Journal of clinical epidemiology
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To assess the agreement between prospectively and retrospectively determined variables comprising the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), assignment to PSI risk class, and designation as low risk, based on these two methods of data collection. ⋯ There was substantial agreement between retrospective and prospective assignment to PSI risk class, classification as low vs. high risk, and the determination of most individual variables that constitute the PSI.
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Exposure to ultraviolet radiation has consistently been linked to an increased risk of melanoma. Epidemiologic studies are susceptible to measurement error, which can distort the magnitude of observed effects. Although the reliability of self-report of many sun exposure factors has been previously described in several studies, self-report of use of artificial tanning devices and self-tanning creams has been less well characterized. ⋯ Overall, the survey instrument demonstrated substantial reproducibility for factors related to the use of sunlamps or tanning beds, self-tanning creams, and sun sensitivity factors.
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Multicenter Study
Local and national electronic databases in Norway demonstrate a varying degree of validity.
The aim of the present study was to examine the validity of local and national electronic databases using medical records as gold Standard. ⋯ The present findings question the validity of electronic databases and thus have implications for epidemiologic studies.
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We investigated the relationship between quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and willingness to pay (WTP) in acute and chronic conditions. ⋯ The results of this study indicate QALYs was a poor predictor of WTP for the conditions tested. Linear combinations of change in QALYs, age, income, and health status were a better predictor of WTP for chronic than acute conditions. This can be attributed to violations of underlying assumptions in measurement of QALYs with acute conditions and to problems with the use of WTP with chronic conditions.
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Review
Seven items were identified for inclusion when reporting a Bayesian analysis of a clinical study.
(1) To generate a list of items that experts consider most important when reporting a Bayesian analysis of a clinical study, (2) to report on the extent to which we found these items in the literature, and (3) to identify factors related to the number of items in a report. ⋯ We developed a set of seven items that experts believe to be most important when reporting a Bayesian analysis.