The American journal of medicine
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Comparative Study
Which colon cancer screening test? A comparison of costs, effectiveness, and compliance.
Recent media reports have advocated the use of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. However, colonoscopy is expensive compared with other screening modalities, such as fecal occult blood testing and flexible sigmoidoscopy. We sought to determine the cost effectiveness of different screening strategies for colorectal cancer at levels of compliance likely to be achieved in clinical practice. ⋯ Colonoscopic screening for colorectal cancer appears preferable to current screening recommendations. Screening recommendations should be tailored to the compliance levels achievable in different practice settings.
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To evaluate the impact of implementing a hospitalist service with a nurse discharge planner in an academic teaching hospital. ⋯ Hospitalist services with a nurse discharge planner were associated with lower average cost and shorter average length of hospital stay, without any apparent compromise in clinical outcomes or patient satisfaction.