Transactional models of early education effectiveness - What is the message for policy?

There is now a substantial body of American research evidence demonstrating that early education programmes can have major long term effects right through into adult life. Cost-benefit analysis has enabled the data to be transformed into a compelling case for public financial investment. But insufficient attention has been paid to explaining how a short term preschool programme could have such enduring effects. The effects are best understood by applying a transactional model which shows how processes in the school and community transformed and amplified short term effects into long term outcomes. Adopting a transactional model modifies the messages for policy. The results of evaluations carried out in one society may not apply in another. In some school systems there may be more effective strategies than early education for improving educational prospects.     

Developing ‘FOCUS’: A project to promote effective practice in child and adolescent mental health services in the UK

Summary UK health policy requires child and adolescent mental health service providers to demonstrate that their services are effective. The FOCUS project has been developed to improve the availability and accessibility of research evidence and innovation, to support purchasers in the effective commissioning of services and to help providers base service provision on evidence of effectiveness and develop methods of evaluation.     

Evaluating the impact of human papillomavirus vaccines

While two prophylactic HPV vaccines have been proven notably efficacious in clinical trials, the effectiveness of these vaccines at the population level remains to be evaluated. To lay the foundation for understanding the strengths and limitations of different endpoints for future effectiveness research, we present a comprehensive review of HPV-related clinical outcomes, including: (i) HPV type-specific positivity and persistence, (ii) Pap diagnoses (ASC-US, LSIL, and HSIL), (iii) histologic cervical cancer precursor lesions (i.e., CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3), (iv) invasive cervical cancer (ICC), (v) anogenital warts, (vi) recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), and (vii) other HPV-associated cancers (vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal). While research on the vaccines’ effects on these HPV clinical outcomes in the general population is presently limited, numerous large trials will soon be completed, making a priori discussion of these potential outcomes especially urgent. Furthermore, population level systems to track HPV-associated clinical outcomes may need to be developed for HPV vaccine effectiveness evaluation.     

通过三年资料实证医院检验科常规项目全成本

目的弄清医院常规检验项目的实际成本,为医院及卫生主管部门进行科学管理和政府物价部门制订科学合理的收费价格体系提供科学依据。方法对某二级甲等医院检验科3年中所开展的全部7大类16个项目组169个检验项目的成本按耗材、设备折旧、劳务费、房屋折旧、业务费与后勤管理费共5大类进行实证分析。结果该科的成本构成比是:耗材成本34.1%、设备折旧24.3%、劳务费30.0%、房屋折旧4.0%、业务费与后勤管理费7.6%;检验项目的每项次平均成本为7.17元;成本最低的两类检验项目是生化及定性免疫,其项次成本分别为3.18元和4.25元;最高的则为微生物和血库,项次成本分别为48.63元和35.21元;项次成本过百元的有7项,多为输血项目;5至10倍于平均成本的28项,2至5倍于全科平均成本的22项,其余112项介于全科平均成本上下。结论实证研究是准确掌握检验项目成本的有效方法。     

Effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy in community settings.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials indicate that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for major depression, but its effectiveness in community settings has not been examined. METHODS: In a prospective, naturalistic study involving 347 patients at seven hospitals, clinical outcomes immediately after ECT and over a 24-week follow-up period were examined in relation to patient characteristics and treatment variables. RESULTS: The sites differed markedly in patient features and ECT administration but did not differ in clinical outcomes. In contrast to the 70%-90% remission rates expected with ECT, remission rates, depending on criteria, were 30.3%-46.7%. Longer episode duration, comorbid personality disorder, and schizoaffective disorder were associated with poorer outcome. Among remitters, the relapse rate during follow-up was 64.3%. Relapse was more frequent in patients with psychotic depression or comorbid Axis I or Axis II disorders. Only 23.4% of ECT nonremitters had sustained remission during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The remission rate with ECT in community settings is substantially less than that in clinical trials. Providers frequently end the ECT course with the view that patients have benefited fully, yet formal assessment shows significant residual symptoms. Patients who do not remit with ECT have a poor prognosis; this underscores the need to achieve maximal improvement with this modality.     

Length of hospital stay and associated costs for olanzapine vs. haloperidol in the treatment of schizophrenia relapse in Germany

We examined the number of days spent in hospital due to a relapse of schizophrenia and the associated costs for patients treated with olanzapine or haloperidol. Twenty-one German psychiatric hospitals participated in this retrospective study. Data on the last hospitalisation following a relapse of schizophrenia were documented for equal numbers of patients on olanzapine and haloperidol. Matching for time since diagnosis and severity of symptoms was performed. Data were collected on 136 matched pairs. Total length of time spent in hospital was the same on average for patients in both groups (median about 5 weeks), but olanzapine patients spent nearly 1 week less in the in-patient setting than haloperidol patients, resulting in a saving of Euro 411 per patient. Our findings are consistent with those of randomised clinical trials in concluding that olanzapine is preferable to haloperidol in terms of the direct cost of treating schizophrenia. Andrea Spannheimer Kendle GmbH & Co. GMI KG, Stefan-George-Ring 6, 81929 Munich, Germany, e-mail: spannheimer.andrea@kendle.com     

中药饮片加工炮炙在临床中的意义

本文简述了中药炮炙的根据、原理、方法以及各种不同辅料和炮炙方法对饮片药性与作用的影响。说明不同的炮炙方法可以直接影响和改变中药的药性和作用,影响到临床疗效,因此,必须重视中药饮片的炮炙工作。以确保临床安全有效的用药。     

医疗卫生服务价格改革方向初探

医疗卫生服务价格改革是要理顺价格构成成份之间量的关系，使每个构成成份的价格值都在供求关系的约束中，在政府的有效管制中，从而成为医疗卫生资源合理配置的有效工具。为此：①对生产要素分别定价；②对劳动定价；③对资本和自然资源定价；④确定医疗卫生机构内部管理时劳动价格；⑤价格中的所有构成成份价格都置于供给和需求关系约束下；⑥确定医疗卫生服务价格的理想传递方式。     

亚胺培南/西司他丁与头孢他啶治疗中、重度细菌感染疗效费用分析比较研究

对我院４５例确诊为中、重度细菌感染住院患者进行了亚胺培南／西司他丁与头孢他啶疗效费用分析比较研究。结果表明：２组病例有效率、死亡率无显著性差异；头孢他啶组较亚胺培南／西司他丁组疗程明显延长。亚胺培南／西司他丁每日所需费用明显高于头孢他啶；治疗结束时，前者全部费用并未超过后者；全部住院费用无明显差异。作者认为：决定２种药物全部费用的因素，除与药物单价和每日费用有关，还与药物疗程密切相关。选用药物抗菌作用越强，用药时间即相应缩短，住院时间必然缩短；最终患者住院费用降低