Sample records for zayed hospital lahore

  1. Noise pollution in the hospital environment of a developing country: A case study of Lahore (Pakistan).

    PubMed

    Baqar, Mujtaba; Arslan, Muhammad; Abbasi, Saddam A; Ashraf, Uzma; Khalid, Anam; Zahid, Hina

    2017-08-24

    The present study investigates the noise pollution levels in public- and private-sector hospitals of Lahore. The noise pollution parameters were investigated from 20 public and 10 private hospitals. We observed that the equivalent continuous sound level (Leq) values varied significantly in different departments of the hospitals as well as at different times of the day. The public-sector hospitals had significantly higher noise pollution compared to the private-sector hospitals. The Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney two-sample rank-sum test revealed significant difference between noise levels in intensive care unit (ICU) during morning and in emergency, waiting area, intensive care unit (ICU), and reception during daytimes. However, no significant differences were found for any department during the evening. The Leq values were found to be higher than the international norms (WHO standards) for all hospitals, higher than USEPA for 29 hospitals and higher than local standards for 27 hospitals. Overall, significantly lower sound levels were always observed in private hospitals.

  2. An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Zay people in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Giday, Mirutse; Asfaw, Zemede; Elmqvist, Thomas; Woldu, Zerihun

    2003-03-01

    An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by the Zay people who live on islands as well as shore areas of Lake Ziway in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. A total of 33 medicinal plants were reported as being used locally for the treatment and/or control of human and livestock ailments. Results of the survey showed that leaf materials form the major component of plant parts harvested. The majority of the remedies are prepared in the form of juice from freshly collected plant parts. Most of the remedies are prepared from a single species, and are mainly taken orally. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild. Of the total claimed medicinal plants, 10 were reported scarce locally. Environmental degradation and intense deforestation have been reported as the main causes for the depletion of medicinal plants in the area. As the Zay people are still partly dependent on medicinal plants, loss of these plants will, to a certain extent, hamper the existing health care system in the area. Measures for conservation of medicinal plants of the Zay people are urgently needed.

  3. Features of central serous chorioretinopathy presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.

    PubMed

    Jamil, Ahmad Zeeshan; Mirza, Khurram Azam; Qazi, Zaheer Uddin Aqil; Iqbal, Wasim; Khaliq, Javed; Fawad-ur-Rahman; Ahmed, Arslan

    2013-04-01

    To evaluate the clinical, angiographic and optical coherence tomographic features of central serous chorioretinopathy in patients presenting at a tertiary care centre in Lahore. The observational study was conducted at the Layton Rehmatulla Benevolent Trust Eye and Cancer Hospital Lahore from July 15, 2010 to December 15, 2011. Patients who had received prior treatment for the condition and allergy to fluorescein were excluded. There were 86 eyes of 64 adult patients with central serous chorioretinopathy. The following data was recorded: history, signs and symptoms, best corrected visual acuity, fundus fluorescein angiography, and central macular thickness measurement with optical coherence tomography. Data was analyzed using SPSS 17. Mean age of patients who presented during the study duration was 39.52 +/- 8.85 years.There were 53 (82.8%) males and 11(17.2%) females. Of the total, 42 (65.6%) cases had unilateral and 22 (34.4%) cases had bilateral involvement. Chronic central serous chorioretinopathy was seen in 27 (42.2%) cases while 37 (57.8%) cases were acute presentations. Retinal pigment epithelial detachment was observed in 29 (45.3%) cases. On fundus fluorescein angiography, there were 62 (72.1%) eyes that showed ink blot pattern. Median visual acuity at presentation was 0.25. Median central macular thickness at presentation was 550.5micro. Central serous chorioretinopathy in the study sample was associated with pigment epithelial detachment, bilateral involvement, and presence of systemic diseases.

  4. Frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among patients suffering from methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

    PubMed

    Aslam, Nadia; Izhar, Mateen; Mehdi, Naima

    2013-11-01

    To determine rate of nasal colonization in Patients suffering from bacteraemia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in a tertiary ca re, University Teaching Hospital (Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore) from October 2010 to August 2011. Nasal swabs were taken from patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia and were plated on mannitol salt agar plates to isolate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) which were then tested for oxacillin susceptibility. Nasal colonization was present in 52.5% of patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia. Nasal colonization rates with MRSA were high among patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia especially in those undergoing dialysis or surgical procedures. Therefore, screening and nasal decolonization should be practiced in hospitals.

  5. Traditional Healing Practices Sought by Muslim Psychiatric Patients in Lahore, Pakistan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farooqi, Yasmin Nilofer

    2006-01-01

    This research explored the type of traditional healing practices sought by Muslim psychiatric patients treated at public hospitals of Lahore city, Pakistan. The sample comprised 87 adult psychiatric patients (38% male and 62% female). The patients self-reported on the Case History Interview Schedule that they had sought diverse traditional healing…

  6. Do doctors have hidden distress; a study conducted at tertiary care hospital at Lahore.

    PubMed

    Atif, Khaula; Khan, Habib Ullah; Malik, Adeela Farid

    2016-01-01

    Toanalyse the prevalence of distress in doctors serving in a tertiary care hospital and studying the factors having significant impact on the subject. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, from February to December 2014, and comprised doctors serving for at least six months who volunteered to fill out the standardised General Health Questionnaire-12Demographic features and level of job satisfaction were taken as independent variables. Outcome variable was the questionnaire score. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. The mean questionnaire score of the 97 respondents in the study was 12.27±6.397. Of them, 19(19.6%) and 11(11.3%) had distress and severe distress respectively. Marital status (p=0.006), age (p=0.029), income per month (p=0.010) and levels of job satisfaction (p=0.001) had significant impact on the scores. Variables having insignificant impact were gender (p=0.529), number of children (p=0.220), education (p=0.816), service years (p=0.155), current employment (p=0.504), nature of job (p=0.531), working hours (p=0.632), additional duties (p=0.663), and socioeconomic class (p=0.935). Almost one-third of the doctors had distress under the significant impact of multiple factors.

  7. Frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among patients suffering from methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

    PubMed Central

    Aslam, Nadia; Izhar, Mateen; Mehdi, Naima

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To determine rate of nasal colonization in Patients suffering from bacteraemia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in a tertiary ca re, University Teaching Hospital (Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore) from October 2010 to August 2011. Nasal swabs were taken from patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia and were plated on mannitol salt agar plates to isolate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) which were then tested for oxacillin susceptibility. Results: Nasal colonization was present in 52.5% of patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia. Conclusion: Nasal colonization rates with MRSA were high among patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia especially in those undergoing dialysis or surgical procedures. Therefore, screening and nasal decolonization should be practiced in hospitals. PMID:24550968

  8. Workplace violence against women nurses working in two public sector hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Jafree, Sara Rizvi

    Cultural and structural forces help sustain workplace violence (WPV) against feminized professions like nursing in Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and patterns of workplace violence (WPV) against women nurses (more than 95% of entire nursing population) in two hospitals of Pakistan. A standardized international survey developed by the World Health Organization was used to collect cross-sectional data. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate regression were used for data analysis. A total of 309 nurse respondents were sampled from two public sector tertiary care hospitals of Lahore. Findings show that 73.1% of nurses reported experiencing some sort of violence in the last 12 months; with 53.4% suffering from physical violence, 57.3% from verbal violence, and 26.9% from sexual violence. The main perpetrators were reported to be male coworkers, patients, and attendants. Higher risk for WPV includes single status, non-Punjabi provincial belonging, Islamic faith, staff and student nurse designations, temporary government contract, and working additional hours in the evening and night. The primary response to violence included not doing anything and remaining silent. It was also reported that nurse victims experienced moderate levels of emotional grievances after facing violence. The results of this study suggest that public sector hospitals in the region need to improve their policy for the protection and monitoring of WPV against female nurses. Reporting and counseling bodies need to be installed to encourage both complaints and the seeking of medical attention after victimization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Features of retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.

    PubMed

    Jamil, Ahmad Zeeshan; Tahir, Muhammad Younis; Ayub, Muhammad Hammad; Mirza, Khurram Azam

    2015-02-01

    To study the demographic and clinical features of Retinopathy of Prematurity in urban Punjab. The cross-sectional study was performed at Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, from April 2010 to October 2013 and comprised neonates born with birth weight less than 2000 g, gestational age less than 37 weeks, or those who were considered high risk for Retinopathy of Prematurity. Variables recorded included history, birth weight, gestational age, oxygen supplementation, development of Retinopathy of Prematurity, and laser treatment. Data was analysed using SPSS 17. There were 285 neonates in the study with a mean birth weight of 1280.34 ± 350.43 g and mean gestational age being 29.38 ± 3.14 weeks. Overall, 167 (58.6%) received supplemental oxygen, 86(30.2%) were anaemic and 44 (15.4%) received blood transfusion. Besides, 47 (16.5%) premature babies were product of multiple gestation, 34 (11.9%) were having respiratory distress, 25 (8.8%) had sepsis and received intravenous antibiotics, 70(24.6%) developed Retinopathy of Prematurity, and 22 (7.7%) developed threshold disease and received laser treatment at mean gestational age of 32.11 ± 2.53 weeks. Screening is key to preventing childhood blindness caused by Retinopathy of Prematurity. Prematurity, low birth weight and supplemental oxygen therapy are significant risk factors for the condition.

  10. Clinical Audit of Dengue Related Deaths in 2011-Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Iqtadar, Somia; Akbar, Nabeel; Mehmood, Mehreen; Abaidullah, Sajid

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objective: Dengue infection has evolved into an epidemic during last few years in Pakistan and has been associated with poor outcomes. Literature with respect to mortality risk factors in Dengue infection is not sufficient. This compelled us to conduct this study to find out major contributory factors to death in patients with dengue viral infection at one of Asia’s ancient hospital setting with an aim to recognize complications at earliest and improve case management in future. Methods: A retrospective observational study of 95 adult dengue deaths was performed at Mayo Hospital Lahore from July 1st 2011 to 31st December 2011 during a major dengue epidemic. Patients who tested positive by dengue IgM in the presence of acute fever fulfilling the World Health Organization criteria for Dengue Fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome and died within same setting, were included. Data regarding demographic profile, clinical and laboratory parameters along with treatment details were obtained and analysed. All records examined were anonymized. Results: Median age was 36 years (range13-80 years) among 95 deaths due to Dengue. Male gender comprised 60 (63.1%). Co-morbidities existed in 74 (77.9%) with hypertension in 21 (22.1%) diabetes in 11 (11.58%), liver disease in 9 (9.47%) and ischemic heart disease in 8(8.4%) cases. Patients presented at second day of fever for admission (range 1-8 days) and death occurred at a median of 4 days (range 30 minutes to 23 days). Hospital stay was for less than a week for seventy nine (83.2%) patients and 16 (16.8%) were admitted for more than 7 days. Critical care was required in 67(71%). Severe hepatitis occurred in 41 (43.1%), acute renal impairment occurred in 32 (33.7%) and disseminated intravascular coagulation in 16 (16.8%). Deaths were due to prolonged shock 49 (51.5%) fluid overload 46 (48.4%) and massive bleeding 18(19%) leading to organ failure. Conclusion: Decompensated shock complicated by

  11. Clinical Audit of Dengue Related Deaths in 2011-Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Iqtadar, Somia; Akbar, Nabeel; Mehmood, Mehreen; Abaidullah, Sajid

    2017-01-01

    Dengue infection has evolved into an epidemic during last few years in Pakistan and has been associated with poor outcomes. Literature with respect to mortality risk factors in Dengue infection is not sufficient. This compelled us to conduct this study to find out major contributory factors to death in patients with dengue viral infection at one of Asia's ancient hospital setting with an aim to recognize complications at earliest and improve case management in future. A retrospective observational study of 95 adult dengue deaths was performed at Mayo Hospital Lahore from July 1st 2011 to 31st December 2011 during a major dengue epidemic. Patients who tested positive by dengue IgM in the presence of acute fever fulfilling the World Health Organization criteria for Dengue Fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome and died within same setting, were included. Data regarding demographic profile, clinical and laboratory parameters along with treatment details were obtained and analysed. All records examined were anonymized. Median age was 36 years (range13-80 years) among 95 deaths due to Dengue. Male gender comprised 60 (63.1%). Co-morbidities existed in 74 (77.9%) with hypertension in 21 (22.1%) diabetes in 11 (11.58%), liver disease in 9 (9.47%) and ischemic heart disease in 8(8.4%) cases. Patients presented at second day of fever for admission (range 1-8 days) and death occurred at a median of 4 days (range 30 minutes to 23 days). Hospital stay was for less than a week for seventy nine (83.2%) patients and 16 (16.8%) were admitted for more than 7 days. Critical care was required in 67(71%). Severe hepatitis occurred in 41 (43.1%), acute renal impairment occurred in 32 (33.7%) and disseminated intravascular coagulation in 16 (16.8%). Deaths were due to prolonged shock 49 (51.5%) fluid overload 46 (48.4%) and massive bleeding 18(19%) leading to organ failure. Decompensated shock complicated by either massive plasma leakage, frank bleeding, multi organ

  12. Translation, Validation and Reliability of the Kidney Diseases Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF Form) Tool in Urdu.

    PubMed

    Anees, Muhammad; Ibrahim, Muhammad; Imtiaz, Marium; Batool, Shazia; Elahi, Irfan; Malik, Muzammil Riaz

    2016-08-01

    To translate, validate and assess the reliability of kidney disease quality of life - short form (KDQOL-SF-36) in Urdu, national language of Pakistan. Amulticentric descriptive cross-sectional study. Department of Nephrology, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from February to July 2015. Patients of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) for more than three months, were included in the study. Patients of ESRD not on dialysis, and those with acute renal failure were excluded. The English version of KDQOL-SF-36 was translated in Urdu and then translated back in English; further validation was done by a senior professor of Punjab University, Lahore. One hundred and thirty patients were included in the study. Fifty patients were from Mayo Hospital, 35 from Shalamar Hospital and 50 from Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. The internal consistency reliability coefficient for overall scale was 0.84. Twelve sub-scales (symptoms, effect of kidney disease, burden of kidney disease, cognitive function, quality of social interaction, sexual function, social support, physical functioning, role physical, pain, emotional well-being and role emotional) had more than 0.70 internal consistency reliability coefficient. Overall mean score of the domains i.e kidney disease component score (KDCS), physical component score (PCS), and mental component score (MCS) was 60.62 ±17.61, 43.12 ±19.54, and 49.27 ±14.52, respectively. Asignificant positive relationship was observed between KDCS and MCS domains, KDCS and PCS domains, PCS, and MCS domains. The Urdu version of KDQOL-SF-36 is a reliable and valid version to measure QOLin kidney disease patients on dialysis in Pakistan.

  13. Perceptions of house officers working in hospitals of Lahore about joining the field of anaesthesiology as a career.

    PubMed

    Anjum, Sohail; Mahboob, Usman

    2016-10-01

    To determine the perceptions of house officers working in hospitals about joining anaesthesiology as a career. This quantitative, descriptive questionnaire-based study was carried out from September 2014 to February 2015 in 26 teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised house officers. Those with at least three months of working experience in anaesthesiology were included. They were approached in their respective departments and a validated self-reporting questionnaire was delivered to them and received back by hand. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. Of the 73 house officers approached, 53(72.6%) responded; 35(66%) men and 18(33%) women. Overall, 25(47.16%) respondents refused to join anaesthesiology as a career and 27(50.94%) included it in their first three career choices. Moreover, 25(47.16%) cited minimal interaction with patient as a reason for not taking anaesthesia as a career choice; 29(56.6%) of the respondents believed an anaesthetist had no or little role in surgery. Change in attitude about anaesthesiology as a specialty after having an anaesthesia rotation was mentioned by 26(49.05%) respondents. House officers had reservations about joining anaesthesiology as a career. The findings are suggestive of a positive effect of anaesthesiology house job on house officers attitude about the specialty.

  14. A botanical group in Lahore, 1864.

    PubMed

    Noltie, H J

    2011-01-01

    The sitters in a previously misunderstood nineteenth-century Indian group photograph are identified as four East India Company surgeons with wider interests in natural history: William Jameson, Thomas Caverhill Jerdon, John Lindsay Stewart and Hugh Francis Clarke Cleghorn, taken in Lahore at the Punjab Exhibition of 1864. The image was previously believed to depict the committee of the Madras Literary Society and to have been taken in Madras. No portraits of Jameson or Stewart have previously been known, and Jameson had mistakenly been identified as E.G. Balfour. Brief biographies are given of the individuals figured, the circumstances under which they coincided in Lahore explained, and their roles in forest conservation and the documentation of Indian biodiversity outlined. The photographer is confirmed as Samuel Bourne, and information is provided on the Scottish individuals to whom Cleghorn sent copies of the photography.

  15. Iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome in children presenting at Children's Hospital Lahore using nappy rash ointments.

    PubMed

    Sattar, Hina; Manzoor, Jaida; Mirza, Liaqat; Sheikh, Abdul Malik; Butt, Taeed Ahmad

    2015-05-01

    To study the characteristics of infants and children presenting with iatrogenic Cushing's Syndrome due to nappy rash ointments. The descriptive study was conducted at the Children's Hospital, Lahore, from April to September 2013, and comprised patients presenting with cushingoid features and history of using nappy rash ointments. Patients having Cushing's Syndrome due to causes other than iatrogenic were excluded and so were those taking oral or parenteral steroids due to skin allergy, renal or respiratory disease. Demographic data, history and examination of all patients were recorded on a proforma and results were analysed using SPSS 16. Of the total 18 patients, 13(72%) were girls and 5(27%) were boys. Eight (44.4%) patients were younger than 6 months, 6(33.3%) were between 6 months to 1 year, while 4(22.2%) were between 12 and 18 months of age. Clobetasol alone was the most frequently used agent responsible in 13(72%) cases. Duration of use of steroid ointment was as short as 3 weeks to as much as 1 year. All the patients were using disposable diapers. Ointment was prescribed by a doctor in 5(27%) cases and self-prescribed (relative or neighbour) in 13(72%). Self-medication and prolonged use of potent steroid ointments are major contributors in development of iatrogenic Cushing's Syndrome in infants and children. Younger age, female gender and use of disposable diapers were other important predisposing factors.

  16. Predictors of clinical course of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: experience at the Children's Hospital, Lahore.

    PubMed

    Malik, Muhammad Akbar; Saeed, Muhammad; Qureshi, Ahmad Usaid; Ahmed, Naseer; Akram, Muhammad

    2010-10-01

    To determine the clinical course of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) and different factors affecting the clinical course. Descriptive study. The Children's Hospital, Lahore, from October 2005 to May 2008. All serologically confirmed patients of SSPE were registered and clinical staging of these patients were done from stage-I to stage-IV. Clinical course of these patients was classified by using neurological disability index as fulminant, acute, subacute, and chronic course. Clinical course was analyzed for any difference with age, gender, immunization for measles, measles infection, nutritional status and correlation with age of onset of SSPE, (Spearman's correlation), using statistic package for social science (SPSS) V. 14. A total of 57 cases (41 males, 16 females) with mean age of 7.45 years were studied. Forty (71.4%) of them were vaccinated with single dose at about 9 months of age, 41% (23/57) had measles infections ≤ 2 years of age. Using the Neurology Disability Index for these patients 10.5% had fulminant, 17.5% had acute, 49.2% subacute and 22.8% had chronic course. Age, gender, age at measles infection, SSPE onset age and nutritional status were poor predictors of clinical course of SSPE. Unvaccinated patients showed significantly more rapid course of disease (p = 0.04). Clinical course of SSPE cannot be predicted at the onset of this catastrophic disorder. Children not immunized against measles had a significant rapid course of disease.

  17. The relationship between emotional intelligence and task-switching in temporal lobe epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Gul, Amara; Hussain, Imtiaz

    2016-01-01

    To examine the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in task-switching performance of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). An experimental research design conducted at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, Mayo and Services Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from March 2013 to October 2014. Twenty-five patients with TLE and 25 healthy individuals from local community participated in the study. Participants completed measures of intelligence, EI, depression, anxiety, stress, and task-switching experiment. Patients and controls showed an average intelligence quotient, and normal levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast to controls, patients showed lower EI and impaired task-switching abilities. This result can be seen in the context of disintegrated white matter and cerebral connectivity in patients with TLE. Emotional intelligence was found to be a significant predictor of task-switching performance. Emotional intelligence is a potential marker of higher order cognitive functioning in patients with TLE.

  18. Epidemiology of cancers in Lahore, Pakistan, 2010-2012: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Badar, Farhana; Mahmood, Shahid; Yusuf, Muhammed Aasim; Sultan, Faisal

    2016-06-28

    To estimate the population-level cancer estimates for the Lahore district, which is part of the Punjab Cancer Registry (PCR), Pakistan. The average population per year of Lahore was estimated at 9.8 million in 2010-2012. A cross-sectional study. The Registry has 19 collaborating centres in Lahore that report their data to the Central Office located within a tertiary care cancer treatment facility in Lahore, Pakistan. Patients belonging to Lahore, of any age-group, and diagnosed with cancer in 2010-2012, were included in the study. They were followed up between July and October 2015 to determine their vital status. Summaries were generated for gender, the basis of diagnosis, diagnoses and deaths. The Age-Standardized Incidence Rates (ASIR) were computed per 100 000 population, by gender and cancer site. Five-year age categories were created from 0-4 until 70-74, followed by 75+ years. Death counts were reported by site. Between 2010 and 2012, in Lahore, a total of 15 840 new cancers were diagnosed in 43% male patients and 57% female patients; 93.5% were microscopically confirmed and 6.5% non-microscopically. In females, the ASIR was 105.1 and in males, it was 66.7. ASIRs of leading cancers among women were breast 47.6, ovary 4.9 and corpus uteri 3.6, whereas among men they were prostate 6.4, bladder 5.0, and trachea, bronchus and lung 4.6. A total of 5134 deaths were recorded. In Lahore, the ASIR was higher in women than in men. Among women and men, breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively, were the leading cancer types. These estimates can be used for health promotion and policymaking in the region. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  19. Illness Perceptions in Patients of Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Investigation from Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Sadia; Imran, Nazish; Hotiana, Usman Amin; Mazhar, Nauman; Asif, Aftab

    2017-01-01

    Patient's perception of their illness influences their healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study were to explore patient's own beliefs about their illness (Schizophrenia) and perceived social support, and its impact on their attitudes toward pharmacological treatment in Lahore, Pakistan. This study was conducted at Mayo Hospital Lahore from March to September 2016. Hundred individuals suffering from Schizophrenia completed four questionnaires; a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia(IPQ-S), Drug attitude Inventory-10 (DAI) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSS). Stress, family problems, lack of friends & financial worries were endorsed strongly by patients as cause of their mental illness. Ambiguity regarding their mental illness duration and personal control was observed. Patients' perceived significant negative consequences, negative emotional response, as well as had poor understanding of their mental illness and treatment effectiveness. Statistically significant gender differences in treatment control and illness coherence subscales of IPQS were observed. Drug attitude inventory was positively correlated with Treatment control subscale (p < .01) and negatively correlated with Illness coherence subscale of IPQS (p < .05). The negative consequences subscale and perceived social support was negatively correlated (p < .01). Patient's perception about their own illness is predictor of their drug taking attitude and perceived social support. Study results should help to develop new interventions to correct inaccurate beliefs in patients with schizophrenia to improve illness outcome.

  20. Epidemiology of cancers in Lahore, Pakistan, among children, adolescents and adults, 2010–2012: a cross-sectional study part 2

    PubMed Central

    Mahmood, Shahid

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To estimate the cancer incidence by age group for the Lahore district population within the Punjab Cancer Registry (PCR), Pakistan. The average annual population of Lahore was 9.8 million in 2010–2012. This is a sequel to a study published earlier. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting The registry has 19 centres in Lahore reporting their data to the coordinating office located within the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center (SKMCH&RC), Lahore, Pakistan. Participants Data existing in the PCR database, based on a confirmed diagnosis of cancer from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012, among the Lahore residents, were reviewed. Outcome measures Cancer counts and the age-standardised incidence rates (ASIR) per 100 000 population were computed by gender, cancer site/type and age group (0–14, 15–19 and ≥20 years). Results Between 2010 and 2012, of the 15 840 new cancers diagnosed, 57% were in females. The ASIRs in age groups 0–14, 15–19 and ≥20 years, among females, were: 6.1, 8.4 and 170.7, respectively, and among males, 9.3, 12.2 and 104.5, respectively. The common diagnoses in children, adolescents and adults were: (1) among females: leukaemia: 2.2; bone tumour: 1.4 and breast cancer: 79.2, respectively, and (2) among males: leukaemia: 3.6; bone tumour: 2.4 and prostate cancer: 10.7, respectively. Conclusions The ASIR was higher in adult women than in men, but it was lower in girls and young women than their corresponding male counterparts. Leukaemia was the most common diagnosis in children and bone tumour in adolescents, regardless of gender. Among women, breast cancer and, in men, prostate cancer, were the leading cancer types, in adults. These estimates could be used for the expansion of health coverage in the region including setting-up low cost, diagnostic tests for early detection of cancers. PMID:29273649

  1. Evolving Techniques of Documentation of a World Heritage Site in Lahore

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arif, R.; Essa, K.

    2017-08-01

    Lahore is an ancient, culturally rich city amidst which are embedded two world heritage sites. The state of historic preservation in the country is impoverished with a dearth of training and poor documentation skills, thus these monuments are decaying and in dire need of attention. The Aga Khan Cultural Service - Pakistan is one of the first working in heritage conservation in the country. AKCSP is currently subjecting the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Mughal era Lahore Fort to an intensive and multi-faceted architectural documentation process. This is presented here as a case study to chart the evolution of documentation techniques and enunciate the spectrum of challenges faced in the documentation of an intricate Mughal heritage site for conservation in the Pakistani context. 3D - laser scanning is used for the purpose of heritage conservation for the first time, and since has been utilised on heritage buildings and urban fabric in ongoing projects. These include Lahore Fort, Walled city of Lahore as well as the Baltit Fort, a project restored in the past, assisting in the maintenance of conserved buildings. The documentation team is currently discovering the full potential of this technology especially its use in heritage conservation simultaneously overcoming challenges faced. Moreover negotiating solutions to auto-generate 2D architectural drawings from the 3D pointcloud output. The historic architecture is juxtaposed with contemporary technology in a region where such a combination is rarely found. The goal is to continually develop the documentation methodologies whilst investigating other technologies in the future.

  2. Illness Perceptions in Patients of Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Investigation from Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Hussain, Sadia; Imran, Nazish; Hotiana, Usman Amin; Mazhar, Nauman; Asif, Aftab

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objective: Patient’s perception of their illness influences their healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study were to explore patient’s own beliefs about their illness (Schizophrenia) and perceived social support, and its impact on their attitudes toward pharmacological treatment in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: This study was conducted at Mayo Hospital Lahore from March to September 2016. Hundred individuals suffering from Schizophrenia completed four questionnaires; a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia(IPQ-S), Drug attitude Inventory-10 (DAI) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSS). Results: Stress, family problems, lack of friends & financial worries were endorsed strongly by patients as cause of their mental illness. Ambiguity regarding their mental illness duration and personal control was observed. Patients’ perceived significant negative consequences, negative emotional response, as well as had poor understanding of their mental illness and treatment effectiveness. Statistically significant gender differences in treatment control and illness coherence subscales of IPQS were observed. Drug attitude inventory was positively correlated with Treatment control subscale (p < .01) and negatively correlated with Illness coherence subscale of IPQS (p < .05). The negative consequences subscale and perceived social support was negatively correlated (p < .01). Conclusion: Patient’s perception about their own illness is predictor of their drug taking attitude and perceived social support. Study results should help to develop new interventions to correct inaccurate beliefs in patients with schizophrenia to improve illness outcome. PMID:29067048

  3. Clinical Efficacy Comparison of Saccharomyces Boulardii and Lactic Acid as Probiotics in Acute Pediatric Diarrhea.

    PubMed

    Asmat, Shakila; Shaukat, Fouzia; Asmat, Raheela; Bakhat, Hafiz Faiq Siddique Gul; Asmat, Tauseef M

    2018-03-01

    To compare the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii and lactic acid producing probiotics in addition to usual treatment regimen to cure diarrhea among children (6 months to 5 years of age). Randomized controlled trial. Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from February to July 2015. Children suffering from acute diarrhea were orally administered Saccharomyces boulardii and lactic acid producing probiotics for 5 days. The efficacy of administered probiotics was monitored. Patients were given Saccharomyces boulardii and lactic acid producing probiotics randomly to remove the bias. Two hundred patients randomly selected for trials; out of which, 100 were treated with Saccharomyces boulardii while the other 100 were supplemented with lactic acid concomitantly along with conventional diarrhea treatment. Results indicated that Saccharomyces boulardii treatment group has significantly higher efficacy rate (45%) compared to lactic acid producing probiotics (26%). This study concluded that Saccharomyces boulardii has a better efficacy compared to lactic acid and may be adopted as a probiotic of choice.

  4. Species Diversity and Distributional Pattern of Cockroaches in Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Memona, Hafsa; Manzoor, Farkhanda; Riaz, Saffora

    2017-01-01

    Background: Cockroaches are found as the most common urban pests of tropical countries, prompting economic and serious health risk problem for humans by carrying microbes and allergens, acting as vector for various pathogens of diseases. The present study was conducted from April 2013 to March 2014 in various human dwelling localities of urban area of district Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: Cockroaches were collected randomly by hand, food baited and sticky traps throughout the year. Four species of cockroaches (Periplaneta Americana (P. amercana), Blattella germanica (B. germanica), Blatta orientalis (B. orientalis), and Blatta lateralis (B. lateralis) were collected and identified from the study site. Results: B. germanica was the most dominant indoor species with highest diversity indices in study areas. Overall cockroach species diversity was highest in July–September, 2013 with highest Simpson index of diversity and Shannon index as well. P. americana was found second broadly distributed in the study area followed by B. orientalis and B. lateralis were intermediately distributed in residential areas and narrowly distributed in hospitals. Residential areas and hospitals were highly infested with B. germanica followed by P. americana. Population index of B. germanica for hospitals was double than residential areas. B. lateralis was observed as displacing B. orientalis in outdoor habitat through competing with its habitat and food sources. Conclusion: The infestation rate of different species depends on availability of food sources, sanitary conditions and climatic conditions. Cockroach infestation can be controlled with knowledge about their biology and behavior, attention to sanitation and effective use of commercial insecticides. PMID:29062850

  5. Use of the"bogota bag"for closure of open abdominal wound after exploratory laparotomy - our experience at Mayo Hospital Lahore.

    PubMed

    Muhammad, Yar; Gondal, Khalid Masood; Khan, Umair Ahmed

    2016-08-01

    To assess the efficacy of Bogota bag for closure of open abdominal wounds after laparotomy where the primary closure cannot be achieved and other closure techniques are not available. The descriptive study was conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from September 2011 to February2015, and comprised patients who underwent laparotomy and peritoneal cavities and who could not be closed primarily because of various reasons like traumatic loss and oedematous gut. They were managed with Bogota bag for abdominal closure. SPSS 18 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 55 patients, 37(67.27%) were male and 18(32.73%) were female. There was traumatic loss in 34(61.8%), oedematous gut and omentum in 15(27.27%) and gangrenous abdominal wall in 6(10.9%) patients. Bogota bag was applied in all (100%) of them. In 19(34.55%) patients, delayed primary closure was possible, so the Bogota was used temporarily. In 36(65.45%) cases managed with Bogota bag, healing occurred by granulation tissue or skin grafting/flaps were applied and these patients developed hernia. Five (9.09%) patients developed small bowel fistula which was managed conservatively. No patient developed complication due to exposure or abdominal compartment. There were 7(12.8%) postoperative deaths due to the disease process and were unrelated to the closure technique. Bogota bag was an effective means of closure of open abdominal wound and prevented the complications due to open abdominal wounds or closure under tension.

  6. Frequency of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in children with intellectual disability in Lahore, Pakistan & Caregivers Perspective.

    PubMed

    Imran, Nazish; Azeem, Muhammad Waqar; Sattar, Ahsan; Bhatti, Mohammad Riaz

    2015-01-01

    Association between Intellectual disability (ID) and psychiatric disorders in children & adolescents is well established but there is a paucity of published studies from Pakistan on this topic. The main aim of the study was to assess the frequency of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in the hospital outpatient sample of children with ID in Lahore, Pakistan as well as to find out which challenging behaviors, caregivers find difficult to manage in this setup. Socio-demographic information was collected, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised & ICD-10 diagnostic criteria was used to assess children (age range 6 - 16 years) with suspected ID along with identification of behaviors found to be difficult to manage by caregivers. 150 children were assessed with mean age of 10.7 years (males 70 %). Majority (72%) had mild ID while 18.7% and 9.3% had moderate and severe ID respectively. Thirty percent of children met the criteria for any psychiatric diagnosis, the most common being Oppositional Defiant Disorder (14%) and Hyperkinetic Disorders (10%). Verbal and physical aggression, school difficulties, socialization problems, inappropriate behaviors (e.g. disinhibition), sleep & feeding difficulties were the significant areas identified by the caregivers as a cause of major concern. Significantly high prevalence of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in children with ID was found in Lahore, Pakistan. Support services for these children should be responsive not only to the needs of the child, but also to the needs of the family.

  7. Frequency of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in children with intellectual disability in Lahore, Pakistan & Caregivers Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Imran, Nazish; Azeem, Muhammad Waqar; Sattar, Ahsan; Bhatti, Mohammad Riaz

    2015-01-01

    Objective: Association between Intellectual disability (ID) and psychiatric disorders in children & adolescents is well established but there is a paucity of published studies from Pakistan on this topic. The main aim of the study was to assess the frequency of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in the hospital outpatient sample of children with ID in Lahore, Pakistan as well as to find out which challenging behaviors, caregivers find difficult to manage in this setup. Methods: Socio-demographic information was collected, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised & ICD-10 diagnostic criteria was used to assess children (age range 6 – 16 years) with suspected ID along with identification of behaviors found to be difficult to manage by caregivers. Results: 150 children were assessed with mean age of 10.7 years (males 70 %). Majority (72%) had mild ID while 18.7% and 9.3% had moderate and severe ID respectively. Thirty percent of children met the criteria for any psychiatric diagnosis, the most common being Oppositional Defiant Disorder (14%) and Hyperkinetic Disorders (10%). Verbal and physical aggression, school difficulties, socialization problems, inappropriate behaviors (e.g. disinhibition), sleep & feeding difficulties were the significant areas identified by the caregivers as a cause of major concern. Conclusions: Significantly high prevalence of ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in children with ID was found in Lahore, Pakistan. Support services for these children should be responsive not only to the needs of the child, but also to the needs of the family. PMID:26101476

  8. Propranolol, isosorbide mononitrate and endoscopic band ligation - alone or in varying combinations for the prevention of esophageal variceal rebleeding.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Irfan; Khan, Anwaar A; Alam, Altaf; Butt, Arshad Kamal; Shafqat, Farzana; Sarwar, Shahid

    2009-05-01

    To compare the efficacy of propranolol, propranolol with nitrate, band ligation, and band ligation with propranolol and nitrate for the prevention of esophageal variceal rebleeding. A prospective randomized trial. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from November 2003 to July 2005. One hundred and sixty cirrhotic patients with esophageal variceal bleeding were randomized to four treatment groups (propranolol, propranolol plus isosorbide mononitrate, band ligation, band ligation plus propranolol and nitrate) with 40 patients in each group. Patients were followed for 6 months after the enrolment of last patient. Primary end points were recurrence of esophageal variceal bleeding and death. Treatment complications were noted. Four treatment groups were comparable regarding baseline characteristics. Esophageal variceal rebleeding occurred in 22% patients in band ligation plus drugs group, 26% patients in drug combination group, 31% patients in banding group and 38% patients in propranolol group (p=0.41). Difference in mortality rates was also not significant. There was no significant difference between treatment groups in prevention of esophageal variceal rebleeding.

  9. Tinea capitis in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hussain, I; Aman, S; Haroon, T S; Jahangir, M; Nagi, A H

    1994-04-01

    The causative fungi of tinea capitis vary with geography and time. This study was planned to identify the etiologic agents and determine clinicoetiologic correlations of tinea capitis in Lahore, Pakistan. From clinically suspected cases of tinea capitis, skin scrapings and hair samples were taken and subjected to microscopy and culture. Of 180 evaluable patients, 95% were children below 12 years of age with equal sex incidence. Noninflammatory lesions were seen in 62.2% of cases. Trichophyton violaceum was the most common etiologic agent responsible for 69.4% of infection, followed by T. tonsurans (16.7%), T. verrucosum (10%), Microsporum audouinii (2.2%), and T. mentagrophytes (1.7%). T. violaceum is the predominant pathogen causing tinea capitis in children and adults in this part of the world and gives rise to a varied clinical picture. Our findings agree with data from other parts of Pakistan and many countries abroad.

  10. An assessment of the current municipal solid waste management system in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Masood, Maryam; Barlow, Claire Y; Wilson, David C

    2014-09-01

    The current status of solid waste management in Lahore, a metropolitan city of Pakistan, is reviewed in this article using an existing approach, the UN-Habitat city profile. This involves a systematic quantitative and qualitative assessment of physical components and governance features of the current waste management system. A material flow diagram (MFD) is developed, which allows visualisation of the current waste management system with all related inputs and outputs. This study shows that in the current system, waste collection and transportation is the main focus, however the collection coverage is only about 68%. There is no controlled or even semi-controlled waste disposal facility in Lahore. There is no official recycling system in the city. It is estimated that currently ~27% of waste by weight is being recycled through the informal sector. Making use of the organic content of the waste, a composting facility is operative in the city, producing 47,230 tonnes year(-1) of organic compost. Lahore does not perform very well in governance features. Inclusivity of users and providers of the waste management system is low in the city, as not all stakeholders are consulted in the decision making processes. Waste management costs US$20 per tonne of waste, where the main focus is only on waste collection, and the current user fees are much lower than the actual costs. This study recommends that recycling should be promoted by increasing public awareness and integrating the informal sector to make the current system sustainable and financially viable. © The Author(s) 2014.

  11. Health-seeking behaviour of women selling sex in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Khan, M S; Unemo, M; Zaman, S; Lundborg, C Stålsby

    2011-07-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the knowledge and health-seeking behaviour related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and abortion among women selling sex in Lahore, Pakistan. This was a cross-sectional, community-based, quantitative study. A total of 730 women selling sex were recruited by respondent-driven sampling. A pretested structured questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews. The median age of the participants was 30 years. Thirteen percent of the participants said it was common for them to have an abnormal vaginal discharge. Seventy-five percent of the participants recognized STIs as either leucorrhoea or AIDS. Sixty-five percent of the participants complained of having suffered from STI(s) in the six months preceding the survey, of whom 28% sought treatment. Women selling sex who reported consistent condom use were 1.5 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.2) more likely to seek treatment than women who did not report consistent condom use. The level of knowledge about STIs remains low among women selling sex in Lahore, Pakistan, and health-seeking behaviour for the management of STIs and abortions is influenced by ability to pay and ease of access in the private sector.

  12. Phylogenetic Analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae from Hospitalized Children, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ejaz, Hasan; Wang, Nancy; Wilksch, Jonathan J; Page, Andrew J; Cao, Hanwei; Gujaran, Shruti; Keane, Jacqueline A; Lithgow, Trevor; Ul-Haq, Ikram; Dougan, Gordon; Strugnell, Richard A; Heinz, Eva

    2017-11-01

    Klebsiella pneumoniae shows increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant lineages, including strains resistant to all available antimicrobial drugs. We conducted whole-genome sequencing of 178 highly drug-resistant isolates from a tertiary hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Phylogenetic analyses to place these isolates into global context demonstrate the expansion of multiple independent lineages, including K. quasipneumoniae.

  13. Phylogenetic Analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae from Hospitalized Children, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Ejaz, Hasan; Wang, Nancy; Wilksch, Jonathan J.; Page, Andrew J.; Cao, Hanwei; Gujaran, Shruti; Keane, Jacqueline A.; Lithgow, Trevor; ul-Haq, Ikram; Dougan, Gordon

    2017-01-01

    Klebsiella pneumoniae shows increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant lineages, including strains resistant to all available antimicrobial drugs. We conducted whole-genome sequencing of 178 highly drug-resistant isolates from a tertiary hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Phylogenetic analyses to place these isolates into global context demonstrate the expansion of multiple independent lineages, including K. quasipneumoniae. PMID:29048298

  14. Street Life and Drug Risk Behaviors Associated with Exchanging Sex Among Male Street Children in Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Towe, Vivian L.; Hasan, Salman ul; Zafar, S. Tariq; Sherman, Susan G.

    2009-01-01

    Background Throughout the developing world, children living on urban streets is a byproduct of economic deprivation. In Lahore, Pakistan, there are an estimated 5,000–7,000 street children. Purpose The study examined HIV risk behaviors and factors associated with exchanging sex among male street children in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods The survey was conducted from August 2003 to March 2004 among 565 registrants, ages 5–19, of Project Smile, a program that aimed to enhance the lives of street children in Lahore. We analyzed the frequency of and correlates of recent (past three months) sex exchange for money, drugs, or goods. Multivariate log-binomial regression was used to evaluate the independent effect of covariates on exchange sex. Results Approximately 40% of participants reported having exchanged sex during the past three months. In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with exchanging sex were living on the street for longer than 48 months (Prevalence Ratio [PR]=1.36, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.99–1.85), reporting ever having used drugs (PR=1.87, 1.10–3.16), cutting one’s self (PR=1.66, 95% CI: 1.26–2.19), and having heard of HIV/AIDS (PR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.03–1.80) after adjusting for demographic and street life variables. Conclusions We found high rates of sex exchange among a sample of street children in Lahore, Pakistan. The finding that children who have heard about HIV/AIDS are more likely to exchange sex suggests that children at HIV risk talk about HIV, but accuracy of their conversations is unclear. Street children in Pakistan are in great need of HIV education and safe alternatives for generating income. PMID:19237107

  15. L-ornithine-L-aspartate infusion efficacy in hepatic encephalopathy.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Irfan; Khan, Anwaar A; Alam, Altaf; Dilshad, Akif; Butt, Arshad Kamal; Shafqat, Farzana; Malik, Kashif; Sarwar, Shahid

    2008-11-01

    To determine the efficacy of L-ornithine-L-aspartate in treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from February to August 2005. Cirrhotic patients with hyperammonemia and overt hepatic encephalopathy were enrolled. Eighty patients were randomized to two treatment groups, L-ornithine-L-aspartate (20 g/d) or placebo, both dissolved in 250 mL of 5% dextrose water and infused intravenously for four hours a day for five consecutive days with 0.5 g/kg dietary protein intake at the end of daily treatment period. Outcome variables were postprandial blood ammonia and mental state grade. Adverse reactions and mortality were also determined. Both treatment groups were comparable regarding age, gender, etiology of cirrhosis, Child-Pugh class, mental state grade and blood ammonia at baseline. Although, improvement occurred in both groups, there was a greater improvement in L-ornithine-L-aspartate group with regard to both variables. Four patients in the placebo group and 2 in L-ornithine-L-aspartate group died. L-ornithine-L-aspartate infusions were found to be effective in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

  16. Satellite and ground-based remote sensing of aerosols during intense haze event of October 2013 over lahore, Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tariq, Salman; Zia, ul-Haq; Ali, Muhammad

    2016-02-01

    Due to increase in population and economic development, the mega-cities are facing increased haze events which are causing important effects on the regional environment and climate. In order to understand these effects, we require an in-depth knowledge of optical and physical properties of aerosols in intense haze conditions. In this paper an effort has been made to analyze the microphysical and optical properties of aerosols during intense haze event over mega-city of Lahore by using remote sensing data obtained from satellites (Terra/Aqua Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO)) and ground based instrument (AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET)) during 6-14 October 2013. The instantaneous highest value of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is observed to be 3.70 on 9 October 2013 followed by 3.12 on 8 October 2013. The primary cause of such high values is large scale crop residue burning and urban-industrial emissions in the study region. AERONET observations show daily mean AOD of 2.36 which is eight times higher than the observed values on normal day. The observed fine mode volume concentration is more than 1.5 times greater than the coarse mode volume concentration on the high aerosol burden day. We also find high values (~0.95) of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) on 9 October 2013. Scatter-plot between AOD (500 nm) and Angstrom exponent (440-870 nm) reveals that biomass burning/urban-industrial aerosols are the dominant aerosol type on the heavy aerosol loading day over Lahore. MODIS fire activity image suggests that the areas in the southeast of Lahore across the border with India are dominated by biomass burning activities. A Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model backward trajectory showed that the winds at 1000 m above the ground are responsible for transport from southeast region of biomass burning to Lahore. CALIPSO derived sub-types of

  17. Chemical characterization and source apportionment of fine and coarse particulate matter in Lahore, Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stone, Elizabeth; Schauer, James; Quraishi, Tauseef A.; Mahmood, Abid

    2010-03-01

    Lahore, Pakistan is an emerging megacity that is heavily polluted with high levels of particle air pollution. In this study, respirable particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10) were collected every sixth day in Lahore from 12 January 2007 to 19 January 2008. Ambient aerosol was characterized using well-established chemical methods for mass, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), ionic species (sulfate, nitrate, chloride, ammonium, sodium, calcium, and potassium), and organic species. The annual average concentration (±one standard deviation) of PM 2.5 was 194 ± 94 μg m -3 and PM 10 was 336 ± 135 μg m -3. Coarse aerosol (PM 10-2.5) was dominated by crustal sources like dust (74 ± 16%, annual average ± one standard deviation), whereas fine particles were dominated by carbonaceous aerosol (organic matter and elemental carbon, 61 ± 17%). Organic tracer species were used to identify sources of PM 2.5 OC and chemical mass balance (CMB) modeling was used to estimate relative source contributions. On an annual basis, non-catalyzed motor vehicles accounted for more than half of primary OC (53 ± 19%). Lesser sources included biomass burning (10 ± 5%) and the combined source of diesel engines and residual fuel oil combustion (6 ± 2%). Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was an important contributor to ambient OC, particularly during the winter when secondary processing of aerosol species during fog episodes was expected. Coal combustion alone contributed a small percentage of organic aerosol (1.9 ± 0.3%), but showed strong linear correlation with unidentified sources of OC that contributed more significantly (27 ± 16%). Brick kilns, where coal and other low quality fuels are burned together, are suggested as the most probable origins of unapportioned OC. The chemical profiling of emissions from brick kilns and other sources unique to Lahore would contribute to a better understanding of OC sources in this megacity.

  18. Personality dimensions, positive emotions and coping strategies in the caregivers of people living with HIV in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ashraf, Mujeeba; Sitwat, Aisha

    2016-08-01

    The aim of this research was to study the relationship between personality dimensions, positive emotions and coping mechanisms of caregivers of patients living with HIV. This study used a cross-sectional research design. A sample comprising 56 caregivers was recruited from HIV/AIDS clinics in three teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Data were collected between February and July 2010. Most caregivers were men, and of low socio-economic status. Individuals with both high and low extraversion used problem-focused coping, self-control and accepting responsibility, but those with low extraversion used more escape-avoidance coping, and they had also high levels of negative emotions. Those high in neuroticism used more tension-reduction coping than problem-focused coping, and experienced fewer positive emotions. Regression analysis findings revealed neuroticism as a significant predictor of negative emotions as well as emotion-focused coping, and only extraversion significantly predicted negative emotions. This research could help in devising psychological management plans for caregivers of patients living with HIV in order to assist them in coping with the burden of care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  19. HIV, STI prevalence and risk behaviours among women selling sex in Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background More than 340 million cases of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were estimated to have occurred worldwide in 1995. Previous studies have shown that the presence of other concomitant STIs increases the likelihood of HIV transmission. The first national study of STIs conducted in Pakistan in 2004 revealed a high burden of STIs among women selling sex. The HIV epidemic in Pakistan has thus far followed the "Asian epidemic model". Earlier studies among women selling sex have shown a low prevalence of HIV coupled with a low level of knowledge about AIDS. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of HIV and STIs, and assess knowledge and risk behaviours related to HIV/STI, among women selling sex in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods A total of 730 participants were recruited through respondent-driven sampling. The participants were women selling sex in three areas (referred to as "A", "B", and "C") of Lahore. A structured questionnaire addressing demographic information, sexual life history, sexual contacts, and knowledge and practices related to HIV/STI prevention was administered by face-to-face interview. Biological samples were obtained from all participants and tested for HIV, Treponema pallidum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis. Pearson's chi-square and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to test associations between potential risk factors and specified diagnosed infections. Results The prevalence of HIV infection was 0.7%, T pallidum 4.5%, N gonorrhoeae 7.5%, C trachomatis 7.7% and T vaginalis 5.1%. The participants had been selling sex for a median period of seven years and had a median of three clients per day. Sixty five percent of the participants reported that they "Always use condom". The median fee per sexual contact was Rs. 250 (3 Euro). Compared to Areas A and C, women selling sex in Area B had a significantly higher risk of chlamydial infection, gonorrhoea and

  20. Perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and rights: a cross-sectional study in Lahore District, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Iqbal, Sarosh; Zakar, Rubeena; Zakar, Muhammad Zakria; Fischer, Florian

    2017-02-23

    Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a significant aspect of adolescents' growth, safeguarded by SRH rights (SRHR). Despite various global efforts to promote adolescents SRHR (ASRHR), the majority of adolescents still lack awareness and autonomy to access SRH related information and services. This research aimed to explore the knowledge and perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health rights and highlights key constraints hindering adolescents from accessing and exercising SRHR in the district of Lahore, Pakistan. The research uses a mixed methods approach including both quantitative and qualitative methods. For quantitative component, household survey was conducted with 600 respondents including adolescents (15-19 years) and their parents/caregivers. A multistage cluster random sampling technique was performed, based on the population proportion of administrative towns in Lahore district, Pakistan. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Quantitative data were collected by a standardized quantitative questionnaire; analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. For qualitative data collection, 12 in-depth interviews with teachers and doctors and four focus group discussions with adolescents were conducted, and analysed using thematic areas. The research revealed a low level of perception of ASRHR amongst the respondents and identified socio-cultural and structural constraints as the major underlying issues. Although more than half of the respondents were found to be aware of ASRHR, agreed to their importance and were in favour for adolescents to have access to requisite information, nonetheless they believed that adolescents had limited ability to exercise these rights. The research found a low level of perception amongst adolescents and their parents/caregivers about ASRHR in Lahore district emphasising the rights-based approach. There is an urgent need to design specific policies and educational programmes to promote healthy

  1. Medico-legal aspects of alleged rape victims in Lahore.

    PubMed

    Manzoor, Iram; Hashmi, Noreen Rahat; Mukhtar, Fatima

    2010-12-01

    To describe the socio-demographic along with the medico-legal characteristics of rape victims reporting to a female police station of Lahore. Observational study. Female Police Station in Shadman, Lahore, from, June 1995 to January 2009. A total of 74 cases of alleged rape victims were identified while reviewing all available police files concerning reported rapes and attempted rapes from 1995 to 2008. The data was gathered on preformed questionnaires after conducting the pilot study. All information about victims and alleged offenders were extracted from the police files including socio-demographic profile of the accused and victim both. Use of weapon, evidence of physical and genital trauma, assailant identification and his relationship with the victim, number of accused persons and location of rape was noted in each case. Examination by doctor and obtaining the specimens were also identified and was related to the outcome of the court case. Chi-square test was applied to determine the association of rape with age and educational status of the victim and the accused. A total of 74 cases of alleged rape were reported in the study period at Shadman Female Police Station. Maximum number of victims was reported in the age group 10-19 years (n=46, 62.2%). Majority of the accused belonged to 20-39 years' age group constituting 64.8% of the total. Regarding educational status 45 (60.8%) of the victims and 51 (68.9%) of the accused were illiterate. Significant association was found between the educational status of rape victims and accused (p = 0.016) but not between their ages (p = 0.862). The maximum incidence of rape was reported in unmarried (n = 55, 74.3%) and unemployed (n =61, 82.4%) women. In 14 cases (19%) use of weapon was reported. Physical trauma was reported in 29 (39%) and genital trauma in 14 (19%) cases. The accused were identified as family friends (25%) and neighbours (23%) respectively. Only 21% of the victims were examined by doctor and specimens were

  2. Analysis of orbital malignancies presenting in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Asad Aslam; Sarwar, Suhail; Sadiq, Mohammad Ali A; Ahmad, Imran; Tariq, Nayab; Sibghat-ul-Noor

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequencies of various orbital malignancies amongst orbital lesions in patients presenting in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 666 orbital cases with an established histopathological diagnosis of malignant tumors treated in Mayo Hospital Lahore from 1996 to 2015 (20 years). Results: About 66% of the malignant tumors were primary, 25% secondary, 8% haematopoietic and 1% metastatic. Almost 50% of the cases were children. Retinoblastoma is the commonest tumor (43% overall and 87% among children). Squamous cell carcinoma is the second commonest (15.6% overall and 31% among adults). These are then followed by Adenoid cystic carcinoma of Lacrimal Gland (9%), Lymphoma/Leukaemia (8%) and Rhabdomyosarcoma (6.3%). Conclusion: Frequencies of various orbital malignancies show geographical variation in both paediatric and adult population. PMID:28367175

  3. The fractured history of the mental hospital in Delhi.

    PubMed

    Jain, Sanjeev; Sarin, Alok

    2018-02-01

    The history of the mental hospital in Delhi is a fascinating story. Set up in colonial times, the asylum in Delhi seems to reflect the tumultuous and chaotic history of the city itself. It was perhaps established in the early 19 th century, and functions till 1857, when it is ransacked in the Mutiny. It is subsequently merged with the asylum at Lahore in 1861, set up again, and incredibly, closed again at the turn of the century. Subject to the whims of administrators and policy makers, the asylum then ceases to exist till the 1960s when a new avatar appears. In it's non continuity is the story of the neglect of mental illness.

  4. Characterization of Nonmethane Hydrocarbons at Three Urban Sites in Western Saudi Arabia, in Lahore (Pakistan), and in Singapore

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barletta, B.; Simpson, I. J.; Blake, N. J.; Meinardi, S.; Aburizaiza, O. S.; Siddique, A.; Zeb, J.; Yu, L. E.; Khwaja, H. A.; Farrukh, M. A.; Blake, D. R.

    2014-12-01

    Favorable conditions to tropospheric ozone (O3) formation are present over the Persian Gulf Region. Ozone is a well known pollutant affecting human health and natural ecosystems. Among the several factors contributing to the formation of the O3 hot spot over the Middle East, the presence of local emissions of its precursors needs to be considered. We report initial measurements of a suite of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), an important component of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which, coupled with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight, are key chemical precursors of tropospheric O3. We measured 63 speciated C2-C10 NMHCs, in addition to methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO) in three cities of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Mecca, and Madina; October-November 2012 and April 2013) and in the city of Lahore (Pakistan; December 2012). To put these data into perspective, we compare our results to data collected in Singapore (August-November 2012). We observed enhanced levels in all three Saudi Arabian cities compared to the local background and to those measured in Singapore. However, the Saudi levels are much lower than those measured in Lahore, where the sum of quantified NMHCs is about six times higher. For Madina, enhanced levels of the alkenes, ethyne and CO indicated that vehicle exhaust was the dominant source. In Jeddah and Mecca, the most abundant NMHC were the alkanes (47-61% of total measured NMHCs), which are more closely associated with emissions from natural gas, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), and gasoline evaporation. In Lahore, the hydroxyl radical (OH) reactivity, used to evaluate the importance of the different measured species toward ozone production, is three to six times higher than for the Saudi cities, and more than 20 times higher than for Singapore. For all urban areas reported here, among the measured compounds, the alkenes (especially ethene and propene) dominate in terms of OH reactivity because of a combination of their great abundance and

  5. Cross-sectional study on the endotoxin exposure and lung function impairment in the workers of textile industry near Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ghani, Nadia; Khalid, Anum; Tahir, Arifa

    2016-07-01

    To examine the effects of airborne endotoxin on lung function impairment in exposure-response relationships among the workers of textile industry. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan, from January to August 2014, and comprised textile mill workers. The participants were divided into exposed and control groups. A questionnaire was used to ask workers about the potential adverse health effects of their occupation. The pulmonary function test was carried out by spirometer. Endotoxin levels in the samples were determined using the key quality characteristics limulus amebocyte lysate. The data was analysed to determine the correlation between the endotoxin exposure duration and pulmonary function test parameters. There were 200 subjects subdivided into 100 each inexposed and control groups. Overall, 160(80%) were not aware of safety measures and the remaining 40(20%) were partially practising. Changes in pulmonary function due to endotoxin exposure showed decreased force vital capacity, flow rate and peak expiratory flow parameters significantly different (p<0.05, p<0.001). The endotoxin concentration was between 12EU/m3 and 300EU/m3. Airborne endotoxin concentrations in textile plants exceeded the Dutch health-based guidance limit of 90EU/m3 and was associated with respiratory health effects. Prolonged exposure to airborne endotoxin caused constant lung impairment. Proper safety measures should be adopted to avoid the inhalation of cotton dust.

  6. The prevalence of halitosis (oral malodor) and associated factors among dental students and interns, Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Nazir, Muhammad Ashraf; Almas, Khalid; Majeed, Muhammad Irfan

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of halitosis and the factors associated with it among dental students and interns in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study design was chosen, and a sample of dental students and interns was collected from seven dental colleges in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 833 participants were approached in person as convenient sample population. A self-reported questionnaire was administered and informed consent was obtained. The associations between oral malodor and different variables of the study were explored using analytical statistics (Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis). Statistical significance was determined using a 95% confidence interval (CI). Six hundred and fifteen participants (aged 19-27 years) completed the survey with a response rate of 73.8%. The prevalence of self-reported halitosis was 75.1%. More female (51.4%) than male students (23.7%) reported oral malodor, and most participants (61%) reported early morning halitosis. Thirteen percent of respondents had examination for oral malodor by a dentist and 37.6% treated the condition with self-medication. Binary logistic regression model showed that male gender (odds ratio [OR] =0.44, CI = 0.22-0.87), daily use of dental floss (OR = 0.28, CI = 0.13-0.58), and drinking tea with mint (OR = 0.44, CI = 0.22-0.89) were significantly associated with oral malodor. The participants with tongue coating had higher odds (OR = 2.75, CI = 1.13-6.69) of having oral malodor than those without tongue coating, and the association was statistically significant. The study identified high prevalence of oral malodor among dental students and interns. They should receive appropriate diagnosis and management of the condition from dentist. The regular use of dental floss and removal of tongue coating can significantly reduce halitosis.

  7. Incidence of environmental and genetic factors causing congenital cataract in Children of Lahore.

    PubMed

    Naz, Shagufta; Sharif, Saima; Badar, Hafsa; Rashid, Farzana; Kaleem, Afshan; Iqtedar, Mehwish

    2016-07-01

    To check the incidence of environmental and genetic factors causing congenital cataract in infants. The descriptive study was conducted at Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust, Lahore, Pakistan, from October 2013 to April 2014, and comprised children under 15 years of age who had rubella syndrome, herpes simplex, birth trauma, trisomy 21, Nance-Horan syndrome or Lowe's syndrome. Of the 38,000 cases examined, 120(0.3%) patients were diagnosed with congenital cataract. Of them, 52(43.33%)were aged between 2 and 5 years,22(18.33%) <11 years and 10(8.33%) ?15 years. Bilateral congenital cataract was observed in 91(75.83%) patients and unilateral congenital cataract in 29(24.17%). Environmental factors caused 72(62.07%) cases and genetic factors caused 44(37.93%).. Congenital cataract predominated in boys compared to girls. Early diagnosis and adequate therapy requires specific technology, as well as long-term and permanent care..

  8. The attitudes and beliefs of Pakistani medical practitioners about depression: a cross-sectional study in Lahore using the Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (R-DAQ).

    PubMed

    Haddad, Mark; Waqas, Ahmed; Qayyum, Wahhaj; Shams, Maryam; Malik, Saad

    2016-10-18

    Mental disorders such as depression are common and rank as major contributors to the global burden of disease. Condition recognition and subsequent management of depression is variable and influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of clinicians as well as those of patients. Most studies examining health professionals' attitudes have been conducted in Western nations; this study explores beliefs and attitudes about depression among doctors working in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015 used a questionnaire concerning demographics, education in psychiatry, beliefs about depression causes, and attitudes about depression using the Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (R-DAQ). A convenience sample of 700 non-psychiatrist medical practitioners based in six hospitals in Lahore was approached to participate in the survey. Six hundred and one (86 %) of the doctors approached consented to participate; almost all respondents (99 %) endorsed one of various biopsychosocial causes of depression (38 to 79 % for particular causes), and 37 % (between 13 and 19 % for particular causes) noted that supernatural forces could be responsible. Supernatural causes were more commonly held by female doctors, those working in rural settings, and those with greater psychiatry specialist education. Attitudes to depression were mostly less confident or optimistic and less inclined to a generalist perspective than those of clinicians in the UK or European nations, and deterministic perspectives that depression is a natural part of aging or due to personal failings were particularly common. However, there was substantial confidence in the efficacy of antidepressants and psychological therapy. More confident and therapeutically optimistic views and a more generalist perspective about depression management were associated with a rejection of supernatural explanations of the origin of depression. Non-psychiatrist medical practitioners in Pakistan hold a range of views

  9. Road rage and road traffic accidents among commercial vehicle drivers in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Shaikh, M A; Shaikh, I A; Siddiqui, Z

    2012-04-01

    Road rage and road traffic accidents increase the burden of morbidity and mortality in a population. A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted among commercial vehicle drivers in Lahore, Pakistan (n = 901) to record their behaviours/experiences regarding road rage and road traffic accidents. Respondents were asked about incidents of shouting/cursing/rude gestures or threats to physically hurt the person/vehicle, by others or themselves, in the previous 24 hours or 3 months, and their involvement in road traffic accidents in the previous 12 months. Auto-rickshaw drivers were significantly more likely to report various road rage experiences/behaviours and involvement in accidents compared with bus and wagon drivers. A total of 112 respondents (12.4%) reported being involved in a road traffic accident in the previous 12 months but traffic police did not record the accident in 52.7% of cases. The results of this study underline the need to improve road safety in Pakistan.

  10. Cost of the treatment of complications of unsafe abortion in public hospitals.

    PubMed

    Naghma-e-Rehan

    2011-02-01

    To study the cost of induced abortions (unsafe abortion) and treatment of the complications of such abortions. Descriptive study was conducted between July, 2008 and December, 2008 in four tertiary care hospitals of Lahore: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Wellingdon Hospital, General Hospital and Family Health Hospital of Family Planning Association of Pakistan. One hundred women admitted with complications of induced abortion were interviewed by lady doctors, who were trained to conduct the interviews. The data was collected through a structured pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire approved by International Planned Parenthood Federation. Based on the information provided by the woman and/or her husband and hospital sources, the average cost of abortion was Rs.1686/-. The cost varied from Rs. 500/- to 7,000/-depending on the city, type of provider and facilities available at the clinic. The average cost of treating the complications was Rs. 4,197/- ranging from Rs. 1600/- to Rs 45,000/-. At the present exchange rate (September, 2009), the cost will be US$ 20/- to 560/-. Wide variation between two extremes was due to the type and extent of complications. Treatment for abortion-related complications consumes a large portion of hospital budgets for obstetrics and gynaecology and results in considerable mortality and morbidity. Due to restrictive laws and high cost of safe abortions, most women faced with an unwanted pregnancy resort to unsafe abortions.

  11. Mild intellectual disability in children in Lahore, Pakistan: aetiology and risk factors.

    PubMed

    Yaqoob, M; Bashir, A; Zaman, S; Ferngren, H; Von Dobeln, U; Gustavson, K-H

    2004-10-01

    One of the main objectives of studying intellectual disability (ID) in children is to explore its causes. A specific aetiological diagnosis is important in determining the prognosis, nature and extent of services needed to support affected children. Aetiology and risk factors in mild ID were studied in a cohort of longitudinally followed children (6-10 years of age, n = 40) in four population groups in and around Lahore, Pakistan. The overall prevalence of mild ID was 6.2%. In 22% of the cases the onset of mild ID was prenatal with small for gestational age and multifactorial inheritance as the main underlying factors. During the postnatal period (28% of the cases), social deprivation and malnutrition were the major causes of ID. In a substantial proportion of the cases (50%), the cause of ID could not be traced. The present study indicates a clear relationship of mild ID with prenatal and postnatal malnutrition and social deprivation. Two independent variables, maternal illiteracy and small head circumference at birth, showed a clear association with the development of mild mental disability among children in the study population.

  12. Concurrent dengue and malaria infection in Lahore, Pakistan during the 2012 dengue outbreak.

    PubMed

    Assir, Muhammad Zaman Khan; Masood, Muhammad Adnan; Ahmad, Hafiz Ijaz

    2014-01-01

    We conducted this study to determine the frequency of malaria and dengue-malaria co-infection in patients admitted to our hospital as 'probable' cases of dengue fever during the 2012 outbreak of dengue, and to ascertain whether dengue-malaria co-infection was more severe than either infection alone. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Pakistan between August and November 2012. Patients with 2-10 days of fever and with two or more of the following: myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain, headache, skin rash, and hemorrhagic manifestations plus thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, were classified as probable cases of dengue fever and were subjected to reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and/or dengue-specific IgM by ELISA. The diagnosis of malaria was established on thick and thin blood film microscopy. Severe disease was defined by the presence of an altered level of consciousness, World Health Organization grade ≥2 bleeding, jaundice, circulatory shock, hemoglobin <50g/l, platelet count <50×10(9)/l, serum creatinine >265μmol/l, or death. There were 85 probable cases of dengue fever. Sixty-four (75%) were male and the median age was 22 years (range 12-90 years). Of 52 patients for whom results of diagnostic tests for both dengue and malaria were available, five (10%) had isolated dengue infection, 18 (35%) isolated Plasmodium infection, and 17 (33%) dengue-malaria co-infection. Thirty-five out of 52 (67%) probable cases had malaria and 17 out of 22 (77%) dengue-specific IgM reactive patients had concurrent malaria. Patients with isolated malaria had significantly lower median hemoglobin concentrations (124.5g/l vs. 144.0 g/l, p = 0.04) and median hematocrit (36.0 vs. 41.7, p=0.02) at presentation than cases of isolated dengue. Patients with dengue-malaria co-infection had a significantly lower rate of jaundice than those with isolated dengue (0% vs. 40%, p = 0.04). The frequency of severe disease was comparable amongst the

  13. A qualitative study exploring perceptions and attitudes of community pharmacists about extended pharmacy services in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hashmi, Furqan K; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Khalid, Adnan; Saleem, Fahad; Aljadhey, Hisham; Babar, Zaheer Ud Din; Bashaar, Mohammad

    2017-07-19

    In recent decades, community pharmacies reported a change of business model, whereby a shift from traditional services to the provision of extended roles was observed. However, such delivery of extended pharmacy services (EPS) is reported from the developed world, and there is scarcity of information from the developing nations. Within this context, the present study was aimed to explore knowledge, perception and attitude of community pharmacists (CPs) about EPS and their readiness and acceptance for practice change in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. A qualitative approach was used to gain an in-depth knowledge of the issues. By using a semi-structured interview guide, 12 CPs practicing in the city of Lahore, Pakistan were conveniently selected. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Thematic content analysis yielded five major themes. (1) Familiarity with EPS, (2) current practice of EPS, (3) training needed to provide EPS, (4) acceptance of EPS and (5) barriers toward EPS. Majority of the CPs were unaware of EPS and only a handful had the concept of extended services. Although majority of our study respondents were unaware of pharmaceutical care, they were ready to accept practice change if provided with the required skills and training. Lack of personal knowledge, poor public awareness, inadequate physician-pharmacist collaboration and deprived salary structures were reported as barriers towards the provision of EPS at the practice settings. Although the study reported poor awareness towards EPS, the findings indicated a number of key themes that can be used in establishing the concept of EPS in Pakistan. Over all, CPs reported a positive attitude toward practice change provided to the support and facilitation of health and community based agencies in Pakistan.

  14. Epidemiology of acquired aplastic anaemia in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ehsan, Ayesha; Shah, Shahida Amjad Riaz; Ibrahim, Tayyaba

    2011-01-01

    Acquired aplastic anaemia is a rare disease which results in morbidity and mortality at a young age. This study was carried out to determine the clinical presentation, haematological parameters and association factors of acquired aplastic anaemia in a cohort of Pakistani patients. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Haematology Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore over 7 years from June 2000 to July 2007. Eighty-two patients of acquired aplastic anaemia were enrolled in the study by non-probability purposive sampling. Their diagnosis was confirmed by complete blood count, bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy. The cohort was classified on the basis of severity and the epidemiological, clinical and haematological parameters were analysed. Of the 82 enrolled patients of acquired aplastic anaemia, 49 (59.8%) were males and 33 (40.2%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 27.93 +/- 18.7 years with a range of 1-80 years. The male to female ratio was 1.48:1. Bone marrow cellularity was less than 25 % in 31 (38.0%) cases and between 25-30% in 51 (62%) of patients. Most of the cases were clinically severe aplastic anaemia (68%). In 62 (76%) of the cases no association factors predisposing to aplastic anaemia could be identified. Acquired Aplastic anaemia is a disease of all ages. In the second decade and the elderly predominantly severe clinical stages were seen. Males presented at a younger age while females presented at all ages with a somewhat similar incidence. No association factors of Aplastic Anaemia could be identified in majority of the patients.

  15. The psychometric characteristics of the revised depression attitude questionnaire (R-DAQ) in Pakistani medical practitioners: a cross-sectional study of doctors in Lahore.

    PubMed

    Haddad, Mark; Waqas, Ahmed; Sukhera, Ahmed Bashir; Tarar, Asad Zaman

    2017-07-27

    Depression is common mental health problem and leading contributor to the global burden of disease. The attitudes and beliefs of the public and of health professionals influence social acceptance and affect the esteem and help-seeking of people experiencing mental health problems. The attitudes of clinicians are particularly relevant to their role in accurately recognising and providing appropriate support and management of depression. This study examines the characteristics of the revised depression attitude questionnaire (R-DAQ) with doctors working in healthcare settings in Lahore, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 using the revised depression attitude questionnaire (R-DAQ). A convenience sample of 700 medical practitioners based in six hospitals in Lahore was approached to participate in the survey. The R-DAQ structure was examined using Parallel Analysis from polychoric correlations. Unweighted least squares analysis (ULSA) was used for factor extraction. Model fit was estimated using goodness-of-fit indices and the root mean square of standardized residuals (RMSR), and internal consistency reliability for the overall scale and subscales was assessed using reliability estimates based on Mislevy and Bock (BILOG 3 Item analysis and test scoring with binary logistic models. Mooresville: Scientific Software, 55) and the McDonald's Omega statistic. Findings using this approach were compared with principal axis factor analysis based on Pearson correlation matrix. 601 (86%) of the doctors approached consented to participate in the study. Exploratory factor analysis of R-DAQ scale responses demonstrated the same 3-factor structure as in the UK development study, though analyses indicated removal of 7 of the 22 items because of weak loading or poor model fit. The 3 factor solution accounted for 49.8% of the common variance. Scale reliability and internal consistency were adequate: total scale standardised alpha was 0.694; subscale reliability for

  16. High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among women of child-bearing age in Lahore Pakistan, associating with lack of sun exposure and illiteracy.

    PubMed

    Junaid, Kashaf; Rehman, Abdul; Jolliffe, David A; Wood, Kristie; Martineau, Adrian R

    2015-10-12

    Vitamin D status is a key determinant of maternal and neonatal health. Deficiency has been reported to be common in Pakistani women, but information regarding environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D status is lacking in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional study among three groups of healthy women living in Lahore, Pakistan: university students, students or employees of Medrasas or Islamic Institutes, and employees working in office, hospital or domestic settings. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D status: polymorphisms in genes encoding the vitamin D receptor, vitamin D 25-hydroxylase enzyme CYP2R1 and vitamin D binding protein [DBP] were investigated. We also conducted analyses to identify determinants of body ache and bone pain in this population, and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of testing for hypocalcaemia and raised serum alkaline phosphatase to screen for vitamin D deficiency. Of 215 participants, 156 (73 %) were vitamin D deficient (serum 25[OH]D <50 nmol/L). Risk of vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with illiteracy (adjusted OR 4.0, 95 % CI 1.03-15.52, P = 0.04), <30 min sun exposure per day (adjusted OR 2.13, 95 % CI 1.08-4.19, P = 0.02), sampling in January to March (adjusted OR 2.38, 95 % CI 1.20-4.70), P = 0.01) and lack of regular intake of multivitamins (adjusted OR 2.61, 95 % CI 1.32-5.16, p = 0.005). Participants with the GG genotype of the rs4588 polymorphism in the gene encoding vitamin D binding protein tended to have lower 25(OH)D concentrations than those with GT/TT genotypes (95 % CI for difference 22.7 to -0.13 nmol/L, P = 0.053). Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with increased risk of body ache or bone pain (adjusted OR 4.43, 95 % CI 2.07 to 9.49, P = 0.001). Hypocalcaemia (serum calcium concentration ≤9.5 mg/dL) and raised alkaline phosphatase concentration (≥280 IU/L) had low

  17. Circumstances leading to intimate partner violence against women married as children: a qualitative study in Urban Slums of Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Nasrullah, Muazzam; Zakar, Rubeena; Zakar, Muhammad Zakria; Abbas, Safdar; Safdar, Rabia

    2015-08-25

    Child marriage (<18 years) is prevalent in Pakistan which is associated with negative health outcomes including intimate partner violence (IPV). Our aim is to describe the types and circumstances of IPV against women who were married as children in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan. Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who were married prior to 18 years, for at least 5 years were recruited from most populous slum areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Themes for the interview guide were developed using published literature and everyday observations of the researchers. Interviews were conducted by trained interviewers in Urdu language and were translated into English. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, analyzed and categorized into themes. All 19 participants were married between 11 and 17 years. Most respondents were uneducated, poor and were working as housemaids. Majority of participants experienced verbal abuse, and threatened, attempted and completed physical violence by their husbands. A sizeable number of women reported unwanted sexual encounters by their husbands. Family affairs particularly issues with in-laws, poor house management, lack of proper care of children, bringing insufficient dowry, financial problems, an act against the will of husband, and inability to give birth to a male child were some of the reasons narrated by the participants which led to IPV against women. Women married as children are vulnerable to IPV. Concerted efforts are needed from all sectors of society including academia, public health experts, policy makers and civil society to end the child marriage practice in Pakistan.

  18. Hospitalized Patients' Awareness Of Their Rights-A Cross Sectional Survey In A Public And Private Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Punjab, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Tabassum, Tahirah; Ashraf, Mariam; Thaver, Inayat

    2016-01-01

    The awareness of patient's rights is negligible in developing countries where no legal framework is present to protect these rights and Pakistan is no exception. Not only is there an absence of legal structure for protection of patients' rights, but the enforcement and implementation for existing law is also questionable. Pakistan has an Islamic Charter of Medical and Health Ethics which includes the medical behaviour and physician's rights and duties towards the patients. Despite all these charters on patients' rights, there is little to no awareness regarding these rights and their practice remains low in healthcare system of Pakistan. This assessment of awareness among patients about their rights will guide in formulating recommendations to improve the existing system of healthcare delivery in the country. This descriptive cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in two hospitals in Lahore, each belonging to public and private sector. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from patients. A total of 220 patients were selected to participate in the study, 110 belonging to each private and public hospital. The findings indicate that most of the patients (64%) were not aware of their rights. The awareness level was better in patients seeking care from private hospital than those from public hospital. Education, monthly income and type of hospital utilized were found to be positively associated with the level of awareness. Most of the patients were not satisfied with the practices of their rights, especially in public hospitals. The lack of awareness regarding the rights of a patient was more common in patients of public/government hospitals compared to private hospitals. A nation-wide healthcare education program is needed to increase awareness and practice of patients' rights in the country.

  19. Municipal solid waste management in Lahore City District, Pakistan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Batool, Syeda Adila; Muhammad Nawaz Ch

    2009-06-15

    This study deals with generation, composition, collection, transportation, and disposal, as well as the present cost of the waste management on the basis of 60% collection of the total waste and the cost of proposed improved system of management on the basis of 100% waste collection using the IWM-2 LCI model. A GIS map of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town (DGBT) of Lahore City District showing communal storage facilities is also provided. DGBT has a population of 1,624,169 living in 232,024 dwellings. The total waste generated per year is 500,000 tons, or 0.84/kg/cap/day. Presently 60% of the MSW is collected andmore » disposed in open dumps, while 40% is not collected and lies along roadsides, streets railway lines, depressions, vacant plots, drains, storm drains and open sewers. In DGBT, 129 containers of 5-m{sup 3} capacity, 120 containers of 10-m{sup 3} capacity and 380 skips of 2.5-m{sup 3} capacity are placed for waste collection. The overall collection and disposal cost of the MSW of DGBT is $3,177,900/yr, which is $10.29/ton. Modeling was conducted using the IWM-2 model for improved collection and disposal on the basis of 100% service, compared to the current 60% service. The modelled cost is $8.3/per ton, which is 20% less than the present cost, but the overall cost of 100% collection and disposal increases to $4,155,737/yr.« less

  20. Burnout and quality of life in nurses of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Naz, Shahana; Hashmi, Ali Madeeh; Asif, Aftab

    2016-05-01

    To determine the relationship of burnout and quality of life among nurses of different departments at a tertiary care hospital. The observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from November 2013 to May2014, and comprised nurses recruited by convenience sampling. Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to assess burnout and World Health Organisation Quality of life instrument's BREF version was used to assess quality of life of the subjects. Data was analysed using SPSS 16. Of the 106 nurses with a mean age of 35.5±7 years, 83(79%) were experiencing severe burnout and a low quality of life. Nurses of Surgery and Obstetrics/Gynaecology departments who worked longer hours on the night shift scored higher on burnout and lower on quality of life. Burnout in nurses was very common because of increasing workload and can negatively affect their quality of life leading to compromised patient care.

  1. Brain Drain: Post Graduation Migration Intentions and the influencing factors among Medical Graduates from Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Imran, Nazish; Azeem, Zahra; Haider, Imran I; Amjad, Naeem; Bhatti, Muhammad R

    2011-10-17

    The increasing migration of health professionals to affluent countries is not a recent phenomenon and has been addressed in literature. However the various facets of physician migration from Pakistan, the third leading source of International medical graduates has not been rigorously evaluated. The objective of the current study was to survey final year students and recent medical graduates in Lahore, Pakistan about their intentions to train abroad, their post training plans as well as to identify the factors responsible for their motivation for international migration. A self administered structured questionnaire was developed to collect respondents' demographic and educational characteristics, intention to train abroad, their preferred destination & post training intentions of returning to Pakistan. Various influencing factors which impact on medical graduate's motivation to train abroad or stay in Pakistan were explored using a 10 point scale. SPSS software was used for data entry and analysis. Of the 400 eligible respondents, 275 responded (response rate 68.7%). One hundred and sixty six respondents (60.4%) intended to train abroad either for a specialty (54.9%) or a subspecialty (5.5%) The United States and United Kingdom were the most preferred destination. While 14.2% intended to return to Pakistan immediately after training, a significant percentage (10%) never intended to return to Pakistan or wished to stay abroad temporarily (37%). Professional excellence and establishing quickly in the competitive market were the most important goal to be achieved by the respondents for intention for postgraduate training abroad. The most common reasons cited for training abroad were the impact of residency training on future career (mean score 8.20 ± 2.3), financial conditions of doctors (mean score 7.97 ± 2.37) and job opportunities (mean score7.90 ± 2.34). An alarming percentage of medical graduates from Lahore, Pakistan intend to migrate for post graduate

  2. Brain Drain: Post Graduation Migration Intentions and the influencing factors among Medical Graduates from Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The increasing migration of health professionals to affluent countries is not a recent phenomenon and has been addressed in literature. However the various facets of physician migration from Pakistan, the third leading source of International medical graduates has not been rigorously evaluated. The objective of the current study was to survey final year students and recent medical graduates in Lahore, Pakistan about their intentions to train abroad, their post training plans as well as to identify the factors responsible for their motivation for international migration. Method A self administered structured questionnaire was developed to collect respondents' demographic and educational characteristics, intention to train abroad, their preferred destination & post training intentions of returning to Pakistan. Various influencing factors which impact on medical graduate's motivation to train abroad or stay in Pakistan were explored using a 10 point scale. SPSS software was used for data entry and analysis. Results Of the 400 eligible respondents, 275 responded (response rate 68.7%). One hundred and sixty six respondents (60.4%) intended to train abroad either for a specialty (54.9%) or a subspecialty (5.5%) The United States and United Kingdom were the most preferred destination. While 14.2% intended to return to Pakistan immediately after training, a significant percentage (10%) never intended to return to Pakistan or wished to stay abroad temporarily (37%). Professional excellence and establishing quickly in the competitive market were the most important goal to be achieved by the respondents for intention for postgraduate training abroad. The most common reasons cited for training abroad were the impact of residency training on future career (mean score 8.20 ± 2.3), financial conditions of doctors (mean score 7.97 ± 2.37) and job opportunities (mean score7.90 ± 2.34). Conclusion An alarming percentage of medical graduates from Lahore, Pakistan intend

  3. Motivational determinants among physicians in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Malik, Ahmad Azam; Yamamoto, Shelby Suzanne; Souares, Aurélia; Malik, Zeeshan; Sauerborn, Rainer

    2010-07-09

    Human resource crises in developing countries have been identified as a critical aspect of poor quality and low accessibility in health care. Worker motivation is an important facet of this issue. Specifically, motivation among physicians, who are an important bridge between health systems and patients, should be considered. This study aimed to identify the determinants of job motivation among physicians, a neglected perspective, especially in developing countries. A stratified random sample of 360 physicians was selected from public primary, public secondary and public and private tertiary health facilities in the Lahore district, Pakistan. Pretested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires were used. For the descriptive part of this study, physicians were asked to report their 5 most important work motivators and demotivators within the context of their current jobs and in general. Responses were coded according to emergent themes and frequencies calculated. Of the 30 factors identified, 10 were classified as intrinsic, 16 as organizational and 4 as socio-cultural. Intrinsic and socio-cultural factors like serving people, respect and career growth were important motivators. Conversely, demotivators across setups were mostly organizational, especially in current jobs. Among these, less pay was reported the most frequently. Fewer opportunities for higher qualifications was a demotivator among primary and secondary physicians. Less personal safety and poor working conditions were important in the public sector, particularly among female physicians. Among private tertiary physicians financial incentives other than pay and good working conditions were motivators in current jobs. Socio-cultural and intrinsic factors like less personal and social time and the inability to financially support oneself and family were more important among male physicians. Motivational determinants differed across different levels of care, sectors and genders. Nonetheless, the

  4. Early child health in Lahore, Pakistan: IV. Child care practices.

    PubMed

    Zaman, S; Jalil, F; Karlberg, J

    1993-08-01

    Child care practices and hygiene measures were studied at 6 months of age in a longitudinally followed cohort of 1476 infants born between September 1984 to March 1987 in four socio-economically different areas in and around Lahore, Pakistan. Although, 76-98% of the mothers looked after their infants during health and 96-98% during a diarrhoeal illness, child care practices and hygiene measures differed significantly between the four areas. During a diarrhoeal episode, the mothers from the upper middle class took timely medical help, fed ample food and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) to the sick infants and provided uncontaminated food to them in clean surroundings. The mothers from the village and the periurban slum took their sick child, mostly after the second day of illness, to a doctor, but preferred home remedies. Fourteen percent of the mothers in the village and 6% in the periurban slum did not seek any medical help at all. One-third of the families, from these two areas, fed food to children 12 hours after cooking; the surroundings of the child were dirty with large numbers of flies present throughout the year, though the food was commonly kept covered with a lid. We constructed a simple measure of the surroundings of the child, rated as dirty, medium or clean; it was found to be associated to both parental illiteracy and child growth, but not with housing standard. The main conclusion is that any attempt to improve child-care practices and the hygienic environment for the child, should focus on maternal literacy and simple health messages.

  5. Determination of medical education environment in Punjab private and public medical colleges affiliated with University of Health Sciences, Lahore-Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Khan, Junaid Sarfraz; Tabasum, Saima; Yousafzai, Usman Khalil

    2009-01-01

    The main purpose of this study was to identify differences, if any, in the Medical Education Climate between the Private and Public Medical Colleges in the Province of Punjab affiliated with the University of Health Sciences, Lahore and to gather recommendations from students on measures that need to be taken to improve the environment. This Mixed Quantitative and Qualitative Prospective Study was conducted in 2008. The population of the study consisted of 1612 MBBS Final Year Medical Students of both Private and Public Medical Colleges. Stratified Random Sampling was done to ensure representation of both Sectors. Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to assimilate Quantitative Data and a Questionnaire consisting of 10 items was used to accumulate Qualitative Data. To analyse Quantitative Data, t-test and Chi-square tests were used. Common themes were identified in the Qualitative Data. All the SIX Research Hypotheses were rejected and Null Hypotheses were upheld. Analysis of Qualitative Data indicated a number of Examination, Curriculum, Teaching Methodology, Teacher and Peer related Stressors without discrimination in students of both Private and Public Sectors. Solutions by students focused on improving co-ordination between Institutions and University of Health Sciences as well as developing and delivering Clinically-Centred, Community-Oriented and Problem-Based Education through development of appropriate Teaching Methodologies. Even though there is no difference in the Medical Education Climate between the Private and Public Medical Education Sectors, the Environment is less than Ideal. However, this can be improved through shifting the onus of Education from Teacher-Centred Didactic Approach to a more Student-Centred Self-Learning Strategy. In this paradigm shift the UHS, Lahore needs to play a pivotal role in order to effectively train the Trainers and standardise this change throughout Punjab.

  6. Comparison of two public sector tertiary care hospitals' management in reducing direct medical cost burden on breast carcinoma patients in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hameed Khaliq, Imran; Zahid Mahmood, Hafiz; Akhter, Naveed; Danish Sarfraz, Muhammad; Asim, Khadija; Masood Gondal, Khalid

    2018-01-01

    Breast cancer is one of the major causes of death incurring highest morbidity and mortality amongst women of Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the role of two public sector tertiary care hospitals' management in reducing out of pocket (OOP) expenses on direct medical costs borne by breast carcinoma patients' household from diagnosis through treatment. Moreover, the study intended to explore the reasons of opting private diagnostic facilities by the said patients during the services taken from the foresaid tertiary care centers. A purposive sample of 164 primary breast carcinoma patients was recruited for data collection of this cross-sectional study. Face to face interviews and semistructured questionnaires were adopted as method of data gathering tools. Major cost components of direct medical costs were used to compare the financial strain on the patients' households of both targeted hospitals. In addition, information was collected regarding the reasons of opting private diagnostic centers for investigations. Frequency, percentages, median and inter quartile range (IQR) were calculated for the data. Non-parametric variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. It was observed that overall direct medical cost borne by the breast carcinoma patients' households in Jinnah hospital (median US$1153.93 / Rs. 118,589) was significantly higher than Mayo hospital (median US$427.93 /Rs. 43,978), p<0.001; r=0.623. Moreover, spending on almost all of the components of direct medical cost were found smaller in case of Mayo hospital's patients as compared to Jinnah hospital. This study indicates that OOP direct medical cost burden was found considerably less in Mayo hospital as compared to Jinnah hospital. The OOP expenditures on chemotherapy were overwhelmingly high. However, high spending on privately opted investigations procedures was the common issue of the patients under treatment in both hospitals.

  7. Monitoring the impact of urban effluents on mineral contents of water and sediments of four sites of the river Ravi, Lahore.

    PubMed

    Shakir, Hafiz Abdullah; Qazi, Javed Iqbal; Chaudhry, Abdul Shakoor

    2013-12-01

    We assessed the impact of urban effluents on the concentrations of selected minerals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Hg) in river Ravi before and after its passage through Lahore city. Water and sediment samples were collected from three lowly to highly polluted downstream sites (Shahdera (B), Sunder (C), and Balloki (D)) alongside the least polluted upstream site (Siphon (A)) during high and low river flow seasons. All the mineral concentrations increased up to site C but stabilized at site D, showing some recovery as compared to the third sampling site. The trend of mean mineral concentration was significantly higher during the low than the high flow season at all the sites. The mean Hg concentrations approached 0.14 and 0.12 mg/l at site A which increased (%) up to 107 and 25% at site B, 1,700 and 1,317% at site C, and 1,185 and 1,177% at site D during low and high river flows, respectively. All mineral concentrations were much higher in the sediment than the water samples. Mean Cd (917%), Cr (461%), Cu (300%), Fe (254%), Pb (179%), Zn (170%), Mn (723%), Ni (853%), and Hg (1,699%) concentrations were higher in riverbed sediments sampled from site C in comparison with the sample collected at site A during low flow season. The domestic and industrial discharges from Lahore city have created undesirable water qualities during the low river flow season. As majority of the mineral levels in the river Ravi were higher than the permissible and safe levels, this is of immediate concern for riverine fish consumers and the users of water for recreation and even irrigation. The use of these waters may pose health risks, and therefore, urgent intervention strategies are needed to minimize river water pollution and its impact on fish-consuming communities of this study area and beyond.

  8. Outcome of 7-S, TQM technique for healthcare waste management.

    PubMed

    Ullah, Junaid Habib; Ahmed, Rashid; Malik, Javed Iqbal; Khan, M Amanullah

    2011-12-01

    To assess the present waste management system of healthcare facilities (HCFs) attached with Shalamar Hospital, Lahore by applying the 7-S technique of Total Quality Management (TQM) and to find out the outcome after imparting training. Interventional quasi-experimental study. The Shalamar Hospital, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, November, 2009 to November, 2010. Mckinsey's 7-S, technique of TQM was applied to assess the 220 HCFs from Lahore, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura districts for segregation, collection, transportation and disposal (SCTD) of hospital waste. Direct interview method was applied. Trainings were provided in each institution. After one year action period, the status of four areas of concern was compared before and after training. The parameters studied were segregation, collection, transportation and disposal systems in the 220 HCFs. Each of these were further elaborated by strategy, structure, system, staff, skill, style and stakeholder/shared value factors. Standard error of difference of proportion was applied to assess significance using 95% confidence level. There was marked improvement in all these areas ranging from 20% to 77% following a training program of 3 months. In case of disposal of the waste strategy, structure and system an increase of 60%, 65% and 75% was observed after training. The 7-S technique played a vital role in assessing the hospital waste management system. Training for the healthcare workers played a significant role in healthcare facilities.

  9. Cancer illustrations and warning labels on cigarette packs: perceptions of teenagers from high socioeconomic status in Lahore.

    PubMed

    Zil-E-Ali, Ahsan; Ahsen, Noor Fatima; Iqbal, Humaira

    2015-06-01

    Smoking is linked with adverse health outcomes and multi-organ diseases with six million deaths every year. The smoking population includes both genders and the habit is seen in minors as well. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore among teenagers belonging to high socioeconomic class. A sample of 191 students was recruited by convenience sampling. The teenagers were questioned on their perceptions relating to prohibition labels, factors that led them to smoke, and ideas to make health warnings more effective. Overall, 66(34.55%) teenagers were smokers, and of them, 50(75.75%) were boys and 16(24.24%) were girls. Besides, 25(37.9%) smokers were of the view that smoking is a bad habit; 40(60.6%) said prohibition labels would not change the mindset of the smoker; 35(53%)believed that a smoker is completely uninfluenced by prohibition labels. Results suggest that the warning labels on cigarette packs should be made more comprehensible and alarming for smokers.

  10. Service Quality Of Diagnostic Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Lahore (Process Measure As Patient's Perspective).

    PubMed

    Rizvi, Zainab; Usmani, Rabia Arshed; Rizvi, Amna; Wazir, Salim; Zahra, Taskeen; Rasool, Hafza

    2017-01-01

    Quality of any service is the most important aspect for the manufacturer as well as the consumer. The primary objective of any nation's health system is to provide supreme quality health care services to its patients. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of diagnostic fine needle aspiration cytology service in a tertiary care hospital. As Patient's perspectives provide valuable information on quality of process, therefore, patient's perception in terms of satisfaction with the service was measured. In this cross sectional analytical study, 291 patients undergoing fine needle aspiration cytology in Mayo Hospital were selected by systematic sampling technique. Information regarding satisfaction of patients with four dimensions of service quality process, namely "procedure, sterilization, conduct and competency of doctor" was collected through interview on questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed on SERVQUAL model, a measurement tool, for quality assessment of services provided to patients. All items were assessed on 2- point likert scale (0=dissatisfied, 1=satisfied). Frequencies and percentages of satisfied and dissatisfied patients were recorded for each item and all items in each dimension were scored. If the percentage of sum of all item scores of a dimension was ≥60, the dimension was 'good quality'. Whereas <60% was 'poor quality' dimension. Data was analysed using epi-info-3.5.1. Fisher test was applied to check statistical significance. (p-value <0.05). Out of the 4 dimensions of service quality process, Procedure (48.8%), Sterilization (51.5%) and practitioner conduct (50.9%) were perceived as 'poor' by the patients. Only practitioner competency (67.4%) was perceived as 'good'. Comparison of dimensions of service quality scoring with overall level of patient satisfaction revealed that all 4 dimensions were significantly related to patient dissatisfaction (p<.05). The study suggests that service quality of therapeutic and diagnostic

  11. AUDIT OF SURGICAL EMERGENCY AT LAHORE GENERAL HOSPITAL.

    PubMed

    Khalid, Sadaf; Bhatti, Afsar Ali; Burhanulhuq

    2015-01-01

    Audit is a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit criteria and the review of change. Objective of this study was to report the patterns of admissions in our surgical emergency and the comparison of results with the available data. All the patients presented in the surgical emergency of Unit III from April to December 2014. Detail of all surgical patients admitted during the period was recorded from the emergency entry register maintained by the staff nurse. Demographic data, mode of admission, diagnosis and outcomes were recorded on a pro forma. Total number of patients were 11140, out of which 5998 (53.8%) were males and 5142 (46%) were females, mostly were between 18-56 years of age. Emergency surgeries were performed in 650 of our cases whereas the rest of the patients were managed conservatively, treated at minor operation theatre (MOT), referred to their concerned emergencies or discharged. The most common presentation was road traffic accidents followed by trauma, urological emergencies and intestinal obstruction. Overall mortality was estimated as 1.5%. Surgical audit should be made a regular practice to serve as an important and effective tool of accountibilty on clinical outcomes and self evaluation and in improving the quality of our health care system.

  12. Interventional study to improve diabetic guidelines adherence using mobile health (m-Health) technology in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hashmi, Noreen Rahat; Khan, Shazad Ali

    2018-05-31

    To check if mobile health (m-Health) short message service (SMS) can improve the knowledge and practice of the American Diabetic Association preventive care guidelines (ADA guidelines) recommendations among physicians. Quasi-experimental pre-post study design with a control group. The participants of the study were 62 medical officers/medical postgraduate trainees from two hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Pretested questionnaire was used to collect baseline information about physicians' knowledge and adherence according to the ADA guidelines. All the respondents attended 1-day workshop about the guidelines. The intervention group received regular reminders by SMS about the ADA guidelines for the next 5 months. Postintervention knowledge and practice scores of 13 variables were checked again using the same questionnaire. Statistical analysis included χ 2 and McNemar's tests for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables. Pearson's correlation analysis was done to check correlation between knowledge and practice scores in the intervention group. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. The total number of participating physicians was 62. Fifty-three (85.5%) respondents completed the study. Composite scores within the intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in knowledge (p<0.001) and practice (p<0.001) postintervention. The overall composite scores preintervention and postintervention also showed statistically significant difference of improvement in knowledge (p=0.002) and practice (p=0.001) between non-intervention and intervention groups. Adherence to individual 13 ADA preventive care guidelines level was noted to be suboptimal at baseline. Statistically significant improvement in the intervention group was seen in the following individual variables: review of symptoms of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, eye examination, neurological examination, lipid examination, referral to ophthalmologist, and

  13. Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque; is it related to brushing frequency, plaque load and oral health status?

    PubMed

    Chaudhry, Saima; Khan, Ayyaz Ali; Butt, Arshad Kamal; Idrees, Muhammad; Izhar, Mateen; Iqbal, Hafiz Aamer

    2011-10-01

    To determine the relation between presence of H. pylori in supra-gingival dental plaque with oral hygiene habits and oral health status of patients suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia. Descriptive study. The Department of Oral Health Sciences, Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore, from September 2008 to August 2009. One hundred and fifty dyspeptic subjects with dental plaque were enrolled. After recording brushing frequency, oral health status and plaque load, the supra-gingival dental plaque samples were collected by sterile curettes. Helicobacter pylori were detected in dental plaque samples through PCR assay. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be 37.5% in the sample. Most of the subjects brushed once daily, had plaque index score of 1 and had fair to poor oral hygiene status. Approximately 35% of the individuals who brushed once or twice a day harbored the bacterium in their dental plaque. There was no difference between bacterial detection rates among different categories of plaque index and oral health status of the study subjects. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be associated with neither brushing frequency nor with the plaque load nor with the oral health status of individuals suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia.

  14. Psychiatric Morbidity, Perceived Stress and Ways of Coping Among Parents of Children With Intellectual Disability in Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Ashraf, Sania; Imran, Nazish; Hussain, Sadia; Azeem, Muhammad W

    2018-01-01

    Background This study assessed anxiety and depression levels among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) and analyzed their coping strategies. Methods One hundred parents of children with ID were recruited through child psychiatry outpatient services in a tertiary care setting in Lahore, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic details, the Agha Khan University Anxiety Depression Scale, the Family Stress and Coping Questionnaire, Brief COPE questionnaire, and Support questionnaire were used for data collection. Results The mean age of parents was 35 years, and the majority of parents (86%) in the study were females. Seventy percent of the parents had significant levels of anxiety and depression. Parents mostly used emotion-based coping to deal with their anxiety and depression; self-distraction, behavioral disengagement, and venting were the main coping strategies used. Conclusions The study showed family stressors, various coping strategies, and support sources in depressed parents who are taking care of their intellectually disabled children. Based on these results, effective culturally sensitive intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and help them effectively cope with stress. PMID:29666778

  15. Psychiatric Morbidity, Perceived Stress and Ways of Coping Among Parents of Children With Intellectual Disability in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Sheikh, Muhammad H; Ashraf, Sania; Imran, Nazish; Hussain, Sadia; Azeem, Muhammad W

    2018-02-16

    Background This study assessed anxiety and depression levels among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) and analyzed their coping strategies. Methods One hundred parents of children with ID were recruited through child psychiatry outpatient services in a tertiary care setting in Lahore, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic details, the Agha Khan University Anxiety Depression Scale, the Family Stress and Coping Questionnaire, Brief COPE questionnaire, and Support questionnaire were used for data collection. Results The mean age of parents was 35 years, and the majority of parents (86%) in the study were females. Seventy percent of the parents had significant levels of anxiety and depression. Parents mostly used emotion-based coping to deal with their anxiety and depression; self-distraction, behavioral disengagement, and venting were the main coping strategies used. Conclusions The study showed family stressors, various coping strategies, and support sources in depressed parents who are taking care of their intellectually disabled children. Based on these results, effective culturally sensitive intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and help them effectively cope with stress.

  16. World Health Organization "School Mental Health Manual"-based training for school teachers in Urban Lahore, Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Imran, Nazish; Rahman, Atif; Chaudhry, Nakhshab; Asif, Aftab

    2018-05-24

    The teacher's role in school mental health initiatives cannot be overemphasized. Despite global evidence of educational interventions in improving teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding mental health, this area remains under researched in Pakistan. This paper presents a study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a teacher training intervention for improving mental health literacy and self-efficacy among school teachers in urban Lahore, Pakistan. The randomized controlled trial will follow the CONSORT guidelines. Participants will be allocated to the Intervention group (receiving the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMRO) School Mental Health Manual-based intervention in three 6-h, face-to-face sessions) or a waitlist control group (not receiving training during the study period). Participants will be teachers of private schools with similar broad demographic characteristics in an inner city area of Lahore. The primary outcome measures for the trial is teachers' mental health literacy. It will be assessed by using the previously applied (during WHO training of Master Trainers) self-administered questionnaire in both groups pre and post training and at 3 months' follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: for teachers: Teachers' self-efficacy (assessed by the Teachers' Sense of Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) short form.); for students (11-16 years): socio-emotional skills and psychological problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (assessed at baseline and 3 months post intervention); for schools: the WHO School Psychosocial Profile Questionnaire (baseline and 3 months post intervention). Given the high prevalence of child mental health problems, stigma and lack of services, it is important to consider alternate avenues for promoting positive mental health among youth. This pilot study should establish the effectiveness of the WHO-EMRO School Mental Health Manual

  17. Health status assessment of workers during construction phase of highway rehabilitation projects around lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Abrar, Amina; Cheema, Kausar Jamal; Saif, Samia; Mahmood, Asim

    2017-01-24

    The study focused on assessment of the health status of workers during construction phase of highway rehabilitation projects at six selected sites of N5 around Lahore, including Kala Shah Kaku, Muridke, Kamuki, Bhaipheru, Pattoki, and Okara. The study was based on multi-methods approach involving hazard identification through survey and checklist as well as a questionnaire for health status assessment and measurements of health parameters including peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and audiometric screening of 300 subjects. The study revealed non-congenial working conditions at the sites. Noise, vibrations, dust, asphalt fumes, poor work postures, and injuries were found to be major health hazards. PEFR of most of the workers was found to be significantly lower than the reference value. Average PEFR±SEM values were 187±5.1 l/min, 178±4.3 l/min, and 266±5.3 l/min in ground preparation workers, asphalt workers, and heavy vehicle drivers, respectively. The highest rate (29%) of hearing loss was recorded among heavy vehicle drivers. Musculoskeletal problems were found to be more common among ground preparation workers. Data revealed unsatisfactory health status of most of the workers. Direct relationship between health outcomes and the type of construction activities were observed. The current study focuses on the importance of including occupational health and safety plan in the execution phase of every developmental project that involves construction activities.

  18. Genderwise clinical response of antipsychotics among schizophrenic patients: a prospective observational study from Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Asif, Usama; Saleem, Zikria; Yousaf, Mahrukh; Saeed, Hamid; Hashmi, Furqan Khurshid; Islam, Muhammad; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Saleem, Fahad

    2017-10-30

    The study was aimed to evaluate the gender specific response to adherence and occurrence of side effects among schizophrenic patients in Lahore, Pakistan. A prospective study was performed for a period of 1 year among 180 newly diagnosed schizophrenics, aged 20-60 years to observe the symptoms, medication adherence and side effects. Morisky-Green-Levine Scale was used to evaluate medication adherence, LUNSER for side effects and PANSS to measure positive and negative symptoms. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Positive symptoms (Male: Baseline 36.14 vs. endpoint 23.58, Female: 35.29 vs. 23.74) and negative symptoms (Males 27.9 vs. 20.05, Females 28.41 vs. 20.2) of schizophrenia were equally reduced after a follow up of 1 year in both the genders. Male population suffered more accumulative side effects (11.4 in males vs. 6.40 in females), extrapyramidal symptoms such as tardive dyskinesia and tremors (1.21 in males vs. 0.57 in females) and other side effects as compared to women (p ≤ .005). Males were found poorly adherent to antipsychotic treatment than females (93.3% in males vs. 6.7% in females (p ≤ .005). Prescribing practices should not overlook sex specific factors like hormonal changes, altered brain morphology and socioeconomic factors that may be responsible for the difference in the response to the course of schizophrenia.

  19. Evidence and quantitation of aromatic organosulfates in ambient aerosols in Lahore, Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kundu, S.; Quraishi, T. A.; Yu, G.; Suarez, C.; Keutsch, F. N.; Stone, E. A.

    2013-05-01

    Organosulfates are important components of atmospheric organic aerosols, yet their structures, abundances, sources and formation processes are not adequately understood. This study presents the identification and quantitation of benzyl sulfate in atmospheric aerosols, which is the first confirmed atmospheric organosulfate with aromatic carbon backbone. Benzyl sulfate was identified and quantified in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected in Lahore, Pakistan, during 2007-2008. An authentic standard of benzyl sulfate was synthesized, standardized, and identified in atmospheric aerosols with quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-ToF) mass spectrometry (MS). Benzyl sulfate was quantified in aerosol samples using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to negative electrospray ionization triple quadrupole (TQ) MS. The highest benzyl sulfate concentrations were recorded in November and January 2007 (0.50 ± 0.11 ng m-3) whereas the lowest concentration was observed in July (0.05 ± 0.02 ng m-3). To evaluate matrix effects, benzyl sulfate concentrations were determined using external calibration and the method of standard addition; comparable concentrations were detected by the two methods, which ruled out significant matrix effects in benzyl sulfate quantitation. Three additional organosulfates with m/z 187, 201 and 215 were qualitatively identified as aromatic organosulfates with additional methyl substituents by high-resolution mass measurements and tandem MS. The observed aromatic organosulfates form a homologous series analogous to toluene, xylene, and trimethylbenzene, which are abundant anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC), suggesting that aromatic organosulfates may be formed by secondary reactions. However, stronger statistical correlations of benzyl sulfate with combustion tracers (EC and levoglucosan) than with secondary tracers (SO42- and α-pinene-derived nitrooxy organosulfates) suggest that aromatic organosulfates may be emitted from the

  20. The impact of municipal solid waste treatment methods on greenhouse gas emissions in Lahore, Pakistan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Batool, Syeda Adila; Chuadhry, Muhammad Nawaz

    2009-01-15

    The contribution of existing municipal solid waste management to emission of greenhouse gases and the alternative scenarios to reduce emissions were analyzed for Data Ganj Bukhsh Town (DGBT) in Lahore, Pakistan using the life cycle assessment methodology. DGBT has a population of 1,624,169 people living in 232,024 dwellings. Total waste generated is 500,000 tons per year with an average per capita rate of 0.84 kg per day. Alternative scenarios were developed and evaluated according to the environmental, economic, and social atmosphere of the study area. Solid waste management options considered include the collection and transportation of waste, collection of recyclablesmore » with single and mixed material bank container systems (SMBCS, MMBCS), material recovery facilities (MRF), composting, biogasification and landfilling. A life cycle inventory (LCI) of the six scenarios along with the baseline scenario was completed; this helped to quantify the CO{sub 2} equivalents, emitted and avoided, for energy consumption, production, fuel consumption, and methane (CH{sub 4}) emissions. LCI results showed that the contribution of the baseline scenario to the global warming potential as CO{sub 2} equivalents was a maximum of 838,116 tons. The sixth scenario had a maximum reduction of GHG emissions in terms of CO{sub 2} equivalents of -33,773 tons, but the most workable scenario for the current situation in the study area is scenario 5. It saves 25% in CO{sub 2} equivalents compared to the baseline scenario.« less

  1. Health status assessment of workers during construction phase of highway rehabilitation projects around lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Abrar, Amina; Cheema, Kausar Jamal; Saif, Samia; Mahmood, Asim

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The study focused on assessment of the health status of workers during construction phase of highway rehabilitation projects at six selected sites of N5 around Lahore, including Kala Shah Kaku, Muridke, Kamuki, Bhaipheru, Pattoki, and Okara. Methods: The study was based on multi-methods approach involving hazard identification through survey and checklist as well as a questionnaire for health status assessment and measurements of health parameters including peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and audiometric screening of 300 subjects. Results: The study revealed non-congenial working conditions at the sites. Noise, vibrations, dust, asphalt fumes, poor work postures, and injuries were found to be major health hazards. PEFR of most of the workers was found to be significantly lower than the reference value. Average PEFR±SEM values were 187±5.1 l/min, 178±4.3 l/min, and 266±5.3 l/min in ground preparation workers, asphalt workers, and heavy vehicle drivers, respectively. The highest rate (29%) of hearing loss was recorded among heavy vehicle drivers. Musculoskeletal problems were found to be more common among ground preparation workers. Conclusion: Data revealed unsatisfactory health status of most of the workers. Direct relationship between health outcomes and the type of construction activities were observed. The current study focuses on the importance of including occupational health and safety plan in the execution phase of every developmental project that involves construction activities. PMID:27853055

  2. Age at marriage, fertility and infant-child mortality in a Lahore suburb.

    PubMed

    Afzal, M; Khan, Z; Chaudhry, N A

    1976-01-01

    An exploratory study of 700 ever-married women was conducted in a suburb of Lahore city in 1973 in an attempt to gather knowledge concerning the major determinants of fertility and family size. A retrospective sample survey was used for collecting the data. From the sample of 700, average age at marriage has been computed for the females getting married during different periods of time. The mean age at marriage shows an increasing trend from decade to decade, and these increases have been found to be statistically significant. Of the 700 women, 674 have actually been pregnant and in this group there were 3691 pregnancies, an average of 5.5 pregnancies per woman. The total number of pregnancy wastages among these women was 174 or 47/1000 pregnancies. The total number of children ever born to these mothers was 3531 or an average of 5.2 children per mother. The overall average number of children born alive to the mothers whose age at marriage was under 15 is 5.4; for those married at the average age of 15, the number of children is 5; and for those with higher ages at marriage, the number of children ranges from 4.4 to 4.6. The marital age-specific fertility rate is slightly higher for the age group 15-19 but is lower for the ages 30 and above. The relationship of cumulative number of pregnancies and the number of pregnancy wastages experienced shows that the pregnancies of m others increase with more pregnancy wastages, but the average number for those who never experienced a loss was also high. This suggests that the use of contraception has not been sufficiently extensive to help limit the incidence of pregnancies. The patterns of cumulative fertility also suggest that the family planning program has done little to reduce fertility. A comparison of the average number of children ever born to the 700 women with that provided by the National Impact Survey shows little change over the 5 years intervening between the 2 studies.

  3. Educating tomorrow's doctors: A cross sectional survey of emotional intelligence and empathy in medical students of Lahore.

    PubMed

    Imran, Nazish; Awais Aftab, Muhammad; Haider, Imran Ijaz; Farhat, Anam

    2013-05-01

    Medical education in Pakistan traditionally emphasizes physician's biomedical knowledge with less emphasis on interpersonal skills and ability to relate to the patients. This study explored the emotional intelligence & empathy of undergraduate medical students and investigated its relationship with various factors to act as baseline for future work in this area. The Schutte Emotional Intelligence scale and Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index in addition to socio demographic questionnaire were administered to first year and final year medical undergraduates of two medical Institutions in Lahore, Pakistan. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 17 version. The overall mean scores for medical students both on emotional intelligence and empathy is significantly lower than that found in previous literature, highlighting that medical students do not appear to fare better than average people in EQ. Women showed statistically significant higher scores on Appraisal of emotions , Regulation of emotions, Empathic concern Scale & Personal distress scale. Comparison of EI & IRI of students according to medical college year did not show any statistical significance. Current medical curriculum and training in Pakistan does not appear to increase EI abilities which are building blocks that may allow students and residents to develop competence. Medical educators in Pakistan should look for ways to incorporate emotional intelligence in medical curriculum which will ultimately contribute towards patient centered practice, patient satisfaction as well as effective communication skills.

  4. Educating tomorrow’s doctors: A cross sectional survey of emotional intelligence and empathy in medical students of Lahore

    PubMed Central

    Imran, Nazish; Awais Aftab, Muhammad; Haider, Imran Ijaz; Farhat, Anam

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Medical education in Pakistan traditionally emphasizes physician’s biomedical knowledge with less emphasis on interpersonal skills and ability to relate to the patients. This study explored the emotional intelligence & empathy of undergraduate medical students and investigated its relationship with various factors to act as baseline for future work in this area. Methodology: The Schutte Emotional Intelligence scale and Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index in addition to socio demographic questionnaire were administered to first year and final year medical undergraduates of two medical Institutions in Lahore, Pakistan. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 17 version. Results: The overall mean scores for medical students both on emotional intelligence and empathy is significantly lower than that found in previous literature, highlighting that medical students do not appear to fare better than average people in EQ. Women showed statistically significant higher scores on Appraisal of emotions , Regulation of emotions, Empathic concern Scale & Personal distress scale. Comparison of EI & IRI of students according to medical college year did not show any statistical significance. Conclusion: Current medical curriculum and training in Pakistan does not appear to increase EI abilities which are building blocks that may allow students and residents to develop competence. Medical educators in Pakistan should look for ways to incorporate emotional intelligence in medical curriculum which will ultimately contribute towards patient centered practice, patient satisfaction as well as effective communication skills. PMID:24353613

  5. Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected People Who Inject Drugs in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Mansha, Sana; Imran, Muhammad; Shah, Amir Miraj Ul Hussain; Jamal, Muhsin; Ahmed, Fayyaz; Atif, Muhammad; Saleem, Muhammmad; Safi, Sher Zaman; Fatima, Zareen; Bilal Waqar, Ahmed

    2017-06-01

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the major cause of the global burden of hepatitis. One of the main routes of transmission for both viruses is through exposure to infected blood, which includes sharing blood-contaminated syringes and needles. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the immune system and results in acquired immune deficiency syndrome and opportunistic infections. The objective of this study was to assess the epidemiology of HBV and HCV infections among HIV-infected people who inject drugs (PWID). The study enrolled 100 PWID from different addiction centers of the city of Lahore in Pakistan. All subjects were HIV-infected males and were above 16 years of age. Screening of HBV and HCV infections was performed through immunochromatography tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The prevalence of HCV and HBV infections among the 100 HIV-infected PWID was 55% and 6%, respectively. HIV monoinfection was found in 37% of the subjects, while triple infection was detected in 2% of the subjects. Majority of the HIV-infected PWID were using heroin and Avil injections (65%). Half of the subjects had used injection drugs for 1-5 years, while 32% had used injection drugs for 6-10 years. HCV infection was more common than HBV infection among the enrolled subjects. Most of the PWID were practicing heroin and Avil injections.

  6. Attitudes of medical students in Lahore, Pakistan towards the doctor–patient relationship

    PubMed Central

    Krupat, Edward; Asma, Yumna; Fatima, Noor-E-; Attique, Rayan; Mahmood, Umar; Waqas, Ahmed

    2015-01-01

    Background. A good doctor–patient relationship is the centre stone of modern medicine. Patients are getting increasingly aware about exercising their autonomy and thus modern medicine cannot deliver all its advances to the patients if a good doctor–patient relationship is not established. We initiated this study with the aim to assess the leaning of medical students, who are the future physicians, towards either a doctor-centered or a patient-centered care, and to explore the effects of personal attributes on care such as gender, academic year, etc. Materials & Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and Sep 2013. CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College Ethical Review Committee approved the study questionnaire. The study population consisted of 1,181 medical students in years 1–5 from two medical colleges. The English version of Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) was used to assess attitudes of medical students towards doctor–patient relationship. PPOS yields a mean score range of 1–6, where 1 signifies tendency towards a doctor centered relationship and 6 signifies patient-centered relationship. The relationship between PPOS scores and individual characteristics like gender, academic year etc. were examined by multiple regression. Results. A total of 783 students formed the final sample (response rate = 92%). Mean PPOS score of the entire sample was 3.40 (± .49 S.D.). Mean sharing sub-scale score was 3.18 (± 0.62 S.D. Mean caring sub-scale score was 3.63 (± 0.56 S.D.). Characteristics associated with most patient-centered attitudes were advanced academic year, having a clinical rotation, foreign background and studying in a private college. Gender, having doctor parents, relationship and residence status had no bearing on the attitudes (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Despite ongoing debate and the emphasis on a patient-centered curriculum, our study suggests that the current curriculum and its teachings are not producing the

  7. House ownership, frequency of illness, fathers' education: the most significant socio-demographic determinants of poor nutritional status in adolescent girls from low income households of Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hassan, Fatima; Asim, Muhammad; Salim, Shafya; Humayun, Ayesha

    2017-07-11

    Socio demographic factors besides dietary factors play important role in determining the health status of an individual. Health and nutritional Intervention programs stand a greater chance of success if planned, keeping the socio demographic characteristics of a certain population in focus. The present study was conducted to identify those socio demographic determinants which have a significant association with poor nutritional status in adolescent girls belonging to economically deprived households of Lahore. A cross-sectional analytical study of 140 adolescent girls living in the peri urban communities of Lahore was conducted. Socioeconomic and demographic data of the participants was recorded through a pretested questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI), a commonly used anthropometric measurement was taken as an indicator of nutritional status. Below normal (<18.5 m2) BMI was considered a benchmark of malnutrition in adolescent girls. Frequencies and percentages for socio demographic variables were calculated and Fisher Exact test was used to find out the association of nutritional status with socio-demographic predictors. Stepwise backward logistic regression analysis was then run to identify the most significant determinants associated with poor nutritional status in the adolescents. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Chronic energy deficiency was highly prevalent among adolescent girls, 58% had BMI < 18.5 m2. Binary regression analysis result showed that the participants who lived in rented houses (AOR = 3.513; 95% CI = 1.366 to 9.031) who fell ill frequently (AOR = 2.996; 95% CI = 1.198 to 7.491) whose fathers were illiterate (AOR = 2.941; 95% CI = 1.187 to 7.287) were at greater odds of having poor nutritional status. Interestingly, the participants who lived in joint families (AOR = 0.411; 95% CI = 0.145 to 1.168) and were more frequently food insecure (AOR = 0.431; 95% CI = 0.164 to 1.133) had

  8. Evaluation of internet access and utilization by medical students in Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Jadoon, Nauman A; Zahid, Muhammad F; Mansoorulhaq, Hafiz; Ullah, Sami; Jadoon, Bilal A; Raza, Ali; Hussain, Mansoor; Yaqoob, Rehan; Shahzad, Mohammad A

    2011-05-30

    The internet is increasingly being used worldwide in imparting medical education and improving its delivery. It has become an important tool for healthcare professionals training but the data on its use by medical students in developing countries is lacking with no study on the subject from Pakistan. This study was, therefore, carried out with an aim to evaluate the pattern of internet access and utilization by medical students in Pakistan. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to a group of 750 medical students in clinical years studying at various public and private medical colleges in Lahore. The questions were related to patterns of internet access, purpose of use and self reported confidence in performing various internet related tasks, use of health related websites to supplement learning and the problems faced by students in using internet at the institution. A total of 532 medical students (70.9%) returned the questionnaire. The mean age of study participants was 21.04 years (SD 1.96 years). Majority of the respondents (84.0%) reported experience with internet use. About half of the students (42.1%) were using internet occasionally with 23.1%, 20.9% and 13.9% doing so frequently, regularly and rarely respectively. About two third of the students (61.0%) stated that they use internet for both academic and professional activities. Most of the participants preferred to use internet at home (70.5%). Self reported ability to search for required article from PubMed and PakMedinet was reported by only 34.0% of the entire sample. Students were moderately confident in performing various internet related tasks including downloading medical books from internet, searching internet for classification of diseases and downloading full text article. Health related websites were being accessed by 55.1% students to supplement their learning process. Lack of time, inadequate number of available computers and lack of support from staff were cited as the most

  9. Evaluation of internet access and utilization by medical students in Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The internet is increasingly being used worldwide in imparting medical education and improving its delivery. It has become an important tool for healthcare professionals training but the data on its use by medical students in developing countries is lacking with no study on the subject from Pakistan. This study was, therefore, carried out with an aim to evaluate the pattern of internet access and utilization by medical students in Pakistan. Methods A structured pre-tested questionnaire was administered to a group of 750 medical students in clinical years studying at various public and private medical colleges in Lahore. The questions were related to patterns of internet access, purpose of use and self reported confidence in performing various internet related tasks, use of health related websites to supplement learning and the problems faced by students in using internet at the institution. Results A total of 532 medical students (70.9%) returned the questionnaire. The mean age of study participants was 21.04 years (SD 1.96 years). Majority of the respondents (84.0%) reported experience with internet use. About half of the students (42.1%) were using internet occasionally with 23.1%, 20.9% and 13.9% doing so frequently, regularly and rarely respectively. About two third of the students (61.0%) stated that they use internet for both academic and professional activities. Most of the participants preferred to use internet at home (70.5%). Self reported ability to search for required article from PubMed and PakMedinet was reported by only 34.0% of the entire sample. Students were moderately confident in performing various internet related tasks including downloading medical books from internet, searching internet for classification of diseases and downloading full text article. Health related websites were being accessed by 55.1% students to supplement their learning process. Lack of time, inadequate number of available computers and lack of support from

  10. Hypothyroidism In Hepatitis C Patients On Pegylated Interferon Therapy.

    PubMed

    Hameed, Muhammad Asim; Mehmood, Asif; Farooq, Muhammad Ahsan; Tayyab, Ghias Un Nabi; Haq Toor, Israr Ul

    2016-01-01

    Chronic hepatitis has become a major health problem all over the world especially in the third world countries. The most common cause of chronic hepatitis in Pakistan is hepatitis C which can lead Toliver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Pakistan Pegylated Interferon Alpha is still corner stone of therapy for chronic hepatitis C. One of the major side effects of this therapy is the development of thyroid dysfunction, i.e., hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. This study was done to assess the frequency of hypothyroidism in hepatitis C patients after three months of pegylated interferon therapy. This study was conducted from 1st October 2013 to 31st march 2014 at outpatients department (OPD) of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Lahore General Hospital Lahore. Descriptive case series study design was used. The sample of 200 patients was taken from the patients who visited OPD and fulfil the inclusion criteria of the study. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone level (TSH) was done before and after completion of three months therapy at centre for Nuclear Medicine (CENUM) laboratory, Mayo Hospital, Lahore by immune-radiometric assay (IRMA) and patients having TSH>4.0 mIU/L (normal range: 0.2-4.0 mIU/L) were considered hypothyroid. The mean age of the patients was 36.29±8.5 years. One hundred and twenty-three (61.5%) were male and 77 (38.5%) were female. After 3 months of interferon therapy, 163 (81.5%) patients were euthyroid and 37(18.5%) patients were having thyroid dysfunction. There were total 29 (14.5%) hypothyroid patients; 8 (27.6%) were male and 21 (72.4%) female. It is concluded from this study that frequency of hypothyroidism in patients with chronic hepatitis C was 14.5% after treatment with pegylated interferon therapy for 3 months. Female patients were more prone to develop hypothyroidism as compared to male patients.

  11. Knowledge and attitude towards child marriage practice among women married as children-a qualitative study in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Nasrullah, Muazzam; Zakar, Rubeena; Zakar, Muhammad Zakria; Abbas, Safdar; Safdar, Rabia; Shaukat, Mahwish; Krämer, Alexander

    2014-11-06

    Child marriage (<18 years) is prevalent in Pakistan which is associated with negative health outcomes. Our aim is to describe women's knowledge and attitude towards child marriage practice who themselves were married as children. Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who were married prior to 18 years, for at least 5 years and had at least one child birth were recruited from most populous slum areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Themes for the interview were developed using published literature and everyday observations of the researchers. Interviews were conducted by trained interviewers in Urdu language and were translated into English. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, analyzed and categorized into themes. Nineteen of 20 participants who agreed to participate were married between 11-17 years. Most respondents were uneducated, poor and were working as housemaids. The majority participants were unaware of the negative health outcomes of child marriages. They appeared satisfied by the decision of their parents of marrying them before 18 years, and even condemned banning child marriages in Pakistan. Strong influence of culture and community perceptions, varying interpretation of religion, and protecting family honor are some of the reasons that were narrated by the participants, which seems playing a role in continuation of child marriage practice in Pakistan. Raising awareness of the negative health outcomes of child marriage, implementing and enforcing strict laws against child marriage practice, promoting civil, sexual and reproductive health rights for women, can help eliminate child marriages in Pakistan.

  12. Congenital hypothyroidism in neonates.

    PubMed

    Anjum, Aneela; Afzal, Muhammad Faheem; Iqbal, Syed Muhammad Javed; Sultan, Muhammad Ashraf; Hanif, Asif

    2014-03-01

    Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common preventable causes of mental retardation in children and it occurs in approximately 1:2,000-1:4,000 newborns. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of CH in neonates. This cross-sectional study was conducted in neonatal units of the Department of Pediatrics Unit-I, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Lady Willington Hospital Lahore in 6 months (January-June 2011). Sample was collected by non-probability purposive sampling. After consent, 550 newborn were registered for the study. Demographic data and relevant history was recorded. After aseptic measures, 2-3 ml venous blood analyzed for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level by immunoradiometric assay. Treatment was started according to the individual merit as per protocol. Data was analyzed by SPSS 17 and Chi-square test was applied to find out the association of CH with different variables. The study population consisted of 550 newborns. Among 550 newborns, 4 (0.8%) newborns had elevated TSH level. CH had statistically significant association with mother's hypothyroidism (P value 0.000) and mother's drug intake during the pregnancy period (P value 0.013). CH is 0.8% in neonates. It has statistically significant association with mother's hypothyroidism and mother's drug intake during pregnancy.

  13. Congenital hypothyroidism in neonates

    PubMed Central

    Anjum, Aneela; Afzal, Muhammad Faheem; Iqbal, Syed Muhammad Javed; Sultan, Muhammad Ashraf; Hanif, Asif

    2014-01-01

    Context: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common preventable causes of mental retardation in children and it occurs in approximately 1:2,000-1:4,000 newborns. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of CH in neonates. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in neonatal units of the Department of Pediatrics Unit-I, King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Lady Willington Hospital Lahore in 6 months (January-June 2011). Materials and Methods: Sample was collected by non-probability purposive sampling. After consent, 550 newborn were registered for the study. Demographic data and relevant history was recorded. After aseptic measures, 2-3 ml venous blood analyzed for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level by immunoradiometric assay. Treatment was started according to the individual merit as per protocol. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was analyzed by SPSS 17 and Chi-square test was applied to find out the association of CH with different variables. Results: The study population consisted of 550 newborns. Among 550 newborns, 4 (0.8%) newborns had elevated TSH level. CH had statistically significant association with mother's hypothyroidism (P value 0.000) and mother's drug intake during the pregnancy period (P value 0.013). Conclusion: CH is 0.8% in neonates. It has statistically significant association with mother's hypothyroidism and mother's drug intake during pregnancy. PMID:24741519

  14. Induction process of trainees in pathology residency

    PubMed Central

    Siddiqui, Imran; Ali, Natasha

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the evolution of the induction process of pathology residency at The Aga Khan University hospital. The Department of Postgraduate Medical Education was established in 1985. The induction process is an exhaustive exercise that includes an admission test held simultaneously in Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, followed by an interview of the shortlisted candidates. The pathology residency program was started 25 years ago and since then the induction process has undergone major changes with the course of time. PMID:27313487

  15. Prevalence and Determinants of Frozen Shoulder in Patients with Diabetes: A Single Center Experience from Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Ali, Nouman Safdar; Shahid, Haroon; Younus, Fariha

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Frozen shoulder (FS) or adhesive capsulitis is a constellation of symptoms like pain, stiffness, and/or functional deficit at the glenohumeral joint. It is one of the musculoskeletal complications in patients with diabetes that can be particularly debilitating. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of FS and to compare the determinants of this disease in a population with diabetes from Lahore, Pakistan. Materials and Methods We carried out this cross-sectional study on a systematically randomized sample of 80 patients with diabetes. It included 38 males and 42 females from 2,964 patients registered at the Diabetes Management Center, Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. The study was conducted in the months of April, May, and June 2017. A structured questionnaire was designed and the responses of patients were recorded at the clinic after informed verbal and written consent. The questionnaire outlined the key factors that can lead to a higher frequency of FS in patients with diabetes. Results Thirty-three of the total 80 respondents included in the study were diagnosed with FS. The estimated prevalence of FS in diabetics from this data was 41.3% in Lahore, which is an urban area of Pakistan with a population of more than seven million. Female sex, insulin dependence, uncontrolled blood glucose levels, and a positive family history were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of FS. In our study, most patients with FS were in Stage 1 of the disease and had unilateral involvement. Conclusion The present study shows that the prevalence of FS is higher in patients with diabetes residing in Lahore than in comparable foreign populations with diabetes. It can be attributed to socioeconomic status, lack of awareness, a higher threshold for diagnosis, and/or poor glycemic control. Mass awareness campaigns, especially for female patients with diabetes, are required to be initiated to create awareness about the disease and to facilitate

  16. Prevalence and Determinants of Frozen Shoulder in Patients with Diabetes: A Single Center Experience from Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Inayat, Faisal; Ali, Nouman Safdar; Shahid, Haroon; Younus, Fariha

    2017-08-06

    Introduction Frozen shoulder (FS) or adhesive capsulitis is a constellation of symptoms like pain, stiffness, and/or functional deficit at the glenohumeral joint. It is one of the musculoskeletal complications in patients with diabetes that can be particularly debilitating. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of FS and to compare the determinants of this disease in a population with diabetes from Lahore, Pakistan. Materials and Methods We carried out this cross-sectional study on a systematically randomized sample of 80 patients with diabetes. It included 38 males and 42 females from 2,964 patients registered at the Diabetes Management Center, Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. The study was conducted in the months of April, May, and June 2017. A structured questionnaire was designed and the responses of patients were recorded at the clinic after informed verbal and written consent. The questionnaire outlined the key factors that can lead to a higher frequency of FS in patients with diabetes. Results Thirty-three of the total 80 respondents included in the study were diagnosed with FS. The estimated prevalence of FS in diabetics from this data was 41.3% in Lahore, which is an urban area of Pakistan with a population of more than seven million. Female sex, insulin dependence, uncontrolled blood glucose levels, and a positive family history were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of FS. In our study, most patients with FS were in Stage 1 of the disease and had unilateral involvement. Conclusion The present study shows that the prevalence of FS is higher in patients with diabetes residing in Lahore than in comparable foreign populations with diabetes. It can be attributed to socioeconomic status, lack of awareness, a higher threshold for diagnosis, and/or poor glycemic control. Mass awareness campaigns, especially for female patients with diabetes, are required to be initiated to create awareness about the disease and to facilitate

  17. An Audit to Evaluate the Image Quality of Magnetic Resonance of Knee at Radiology Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital.

    PubMed

    Mansoor, Ali; Ramzan, Amaila; Chaudhary, Aamer Nadeem

    2017-04-01

    light of recommendations of ACR. Aclinical audit. Department of Radiology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, from August 2015 to February 2016. Scans of 20 patients who underwent MRI of knee in August 2015 were studied retrospectively to assess the quality of images obtained in the first audit. Based on the findings of this audit, recommendations were made and re audit was done 6 months later in February 2016 to look for improvement in local practice. In the first audit, images were acquired in all the three necessary planes and the sagittal and coronal images had appropriate slice thickness, interslice gap as well as adequate anatomical coverage in all the patients. However, FOV (field of view) was appropriately set in 66% of cases in axial plane, 5% in sagittal plane, and 0% in coronal plane. Also, the anatomical coverage was not upto the mark in axial plane with 13 studies (66%) having adequate superior coverage, and 16 cases (80%) having recommended inferior anatomical coverage. The re audit performed 6 months later showed improvement with 100% compliance to standards. The first audit showed many shortcomings in acquiring of MRI data in patients undergoing knee MRI with FOV requiring a decrease in all planes and anatomical coverage increase in axial plane. These recommendations were made in departmental meetings and re-audit was done after 6 months. This second audit showed 100 % compliance.

  18. Disease Severity, Quality of Life, and Psychiatric Morbidity in Patients With Psoriasis With Reference to Sociodemographic, Lifestyle, and Clinical Variables: A Prospective, Cross-Sectional Study From Lahore, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Khawaja, Abdul Rahman; Bokhari, Syed Muhammad Azam; Rasheed, Tariq; Shahzad, Atif; Hanif, Muhammad; Qadeer, Faisal

    2015-01-01

    Background: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic disease with a genetic background that involves skin, nails, and joints. The incidence of psoriasis varies from 2.0% to 4.0% depending on the geographical location, ethnic background, and environmental conditions. Recent research has proved that psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease with extensive systemic implications. Objectives of the study were to explore the severity of psoriasis, dermatology-related quality of life, and psychiatric health of the patients with reference to sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics. Method: Consecutive patients with psoriasis (ICD-10 criteria) from skin outpatient clinics of 3 tertiary care hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, between November 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, were assessed in this prospective cross-sectional study. The final sample includes 87 patients who were evaluated for severity of psoriasis (Psoriasis Area Severity Index [PASI]), dermatology-related quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI]), and psychiatric morbidity (12-item General Health Questionnaire [GHQ-12]) and were assessed on 23 sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical variables. Results: Of the 23 variables, the PASI was significantly associated with education and habit of drinking alcohol (P < .05), the DLQI was significantly associated with disturbed eating (P < .05), and the GHQ-12 score was significantly associated with hair disease (P < .05), current income (P < .05), and disturbed eating and sleeping (P < .01). The PASI, DLQI, and GHQ-12 were not usually affected by sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, except for some variables such as education of the patient, alcohol intake, eating and sleeping disturbance, and income status. A statistically significant correlation (P < .01) was found between all 3 scores (ie, PASI, DLQI, and GHQ-12). The correlation coefficients of the PASI with the DLQI and GHQ-12 are 0.345 and 0.460, respectively, and

  19. Hospital activity and hospital profits.

    PubMed

    Hegji, Charles E

    2007-01-01

    The paper uses data from a cross section of southeastern hospitals to examine which activities are profitable for hospitals. The analysis suggests that hospitals may operate at less than profit-maximizing levels of output. In addition, contrary to popular belief emergency rooms are shown to be profit generating centers for hospitals.

  20. 77 FR 25747 - Certain Incremental Dental Positioning Adjustment Appliances and Methods of Producing Same...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-01

    ..., California; OrthoClear Holdings, Inc. of Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and OrthoClear Pakistan Pvt, Ltd. of Lahore, Pakistan as respondents. On July 11, 2006, the ALJ granted Align's motion to terminate the...; ClearCorrect Pakistan (Private), Ltd. (``ClearCorrect Pakistan'') of Lahore, Pakistan; and Mudassar...

  1. Complete genome sequence of genotype VI Newcastle disease viruses isolated from pigeons in Pakistan

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Two complete genome sequences of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are described here. Virulent isolates pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/21A/2015 and pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/25A/2015 were obtained from racing pigeons sampled in the Pakistani province of Punjab during 2015. Phylogenetic analysis of the fusion prot...

  2. Near East/South Asia Report, No. 2795.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-08-04

    correspondent Shahida Tabassum ; date not specified] [Text] Mr Abdul Hafiz Kardar is the managing director of a firm in Lahore that performs consulting...HURMAT’s representative in Lahore, Shahida Tabassum , met with him and asked his views on industrial, commercial and financial affairs. [Question] Mr

  3. Genetic Analysis of Aedes aegypti Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Markers from Dengue Outbreaks in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ashraf, Hafiz Muhammad; Zahoor, Muhammad Kashif; Nasir, Shabab; Majeed, Humara Naz; Zahoor, Sarwat

    2016-12-01

    Keeping in view the havoc situation of dengue fever in Pakistan, the current study was designed to demonstrate the genetic variations, gene flow and rate of migration from Lahore and Faisalabad. The larvae were collected from both natural and artificial breeding places from each collection site. The adult mosquitoes were collected by means of sweep net and battery-operated aspirator. DNA extraction was performed using TNE buffer method. Ten GeneLink-A series RAPD primers were used for PCR amplification and the data was analyzed through POPGENE. The number of amplification products produced per primer varied from 8-12, ranging from 200 to 2000 bp with an average of 10.0 bands per primer. The percentage of polymorphic loci amplified by each primer varied from 22.5 to 51%. The UPGMA dendrogram demonstrates two distinct groups from Faisalabad and Lahore populations. The genetic diversity ranged from 0.260 in Faisalabad to 0.294 in Lahore with a total heterozygosity of 0.379. The G ST value for nine populations within Lahore was 0.131 (Nm= 3.317), whereas for nine populations in Faisalabad G ST value was 0.117 (Nm= 3.773). The overall genetic variation among eighteen populations showed G ST = 0.341 and Nm= 1.966. The genetic relatedness and Nm value show that Ae . aegypti populations exhibit intra-population gene flow both in Faisalabad and Lahore. Although, both cities show a distinct pattern of genetic structure; however, few areas from both the cities show genetic similarity. The gene flow and the genetic relatedness in few populations of Lahore and Faisalabad cities need further investigation.

  4. Designing for Users: Online Information Literacy in the Middle East

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Janet; Birks, Jane; Hunt, Fiona

    2010-01-01

    Librarians from Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) report on an empirical evaluation of the relevance and value of Infoasis (http://www.zu.ac.ae/infoasis), a Web-based information literacy tutorial developed and tailored to the Arab student population of the Emirates. After the successful implementation of this project, questions…

  5. Predictors of Academic Performance for Finance Students: Women at Higher Education in the UAE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El Massah, Suzanna Sobhy; Fadly, Dalia

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The study uses data drawn from a senior finance major cohort of 78 female undergraduates at Zayed University (ZU)-UAE to investigate factors, which increase the likelihood of achieving better academic performance in an Islamic finance course based on information about socioeconomic background of female students. The paper aims to discuss…

  6. Physical intimate partner violence in Chile, Egypt, India and the Philippines.

    PubMed

    Hassan, Fatma; Sadowski, Laura S; Bangdiwala, Shrikant I; Vizcarra, Beatriz; Ramiro, Laurie; De Paula, Cristiane S; Bordin, Isabel A S; Mitra, M K

    2004-06-01

    Violence against women is recognized by globally as a serious health and social problem that impedes development. To determine the magnitude of physical intimate partner violence against women in six selected communities from Chile, Egypt, India and the Philippines. Population-based household surveys. Selected urban communities in Temuco, Chile; Ismailia, Egypt; Lucknow, Trivandrum, and Vellore non-slum areas of India; and in Manila, the Philippines. Women aged 15-49 years who cared for at least one child younger than 18 years old. The number of participants per community was 442 (Santa Rosa, Chile), 631 (El-Sheik Zayed, Egypt), 506 (Lucknow, India), 700 (Trivandrum, India), 716 (Vellore, India) and 1000 (Paco, the Philippines). Lifetime and Current physical intimate partner violence (IPV) was measured using standard definitions and four behaviors of actions--namely slap, hit, kick and beat. Three derived variables for severity included: disabling IPV, IPV-related injury requiring health care and multiple severe IPV (presence of hit and kick and beat). Percentages of lifetime and current physical intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in our sample of 3975 were as follows: 24.9 and 3.6 (Santa Rosa), 11.1 and 10.5 (El-Sheik Zayed), 34.6 and 25.3 (Lucknow), 43.1 and 19.6 (Trivandrum) 31.0 and 16.2 (Vellore), and 21.2 and 6.2 (Paco). Multiple severe physical IPV was more common in the three communities within India (9.0%, 5.9% and 8.0% in Trivandrum, Lucknow and Vellore) than the other three communities (Santa Rosa 2.1%; El-Sheik Zayed 2.9% and Paco 1.9%). Physical IPV was found to be a common phenomenon in all six communities. Overall, patterns of IPV behaviors were similar among the six communities.

  7. Teaching across the Great Divide

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neill, K. Kathleen

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the author illustrates the significant role that communication plays in the success of team-teaching where her co-teacher is nearly 12,000 miles and two continents away. The author teaches business communication to female undergraduates in the College of Business Sciences at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, while…

  8. Magnet hospital recognition in hospital systems over time.

    PubMed

    Lasater, Karen B; Richards, Michael R; Dandapani, Nikila B; Burns, Lawton R; McHugh, Matthew D

    2017-06-13

    Magnet hospitals are recognized for nursing excellence and high-value patient outcomes, yet little is known about which and when hospitals pursue Magnet recognition. Concurrently, hospital systems are becoming a more prominent feature of the U.S. health care landscape. The aim of the study was to examine Magnet adoption among hospital systems over time. Using American Hospital Association surveys (1998-2012), we characterized the proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to systems. We used hospital level fixed-effects regressions to capture changes in a given system hospital's Magnet status over time in relation to a variety of conditions, including prior Magnet adoption by system affiliates and nonaffiliates in local and geographically distant markets and whether these relationships varied by degree of system centralization. The proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to a system is increasing. Prior Magnet adoption by a hospital within the local market was associated with an increased likelihood of a given system hospital becoming Magnet, but the effect was larger if there was prior adoption by affiliates (7.4% higher likelihood) versus nonaffiliates (2.7% higher likelihood). Prior adoption by affiliates and nonaffiliates in geographically distant markets had a lesser effect. Hospitals belonging to centralized systems were more reactive to Magnet adoption of nonaffiliate hospitals as compared with those in decentralized systems. Hospital systems take an organizational perspective toward Magnet adoption, whereby more system affiliates achieve Magnet recognition over time. The findings are relevant to health care and nursing administrators and policymakers interested in the diffusion of an empirically supported organizational innovation associated with quality outcomes, particularly in a time of increasing hospital consolidation and system expansion. We identify factors associated with Magnet adoption across system hospitals and demonstrate the importance of

  9. Can hospitals compete on quality? Hospital competition.

    PubMed

    Sadat, Somayeh; Abouee-Mehrizi, Hossein; Carter, Michael W

    2015-09-01

    In this paper, we consider two hospitals with different perceived quality of care competing to capture a fraction of the total market demand. Patients select the hospital that provides the highest utility, which is a function of price and the patient's perceived quality of life during their life expectancy. We consider a market with a single class of patients and show that depending on the market demand and perceived quality of care of the hospitals, patients may enjoy a positive utility. Moreover, hospitals share the market demand based on their perceived quality of care and capacity. We also show that in a monopoly market (a market with a single hospital) the optimal demand captured by the hospital is independent of the perceived quality of care. We investigate the effects of different parameters including the market demand, hospitals' capacities, and perceived quality of care on the fraction of the demand that each hospital captures using some numerical examples.

  10. [Decrease in hospitalizations due to polyvalent medical day hospital].

    PubMed

    Escobar, M A; García-Egido, A A; Carmona, R; Lucas, A; Márquez, C; Gómez, F

    2012-02-01

    The day hospital is an alternative to hospitalization. This alternative improves accessibility and comfort of the patients, and avoids hospitalizations. Nevertheless, the efficacy of the polyvalent medical day hospital in avoiding hospitalizations has not been evaluated. To analyze hospital stays avoided by the polyvalent medical day hospital of a university hospital of the Andalusian Health Service. An observational prospective study of the patients studied and/or treated in the polyvalent medical day hospital of the Hospital Universitario Puerto Real over a one year period. A total of 9640 patients were attended to, with 1413 procedures and 4921 i.v. treatments. There were 3182 visits to the priority consultation of the polyvalent medical day hospital. The most frequent consultation complaints were constitutional symptoms (15.9%) and anemia (14.5%). After the first visit, 21.5% of the patients were discharged and fewer than 3% were hospitalized. Hospitalization was avoided in 16.8% of the patients, there being a 6.0% decrease in the need for hospital beds (5.0% reduction in the internal medicine unit). Inadequate hospitalizations and 30-day readmissions decreased 93.3% and 4.2%, respectively. The most frequent diagnosis was neoplasm (26.0%), and most of the beds freed up were generated by patients diagnosed of neoplasm (26.7%). With this type of polyvalent medical day hospital, we have observed improved efficiency of health care, freeing up hospital beds by reducing hospitalizations, inadequate hospitalizations and re-admissions in the medical units involved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  11. Specialty hospital market proliferation: Strategic implications for general hospitals.

    PubMed

    Al-Amin, Mona; Zinn, Jacqueline; Rosko, Michael D; Aaronson, William

    2010-01-01

    Since the early 1990s, specialty hospitals have been continuously increasing in number. A moratorium was passed in 2003 that prohibited physicians' referrals of Medicare patients to newly established specialty hospitals if the physician has ownership stakes in the hospital. Although this moratorium expired in effect in 2007, many are still demanding that the government pass new policies to discourage the proliferation of specialty hospitals. This study aimed at examining the regulatory and environmental forces that influence specialty hospitals founding rate. Specifically, we use the resource partitioning theory to investigate the relationship between general hospitals closure rates and the market entry of specialty hospitals. This study will help managers of general hospitals in their strategic thinking and planning. We rely on secondary data resources, which include the American Hospital Association, Area Resource file, census, and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, to perform a longitudinal analysis of the founding rate of specialty hospital in the 48 states. Specifically, we use the negative binomial generalized estimating equation approach available through Stata 9.0 to study the effect of general hospitals closure rate and environmental variables on the proliferation of specialty hospitals. Specialty hospitals founding rate seems to be significantly related to general hospitals closure rates. Moreover, results indicate that economic, supply, regulatory, and financial conditions determine the founding rate of specialty hospitals in different states. The results from this study indicate that the closure of general hospitals creates market conditions that encourage the market entry of specialized health care delivery forms such as specialty hospitals. Managers of surviving general hospitals have to view the closure of other general hospitals not just as an opportunity to increase market share but also as a threat of competition from new forms of

  12. Hospital Readmission Risk: Isolating Hospital from Patient Effects

    PubMed Central

    Krumholz, Harlan M.; Wang, Kun; Lin, Zhenqiu; Dharmarajan, Kumar; Horwitz, Leora I.; Ross, Joseph S.; Drye, Elizabeth E.; Bernheim, Susannah M.; Normand, Sharon-Lise T.

    2017-01-01

    Background To isolate hospital effects on hospitals’ risk-standardized readmission rates, we examined readmission outcomes among patients with multiple admissions for a similar diagnosis at >1 hospital within a given year. Methods We divided the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hospital-wide readmission measure cohort from July 2014–June 2015 into 2 random samples. We used the first sample to calculate each hospital’s risk-standardized readmission rate and classified hospitals into performance quartiles. In the second sample, we identified patients with 2 admissions for similar diagnoses at different hospitals that occurred more than a month and less than a year apart, and compared observed readmission rates for those admitted to hospitals in different performance quartiles. Results In the sample used to characterize hospital performance, the median risk-standardized readmission rate was 15.5% (IQR 15.3%–15.8%). The other sample included 37,508 patients with 2 admissions for similar diagnoses at 4,272 different hospitals. The observed readmission rate was consistently higher when patients were admitted to hospitals in the worse performing quartile, but the only statistically significant difference was observed when the same patients were admitted to hospitals in the best and worst performing quartiles, in which the absolute readmission rate difference was 1.95 percentage points (95% CI, 0.39%–3.50%). Conclusions When the same patients were admitted with similar diagnoses to hospitals in the best performing quartile compared with the worst performing quartile for hospital readmission performance, there is a significant difference in rates of readmission within 30 days. The findings suggest that hospital quality contributes in part to readmission rates independent of patient factors. PMID:28902587

  13. The application of hospitality elements in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ziqi; Robson, Stephani; Hollis, Brooke

    2013-01-01

    In the last decade, many hospital designs have taken inspiration from hotels, spurred by factors such as increased patient and family expectations and regulatory or financial incentives. Increasingly, research evidence suggests the value of enhancing the physical environment to foster healing and drive consumer decisions and perceptions of service quality. Although interest is increasing in the broader applicability of numerous hospitality concepts to the healthcare field, the focus of this article is design innovations, and the services that such innovations support, from the hospitality industry. To identify physical hotel design elements and associated operational features that have been used in the healthcare arena, a series of interviews with hospital and hotel design experts were conducted. Current examples and suggestions for future hospitality elements were also sought from the experts, academic journals, and news articles. Hospitality elements applied in existing hospitals that are addressed in this article include hotel-like rooms and decor; actual hotels incorporated into medical centers; hotel-quality food, room service, and dining facilities for families; welcoming lobbies and common spaces; hospitality-oriented customer service training; enhanced service offerings, including concierges; spas or therapy centers; hotel-style signage and way-finding tools; and entertainment features. Selected elements that have potential for future incorporation include executive lounges and/or communal lobbies with complimentary wireless Internet and refreshments, centralized controls for patients, and flexible furniture. Although the findings from this study underscore the need for more hospitality-like environments in hospitals, the investment decisions made by healthcare executives must be balanced with cost-effectiveness and the assurance that clinical excellence remains the top priority.

  14. Complete Genome Sequence of Genotype VI Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated from Pigeons in Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    Wajid, Abdul; Rehmani, Shafqat Fatima; Sharma, Poonam; Goraichuk, Iryna V.; Dimitrov, Kiril M.

    2016-01-01

    Two complete genome sequences of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are described here. Virulent isolates pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/21A/2015 and pigeon/Pakistan/Lahore/25A/2015 were obtained from racing pigeons sampled in the Pakistani province of Punjab during 2015. Phylogenetic analysis of the fusion protein genes and complete genomes classified the isolates as members of NDV class II, genotype VI. PMID:27540069

  15. The Impact of Hospital Size on CMS Hospital Profiling.

    PubMed

    Sosunov, Eugene A; Egorova, Natalia N; Lin, Hung-Mo; McCardle, Ken; Sharma, Vansh; Gelijns, Annetine C; Moskowitz, Alan J

    2016-04-01

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) profile hospitals using a set of 30-day risk-standardized mortality and readmission rates as a basis for public reporting. These measures are affected by hospital patient volume, raising concerns about uniformity of standards applied to providers with different volumes. To quantitatively determine whether CMS uniformly profile hospitals that have equal performance levels but different volumes. Retrospective analysis of patient-level and hospital-level data using hierarchical logistic regression models with hospital random effects. Simulation of samples including a subset of hospitals with different volumes but equal poor performance (hospital effects=+3 SD in random-effect logistic model). A total of 1,085,568 Medicare fee-for-service patients undergoing 1,494,993 heart failure admissions in 4930 hospitals between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2008. CMS methodology was used to determine the rank and proportion (by volume) of hospitals reported to perform "Worse than US National Rate." Percent of hospitals performing "Worse than US National Rate" was ∼40 times higher in the largest (fifth quintile by volume) compared with the smallest hospitals (first quintile). A similar gradient was seen in a cohort of 100 hospitals with simulated equal poor performance (0%, 0%, 5%, 20%, and 85% in quintiles 1 to 5) effectively leaving 78% of poor performers undetected. Our results illustrate the disparity of impact that the current CMS method of hospital profiling has on hospitals with higher volumes, translating into lower thresholds for detection and reporting of poor performance.

  16. Role of the Hospital Library Within the Hospital System *†

    PubMed Central

    Lorenzi, Nancy M.

    1969-01-01

    The results of a survey of hospital administrators, attending staff and house staff physicians, librarians, library committee chairmen, and nursing staff in five Northeastern Ohio hospitals concerning the status of the hospital library within the total hospital system are related. Results indicate that hospital libraries operate in the “fringe” area of the hospital system. A concentric-circle figure indicates the present position of the majority of hospital libraries surveyed. The future relationship of the library within the hospital system has also been represented by a concentric-circle figure. PMID:5778727

  17. Steering Patients to Safer Hospitals? The Effect of a Tiered Hospital Network on Hospital Admissions

    PubMed Central

    Scanlon, Dennis P; Lindrooth, Richard C; Christianson, Jon B

    2008-01-01

    Objective To determine if a tiered hospital benefit and safety incentive shifted the distribution of admissions toward safer hospitals. Data Sources/Study Setting A large manufacturing company instituted the hospital safety incentive (HSI) for union employees. The HSI gave union patients a financial incentive to choose hospitals that met the Leapfrog Group's three patient safety “leaps.” The analysis merges data from four sources: claims and enrollment data from the company, the American Hospital Association, the AHRQ HCUP-SID, and a state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Study Design Changes in hospital admissions’ patterns for union and nonunion employees using a difference-in-difference design. We estimate the probability of choosing a specific hospital from a set of available alternatives using conditional logistic regression. Principal Findings Patients affiliated with the engineers’ union and admitted for a medical diagnosis were 2.92 times more likely to select a hospital designated as safer in the postperiod than in the preperiod, while salaried nonunion (SNU) patients (not subject to the financial incentive) were 0.64 times as likely to choose a compliant hospital in the post- versus preperiod. The difference-in-difference estimate, which is based on the predictions of the conditional logit model, is 0.20. However, the machinists’ union was also exposed to the incentive and they were no more likely to choose a safer hospital than the SNU patients. The incentive did not have an effect on patients admitted for a surgical diagnosis, regardless of union status. All patients were averse to travel time, but those union patients selecting an incentive hospital were less averse to travel time. Conclusions Patient price incentives and quality/safety information may influence hospital selection decisions, particularly for medical admissions, though the optimal incentive level for financial return to the plan sponsor is not clear. PMID:18761676

  18. Outcome of intramedullary interlocking SIGN nail in tibial diaphyseal fracture.

    PubMed

    Khan, Irfanullah; Javed, Shahzad; Khan, Gauhar Nawaz; Aziz, Amer

    2013-03-01

    To determine the outcome of intramedullary interlocking surgical implant generation network (SIGN) nail in diaphyseal tibial fractures in terms of union and failure of implant (breakage of nail or interlocking screws). Case series. Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, from September 2008 to August 2009. Fifty patients aged 14 - 60 years, of either gender were included, who had closed and Gustilo type I and II open fractures reported in 2 weeks, whose closed reduction was not possible or was unsatisfactory and fracture was located 7 cm below knee joint to 7 cm above ankle joint. Fractures previously treated with external fixator, infected fractures and unfit patients were excluded. All fractures were fixed with intramedullary interlocking SIGN nail and were followed clinically and radiographically for union and for any implant failure. Forty one (88%) patients had united fracture within 6 months, 5 (10%) patients had delayed union while 4 (8%) patients had non-union. Mean duration for achieving union was 163 + 30.6 days. Interlocking screws were broken in 2 patients while no nail was broken in any patient. Intramedullary interlocking nailing is an effective measure in treating closed and grade I and II open tibial fractures. It provides a high rate of union less complications and early return to function.

  19. Strategic Vision of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-04-07

    based on agriculture. The water resources came by way of ancient subterranean water canals that brings the water from aquifers in the mountains to...Federation between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with an extended invitation, to the other Trucial Coast including the States Of Bahrain and Qatar to join”34. 11...Bahrain and Qatar . “The first step was a meeting for the Rulers of the Trucial Coast Emirates, The Emir of Bahrain, and The Emir of Qatar , in Dubai

  20. Hospital variation in survival trends for in-hospital cardiac arrest.

    PubMed

    Girotra, Saket; Cram, Peter; Spertus, John A; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K; Li, Yan; Jones, Philip G; Chan, Paul S

    2014-06-10

    During the past decade, survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest has improved markedly. It remains unknown whether the improvement in survival has occurred uniformly at all hospitals or was driven by large improvements at only a few hospitals. We identified 93 342 adults with an in-hospital cardiac arrest at 231 hospitals in the Get With The Guidelines(®)-Resuscitation registry during 2000-2010. Using hierarchical regression models, we evaluated hospital-level trends in survival to discharge. Mean age was 66 years, 59% were men, and 21% were black. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant decrease in age, prevalence of heart failure and myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrests due to shockable rhythms (P<0.001 for all) and an increase in prevalence of sepsis, respiratory insufficiency, renal insufficiency, intensive care unit location, and mechanical ventilation before arrest (P<0.001 for all). After adjustment for temporal trends in baseline characteristics, hospital rates of in-hospital cardiac arrest survival improved by 7% per year (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.08, P<0.001). Improvement in survival varied markedly and ranged from 3% in the bottom hospital quartile to 11% in the top hospital quartile. Compared with minor teaching hospitals (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.06), hospital rate of survival improvement was greater at major teaching (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.10) and nonteaching hospitals (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.09, P value for interaction=0.03). Although in-hospital cardiac arrest survival has improved during the past decade, the magnitude of improvement varied across hospitals. Future studies are needed to identify hospital processes that have led to the largest improvement in survival. © 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  1. The relationship of hospital ownership and service composition to hospital charges

    PubMed Central

    Eskoz, Robin; Peddecord, K. Michael

    1985-01-01

    The relationship of hospital ownership and service composition to hospital charges was examined for 456 general acute hospitals in California. Ancillary services had higher profit margins, both gross and net profits, than daily hospital services. Ancillary services accounted for 55.3 percent of total patient revenue. Charges per day were 23 percent higher for ancillary services than for daily hospital services. Net profits for daily and ancillary services were lowest at county hospitals. Proprietary hospitals had the highest net profits for total ancillary services and the highest mean charges. Not-for-profit hospitals had the highest profit margins for daily hospital services. Neither direct nor total costs for ancillary services were significantly different among ownership groups, although direct costs for daily hospital services were significantly higher at proprietary hospitals. PMID:10311161

  2. Association of Ego Defense Mechanisms with Academic Performance, Anxiety and Depression in Medical Students: A Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Waqas, Ahmed; Rehman, Abdul; Malik, Aamenah; Muhammad, Umer; Khan, Sarah; Mahmood, Nadia

    2015-09-30

     Ego defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that help an individual to prevent anxiety when exposed to a stressful situation. These mechanisms are important in psychiatric practice to assess an individual's personality dynamics, psychopathologies, and modes of coping with stressful situations, and hence, to design appropriate individualized treatment. Our study delineates the relationship of ego defense mechanisms with anxiety, depression, and academic performance of Pakistani medical students.  This cross-sectional study was done at CMH Lahore Medical College and Fatima Memorial Hospital Medical and Dental College, both in Lahore, Pakistan, from December 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015. Convenience sampling was used and only students who agreed to take part in this study were included. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: 1) Demographics, documenting demographic data and academic scores on participants' most recent exams; 2) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and 3) Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (DSQ-40). The data were analyzed with SPSS v. 20. Mean scores and frequencies were calculated for demographic variables and ego defense mechanisms. Bivariate correlations, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were used to identify associations between academic scores, demographics, ego defense mechanisms, anxiety, and depression.  A total of 409 medical students participated, of whom 286 (70%) were females and 123 (30%) were males. Mean percentage score on the most recent exams was 75.6% in medical students. Bivariate correlation revealed a direct association between mature and neurotic ego defense mechanisms and academic performance, and an indirect association between immature mechanisms and academic performance. One-way ANOVA showed that moderate levels of anxiety (P < .05) and low levels of depression (P < .05) were associated with higher academic performance.  There was a significant association between academic

  3. Association of Ego Defense Mechanisms with Academic Performance, Anxiety and Depression in Medical Students: A Mixed Methods Study

    PubMed Central

    Waqas, Ahmed; Malik, Aamenah; Muhammad, Umer; Khan, Sarah; Mahmood, Nadia

    2015-01-01

    Background: Ego defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that help an individual to prevent anxiety when exposed to a stressful situation. These mechanisms are important in psychiatric practice to assess an individual’s personality dynamics, psychopathologies, and modes of coping with stressful situations, and hence, to design appropriate individualized treatment. Our study delineates the relationship of ego defense mechanisms with anxiety, depression, and academic performance of Pakistani medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at CMH Lahore Medical College and Fatima Memorial Hospital Medical and Dental College, both in Lahore, Pakistan, from December 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015. Convenience sampling was used and only students who agreed to take part in this study were included. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: 1) Demographics, documenting demographic data and academic scores on participants’ most recent exams; 2) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and 3) Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (DSQ-40). The data were analyzed with SPSS v. 20. Mean scores and frequencies were calculated for demographic variables and ego defense mechanisms. Bivariate correlations, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were used to identify associations between academic scores, demographics, ego defense mechanisms, anxiety, and depression. Results: A total of 409 medical students participated, of whom 286 (70%) were females and 123 (30%) were males. Mean percentage score on the most recent exams was 75.6% in medical students. Bivariate correlation revealed a direct association between mature and neurotic ego defense mechanisms and academic performance, and an indirect association between immature mechanisms and academic performance. One-way ANOVA showed that moderate levels of anxiety (P < .05) and low levels of depression (P < .05) were associated with higher academic performance. Conclusion: There was a

  4. Hospital output forecasts and the cost of empty hospital beds.

    PubMed Central

    Pauly, M V; Wilson, P

    1986-01-01

    This article investigates the cost incurred when hospitals have different levels of beds to treat a given number of patients. The cost of hospital care is affected by both the forecasted level of admissions and the actual number of admissions. When the relationship between forecasted and actual admissions is held constant, it is found that an empty hospital bed at a typical hospital in Michigan has a relatively low cost, about 13 percent or less of the cost of an occupied bed. However, empty beds in large hospitals do add significantly to cost. If hospital beds are closed, whether by closing beds at hospitals which remain in business or by closing entire hospitals, cost savings are estimated to be small. PMID:3759473

  5. Hospital Variation in Survival Trends for In‐hospital Cardiac Arrest

    PubMed Central

    Girotra, Saket; Cram, Peter; Spertus, John A.; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K.; Li, Yan; Jones, Philip G.; Chan, Paul S.

    2014-01-01

    Background During the past decade, survival after in‐hospital cardiac arrest has improved markedly. It remains unknown whether the improvement in survival has occurred uniformly at all hospitals or was driven by large improvements at only a few hospitals. Methods and Results We identified 93 342 adults with an in‐hospital cardiac arrest at 231 hospitals in the Get With The Guidelines®‐Resuscitation registry during 2000–2010. Using hierarchical regression models, we evaluated hospital‐level trends in survival to discharge. Mean age was 66 years, 59% were men, and 21% were black. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant decrease in age, prevalence of heart failure and myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrests due to shockable rhythms (P<0.001 for all) and an increase in prevalence of sepsis, respiratory insufficiency, renal insufficiency, intensive care unit location, and mechanical ventilation before arrest (P<0.001 for all). After adjustment for temporal trends in baseline characteristics, hospital rates of in‐hospital cardiac arrest survival improved by 7% per year (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.08, P<0.001). Improvement in survival varied markedly and ranged from 3% in the bottom hospital quartile to 11% in the top hospital quartile. Compared with minor teaching hospitals (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.06), hospital rate of survival improvement was greater at major teaching (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.10) and nonteaching hospitals (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.09, P value for interaction=0.03). Conclusion Although in‐hospital cardiac arrest survival has improved during the past decade, the magnitude of improvement varied across hospitals. Future studies are needed to identify hospital processes that have led to the largest improvement in survival. PMID:24922627

  6. Diclofenac rectal suppository: an effective modality for perineal pain.

    PubMed

    Naz, Shabnam; Memon, Naila Yousuf; Sattar, Asma; Baloch, Rafia

    2016-08-01

    To determine the frequency of perineal pain after childbirth after a single dose of diclofenac rectal suppository. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Shaikh Zayed Women Hospital, Larkana, Pakistan, from April to September 2014, and comprised patients who were admitted to the labour room for normal vaginal delivery. A single dose of rectal diclofenac suppository of 100mg was given to the patients delivered vaginally or by second-stage emergency Caesarean section. Post-partum pain was noted after 12 and 24 hours of the administration of analgesia. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. Of the 169 subjects, 63(37.28%) were aged 20 years or less, 85(50.3%) between 21 and 30 years, and 21(12.43%) between 31 and 40 years. Frequency of perineal pain was predominantly mild in 95(56%) patients, moderate in 60(35.5%) and severe in 14(8.28%). The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory rectal suppositories was found to be a simple and highly effective modality of reducing the perineal pain.

  7. One Corner at a Time: Collaborating for Educational Change in the UAE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sowa, Patience A.; De La Vega, Esperanza

    2008-01-01

    Education has been one of the highest priorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since it became a country in 1971 under the leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In 1962, when oil production started in Abu Dhabi, the country had just 20 schools for less than 4,000 students, most of them boys. The discovery of oil became the…

  8. Japanese hospitals--culture and competition: a study of ten hospitals.

    PubMed

    Anbäcken, O

    1994-01-01

    Japanese health care is characterized by a pluralistic system with a high degree of private producers. Central government regulates the prices and the financing system. All citizens are covered by a mandatory employment-based health insurance operating on a non-profit basis. The consumer has a free choice of physician and hospital. A comparison between Japan, Sweden and some other countries shows significant dissimilarities in the length of stay, number of treatments per hospital bed and year and the staffing of hospitals. About 80 per cent of the hospitals and 94 per cent of the clinics are privately owned. The typical private hospital owned by a physician has less than 100 beds. In this paper, data collected (1992/93) in an empirical study of Japanese hospitals and their leadership is presented. Also discussed are the hospitals' style of management, tools and strategies for competition and competences--personal and formal skills required of the leadership in the hospital. There follows a study of ten hospitals, among which hospital directors and chief physicians were interviewed. Interviews are also made with key persons in the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other organizations in the health care field. The result is also analysed from a cultural perspective--'what kind of impact does the Japanese culture have on the health care organization?' and/or 'what kind of sub-culture is developed in the Japanese hospitals'. Some comparisons are made with Sweden, USA, Canada and Germany. The different roles of the professions in the hospital are included in the study as well as the incentives for different kinds of strategies--specialization, growing in size, investments in new equipment, different kind of ownership and hospitals. Another issue discussed is the attempt to uncover whether there is an implicit distribution of specialties--silent agreements between hospitals, etc.

  9. Hospital Characteristics Associated With Postdischarge Hospital Readmission, Observation, and Emergency Department Utilization.

    PubMed

    Horwitz, Leora I; Wang, Yongfei; Altaf, Faseeha K; Wang, Changqin; Lin, Zhenqiu; Liu, Shuling; Grady, Jacqueline; Bernheim, Susannah M; Desai, Nihar R; Venkatesh, Arjun K; Herrin, Jeph

    2018-04-01

    Whether types of hospitals with high readmission rates also have high overall postdischarge acute care utilization (including emergency department and observation care) is unknown. Cross-sectional analysis. Nonfederal United States acute care hospitals. Using methodology established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, we calculated each hospital's "excess days in acute care" for fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries aged over 65 years discharged after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), or pneumonia, representing the mean difference between predicted and expected total days of acute care utilization in the 30 days following hospital discharge, per 100 discharges. We assessed the multivariable association of 8 hospital characteristics with excess days in acute care and the proportion of hospitals with each characteristic that were statistical outliers (95% credible interval estimate does not include 0). We included 2184 hospitals for acute myocardial infarction [228 (10.4%) better than expected, 549 (25.1%) worse than expected], 3720 hospitals for HF [484 (13.0%) better and 840 (22.6%) worse], and 4195 hospitals for pneumonia [673 (16.0%) better, 1005 (24.0%) worse]. Results for all conditions were similar. Worse than expected outliers for pneumonia included: 18.8% of safety net hospitals versus 26.1% of nonsafety net hospitals; 16.7% of public hospitals versus 33.1% of for-profit hospitals; 19.5% of nonteaching hospitals versus 52.2% of major teaching hospitals; 7.9% of rural hospitals versus 42.1% of large urban hospitals; 5.9% of hospitals with 24-<50 beds versus 58% of hospitals with >500 beds; and 29.0% of hospitals with nurse-to-bed ratios >1.0-1.5 versus 21.7% of hospitals with ratios >2.0. Including emergency department and observation stays in measures of postdischarge utilization produces similar results as measuring only readmissions in that major teaching, urban and for-profit hospitals still perform

  10. The single-hospital county: is its hospital at risk?

    PubMed Central

    Chang, C F; Tuckman, H P

    1991-01-01

    This article focuses on a hospital group that has not received adequate attention in the literature: the sole provider of short-term, acute hospital care located in a county. In Tennessee, SPHs (single provider hospitals) are fewer in number but are present in more counties than multiprovider hospitals (MPHs). They are smaller in size, less labor and capital intensive, more likely to be a government hospital, and more likely to be in a rural area with low income and limited health care resources. SPHs operate with lower costs, charge patients less, and have lower revenue write-offs than MPHs. As a result, their cash flow is sufficient to fund their depreciation and they consistently earn modest returns. Between 1982 and 1988, a total of 16 hospitals failed in Tennessee but only 3 were SPHs. While SPHs have not been profitable enough to make them ideal candidates for takeover by major hospital systems, they are not a population that is unduly at risk. PMID:1905685

  11. Hospital autonomy: the experience of Kenyatta National Hospital.

    PubMed

    Collins, D; Njeru, G; Meme, J; Newbrander, W

    1999-01-01

    An increasing number of countries are exploring the introduction or expansion of autonomous hospitals as one of the numerous health reforms they are introducing to their health system. Hospital autonomy is one of the forms of decentralization that is focused on a specific institution rather than on a political unit. It has gained much interest because it is an attempt to amalgamate the best elements of the public and private sectors in how a hospital is governed, managed and financed. This paper reviews the key elements of the concept of hospital autonomy, the reasons for its expanded use in many countries and a specific example of making a major teaching hospital autonomous in Kenya. A review of the successful experience of Kenyatta National Hospital and its process of introducing autonomy, with regard to governance, operations and management, and finances, lead to several conclusions on replicability. The legal framework is a critical element for successfully structuring the autonomous hospital. Additionally, success is highly dependent on the extent to which there is adequate funding during the process of attaining autonomy due to the length of the transition period needed. Autonomy must be granted within the context of the national health system and national health objectives and be consistent with those aims and their underlying societal values. Finally, as with decentralization, success is dependent upon the preparation done with the systems and management necessary for the proper governance and operation of autonomous hospitals.

  12. Patients' perceptions of interactions with hospital staff are associated with hospital readmissions: a national survey of 4535 hospitals.

    PubMed

    Yang, Lianping; Liu, Chaojie; Huang, Cunrui; Mukamel, Dana B

    2018-01-29

    Reducing 30-day hospital readmissions has become a focus of the current national payment policies. Medicare requires that hospitals collect and report patients' experience with their care as a condition of payment. However, the extent to which patients' experience with hospital care is related to hospital readmission is unknown. We established multivariate regression models in which 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rates were the dependent variables and patients' perceptions of the responsiveness of the hospital staff and communication (as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores) were the independent variables of interest. We selected six different clinical conditions for analyses, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, hip/knee surgery, pneumonia, and stroke. Data included all acute care hospitals reporting in Hospital Compare in 2014. The number of hospitals with reported readmissions ranged from 2234 hospitals for AMI to 3758 hospitals for pneumonia. The average 30-day readmission rates ranged from 5.19% for knee/hip surgery to 22.7% for COPD. Patient experience of hospital-staff responsiveness as "top-box" ranged from 64% to 67% across the six clinical conditions, communication with nurses ranged from 77% to 79% and communication with doctors ranged from 80% to 81% (higher numbers are better). Our finding suggests that hospitals with better staff responsiveness were significantly more likely to have lower 30-day readmissions for all conditions. The effect size depended on the baseline readmission rates, with the largest effect on hospitals in the upper 75th quartile. A ten-percentage-point increase in staff responsiveness led to a 0.03-0.18 percentage point decrease in readmission rates. We found that neither communication with physicians nor communication with nurses was significantly associated with hospital readmissions. Our findings

  13. Hospital successes and failures indicate change in hospital marketing.

    PubMed

    Krampf, R F; Miller, D W

    1993-01-01

    Marketing has become an essential management function for hospitals during the past decade. A number of changes have occurred in hospital marketing as they have progressed through the marketing adoption process. A survey of Hospital CEOs reporting hospital successes and failures in the area of marketing have recently placed emphasis on sales and advertising based upon marketing research programs thus indicating entrance into the "Integrated Tactical Marketing" phase. This study also indicates that a few hospitals have entered the "Strategic Marketing Orientation" phase while future plans reported by the CEOs provide evidence that this trend is likely to continue.

  14. Managing hospitals in turbulent times: do organizational changes improve hospital survival?

    PubMed Central

    Lee, S Y; Alexander, J A

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine (1) the degree to which organizational changes affected hospital survival; (2) whether core and peripheral organizational changes affected hospital survival differently; and (3) how simultaneous organizational changes affected hospital survival. DATA SOURCES: AHA Hospital Surveys, the Area Resource File, and the AHA Hospital Guides, Part B: Multihospital Systems. STUDY DESIGN: The study employed a longitudinal panel design. We followed changes in all community hospitals in the continental United States from 1981 through 1994. The dependent variable, hospital closure, was examined as a function of multiple changes in a hospital's core and peripheral structures as well as the hospital's organizational and environmental characteristics. Cox regression models were used to test the expectations that core changes increased closure risk while peripheral changes decreased such risk, and that simultaneous core and peripheral changes would lead to higher risk of closure. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Results indicated more peripheral than core changes in community hospitals. Overall, findings contradicted our expectations. Change in specialty, a core change, was beneficial for hospitals, because it reduced closure risk. The two most frequent peripheral changes, downsizing and leadership change, were positively associated with closure. Simultaneous organizational changes displayed a similar pattern: multiple core changes reduced closure risk, while multiple peripheral changes increased the risk. These patterns held regardless of the level of uncertainty in hospital environments. CONCLUSIONS: Organizational changes are not all beneficial for hospitals, suggesting that hospital leaders should be both cautious and selective in their efforts to turn their hospitals around. PMID:10536977

  15. Developing IT Infrastructure for Rural Hospitals: A Case Study of Benefits and Challenges of Hospital-to-Hospital Partnerships.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Madhu C; Purao, Sandeep; Kelly, Mary

    2008-01-01

    This article presents a study identifying benefits and challenges of a novel hospital-to-hospital information technology (IT) outsourcing partnership (HHP). The partnership is an innovative response to the problem that many smaller, rural hospitals face: to modernize their IT infrastructure in spite of a severe shortage of resources. The investigators studied three rural hospitals that outsourced their IT infrastructure, through an HHP, to a larger, more technologically advanced hospital in the region. The study design was based on purposive sampling and interviews of senior managers from the four hospitals. The results highlight the HHP's benefits and challenges from both the rural hospitals' and vendor hospital's perspectives. The HHP was considered a success: a key outcome was that it has improved the rural hospitals' IT infrastructure at an affordable cost. The investigators discuss key elements for creating a successful HHP and offer preliminary answers to the question of what it takes for an HHP to be successful.

  16. Developing IT Infrastructure for Rural Hospitals: A Case Study of Benefits and Challenges of Hospital-to-Hospital Partnerships

    PubMed Central

    Reddy, Madhu C.; Purao, Sandeep; Kelly, Mary

    2008-01-01

    This article presents a study identifying benefits and challenges of a novel hospital-to-hospital information technology (IT) outsourcing partnership (HHP). The partnership is an innovative response to the problem that many smaller, rural hospitals face: to modernize their IT infrastructure in spite of a severe shortage of resources. The investigators studied three rural hospitals that outsourced their IT infrastructure, through an HHP, to a larger, more technologically advanced hospital in the region. The study design was based on purposive sampling and interviews of senior managers from the four hospitals. The results highlight the HHP's benefits and challenges from both the rural hospitals' and vendor hospital's perspectives. The HHP was considered a success: a key outcome was that it has improved the rural hospitals' IT infrastructure at an affordable cost. The investigators discuss key elements for creating a successful HHP and offer preliminary answers to the question of what it takes for an HHP to be successful. PMID:18436901

  17. Measuring hospital input price increases: The rebased hospital market basket

    PubMed Central

    Freeland, Mark S.; Chulis, George S.; Brown, Aaron P.; Skellan, David; Maple, Brenda T.; Singer, Naphtale; Lemieux, Jeffrey; Arnett, Ross H.

    1991-01-01

    The input prices indexes used in part to set payment rates for Medicare inpatient hospital services in both prospective payment system (PPS) and PPS-excluded hospitals were rebased from 1982 to 1987 beginning with payments for fiscal year 1991. In this article, the issues and evidence used to determine the composition of the revised hospital input price indexes are discussed. One issue is the need for a separate market basket for PPS-excluded hospitals. Also, the payment implications of using hospital-industry versus economywide measures of wage rates as price proxies for the growth in hospital wage rates are addressed. PMID:10113610

  18. Effects of multidisciplinary teams and an integrated follow-up electronic system on clinical pharmacist interventions in a cancer hospital.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Muhammad Tahir; Rehman, Tofeeq Ur; Qureshi, Sadia; Andleeb, Sidrah

    2017-12-01

    Background The aim of drug therapy is to attain distinct therapeutic effects that not only improve patient's quality of life but also reduce the inherent risks associated with the therapeutic use of drugs. Pharmacists play a key role in reducing these risks by developing appropriate interventions. Whether to accept or reject the intervention made by the pharmacist is a relevant consultant's decision. Objective To evaluate the impact of electronic prompts and follow-up of rejected pharmacy interventions by clinical pharmacists in an in-patient setting. Setting Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital & Research Center, Lahore, Pakistan. Method The study was conducted in two phases. Data for 3 months were collected for each phase of the study. Systematic and quantifiable consensus validity was developed for rejected interventions in phase 1, based on patient outcome analyses. Severity rating was assigned to assess the significance of interventions. Electronic prompts for follow-on interventions in phase 2 were then developed and implemented, including daily review via a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. Main outcome measure Validity of rejected interventions, acceptance of follow-on interventions before and after re-engineering the pharmacy processes, rejection rate and severity rating of follow-on interventions. Result Of a total of 2649 and 3064 interventions that were implemented during phase 1 and phase 2, 238 (9%) and 307 (10%) were rejected, respectively. Additionally, 133 (56%) were inappropriate rejections during phase 1. The estimated reliability between pharmacists regarding rejected interventions was 0.74 (95% CI of 0.69, 0.79, p 0.000). Prospective data were analysed after implementing electronic alerts and an MDT approach. The acceptance rate of follow-on interventions in phase 2 was 60% (184). Conclusion Electronic prompts for follow-on interventions together with an MDT approach enhance the optimization of pharmacotherapy, increase drug rationality and

  19. Hospital at home versus in-patient hospital care.

    PubMed

    Shepperd, S; Iliffe, S

    2005-07-20

    Hospital at home is defined as a service that provides active treatment by health care professionals, in the patient's home, of a condition that otherwise would require acute hospital in-patient care, always for a limited period. To assess the effects of hospital at home compared with in-patient hospital care. We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) specialised register (November 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to 1996), EMBASE (1980 to 1995), Social Science Citation Index (1992 to 1995), Cinahl (1982 to 1996), EconLit (1969 to 1996), PsycLit (1987 to 1996), Sigle (1980 to 1995) and the Medical Care supplement on economic literature (1970 to 1990). Randomised trials of hospital at home care compared with acute hospital in-patient care. The participants were patients aged 18 years and over. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Twenty two trials are included in this update of the review. Among trials evaluating early discharge hospital at home schemes we found an odds ratio (OR) for mortality of 1.79 95% CI 0.85 to 3.76 for elderly medical patients (age 65 years and over) (n = 3 trials); OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.29 to 1.17 for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 5 trials); and OR 0.78; 95%CI 0.52 to 1.19 for patients recovering from a stroke (n = 4 trials). Two trials evaluating the early discharge of patients recovering from surgery reported an OR 0.43 (95% CI 0.02 to 10.89) for patients recovering from a hip replacement and an OR 1.01 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.81) for patients with a mix of conditions at three months follow-up. For readmission to hospital we found an OR 1.76; 95% CI 0.78 to 3.99 at 3 months follow-up for elderly medical patients (n = 2 trials); OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.19 for patients with COPD (n = 5 trials); and OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.63 to 1.45 for patients recovering from a stroke (n = 3 trials). No significant heterogeneity was observed. One trial recruiting patients

  20. Sex workers and AIDS in Pakistan. NCIH's Women's Reproductive Health Initiative.

    PubMed

    Khalji, T

    1997-01-01

    A recent study interviewing several sex workers and health care providers in Lahore's red light district found that sex workers seem to prefer curative care over preventive health measures. That preference, together with the lack of acknowledgement of any kind of commercial sex work, has led to an increase in the incidence of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The commercial sex business is thriving in Lahore, but the stigma of female sexuality has hampered widespread awareness of the causes and treatment of AIDS. Many prostitutes take medication used by a colleague or use herbal concoctions to treat STDs. Language and culture are two of several obstacles to educating these women. Sex workers in Lahore's red light district have neither regular gynecological examinations nor general medical check-ups. Donor assistance for education and HIV/STD prevention interventions among sex workers is lacking.

  1. Contrasting aerosol optical and radiative properties between dust and urban haze episodes in megacities of Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iftikhar, Muhammad; Alam, Khan; Sorooshian, Armin; Syed, Waqar Adil; Bibi, Samina; Bibi, Humera

    2018-01-01

    Satellite and ground based remote sensors provide vital information about aerosol optical and radiative properties. Analysis of aerosol optical and radiative properties during heavy aerosol loading events in Pakistan are limited and, therefore, require in-depth examination. This work examines aerosol properties and radiative forcing during Dust Episodes (DE) and Haze Episodes (HE) between 2010 and 2014 over mega cities of Pakistan (Karachi and Lahore). Episodes having the daily averaged values of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) exceeding 1 were selected. DE were associated with high AOD and low Ångström Exponent (AE) over Karachi and Lahore while high AOD and high AE values were associated with HE over Lahore. Aerosol volume size distributions (AVSD) exhibited a bimodal lognormal distribution with a noticeable coarse mode peak at a radius of 2.24 μm during DE, whereas a fine mode peak was prominent at a radius 0.25 μm during HE. The results reveal distinct differences between HE and DE for spectral profiles of several parameters including Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), ASYmmetry parameter (ASY), and the real and imaginary components of refractive index (RRI and IRI). The AOD-AE correlation revealed that dust was the dominant aerosol type during DE and that biomass burning and urban/industrial aerosol types were pronounced during HE. Aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) was estimated using the Santa Barbra DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model. Calculations revealed a negative ARF at the Top Of the Atmosphere (ARFTOA) and at the Bottom Of the Atmosphere (ARFBOA), with positive ARF within the Atmosphere (ARFATM) during both DE and HE over Karachi and Lahore. Furthermore, estimations of ARFATM by SBDART were shown to be in good agreement with values derived from AERONET data for DE and HE over Karachi and Lahore.

  2. Hospitals look to hospitality service firms to meet TQM goals.

    PubMed

    Hard, R

    1992-05-20

    Hospitals that hire contract service firms to manage one or all aspects of their hospitality service departments increasingly expect those firms to help meet total quality management goals as well as offer the more traditional cost reduction, quality improvement and specialized expertise, finds the 1992 Hospital Contract Services Survey conducted by Hospitals.

  3. Hospitals Known for Nursing Excellence Associated with Better Hospital Experience for Patients.

    PubMed

    Stimpfel, Amy Witkoski; Sloane, Douglas M; McHugh, Matthew D; Aiken, Linda H

    2016-06-01

    To examine the relationship between Magnet recognition, an indicator of nursing excellence, and patients' experience with their hospitalization reported in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. This secondary analysis includes cross-sectional data from the 2010 HCAHPS survey, the American Hospital Association, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. We conducted a retrospective observational study. Using common hospital identifiers, we created a matched set of 212 Magnet hospitals and 212 non-Magnet hospitals. Patients in Magnet hospitals gave their hospitals higher overall ratings, were more likely to recommend their hospital, and reported more positive care experiences with nurse communication. Magnet recognition is associated with better patient care experiences, which may positively enhance reimbursement for hospitals. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  4. Do HMO penetration and hospital competition impact quality of hospital care?

    PubMed

    Rivers, P A; Fottler, M D

    2004-11-01

    This study examines the impact of HMO penetration and competition on hospital markets. A modified structure-conduct-performance paradigm was applied to the health care industry in order to investigate the impact of HMO penetration and competition on risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates (i.e. quality of hospital care). Secondary data for 1957 acute care hospitals in the USA from the 1991 American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals were used. The outcome variables were risk-adjusted mortality rates in 1991. Predictor variables were market characteristics (i.e. managed care penetration and hospital competition). Control variables were environmental, patient, and institutional characteristics. Associations between predictor and outcome variables were investigated using statistical regression techniques. Hospital competition had a negative relationship with risk-adjusted mortality rates (a negative indicator of quality of care). HMO penetration, hospital competition, and an interaction effect of HMO penetration and competition were not found to have significant effects on risk-adjusted mortality rates. These findings suggest that when faced with intense competition, hospitals may respond in ways associated with reducing their mortality rates.

  5. Hospital and Community Characteristics Associated With Pediatric Direct Admission to Hospital.

    PubMed

    Leyenaar, JoAnna K; Shieh, Meng-Shiou; Lagu, Tara; Pekow, Penelope S; Lindenauer, Peter K

    2017-10-27

    One quarter of pediatric hospitalizations begin as direct admissions, defined as hospitalization without receiving care in the hospital's emergency department (ED). Direct admission rates are highly variable across hospitals, yet previous studies have not examined reasons for this variation. We aimed to determine the relationships between hospital and community factors and pediatric direct admission rates, and to evaluate the degree to which these characteristics explain variation in risk-adjusted direct admission rates. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Kids Inpatient Database, American Hospital Association Database, and Area Health Resource File, including children <18 years of age who were admitted for a medical hospitalization in states contributing data to all data sets. Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling, we generated risk-adjusted direct admission rates and used generalized linear models to assess the association of hospital and community characteristics with these risk-adjusted rates. We included 211,458 children discharged from 933 hospitals and 26 states; 20.2% were admitted directly. One-fifth of the variance in risk-adjusted direct admission rates was attributed to observed hospital and community factors. The greatest proportion of this explained variance was related to ED volume (37%), volume of pediatric hospitalizations (27%), and size of the pediatrician workforce (12%). Direct admission rates were associated with several hospital and community characteristics, but the majority of variation in hospitals' direct admission rates was not explained by these factors. These findings suggest opportunities for diverse hospital types to develop the infrastructure and communication systems necessary to support pediatric direct admissions. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Hospital prices and market structure in the hospital and insurance industries.

    PubMed

    Moriya, Asako S; Vogt, William B; Gaynor, Martin

    2010-10-01

    There has been substantial consolidation among health insurers and hospitals, recently, raising questions about the effects of this consolidation on the exercise of market power. We analyze the relationship between insurer and hospital market concentration and the prices of hospital services. We use a national US dataset containing transaction prices for health care services for over 11 million privately insured Americans. Using three years of panel data, we estimate how insurer and hospital market concentration are related to hospital prices, while controlling for unobserved market effects. We find that increases in insurance market concentration are significantly associated with decreases in hospital prices, whereas increases in hospital concentration are non-significantly associated with increases in prices. A hypothetical merger between two of five equally sized insurers is estimated to decrease hospital prices by 6.7%.

  7. [Hospitalization period and nutritional status in hospitalized patients].

    PubMed

    Merhi, V A Leandro; de Oliveira, Ma R Marques; Caran, A L; Tristão, T Menuzzo Graupner; Ambo, R Miante; Tanner, M A; Vergna, C Marton

    2007-01-01

    With the objective of studying the nutritional status and its relationship with hospitalization period, a cross-sectional study was done with patients from a private hospital representing a population with a better socioeconomic condition. The anthropometric data of 267 patients, 46% males and 54% females ranging from 20 to 80 years of age, were assessed on the second day of hospitalization. Hospitalization period associated with nutritional status. The data were analyzed by the software Excel and Sigma Stat, using Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. The studied population presented a body mass index of 25.9 +/- 5.3 and most patients lost weight during hospitalization. The longest hospitalization periods were found among patients with lung diseases (13 days), some being pre-obese (40%) with a small prevalence of undernutrition (4%). The percentage distribution of nutritional status among the groups according to diagnosis was different (P < 0.01) when assessed by the Fisher's exact test and the percentage distribution in weight variation between men and women was different (P < 0.02) when assessed by the chi-square test. When the population was segmented according to age, the percentage distribution of the nutritional status between > 60 and < or = 60 did not present a difference when assessed by the chi-square test. The results of this study show that the nutritional status in some diseases deserves special attention given the greater risk found in these situations, contributing to a longer hospitalization period.

  8. Hospital variation in time to defibrillation after in-hospital cardiac arrest.

    PubMed

    Chan, Paul S; Nichol, Graham; Krumholz, Harlan M; Spertus, John A; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K

    2009-07-27

    Delays to defibrillation are associated with worse survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest, but the degree to which hospitals vary in defibrillation response times and hospital predictors of delays remain unknown. Using hierarchical models, we evaluated hospital variation in rates of delayed defibrillation (>2 minutes) and its impact on survival among 7479 adult inpatients with cardiac arrests at 200 hospitals within the National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Adjusted rates of delayed defibrillation varied substantially among hospitals (range, 2.4%-50.9%), with hospital-level effects accounting for a significant amount of the total variation in defibrillation delays after adjusting for patient factors. We found a 46% greater odds of patients with identical covariates getting delayed defibrillation at one randomly selected hospital compared with another. Among traditional hospital factors evaluated, however, only bed volume (reference category: <200 beds; 200-499 beds: odds ratio [OR], 0.62 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.48-0.80]; >or=500 beds: OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.53-1.04]) and arrest location (reference category: intensive care unit; telemetry unit: OR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.65-2.22]; nonmonitored unit: OR, 1.90 [95% CI, 1.61-2.24]) were associated with differences in rates of delayed defibrillation. Wide variation also existed in adjusted hospital rates of survival to discharge (range, 5.3%-49.6%), with higher survival among hospitals in the top-performing quartile for defibrillation time (compared with the bottom quartile: OR for top quartile, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.11-1.77]). Rates of delayed defibrillation vary widely among hospitals but are largely unexplained by traditional hospital factors. Given its association with improved survival, future research is needed to better understand best practices in the delivery of defibrillation at top-performing hospitals.

  9. Performance evaluation of nonhomogeneous hospitals: the case of Hong Kong hospitals.

    PubMed

    Li, Yongjun; Lei, Xiyang; Morton, Alec

    2018-02-14

    Throughout the world, hospitals are under increasing pressure to become more efficient. Efficiency analysis tools can play a role in giving policymakers insight into which units are less efficient and why. Many researchers have studied efficiencies of hospitals using data envelopment analysis (DEA) as an efficiency analysis tool. However, in the existing literature on DEA-based performance evaluation, a standard assumption of the constant returns to scale (CRS) or the variable returns to scale (VRS) DEA models is that decision-making units (DMUs) use a similar mix of inputs to produce a similar set of outputs. In fact, hospitals with different primary goals supply different services and provide different outputs. That is, hospitals are nonhomogeneous and the standard assumption of the DEA model is not applicable to the performance evaluation of nonhomogeneous hospitals. This paper considers the nonhomogeneity among hospitals in the performance evaluation and takes hospitals in Hong Kong as a case study. An extension of Cook et al. (2013) [1] based on the VRS assumption is developed to evaluated nonhomogeneous hospitals' efficiencies since inputs of hospitals vary greatly. Following the philosophy of Cook et al. (2013) [1], hospitals are divided into homogeneous groups and the product process of each hospital is divided into subunits. The performance of hospitals is measured on the basis of subunits. The proposed approach can be applied to measure the performance of other nonhomogeneous entities that exhibit variable return to scale.

  10. The Impact of Hospital Pay-for-Performance on Hospital and Medicare Costs

    PubMed Central

    Kruse, Gregory B; Polsky, Daniel; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M

    2012-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the effects of Medicare's hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project on hospital revenues, costs, and margins and on Medicare costs. Data Sources/Study Setting All health care utilization for Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI; ICD-9-CM code 410.x1) in fiscal years 2002–2005 from Medicare claims, containing 420,211 admissions with AMI. Study Design We test for changes in hospital costs and revenues and Medicare payments among 260 hospitals participating in the Medicare hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project and a group of 780 propensity-score-matched comparison hospitals. Effects were estimated using a difference-in-difference model with hospital fixed effects, testing for changes in costs among pay-for-performance hospitals above and beyond changes in comparison hospitals. Principal Findings We found no significant effect of pay-for-performance on hospital financials (revenues, costs, and margins) or Medicare payments (index hospitalization and 1 year after admission) for AMI patients. Conclusions Pay-for-performance in the CMS hospital demonstration project had minimal impact on hospital financials and Medicare payments to providers. As P4P extends to all hospitals under the Affordable Care Act, these results provide some estimates of the impact of P4P and emphasize our need for a better understanding of the financial implications of P4P on providers and payers if we want to create sustainable and effective programs to improve health care value. PMID:23088391

  11. The impact of hospital pay-for-performance on hospital and Medicare costs.

    PubMed

    Kruse, Gregory B; Polsky, Daniel; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M

    2012-12-01

    To evaluate the effects of Medicare's hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project on hospital revenues, costs, and margins and on Medicare costs. All health care utilization for Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI; ICD-9-CM code 410.x1) in fiscal years 2002-2005 from Medicare claims, containing 420,211 admissions with AMI. We test for changes in hospital costs and revenues and Medicare payments among 260 hospitals participating in the Medicare hospital pay-for-performance demonstration project and a group of 780 propensity-score-matched comparison hospitals. Effects were estimated using a difference-in-difference model with hospital fixed effects, testing for changes in costs among pay-for-performance hospitals above and beyond changes in comparison hospitals. We found no significant effect of pay-for-performance on hospital financials (revenues, costs, and margins) or Medicare payments (index hospitalization and 1 year after admission) for AMI patients. Pay-for-performance in the CMS hospital demonstration project had minimal impact on hospital financials and Medicare payments to providers. As P4P extends to all hospitals under the Affordable Care Act, these results provide some estimates of the impact of P4P and emphasize our need for a better understanding of the financial implications of P4P on providers and payers if we want to create sustainable and effective programs to improve health care value. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  12. Hospital diversification strategy.

    PubMed

    Eastaugh, Steven R

    2014-01-01

    To determine the impact of health system restructuring on the levels of hospital diversification and operating ratio this article analyzed 94 teaching hospitals and 94 community hospitals during the period 2008-2013. The 47 teaching hospitals are matched with 47 other teaching hospitals experiencing the same financial market position in 2008, but with different levels of preference for risk and diversification in their strategic plan. Covariates in the analysis included levels of hospital competition and the degree of local government planning (for example, highly regulated in New York, in contrast to Texas). Moreover, 47 nonteaching community hospitals are matched with 47 other community hospitals in 2008, having varying manager preferences for service-line diversification and risk. Diversification and operating ratio are modeled in a two-stage least squares (TSLS) framework as jointly dependent. Institutional diversification is found to yield better financial position, and the better operating profits provide the firm the wherewithal to diversify. Some services are in a growth phase, like bariatric weight-loss surgery and sleep disorder clinics. Hospital managers' preferences for risk/return potential were considered. An institution life cycle hypothesis is advanced to explain hospital behavior: boom and bust, diversification, and divestiture, occasionally leading to closure or merger.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  14. Hospital fundamentals.

    PubMed

    Althausen, Peter L; Hill, Austin D; Mead, Lisa

    2014-07-01

    Under the current system, orthopaedic trauma surgeons must work in some form of hospital setting as our primary service involves treatment of the trauma patient. We must not forget that just as a trauma center cannot exist without our services, we cannot function without their support. As a result, a clear understanding of the balance between physicians and hospitals is paramount. Historical perspective enables physicians and hospital personnel alike to understand the evolution of hospital-physician relationship. This process should be understood upon completion of this chapter. The relationship between physicians and hospitals is becoming increasingly complex and multiple forms of integration exist such as joint ventures, gain sharing, and co-management agreements. For the surgeon to negotiate well, an understanding of hospital governance and the role of the orthopaedic traumatologist is vital to success. An understanding of the value provided by the traumatologist includes all aspects of care including efficiency, availability, cost effectiveness, and research activities. To create effective and sustainable healthcare institutions, physicians and hospitals must be aligned over a sustained period of time. Unfortunately, external forces have eroded the historical basis for the working relationship between physicians and hospitals. Increased competition and reimbursement cuts, coupled with the increasing demands for quality, efficiency, and coordination and the payment changes outlined in healthcare reform, have left many organizations wondering how to best rebuild the relationship. The principal goal for the physician when partnering with a hospital or healthcare entity is to establish a sustainable model of service line management that protects or advances the physician's ability to make impactful improvements in quality of patient care, decreases in healthcare costs, and improvements in process efficiency through evidence-based practices and protocols.

  15. Thirty-day readmission rates following hospitalization for pediatric sickle cell crisis at freestanding children's hospitals: risk factors and hospital variation.

    PubMed

    Sobota, Amy; Graham, Dionne A; Neufeld, Ellis J; Heeney, Matthew M

    2012-01-01

    Readmission within 30 days after hospitalization for sickle cell crisis was developed by The National Association of Children's Hospitals (NACHRI) to improve hospital quality, however, there have been few studies validating this. We performed a retrospective examination of 12,104 hospitalizations for sickle crisis from July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 at 33 freestanding children's hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. Hospitalizations met NACHRI criteria; inpatient admission, APR DRG code 662, age < 18, discharge home, and length of stay within 2 SD of the mean. We describe 30-day readmission rates, identify factors associated with readmission accounting for patient-level clustering and compare unadjusted versus adjusted variation in readmission rates. We identified 4,762 patients with 12,104 qualifying hospitalizations (1-30 per patient). Two thousand seventy-four (17%) hospitalizations resulted in a readmission within 30 days. Significant factors associated with readmission were age (OR 1.06/year, P < 0.0001), inpatient use of steroids (OR 1.48, P = 0.01) admission for pain without other sickle complications (OR 1.52, P < 0.0001) and simple transfusion (OR 0.58, P = 0.0002). There was significant variation in readmission rates between hospitals, even after accounting for clustering by patient and hospital case mix. In a sample of free-standing children's hospitals, 17% of hospitalizations for sickle cell crisis result in readmission within 30 days. Older patients, those treated with steroids and those admitted for pain are more likely to be readmitted; simple transfusion is protective. Even after adjusting for case mix substantial hospital variation remains, but specific hospital to hospital comparisons differ depending on the exact methods used. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Hospital turnaround strategies.

    PubMed

    Langabeer, James

    2008-01-01

    Despite reports of higher profitability in recent years, hospitals are failing at a faster rate than ever before. Although many hospitals leave decisions regarding revenues and costs to chief financial officers and their staff, this is a recipe for disaster. From research conducted over the last 4 years on hospital bankruptcies and turnarounds, the author found that a common series of actions will help organizations evade collapse. The author explored these turnaround strategies through research and analysis of a variety of hospitals and health systems that had a high probability of immediate financial crisis or collapse. His continued observation and analysis of these hospitals in subsequent years showed that most hospitals never emerge from their bleak financial conditions. However, a few hospital administrations have successfully turned around their organizations.

  17. Hospital Report Cards for Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers: How good are the grades?

    PubMed Central

    Meddings, Jennifer A.; Reichert, Heidi; Hofer, Tim; McMahon, Laurence F.

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND Value-based purchasing programs will use administrative data to compare hospitals by rates of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) for public reporting and financial penalties. Validation of administrative data for these purposes, however, is lacking. OBJECTIVE To assess the validity of the administrative data used to generate HAPU rates to compare hospitals for public reporting and financial penalty, by comparing hospital performance as assessed by HAPU rates generated from administrative and surveillance data. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of 2 million all-payer administrative records for 448 California hospitals and quarterly hospital-wide surveillance data for 213 hospitals from the California Nursing Outcomes and Prevalence Study (as publicly reported on CalHospitalCompare). SETTING 196 acute-care hospitals with >=6 months of available administrative and surveillance data PATIENTS Non-obstetric adults discharged in 2009. MEASUREMENTS Hospital-specific HAPU rates were computed as the percentage of discharged adults (from administrative data) or examined adults (from surveillance data) with >=1 HAPU stage II and above (HAPU2+). Categorization of hospital performance using administrative data was compared to the grade assigned using the surveillance data. RESULTS By administrative data, the mean (CI) hospital-specific HAPU2+ rate was 0.15% (0.13, 0.17); by surveillance data, the mean (CI) hospital-specific HAPU2+ rate was 2.0% (1.8, 2.2). Of the 49 hospitals with HAPU2+ rates from administrative data in the highest (worst) quartile, the surveillance dataset assigned these hospitals performance grades of “Superior” for 3 hospitals, “Above Average” for 14 hospitals, “Average” for 15 hospitals, and “Below Average” for 17 hospitals. LIMITATIONS Data are from 1 state, 1 year. CONCLUSIONS Hospital performance scores generated from HAPU2+ rates varied considerably from administrative data and surveillance data, suggesting administrative

  18. Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in Surgery May Disproportionately Affect Minority-serving Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Shih, Terry; Ryan, Andrew M; Gonzalez, Andrew A; Dimick, Justin B

    2015-06-01

    To project readmission penalties for hospitals performing cardiac surgery and examine how these penalties will affect minority-serving hospitals. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program will potentially expand penalties for higher-than-predicted readmission rates to cardiac procedures in the near future. The impact of these penalties on minority-serving hospitals is unknown. We examined national Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in 2008 to 2010 (N = 255,250 patients, 1186 hospitals). Using hierarchical logistic regression, we calculated hospital observed-to-expected readmission ratios. Hospital penalties were projected according to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program formula using only coronary artery bypass grafting readmissions with a 3% maximum penalty of total Medicare revenue. Hospitals were classified into quintiles according to proportion of black patients treated. Minority-serving hospitals were defined as hospitals in the top quintile whereas non-minority-serving hospitals were those in the bottom quintile. Projected readmission penalties were compared across quintiles. Forty-seven percent of hospitals (559 of 1186) were projected to be assessed a penalty. Twenty-eight percent of hospitals (330 of 1186) would be penalized less than 1% of total Medicare revenue whereas 5% of hospitals (55 of 1186) would receive the maximum 3% penalty. Minority-serving hospitals were almost twice as likely to be penalized than non-minority-serving hospitals (61% vs 32%) and were projected almost triple the reductions in reimbursement ($112 million vs $41 million). Minority-serving hospitals would disproportionately bear the burden of readmission penalties if expanded to include cardiac surgery. Given these hospitals' narrow profit margins, readmission penalties may have a profound impact on these hospitals' ability to care for disadvantaged patients.

  19. Hospital economics of primary total knee arthroplasty at a teaching hospital.

    PubMed

    Healy, William L; Rana, Adam J; Iorio, Richard

    2011-01-01

    The hospital cost of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the United States is a major growing expense for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Many hospitals are unable to deliver TKA with profitable or breakeven economics under the current Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) hospital reimbursement system. The purposes of the current study were to (1) determine revenue, expenses, and profitability (loss) for TKA for all patients and for different payors; (2) define changes in utilization and unit costs associated with this operation; and (3) describe TKA cost control strategies to provide insight for hospitals to improve their economic results for TKA. From 1991 to 2009, Lahey Clinic converted a $2172 loss per case on primary TKA in 1991 to a $2986 profit per case in 2008. The improved economics was associated with decreasing revenue in inflation-adjusted dollars and implementation of hospital cost control programs that reduced hospital expenses for TKA. Reduction of hospital length of stay and reduction of knee implant costs were the major drivers of hospital expense reduction. During the last 25 years, our economic experience with TKA is concerning. Hospital revenues have lagged behind inflation, hospital expenses have been reduced, and our institution is earning a profit. However, the margin for TKA is decreasing and Managed Medicare patients do not generate a profit. The erosion of hospital revenue for TKA will become a critical issue if it leads to economic losses for hospitals or reduced access to TKA. Level III, Economic and Decision Analyses. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  20. Hospital Variation in Time to Epinephrine for Nonshockable In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

    PubMed

    Khera, Rohan; Chan, Paul S; Donnino, Michael; Girotra, Saket

    2016-12-20

    For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrests attributable to nonshockable rhythms, delays in epinephrine administration beyond 5 minutes is associated with worse survival. However, the extent of hospital variation in delayed epinephrine administration and its effect on hospital-level outcomes is unknown. Within Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation, we identified 103 932 adult patients (≥18 years) at 548 hospitals with an in-hospital cardiac arrest attributable to a nonshockable rhythm who received at least 1 dose of epinephrine between 2000 and 2014. We constructed 2-level hierarchical regression models to quantify hospital variation in rates of delayed epinephrine administration (>5 minutes) and its association with hospital rates of survival to discharge and survival with functional recovery. Overall, 13 213 (12.7%) patients had delays to epinephrine, and this rate varied markedly across hospitals (range, 0%-53.8%). The odds of delay in epinephrine administration were 58% higher at 1 randomly selected hospital in comparison with a similar patient at another randomly selected hospital (median odds ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.64). The median risk-standardized survival rate was 12.0% (range, 5.4%-31.9%), and the risk-standardized survival with functional recovery was 7.4% (range, 0.9%-30.8%). There was an inverse correlation between a hospital's rate of delayed epinephrine administration and its risk-standardized rate of survival to discharge (ρ=-0.22, P<0.0001) and survival with functional recovery (ρ=-0.14, P=0.001). In comparison with a median survival rate of 12.9% (interquartile range, 11.1%-15.4%) at hospitals in the lowest quartile of epinephrine delay, risk-standardized survival was 16% lower at hospitals in the quartile with the highest rate of epinephrine delays (10.8%; interquartile range, 9.7%-12.7%). Delays in epinephrine administration following in-hospital cardiac arrest are common and variy across hospitals. Hospitals with

  1. The Hospitalized Child.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marchionne, Anne T.

    Ways hospitals can promote the psychological and social well being of young patients are explored in this paper. First, the importance of familiarizing the child with the hospital is emphasized. Second, emotions hospitalized children may feel and the possible causes of those emotions are listed. Third, methods hospital personnel can use to help…

  2. Hospital library foreign language labs: the experiences of two hospital libraries.

    PubMed

    Whelan, Julia S; Schneider, Elizabeth; Woodworth, Karl; Markwell, Linda Garr

    2006-01-01

    Increasingly, hospital-based physicians, residents, and medical students are welcoming into their care foreign-born patients, who do not speak English. Most hospitals today have an Interpretive Services Department, but many of the physicians, residents, and medical students want to become more proficient in the most frequently spoken foreign languages in their respective locales. To help recruit and retain a diverse workforce, some hospitals sponsor English programs for staff. The Treadwell Library at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Grady Branch Library at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, have developed a special collection and hospital library-based language laboratories in order to meet this need.

  3. Physician-Owned Surgical Hospitals Outperform Other Hospitals in Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Program.

    PubMed

    Ramirez, Adriana G; Tracci, Margaret C; Stukenborg, George J; Turrentine, Florence E; Kozower, Benjamin D; Jones, R Scott

    2016-10-01

    The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program measures value of care provided by participating Medicare hospitals and creates financial incentives for quality improvement and fosters increased transparency. Limited information is available comparing hospital performance across health care business models. The 2015 Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program results were used to examine hospital performance by business model. General linear modeling assessed differences in mean total performance score, hospital case mix index, and differences after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Of 3,089 hospitals with total performance scores, categories of representative health care business models included 104 physician-owned surgical hospitals, 111 University HealthSystem Consortium, 14 US News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals, 33 Kaiser Permanente, and 124 Pioneer accountable care organization affiliated hospitals. Estimated mean total performance scores for physician-owned surgical hospitals (64.4; 95% CI, 61.83-66.38) and Kaiser Permanente (60.79; 95% CI, 56.56-65.03) were significantly higher compared with all remaining hospitals, and University HealthSystem Consortium members (36.8; 95% CI, 34.51-39.17) performed below the mean (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in mean hospital case mix index included physician-owned surgical hospitals (mean 2.32; p < 0.0001), US News & World Report honorees (mean 2.24; p = 0.0140), and University HealthSystem Consortium members (mean 1.99; p < 0.0001), and Kaiser Permanente hospitals had lower case mix value (mean 1.54; p < 0.0001). Re-estimation of total performance scores did not change the original results after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program revealed superior hospital performance associated with business model. Closer inspection of high-value hospitals can guide value improvement and policy-making decisions for all Medicare Value

  4. Hospital marketing revisited.

    PubMed

    Costello, M M

    1987-05-01

    With more hospitals embracing the marketing function in their organizational management over the past decade, hospital marketing can no longer be considered a fad. However, a review of hospital marketing efforts as reported in the professional literature indicates that hospitals must pay greater attention to the marketing mix elements of service, price and distribution channels as their programs mature.

  5. Trends in hospital librarianship and hospital library services: 1989 to 2006.

    PubMed

    Thibodeau, Patricia L; Funk, Carla J

    2009-10-01

    The research studied the status of hospital librarians and library services to better inform the Medical Library Association's advocacy activities. The Vital Pathways Survey Subcommittee of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians distributed a web-based survey to hospital librarians and academic health sciences library directors. The survey results were compared to data collected in a 1989 survey of hospital libraries by the American Hospital Association in order to identify any trends in hospital libraries, roles of librarians, and library services. A web-based hospital library report form based on the survey questions was also developed to more quickly identify changes in the status of hospital libraries on an ongoing basis. The greatest change in library services between 1989 and 2005/06 was in the area of access to information, with 40% more of the respondents providing access to commercial online services, 100% more providing access to Internet resources, and 28% more providing training in database searching and use of information resources. Twenty-nine percent (n = 587) of the 2005/06 respondents reported a decrease in staff over the last 5 years. Survey data support reported trends of consolidation of hospitals and hospital libraries and additions of new services. These services have likely required librarians to acquire new skills. It is hoped that future surveys will be undertaken to continue to study these trends.

  6. The politics of local hospital reform: a case study of hospital reorganization following the 2002 Norwegian hospital reform.

    PubMed

    Tjerbo, Trond

    2009-11-20

    The Norwegian hospital reform of 2002 was an attempt to make restructuring of hospitals easier by removing politicians from the decision-making processes. To facilitate changes seen as necessary but politically difficult, the central state took over ownership of the hospitals and stripped the county politicians of what had been their main responsibility for decades. This meant that decisions regarding hospital structure and organization were now being taken by professional administrators and not by politically elected representatives. The question raised here is whether this has had any effect on the speed of restructuring of the hospital sector. The empirical part is a case study of the restructuring process in Innlandet Hospital Trust (IHT), which was one of the largest enterprise established after the hospital reform and where the vision for restructuring was clearly set. Different sources of qualitative data are used in the analysis. These include interviews with key actors, observational data and document studies. The analysis demonstrates how the new professional leaders at first acted in accordance with the intentions of the hospital reform, but soon chose to avoid the more ambitious plans for restructuring the hospital structure and in fact reintroduced local politics into the decision-making process. The analysis further illustrates how local networks and engagement of political representatives from all levels of government complicated the decision-making process surrounding local structural reforms. Local political representatives teamed up with other actors and created powerful networks. At the same time, national politicians had incentives to involve themselves in the processes as supporters of the status quo. Because of the incentives that faced political actors and the controversial nature of major hospital reforms, the removal of local politicians and the centralization of ownership did not necessarily facilitate reforms in the hospital structure

  7. The politics of local hospital reform: a case study of hospital reorganization following the 2002 Norwegian hospital reform

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background The Norwegian hospital reform of 2002 was an attempt to make restructuring of hospitals easier by removing politicians from the decision-making processes. To facilitate changes seen as necessary but politically difficult, the central state took over ownership of the hospitals and stripped the county politicians of what had been their main responsibility for decades. This meant that decisions regarding hospital structure and organization were now being taken by professional administrators and not by politically elected representatives. The question raised here is whether this has had any effect on the speed of restructuring of the hospital sector. Method The empirical part is a case study of the restructuring process in Innlandet Hospital Trust (IHT), which was one of the largest enterprise established after the hospital reform and where the vision for restructuring was clearly set. Different sources of qualitative data are used in the analysis. These include interviews with key actors, observational data and document studies. Results The analysis demonstrates how the new professional leaders at first acted in accordance with the intentions of the hospital reform, but soon chose to avoid the more ambitious plans for restructuring the hospital structure and in fact reintroduced local politics into the decision-making process. The analysis further illustrates how local networks and engagement of political representatives from all levels of government complicated the decision-making process surrounding local structural reforms. Local political representatives teamed up with other actors and created powerful networks. At the same time, national politicians had incentives to involve themselves in the processes as supporters of the status quo. Conclusion Because of the incentives that faced political actors and the controversial nature of major hospital reforms, the removal of local politicians and the centralization of ownership did not necessarily facilitate

  8. Hospital Rating Systems and Implications For Patient Travel to Better-rated Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Subramanian, Arun; Adler, Joel T; Shah, Nilay D; Hyder, Joseph A

    2017-03-01

    Publicly reported hospital ratings aim to encourage transparency, spur quality improvement, and empower patient choice. Travel burdens may limit patient choice, particularly for older adults (aged 65 years and more) who receive most medical care. For 3 major hospital ratings systems, we estimated travel burden as the additional 1-way travel distance to receive care at a better-rated hospital.Distances were estimated from publicly available data from the US Census, US News Top Hospitals, Society of Thoracic Surgeons composite rating for coronary artery bypass grafting (STS-CABG), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Services (HCAHPS).Hospitals were rated for HCAHPS (n = 4656), STS-CABG (n = 470), and US News Top Hospitals (n = 15). Older adults were commonly located within 25 miles of their closest HCAHPS hospital (89.6%), but less commonly for STS-CABG (62.9%). To receive care at a better-rated hospital, travel distances commonly exceeded 25 miles: HCAHPS (39.2%), STS-CABG (62.7%), and US News Top Hospital (85.2%). Additional 1-way travel distances exceeded 25 miles commonly: HCAHPS (23.7%), STS-CABG (36.7%), US News Top Hospitals (81.8%).Significant travel burden is common for older adults seeking "better" care and is an important limitation of current hospital ratings for empowering patient choice.

  9. The Status of Hospital Information Systems in Iranian Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Jahanbakhsh, Maryam; Sharifi, Mohammed; Ayat, Masar

    2014-01-01

    Background: The area of e-Health is broad and has an excellent growth potential. An increasing number of experts believe that e-Health will fuel the next breakthroughs in health system improvements throughout the world, but there is frequent evidence of unsustainable use of e-Health systems in medical centres, particularly hospitals, for different reasons in different countries. Iran is also a developing country which is presently adopting this promising technology for its traditional healthcare delivery but there is not much information about the use of e-Health systems in its hospitals, and the weakness and opportunities of utilization of such Hospital Information Systems (HIS). Methods: For this research, a number of Hospitals from Isfahan, Iran, are selected using convenient sampling. E-health research professionals went there to observe their HIS and collect required data as a qualitative survey. The design of interview questions was based on the researchers’ experiences and knowledge in this area along with elementary interviews with experts on HIS utilization in hospitals. Results: Efficient administration of e-health implementation improves the quality of healthcare, reduces costs and medical errors, makes healthcare resources available to rural areas, etc. However, there are numerous issues affecting the successful utilization of e-health in Hospitals, such as a lack of a perfect HIS implementation plan and well-defined strategy, inadequate IT-security for the protection of e-health-related data, improper training and educational issues, legal challenges, privacy concerns, improper documentation of lessons learned, resistance to the application of new technologies, and finally a lack of recovery plan and disaster management. These results along with some informative stories are extracted from interview sessions to uncover associated challenges of HIS utilization in Iranian hospitals. Conclusion: The utilization of e-health in Iranian hospitals

  10. Hospitable Classrooms: Biblical Hospitality and Inclusive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, David W.

    2011-01-01

    This paper contributes to a Christian hermeneutic of special education by suggesting the biblical concept of hospitality as a necessary characteristic of classroom and school environments in which students with disabilities and other marginalized students can be effectively incorporated into the body of the classroom. Christian hospitality, seen…

  11. The impact of HMO and hospital competition on hospital costs.

    PubMed

    Younis, Mustafa Z; Rivers, Patrick A; Fottler, Myron D

    2005-01-01

    This study examines the impact of HMO penetration and competition on health system performance, as measured by hospital cost per adjusted admissions. The study population consisted of acute-care hospitals in the United States. The findings of this study suggest that there is no relationship between HMO competition and hospital cost per adjusted admission. Governmental efforts to stimulate competition in the hospital market, if focused on promoting HMOs, are not likely to produce cost-containing results quickly.

  12. Trends in hospital librarianship and hospital library services: 1989 to 2006

    PubMed Central

    Thibodeau, Patricia L.; Funk, Carla J.

    2009-01-01

    Objective: The research studied the status of hospital librarians and library services to better inform the Medical Library Association's advocacy activities. Methods: The Vital Pathways Survey Subcommittee of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians distributed a web-based survey to hospital librarians and academic health sciences library directors. The survey results were compared to data collected in a 1989 survey of hospital libraries by the American Hospital Association in order to identify any trends in hospital libraries, roles of librarians, and library services. A web-based hospital library report form based on the survey questions was also developed to more quickly identify changes in the status of hospital libraries on an ongoing basis. Results: The greatest change in library services between 1989 and 2005/06 was in the area of access to information, with 40% more of the respondents providing access to commercial online services, 100% more providing access to Internet resources, and 28% more providing training in database searching and use of information resources. Twenty-nine percent (n = 587) of the 2005/06 respondents reported a decrease in staff over the last 5 years. Conclusions: Survey data support reported trends of consolidation of hospitals and hospital libraries and additions of new services. These services have likely required librarians to acquire new skills. It is hoped that future surveys will be undertaken to continue to study these trends. PMID:19851491

  13. Driving hospital transformation with SLMTA in a regional hospital in Cameroon

    PubMed Central

    Asong, Terence; Ngale, Elive; Mangwa, Beatrice; Ndasi, Juliana; Mouladje, Maurice; Lekunze, Remmie; Mbome, Victor; Njukeng, Patrick; Shang, Judith

    2014-01-01

    Background Inspired by the transformation of the Regional Hospital Buea laboratory through implementation of the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme, hospital management adapted the SLMTA toolkit to drive hospital-wide quality improvement. Objective This paper describes changes in the hospital following the quality improvement activities in hygiene and sanitation, the outpatient waiting area and the surgical and maternity wards. Methods In March 2011, hospital management established a quality improvement task force and created a hospital-wide quality improvement roadmap, following the SLMTA model. The roadmap comprised improvement projects, accountability plans, patient feedback forms and log books to track quality indicators including patient wait time, satisfaction level, infection rates, birth outcomes and hospital revenue. Results There was steady improvement in service delivery during the 11 months after the introduction of the quality improvement initiatives: patient wait time at the reception was reduced from three hours to less than 30 minutes and patient satisfaction increased from 15% to 60%. Treatment protocols were developed and documented for various units, infrastructure and workflow processes were improved and there was increased staff awareness of the importance of providing quality services. Maternal infection rates dropped from 3% to 0.5% and stillbirths from 5% to < 1%. The number of patients increased as a result of improved services, leading to a 25% increase in hospital revenue. Conclusion The SLMTA programme was adapted successfully to meet the needs of the entire hospital. Such a programme has the potential to impact positively on hospital quality systems; consideration should be made for development of a formal SLMTA-like programme for hospital quality improvement. PMID:29043192

  14. Effects of competition on hospital quality: an examination using hospital administrative data.

    PubMed

    Palangkaraya, Alfons; Yong, Jongsay

    2013-06-01

    This paper investigates the effects of competition on hospital quality using hospital administration data from the State of Victoria, Australia. Hospital quality is measured by 30-day mortality rates and 30-day unplanned readmission rates. Competition is measured by Herfindahl-Hirschman index and the numbers of competing public and private hospitals. The paper finds that hospitals facing higher competition have lower unplanned admission rates. However, competition is related negatively to hospital quality when measured by mortality, albeit the effects are weak and barely statistically significant. The paper also finds that the positive effect of competition on quality as measured by unplanned readmission differs greatly depending on whether the hospital is publicly or privately owned.

  15. Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Following Hospitalization for Pediatric Sickle Cell Crisis at Freestanding Children’s Hospitals: Risk Factors and Hospital Variation

    PubMed Central

    Sobota, Amy; Graham, Dionne A.; Neufeld, Ellis J.; Heeney, Matthew M.

    2015-01-01

    Background Readmission within 30 days after hospitalization for sickle cell crisis was developed by The National Association of Children’s Hospitals (NACHRI) to improve hospital quality, however, there have been few studies validating this. Procedure We performed a retrospective examination of 12,104 hospitalizations for sickle crisis from July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 at 33 freestanding children’s hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. Hospitalizations met NACHRI criteria; inpatient admission, APR DRG code 662, age < 18, discharge home, and length of stay within 2 SD of the mean. We describe 30-day readmission rates, identify factors associated with readmission accounting for patient-level clustering and compare unadjusted versus adjusted variation in readmission rates. Results We identified 4,762 patients with 12,104 qualifying hospitalizations (1–30 per patient). Two thousand seventy-four (17%) hospitalizations resulted in a readmission within 30 days. Significant factors associated with readmission were age (OR 1.06/year, P < 0.0001), inpatient use of steroids (OR 1.48, P = 0.01) admission for pain without other sickle complications (OR 1.52, P < 0.0001) and simple transfusion (OR 0.58, P = 0.0002). There was significant variation in readmission rates between hospitals, even after accounting for clustering by patient and hospital case mix. Conclusions In a sample of free-standing children’s hospitals, 17% of hospitalizations for sickle cell crisis result in readmission within 30 days. Older patients, those treated with steroids and those admitted for pain are more likely to be readmitted; simple transfusion is protective. Even after adjusting for case mix substantial hospital variation remains, but specific hospital to hospital comparisons differ depending on the exact methods used. PMID:21674766

  16. Determinants of Hospital Pharmacists' Job Satisfaction in Romanian Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Iorga, Magdalena; Dondaș, Corina; Soponaru, Camelia; Antofie, Ioan

    2017-12-11

    Aim : The purpose of this study is to identify the level of job satisfaction among hospital pharmacists in Romania in relation to environmental, socio-demographic, and individual factors. Material and Methods : Seventy-eight hospital pharmacists were included in the research. The Job Satisfaction Scale was used to measure the level of satisfaction with their current jobs, and the TAS-20 was used to evaluate emotional experience and awareness. Additionally, 12 items were formulated in order to identify the reasons for dissatisfaction with jobs, such as budget, number of working hours, legislation, relationships with colleagues, hospital departments, or stakeholders. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. Results : The analyses of the data revealed a low level of satisfaction regarding the pay-promotion subscale, a high level of satisfaction with the management-interpersonal relationship dimension, and a high level of satisfaction regarding the organization-communication subscale. Seventy-four percent of subjects are dissatisfied about the annual budget, and 86.3% are not at all satisfied with present legislation. Conclusions : These results are important for hospital pharmacists and hospital management in order to focus on health policies, management, and environmental issues, with the purpose of increasing the level of satisfaction among hospital pharmacists.

  17. Determinants of Hospital Pharmacists’ Job Satisfaction in Romanian Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Iorga, Magdalena; Dondaș, Corina; Soponaru, Camelia; Antofie, Ioan

    2017-01-01

    Aim: The purpose of this study is to identify the level of job satisfaction among hospital pharmacists in Romania in relation to environmental, socio-demographic, and individual factors. Material and Methods: Seventy-eight hospital pharmacists were included in the research. The Job Satisfaction Scale was used to measure the level of satisfaction with their current jobs, and the TAS-20 was used to evaluate emotional experience and awareness. Additionally, 12 items were formulated in order to identify the reasons for dissatisfaction with jobs, such as budget, number of working hours, legislation, relationships with colleagues, hospital departments, or stakeholders. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. Results: The analyses of the data revealed a low level of satisfaction regarding the pay–promotion subscale, a high level of satisfaction with the management–interpersonal relationship dimension, and a high level of satisfaction regarding the organization–communication subscale. Seventy-four percent of subjects are dissatisfied about the annual budget, and 86.3% are not at all satisfied with present legislation. Conclusions: These results are important for hospital pharmacists and hospital management in order to focus on health policies, management, and environmental issues, with the purpose of increasing the level of satisfaction among hospital pharmacists. PMID:29232878

  18. Mother-baby friendly hospital.

    PubMed

    Aragon-choudhury, P

    1996-01-01

    In Manila, the Philippines, the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital has been a maternity hospital for 75 years. It averages 90 deliveries a day. Its fees are P200-P500 for a normal delivery and P800-P2000 for a cesarean section. Patients pay what they can and pay the balance when they can. The hospital provides a safe motherhood package that encompasses teaching responsible parenthood, prenatal care, labor, delivery, postpartum care, breast feeding, family planning, and child survival. In 1986, the hospital introduced innovative policies and procedures that promote, protect, and support breast feeding. It has a rooming-in policy that has saved the hospital P6.5 million so far. In the prenatal stage, hospital staff inform pregnant women that colostrum protects the newborn against infections, that suckling stimulates milk production, and that there is no basis to the claim of having insufficient breast milk. Sales representatives of milk substitutes are banned from the hospital. Staff confiscate milk bottles or formula. A lactation management team demonstrates breast feeding procedures. Mothers also receive support on the correct way of breast feeding from hospital staff, volunteers from the Catholic Women's League, consumer groups, and women lawyers. The hospital's policy is no breast milk, no discharge. This encourages mothers to motivate each other to express milk immediately after birth. The hospital has received numerous awards for its breast feeding promotion efforts. UNICEF has designated Fabella Hospital as a model of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The hospital serves as the National Lactation Management Education Training Center. People from other developing countries have received training in lactation management here. The First Lady of the Philippines, the First Lady of the US, and the Queen of Spain have all visited the hospital. The hospital has also integrated its existing services into a women's health care center.

  19. The effect of hospital control strategies on physician satisfaction and physician-hospital conflict.

    PubMed Central

    Burns, L R; Andersen, R M; Shortell, S M

    1990-01-01

    This article examines several strategies that hospitals use to control their medical staffs. Such strategies include placing physicians on salary, developing exclusive hospital affiliations with physicians, and involving physicians in decision-making bodies. Using regression techniques, we investigate which hospitals are more likely to utilize these strategies and whether such strategies are effective in promoting physician-hospital integration. Contrary to our expectations, corporate hospital structures (e.g., for-profit hospitals, membership in multihospital systems) generally do not employ these strategies more often and oftentimes employ them less. There is also little evidence that control strategies are effective levers for increasing physician satisfaction or decreasing physician-hospital conflict. We suggest that control strategies are useful for purposes other than promoting physician-hospital integration. Finally, hospital ownership appears to exert the biggest effect on physician satisfaction and conflict. PMID:2380074

  20. [Long-term psychiatric hospitalizations].

    PubMed

    Plancke, L; Amariei, A

    2017-02-01

    Long-term hospitalizations in psychiatry raise the question of desocialisation of the patients and the inherent costs. Individual indicators were extracted from a medical administrative database containing full-time psychiatric hospitalizations for the period 2011-2013 of people over 16 years old living in the French region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. We calculated the proportion of people who had experienced a hospitalization with a duration of 292 days or more during the study period. A bivariate analysis was conducted, then ecological data (level of health-care offer, the deprivation index and the size of the municipalities of residence) were included into a multilevel regression model in order to identify the factors significantly related to variability of long-term hospitalization rates. Among hospitalized individuals in psychiatry, 2.6% had had at least one hospitalization of 292 days or more during the observation period; the number of days in long-term hospitalization represented 22.5% of the total of days of full-time hospitalization in psychiatry. The bivariate analysis revealed that seniority in the psychiatric system was strongly correlated with long hospitalization rates. In the multivariate analysis, the individual indicators the most related to an increased risk of long-term hospitalization were: total lack of autonomy (OR=9.0; 95% CI: 6.7-12.2; P<001); diagnoses of psychological development disorders (OR=9.7; CI95%: 4.5-20.6; P<.001); mental retardation (OR=4.5; CI95%: 2.5-8.2; P<.001): schizophrenia (OR=3.0; CI95%: 1.7-5.2; P<.001); compulsory hospitalization (OR=1.7; CI95%: 1.4-2.1; P<.001); having experienced therapeutic isolation (OR=1.8; CI95%: 1.5-2.1; P<.001). Variations of long-term hospitalization rates depending on the type of establishment were very high, but the density of hospital beds or intensity of ambulatory activity services were not significantly linked to long-term hospitalization. The inhabitants of small urban units had

  1. Hospital Workers Disaster Management and Hospital Nonstructural: A Study in Bandar Abbas, Iran

    PubMed Central

    Lakbala, Parvin

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: A devastating earthquake is inevitable in the long term and likely in the near future in Iran. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of hospital staff to disaster management system in hospital and to determine nonstructural safety assessment in Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas city of Iran. This hospital is the main referral hospital in Hormozgan province with a capacity of about 450 beds and the highest patient admissions. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 on 200 healthcare workers at Shahid Mohammadi hospital, in the city of Bandar Abbas, Iran. This hospital is the main referral hospital in Hormozgan province and has a capacity of about 450 beds with highest numbers of patient admissions. Questionnaire and checklist used for assessing health workers knowledge and awareness towards disaster management and nonstructural safety this hospital. Results: This study found that knowledge, awareness, and disaster preparedness of hospital staff need continual reinforcement to improve self efficacy for disaster management. Equipping health care facilities at the time of natural disasters, especially earthquakes are of great importance all over the world, especially in Iran. This requires the national strategies and planning for all health facilities. Conclusion: It seems due to limitations of hospital beds, insufficient of personnel, and medical equipment, health care providers paid greater attention to this issue. Since this hospital is the only educational public hospital in the province, it is essential to pay much attention to the risk management not only to this hospital but at the national level to health facilities. PMID:26573039

  2. Norovirus - hospital

    MedlinePlus

    Gastroenteritis - norovirus; Colitis - norovirus; Hospital acquired infection - norovirus ... small health problem for you can be a big health problem for someone in the hospital who is already sick. Even when there is ...

  3. Candiduria in hospitalized patients in teaching hospitals of Ahvaz.

    PubMed

    Zarei-Mahmoudabadi, A; Zarrin, M; Ghanatir, F; Vazirianzadeh, B

    2012-12-01

    Nosocomial infections are usually acquired during hospitalization. Fungal infection of the urinary tract is increasing due to predisposing factors such as; antibacterial agents, indwelling urinary catheters, diabetes mellitus, long hospitalization, immunosuppressive agents, use of IV catheters, radiation therapy, malignancy. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of candiduria and urinary tract infection in patients admitted in Golestan and Emam Khomeini hospitals of Ahvaz, Iran. During 14 months, a total of 744 urine samples were collected and transferred to medical mycology laboratory immediately. Ten µl of uncentrifuged sample was cultured on CHROM agar Candida plates and incubated at 37°C for 24-48h aerobically. Candida species were identified based on colony morphology on CHROM agar Candida, germ tube production and micro-morphology on corn meal agar including 1% Tween 80. In the present study, 744 hospitalized patients were sampled (49.5%, female; 50.5%, male). The prevalence of candiduria in subjects was 16.5% that included 65.1% female and 34.9% male. The most common isolates were C. albicans (53.3%), followed by C. glabrata (24.4%), C. tropicalis (3.7%), C. krusei (2.2%), and Geotrichum spp. (0.7%) Urine cultures yielded more than 10,000 yeast colonies in 34.1% of cases, and the major predisposing factor associated with candiduria was antibiotic therapy (69.1%). Candiduria is relatively common in hospitalized patients in educational hospitals of Ahvaz. In addition, there is a strong correlation between the incidence of candiduria in hospitalized patients and broad-spectrum antibiotics therapy.

  4. Hospital libraries in perspective.

    PubMed Central

    Holst, R

    1991-01-01

    The proliferation of hospital libraries since World War II has created a generation of librarians who take for granted the existence of libraries in hospitals. A literature review for the first half of the twentieth century presents a picture of uncertainty and struggle for identity for the hospital library. Then as now, hospital libraries reflect the institutions within which they operate. A brief history of the development of the American hospital provides a context for describing the various roles that the hospital library has played within its parent institution during the twentieth century. Some personal reflections on working in a hospital library are also presented. PMID:1998812

  5. Physician-owned Surgical Hospitals Outperform Other Hospitals in the Medicare Value-based Purchasing Program

    PubMed Central

    Ramirez, Adriana G; Tracci, Margaret C; Stukenborg, George J; Turrentine, Florence E; Kozower, Benjamin D; Jones, R Scott

    2016-01-01

    Background The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program measures value of care provided by participating Medicare hospitals while creating financial incentives for quality improvement and fostering increased transparency. Limited information is available comparing hospital performance across healthcare business models. Study Design 2015 hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program results were used to examine hospital performance by business model. General linear modeling assessed differences in mean total performance score, hospital case mix index, and differences after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Results Of 3089 hospitals with Total Performance Scores (TPS), categories of representative healthcare business models included 104 Physician-owned Surgical Hospitals (POSH), 111 University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), 14 US News & World Report Honor Roll (USNWR) Hospitals, 33 Kaiser Permanente, and 124 Pioneer Accountable Care Organization affiliated hospitals. Estimated mean TPS for POSH (64.4, 95% CI 61.83, 66.38) and Kaiser (60.79, 95% CI 56.56, 65.03) were significantly higher compared to all remaining hospitals while UHC members (36.8, 95% CI 34.51, 39.17) performed below the mean (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in mean hospital case mix index included POSH (mean 2.32, p<0.0001), USNWR honorees (mean 2.24, p 0.0140) and UHC members (mean =1.99, p<0.0001) while Kaiser Permanente hospitals had lower case mix value (mean =1.54, p<0.0001). Re-estimation of TPS did not change the original results after adjustment for differences in hospital case mix index. Conclusions The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program revealed superior hospital performance associated with business model. Closer inspection of high-value hospitals may guide value improvement and policy-making decisions for all Medicare Value-Based Purchasing Program Hospitals. PMID:27502368

  6. A two-center study of Muslim women's views of breast cancer and breast health practices in Pakistan and the UK.

    PubMed

    Banning, Maggie; Hafeez, Haroon

    2010-09-01

    Breast health awareness practices of Pakistani Muslim women in the UK and Pakistan is unknown. Focus group interviews were used to investigate the impact of culture and psychosocial issues on breast health awareness involving 44 women in Lahore and London. Women based in Lahore were more inquisitive about breast cancer and held more developed views compared with British Pakistani Muslim women. Women concurred that concise and relevant breast health education is needed irrespective of faith to improve cultural sensitivity and awareness in both Pakistani communities (both men and women).

  7. Mobile Technology in Hospital Schools: What Are Hospital Teachers' Professional Learning Needs?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarthy, Aidan; Maor, Dorit; McConney, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify hospital teachers' professional learning needs to enable effective use of mobile technology in hospital schools. Hospitalized students cannot attend their regular schools and as a result their educational progress and development can suffer. In an attempt to address this, hospital schools provide learning…

  8. Marginal Hospital Cost of Surgery-related Hospital-acquired Pressure Ulcers.

    PubMed

    Spector, William D; Limcangco, Rhona; Owens, Pamela L; Steiner, Claudia A

    2016-09-01

    Patients who develop hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) are more likely to die, have longer hospital stays, and are at greater risk of infections. Patients undergoing surgery are prone to developing pressure ulcers (PUs). To estimate the hospital marginal cost of a HAPU for adults patients who were hospitalized for major surgeries, adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbidities, procedures, and hospital characteristics. Data are from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases and the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System for 2011 and 2012. PU information was obtained using retrospective structured record review from trained MPMS data abstractors. Costs are derived using HCUP hospital-specific cost-to-charge ratios. Marginal cost estimates were made using Extended Estimating Equations. We estimated the marginal cost at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of the cost distribution using Simultaneous Quantile Regression. We find that 3.5% of major surgical patients developed HAPUs and that the HAPUs added ∼$8200 to the cost of a surgical stay after adjusting for comorbidities, patient characteristics, procedures, and hospital characteristics. This is an ∼44% addition to the cost of a major surgical stay but less than half of the unadjusted cost difference. In addition, we find that for high-cost stays (75th percentile) HAPUs added ∼$12,100, whereas for low-cost stays (25th percentile) HAPUs added ∼$3900. This paper suggests that HAPUs add ∼44% to the cost of major surgical hospital stays, but the amount varies depending on the total cost of the visit.

  9. Organizational Culture and Its Relationship with Hospital Performance in Public Hospitals in China

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Ping; Bundorf, Kate; Chang, Ji; Huang, Jin Xin; Xue, Di

    2011-01-01

    Objective To measure perceptions of organizational culture among employees of public hospitals in China and to determine whether perceptions are associated with hospital performance. Data Sources Hospital, employee, and patient surveys from 87 Chinese public hospitals conducted during 2009. Study Design Developed and administered a tool to assess organizational culture in Chinese public hospitals. Used factor analysis to create measures of organizational culture. Analyzed the relationships between employee type and perceptions of culture and between perceptions of culture and hospital performance using multivariate models. Principal Findings Employees perceived the culture of Chinese public hospitals as stronger in internal rules and regulations, and weaker in empowerment. Hospitals in which employees perceived that the culture emphasized cost control were more profitable and had higher rates of outpatient visits and bed days per physician per day but also had lower levels of patient satisfaction. Hospitals with cultures perceived as customer-focused had longer length of stay but lower patient satisfaction. Conclusions Managers in Chinese public hospitals should consider whether the culture of their organization will enable them to respond effectively to their changing environment. PMID:22092228

  10. Organizational culture and its relationship with hospital performance in public hospitals in China.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Ping; Bundorf, Kate; Le Chang, Ji; Huang, Jin Xin; Xue, Di

    2011-12-01

    To measure perceptions of organizational culture among employees of public hospitals in China and to determine whether perceptions are associated with hospital performance. Hospital, employee, and patient surveys from 87 Chinese public hospitals conducted during 2009. Developed and administered a tool to assess organizational culture in Chinese public hospitals. Used factor analysis to create measures of organizational culture. Analyzed the relationships between employee type and perceptions of culture and between perceptions of culture and hospital performance using multivariate models. Employees perceived the culture of Chinese public hospitals as stronger in internal rules and regulations, and weaker in empowerment. Hospitals in which employees perceived that the culture emphasized cost control were more profitable and had higher rates of outpatient visits and bed days per physician per day but also had lower levels of patient satisfaction. Hospitals with cultures perceived as customer-focused had longer length of stay but lower patient satisfaction. Managers in Chinese public hospitals should consider whether the culture of their organization will enable them to respond effectively to their changing environment. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  11. From cottage to community hospitals: Watlington Cottage Hospital and its regional context, 1874-2000.

    PubMed

    Hall, John

    2012-01-01

    The appearance in England from the 1850s of 'cottage hospitals' in considerable numbers constituted a new and distinctive form of hospital provision. The historiography of hospital care has emphasised the role of the large teaching hospitals, to the neglect of the smaller and general practitioner hospitals. This article inverts that attention, by examining their history and shift in function to 'community hospitals'within their regional setting in the period up to 2000. As the planning of hospitals on a regional basis began from the 1920s, the impact of NHS organisational and planning mechanisms on smaller hospitals is explored through case studies at two levels. The strategy for community hospitals of the Oxford NHS Region--one of the first Regions to formulate such a strategy--and the impact of that strategy on one hospital, Watlington Cottage Hospital, is critically examined through its existence from 1874 to 2000.

  12. The effects of health information technology adoption and hospital-physician integration on hospital efficiency.

    PubMed

    Cho, Na-Eun; Chang, Jongwha; Atems, Bebonchu

    2014-11-01

    To determine the impact of health information technology (HIT) adoption and hospital-physician integration on hospital efficiency. Using 2010 data from the American Hospital Association's (AHA) annual survey, the AHA IT survey, supplemented by the CMS Case Mix Index, and the US Census Bureau's small area income and poverty estimates, we examined how the adoption of HIT and employment of physicians affected hospital efficiency and whether they were substitutes or complements. The sample included 2173 hospitals. We employed a 2-stage approach. In the first stage, data envelopment analysis was used to estimate technical efficiency of hospitals. In the second stage, we used instrumental variable approaches, notably 2-stage least squares and the generalized method of moments, to examine the effects of IT adoption and integration on hospital efficiency. We found that HIT adoption and hospital-physician integration, when considered separately, each have statistically significant positive impacts on hospital efficiency. Also, we found that hospitals that adopted HIT with employed physicians will achieve less efficiency compared with hospitals that adopted HIT without employed physicians. Although HIT adoption and hospital-physician integration both seem to be key parts of improving hospital efficiency when one or the other is utilized individually, they can hurt hospital efficiency when utilized together.

  13. Hospitals' Internal Accountability

    PubMed Central

    Kraetschmer, Nancy; Jass, Janak; Woodman, Cheryl; Koo, Irene; Kromm, Seija K.; Deber, Raisa B.

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to enhance understanding of the dimensions of accountability captured and not captured in acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Based on an Ontario-wide survey and follow-up interviews with three acute care hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area, we found that the two dominant dimensions of hospital accountability being reported are financial and quality performance. These two dimensions drove both internal and external reporting. Hospitals' internal reports typically included performance measures that were required or mandated in external reports. Although respondents saw reporting as a valuable mechanism for hospitals and the health system to monitor and track progress against desired outcomes, multiple challenges with current reporting requirements were communicated, including the following: 58% of survey respondents indicated that performance-reporting resources were insufficient; manual data capture and performance reporting were prevalent, with the majority of hospitals lacking sophisticated tools or technology to effectively capture, analyze and report performance data; hospitals tended to focus on those processes and outcomes with high measurability; and 53% of respondents indicated that valuable cross-system accountability, performance measures or both were not captured by current reporting requirements. PMID:25305387

  14. Strengthening hospital nursing.

    PubMed

    Buerhaus, Peter I; Needleman, Jack; Mattke, Soeren; Stewart, Maureen

    2002-01-01

    Hospitals, nurses, the media, Congress, and the private sector are increasingly concerned about shortages of registered nurses (RNs) and the impact on safety and quality of patient care. Findings from a growing number of studies provide evidence of a relationship between hospital nurse staffing and adverse outcomes experienced by medical and surgical patients. These findings have policy implications for strengthening the nursing profession, monitoring the quality of hospital care associated with nursing, and improving the relationship between hospitals and the nursing profession.

  15. Facility evaluation of resigned hospital physicians:managerial implications for hospital physician manpower.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Kao-Chi; Lee, Tsung-Lin; Lin, Yen-Ju; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lai, Shih-Wei

    2016-12-01

    Turnover of physicians might be responsible for reducing patients' trust and affecting hospital performance. This study aimed to understand physicians' psychological status regarding their hospital work environment and the resources of independent practitioners. This was a cross-sectional study with 774 physicians who had resigned from hospitals and were now practicing privately in clinics in Taichung City as its study population. A mail survey with a multidimensional questionnaire was sent to each subject. This study revealed that older physicians were less satisfied regarding the work environment in their respective former hospitals. Male physicians were found to be more satisfied with the tangible resources of their hospitals. Internal medicine physicians were found to be less satisfied overall with the intangible resources. Gynecologists and pediatricians were found to be more satisfied with their hospital environments. The physicians who worked long hours per week reported that they were less satisfied with their job content. The physicians who had opportunities to learn advanced skills and enhance their knowledge were more satisfied with their hospital environment, tangible resources, and intangible resources. In addition, physicians in private hospitals were found to be more satisfied with their job content, but they were less satisfied with work motivation and retention and intangible resources. In addition, physicians who worked in hospitals located in Taichung city reported that they were less satisfied with their tangible resources than the physicians working in hospitals outside of the city. This study focused on the satisfaction of physicians who had already left their respective hospitals instead of current retained physicians. From this study, it is our recommendation that hospital managers should pay closer attention to the real needs and expectations of the physicians they employ, and managers should consider adjusting their managerial perspectives

  16. Substantial shifts in ranking of California hospitals by hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection following adjustment for hospital characteristics and case mix.

    PubMed

    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.

  17. The Relationship Between Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program Scores and Hospital Bond Ratings.

    PubMed

    Rangnekar, Anooja; Johnson, Tricia; Garman, Andrew; O'Neil, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Tax-exempt hospitals and health systems often borrow long-term debt to fund capital investments. Lenders use bond ratings as a standard metric to assess whether to lend funds to a hospital. Credit rating agencies have historically relied on financial performance measures and a hospital's ability to service debt obligations to determine bond ratings. With the growth in pay-for-performance-based reimbursement models, rating agencies are expanding their hospital bond rating criteria to include hospital utilization and value-based purchasing (VBP) measures. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the Hospital VBP domains--Clinical Process of Care, Patient Experience of Care, Outcome, and Medicare Spending per Beneficiary (MSPB)--and hospital bond ratings. Given the historical focus on financial performance, we hypothesized that hospital bond ratings are not associated with any of the Hospital VBP domains. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of all hospitals that were rated by Moody's for fiscal year 2012 and participated in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' VBP program as of January 2014 (N = 285). Of the 285 hospitals in the study, 15% had been assigned a bond rating of Aa, and 46% had been assigned an A rating. Using a binary logistic regression model, we found an association between MSPB only and bond ratings, after controlling for other VBP and financial performance scores; however, MSPB did not improve the overall predictive accuracy of the model. Inclusion of VBP scores in the methodology used to determine hospital bond ratings is likely to affect hospital bond ratings in the near term.

  18. Hospital board effectiveness: relationships between board training and hospital financial viability.

    PubMed

    Molinari, C; Morlock, L; Alexander, J; Lyles, C A

    1992-01-01

    This study examined whether hospital governing boards that invest in board education and training are more informed and effective decision-making bodies. Measures of hospital financial viability (i.e., selected financial ratios and outcomes) are used as indicators of hospital board effectiveness. Board participation in educational programs was significantly associated with improved profitability, liquidity, and occupancy levels, suggesting that investment in the education of directors is likely to enhance hospital viability and thus increase board effectiveness.

  19. Hospital days, hospitalization costs, and inpatient mortality among patients with mucormycosis: a retrospective analysis of US hospital discharge data

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Mucormycosis is a rare and potentially fatal fungal infection occurring primarily in severely immunosuppressed patients. Because it is so rare, reports in the literature are mainly limited to case reports or small case series. The aim of this study was to evaluate inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS), and costs among a matched sample of high-risk patients with and without mucormycosis in a large nationally representative database. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis using the 2003–2010 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project – Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS). The NIS is a nationally representative 20% sample of hospitalizations from acute care United States (US) hospitals, with survey weights available to compute national estimates. We classified hospitalizations into four mutually exclusive risk categories for mucormycosis: A- severely immunocompromised, B- critically ill, C- mildly/moderately immunocompromised, D- major surgery or pneumonia. Mucormycosis hospitalizations (“cases”) were identified by ICD-9-CM code 117.7. Non-mucormycosis hospitalizations (“non-cases”) were propensity-score matched to cases 3:1. We examined demographics, clinical characteristics, and hospital outcomes (mortality, LOS, costs). Weighted results were reported. Results From 319,366,817 total hospitalizations, 5,346 cases were matched to 15,999 non-cases. Cases and non-cases did not differ significantly in age (49.6 vs. 49.7 years), female sex (40.5% vs. 41.0%), White race (53.3% vs. 55.9%) or high-risk group (A-49.1% vs. 49.0%, B-20.0% vs. 21.8%, C-25.5% vs. 23.8%, D-5.5% vs. 5.4%). Cases experienced significantly higher mortality (22.1% vs. 4.4%, P < 0.001), with mean LOS and total costs more than 3-fold higher (24.5 vs. 8.0 days and $90,272 vs. $25,746; both P < 0.001). Conclusions In a national hospital database, hospitalizations with mucormycosis had significantly higher inpatient mortality, LOS, and hospital costs than matched

  20. Hospital Variation in Time to Epinephrine for Non-Shockable In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

    PubMed Central

    Khera, Rohan; Chan, Paul S.; Donnino, Michael; Girotra, Saket

    2016-01-01

    Background For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrests due to non-shockable rhythms, delays in epinephrine administration beyond 5 minutes is associated with worse survival. However, the extent of hospital variation in delayed epinephrine administration and its impact on hospital-level outcomes is unknown. Methods Within Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation, we identified 103,932 adult patients (≥18 years) at 548 hospitals with an in-hospital cardiac arrest due to a non-shockable rhythm who received at least 1 dose of epinephrine between 2000 to 2014. We constructed two-level hierarchical regression models to quantify hospital variation in rates of delayed epinephrine administration (>5 minutes) and its association with hospital rates of survival to discharge and survival with functional recovery. Results Overall, 13,213 (12.7%) patients had delays to epinephrine, and this rate varied markedly across hospitals (range: 0% to 53.8%). The odds of delay in epinephrine administration were 58% higher at one randomly selected hospital compared to a similar patient at another randomly selected hospitals (median odds ratio [OR] 1.58; 95% C.I. 1.51 – 1.64). Median risk-standardized survival rate was 12.0% (range: 5.4% to 31.9%) and risk-standardized survival with functional recovery was 7.4% (range: 0.9% to 30.8%). There was an inverse correlation between a hospital’s rate of delayed epinephrine administration and its risk-standardized rate of survival to discharge (ρ= −0.22, P<0.0001) and survival with functional recovery (ρ= −0.14, P=0.001). Compared to a median survival rate of 12.9% (interquartile range 11.1% to 15.4%) at hospitals in the lowest quartile of epinephrine delay, risk-standardized survival was 16% lower at hospitals in the quartile with the highest rate of epinephrine delays (10.8%, interquartile range: 9.7% to 12.7%). Conclusions Delays in epinephrine administration following in-hospital cardiac arrest are common and varies across hospitals

  1. Positioning hospitals: a model for regional hospitals.

    PubMed

    Reddy, A C; Campbell, D P

    1993-01-01

    In an age of marketing warfare in the health care industry, hospitals need creative strategies to compete successfully. Lately, positioning concepts have been added to the health care marketer's arsenal of strategies. To blend theory with practice, the authors review basic positioning theory and present a framework for developing positioning strategies. They also evaluate the marketing strategies of a regional hospital to provide a case example.

  2. Hospital enterprise Architecture Framework (Study of Iranian University Hospital Organization).

    PubMed

    Haghighathoseini, Atefehsadat; Bobarshad, Hossein; Saghafi, Fatehmeh; Rezaei, Mohammad Sadegh; Bagherzadeh, Nader

    2018-06-01

    Nowadays developing smart and fast services for patients and transforming hospitals to modern hospitals is considered a necessity. Living in the world inundated with information systems, designing services based on information technology entails a suitable architecture framework. This paper aims to present a localized enterprise architecture framework for the Iranian university hospital. Using two dimensions of implementation and having appropriate characteristics, the best 17 enterprises frameworks were chosen. As part of this effort, five criteria were selected according to experts' inputs. According to these criteria, five frameworks which had the highest rank were chosen. Then 44 general characteristics were extracted from the existing 17 frameworks after careful studying. Then a questionnaire was written accordingly to distinguish the necessity of those characteristics using expert's opinions and Delphi method. The result showed eight important criteria. In the next step, using AHP method, TOGAF was chosen regarding having appropriate characteristics and the ability to be implemented among reference formats. In the next step, enterprise architecture framework was designed by TOGAF in a conceptual model and its layers. For determining architecture framework parts, a questionnaire with 145 questions was written based on literature review and expert's opinions. The results showed during localization of TOGAF for Iran, 111 of 145 parts were chosen and certified to be used in the hospital. The results showed that TOGAF could be suitable for use in the hospital. So, a localized Hospital Enterprise Architecture Modelling is developed by customizing TOGAF for an Iranian hospital at eight levels and 11 parts. This new model could be used to be performed in other Iranian hospitals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. For-Profit Hospital Status and Rehospitalizations to Different Hospitals: An Analysis of Medicare Data

    PubMed Central

    Kind, Amy JH; Bartels, Christie; Mell, Matthew W; Mullahy, John; Smith, Maureen

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND About one-quarter of rehospitalized Medicare patients are admitted to hospitals different from their original. The extent to which this practice is related to for-profit hospital status, and impacts payments and mortality, is unknown. OBJECTIVE To describe and examine predictors of and payments for rehospitalization to a different hospital within 30 days among Medicare beneficiaries in for-profit and in not-for-profit/public hospitals. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Medicare fee-for-service hospitals throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS Random 5% national sample of Medicare beneficiaries with acute-care rehospitalizations within 30-days of discharge, 2005–2006 (N=74,564). MEASUREMENTS 30-day rehospitalizations to different hospitals; total payments/mortality over subsequent 30-days. Multivariate logistic and quantile regression models included index hospital for-profit status, discharge counts, geographic region, rural-urban commuting area, and teaching status; and patient sociodemographics, disabled status, comorbidities, and a measure of risk-adjustment. RESULTS 22% (16,622) of the sample was rehospitalized to a different hospital. Factors associated with increased risk for rehospitalization to a different hospital included being hospitalized within a for-profit, major medical school-affiliated, or low volume index hospital, and having a Medicare-defined disability. When compared to those rehospitalized to the same hospital, patients rehospitalized to different hospitals had significantly higher adjusted 30-day total payments (median additional $1,308/patient, p-value<0.001), but no significant differences in 30-day mortality, regardless of index hospital for-profit status. LIMITATIONS The analysis lacked detailed clinical data, and did not assess specific provider practice motivations or the role of patient choice. CONCLUSIONS Rehospitalizations to different hospitals are common among Medicare beneficiaries, more likely among those

  4. [Hospital governance and the structure of German hospital supervisory boards].

    PubMed

    Kuntz, L; Pulm, J; Wittland, M

    2014-06-01

    When thinking about corporate governance frequently the supervisory board comes to mind. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the participation of single professions in the supervisory board and hospital financial performance. Based on governance codes, relevant professions that should be part of the supervisory board are identified. With the help of a multiple regression, the relationship between the fractions of these professions in the supervisory board and the return on assets in the year 2009 is examined. The sample consists of 182 hospitals. The study shows that participation of physicians in the supervisory board is related to a higher return on assets. Furthermore, the association between the fractions of nurses and politicians and hospitals financial performance is ­negative. The composition of the supervisory board has a significant effect on hospital performance; it is an important issue for hospital owners. The present study identifies only one positive relationship between the involvement of physicians and financial performance. Other professions could be relevant in achieving other objectives. Further studies are necessary to analyse the effects on other dimensions of hospital performance, e. g., on quality. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. Total quality in acute care hospitals: guidelines for hospital managers.

    PubMed

    Holthof, B

    1991-08-01

    Quality improvement can not focus exclusively on peer review and the scientific evaluation of medical care processes. These essential elements have to be complemented with a focus on individual patient needs and preferences. Only then will hospitals create the competitive advantage needed to survive in an increasingly market-driven hospital industry. Hospital managers can identify these patients' needs by 'living the patient experience' and should then set the hospital's quality objectives according to its target patients and their needs. Excellent quality program design, however, is not sufficient. Successful implementation of a quality improvement program further requires fundamental changes in pivotal jobholders' behavior and mindset and in the supporting organizational design elements.

  6. 42 CFR 424.13 - Requirements for inpatient services of hospitals other than psychiatric hospitals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... other than psychiatric hospitals. 424.13 Section 424.13 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... other than psychiatric hospitals. (a) Content of certification and recertification. Medicare Part A pays for inpatient hospital services of hospitals other than psychiatric hospitals only if a physician...

  7. Is Hospital Teaching Status a Key Factor in Hospital Charge for Children with Hip Fractures?

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Yubo; Pugely, Andrew; Karam, Matthew; Phisitkul, Phinit; Mendoza, Sergio; Johnston, Richard C.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Proximal femur fractures cause significant pain and economic cost among pediatric patients. The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate the distribution by hospital type (teaching hospital vs non-teaching hospital) of U.S. pediatric patients aged 1-20 years who were hospitalized with a closed hip fracture and (b) to discern the mean hospital charge and hospital length of stay after employing propensity score to reduce selec-tion bias. METHODS The 2006 Healthcare Cost and Uti-lization Project (HCUP) Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) was queried for children aged up to 20 years that had principle diagnosis of hip fracture injury. Hip fractures were defined by International Classifi-cation of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modifica-tion codes 820.0, 820.2 and 820.8 under Section “Injury and Poisoning (800-999)” with principle internal fixation procedure codes 78.55, 79.15 and 79.35. Patient demographics and hospital status were presented and analyzed. Differences in mean hospital charge and hospital length of stay by hospital teaching status were assessed via two propensity score based methods. RESULTS In total, 1,827 patients were nation-ally included for analysis: 1,392 (76.2%) were treated at a teaching hospital and 435 (23.8%) were treated at a non-teaching hospital. The average age of the patients was 12.88 years old in teaching hospitals vs 14.33 years old in nonteaching hospitals. The propensity score based ad-justment method showed mean hospital charge was $34,779 in teaching hospitals and $32,891 in the non-teaching hospitals, but these differences were not significant (p=0.2940). Likewise, mean length of hospital stay was 4.1 days in teaching hospitals and 3.89 days in non-teaching hospitals, but these differences were also not significant (p=0.4220). Conclusions Hospital teaching status did not affect length of stay or total hospital costs in children treated surgically for proximal femur fractures. Future research should be directed at

  8. Hospital board effectiveness: relationships between governing board composition and hospital financial viability.

    PubMed Central

    Molinari, C; Morlock, L; Alexander, J; Lyles, C A

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. Two theories--agency and managerialism--are compared with respect to their usefulness in explaining the role of insiders on the hospital board: whether their participation enhances or impairs board financial decision making. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING. The study used 1985 hospital financial and governing board data for a representative sample of acute care California hospitals. STUDY DESIGN. Relationships were examined cross-sectionally between the presence or absence of insiders on the board and measures of hospital financial viability while controlling for the organizational factors of system affiliation, ownership, size, region, and corporate restructuring. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Multiple regression analysis found significant relationships between insider (CEO, medical staff) participation and hospital viability. CONCLUSIONS. These results support the managerial theory of governance by suggesting that the CEO and medical staff provide informational advantages to the hospital governing board. However, the cross-sectional design points to the need for future longitudinal studies in order to sequence these relationships between insider participation and improved hospital viability. PMID:8344824

  9. Medical Student Education in State Psychiatric Hospitals: A Survey of US State Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Nurenberg, Jeffry R; Schleifer, Steven J; Kennedy, Cheryl; Walker, Mary O; Mayerhoff, David

    2016-04-01

    State hospitals may be underutilized in medical education. US state psychiatric hospitals were surveyed on current and potential psychiatry medical student education. A 10-item questionnaire, with multiple response formats, was sent to identified hospitals in late 2012. Ninety-seven of 221 hospitals contacted responded. Fifty-three (55%) reported current medical student education programs, including 27 clinical clerkship rotations. Education and training in other disciplines was prevalent in hospitals both with and without medical students. The large majority of responders expressed enthusiasm about medical education. The most frequent reported barrier to new programs was geographic distance from the school. Limited resources were limiting factors for hospitals with and without current programs. Only a minority of US state hospitals may be involved in medical student education. While barriers such as geographic distance may be difficult to overcome, responses suggest opportunities for expanding medical education in the state psychiatric hospitals.

  10. Measuring Rural Hospital Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moscovice, Ira; Wholey, Douglas R.; Klingner, Jill; Knott, Astrid

    2004-01-01

    Increased interest in the measurement of hospital quality has been stimulated by accrediting bodies, purchaser coalitions, government agencies, and other entities. This paper examines quality measurement for hospitals in rural settings. We seek to identify rural hospital quality measures that reflect quality in all hospitals and that are sensitive…

  11. 42 CFR 486.322 - Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... access hospitals, and tissue banks. 486.322 Section 486.322 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Measures § 486.322 Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks. (a... hospital and critical access hospital staff. (c) Standard: Cooperation with tissue banks. (1) The OPO must...

  12. 42 CFR 486.322 - Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... access hospitals, and tissue banks. 486.322 Section 486.322 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Measures § 486.322 Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks. (a... hospital and critical access hospital staff. (c) Standard: Cooperation with tissue banks. (1) The OPO must...

  13. 42 CFR 486.322 - Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... access hospitals, and tissue banks. 486.322 Section 486.322 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Measures § 486.322 Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks. (a... hospital and critical access hospital staff. (c) Standard: Cooperation with tissue banks. (1) The OPO must...

  14. 42 CFR 486.322 - Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... access hospitals, and tissue banks. 486.322 Section 486.322 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Measures § 486.322 Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks. (a... hospital and critical access hospital staff. (c) Standard: Cooperation with tissue banks. (1) The OPO must...

  15. 42 CFR 486.322 - Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... access hospitals, and tissue banks. 486.322 Section 486.322 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... Measures § 486.322 Condition: Relationships with hospitals, critical access hospitals, and tissue banks. (a... hospital and critical access hospital staff. (c) Standard: Cooperation with tissue banks. (1) The OPO must...

  16. Severe Maternal Morbidity and Hospital Cost among Hospitalized Deliveries in the United States.

    PubMed

    Chen, Han-Yang; Chauhan, Suneet P; Blackwell, Sean C

    2018-05-03

     The objective of this study was to estimate the contemporary national rate of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and its associated hospital cost during delivery hospitalization.  We conducted a retrospective study identifying all delivery hospitalizations in the United States between 2011 and 2012. We used data from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The delivery hospitalizations with SMM were identified by having at least one of the 25 previously established list of diagnosis and procedure codes. Aggregate and mean hospital costs were estimated. A generalized linear regression model was used to examine the association between SMM and hospital costs.  Of 7,438,946 delivery hospitalizations identified, the rate of SMM was 154 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations. Without any SMM, the mean hospital cost was $4,300 and with any SMM, the mean hospital cost was $11,000. After adjustment, comparing to those without any SMM, the mean cost of delivery hospitalizations with any SMM was 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 2.1-2.2) times higher, and this ratio increases from 1.7-fold in those with only one SMM to 10.3-fold in those with five or more concurrent SMM.  The hospital cost with any SMM was 2.1 times higher than those without any SMM. Our findings highlight the need to identify interventions and guide research efforts to mitigate the rate of SMM and its economic burden. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  17. Hospital Choice of Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Patient, Hospital Attributes, and the Patient–Physician Relationship

    PubMed Central

    Tai, Wan-Tzu Connie; Porell, Frank W; Adams, E Kathleen

    2004-01-01

    Objective To examine how patient and hospital attributes and the patient–physician relationship influence hospital choice of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Data Sources Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) Provider of Services (POS) file, American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, and Medicare Hospital Service Area (HSA) files for 1994 and 1995. Study Design The study sample consisted of 1,702 hospitalizations of rural Medicare beneficiaries. McFadden's conditional logit model was used to analyze hospital choices of rural Medicare beneficiaries. The model included independent variables to control for patients' and hospitals' attributes and the distance to hospital alternatives. Principal Findings The empirical results show strong preferences of aged patients for closer hospitals and those of greater scale and service capacity. Patients with complex acute medical conditions and those with more resources were more likely to bypass their closest rural hospitals. Beneficiaries were more likely to bypass their closest rural hospital if they had no regular physician, had a shorter patient–physician tie, were dissatisfied with the availability of health care, and had a longer travel time to their physician's office. Conclusions The significant influences of patients' socioeconomic, health, and functional status, their satisfaction with and access to primary care, and their strong preferences for certain hospital attributes should inform federal program initiatives about the likely impacts of policy changes on hospital bypassing behavior. PMID:15533193

  18. Variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents: the role of discretionary hospitalizations.

    PubMed

    Carter, Mary W

    2003-08-01

    To examine variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents associated with discretionary hospitalization practices. Quarterly Medicaid case-mix reimbursement data from the state of Massachusetts served as the core data source for this study, which was linked with data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file (MEDPAR) to specify hospitalization status, nursing facility attribute data from the state of Massachusetts to specify facility-level organizational and structural attributes, and data from the Area Resource File (ARF) to specify area market-level attributes. Data spans three years (1991-1993) to produce a longitudinal analytical file containing 72,319 person-quarter-level observations. Two-step, multivariate logistic regression models were estimated for highly discretionary hospitalizations versus those containing less discretion, and low discretionary hospitalizations versus those containing greater amounts of physician discretion. Findings indicate that facility case-mix levels and area hospital bed supply levels contribute to variations in hospitalization rates among nursing home residents. Highly discretionary hospitalizations appear to be most sensitive to patient diagnoses best described as chronic, ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Findings suggest that defining hospitalizations simply in terms of whether an event occurs versus otherwise may obscure valuable information regarding the contribution of various risk factors to highly discretionary versus low discretionary hospitalization rates.

  19. Mobility in hospital work: towards a pervasive computing hospital environment.

    PubMed

    Morán, Elisa B; Tentori, Monica; González, Víctor M; Favela, Jesus; Martínez-Garcia, Ana I

    2007-01-01

    Handheld computers are increasingly being used by hospital workers. With the integration of wireless networks into hospital information systems, handheld computers can provide the basis for a pervasive computing hospital environment; to develop this designers need empirical information to understand how hospital workers interact with information while moving around. To characterise the medical phenomena we report the results of a workplace study conducted in a hospital. We found that individuals spend about half of their time at their base location, where most of their interactions occur. On average, our informants spent 23% of their time performing information management tasks, followed by coordination (17.08%), clinical case assessment (15.35%) and direct patient care (12.6%). We discuss how our results offer insights for the design of pervasive computing technology, and directions for further research and development in this field such as transferring information between heterogeneous devices and integration of the physical and digital domains.

  20. Competition among Turkish hospitals and its effect on hospital efficiency and service quality.

    PubMed

    Torun, Nazan; Celik, Yusuf; Younis, Mustafa Z

    2013-01-01

    The level of competition among hospitals in Turkey was analyzed for the years 1990 through 2006 using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). Multiple and simple regression analyses were run to observe the development of competition among hospitals over this period of time, to examine likely determinants of competition, and to calculate the effects of competition on efficiency and quality in individual hospitals. This study found that the level of competition among hospitals in Turkey has increased throughout the years. Also, competition has had a positive effect on the efficiency of hospitals; however, it did not have a significant positive effect on their quality. Moreover, there are important differences in the level of competition among hospitals that vary according to the geographical region, the type of ownership, and the type of hospital. This study is one of the first to evaluate the effects of health policies on competition as well as the effects of increasing competition on hospital quality and efficiency in Turkey.

  1. Hospital power structure and the democratization of hospital administration in Quebec.

    PubMed

    Eakin, J M

    1984-01-01

    In 1973, the Canadian Province of Quebec 'democratized' its hospital boards of directors by replacing the previous 'elite' boards by boards representative of the hospitals' major interest groups. This study looks at the impact of these participatory boards on the distribution of power within hospitals, particularly their effect on the hospital administrators' position of control in relation to their boards of directors and medical staff. Findings include a deterioration in the administrators' sense of organizational control, a weakening of the boards' authority over physicians, and a concentration of decision-making outside of the boardroom.

  2. Hospital benchmarking: are U.S. eye hospitals ready?

    PubMed

    de Korne, Dirk F; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen D H; Sol, Kees J C A; Betz, Robert; Thomas, Richard C; Schein, Oliver D; Klazinga, Niek S

    2012-01-01

    Benchmarking is increasingly considered a useful management instrument to improve quality in health care, but little is known about its applicability in hospital settings. The aims of this study were to assess the applicability of a benchmarking project in U.S. eye hospitals and compare the results with an international initiative. We evaluated multiple cases by applying an evaluation frame abstracted from the literature to five U.S. eye hospitals that used a set of 10 indicators for efficiency benchmarking. Qualitative analysis entailed 46 semistructured face-to-face interviews with stakeholders, document analyses, and questionnaires. The case studies only partially met the conditions of the evaluation frame. Although learning and quality improvement were stated as overall purposes, the benchmarking initiative was at first focused on efficiency only. No ophthalmic outcomes were included, and clinicians were skeptical about their reporting relevance and disclosure. However, in contrast with earlier findings in international eye hospitals, all U.S. hospitals worked with internal indicators that were integrated in their performance management systems and supported benchmarking. Benchmarking can support performance management in individual hospitals. Having a certain number of comparable institutes provide similar services in a noncompetitive milieu seems to lay fertile ground for benchmarking. International benchmarking is useful only when these conditions are not met nationally. Although the literature focuses on static conditions for effective benchmarking, our case studies show that it is a highly iterative and learning process. The journey of benchmarking seems to be more important than the destination. Improving patient value (health outcomes per unit of cost) requires, however, an integrative perspective where clinicians and administrators closely cooperate on both quality and efficiency issues. If these worlds do not share such a relationship, the added

  3. Sole Community Hospitals: Are They Different? A Statistical Analysis of the Hospitals and Their Treatment under TEFRA and PPS. Hospital Studies Program. Hospital Cost and Utilization Project. Research Note 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farley, Dean E.

    A study examined the treatment of sole community hospitals under the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA) and the Prospective Payment System (PPS) for Medicare as compared to the treatment of hospitals not designated as sole community hospitals under these same two policy guidelines. (A sole community hospital is defined as a…

  4. Age Differences in Hospital Mortality for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Implications for Hospital Profiling.

    PubMed

    Dharmarajan, Kumar; McNamara, Robert L; Wang, Yongfei; Masoudi, Frederick A; Ross, Joseph S; Spatz, Erica E; Desai, Nihar R; de Lemos, James A; Fonarow, Gregg C; Heidenreich, Paul A; Bhatt, Deepak L; Bernheim, Susannah M; Slattery, Lara E; Khan, Yosef M; Curtis, Jeptha P

    2017-10-17

    Publicly reported hospital risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are calculated for Medicare beneficiaries. Outcomes for older patients with AMI may not reflect general outcomes. To examine the relationship between hospital 30-day RSMRs for older patients (aged ≥65 years) and those for younger patients (aged 18 to 64 years) and all patients (aged ≥18 years) with AMI. Retrospective cohort study. 986 hospitals in the ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network) Registry-Get With the Guidelines. Adults hospitalized for AMI from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2014. Hospital 30-day RSMRs were calculated for older, younger, and all patients using an electronic health record measure of AMI mortality endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Hospitals were ranked by their 30-day RSMRs for these 3 age groups, and agreement in rankings was plotted. The correlation in hospital AMI achievement scores for each age group was also calculated using the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) Program method computed with the electronic health record measure. 267 763 and 276 031 AMI hospitalizations among older and younger patients, respectively, were identified. Median hospital 30-day RSMRs were 9.4%, 3.0%, and 6.2% for older, younger, and all patients, respectively. Most top- and bottom-performing hospitals for older patients were neither top nor bottom performers for younger patients. In contrast, most top and bottom performers for older patients were also top and bottom performers for all patients. Similarly, HVBP achievement scores for older patients correlated weakly with those for younger patients (R = 0.30) and strongly with those for all patients (R = 0.92). Minority of U.S. hospitals. Hospital mortality rankings for older patients with AMI inconsistently reflect rankings for younger patients. Incorporation of younger patients into assessment of hospital outcomes would permit further examination of the

  5. In-Hospital Ischemic Stroke

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Between 2.2% and 17% of all strokes have symptom onset during hospitalization in a patient originally admitted for another diagnosis or procedure. These in-hospital strokes represent a unique population with different risk factors, more mimics, and substantially worsened outcomes compared to community-onset strokes. The fact that these strokes manifest during the acute care hospitalization, in patients with higher rates of thrombolytic contraindications, creates distinct challenges for treatment. However, the best evidence suggests benefit to treating appropriately selected in-hospital ischemic strokes with thrombolysis. Evidence points toward a “quality gap” for in-hospital stroke with longer in-hospital delays to evaluation and treatment, lower rates of evaluation for etiology, and decreased adherence to consensus quality process measures of care. This quality gap for in-hospital stroke represents a focused opportunity for quality improvement. PMID:26288675

  6. Using the Hospital Nutrition Environment Scan to Evaluate Health Initiative in Hospital Cafeterias.

    PubMed

    Derrick, Jennifer Willahan; Bellini, Sarah Gunnell; Spelman, Julie

    2015-11-01

    Health-promoting environments advance health and prevent chronic disease. Hospitals have been charged to promote health and wellness to patients, communities, and 5.3 million adults employed in United States health care environments. In this cross-sectional observational study, the Hospital Nutrition Environment Scan (HNES) was used to measure the nutrition environment of hospital cafeterias and evaluate the influence of the LiVe Well Plate health initiative. Twenty-one hospitals in the Intermountain West region were surveyed between October 2013 and May 2014. Six hospitals participated in the LiVe Well Plate health initiative and were compared with 15 hospitals not participating. The LiVe Well Plate health initiative identified and promoted a healthy meal defined as <600 kcal, <700 mg sodium, and <30% fat. Signage with nutrition information and health initiative branding were also posted at point of purchase. Hospital cafeterias were scored on four subcategories: facilitators and barriers, grab-and-go items, menu offerings, and selection options at point of purchase. Overall, hospitals scored 35.3±13.7 (range=7 to 63) points of 86 total possible points. Cafeterias in health initiative hospitals had significantly higher mean nutrition composite scores compared with non-health initiative hospitals (49.2 vs 29.7; P<0.001). Promoting healthy entrées with nutrition information and branding has a positive influence on the nutrition environment of hospital cafeterias. Additional research is needed to quantify and strategize ways to improve nutrition environments within hospital cafeterias and assess the influence on healthy lifestyle behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    PubMed

    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

  8. [Smoking prevalence in hospital workers: meta-analysis in 45 Catalan hospitals].

    PubMed

    Martínez, Cristina; Martínez-Sánchez, Jose M; Antón, Laura; Riccobene, Anna; Fu, Marcela; Quirós, Nuria; Saltó, Esteve; Fernández, Esteve

    2016-01-01

    To estimate the prevalence of smoking in workers from hospitals within the Catalan Network for Smoke-free hospitals from 2009 to 2012 according to workers' sociodemographic characteristics and the type of hospital. A meta-analysis was performed of prevalence surveys from representative samples of workers from 45 hospitals. The combined prevalence for all hospitals was calculated using a regression model with a random effects model weighted by sample size. The overall prevalence of smoking was 28.1% (95%CI: 26.1 to 30.0%) with a maximum and minimum of 40.3% and 19.1%, respectively. The health professionals with the lowest prevalence of smoking were physicians (16.4%; 95%CI: 12.9 to 19.9) and nurses (25.4%; 95%CI 21.6 to 29.2). The prevalence of smoking in hospital health workers was lower than in the general population of working age. Physicians were the group with the lowest smoking prevalence. Smoking cessation should be promoted among other professional groups. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  9. [Screening for malnutrition among hospitalized patients in a Colombian University Hospital].

    PubMed

    Cruz, Viviana; Bernal, Laura; Buitrago, Giancarlo; Ruiz, Álvaro J

    2017-04-01

    On admission, 30 to 50% of hospitalized patients have some degree of malnutrition, which is associated with longer length of stay, higher rates of complications, mortality and greater costs. To determine the frequency of screening for risk of malnutrition in medical records and assess the usefulness of the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST). In a cross-sectional study, we searched for malnutrition screening in medical records, and we applied the MST tool to hospitalized patients at the Internal Medicine Wards of San Ignacio University Hospital. Of 295 patients included, none had been screened for malnutrition since hospital admission. Sixty one percent were at nutritional risk, with a higher prevalence among patients with HIV (85.7%), cancer (77.5%) and pneumonia. A positive MST result was associated with a 3.2 days increase in length of hospital stay (p = 0.024). The prevalence of malnutrition risk in hospitalized patients is high, but its screening is inadequate and it is underdiagnosed. The MST tool is simple, fast, low-cost, and has a good diagnostic performance.

  10. Hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Santos, Thiago R; Penm, Jonathan; Baldoni, André O; Ayres, Lorena Rocha; Moles, Rebekah; Sanches, Cristina

    2018-01-04

    This study aims to describe the distribution of the hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil. Data were acquired, during 2016, through the Brazilian National Database of Healthcare Facilities (CNES). The following variables were extracted: hospital name, registry number, telephone, e-mail, state, type of institution, subtype, management nature, ownership, presence of research/teaching activities, complexity level, number of hospital beds, presence of pharmacists, number of pharmacists, pharmacist specialization. All statistical analyses were performed by IBM SPSS v.19. The number of hospitals with a complete registry in the national database was 4790. The majority were general hospitals (77.9%), managed by municipalities (66.1%), under public administration (44.0%), had no research/teaching activities (90.5%), classified as medium complexity (71.6%), and had no pharmacist in their team (50.6%). Furthermore, almost 60.0% of hospitals did not comply with the minimum recommendations of having a pharmacist per 50 hospital beds. The Southeast region had the highest prevalence of pharmacists, with 64.4% of hospitals having a pharmaceutical professional. This may have occurred as this region had the highest population to hospital ratio. Non-profit hospitals were more likely to have pharmacists compared to those under public administration and private hospitals. This study mapped the hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil, showing a higher prevalence of hospital pharmacists in the Southeast region, and in non-profit specialized hospitals.

  11. Sustainability and scalability of the hospital elder life program at a community hospital.

    PubMed

    Rubin, Fred H; Neal, Kelly; Fenlon, Kerry; Hassan, Shuja; Inouye, Sharon K

    2011-02-01

    The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), an effective intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized adults, has been successfully replicated in a community teaching hospital as a quality improvement project. This article reports on successfully sustaining the program over 7 years and expanding its scale from one to six inpatient units at the same hospital. The program currently serves more than 7,000 older patients annually and is accepted as the standard of care throughout the hospital. Innovations that enhanced scalability and widespread implementation included ensuring dedicated staffing for the program, local adaptations to streamline protocols, continuous recruitment of volunteers, and more-efficient data collection. Outcomes include a lower rate of incident delirium; shorter length of stay (LOS); greater satisfaction of patients, families, and nursing staff; and significantly lower costs for the hospital. The financial return of the program, estimated at more than $7.3 million per year during 2008, comprises cost savings from delirium prevention and revenue generated from freeing up hospital beds (shorter LOS of HELP patients with and without delirium). Delirium poses a major challenge for hospital quality of care, patient safety, Medicare no-pay conditions, and costs of hospital care for older persons. Faced with rising numbers of elderly patients, hospitals can use HELP to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.

  12. The effect of hospital-acquired infection with Clostridium difficile on length of stay in hospital.

    PubMed

    Forster, Alan J; Taljaard, Monica; Oake, Natalie; Wilson, Kumanan; Roth, Virginia; van Walraven, Carl

    2012-01-10

    The effect of hospital-acquired infection with Clostridium difficile on length of stay in hospital is not yet fully understood. We determined the independent impact of hospital-acquired infection with C. difficile on length of stay in hospital. We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of admissions to hospital between July 1, 2002, and Mar. 31, 2009, at a single academic hospital. We measured the association between infection with hospital-acquired C. difficile and time to discharge from hospital using Kaplan-Meier methods and a Cox multivariable proportional hazards regression model. We controlled for baseline risk of death and accounted for C. difficile as a time-varying effect. Hospital-acquired infection with C. difficile was identified in 1393 of 136,877 admissions to hospital (overall risk 1.02%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97%-1.06%). The crude median length of stay in hospital was greater for patients with hospital-acquired C. difficile (34 d) than for those without C. difficile (8 d). Survival analysis showed that hospital-acquired infection with C. difficile increased the median length of stay in hospital by six days. In adjusted analyses, hospital-acquired C. difficile was significantly associated with time to discharge, modified by baseline risk of death and time to acquisition of C. difficile. The hazard ratio for discharge by day 7 among patients with hospital-acquired C. difficile was 0.55 (95% CI 0.39-0.70) for patients in the lowest decile of baseline risk of death and 0.45 (95% CI 0.32-0.58) for those in the highest decile; for discharge by day 28, the corresponding hazard ratios were 0.74 (95% CI 0.60-0.87) and 0.61 (95% CI 0.53-0.68). Hospital-acquired infection with C. difficile significantly prolonged length of stay in hospital independent of baseline risk of death.

  13. Reconfiguration of acute care hospitals in post-socialist Serbia: spatial distribution of hospital beds.

    PubMed

    Matejic, Marko

    2017-04-01

    In the context of healthcare reforms in post-socialist Serbia, this research analyses the reconfiguration of acute care hospitals from the aspect of the spatial distribution of hospital beds among and within state-owned hospitals. The research builds a relationship between the macro or national level and the micro or hospital level of the spatial distribution of hospital beds. The aim of the study is to point out that a high level of efficiency in hospital functionality is difficult to achieve within the current hospital network and architectural-urban patterns of hospitals, and to draw attention to the necessity of a strategically planned hospital spatial reconfiguration, conducted simultaneously with other segments of the healthcare system reform. The research analyses published and unpublished data presented in tables and diagrams. The theoretical platform of the research covers earlier discussions of the Yugoslav healthcare system, its post-socialist reforms and the experiences of developed countries. The results show that the hospital bed distribution has not undergone significant changes, while the hospital spatial reconfiguration has either not been carried out at all or, if it has, only on a small scale. All this has contributed to overall inadequate, inflexible, inefficient, defragmented and unequal bed distribution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Determinants of the direct cost of heart failure hospitalization in a public tertiary hospital.

    PubMed

    Parissis, John; Athanasakis, Kostas; Farmakis, Dimitrios; Boubouchairopoulou, Nadia; Mareti, Christina; Bistola, Vasiliki; Ikonomidis, Ignatios; Kyriopoulos, John; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Lekakis, John

    2015-02-01

    Heart failure (HF) is the first reason for hospital admission in the elderly and represents a major financial burden, the greatest part of which results from hospitalization costs. We sought to analyze current HF hospitalization-related expenditure and identify predictors of cost in a public tertiary hospital in Europe. We performed a retrospective chart review of 197 consecutive patients, aged 56±16years, 80% male, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 30±10%, hospitalized for HF in a major university hospital in Athens, Greece. The survey involved the number of hospitalization days, laboratory investigations and medical therapies. Patients who were hospitalized in CCU/ICU or underwent interventional procedures or device implantations were excluded from analysis. Costs were estimated based on the Greek healthcare system perspective in 2013. Patients were hospitalized for a median of 7 days with a total direct cost of €3198±3260/patient. The largest part of the expenses (79%) was attributed to hospitalization (ward), while laboratory investigations and medical treatment accounted for 17% and 4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, pre-admission New York Heart Association NYHA class (p=0.001), serum creatinine (p=0.003) and NT-proBNP (p=0.004) were significant independent predictors of hospitalization cost. Direct cost of HF hospitalization is high particularly in patients with more severe symptoms, profound neurohormonal activation and renal dysfunction. Strategies to lower hospitalization rates are warranted in the current setting of financial constraints faced by many European countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Current status of nutritional support for hospitalized children: a nationwide hospital-based survey in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seung; Lee, Eun Hye; Yang, Hye Ran

    2018-06-01

    The prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized children ranges between 12% and 24%. Although the consequences of hospital malnutrition are enormous, it is often unrecognized and untreated. The aim of this study was to identify the current status of in-hospital nutrition support for children in South Korea by carrying out a nationwide hospital-based survey. Out of 345 general and tertiary hospitals in South Korea, a total of 53 institutes with pediatric gastroenterologists and more than 10 pediatric inpatients were selected. A questionnaire was developed by the nutrition committee of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The questionnaires were sent to pediatric gastroenterologists in each hospital. Survey was performed by e-mails. Forty hospitals (75.5%) responded to the survey; 23 of them were tertiary hospitals, and 17 of them were general hospitals. Only 21 hospitals (52.5%) had all the required nutritional support personnel (including pediatrician, nutritionist, pharmacist, and nurse) assigned to pediatric patients. Routine nutritional screening was performed in 22 (55.0%) hospitals on admission, which was lower than that in adult patients (65.8%). Nutritional screening tools varied among hospitals; 33 of 40 (82.5%) hospitals used their own screening tools. The most frequently used nutritional assessment parameters were weight, height, hemoglobin, and serum albumin levels. In our nationwide hospital-based survey, the most frequently reported main barriers of nutritional support in hospitals were lack of manpower and excessive workload, followed by insufficient knowledge and experience. Although this nationwide hospital-based survey targeted general and tertiary hospitals with pediatric gastroenterologists, manpower and medical resources for nutritional support were still insufficient for hospitalized children, and nutritional screening was not routinely performed in many hospitals. More attention to hospital malnutrition

  16. What happens in hospitals does not stay in hospitals: antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital wastewater systems.

    PubMed

    Hocquet, D; Muller, A; Bertrand, X

    2016-08-01

    Hospitals are hotspots for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and play a major role in both their emergence and spread. Large numbers of these ARB will be ejected from hospitals via wastewater systems. In this review, we present quantitative and qualitative data of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in hospital wastewaters compared to community wastewaters. We also discuss the fate of these ARB in wastewater treatment plants and in the downstream environment. Published studies have shown that hospital effluents contain ARB, the burden of these bacteria being dependent on their local prevalence. The large amounts of antimicrobials rejected in wastewater exert a continuous selective pressure. Only a few countries recommend the primary treatment of hospital effluents before their discharge into the main wastewater flow for treatment in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Despite the lack of conclusive data, some studies suggest that treatment could favour the ARB, notably ESBL-producing E. coli. Moreover, treatment plants are described as hotspots for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial species. Consequently, large amounts of ARB are released in the environment, but it is unclear whether this release contributes to the global epidemiology of these pathogens. It is reasonable, nevertheless, to postulate that it plays a role in the worldwide progression of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial resistance should now be seen as an 'environmental pollutant', and new wastewater treatment processes must be assessed for their capability in eliminating ARB, especially from hospital effluents. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Herpes Zoster Associated Hospital Admissions in Italy: Review of the Hospital Discharge Forms

    PubMed Central

    Gabutti, Giovanni; Serenelli, Carlotta; Cavallaro, Alessandra; Ragni, Pietro

    2009-01-01

    In Italy a specific surveillance system for zoster does not exist, and thus updated and complete epidemiological data are lacking. The objective of this study was to retrospectively review the national hospital discharge forms database for the period 1999–2005 using the code ICD9-CM053. In the period 1999–2005, 35,328 hospital admissions have been registered with annual means of 4,503 hospitalizations and 543 day-hospital admissions. The great part of hospitalizations (61.9%) involved subjects older than 65 years; the mean duration of stay was 8 days. These data, even if restricted to hospitalizations registered at national level, confirm the epidemiological impact of shingles and of its complications. PMID:19826547

  18. Financial impact of surgical site infections on hospitals: the hospital management perspective.

    PubMed

    Shepard, John; Ward, William; Milstone, Aaron; Carlson, Taylor; Frederick, John; Hadhazy, Eric; Perl, Trish

    2013-10-01

    Surgical site infections (SSIs) may increase health care costs, but few studies have conducted an analysis from the perspective of hospital administrators. To determine the change in hospital profit due to SSIs. Retrospective study of data from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2010. The study was performed at 4 of The Johns Hopkins Health System acute care hospitals in Maryland: Johns Hopkins Bayview (560 beds); Howard County General Hospital (238 beds); The Johns Hopkins Hospital (946 beds); and Suburban Hospital (229 beds). Eligible patients for the study included those patients admitted to the 4 hospitals between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, with complete data and the correct International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code, as determined by the infection preventionist. Infection preventionists performed complete medical record review using National Healthcare Safety Network definitions to identify SSIs. Patients were stratified using the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups to estimate the change in hospital profit due to SSIs. Surgical site infections. The outcomes of the study were the difference in daily total charges, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission rate, and profit for patients with an SSI when compared with patients without an SSI. The hypothesis, formulated prior to data collection, that patients with an SSI have higher daily total costs, a longer LOS, and higher 30-day readmission rates than patients without an SSI, was tested using a nonpaired Mann-Whitney U test, an analysis of covariance, and a Pearson χ2 test. Hospital charges were used as a proxy for hospital cost. RESULTS The daily total charges, mean LOS, and 30-day readmission rate for patients with an SSI compared with patients without an SSI were $7493 vs $7924 (P = .99); 10.56 days vs 5.64 days (P < .001); and 51.94 vs 8.19 readmissions per 100 procedures (P < .001). The change in profit due SSIs was $2 268 589. The data suggest that

  19. The Impact of Setting the Standards of Health Promoting Hospitals on Hospital Indicators in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Amiri, Mohammad; Khosravi, Ahmad; Riyahi, Leila

    2016-01-01

    Hospitals play a critical role in the health promotion of the society. This study aimed to determine the impact of establishing standards of health promoting hospitals on hospital indicators in Shahroud. This applied study was a quasi-experimental one which was conducted in 2013. Standards of health promoting hospitals were established as an intervention procedure in the Fatemiyeh hospital. Parameters of health promoting hospitals were compared in intervention and control hospitals before and after of intervention (6 months). The data were analyzed using chi-square and t-test. With the establishment of standards for health promotion hospitals, standard scores in intervention and control hospitals were found to be 72.26 ± 4.1 and 16.26 ± 7.5, respectively. T-test showed a significant difference between the mean scores of the hospitals under study (P = 0.001).The chi-square test also showed a significant relationship between patient satisfaction before and after the intervention so that patients’ satisfaction was higher after the intervention (P = 0.001). Commenting on the short-term or long-term positive impacts of establishing standards of health promoting hospitals on all hospital indicators is a bit difficult but preliminary results show the positive impact of the implementation of standards in case hospitals which has led to the improvement of many indicators in the hospital. PMID:27959930

  20. The hospital incident command system: modified model for hospitals in iran.

    PubMed

    Djalali, Ahmadreza; Hosseinijenab, Vahid; Peyravi, Mahmoudreza; Nekoei-Moghadam, Mahmood; Hosseini, Bashir; Schoenthal, Lisa; Koenig, Kristi L

    2015-03-27

    Effectiveness of hospital management of disasters requires a well-defined and rehearsed system. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), as a standardized method for command and control, was established in Iranian hospitals, but it has performed fairly during disaster exercises. This paper describes the process for, and modifications to HICS undertaken to optimize disaster management in hospitals in Iran. In 2013, a group of 11 subject matter experts participated in an expert consensus modified Delphi to develop modifications to the 2006 version of HICS. The following changes were recommended by the expert panel and subsequently implemented: 1) A Quality Control Officer was added to the Command group; 2) Security was defined as a new section; 3) Infrastructure and Business Continuity Branches were moved from the Operations Section to the Logistics and the Administration Sections, respectively; and 4) the Planning Section was merged within the Finance/Administration Section. An expert consensus group developed a modified HICS that is more feasible to implement given the managerial organization of hospitals in Iran. This new model may enhance hospital performance in managing disasters. Additional studies are needed to test the feasibility and efficacy of the modified HICS in Iran, both during simulations and actual disasters. This process may be a useful model for other countries desiring to improve disaster incident management systems for their hospitals.

  1. Do hospitals cross-subsidize?

    PubMed Central

    David, Guy; Lindrooth, Richard C.; Helmchen, Lorens A.; Burns, Lawton R.

    2017-01-01

    Despite its salience as a regulatory tool to ensure the delivery of unprofitable medical services, cross-subsidization of services within hospital systems has been notoriously difficult to detect and quantify. We use repeated shocks to a profitable service in the market for hospital-based medical care to test for cross-subsidization of unprofitable services. Using patient-level data from general short-term hospitals in Arizona and Colorado before and after entry by cardiac specialty hospitals, we study how incumbent hospitals adjusted their provision of three uncontested services that are widely considered to be unprofitable. We estimate that the hospitals most exposed to entry reduced their provision of psychiatric, substance-abuse, and trauma care services at a rate of about one uncontested-service admission for every four cardiac admissions they stood to lose. Although entry by single-specialty hospitals may adversely affect the provision of unprofitable uncontested services, these findings warrant further evaluation of service-line cross-subsidization as a means to finance them. PMID:25062300

  2. Hospital Dermatology, Introduction.

    PubMed

    Fox, Lindy P

    2017-03-01

    Inpatient dermatology is emerging as a distinct dermatology subspecialty where dermatologists specialize in caring for patients hospitalized with skin disease. While the main focus of inpatient dermatology is the delivery of top-quality and timely dermatologic care to patients in the hospital setting, the practice of hospital-based dermatology has many additional components that are critical to its success. ©2017 Frontline Medical Communications.

  3. Relative performance of for-profit psychiatric hospitals in investor-owned systems and nonprofit psychiatric hospitals.

    PubMed

    McCue, M J; Clement, J P

    1993-01-01

    The authors analyzed the differences in operational and financial performance between 42 matched pairs of for-profit psychiatric hospitals belonging to multifacility organizations and nonprofit psychiatric hospitals for the fiscal years ending in 1986 through 1990. The pairs of short-term hospitals were matched according to location, standard metropolitan statistical area, or wage index. Analyses were based on data on these hospitals from the Health Care Financing Administration. The groups of variables studied included the hospitals' operational performance and productivity, profitability and payer mix, revenue and expenses, and capital structure. Differences in the mean values of the variables for the for-profit hospitals and the nonprofit hospitals were analyzed by pairwise t tests. The for-profit organization hospitals had significantly higher net revenue, lower salary expenses, and higher profits than the nonprofit hospitals. Patients in the for-profit hospitals had longer stays, and these hospitals had fewer full-time employees per adjusted inpatient day and per adjusted discharge. The higher prices and operating margins of the for-profit hospitals belonging to investor-owned systems reflect the profit-maximizing goal of these facilities. The ability of for-profit organization hospitals to achieve economies of scale in expenses, however, was not evident except in the case of salary expenses.

  4. A multicenter qualitative study on preventing hospital-acquired urinary tract infection in US hospitals.

    PubMed

    Saint, Sanjay; Kowalski, Christine P; Forman, Jane; Damschroder, Laura; Hofer, Timothy P; Kaufman, Samuel R; Creswell, John W; Krein, Sarah L

    2008-04-01

    Although urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection, there is little information about why hospitals use or do not use a range of available preventive practices. We thus conducted a multicenter study to understand better how US hospitals approach the prevention of hospital-acquired UTI. This research is part of a larger study employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. The qualitative phase consisted of 38 semistructured phone interviews with key personnel at 14 purposefully sampled US hospitals and 39 in-person interviews at 5 of those 14 hospitals, to identify recurrent and unifying themes that characterize how hospitals have addressed hospital-acquired UTI. Four recurrent themes emerged from our study data. First, although preventing hospital-acquired UTI was a low priority for most hospitals, there was substantial recognition of the value of early removal of a urinary catheter for patients. Second, those hospitals that made UTI prevention a high priority also focused on noninfectious complications and had committed advocates, or "champions," who facilitated prevention activities. Third, hospital-specific pilot studies were important in deciding whether or not to use devices such as antimicrobial-impregnated catheters. Finally, external forces, such as public reporting, influenced UTI surveillance and infection prevention activities. Clinicians and policy makers can use our findings to develop initiatives that, for example, use a champion to promote the removal of unnecessary urinary catheters or exploit external forces, such public reporting, to enhance patient safety.

  5. Hospitality as an Environmental Metaphor.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horwood, Bert

    1991-01-01

    Compares stewardship and hospitality as they relate to the biosphere. Traces the origin of the word "hospitality," discusses cultural traditions of hospitality, and applies the concept of hospitality to the natural world. Considers forms of symbiosis in nature: commensals, mutualism, and parasitism. Hospitality promotes respect,…

  6. The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: potential unintended consequences for hospitals serving vulnerable populations.

    PubMed

    Gu, Qian; Koenig, Lane; Faerberg, Jennifer; Steinberg, Caroline Rossi; Vaz, Christopher; Wheatley, Mary P

    2014-06-01

    To explore the impact of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) on hospitals serving vulnerable populations. Medicare inpatient claims to calculate condition-specific readmission rates. Medicare cost reports and other sources to determine a hospital's share of duals, profit margin, and characteristics. Regression analyses and projections were used to estimate risk-adjusted readmission rates and financial penalties under the HRRP. Findings were compared across groups of hospitals, determined based on their share of duals, to assess differential impacts of the HRRP. Both patient dual-eligible status and a hospital's dual-eligible share of Medicare discharges have a positive impact on risk-adjusted hospital readmission rates. Under current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service methodology, which does not adjust for socioeconomic status, high-dual hospitals are more likely to have excess readmissions than low-dual hospitals. As a result, HRRP penalties will disproportionately fall on high-dual hospitals, which are more likely to have negative all-payer margins, raising concerns of unintended consequences of the program for vulnerable populations. Policies to reduce hospital readmissions must balance the need to ensure continued access to quality care for vulnerable populations. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  7. The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Potential Unintended Consequences for Hospitals Serving Vulnerable Populations

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Qian; Koenig, Lane; Faerberg, Jennifer; Steinberg, Caroline Rossi; Vaz, Christopher; Wheatley, Mary P

    2014-01-01

    Objective To explore the impact of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) on hospitals serving vulnerable populations. Data Sources/Study Setting Medicare inpatient claims to calculate condition-specific readmission rates. Medicare cost reports and other sources to determine a hospital's share of duals, profit margin, and characteristics. Study Design Regression analyses and projections were used to estimate risk-adjusted readmission rates and financial penalties under the HRRP. Findings were compared across groups of hospitals, determined based on their share of duals, to assess differential impacts of the HRRP. Principal Findings Both patient dual-eligible status and a hospital's dual-eligible share of Medicare discharges have a positive impact on risk-adjusted hospital readmission rates. Under current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service methodology, which does not adjust for socioeconomic status, high-dual hospitals are more likely to have excess readmissions than low-dual hospitals. As a result, HRRP penalties will disproportionately fall on high-dual hospitals, which are more likely to have negative all-payer margins, raising concerns of unintended consequences of the program for vulnerable populations. Conclusions Policies to reduce hospital readmissions must balance the need to ensure continued access to quality care for vulnerable populations. PMID:24417309

  8. Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Psychiatric Inpatients Hospitalized Involuntarily and Voluntarily in a Mental Health Hospital

    PubMed Central

    GÜLTEKİN, Bülent Kadri; ÇELİK, Seda; TİHAN, Aysu; BEŞKARDEŞ, Ali Fuat; SEZER, Umut

    2013-01-01

    Introduction In this study, we aimed to investigate and compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of psychiatric inpatients hospitalized involuntarily and voluntarily. To our knowledge, there is no study analyzing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in our country. Method In this retrospective study, we included a total of 504 patients who were involuntarily or voluntarily hospitalized in Bolu Izzet Baysal Mental Health Hospital between 1st of May and 31st October 2010. The data were obtained from the hospital records. Result In the 6-month period, 13.1% of 504 inpatients were hospitalized involuntarily. The number of male patients who were involuntarily hospitalized was higher than the number of female patients. Most of the patients in the involuntary hospitalized group were graduates of primary school, were not married and were not working at the time of hospitalization. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis in the involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients and these patients needed longer stay in the hospital. The next hospitalization of the involuntarily hospitalized patients was mostly involuntary. Conclusion Most of the involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric inpatients were male, were not working and had the diagnosis of schizophrenia. These general psychiatric risk factors were more important in involuntary hospitalization compared to voluntary hospitalization. We concluded that the high prevalence of involuntary hospitalizations deserved further studies. PMID:28360546

  9. [Hospitalization due to skin diseases at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (Beirut), 1998-2007].

    PubMed

    Maatouk, Ismaël; Moutran, Roy; Tomb, Roland

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to determine retrospectively the nature and frequency of dermatological diseases leading to hospitalization at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (HDF) in Beirut, between 1998 and 2007 and to compare them with literature data. For the patients who were hospitalized in dermatology at HDF, we studied: demographics, diagnosis of hospitalization, length of stay, service, mode of financial support, in-hospital evolution, diagnostic tests and treatment. The data were processed by SPSS program. Alopecia areata, psoriatic erythroderma, acute urticaria and vasculitic purpura are the top four diagnoses (85% of hospitalizations). The third of the patients was admitted to same day care. The financial support of the hospitalization is based primarily on public insurance (57.6%). Corticosteroids are the most widely used treatment for patients in dermatology hospital with a frequency of 59.8%. The number of hospitalizations peaked at 44 in 2002 and since then has been declining (11 hospitalizations in 2007). Pathologies encountered in hospital are different from those encountered during consultation. Management of skin diseases on an outpatient basis is often insufficient. In the literature, no profile of skin diseases leading to hospitalization is similar to our study.

  10. Healthcare technologies, quality improvement programs and hospital organizational culture in Canadian hospitals

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Healthcare technology and quality improvement programs have been identified as a means to influence healthcare costs and healthcare quality in Canada. This study seeks to identify whether the ability to implement healthcare technology by a hospital was related to usage of quality improvement programs within the hospital and whether the culture within a hospital plays a role in the adoption of quality improvement programs. Methods A cross-sectional study of Canadian hospitals was conducted in 2010. The sample consisted of hospital administrators that were selected by provincial review boards. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: 20 healthcare technology items, 16 quality improvement program items and 63 culture items. Results Rasch model analysis revealed that a hierarchy existed among the healthcare technologies based upon the difficulty of implementation. The results also showed a significant relationship existed between the ability to implement healthcare technologies and the number of quality improvement programs adopted. In addition, culture within a hospital served a mediating role in quality improvement programs adoption. Conclusions Healthcare technologies each have different levels of difficulty. As a consequence, hospitals need to understand their current level of capability before selecting a particular technology in order to assess the level of resources needed. Further the usage of quality improvement programs is related to the ability to implement technology and the culture within a hospital. PMID:24119419

  11. Potential for Hospital Based Corneal Retreival in Hassan District Hospital

    PubMed Central

    Melsakkare, Suresh Ramappa; Manipur, Sahana R.; Acharya, Pavana; Ramamurthy, Lakshmi Bomalapura

    2015-01-01

    Context In developing countries, corneal diseases are the second leading cause of blindness. This corneal blindness can be treated through corneal transplantation. Though the present infrastructure is strong enough to increase keratoplasty numbers at a required rate, India has largest corneal blind population in the world. So a constant supply of high quality donor corneal tissue is the key factor for reduction of prevalence of corneal blindness. Considering the magnitude of corneal blindness and shortage of donor cornea, there is a huge gap in the demand and supply. Aim To study the potential for hospital based retrieval of donor corneal tissue in Hassan district hospital after analysing the indicated and contraindicated causes of deaths, so that hospital corneal retrieval program in Hassan district hospital can be planned. Materials and Methods The cross-sectional, retrospective and record-based study included all hospital deaths with age group more than two years occurred during one year period (January 2014 to December 2014). Data regarding demographic profile, cause of death, treatment given and presence of any systemic diseases were collected. The causes of deaths which are contraindicated for the retrieval of corneas were analysed and noted. The contraindications were based on the NPCB guidelines for standard of eye banking in India 2009. Results Out of 855 deaths, number of deaths in males (565) was greater than females (290). Numbers of deaths were highest between 41-60 years age group (343). Deaths due to HIV, septicaemia, meningitis, encephalitis, disseminated malignancies were contraindicated for corneal retrieval. Corneas could be retrieved from 736 deaths out of 855. Potential for corneal retrieval in a period of one year in Hassan District hospital was 86%. Conclusion Hospital corneal retrieval program has got a great potential to bridge the gap between the need for the cornea and actually collected corneas which will contribute enormously in

  12. [The Brazilian Hospital Information System and the acute myocardial infarction hospital care].

    PubMed

    Escosteguy, Claudia Caminha; Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade; de Vasconcellos, Maurício Teixeira Leite

    2002-08-01

    To analyze the applicability of the Brazilian Unified Health System's national hospital database to evaluate the quality of acute myocardial infarction hospital care. It was evaluated 1,936 hospital admission forms having acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as primary diagnosis in the municipal district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1997. Data was collected from the national hospital database. A stratified random sampling of 391 medical records was also evaluated. AMI diagnosis agreement followed the literature criteria. Variable accuracy analysis was performed using kappa index agreement. The quality of AMI diagnosis registered in hospital admission forms was satisfactory according to the gold standard of the literature. In general, the accuracy of the variables demographics (sex, age group), process (medical procedures and interventions), and outcome (hospital death) was satisfactory. The accuracy of demographics and outcome variables was higher than the one of process variables. Under registration of secondary diagnosis was high in the forms and it was the main limiting factor. Given the study findings and the widespread availability of the national hospital database, it is pertinent its use as an instrument in the evaluation of the quality of AMI medical care.

  13. Has competition increased hospital technical efficiency?

    PubMed

    Lee, Keon-Hyung; Park, Jungwon; Lim, Seunghoo; Park, Sang-Chul

    2015-01-01

    Hospital competition and managed care have affected the hospital industry in various ways including technical efficiency. Hospital efficiency has become an important topic, and it is important to properly measure hospital efficiency in order to evaluate the impact of policies on the hospital industry. The primary independent variable is hospital competition. By using the 2001-2004 inpatient discharge data from Florida, we calculate the degree of hospital competition in Florida for 4 years. Hospital efficiency scores are developed using the Data Envelopment Analysis and by using the selected input and output variables from the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals for those acute care general hospitals in Florida. By using the hospital efficiency score as a dependent variable, we analyze the effects of hospital competition on hospital efficiency from 2001 to 2004 and find that when a hospital was located in a less competitive market in 2003, its technical efficiency score was lower than those in a more competitive market.

  14. Hospitalization costs and complications in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Bao, Xiaoyuan; Yang, Chao; Fang, Kai; Shi, Moye; Yu, Guopei; Hu, Yonghua

    2017-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate hospitalization costs, diabetes complications, and their relationships using a large dataset in Beijing, China. Data for 2006-10 from the 38 top-ranked (Grade 3 A) hospitals in Beijing, obtained from electronic Hospitalization Summary Reports (HSRs), were analyzed for hospitalization costs and diabetic complications. Patient demographics, types of costs, and length of hospital stay (LOS) were also evaluated. During the period evaluated, 62 523 patients with diabetes were hospitalized, of which 41 875 (67.0 %) had diabetes-associated complications. The median cost of hospitalization for diabetic patients was 7996.11 RMB. Prescribed drugs and laboratory tests were two major contributors to hospitalization costs, accounting for 36.2 % and 22.4 %, respectively. Hospitalization costs were significantly associated with LOS, number of complications, age, year of admission, admission status, sex, and medical insurance (P < 0.001). Both hospitalization costs and LOS increased substantially with an increase in the number of complications (P < 0.001). The highest hospitalization costs were seen in those diabetic patients with foot complications. Diabetic complications have a significant effect on increases in hospitalization costs and LOS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. © 2016 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  15. Do more hospital beds lead to higher hospitalization rates? a spatial examination of Roemer's Law.

    PubMed

    Delamater, Paul L; Messina, Joseph P; Grady, Sue C; WinklerPrins, Vince; Shortridge, Ashton M

    2013-01-01

    Roemer's Law, a widely cited principle in health care policy, states that hospital beds that are built tend to be used. This simple but powerful expression has been invoked to justify Certificate of Need regulation of hospital beds in an effort to contain health care costs. Despite its influence, a surprisingly small body of empirical evidence supports its content. Furthermore, known geographic factors influencing health services use and the spatial structure of the relationship between hospital bed availability and hospitalization rates have not been sufficiently explored in past examinations of Roemer's Law. We pose the question, "Accounting for space in health care access and use, is there an observable association between the availability of hospital beds and hospital utilization?" We employ an ecological research design based upon the Anderson behavioral model of health care utilization. This conceptual model is implemented in an explicitly spatial context. The effect of hospital bed availability on the utilization of hospital services is evaluated, accounting for spatial structure and controlling for other known determinants of hospital utilization. The stability of this relationship is explored by testing across numerous geographic scales of analysis. The case study comprises an entire state system of hospitals and population, evaluating over one million inpatient admissions. We find compelling evidence that a positive, statistically significant relationship exists between hospital bed availability and inpatient hospitalization rates. Additionally, the observed relationship is invariant with changes in the geographic scale of analysis. This study provides evidence for the effects of Roemer's Law, thus suggesting that variations in hospitalization rates have origins in the availability of hospital beds. This relationship is found to be robust across geographic scales of analysis. These findings suggest continued regulation of hospital bed supply to assist in

  16. Medicare Payment Penalties and Safety Net Hospital Profitability: Minimal Impact on These Vulnerable Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Bazzoli, Gloria J; Thompson, Michael P; Waters, Teresa M

    2018-02-08

    To examine relationships between penalties assessed by Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program and hospital financial condition. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, and Area Health Resource File data for 4,824 hospital-year observations. Bivariate and multivariate analysis of pooled cross-sectional data. Safety net hospitals have significantly higher HRRP/VBP penalties, but, unlike nonsafety net hospitals, increases in their penalty rate did not significantly affect their total margins. Safety net hospitals appear to rely on nonpatient care revenues to offset higher penalties for the years studied. While reassuring, these funding streams are volatile and may not be able to compensate for cumulative losses over time. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  17. Support for hospital-based HIV testing and counseling: a national survey of hospital marketing executives.

    PubMed

    Boscarino, J A; Steiber, S R

    1995-01-01

    Today, hospitals are involved extensively in social marketing and promotional activities. Recently, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that routine testing of hospital patients for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could identify more than 100,000 patients with previously unrecognized HIV infections. Several issues are assessed in this paper. These include hospital support for voluntary HIV testing and AIDS education and the impact that treating AIDS patients has on the hospital's image. Also tested is the hypothesis that certain hospitals, such as for-profit institutions and those outside the AIDS epicenters, would be less supportive of hospital-based AIDS intervention strategies. To assess these issues, a national random sample of 193 executives in charge of hospital marketing and public relations were surveyed between December 1992 and January 1993. The survey was part of an ongoing annual survey of hospitals and included questions about AIDS, health education, marketing, patient satisfaction, and hospital planning. Altogether, 12.4 percent of executives indicated their hospital had a reputation for treating AIDS patients. Among hospitals without an AIDS reputation, 34.1 percent believed developing one would be harmful to the hospital's image, in contrast to none in hospitals that had such a reputation (chi 2 = 11.676, df = 1, P = .0006). Although 16.6 percent did not know if large-scale HIV testing should be implemented, a near majority (47.7 percent) expressed some support. In addition, 15 percent reported that HIV-positive physicians on the hospital's medical staff should not be allowed to practice medicine, but 32.1 percent indicated that they should. Also, 33.1 percent thought the hospital should be more involved in AIDS education. Finally, certain hospital characteristics,such as location and for-profit status, were not associated with support for hospital-based AIDS interventions. Contrary to what was

  18. 75 FR 68799 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-09

    ... 0938-AP86 Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services.... SUMMARY: This notice announces the inpatient hospital deductible and the hospital and extended care... extended care services in a skilled nursing facility in a benefit period. DATES: Effective Date: This...

  19. [Malnutrition screening in hospitalized children: influence of the hospital unit on its management].

    PubMed

    Marteletti, O; Caldari, D; Guimber, D; Mention, K; Michaud, L; Gottrand, F

    2005-08-01

    The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in a pediatric population hospitalized in a French regional hospital and to evaluate the influence of type of hospital unit (pediatric or not) in the screening and the management of malnutrition. This one-day cross-sectional survey was performed in three different seasons during 2003. Every child aged 2 months to 16 years old, hospitalized for more than 48 hours was included. Weight for height, Z-score and Body Mass Index Z-score were used for nutritional assessment. Type of hospitalisation unit, date of admission, associated diagnosis, screening and treatment of malnutrition were also taken into account. Two hundred and eighty hospitalized children were undernourished (11%) and thirty-one children were obese (11%) with no difference in prevalence of malnutrition between pediatric and non-pediatric units. At the time of the study, malnutrition was recognized in one third of the children, at a similar rate whatever the type of hospitalized unit. The children hospitalized in pediatrics wards benefited more frequently from nutritional intervention, i.e. dietician care (43 vs. 16% P < 0.01). Prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children is low and the same in pediatric or non-pediatric units. Screening of malnutrition remains unsatisfactory in hospital. However, malnutrition is more frequently treated in pediatric unit compared with non-pediatric unit.

  20. Hospital mergers and market overlap.

    PubMed Central

    Brooks, G R; Jones, V G

    1997-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To address two questions: What are the characteristics of hospitals that affect the likelihood of their being involved in a merger? What characteristics of particular pairs of hospitals affect the likelihood of the pair engaging in a merger? DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Hospitals in the 12 county region surrounding the San Francisco Bay during the period 1983 to 1992 were the focus of the study. Data were drawn from secondary sources, including the Lexis/Nexis database, the American Hospital Association, and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development of the State of California. STUDY DESIGN: Seventeen hospital mergers during the study period were identified. A random sample of pairs of hospitals that did not merge was drawn to establish a statistically efficient control set. Models constructed from hypotheses regarding hospital and market characteristics believed to be related to merger likelihood were tested using logistic regression analysis. DATA COLLECTION: See Data Sources/Study Setting. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The analysis shows that the likelihood of a merger between a particular pair of hospitals is positively related to the degree of market overlap that exists between them. Furthermore, market overlap and performance difference interact in their effect on merger likelihood. In an analysis of individual hospitals, conditions of rivalry, hospital market share, and hospital size were not found to influence the likelihood that a hospital will engage in a merger. CONCLUSIONS: Mergers between hospitals are not driven directly by considerations of market power or efficiency as much as by the existence of specific merger opportunities in the hospitals' local markets. Market overlap is a condition that enables a merger to occur, but other factors, such as the relative performance levels of the hospitals in question and their ownership and teaching status, also play a role in influencing the likelihood that a merger will in fact take place. PMID

  1. 76 FR 67567 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-01

    ... Extended Care Services Coinsurance Amounts for CY 2012; Part A Premiums for CY 2012 for the Uninsured Aged... Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services Coinsurance Amounts for CY... announces the inpatient hospital deductible and the hospital and extended care services coinsurance amounts...

  2. Assessing the efficiency of hospital pharmacy services in Thai public district hospitals.

    PubMed

    Rattanachotphanit, Thananan; Limwattananon, Chulaporn; Limwattananon, Supon; Johns, Jeff R; Schommer, Jon C; Brown, Lawrence M

    2008-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the efficiency of hospital pharmacy services and to determine the environmental factors affecting pharmacy service efficiency. The technical efficiency of a hospital pharmacy was assessed to evaluate the hospital's ability to use pharmacy manpower in order to produce the maximum output of the pharmacy service. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used as an efficiency measurement. The two labor inputs were pharmacists and support personnel and the ten outputs were from four pharmacy activities: drug dispensing, drug purchasing and inventory control, patient-oriented activities, and health consumer protection services. This was used to estimate technical efficiency. A Tobit regression model was used to determine the effect of the hospital size, location, input mix of pharmacy staff, working experience of pharmacists at the study hospitals, and use of technology on the pharmacy service efficiency. Data for pharmacy service input and output quantities were obtained from 155 respondents. Nineteen percent were found to have full efficiency with a technical efficiency score of 1.00. Thirty-six percent had a technical efficiency score of 0.80 or above and 27% had a low technical efficiency score (< 0.60). The average TE score increased in respect to the hospital size (0.60, 0.71, 0.75, and 0.83 in 10, 30, 60, and 90-120 bed hospitals, respectively). Hospital size and geographic location were significantly associated with pharmacy service efficiency.

  3. Hospital managers' attitude and commitment toward electronic medical records system in Isfahan hospitals 2014.

    PubMed

    Jahanbakhsh, Maryam; Karimi, Saeed; Hassanzadeh, Akbar; Beigi, Maliheh

    2017-01-01

    Electronic medical record system (EMRS) is a valuable system for safe access to the patient's data and increases health care quality. Manpower is one of the requirements for EMRS, among which manager is the most important person in any hospital. Taking into account manager's positive attitude and good commitments, EMRS will be implemented successfully. As such, we decided to assess manager's attitude and commitment toward EMRS in Isfahan hospitals in the year of 2014. This article aimed to determine the hospital managers' attitude and commitment toward the implementation of EMRS. The present article is an applied analytic study. Research society consisted of the managers of all the hospitals in Isfahan that include hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, private, and social security hospitals. This study was done in 2014. Data collection tools included a questionnaire for which reliability and validity were determined. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS 20. Average score for the managers' attitude toward EMRS in the city of Isfahan was 77.5 out of 100 and their average score for commitment was 74.7. Manager's attitude in social security hospitals was more positive than the private and governmental ones (83.3%). In addition, the amount of commitment by the managers in social security hospitals was higher than the same in private and governmental hospitals (86.6%). At present, managers' attitude and commitment in Isfahan hospitals toward EMRS are very high and social security hospitals show more readiness in this respect.

  4. Additional funding mechanisms for Public Hospitals in Greece: the case of Chania Mental Health Hospital

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Objectives To investigate whether the long term lease of public hospital owned land could be an additional financing mechanism for Greek public (mental) health hospitals. Methods We performed a financial analysis of the official 2008 data of a case - study hospital (Mental Health Hospital of Chania). We used a capital budgeting approach to investigate whether value is created for the public hospital by engaging its assets in a project for the development of a private renal dialysis Unit. Results The development of the private unit in hospital owned land is a good investment decision, as it generates high project Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return. When the project commences generating operating cash flows, nearly €400.000 will be paid annually to the Mental Health Hospital of Chania as rent, thereby gradually decreasing the annual deficit of the hospital. Conclusions Revenue generated from the long term lease of public hospital land is crucial to gradually eliminate hospital deficit. The Ministry of Health should encourage similar forms of Public Private Partnerships in order to ensure the sustainability of public (mental) hospitals. PMID:21067580

  5. Hospital-acquired listeriosis.

    PubMed

    Graham, J C; Lanser, S; Bignardi, G; Pedler, S; Hollyoak, V

    2002-06-01

    We report four cases of listeriosis that occurred over a two-month period in north east England. Due to the apparent nosocomial acquisition of infection and the clustering of cases in time and place, extended epidemiological investigation was performed and the outbreak was traced to a caterer who was providing sandwiches for hospital shops. We discuss the difficulties in preventing food-borne listeriosis in the hospital setting. Copyright 2002 The Hospital Infection Society.

  6. Logistics in hospitals: a case study of some Singapore hospitals.

    PubMed

    Pan, Zhi Xiong; Pokharel, Shaligram

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate logistics activities in Singapore hospitals. It defines various types of activities handled by a logistics division. Inventory management policy and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for logistics purposes are also discussed. The study identifies the nature of strategic alliances in Singapore's health care industry. This study was conducted by utilizing a framework for data collection, pre-testing the questionnaire and conducting interviews. Various relevant literature was reviewed to design the questionnaire. This study finds that logistics division carry out many related activities and some of them also provide engineering services. The hospitals make use of ICT. The hospitals are clustered under various groups to minimize the cost of operation, including the logistics related costs. However, hospitals do not see alliances with suppliers as a strategic option; rather they focus on outsourcing of logistics services. The findings also show that Singapore hospitals have a good stocking policy for both medical and non-medical items so that changes in patient mix can be easily handled. Singapore is continuously improving its health care industry and therefore, the findings will help hospitals in other regions to adopt some of the practices, like concentrating on local vendors, outsourcing, clustering, and maximum use of information technology as competitive factors that can improve the service and reduce the cost of operation. The paper suggests motivators and barriers to the use of ICT in logistics in the health care industry.

  7. Variability in Costs across Hospital Wards. A Study of Chinese Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Adam, Taghreed; Evans, David B.; Ying, Bian; Murray, Christopher J. L.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Analysts estimating the costs or cost-effectiveness of health interventions requiring hospitalization often cut corners because they lack data and the costs of undertaking full step-down costing studies are high. They sometimes use the costs taken from a single hospital, sometimes use simple rules of thumb for allocating total hospital costs between general inpatient care and the outpatient department, and sometimes use the average cost of an inpatient bed-day instead of a ward-specific cost. Purpose In this paper we explore for the first time the extent and the causes of variation in ward-specific costs across hospitals, using data from China. We then use the resulting model to show how ward-specific costs for hospitals outside the data set could be estimated using information on the determinants identified in the paper. Methodology Ward-specific costs estimated using step-down costing methods from 41 hospitals in 12 provinces of China were used. We used seemingly unrelated regressions to identify the determinants of variability in the ratio of the costs of specific wards to that of the outpatient department, and explain how this can be used to generate ward-specific unit costs. Findings Ward-specific unit costs varied considerably across hospitals, ranging from 1 to 24 times the unit cost in the outpatient department — average unit costs are not a good proxy for costs at specialty wards in general. The most important sources of variability were the number of staff and the level of capacity utilization. Practice Implications More careful hospital costing studies are clearly needed. In the meantime, we have shown that in China it is possible to estimate ward-specific unit costs taking into account key determinants of variability in costs across wards. This might well be a better alternative than using simple rules of thumb or using estimates from a single study. PMID:24874566

  8. Nursing Home Residents at Risk of Hospitalization and the Characteristics of Their Hospital Stays.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murtaugh, Christopher M.; Freiman, Marc P.

    1995-01-01

    Analysis of national medical data identified elderly nursing home residents with an elevated risk of hospitalization and the characteristics of their hospital stays. Findings indicate an elevated risk of hospitalization for residents diagnosed with one of several different primary diagnoses. Infections accounted for over 25% of hospital stays.…

  9. 78 FR 64953 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-30

    ... 0938-AR59 Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services.... SUMMARY: This notice announces the inpatient hospital deductible and the hospital and extended care... lifetime reserve days; and $152 for the 21st through 100th day of extended care services in a skilled...

  10. 77 FR 69848 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-21

    ... 0938-AR14 Medicare Program; Inpatient Hospital Deductible and Hospital and Extended Care Services.... SUMMARY: This notice announces the inpatient hospital deductible and the hospital and extended care... lifetime reserve days; and $148 for the 21st through 100th day of extended care services in a skilled...

  11. Hospital boards and hospital strategic focus: the impact of board involvement in strategic decision making.

    PubMed

    Ford-Eickhoff, Karen; Plowman, Donde Ashmos; McDaniel, Reuben R

    2011-01-01

    Despite pressures to change the role of hospital boards, hospitals have made few changes in board composition or director selection criteria. Hospital boards have often continued to operate in their traditional roles as either "monitors" or "advisors." More attention to the direct involvement of hospital boards in the strategic decision-making process of the organizations they serve, the timing and circumstances under which board involvement occurs, and the board composition that enhances their abilities to participate fully is needed. We investigated the relationship between broader expertise among hospital board members, board involvement in the stages of strategic decision making, and the hospital's strategic focus. We surveyed top management team members of 72 nonacademic hospitals to explore the participation of critical stakeholder groups such as the board of directors in the strategic decision-making process. We used hierarchical regression analysis to explore our hypotheses that there is a relationship between both the nature and involvement of the board and the hospital's strategic orientation. Hospitals with broader expertise on their boards reported an external focus. For some of their externally-oriented goals, hospitals also reported that their boards were involved earlier in the stages of decision making. In light of the complex and dynamic environment of hospitals today, those charged with developing hospital boards should match the variety in the external issues that the hospital faces with more variety in board makeup. By developing a board with greater breadth of expertise, the hospital responds to its complex environment by absorbing that complexity, enabling a greater potential for sensemaking and learning. Rather than acting only as monitors and advisors, boards impact their hospitals' strategic focus through their participation in the strategic decision-making process.

  12. The impact of payer-specific hospital case mix on hospital costs and revenues for third-party patients.

    PubMed

    Lee, Keon-Hyung; Roh, M P H Chul-Young

    2007-02-01

    Competition among hospitals and managed care have forced hospital industry to be more efficient. With higher degrees of hospital competition and managed care penetration, hospitals have argued that the rate of increase in hospital cost is greater than the rate of increase in hospital revenue. By developing a payer-specific case mix index (CMI) for third-party patients, this paper examined the effect of hospital case mix on hospital cost and revenue for third-party patients in California using the hospital financial and utilization data covering 1986-1998. This study found that the coefficients for CMIs in the third-party hospital revenue model were greater than those in the hospital cost model until 1995. Since 1995, however, the coefficients for CMIs in the third-party hospital revenue model have been less than those in hospital cost models. Over time, the differences in coefficients for CMIs in hospital revenue and cost models for third-party patients have become smaller and smaller although those differences are statistically insignificant.

  13. Results of a hospital waste survey in private hospitals in Fars province, Iran

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Askarian, Mehrdad; Vakili, Mahmood; Kabir, Gholamhosein

    2004-07-01

    Hospital waste is considered dangerous because it may possess pathogenic agents and can cause undesirable effects on human health and the environment. In Iran, neither rules have been compiled nor does exact information exist regarding hospital waste management. The survey presented in this article was carried out in all 15 private hospitals of Fars province (Iran) from the total numbers of 50 governmental and private hospitals located in this province, in order to determine the amount of different kinds of waste produced and the present situation of waste management. The results indicated that the waste generation rate is 4.45 kg/bed/day,more » which includes 1830 kg (71.44%) of domestic waste, 712 kg (27.8%) of infectious waste, and 19.6 kg (0.76%) of sharps. Segregation of the different types of waste is not carried out perfectly. Two (13.3%) of the hospitals use containers without lids for on-site transport of wastes. Nine (60%) of the hospitals are equipped with an incinerator and six of them (40%) have operational problems with the incinerators. In all hospitals municipal workers transport waste outside the hospital premises daily or at the most on alternative days. In the hospitals under study, there aren't any training courses about hospital waste management and the hazards associated with them. The training courses that are provided are either ineffective or unsuitable. Performing extensive studies all over the country, compiling and enacting rules, establishing standards and providing effective personnel training are the main challenges for the concerned authorities and specialists in this field.« less

  14. [Epidemiological profile of respiratory diseases in children hospitalized at the Rabat Children's Hospital, Morocco].

    PubMed

    Benchekroun, Ilham; Boubkraoui, Mohamed El Mahdi; Mekaoui, Nour; Karboubi, Lamia; Mahraoui, Chafiq; Dakhama, Badr Sououd Benjelloun

    2017-01-01

    Respiratory diseases are a common cause of pediatric hospitalization. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological profile of respiratory diseases among children at the Rabat Children's Hospital, Morocco. We conducted an observational-cross sectional study of all children aged 3 months to 15 years hospitalized for respiratory disease at the Department of Pneumoallergology and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Rabat Children's Hospital, Morocco over a one-year period, from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014. Out of 3537 hospitalized patients, 2493 (70.5%) had respiratory disease. Hospitalizations due to asthmatic exacerbation (p < 0.001), acute bronchiolitis (p < 0.001) and laryngeal dyspnoea (p = 0.004) were more frequent among boys, while hospitalizations due to acute pneumonia (p = 0.005), inhalation of a foreign body (p = 0.007) and pertussis (p = 0.020) were frequent among girls. Hospitalizations due to acute pneumonia (p < 0.001), exacerbation of serious viral disease sequelae (p < 0.001) and pertussis (p < 0.001) were more frequent among infants. Hospitalizations due to acute pneumonia (p < 0.001) and pertussis (p = 0.015) were more frequent during the autumn-winter period. The causes of hospitalization were dominated by asthmatic exacerbations and acute bronchiolitis, which were more frequent among boys. Respiratory infections, such as acute pneumonitis and pertussis, were more frequent during the autumn-winter period and mainly affected the infants.

  15. Support for hospital-based HIV testing and counseling: a national survey of hospital marketing executives.

    PubMed Central

    Boscarino, J A; Steiber, S R

    1995-01-01

    Today, hospitals are involved extensively in social marketing and promotional activities. Recently, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that routine testing of hospital patients for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could identify more than 100,000 patients with previously unrecognized HIV infections. Several issues are assessed in this paper. These include hospital support for voluntary HIV testing and AIDS education and the impact that treating AIDS patients has on the hospital's image. Also tested is the hypothesis that certain hospitals, such as for-profit institutions and those outside the AIDS epicenters, would be less supportive of hospital-based AIDS intervention strategies. To assess these issues, a national random sample of 193 executives in charge of hospital marketing and public relations were surveyed between December 1992 and January 1993. The survey was part of an ongoing annual survey of hospitals and included questions about AIDS, health education, marketing, patient satisfaction, and hospital planning. Altogether, 12.4 percent of executives indicated their hospital had a reputation for treating AIDS patients. Among hospitals without an AIDS reputation, 34.1 percent believed developing one would be harmful to the hospital's image, in contrast to none in hospitals that had such a reputation (chi 2 = 11.676, df = 1, P = .0006). Although 16.6 percent did not know if large-scale HIV testing should be implemented, a near majority (47.7 percent) expressed some support. In addition, 15 percent reported that HIV-positive physicians on the hospital's medical staff should not be allowed to practice medicine, but 32.1 percent indicated that they should.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:7638335

  16. Pre-hospitalization, hospitalization, and post-hospitalization costs of patients with neurocysticercosis treated at the Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia (INNN) in Mexico City, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Bhattarai, Rachana; Carabin, Hélène; Flores-Rivera, Jose; Corona, Teresa; Proaño, Jefferson V; Flisser, Ana; Budke, Christine M

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this study was to estimate the direct costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of neurocysticercosis (NCC) during pre-hospitalization, hospitalization, and post-hospitalization periods for 108 NCC patients treated at the Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia (INNN) in Mexico City, Mexico. Information on clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, hospitalizations, surgical procedures, prescription medication, and other treatments was collected via medical chart reviews. Uncertain values for costs and frequency of treatments were imputed using bootstrap techniques. The average per-patient pre-hospitalization and hospitalization costs were US$ 257 (95% CI: 185 - 329) and US$ 2,576 (95% CI: 2,244 - 2,908), respectively. Post-hospitalization costs tended to decrease over time, with estimates for the first five years post-hospitalization of US$ 475 (95% CI: 423 - 527), US$ 228 (95% CI: 167 - 288), US$ 157 (95% CI: 111 - 202), US$ 150 (95% CI: 106 - 204), and US$ 91 (95% CI: 27 - 154), respectively. NCC results in a significant economic burden for patients requiring hospitalization, with this burden continuing years post-hospitalization.

  17. Migrant-friendly hospitals: a paediatric perspective - improving hospital care for migrant children

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The European Union (EU) Migrant-Friendly Hospital (MFH) Initiative, introduced in 2002, promotes the adoption of care approaches adapted to meet the service needs of migrants. However, for paediatric hospitals, no specific recommendations have been offered for MFH care for children. Using the Swiss MFH project as a case study, this paper aims to identify hospital-based care needs of paediatric migrants (PMs) and good service approaches. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with principal project leaders of five paediatric hospitals participating in the Swiss MFH project. A review of the international literature on non-clinical hospital service needs and service responses of paediatric MFHs was conducted. Results Paediatric care can be complex, usually involving both the patient and the patient’s family. Key challenges include differing levels of acculturation between parents and children; language barriers; cultural differences between patient and provider; and time constraints. Current service and infrastructural responses include interpretation services for PMs and parents, translated information material, and special adaptations to ensure privacy, e.g., during breastfeeding. Clear standards for paediatric migrant-friendly hospitals (P-MFH) are lacking. Conclusions International research on hospital care for migrant children is scarce. The needs of paediatric migrants and their families may differ from guidance for adults. Paediatric migrant needs should be systematically identified and used to inform paediatric hospital care approaches. Hospital processes from admission to discharge should be revised to ensure implementation of migrant-sensitive approaches suitable for children. Staff should receive adequate support, such as training, easily available interpreters and sufficient consultation time, to be able to provide migrant-friendly paediatric services. The involvement of migrant groups may be helpful. Improving the quality of care

  18. Has competition lowered hospital prices?

    PubMed

    Zwanziger, Jack; Mooney, Cathleen

    2005-01-01

    On Jan. 1, 1997, New York ended its regulation of hospital prices with the intent of using competitive markets to control prices and increase efficiency. This paper uses data that come from annual reports filed by all health maintenance organizations (HMOs) operating in New York and include payments to and usage in the major hospitals in an HMO's network. We estimate the relationship between implied prices and hospital, plan, and market characteristics. The models show that after 1997, hospitals in more competitive markets paid less. Partially offsetting these price reductions were price increases associated with hospital mergers that reduced the competitiveness of the local market. Hospital deregulation was successful, at least in the short run, in using price competition to reduce hospital payments; it is unclear whether this success will be undermined by the structural changes taking place in the hospital industry.

  19. How consumers view hospital advertising.

    PubMed

    Johns, H E; Moser, H R

    1988-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to determine: (a) consumers' attitudes toward advertising by hospitals; (b) which media consumers feel are appropriate for hospital advertising; and (c) whether consumers are seeing hospital advertisements, and if so, through which media. It was found that consumers indeed have a favorable attitude toward hospitals that advertise. It was also found that consumers feel that most media are appropriate for hospital advertising. Finally, it was found that most consumers have seen hospitals advertise their services, especially on television and radio and in the newspaper.

  20. Financial leases in the hospital industry. An analysis of California hospitals.

    PubMed

    McCue, M J

    1990-08-01

    Using California hospital data, this study examined the extent to which capital leases displace debt in the hospital industry. Moreover, it analyzed how hospital and financial variables affect utilization of lease financing. In contrast to the theoretic belief that lease financing displaces debt financing, the results showed a greater use of debt with leases. The study also found smaller, free-standing facilities with a greater investment in plant and equipment employed the lease option.

  1. Hospital managers’ attitude and commitment toward electronic medical records system in Isfahan hospitals 2014

    PubMed Central

    Jahanbakhsh, Maryam; Karimi, Saeed; Hassanzadeh, Akbar; Beigi, Maliheh

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Electronic medical record system (EMRS) is a valuable system for safe access to the patient's data and increases health care quality. Manpower is one of the requirements for EMRS, among which manager is the most important person in any hospital. Taking into account manager's positive attitude and good commitments, EMRS will be implemented successfully. As such, we decided to assess manager's attitude and commitment toward EMRS in Isfahan hospitals in the year of 2014. AIM: This article aimed to determine the hospital managers’ attitude and commitment toward the implementation of EMRS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present article is an applied analytic study. Research society consisted of the managers of all the hospitals in Isfahan that include hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, private, and social security hospitals. This study was done in 2014. Data collection tools included a questionnaire for which reliability and validity were determined. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS 20. RESULTS: Average score for the managers’ attitude toward EMRS in the city of Isfahan was 77.5 out of 100 and their average score for commitment was 74.7. Manager's attitude in social security hospitals was more positive than the private and governmental ones (83.3%). In addition, the amount of commitment by the managers in social security hospitals was higher than the same in private and governmental hospitals (86.6%). CONCLUSION: At present, managers’ attitude and commitment in Isfahan hospitals toward EMRS are very high and social security hospitals show more readiness in this respect. PMID:28584837

  2. Hospital-Based Mortality in Federal Capital Territory Hospitals-Nigeria, 2005 - 2008

    PubMed Central

    Preacely, Nykiconia; Biya, Oladayo; Gidado, Saheed; Ayanleke, Halima; Kida, Mohammed; Akhimien, Moses; Abubakar, Aisha; Kurmi, Ibrahim; Ajayi, Ikeoluwapo; Nguku, Patrick; Akpan, Henry

    2012-01-01

    Background Cause-specific mortality data are important to monitor trends in mortality over time. Medical records provide reliable documentation of the causes of deaths occurring in hospitals. This study describes all causes of mortality reported at hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria. Methods Deaths reported in 15 secondary and tertiary FCT hospitals occurring from January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008 were identified by a retrospective review of hospital records conducted by the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Program (NFELTP). Data extracted from the records included sociodemographics, geographic area of residence and underlying cause-of-death information. Results A total of 4,623 deaths occurred in the hospitals. Overall, the top five causes of death reported were: HIV 951 (21%), road traffic accidents 422 (9%), malaria 264 (6%), septicemia 206 (5%), and hypertension 194 (4%). The median age at death was 30 years (range: 0-100); 888 (20%) of deaths were among those less than one year of age. Among children < 1 year, low birth weight and infections were responsible for the highest proportion 131 (15%) of reported mortality. Conclusion Many of the leading causes of mortality identified in this study are preventable. Infant mortality is a large public health problem in FCT hospitals. Although these findings are not representative of all FCT deaths, they may be used to quantify mortality in that occurs in FCT hospitals. These data combined with other mortality surveillance data can provide evidence to inform policy on public health strategies and interventions for the FCT. PMID:22655100

  3. Servicescape: physical environment of hospital pharmacies and hospital pharmacists' work outcomes.

    PubMed

    Lin, Blossom Yen-Ju; Leu, Wen-Jye; Breen, Gerald-Mark; Lin, Wen-Hung

    2008-01-01

    In health care, architects, interior designers, engineers, and health care administrators need to pay attention to the construction and design of health care facilities. Research is needed to better understand how health professionals and employees perceive their work environment to improve the physical environment in which they work. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of the physical environment of hospital pharmacies on hospital pharmacists' work outcomes. This cross-sectional mailed survey study of individual hospital pharmacists used a structured questionnaire developed to cover perceptions of the ambient conditions and the space/function(s) of pharmacists' work environments. It included aspects such as dispensing areas, pharmaceuticals areas, storage areas, and administrative offices. Work outcomes were job satisfaction, intentions to leave or reduce job working hours, and job-related stress. Hospital pharmacists in Taiwan (n = 182) returned the mailed surveys. Structural equation modeling was performed to validate the construct of the physical environment of a hospital pharmacy and the causal model for testing the effect of the physical environment on pharmacists' work outcomes. For hospital pharmacy workplaces, more favorable perceptions of the workplace's physical environment were positively associated with overall job satisfaction, but such perceptions were also negatively related to intentions to quit employment or to reduce working hours. However, the effect of the physical environment on job stress within the workplace was not supported. The designs of physical environments deserve attention to create more appropriate and healthier environments for hospital pharmacies. Further research should be devoted to trace more psychological responses to the physical environment from a longitudinal perspective.

  4. Risk of malnutrition of hospitalized children in a university public hospital.

    PubMed

    Muñoz-Esparza, Nelly Carolina; Vásquez-Garibay, Edgar Manuel; Romero-Velarde, Enrique; Troyo-Sanromán, Rogelio

    2017-02-01

    The study aimed to demonstrate that the duration of hospitalization has a significant effect on the nutritional status of children treated in a university hospital. A longitudinal study was conducted during 2014, with a non-random sampling site concentration in children from birth to 19 years who were admitted to the hospital in the past 24 hours and who met the inclusion criteria and had signed informed consent. Upon entering, at 7 days, and at discharge, anthropometric indices, including weight/age, height/age, weight/height, BMI/age, head circumference/age, triceps and subscapular skin folds, and fat percentage, were obtained. Student's t-test, U Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, chi square, Wilcoxon, and odds ratios were used to analyze the data. In total, 206 patients were included: 40% infants, 25% preschoolers, 15% schoolchildren, and 20% teenagers. Infants had a significant improvement from admission to discharge in the indices weight/length (p = 0.042) and BMI (p = 0.002); adolescents showed decreased BMI from admission to discharge from the hospital (p = 0.05). Patients with longer hospitalization (more than 10 days) had an increased deficit in anthropometric indices at admission (p < 0.05). Infants had a higher risk of deficit in the BMI index and height/age than preschoolers, schoolchildren, and adolescents between admission and discharge. When the nutritional condition of a child was critical at admission, the child remained hospitalized significantly longer. Infants come under the age group most vulnerable to malnutrition and require greater monitoring of nutritional status during hospitalization.

  5. Hospital Acquisitions Before Healthcare Reform.

    PubMed

    McCue, Michael J; Thompson, Jon M; Kim, Tae Hyun

    2015-01-01

    The hospital industry has experienced increased consolidation in the past 20 years. Since 2010, in particular, there has been a large rise in the number of hospital acquisitions, and observers have suggested this is due in part to the expected impact of federal healthcare reform legislation. This article reports on a study undertaken to identify the market, management, and financial factors affecting acute care, community hospitals acquired between 2010 and 2012. We identified 77 such hospitals and compared them to other acute care facilities. To assess how different factors were associated with acquisitions, the study used multiple logistic regressions whereby market factors were included first, followed by management and financial factors. Study findings show that acquired hospitals were located in markets with lower rates of preferred provider organization (PPO) penetration compared with nonacquired hospitals. Occupancy rate was found to be inversely related to acquisition rate; however, case-mix index was significantly and positively related to a hospital's being acquired. Financial factors negatively associated with a hospital's being acquired included age of plant and cash flow margin. In contrast to the findings from earlier studies of hospital acquisitions, our results showed that acquired hospitals possessed newer assets. However, similar to the findings of other studies, the cash flow margin of acquired hospitals was lower than that of nonacquired facilities.

  6. Coordination between a district hospital and a reference hospital: evaluation of chest disease care models.

    PubMed

    Verea-Hernando, Héctor; Valdés-Cuadrado, Luis; López-Campos, José María; Fandiño-Orgeira, José; Blanco-Ramos, Manuel

    2011-06-01

    Specialised medical care at district hospitals has not been thoroughly defined. Respiratory care data from 2008 in Barbanza and Cee hospitals (Galicia, Spain), were analysed to evaluate different approaches, as they are both similar. Barbanza hospital has a chest diseases clinic run by specialist doctors from the reference hospital three days per week, while Cee hospital is operated by the staff on site. In both cases hospitalisation is the responsibility of the Internal Medicine department. Data was provided by the administrative departments of each hospital and the regional government. Average CDM4 stays were similar for both district hospitals; however, they were lower than in the reference hospital. Charlson scores and re-admissions a month after discharge were similar in both. Barbanza's hospital carried out more functional explorations, both at the centre (957 spirometries vs 21; P<.0001) and at the reference hospital (214 volume/diffusion tests vs 99; P<.001). CPAP treatments were more prevalent in the Barbanza area (3.9 vs 2/1,000 habitants; P<.0001). No differences were found in oxygen therapy and home mechanical ventilation. Mortality due to respiratory disease in 2007 was similar in both regions. Data suggests that in a district hospital scheme supported by chest disease consultants and outpatient clinics gives easier access to specialised, comprehensive and probably, higher quality care than district hospitals without them. Copyright © 2010 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. 42 CFR 419.20 - Hospitals subject to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... prospective payment system. 419.20 Section 419.20 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR HOSPITAL... Outpatient Prospective Payment System § 419.20 Hospitals subject to the hospital outpatient prospective...

  8. University Hospitals for Sale.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Culliton, Barbara J.

    1984-01-01

    Although faculty opposition stopped the sale of Harvard's McLean Hospital to the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), a partnership remains a possibility. Issues related to the proposed sale as well as those affecting hospital economics are considered. Proposed terms of the sale are included. (JN)

  9. How to govern physician-hospital exchanges: contractual and relational issues in Belgian hospitals.

    PubMed

    Trybou, Jeroen; Gemmel, Paul; Annemans, Lieven

    2014-07-01

    Our aim was to investigate contractual mechanisms in physician-hospital exchanges. The concepts of risk-sharing and the nature of physician-hospital exchanges - transactional versus relational - were studied. Two qualitative case studies were performed in Belgium. Hospital executives and physicians were interviewed to develop an in-depth understanding of contractual and relational issues that shape physician-hospital contracting in acute care hospitals. The underlying theoretical concepts of agency theory and social exchange theory were used to analyse the data. Our study found that physician-hospital contracting is highly complex. The contract is far more than an economic instrument governing financial aspects. The effect of the contract on the nature of exchange - whether transactional or relational - also needs to be considered. While it can be argued that contractual governance methods are increasingly necessary to overcome the difficulties that arise from the fragmented payment framework by aligning incentives and sharing financial risk, they undermine the necessary relational governance. Relational qualities such as mutual trust and an integrative view on physician-hospital exchanges are threatened, and may be difficult to sustain, given the current fragmentary payment framework. Since health care policy makers are increasing the financial risk borne by health care providers, it can be argued that this also increases the need to share financial risk and to align incentives between physician and hospital. However, our study demonstrates that while economic alignment is important in determining physician-hospital contracts, the corresponding impact on working relationships should also be considered. Moreover, it is important to avoid a relationship between hospital and physician predominantly characterized by transactional exchanges thereby fostering an unhealthy us-and-them divide and mentality. Relational exchange is a valuable alternative to contractual

  10. 42 CFR 412.331 - Determining hospital-specific rates in cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... each hospital's base period data, the intermediary determines a combined average discharge-weighted... payment determination: (1) Revised hospital-specific rate. Using each hospital's base period data, the... hospital-specific rates are determined as follows: (1) Hospital-specific rate—(i) Adequate base year data...

  11. 77 FR 60315 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-03

    ... Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2013 Rates; Hospitals' Resident Caps for Graduate Medical Education Payment Purposes; Quality... entitled ``Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and...

  12. Safety-net hospitals more likely than other hospitals to fare poorly under Medicare's value-based purchasing.

    PubMed

    Gilman, Matlin; Adams, E Kathleen; Hockenberry, Jason M; Milstein, Arnold S; Wilson, Ira B; Becker, Edmund R

    2015-03-01

    Medicare's value-based purchasing (VBP) program potentially puts safety-net hospitals at a financial disadvantage compared to other hospitals. In 2014, the second year of the program, patient mortality measures were added to the VBP program's algorithm for assigning penalties and rewards. We examined whether the inclusion of mortality measures in the second year of the program had a disproportionate impact on safety-net hospitals nationally. We found that safety-net hospitals were more likely than other hospitals to be penalized under the VBP program as a result of their poorer performance on process and patient experience scores. In 2014, 63 percent of safety-net hospitals versus 51 percent of all other sample hospitals received payment rate reductions under the program. However, safety-net hospitals' performance on mortality measures was comparable to that of other hospitals, with an average VBP survival score of thirty-two versus thirty-one among other hospitals. Although safety-net hospitals are still more likely than other hospitals to fare poorly under the VBP program, increasing the weight given to mortality in the VBP payment algorithm would reduce this disadvantage. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  13. [Success factors in hospital management].

    PubMed

    Heberer, M

    1998-12-01

    The hospital environment of most Western countries is currently undergoing dramatic changes. Competition among hospitals is increasing, and economic issues have become decisive factors for the allocation of medical care. Hospitals therefore require management tools to respond to these changes adequately. The balanced scorecard is a method of enabling development and implementation of a business strategy that equally respects the financial requirements, the needs of the customers, process development, and organizational learning. This method was used to derive generally valid success factors for hospital management based on an analysis of an academic hospital in Switzerland. Strategic management, the focus of medical services, customer orientation, and integration of professional groups across the hospital value chain were identified as success factors for hospital management.

  14. Lower Mortality in Magnet Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    McHugh, Matthew D.; Kelly, Lesly A.; Smith, Herbert L.; Wu, Evan S.; Vanak, Jill M.; Aiken, Linda H.

    2012-01-01

    Background Although there is evidence that hospitals recognized for nursing excellence— Magnet hospitals—are successful in attracting and retaining nurses, it is uncertain whether Magnet recognition is associated with better patient outcomes than non-Magnets, and if so why. Objectives To determine whether Magnet hospitals have lower risk-adjusted mortality and failure-to-rescue compared to non-Magnet hospitals, and to determine the most likely explanations. Method and Study Design Analysis of linked patient, nurse, and hospital data on 56 Magnet and 508 non-Magnet hospitals. Logistic regression models were used to estimate differences in the odds of mortality and failure-to-rescue for surgical patients treated in Magnet vs. non-Magnet hospitals, and to determine the extent to which differences in outcomes can be explained by nursing after accounting for patient and hospital differences. Results Magnet hospitals had significantly better work environments and higher proportions of nurses with bachelor’s degrees and specialty certification. These nursing factors explained much of the Magnet hospital effect on patient outcomes. However, patients treated in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of mortality (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76-0.98, p=0.02) and 12% lower odds of failure-to-rescue (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.77-1.01, p=0.07) while controlling for nursing factors as well as hospital and patient differences. Conclusions Magnet hospitals have lower mortality than is fully accounted for by measured characteristics of nursing. Magnet recognition likely both identifies existing quality and stimulates further positive organizational behavior that improves patient outcomes. PMID:23047129

  15. The impact of non-IPA HMOs on the number of hospitals and hospital capacity.

    PubMed

    Chernew, M

    1995-01-01

    Concentration in the hospital market could limit the success of health care reform strategies that rely on managed care to constrain costs. Hospital market capacity also is important because capacity affects both costs and the degree of price competition. Because managed care plans, particularly non-individual practice association (non-IPA) model HMOs, practice a less hospital-intensive style of care, consolidation and downsizing in the hospital market potentially will accompany managed care growth, influencing the long-run effectiveness of managed care cost-containment strategies. Using Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) data from 1982 and 1987, a 10-percentage point increase in non-IPA HMO market share is estimated to reduce the number of hospitals by about 4%, causing an approximate 5% reduction in the number of hospital beds. No statistically significant relationship is found between non-IPA HMO penetration rates and hospital occupancy rates.

  16. Differences in hospital casemix, and the relationship between casemix and hospital costs.

    PubMed

    Söderlund, N; Milne, R; Gray, A; Raftery, J

    1995-03-01

    The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between hospital costs and casemix, and after adjustment for casemix differences, between cost and institutional size, number of specialties, occupancy and teaching status. A retrospective analysis of all admissions to nine acute-care NHS hospitals in the Oxford region during the 1991-1992 financial year was undertaken. All episodes were assigned to a diagnosis-related group (DRG) and a cost weight assigned accordingly. Costs per finished consultant episode, before and after adjustment for casemix differences, were analysed at the hospital and specialty level. Casemix differences were significant, and accounted for approximately 77 per cent of the difference in costs between providers. Costs per casemix-adjusted episode were not significantly associated with differences in hospital size, scope, occupancy levels or teaching status, but sample size was insufficient to investigate these relationships adequately. Specialty costs were poorly correlated with specialty casemix. This was probably due to poor apportionment of specialty costs in hospital accounting returns. Casemix differences need to be taken into account when comparing providers for the purposes of contracting, as unadjusted unit costs may be misleading. Although the methods used may currently be applied to most NHS hospitals, widespread use would be greatly facilitated by the development of indigenous cost weights and better routine hospital data coding and collection.

  17. Improvement of hospital performance through innovation: toward the value of hospital care.

    PubMed

    Dias, Casimiro; Escoval, Ana

    2013-01-01

    The perspective of innovation as the strategic lever of organizational performance has been widespread in the hospital sector. While public value of innovation can be significant, it is not evident that innovation always ends up in higher levels of performance. Within this context, the purpose of the article was to critically analyze the relationship between innovation and performance, taking into account the specificities of the hospital sector. This article pulls together primary data on organizational flexibility, innovation, and performance from 95 hospitals in Portugal, collected through a survey, data from interviews to hospital administration boards, and a panel of 15 experts. The diversity of data sources allowed for triangulation. The article uses mixed methods to explore the relationship between innovation and performance in the hospital sector in Portugal. The relationship between innovation and performance is analyzed through cluster analysis, supplemented with content analysis of interviews and the technical nominal group. The main findings reveal that the cluster of efficient innovators has twice the level of performance than other clusters. Organizational flexibility and external cooperation are the 2 major factors explaining these differences. The article identifies various organizational strategies to use innovation in order to enhance hospital performance. Overall, it proposes the alignment of perspectives of different stakeholders on the value proposition of hospital services, the embeddedness of information loops, and continuous adjustments toward high-value services.

  18. Improvement of hospital performance through innovation: toward the value of hospital care.

    PubMed

    Dias, Casimiro; Escoval, Ana

    2013-01-01

    The perspective of innovation as the strategic lever of organizational performance has been widespread in the hospital sector. While public value of innovation can be significant, it is not evident that innovation always ends up in higher levels of performance. Within this context, the purpose of the article was to critically analyze the relationship between innovation and performance,taking into account the specificities of the hospital sector. This article pulls together primary data on organizational flexibility, innovation, and performance from 95 hospitals in Portugal,collected through a survey, data from interviews to hospital administration boards, and a panel of 15 experts. The diversity of data sources allowed for triangulation. The article uses mixed methods to explore the relationship between innovation and performance in the hospital sector in Portugal. The relationship between innovation and performance is analyzed through cluster analysis, supplemented with content analysis of interviews and the technical nominal group. The main findings reveal that the cluster of efficient innovators has twice the level of performance than other clusters. Organizational flexibility and external cooperation are the 2 major factors explaining these differences. The article identifies various organizational strategies to use innovation in order to enhance hospital performance. Overall, it proposes the alignment of perspectives of different stakeholders on the value proposition of hospital services, the embeddedness of information loops, and continuous adjustments toward high-value services.

  19. The impact of medical tourism on Thai private hospital management: informing hospital policy.

    PubMed

    James, Paul T J

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to help consolidate and understand management perceptions and experiences of a targeted group (n=7) of Vice-Presidents of international Private Thai hospitals in Bangkok regarding medical tourism impacts. The method adopted uses a small-scale qualitative inquiry. Examines the on-going development and service management factors which contribute to the establishment and strengthening of relationships between international patients and hospital medical services provision. Develops a qualitative model that attempts to conceptualize the findings from a diverse range of management views into a framework of main (8) - Hospital Management; Hospital Processes; Hospital Technology; Quality Related; Communications; Personnel; Financial; and Patients; and consequent sub-themes (22). Outcomes from small-scale qualitative inquiries cannot by design be taken outside of its topical arena. This inevitably indicates that more research of this kind needs to be carried out to understand this field more effectively. The evidence suggests that Private Thai hospital management have established views about what constitutes the impact of medical tourism on hospital policies and practices when hospital staff interact with international patients. As the private health service sector in Thailand continues to grow, future research is needed to help hospitals provide appropriate service patterns and appropriate medical products/services that meet international patient needs and aspirations. Highlights the increasing importance of the international consumer in Thailand's health industry. This study provides insights of private health service providers in Bangkok by helping to understand more effectively health service quality environments, subsequent service provision, and the integrated development and impacts of new medical technology.

  20. 76 FR 51475 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-18

    ... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective...-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with...

  1. 78 FR 50495 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-19

    ... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care; Hospital Prospective Payment... Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective... prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to...

  2. 75 FR 50041 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-16

    ... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals...

  3. Improving donation outcomes: hospital development and the Rapid Assessment of Hospital Procurement Barriers in Donation.

    PubMed

    Siminoff, Laura A; Traino, Heather M

    2009-06-01

    Deficiencies in the donation process continue to contribute to the shortage of organs available for transplant. Continuous quality improvement of hospitals' donation processes is needed to identify and correct the problems. To test the Rapid Assessment of Hospital Procurement Barriers in Donation (RAPiD), a direct observation technique with a focused ethnographic strategy, for assessing hospitals' donation processes and identifying areas in need of continuous quality improvement interventions. A pre-post assessment of hospitals' barriers to patient identification and referral, and family consent to donation. Seventeen hospitals within the catchment area of a Northeastern organ procurement organization were assessed by using the RAPiD method. Hospital administrators, health care providers, and staff (N = 537) were interviewed as part of the assessments. Interventions, including on-site training and education, and the use of in-house coordinators, were specifically tailored to each hospital's unique set of barriers to donation. The interventions were delivered to the hospitals in the form of recommendations. The participating organ procurement organization was responsible for implementation of the interventions. The RAPiD hospital evaluations revealed gaps in respondents' knowledge of organ donation, brain death, and referral criteria; a reluctance to declare brain death; and a rocky relationship between the hospitals and the organ procurement organization. As a result of the interventions, 9 hospitals' environments for organ donation improved, 7 showed no change, and 1 was worse.

  4. 42 CFR 412.331 - Determining hospital-specific rates in cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. 412.331 Section 412.331 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. (a) New hospital merger or consolidation. If... dissolution. If a hospital separates into two or more hospitals that are subject to capital payments under...

  5. 42 CFR 412.331 - Determining hospital-specific rates in cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. 412.331 Section 412.331 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. (a) New hospital merger or consolidation. If... dissolution. If a hospital separates into two or more hospitals that are subject to capital payments under...

  6. 42 CFR 412.331 - Determining hospital-specific rates in cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. 412.331 Section 412.331 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. (a) New hospital merger or consolidation. If... dissolution. If a hospital separates into two or more hospitals that are subject to capital payments under...

  7. 42 CFR 412.331 - Determining hospital-specific rates in cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. 412.331 Section 412.331 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE... cases of hospital merger, consolidation, or dissolution. (a) New hospital merger or consolidation. If... dissolution. If a hospital separates into two or more hospitals that are subject to capital payments under...

  8. Does a hospital's quality depend on the quality of other hospitals? A spatial econometrics approach

    PubMed Central

    Gravelle, Hugh; Santos, Rita; Siciliani, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    We examine whether a hospital's quality is affected by the quality provided by other hospitals in the same market. We first sketch a theoretical model with regulated prices and derive conditions on demand and cost functions which determine whether a hospital will increase its quality if its rivals increase their quality. We then apply spatial econometric methods to a sample of English hospitals in 2009–10 and a set of 16 quality measures including mortality rates, readmission, revision and redo rates, and three patient reported indicators, to examine the relationship between the quality of hospitals. We find that a hospital's quality is positively associated with the quality of its rivals for seven out of the sixteen quality measures. There are no statistically significant negative associations. In those cases where there is a significant positive association, an increase in rivals' quality by 10% increases a hospital's quality by 1.7% to 2.9%. The finding suggests that for some quality measures a policy which improves the quality in one hospital will have positive spillover effects on the quality in other hospitals. PMID:25843994

  9. Does a hospital's quality depend on the quality of other hospitals? A spatial econometrics approach.

    PubMed

    Gravelle, Hugh; Santos, Rita; Siciliani, Luigi

    2014-11-01

    We examine whether a hospital's quality is affected by the quality provided by other hospitals in the same market. We first sketch a theoretical model with regulated prices and derive conditions on demand and cost functions which determine whether a hospital will increase its quality if its rivals increase their quality. We then apply spatial econometric methods to a sample of English hospitals in 2009-10 and a set of 16 quality measures including mortality rates, readmission, revision and redo rates, and three patient reported indicators, to examine the relationship between the quality of hospitals. We find that a hospital's quality is positively associated with the quality of its rivals for seven out of the sixteen quality measures. There are no statistically significant negative associations. In those cases where there is a significant positive association, an increase in rivals' quality by 10% increases a hospital's quality by 1.7% to 2.9%. The finding suggests that for some quality measures a policy which improves the quality in one hospital will have positive spillover effects on the quality in other hospitals.

  10. Do hospital mergers reduce costs?

    PubMed

    Schmitt, Matt

    2017-03-01

    Proponents of hospital consolidation claim that mergers lead to significant cost savings, but there is little systematic evidence backing these claims. For a large sample of hospital mergers between 2000 and 2010, I estimate difference-in-differences models that compare cost trends at acquired hospitals to cost trends at hospitals whose ownership did not change. I find evidence of economically and statistically significant cost reductions at acquired hospitals. On average, acquired hospitals realize cost savings between 4 and 7 percent in the years following the acquisition. These results are robust to a variety of different control strategies, and do not appear to be easily explained by post-merger changes in service and/or patient mix. I then explore several extensions of the results to examine (a) whether the acquiring hospital/system realizes cost savings post-merger and (b) if cost savings depend on the size of the acquirer and/or the geographic overlap of the merging hospitals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Do More Hospital Beds Lead to Higher Hospitalization Rates? A Spatial Examination of Roemer’s Law

    PubMed Central

    Delamater, Paul L.; Messina, Joseph P.; Grady, Sue C.; WinklerPrins, Vince; Shortridge, Ashton M.

    2013-01-01

    Background Roemer’s Law, a widely cited principle in health care policy, states that hospital beds that are built tend to be used. This simple but powerful expression has been invoked to justify Certificate of Need regulation of hospital beds in an effort to contain health care costs. Despite its influence, a surprisingly small body of empirical evidence supports its content. Furthermore, known geographic factors influencing health services use and the spatial structure of the relationship between hospital bed availability and hospitalization rates have not been sufficiently explored in past examinations of Roemer’s Law. We pose the question, “Accounting for space in health care access and use, is there an observable association between the availability of hospital beds and hospital utilization?” Methods We employ an ecological research design based upon the Anderson behavioral model of health care utilization. This conceptual model is implemented in an explicitly spatial context. The effect of hospital bed availability on the utilization of hospital services is evaluated, accounting for spatial structure and controlling for other known determinants of hospital utilization. The stability of this relationship is explored by testing across numerous geographic scales of analysis. The case study comprises an entire state system of hospitals and population, evaluating over one million inpatient admissions. Results We find compelling evidence that a positive, statistically significant relationship exists between hospital bed availability and inpatient hospitalization rates. Additionally, the observed relationship is invariant with changes in the geographic scale of analysis. Conclusions This study provides evidence for the effects of Roemer’s Law, thus suggesting that variations in hospitalization rates have origins in the availability of hospital beds. This relationship is found to be robust across geographic scales of analysis. These findings suggest

  12. [Demand for hospitalization due to psychosocial causes in a pediatric hospital].

    PubMed

    Bella, Mónica E; Borgiattino, Vanesa

    2016-06-01

    Health care services show epidemiological changes and an increase in the number of consultations due to mental causes and violence without having the necessary capacity to respond to this increasing demand. To analyze and compare the demand for hospitalization due to psychosocial causes in a pediatric hospital during three different periods. Descriptive, retrospective study. The cases were children/adolescents hospitalized for psychosocial causes at Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad, Córdoba. The data were processed using frequency analysis and chi-square test. 221 records were analyzed. The hospitalization rate was 0.73% in the year 2000, 1.44% in 2005 and 1.26% in 2010. The hospitalization rate for psychosocial causes increased from 0.06 in 2000 to 0.10 in the years 2005 and 2010. The most common reasons for admission were: suspected child abuse in 44.2% (p < 0.0001), suicidal behavior in 18.7%, suspected sexual abuse in 10.05% and substance abuse in 6.8%. The psychomotor agitation episode and psychotic episode showed a prevalence of 2.4% in 2000, while in 2010 it was of 9.5% for the psychomotor agitation episode and of 5.7% for the psychotic episode. Suicidal behavior and suspected sexual abuse were more common in women and the psychomotor agitation episode and substance abuse were more common in men. Hospitalizations for psychosocial causes and, particularly, mental causes in children/adolescents have increased and show a different behavior according to age and gender. Health problems related to violence were the most frequent ones. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

  13. Hospitalization and catastrophic medical payment: evidence from hospitals located in Tehran.

    PubMed

    Ghiasvand, Hesam; Sha'baninejad, Hossein; Arab, Mohammad; Rashidian, Arash

    2014-07-01

    Hospitalized patients constitute the main fraction of users in any health system. Financial burden of reimbursement for received services and cares by these users is sometimes unbearable and may lead to catastrophic medical payments. So, designing and implementing effective health prepayments schemes appear to be an effective governmental intervention to reduce catastrophic medical payments and protect households against it. We aimed to calculate the proportion of hospitalized patients exposed to catastrophic medical payments, its determinant factors and its distribution. We conducted a cross sectional study with 400 samples in five hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among respondents. Data were analyzed by logistic regression and χ(2) statistics. Also, we drew the Lorenz curve and calculated the Gini coefficient in order to present the distribution of catastrophic medical payments burden on different income levels. About 15.05% of patients were exposed to catastrophic medical payments. Also, we found that the educational level of the patient's family head, the sex of the patient's family head, hospitalization day numbers, having made any out of hospital payments linked with the same admission and households annual income levels; were linked with a higher likelihood of exposure to catastrophic medical payments. Also, the Gini coefficient is about 0.8 for catastrophic medical payments distribution. There is a high level of catastrophic medical payments in hospitalized patients. The weakness of economic status of households and the not well designed prepayments schemes on the other hand may lead to this. This paper illustrated a clear picture for catastrophic medical payments at hospital level and suggests applicable notes to Iranian health policymakers and planners.

  14. Mental hospital reform in Asia: the case of Yuli Veterans Hospital, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Chih-Yuan; Huang, Ai-Ling; Minas, Harry; Cohen, Alex

    2009-01-02

    Yuli Veterans Hospital (YVH) has been the largest mental hospital for the patients with chronic and severe mental illness in Taiwan for the past 50 years. While this hospital used to be a symbol of hopelessness among patients and their families and an unspoken shame among Taiwan psychiatry and mental health circles it now represents an example of how an old, custodial hospital can be transformed into a very different institution. In this case study we will describe the features of this transformation, which, over the past 20 years, has aimed to help extended stay inpatients with severe mental illness to integrate into the local community of Yuli even though it is not their original home. Using historical documents and oral narratives from Yuli inhabitants, workers and patients of YVH, we will offer a case study of the Yuli model. There are four main components of the Yuli model: holistic medical support, vocational rehabilitation, case management, and the residential program. The four components help patients recover two essential features of their lives: vocational life and ordinary daily routines. As the process of recovery evolves, patients gradually regain inner stability, dignity, self-confidence, and a sense of control. The four components are critical to rebuild the structure and order of life of the patients and are indispensable and interdependent parts of one service package. They operate simultaneously to benefit the patients to the greatest degree possible. There are many challenges to the further development and financial viability of the model of services developed at YVH. There are also important questions concerning the replicability of the Yuli model in other sociocultural and service system contexts. This case study reveals the possibility of transforming a custodial mental hospital into a hospital providing high quality care. Hospital and community are not in opposition. They are part of a continuum of care for the patients. We reinterpret and

  15. Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety Collaborative Impact on Hospital-Acquired Harm.

    PubMed

    Lyren, Anne; Brilli, Richard J; Zieker, Karen; Marino, Miguel; Muething, Stephen; Sharek, Paul J

    2017-09-01

    To determine if an improvement collaborative of 33 children's hospitals focused on reliable best practice implementation and culture of safety improvements can reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) and serious safety events (SSEs). A 3-year prospective cohort study design with a 12-month historical control population was completed by the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety collaborative. Identification and dissemination of best practices related to 9 HACs and SSE reduction focused on key process and culture of safety improvements. Individual hospital improvement teams leveraged the resources of a large, structured children's hospital collaborative using electronic, virtual, and in-person interactions. Thirty-three children's hospitals from across the United States volunteered to be part of the Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety collaborative. Thirty-two met all the data submission eligibility requirements for the HAC improvement objective of this study, and 21 participated in the high-reliability culture work aimed at reducing SSEs. Significant harm reduction occurred in 8 of 9 common HACs (range 9%-71%; P < .005 for all). The mean monthly SSE rate decreased 32% (from 0.77 to 0.52; P < .001). The 12-month rolling average SSE rate decreased 50% (from 0.82 to 0.41; P < .001). Participation in a structured collaborative dedicated to implementing HAC-related best-practice prevention bundles and culture of safety interventions designed to increase the use of high-reliability organization practices resulted in significant HAC and SSE reductions. Structured collaboration and rapid sharing of evidence-based practices and tools are effective approaches to decreasing hospital-acquired harm. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  16. Complication Rates, Hospital Size, and Bias in the CMS Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program.

    PubMed

    Koenig, Lane; Soltoff, Samuel A; Demiralp, Berna; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Foster, Nancy E; Steinberg, Caroline Rossi; Vaz, Christopher; Wetzel, Scott; Xu, Susan

    In 2016, Medicare's Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HAC-RP) will reduce hospital payments by $364 million. Although observers have questioned the validity of certain HAC-RP measures, less attention has been paid to the determination of low-performing hospitals (bottom quartile) and the assignment of penalties. This study investigated possible bias in the HAC-RP by simulating hospitals' likelihood of being in the worst-performing quartile for 8 patient safety measures, assuming identical expected complication rates across hospitals. Simulated likelihood of being a poor performer varied with hospital size. This relationship depended on the measure's complication rate. For 3 of 8 measures examined, the equal-quality simulation identified poor performers similarly to empirical data (c-statistic approximately 0.7 or higher) and explained most of the variation in empirical performance by size (Efron's R 2 > 0.85). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could address potential bias in the HAC-RP by stratifying by hospital size or using a broader "all-harm" measure.

  17. [The future of hospitals and the hospitals in the future].

    PubMed

    Illés, S Tamás

    2016-07-01

    By the end of the 20th century the vertically organized hospitals formed into a closed hierarchical system, in which the healthcare supply significantly fragmented. The existing hospitals in the current organization are not prepared for the increase in longevity, nor for the high growth in the number of chronic and long-term illnesses and the multi-morbidity since they were not designed for extended carry treatments. The fast incorporation of high-tech and very expensive technologies into healthcare generates an economic crisis. Solving the supply and economic crisis at the same time cannot be achieved without changing the structure of hospitals. Future hospitals will be organized in a network, conducting special treatments according to disease profiles. According to present knowledge, this is the only structure that allows for economies in scale, the proper spending of the ever-shrinking resources, and to ensure the effective patient care required after the changing of disorder structures and patient corporate identities. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(28), 1099-1104.

  18. Legitimacy of hospital reconfiguration: the controversial downsizing of Kidderminster hospital.

    PubMed

    Oborn, Eivor

    2008-04-01

    This paper examines the contested organizational legitimacy of hospital reconfiguration, which continues to be a central issue in health care management. A qualitative study which focuses on the controversial downsizing of Kidderminster Hospital, a highly publicized landmark case of district general hospital closure. Rhetorical strategies are analysed to examine how legitimacy was constructed by stakeholder groups and how these strategies were used to support or resist change. Stakeholders promoting change legitimized re-organization pragmatically and morally arguing the need for centralization as a rational necessity. Stakeholders resisting change argued for cognitive and moral legitimacy in current service arrangements, contrasting local versus regionalized aspects of safety and provision. Groups managed to talk past each other, failing to establish a dialogue, which led to significant conflict and political upheaval. Stakeholders value hospitals in different ways and argue for diverse accounts of legitimacy. Broader discourses of medical science and democratic participation were drawn into rhetorical texts concerning regionalization to render them more powerful.

  19. Lower Mortality in Magnet Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    McHugh, Matthew D.; Kelly, Lesly A.; Smith, Herbert L.; Wu, Evan S.; Vanak, Jill M.; Aiken, Linda H.

    2014-01-01

    Background Although there is evidence that hospitals recognized for nursing excellence—Magnet hospitals—are successful in attracting and retaining nurses, it is uncertain whether Magnet recognition is associated with better patient outcomes than non-Magnets, and if so why. Objectives To determine whether Magnet hospitals have lower risk-adjusted mortality and failure-to-rescue compared with non-Magnet hospitals, and to determine the most likely explanations. Method and Study Design Analysis of linked patient, nurse, and hospital data on 56 Magnet and 508 non-Magnet hospitals. Logistic regression models were used to estimate differences in the odds of mortality and failure-to-rescue for surgical patients treated in Magnet versus non-Magnet hospitals, and to determine the extent to which differences in outcomes can be explained by nursing after accounting for patient and hospital differences. Results Magnet hospitals had significantly better work environments and higher proportions of nurses with bachelor's degrees and specialty certification. These nursing factors explained much of the Magnet hospital effect on patient outcomes. However, patients treated in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of mortality (odds ratio 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.76–0.98; P = 0.02) and 12% lower odds of failure-to-rescue (odds ratio 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.77–1.01; P = 0.07) while controlling for nursing factors as well as hospital and patient differences. Conclusions The lower mortality we find in Magnet hospitals is largely attributable to measured nursing characteristics but there is a mortality advantage above and beyond what we could measure. Magnet recognition identifies existing quality and stimulates further positive organizational behavior that improves patient outcomes. PMID:24022082

  20. Modeling organizational determinants of hospital mortality.

    PubMed Central

    al-Haider, A S; Wan, T T

    1991-01-01

    This study examines hospital characteristics that affect the differential in hospital mortality. Death rates for 1984 Medicare inpatients in acute care hospitals, released by the Health Care Financing Administration in 1986, were analyzed. A confirmatory statistical approach to organizational determinants of hospital mortality was formulated and validated through an empirical examination of 239 hospitals. The findings suggest that the effect of hospital size and specialization on mortality was a spurious one when the effects of other variables were simultaneously controlled. A positive association existed between service intensity and hospital mortality: the more hospital services consumed, the higher the mortality rate. Community attributes accounted for more variance in hospital mortality rates than did organizational attributes. The organizational and community factors studied explained 27 percent of the total variance in hospital mortality. PMID:1869442

  1. Hospital information system institutionalization processes in indonesian public, government-owned and privately owned hospitals.

    PubMed

    Handayani, P W; Hidayanto, A N; Ayuningtyas, Dumilah; Budi, Indra

    2016-11-01

    The Hospital Information System (HIS) could help hospitals as a public entity to provide optimal health services. One of the main challenges of HIS implementation is an institutional change. Using institutional theory as the analytical lens, this study aims to explain the institutionalization of HIS as an instance of e-health initiatives in Indonesia. Furthermore, this paper aims for hospital management and researchers to improve the understanding of the social forces that influence hospital personnel's HIS acceptance within an organizational context. We use case studies from four public, government-owned hospitals and four privately owned (public and specialty) hospitals to explain the HIS institutionalization process by exploring the three concepts of institutional theory: institutional isomorphism, institutional logic, and institutional entrepreneurship. This study reveals that differences exist between public, government-owned and private hospitals with regard to the institutionalization process: public, government-owned hospitals' management is more motivated to implement HIS to comply with the regulations, while private hospitals' management views HIS as an urgent requirement that must be achieved. The study findings also reveal that various institutional isomorphism mechanisms and forms of institutional logic emerge during the process. Finally, three factors-self-efficacy, social influence, and management support-have a significant influence on the individual acceptance of HIS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Did Budget Cuts in Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment Affect Hospital Quality of Care?

    PubMed Central

    Hsieh, Hui-Min; Bazzoli, Gloria J.; Chen, Hsueh-Fen; Stratton, Leslie S.; Clement, Dolores G.

    2014-01-01

    Background Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments are one of the major sources of financial support for hospitals providing care to low-income patients. However, Medicaid DSH payments will be redirected from hospitals to subsidize individual health insurance purchase through US national health reform. Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the association between Medicaid DSH payment reductions and nursing-sensitive and birth-related quality of care among Medicaid/uninsured and privately insured patients. Research Design and Method Economic theory of hospital behavior was used as a conceptual framework, and longitudinal data for California hospitals for 1996–2003 were examined. Hospital fixed effects regression models were estimated. The unit of analysis is at the hospital-level, examining two aggregated measures based on the payer category of discharged patients (i.e., Medicaid/uninsured and privately insured). Principal Findings The overall study findings provide at best weak evidence of an association between net Medicaid DSH payments and hospital quality of care for either Medicaid/uninsured or the privately insured patients. The magnitudes of the effects are small and only a few have significant DSH effects. Conclusions Although this study does not find evidence suggesting that reducing Medicaid DSH payments had a strong negative impact on hospital quality of care for Medicaid/uninsured or privately insured patients, the results are not necessarily predictive of the impact national health care reform will have. Research is necessary to monitor hospital quality of care as this reform is implemented. PMID:24714580

  3. Promising Practices for Achieving Patient-centered Hospital Care: A National Study of High-performing US Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Aboumatar, Hanan J; Chang, Bickey H; Al Danaf, Jad; Shaear, Mohammad; Namuyinga, Ruth; Elumalai, Sathyanarayanan; Marsteller, Jill A; Pronovost, Peter J

    2015-09-01

    Patient-centered care is integral to health care quality, yet little is known regarding how to achieve patient-centeredness in the hospital setting. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures patients' reports on clinician behaviors deemed by patients as key to a high-quality hospitalization experience. We conducted a national study of hospitals that achieved the highest performance on HCAHPS to identify promising practices for improving patient-centeredness, common challenges met, and how those were addressed. We identified hospitals that achieved the top ranks or remarkable recent improvements on HCAHPS and surveyed key informants at these hospitals. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we described the interventions used at these hospitals and developed an explanatory model for achieving patient-centeredness in hospital care. Fifty-two hospitals participated in this study. Hospitals used similar interventions that focused on improving responsiveness to patient needs, the discharge experience, and patient-clinician interactions. To improve responsiveness, hospitals used proactive nursing rounds (reported at 83% of hospitals) and executive/leader rounds (62%); for the discharge experience, multidisciplinary rounds (56%), postdischarge calls (54%), and discharge folders (52%) were utilized; for clinician-patient interactions, hospitals promoted specific desired behaviors (65%) and set behavioral standards (60%) for which employees were held accountable. Similar strategies were also used to achieve successful intervention implementation including HCAHPS data feedback, and employee and leader engagement and accountability. High-performing hospitals used a set of patient-centered care processes that involved both leaders and clinicians in ensuring that patient needs and preferences are addressed.

  4. Statin Use and Hospital Length of Stay Among Adults Hospitalized With Community-acquired Pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Havers, Fiona; Bramley, Anna M; Finelli, Lyn; Reed, Carrie; Self, Wesley H; Trabue, Christopher; Fakhran, Sherene; Balk, Robert; Courtney, D Mark; Girard, Timothy D; Anderson, Evan J; Grijalva, Carlos G; Edwards, Kathryn M; Wunderink, Richard G; Jain, Seema

    2016-06-15

    Prior retrospective studies suggest that statins may benefit patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. However, prospective studies of the impact of statins on CAP outcomes are needed. We determined whether statin use was associated with improved outcomes in adults hospitalized with CAP. Adults aged ≥18 years hospitalized with CAP were prospectively enrolled at 3 hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, and 2 hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, from January 2010-June 2012. Adults receiving statins before and throughout hospitalization (statin users) were compared with those who did not receive statins (nonusers). Proportional subdistribution hazards models were used to examine the association between statin use and hospital length of stay (LOS). In-hospital mortality was a secondary outcome. We also compared groups matched on propensity score. Of 2016 adults enrolled, 483 (24%) were statin users; 1533 (76%) were nonusers. Statin users were significantly older, had more comorbidities, had more years of education, and were more likely to have health insurance than nonusers. Multivariable regression demonstrated that statin users and nonusers had similar LOS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], .88-1.12), as did those in the propensity-matched groups (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, .88-1.21). No significant associations were found between statin use and LOS or in-hospital mortality, even when stratified by pneumonia severity. In a large prospective study of adults hospitalized with CAP, we found no evidence to suggest that statin use before and during hospitalization improved LOS or in-hospital mortality. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  5. Comparison of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient satisfaction scores for specialty hospitals and general medical hospitals: confounding effect of survey response rate.

    PubMed

    Siddiqui, Zishan K; Wu, Albert W; Kurbanova, Nargiza; Qayyum, Rehan

    2014-09-01

    Specialty hospitals are a subset of acute-care hospitals that provide a narrower set of services than general medical hospitals (GMHs), predominantly in areas such as cardiac disease and surgery. Although specialty hospitals also advertise high patient satisfaction, this has not been examined using national data. We examined the differences in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) satisfaction scores in a national sample. HCAHPS results were obtained for July 2007 to June 2010. Specialty hospitals were identified using the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey, the Physician Hospital Association's directory, a name search of hospitals on the HCAHPS database, contact with experts, and online searches. Multiple linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between overall satisfaction and hospital specialty status, survey response rate, and subdomains of patient satisfaction. We identified 188 specialty hospitals and 4368 GMHs. Specialty hospitals were disproportionately located in states that do not require Certification Of Need (47.9%), and had a higher overall patient satisfaction score (86.6 vs 67.8%, P < 0.0001) and survey response rates (49.6% vs 32.2%, P < 0.0001). After adjusting for response rate, the difference in overall patient satisfaction decreased by >50% (from 18.5 to 8.7) but remained significantly higher (P < 0.0001). Similar results were obtained for patient satisfaction subdomains. Specialty hospitals have a significantly higher overall HCAHPS patient satisfaction score than GMHs, although more than half of this difference disappears when adjusted for survey response rate. Comparisons among healthcare organizations should take into account survey response rates. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  6. Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses.

    PubMed

    Meernik, Clare; Baker, Hannah M; Paci, Karina; Fischer-Brown, Isaiah; Dunlap, Daniel; Goldstein, Adam O

    2015-12-29

    Smoke and tobacco-free policies on hospital campuses have become more prevalent across the U.S. and Europe, de-normalizing smoking and reducing secondhand smoke exposure on hospital grounds. Concerns about the increasing use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and the impact of such use on smoke and tobacco-free policies have arisen, but to date, no systematic data describes e-cigarette policies on hospital campuses. The study surveyed all hospitals in North Carolina (n = 121) to assess what proportion of hospitals have developed e-cigarette policies, how policies have been implemented and communicated, and what motivators and barriers have influenced the development of e-cigarette regulations. Seventy-five hospitals (62%) completed the survey. Over 80% of hospitals reported the existence of a policy regulating the use of e-cigarettes on campus and roughly half of the hospitals without a current e-cigarette policy are likely to develop one within the next year. Most e-cigarette policies have been incorporated into existing tobacco-free policies with few reported barriers, though effective communication of e-cigarette policies is lacking. The majority of hospitals strongly agree that e-cigarette use on campus should be prohibited for staff, patients, and visitors. Widespread incorporation of e-cigarette policies into existing hospital smoke and tobacco-free campus policies is feasible but needs communication to staff, patients, and visitors.

  7. Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses

    PubMed Central

    Meernik, Clare; Baker, Hannah M.; Paci, Karina; Fischer-Brown, Isaiah; Dunlap, Daniel; Goldstein, Adam O.

    2015-01-01

    Smoke and tobacco-free policies on hospital campuses have become more prevalent across the U.S. and Europe, de-normalizing smoking and reducing secondhand smoke exposure on hospital grounds. Concerns about the increasing use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and the impact of such use on smoke and tobacco-free policies have arisen, but to date, no systematic data describes e-cigarette policies on hospital campuses. The study surveyed all hospitals in North Carolina (n = 121) to assess what proportion of hospitals have developed e-cigarette policies, how policies have been implemented and communicated, and what motivators and barriers have influenced the development of e-cigarette regulations. Seventy-five hospitals (62%) completed the survey. Over 80% of hospitals reported the existence of a policy regulating the use of e-cigarettes on campus and roughly half of the hospitals without a current e-cigarette policy are likely to develop one within the next year. Most e-cigarette policies have been incorporated into existing tobacco-free policies with few reported barriers, though effective communication of e-cigarette policies is lacking. The majority of hospitals strongly agree that e-cigarette use on campus should be prohibited for staff, patients, and visitors. Widespread incorporation of e-cigarette policies into existing hospital smoke and tobacco-free campus policies is feasible but needs communication to staff, patients, and visitors. PMID:26729142

  8. The Impact of Medical Tourism on Thai Private Hospital Management: Informing Hospital Policy

    PubMed Central

    James, Paul TJ

    2012-01-01

    Background: The purpose of this paper is to help consolidate and understand management perceptions and experiences of a targeted group (n=7) of Vice-Presidents of international Private Thai hospitals in Bangkok regarding medical tourism impacts. Methods: The method adopted uses a small-scale qualitative inquiry. Examines the on-going development and service management factors which contribute to the establishment and strengthening of relationships between international patients and hospital medical services provision. Develops a qualitative model that attempts to conceptualise the findings from a diverse range of management views into a framework of main (8) - Hospital Management; Hospital Processes; Hospital Technology; Quality Related; Communications; Personnel; Financial; and Patients; and consequent sub-themes (22). Results: Outcomes from small-scale qualitative inquiries cannot by design be taken outside of its topical arena. This inevitably indicates that more research of this kind needs to be carried out to understand this field more effectively. The evidence suggests that Private Thai hospital management have established views about what constitutes the impact of medical tourism on hospital policies and practices when hospital staff interact with international patients. Conclusions: As the private health service sector in Thailand continues to grow, future research is needed to help hospitals provide appropriate service patterns and appropriate medical products/services that meet international patient needs and aspirations. Highlights the increasing importance of the international consumer in Thailand’s health industry. This study provides insights of private health service providers in Bangkok by helping to understand more effectively health service quality environments, subsequent service provision, and the integrated development and impacts of new medical technology. PMID:22980119

  9. Utilization of non-US educated nurses in US hospitals: implications for hospital mortality

    PubMed Central

    Neff, Donna Felber; Cimiotti, Jeannie; Sloane, Douglas M.; Aiken, Linda H.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To determine whether, and under what circumstance, US hospital employment of non-US-educated nurses is associated with patient outcomes. Design Observational study of primary data from 2006 to 2007 surveys of hospital nurses in four states (California, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). The direct and interacting effects of hospital nurse staffing and the percentage of non-US-educated nurses on 30-day surgical patient mortality and failure-to-rescue were estimated before and after controlling for patient and hospital characteristics. Participants Data from registered nurse respondents practicing in 665 hospitals were pooled with patient discharge data from state agencies. Main Outcomes Measure(s) Thirty-day surgical patient mortality and failure-to-rescue. Results The effect of non-US-educated nurses on both mortality and failure-to-rescue is nil in hospitals with lower than average patient to nurse ratios, but pronounced in hospitals with average and poor nurse to patient ratios. In hospitals in which patient-to-nurse ratios are 5:1 or higher, mortality is higher when 25% or more nurses are educated outside of the USA than when <25% of nurses are non-US-educated. Moreover, the effect of having >25% non-US-educated nurses becomes increasingly deleterious as patient-to-nurse ratios increase beyond 5:1. Conclusions Employing non-US-educated nurses has a negative impact on patient mortality except where patient-to-nurse ratios are lower than average. Thus, US hospitals should give priority to achieving adequate nurse staffing levels, and be wary of hiring large percentages of non-US-educated nurses unless patient-to-nurse ratios are low. PMID:23736834

  10. Hidden Costs of Hospital Based Delivery from Two Tertiary Hospitals in Western Nepal.

    PubMed

    Acharya, Jeevan; Kaehler, Nils; Marahatta, Sujan Babu; Mishra, Shiva Raj; Subedi, Sudarshan; Adhikari, Bipin

    2016-01-01

    Hospital based delivery has been an expensive experience for poor households because of hidden costs which are usually unaccounted in hospital costs. The main aim of this study was to estimate the hidden costs of hospital based delivery and determine the factors associated with the hidden costs. A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 post-partum mothers with their husbands/house heads during the discharge time in Manipal Teaching Hospital and Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. A face to face interview with each respondent was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Hidden costs were calculated based on the price rate of the market during the time of the study. The total hidden costs for normal delivery and C-section delivery were 243.4 USD (US Dollar) and 321.6 USD respectively. Of the total maternity care expenditures; higher mean expenditures were found for food & drinking (53.07%), clothes (9.8%) and transport (7.3%). For postpartum women with their husband or house head, the total mean opportunity cost of "days of work loss" were 84.1 USD and 81.9 USD for normal delivery and C-section respectively. Factors such as literate mother (p = 0.007), employed house head (p = 0.011), monthly family income more than 25,000 NRs (Nepalese Rupees) (p = 0.014), private hospital as a place of delivery (p = 0.0001), C-section as a mode of delivery (p = 0.0001), longer duration (>5days) of stay in hospital (p = 0.0001), longer distance (>15km) from house to hospital (p = 0.0001) and longer travel time (>240 minutes) from house to hospital (p = 0.007) showed a significant association with the higher hidden costs (>25000 NRs). Experiences of hidden costs on hospital based delivery and opportunity costs of days of work loss were found high. Several socio-demographic factors, delivery related factors (place and mode of delivery, length of stay, distance from hospital and travel time) were associated with hidden costs. Hidden costs can be a

  11. Quality indicators for the hospital transfusion chain: a national survey conducted in 100 dutch hospitals.

    PubMed

    Zijlker-Jansen, P Y; Janssen, M P; van Tilborgh-de Jong, A J W; Schipperus, M R; Wiersum-Osselton, J C

    2015-10-01

    The 2011 Dutch Blood Transfusion Guideline for hospitals incorporates seven internal quality indicators for evaluation of the hospital transfusion chain. The indicators aim to measure guideline compliance as shown by the instatement of a hospital transfusion committee and transfusion safety officer (structural indicators), observance of transfusion triggers and mandatory traceability of labile blood components (process indicators). Two voluntary online surveys were sent to all Dutch hospitals for operational years 2011 and 2012 to assess compliance with the guideline recommendations. Most hospitals had a hospital transfusion committee and had appointed a transfusion safety officer (TSO). In 2012, only 23% of hospitals complied with the recommended minimum of four annual transfusion committee meetings and 8 h/week for the TSO. Compliance with the recommended pretransfusion haemoglobin threshold for RBC transfusion was achieved by 90% of hospitals in over 80% of transfusions; 58% of hospitals measured the pretransfusion platelet count in over 80% of platelet transfusions and 87% of hospitals complied with the legally mandatory traceability of blood components in over 95% of transfusions. With the current blood transfusion indicators, it is feasible to monitor aspects of the quality of the hospital transfusion chain and blood transfusion practice and to assess guideline compliance. The results from this study suggest that there are opportunities for significant improvement in blood transfusion practice in the Netherlands. These indicators could potentially be used for national and international benchmarking of blood transfusion practice. © 2015 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  12. Attitudes and expectations regarding exercise in the hospital of hospitalized older adults: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    So, Cynthia; Pierluissi, Edgar

    2012-04-01

    To describe expectations of, and perceived motivators and barriers to, in-hospital exercise of hospitalized older adults. Qualitative study using the framework theory. Public hospital general medical wards. Twenty-eight English- or Spanish-speaking inpatients aged 65 to 103. Semistructured interviews were conducted at the bedside. Questions explored attitudes and expectations regarding in-hospital exercise. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed, and content analysis was performed to identify major themes. For most participants (71%), exercise in the hospital meant walking. Only 29% of participants expected to be exercising in the hospital, although three-quarters perceived it to be appropriate. Major themes included motivating factors and barriers to in-hospital exercise. Motivating factors included avoiding the negative effects of prolonged bed rest, promoting a sense of well-being, promoting functional recovery, and being asked to exercise. Barriers included symptoms related to one's illness, institutional barriers, and fear of injury. Most respondents (85%) felt that if the physician suggested exercise, it would influence their decision to do so, yet few (27%) reported that they had spoken to their physician about exercise. Hospitalized older adults have positive perceptions about in-hospital exercise, although they must overcome significant barriers to do so. Medical professionals have a strong influence over the exercise behavior of elderly adults in the hospital yet infrequently address the issue. Incorporating motivating factors and removing barriers may increase the effectiveness of in-hospital exercise programs. © 2012, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2012, The American Geriatrics Society.

  13. Hospital Characteristics Associated With Penalties in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program.

    PubMed

    Rajaram, Ravi; Chung, Jeanette W; Kinnier, Christine V; Barnard, Cynthia; Mohanty, Sanjay; Pavey, Emily S; McHugh, Megan C; Bilimoria, Karl Y

    2015-07-28

    In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instituted the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, which reduces payments to the lowest-performing hospitals. However, it is uncertain whether this program accurately measures quality and fairly penalizes hospitals. To examine the characteristics of hospitals penalized by the HAC Reduction Program and to evaluate the association of a summary score of hospital characteristics related to quality with penalization in the HAC program. Data for hospitals participating in the FY2015 HAC Reduction Program were obtained from CMS' Hospital Compare and merged with the 2014 American Hospital Association Annual Survey and FY2015 Medicare Impact File. Logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between hospital characteristics and HAC program penalization. An 8-point hospital quality summary score was created using hospital characteristics related to volume, accreditations, and offering of advanced care services. The relationship between the hospital quality summary score and HAC program penalization was examined. Publicly reported process-of-care and outcome measures were examined from 4 clinical areas (surgery, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia), and their association with the hospital quality summary score was evaluated. Penalization in the HAC Reduction Program. Hospital characteristics associated with penalization. Of the 3284 hospitals participating in the HAC program, 721 (22.0%) were penalized. Hospitals were more likely to be penalized if they were accredited by the Joint Commission (24.0% accredited, 14.4% not accredited; odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04-1.70); they were major teaching hospitals (42.3%; OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.09-2.29) or very major teaching hospitals (62.2%; OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.55-4.39; vs nonteaching hospitals, 17.0%); they cared for more complex patient populations based on case mix index (quartile 4 vs quartile

  14. Hospital capital funding.

    PubMed

    Hebert, M

    1992-01-01

    It is critical that hospitals have a long-range plan in place to ensure that buildings and equipment are replaced when necessary. A study undertaken in British Columbia contrasted the Greater Vancouver Regional Hospital District's capital plan (past and future) to a proposed capital replacement model. The model, developed using accepted industry standards and criteria, provided an asset value that was used for comparison purposes. Building and equipment expenditures of the Surrey Memorial Hospital were also compared against the model. Findings from both studies are presented in this article.

  15. Evaluation of the frequency of Candida spp. in hospitalized and non-hospitalized subjects.

    PubMed

    Vieira, J N; Feijó, A M; Bueno, M E; Gonçalves, C L; Lund, R G; Mendes, J F; Villarreal, J P V; Villela, M M; Nascente, P S

    2018-02-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of Candida species between a non-hospitalized and a hospitalized population. For this purpose, samples of saliva were sampled through sterile swabs, moistened in peptone water and rubbed in the oral cavity of 140 individuals, from which, 70 were hospitalized patients from the Medical Clinic of a Teaching Hospital and the other 70 were non-hospitalized subjects. All saliva samples were plated in Sabouraud Dextrose agar added with Chloramphenicol and incubated at 36 °C for 48 hours. The morphology identification was performed through macroscopic and microscopic characterization, the CHROMagar Candida medium and the VITEK® system Yeast Biochemical Card (bio Mérieux SA, France). The results showed a colonization of Candida spp. in 85.7% the hospitalized individuals, where the species found were C. albicans (60%), C. tropicalis (23.4%), C. krusei (3.3%) and Candida spp. (13.3%). In the non-hospitalized individuals the colonization by Candida spp was 47.1%, and the species found were: C. albicans (45.5%), C.krusei (9.1%), C. guilliermondii (9.1% %), C. tropicalis (3.0%), C. famata (3.0%) and Candida spp. (30.3%). In spite of their presence in oral cavity in both groups, Candida spp. was more frequently isolated in hospitalized individuals, who were 6.73 times more likely to have this fungus in the oral cavity and were 3.88 times more likely to have Candida albicans.

  16. Measuring hospital care from the patients' perspective: an overview of the CAHPS Hospital Survey development process.

    PubMed

    Goldstein, Elizabeth; Farquhar, Marybeth; Crofton, Christine; Darby, Charles; Garfinkel, Steven

    2005-12-01

    To describe the developmental process for the CAHPS Hospital Survey. A pilot was conducted in three states with 19,720 hospital discharges. A rigorous, multi-step process was used to develop the CAHPS Hospital Survey. It included a public call for measures, multiple Federal Register notices soliciting public input, a review of the relevant literature, meetings with hospitals, consumers and survey vendors, cognitive interviews with consumer, a large-scale pilot test in three states and consumer testing and numerous small-scale field tests. The current version of the CAHPS Hospital Survey has survey items in seven domains, two overall ratings of the hospital and five items used for adjusting for the mix of patients across hospitals and for analytical purposes. The CAHPS Hospital Survey is a core set of questions that can be administered as a stand-alone questionnaire or combined with a broader set of hospital specific items.

  17. Measuring efficiency among US federal hospitals.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Jeffrey P; Meyer, Sean

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluates the efficiency of federal hospitals, specifically those hospitals administered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Department of Defense. Hospital executives, health care policymakers, taxpayers, and federal hospital beneficiaries benefit from studies that improve hospital efficiency. This study uses data envelopment analysis to evaluate a panel of 165 federal hospitals in 2007 and 157 of the same hospitals again in 2011. Results indicate that overall efficiency in federal hospitals improved from 81% in 2007 to 86% in 2011. The number of federal hospitals operating on the efficiency frontier decreased slightly from 25 in 2007 to 21 in 2011. The higher efficiency score clearly documents that federal hospitals are becoming more efficient in the management of resources. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the economic importance of encouraging increased efficiency throughout the health care industry. This research examines benchmarking strategies to improve the efficiency of hospital services to federal beneficiaries. Through the use of strategies such as integrated information systems, consolidation of services, transaction-cost economics, and focusing on preventative health care, these organizations have been able to provide quality service while maintaining fiscal responsibility. In addition, the research documented the characteristics of those federal hospitals that were found to be on the Efficiency Frontier. These hospitals serve as benchmarks for less efficient federal hospitals as they develop strategies for improvement.

  18. Hospital philanthropy.

    PubMed

    Smith, Dean G; Clement, Jan P

    2013-01-01

    It remains an open question whether hospital spending on fundraising efforts to garner philanthropy is a good use of funds. Research and industry reports provide conflicting results. We describe the accounting and data challenges in analysis of hospital philanthropy, which include measurement of donations, measurement of fundraising expenses, and finding the relationships among organizations where these cash flows occur. With these challenges, finding conflicting results is not a surprise.

  19. Segmentation in local hospital markets.

    PubMed

    Dranove, D; White, W D; Wu, L

    1993-01-01

    This study examines evidence of market segmentation on the basis of patients' insurance status, demographic characteristics, and medical condition in selected local markets in California in the years 1983 and 1989. Substantial differences exist in the probability patients may be admitted to particular hospitals based on insurance coverage, particularly Medicaid, and race. Segmentation based on insurance and race is related to hospital characteristics, but not the characteristics of the hospital's community. Medicaid patients are more likely to go to hospitals with lower costs and fewer service offerings. Privately insured patients go to hospitals offering more services, although cost concerns are increasing. Hispanic patients also go to low-cost hospitals, ceteris paribus. Results indicate little evidence of segmentation based on medical condition in either 1983 or 1989, suggesting that "centers of excellence" have yet to play an important role in patient choice of hospital. The authors found that distance matters, and that patients prefer nearby hospitals, moreso for some medical conditions than others, in ways consistent with economic theories of consumer choice.

  20. Church ownership and hospital efficiency.

    PubMed

    White, K R; Ozcan, Y A

    1996-01-01

    Using a sample of California hospitals, the effect of church ownership was examined as it relates to nonprofit hospital efficiency. Efficiency scores were computed using a nonparametric method called data envelopment analysis (DEA). Controlling for hospital size, location, system membership, and type of church ownership, church-owned hospitals were found to be more frequently in the efficient category than their secular nonprofit counterparts. The outcomes have policy implications for reducing healthcare expenditures by focusing on increasing outputs or decreasing inputs, as appropriate, and bolstering the case for church-sponsored hospitals to retain the tax-exempt status due to their ability to manage their resources as efficiently as (or more efficiently than) secular hospitals.

  1. Association of Hospitalization for Neurosurgical Operations in Magnet Hospitals With Mortality and Length of Stay.

    PubMed

    Missios, Symeon; Bekelis, Kimon

    2018-03-01

    The association of Magnet hospital status with improved surgical outcomes remains an issue of debate. To investigate whether hospitalization in a Magnet hospital is associated with improved outcomes for patients undergoing neurosurgical operations. A cohort study was executed using all patients undergoing neurosurgical operations in New York registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from 2009 to 2013. We examined the association of Magnet status hospitalization after neurosurgical operations with inpatient case fatality and length of stay (LOS). We employed an instrumental variable analysis to simulate a randomized trial. Overall, 190 787 patients underwent neurosurgical operations. Of these, 68 046 (35.7%) were hospitalized in Magnet hospitals, and 122 741 (64.3%) in non-Magnet institutions. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that hospitalization in Magnet hospitals was associated with decreased case fatality (adjusted difference, -0.8%; -95% confidence interval, -0.7% to -0.6%), and LOS (adjusted difference, -1.9; 95% confidence interval, -2.2 to -1.5) in comparison to non-Magnet hospitals. These associations were also observed in propensity score adjusted mixed effects models. These associations persisted in prespecified subgroups of patients undergoing spine surgery, craniotomy for tumor resection, or neurovascular interventions. We identified an association of Magnet hospitals with lower case fatality, and shorter LOS in a comprehensive New York State patient cohort undergoing neurosurgical procedures. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  2. The impact of managed care penetration and hospital quality on efficiency in hospital staffing.

    PubMed

    Mobley, Lee R; Magnussen, Jon

    2002-01-01

    The state of California has recently mandated minimum nurse-staffing ratios, raising concerns about possible affects on hospital efficiency. In this study, we examine how market factors and quality were related to staffing levels in California hospitals in 1995 (prior to implementation of the new law). We are particularly interested in the affect of managed care penetration on this aspect of hospital efficiency because the call to legislative action was predicated on fears that hospitals were reducing staffing below optimal levels in response to managed care pressures. We derive a unique measure of excess staffing in hospitals based on a data envelopment analysis (DEA) production function model, which explicitly includes ancillary care among the inputs and outputs. This careful specification of production is important because ancillary care use has risen relative to daily hospital services, with the spread of managed care and advances in medical technology. We find that market share (adjusted for size) and market concentration are the major determinants of excess staffing while managed care penetration is insignificant. We also find that poor quality (outcomes worse than expected) is associated with less efficient staffing. These findings suggest that the larger, more efficient urban hospitals will be penalized more heavily under binding staffing ratios than smaller, less-urban hospitals.

  3. Costs of Physician-Hospital Integration

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Na-Eun

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Given that the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is expected to generate forces toward physician-hospital integration, this study examined an understudied, albeit important, area of costs incurred in physician-hospital integration. Such costs were analyzed through 24 semi-structured interviews with physicians and hospital administrators in a multiple-case, inductive study. Two extreme types of physician-hospital arrangements were examined: an employed model (ie, integrated salary model, a group of physicians integrated by a hospital system) and a private practice (ie, a physician or group of physicians who are independent of economic or policy control). Interviews noted that integration leads to 3 evident costs, namely, monitoring, coordination, and cooperation costs. Improving our understanding of the kinds of costs that are incurred after physician-hospital integration will help hospitals and physicians to avoid common failures after integration. PMID:26496300

  4. Population versus hospital controls for case-control studies on cancers in Chinese hospitals

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Correct control selection is crucial to the internal validity of case-control studies. Little information exists on differences between population and hospital controls in case-control studies on cancers in Chinese hospital setting. Methods We conducted three parallel case-control studies on leukemia, breast and colorectal cancers in China between 2009 and 2010, using population and hospital controls to separately match 540 incident cases by age, gender and residency at a 1:1 ratio. Demographic and lifestyle factors were measured using a validated questionnaire in face-to-face interview. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained using conditional logistic regression analyses. Results The two control groups had closely similar exposure distributions of 15 out of 16 factors, with the only exception being that hospital controls were less likely to have a BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.93). For exposure of green tea drinking, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) comparing green tealeaves intake ≥ 1000 grams annually with non-drinkers were 0.51 (0.31, 0.83) and 0.21 (0.27, 0.74) for three cancers combined, 0.06 (0.01, 0.61) and 0.07 (0.01, 0.47) for breast cancer, 0.52 (0.29, 0.94) and 0.45 (0.25, 0.82) for colorectal cancer, 0.65 (0.08, 5.63) and 0.57 (0.07, 4.79) for leukemia using hospital and population controls respectively. Conclusions The study found that hospital controls were comparable with population controls for most demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors measured, but there was a slight difference between the two control groups. Hospital outpatients provide a satisfactory control group in hospital-based case-control study in the Chinese hospital setting. PMID:22171783

  5. Population versus hospital controls for case-control studies on cancers in Chinese hospitals.

    PubMed

    Li, Lin; Zhang, Min; Holman, D'Arcy

    2011-12-15

    Correct control selection is crucial to the internal validity of case-control studies. Little information exists on differences between population and hospital controls in case-control studies on cancers in Chinese hospital setting. We conducted three parallel case-control studies on leukemia, breast and colorectal cancers in China between 2009 and 2010, using population and hospital controls to separately match 540 incident cases by age, gender and residency at a 1:1 ratio. Demographic and lifestyle factors were measured using a validated questionnaire in face-to-face interview. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained using conditional logistic regression analyses. The two control groups had closely similar exposure distributions of 15 out of 16 factors, with the only exception being that hospital controls were less likely to have a BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.93). For exposure of green tea drinking, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) comparing green tealeaves intake ≥ 1000 grams annually with non-drinkers were 0.51 (0.31, 0.83) and 0.21 (0.27, 0.74) for three cancers combined, 0.06 (0.01, 0.61) and 0.07 (0.01, 0.47) for breast cancer, 0.52 (0.29, 0.94) and 0.45 (0.25, 0.82) for colorectal cancer, 0.65 (0.08, 5.63) and 0.57 (0.07, 4.79) for leukemia using hospital and population controls respectively. The study found that hospital controls were comparable with population controls for most demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors measured, but there was a slight difference between the two control groups. Hospital outpatients provide a satisfactory control group in hospital-based case-control study in the Chinese hospital setting.

  6. Mental hospital reform in Asia: the case of Yuli Veterans Hospital, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Chih-Yuan; Huang, Ai-Ling; Minas, Harry; Cohen, Alex

    2009-01-01

    Background Yuli Veterans Hospital (YVH) has been the largest mental hospital for the patients with chronic and severe mental illness in Taiwan for the past 50 years. While this hospital used to be a symbol of hopelessness among patients and their families and an unspoken shame among Taiwan psychiatry and mental health circles it now represents an example of how an old, custodial hospital can be transformed into a very different institution. In this case study we will describe the features of this transformation, which, over the past 20 years, has aimed to help extended stay inpatients with severe mental illness to integrate into the local community of Yuli even though it is not their original home. Methods Using historical documents and oral narratives from Yuli inhabitants, workers and patients of YVH, we will offer a case study of the Yuli model. Results There are four main components of the Yuli model: holistic medical support, vocational rehabilitation, case management, and the residential program. The four components help patients recover two essential features of their lives: vocational life and ordinary daily routines. As the process of recovery evolves, patients gradually regain inner stability, dignity, self-confidence, and a sense of control. The four components are critical to rebuild the structure and order of life of the patients and are indispensable and interdependent parts of one service package. They operate simultaneously to benefit the patients to the greatest degree possible. Discussion There are many challenges to the further development and financial viability of the model of services developed at YVH. There are also important questions concerning the replicability of the Yuli model in other sociocultural and service system contexts. Conclusion This case study reveals the possibility of transforming a custodial mental hospital into a hospital providing high quality care. Hospital and community are not in opposition. They are part of a

  7. Early discharge hospital at home.

    PubMed

    Gonçalves-Bradley, Daniela C; Iliffe, Steve; Doll, Helen A; Broad, Joanna; Gladman, John; Langhorne, Peter; Richards, Suzanne H; Shepperd, Sasha

    2017-06-26

    Early discharge hospital at home is a service that provides active treatment by healthcare professionals in the patient's home for a condition that otherwise would require acute hospital inpatient care. This is an update of a Cochrane review. To determine the effectiveness and cost of managing patients with early discharge hospital at home compared with inpatient hospital care. We searched the following databases to 9 January 2017: the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and EconLit. We searched clinical trials registries. Randomised trials comparing early discharge hospital at home with acute hospital inpatient care for adults. We excluded obstetric, paediatric and mental health hospital at home schemes.   DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We followed the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane and EPOC. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the body of evidence for the most important outcomes. We included 32 trials (N = 4746), six of them new for this update, mainly conducted in high-income countries. We judged most of the studies to have a low or unclear risk of bias. The intervention was delivered by hospital outreach services (17 trials), community-based services (11 trials), and was co-ordinated by a hospital-based stroke team or physician in conjunction with community-based services in four trials.Studies recruiting people recovering from strokeEarly discharge hospital at home probably makes little or no difference to mortality at three to six months (risk ratio (RR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 1.48, N = 1114, 11 trials, moderate-certainty evidence) and may make little or no difference to the risk of hospital readmission (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.66, N = 345, 5 trials, low-certainty evidence). Hospital at home may lower the risk of living in institutional setting at six months (RR 0.63, 96% CI

  8. Early examples of art in Scottish hospitals, 2: Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries.

    PubMed

    Park, Maureen

    2003-12-01

    Fine art has been used in hospitals for centuries. However, Crichton Royal Hospital in Dumfries pioneered the use of art activity in the treatment of its patients. This article is the second of two which look at examples of art created for, and in, Scottish hospitals in the 19th century. It is suggested that the importance of Scotland's contribution to this movement is unrecognized by many of its modern-day practitioners.

  9. [In-vitro antibiotic resistance of hospital and non-hospital strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

    PubMed

    Ceddia, T; Marinucci, M C; Parravano, N

    1979-03-30

    The AA report about the resistence towards antibiotics of 42 stocks of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from hospitalized patients and of 18 stocks isolated from non hospitalized patients. The most active antibiotics are Gentamicine, Neomicine and Streptomicine. Interestingly towards Tobramicine no resistence has been detected. The stocks isolated from hospitalized patients have generally shown a higher resistence.

  10. Baldrige Award cites two hospitals. Baptist, Saint Luke's hospitals honored for quality, performance.

    PubMed

    Rees, Tom

    2004-01-01

    Baptist Hospital Inc., Pensacola, Fla.; and Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., have received the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the category of healthcare. Named for a former secretary of commerce, the award recognizes efficiency, effectiveness and excellence. The two hospitals are among only seven companies in the U.S. to be so recognized this year.

  11. Does outsourcing affect hospital profitability?

    PubMed

    Danvers, Kreag; Nikolov, Pavel

    2010-01-01

    Organizations outsource non-core service functions to achieve cost reductions and strategic benefits, both of which can impact profitability performance. This article examines relations between managerial outsourcing decisions and profitability for a multi-state sample of non-profit hospitals, across 16 states and four regions of the United States. Overall regression results indicate that outsourcing does not necessarily improve hospital profitability. In addition, we identify no profitability impact from outsourcing for urban hospitals, but somewhat positive effects for teaching hospitals. Our regional analysis suggests that hospitals located in the Midwest maintain positive profitability effects with outsourcing, but those located in the South realize negative effects. These findings have implications for cost reduction efforts and the financial viability of non-profit hospitals.

  12. [Continuity of hospital identifiers in hospital discharge data - Analysis of the nationwide German DRG Statistics from 2005 to 2013].

    PubMed

    Nimptsch, Ulrike; Wengler, Annelene; Mansky, Thomas

    2016-11-01

    In Germany, nationwide hospital discharge data (DRG statistics provided by the research data centers of the Federal Statistical Office and the Statistical Offices of the 'Länder') are increasingly used as data source for health services research. Within this data hospitals can be separated via their hospital identifier ([Institutionskennzeichen] IK). However, this hospital identifier primarily designates the invoicing unit and is not necessarily equivalent to one hospital location. Aiming to investigate direction and extent of possible bias in hospital-level analyses this study examines the continuity of the hospital identifier within a cross-sectional and longitudinal approach and compares the results to official hospital census statistics. Within the DRG statistics from 2005 to 2013 the annual number of hospitals as classified by hospital identifiers was counted for each year of observation. The annual number of hospitals derived from DRG statistics was compared to the number of hospitals in the official census statistics 'Grunddaten der Krankenhäuser'. Subsequently, the temporal continuity of hospital identifiers in the DRG statistics was analyzed within cohorts of hospitals. Until 2013, the annual number of hospital identifiers in the DRG statistics fell by 175 (from 1,725 to 1,550). This decline affected only providers with small or medium case volume. The number of hospitals identified in the DRG statistics was lower than the number given in the census statistics (e.g., in 2013 1,550 IK vs. 1,668 hospitals in the census statistics). The longitudinal analyses revealed that the majority of hospital identifiers persisted in the years of observation, while one fifth of hospital identifiers changed. In cross-sectional studies of German hospital discharge data the separation of hospitals via the hospital identifier might lead to underestimating the number of hospitals and consequential overestimation of caseload per hospital. Discontinuities of hospital

  13. The diffusion of Magnet hospital recognition.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Jean; Jerome-D'Emilia, Bonnie; Begun, James W

    2011-01-01

    Magnet recognition is promoted by many in the practice community as the gold standard of nursing care quality. The Magnet hospital population has exploded in recent years, with about 8% of U.S. general hospitals now recognized. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics that distinguish Magnet-recognized hospitals from other hospitals within the framework of diffusion theory. We conceptualize Magnet recognition as an organizational innovation and Magnet-recognized hospitals as adopters of the innovation. We hypothesize that adoption is associated with selected characteristics of hospitals and their markets. The study population consists of the 3,657 general hospitals in the United States in 2008 located in metropolitan or micropolitan areas. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the association of Magnet recognition with organizational and market characteristics. Empirical results support hypotheses that adoption is positively associated with hospital complexity and specialization, as measured by teaching affiliation, and with hospital size, slack resources, and not-for-profit or public ownership (vs. for-profit). Adopters also are more likely to be located in markets that are experiencing population growth and are more likely to have competitor hospitals within the market that also have adopted Magnet status. A positive association of adoption with baccalaureate nursing school supply is contrary to the hypothesized relationship. Because of its rapid recent growth, consideration of Magnet program recognition should be on the strategic planning agenda of hospitals and hospital systems. Hospital administrators, particularly in smaller, for-profit hospitals, may expect more of their larger not-for-profit competitors, particularly teaching hospitals, to adopt Magnet recognition, increasing competition for baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses in the labor market.

  14. Trends in diarrhea hospitalizations among infants at three hospitals in Tanzania before and after rotavirus vaccine introduction.

    PubMed

    Lyamuya, Faraja; Michael, Fausta; Jani, Bhavin; Fungo, Yohana; Chambo, Alfred; Chami, Inviolatha; Bulali, Regina; Mpamba, Amina; Cholobi, Happy; Kallovya, Dotto; Kamugisha, Christopher; Mwenda, Jason M; Cortese, Margaret M

    2018-04-11

    The Tanzania Ministry of Health introduced monovalent human rotavirus vaccine in January 2013, to be administered at ages 6 and 10 weeks. Data suggest there was high vaccine uptake. We used hospital ward registers from 3 hospitals to examine trends in diarrhea hospitalizations among infants before and after vaccine introduction. Ward registers from Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital (Central Tanzania), and two hospitals in Mbeya (Southwest area), Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital and Mbalizi Hospital, were used to tally admissions for diarrhea among children by age group, month and year. Rotavirus surveillance had started at these hospitals in early 2013; the proportion of infants enrolled and rotavirus-EIA positive were examined by month to determine peak periods of rotavirus disease post-vaccine introduction. Registers were available for 2-4 prevaccine years and 2-3 post introduction years. At Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital, compared with the mean of 2011 and 2012, diarrhea hospitalizations among infants were 26% lower in 2015 and 58% lower in 2016. The diarrhea peak shifted later in the year first by 1 and then by 2-3 months from prevaccine. At the Mbeya hospitals, the number of diarrhea admissions in prevaccine period varied substantially by year. At Mbeya Referral Hospital, diarrhea hospitalizations among infants were lower by 25-37% in 2014 and 11-26% in 2015, while at Mbalizi Hospital, these hospitalizations were 4% lower in 2014 and 14% higher in 2015. Rotavirus testing data demonstrated a lowering of the prevaccine peak, a shift in timing of the peak months and indicated that other diarrheal peaks in post-introduction years were not due to rotavirus. In this ecological evaluation, total diarrhea hospitalizations among infants were lower (≥25% lower in ≥1 year) following introduction in 2 of 3 hospitals. There are challenges in using ward registers to ascertain possible impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction on trends in hospitalizations for

  15. Association of hospitalization for neurosurgical operations in Magnet hospitals with mortality and length-of-stay

    PubMed Central

    Missios, Symeon; Bekelis, Kimon

    2017-01-01

    Background The association of Magnet hospital status with improved surgical outcomes remains an issue of debate. Objective To investigate whether hospitalization in a Magnet hospital is associated with improved outcomes for patients undergoing neurosurgical operations. Methods A cohort study was executed using all patients undergoing neurosurgical operations in New York registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database from 2009–2013. We examined the association of Magnet status hospitalization after neurosurgical operations with inpatient case-fatality, and length of stay (LOS). We employed an instrumental variable analysis to simulate a randomized trial. Results Overall, 190,787 patients underwent neurosurgical operations. Of these, 68,046 (35.7%) were hospitalized in Magnet hospitals, and 122,741 (64.3%) in non-Magnet institutions. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that hospitalization in Magnet hospitals was associated with decreased case-fatality (Adjusted difference, −0.8%; −95% CI, −0.7% to −0.6%), and LOS (Adjusted difference, −1.9; 95% CI, −2.2 to −1.5) in comparison to non-Magnet hospitals. These associations were also observed in propensity score adjusted mixed effects models. These associations persisted in pre-specified subgroups of patients undergoing spine surgery, craniotomy for tumor resection, or neurovascular interventions. Conclusions We identified an association of Magnet hospitals with lower case-fatality, and shorter LOS in a comprehensive New York State patient cohort undergoing neurosurgical procedures. PMID:28472336

  16. Profiles of the Patient Who Had Compulsory Hospitalization in a District Psychiatric Hospital.

    PubMed

    Beşer, Nalan Gördeles; Arabaci, Leyla Baysan; Bozkurt, Satı; Uzunoğlu, Gülçin; Taş, Gülsenay

    2017-08-01

    It aims to examine the profiles of patients who were treated with compulsory hospitalization between 2011 and 2015 in a district psychiatric hospital. In this retrospective and cohort study, hospital records gathered from 202 adult patients who were treated with compulsory hospitalization in units with a bed between 2011 and 2015 in a district psychiatric hospital were examined. In this study, profiles and socio-demographic features of the patients with compulsory hospitalization were evaluated by 23 closed-end and open-ended questions prepared by researchers. In data analysis, Monte Carlo Chi-square test and number-percentage distribution were used. 57.4% of examined cases was female and mean average was 38.88±13.06. Of examined cases, 18.8% was people graduated from high school or university and it was detected that 81.7% didn't have any regular job during the compulsory hospitalization. Of which 55.9% has not gotten married and 12.4% was divorced, 48.0% of the population has been living with their parents, sibling or/and their relatives and 17.8% has been living alone or in the nursing home. Of which 59.9% of the cases which were diagnosed with psychosis, 38.1% with psychotic relapse, 22.8% with medication regulation, 22.8% with excitation (expansiveness) and 15.8% having the risk of self-mutilation and damage his/her environment were admitted to compulsory hospitalization. Of these cases, the relative or custodian of 74.2%, employee of nursing home of 9.4%, law-enforcement officers of 5.4% and medical staff of 4.0% gave hospitalization approval. While not having any history for alcohol-substance abuse, it was established that 10.9% of the population had a problematic juridical records. Of the cases, hospitalization of 75.7% came to end with recovery/discharge and 20.3% was over with the demand of his/her relative/custodian, 1.5% of the cases escaped from the hospital. Patients whose majority was female, person who has never gotten married or was divorced and

  17. Hospital experience and mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: which patients benefit most from treatment at highly experienced hospitals?

    PubMed

    Ward, Michael M

    2002-06-01

    To determine if hospitalization at a hospital experienced in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), compared to hospitalization at a less experienced hospital, is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality in all subsets of patients with SLE, or if the decrease in mortality is greater for patients with particular demographic characteristics, manifestations of SLE, or reasons for hospitalization. Data on in-hospital mortality were available for 9989 patients with SLE hospitalized in acute care hospitals in California from 1991 to 1994. Differences in in-hospital mortality between patients hospitalized at highly experienced hospitals (those hospitals with more than 50 urgent or emergent hospitalizations of patients with SLE per year) and those hospitalized at less experienced hospitals were compared in patient subgroups defined by age, sex, ethnicity, type of medical insurance, the presence of common SLE manifestations, and each of the 10 most common principal reasons for hospitalization. In univariate analyses, in-hospital mortality was lower among those hospitalized at a highly experienced hospital for women, blacks, and Hispanics, and those with public medical insurance or no insurance. The risk of in-hospital mortality was similar between highly experienced and less experienced hospitals for men, whites, and those with private insurance. Patients with nephritis also had lower risks of in-hospital mortality if they were hospitalized at highly experienced hospitals, but this risk did not differ in subgroups with other SLE manifestations or subgroups with different principal reasons for hospitalization. In multivariate analyses, only the interaction between medical insurance and hospitalization at a highly experienced hospital was significant. Results were similar in the subgroup of patients with an emergency hospitalization (n = 2,372), but more consistent benefits of hospitalization at a highly experienced hospital were found across subgroups of

  18. Innovation in Hospital Podiatric Residencies: Waldo General Hospital--A Model Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Stephen J.

    1980-01-01

    The Waldo General Hospital Podiatric Residency Program, designed to be an intense, "well-rounded," multifaceted, single year of postgraduate practical training for the podiatric physician, is described. Surgical training, internal medicine, "outside rotations," in-hospital rotations, and meetings and lectures are discussed. A…

  19. Evaluation of nutritional care of hospitalized children in a tertiary pediatric hospital.

    PubMed

    De Longueville, Caroline; Robert, Martine; Debande, Marjorie; Podlubnai, Sylviane; Defourny, Sophie; Namane, Sid-Ali; Pace, Aude; Brans, Camille; Cayrol, Elodie; Goyens, Philippe; De Laet, Corinne

    2018-06-01

    Hospitalized children are at risk of malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a clinical practice in a tertiary hospital. The nutritional team developed a specific software for screening of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition (Evalnut) that provides also recommendations for the nutritional management of the patient. The data recorded into this program and the tool itself were analyzed and optimizations are highlighted. A retrospective study analyzed the data collected in 2015 during 4931 consecutive hospitalizations (3984 children) at the University Children's Hospital Queen Fabiola. Pivot tables analysis (Excel) of the database of the screening tool was compared with the clinical practice of the dietitians. First data processing excluded records with abnormal or missing values. Impact of nutritional care analysis needs at least 2 evaluations and a positive patient's height trend. In case of height equality, only length of hospital stays less than 2 weeks were kept. This study highlighted inaccurate database records related to imperfections of the computer program, missing or erroneous measures and incomplete encoding. First analysis on 3219 valid hospitalizations showed statistical correlations. Prevalence of malnutrition on admission was 33%, split into 14,5% acute malnutrition, 15% chronic malnutrition and 3,5% mixed malnutrition. Overall, 30,3% of the children were categorized at risk of developing malnutrition during their stay. Positive impact of nutritional management on the resulting nutritional status was demonstrated on the second data selection (352 hospitalizations): WFH median (interquartile range) increased from 96,1% (87,1-106,4) on admission to 96,9% (89,1-106,1) (p < 0,01) on discharge. An optimization of the existing software was finally proposed. In our hospital, the dietitians are the most aware on the importance of nutritional assessment and management during hospitalization. Encouraging results are obtained. Inclusion of

  20. Hospital free cash flow.

    PubMed

    Kauer, R T; Silvers, J B

    1991-01-01

    Hospital managers may find it difficult to admit their investments have been suboptimal, but such investments often lead to poor returns and less future cash. Inappropriate use of free cash flow produces large transaction costs of exit. The relative efficiency of investor-owned and tax-exempt hospitals in the product market for hospital services is examined as the free cash flow theory is used to explore capital-market conditions of hospitals. Hypotheses concerning the current competitive conditions in the industry are set forth, and the implications of free cash flow for risk, capital-market efficiency, and the cost of capital to tax-exempt institution is compared to capital-market norms.

  1. Multiple sclerosis and alcohol use disorders: In-hospital mortality, extended hospital stays, and overexpenditures.

    PubMed

    Gili-Miner, M; López-Méndez, J; Vilches-Arenas, A; Ramírez-Ramírez, G; Franco-Fernández, D; Sala-Turrens, J; Béjar-Prado, L

    2016-10-22

    The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of alcohol use disorders (AUD) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of in-hospital mortality, extended hospital stays, and overexpenditures. We conducted a retrospective observational study in a sample of MS patients obtained from minimal basic data sets from 87 Spanish hospitals recorded between 2008 and 2010. Mortality, length of hospital stays, and overexpenditures attributable to AUD were calculated. We used a multivariate analysis of covariance to control for such variables as age and sex, type of hospital, type of admission, other addictions, and comorbidities. The 10,249 patients admitted for MS and aged 18-74 years included 215 patients with AUD. Patients with both MS and AUD were predominantly male, with more emergency admissions, a higher prevalence of tobacco or substance use disorders, and higher scores on the Charlson comorbidity index. Patients with MS and AUD had a very high in-hospital mortality rate (94.1%) and unusually lengthy stays (2.4 days), and they generated overexpenditures (1,116.9euros per patient). According to the results of this study, AUD in patients with MS results in significant increases in-hospital mortality and the length of the hospital stay and results in overexpenditures. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Effect of timing of psychiatry consultation on length of pediatric hospitalization and hospital charges.

    PubMed

    Bujoreanu, Simona; White, Matthew T; Gerber, Bradley; Ibeziako, Patricia

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of timing of a psychiatry consultation during pediatric hospitalization on length of hospital stay and total hospitalization charges. The charts of 279 pediatric patients (totaling 308 consultations) referred to the psychiatry consultation liaison service at a freestanding tertiary pediatric hospital between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The variables analyzed included the following: patient demographic characteristics; dates of admission, psychiatric consultation, and discharge; psychiatric diagnoses based on the psychiatric diagnostic evaluation; psychiatric treatment disposition; and illness severity and total charges associated with the medical stay. Earlier psychiatry consultation was associated with shorter length of stay and lower hospitalization charges after adjusting for psychiatric functioning, physical illness severity, and psychiatric disposition. Poorer psychiatric functioning and milder physical illness were associated with shorter referral time. Timely involvement of psychiatry consultation services during a medical or surgical hospitalization was associated with reductions in length of stay and total hospital charges in pediatric settings. These findings have important effects on quality of care via decreasing burden on the patient and family and on the medical system resources. Educating pediatric health care providers about the importance of early psychiatry consultation regardless of physical illness severity or psychiatric acuity will likely improve resource management for patients and hospitals. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  3. [Current status of "hospital-clinic" and "hospital-pharmacy" cooperation for inhalation therapy -based on hospital surveys throughout Japan].

    PubMed

    Yoshimura, Chie; Momose, Yasuyuki; Horie, Takeo; Komase, Yuko; Niimi, Akio; Dobashi, Kunio; Fujimoto, Keisaku; Tohda, Yuuji; Ohta, Ken; Adachi, Mitsuru

    2014-02-01

    The "zero death from asthma strategy" in the medical treatment for bronchial asthma has been promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare from 2006, and it indicates that medical and non-medical specialists, as well as pharmacists, should cooperate, and strives to build cooperation which is suited the actual conditions of an area. It is also important for COPD. Although hospitals in some areas cooperate with clinics and pharmacies, the overall concept of cooperation appears to be absent in most Japanese hospitals. A questionnaire was administered in early March, 2012 to 477 allergology institutions, and was authorized by an educational establishment. Among 246 replies from the institutions, cooperation between hospitals and clinics was carried out by 98 institutions (39.8%) specializing in bronchial asthma, and in 64 institutions (37.2%) specializing in COPD. However, cooperation tools were used in only 37 of these institutions (15.0%). The ability to fill prescriptions outside the hospital was available in 209 institutions (85.0%). One-hundred and seventeen institutions (47.6%) replied that they have no tools for hospital-pharmacy cooperation. Direct indications were written in prescriptions by 82 institutions (33.3). In order to build inter-regional association and to equalize medical treatment, we suggest that developing tools and organization for cooperation between health professionals who treat patients with bronchial asthma and COPD is necessary.

  4. Sociotechnical factors influencing unsafe use of hospital information systems: A qualitative study in Malaysian government hospitals.

    PubMed

    Salahuddin, Lizawati; Ismail, Zuraini; Hashim, Ummi Rabaah; Raja Ikram, Raja Rina; Ismail, Nor Haslinda; Naim Mohayat, Mohd Hariz

    2018-03-01

    The objective of this study is to identify factors influencing unsafe use of hospital information systems in Malaysian government hospitals. Semi-structured interviews with 31 medical doctors in three Malaysian government hospitals implementing total hospital information systems were conducted between March and May 2015. A thematic qualitative analysis was performed on the resultant data to deduce the relevant themes. A total of five themes emerged as the factors influencing unsafe use of a hospital information system: (1) knowledge, (2) system quality, (3) task stressor, (4) organization resources, and (5) teamwork. These qualitative findings highlight that factors influencing unsafe use of a hospital information system originate from multidimensional sociotechnical aspects. Unsafe use of a hospital information system could possibly lead to the incidence of errors and thus raises safety risks to the patients. Hence, multiple interventions (e.g. technology systems and teamwork) are required in shaping high-quality hospital information system use.

  5. Strategic management process in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Zovko, V

    2001-01-01

    Strategic management is concerned with strategic choices and strategic implementation; it provides the means by which organizations meet their objectives. In the case of hospitals it helps executives and all employees to understand the real purpose and long term goals of the hospital. Also, it helps the hospital find its place in the health care service provision chain, and enables the hospital to coordinate its activities with other organizations in the health care system. Strategic management is a tool, rather than a solution, that helps executives to identify root causes of major problems in the hospital.

  6. Hospitalized Patients and Fungal Infections

    MedlinePlus

    ... but can also be caused by fungi. Hospital construction. Hospital staff do everything they can to prevent ... patients staying at hospitals where there is ongoing construction or renovation. 5 This is thought to be ...

  7. Hospital marketing.

    PubMed

    Carter, Tony

    2003-01-01

    This article looks at a prescribed academic framework for various criteria that serve as a checklist for marketing performance that can be applied to hospital marketing organizations. These guidelines are drawn from some of Dr. Noel Capon of Columbia University's book Marketing Management in the 21st Century and applied to actual practices of hospital marketing organizations. In many ways this checklist can act as a "marketing" balanced scorecard to verify performance effectiveness and develop opportunities for innovation.

  8. Hospital contract management: a descriptive profile.

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, J A; Lewis, B L

    1984-01-01

    Despite the dramatic growth in hospital contract management in the last decade, research only recently has begun to provide insights into the structure, operation, and effectiveness of these arrangements. Two descriptive questions regarding hospital contract management are addressed in an effort to increase correspondence between theoretical and evaluative research in this area: (1) how do contract-managed hospitals differ from traditionally managed hospitals? and (2) how do contract-managed hospitals differ from each other? Principal discriminating variables in the analyses are hospital size, control, urban-rural location, region, management organization control, and management organization size. Results of the analysis on a sample of 406 contract-managed hospitals and 401 unaffiliated hospitals reveal important differences between contract-managed and traditionally managed hospitals as well as among contract management organizations. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and performance evaluations on contract management arrangements. PMID:6490376

  9. Consumer opinions with ancillary hospital services: improving service delivery in Turkish hospitals.

    PubMed

    Tengilimoglu, D; Kisa, A; Dziegielewski, S F

    1999-10-01

    This article reports the results of 2,045 consumer interviews conducted after discharge from seven major public and private hospitals in the country of Turkey. The direct measurement of consumer-satisfaction and utilization of this information to improve service delivery is a relatively new phenomena for this country. Based on postdischarge consumer interviews information on satisfaction of several ancillary hospital service variables was identified and inclusion for achieving overall consumer satisfaction is emphasized. Two critical areas were examined: ancillary staff and consumer relations and overall impressions of the comfort of the facility. Relationships and percentages within and among these variables are reported. Overall, the majority of the complaints noted by consumers were not related to direct treatment rather they focused on interactions with the hospital's staff and other services provided by the facility (e.g., comfort, cleanliness, parking, etc.). When comparing the different hospitals across these variables significant differences were noted at the .05 level between the seven different hospitals examined. Findings and recommendations from this study are presented to assist in providing a basis for the development of improved consumer satisfaction.

  10. Strategic hospital alliances: do the type and market structure of strategic hospital alliances matter?

    PubMed

    McCue, M J; Clement, J P; Luke, R D

    1999-10-01

    Throughout the 1990s, hospitals formed local alliances to defend against increasingly powerful hospital rivals and to improve their market positions relative to aggressive and consolidating managed-care organizations. An important consequence of hospitals combining or aligning horizontally at the local level is a significant consolidation of hospital markets. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the type of the local strategic hospital alliances (SHAs), market, environment, and operational factors with financial performance. The study is a cross-sectional analysis of the financial performance across SHAs in all metropolitan statistical areas in 1995. SHAs with dominant or dominant for-profit (FP) hospitals are not more financially successful than other SHAs. SHAs in markets with high health maintenance organization (HMO) or SHA penetration have lower revenues per case-mix adjusted discharge. The operational characteristics, proportion of teaching members in the SHA, and SHA bed size, result in higher revenues and expenses, whereas greater SHA technical efficiency results in lower costs. Health care organizations are centralizing their operations and governance. This study shows that this trend has not added financial value to hospital collectives, at least at this point in their development.

  11. Understanding Medicare Hospital Readmission Rates And Differing Penalties Between Safety-Net And Other Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Sheingold, Steven H; Zuckerman, Rachael; Shartzer, Adele

    2016-01-01

    Since the implementation of Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in 2012, concerns have been raised about the effect its payment penalties for excess readmissions may have on safety-net hospitals. A number of policy solutions have been proposed to ensure that the program does not unfairly penalize safety-net institutions, which treat a disproportionate number of patients with low socioeconomic status. We examined the extent to which the program's current risk-adjustment factors, measures of patient socioeconomic status, and hospital-level factors explain the observed differences in readmission rates between safety-net and other hospitals. Our analyses suggest that patient socioeconomic status can explain some of the difference in readmission rates but that unmeasured factors such as hospitals' performance may also play a role. We also found that safety-net hospitals have experienced only slightly higher readmission penalties under the program than other hospitals have. Together, these findings suggest the need for a careful evaluation of policy alternatives that factor socioeconomic status into penalty calculations for excess readmissions to determine whether such alternatives could have a significant impact on penalties while remaining consistent with overall objectives for delivery system transformation. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  12. Moving Towards the Age-friendly Hospital: A Paradigm Shift for the Hospital-based Care of the Elderly.

    PubMed

    Huang, Allen R; Larente, Nadine; Morais, Jose A

    2011-12-01

    Care of the older adult in the acute care hospital is becoming more challenging. Patients 65 years and older account for 35% of hospital discharges and 45% of hospital days. Up to one-third of the hospitalized frail elderly loses independent functioning in one or more activities of daily living as a result of the 'hostile environment' that is present in the acute hospitals. A critical deficit of health care workers with expertise and experience in the care of the elderly also jeopardizes successful care delivery in the acute hospital setting. We propose a paradigm shift in the culture and practice of event-driven acute hospital-based care of the elderly which we call the Age-friendly Hospital concept. Guiding principles include: a favourable physical environment; zero tolerance for ageism throughout the organization; an integrated process to develop comprehensive services using the geriatric approach; assistance with appropriateness decision-making and fostering links between the hospital and the community. Our current proposed strategy is to focus on delirium management as a hospital-wide condition that both requires and highlights the Geriatric Medicine specialist as an expert of content, for program development and of evaluation. The Age-friendly Hospital concept we propose may lead the way to enable hospitals in the fast-moving health care system to deliver high-quality care without jeopardizing risk-benefit, function, and quality of life balances for the frail elderly. Recruitment and retention of skilled health care professionals would benefit from this positive 'branding' of an institution. Convincing hospital management and managing change are significant challenges, especially with competing priorities in a fiscal environment with limited funding. The implementation of a hospital-wide delirium management program is an example of an intervention that embodies many of the principles in the Age-friendly Hospital concept. It is important to change the way

  13. Philanthropy and hospital financing.

    PubMed Central

    Smith, D G; Clement, J P; Wheeler, J R

    1995-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. This study explores the relationships among donations to not-for-profit hospitals, the returns provided by these hospitals, and fund-raising efforts. It tests a model of hospital behavior and addresses an earlier debate regarding the supply price of donations. DATA SOURCES. The main data source is the California Office of Statewide Health Planning data tapes of hospital financial disclosure reports for fiscal years 1980/1981 through 1986/1987. Complete data were available for 160 hospitals. STUDY DESIGN. Three structural equations (donations, returns, and fund-raising) are estimated as a system using a fixed-effects, pooled cross-section, time-series least squares regression. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Estimation results reveal the expected positive relation between donations and returns. The reverse relation between returns and donations is insignificant. The estimated effect of fund-raising on donations is insignificantly different from zero, and the effect of donations on fund-raising is negative. Fund-raising and returns are negatively associated with one another. CONCLUSION. The empirical results presented here suggest a positive donations-returns relations and are consistent with a positive supply price for donations. Hospitals appear to view a trade-off between providing returns and soliciting donations, but donors do not respond equally to these two activities. Attempts to increase free cash flow through expansion of community returns or fund-raising activity, at least in the short run, are not likely to be highly successful financing strategies for many hospitals. PMID:8537223

  14. Estimating inpatient hospital prices from state administrative data and hospital financial reports.

    PubMed

    Levit, Katharine R; Friedman, Bernard; Wong, Herbert S

    2013-10-01

    To develop a tool for estimating hospital-specific inpatient prices for major payers. AHRQ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and complete hospital financial reporting of revenues mandated in 10 states for 2006. Hospital discharge records and hospital financial information were merged to estimate revenue per stay by payer. Estimated prices were validated against other data sources. Hospital prices can be reasonably estimated for 10 geographically diverse states. All-payer price-to-charge ratios, an intermediate step in estimating prices, compare favorably to cost-to-charge ratios. Estimated prices also compare well with Medicare, MarketScan private insurance, and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey prices for major payers, given limitations of each dataset. Public reporting of prices is a consumer resource in making decisions about health care treatment; for self-pay patients, they can provide leverage in negotiating discounts off of charges. Researchers can also use prices to increase understanding of the level and causes of price differentials among geographic areas. Prices by payer expand investigational tools available to study the interaction of inpatient hospital price setting among public and private payers--an important asset as the payer mix changes with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. © Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  15. Healthcare Spending and Performance of Specialty Hospitals: Nationwide Evidence from Colorectal-Anal Specialty Hospitals in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sun Jung; Lee, Sang Gyu; Kim, Tae Hyun; Park, Eun-Cheol

    2015-11-01

    Aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and performance of colorectal-anal specialty vs. general hospitals for South Korean inpatients with colorectal-anal diseases, and assesses the short-term designation effect of the government's specialty hospital. Nationwide all colorectal-anal disease inpatient claims (n=292158) for 2010-2012 were used to investigate length of stay and inpatient charges for surgical and medical procedures in specialty vs. general hospitals. The patients' claim data were matched to hospital data, and multi-level linear mixed models to account for clustering of patients within hospitals were performed. Inpatient charges at colorectal-anal specialty hospitals were 27% greater per case and 92% greater per day than those at small general hospitals, but the average length of stay was 49% shorter. Colorectal-anal specialty hospitals had shorter length of stay and a higher inpatient charges per day for both surgical and medical procedures, but per case charges were not significantly different. A "specialty" designation effect also found that the colorectal-anal specialty hospitals may have consciously attempted to reduce their length of stay and inpatient charges. Both hospital and patient level factors had significant roles in determining length of stay and inpatient charges. Colorectal-anal specialty hospitals have shorter length of stay and higher inpatient charges per day than small general hospitals. A "specialty" designation by government influence performance and healthcare spending of hospitals as well. In order to maintain prosperous specialty hospital system, investigation into additional factors that affect performance, such as quality of care and patient satisfaction should be carried out.

  16. Visual Outcomes of Macular Hole Surgery.

    PubMed

    Khaqan, Hussain Ahmad; Lubna; Jameel, Farrukh; Muhammad

    2016-10-01

    To determine the mean visual improvement after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling assisted with brilliant blue staining of ILM in macular hole, and stratify the mean visual improvement in different stages of macular hole. Quasi-experimental study. Eye outpatient department (OPD), Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from October 2013 to December 2014. Patients with macular hole underwent measurement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and fundus examination with indirect slit lamp biomicroscopy before surgery. The diagnosis of all patients was confirmed on optical coherence tomography. All patients had 23G trans-conjunctival three ports pars plana vitrectomy, ILM peeling, and endotamponade of SF6. The mean visual improvement of different stages of macular hole was noted. Paired t-test was applied. There were 30 patients, 15 males and 15 females (50%). The mean age was 62 ±10.95 years. They presented with low mean preoperative visual acuity (VA) of 0.96 ±0.11 logMar. The mean postoperative VAwas 0.63 ±0.24 logMar. The mean visual increase was 0.33 ±0.22 logMar (p < 0.001). In patients with stage 2 macular hole, mean visual increase was 0.35 ±0.20 logMar (p < 0.001). In patients with stage 3 macular hole, mean visual increase was 0.44 ±0.21 logMar (p < 0.001), and in patients with stage 4 macular hole it was 0.13 ± 0.1 logMar (p = 0.004). ILM peeling assisted with brilliant blue is a promising surgery for those patients who have decreased vision due to macular hole, in 2 - 4 stages of macular hole.

  17. 78 FR 27485 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-10

    ... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... [CMS-1599-P] RIN 0938-AR53 Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute... capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience...

  18. 77 FR 63751 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-17

    ... [CMS-1588-F2] RIN 0938-AR12 Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2013 Rates; Hospitals' Resident Caps for Graduate Medical Education Payment Purposes; Quality Reporting Requirements for...

  19. Appropriate measures of hospital market areas.

    PubMed Central

    Garnick, D W; Luft, H S; Robinson, J C; Tetreault, J

    1987-01-01

    As public and private policymakers turn to market-oriented strategies to control hospital prices, it is necessary to understand the conceptual underpinnings of hospital market area measurement. This article provides a framework for evaluating which definitions of hospital market areas are suitable for various types of analyses. Hospital market areas can be defined from two perspectives: an individual hospital perspective and that of the overall market. From each perspective, empirical definitions can be based on geopolitical boundaries, distance between hospitals, and patient-origin data. In this article, market areas are compared based on various descriptions using data on California hospitals and patient discharge abstracts. PMID:3570813

  20. Hospitals with higher nurse staffing had lower odds of readmissions penalties than hospitals with lower staffing.

    PubMed

    McHugh, Matthew D; Berez, Julie; Small, Dylan S

    2013-10-01

    The Affordable Care Act's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalizes hospitals based on excess readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries. The aim of the program is to reduce readmissions while aligning hospitals' financial incentives with payers' and patients' quality goals. Many evidence-based interventions that reduce readmissions, such as discharge preparation, care coordination, and patient education, are grounded in the fundamentals of basic nursing care. Yet inadequate staffing can hinder nurses' efforts to carry out these processes of care. We estimated the effect that nurse staffing had on the likelihood that a hospital was penalized under the HRRP. Hospitals with higher nurse staffing had 25 percent lower odds of being penalized compared to otherwise similar hospitals with lower staffing. Investment in nursing is a potential system-level intervention to reduce readmissions that policy makers and hospital administrators should consider in the new regulatory environment as they examine the quality of care delivered to US hospital patients.

  1. The financial performance of rural hospitals and implications for elimination of the Critical Access Hospital program.

    PubMed

    Holmes, George M; Pink, George H; Friedman, Sarah A

    2013-01-01

    To compare the financial performance of rural hospitals with Medicare payment provisions to those paid under prospective payment and to estimate the financial consequences of elimination of the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program. Financial data for 2004-2010 were collected from the Healthcare Cost Reporting Information System (HCRIS) for rural hospitals. HCRIS data were used to calculate measures of the profitability, liquidity, capital structure, and financial strength of rural hospitals. Linear mixed models accounted for the method of Medicare reimbursement, time trends, hospital, and market characteristics. Simulations were used to estimate profitability of CAHs if they reverted to prospective payment. CAHs generally had lower unadjusted financial performance than other types of rural hospitals, but after adjustment for hospital characteristics, CAHs had generally higher financial performance. Special payment provisions by Medicare to rural hospitals are important determinants of financial performance. In particular, the financial condition of CAHs would be worse if they were paid under prospective payment. © 2012 National Rural Health Association.

  2. Off-label use of recombinant factor VIIa in U.S. hospitals: analysis of hospital records.

    PubMed

    Logan, Aaron C; Yank, Veronica; Stafford, Randall S

    2011-04-19

    Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is approved for treatment of bleeding in patients who have hemophilia with inhibitors but has been applied to a wide range of off-label indications. To estimate patterns of off-label rFVIIa use in U.S. hospitals. Retrospective database analysis. Data were extracted from the Premier Perspectives database (Premier, Charlotte, North Carolina), which contains discharge records from a sample of academic and nonacademic U.S. hospitals. 12 644 hospitalizations for patients who received rFVIIa during a hospital stay. Hospital diagnoses and patient dispositions from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2008. Statistical weights for each hospital were used to provide national estimates of rFVIIa use. From 2000 to 2008, off-label use of rFVIIa in hospitals increased more than 140-fold, such that in 2008, 97% (95% CI, 96% to 98%) of 18 311 in-hospital uses were off-label. In contrast, in-hospital use for hemophilia increased less than 4-fold and accounted for 2.7% (CI, 1.9% to 3.5%) of use in 2008. Adult and pediatric cardiovascular surgery (29% [CI, 21% to 33%]), body and brain trauma (29% [CI, 19% to 38%]), and intracranial hemorrhage (11% [CI, 7.7% to 14%]) were the most common indications for rFVIIa use. Across all indications, in-hospital mortality was 27% (CI, 19% to 34%) and 43% (CI, 26% to 59%) of patients were discharged to home. Accuracy and completeness of the discharge diagnoses and patient medication records in the database sample cannot be verified. Off-label use of rFVIIa in the hospital setting far exceeds use for approved indications. These patterns raise concern about the application of rFVIIa to conditions for which strong supporting evidence is lacking.

  3. Opinions on the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program: results of a national survey of hospital leaders.

    PubMed

    Joynt, Karen E; Figueroa, Jose E; Oray, John; Jha, Ashish K

    2016-08-01

    To determine the opinions of US hospital leadership on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), a national mandatory penalty-for-performance program. We developed a survey about federal readmission policies. We used a stratified sampling design to oversample hospitals in the highest and lowest quintile of performance on readmissions, and hospitals serving a high proportion of minority patients. We surveyed leadership at 1600 US acute care hospitals that were subject to the HRRP, and achieved a 62% response rate. Results were stratified by the size of the HRRP penalty that hospitals received in 2013, and adjusted for nonresponse and sampling strategy. Compared with 36.1% for public reporting of readmission rates and 23.7% for public reporting of discharge processes, 65.8% of respondents reported that the HRRP had a "great impact" on efforts to reduce readmissions. The most common critique of the HRRP penalty was that it did not adequately account for differences in socioeconomic status between hospitals (75.8% "agree" or "agree strongly"); other concerns included that the penalties were "much too large" (67.7%), and hospitals' inability to impact patient adherence (64.1%). These sentiments were each more common in leaders of hospitals with higher HRRP penalties. The HRRP has had a major impact on hospital leaders' efforts to reduce readmission rates, which has implications for the design of future quality improvement programs. However, leaders are concerned about the size of the penalties, lack of adjustment for socioeconomic and clinical factors, and hospitals' inability to impact patient adherence and postacute care. These concerns may have implications as policy makers consider changes to the HRRP, as well as to other Medicare value-based payment programs that contain similar readmission metrics.

  4. [Psychopathology of anxiety-phobic disorders that led to hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital].

    PubMed

    Chugunov, D A; Schmilovitch, A A

    To study the psychopathology of anxiety-phobic disorders and motives of hospitalization of patients in a psychiatric hospital. One hundred and thirty-two patients were examined, 72 patients of the main group were admitted to general psychiatric departments, 60 patients of the control group in the sanatorium psychiatric departments. Clinical-psychopathological, follow-up, psychometric and statistical methods were used. Patients with hospital anxiety-phobic disorders had agoraphobia with panic disorder, social phobias, hypochondriacal phobias, specific phobias and multiple phobias. The main reasons for hospitalization were: the intensity of anxiety-phobic disorders, contrast content of phobias, multiplicity of anxiety-phobic disorders, ambulance calls, personality accentuations and rental aims.

  5. Markets for hospital services in Zambia.

    PubMed

    Nakamba, Pamela; Hanson, Kara; McPake, Barbara

    2002-01-01

    Hospital reforms involving the introduction of measures to increase competition in hospital markets are being implemented in a range of low and middle-income countries. However, little is understood about the operation of hospital markets outside the USA and the UK. This paper assesses the degree of competition for hospital services in two hospital markets in Zambia (Copperbelt and Midlands), and the implications for prices, quality and efficiency. We found substantial differences among different hospital types in prices, costs and quality, suggesting that the hospital service market is a segmented market. The two markets differ significantly in their degree of competition, with the high cost inpatient services market in Copperbelt relatively more competitive than that in the Midlands market. The implications of these differences are discussed in terms of the potential for competition to improve hospital performance, the impact of market structure on equity of access, and how the government should address the problem of the mine hospitals.

  6. Hospital costs by cost center of inpatient hospitalization for medicare patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

    PubMed

    Stey, Anne M; Brook, Robert H; Needleman, Jack; Hall, Bruce L; Zingmond, David S; Lawson, Elise H; Ko, Clifford Y

    2015-02-01

    This study aims to describe the magnitude of hospital costs among patients undergoing elective colectomy, cholecystectomy, and pancreatectomy, determine whether these costs relate as expected to duration of care, patient case-mix severity and comorbidities, and whether risk-adjusted costs vary significantly by hospital. Correctly estimating the cost of production of surgical care may help decision makers design mechanisms to improve the efficiency of surgical care. Patient data from 202 hospitals in the ACS-NSQIP were linked to Medicare inpatient claims. Patient charges were mapped to cost center cost-to-charge ratios in the Medicare cost reports to estimate costs. The association of patient case-mix severity and comorbidities with cost was analyzed using mixed effects multivariate regression. Cost variation among hospitals was quantified by estimating risk-adjusted hospital cost ratios and 95% confidence intervals from the mixed effects multivariate regression. There were 21,923 patients from 202 hospitals who underwent an elective colectomy (n = 13,945), cholecystectomy (n = 5,569), or pancreatectomy (n = 2,409). Median cost was lowest for cholecystectomy ($15,651) and highest for pancreatectomy ($37,745). Room and board costs accounted for the largest proportion (49%) of costs and were correlated with length of stay, R = 0.89, p < 0.001. The patient case-mix severity and comorbidity variables most associated with cost were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class IV (estimate 1.72, 95% CI 1.57 to 1.87) and fully dependent functional status (estimate 1.63, 95% CI 1.53 to 1.74). After risk-adjustment, 66 hospitals had significantly lower costs than the average hospital and 57 hospitals had significantly higher costs. The hospital costs estimates appear to be consistent with clinical expectations of hospital resource use and differ significantly among 202 hospitals after risk-adjustment for preoperative patient characteristics and procedure type

  7. Incidences and variations of hospital acquired venous thromboembolism in Australian hospitals: a population-based study.

    PubMed

    Assareh, Hassan; Chen, Jack; Ou, Lixin; Hillman, Ken; Flabouris, Arthas

    2016-09-22

    Data on hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) incidence, case fatality rate and variation amongst patient groups and health providers is lacking. We aim to explore HA-VTE incidences, associated mortality, trends and variations across all acute hospitals in New South Wales (NSW)-Australia. A population-based study using all admitted patients (aged 18-90 with a length of stay of at least two days and not transferred to another acute care facility) in 104 NSW acute public and private hospitals during 2002-2009. Poisson mixed models were used to derive adjusted rate ratios (IRR) in presence of patient and hospital characteristics. Amongst, 3,331,677 patients, the incidence of HA-VTE was 11.45 per 1000 patients and one in ten who developed HA-VTE died in hospital. HA-VTE incidence, initially rose, but subsequently declined, whereas case fatality rate consistently declined by 22 % over the study period. Surgical patients were 128 % (IRR = 2.28, 95 % CI: 2.19-2.38) more likely to develop HA-VTE, but had similar case fatality rates compared to medical patients. Private hospitals, in comparison to public hospitals had a higher incidence of HA-VTE (IRR = 1.76; 95 % CI: 1.42-2.18) for medical patients. However, they had a similar incidence (IRR = 0.91; 95 % CI: 0.75-1.11), but a lower mortality (IRR = 0.59; 95 % CI: 0.47-0.75) amongst surgical patients. Smaller public hospitals had a lower HA-VTE incidence rate compared to larger hospitals (IRR < 0.68) but a higher case fatality rate (IRR > 1.71). Hospitals with a lower reported HA-VTE incidence tended to have a higher HA-VTE case fatality rate. Despite the decline in HA-VTE incidence and case fatality, there were large variations in incidents between medical and surgical patients, public and private hospitals, and different hospital groups. The causes of such differences warrant further investigation and may provide potential for targeted interventions and quality improvement initiatives.

  8. Survival factors of hospitalized out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Taiwan: A retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Lai, Chung-Yu; Lin, Fu-Huang; Chu, Hsin; Ku, Chih-Hung; Tsai, Shih-Hung; Chung, Chi-Hsiang; Chien, Wu-Chien; Wu, Chun-Hsien; Chu, Chi-Ming; Chang, Chi-Wen

    2018-01-01

    The chain of survival has been shown to improve the chances of survival for victims of cardiac arrest. Post-cardiac arrest care has been demonstrated to significantly impact the survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). How post-cardiac arrest care influences the survival of OHCA patients has been a main concern in recent years. The objective of this study was to assess the survival outcome of hospitalized OHCA patients and determine the factors associated with improved survival in terms of survival to discharge. We conducted a retrospective observational study by analyzing records from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2007 to 2013. We collected cases with an International Classification of Disease Clinical Modification, 9th revision primary diagnosis codes of 427.41 (ventricular fibrillation, VF) or 427.5 (cardiac arrest) and excluded patients less than 18 years old, as well as cases with an unknown outcome or a combination of traumatic comorbidities. We then calculated the proportion of survival to discharge among hospitalized OHCA patients. Factors associated with the dependent variable were examined by logistic regression. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 22 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Of the 11,000 cases, 2,499 patients (22.7%) survived to hospital discharge. The mean age of subjects who survived to hospital discharge and those who did not was 66.7±16.7 and 71.7±15.2 years, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, neurological failure, cardiac comorbidities, hospital level, intensive care unit beds, transfer to another hospital, and length of hospital stay were independent predictors of improved survival. Cardiac rhythm on admission was a strong factor associated with survival to discharge (VF vs. non-VF: adjusted odds ratio: 3.51; 95% confidence interval: 3.06-4.01). In conclusion, cardiac comorbidities, hospital volume, cardiac rhythm on admission, transfer to another hospital and length of hospital stay had

  9. Hospital costs of acute pulmonary embolism.

    PubMed

    Fanikos, John; Rao, Amanda; Seger, Andrew C; Carter, Danielle; Piazza, Gregory; Goldhaber, Samuel Z

    2013-02-01

    Pulmonary embolism places a heavy economic burden on health care systems, but the components of hospital cost have not been elucidated. We evaluated hospitalized patients with the primary diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Our goal was to determine the total and component costs associated with their hospital care. We included patients hospitalized at Brigham and Women's Hospital from September 2003 to May 2010. Patient demographics, characteristics, comorbidities, interventions, and treatments were obtained from the electronic medical record. Costs were obtained using the hospital's accounting software and categorized into the areas providing direct patient supplies or care. We identified 991 hospitalized patients with acute pulmonary embolism. In-hospital mortality was 4.2%, and 90-day mortality after hospital discharge was 13.8%. The median length of hospital stay was 3 days, and the mean length of hospital stay was 4 days. The mean total hospitalization cost per patient was $8764. Nursing costs, which included room and board, were $5102. Pharmacy ($966) and radiology ($963) costs were similar. Pharmacy costs ($966) were dominated by the use of low-molecular-weight heparin ($232). Radiology costs ($963) were dominated by the use of diagnostic imaging examinations ($672). During the observation period, an average of 160 patients with pulmonary embolism were admitted each year, requiring an annual hospital expense ranging from $884,814 to $1,866,489. Pulmonary embolism has a high case fatality rate and remains an expensive illness to diagnose and treat. Nursing costs comprise the largest component of costs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Prevalence of impaired memory in hospitalized adults and associations with in-hospital sleep loss.

    PubMed

    Calev, Hila; Spampinato, Lisa M; Press, Valerie G; Meltzer, David O; Arora, Vineet M

    2015-07-01

    Effective inpatient teaching requires intact patient memory, but studies suggest hospitalized adults may have memory deficits. Sleep loss among inpatients could contribute to memory impairment. To assess memory in older hospitalized adults, and to test the association between sleep quantity, sleep quality, and memory, in order to identify a possible contributor to memory deficits in these patients. Prospective cohort study. General medicine and hematology/oncology inpatient wards. Fifty-nine hospitalized adults at least 50 years of age with no diagnosed sleep disorder. Immediate memory and memory after a 24-hour delay were assessed using a word recall and word recognition task from the University of Southern California Repeatable Episodic Memory Test. A vignette-based memory task was piloted as an alternative test more closely resembling discharge instructions. Sleep duration and efficiency overnight in the hospital were measured using actigraphy. Mean immediate recall was 3.8 words out of 15 (standard deviation = 2.1). Forty-nine percent of subjects had poor memory, defined as immediate recall score of 3 or lower. Median immediate recognition was 11 words out of 15 (interquartile range [IQR] = 9-13). Median delayed recall score was 1 word, and median delayed recognition was 10 words (IQR = 8-12). In-hospital sleep duration and efficiency were not significantly associated with memory. The medical vignette score was correlated with immediate recall (r = 0.49, P < 0.01). About half of the inpatients studied had poor memory while in the hospital, signaling that hospitalization might not be an ideal teachable moment. In-hospital sleep was not associated with memory scores. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  11. 42 CFR 412.534 - Special payment provisions for long-term care hospitals within hospitals and satellites of long...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... meets the criteria of § 412.22(h) from another hospital that is not the co-located hospital are made... hospital satellite facility from the co-located hospital are made under either of the following: (1) For... percent were admitted to the hospital or its satellite facility from the co-located hospital, payments are...

  12. [Communication between the primary care physician, hospital staff and the patient during hospitalization].

    PubMed

    Menahem, Sasson; Roitgarz, Ina; Shvartzman, Pesach

    2011-04-01

    HospitaL admission is a crisis for the patient and his family and can interfere with the continuity of care. It may lead to mistakes due to communication problems between the primary care physician and the hospital medical staff. To explore the communication between the primary care physician, the hospital medical staff, the patient and his family during hospitalization. A total of 269 questionnaires were sent to all Clalit Health Services-South District, primary care physicians; 119 of these questionnaires (44.2%) were completed. Half of the primary care physicians thought that they should, always or almost always, have contact with the admitting ward in cases of internal medicine, oncology, surgery or pediatric admissions. However, the actual contact rate, according to their report, was only in a third of the cases. A telephone contact was more common than an actual visit of the patient in the ward. Computer communication between the hospital physicians and the primary care physicians is still insufficiently developed, although 96.6% of the primary care physicians check, with the aid of computer software, for information on their hospitalized patients. The main reasons to visit the hospitalized patient were severe medical conditions or uncertainty about the diagnosis; 79% of the physicians thought that visiting their patients strengthened the level of trust between them and their patients. There are sometimes communication difficulties and barriers between the primary care physicians and the ward's physicians due to partial information delivery and rejection from the hospital physicians. The main barriers for visiting admitted patients were workload and lack of pre-allocated time on the work schedule. No statistically significant differences were found between communication variables and primary care physician's personal and demographic characteristics. The communication between the primary care physician and the hospital physicians should be improved through

  13. Direct cost of dengue hospitalization in Zhongshan, China: Associations with demographics, virus types and hospital accreditation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jing Hua; Yuan, Juan; Wang, Tao

    2017-08-01

    Zhongshan City of Guangdong Province (China) is a key provincial and national level area for dengue fever prevention and control. The aim of this study is to analyze how the direct hospitalization costs and the length of stay of dengue hospitalization cases vary according to associated factors such as the demographics, virus types and hospital accreditation. This study is based on retrospective census data from the Chinese National Disease Surveillance Reporting System. Totally, the hospital administrative data of 1432 confirmed dengue inpatients during 2013-2014 was obtained. A quantile regression model was applied to analyze how the direct cost of Dengue hospitalization varies with the patient demographics and hospital accreditation across the data distribution. The Length of Stay (LOS) was also examined. The average direct hospitalization cost of a dengue case in this study is US$ 499.64 during 2013, which corresponded to about 3.71% of the gross domestic product per capita in Zhongshan that year. The mean of the Length of Stay (LOS) is 7.2 days. The multivariate quantile regression results suggest that, after controlling potential compounding variables, the median hospitalization costs of male dengue patients were significantly higher than female ones by about US$ 18.23 (p<0.1). The hospitalization cost difference between the pediatric and the adult patients is estimated to be about US$ 75.25 at the median (p<0.01), but it increases sharply among the top 25 percentiles and reaches US$ 329 at the 90th percentile (p<0.01). The difference between the senior (older than 64 years old) and the adult patients increases steadily across percentiles, especially sharply among the top quartiles too. The LOS of the city-level hospitals is significantly shorter than that in the township-level hospitals by one day at the median (p<0.05), but no significant differences in their hospitalization costs. The direct hospitalization costs of dengue cases vary widely according to the

  14. Hospitalized for fever? Understanding hospitalization for common illnesses among insured women in a low-income setting.

    PubMed

    Sinha, Tara; Desai, Sapna; Mahal, Ajay

    2014-07-01

    Health microinsurance is a financial tool that increases utilization of health care services among low-income persons. There is limited understanding of the illnesses for which insured persons are hospitalized. Analysis of health claims at VimoSEWA, an Indian microinsurance scheme, shows that a significant proportion of hospitalization among insured adult women is for common illnesses—fever, diarrhoea and malaria—that are amenable to outpatient treatment. This study aims to understand the factors that result in hospitalization for common illnesses. The article uses a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data were collected from a household survey of 816 urban low-income households in Gujarat, India. The qualitative data are based on 10 in-depth case studies of insured women hospitalized for common illnesses and interviews with five providers. Quantitative and qualitative data were supplemented with data from the insurance scheme’s administrative records. Socioeconomic characteristics and morbidity patterns among insured and uninsured women were similar with fever the most commonly reported illness. While fever was the leading cause for hospitalization among insured women, no uninsured women were hospitalized for fever. Qualitative investigation indicates that 9 of 10 hospitalized women first sought outpatient treatment. Precipitating factors for hospitalization were either the persistence or worsening of symptoms. Factors that facilitated hospitalization included having insurance and the perceptions of doctors regarding the need for hospitalization. In the absence of quality primary care, health insurance can lead to hospitalization for non-serious illnesses. Deterrents to hospitalization point away from member moral hazard; provider moral hazard cannot be ruled out. This study underscores the need for quality primary health care and its better integration with health microinsurance schemes.

  15. Hospital quality measures: are process indicators associated with hospital standardized mortality ratios in French acute care hospitals?

    PubMed

    Ngantcha, Marcus; Le-Pogam, Marie-Annick; Calmus, Sophie; Grenier, Catherine; Evrard, Isabelle; Lamarche-Vadel, Agathe; Rey, Grégoire

    2017-08-22

    Results of associations between process and mortality indicators, both used for the external assessment of hospital care quality or public reporting, differ strongly across studies. However, most of those studies were conducted in North America or United Kingdom. Providing new evidence based on French data could fuel the international debate on quality of care indicators and help inform French policy-makers. The objective of our study was to explore whether optimal care delivery in French hospitals as assessed by their Hospital Process Indicators (HPIs) is associated with low Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratios (HSMRs). The French National Authority for Health (HAS) routinely collects for each hospital located in France, a set of mandatory HPIs. Five HPIs were selected among the process indicators collected by the HAS in 2009. They were measured using random samples of 60 to 80 medical records from inpatients admitted between January 1st, 2009 and December 31, 2009 in respect with some selection criteria. HSMRs were estimated at 30, 60 and 90 days post-admission (dpa) using administrative health data extracted from the national health insurance information system (SNIIR-AM) which covers 77% of the French population. Associations between HPIs and HSMRs were assessed by Poisson regression models corrected for measurement errors with a simulation-extrapolation (SIMEX) method. Most associations studied were not statistically significant. Only two process indicators were found associated with HSMRs. Completeness and quality of anesthetic records was negatively associated with 30 dpa HSMR (0.72 [0.52-0.99]). Early detection of nutritional disorders was negatively associated with all HSMRs: 30 dpa HSMR (0.71 [0.54-0.95]), 60 dpa HSMR (0.51 [0.39-0.67]) and 90 dpa HSMR (0.52 [0.40-0.68]). In absence of gold standard of quality of care measurement, the limited number of associations suggested to drive in-depth improvements in order to better determine associations

  16. Factors associated with Iowa rural hospitals' decision to convert to critical access hospital status.

    PubMed

    Li, Pengxiang; Ward, Marcia M; Schneider, John E

    2009-01-01

    The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 allowed some rural hospitals meeting certain requirements to convert to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and changed their Medicare reimbursement from prospective to cost-based. Some subsequent CAH-related laws reduced restrictions and increased payments, and the number of CAHs grew rapidly. To examine factors related to hospitals' decisions to convert and time to CAH conversion. Eighty-nine rural hospitals in Iowa were characterized and observed from 1998 to 2005. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the determinants of time to CAH conversion. T-test and one-covariate Cox regression indicated that, in 1998, Iowa rural hospitals with more staffed beds, discharges, and acute inpatient days, higher operating margin, lower skilled swing bed days relative to acute days, and located in relatively high density counties were more likely to convert later or not convert before 2006. Multiple Cox regression with baseline covariates indicated that lower number of discharges and average length of stay (ALOS) were significant after controlling all other covariates. Iowa rural hospitals' decisions regarding CAH conversion were influenced by hospital size, financial condition, skilled swing bed days relative to acute days, length of stay, proportion of Medicare acute days, and geographic factors. Although financial concerns are often cited in surveys as the main reason for conversion, lower number of discharges and ALOS are the most prominent factors affecting rural hospitals' decision on when to convert.

  17. Healthcare Spending and Performance of Specialty Hospitals: Nationwide Evidence from Colorectal-Anal Specialty Hospitals in South Korea

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sun Jung; Lee, Sang Gyu; Kim, Tae Hyun

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and performance of colorectal-anal specialty vs. general hospitals for South Korean inpatients with colorectal-anal diseases, and assesses the short-term designation effect of the government's specialty hospital. Materials and Methods Nationwide all colorectal-anal disease inpatient claims (n=292158) for 2010-2012 were used to investigate length of stay and inpatient charges for surgical and medical procedures in specialty vs. general hospitals. The patients' claim data were matched to hospital data, and multi-level linear mixed models to account for clustering of patients within hospitals were performed. Results Inpatient charges at colorectal-anal specialty hospitals were 27% greater per case and 92% greater per day than those at small general hospitals, but the average length of stay was 49% shorter. Colorectal-anal specialty hospitals had shorter length of stay and a higher inpatient charges per day for both surgical and medical procedures, but per case charges were not significantly different. A "specialty" designation effect also found that the colorectal-anal specialty hospitals may have consciously attempted to reduce their length of stay and inpatient charges. Both hospital and patient level factors had significant roles in determining length of stay and inpatient charges. Conclusion Colorectal-anal specialty hospitals have shorter length of stay and higher inpatient charges per day than small general hospitals. A "specialty" designation by government influence performance and healthcare spending of hospitals as well. In order to maintain prosperous specialty hospital system, investigation into additional factors that affect performance, such as quality of care and patient satisfaction should be carried out. PMID:26446659

  18. Are the CMS Hospital Outpatient Quality Measures Relevant for Rural Hospitals?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casey, Michelle M.; Prasad, Shailendra; Klingner, Jill; Moscovice, Ira

    2012-01-01

    Context: Quality measures focused on outpatient settings are of increasing interest to policy makers, but little research has been conducted on hospital outpatient quality measures, especially in rural settings. Purpose: To evaluate the relevance of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) outpatient quality measures for rural hospitals,…

  19. Public stigma associated with mental illnesses in Pakistani university students: a cross sectional survey

    PubMed Central

    Zubair, Muhammad; Ghulam, Hamzah; Wajih Ullah, Muhammad; Zubair Tariq, Muhammad

    2014-01-01

    Background. The objectives of the study were to explore the knowledge and attitudes of Pakistani university students toward mental illnesses. People with mental illnesses are challenged not only by their symptoms but also by the prejudices associated with their illness. Acknowledging the stigma of mental illness should be the first essential step toward devising an appropriate treatment plan. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the University of Punjab, Lahore, CMH Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, and University of Sargodha, Sub-campus Lahore, from February to May 2014. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographics, general knowledge of psychiatric illnesses, and Community Attitudes towards Mental Illnesses (CAMI) Scale. The questionnaire was distributed to 650 participants enrolled in different disciplines (Social Sciences, Medicine and Formal Sciences). Results. Response rate was 81% (527/650 respondents). Mean age was 20.98 years. Most of the students (331, 62.8%) had an urban background and studied Social Sciences (238, 45.2%). Four hundred and eighteen respondents (79.3%) considered religion very important and most respondents considered psychiatrists (334, 63.4%) and spiritual leaders (72, 13.7%) to be best able to treat mental illnesses. One hundred and sixty nine respondents (32.1%) considered black magic to be a cause of mental illness. Only 215 (41%) respondents had ever read an article on mental illnesses. Multiple regression analysis revealed study discipline, exposure, perceived causes of mental illnesses and superstitions to be significantly associated with attitudes towards mental illnesses (p < .05). Conclusion. Although low awareness and exposure were found in this sample of Pakistani university students, their attitude towards mental illnesses was generally positive. Most respondents gave supernatural explanations for mental illnesses but only a few believed that spiritual leaders can play a

  20. Hospital profit planning under Medicare reimbursement.

    PubMed

    Morey, R C; Dittman, D A

    1984-01-01

    The federal Medicare regulations reimburse hospitals on a pro rata share of the hospital's cost. Hence, to meet its financial requirements, a hospital is forced to shift more of the financial burdens onto its private patients. This procedure has contributed to double digit inflation in hospital prices and to proposed federal regulation to control the rate of increase in hospital revenues. In this regulatory environment, we develop nonlinear programming pricing and cost allocation models to aid hospital administrators in meeting their profit maximizing and profit satisfying goals. The model enables administrators to explore tactical issues such as: (i) studying the relationship between a voluntary or legislated cap on a hospital's total revenues and the hospital's profitability, (ii) identifying those departments within the hospital that are the most attractive candidates for cost reduction or cost containment efforts, and (iii) isolating those services that should be singled out by the hospital manager for renegotiation of the prospective or "customary and reasonable" cap. Finally the modeling approach is helpful in explaining the departmental cross subsidies observed in practice, and can be of aid to federal administrators in assessing the impacts of proposed changes in the Medicare reimbursement formula.

  1. The relationship between dispositional empathy and prefrontal cortical functioning in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Gul, Amara; Ahmad, Hira

    2017-01-01

    Rehabilitation focuses brain-behavior relationship which highlights interaction between psychological and neurobiological factors for better patient care. There is a missing link in the literature about socio-cognitive aspects of frontal lobe epilepsy. Our objective was to examine prefrontal cortical functioning (PCF) and empathic abilities in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). Further, we analyzed whether any relationship between components of dispositional empathy and PCF exists in patients with FLE. The study was designed in an experimental paradigm. Sixty patients with FLE were recruited from Sheikh Zayed and Jinnah hospital, Pakistan. Sixty healthy individuals in response to an advertisement took part in the study as control subjects. Participants completed interpersonal reactivity index. Following they performed clock drawing test and word-color identification task switching experiment. Patients with FLE demonstrated weaker PCF (i.e., cognitive flexibility and executive function) as compared to healthy control subjects. Patients with FLE scored lesser on cognitive empathy as compared to healthy control subjects. On contrary, there was no significant difference between patient and control group on affective empathy. Cognitive not affective empathy was potential predictor of PCF. Cognitive empathy is a significant marker of prefrontal cortical functioning (PCF) in FLE. Higher cognitive empathy would lead to efficient PCF.

  2. What hospitals need to know about guidelines-A mixed-method analysis of guideline implementation in Dutch hospitals.

    PubMed

    Blume, Louise H K; van Weert, Nico J H W; Busari, Jamiu O; Stoopendaal, Annemiek M V; Delnoij, Diana M J

    2017-12-01

    This study provides insight into how Dutch hospitals ensure that guidelines are used in practice and identifies what key messages other hospitals can learn from existing practices. We examine current practices in handling compliance and, therefore, focus on hospitals that reported that they do not experience problems in the implementation of guidelines. A survey of Dutch hospital boards and 9 semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 3 hospitals. Interviews were held with 3 representatives of each hospital, specifically, with a member of the board of directors, a member of the executive medical staff, and the manager of the quality and safety department. Hospitals find guidelines necessary and useful. Hospitals have the power to improve implementation if boards of directors and medical staff are committed, intrinsically motivated, cooperate with each other, and use guidelines pragmatically. Even then, they prioritize guidelines, as resources are scarce. Despite their good work, all hospitals in this study appeared to struggle to adhere to guidelines. If hospitals experience problems with guideline implementation, they tend to focus more on external expectations, leading to defensive behaviour. Hospitals that do not experience implementation problems focus more on integrating guidelines into their own policies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Measuring cost efficiency in the Nordic hospitals--a cross-sectional comparison of public hospitals in 2002.

    PubMed

    Linna, Miika; Häkkinen, Unto; Peltola, Mikko; Magnussen, Jon; Anthun, Kjartan S; Kittelsen, Sverre; Roed, Annette; Olsen, Kim; Medin, Emma; Rehnberg, Clas

    2010-12-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the performance of hospital care in four Nordic countries: Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Using national discharge registries and cost data from hospitals, cost efficiency in the production of somatic hospital care was calculated for public hospitals. Data were collected using harmonized definitions of inputs and outputs for 184 hospitals and data envelopment analysis was used to calculate Farrell efficiency estimates for the year 2002. Results suggest that there were marked differences in the average hospital efficiency between Nordic countries. In 2002, average efficiency was markedly higher in Finland compared to Norway and Sweden. This study found differences in cost efficiency that cannot be explained by input prices or differences in coding practices. More analysis is needed to reveal the causes of large efficiency disparities between Nordic hospitals.

  4. Overview of the hospital formulary systems in Hong Kong. Princess Margaret Hospital as a baseline.

    PubMed

    Chang, S; Wong, J W; Wong, C W; Chiu, H C; Raymond, K

    1997-12-01

    To investigate the popularity of formulary systems in all Hong Kong hospitals and to compare these with the newly introduced formulary system in a major government hospital, the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), as the baseline. Questionnaire and selected interviews by pharmacy students. All hospital pharmacies in Hong Kong. Department managers (directors of pharmacy services) of hospital pharmacies. The popularity of the hospitals' formulary systems and their formulary decision-making strategies. Calculations of cost savings of the new formulary system in PMH and a comparison of the PMH system with the US standards were also made. Among 38 responding hospitals, 35 (92%) had a formulary handbook and 21 (55.3%) claimed to have a formulary system. The evaluation processes and formulary decision-making procedures were found to be inadequate because basic components in drug evaluation (e.g., standardized criteria for drug evaluation) were not used regularly. However, the formulary system in PMH was found to be comparable with the US standards. Substantial cost savings were made through rejection of less cost-effective drugs by the Formulary Subcommittee in PMH. In general, comprehensive formulary systems are still not popular in Hong Kong. This may be due to insufficient staffing and lack of administrative and physicians' support. The new formulary system in PMH can be used as a model to develop a successful formulary system in which hospital pharmacists can prove their expertise for the benefit of both hospitals and patients in Hong Kong.

  5. Hospital profitability for a surgeon's common procedures predicts the surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital.

    PubMed

    Dexter, F; Macario, A; Cerone, S M

    1998-09-01

    To evaluate whether a hospital's profitability for a surgeon's common procedures predicts the surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital. Observational study. Community and university-affiliated tertiary hospital with 21,903 surgical procedures performed per year. 7,520 patients having surgery performed by one of 46 surgeons. None. Financial data were obtained for all patients cared for by all the surgeons who performed at least ten cases of one of the hospital's six most common procedures. A surgeon's overall profitability for the hospital was measured using his or her contribution margin ratio (i.e., total revenue for all of the surgeon's patients divided by total variable cost for the patients). Contribution margin was calculated twice: once with all of a surgeon's patients, and second, limiting consideration to those patients who underwent one of the six common procedures. The common procedures accounted for 22 +/- 15% of the 46 surgeons' overall caseload, 29 +/- 10% of their patients' hospital costs, and 30 +/- 12% of the hospital revenue generated by the surgeons. Hospital contribution margin ratios ranged from 1.4 to 4.2. Contribution margin ratios for common procedures and contribution margin ratios for all patients were correlated (tau = 0.58, n = 46, p < 0.0001). Even though most surgical cases were for uncommon procedures, a surgeon's hospital profitability on common procedures predicted the surgeon's overall financial performance. Perioperative incentive programs based on common surgical procedures (clinical pathways) are likely to accurately reflect a surgeon's financial performance on their other surgeries.

  6. A Decomposition of Hospital Profitability

    PubMed Central

    Broom, Kevin; Elliott, Michael; Lee, Jen-Fu

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: This paper evaluates the drivers of profitability for a large sample of U.S. hospitals. Following a methodology frequently used by financial analysts, we use a DuPont analysis as a framework to evaluate the quality of earnings. By decomposing returns on equity (ROE) into profit margin, total asset turnover, and capital structure, the DuPont analysis reveals what drives overall profitability. Methods: Profit margin, the efficiency with which services are rendered (total asset turnover), and capital structure is calculated for 3,255 U.S. hospitals between 2007 and 2012 using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Healthcare Cost Report Information System (CMS Form 2552). The sample is then stratified by ownership, size, system affiliation, teaching status, critical access designation, and urban or non-urban location. Those hospital characteristics and interaction terms are then regressed (OLS) against the ROE and the respective DuPont components. Sensitivity to regression methodology is also investigated using a seemingly unrelated regression. Results: When the sample is stratified by hospital characteristics, the results indicate investor-owned hospitals have higher profit margins, higher efficiency, and are substantially more leveraged. Hospitals in systems are found to have higher ROE, margins, and efficiency but are associated with less leverage. In addition, a number of important and significant interactions between teaching status, ownership, location, critical access designation, and inclusion in a system are documented. Many of the significant relationships, most notably not-for-profit ownership, lose significance or are predominately associated with one interaction effect when interaction terms are introduced as explanatory variables. Results are not sensitive to the alternative methodology. Conclusion: The results of the DuPont analysis suggest that although there appears to be convergence in the behavior of NFP and IO

  7. Implementation of Single Source Based Hospital Information System for the Catholic Medical Center Affiliated Hospitals

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Inyoung; Choi, Ran; Lee, Jonghyun

    2010-01-01

    Objectives The objective of this research is to introduce the unique approach of the Catholic Medical Center (CMC) integrate network hospitals with organizational and technical methodologies adopted for seamless implementation. Methods The Catholic Medical Center has developed a new hospital information system to connect network hospitals and adopted new information technology architecture which uses single source for multiple distributed hospital systems. Results The hospital information system of the CMC was developed to integrate network hospitals adopting new system development principles; one source, one route and one management. This information architecture has reduced the cost for system development and operation, and has enhanced the efficiency of the management process. Conclusions Integrating network hospital through information system was not simple; it was much more complicated than single organization implementation. We are still looking for more efficient communication channel and decision making process, and also believe that our new system architecture will be able to improve CMC health care system and provide much better quality of health care service to patients and customers. PMID:21818432

  8. Standards for hospital libraries 2002

    PubMed Central

    Gluck, Jeannine Cyr; Hassig, Robin Ackley; Balogh, Leeni; Bandy, Margaret; Doyle, Jacqueline Donaldson; Kronenfeld, Michael R.; Lindner, Katherine Lois; Murray, Kathleen; Petersen, JoAn; Rand, Debra C.

    2002-01-01

    The Medical Library Association's “Standards for Hospital Libraries 2002” have been developed as a guide for hospital administrators, librarians, and accrediting bodies to ensure that hospitals have the resources and services to effectively meet their needs for knowledge-based information. Specific requirements for knowledge-based information include that the library be a separate department with its own budget. Knowledge-based information in the library should be directed by a qualified librarian who functions as a department head and is a member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals. The standards define the role of the medical librarian and the links between knowledge-based information and other functions such as patient care, patient education, performance improvement, and education. In addition, the standards address the development and implementation of the knowledge-based information needs assessment and plans, the promotion and publicity of the knowledge-based information services, and the physical space and staffing requirements. The role, qualifications, and functions of a hospital library consultant are outlined. The health sciences library is positioned to play a key role in the hospital. The increasing use of the Internet and new information technologies by medical, nursing, and allied health staffs; patients; and the community require new strategies, strategic planning, allocation of adequate resources, and selection and evaluation of appropriate information resources and technologies. The Hospital Library Standards Committee has developed this document as a guideline to be used in facing these challenges. Editor's Note: The “Standards for Hospital Libraries 2002” were approved by the members of the Hospital Library Section during MLA '02 in Dallas, Texas. They were subsequently approved by Section Council and received final approval from the MLA Board of Directors in June 2002. They succeed the Standards for Hospital Libraries

  9. Gender Differences in Hospital CEO Compensation: A National Investigation of Not-for-Profit Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Song, Paula H; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Toth, Matthew; Singh, Simone R; Young, Gary J

    2018-01-01

    Gender pay equity is a desirable social value and an important strategy to fill every organizational stratum with gender-diverse talent to fulfill an organization's goals and mission. This study used national, large-sample data to examine gender difference in CEO compensation among not-for-profit hospitals. Results showed the average unadjusted annual compensation for female CEOs in 2009 was $425,085 compared with $581,121 for male CEOs. With few exceptions, the difference existed across all types of not-for-profit hospitals. After controlling for hospital- and area-level characteristics, female CEOs of not-for-profit hospitals earned 22.6% less than male CEOs of not-for-profit hospitals. This translates into an earnings differential of $132,652 associated with gender. Explanations and implications of the results are discussed.

  10. Predictors of Hospitalization in Patients with Syncope Assisted in Specialized Cardiology Hospital

    PubMed Central

    Fischer, Leonardo Marques; Dutra, João Pedro Passos; Mantovani, Augusto; de Lima, Gustavo Glotz; Leiria, Tiago Luiz Luz

    2013-01-01

    Background Risk stratification of a syncopal episode is necessary to better differentiate patients needing hospitalization of those who can be safely sent home from the emergency department. Currently there are no strict guidelines from our Brazilian medical societies to guide the cardiologist that evaluate patients in an emergency setting. Objectives To analyze the criteria adopted for defining the need for hospitalization and compare them with the predictors of high risk for adverse outcome defined by the OESIL score that is already validated in the medical literature for assessing syncope. Methods A cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with syncope during emergency department evaluation at our institution in the year 2011. Results Of the 46,476 emergency visits made in that year, 216 were due to syncope. Of the 216 patients analyzed, 39% were hospitalized. The variables associated with the need of hospital admission were - having health care insurance, previous known cardiovascular disease, no history of prior stroke, previous syncope and abnormal electrocardiograms during the presentation. Patients classified in OESIL scores of 0-1 had a greater chance of emergency discharge; 2-3 scores showed greater association with the need of hospitalization. A score ≥ 2 OESIL provided an odds ratio 7.8 times higher for hospitalization compared to score 0 (p <0.001, 95% CI:4,03-15,11). In approximately 39% no etiological cause for syncope was found and in 18% cardiac cause was identified. Conclusions Factors such as cardiovascular disease, prior history of syncope, health insurance, no previous stroke and abnormal electrocardiograms, were the criteria used by doctors to indicate hospital admission. There was a good correlation between the clinical judgment and the OESIL criteria for high risk described in literature. PMID:24145390

  11. Decentralization and hospital pharmacy services: the case of Iranian university affilliated hospitals.

    PubMed

    Ashna Delkhosh, Reza; Ardama, Ali; Salamzadeh, Jamshid

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction rate of hospital managerial/clinical teams (HMCTs) including principles (chief executives), managers, supervisor pharmacists and head nurses from services presented by private sectors directing 10 pharmacy departments in hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. This study is an observational and descriptive study in which a questionnaire containing 16 questions evaluating the satisfaction of the HMCTs from private sectors, and questions about demography of the responders was used for data collection. Collected data was applied to assign a satisfaction score (maximum 64) for each respondent. SPSS 17.0 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 were used for statistical description and analysis of these information (where applicable). Overall, 97 people in charge of the hospitals (HMCTs) entered the study. The average satisfaction score was 26.38 ± 6.81 with the lowest satisfaction rate observed in Mofid children specialty hospital (19.5%) and the highest rate obtained for Imam Hussein (p.b.u.h) general hospital (65.3%). Generally, 59% of the HMCTs believed that the function of the private sector in the pharmacy of hospitals is satisfactory. Assuming that the satisfaction scores under 75% of the total obtainable score (i.e. 48 out of 64) could not be considered as an indicator of desired pharmacy services, our results revealed that the status of the services offered by private sectors are far behind the desired satisfactory level.

  12. Perceived hospital managerial competency in Tehran, Iran: is there a difference between public and private hospitals?

    PubMed

    Kalhor, Rohollah; Tajnesaei, Mahsa; Kakemam, Edris; Keykaleh, Mesam Safi; Kalhor, Leila

    2016-12-01

    Hospital managers should have enough managerial competencies to coordinate the complex environment. The underlying assumption is that there is a potential gap in management capacity between public and private hospitals in Iran. This study aims to evaluate competency level of hospital managers and to compare their competencies in public and private hospitals. This study was descriptive-analytic, carried out in 2015. A survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 127 public and private hospitals managers in Tehran Province, Iran. Respondents were asked to rate their competencies in a five-key subscale that included people-related skills, health delivery, self-management, task-related skills, and strategic planning and management. Ratings were based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very low to excellent competency level. Self-assessment of competencies level showed that managers in all state hospitals evaluate their competency at a low level. Managers felt most competent in health-delivery skills (3.71), people-related skills (3.61), and strategic planning and management (3.57), relatively less competent in self-management (3.54) and task-related skills (3.49). While being the mean total competency levels were significantly higher among male managers, those who participated in the healthcare/hospital management training courses, and those whose primary formal qualification was management in healthcare/hospital management (P<0.05). Similarly, managers who had more experience in their current position were more likely to report higher competencies level (P<0.05). Managers in private hospitals perceived themselves to be significantly more competent than their public hospitals colleagues in most of the management facets (P<0.001). There is a perceived lack of management capacity by managers of both public and private hospitals and the gap between public and private hospitals is small. There is widespread need for management training to be

  13. Admission of people with dementia to psychiatric hospitals in Japan: factors that can shorten their hospitalizations.

    PubMed

    Morikawa, Takako; Maeda, Kiyoshi; Osaki, Tohmi; Kajita, Hiroyuki; Yotsumoto, Kayano; Kawamata, Toshio

    2017-11-01

    People exhibiting serious behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are usually voluntarily or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals for treatment. In Japan, the average hospital stay for individuals with dementia is about 2 years. Ideally, individuals should be discharged once their symptoms have subsided. However, we see cases in Japan where individuals remain institutionalized long after behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are no longer apparent. This study will attempt to identify factors contributing to shorter stays in psychiatric hospitals for dementia patients. Questionnaires consisting of 17 items were mailed to 121 psychiatric hospitals with dementia treatment wards in western Japan. Out of 121 hospitals that received the questionnaires, 45 hospitals returned them. The total number of new patient admissions at all 45 hospitals during the month of August 2014 was 1428, including 384 dementia patients (26.9%). The average length of stay in the dementia wards in August 2014 was 482.7 days. Our findings revealed that the rate of discharge after 2 months was 35.4% for the dementia wards. In addition, we found that the average stay in hospitals charging or planning to charge the rehabilitation fee to dementia patients was significantly shorter than in hospitals not charging the rehabilitation fee. In Japan, dementia patients account for over 25% of new admissions to psychiatric hospitals with dementia wards. The average length of stay in a psychiatric hospital dementia ward is more than 1 year. A discharge after fewer than 2 months is exceedingly rare for those in a dementia ward compared with dementia patients in other wards. If institutions focus on rehabilitation, it may be possible to shorten the stay of dementia patients in psychiatric hospitals. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  14. Hospital-Level Variation in Practice Patterns and Patient Outcomes for Pediatric Patients Hospitalized With Functional Constipation.

    PubMed

    Librizzi, Jamie; Flores, Samuel; Morse, Keith; Kelleher, Kelly; Carter, Jodi; Bode, Ryan

    2017-06-01

    Constipation is a common pediatric condition with a prevalence of 3% to 5% in children aged 4 to 17 years. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for the management of pediatric patients hospitalized with constipation. The primary objective was to evaluate practice patterns and patient outcomes for the hospital management of functional constipation in US children's hospitals. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of children aged 0 to 18 years hospitalized for functional constipation from 2012 to 2014 by using the Pediatric Health Information System. Patients were included by using constipation and other related diagnoses as classified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision . Patients with complex chronic conditions were excluded. Outcome measures included percentage of hospitalizations due to functional constipation, therapies used, length of stay, and 90-day readmission rates. Statistical analysis included means with 95% confidence intervals for individual hospital outcomes. A total of 14 243 hospitalizations were included, representing 12 804 unique patients. The overall percentage of hospitalizations due to functional constipation was 0.65% (range: 0.19%-1.41%, P < .0001). The percentage of patients receiving the following treatment during their hospitalization included: electrolyte laxatives: 40% to 96%; sodium phosphate enema: 0% to 64%; mineral oil enema: 0% to 61%; glycerin suppository: 0% to 37%; bisacodyl 0% to 47%; senna: 0% to 23%; and docusate 0% to 11%. Mean length of stay was 1.97 days (range: 1.31-2.73 days, P < .0001). Mean 90-day readmission rate was 3.78% (range: 0.95%-7.53%, P < .0001). There is significant variation in practice patterns and clinical outcomes for pediatric patients hospitalized with functional constipation across US children's hospitals. Collaborative initiatives to adopt evidence-based best practices guidelines could help standardize the hospital management of pediatric

  15. Hospital pricing policies: the simple economics.

    PubMed

    Robison, G A; Robison, H D

    1986-10-01

    Changes in hospital reimbursement structures and the shrinking inpatient service market are forcing hospitals to reexamine their pricing strategies. This article examines historical hospital pricing, the effect of pricing in a competitive market and considerations for hospitals moving toward competitive pricing for services.

  16. The role of private hospitals in South Africa. Part II. Towards a national policy on private hospitals.

    PubMed

    Broomberg, J

    1993-05-01

    This paper reviews some aspects of present state policy on private hospitals and sets out broad policy guidelines, as well as specific policy options, for the future role of private hospitals in South Africa. Current state policy is reviewed via an examination of the findings and recommendations of the two major Commissions of Inquiry into the role of private hospitals over the last 2 decades, and comparison of these with the present situation. The analysis confirms that existing state policy on private hospitals is inadequate, and suggests some explanations for this. Policy options analysed include the elimination of the private hospital sector through nationalization; partial integration of private hospitals into a centrally financed health care system (such as a national health insurance system); and the retention of separate, privately owned hospitals that will remain privately financed and outside the system of national health care provision. These options are explained and their merits and the associated problems debated. While it is recognised that, in the long term, public ownership of hospitals may be an effective way of attaining equity and efficiency in hospital services, the paper argues that elimination of private hospitals is not a realistic policy option for the foreseeable future. In this scenario, partial integration of private hospitals under a centrally financed system is argued to be the most effective way of improving the efficiency of the private hospital sector, and of maximising its contribution to national health care resources.

  17. Gaining hospital administrators' attention: ways to improve physician-hospital management dialogue.

    PubMed

    Cohn, Kenneth H; Gill, Sandra L; Schwartz, Richard W

    2005-02-01

    Despite marked differences in training and professional interests, physicians and hospital managers face similar problems stemming from the unprecedented rate of change in the health care delivery system: failure of reimbursement to keep pace with rising costs, new therapeutic modalities, increasing government and managed care regulations, heightened consumerism, and an aging patient population. In the face of these mounting challenges, both physicians and hospital managers could benefit significantly from a climate of collaboration and interdependence. This article presents a "case report" of a community teaching hospital in which practicing physicians and hospital administrators collaborated to develop an operating plan for the next 3 years to improve the practice environment. The physicians recommended new clinical priorities to enhance service to patients and families, to improve physician-physician communication, to develop clinical protocols, and to build coordinated diagnostic treatment centers, which the administration has implemented. Physicians and hospital managers can no longer pass on cost increases at will to patients and third-party payers. Nor can physicians and managers ignore the heightened power of patients and third-party payers. Effective dialogue and collaboration are in all parties' interests to optimize patient care and to develop innovative services. Despite the tensions created by competition and rapid change, transformation from a blaming to a learning environment may be a key strategic advantage in today's health care marketplace.

  18. [Hospitals' evolution through the ages].

    PubMed

    de Micheli, Alfredo

    2005-01-01

    The predecessor institutions of modern hospitals--Byzantine nosocómeion, European hospitale and Islamic maristan--were dissimilar both in their patients and their aims. The first charitable organizations in West Europe (Rome) and in the East (Cesarea in Cappadocia) were rather hospices. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 A.D.), some monastic centers were prepared to provide medical assistance to religious and secular patients. Since the XI and XII Centuries in all of Christian Europe the charitable institutions, designated as hospitale, multiplied. Among the Italian ones, the Roman Santo Spirito (Holy Ghost) Hospital, built in the 1201-1204 period, reached a preeminet position. This one soon became the most important of the entire Christendom (archihospital), with a lot of affiliated hospitals in Europe and later in America. The first American hospital, Saint Nicholas Hospital, opened on December 29, 1503 in Santo Domingo, obtained in 1541 its affiliation to the Santo Spirito archihospital. Regarding continental America, the first health centers were established in Mexico: the Immaculate Conception Hospital and the Saint Lazarus Hospital, both established by Hernán Cortés. For its part, clinical teaching was systematized at the Saint Francis Hospital in Padua and by there moved to Leyden. In Mexico, the chair of medical clinics or practical medicine was established in 1806 at the Saint Andrew Hospital. During the XX century, Dr. Ignacio Chávez was the driving force behind the creation of the modern Mexican Health Institutes. These ones are dedicated to the treatment of poor patients, as well as to medical teaching and research.

  19. Estimating meningitis hospitalization rates for sentinel hospitals conducting invasive bacterial vaccine-preventable diseases surveillance.

    PubMed

    2013-10-04

    The World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated Global Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (IB-VPD) sentinel hospital surveillance network provides data for decision making regarding use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine, both recommended for inclusion in routine childhood immunization programs worldwide. WHO recommends that countries conduct sentinel hospital surveillance for meningitis among children aged <5 years, including collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for laboratory detection of bacterial etiologies. Surveillance for pneumonia and sepsis are recommended at selected hospitals with well-functioning laboratories where meningitis surveillance consistently meets process indicators (e.g., surveillance performance indicators). To use sentinel hospital surveillance for meningitis to estimate meningitis hospitalization rates, WHO developed a rapid method to estimate the number of children at-risk for meningitis in a sentinel hospital catchment area. Monitoring changes in denominators over time using consistent methods is essential for interpreting changes in sentinel surveillance incidence data and for assessing the effect of vaccine introduction on disease epidemiology. This report describes the method and its use in The Gambia and Senegal.

  20. Maternity and parental leave policies at COTH hospitals: an update. Council of Teaching Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Philibert, I; Bickel, J

    1995-11-01

    Because residents' demands for parental leave are increasing, updated information about maternity and paternity leave policies was solicited from hospitals that are members of the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) of the AAMC. A 20-item questionnaire, combining forced-choice categories and open-ended questions, was faxed to 405 COTH hospitals in October 1994; 45% responded. A total of 77% of the respondents reported having written policies for maternity and/or parental leave; in 1989, only 52% of COTH hospitals had reported having such policies. Forty-one percent of the 1994 responding hospitals offered dedicated paid maternity leave, with a mean of 42 days allowed. Twenty-five percent of the respondents offered paternity leave, and 15% offered adoption leave. It is encouraging that the majority of the teaching hospitals that responded to the survey had adopted written policies, but the 23% without written policies remain a source of concern. Well-defined policies for maternity, paternity, and adoption leave can reduce stress and foster equity both for trainees requiring leave and for their colleagues.

  1. Hospital union election activity, 1974-85

    PubMed Central

    Becker, Edmund R.; Rakich, Jonathon S.

    1988-01-01

    This study, using National Labor Relations Board data and American Hospital Association data, reports on the status of union election activity in the hospital industry for a 65-month period, January 1980-May 1985, and contrasts it with earlier data for a similar 65-month time period (1974-79). Together these data provide a comprehensive overview of union election activity in non-Federal, nongovernment hospitals since the passage of the 1974 Nonprofit Hospital Amendments to the Taft-Hartley Act. The study analyzes union, election, hospital, and environmental characteristics. Comparisons over the two time periods show that, while union victory rates in hospital elections have remained constant, the total number of elections has declined dramatically in the hospital industry. PMID:10312518

  2. Screen Media Use in Hospitalized Children.

    PubMed

    Arora, Gitanjli; Soares, Neelkamal; Li, Ning; Zimmerman, Frederick J

    2016-05-01

    Screen media overuse is associated with negative physical and mental health effects in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen media use at home; however, there are no similar guidelines for children's hospitals. This study was conducted to explore caregiver (parent or other guardian) perceptions about screen media use, compare at-home with in-hospital screen media use, and measure screen use among hospitalized children. We obtained data from a convenience cohort of hospitalized children at a single, comprehensive tertiary care children's hospital over 3 periods of 2 weeks each from 2013 to 2014. Home and hospital screen media use was measured through survey and study personnel directly observed hospital screen use. Descriptive statistics are reported and generalized estimating equation was used to identify characteristics associated with screen media use. Observation (n = 1490 observations) revealed screen media on 80.3% of the time the hospitalized child was in the room and awake, and 47.8% of observations with direct attention to a screen. Surveyed caregivers reported their child engaging in significantly more screen media use in the hospital setting as compared with home, and 42% of caregivers reported the amount of screen time used by their child in the hospital was more than they would have liked. Hospitalized children have access to a variety of screen media, and this media is used at rates far higher than recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children's hospitals should consider developing guidelines for screen media use. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

  3. [Ryazan hospital--80 years].

    PubMed

    Klimov, A S; Gromov, M F

    2012-02-01

    In December 2011 marked 80 years of the founding of the Ryazan garrison hospital, originally housed in two buildings: "Redut housed"--a monument of architecture of the XVIII century and the former almshouses room "for the maimed in the war", was built in 1884 now Ryazan garrison hospital (from 2010--Branch No 6 FSI "in 1586 the district military hospital in the Western Military District", the Defense Ministry of Russia)--a multi-field medical preventive institution on the basis of which soldiers, military retirees, family members and military retirees from Ryazan, Moscow, Tambov regions are treated. Every year more than 7 thousand patients get treatment here. During the counterterrorism operations in Chechnya over 800 wounded were brought to the hospital from the battle area.

  4. EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN U.S. HOSPITALS.

    PubMed

    Dong, Gang Nathan

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the hospital management practices of manipulating financial earnings within the bounds of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We conduct regression analyses that relate earnings management to hospital characteristics to assess the economic determinants of hospital earnings management behavior. From the CMS Cost Reports we collected hospital financial data of all U.S. hospitals that request reimbursement from the federal government for treating Medicare patients, and regress discretionary accruals on hospital size, profitability, asset liquidity, operating efficiency, labor cost, and ownership. Hospitals with higher profit margin, current ratio, working capital, days of patient receivables outstanding and total wage are associated with more earnings management, whereas those with larger size and higher debt level, asset turnover, days cash on hand, fixed asset age are associated with lower level of earnings manipulation. Additionally, managers of non-profit hospitals are more likely to undertake some form of window-dressing by manipulating accounting accruals without changing business models or pricing strategies than their public hospital counterparts. We provide direct evidence of the use of discretionary accruals to manage financial earnings among U.S. hospitals and the finding has profound policy implications in terms of assessing the pervasiveness of accounting manipulation and the overall integrity of financial reporting in this very special public and quasi-public service sector.

  5. Perceptions of the hospital ethical environment among hospital social workers in the United States.

    PubMed

    Pugh, Greg L

    2015-01-01

    Hospital social workers are in a unique context of practice, and one where the ethical environment has a profound influence on the ethical behavior. This study determined the ratings of ethical environment by hospital social workers in large nationwide sample. Correlates suggest by and compared to studies of ethical environment with nurses are explored. Positive ratings of the ethical environment are primarily associated with job satisfaction, as well as working in a centralized social work department and for a non-profit hospital. Religiosity and MSW education were not predictive. Implications and suggestions for managing the hospital ethical environment are provided.

  6. The association of antibiotic treatment regimen and hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with Legionella pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Gershengorn, Hayley B; Keene, Adam; Dzierba, Amy L; Wunsch, Hannah

    2015-06-01

    Guidelines recommend azithromycin or a quinolone antibiotic for treatment of Legionella pneumonia. No clinical study has compared these strategies. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of adults hospitalized in the United States with a diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia in the Premier Perspectives database (1 July 2008-30 June 2013). Our primary outcome was hospital mortality; we additionally evaluated hospital length of stay, development of Clostridium difficile colitis, and total hospital cost. We used propensity-based matching to compare patients treated with azithromycin vs a quinolone. All analyses were repeated on a subgroup of more severely ill patients, defined as requiring intensive care unit admission or mechanical ventilation or having a predicted probability of hospital mortality in the top quartile for all patients. Legionella pneumonia was diagnosed in 3152 adults across 437 hospitals. Quinolones alone were used in 28.8%, azithromycin alone was used in 34.0%, and 1.8% received both. Crude hospital mortality was similar: 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0%-8.2%) for quinolones vs 6.4% (95% CI, 5.0%-7.9%) for azithromycin (P = .87); after propensity matching (n = 813 in each group), mortality remained similar (6.3% [95% CI, 4.6%-7.9%] vs 6.5% [95% CI, 4.8%-8.2%], P = .84 for the whole cohort, and 14.9% [95% CI, 10.0%-19.8%] vs 18.3% [95% CI, 13.0%-23.6%], P = .36 for the more severely ill). There was no difference in hospital length of stay, development of C. difficile, or total hospital cost. Use of azithromycin alone or a quinolone alone for treatment of Legionella pneumonia was associated with similar hospital mortality. Few patients receive combination therapy. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Uninsured Hospitalizations: Rural and Urban Differences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Wanqing; Mueller, Keith J.; Chen, Li-Wu

    2008-01-01

    Context: Few studies have examined hospitalization patterns among the uninsured, especially from the perspective of rural and urban differences. Purpose: To examine whether the patterns of uninsured hospitalizations differ in rural and urban hospitals and to identify the most prevalent and costly diagnoses among uninsured hospitalizations.…

  8. Constructing Episodes of Inpatient Care: How to Define Hospital Transfer in Hospital Administrative Health Data?

    PubMed

    Peng, Mingkai; Li, Bing; Southern, Danielle A; Eastwood, Cathy A; Quan, Hude

    2017-01-01

    Hospital administrative health data create separate records for each hospital stay of patients. Treating a hospital transfer as a readmission could lead to biased results in health service research. This is a cross-sectional study. We used the hospital discharge abstract database in 2013 from Alberta, Canada. Transfer cases were defined by transfer institution code and were used as the reference standard. Four time gaps between 2 hospitalizations (6, 9, 12, and 24 h) and 2 day gaps between hospitalizations [same day (up to 24 h), ≤1 d (up to 48 h)] were used to identify transfer cases. We compared the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of 6 definitions across different categories of sex, age, and location of residence. Readmission rates within 30 days were compared after episodes of care were defined at the different time gaps. Among the 6 definitions, sensitivity ranged from 93.3% to 98.7% and PPV ranged from 86.4% to 96%. The time gap of 9 hours had the optimal balance of sensitivity and PPV. The time gaps of same day (up to 24 h) and 9 hours had comparable 30-day readmission rates as the transfer indicator after defining episode of care. We recommend the use of a time gap of 9 hours between 2 hospitalizations to define hospital transfer in inpatient databases. When admission or discharge time is not available in the database, a time gap of same day (up to 24 h) can be used to define hospital transfer.

  9. Abortion services at hospitals in Istanbul.

    PubMed

    O'Neil, Mary Lou

    2017-04-01

    Despite the existence of a liberal law on abortion in Turkey, there is growing evidence that actually securing an abortion in Istanbul may prove difficult. This study aimed to determine whether or not state hospitals and private hospitals that accept state health insurance in Istanbul are providing abortion services and for what indications. Between October and December 2015, a mystery patient telephone survey of 154 hospitals, 43 public and 111 private, in Istanbul was conducted. 14% of the state hospitals in Istanbul perform abortions without restriction as to reason provided in the current law while 60% provide the service if there is a medical necessity. A quarter of state hospitals in Istanbul do not provide abortion services at all. 48.6% of private hospitals that accept the state health insurance also provide for abortion without restriction while 10% do not provide abortion services under any circumstances. State and private hospitals in Istanbul are not providing abortion services to the full extent allowed under the law. The low numbers of state hospitals offering abortions without restriction indicates a de facto privatization of the service. This same trend is also visible in many private hospitals partnering with the state that do not provide abortion care. While many women may choose a private provider, the lack of provision of abortion care at state hospitals and those private hospitals working with the state leaves women little option but to purchase these services from private providers at some times subtantial costs.

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

    PubMed

    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 < .001). It is possible to meaningfully assess hospital 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.

  11. Hospital development plans: a new tool to break ground for strategic thinking in Tanzanian hospitals.

    PubMed

    Flessa, Steffen

    2005-12-01

    Tanzanian hospitals suffer from underfunding and poor management. In particular, planning and strategic thinking need improvement. Cultural values such as subordination, risk aversion, and high time preference, together with a long history of socialist government, result in lack of responsibility, accountability, and planning. This has been addressed by the health sector reform with its focus on decentralization, strengthened by the introduction of basket funding facilitated by the Comprehensive Council Health Plans. As a consequence of this the next logical step is to improve the authority of regional and district hospitals in the use of their resources by introducing hospital development plans. These strategic plans were introduced as tools of strategic planning in 2001 by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau in close collaboration with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, binding the release of rehabilitation funds to presentation of a strategic hospital plan. This study examines the rationale and content of hospital development plans. Initial experiences are discussed. The quality of presented plans has steadily improved, but there is a tendency for hospitals with a close connection to development partners to present well prepared reports while other hospitals have severe problems fulfilling the requirements. For many hospitals it is in fact the first time that they have had to define their functions and future role, thus breaking ground for strategic thinking.

  12. Hospitality Services. Student Activity Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock. Home Economics Curriculum Center.

    This student activity book contains pencil-and-paper activities for use in a hospitality services course focusing on the food and lodging segments of the hospitality and tourism industry. The activities are organized into 29 chapters on the following topics: hospitality services industry; professional ethics; organization/management structures in…

  13. Hospitality in College Composition Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haswell, Janis; Haswell, Richard; Blalock, Glenn

    2009-01-01

    There has been little discussion of hospitality as a practice in college writing courses. Possible misuses of hospitality as an educational and ethical practice are explored, and three traditional and still tenable modes of hospitality are described and historicized: Homeric, Judeo-Christian, and nomadic. Application of these modes to…

  14. Hospitality Studies: Escaping the Tyranny?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lashley, Conrad

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore current strands in hospitality management education and research, and suggest that future programs should reflect a more social science informed content. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews current research in hospitality management education and in the study of hospitality and…

  15. [Communication of psychiatric hospitals' specialization].

    PubMed

    Thielscher, Christian; Kox, Andreas; Schütte, Michael

    2010-09-01

    To analyze whether specialization of psychiatric hospitals results in quality improvement, and whether it can and should be measured and communicated to patients and ambulatory care physicians. Depth interviews with key deciders in the German psychiatric care system. There are several specializations within the system of psychiatric hospital care which can be communicated to patients and physicians; this would facilitate choice of hospital. There is no national database available yet. Data collection and communication as provided by an independent organization would improve knowledge about hospital specialization.

  16. Post-hospital medical respite care and hospital readmission of homeless persons.

    PubMed

    Kertesz, Stefan G; Posner, Michael A; O'Connell, James J; Swain, Stacy; Mullins, Ashley N; Shwartz, Michael; Ash, Arlene S

    2009-01-01

    Medical respite programs offer medical, nursing, and other care as well as accommodation for homeless persons discharged from acute hospital stays. They represent a community-based adaptation of urban health systems to the specific needs of homeless persons. This article examines whether post-hospital discharge to a homeless medical respite program was associated with a reduced chance of 90-day readmission compared to other disposition options. Adjusting for imbalances in patient characteristics using propensity scores, respite patients were the only group that was significantly less likely to be readmitted within 90 days compared to those released to Own Care. Respite programs merit attention as a potentially efficacious service for homeless persons leaving the hospital.

  17. Post-Hospital Medical Respite Care and Hospital Readmission of Homeless Persons

    PubMed Central

    Kertesz, Stefan G.; Posner, Michael A.; O’Connell, James J.; Swain, Stacy; Mullins, Ashley N.; Michael, Shwartz; Ash, Arlene S.

    2009-01-01

    Medical respite programs offer medical, nursing, and other care as well as accommodation for homeless persons discharged from acute hospital stays. They represent a community-based adaptation of urban health systems to the specific needs of homeless persons. This paper examines whether post-hospital discharge to a homeless medical respite program was associated with a reduced chance of 90-day readmission compared to other disposition options. Adjusting for imbalances in patient characteristics using propensity scores, Respite patients were the only group that was significantly less likely to be readmitted within 90 days compared to those released to Own Care. Respite programs merit attention as a potentially efficacious service for homeless persons leaving the hospital. PMID:19363773

  18. Assessing knowledge, performance, and efficiency for hospital waste management-a comparison of government and private hospitals in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Ali, Mustafa; Wang, Wenping; Chaudhry, Nawaz; Geng, Yong; Ashraf, Uzma

    2017-04-01

    Proper management of healthcare waste is a critical concern in many countries of the world. Rapid urbanization and population growth rates pose serious challenges to healthcare waste management infrastructure in such countries. This study was aimed at assessing the situation of hospital waste management in a major city of Pakistan. Simple random sampling was used to select 12 government and private hospitals in the city. Field visits, physical measurements, and questionnaire survey method were used for data collection. Information was obtained regarding hospital waste generation, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, and disposal. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to classify the hospitals on the basis of their relative waste management efficiencies. The weighted average total waste generation at the surveyed hospitals was discovered to be 1.53 kg/patient/day of which 75.15% consisted of general waste and the remaining consisted of biomedical waste. Of the total waste, 24.54% came from the public hospital and the remaining came from the private hospitals. DEA showed that seven of the surveyed hospitals had scale or pure technical inefficiencies in their waste management activities. The public hospital was relatively less efficient than most of the private hospitals in these activities. Results of the questionnaire survey showed that none of the surveyed hospitals was carrying out waste management in strict compliance with government regulations. Moreover, hospital staff at all the surveyed hospitals had low level of knowledge regarding safe hospital waste management practices. The current situation should be rectified in order to avoid environmental and epidemiological risks.

  19. Surgeon Contribution to Hospital Bottom Line

    PubMed Central

    Resnick, Andrew S.; Corrigan, Diane; Mullen, James L.; Kaiser, Larry R.

    2005-01-01

    Objective: We hypothesized that surgeon productivity is directly related to hospital operating margin, but significant variation in margin contribution exists between specialties. Summary Background Data: As the independent practitioner becomes an endangered species, it is critical to better understand the surgeon's importance to a hospital's bottom line. An appreciation of surgeon contribution to hospital profitability may prove useful in negotiations relating to full-time employment or other models. Methods: Surgeon total relative value units (RVUs), a measure of productivity, were collected from operating room (OR) logs. Annual hospital margin per specialty was provided by hospital finance. Hospital margin data were normalized by dividing by a constant such that the highest relative hospital margin (RHM) in fiscal year 2004 expressed as margin units (mu) was 1 million mu. For each specialty, data analyzed included RHM/OR HR, RHM/case, and RHM/RVU. Results: Thoracic (34.55 mu/RVU) and transplant (25.13 mu/RVU) were the biggest contributors to hospital margin. Plastics (−0.57 mu/RVU), maxillofacial (1.41 mu/RVU), and gynecology (1.66 mu/RVU) contributed least to hospital margin. Relative hospital margin per OR HR for transplant slightly exceeded thoracic (275.74 mu vs 233.94 mu) at the top and plastics and maxillofacial contributed the least (−3.83 mu/OR HR vs 9.36 mu/OR HR). Conclusions: Surgeons contribute significantly to hospital margin with certain specialties being more profitable than others. Payer mix, the penetration of managed care, and negotiated contracts as well as a number of other factors all have an impact on an individual hospital's margin. Surgeons should be fully cognizant of their significant influence in the marketplace. PMID:16192813

  20. Randomised controlled trial comparing effectiveness and acceptability of an early discharge, hospital at home scheme with acute hospital care

    PubMed Central

    Richards, Suzanne H; Coast, Joanna; Gunnell, David J; Peters, Tim J; Pounsford, John; Darlow, Mary-Anne

    1998-01-01

    Objective: To compare effectiveness and acceptability of early discharge to a hospital at home scheme with that of routine discharge from acute hospital. Design: Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Setting: Acute hospital wards and community in north of Bristol, with a catchment population of about 224 000 people. Subjects: 241 hospitalised but medically stable elderly patients who fulfilled criteria for early discharge to hospital at home scheme and who consented to participate. Interventions: Patients’ received hospital at home care or routine hospital care. Main outcome measures: Patients’ quality of life, satisfaction, and physical functioning assessed at 4 weeks and 3 months after randomisation to treatment; length of stay in hospital and in hospital at home scheme after randomisation; mortality at 3 months. Results: There were no significant differences in patient mortality, quality of life, and physical functioning between the two arms of the trial at 4 weeks or 3 months. Only one of 11 measures of patient satisfaction was significantly different: hospital at home patients perceived higher levels of involvement in decisions. Length of stay for those receiving routine hospital care was 62% (95% confidence interval 51% to 75%) of length of stay in hospital at home scheme. Conclusions: The early discharge hospital at home scheme was similar to routine hospital discharge in terms of effectiveness and acceptability. Increased length of stay associated with the scheme must be interpreted with caution because of different organisational characteristics of the services. Key messages Pressure on hospital beds, the increasing age of the population, and high costs associated with acute hospital care have fuelled the search for alternatives to inpatient hospital care There were no significant differences between early discharge to hospital at home scheme and routine hospital care in terms of patient quality of life, physical functioning, and most measures of

  1. Costs of hospital malnutrition.

    PubMed

    Curtis, Lori Jane; Bernier, Paule; Jeejeebhoy, Khursheed; Allard, Johane; Duerksen, Donald; Gramlich, Leah; Laporte, Manon; Keller, Heather H

    2017-10-01

    Hospital malnutrition has been established as a critical, prevalent, and costly problem in many countries. Many cost studies are limited due to study population or cost data used. The aims of this study were to determine: the relationship between malnutrition and hospital costs; the influence of confounders on, and the drivers (medical or surgical patients or degree of malnutrition) of the relationship; and whether hospital reported cost data provide similar information to administrative data. To our knowledge, the last two goals have not been studied elsewhere. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on data from the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force prospective cohort study combined with administrative data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Subjective Global Assessment was used to assess the relationship between nutritional status and length of stay and hospital costs, controlling for health and demographic characteristics, for 956 patients admitted to medical and surgical wards in 18 hospitals across Canada. After controlling for patient and hospital characteristics, moderately malnourished patients' (34% of surveyed patients) hospital stays were 18% (p = 0.014) longer on average than well-nourished patients. Medical stays increased by 23% (p = 0.014), and surgical stays by 32% (p = 0.015). Costs were, on average, between 31% and 34% (p-values < 0.05) higher than for well-nourished patients with similar characteristics. Severely malnourished patients (11% of surveyed patients) stayed 34% (p = 0.000) longer and had 38% (p = 0.003) higher total costs than well-nourished patients. They stayed 53% (p = 0.001) longer in medical beds and had 55% (p = 0.003) higher medical costs, on average. Trends were similar no matter the type of costing data used. Over 40% of patients were found to be malnourished (1/3 moderately and 1/10 severely). Malnourished patients had longer hospital stays and as a result cost more than well

  2. Hospitals With Higher Nurse Staffing Had Lower Odds Of Readmissions Penalties Than Hospitals With Lower Staffing

    PubMed Central

    McHugh, Matthew D.; Berez, Julie; Small, Dylan S.

    2015-01-01

    The Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalizes hospitals based on excess readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries. The aim of the program is to reduce readmissions while aligning hospitals’ financial incentives with payers’ and patients’ quality goals. Many evidence-based interventions that reduce readmissions, such as discharge preparation, care coordination, and patient education, are grounded in the fundamentals of basic nursing care. Yet inadequate staffing can hinder nurses’ efforts to carry out these processes of care. We estimated the effect that nurse staffing had on the likelihood that a hospital was penalized under the HRRP. Hospitals with higher nurse staffing had 25 percent lower odds of being penalized compared to otherwise similar hospitals with lower staffing. Investment in nursing is a potential system-level intervention to reduce readmissions that policy makers and hospital administrators should consider in the new regulatory environment as they examine the quality of care delivered to US hospital patients. PMID:24101063

  3. The impact of stakeholder involvement in hospital policy decision-making: a study of the hospital's business processes.

    PubMed

    Malfait, Simon; Van Hecke, Ann; Hellings, Johan; De Bodt, Griet; Eeckloo, Kristof

    2017-02-01

    In many health care systems, strategies are currently deployed to engage patients and other stakeholders in decisions affecting hospital services. In this paper, a model for stakeholder involvement is presented and evaluated in three Flemish hospitals. In the model, a stakeholder committee advises the hospital's board of directors on themes of strategic importance. To study the internal hospital's decision processes in order to identify the impact of a stakeholder involvement committee on strategic themes in the hospital decision processes. A retrospective analysis of the decision processes was conducted in three hospitals that implemented a stakeholder committee. The analysis consisted of process and outcome evaluation. Fifteen themes were discussed in the stakeholder committees, whereof 11 resulted in a considerable change. None of these were on a strategic level. The theoretical model was not applied as initially developed, but was altered by each hospital. Consequentially, the decision processes differed between the hospitals. Despite alternation of the model, the stakeholder committee showed a meaningful impact in all hospitals on the operational level. As a result of the differences in decision processes, three factors could be identified as facilitators for success: (1) a close interaction with the board of executives, (2) the inclusion of themes with a more practical and patient-oriented nature, and (3) the elaboration of decisions on lower echelons of the organization. To effectively influence the organization's public accountability, hospitals should involve stakeholders in the decision-making process of the organization. The model of a stakeholder committee was not applied as initially developed and did not affect the strategic decision-making processes in the involved hospitals. Results show only impact at the operational level in the participating hospitals. More research is needed connecting stakeholder involvement with hospital governance.

  4. Distinguishing in-hospital and out-of-hospital status epilepticus: clinical implications from a 10-year cohort study.

    PubMed

    Sutter, R; Semmlack, S; Spiegel, R; Tisljar, K; Rüegg, S; Marsch, S

    2017-09-01

    The aim was to determine differences of clinical, treatment and outcome characteristics between patients with in-hospital and out-of-hospital status epilepticus (SE). From 2005 to 2014, clinical data were assessed in adults with SE treated in an academic medical care centre. Clinical characteristics, treatment and outcomes were compared between patients with in-hospital and out-of-hospital SE. Amongst 352 patients, 213 were admitted with SE and 139 developed in-hospital SE. Patients with in-hospital SE had more acute/fatal aetiologies (60% vs. 35%, P < 0.001), fewer previous seizures (33% vs. 50%, P = 0.002), a higher median Charlson Comorbidity Index (3 vs. 2, P < 0.001), longer median SE duration (1 vs. 0.5 days, P = 0.001), more refractory SE (52% vs. 39%, P = 0.022), less return to functional baseline (38% vs. 54%, P = 0.006) and increased mortality (29% vs. 19%, P = 0.001). Whilst in multivariable analyses an increasing Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) was an independent predictor for death in both groups, increased Charlson Comorbidity Index and treatment refractory SE were associated with death only in patients with in-hospital SE. Continuous anaesthesia for refractory SE was associated with increased mortality only in patients with out-of-hospital SE. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.717 for prediction of death by STESS in patients with in-hospital SE and 0.811 in patients with out-of-hospital SE. Patients with in-hospital SE had more fatal aetiologies and comorbidities, refractory SE, less return to functional baseline, and increased mortality compared to patients with out-of-hospital SE. Whilst the STESS was a robust predictor for death in both groups, the association between continuous anaesthesia and death was limited to out-of-hospital SE. © 2017 EAN.

  5. The potential of hospital Website marketing.

    PubMed

    Sanchez, P M

    2000-01-01

    In recent years, hospital website marketing has witnessed explosive growth. Industry experts cite an almost 100% growth in hospital website marketing over the last several years. At one time lagging in the adoption of Internet technology, hospitals have now begun making significant strides in catching up with other industries. In spite of the general proliferation of hospital websites, however, the full potential of the Internet with its unique characteristics has yet to be realized. In this paper, current trends fueling the growth of hospital website marketing are first explored. Secondly, barriers to realizing the potential of website marketing are investigated. Finally, recommendations for improving hospital website marketing are developed.

  6. Play in a Hospital. Why...? How...?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Play Schools Association, New York, NY.

    This pamphlet provides guidelines for hospital play and recreation programs for children. A rationale for providing play activities for hospitalized children is developed and an administrative perspective on play in the hospital setting is Presented. A hospital play program initiated in 1957 by the Play Schools Association at an initial equipment…

  7. Hospital readmission and parent perceptions of their child's hospital discharge

    PubMed Central

    Berry, Jay G.; Ziniel, Sonja I.; Freeman, Linda; Kaplan, William; Antonelli, Richard; Gay, James; Coleman, Eric A.; Porter, Stephanie; Goldmann, Don

    2013-01-01

    Objective To describe parent perceptions of their child's hospital discharge and assess the relationship between these perceptions and hospital readmission. Design A prospective study of parents surveyed with questions adapted from the care transitions measure, an adult survey that assesses components of discharge care. Participant answers, scored on a 5-point Likert scale, were compared between children who did and did not experience a readmission using a Fisher's exact test and logistic regression that accounted for patient characteristics associated with increased readmission risk, including complex chronic condition and assistance with medical technology. Setting A tertiary-care children's hospital. Participants: A total of 348 parents surveyed following their child's hospital discharge between March and October 2010. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measure Unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge. Results There were 28 children (8.1%) who experienced a readmission. Children had a lower readmission rate (4.4 vs. 11.3%, P = 0.004) and lower adjusted readmission likelihood [odds ratio 0.2 (95% confidence interval 0.1, 0.6)] when their parents strongly agreed (n = 206) with the statement, ‘I felt that my child was healthy enough to leave the hospital’ from the index admission. Parent perceptions relating to care management responsibilities, medications, written discharge plan, warning signs and symptoms to watch for and primary care follow-up were not associated with readmission risk in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Parent perception of their child's health at discharge was associated with the risk of a subsequent, unplanned readmission. Addressing concerns with this perception prior to hospital discharge may help mitigate readmission risk in children. PMID:23962990

  8. Operative outcome and hospital cost.

    PubMed

    Ferraris, V A; Ferraris, S P; Singh, A

    1998-03-01

    Because of concern about increasing health care costs, we undertook a study to find patient risk factors associated with increased hospital costs and to evaluate the relationship between increased cost and in-hospital mortality and serious morbidity. More than 100 patient variables were screened in 1221 patients undergoing cardiac procedures. Simultaneously, patient hospital costs were computed from the cost-to-charge ratio. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to explore the relationship between hospital cost and patient outcomes, including operative death, in-hospital morbidity, and length of stay. The greatest costs were for 31 patients who did not survive operation ($74,466, 95% confidence interval $27,102 to $198,025), greater than the costs for 120 patients who had serious, nonfatal morbidity ($60,335, 95% confidence interval $28,381 to $130,897, p = 0.02) and those for 1070 patients who survived operation without complication ($31,459, 95% confidence interval $21,944 to $49,849, p = 0.001). Breakdown of the components of hospital costs in fatalities and in cases with nonfatal complications revealed that the greatest contributions were in anesthesia and operating room costs. Significant (by stepwise linear regression analysis) independent risks for increased hospital cost were as follows (in order of decreasing importance): (1) preoperative congestive heart failure, (2) serum creatinine level greater than 2.5 mg/dl, (3) New York state predicted mortality risk, (4), type of operation (coronary artery bypass grafting, valve, valve plus coronary artery bypass grafting, or other), (5) preoperative hematocrit, (6) need for reoperative procedure, (7) operative priority, and (8) sex. These risks were different than those for in-hospitality death or increased length of stay. Hospital cost correlated with length of stay (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), but there were many outliers at the high end of the hospital cost spectrum. We conclude that operative death is the

  9. 42 CFR 413.83 - Direct GME payments: Adjustment of a hospital's target amount or prospective payment hospital...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... target amount or prospective payment hospital-specific rate. 413.83 Section 413.83 Public Health CENTERS... Direct GME payments: Adjustment of a hospital's target amount or prospective payment hospital-specific...-increase ceiling or prospective payment base year for purposes of adjusting the hospital's target amount or...

  10. 42 CFR 413.83 - Direct GME payments: Adjustment of a hospital's target amount or prospective payment hospital...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... target amount or prospective payment hospital-specific rate. 413.83 Section 413.83 Public Health CENTERS... Direct GME payments: Adjustment of a hospital's target amount or prospective payment hospital-specific...-increase ceiling or prospective payment base year for purposes of adjusting the hospital's target amount or...

  11. The public's rating of hospitals.

    PubMed

    Boscarino, J A

    1988-01-01

    Increasingly, hospital administrators have been concerned about the public's perception of the facility. Nationwide, they have engaged marketing firms to study how consumers rate their local facilities in comparison to others. This type of information has been important to develop effective marketing and advertising programs (Steiber and Boscarino 1985). In this study, hospital ratings were analyzed for 65 short-term (nongovernment), medical and surgical hospitals across the United States. These hospitals represented different regions of the country (east, west, north, south, and central), as well as urban, suburban, and rural areas. Over 14,000 consumers were surveyed in these local market surveys. The public's ratings of these local hospitals were analyzed in terms of hospital size (number of beds), inpatient census, the "urbanicity" level of the local area, the level of care provided (primary, secondary, or tertiary), geographic region, and the 1984 Health Care Financing Administration death rate reported for Medicare patients. A multivariate analysis of the data indicates that hospital ratings are significantly related to the level of care provided and to the hospital's census level. Both of these are positively related to the public's attitude toward that facility (the higher the rating, the more specialized the care provided and the higher the census at that facility). Other variables are also positively related to ratings for example, bed size), but this is because of the relationship of these variables to either census or care level.

  12. Diabetes-related avoidable hospitalizations in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Kornelius, Edy; Huang, Chien-Ning; Yang, Yi-Sun; Lu, Ying-Li; Peng, Chiung-Huei; Chiou, Jeng-Yuan

    2014-12-01

    An avoidable hospitalization (AH) is a condition that could have been prevented through effective treatment in outpatient care. Diabetes is often referred to as an ambulatory care-sensitive condition, and its associated hospitalizations are often referred to as avoidable hospitalizations. There are limited data on avoidable hospitalizations for individuals with diabetes in Taiwan. We used the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) dataset to obtain diabetes-related avoidable hospitalizations for subjects aged above 12 years. We included data from 20,826 subjects who had completed the interview between 2004 and 2005. Data were collected from a total of 15,574 people, who had agreed to link their health information to the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, including basic demographic variables, inpatient or outpatient medical events, admission date, discharge date, and diagnosis. The 1005 individuals who self-reported having diabetes or had at least 1 hospitalization or 2 physician service claims for diabetes mellitus with an ICD-9 diagnosis of 250 were included in the analysis. We divided those with diagnosis of diabetes into two groups: never hospitalized and hospitalized. The never hospitalized group served as the control group. We further identified hospitalized subjects with long-term complications due to diabetes (PQI-3) that included ICD-CM codes 250.4-250.9. The mean ages of patients with diabetes-related long-term complications in the hospitalized and never hospitalized groups were 65 years and 58 years, respectively (p-value<0.01). More than half (52%) of the patients with diabetes-related long-term complications had a body mass index (BMI) lower than 24. The hospitalized group also had lower educational status compared with that of patients in the never hospitalized group (equal to or lower than elementary school, 63% vs. 50%; junior high school, 23% vs. 14%; equal or higher than senior high school, 14% vs. 36%). Furthermore, hospitalized

  13. Audit of the support for breastfeeding mothers in Fife maternity hospitals using adapted 'Baby Friendly Hospital' materials.

    PubMed

    Campbell, H; Gorman, D; Wigglesworth, A

    1995-12-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the level of support given to breastfeeding mothers during their stay in maternity hospitals. The audit was carried out in maternity hospitals in Fife with the co-ordination of the Fife Joint Breastfeeding initiative. The subjects consisted of ten maternity hospital staff (medical and midwifery), and 12 antenatal and 21 postnatal women. The design of the study consisted of an audit of hospital policies and practices in comparison with ten internationally recognized standards. This was carried out by adapting the external evaluation instruments from the WHO-UNICEF "Baby Friendly Hospital" materials. Methods relied not only on reported practices but also on direct observation and enquiry. Action was taken to address areas of practice which fell below the WHO-UNICEF standards: supplementary feeding of breastfed babies, particularly overnight, was reduced; discharge "bounty packs" advertising baby milk manufacturer products were discontinued; a hospital breastfeeding support group was established; the hypoglycaemia policy was revised; and the need for an orientation session on breastfeeding policies for medical staff was recognized. This audit approach using "Baby Friendly Hospital' materials has helped to define policy, measure performance against recognized standards, identify quality specifications for maternity service agreements and has improved hospital support for breastfeeding mothers. This approach is suitable for maternity hospitals whose breastfeeding rates make them ineligible for "Baby Friendly Hospital" accreditation, and has the potential to be extended to encompass wider "health-promoting hospital" issues such as promotion of infant car seats.

  14. Hospital volume and other risk factors for in-hospital mortality among diverticulitis patients: A nationwide analysis

    PubMed Central

    Diamant, Michael J; Coward, Stephanie; Buie, W Donald; MacLean, Anthony; Dixon, Elijah; Ball, Chad G; Schaffer, Samuel; Kaplan, Gilaad G

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that a higher volume of colorectal surgery was associated with lower mortality rates. While diverticulitis is an increasingly common condition, the effect of hospital volume on outcomes among diverticulitis patients is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between hospital volume and other factors on in-hospital mortality among patients admitted for diverticulitis. METHODS: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (years 1993 to 2008) were analyzed to identify 822,865 patients representing 4,108,726 admissions for diverticulitis. Hospitals were divided into quartiles based on the volume of diverticulitis cases admitted over the study period, adjusted for years contributed to the dataset. Mortality according to hospital volume was modelled using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidities, health care insurance, admission type, calendar year, colectomy, disease severity and clustering. Risk estimates were expressed as adjusted ORs with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Patients at high-volume hospitals were more likely to be admitted emergently, undergo surgical treatment and have more severe disease. In-hospital mortality was higher among the lowest quartile of hospital volume compared with the highest volume (OR 1.13 [95% CI 1.05 to 1.21]). In-hospital mortality was increased among patients admitted emergently (OR 2.58 [95% CI 2.40 to 2.78]) as well as those receiving surgical treatment (OR 3.60 [95% CI 3.42 to 3.78]). CONCLUSIONS: Diverticulitis patients admitted to hospitals with a low volume of diverticulitis cases had an increased risk for death compared with those admitted to high-volume centres. PMID:25965439

  15. Practice Hospital Bed Safety

    MedlinePlus

    ... Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). "They are used not only in hospitals, but ... long-term care facilities, and in private homes." CDRH reports that about 2.5 million hospital beds ...

  16. In-hospital mortality for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after stage I surgical palliation: teaching versus nonteaching hospitals.

    PubMed

    Berry, Jay G; Cowley, Collin G; Hoff, Charles J; Srivastava, Rajendu

    2006-04-01

    Teaching hospitals are perceived to provide a higher quality of care for the treatment of rare disease and complex patients. A substantial proportion of stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) may be performed in nonteaching hospitals. This study compares the in-hospital mortality of stage I palliation between teaching and nonteaching hospitals. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Kids' Inpatient Database 1997 and 2000. Patients with HLHS undergoing stage I palliation were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic and procedural codes. Seven hundred fifty-four and 880 discharges of children with HLHS undergoing stage I palliation in 1997 and 2000, respectively, were identified. The in-hospital mortality for the study population was 28% in 1997 and 24% in 2000. Twenty percent of stage I palliation operations were performed in nonteaching hospitals in 1997. Two percent of operations were performed in nonteaching hospitals in 2000. In 1997 only, in-hospital mortality remained higher in nonteaching hospitals after controlling for stage I palliation hospital volume and condition-severity diagnoses. Low-volume hospitals performing stage I palliation were associated with increased in-hospital mortality in 1997 and 2000. Patients with HLHS undergoing stage I palliation in nonteaching hospitals experienced increased in-hospital mortality in 1997. A significant reduction in the number of stage I palliation procedures performed in nonteaching hospitals occurred between 1997 and 2000. This centralization of stage I palliation into teaching hospitals, along with advances in postoperative medical and surgical care for these children, was associated with a decrease in mortality. Patients in low-volume hospitals performing stage I palliation continued to experience increased mortality in 2000.

  17. Interface between hospital and fire authorities--a concept for management of incidents in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Gretenkort, Peter; Harke, Henning; Blazejak, Jan; Pache, Bernd; Leledakis, Georgios

    2002-01-01

    Although every hospital needs a security plan for the support of immobile patients who do not possess autonomous escape capabilities, little information exists to assist in the development of practical patient evacuation methods. 1) In hospitals during disasters, incident leadership of the fire authorities can be supported effectively by hospital executives experienced in the management of mass casualties; and 2) As an alternative for canvas carry sheets, rescue drag sheets can be employed for emergency, elevator-independent, patient evacuation. A hospital evacuation exercise was planned and performed to obtain experiences in incident command and to permit calculation of elevator-independent patient transport times. Performance of incident leadership was observed by means of pre-defined checklists. The effectiveness and efficiency of carrying teams with five persons each were compared to those with a rescue drag sheet employed by a single person. Incident command for hospitals during a disaster is enhanced considerably by pre-defined and trained executives who are placed at the immediate disposal of the fire authorities. For elevator-independent patient transport, the rescue drag sheet was superior to conventional carrying measures because of a reduced number of transport personnel required to move each patient. With this method, patient transport times averaged 54 m/min. flat and 18 seconds for one floor descent. Experiences from a hospital during an evacuation exercise provided decision criteria for changes in the disaster preparedness plan. Hospital incident leadership was assigned to executives-in-charge in close co-operation with the fire authorities. All beds were equipped with a rescue drag sheet. Both concepts may help to cope with an emergency evacuation of a hospital.

  18. Prevalence of Impaired Memory in Hospitalized Adults and Associations with In-Hospital Sleep Loss

    PubMed Central

    Calev, Hila; Spampinato, Lisa M; Press, Valerie G; Meltzer, David O; Arora, Vineet M

    2015-01-01

    Background Effective inpatient teaching requires intact patient memory, but studies suggest hospitalized adults may have memory deficits. Sleep loss among inpatients could contribute to memory impairment. Objective To assess memory in older hospitalized adults, and to test the association between sleep quantity, sleep quality and memory, in order to identify a possible contributor to memory deficits in these patients. Design Prospective cohort study Setting General medicine and hematology/oncology inpatient wards Patients 59 hospitalized adults at least 50 years of age with no diagnosed sleep disorder. Measurements Immediate memory and memory after a 24-hour delay were assessed using a word recall and word recognition task from the University of Southern California Repeatable Episodic Memory Test (USC-REMT). A vignette-based memory task was piloted as an alternative test more closely resembling discharge instructions. Sleep duration and efficiency overnight in the hospital were measured using actigraphy. Results Mean immediate recall was 3.8 words out of 15 (SD=2.1). Forty-nine percent of subjects had poor memory, defined as immediate recall score of 3 or lower. Median immediate recognition was 11 words out of 15 (IQR=9, 13). Median delayed recall score was 1 word and median delayed recognition was 10 words (IQR= 8–12). In-hospital sleep duration and efficiency were not significantly associated with memory. The medical vignette score was correlated with immediate recall (r=0.49, p<0.01) Conclusions About half of inpatients studied had poor memory while in the hospital, signaling that hospitalization might not be an ideal teachable moment. In-hospital sleep was not associated with memory scores. PMID:25872763

  19. Incidence of Hospitalized Stroke in the Czech Republic: The National Registry of Hospitalized Patients.

    PubMed

    Sedova, Petra; Brown, Robert D; Zvolsky, Miroslav; Kadlecova, Pavla; Bryndziar, Tomas; Kubelka, Tomáš; Weiss, Viktor; Volný, Ondřej; Bednarik, Josef; Mikulik, Robert

    2017-05-01

    Contemporary stroke incidence data are not available in some countries and regions, including in Eastern Europe. Based on previous validation of the accuracy of the National Registry of Hospitalized Patients (NRHOSP), we report the incidence of hospitalized stroke in the Czech Republic (CR) using the NRHOSP. The results of the prior validation study assessing the accuracy of coding of stroke diagnoses in the NRHOSP were applied, and we calculated (1) the overall incidence of hospitalized stroke and (2) the incidence rates of hospitalized stroke for the three main stroke types: cerebral infarction (International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision, CI I63), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH I60), and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH I61). We calculated the average annual age- and sex-standardized incidence. The overall incidence of hospitalized stroke was 241 out of 100,000 individuals. The incidence of hospitalized stroke for the main stroke types was 8.2 cases in SAH, 29.5 in ICH, and 211 in CI per 100,000 individuals. The standardized annual stroke incidence adjusted to the 2000 World Health Organization population for overall stroke incidence of hospitalized stroke was 131 per 100,000 individuals. Standardized stroke incidence for stroke subtypes was 5.7 cases in SAH, 16.7 in ICH, and 113 in CI per 100,000 individuals. These studies provide an initial assessment of the burden of stroke in this part of the world. The estimates of hospitalized stroke in the CR and Eastern Europe suggest that ICH is about three times more common than SAH, and hemorrhagic stroke makes up about 18% of strokes. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. [Plastic surgery in day hospital conditions: comparison between two hospital models].

    PubMed

    Faga, A; Carminati, M; Falconi, D; Gatti, S; Rottino, A

    2003-12-01

    Personal experience of plastic surgery carried out in Day Hospital conditions is reported. The experience took place within the hospital structure through two different organisational models called here transversal and divisional organisation models: characteristic of the former is that it uses a dedicated interdivisional structure within the hospital involving the centralization of all day-surgery activities, whereas the latter organizes Day Surgery activities within the operating unit whose structures it shares. On the basis of a comparison between the two models we were able to note advantages and disadvantages. We can review our experience in brief by stating that our own preference went to the transversal model which presents the indubitable advantage of being a logistic structure which is hinged on daytime activity and is ready therefore to satisfy on the one hand the needs of this type of patient and, on the other, the needs of the structure itself in efficiency terms. We propose to correct the disadvantages of the transversal model which can be outlined in its lack of homogeneity in the pathology treated and in the subtraction of the criterion of clinical priority in waiting lists through the attainment of a critical dimensional threshold such as to permit programmable sessions with patients with homogeneous pathology (i.e. belonging to the same hospital unit) and through the maintenance of a certain number of Day Hospital beds (around 25%) reserved for new emergency clinical cases.

  1. [Hospital clinical engineer orientation and function in the maintenance system of hospital medical equipment].

    PubMed

    Li, Bin; Zheng, Yunxin; He, Dehua; Jiang, Ruiyao; Chen, Ying; Jing, Wei

    2012-03-01

    The quantity of medical equipment in hospital rise quickly recent year. It provides the comprehensive support to the clinical service. The maintenance of medical equipment becomes more important than before. It is necessary to study on the orientation and function of clinical engineer in medical equipment maintenance system. Refer to three grade health care system, the community doctors which is called General practitioner, play an important role as the gatekeeper of health care system to triage and cost control. The paper suggests that hospital clinical engineer should play similar role as the gatekeeper of medical equipment maintenance system which composed by hospital clinical engineer, manufacture engineer and third party engineer. The hospital clinical engineer should be responsible of guard a pass of medical equipment maintenance quality and cost control. As the gatekeeper, hospital clinical engineer should take the responsibility of "General engineer" and pay more attention to safety and health of medical equipment. The responsibility description and future transition? development of clinical engineer as "General Engineer" is discussed. More attention should be recommended to the team building of hospital clinical engineer as "General Engineer".

  2. Record of hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: validation of the hospital information system.

    PubMed

    Rehem, Tania Cristina Morais Santa Barbara; de Oliveira, Maria Regina Fernandes; Ciosak, Suely Itsuko; Egry, Emiko Yoshikawa

    2013-01-01

    To estimate the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the Unified Health System's Hospital Information System for the appropriate recording of hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. The hospital information system records for conditions which are sensitive to ambulatory care, and for those which are not, were considered for analysis, taking the medical records as the gold standard. Through simple random sampling, a sample of 816 medical records was defined and selected by means of a list of random numbers using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The sensitivity was 81.89%, specificity was 95.19%, the positive predictive value was 77.61% and the negative predictive value was 96.27%. In the study setting, the Hospital Information System (SIH) was more specific than sensitive, with nearly 20% of care sensitive conditions not detected. There are no validation studies in Brazil of the Hospital Information System records for the hospitalizations which are sensitive to primary health care. These results are relevant when one considers that this system is one of the bases for assessment of the effectiveness of primary health care.

  3. Charting the future of hospital nursing.

    PubMed

    Aiken, L H

    1990-01-01

    Nursing roles are expanding in all health care settings; however, the majority of nurses will continue to practice in hospitals for the foreseeable future. Yet hospital nursing is experiencing great ferment and turmoil. Nurses are dissatisfied increasingly with hospital practice, and vacancy and turnover rates are high enough to raise major concerns about adverse consequences for patients. This paper focuses on the nature and causes of the current problems in hospital nursing and advances recommendations for charting a new course for hospital nursing.

  4. Hospitals' readiness for clinical governance implementation in educational hospitals of yazd, iran.

    PubMed

    Bahrami, Mohammad Amin; Sabahi, Ali Akbar; Montazeralfaraj, Razieh; Shamsi, Farimah; Ardekani, Samaneh Entezarian

    2014-01-01

    Clinical governance is a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care. This study aimed to assess some Iranian educational hospitals' readiness for clinical governance implementation through the organizational climate. It was a cross-sectional study that used the Clinical Governance Climate Questionnaire (CGCQ) in three educational hospitals in Yazd, a city in central Iran, in 2012. A total of 186 personnel contributed to the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data analyses. The mean scores of the clinical governance climate in Shahid Sadoughi, Shahid Rahnemoon and Afshar hospitals were 2.63±0.29, 2.58±0.32, and 2.68±0.29. The mean scores of quality improvement planning and change, quality improvement integration and motivation, clinical risk management and climate of blame and punishment, organizational learning, and training and development (T&D) opportunities for learning in the studied hospitals were 2.21±0.49, 2.80±0.40, 2.76±0.40, 2.91±0.54 and 3.06±0.72, respectively. The results of this study showed that the educational hospitals' climate should be more supportive for successful implementation of clinical governance.

  5. Hospital sector choice and support for public hospital care in New Zealand: Results from a labeled discrete choice survey.

    PubMed

    Brown, Paul; Panattoni, Laura; Cameron, Linda; Knox, Stephanie; Ashton, Toni; Tenbensel, Tim; Windsor, John

    2015-09-01

    This study uses a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to measure patients' preferences for public and private hospital care in New Zealand. A labeled DCE was administered to 583 members of the general public, with the choice between a public and private hospital for a non-urgent surgery. The results suggest that cost of surgery, waiting times for surgery, option to select a surgeon, convenience, and conditions of the hospital ward are important considerations for patients. The most important determinant of hospital choice was whether it was a public or private hospital, with respondents far more likely to choose a public hospital than a private hospital. The results have implications for government policy toward using private hospitals to clear waiting lists in public hospitals, with these results suggesting the public might not be indifferent to policies that treat private hospitals as substitutes for public hospitals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Hospital clinical pharmacy services in Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Trinh, Hieu T; Nguyen, Huong T L; Pham, Van T T; Ba, Hai L; Dong, Phuong T X; Cao, Thao T B; Nguyen, Hanh T H; Brien, Jo-Anne

    2018-04-07

    Background Clinical pharmacy is key to the quality use of medicines. While there are different approaches in different countries, international perspectives may inform health service development. The Vietnamese Ministry of Health introduced a legal regulation of clinical pharmacy services in December 2012. Objective To describe the services, and to explore reported barriers and facilitators in implementing clinical pharmacy activities in Vietnamese hospitals after the introduction of Vietnamese Ministry of Health legal regulation. Setting Thirty-nine hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam, including 22 provincial and 17 district hospitals. Method A mixed methods study was utilized. An online questionnaire was sent to the hospitals. In-depth interviews were conducted with pairs of nominated pharmacists at ten of these hospitals. The questionnaire focused on four areas: facilities, workforce, policies and clinical pharmacy activities. Main outcome measure Proportion of clinical pharmacy activities in hospitals. Themes in clinical pharmacy practice. Results 34/39 (87%) hospitals had established clinical pharmacy teams. Most activities were non-patient-specific (87%) while the preliminary patient-specific clinical pharmacy services were available in only 8/39 hospitals (21%). The most common non-patient-specific activities were providing medicines information (97%), reporting adverse drug reactions (97%), monitoring medication usage (97%). The patient specific activities varied widely between hospitals and were ad hoc. The main challenges reported were: lack of workforce and qualified clinical pharmacists. Conclusion While most hospitals had hospital-based pharmacy activities, the direct patient care was limited. Training, education and an expanded work forces are needed to improve clinical pharmacy services.

  7. Library Hospitality: Some Preliminary Considerations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Eric D. M.; Kazmer, Michelle M.

    2011-01-01

    Library scholars and practitioners have frequently reflected on the various factors that in combination make up a hospitable library, but there has been little theoretical synthesis of the notion of the library as a place of hospitality. The hospitality industry provides a rich vein of theoretical material from which to draw definitions of…

  8. The Impact of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment on Provision of Hospital Uncompensated Care

    PubMed Central

    Hsieh, Hui-Min; Bazzoli, Gloria J.

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the association between hospital uncompensated care (UC) and reductions in Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments resulting from the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Data on California hospitals from 1996 to 2003 were examined using two-stage least squares with a first-differencing model to control for potential feedback effects. Our findings suggest that not-for-profit hospitals did reduce UC provision in response to reductions in Medicaid DSH, but the response was inelastic in value. Policy makers need to continue to monitor how UC changes as sources of support for indigent care change with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). PMID:23230705

  9. Hospital marketing: characterization of marketing actions in private hospitals in the city of São Paulo - Brazil.

    PubMed

    Leiderman, Eduardo Blay; Padovan, Jorge Luis; Zucchi, Paola

    2010-01-01

    Characterize the marketing actions in private hospitals in the city of São Paulo, the organizational structure of the marketing area, the target public of marketing actions and the media used. Exploratory cross-sectional study, carried out by a survey made with hospital administrators. The hospitals studied were clearly divided in two groups whose differentials are statistically significant: 1. good infrastructure and equipment, with a well-defined investment policy in marketing; 2. worse infrastructure and less equipment, with lower proportional investment in marketing. 1. The actions most used are the evaluation of patients/caregivers satisfaction, web site and dissemination of the hospital services. 2. The hospital administrators attribute a level of significant importance to the application of hospital marketing concepts. 3. There is a marketing structure in most of the hospitals studied. 4. The hospitals consider as extremely or very important publics: patients and relatives, doctors, collaborators, health plans and community. 5. The media most used are the most simple and of lower cost. 6. There is a statistically significant correlation between the higher investment in marketing and the best infrastructure. 7. The studied hospitals apply the concept of marketing in a restricted way.

  10. Hospitals: Soft Target for Terrorism?

    PubMed

    De Cauwer, Harald; Somville, Francis; Sabbe, Marc; Mortelmans, Luc J

    2017-02-01

    In recent years, the world has been rocked repeatedly by terrorist attacks. Arguably, the most remarkable were: the series of four coordinated suicide plane attacks on September 11, 2001 on buildings in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA; and the recent series of two coordinated attacks in Brussels (Belgium), on March 22, 2016, involving two bombings at the departure hall of Brussels International Airport and a bombing at Maalbeek Metro Station located near the European Commission headquarters in the center of Brussels. This statement paper deals with different aspects of hospital policy and disaster response planning that interface with terrorism. Research shows that the availability of necessary equipment and facilities (eg, personal protective clothing, decontamination rooms, antidotes, and anti-viral drugs) in hospitals clearly is insufficient. Emergency teams are insufficiently prepared: adequate and repetitive training remain necessary. Unfortunately, there are many examples of health care workers and physicians or hospitals being targeted in both political or religious conflicts and wars. Many health workers were kidnapped and/or killed by insurgents of various ideology. Attacks on hospitals also could cause long-term effects: hospital units could be unavailable for a long time and replacing staff could take several months, further compounding hospital operations. Both physical and psychological (eg, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) after-effects of a terrorist attack can be detrimental to health care services. On the other hand, physicians and other hospital employees have shown to be involved in terrorism. As data show that some offenders had a previous history with the location of the terror incident, the possibility of hospitals or other health care services being targeted by insiders is discussed. The purpose of this report was to consider how past terrorist incidents can inform current hospital preparedness and disaster response planning

  11. Hospital law: the changing scene.

    PubMed

    Hirsh, H L

    1978-01-01

    The liability of hospitals in tort law has been a fairly recent development. Formerly, hospitals were protected from liability under the doctrine of charitable immunity. Legal "immunity" avoids liability in tort essentially under all circumstances. It is conferred not because of the particular facts of the situation but because of the status or position of the favored defendant. It does not deny the tort, merely the resulting liability. Such immunity does not mean that conduct that would amount to a tort on the part of other defendants is not still equally tortious in character, but merely that for the protection of the particular defendant, or of the interests which he represents, he is given absolution from liability. Similarly, the "captain-of-the-ship" and the attendant "borrowed or lent servant" doctrine is being abandoned. As medical technology continues to advance, the modern hospital will undoubtedly assume a greater responsibility toward its patients--with amplified medical-legal implications. The hospital is no longer a hotel where patients stay, awaiting treatment by their private physicians. The theory that the hospital does not act through its employees--physicians, nurses, and others--no longer reflects the trend in judicial philosophy. The decisions cited reflect the current trend in judicial analysis and thinking. Medical science has provided numerous benefits to humankind, but along with those benefits, numerous risks have accrued. Whether hospitals should have to bear the responsibilities inherent in such risks is a much-argued matter. However, hospital liability, in fact, is the trend of our judicial determination. The ramifications of this trend have been many. Hospitals and physicians will closely scrutinize surgical operations and other hospitals procedures and practices. The fact remains clear that responsibility for every patient is now shared by both the physicians and the hospital--share and share alike. The present thinking is that the

  12. Impact of hospital volume on hospital mortality, length of stay and total costs after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

    PubMed

    Yoshioka, R; Yasunaga, H; Hasegawa, K; Horiguchi, H; Fushimi, K; Aoki, T; Sakamoto, Y; Sugawara, Y; Kokudo, N

    2014-04-01

    High morbidity and mortality rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) have led to concentration of this surgery in high-volume centres, with improved outcomes. The extent to which better outcomes might be apparent in a healthcare system where the mortality rate is already low is unclear. The Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database was used to identify patients undergoing PD between 2007 and 2010. Patient data included age, sex, co-morbidities at admission, type of hospital, type of PD, and the year in which the patient was treated. Hospital volume was defined as the number of PDs performed annually at each hospital, and categorized into quintiles: very low-, low-, medium-, high- and very high-volume groups. The Charlson co-morbidity index was calculated using the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision, codes of co-morbidities. A total of 10 652 patients who underwent PD in 848 hospitals were identified. The overall in-hospital mortality rate after PD was 3·3 per cent (350 of 10 652), and for the groups ranged from 5·0 per cent for the very low-volume group to 1·4 per cent for the very high-volume group (P < 0·001). Multivariable analysis revealed a significant linear relationship between higher hospital volume and shorter postoperative length of stay compared with the very low-volume group, and between increasing hospital volume and lower total costs. A significant relationship exists between increasing hospital volume, lower in-hospital mortality, shorter length of stay and lower costs for patients undergoing PD in Japan. Centralization of PD in this healthcare system is therefore justified. © 2014 BJS Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. 'The hospital was just like a home': self, service and the 'McCord Hospital Family'.

    PubMed

    Noble, Vanessa; Parle, Julie

    2014-04-01

    For more than a century, McCord Hospital, a partly private and partly state-subsidised mission hospital has provided affordable health-care services, as well as work and professional training opportunities for thousands of people in Durban, a city on the east coast of South Africa. This article focuses on one important aspect of the hospital's longevity and particular character, or 'organisational culture': the ethos of a 'McCord Family', integral to which were faith and a commitment to service. While recognising that families - including 'hospital families' like that at McCord - are contentious social constructs, with deeply embedded hierarchies and inequalities based on race, class and gender, we also consider however how the notion of 'a McCord family' was experienced and shared in complex ways. Indeed, during the twentieth century, this ethos was avidly promoted by the hospital's founders and managers and by a wide variety of employees and trainees. It also extended to people at a far geographical remove from Durban. Moreover, this ethos became so powerful that many patients felt that it shaped their convalescence experience positively. This article considers how this 'family ethos' was constructed and what made it so attractive to this hospital's staff, trainees and patients. Furthermore, we consider what 'work' it did for this mission hospital, especially in promoting bonds of multi-racial unity in the contexts of segregation and apartheid society. More broadly, it suggests that critical histories of the ways in which individuals, hospitals, faith and 'families' intersect may be of value for the future of hospitals as well as of interest in their past.

  14. [Reasons for the construction of Bispebjerg Hospital--a hospital with light, air and freedom of nature].

    PubMed

    Permin, Henrik; Wagner, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Since the 1850ies the city of Copenhagen changed, ramparts were removed or remodelled as parks, industries were established. The new factories and wharfs expanded, labourers were needed; many country people moved into the city to find work and thus the population increased immensely. In Copenhagen a few hospitals only were present around 1850; The Royal Frederik Hospital (now the Museum of applied Arts) was the only hospital in the modern sense of the word. Other institutions with "hospital" as part of their name as e.g. General Hospital (Almindelig Hospital) or Ladegaarden were a mixture of hospital and workhouse and The Royal Maternity Hospital founded in 1750. The wealthy and the upper middle class citizens were nursed or cured at home. At the end of the nineteenth century medical doctors could successfully cure some diseases, and surgeons could after the introduction of the anesthetic and aseptic treatment carry out operations with diminished risks of complications. Copenhagen's first modern hospital, Municipal Hospital (Kommunehospitalet) opened 1863, but in a very short time it was permanently overcrowded. Although two small hospitals Blegdam Hospital (isolation hospital) and the Oresund Hospital (quarantine station) were established a large new hospital was needed. Although the financial situation of the city of Copenhagen was strained due to the expenditures caused by the rapidly growing population within the city itself and the villages incorporated into it, the first social democratic mayor Jens Jensen wanted to secure his voters the same care and treatment as citizens of better means. As this view was accepted by the majority of the city council a hospital in the then modern and functional pavilion system (ascribed to Florence Nightingale) with buildings surrounded by gardens was planned. The architect Martin Nyrop (1849-1921) who had just completed the monumental and beautiful Copenhagen City Hall along with the engineer AC Karsten (1857-1931) and

  15. Is hospital teaching status a key factor in hospital charge for children with hip fractures?: preliminary findings from KID database.

    PubMed

    Gao, Yubo; Pugely, Andrew; Karam, Matthew; Phisitkul, Phinit; Mendoza, Sergio; Johnston, Richard C

    2013-01-01

    Proximal femur fractures cause significant pain and economic cost among pediatric patients. The purposes of this study were (a) to evaluate the distribution by hospital type (teaching hospital vs non-teaching hospital) of U.S. pediatric patients aged 1-20 years who were hospitalized with a closed hip fracture and (b) to discern the mean hospital charge and hospital length of stay after employing propensity score to reduce selection bias. The 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was queried for children aged up to 20 years that had principle diagnosis of hip fracture injury. Hip fractures were defined by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes 820.0, 820.2 and 820.8 under Section "Injury and Poisoning (800-999)" with principle internal fixation procedure codes 78.55, 79.15 and 79.35. Patient demographics and hospital status were presented and analyzed. Differences in mean hospital charge and hospital length of stay by hospital teaching status were assessed via two propensity score based methods. In total, 1,827 patients were nation-ally included for analysis: 1,392 (76.2%) were treated at a teaching hospital and 435 (23.8%) were treated at a non-teaching hospital. The average age of the patients was 12.88 years old in teaching hospitals vs 14.33 years old in nonteaching hospitals. The propensity score based adjustment method showed mean hospital charge was $34,779 in teaching hospitals and $32,891 in the non-teaching hospitals, but these differences were not significant (p=0.2940). Likewise, mean length of hospital stay was 4.1 days in teaching hospitals and 3.89 days in non-teaching hospitals, but these differences were also not significant (p=0.4220). Hospital teaching status did not affect length of stay or total hospital costs in children treated surgically for proximal femur fractures. Future research should be directed at identifying factors associated with variations in

  16. 46 CFR 108.209 - Hospital spaces.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Hospital spaces. 108.209 Section 108.209 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.209 Hospital spaces. (a) Each unit carrying twelve or more persons on a voyage of more than three days must have a hospital space. (b) Each hospital space...

  17. 46 CFR 108.209 - Hospital spaces.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Hospital spaces. 108.209 Section 108.209 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.209 Hospital spaces. (a) Each unit carrying twelve or more persons on a voyage of more than three days must have a hospital space. (b) Each hospital space...

  18. 46 CFR 108.209 - Hospital spaces.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Hospital spaces. 108.209 Section 108.209 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.209 Hospital spaces. (a) Each unit carrying twelve or more persons on a voyage of more than three days must have a hospital space. (b) Each hospital space...

  19. 46 CFR 108.209 - Hospital spaces.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Hospital spaces. 108.209 Section 108.209 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.209 Hospital spaces. (a) Each unit carrying twelve or more persons on a voyage of more than three days must have a hospital space. (b) Each hospital space...

  20. 46 CFR 108.209 - Hospital spaces.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hospital spaces. 108.209 Section 108.209 Shipping COAST... Construction and Arrangement Accommodation Spaces § 108.209 Hospital spaces. (a) Each unit carrying twelve or more persons on a voyage of more than three days must have a hospital space. (b) Each hospital space...

  1. Hospital administrative costs in the US.

    PubMed

    McGourty, M E; Shulkin, D J

    1995-01-01

    In a study of administrative costs in US hospitals, Woolhandler et al. reviewed 1990 Medicare cost reports from 6400 hospitals. The intent of this study was to determine the validity of previous administrative cost estimate studies in Californian hospitals, which were extrapolated nationwide. The study found that hospital administrative costs ranged from 20.5 (in Minnesota) to 30.6% (in Hawaii) of each hospital's spending. Furthermore, the investigators found that these administrative costs did not vary according to the level of managed care penetration in a particular US state. Using a health maintenance organisation (HMO) enrolment rate of 20% as the median, the study found hospital administrative costs to be similar to states with an HMO enrolment rate of < 20%. The authors concluded that reducing hospital administrative costs to the Canadian level (9 to 11% of total hospital spending) would result in annual savings of $US50 billion. Thus, the authors suggest that if administrative costs are high, US healthcare reform should follow a system similar to that used in Canada.

  2. The public hospital of the future.

    PubMed

    Zajac, Jeffrey D

    2003-09-01

    Public hospitals designed for the past are not changing rapidly enough to meet the needs of the future. Changing work practices, increased pressure on bed occupancy, and greater numbers of patients with complex diseases and comorbidities will determine the functions of future hospitals. To maximise the use of resources, hospital "down times" on weekends and public holidays will be a distant memory. Elective surgery will increase in the traditionally "quiet times", such as summer, and decrease in the busy winter period. The patient will be the focus of an efficient information flow, streamlining patient care in hospital and enhancing communication between hospitals and community-based health providers. General and specialty units will need to work more efficiently together, as general physicians take on the role of patient case managers for an increasing proportion of patients. Funding needs to be adequate, and system management should involve clinicians. Safety will be enshrined in hospital systems and procedures, as well as in the minds of hospital staff. If these changes are not implemented successfully, public hospitals will not survive in the future.

  3. Using Hospitals as Job Training and Employment Sites for the Developmentally Disabled. Hospital Industries Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balser, Richard M.; And Others

    Based on the experiences of a job training demonstration project in five hospitals, the handbook describes a rationale and approach for using hospitals (rather than sheltered workshops) as job training sites for mentally and physically disabled persons. Part I reviews advantages for the hospital, the disabled person and his family, the…

  4. Are comparisons of patient experiences across hospitals fair? A study in Veterans Health Administration hospitals.

    PubMed

    Cleary, Paul D; Meterko, Mark; Wright, Steven M; Zaslavsky, Alan M

    2014-07-01

    Surveys are increasingly used to assess patient experiences with health care. Comparisons of hospital scores based on patient experience surveys should be adjusted for patient characteristics that might affect survey results. Such characteristics are commonly drawn from patient surveys that collect little, if any, clinical information. Consequently some hospitals, especially those treating particularly complex patients, have been concerned that standard adjustment methods do not adequately reflect the challenges of treating their patients. To compare scores for different types of hospitals after making adjustments using only survey-reported patient characteristics and using more complete clinical and hospital information. We used clinical and survey data from a national sample of 1858 veterans hospitalized for an initial acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center during fiscal years 2003 and 2004. We used VA administrative data to characterize hospitals. The survey asked patients about their experiences with hospital care. The clinical data included 14 measures abstracted from medical records that are predictive of survival after an AMI. Comparisons of scores across hospitals adjusted only for patient-reported health status and sociodemographic characteristics were similar to those that also adjusted for patient clinical characteristics; the Spearman rank-order correlations between the 2 sets of adjusted scores were >0.97 across 9 dimensions of inpatient experience. This study did not support concerns that measures of patient care experiences are unfair because commonly used models do not adjust adequately for potentially confounding patient clinical characteristics.

  5. The Impact of Hospital Closures and Hospital and Population Characteristics on Increasing Emergency Department Volume: A Geographic Analysis.

    PubMed

    Lee, David C; Carr, Brendan G; Smith, Tony E; Tran, Van C; Polsky, Daniel; Branas, Charles C

    2015-12-01

    Emergency visits are rising nationally, whereas the number of emergency departments is shrinking. However, volume has not increased uniformly at all emergency departments. It is unclear what factors account for this variability in emergency volume growth rates. The objective of this study was to test the association of hospital and population characteristics and the effect of hospital closures with increases in emergency department volume. The study team analyzed emergency department volume at New York State hospitals from 2004 to 2010 using data from cost reports and administrative databases. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate characteristics associated with emergency volume growth. Spatial analytics and distances between hospitals were used in calculating the predicted impact of hospital closures on emergency department use. Among the 192 New York hospitals open from 2004 to 2010, the mean annual increase in emergency department visits was 2.7%, but the range was wide (-5.5% to 11.3%). Emergency volume increased nearly twice as fast at tertiary referral centers (4.8%) and nonurban hospitals (3.7% versus urban at 2.1%) after adjusting for other characteristics. The effect of hospital closures also strongly predicted variation in growth. Emergency volume is increasing faster at specific hospitals: tertiary referral centers, nonurban hospitals, and those near hospital closures. This study provides an understanding of how emergency volume varies among hospitals and predicts the effect of hospital closures in a statewide region. Understanding the impact of these factors on emergency department use is essential to ensure that these populations have access to critical emergency services.

  6. HMO penetration: has it hurt public hospitals?

    PubMed

    Clement, J P; Grazier, K L

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which health maintenance organization (HMO) penetration within the public hospitals' market area affects the financial performance and viability of these institutions, relative to private hospitals. Hospital- and market-specific measures are examined in a fully interacted model of over 2,300 hospitals in 321 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in 1995. Although hospitals located in markets with higher HMO penetration have lower financial performance as reflected in revenues, expenses and operating margin, public hospitals are not more disadvantaged than other hospitals by managed care.

  7. The hospital as a sales-maximizing entity.

    PubMed

    Finkler, S A

    1983-01-01

    This paper extends the Baumol sales-maximization theory to the not-for-profit hospital industry. Hospital demand is modeled as a function of both price and the number of physicians affiliated with a hospital. The latter variable results in interdependency of demand among the products offered by a hospital. The broader the product scope, the greater the number of affiliated physicians, and, therefore, the greater the demand for each of the hospital's products. Hospital competition is focused on the physician rather than the consumer (patient), as hospitals vie to maintain their market share.

  8. The hospital as a sales-maximizing entity.

    PubMed Central

    Finkler, S A

    1983-01-01

    This paper extends the Baumol sales-maximization theory to the not-for-profit hospital industry. Hospital demand is modeled as a function of both price and the number of physicians affiliated with a hospital. The latter variable results in interdependency of demand among the products offered by a hospital. The broader the product scope, the greater the number of affiliated physicians, and, therefore, the greater the demand for each of the hospital's products. Hospital competition is focused on the physician rather than the consumer (patient), as hospitals vie to maintain their market share. PMID:6874355

  9. Coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations, California, USA, 2000-2011.

    PubMed

    Sondermeyer, Gail; Lee, Lauren; Gilliss, Debra; Tabnak, Farzaneh; Vugia, Duc

    2013-10-01

    In the past decade, state-specific increases in the number of reported cases of coccidioidomycosis have been observed in areas of California and Arizona where the disease is endemic. Although most coccidioidomycosis is asymptomatic or mild, infection can lead to severe pulmonary or disseminated disease requiring hospitalization and costly disease management. To determine the epidemiology of cases and toll of coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations in California, we reviewed hospital discharge data for 2000-2011. During this period, there were 25,217 coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations for 15,747 patients and >$2 billion US in total hospital charges. Annual initial hospitalization rates increased from 2.3 initial hospitalizations/100,000 population in 2000 to 5.0 initial hospitalizations/100,000 population in 2011. During this period, initial hospitalization rates were higher for men than women, African Americans and Hispanics than Whites, and older persons than younger persons. In California, the increasing health- and cost-related effects of coccidioidomycosis-associated hospitalizations are a major public health challenge.

  10. Internet Hospitals in China: Cross-Sectional Survey

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Lingyan; Fan, Si; Lin, Fen; Wang, Long; Guo, Tongjun; Ma, Chuyang; Zhang, Jingkun; Chen, Yixin

    2017-01-01

    Background The Internet hospital, an innovative approach to providing health care, is rapidly developing in China because it has the potential to provide widely accessible outpatient service delivery via Internet technologies. To date, China’s Internet hospitals have not been systematically investigated. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of China’s Internet hospitals, and to assess their health service capacity. Methods We searched Baidu, the popular Chinese search engine, to identify Internet hospitals, using search terms such as “Internet hospital,” “web hospital,” or “cloud hospital.” All Internet hospitals in mainland China were eligible for inclusion if they were officially registered. Our search was carried out until March 31, 2017. Results We identified 68 Internet hospitals, of which 43 have been put into use and 25 were under construction. Of the 43 established Internet hospitals, 13 (30%) were in the hospital informatization stage, 24 (56%) were in the Web ward stage, and 6 (14%) were in full Internet hospital stage. Patients accessed outpatient service delivery via website (74%, 32/43), app (42%, 18/43), or offline medical consultation facility (37%, 16/43) from the Internet hospital. Furthermore, 25 (58%) of the Internet hospitals asked doctors to deliver health services at a specific Web clinic, whereas 18 (42%) did not. The consulting methods included video chat (60%, 26/43), telephone (19%, 8/43), and graphic message (28%, 12/43); 13 (30%) Internet hospitals cannot be consulted online any more. Only 6 Internet hospitals were included in the coverage of health insurance. The median number of doctors available online was zero (interquartile range [IQR] 0 to 5; max 16,492). The median consultation fee per time was ¥20 (approximately US $2.90, IQR ¥0 to ¥200). Conclusions Internet hospitals provide convenient outpatient service delivery. However, many of the Internet hospitals are not yet mature and

  11. Hospital burden of road traffic injury: major concern in primary and secondary level hospitals in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Mashreky, S R; Rahman, A; Khan, T F; Faruque, M; Svanström, L; Rahman, F

    2010-04-01

    To assess the burden of road traffic injury (RTI) in primary and secondary level hospitals in Bangladesh, and its economic impact on affected families. Cross-sectional study. The study was carried out in February and March 2001. To estimate the burden of RTI patients and the length of stay in hospital, the discharge records of primary and secondary level hospitals were used as data sources. Records from 16 district hospitals and 45 Upazila health complexes (subdistrict level hospitals), selected at random, were included in this study. A direct interview method was adopted to estimate the patient costs of RTI; this involved interviewing patients or their attendants. In this study, patient costs included money spent by the patient for medicine, transport, food and lodging (including attendants). Approximately 33% of the beds in primary and secondary level hospitals in Bangladesh were occupied by injury-related patients, and more than 19% of the injury patients had been injured in a road traffic accident. People aged 18-45 years were the major victims of RTI, and constituted 70% of the total RTI-related admissions in primary and secondary level hospitals. More than two-thirds of RTI patients were male. The average duration of hospital stay was 5.7 days, and the average patient cost for each RTI patient was US$86 (5834 BDT). RTI is a major cause of hospital admission in Bangladesh, and represents an economic and social burden for the family and the nation. A national strategy and road safety programme need to be developed to reduce the hospital burden and minimize the economic and social impact. 2010 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Pre-hospital physical activity status affects in-hospital course of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Miyamoto, Takamichi; Obayashi, Tohru; Hattori, Eijirou; Yamauchi, Yasuteru; Niwa, Akihiro; Isobe, Mitsuaki

    2010-03-01

    The clinical course of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can sometimes unexpectedly result in an adverse outcome even when therapy appears to be successful. We suspect that specific factors may characterize this worsening of status during hospitalization. This study examines whether the pre-hospital physical activity status of the elderly treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI affects their in-hospital course. We studied 110 consecutive patients, aged 80 or older, who had undergone emergent PCI for AMI. Patients were divided into two groups based on clinical presentation: Better Killip class (Killip classes I and II) and Worse Killip class (Killip classes III and IV). Patients were also divided into two groups based on pre-hospital physical activity status, determined retrospectively by review of medical records: Good physical activity (n=57) comprising those able to go out alone independently and Poor physical activity comprising those mainly confined to home (n=53). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 9.1% for the study population. The Worse Killip class group had a higher in-hospital mortality rate than the Better Killip class group (27.8% vs 5.4%, respectively; p=0.0102). In addition, the Poor physical activity group had a higher in-hospital mortality rate than the Good physical activity group (15.1% vs. 3.5%, respectively; p=0.047). These data suggest that pre-hospital physical activity status in elderly patients with AMI may affect in-hospital mortality as well as Killip class.

  13. Rural Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions: Which Hospitals Are Being Acquired and How Are They Performing Afterward?.

    PubMed

    Noles, Marissa J; Reiter, Kristin L; Boortz-Marx, Jonathan; Pink, George

    2015-01-01

    The number of stand-alone rural hospitals has been shrinking as larger health systems target these hospitals for mergers and acquisitions (M and As). However, little research has focused specifically on rural hospital M and A transactions. Using data from Irving Levin Associates' Healthcare M and A Report and Medicare Cost Reports from 2005 to 2012, we examined two research questions: (1) What were the characteristics of rural hospitals that merged or were acquired, and (2) were there changes in rural hospital financial performance, staffing, or services after an M and A transaction? We used logistic regression to identify factors predictive of merger, and we used multiple regression to examine various hospital measures after an M or A. Study results showed that hospitals with weaker financial performance but lower staffing levels and staffing costs were more likely to merge or be acquired. Statistically weak evidence suggested that operating margins declined after the merger; stronger evidence suggested reductions in salary expense. There was no statistically significant evidence of changes to the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, the service lines that were included in the study, capital expenditures, or the amount of debt financing among the hospitals that merged or were acquired. M and A may not result in a rapid influx of capital, a relief of debt burden, or an improvement in bottom-line profitability. However, M and A may be a viable option for maintaining the hospital and the access to care it provides.

  14. Estimating the effect of hospital closure on areawide inpatient hospital costs: a preliminary model and application.

    PubMed Central

    Shepard, D S

    1983-01-01

    A preliminary model is developed for estimating the extent of savings, if any, likely to result from discontinuing a specific inpatient service. By examining the sources of referral to the discontinued service, the model estimates potential demand and how cases will be redistributed among remaining hospitals. This redistribution determines average cost per day in hospitals that receive these cases, relative to average cost per day of the discontinued service. The outflow rate, which measures the proportion of cases not absorbed in other acute care hospitals, is estimated as 30 percent for the average discontinuation. The marginal cost ratio, which relates marginal costs of cases absorbed in surrounding hospitals to the average costs in those hospitals, is estimated as 87 percent in the base case. The model was applied to the discontinuation of all inpatient services in the 75-bed Chelsea Memorial Hospital, near Boston, Massachusetts, using 1976 data. As the precise value of key parameters is uncertain, sensitivity analysis was used to explore a range of values. The most likely result is a small increase ($120,000) in the area's annual inpatient hospital costs, because many patients are referred to more costly teaching hospitals. A similar situation may arise with other urban closures. For service discontinuations to generate savings, recipient hospitals must be low in costs, the outflow rate must be large, and the marginal cost ratio must be low. PMID:6668181

  15. Food production and service in UK hospitals.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Mohamed; Jones, Eleri; Redmond, Elizabeth; Hewedi, Mahmoud; Wingert, Andreas; Gad El Rab, Mohamed

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to apply value stream mapping holistically to hospital food production/service systems focused on high-quality food. Multiple embedded case study of three (two private-sector and one public-sector) hospitals in the UK. The results indicated various issues affecting hospital food production including: the menu and nutritional considerations; food procurement; food production; foodservice; patient perceptions/expectations. Value stream mapping is a new approach for food production systems in UK hospitals whether private or public hospitals. The paper identifies opportunities for enhancing hospital food production systems. The paper provides a theoretical basis for process enhancement of hospital food production and the provision of high-quality hospital food.

  16. Surviving Your Child's Hospitalization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, David A.

    1988-01-01

    The parent of a young child who required major open heart surgery shares his suggestions for coping with a young child's hospitalization including parent visitation, relating to the hospital staff, getting answers to questions, and utilizing available services. (DB)

  17. Medical injuries among hospitalized children

    PubMed Central

    Meurer, J R; Yang, H; Guse, C E; Scanlon, M C; Layde, P M

    2006-01-01

    Background Inpatient medical injuries among children are common and result in a longer stay in hospital and increased hospital charges. However, previous studies have used screening criteria that focus on inpatient occurrences only rather than on injuries that also occur in ambulatory or community settings leading to hospital admission. Objective To describe the incidence and outcomes of medical injuries among children hospitalized in Wisconsin using the Wisconsin Medical Injury Prevention Program (WMIPP) screening criteria. Methods Cross sectional analysis of discharge records of 318 785 children from 134 hospitals in Wisconsin between 2000 and 2002. Results The WMIPP criteria identified 3.4% of discharges as having one or more medical injuries: 1.5% due to medications, 1.3% to procedures, and 0.9% to devices, implants and grafts. After adjusting for the All Patient Refined‐Diagnosis Related Groups disease category, illness severity, mortality risk, and clustering within hospitals, the mean length of stay (LOS) was a half day (12%) longer for patients with medical injuries than for those without injuries. The similarly adjusted mean total hospital charges were $1614 (26%) higher for the group with medical injuries. Excess LOS and charges were greatest for injuries due to genitourinary devices/implants, vascular devices, and infections/inflammation after procedures. Conclusions This study reinforces previous national findings up to 2000 using Wisconsin data to the end of 2002. The results suggest that hospitals and pediatricians should focus clinical improvement on medications, procedures, and devices frequently associated with medical injuries and use medical injury surveillance to track medical injury rates in children. PMID:16751471

  18. Impact of insurance and hospital ownership on hospital length of stay among patients with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

    PubMed

    Mainous, Arch G; Diaz, Vanessa A; Everett, Charles J; Knoll, Michele E

    2011-01-01

    PURPOSE Some studies suggest proprietary (for-profit) hospitals are maximizing financial margins from patient care by limiting therapies or decreasing length of stay for uninsured patients. This study examines the role of insurance related to length of stay once the patient is in the hospital and risk for mortality, particularly in a for-profit environment. METHODS We undertook an analysis of hospitalizations in the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) of the 5-year period of 2003 to 2007 for patients aged 18 to 64 years (unweighted n = 849,866; weighted n = 90 million). The analysis included those who were hospitalized with both ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs), hospitalizations considered to be preventable, and non-ACSCs. We analyzed the transformed mean length of stay between individuals who had Medicaid or all other insurance types while hospitalized and those who were hospitalized without insurance. This analysis was stratified by hospital ownership. We also examined the relationship between in-hospital mortality and insurance status. RESULTS After controlling for comorbidities; age, sex, and race/ethnicity; and hospitalizations with either an ACSC or non-ACSC diagnosis, patients without insurance tended to have a significantly shorter length of stay. Across all hospital types, the mean length of stay for ACSCs was significantly shorter for individuals without insurance (2.77 days) than for those with either private insurance (2.89 days, P = .04) or Medicaid (3.19, P <.01). Among hospitalizations for ACSCs, in-hospital mortality rate for individuals with either private insurance or Medicaid was not significantly different from the mortality rate for those without insurance. CONCLUSIONS Patients without insurance have shorter lengths of stay for both ACSCs and non-ACSCs. Future research should examine whether patients without insurance are being discharged prematurely.

  19. Seasonal variation and hospital utilization for tuberculosis in Russia: hospitals as social care institutions.

    PubMed

    Atun, R A; Samyshkin, Y A; Drobniewski, F; Kuznetsov, S I; Fedorin, I M; Coker, R J

    2005-08-01

    Clinical management of tuberculosis in Russia involves lengthy hospitalizations, in contrast to the recommended strategy advocated by the World Health Organization. We used Fourier transform, spectral analysis and Student's t-test to analyse periodic and seasonal variations in admission and discharge rates for tuberculosis hospitalizations in 1999-2002, using routinely captured data from the Samara Region, Russia. Hospital admissions in colder months were significantly higher than in warmer months. The mean monthly adjusted number of admissions in colder and warmer months for all adults was 413 and 372 (P < 0.01), for unemployed adults 218 and 198 (P < 0.02) and for pensioners 104 and 82 (P < 0.05). Hospital discharges varied seasonally. Maximum differences between admissions and discharges occurred in colder months and minimum differences were observed in warmer months. As hospitalizations of tuberculosis patients in colder months fulfil an important social need, shifts to ambulatory care must be carefully managed.

  20. Smartphone-Based Geofencing to Ascertain Hospitalizations.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Kaylin T; Olgin, Jeffrey E; Pletcher, Mark J; Ng, Madelena; Kaye, Leanne; Moturu, Sai; Gladstone, Rachel A; Malladi, Chaitanya; Fann, Amy H; Maguire, Carol; Bettencourt, Laura; Christensen, Matthew A; Marcus, Gregory M

    2017-03-01

    Ascertainment of hospitalizations is critical to assess quality of care and the effectiveness and adverse effects of various therapies. Smartphones, mobile geolocators that are ubiquitous, have not been leveraged to ascertain hospitalizations. Therefore, we evaluated the use of smartphone-based geofencing to track hospitalizations. Participants aged ≥18 years installed a mobile application programmed to geofence all hospitals using global positioning systems and cell phone tower triangulation and to trigger a smartphone-based questionnaire when located in a hospital for ≥4 hours. An in-person study included consecutive consenting patients scheduled for electrophysiology and cardiac catheterization procedures. A remote arm invited Health eHeart Study participants who consented and engaged with the study via the internet only. The accuracy of application-detected hospitalizations was confirmed by medical record review as the reference standard. Of 22 eligible in-person patients, 17 hospitalizations were detected (sensitivity 77%; 95% confidence interval, 55%-92%). The length of stay according to the application was positively correlated with the length of stay ascertained via the electronic medical record ( r =0.53; P =0.03). In the remote arm, the application was downloaded by 3443 participants residing in all 50 US states; 243 hospital visits at 119 different hospitals were detected through the application. The positive predictive value for an application-reported hospitalization was 65% (95% confidence interval, 57%-72%). Mobile application-based ascertainment of hospitalizations can be achieved with modest accuracy. This first proof of concept may ultimately be applicable to geofencing other types of prespecified locations to facilitate healthcare research and patient care. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.