitals. To assure effective implementation of PS and PC strategies, enforcing standards, creating a PS and PC culture, increasing organizational responsiveness, and partnering with patients and their families need more attention.

  3. Negative illness perceptions associated with low mental and physical health status in general hospital outpatients in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Heng; Zhao, Xudong; Fritzsche, Kurt; Salm, Florian; Leonhart, Rainer; Jing, Wei; Yang, Jianzhong; Schaefert, Rainer

    2014-01-01

    In western countries, negative illness perceptions are associated with poor health status and affect health outcomes in primary care populations. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between illness perception and mental and physical health status in general hospital outpatients in China. This multicentre, cross-sectional study analysed a total of 281 consecutive patients from four general hospital outpatient departments of internal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine in Beijing and Kunming. The patients answered questionnaires concerning illness perception (Brief-IPQ), somatic symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-15), illness behaviour (Scale for the Assessment of Illness Behaviour), emotional distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and health-related quality of life (Twelve-Item Short Form Health Survey). Negative illness perception, especially negative emotional reactions, perceived illness consequences, encumbering illness concerns, and strong illness identity were significantly associated with high emotional distress, impairing illness consequences, and a low mental and physical quality of life. Using a multiple linear regression model, five strongest correlates of negative illness perception were high anxiety, seeking diagnosis verification, low mental and physical quality of life and high somatic symptom severity. The variance explained by this model was 35%. Chinese general hospital outpatients showed associations between negative illness perceptions and poor mental and physical health status that were similar to those of primary care patients in western countries. The main difference was that no association with perceived illness control was found in Chinese patients. Chinese physicians should be sensitised to their patients' negative illness perceptions and should focus on helping patients cope with uncertainty and anxiety by providing an understandable illness model and increasing control beliefs.

  4. The Frequency and Pattern of Substance Use in Outpatients of General Hospitals

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    Behrouz Birashk

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Background:Patients with addictions have many acute and chronic medical illnesses, both related and unrelated to their addictions. In spite of high incidence of   substance-related disabilities, substance abuse is usually underdiagnosed in general   hospitals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the frequency and pattern of substance use in patients with different medical complaints.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study , 1000 outpatients, aged 17 and   older with various medical complaints were participated. The patients were attending   neurology, ENT, nephrology, ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedic, gastroenterology, surgical and dermatology clinics of four selected general hospitals. A 93 item clinicians-made scale, Rapid Situation Assessment of Drug Abuse in Iran, was used in this survey, and 30 items which focused on drug use were selected.   Results: 8.7% of the patients reported lifelong or recent substance use and Opium   was the most used substance, reported by 65.5% of the patients. Patients of neurology   ,ophthalmology and orthopedic clinics showed the highest consumption . Smoking   and injestion were the most frequent routes of substance used and the most reported   pattern of use were 2 or 4 times a day and once a week.   Conclusions: The current cohort of substance users were relatively young, and   many had reported detectable nervous system and orthopedic complications. Further   research must investigate -their outcomes in the long term.

  5. The attitudes of general hospital doctors toward patients with comorbid mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noblett, Joanne E; Lawrence, Robert; Smith, Jared G

    2015-01-01

    What are the attitudes of general hospital doctors toward patients with comorbid mental illness? Do certain characteristics of the health professional related to attitude valence to patients with comorbid mental illness? An anonymous questionnaire was sent out to a cohort of doctors working in three General Hospitals in South West London. The questionnaire included vignettes to assess the respondents' attitudes toward eight patients presenting with a physical compliant with different clinical histories, including depression, schizophrenia, personality disorder, diabetes, and criminal behavior. A total of 52 participants completed the questionnaire; 40 females and 12 males. Across all domains, the most positive attitudes were held toward patients without a diagnosis of mental illness. The least positive attitudes were toward patients with schizophrenia, personality disorder, and those classified as "criminals," and negative attitudes relating to the unpredictability of patients was identified in these categories. There was no statistically significant difference in attitudes depending on age or level of training. However, female participants tended to endorse more positive attitudinal responses, most clearly toward patients with depression and heroin addiction. Negative attitudes of doctors were identified toward certain mental illness diagnoses and are likely to contribute the physical health disparity between patients with and without a comorbid mental illness. This raises the question as to how these attitudes can be changed in order to improve the parity of physical health care between patient with and without mental illness. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Herniated Nucleus Pulposus in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung Indonesia

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    Annisa Ikhsanawati

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP is one of the most common diseases of the spine. For an optimal management and prevention, there’s a need for data on factors related to the onset of complaints because this disease lowers the quality of life and increases morbidity. This study is aimed to see the scale and pattern of the HNP in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung. Methods: This is a descriptive study with the design of case series, data was obtained from medical records of patients with the diagnosis of HNP in the inpatient care of Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital in the period of 2007–2011. Results: According to the study on 79 patients, with 43 men and 36 women, the highest incidence was at the age group of 51–60 years old (31.6% and most common occupation was civil servant (11.4%. The most common clinical symptoms were sciatica (51.9% and low back pain (51.9%. Most frequent location was in the lumbar vertebrae at the level of L5–S1 (58.2%. Trauma was found to be the highest relatable history in the patients (39.2%. Therapy of choice was primarily conservative (58.2% and most patients went home after the progression (84.8%. The year 2007 showed the highest prevalence of HNP at 25.3%. The most common clinical symptoms were sciatica (51.9% and low back pain (51.9% Conclusions: The most common clinical symptoms were sciatica and low back pain. Most frequent location was in the lumbar vertebrae at the level L5–S1.

  7. Pregnancy outcomes of women with HIV in a district general hospital in the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, L; Desouza, C; Moorcroft, A; Elgalib, A

    2018-03-12

    The aim of this study was to describe the obstetrical and virological outcomes in HIV-infected pregnant women who delivered at a district general hospital in south London in the period from 2008 to 2014. Our review identified 137 pregnancies; most (60%, 63/105) of them were unplanned. The commonest mode of delivery was spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) (42%, 48/114) followed by emergency Caesarean section (32%, 36/114). Gestational age at delivery was ≥37 weeks in most (84%, 91/106) of the cases. Maternal HIV VL at or closest to delivery was undetectable (1000 copies/mL in 73% (94/129), 90% (116/129) and 6% (8/129) of the pregnancies, respectively. None of the infants were infected with HIV making the rate of MTCT of HIV 0% (zero). Our study shows that favourable virological and obstetrical outcomes of HIV-infected pregnant women are achievable in non-tertiary HIV treatment centres. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV has been one of the major public health successes in the last decades. This success was evident by the reduction of MTCT of HIV in the UK from 25.6% in the 1993 to only 0.46% in 2011. Furthermore, many reports from individual providers, mainly from tertiary centres, of HIV care in the UK also showed very low rates MTCT of HIV. What the results of this study add: Our study shows that favourable virological and obstetrical outcomes of HIV-infected pregnant women are achievable in non-tertiary HIV treatment centres. The MTCT of HIV rate in our hospital was zero in the period from 2008 to 2014. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: Staff caring for pregnant HIV positive women in general hospitals and small-to-medium HIV clinics should liaise closely with each other and utilise the skill-mix within their hospital in order to provide a quality care that is similar to what is achieved in large teaching centres; however, a

  8. Pediatrics chest x-ray examination in general hospitals in Khartoum State

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elawad, S. O. A.

    2011-01-01

    Study was performed to evaluate radiation dose for pediatric patients undergoing chest x-ray examination in selected general radiography hospitals in Khartoum State in seven x-ray machines. x-ray tube output measurements were made in the range of typical exposure parameters using calibrated dose rate meter. To estimate entrance surface air kerma (ESA K), the radiographer in charge of the facility was asked to provide typical exposure parameters (kV, m As and FSD) for each age category (newborn (1-30 days), 1,5.10 and years). ESA K was estimated using the x-ray tube output measurements and the recorded exposure parameters. The obtained mean ESA K range from /27/ to 57/ μGy, /25 -103/ μGy, /45-128/ μGy, /47-139/ μGy and from /68-299/ μGy for newborn, 1,5,10, and 15 years patients, respectively. The estimated ESA K were within the established international reference dose values and also the values obtained in previous studies. However, variations were observed in ESA K values among hospitals under study which could be due to the differences in exposure parameters used. Also tube output has some difference on the obtained ESA K. (Author)

  9. Incidence rates of in-hospital carpal tunnel syndrome in the general population and possible associations with marital status

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    Melani Carla

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS is a socially relevant condition associated with biomechanical risk factors. We evaluated age-sex-specific incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS in central/northern Italy and explored relations with marital status. Methods Seven regions were considered (overall population, 14.9 million over 3–6-year periods between 1997 and 2002 (when out-of-hospital CTS surgery was extremely rare. Incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS were estimated based on 1 codified demographic, diagnostic and intervention data in obligatory discharge records from all Italian public/private hospitals, archived (according to residence on regional databases; 2 demographic general population data for each region. We compared (using the χscore test age-sex-specific rates between married, unmarried, divorced and widowed subsets of the general population. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs for married/unmarried men and women. Results Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years of in-hospital cases of CTS were 166 in women and 44 in men (106 overall. Married subjects of both sexes showed higher age-specific rates with respect to unmarried men/women. SIRs were calculated comparing married vs unmarried rates of both sexes: 1.59 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.57–1.60 in women, and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.40–1.45 in men. As compared with married women/men, widows/widowers both showed 2–3-fold higher incidence peaks during the fourth decade of life (beyond 50 years of age, widowed subjects showed similar trends to unmarried counterparts. Conclusion This large population-based study illustrates distinct age-related trends in men and women, and also raises the question whether marital status could be associated with CTS in the general population.

  10. Incidence rates of in-hospital carpal tunnel syndrome in the general population and possible associations with marital status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattioli, Stefano; Baldasseroni, Alberto; Curti, Stefania; Cooke, Robin M T; Bena, Antonella; de Giacomi, Giovanna; dell'Omo, Marco; Fateh-Moghadam, Pirous; Melani, Carla; Biocca, Marco; Buiatti, Eva; Campo, Giuseppe; Zanardi, Francesca; Violante, Francesco S

    2008-10-28

    Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a socially relevant condition associated with biomechanical risk factors. We evaluated age-sex-specific incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS in central/northern Italy and explored relations with marital status. Seven regions were considered (overall population, 14.9 million) over 3-6-year periods between 1997 and 2002 (when out-of-hospital CTS surgery was extremely rare). Incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS were estimated based on 1) codified demographic, diagnostic and intervention data in obligatory discharge records from all Italian public/private hospitals, archived (according to residence) on regional databases; 2) demographic general population data for each region. We compared (using the chiscore test) age-sex-specific rates between married, unmarried, divorced and widowed subsets of the general population. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for married/unmarried men and women. Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years) of in-hospital cases of CTS were 166 in women and 44 in men (106 overall). Married subjects of both sexes showed higher age-specific rates with respect to unmarried men/women. SIRs were calculated comparing married vs unmarried rates of both sexes: 1.59 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.57-1.60) in women, and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.40-1.45) in men. As compared with married women/men, widows/widowers both showed 2-3-fold higher incidence peaks during the fourth decade of life (beyond 50 years of age, widowed subjects showed similar trends to unmarried counterparts). This large population-based study illustrates distinct age-related trends in men and women, and also raises the question whether marital status could be associated with CTS in the general population.

  11. Nurses and care workers’ perceptions of their nurse-patient therapeutic relationship in private general hospitals, Gauteng, South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna E. van den Heever

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Facilitation of a therapeutic relationship is an essential skill in nursing, particularly in mental-health care. Nurses and care workers in private general hospitals are exposed to the emotional effects of physical illness as well as the increase in admission of patients with mental-health needs. Poor nurse-patient relationships have been reported by patients and in the media. The researchers experienced incidents of apparent misunderstandings during nurse-patient interactions whilst working in private general hospitals. No studies have been done regarding how nurses and care workers perceive a therapeutic relationship with patients in terms of the patients’ emotional and mental-health needs. A quantitative, contextual and deductive study was conducted in three private general hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa with a purposive sample of 154 nurses and 30 care workers. Based on the concepts of a therapeutic relationship, empathy, positive regard, genuineness, concreteness and self-exploration, nurses and care workers’ perceptions of facilitating a therapeutic relationship were self-assessed using five-point scales in a questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical techniques. Specific hypotheses were tested to identify whether statistically-significant differences existed between the perceptions of two or more groups of nurses and care workers. Results showed a general insensitivity and lack of awareness and reflection on the part of nurses and care workers with regard to the patients’ emotional needs. When categories of nurses were compared, no statistically-significant differences were found between the perceptions of the various groups tested. There is a need for self-awareness, continued interpersonal skills training and supervision of nurses and care workers. A large percentage of the participants were younger than 40 years, subprofessional, with less than 10 years’ experience as

  12. [Checklist Development for Women-Doctor-Friendly Working Conditions in a Hospital Setting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horie, Saki; Takeuchi, Masumi; Yamaoka, Kazue; Nohara, Michiko; Hasunuma, Naoko; Okinaga, Hiroko; Nomura, Kyoko

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to develop a scale of "women-doctor-friendly working conditions in a hospital setting". A task team consisting of relevant people including a medical doctor and a hospital personnel identified 36 items related to women-doctor-friendly working conditions. From December in 2012 to January in 2013, we sent a self-administered questionnaire to 807 full-time employees including faculty members and medical doctors who worked for a university-affiliated hospital. We asked them to score the extent to which they think it is necessary for women doctors to balance between work and gender role responsibilities on the basis of the Likert scale. We carried out a factor analysis and computed Cronbach's alpha to develop a scale and investigated its construct validity and reliability. Of the 807 employees, 291 returned the questionnaires (response rate, 36.1%). The item-total correlation (between an individual item score and the total score) coefficient was in the range from 0.44 to 0.68. In factor analysis, we deleted six items, and five factors were extracted on the basis of the least likelihood method with the oblique Promax rotation. The factors were termed "gender equality action in an organization", "the compliance of care leave in both sexes and parental leave in men", "balance between life events and work", "childcare support at the workplace", and "flexible employment status". The Cronbach's alpha values of all the factors and the total items were 0.82-0.89 and 0.93, respectively, suggesting that the scale we developed has high reliability. The result indicated that the scale of women-doctor-friendly working conditions consisting of five factors with 30 items is highly validated and reliable.

  13. Health Promoting Hospitals – Assessing developments in the network

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    Jürgen M. Pelikan

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Hospitals are specific organizational settings for health promotion efforts. As health care institutions they are already oriented at health, or better at ill health, but with a rather limited focus on health outcomes for patients. Therefore, the Ottawa Charter explicitly asks for the reorientation of health services. And, hospitals also have considerable health effects for other stakeholder populations. This specific potential and challenge has been taken up by the WHO network of Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH, in the last two decades. Based on available literature the article relates the HPH concept to a more general paradigm of health promoting organizational settings; reconstructs the developmental phases of the international WHO HPH Network; elaborates on its concept development and implementation experiences, and discusses its rather limited investments in evaluation studies and the few assessments from outside. HPH has developed a convincing comprehensive concept by demonstration projects, using systematically action and evaluation research. To a lesser degree, the same holds true for its developments of health promotion policies for selected vulnerable groups and linking HPH to quality methodology. But there is no systematic evaluation of health promotion in and by hospitals, especially for the networks and member hospitals of HPH. Even if much of the relevant evidence for HPH comes and will have to come from more general clinical epidemiological, health promotion, quality, organizational and management research, there is need for specific HPH evaluation research, to better utilize, what can be learned from the social experiment of HPH.

  14. Severe maternal morbidity in Zanzibar's referral hospital: Measuring the impact of in-hospital care

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herklots, T.; Acht, L. van; Meguid, T.; Franx, A.; Jacod, B.C.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: to analyse the impact of in-hospital care on severe maternal morbidity using WHO's near-miss approach in the low-resource, high mortality setting of Zanzibar's referral hospital. SETTING: Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, a tertiary care facility, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. METHODS: We identified all

  15. A General Framework for Setting Quantitative Population Objectives for Wildlife Conservation

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    Kristen E. Dybala

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss1art8Quantitative population objectives are necessary to successfully achieve conservation goals of secure or robust wildlife populations. However, existing methods for setting quantitative population objectives commonly require extensive species-specific population viability data, which are often unavailable or are based on estimates of historical population sizes, which may no longer represent feasible objectives. Conservation practitioners require an alternative, science-based method for setting long-term quantitative population objectives. We reviewed conservation biology literature to develop a general conceptual framework that represents conservation biology principles and identifies key milestones a population would be expected to pass in the process of becoming a recovered or robust population. We then synthesized recent research to propose general hypotheses for the orders of magnitude at which most populations would be expected to reach each milestone. The framework is structured as a hierarchy of four population sizes, ranging from very small populations at increased risk of inbreeding depression and extirpation (< 1,000 adults to large populations with minimized risk of extirpation (> 50,000 adults, along with additional modifiers describing steeply declining and resilient populations. We also discuss the temporal and geographic scales at which this framework should be applied. To illustrate the application of this framework to conservation planning, we outline our use of the framework to set long-term population objectives for a multi-species regional conservation plan, and discuss additional considerations in applying this framework to other systems. This general framework provides a transparent, science-based method by which conservation practitioners and stakeholders can agree on long-term population objectives of an appropriate magnitude, particularly when the alternative approaches are

  16. Exploring the Relationships between the Electronic Health Record System Components and Patient Outcomes in an Acute Hospital Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggley, Shirley L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the electronic health record system components and patient outcomes in an acute hospital setting, given that the current presidential administration has earmarked nearly $50 billion to the implementation of the electronic health record. The relationship between the…

  17. The Impact of the Hospital Volume on the Performance of Residents on the General Medicine In-Training Examination: A Multicenter Study in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, Atsushi; Tsugawa, Yusuke; Shimizu, Taro; Nishizaki, Yuji; Okubo, Tomoya; Tanoue, Yusuke; Konishi, Ryota; Shiojiri, Toshiaki; Tokuda, Yasuharu

    2016-01-01

    Objective Although several studies have been conducted worldwide on factors that might improve residents' knowledge, the relationship between the hospital volume and the internal medicine residents' knowledge has not been fully understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the relationships of the hospital volume and hospital resources with the residents' knowledge assessed by the In-training Examination. Methods We conducted a retrospective survey and a clinical knowledge evaluation of postgraduate year 1 and 2 (PGY-1 and -2) resident physicians in Japan by using the General Medicine In-training Examination (GM-ITE) in 2014. We compared the ITE score and the hospital volume. Results A total of 2,015 participants (70.6% men; age, 27.3±2.9 years old) from 208 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. Generalized estimating equations were used, and the results revealed that an increasing number of hospitalizations, decreasing staff number, decreasing age and PGY-2 were significantly associated with higher GM-ITE scores. Conclusion The hospital volume, such as the number of hospitalizations, is thus considered to have a positive impact on the GM-ITE scores.

  18. An Outcomes Study on the Effects of the Singapore General Hospital Burns Protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Weihao; Kok, Yee Onn; Tan, Bien Keem; Chong, Si Jack

    2018-01-01

    The Singapore General Hospital Burns Protocol was implemented in May 2014 to standardize treatment for all burns patients, incorporate new techniques and materials, and streamline the processes and workflow of burns management. This study aims to analyze the effects of the Burns Protocol 2 years after its implementation. Using a REDCap electronic database, all burns patients admitted from May 2013 to April 2016 were included in the study. The historical preimplementation control group composed of patients admitted from May 2013 to April 2014 (n = 96). The postimplementation prospective study cohort consisted of patients admitted from May 2014 to April 2016 (n = 243). Details of the patients collected included age, sex, comorbidities, total body surface area (TBSA) burns, time until surgery, number of surgeries, number of positive tissue and blood cultures, and length of hospital stay. There was no statistically significant difference in the demographics of both groups. The study group had a statistically significant shorter time to surgery compared with the control group (20.8 vs 38.1, P burns, was statistically significant (number of surgeries/TBSA, 0.324 vs 0.506; P = 0.0499). The study group also had significantly shorter length of stay (12.5 vs 16.8, P = 0.0273), a shorter length of stay/TBSA burns (0.874 vs 1.342, P = 0.0101), and fewer positive tissue cultures (0.6 vs 1.3, P = 0.0003). The study group also trended toward fewer positive blood culture results (0.09 vs 0.35, P = 0.0593), although the difference was just shy of statistical significance. The new Singapore General Hospital Burns Protocol had revolutionized Singapore burns care by introducing a streamlined, multidisciplinary burns management, resulting in improved patient outcomes, lowered health care costs, and improved system resource use.

  19. Control costs, enhance quality, and increase revenue in three top general public hospitals in Beijing, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lue-Ping Zhao

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: With market-oriented economic and health-care reform, public hospitals in China have received unprecedented pressures from governmental regulations, public opinions, and financial demands. To adapt the changing environment and keep pace of modernizing healthcare delivery system, public hospitals in China are expanding clinical services and improving delivery efficiency, while controlling costs. Recent experiences are valuable lessons for guiding future healthcare reform. Here we carefully study three teaching hospitals, to exemplify their experiences during this period. METHODS: We performed a systematic analysis on hospitalization costs, health-care quality and delivery efficiencies from 2006 to 2010 in three teaching hospitals in Beijing, China. The analysis measured temporal changes of inpatient cost per stay (CPS, cost per day (CPD, inpatient mortality rate (IMR, and length of stay (LOS, using a generalized additive model. FINDINGS: There were 651,559 hospitalizations during the period analyzed. Averaged CPS was stable over time, while averaged CPD steadily increased by 41.7% (P<0.001, from CNY 1,531 in 2006 to CNY 2,169 in 2010. The increasing CPD seemed synchronous with the steady rising of the national annual income per capita. Surgical cost was the main contributor to the temporal change of CPD, while medicine and examination costs tended to be stable over time. From 2006 and 2010, IMR decreased by 36%, while LOS reduced by 25%. Increasing hospitalizations with higher costs, along with an overall stable CPS, reduced IMR, and shorter LOS, appear to be the major characteristics of these three hospitals at present. INTERPRETATIONS: These three teaching hospitals have gained some success in controlling costs, improving cares, adopting modern medical technologies, and increasing hospital revenues. Effective hospital governance and physicians' professional capacity plus government regulations and supervisions may have played a role

  20. [Nursing students' perception of the learning process in a hospital setting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Elcilene Andreíne Terra Durgante; Cogo, Ana Luísa Petersen

    2014-03-01

    The aim of this study was to identijf how nursing students perceive and experience the learning process during curricular practice in a hospital setting. A qualitative, retrospective, documentary study was developed in an undergraduate nursing course. Data were comprised of 162 posts made by 34 students in the online discussion forum of the Learning Management System Moodle, during the first half of 2011. The following themes emergedfrom t he thematic content analysis: "nursing students' understanding about the professional practice," and "the teaching and learning process in the perspective of nursing students." The study demonstrated that the forum was a place for reporting experiences such as the description of the physical area, performing procedures, perception of nursing care activities, conJlicts with peers, coping with death and learning evaluation. The online discussion forum needs to be used by professors as a space of interaction so as to contribute to professional training.

  1. Gender Inequalities in Remote Settings: Analysis of 105,025 Medical Records of a Rural Hospital in Ethiopia (2005-2015).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accorsi, Sandro; Somigliana, Edgardo; Farese, Pasquale; Ademe, Tsegaye; Desta, Yonas; Putoto, Giovanni; Manenti, Fabio

    2017-08-01

    Gender inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa are deemed relevant but data to support this view are scanty. Retrospective analysis of a large dataset of 105,025 patients admitted to an Ethiopian rural private, non-for-profit hospital over a 11 years period (2005-2015). Since 2001, the hospital and the local community are involved in a long-term, comprehensive and externally-supported health care intervention. The total number of admissions was higher for females (61.9% of the total) mainly because of the high frequency of admissions for obstetrics conditions. The total male-to-female ratio (M:F) was 0.6. Except for malaria, men had more admissions for the other leading causes, with the highest M:F being found for injuries (2.7) and musculoskeletal diseases (1.7). Overall, excluding admissions for pregnancy-related issues, the M:F was 1.4. The frequency of admissions changed with age and gender. Female admissions prevailed in the reproductive age period (from 15 to 44 years of age) while males admissions prevailed in the younger and older age groups. The case fatality rate was higher for men (M:F = 2.0). The total M:F and the M:F excluding pregnancy-related admissions did not change during the study period. Gender inequalities do exist in rural remote setting but tend to affect women differently during their lifespan. Even if gender inequalities generally favor males, the substantial proportion of admissions for pregnancy-related situations is encouraging.

  2. Characteristics of patients who are admitted with or acquire Pressure Ulcers in a District General Hospital; a 3 year retrospective analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Worsley, P.R.; Smith, G.; Schoonhoven, L.; Bader, D.L.

    2016-01-01

    AIM: The study aimed to characterize demographic and clinical practice factors associated with community (CAPU) and hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU). DESIGN: A comparative retrospective evaluation of pressure ulcer data, collected from a district general hospital. METHODS: Demographic and

  3. The ethical leadership challenge: creating a culture of patient- and family-centered care in the hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piper, Llewellyn E

    2011-01-01

    The growing number of medical errors and resulting preventable deaths in hospitals presents an ethical dilemma that must be addressed by health care leaders and managers. These medical errors and deaths raise questions about safety and quality issues resulting in rising public mistrust and patient dissatisfaction. Many of these medical errors and deaths could have been avoided by including the patient and family in the care. The ethical challenge for leadership is creating a culture of patient- and family-centered care as a means to improve quality, safety, patient satisfaction, and public trust. This article addresses ways to improve safety, quality, patient satisfaction, and cost and thereby reduce medical errors and deaths by implementing a patient- and family-centered care culture. The first critical step for improvement is for hospital leaders and managers to answer the ethical call to create a culture centered on patient- and family-centered care in the hospital setting.

  4. Identifying management competencies of hotel owner-managers & general managers in the Republic of Ireland

    OpenAIRE

    O’Reilly, C

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this research was to investigate the concept of competencies, explore and identify the management competencies of hotel owner-managers and general managers in the hospitality industry in the Republic of Ireland. In other words, this research explored how hotel owner-managers and general managers identified, interpreted and made sense of their notion of managerial competencies in a complex work environment. The research was set within the context of the Irish hospitality and t...

  5. Antibiotic Conformity with Culture Results of Hospitalized Pneumonia Patients in Melati Ward at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randhi Rinaldi

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pneumonia is an infection with the highest mortality rate in Indonesian hospitals. According to The American Thoracic Society and The Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA, empirical use of antibiotics is still effective for pneumonia treatment. Inappropriate use of antibiotics would cause negative effects such as prolonged hospitalization, a high cost of treatment, and increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The goal of this study was to clarify the empirical use of antibiotic conformity with a bacteria culture. Methods: This study was conducted from August to October 2013 using a descriptive retrospective method based on 116 medical records of pneumonia patients hospitalized in Melati Ward, Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung during 2011–2012. The type of bacteria, conformity with antibiotics given to patients, and type of antibiotics were analyzed. The conformity of antibiotics was assessed based on the resistance test. If the results were sensitive, they would be put in the conforming group and in the non-conforming group if the results were resistant or intermediate. Data was derived with descriptive statistics, using percentage and frequency distribution, illustrated in tables and figures. Results: Based on culture results and sensitivity of antibiotic empirical therapy given, 55.17% cases were conformed. The most widely used antibiotic group was Third-generation Cephalosporin (60.34%. The most common bacterias were Klebsiella pneumonia (34.5% and Acinetobacter baumanni (13.8%. Conclusions: Most of the antibiotics given to pneumonia patients are still appropriate with results of the bacteria culture test and resistance test.

  6. Palonosetron versus other 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with emetogenic chemotherapy in a hospital outpatient setting in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craver, Chris; Gayle, Julie; Balu, Sanjeev; Buchner, Deborah

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated the rate of uncontrolled chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) after initiating antiemetic prophylaxis with palonosetron versus other 5-HT₃ receptor antagonists (RAs) in patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies (lymphoma and leukemia) and receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) in a hospital outpatient setting. Patients aged ≥ 18 years and diagnosed with hematologic malignancies initiating HEC or MEC and antiemetic prophylaxis with palonosetron (Group 1) and other 5-HT₃ RAs (Group 2) for the first time in a hospital outpatient setting between 4/1/2007 and 3/31/2009 were identified from the Premier Perspective Database. Within each cycle, CINV events were identified (in the hospital outpatient, inpatient, and emergency room settings) through ICD-9 codes for nausea, vomiting, and/or volume depletion (from each CT administration day 1 until the end of the CT cycle), or use of rescue medications (day 2 until the end of the CT cycle). Negative binomial distribution generalized linear multivariate regression model estimating the CINV event rate on CT, specific CT cycles, and cancer diagnosis (leukemia/lymphoma)-matched groups in the follow-up period (first of 8 cycles or 6 months) was developed. Of 971 identified patients, 211 initiated palonosetron (Group 1). Group 1 patients comprised of more females [50.2 vs. 41.4%; p = 0.0226], Whites [74.4 vs. 70.4%, and Hispanics [7.6 vs. 6.3%; all races p = 0.0105], received more HEC treatments [89.6 vs. 84.2%; all CT types p = 0.0129], and had more lymphoma diagnosed patients [89.6 vs. 76.3%; all cancer types p = 0.0033] at baseline. After controlling for differences in several demographic and clinical variables, the regression model predicted a 20.4% decrease in CINV event rate per CT cycle for Group 1 versus Group 2 patients. Study limitations include potential lack of generalizability, absence of data on certain

  7. NICU OUTCOME IN A LOW RESOURCE TEACHING HOSPITAL SETTING

    OpenAIRE

    Sunil; Adarsh; Sahana; Prema; Tamil; Purushotham; Rajanish; Sebastain

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE : To study the mortality pattern in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)in a low resource teaching hospital. METHODS : A retrospective study was conducted over a period of three years from January 2011 to December 2013. The medical records of all babies who died after being admitte d to the NICU were reviewed. Survival was defined as the discharge of a live infant from the hospital. Data regarding...

  8. Implementing an evidence-based computerized decision support system to improve patient care in a general hospital: the CODES study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moja, Lorenzo; Polo Friz, Hernan; Capobussi, Matteo; Kwag, Koren; Banzi, Rita; Ruggiero, Francesca; González-Lorenzo, Marien; Liberati, Elisa Giulia; Mangia, Massimo; Nyberg, Peter; Kunnamo, Ilkka; Cimminiello, Claudio; Vighi, Giuseppe; Grimshaw, Jeremy; Bonovas, Stefanos

    2016-07-07

    Computerized decision support systems (CDSSs) are information technology-based software that provide health professionals with actionable, patient-specific recommendations or guidelines for disease diagnosis, treatment, and management at the point-of-care. These messages are intelligently filtered to enhance the health and clinical care of patients. CDSSs may be integrated with patient electronic health records (EHRs) and evidence-based knowledge. We designed a pragmatic randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-specific, evidence-based reminders generated at the point-of-care by a multi-specialty decision support system on clinical practice and the quality of care. We will include all the patients admitted to the internal medicine department of one large general hospital. The primary outcome is the rate at which medical problems, which are detected by the decision support software and reported through the reminders, are resolved (i.e., resolution rates). Secondary outcomes are resolution rates for reminders specific to venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention, in-hospital all causes and VTE-related mortality, and the length of hospital stay during the study period. The adoption of CDSSs is likely to increase across healthcare systems due to growing concerns about the quality of medical care and discrepancy between real and ideal practice, continuous demands for a meaningful use of health information technology, and the increasing use of and familiarity with advanced technology among new generations of physicians. The results of our study will contribute to the current understanding of the effectiveness of CDSSs in primary care and hospital settings, thereby informing future research and healthcare policy questions related to the feasibility and value of CDSS use in healthcare systems. This trial is seconded by a specialty trial randomizing patients in an oncology setting (ONCO-CODES). ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2

  9. Examining sustainability in a hospital setting: case of smoking cessation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Sharon; Pieters, Karen; Mullen, Kerri-Anne; Reece, Robin; Reid, Robert D

    2011-09-14

    The Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation (OMSC) is a hospital-based smoking cessation program that is expanding across Canada. While the short-term effectiveness of hospital cessation programs has been documented, less is known about long-term sustainability. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand how hospitals using the OMSC were addressing sustainability and determine if there were critical factors or issues that should be addressed as the program expanded. Six hospitals that differed on OMSC program activities (identify and document smokers, advise quitting, provide medication, and offer follow-up) were intentionally selected, and two key informants per hospital were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Key informants were asked to reflect on the initial decision to implement the OMSC, the current implementation process, and perceived sustainability of the program. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted and themes related to problem definition, stakeholder influence, and program features emerged. Sustainability was operationalized as higher performance of OMSC activities than at baseline. Factors identified in the literature as important for sustainability, such as program design, differences in implementation, organizational characteristics, and the community environment did not explain differences in program sustainability. Instead, key informants identified factors that reflected the interaction between how the health problem was defined by stakeholders, how priorities and concerns were addressed, features of the program itself, and fit within the hospital context and resources as being influential to the sustainability of the program. Applying a sustainability model to a hospital smoking cessation program allowed for an examination of how decisions made during implementation may impact sustainability. Examining these factors during implementation may provide insight into issues affecting program

  10. [Burnout syndrome in medical residents at the General Hospital of Durango, México].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrones-Rodríguez, Jovany Francisco; Cisneros-Pérez, Vicente; Arreola-Rocha, José Jesús

    2016-01-01

    The burnout syndrome is commonly spread among health workers and students, due to the excessive demands they feel on their workspaces. Depersonalization, emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment are the areas assessed. To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome in medical residents at the General Hospital of Durango; a descriptive, prolective, cross-sectional study was designed and applied to residents of different specialties of the General Hospital of Durango who agreed to participate, the "Maslach Burnout Inventory" was applied. We surveyed 116 residents, 43.1 % (50) women and 56.89 % (66) men. The overall prevalence was 89.66 % (95 % CI: 82.63- 94.54). Affected in a single area the 48.28 % (95 % CI: 38.90-57.74), in two areas the 35.34 % (95 % CI: 26.69-44.76) and in the three areas 6.03 % (95 % CI: 2.46-12.04). Stratified by areas, high emotional exhaustion was 41.38 % (95 % CI: 32.31-50.90), high depersonalization in 54.31 % (95 % CI: 44.81-63.59), and low personal accomplishment 41.38 % (95 % CI: 32.31-50.90). The prevalence is higher than the reported. The most frequently affected is depersonalization, followed by emotional exhaustion and finally the personal accomplishment. In the areas of Gynecology and obstetrics, Internal medicine, Pediatrics and Orthopedics, the 100 % of the residents are affected.

  11. Pediatric out-of-hospital deaths following hospital discharge: a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Out-of-hospital death among children living in resource poor settings occurs frequently. Little is known about the location and circumstances of child death following a hospital discharge. Objectives: This study aimed to understand the context surrounding out-of-hospital deaths and the barriers to accessing ...

  12. Setting quality and safety priorities in a target-rich environment: an academic medical center's challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mort, Elizabeth A; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Marple, Keith B; McCullough, Kathryn Y; Meyer, Gregg S

    2013-08-01

    Hospitals are continually challenged to provide safer and higher-quality patient care despite resource constraints. With an ever-increasing range of quality and safety targets at the national, state, and local levels, prioritization is crucial in effective institutional quality goal setting and resource allocation.Organizational goal-setting theory is a performance improvement methodology with strong results across many industries. The authors describe a structured goal-setting process they have established at Massachusetts General Hospital for setting annual institutional quality and safety goals. Begun in 2008, this process has been conducted on an annual basis. Quality and safety data are gathered from many sources, both internal and external to the hospital. These data are collated and classified, and multiple approaches are used to identify the most pressing quality issues facing the institution. The conclusions are subject to stringent internal review, and then the top quality goals of the institution are chosen. Specific tactical initiatives and executive owners are assigned to each goal, and metrics are selected to track performance. A reporting tool based on these tactics and metrics is used to deliver progress updates to senior hospital leadership.The hospital has experienced excellent results and strong organizational buy-in using this effective, low-cost, and replicable goal-setting process. It has led to improvements in structural, process, and outcomes aspects of quality.

  13. Fatal outcomes among patients on maintenance haemodialysis in sub-Saharan Africa: a 10-year audit from the Douala General Hospital in Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halle, Marie Patrice; Ashuntantang, Gloria; Kaze, Francois Folefack; Takongue, Christian; Kengne, Andre-Pascal

    2016-11-03

    End-Stage Renal disease (ESRD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We assessed the occurrence, time-trend and determinants of fatal outcomes of haemodialysis-treated ESRD patients over a 10-year period in a major referral hospital in Cameroon. Medical records of ESRD patients who started chronic haemodialysis at the Douala General Hospital between 2002 and 2012 were reviewed. Baseline characteristics and fatal outcomes on dialysis were recorded. Accelerated-failure time and logistic regression models were used to investigate the determinants of death. A total of 661 patients with 436 (66 %) being men were included in the study. Mean age at dialysis initiation was 46.3 ± 14.7 years. The median [25 th -75 th percentiles] duration on dialysis was 187 [34-754] days. A total of 297 (44.9 %) deaths were recorded during follow-up with statistical difference over the years (p risk of mortality, relative to hypertension alone. Mortality in dialysis is excessively high in this setting. Because most of these premature deaths are potentially preventable, additional efforts are needed to offset the risk and maximise the benefits from the ongoing investments of the government to defray the cost of haemodialysis. Potential actions include sensitisation of the population and healthcare practitioners, early detection and referral of individuals with CKD; and additional subsidies to support the cost of managing co-morbidities in patients with CKD in general.

  14. Medical identity theft: prevention and reconciliation initiatives at Massachusetts General Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Judson, Timothy; Haas, Mark; Lagu, Tara

    2014-07-01

    Medical identity theft refers to the misuse of another individual's identifying medical information to receive medical care. Beyond the financial burden on patients, hospitals, health insurance companies, and government insurance programs, undetected cases pose major patient safety challenges. Inaccuracies in the medical record may persist even after the theft has been identified because of restrictions imposed by patient privacy laws. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH; Boston) has conducted initiatives to prevent medical identity theft and to better identify and respond to cases when they occur. Since 2007, MGH has used a notification tree to standardize reporting of red flag incidents (warning signs of identity theft, such as suspicious personal identifiers or account activity). A Data Integrity Dashboard allows for tracking and reviewing of all potential incidents of medical identity theft to detect trends and targets for mitigation. An identity-checking policy, VERI-(Verify Everyone's Identity) Safe Patient Care, requires photo identification at every visit and follow-up if it is not provided. Data from MGH suggest that an estimated 120 duplicate medical records are created each month, 25 patient encounters are likely tied to identity theft or fraud each quarter, and 14 patients are treated under the wrong medical record number each year. As of December 2013, 80%-85% of patients were showing photo identification at appointments. Although an organization's policy changes and educational campaigns can improve detection and reconciliation of medical identity theft cases, national policies should be implemented to streamline the process of correcting errors in medical records, reduce the financial disincentive for hospitals to detect and report cases, and create a single point of entry to reduce the burden on individuals and providers to reconcile cases.

  15. The Japanese Version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale: A Validation Study

    OpenAIRE

    Masako Nishiwaki; Miho Takayama; Hiroyoshi Yajima; Morihiro Nasu; Jian Kong; Nobuari Takakura

    2017-01-01

    Acupuncture sensations are considered essential in producing the treatment effect of acupuncture. The Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS) is a frequently used scale in acupuncture research to measure acupuncture sensations. We translated the MASS into Japanese (Japanese MASS) based on Beaton's guidelines. 30 acupuncturists evaluated the relevancy and meaning of the 12 descriptors included in the Japanese MASS. The content validity ratios for 10 of the 12 descript...

  16. An Integrative Literature Review of Patient Turnover in Inpatient Hospital Settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Shin Hye; Weaver, Lindsay; Mejia-Johnson, Lydia; Vukas, Rachel; Zimmerman, Julie

    2016-05-01

    High patient turnover can result in fragmentation of nursing care. It can also increase nursing workload and thus impede the ability of nurses to provide safe and high-quality care. We reviewed 20 studies that examined patient turnover in relation to nursing workload, staffing, and patient outcomes as well as interventions in inpatient hospital settings. The studies consistently addressed the importance of accounting for patient turnover when estimating nurse staffing needs. They also showed that patient turnover varied by time, day, and unit type. Researchers found that higher patient turnover was associated with adverse events; however, further research on this topic is needed because evidence on the effect of patient turnover on patient outcomes is not yet strong and conclusive. We suggest that researchers and administrators need to pay more attention to patterns and levels of patient turnover and implement managerial strategies to reduce nursing workload and improve patient outcomes. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax compared to British Thoracic Society (BTS) 2003 guidelines: a district general hospital audit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medford, Andrew Rl; Pepperell, Justin Ct

    2007-10-01

    In 1993, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) issued guidelines for the management of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). These were refined in 2003. To determine adherence to the 2003 BTS SP guidelines in a district general hospital. An initial retrospective audit of 52 episodes of acute SP was performed. Subsequent intervention involved a junior doctor educational update on both the 2003 BTS guidelines and the initial audit results, and the setting up of an online guideline hyperlink. After the educational intervention a further prospective re-audit of 28 SP episodes was performed. Management of SP deviated considerably from the 2003 BTS guidelines in the initial audit - deviation rate 26.9%. After the intervention, a number of clinical management deviations persisted (32.1% deviation rate); these included failure to insert a chest drain despite unsuccessful aspiration, and attempting aspiration of symptomatic secondary SPs. Specific tools to improve standards might include a pneumothorax proforma to improve record keeping and a pneumothorax care pathway to reduce management deviations compared to BTS guidelines. Successful change also requires identification of the total target audience for any educational intervention.

  18. Interação medicamentosa associada à reinternação hospitalar: estudo retrospectivo em um hospital geral Interacción medicamentosa asociada a la reinternación hospitalaria: estudio retrospectivo en un hospital general Hospital readmissions related to drug interactions: a retrospective study in a hospital setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiano Soares de Moura

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar a relação entre interação medicamentosa potencial e reinternação hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo com 1.487 pacientes maiores de 18 anos admitidos em um hospital geral em Vitória da Conquista, BA, de janeiro a dezembro de 2007. Os dados foram extraídos da Autorização de Internação Hospitalar do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde. O relacionamento probabilístico foi empregado para combinar múltiplas autorizações de uma mesma internação em um único registro e para identificar readmissões. Informações sobre prescrições foram agregadas manualmente aos registros do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar. Regressão logística foi utilizada para quantificar a influência de interação medicamentosa potencial e reinternação. Regressão de Cox foi empregada para testar a influência dessa variável no tempo até a primeira reinternação. RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas 99 readmissões (7% dos pacientes. Interação medicamentosa potencial foi encontrada em 35% das prescrições analisadas. Pacientes com potencial de interação medicamentosa na admissão prévia foram mais propensos à reinternação. A razão de chance ajustada indicou que esses pacientes tinham chance 2,4 vezes maior de readmissão; a taxa de risco ajustada mostrou que em pacientes com interação medicamentosa esse risco foi 79% maior (p OBJETIVO: Analizar la relación entre potencial interacción medicamentosa potencial y reinternación hospitalaria. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo con 1.487 pacientes mayores de 18 años admitidos en un hospital general en Vitória da Conquista, BA, Brasil, de enero a diciembre de 2007. Los datos fueron extraídos de la Autorización de Internación Hospitalaria del Sistema de Información Hospitalaria del Sistema Único de Salud Brasileño. La relación probabilística fue empleada para combinar múltiples autorizaciones de una misma internación en un único registro

  19. Level of awareness about breast cancer among females presenting to a general hospital in Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yousaf, A.; Khan, J.S.; Bhopal, F.G.; Iqbal, M.; Minhas, S.; Mahmood, N.; Taj, N.; Rasheed, I.

    2001-01-01

    Majority of the female patients in Pakistan with breast cancer present in advance stages, unawareness being a major factor. As surgery has a limited role in the later stages of breast cancer, the surgeons lose fight against this deadly disease before the fight has even begun, early detection of breast cancer in only possible if patients are made aware and are motivated to present early. A one-year study was carried out in Rawalpindi General Hospital to find out the level of awareness about breast cancer among females presenting to a public hospital. Among 400 patients with a breast problem 84 (21 %) had breast cancer of which 73.81% were in stage III and IV. Average time lapse was 16 months. The underlying cause of delay was ignorance. Six hundred females with no breast problem were also interviewed for their knowledge about breast cancer, 69.80% were totally ignorant, 18.40% were partly aware and only 11.80% were fully aware. 87.75% had no idea about breast self-examination, 68.2% did not understand the significance of a lump in the breast and its lethal potential. Unawareness was even prevalent among the highly educated and well to do (55%) as well as among all age groups although it was less than the illiterate (82%) and lowest income group (85%). The prime source of information were friends or relatives followed by the electronic and print media with health education playing a minor role. The level of awareness about breast cancer among Pakistani females in an urban setting was dismal and majority had a careless attitude towards seeking treatment. To ensure earlier detection of breast cancer there in a dire need of educating our female population about this deadly disease through the media and health care system in Pakistan. (author)

  20. THE EFFECT OF STORYTELLING IN A PLAY THERAPY ON ANXIETY LEVEL IN PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN DURING HOSPITALIZATION IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL OF BUTON

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mimi Yati

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Anxiety is one of the psychical stresses experienced by children during hospitalization. A storytelling in a play therapy is considered effective in reducing anxiety. Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of storytelling in a play therapy on anxiety level in pre-school children during hospitalization in the general hospital of Buton. Methods: This was a quasy-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. There were 30 pre-school children selected in this study using accidental sampling, with 15 assigned in each group. The Pre School - Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS was used to measure anxiety in pre-school children. Wilcoxon matched paired test was used to analyze the data. Results: Findings showed that the mean of anxiety level in the intervention group in pretest was 42 and in posttest was 31.53. Wilcoxon matched paired test showed p-value 0.003 (<0.05, which indicated that there was a statistically significant effect of storytelling on the level of anxiety in pre-school children. Conclusions: There is a significant influence of storytelling in a play therapy on anxiety levels in pre school children during hospitalization. It is suggested that this intervention could be applied as a nursing intervention to reduce anxiety in children.

  1. Diagnosis and first-line treatment of breast cancer in Italian general hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Interdisciplinary Group for Cancer Care Evaluation, Milan

    1986-01-01

    The quality of the diagnostic and therapeutic process of 1262 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients was evaluated in 63 Italian general hospital over the period March 1983 - April 1984. Most of the patients (91%) discovered their own lesion, which was a nodule in 83% of the cases. Practice of breast self examination was reported by 418 (33%) patients, only 28% of whom did that on a regular monthly basis. A diagnostic delay>3 months was present in 36% of the patients. Among the preoperative work-up examinations, skeletal X-ray or bone scan was not performed in 20% of patients, whereas other essential examinations were done in most. The Patey type of radical mastectomy was the most frequent surgical procedure; quadrantectomy was performed in only 26% of eligible patients, more frequently in younger (34%) than in older patients (21%). Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended for 11% and 6% of pre- and postmenopausal N- patients, and for 78% and 47% of pre- and postmenopausal N+ patients. Forty-three of the 63 participating hospitals reported they adhered to the guidelines defined by the Italian Breast Cancer Task Force (F.O.N.Ca.M.) but this was not associated with substantial evidence of better quality of care. Similary, no associations emerged between several hospitals' organizational features and adherence to recommended treatment guidelines. The study is ongoing to assess the quality of postsurgical treatment and to measure its impact on patients' survival

  2. [Study of Staphylococcus aureus infections in a general acute care hospital (2002-2013)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Togneri, Ana M; Podestá, Laura B; Pérez, Marcela P; Santiso, Gabriela M

    A twelve-year retrospective review of Staphylococcus aureus infections in adult and pediatric patients (AP and PP respectively) assisted in the Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos Evita in Lanús was performed to determine the incidence, foci of infection, the source of infection and to analyze the profile of antimicrobial resistance. An amount of 2125 cases of infection in AP and 361 in PP were documented. The incidence in AP decreased significantly in the last three years (χ i 2 ; p<0.05); in PP it increased significantly during the last five years (χ 2 ; p<0.0001). In both populations was detected a notable increase in skin infections and associated structures (PEA) in bacteremia to the starting point of a focus on PEA, and in total S. aureus infections of hospital-onset (χ 2 ; p < 0.005). Methicillin-resistance (MRSA) increased from 28 to 78% in PP; in AP it remained around 50%, with significant reduction in accompanying antimicrobial resistance to non-β-lactams in both groups of MRSA. In S. aureus documented from community onset infections (CO-MRSA) in the last three years, the percentage of methicillin-resistance was 57% in PP and 37% in AP; in hospital-onset infections it was 43% and 63% respectively. Although data showed that S. aureus remains a pathogen associated with the hospital-onset, there was an increase of CO-MRSA infections with predominance in PEA in both populations. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  3. Severe maternal morbidity in Zanzibar’s referral hospital : Measuring the impact of in-hospital care

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herklots, Tanneke; Van Acht, Lieke; Meguid, Tarek; Franx, Arie; Jacod, Benoit

    2017-01-01

    Objective: to analyse the impact of in-hospital care on severe maternal morbidity using WHO’s near-miss approach in the low-resource, high mortality setting of Zanzibar’s referral hospital. Setting: Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, a tertiary care facility, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Methods: We identified all

  4. Medical leaders or masters?-A systematic review of medical leadership in hospital settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berghout, Mathilde A; Fabbricotti, Isabelle N; Buljac-Samardžić, Martina; Hilders, Carina G J M

    2017-01-01

    Medical leadership is increasingly considered as crucial for improving the quality of care and the sustainability of healthcare. However, conceptual clarity is lacking in the literature and in practice. Therefore, a systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted to reveal the different conceptualizations of medical leadership in terms of definitions, roles and activities, and personal-and context-specific features. Eight databases were systematically searched for eligible studies, including empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals that included physicians carrying out a manager or leadership role in a hospital setting. Finally, 34 articles were included and their findings were synthesized and analyzed narratively. Medical leadership is conceptualized in literature either as physicians with formal managerial roles or physicians who act as informal 'leaders' in daily practices. In both forms, medical leaders must carry out general management and leadership activities and acts to balance between management and medicine, because these physicians must accomplish both organizational and medical staff objectives. To perform effectively, credibility among medical peers appeared to be the most important factor, followed by a scattered list of fields of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Competing logics, role ambiguity and a lack of time and support were perceived as barriers. However, the extent to which physicians must master all elicited features, remains ambiguous. Furthermore, the extent to which medical leadership entails a shift or a reallocation of tasks that are at the core of medical professional work remains unclear. Future studies should implement stronger research designs in which more theory is used to study the effect of medical leadership on professional work, medical staff governance, and subsequently, the quality and efficiency of care.

  5. The Burden of Child Maltreatment Leading to Hospitalization in a Provincial Setting in Papua New Guinea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rero, Allanie; Aipit, Jimmy; Yarong-Kote, Tina; Watch, Villa; Bolnga, John W; Vei, Robert; Morris, Marilyn; Lufele, Elvin; Laman, Moses

    2016-08-01

    Child maltreatment is prevalent globally. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), child maltreatment remains an under-reported problem. As part of a 10 month prospective observational study conducted at Modilon Hospital in PNG, we investigated the burden of child maltreatment in the form of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect, leading to hospitalization in children ≤14 years. Of 1061 screened admissions, 107 (10%) fulfilled the definition of child maltreatment. The in-hospital admission prevalence of sexual abuse was 5.7% [60 of 1061; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4-7.3]. Neglect accounted for 3.4% (36 of 1061; 95% CI: 2.4-4.7) of admissions, while physical abuse accounted for 1.0% (11 of 1061; 95% CI: 0.6-1.9). Mortality was highest in the neglected group, with severe acute malnutrition accounting for 89% of deaths. Improved awareness, establishment of appropriate channels for addressing child maltreatment and enforcement of child protection laws in PNG and other epidemiologically similar settings are urgently needed. © The Author [2016]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Frequency of hospital acquired hyponatremia in a pediatric tertiary care setting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bibi, S.; Haq, A.U.; Billo, A.G.; Bibi, S.; Gilani, S.Y.H.; Shah, S.R.A.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Hyponatremia is the most commonly encountered electrolyte disorder in children. In our country the epidemiology of hospital acquired hyponatremia has hardly ever been explored whereas the administration of hypotonic IV fluids is widely practiced here. Therefore we pioneered to conduct this study to determine the frequency of hospital acquired hyponatremia. Method: This was a cross sectional study carried out at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi in paediatric ward and ICU over a period of 12 months. All children (>1 month and <15 years of age) admitted in paediatric units and on maintenance IV fluids who had serum sodium level measured on admission were included in the study and followed to identify patients who had a drop in serum sodium during hospitalization. Informed consent was taken from parents and collected data was recorded on a proforma. Results: A total of 865 patients were enrolled in the study. Hyponatremia was recorded in 405 patients on admission (46.8 percentage) while hospital acquired hyponatremia was documented in 240. children (27.7 percentage). Out of these 142 (59.2 percentage) were male and 98 (40.8 percentage) were female. Mean age of children in hospital acquired hyponatremia group was 60.67 months. Severity of hospital acquired hyponatremia was recorded as mild in 191 (79.6 percentage), moderate in 35 (14.6 percentage) and severe in 14 (5.8) children. Major disease categories included gastrointestinal disorder (30.4 percentage), respiratory illness (12.5 percentage), oncological disease (16.3 percentage), cardiovascular disease (11.7 percentage), infectious disease (9.2 percentage) and neurological illness (8.3 percentage). Conclusion: Hospital acquired hyponatremia is frequently encountered in our hospitalized children with majority of them receiving hypotonic IV solutions. (author)

  7. Depiction of Trends in Administrative Healthcare Data from Hospital Information System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalankesh, Leila R; Pourasghar, Faramarz; Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari; Khanehdan, Negar

    2015-06-01

    administrative healthcare data are among main components of hospital information system. Such data can be analyzed and deployed for a variety of purposes. The principal aim of this research was to depict trends of administrative healthcare data from HIS in a general hospital from March 2011 to March 2014. data set used for this research was extracted from the SQL database of the hospital information system in Razi general hospital located in Marand. The data were saved as CSV (Comma Separated Values) in order to facilitate data cleaning and analysis. The variables of data set included patient's age, gender, final diagnosis, final diagnosis code based on ICD-10 classification system, date of hospitalization, date of discharge, LOS(Length of Stay), ward, and survival status of the patient. Data were analyzed and visualized after applying appropriate cleansing and preparing techniques. morbidity showed a constant trend over three years. Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium were the leading category of final diagnosis (about 32.8 %). The diseases of the circulatory system were the second class accounting for 13 percent of the hospitalization cases. The diseases of the digestive system had the third rank (10%). Patients aged between 14 and 44 constituted a higher proportion of total cases. Diseases of the circulatory system was the most common class of diseases among elderly patients (age≥65). The highest rate of mortality was observed among patients with final diagnosis of the circulatory system diseases followed by those with diseases of the respiratory system, and neoplasms. Mortality rate for the ICU and the CCU patients were 62% and 33% respectively. The longest average of LOS (7.3 days) was observed among patients hospitalized in the ICU while patients in the Obstetrics and Gynecology ward had the shortest average of LOS (2.4 days). Multiple regression analysis revealed that LOS was correlated with variables of surgery, gender, and type of payment, ward, the

  8. Examining sustainability in a hospital setting: Case of smoking cessation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reece Robin

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation (OMSC is a hospital-based smoking cessation program that is expanding across Canada. While the short-term effectiveness of hospital cessation programs has been documented, less is known about long-term sustainability. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand how hospitals using the OMSC were addressing sustainability and determine if there were critical factors or issues that should be addressed as the program expanded. Methods Six hospitals that differed on OMSC program activities (identify and document smokers, advise quitting, provide medication, and offer follow-up were intentionally selected, and two key informants per hospital were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Key informants were asked to reflect on the initial decision to implement the OMSC, the current implementation process, and perceived sustainability of the program. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted and themes related to problem definition, stakeholder influence, and program features emerged. Results Sustainability was operationalized as higher performance of OMSC activities than at baseline. Factors identified in the literature as important for sustainability, such as program design, differences in implementation, organizational characteristics, and the community environment did not explain differences in program sustainability. Instead, key informants identified factors that reflected the interaction between how the health problem was defined by stakeholders, how priorities and concerns were addressed, features of the program itself, and fit within the hospital context and resources as being influential to the sustainability of the program. Conclusions Applying a sustainability model to a hospital smoking cessation program allowed for an examination of how decisions made during implementation may impact sustainability. Examining these factors during

  9. Anxiety Level in Dyspeptic Patients at the Gastroenterohepatology Outpatient Clinic of Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radistrya Sekaranti Brahmanti

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Dyspepsia is a disease with a high worldwide prevalence, including in Asia; however, the pathophysiology of the disease is still unclear. Recent studies suggest adapting a biopsychosocial model to understand the pathophysiology of dyspepsia that proposes the important role of anxiety. The aim of this study was to assess the anxiety level in dyspeptic patients who visited the Gastroenterohepatology Outpatient Clinic in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using total sampling method was conducted from September–November 2012 to 19 patients aged 36−85 years old who consisted of 11 women and 8 men patients dyspepsia syndrome in the Gastroenterohepatology outpatient clinic Dr Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung. The anxiety levels were measured using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. All data were analyzed based on gender, age, and occupational status of the patients. Results: Eleven of the nineteen patients had high anxiety levels. Women were more likely to experience high anxiety levels (8 of 11. The group with the highest number of patients with high anxiety was the 46−55 years old group, the high anxiety level was more common among patients who were government or private sector employees. Conclusion: The anxiety level in dyspeptic patients who visited the Gastroenterohepatology outpatient clinic in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung was high.

  10. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus isolates in a hospital of shanghai.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoguang; Ouyang, Lin; Luo, Lingfei; Liu, Jiqian; Song, Chiping; Li, Cuizhen; Yan, Hongjing; Wang, Ping

    2017-01-24

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains are now common both in the health care setting and in the community. Active surveillance is critical for MRSA control and prevention. Specimens of patients (200 patients with 1119 specimens) as well as medical staff and hospital setting (1000 specimens) were randomly sampled in a level 2 hospital in Shanghai from September 2011 to August 2012. Isolation, cultivation and identification of S. aureus were performed. Totally, 67 S. aureus strains were isolated. 32 S. aureus strains were isolated from patient samples; 13 (13/32, 40.6%) of the 32 S. aureus isolates were MRSA; sputum sample and patients in the department of general internal medicine were the most frequent specimen and patient group for S. aureus strains isolation. Remaining 35 S. aureus strains were isolated from the medical staff and hospital setting; 20 (20/35, 57.1%) of the 35 S. aureus isolates were MRSA; specimens sampled from doctors and nurses' hands and nose and hospital facilities were the most frequent samples to isolate S. aureus. Resistant and virulent genes detection showed that, all 33 MRSA strains were mecA positive which accounts for 49.3% of the 67 S. aureus strains; 38 isolates were Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene positive which accounts for 56.7% of the 67 S. aureus strains; and 17 (17/67, 25.4%) isolates are mecA and PVL genes dual positive. Multidrug-resistant strains of MRSA and PVL positive S. aureus are common in patients, medical staff and hospital setting, the potential health threat is worthy of our attention.

  11. [Current status of disinfection and sterilization for dental handpieces in the hospitals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xiao-hong; Sun, Zheng; Su, Jing

    2004-11-01

    To understand current status of the uses of dental handpieces, methods of disinfection and sterilization and their effectiveness in dental-care hospitals and out-patient departments of stomatology in general hospitals. Ten dental-care hospitals and departments of stomatology in general hospitals at varied levels were randomly sampled during 2000 to 2001 to investigate the uses of dental handpieces and means of their disinfection and sterilization. One used dental handpiece from each hospital or department of stomatology in general hospital selected was detected for possible contamination of bacteria by aerobic bacterial count and Coliform bacterial examinations and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) on it, based on "The Technical Standards for Disinfection" set by the Ministry of Health of China, and the effectiveness of its disinfection and sterilization was evaluated as well. Anti-suction handpieces were used only in 5.9% of the hospitals or departments, 94.1% of them without anti-suction devices. Cleansing disinfection was applied for used dental handpieces in 62.9% of the dental-care hospitals and the departments of stomatology, with an effective rate of 26.17%, immersing disinfection in 10.0%, with an effective rate of 55.88%, and autoclave in 27.1%, with an effective rate of 80.43%. Used dental handpieces in the hospitals and departments of stomatology in general hospitals were all contaminated by bacteria and HBsAg could be detected in 1.67% of them. Dental handpieces without anti-suction should be replaced soon by those with it or comprehensive dental unit with anti-suction device should be used. Used dental handpieces must be sterilized effectively before next use. Awareness on prevention from cross-infection should be improved for dental-care professional staff and operation of sterilization should be standardized.

  12. Determination of Budget Expenditures for Hospital Units, Using Econometric Techniques. Case General Hospital “Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Ángel Formigo–Tejera

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In the Guidelines for Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution adopted at the Sixth Congress of the PCC is a need to raise the quality of health care services and improve the attention to the health personnel. In this regard, it has prioritized improving budget planning spending at all levels. The results obtained by applying the method of Exponential Smoothing for 2012, in the General Hospital "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" will meet the aforementioned objectives. Comparing these results with what really executed in the first quarter, the estimate is closer, in relation with the traditional method, meaning a decrease in expenses of 1,8 %. 

  13. Producción científica institucional y posicionamiento nacional: el caso del Hospital General de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macías-Chapula, C. A.

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to identify the scientific output, position and visibility of Mexico’s General Hospital (Hospital General de México-HGM. A literature search in the following databases was conducted for the period 1990-2003, in order to obtain the hospital’s scientific production: NCR, MEDLINE, LILACS, ARTEMISA, PERIODICA, and CLASE. The hospital scientific visibility was identified through the analysis of 140 documents retrieved from MEDLINE, for the period 1999-2003. Similarly, in order to obtain the scientific position of HGM at the national level, a bibliographic search was conducted in NCR and MEDLINE. Data were analyzed both manually and through BIBEXCEL 2001 and EXCEL 2000. Results included the retrieval of 1.647 references from the above mentioned databases. The subject content visibility indicated that the scientific production of the hospital was mainly related to comparative studies, treatment, and retrospective studies. As for the scientific position of the hospital, a rank 9 (r = 1-78in NCR and rank 12 (r = 1-74 in MEDLINE, was obtained. The study obtained the production, scientific position and visibility of the hospital through the databases used. HGM scientific production showed a high trend in the clinical medicine area and a low productivity in the social and humanistic fields. The thematic production of the hospital does not coincide with its main mortality causes; however, the hospital remains within the main 15 health research institutions at a national level. Finally, the document describes the implications of the study and the needed research actions, in order to support the adequate science policy lines of the hospital.

    El propósito de este trabajo fue el de identificar la producción, visibilidad y posicionamiento científico del Hospital General de México (HGM. Para la identificación de la producción del hospital, se condujo una investigación bibliográfica en las siguientes bases de datos

  14. Infection prevention needs assessment in Colorado hospitals: rural and urban settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reese, Sara M; Gilmartin, Heather; Rich, Karen L; Price, Connie S

    2014-06-01

    The purpose of our study was to conduct a needs assessment for infection prevention programs in both rural and urban hospitals in Colorado. Infection control professionals (ICPs) from Colorado hospitals participated in an online survey on training, personnel, and experience; ICP time allocation; and types of surveillance. Responses were evaluated and compared based on hospital status (rural or urban). Additionally, rural ICPs participated in an interview about resources and training. Surveys were received from 62 hospitals (77.5% response); 33 rural (75.0% response) and 29 urban (80.6% response). Fifty-two percent of rural ICPs reported multiple job responsibilities compared with 17.2% of urban ICPs. Median length of experience for rural ICPs was 4.0 years compared with 11.5 years for urban ICPs (P = .008). Fifty-one percent of rural ICPs reported no access to infectious disease physicians (0.0% urban) and 81.8% of rural hospitals reported no antimicrobial stewardship programs (31.0% urban). Through the interviews it was revealed that priorities for rural ICPs were training and communication. Our study revealed numerous differences between infection prevention programs in rural versus urban hospitals. An infection prevention outreach program established in Colorado could potentially address the challenges faced by rural hospital infection prevention departments. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. [A proposal to improve nursing fee differentiation policy for general hospitals using profitability-analysis in the national health insurance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sungjae; Kim, Jinhyun

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to propose optimal hospitalization fees for nurse staffing levels and to improve the current nursing fee policy. A break-even analysis was used to evaluate the impact of a nursing fee policy on hospital's financial performance. Variables considered included the number of beds, bed occupancy rate, annual total patient days, hospitalization fees for nurse staffing levels, the initial annual nurses' salary, and the ratio of overhead costs to nursing labor costs. Data were collected as secondary data from annual reports of the Hospital Nursing Association and national health insurance. The hospitalization fees according to nurse staffing levels in general hospitals are required to sustain or decrease in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7, and increase in grades 5 and 6. It is suggested that the range between grade 2 and 3 be sustained at the current level, the range between grade 4 and 5 be widen or merged into one, and the range between grade 6 and 7 be divided into several grades. Readjusting hospitalization fees for nurse staffing level will improve nurse-patient ratio and enhance the quality of nursing care in hospitals. Follow-up studies including tertiary hospitals and small hospitals are recommended.

  16. The Dynamics of Visual Art Dialogues: Experiences to Be Used in Hospital Settings with Visual Art Enrichment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Britt-Maj Wikström

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. Given that hospitals have environmental enrichment with paintings and visual art arrangement, it would be meaningful to develop and document how hospital art could be used by health professionals. Methods. The study was undertaken at an art site in Sweden. During 1-hour sessions, participants (=20 get together in an art gallery every second week five times. Results. According to the participants a new value was perceived. From qualitative analyses, three themes appear: raise association, mentally present, and door-opener. In addition 72% of the participants reported makes me happy and gives energy and inspiration, and 52% reported that dialogues increase inspiration, make you involved, and stimulate curiosity. Conclusion. The present study supported the view that visual art dialogue could be used by health care professionals in a structured manner and that meaningful art stimulation, related to a person’s experiences, could be of importance for the patients. Implementing art dialogues in hospital settings could be a fruitful working tool for nurses, a complementary manner of patient communication.

  17. Retrospective chart review of elderly patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy in a tertiary general hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mosam Phirke

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT is the one of the oldest and effective treatments in psychiatry today. It has been used in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders in both young and old patients. Aims of the study: The present study is a retrospective chart review of geriatric patients receiving ECT as a treatment option in a tertiary care general hospital psychiatry setting. Methodology: The study evaluated ECT records over a 5-year period between the years 2010 and 2014, and it was observed that 23 elderly patients (aged ≥60 years had received ECT. Results: The patients received modified bitemporal ECT using a brief pulse ECT machine and had no major complications. A total of 184 ECT treatments were administered at an average of 8 treatments per case. The major diagnoses of patients were schizophrenia and major depression. The main indications of ECT were intolerance to medication, suicidal behavior and aggression. Out of the 23 elderly patients, 18 (78.26% showed a good response to ECT. The only complication noted was memory loss and confusion in 3 cases. Patients with medical illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and both together received ECT without any complications. Conclusions: This study adds to the scarce database on the use of ECT in elderly patients in India and adds evidence to the fact that ECT is a safe and effective treatment in the elderly.

  18. The mental health of nurses in acute teaching hospital settings: a cross-sectional survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Lin; Lamont, Scott; Brunero, Scott; Gallagher, Robyn; Duffield, Christine

    2015-01-01

    Nursing is an emotionally demanding profession and deficiencies in nurses' mental wellbeing, characterised by low vitality and common mental disorders, have been linked to low productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism. Part of a larger study of nurses' health, the aim of this paper was to describe the mental health status and related characteristics of nurses working in two acute metropolitan teaching hospitals. A cross sectional survey design was used. The Registered and Enrolled Nurse workforce, employed on any form of contract, at two teaching hospitals in Sydney Australia were invited to participate. The survey tool was compiled of validated tools and questions. Family and medical history and health risk-related characteristics, current psycho-active medications, smoking status, alcohol intake, eating disorders, self-perceived general health, mental health and vitality, demographic, social and occupational details were collected. A total of 1215 surveys were distributed with a usable response rate of 382 (31.4%). Altogether 53 nurses (14%) reported a history of mental health disorders, of which n = 49 (13%) listed diagnoses of anxiety and/or depression; 22 (6%) were currently taking psychoactive medication. Symptoms that could potentially indicate a mental health issue were more common, with 248 (65.1%) reporting they had experienced symptoms sometimes or often in the last 12 month. Nurses had better mental health if they had better general health, lived with a spouse/ partner rather than alone, had fewer symptoms, sleep problems or disordered eating behaviours, were not an informal carer and did not work nights. Nurses had greater vitality if they were male, had better general health, fewer sleep problems or symptoms generally and lived with a spouse/ partner rather than alone; less vitality if they were an informal carer or had disordered eating. Nurses and their managers should strive to create workplaces where working practices promote nurses' health

  19. High diversity of beta-lactamases in the General Hospital Vienna verified by whole genome sequencing and statistical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barišić, Ivan; Mitteregger, Dieter; Hirschl, Alexander M; Noehammer, Christa; Wiesinger-Mayr, Herbert

    2014-10-01

    The detailed analysis of antibiotic resistance mechanisms is essential for understanding the underlying evolutionary processes, the implementation of appropriate intervention strategies and to guarantee efficient treatment options. In the present study, 110 β-lactam-resistant, clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae sampled in 2011 in one of Europe's largest hospitals, the General Hospital Vienna, were screened for the presence of 31 β-lactamase genes. Twenty of those isolates were selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS). In addition, the number of β-lactamase genes was estimated using biostatistical models. The carbapenemase genes blaKPC-2, blaKPC-3, and blaVIM-4 were identified in carbapenem-resistant and intermediate susceptible isolates, blaOXA-72 in an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive one. Furthermore, the observed high prevalence of the acquired blaDHA-1 and blaCMY AmpC β-lactamase genes (70%) in phenotypically AmpC-positive isolates is alarming due to their capability to become carbapenem-resistant upon changes in membrane permeability. The statistical analyses revealed that approximately 55% of all β-lactamase genes present in the General Hospital Vienna were detected by this study. In summary, this work gives a very detailed picture on the disseminated β-lactamases and other resistance genes in one of Europe's largest hospitals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Nurse Continuity and Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers: A Comparative Analysis Using an Electronic Health Record "Big Data" Set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stifter, Janet; Yao, Yingwei; Lodhi, Muhammad Kamran; Lopez, Karen Dunn; Khokhar, Ashfaq; Wilkie, Diana J; Keenan, Gail M

    2015-01-01

    Little research demonstrating the association between nurse continuity and patient outcomes exists despite an intuitive belief that continuity makes a difference in care outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the association of nurse continuity with the prevention of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU). A secondary use of data from the Hands on Automated Nursing Data System (HANDS) was performed for this comparative study. The HANDS is a nursing plan of care data set containing 42,403 episodes documented by 787 nurses, on nine units, in four hospitals and includes nurse staffing and patient characteristics. The HANDS data set resides in a "big data" relational database consisting of 89 tables and 747 columns of data. Via data mining, we created an analytic data set of 840 care episodes, 210 with and 630 without HAPUs, matched by nursing unit, patient age, and patient characteristics. Logistic regression analysis determined the association of nurse continuity and additional nurse-staffing variables on HAPU occurrence. Poor nurse continuity (unit mean continuity index = .21-.42 [1.0 = optimal continuity]) was noted on all nine study units. Nutrition, mobility, perfusion, hydration, and skin problems on admission, as well as patient age, were associated with HAPUs (p data, showing that it offers rich potential for future study of nurse continuity and its effect on patient outcomes.

  1. Variation in markup of general surgical procedures by hospital market concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerullo, Marcelo; Chen, Sophia Y; Dillhoff, Mary; Schmidt, Carl R; Canner, Joseph K; Pawlik, Timothy M

    2018-04-01

    Increasing hospital market concentration (with concomitantly decreasing hospital market competition) may be associated with rising hospital prices. Hospital markup - the relative increase in price over costs - has been associated with greater hospital market concentration. Patients undergoing a cardiothoracic or gastrointestinal procedure in the 2008-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) were identified and linked to Hospital Market Structure Files. The association between market concentration, hospital markup and hospital for-profit status was assessed using mixed-effects log-linear models. A weighted total of 1,181,936 patients were identified. In highly concentrated markets, private for-profit status was associated with an 80.8% higher markup compared to public/private not-for-profit status (95%CI: +69.5% - +96.9%; p markup compared to public/private not-for-profit status in unconcentrated markets (95%CI: +45.4% - +81.1%; p markup. Government and private not-for-profit hospitals employed lower markups in more concentrated markets, whereas private for-profit hospitals employed higher markups in more concentrated markets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Workplace sexual harassment in two general hospitals in Taiwan: the incidence, perception, and gender differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liang-Jen; Chen, Chih-Ken; Sheng, Yi-Chen; Lu, Pei-Wen; Chen, Yi-Ting; Chen, Huei-Jun; Lin, Jyh-Sheng

    2012-01-01

    The aims of this study were to examine sexual harassment (SH) among hospital staffs in Taiwan, in terms of three-month incidence rate, the frequency of each type and the perception of SH, perpetrated by coworkers, patients and patients' families and to investigate the gender differences for these issues. The subjects were employees at two general hospitals in Taiwan. The self-administered "Hospital Sexual Harassment Questionnaire" was sent to eligible staff, and the voluntary respondents answered the questionnaire anonymously. There were 536 respondents available for analysis, with an overall response rate of 43.4%. The three-month incidence rates of SH by coworkers, patients, and patients' families in our study population were 2.4, 4.3, and 1.7%, respectively. Telling sexual jokes was the most common type of SH. The males had greater opportunities to be exposed to porn videos by their coworkers. The females were more frequently exposed to sex jokes and remarks made by patients and their family members and unwanted physical touching by patients in the workplace. There were significant differences with regard to the perception of sex jokes and sexually explicit verbal descriptions as SH or not between genders. The information in this study can be a helpful reference for administrators in hospitals when they are establishing education plans and policies. It might be possible to prevent sexual harassment and misunderstandings between genders and to further avoid the negative impact on the emotional well-being of workers in hospitals.

  3. Implementation of a model of quality control program in the radiodiagnostic service at the general hospital Dos de Mayo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acosta Reginfo, N.; Ramirez Quijada, R.

    1998-01-01

    In order to implement a model of quality control program, the General Hospital Dos de Mayo was selected, since it manages a specialized radiology service - defined according to the OMS criteria - This radiology service attends nearly 60 % of total patients of the Hospital. This program intends to be a model for application to another hospitals havings similar characteritics, since any formal quality control program has been implemented in neither private nor public hospitals in the country. The model, while allowing to make measurements of main parameters, also allows to verify that radiation doses to patients, radiation workers and public trend to a level as low as reasonably achievable, and also to yield images with enough diagnostic quality, and to induce work environment with shared responsibility and commitment

  4. Development of a likelihood of survival scoring system for hospitalized equine neonates using generalized boosted regression modeling.

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    Katarzyna A Dembek

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Medical management of critically ill equine neonates (foals can be expensive and labor intensive. Predicting the odds of foal survival using clinical information could facilitate the decision-making process for owners and clinicians. Numerous prognostic indicators and mathematical models to predict outcome in foals have been published; however, a validated scoring method to predict survival in sick foals has not been reported. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a scoring system that can be used by clinicians to predict likelihood of survival of equine neonates based on clinical data obtained on admission. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from 339 hospitalized foals of less than four days of age admitted to three equine hospitals were included to develop the model. Thirty seven variables including historical information, physical examination and laboratory findings were analyzed by generalized boosted regression modeling (GBM to determine which ones would be included in the survival score. Of these, six variables were retained in the final model. The weight for each variable was calculated using a generalized linear model and the probability of survival for each total score was determined. The highest (7 and the lowest (0 scores represented 97% and 3% probability of survival, respectively. Accuracy of this survival score was validated in a prospective study on data from 283 hospitalized foals from the same three hospitals. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for the survival score in the prospective population were 96%, 71%, 91%, and 85%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The survival score developed in our study was validated in a large number of foals with a wide range of diseases and can be easily implemented using data available in most equine hospitals. GBM was a useful tool to develop the survival score. Further evaluations of this scoring system in field conditions are needed.

  5. Exploring the effect of sound and music on health in hospital settings: A narrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyendo, Timothy Onosahwo

    2016-11-01

    positive emotion, and decreasing the levels of stressful conditions. Whilst sound holds both negative and positive aspects of the hospital ecosystem and may be stressful, it also possesses a soothing quality that induces positive feelings in patients. Conceptualizing the nature of sound in the hospital context as a soundscape, rather than merely noise can permit a subtler and socially useful understanding of the role of sound and music in the hospital setting, thereby creating a means for improving the hospital experience for patients and nurses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Five-Year Data of Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Findings of Hospitalized Hemophilic Patients in Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital

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    Dina Marlina

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Hemophilia A has the highest incidence, more than 80% of 172.323 cases worldwide in 2012. It is stated that clinical characteristics of hemophilia A is worse than others, so it is required to prove and to know further about the clinical characteristics and severity likelihood in all hemophilic patients in order to prevent re-bleeding and re-injury and also for a better medical response. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out to 43 medical records of hospitalized hemophilic patients from 2009 to 2013 in Dr Hasan Sadikin General Hospital. The inclusion criteria were a complete patient identity (name, age, sex, written chief complaint, complete physical examination (bleeding, edema, hematoma, hemarthrosis, anemic symptoms and laboratory test results (factor level, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time. The data was collected from August‒October 2014, analyzed and presented using frequency distribution. Results: Most of the patients were 5-10 years old, male and had hemophilia A. The most common complaint was external bleeding, followed by edema. From 43 patients, 38 (88% cases were classified as severe factor deficiency, had mild to severe anemia, however the platelet count in most of the cases was in normal value. About 91% cases had prolonged Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in moderate to severe level. Conclusions: Similar with other studies worldwide, most of the hospitalized hemophilic patients have hemophilia A. Most of the patents has moderate to severe bleeding with laboratory test result between moderate to severe level as well.

  7. Automated data extraction from general practice records in an Australian setting: trends in influenza-like illness in sentinel general practices and emergency departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liljeqvist, Gösta T H; Staff, Michael; Puech, Michele; Blom, Hans; Torvaldsen, Siranda

    2011-06-06

    Influenza intelligence in New South Wales (NSW), Australia is derived mainly from emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital and intensive care admissions, which represent only a portion of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the population. A substantial amount of the remaining data lies hidden in general practice (GP) records. Previous attempts in Australia to gather ILI data from GPs have given them extra work. We explored the possibility of applying automated data extraction from GP records in sentinel surveillance in an Australian setting.The two research questions asked in designing the study were: Can syndromic ILI data be extracted automatically from routine GP data? How do ILI trends in sentinel general practice compare with ILI trends in EDs? We adapted a software program already capable of automated data extraction to identify records of patients with ILI in routine electronic GP records in two of the most commonly used commercial programs. This tool was applied in sentinel sites to gather retrospective data for May-October 2007-2009 and in real-time for the same interval in 2010. The data were compared with that provided by the Public Health Real-time Emergency Department Surveillance System (PHREDSS) and with ED data for the same periods. The GP surveillance tool identified seasonal trends in ILI both retrospectively and in near real-time. The curve of seasonal ILI was more responsive and less volatile than that of PHREDSS on a local area level. The number of weekly ILI presentations ranged from 8 to 128 at GP sites and from 0 to 18 in EDs in non-pandemic years. Automated data extraction from routine GP records offers a means to gather data without introducing any additional work for the practitioner. Adding this method to current surveillance programs will enhance their ability to monitor ILI and to detect early warning signals of new ILI events.

  8. Nursing Care Given to the Plague Infected Patients in the Hospital General of Madrid (Spain in the 17th Century.

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    Manuel Jesús García Martínez

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study reveals the work developed by the nurses of the Hospital general of Madrid (Spain in the treatment of the plague, and the training they received for their welfare tasks in the 17th century. Since the end of the 16th century, nurses knew and implemented a set of techniques and medicines to alleviate the terrible disease of the plague and, despite the scarce knowledge about the disease existing at the time, they sought to prevent the contagion with hygienic and dietary measures, and physical isolation. This study shows through which actions and in which conditions nurses worked to deal with such a terrible disease. All this helps to get a full knowledge of the development of the work done by nurses in the last five centuries and, therefore, to determine the evolution and shaping of the nursing profession in our country.

  9. Performance of in-hospital mortality prediction models for acute hospitalization: Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio in Japan

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    Motomura Noboru

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective In-hospital mortality is an important performance measure for quality improvement, although it requires proper risk adjustment. We set out to develop in-hospital mortality prediction models for acute hospitalization using a nation-wide electronic administrative record system in Japan. Methods Administrative records of 224,207 patients (patients discharged from 82 hospitals in Japan between July 1, 2002 and October 31, 2002 were randomly split into preliminary (179,156 records and test (45,051 records groups. Study variables included Major Diagnostic Category, age, gender, ambulance use, admission status, length of hospital stay, comorbidity, and in-hospital mortality. ICD-10 codes were converted to calculate comorbidity scores based on Quan's methodology. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed using in-hospital mortality as a dependent variable. C-indexes were calculated across risk groups in order to evaluate model performances. Results In-hospital mortality rates were 2.68% and 2.76% for the preliminary and test datasets, respectively. C-index values were 0.869 for the model that excluded length of stay and 0.841 for the model that included length of stay. Conclusion Risk models developed in this study included a set of variables easily accessible from administrative data, and still successfully exhibited a high degree of prediction accuracy. These models can be used to estimate in-hospital mortality rates of various diagnoses and procedures.

  10. Admissible Estimators in the General Multivariate Linear Model with Respect to Inequality Restricted Parameter Set

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    Shangli Zhang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available By using the methods of linear algebra and matrix inequality theory, we obtain the characterization of admissible estimators in the general multivariate linear model with respect to inequality restricted parameter set. In the classes of homogeneous and general linear estimators, the necessary and suffcient conditions that the estimators of regression coeffcient function are admissible are established.

  11. Epidemia de influenza A(H1N1 en la Argentina: Experiencia del Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas Influenza A(H1N1 epidemic in Argentina: Experience in a National General Hospital (Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Se describe la preparación y la atención médica durante la epidemia de influenza A(H1N1 (junio 2009 en un hospital general de agudos, público, de alta complejidad; con diagnóstico de laboratorio, internación general y cuidados intensivos (UCI. Se elaboró un plan para aumentar la capacidad asistencial, reasignar recursos y garantizar la bioseguridad. La consulta fue 7.1 ± 3.8 veces mayor que en 2006-2008. La detección de casos de A(H1N1 fue confirmada por PCR-RT en 186/486 (38.3% pacientes internados y en 56/176 (31.8% ambulatorios. Internados: mediana de edad 20 años; 75% menores de 45 y 32.3% menores de 15. Mortalidad global: 6.8%; 9.1% en los positivos. Adultos: recepción en un área de atención ambulatoria, internación (aislamiento y ventilación mecánica. Sala general: ingresaron 110 pacientes (5 veces más que 1999-2006 con saturación de oxígeno The preparation and medical care during the influenza A(H1N1 outbreak (June 2009 in a high complexity level, public, general hospital with laboratory diagnosis, general and intensive care (ICU hospitalization is described. A plan was designed to increase the hospital's surge capacity, reallocate resources and guarantee bio-safety. The number of consultations was 7.1 ± 3.8 times higher than during June 2006-2008. Detection of A(H1N1 cases were confirmed by PCR-RT in 186/486 (38.3% in-patients and 56/176 (31.8% out-patients. Median age among in-patients was 20 years; 75% < 45 and 32.3% < 15. Global mortality: 6.8%; 9.1% among confirmed cases. Adults were directed to a reception area of out-patient care, hospitalization (isolation and mechanical ventilation. General ward: 110 patients with oxygen saturation < 96% and/or risk factors (65.5% had asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, pregnancy or other were admitted (5 times more than in 1999-2006. Chest X-ray showed lung infiltrates and/or lung consolidation in 97.3%. Severe hypoxemia: 43.5%. There were no significant

  12. Risk of Post-Discharge Venous Thromboembolism and Associated Mortality in General Surgery: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using Linked Hospital and Primary Care Data in England.

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    George Bouras

    Full Text Available Trends towards day case surgery and enhanced recovery mean that postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE may increasingly arise after hospital discharge. However, hospital data alone are unable to capture adverse events that occur outside of the hospital setting. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has suggested the use of primary care data to quantify hospital care-related VTE. Data in surgical patients using these resources is lacking. The aim of this study was to measure VTE risk and associated mortality in general surgery using linked primary care and hospital databases, to improve our understanding of harm from VTE that arises beyond hospital stay.This was a longitudinal cohort study using nationally linked primary care (Clinical Practice Research Datalink, CPRD, hospital administrative (Hospital Episodes Statistics, HES, population statistics (Office of National Statistics, ONS and National Cancer Intelligence Network databases. Routinely collected information was used to quantify 90-day in-hospital VTE, 90-day post-discharge VTE and 90-day mortality in adults undergoing one of twelve general surgical procedures between 1st April 1997 and 31st March 2012. The earliest postoperative recording of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism in CPRD, HES and ONS was counted in each patient. Covariates from multiple datasets were combined to derive detailed prediction models for VTE and mortality. Limitation included the capture of VTE presenting to healthcare only and the lack of information on adherence to pharmacological thromboprophylaxis as there was no data linkage to hospital pharmacy records.There were 981 VTE events captured within 90 days of surgery in 168005 procedures (23.7/1000 patient-years. Overall, primary care data increased the detection of postoperative VTE by a factor of 1.38 (981/710 when compared with using HES and ONS only. Total VTE rates ranged between 3.2/1000 patient-years in haemorrhoidectomy to 118

  13. Surveillance of nosocomial infections in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, 1999-2002

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    Djoko Widodo

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Nosocomial infection are one of the main problem in hospital which are associated with significant morbidity, mortality and increased economic cost. Surveillance should be attempted regularly to obtain local data of incidence of nosocomial infections, types of infection, pathogen and resistance pattern. We reported the results of nosocomial surveillance in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, in year 1999 to 2002. The data were obtained from surveillance, conducted by Nosocomial Infection Control Committee. Surveillance were performed to patient in risk of nosocomial infections such as underwent surgical procedure, urinary catheter, peripheral or central venous catheter, ventilator and other invasive procedure. Criteria for nosocomial infection which were used, based on technical guidelines of nosocomial infection in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, year 1999; which referred to CDC definition of nosocomial infections. Incidence rate of nosocomial infections in year 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 were 1.1, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.4 % respectively. Type of nosocomial infection include catheter related, surgical wound, urinary tract and respiratory tract infections, ranged between 0 to 5.6 %. Gram negative bacteria consist of Pseudomonas sp, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis were the most common nosocomial pathogen. Gram positive bacteria consist of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus anhemolyticus. Trend of increasing incidence of Gram positive nosocomial infection also showed in our surveillance. Mostly Gram negative bacteria had been resistant to penicillin, co amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and 3rd generation cephalosporin, but still sensitive to 4th generation cephalosporin and aminoglycoside. The Gram positive bacteria were still sensitive to penicillin, co amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 4th generation cephalosporin and aminoglycoside. (Med J Indones 2004; 13: 107

  14. Consultant-led, multidisciplinary balance clinic: process evaluation of a specialist model of care in a district general hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinidade, A; Yung, M W

    2014-04-01

    A specialist balance clinic to effectively deal with dizzy patients is recommended by ENT-UK. We audit the patient pathway before and following the introduction of a consultant-led dedicated balance clinic. Process evaluation and audit. ENT outpatients department of a district general hospital. The journey of dizzy patients seen in the general ENT clinic was mapped from case notes and recorded retrospectively. A consultant-led, multidisciplinary balance clinic involving an otologist, a senior audiologist and a neurophysiotherapist was then set up, and the journey was prospectively recorded and compared with that before the change. Of the 44 dizzy patients seen in the general clinic, 41% had further follow-up consultations; 64% were given definitive or provisional diagnoses; 75% were discharged without a management plan. Oculomotor examination was not systematically performed. The mean interval between Visits 1 and 2 was 8.4 weeks and the mean number of visits was 3. In the consultant-led dedicated balance clinic, following Visit 1, only 8% of patients required follow-up; 97% received definitive diagnoses, which guided management; all patients left with definitive management plans in place. In all patients, oculomotor assessment was systematically performed and all patients received consultant and, where necessary, allied healthcare professional input. By standardising the management experience for dizzy patients, appropriate and timely treatment can be achieved, allowing for a more seamless and efficient patient journey from referral to treatment. A multidisciplinary balance clinic led by a consultant otologist is the ideal way to achieve this. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. [Prevalence of negative stereotypes towards old age among personnel of a general hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco S, Mireya; Villarreal R, Enrique; Vargas D, Emma R; Martínez G, Lidia; Galicia R, Liliana

    2010-08-01

    Social representations are value systems. Social stereotypes are a social consensus of traits associated with a specific group. Stereotypes about older subjects, generally have negative connotations. To assess the prevalence of negative stereotypes towards older subjects among health care personnel. A questionnaire about stereotypes towards old age, with Likert type questions that included health, social motivations and personality-character domains, was applied to 52 doctors, 12 residents, 80 general nurses, 36 auxiliary nurses, four social workers and 10 medical assistants, working at a general hospital. The mean age of the professionals who answered the questionnaire was 38 years (95% confidence intervals (CI) 37-39 years) and 78% were women. The prevalence of a Global negative stereotype was 65.0%(95% CI: 59.5-70.5). The figure for the health domain was 64.5% (IC95%; 59.0-70.0), for the social motivation domain was 60%(5%CI: 54.3-65.7) and for the character personality domain was 64% (95%CI: 58.4-69.6). There is a high prevalence of a negative stereotype towards old age among health care personnel.

  16. A qualitative study on nurses' reactions to inpatient suicide in a general hospital

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    Shujie Wang

    2016-12-01

    Conclusions: Nurses who experienced inpatient suicide became stressed. Effective interventions must be implemented to improve the coping mechanisms of nurses against the negative consequences of inpatient suicide. The findings of this study will allow administrators to gain insight into the impacts of inpatient suicides on nurses in general hospitals. Such information can be used to develop effective strategies and provide individual support and ongoing education. Consequently, nurses will acquire suicide prevention skills and help patients achieve swift recovery.

  17. Clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings: today's solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ombelet, Sien; Ronat, Jean-Baptiste; Walsh, Timothy; Yansouni, Cedric P; Cox, Janneke; Vlieghe, Erika; Martiny, Delphine; Semret, Makeda; Vandenberg, Olivier; Jacobs, Jan

    2018-03-05

    Low-resource settings are disproportionately burdened by infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Good quality clinical bacteriology through a well functioning reference laboratory network is necessary for effective resistance control, but low-resource settings face infrastructural, technical, and behavioural challenges in the implementation of clinical bacteriology. In this Personal View, we explore what constitutes successful implementation of clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings and describe a framework for implementation that is suitable for general referral hospitals in low-income and middle-income countries with a moderate infrastructure. Most microbiological techniques and equipment are not developed for the specific needs of such settings. Pending the arrival of a new generation diagnostics for these settings, we suggest focus on improving, adapting, and implementing conventional, culture-based techniques. Priorities in low-resource settings include harmonised, quality assured, and tropicalised equipment, consumables, and techniques, and rationalised bacterial identification and testing for antimicrobial resistance. Diagnostics should be integrated into clinical care and patient management; clinically relevant specimens must be appropriately selected and prioritised. Open-access training materials and information management tools should be developed. Also important is the need for onsite validation and field adoption of diagnostics in low-resource settings, with considerable shortening of the time between development and implementation of diagnostics. We argue that the implementation of clinical bacteriology in low-resource settings improves patient management, provides valuable surveillance for local antibiotic treatment guidelines and national policies, and supports containment of antimicrobial resistance and the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Leadership style and choice of strategy in conflict management among Israeli nurse managers in general hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendel, Tova; Fish, Miri; Galon, Vered

    2005-03-01

    To identify conflict mode choices of head nurses in general hospitals and examine the relationship between leadership style, choice of strategy in handling conflicts and demographic characteristics. Nurse managers deal with conflicts daily. The choice of conflict management mode is associated with managerial effectiveness. The ability to creatively manage conflict situations, towards constructive outcomes is becoming a standard requirement. Head nurses (N = 60) in five general hospitals in central Israel were surveyed, using a 3-part questionnaire: The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire, Form 5X-Short (MLQ 5X) and demographic data. Head nurses perceive themselves significantly more as transformational leaders than as transactional leaders. Compromise was found to be the most commonly used conflict management strategy. Approximately half of the nurses surveyed used only one mode in conflict management. Transformational leadership significantly affected the conflict strategy chosen. Head nurses tend to choose a conflict-handling mode which is concerned a form of a Lose-Lose approach. Preparation in conflict management should start from undergraduate education.

  19. Consumer-Involved Participatory Research to Address General Medical Health and Wellness in a Community Mental Health Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyer, Sharat P; Pancake, Laura S; Dandino, Elizabeth S; Wells, Kenneth B

    2015-12-01

    Barriers to sustainably implementing general medical interventions in community mental health (CMH) settings include role uncertainty, consumer engagement, workforce limitations, and sustainable reimbursement. To address these barriers, this project used a community-partnered participatory research framework to create a stakeholder-based general medical and wellness intervention in a large CMH organization, with consumers involved in all decision-making processes. Consumers faced practical barriers to participating in organizational decision making, but their narratives were critical in establishing priorities and ensuring sustainability. Addressing baseline knowledge and readiness of stakeholders and functional challenges to consumer involvement can aid stakeholder-based approaches to implementing general medical interventions in CMH settings.

  20. Impact of Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction and Postintroduction Etiology of Diarrhea Requiring Hospital Admission in Haydom, Tanzania, a Rural African Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platts-Mills, James A.; Amour, Caroline; Gratz, Jean; Nshama, Rosemary; Walongo, Thomas; Mujaga, Buliga; Maro, Athanasia; McMurry, Timothy L; Liu, Jie; Mduma, Estomih; Houpt, Eric R

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background No data are available on the etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization after rotavirus vaccine introduction in Africa. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Tanzania on 1 January 2013. We performed a vaccine impact and effectiveness study as well as a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)–based etiology study at a rural Tanzanian hospital. Methods We obtained data on admissions among children <5 years to Haydom Lutheran Hospital between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015 and estimated the impact of vaccine introduction on all-cause diarrhea admissions. We then performed a vaccine effectiveness study using the test-negative design. Finally, we tested diarrheal specimens during 2015 by qPCR for a broad range of enteropathogens and calculated pathogen-specific attributable fractions (AFs). Results Vaccine introduction was associated with a 44.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.6%–97.4%) reduction in diarrhea admissions in 2015, as well as delay of the rotavirus season. The effectiveness of 2 doses of vaccine was 74.8% (95% CI, –8.2% to 94.1%) using an enzyme immunoassay–based case definition and 85.1% (95% CI, 26.5%–97.0%) using a qPCR-based case definition. Among 146 children enrolled in 2015, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization (AF, 25.8% [95% CI, 24.4%–26.7%]), followed by heat-stable enterotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (AF, 18.4% [95% CI, 12.9%–21.9%]), Shigella/enteroinvasive E. coli (AF, 14.5% [95% CI, 10.2%–22.8%]), and Cryptosporidium (AF, 7.9% [95% CI, 6.2%–9.3%]). Conclusions Despite the clear impact of vaccine introduction in this setting, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization. Further efforts to maximize vaccine coverage and improve vaccine performance in these settings are warranted. PMID:28575304

  1. Cuidado ecológico: o significado para profissionais de um hospital geral Cuidado ecológico: el significado para profesionales de un hospital general Ecological care: meaning for health care professionals from a general hospital

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    Marli Terezinha Stein Backes

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Compreender à luz do pensamento complexo, o significado do cuidado ecológico e como este vem sendo associado à prática de profissionais que trabalham em um hospital geral. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo de natureza qualitativa realizado com 15 profissionais que atuam em três diferentes setores: Serviço de Lavanderia, Serviço de Nutrição e uma Unidade de Internação. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário semi-estruturado e submetidos à análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin. RESULTADOS: As categorias encontradas foram: Significando o cuidado ecológico, Salientando a importância do cuidado ecológico para a prática profissional e Medidas preventivas em saúde associadas ao cuidado ecológico. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo evidenciou que existe uma preocupação geral, ainda que incipiente, a respeito da problemática ambiental. A preocupação principal está relacionada à separação, reciclagem e destino adequado do lixo, mesmo que alguns profissionais tenham sinalizado para a importância de medidas preventivas como a lavagem das mãos, utilização de produtos biodegradáveis, entre outros.OBJETIVO: Comprender a La luz del pensamiento complejo, el significado del cuidado ecológico y cómo éste viene siendo asociado a la práctica de profesionales que trabajan en un hospital general. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo de naturaleza cualitativa realizado con 15 profesionales que actúan en tres diferentes sectores: Servicio de Lavandería, Servicio de Nutrición y una Unidad de Internamiento. Los datos fueron recolectados por medio de un cuestionario semi-estructurado y sometidos al análisis de contenido propuesto por Bardin. RESULTADOS: Las categorías encontradas fueron: Significando el cuidado ecológico, resaltando la importancia del cuidado ecológico para la práctica profesional y Medidas preventivas en salud asociadas al cuidado ecológico. CONCLUSIONES: El estudio evidenció que existe una preocupaci

  2. Implementation and adoption of mechanical patient lift equipment in the hospital setting: The importance of organizational and cultural factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenfisch, Ashley L; Myers, Douglas J; Pompeii, Lisa A; Lipscomb, Hester J

    2011-12-01

    Work focused on understanding implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries in the hospital setting is lacking in the injury literature and may be more insightful than more traditional evaluation measures. Data from focus groups with health care workers were used to describe barriers and promoters of the adoption of patient lift equipment and a shift to a "minimal-manual lift environment" at two affiliated hospitals. Several factors influencing the adoption of the lift equipment and patient-handling policy were noted: time, knowledge/ability, staffing, patient characteristics, and organizational and cultural aspects of work. The adoption process was complex, and considerable variability by hospital and across units was observed. The use of qualitative data can enhance the understanding of factors that influence implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries among health care workers. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. El paciente pluripatológico en el ámbito hospitalario Patients with multimorbidity in the hospital setting

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    Manuel Francisco Fernández Miera

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Objetivos: Los hospitales atienden a pacientes pluripatológicos que sufren de forma simultánea varias enfermedades crónicas. En este estudio se estima la prevalencia, así como las principales características demográficas y de gestión asociadas. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo a partir del conjunto mínimo básico de datos (CMBD y de una definición funcional de paciente pluripatológico. Se recogen los datos sobre el sexo, la edad, el servicio de ingreso, el motivo de ingreso, el alta y los días de estancia en los pacientes de un hospital universitario durante el año 2003. Resultados: El 16,9% (intervalo de confianza del 95%, 15,8-18,1 de los ingresos fueron pacientes pluripatológicos. Éstos eran de mayor edad, varones, ingresaron más frecuentemente de forma urgente y en el área de especialidades médicas, fueron derivados en menos ocasiones a su domicilio y generaron mayor estancia. Conclusiones: Los pacientes pluripatológicos presentan características diferenciales que permiten su identificación retrospectiva mediante el análisis del CMBD. Aunque casi todos los servicios dieron de alta a estos pacientes, la mayoría fueron atendidos en servicios de especialidades médicas.Objectives: Hospitals attend patients with multiple chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of these patients, as well as their main sociodemographic and management characteristics. Methods: We performed a descriptive study based on information from the minimum data set and a functional definition of patients with multimorbidity. Age, sex, admitting specialty, cause of admission, discharge and days of hospital stay were estimated for patients discharged from a university hospital in 2003. Results: Patients with multimorbidity represented 16.9% (95% CI: 15.8-18.1% of admissions. These patients were mainly elderly men who tended to be admitted urgently to medical specialties. Discharge to home was less frequent and days of

  4. Hospital General y el Colegio Médico en la historia de la Neurocirugía y la Ortopedia en Camagüey

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    Gretel Mosquera Betancourt

    Full Text Available Fundamento. La historia de la Neurocirugía en el territorio está estrechamente relacionada con la de otras especialidades como la Cirugía General y la Ortopedia. Tiene sus primeras referencias establecidas en la etapa colonial en el Hospital General, documentadas en el Boletín del Colegio Médico de Camagüey. Objetivo es resaltar la importancia que tuvieron el Hospital General y el Colegio Médico de Camagüey con su boletín en la historia de la Neurocirugía y la Ortopedia. Método. Es una investigación histórica que se basa en la revisión documental y utiliza el submétodo cronológico para establecer el orden de los hechos que se describen. Desarrollo. El Hospital General a partir de su reconstrucción a finales del siglo XIX, se convirtió en el principal centro médico quirúrgico de la provincia en la época colonial. Muchos de los resultados de la actividad asistencial y científica de sus médicos apareció publicada en el Boletín del Colegio Médico de Camagüey, prestigiosa revista científica que se encargó de divulgar los resultados de la medicina camagüeyana y donde aparecen artículos que evidencian cómo cirujanos generales realizaron las primeras intervenciones neuroquirúrgicas y ortopédicas. Conclusiones. Se consideran al Hospital General y al Colegio Médico de Camagüey y su boletín, como elementos indispensables al escribir la historiografía de la Neurocirugía y la Ortopedia en el territorio.

  5. Re-thinking barriers to organizational change in public hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Nigel; Saltman, Richard B

    2017-01-01

    Public hospitals are well known to be difficult to reform. This paper provides a comprehensive six-part analytic framework that can help policymakers and managers better shape their organizational and institutional behavior. The paper first describes three separate structural characteristics which, together, inhibit effective problem description and policy design for public hospitals. These three structural constraints are i) the dysfunctional characteristics found in most organizations, ii) the particular dysfunctions of professional health sector organizations, and iii) the additional dysfunctional dimensions of politically managed organizations. While the problems in each of these three dimensions of public hospital organization are well-known, and the first two dimensions clearly affect private as well as publicly run hospitals, insufficient attention has been paid to the combined impact of all three factors in making public hospitals particularly difficult to manage and steer. Further, these three structural dimensions interact in an institutional environment defined by three restrictive context limitations, again two of which also affect private hospitals but all three of which compound the management dilemmas in public hospitals. The first contextual limitation is the inherent complexity of delivering high quality, safe, and affordable modern inpatient care in a hospital setting. The second contextual limitation is a set of specific market failures in public hospitals, which limit the scope of the standard financial incentives and reform measures. The third and last contextual limitation is the unique problem of generalized and localized anxiety , which accompanies the delivery of medical services, and which suffuses decision-making on the part of patients, medical staff, hospital management, and political actors alike. This combination of six institutional characteristics - three structural dimensions and three contextual dimensions - can help explain why

  6. The relationship between personal growth and psychological functioning in individuals treated in a partial hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danitz, Sara B; Orsillo, Susan M; Beard, Courtney; Björgvinsson, Thröstur

    2018-04-26

    We examined whether current level of personal growth and changes in personal growth predicted treatment response among participants in a partial hospital setting. Patients (N = 269; aged 18-70 years, M = 33.6; 52.4% female) completed measures of personal growth initiative (PGI), valuing personal growth (VPG), and psychological functioning measures at treatment admission and discharge from a partial hospital. PGI and VPG were negatively associated with depression and positively associated with psychological well-being. Baseline PGI and VPG did not predict changes in psychological functioning at discharge. PGI and VPG significantly increased following treatment, and increases were associated with decreases in depression and increases in well-being over and above previously established predictors. Valuing personal growth for intrinsic reasons and active engagement in the personal growth process may be important characteristics to cultivate in psychotherapy as they are malleable and negatively related to depression. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Texas hospitals with higher health information technology expenditures have higher revenue: A longitudinal data analysis using a generalized estimating equation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jinhyung; Choi, Jae-Young

    2016-04-05

    The benefits of health information technology (IT) adoption have been reported in the literature, but whether health IT investment increases revenue generation remains an important research question. Texas hospital data obtained from the American Hospital Association (AHA) for 2007-2010 were used to investigate the association of health IT expenses and hospital revenue. The generalized estimation equation (GEE) with an independent error component was used to model the data controlling for cluster error within hospitals. We found that health IT expenses were significantly and positively associated with hospital revenue. Our model predicted that a 100% increase in health IT expenditure would result in an 8% increase in total revenue. The effect of health IT was more associated with gross outpatient revenue than gross inpatient revenue. Increased health IT expenses were associated with greater hospital revenue. Future research needs to confirm our findings with a national sample of hospitals.

  8. Analysis of residents' willingness to pay to reduce air pollution to improve children's health in community and hospital settings in Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Keran; Wu, Jinyi; Wang, Rui; Yang, Yingying; Chen, Renjie; Maddock, Jay E; Lu, Yuanan

    2015-11-15

    Shanghai, along with many major cities in China, faces deterioration of air quality and increases in air pollution-related respiratory diseases (RDs) in children due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to qualitatively and quantitatively measure the willingness to pay (WTP) for reducing children's RDs through air quality improvement. Between April and May, 2014, 975 face-to-face interviews were collected from parents in a community-based and a hospital-setting in Shanghai. Multiple imputation and the Probit model were used to determine the relationship between the WTP and the related environmental factors, child health factors and the socio-economic status. Most respondents reported being willing to make a financial contribution to improve air quality in both the community (52.6%) and hospital (70.2%) samples. Those in the hospital setting were willing to pay significantly more ¥504 (USD$80.7) compared to the community sample ¥428 ($68.5) as expected. Reasons for those not being willing to pay included lack of disposable income and believing that responsibility of the air quality was a community issue. These did not differ by sample. Annual household income and education were related to WTP. This study indicated that parents in Shanghai would be willing to pay for improved air quality. Children's health can be the incentive for the citizens' participation and support in the air quality improvement, therefore, hospital settings may present unique places to improve education about air quality and enhance advocacy efforts. This study also suggested that future environmental policies be addressed more rigorously for targeted populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Duration and setting of rural immersion during the medical degree relates to rural work outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Sullivan, Belinda; McGrail, Matthew; Russell, Deborah; Walker, Judi; Chambers, Helen; Major, Laura; Langham, Robyn

    2018-04-19

    Providing year-long rural immersion as part of the medical degree is commonly used to increase the number of doctors with an interest in rural practice. However, the optimal duration and setting of immersion has not been fully established. This paper explores associations between various durations and settings of rural immersion during the medical degree and whether doctors work in rural areas after graduation. Eligible participants were medical graduates of Monash University between 2008 and 2016 in postgraduate years 1-9, whose characteristics, rural immersion information and work location had been prospectively collected. Separate multiple logistic regression and multinomial logit regression models tested associations between the duration and setting of any rural immersion they did during the medical degree and (i) working in a rural area and (ii) working in large or smaller rural towns, in 2017. The adjusted odds of working in a rural area were significantly increased if students were immersed for one full year (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.79), for between 1 and 2 years (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.54-3.32) and for 2 or more years (OR, 4.43; 95% CI, 3.03-6.47) relative to no rural immersion. The strongest association was for immersion in a mix of both regional hospitals and rural general practice (OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 2.31-4.61), followed by immersion in regional hospitals only (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.39-2.70) and rural general practice only (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.06-3.45). More than 1 year's immersion in a mix of regional hospitals and rural general practices was associated with working in smaller regional or rural towns (immersion programmes. Longer rural immersion and immersion in both regional hospitals and rural general practices are likely to increase rural work and rural distribution of early career doctors. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  10. Motivation and job satisfaction among medical and nursing staff in a Cyprus public general hospital

    OpenAIRE

    Lambrou, Persefoni; Kontodimopoulos, Nick; Niakas, Dimitris

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background The objective of this study was to investigate how medical and nursing staff of the Nicosia General Hospital is affected by specific motivation factors, and the association between job satisfaction and motivation. Furthermore, to determine the motivational drive of socio-demographic and job related factors in terms of improving work performance. Methods A previously developed and validated instrument addressing four work-related motivators (job attributes, remuneration, co...

  11. Specialized consultant in radiological safety to the Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, PEMEX. III.- September and October of 2002

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeles C, A.; Rodriguez A, F.; Garcia A, J.

    2003-02-01

    The Ciudad del Carmen general hospital, dependent of PEMEX, It request consultant of the ININ to be able to maintain their sanitary license for the use of X-ray equipment for the radiologic diagnostic.The proposal of the ININ was to be a program of technical attendance, schedule monthly to be able to solve the observations that are presented in the use of those equipment, and that the hospital can conserve its respective sanitary license.(Author)

  12. Radiographic quality and radiation protection in general medical practice and small hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williamson, B.D.P.; Le Heron, J.C.

    1988-01-01

    Radiation protection and image quality were assessed in a survey of 22 general medical practices (GP) and the 24 smallest hospitals with x-ray facilities. Limited radiography, usually of extremities for trauma, was being performed in these facilities since access to regular radiology services was restricted, mainly for geographic reasons. An anthropomorphic phantom foot and ankle with two simulated fractures of the lateral and medical malleoli was presented at each facility for radiography, and the resulting films assessed for radiographic technique and basic diagnostic usefulness. The x-ray equipment was adequate for the range of procedures performed. While the standard of radiographic techniques was lower than in regular x-ray departments, most films of the phantom ankle were still diagnostically useful and only four were rejected entirely. The principal deficiency in general practice x-ray was in darkrooms and x-ray film processing. Consultation in this regard with registered medical radiation technologists is recommended. Generally, the x-ray equipment and working procedures complied with the National Radiation Laboratory Code of Safe Practice for the Use of X-rays in Diagnosis (Medical). Radiation doses to the phantom ankle ranged widely for effectively the same procedure, although none was excessive. Improved x-ray film processing, and tighter x-ray beam collimation, would result in a narrower range of doses to patients. Personnel exposures to radiation were satisfactorily low and special shieldings are not required in general practice. (author). 7 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  13. An email-based intervention to improve the number and timeliness of letters sent from the hospital outpatient clinic to the general practitioner: A pair-randomized controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Medlock, Stephanie; Parlevliet, Juliette L.; Sent, Danielle; Eslami, Saeid; Askari, Marjan; Arts, Derk L.; Hoekstra, Joost B.; de Rooij, Sophia E.; Abu-Hanna, Ameen

    2017-01-01

    Letters from the hospital to the general practitioner are important for maintaining continuity of care. Although doctors feel letters are important, they are often not written on time. To improve the number and timeliness of letters sent from the hospital outpatient department to the general

  14. Migraine and risk of perioperative ischemic stroke and hospital readmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Timm, Fanny P; Houle, Timothy T; Grabitz, Stephanie D

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether patients with migraine are at increased risk of perioperative ischemic stroke and whether this may lead to an increased hospital readmission rate. DESIGN: Prospective hospital registry study. SETTING: Massachusetts General Hospital and two satellite campuses between...... was hospital readmission within 30 days of surgery. Exploratory outcomes included post-discharge stroke and strata of neuroanatomical stroke location. RESULTS: 10 179 (8.2%) patients had any migraine diagnosis, of whom 1278 (12.6%) had migraine with aura and 8901 (87.4%) had migraine without aura. 771 (0.......9 (2.9 to 5.0) for migraine without aura, and 6.3 (3.2 to 9.5) for migraine with aura. : Patients with migraine had a higher rate of readmission to hospital within 30 days of discharge (adjusted odds ratio 1.31, 1.22 to 1.41). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical patients with a history of migraine are at increased...

  15. Validity, reliability and utility of the Irish Nursing Minimum Data Set for General Nursing in investigating the effectiveness of nursing interventions in a general nursing setting: A repeated measures design.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Morris, Roisin

    2013-08-06

    Internationally, nursing professionals are coming under increasing pressure to highlight the contribution they make to health care and patient outcomes. Despite this, difficulties exist in the provision of quality information aimed at describing nursing work in sufficient detail. The Irish Minimum Data Set for General Nursing is a new nursing data collection system aimed at highlighting the contribution of nursing to patient care.

  16. Appropriateness of hospitalization for CAP-affected pediatric patients: report from a Southern Italy General Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonelli Fabio

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP is a common disease, responsible for significant healthcare expenditures, mostly because of hospitalization. Many practice guidelines on CAP have been developed, including admission criteria, but a few on appropriate hospitalization in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate appropriate hospital admission for CAP in a pediatric population. Methods We evaluated appropriate admission to a Pediatric Unit performing a retrospective analysis on CAP admitted pediatric patients from a Southern Italy area. Diagnosis was made based on clinical and radiological signs. Appropriate hospital admission was evaluated following clinical and non-clinical international criteria. Family ability to care children was assessed by evaluating social deprivation status. Results In 2 winter seasons 120 pediatric patients aged 1-129 months were admitted because of CAP. Median age was 28.7 months. Raised body temperature was scored in 68.3% of patients, cough was present in 100% of cases, and abdominal pain was rarely evidenced. Inflammatory indices (ESR and CRP were found elevated in 33.3% of cases. Anti-Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies were found positive in 20.4%. Trans-cutaneous (TC SaO2 was found lower than 92% in 14.6%. Dyspnoea was present in 43.3%. Dehydration requiring i.v. fluid supplementation was scored in 13.3%. Evaluation of familial ability to care their children revealed that 76% of families (derived from socially depressed areas were "at social risk", thus not able to appropriately care their children. Furthermore, analysis of CAP patients revealed that "at social risk" people accessed E.D. and were hospitalized more frequently than "not at risk" patients (odds ratio = 3.59, 95% CI: 1,15 to 11,12; p = 0.01, and that admitted "at social risk" people presented without clinical signs of severity (namely dyspnoea, and/or SaO2 ≤ 92%, and/or dehydration more frequently than "not at risk" population

  17. Implementation of a competency assessment tool for agency nurses working in an acute paediatric setting.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hennerby, Cathy

    2012-02-01

    AIM: This paper reports on the implementation of a competency assessment tool for registered general agency nurses working in an acute paediatric setting, using a change management framework. BACKGROUND: The increased number of registered general agency nurses working in an acute children\\'s hospital alerted concerns around their competency in working with children. These concerns were initially raised via informal complaints about \\'near misses\\

  18. On a type of generalized closed sets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhananjoy Mandal

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to introduce and study a new class ofgeneralized closed sets in a topological space X, defined in terms of a grill G on X. Explicit characterization of such sets along with certain other properties of them are obtained. As applications, some characterizations of regular and normal spaces are achieved by use of the introduced class of sets.

  19. Level of Digitization in Dutch Hospitals and the Lengths of Stay of Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Poelgeest, Rube; van Groningen, Julia T; Daniels, John H; Roes, Kit C; Wiggers, Theo; Wouters, Michel W; Schrijvers, Guus

    2017-05-01

    A substantial amount of research has been published on the association between the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) and quality outcomes in U.S. hospitals, while limited research has focused on the Western European experience. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between the use of EMR technologies in Dutch hospitals and length of stay after colorectal cancer surgery. Two data sets were leveraged for this study; the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM SM ) and the Dutch surgical colorectal audit (DSCA). The HIMSS Analytics EMRAM score was used to define a Dutch hospital's electronic medical records (EMR) capabilities while the DSCA was used to profile colorectal surgery quality outcomes (specifically total length of stay (LOS) in the hospital and the LOS in ICU). A total of 73 hospitals with a valid EMRAM score and associated DSCA patients (n = 30.358) during the study period (2012-2014) were included in the comparative set. A multivariate regression method was used to test differences adjusted for case mix, year of surgery, surgical technique and for complications, as well as stratifying for academic affiliated hospitals and general hospitals. A significant negative association was observed to exist between the total LOS (relative median LOS 0,974, CI 95% 0.959-0,989) of patients treated in advanced EMR hospitals (high EMRAM score cohort) versus patients treated at less advanced EMR care settings, once the data was adjusted for the case mix, year of surgery and type of surgery (laparoscopy or laparotomy). Adjusting for complications in a subgroup of general hospitals (n = 39) yielded essentially the same results (relative median LOS 0,934, CI 95% 0,915-0,954). No consistent significant associations were found with respect to LOS on the ICU. The findings of this study suggest advanced EMR capabilities support a healthcare provider's efforts to achieve desired quality outcomes and efficiency in Western

  20. [Cytostatic hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) in VFN (General Faculty Hospital in Prague)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spacek, M; Mitás, P; Lacina, L; Krajsová, I; Hodková, G; Salmay, M; Spunda, R; Brlicová, L; Lindner, J

    2011-01-01

    Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) is a standardized method of treatment in selected patients with in-transient locoregional recurrence/methastasis of melanoma or, some other soft tissue tumors (incl. sarcoma etc.) Authors present history and current status of this treatment modality in General University Hospital in Prague. During one year period (7/2009-6/2010) 10 patients were indicated for this procedure. We performed 13 procedures (3x redo), 11 in lower extremity and 2 in upper extremity. There was no serious complication in this cohort of patiens. Multidisciplinar approach is indicated in melanoma patients care.