Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Feb 2006
[Patient safety in hospitals--a health services research issue].
Health services research as a multidisciplinary approach to transfer scientific results and clinical experience to health care includes quality research as one of its main topics. Quality research describes the total of conditions, which hinder or promote quality of care as one important output factor of health care. At present, patient safety research is one of the central issues of quality research, as preventable adverse events represent the most substantial consequences of problems in quality. ⋯ Reporting instruments including critical incident reporting systems have to be validated, patient safety indicators should be developed, under consideration of the use of administrative data. Patient safety research addresses the effect of public disclosure of adverse events, errors and injury in respect to improvement of care and should analyse as well as elaborate prevention strategies for the most important adverse events and errors. Team factors such as communication and supervision and determinants of safety culture are issues, which illustrate the significant role of management theory and organisational research.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Jan 2006
[Aspects of economic evaluation in health care].
Health economists use models to estimate comparative costs and usage of interventions in health care. However the concepts and methods used have inherent weaknesses, especially in the determination of relevant and exact effect sizes. Health economic methodologies do not replace sociopolitical decision making, but they can play an important role in rational decision making about necessary changes to our social and health system if the instruments themselves are neither over- nor underestimated.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Aug 2005
[Exercise therapy as a therapeutic concept].
Lack of exercise is a primary cause for today's level of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Thus, exercise as a therapeutic modality has an important role. Beneficial effects of exercise have been extensively documented, specifically in primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, disorders of fat metabolism, heart insufficiency, cancer, etc. ⋯ Endurance strength training in the form of sequential training involving approx. 8-10 different exercises for the most important muscle groups 2 x per week is a suitable exercise therapy. One to three sets with 8-12 repetitions per exercise should be performed until volitional exhaustion of the trained muscle groups among healthy adults and 15-20 repetitions among older and cardiac patients. Apart from a positive effect on the locomotor system, this type of strength training has positive effects on CHD, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.