BMC Health Services Research - Latest articlesThe latest articles from BMC Health Services Research (ISSN 1472-6963) published by BioMed CentralAntihypertensive medication prescription patterns and time trends for newly-diagnosed uncomplicated hypertension patients in Taiwan- June 18, 2008 Background: Knowledge of existing prescription patterns in the treatment of newly-diagnosed hypertension can provide useful information for improving clinical practice in this field. The aims of this study are to determine the prescription patterns and time trends for antihypertensive medication in newly-diagnosed cases of uncomplicated hypertension in Taiwan and to compare these with current clinical guidelines. Methods: A total of 6,536 newly-diagnosed patients with uncomplicated...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/133 Study protocol: The Intensive Care Outcome Network ('ICON') study- June 17, 2008 Background: Extended follow-up of survivors of ICU treatment has shown many patients suffer long-term physical and psychological consequences that affect their quality of life. The current lack of rigorous longitudinal studies means that the true prevalence of these physical and psychological problems remains undetermined. Methods: This is a multi-centre, longitudinal study or survivors of critical illness. Patients will be recruited prior to hospital discharge from 20-30 ICUs in the UK....http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/132 Mind the gap! Evaluation of the performance gap attributable to exception reporting and target thresholds in the new GMS contract: national database a- June 17, 2008 Background: The 2003 revision of the UK GMS contract rewards general practices for performance against clinical quality indicators. Practices can exempt patients from treatment, and can receive maximum payment for less than full coverage of eligible patients. This paper aims to estimate the gap between the percentage of maximum incentive gained and the percentage of patients receiving indicated care (the pay-performance gap), and to estimate how much of the gap is attributable respectively to...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/131 The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of opportunistic screening and stepped care interventions for older hazardous alcohol users in primary care (- June 12, 2008 Background: There is a wealth of evidence regarding the detrimental impact of excessive alcohol consumption. In older populations excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and a range of cancers. Alcohol consumption is also associated with an increased risk of falls, early onset of dementia and other cognitive deficits. Physiological changes that occur as part of the ageing process mean that older people experience alcohol...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/129 Cost-utility of a visiting service for older widowed individuals: randomised trial- June 12, 2008 Background: Despite a growing understanding of the effectiveness of bereavement interventions and the groups that benefit most from them, we know little about the cost-effectiveness of bereavement interventions. Methods: We conducted a cost-utility analysis alongside a randomized clinical trial on a visiting service for older widowed individuals (n=110) versus care as usual (CAU; n=106). The visiting service is a selective bereavement intervention that offers social support to lonely widows and.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/128 The role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Germany - a focus group study of GPs.- June 12, 2008 Background: There has been a marked increase in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in recent years worldwide. In Germany, apart from 'Heilpraktiker' (= state-licensed, non-medical CAM practitioners), some general practitioners (GPs) provide CAM in their practices. This paper aims to explore the attitudes of GPs about the role of CAM in Germany, in relation to the healthcare system, quality of care, medical education and research. Furthermore, experiences of GPs integrating..http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/127 A Danish population-based cohort study of newly diagnosed asthmatic children's care pathway - adherence to guidelines- June 12, 2008 Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Large variations exist concerning the number of children being treated by general practitioners and by specialists. Consequently, health related costs due to this disease vary as care by specialists is more expensive compared with care by general practitioners. Little is known of the consequences of these variations concerning the quality of care. The aim of the study was to analyse associations between care providers and...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/130 Special features of health services and register based trials - experiences from a randomized trial of childbirth classes- June 11, 2008 Background: Evaluating complex interventions in health services faces various difficulties, such as making practice changes and costs. Ways to increase research capacity and decrease costs include making research an integral part of health services and using routine data to judge outcomes. The purpose of this article is to report the feasibility of a pilot trial relying solely on routinely collected register data and being based on ordinary health services. Methods: The example intervention...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/126 Part-time hospitalization and stigma experiences: a study in contemporary psychiatric hospitals- June 10, 2008 Background: Because numerous studies have revealed the negative consequences of stigmatisation, this study explores the determinants of stigma experiences. In particular, it examines whether or not part-time hospitalisation in contemporary psychiatric hospitals is associated with less stigma experiences than full-time hospitalisation. Methods: Survey data on 378 clients of 42 wards from 8 psychiatric hospitals are used to compare full-time clients, part-time clients and clients receiving...http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/125 Comparison of primary health care services between urban and rural settings after the introduction of the first urban health centre in Vyronas, Greece- June 9, 2008 Background: Although primary health care (PHC) services variation between an urban and a rural setting is already studied in many countries, there is limited information regarding this subject in a country where primary care in major cities was not until now provided by any official public health care unit. The objective of this study was to describe differences between an urban and a rural health centre for the purpose of underlining challenges faced by the introduction of urban health centres.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/124 |