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Biomedical subjects

Ted Haines

Publications and source records attributed to Ted Haines.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Eight predictive factors associated with response patterns during physiotherapy for soft tissue shoulder disorders were identified.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Combining information on initial and final state with information on speed of response may reflect the clinical reality of the course of recovery from soft tissue shoulder disorders. The purpose was to identify baseline factors that predict patterns of response to physiotherapy. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort of consecutive clients (n=361) with soft tissue shoulder disorders attending physiotherapy. A previous study identified four typical patterns of response such that each individual was assigned to one of four clusters (dependent outcome). Independent predictors (n=28) included demographics, disorder-related and disability measures, treatment factors, clinical findings, and expectations for recovery. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression techniques were used. RESULTS: Predictors differentiating patterns of response were: Age (by decade), duration of current shoulder problem, worker's compensation claim, client's global rating of problem, Physical Component Score (SF-36), Mental Component Score (SF-36), over the counter medication use, and therapist prediction of client to return to usual activity. CONCLUSION: Using a clinically sensible outcome, we have identified several predictors that can be used by clinicians in clinical decision making.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Perioperative use of the hands-free technique: a semistructured interview study.

OCCUPATIONALLY CONTRACTED bloodborne infections are preventable, but the use of many protective measures remains limited. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE that the use of the hands-free technique (HFT) to pass sharp items during surgical procedures is effective in protecting against sharps injury and bloody contamination. RESEARCHERS CONDUCTED in-depth telephone interviews to explore 20 health care providers' knowledge and use of the HFT. MOST OF THE INTERVIEWEES did not regularly use the HFT, and some were resistant to its use.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Hands-free technique: preventing occupational exposure during surgery.

Occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens has led to HBV, HCV and HIV infections among surgeons, nurses and other operating room (OR) personnel and, to a lesser degree, patients (Ross et al 2000, The incident investigation teams and others 1997). Of seven OR studies in which an observer or circulating nurse recorded exposures, there was a percuataneous injury in 1.7-15% of all surgeries, and a mucocutaneous contamination in 6.2-50% of all surgeries. (Gerberding et al 1990, Panlilio et al 1991, Popejoy & Fry 1991, Quebbeman et al 1991, Tokars et al 1992, Lynch & White 1993, Stringer, Infante-Rivard & Hanley 2002). Surgeons and residents usually sustained the greatest number of percutaneous and other exposures during surgery.

Blood-Borne Pathogens↗
PubMed2006

Prognosis in soft tissue disorders of the shoulder: predicting both change in disability and level of disability after treatment.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinicians often are faced with questions about prognosis and outcome of shoulder disorders. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of both change in disability and level of disability following physical therapy treatment. SUBJECTS: The subjects were consecutive patients (n=361) who were receiving physical therapy for soft tissue shoulder disorders. METHODS: Clinical response to physical therapy, which was measured using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) measure, was assessed over 12 weeks. The 28 independent baseline predictors included demographics, disorder-related and disability measures, medication use, clinical findings, and expectations for recovery. Multiple linear regression techniques were used. RESULTS: Predictors of greater disability at discharge were: higher initial disability, therapist prediction of restricted activities at discharge, workers' compensation claim, older age, and being female. Predictors of greater improvement in disability were: shoulder surgery, higher pain intensity, shorter duration of symptoms, younger age, and poorer general physical health (measured using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Prognostic factors differ depending on the format of the outcome. Only age was significant in both models.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Mortality and cancer incidence in Ontario glass fiber workers.

BACKGROUND: In a previous cohort study of glass fiber manufacturing, we found a significant increase in lung cancer. This study extends the follow-up period. METHODS: We conducted a historical prospective study of 2557 men employed in producing glass wool. We obtained work histories, causes and dates of death, and date and site of cancer diagnoses. We computed standardized mortality and incidence ratios (SMR, SIR). RESULTS: The overall SMR for lung cancer was 163 (95% CI = 118-221). The SMR did not vary consistently by duration of employment and time since first employment. However, plant workers with >20 years' employment and >40 years since first exposure had an SMR for lung cancer of 282 (95% CI = 113-582). The SMR dropped with later date of first exposure, but the trend was non-significant. There was an unexpected overall increase in kidney cancer incidence. DISCUSSION: The increase in lung cancer is greater than in other cohorts of glass fiber workers. Since exposure data are lacking from the early years of the plant, we cannot state if the excess was due to glass fibers, other work exposures or other reasons.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that patients cared for at private for-profit hospitals have higher risk-adjusted mortality rates than those cared for at private not-for-profit hospitals. Uncertainty remains, however, about the economic implications of these forms of health care delivery. Since some policy-makers might still consider for-profit health care if expenditure savings were sufficiently large, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals. METHODS: We used 6 search strategies to identify published and unpublished observational studies that directly compared the payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals. We masked the study results before teams of 2 reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of all studies. We confirmed data or obtained additional data from all but 1 author. For each study, we calculated the payments for care at private for-profit hospitals relative to private not-for-profit hospitals and pooled the results using a random effects model. RESULTS: Eight observational studies, involving more than 350 000 patients altogether and a median of 324 hospitals each, fulfilled our eligibility criteria. In 5 of 6 studies showing higher payments for care at private for-profit hospitals, the difference was statistically significant; in 1 of 2 studies showing higher payments for care at private not-for-profit hospitals, the difference was statistically significant. The pooled estimate demonstrated that private for-profit hospitals were associated with higher payments for care (relative payments for care 1.19, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.33, p = 0.001). INTERPRETATION: Private for-profit hospitals result in higher payments for care than private not-for-profit hospitals. Evidence strongly supports a policy of not-for-profit health care delivery at the hospital level.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

A systematic review of reviews comparing the effectiveness of endoscopic and open carpal tunnel decompression.

Controversy persists regarding the benefit of endoscopic carpal tunnel release compared with open carpal tunnel release for pain, numbness, strength, return to work and function, scar tenderness, and complications. For surgeons, a recommended first source of information on treatment effectiveness is a review of high-methodologic-quality articles. This review of reviews was undertaken to answer this clinical question regarding these outcomes. Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and HealthSTAR databases were searched using the key words "endoscopic carpal tunnel," with limits "review or overview" and dates from 1989 to present. Five key journals were hand-searched. Any review with a reference to at least one randomized controlled trial that compared endoscopic carpal tunnel release to open carpal tunnel release was to be included. Two reviewers independently scanned titles and abstracts for potential relevance. Selection as relevant was confirmed through a review of full texts. Disagreements were resolved through discussion and consensus. The selected reviews were assessed for methodologic quality on the basis of the scale of Hoving et al. Of 48 articles initially identified, seven pertinent reviews were selected. Of these seven, three reviews of high methodologic quality concurred that there is no difference between the two techniques in symptom relief and that the evidence is conflicting for return to work and function. The risk of permanent median nerve injury does not differ between the techniques. The reviews indicated that the endoscopic carpal tunnel release technique is worse in terms of reversible nerve injury but superior in terms of grip strength and scar tenderness, at least in short-term follow-up. Several trials have not been incorporated in these reviews and statistical pooling has not been conducted. Further systematic review with meta-analysis may permit more definitive conclusions about the relative effectiveness of these two techniques, particularly with regard to return to work and function.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome↗
PubMed2004

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing endoscopic and open carpal tunnel decompression.

Controversy exists regarding the benefit of endoscopic carpal tunnel release versus open carpal tunnel release in terms of grip/pinch strength, scar tenderness, pain, return to work, reversible/irreversible nerve damage, and adverse effects. Although a number of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews have been published on the subject, to date, no large definitive randomized controlled trial or meta-analysis has been performed comparing endoscopic to open carpal tunnel release. This meta-analysis was undertaken to address the effectiveness of endoscopic carpal tunnel release relative to open carpal tunnel release. Key outcome measures from 13 randomized controlled trials were extracted and statistically combined. Heterogeneity was observed in three of the outcomes (i.e., grip strength, pain, and return to work), but the causes of heterogeneity could not be explained because of insufficient detail in the reported studies. Using the Jadad et al. scale, nine of 13 studies were of low methodologic quality. The effect sizes were compared between the studies that were rated as high quality and the studies that were rated as low quality on the Jadad et al. scale. Similarly, the studies that were rated as high quality on the Gerritsen et al. scale were compared with those that were rated as low quality. No clinically significant difference in effect sizes was apparent between studies of high and low methodologic quality. This meta-analysis supports the conclusion that endoscopic carpal tunnel release is favored over the open carpal tunnel release in terms of a reduction in scar tenderness and increase in grip and pinch strength at a 12-week follow-up. With regard to symptom relief and return to work, the data are inconclusive. Irreversible nerve damage is uncommon in either technique; however, there is an increased susceptibility to reversible nerve injury that is three times as likely to occur with endoscopic carpal tunnel release than with open carpal tunnel release.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2004

Advanced statistics: understanding medical record review (MRR) studies.

Medical record review (MRR) studies have been reported to make up 25% of all scientific studies published in emergency medical (EM) journals. However, unlike other study designs, there are no standards for reporting MRRs and very little literature on the methodology for conducting them. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with methodological guidance regarding the strengths and weaknesses of these types of studies.

Confidentiality↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of mortality between private for-profit and private not-for-profit hemodialysis centers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Private for-profit and private not-for-profit dialysis facilities provide the majority of hemodialysis care in the United States. There has been extensive debate about whether the profit status of these facilities influences patient mortality. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a difference in adjusted mortality rates exists between hemodialysis patients receiving care in private for-profit vs private not-for-profit dialysis centers. DATA SOURCES: We searched 11 bibliographic databases, reviewed our own files, and contacted experts in June 2001-January 2002. In June 2002, we also searched PubMed using the "related articles" feature, SciSearch, and the reference lists of all studies that fulfilled our eligibility criteria. STUDY SELECTION: We included published and unpublished observational studies that directly compared the mortality rates of hemodialysis patients in private for-profit and private not-for-profit dialysis centers and provided adjusted mortality rates. We masked the study results prior to determining study eligibility, and teams of 2 reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of all studies. Eight observational studies that included more than 500 000 patient-years of data fulfilled our eligibility criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Teams of 2 reviewers independently abstracted data on study characteristics, sampling method, data sources, and factors controlled for in the analyses. Reviewers resolved disagreements by consensus. DATA SYNTHESIS: The studies reported data from January 1, 1973, through December 31, 1997, and included a median of 1342 facilities per study. Six of the 8 studies showed a statistically significant increase in adjusted mortality in for-profit facilities, 1 showed a nonsignificant trend toward increased mortality in for-profit facilities, and 1 showed a nonsignificant trend toward decreased mortality in for-profit facilities. The pooled estimate, using a random-effects model, demonstrated that private for-profit dialysis centers were associated with an increased risk of death (relative risk, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.13; P<.001). This relative risk suggests that there are annually 2500 (with a plausible range of 1200-4000) excessive premature deaths in US for-profit dialysis centers. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodialysis care in private not-for-profit centers is associated with a lower risk of mortality compared with care in private for-profit centers.

Health Services Research↗
PubMed2002

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates of private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Canadians are engaged in an intense debate about the relative merits of private for-profit versus private not-for-profit health care delivery. To inform this debate, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the mortality rates of private for-profit hospitals and those of private not-for-profit hospitals. METHODS: We identified studies through an electronic search of 11 bibliographical databases, our own files, consultation with experts, reference lists, PubMed and SciSearch. We masked the study results before determining study eligibility. Our eligibility criteria included observational studies or randomized controlled trials that compared private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals. We excluded studies that evaluated mortality rates in hospitals with a particular profit status that subsequently converted to the other profit status. For each study, we calculated a relative risk of mortality for private for-profit hospitals relative to private not-for-profit hospitals and pooled the studies of adult populations that included adjustment for potential confounders (e.g., teaching status, severity of illness) using a random effects model. RESULTS: Fifteen observational studies, involving more than 26 000 hospitals and 38 million patients, fulfilled the eligibility criteria. In the studies of adult populations, with adjustment for potential confounders, private for-profit hospitals were associated with an increased risk of death (relative risk [RR] 1.020, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.003-1.038; p = 0.02). The one perinatal study with adjustment for potential confounders also showed an increased risk of death in private for-profit hospitals (RR 1.095, 95% CI 1.050-1.141; p < 0.0001). INTERPRETATION: Our meta-analysis suggests that private for-profit ownership of hospitals, in comparison with private not-for-profit ownership, results in a higher risk of death for patients.

Hospital Mortality↗
PubMed2002

The accuracy of noncontrast helical computed tomography versus intravenous pyelography in the diagnosis of suspected acute urolithiasis: a meta-analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We determine the accuracy of noncontrast helical computed tomography (NHCT) compared with that of intravenous pyelography (IVP) in diagnosing acute urolithiasis. METHODS: Computerized searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE were combined with hand reviews of major journals and of articles from reference lists. Articles were assessed according to a priori criteria for inclusion. Study eligibility was independently assessed by 2 reviewers in a blinded fashion. Test results were combined and analysis of log-transformed data was conducted by using general linear models. RESULTS: No disagreement was found between the 2 investigators in terms of articles that met the inclusion criteria or between the results of the studies. Four studies involving a total of 296 patients met all of the a priori criteria. The pooled positive likelihood ratios (LR+) for NHCT and IVP are 23.15 (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.53 to 47.23) and 9.32 (95% CI 5.23 to 16.61), respectively. The pooled negative likelihood ratios (LR-) for NHCT and IVP are 0.05 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.15) and 0.33 (95% CI 0.23 to 0.48), respectively. The differences between NHCT and IVP were statistically significant for both LR+ (P =.046) and LR- (P =.013). Differences among trials were not statistically significant in either analysis (P =.125 for LR+; P =.114 for LR-). CONCLUSION: The studies analyzed consistently demonstrated NHCT to be superior to IVP in accurately diagnosing acute urolithiasis, and differences between the 2 tests for both LR+ and LR- were statistically significant.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

Does replacing intravenous pyelography with noncontrast helical computed tomography benefit patients with suspected acute urolithiasis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if replacing intravenous pyelography with noncontrast helical computed tomography (NHCT) scanning of the abdomen for the investigation of suspected acute urolithiasis results in shorter stays in the Emergency Department, reduced hospital admissions or fewer interventions. METHODS: A retrospective review of the charts of all patients who were discharged from the Emergency Department with a diagnosis of acute urolithiasis or renal colic was conducted. Length of stay, hospital admissions and the number of therapeutic interventions were compared for the 5-month period before and the 5-month period after the implementation of NHCT scanning of the abdomen as the primary investigation of suspected acute urolithiasis. RESULTS: Of 230 cases reviewed, 119 met all of the inclusion criteria (61 in the intravenous pyelography group and 58 in the NHCT group). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups on median length of stay in the Emergency Department (7.6 h v. 6.2 h), hospital admission rates or post-test therapeutic interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Replacing intravenous pyelography with NHCT scanning for the investigation of suspected acute urolithiasis does not result in significantly shorter stays, reduced hospital admissions or fewer interventions for patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Ethics in occupational health.

We know little about perceptions, practices, or constraints of ethics in occupational health because little research has been done. Opinions about the field, however, are abundant. Existing codes of ethical practice in occupational health have not consciously been derived from the fundamental principles of "freedom" and "well-being" or from philosophical premises and methods; rather, they are based on consensus among practitioners. The author outlines useful concepts and methods for making decisions about ethical questions in occupational health.

Codes of Ethics↗