Das Gesundheitswesen
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Das Gesundheitswesen · Jul 1998
Review[Unconventional diagnostic and therapeutic methods in environmental medicine].
In the sphere of environmental medicine--analogous to other fields like oncology and chronic diseases--not only proven and approved methods, but also unconvential methods are offered, without evidence of efficacy. The application of these methods has the possible consequence of wrong diagnosis and malpractice. ⋯ Concerning the admissibility of contested methods, statements of medical specialist societies, judgements, and the law of medical products are quoted. In conclusion, the question of the origin of the ideas and alleged results of unconvential medicine is followed up and conclusions are drawn.
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Das Gesundheitswesen · Jul 1998
[Trends in average life expectancy in the Saxony Free State--results of a cause of death-specific table analysis].
We conducted a specific table analysis on mortality causes that was mainly oriented on the lines of the chapters of ICD-9 to explore the average life expectancy for the population in Saxony particularly since 1988. The drop in average life expectancy of males observed since 1990 can be fully explained only for those around 18 years of age by "accidents" as the cause of death. Between 30 and 55 years of age there were additional losses of average life expectancy via the mortality causes "diseases of the digestive tract", "neoplasms" and "psychiatric diseases". ⋯ There are excessive gains in life expectancy in respect of cardiovascular diseases, clearly in the range of embryonal and congenital diseases and remarkably in respect of suicide. How many of these specific differentiations of causes of death are due to changes in coding, has not yet been assessed. Leaving aside the unnatural causes of death these figures point to a marked influence of improved medical care on average life expectancy.
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In the German statutory social security system, the necessity of long-term care for chronically ill persons with multi-morbidity and reduced performance has made the socio-medical management of illness and its consequences an important characteristic of primary medical activity. In routine practice a discrepancy between the practical demands and social-medical insights has often been observed. With this in mind, the aim of our pilot study was to systematically collect data on the state of the art and attitudes towards the relevant spheres of work in a defined group of physicians and analyse this data. ⋯ There is a clear wish for increased consideration of socio-medical themes in specialist training courses. The great importance of socio-medical tasks as part of medical practice is undeniable to the study collective. The results underline the necessity for improved communication and co-operation between doctors involved in primary medical activity and in socio-medicine.