Medical care
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Comparative Study
Comparative responsiveness of generic versus disease-specific and weighted versus unweighted health status measures in carpal tunnel syndrome.
The authors evaluated the relative responsiveness to change of generic versus disease-specific and unweighted versus weighted health status measures in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). ⋯ Disease-specific measures were superior to generic measures in capturing clinical change after carpal tunnel release, and a weighted score was slightly more responsive than the unweighted score. The SF-12 showed comparable psychometric properties compared with the longer 36-item Short-Form Survey.
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This study examined factors that affect access to Veterans Administration mental health services. ⋯ Both per capita funding levels and efficient service delivery were significantly associated with increased access to mental health services. Implications for health system performance assessment and management are discussed.
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Despite concern about access to liver transplantation, there has been no nationally based analysis of patients waiting for cadaveric liver transplant. Using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database waiting and recipient lists, we examined the influence of medical and non-medical factors on the length of time patients waited before transplant and whether they survived the wait. ⋯ Results confirm known patterns of waiting list experience for liver transplant patients, but also identify factors previously unrecognized as influencing waiting time and outcome. Potential explanatory factors and areas for further inquiry are discussed.
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This study was undertaken to determine whether a program of education, therapeutic reevaluation of eligible patients, and performance feedback could shift prescribing to cimetidine from other histamine-2 receptor antagonists, which commonly are used in the management of ulcers and reflux, and reduce costs without increasing rates of ulcer-related hospital admissions. ⋯ Annual savings in histamine-2 receptor antagonist expenditures after this multifaceted intervention were more than implementation costs, with no discernible effects on numbers of hospitalizations. The magnitude of effect and cost savings were much greater in the staff model; organizational factors and economic incentives may have contributed to these differences. More research is needed to determine the generalizability of this approach to other technologies and managed care settings.