Monitoring the referral system through benchmarking in rural Niger: an evaluation of the functional relation between health centres and the district hospital

Background  

The main objective of this study is to establish a benchmark for referral rates in rural Niger so as to allow interpretation of routine referral data to assess the performance of the referral system in Niger.     

The use of a surveillance system to measure changes in mental health in Australian adults during the global financial crisis

Objective  

This study aimed to describe trends in a range of mental health indicators in South Australia where a surveillance system has been in operation since July 2002 and assess the impact of the global financial crisis (GFC).     

Perceived barriers to the regionalization of adult critical care in the United States: a qualitative preliminary study

Background  

Regionalization of adult critical care services may improve outcomes for critically ill patients. We sought to develop a framework for understanding clinician attitudes toward regionalization and potential barriers to developing a tiered, regionalized system of care in the United States.     

Strong decline in female sterilization rates in Norway after the introduction of a new copayment system: a registry based study

Background  

January 1, 2002, copayment for outpatient female sterilization in Norwegian public hospitals increased from 33 euros to 750 euros after a revision of the health care system. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the new copayment system on female sterilization epidemiology.     

Carbon tetrachloride affects inflammation-related biochemical networks in the mouse liver as identified by a customized cDNA microarray system

Objectives  

We have attempted to upgrade and validate an in-house cDNA microarray system developed by our group for the evaluation of chemical toxicity.     

Investigating organizational quality improvement systems,patient empowerment,organizational culture,professional involvement and the quality of care in European hospitals: the 'Deepening our Understanding of Quality Improvement in Europe (DUQuE)' project

Background  

Hospitals in European countries apply a wide range of quality improvement strategies. Knowledge of the effectiveness of these strategies, implemented as part of an overall hospital quality improvement system, is limited.     

Criteria-based audit to improve a district referral system in Malawi: A pilot study

Background  

To study the feasibility of using criteria-based audit to improve a district referral system.     

Delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Nepal

Background  

Identifying reasons for delay in diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is important for the health system to find ways to treat patients as early as possible, and hence reduce the suffering of patients and transmission of the disease. The objectives of this study was to assess the duration of delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and to investigate its determinants.     

International health policy survey in 11 countries: assessment of non-response bias in the Norwegian sample

Background  

International health policy surveys are used to compare and evaluate health system performance, but little is known about the effects of non-response. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of non-response in the Norwegian part of the Commonwealth Fund international health policy survey in 2009.     

Identification of bacteria in drinking and purified water during the monitoring of a typical water purification system

Background  

A typical purification system that provides purified water which meets ionic and organic chemical standards, must be protected from microbial proliferation to minimize cross-contamination for use in cleaning and preparations in pharmaceutical industries and in health environments.     

A snapshot of the organization and provision of primary care in Turkey

Background  

This WHO study aimed to support Turkey in its efforts to strengthen the primary care (PC) system by implementing the WHO Primary Care Evaluation Tool (PCET). This article provides an overview of the organization and provision of primary care in Turkey.     

A geographical population analysis of dental trauma in school-children aged 12 and 15 in the city of Curitiba-Brazil

Background  

The study presents a geographical analysis of dental trauma in a population of 12 and 15 year-old school-children, in the city of Curitiba, Brazil (n = 1581), using a database obtained in the period 2005-2006. The main focus is to analyze dental trauma using a geographic information system as a tool for integrating social, environmental and epidemiological data.     

Assessment of health care needs and utilization in a mixed public-private system: the case of the Athens area

Background  

Given the public-private mix of the Greek health system, the purpose of this study was to assess whether variations in the utilisation of health services, both primary and inpatient care, were associated with underlying health care needs and/or various socio-economic factors.     

Referral from secondary care and to aftercare in a tertiary care university hospital in Japan

Background  

In Japan, all citizens are covered by the national insurance system in which universal free access to healthcare services is promised to everybody. There are no general physicians or gatekeepers in the Japanese healthcare system.     

Inpatient satisfaction and job satisfaction/stress of medical workers in a hospital with the 7:1 nursing care system (in which 1 nurse cares for 7 patients at a time)

Objectives  

Inpatient satisfaction, job satisfaction/stress of medical workers, and hospital profitability under the 7:1 nursing care system (in which 1 nurse cares for 7 patients at a time) were compared with those under the 10:1 system at a hospital with the diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) payment system.     

Changes in characteristics of veterans using the VHA health care system between 1996 and 1999

Background  

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides a health care safety net to veterans. This study examined changes in characteristics of veterans using the VHA health care system between 1996 and 1999 when VHA implemented major organizational changes to improve access of ambulatory care and to provide care to more veterans.     

Rapid detection of pandemic influenza in the presence of seasonal influenza

Background  

Key to the control of pandemic influenza are surveillance systems that raise alarms rapidly and sensitively. In addition, they must minimise false alarms during a normal influenza season. We develop a method that uses historical syndromic influenza data from the existing surveillance system 'SERVIS' (Scottish Enhanced Respiratory Virus Infection Surveillance) for influenza-like illness (ILI) in Scotland.     

Comparing health system performance assessment and management approaches in the Netherlands and Ontario,Canada

Background  

Given the proliferation and the growing complexity of performance measurement initiatives in many health systems, the Netherlands and Ontario, Canada expressed interests in cross-national comparisons in an effort to promote knowledge transfer and best practise. To support this cross-national learning, a study was undertaken to compare health system performance approaches in The Netherlands with Ontario, Canada.