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T H Haig

Publications and source records attributed to T H Haig.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Measurement of the discomfort component of illness.

Discomfort is a prominent component of illness, but it is difficult to measure on a scale that allows its formal inclusion in a health status index. The authors tested the content validity of defining various discomforts in terms of their quality, duration, and intensity and found no responses that could not be categorized within this conceptual framework. They then analyzed the ability of patients to ascribe preference values to a sample of discomfort statements, based on this characterization of discomfort, and found them able to do this reliably using magnitude estimation. These results show that, although the universe of discomforts cannot be measured directly on a common scale, they can be compared using a scale of social preference. This will allow the formal incorporation of the discomfort component of illness into health status indexes based upon dysfunctions, discomforts, and prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The rational zero point for an illness index with ratio properties.

To be of greatest use for the measurement of significant variations in treatment outcomes, a health status index should have ratio properties. Previous attempts to construct such a scale using the magnitude estimation technique have failed, principally because of an inappropriate choice for the zero point. By rejecting death as the logical zero point for a scale of social preference and choosing instead the absence of that being measured (dysfunction and discomfort), the authors attained reliable values from patients, for an illness index, using magnitude estimation. This type of scale allows comparative judgments between treatment methods to be made with greater validity. It should aid in the wise allocation of health care resources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Treatment outcome and efficiency in surgery.

Health gains for patients treated on the surgical service of the University Hospital in Saskatoon have been measured using an illness index matrix and these gains have been related to financial costs. Although many patients benefited, 46.5% did not, either because they suffered self-limiting complaints or because their diseases were beyond the surgeon's ability to help. This 60-bed surgical service generated costs of $8 million in 1979, of which about $3 million were for services from which there was little or no gain for the patient. Since 72% of expenditures were for basic bed, board and nursing costs, more exacting use of hospital beds holds the greatest potential for increasing efficiency. There is evidence, too, that our use of medical manpower may be improvident.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lipoma of the colon with overlying hyperplastic epithelium.

Lipomas of the colon are submucosal nonepithelial tumours covered by intact or eroded mucosa. A large colonic lipoma present in close proximity to an area of diverticulitis is presented. The lining mucosa in this case exhibited hyperplastic changes, reminiscent of those seen in hyperplastic polyps. The significance of such mucosal changes are highlighted because adenomatous or even carcinomatous transformation, though rare, remains possible.

Adenocarcinoma↗