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Early outcomes of endovascular versus open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Private Sector (NSQIP-PS).

BACKGROUND: There remains no consensus on the appropriate application of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Information from administrative databases, industry-sponsored trials, and single institutions has inherent deficiencies. This study was designed to compare early outcomes of open (OPEN) versus EVAR in a contemporary (2000 to 2003) large, multicenter prospective cohort. METHODS: Fourteen academic medical centers contributed data to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Private Sector (NSQIP-PS), which ensures uniform, comprehensive, prospective, and previously validated data entry by trained, independent nurse reviewers. A battery of clinical and demographic features was assessed with multivariate analysis for association with the principal study end points of 30-day operative mortality and morbidity. RESULTS: One thousand forty-two patients underwent elective infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs: 460 EVAR and 582 OPEN. EVAR patients were older (74 vs 71 years, P < .0001), included more men (84.6% vs 79.6%, P < .05), and had a higher incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (25.4% vs 17.9%, P < .01). EVAR resulted in significantly reduced overall morbidity (24% vs 35%, P < .0001) and hospital stay (4 vs 9 days, P < .0001). Cardiopulmonary and renal function-related comorbidities had the expected significant impact on mortality for both procedures at univariate analysis ( P < .05). While crude mortality rates between EVAR and OPEN did not differ significantly (2.8% vs 4.0%) ( P = 0.32). After multivariate analysis, correlates of operative mortality included OPEN (odds ratio [OR], 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 5.78; P < .05), advanced age (OR, 1.11; P < .001), history of angina (OR, 5.54; P < .01), poor functional status (OR, 5.78; P < .001), history of weight loss (OR, 7.42; P < .01), and preoperative dialysis (OR, 51.4; P < .0001). EVAR also compared favorably to OPEN (OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.58 to 2.89; P < .0001) for overall morbidity. CONCLUSION: Significant morbidity accompanies AAA repair, even at major academic medical centers. These data strongly endorse EVAR as the preferred approach in the presence of significant cardiopulmonary or renal comorbidities, or poor preoperative functional status.

Aged↗

[Sports programs for the elderly in Germany in 1991].

The percentage of older people in the population will permanently increase. An attendant phenomenon is a rising demand for special exercise programs. In 1991, a survey of those programs was done in the unified FRG. The investigation was ordered by the Sportministerkonferenz der Länder to substantiate further promotion. Organizers and sponsors of exercise programs for older people originate from public and private non-profit institutions in the fields of sports (administration), social welfare, public health, and educational work. Concerning the structure and the extent of special exercise programs there exist large regional differences between the eastern vs. western part of the FRG and rural vs. urban areas. People of over 50 years of age have to be separated into different groups corresponding to their age, physical condition, experience, and needs; not all of them find appropriate programs. The Deutsche Turner-Bund, private charitable institutions, and a few private health-care organizations preferentially serve untrained and/or inexperienced women over 60-65 years of age with recreationally oriented exercise programs. The younger, more athletic find more competitively oriented programs within the scope of other sports federations. Recreational sports programs in age-independent groups are often attended by older physically fit people.

Adult↗

A multi-program cost analysis and planning model for social service programs.

Social service administrators and planners in both the private and public sector are increasingly being held fiscally and programmatically accountable by both sponsors and consumers of services. This paper provides an examination of the trend toward program budgeting and its various techniques which can assist the administrator-planner in developing a more accountable program. A specific approach to cost analysis and planning for multi-program social service agencies is explored through its application in an actual agency setting. The model's application to other social service programs is also discussed.

Budgets↗

Substance-abuse education in medical school: past, present, and future.

In this article, the author presents an overview of substance-abuse education in U.S. medical schools. In the early 1970s, two nationwide conferences prompted an awareness of the need for improved medical education in substance abuse. The Council on Mental Health and the Committee on Alcohol and Drug Dependency, both of the American Medical Association, presented general guidelines for a curriculum in substance abuse. During the same era, the federal government sponsored a career teacher training program in drug abuse and alcoholism, and private foundation funding supported educational endeavors that resulted in long-term materials for teaching in medical schools. Three current programs that are improving drug-abuse education are described. These developments are good examples of efforts that should be considered for any medical school curriculum. Goals for the future should include some attempt to modify the institutions, both medical schools and hospitals, where patterns leading to physician impairment may develop.

Alcoholism↗

[Cancer information and media: ethical and deontological aspect].

Public information in medicine - including oncology - is not new and is growing with the development of the media. The majority is news preferably spectacular for the entertainment of the reader or viewer; there are some reviews and also educative papers or programs in specialized journals. Often this information is given or sponsored by private interests which are not always clear and which do not always have public interest in mind. All medical information may be easily accessible, especially if it is useful for the people concerned. It must be independent, genuine, clear. Physicians may play an important role in health education for the general public and for special patients. They have to give proved data, in an understandable form, with caution, keeping in mind the interest of informed persons.

Ethics, Medical↗

A review of recent events related to surrogate testing of blood to prevent non-A, non-B posttransfusion hepatitis.

A workshop sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration was held recently during which available data were reviewed concerning surrogate testing of blood donated for transfusion in order to reduce the risks of posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. Clinical studies from which the efficacy of testing for alanine aminotransferase and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) could be predicted indicated such testing would be useful, although several studies using tests for anti-HBc developed recently questioned their effectiveness. Different approaches to establishing the cut-off values for the screening tests were presented and difficulties regarding test standardization were discussed. The legal, ethical, and medical implications for donors of surrogate screening programs in the United States also were considered. A meeting sponsored by the private sector that included representatives of the major blood banking organizations and was convened to discuss the workshop proceedings and nationwide screening of the blood supply also is summarized.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Predisposing factors for self-inflicted burns.

Self-inflicted burn injuries, although uncommon, are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to delineate the characteristics of these burns and to examine their impact on society. Records of 32 adult patients admitted for self-inflicted burns at our regional burn center between January 1996 and August 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean burn size was 34 +/- 29% TBSA, with the majority of burns being the result of self-immolation using a flammable liquid. There was a slight male predominance (59%) and a significant mortality rate (25%). Ninety-one percent of patients had an active psychiatric diagnosis, with 47% having had a previous suicide attempt. Two thirds had a chronic stressor, such as a chronic medical illness and/or long-term disability. Only four patients had private insurance, whereas the remainder relied on underfunded state- and county-sponsored programs or were uninsured. In addition to well-described psychiatric factors, common characteristics predisposing to self-inflicted burns include chronic medical illnesses, long-term disability, and a lack of access to adequate mental health care. Better treatment of mental illness in the underfunded population might ultimately save the high costs of these burn injuries.

Adolescent↗

Medicare program; solvency standards for provider-sponsored organizations. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS. Final rule.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 established a new Medicare+Choice (M+C) program that offers eligible individuals Medicare benefits through enrollment in one of an array of private health plans that contract with us. Among the new options available to Medicare beneficiaries is enrollment in a provider-sponsored organization (PSO). This final rule revises and responds to comments on solvency standards that certain entities must meet to contract as PSOs under the new M+C program. These standards, originally established in an interim final rule published on May 7, 1998, apply to PSOs that have received a waiver of the requirement that M+C organizations must be licensed by a State as risk-bearing entities.

Financial Management↗

Private credentialing of health care personnel: an antitrust perspective. Part One.

This Article explores the antitrust and other implications of private credentialing and accrediting programs in the health care industry. Although such programs are usually sponsored by powerful competitor groups, they serve the procompetitive purpose of providing useful information and authoritative advice to independent decision makers. Part One examines the risk that credentialing will sometimes be unfair to competitors and deceive consumers. Its survey of common-law, antitrust, and regulatory interventions to correct such unfairness and deception seeks to determine the degree of oversight to which credentialing and similar activities have been and should be subjected. In recommending that judicial or regulatory scrutiny should be limited to discovering whether standards and practices have a rational relation to a procompetitive purpose, the Article argues that greater intrusion into credentialing schemes would be inconsistent with market theory and first amendment values and would discourage line-drawing efforts that stimulate competition and facilitate consumer choice. By emphasizing throughout that personnel certification and institutional accreditation embody ideology and opinion as well as factual information, Part One sets the stage for the argument in Part Two that antitrust law can and should be used to contest the dominance of a single ideology of health care and to facilitate the development of alternative sources of consumer information. The Article's overall thesis is that, whereas the quality of advice given to the public about health care personnel and similar matters should not be closely regulated, neither should the supply of competing information and opinion be artificially curtailed.

Accreditation↗

Medicare program; definition of provider-sponsored organization and related requirements--HCFA. Interim final rule with comment period.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 establishes a new Medicare + Choice program that significantly expands the health care options available to Medicare beneficiaries. Under this program, eligible individuals may elect to receive Medicare benefits through enrollment in one of an array of private health plans that contract with HCFA. Among the new options available to Medicare beneficiaries is enrollment in a provider-sponsored organization (PSO). This interim final rule with comment period defines the term "provider-sponsored organization" for purposes of the Medicare program and establishes requirements related to meeting this definition. We believe that setting forth the definition of a PSO and the related requirements will facilitate the submission of applications to participate in the Medicare program as a PSO.

Aged↗

Selective contracting in California: early effects and policy implications.

California is the first state to enable its Medicaid program and private insurance firms to negotiate with providers for prices to be paid for health services. Initial findings from a two-year study sponsored by the National Governors' Association indicate few problems with Medicaid contracting. Hospital contracts are widely dispersed at prices highly favorable to the state, there has been little documented dislocation of patients or physicians into a two-tier system, and there is no evidence of reduction in quality of care. State savings are estimated at $165 million for the first year of the program. Selective contracting in the private sector, by contrast, has moved more slowly than anticipated, owing to a number of unforeseen barriers.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗

Medicaid coverage for the working uninsured: the role of state policy.

Low-income workers face the highest gap in health coverage; 37.3 percent were uninsured in 1999. Although employer-sponsored insurance covered many more low-income workers, state programs are very important to those without private insurance. We examined the wide variations across thirteen representative states in public insurance coverage of low-income workers to develop insights into the reasons for the variations and to suggest strategies for encouraging states to expand public insurance coverage. The analysis suggests that expanded and better-targeted federal assistance coupled with greater state flexibility would be needed to achieve this goal.

Adult↗

Public insurance expansions and crowd out of private coverage.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which persons enrolling in new public insurance programs substitute the public coverage for private insurance is of concern to policy makers. OBJECTIVE: To look at the extent of the substitution resulting from new state programs that cover a broad base of the low-income population and to look at the responses of both families and employers. METHODS: The March CPS for 1991-1993 and 1997-1998 were used to study the responses of families. Two large national surveys of employers with information about the employment-based system in 1993 and 1997 were used to study employer responses. The analysis looks at changes in coverage and employer offer rates before and after the public insurance expansions in selected states and compares these changes to those in a control group in states without expansions. RESULTS: Coverage by private insurance for low-income persons in states with expansions fell by more than expected based on the control states, indicating some substitution of public coverage for private insurance. Changes in employee coverage in own-employer sponsored insurance accord with this result. The expansion of public insurance has a bigger effect on employer offer decisions when a large share of its workers is eligible for public programs. CONCLUSIONS: The results show a significant substitution of public insurance for private coverage in the expansions studied. However, endogeneity of state expansion policies and possible confounding with other policy changes temper the conclusions. More recent public insurance expansions as part of the State Childrens' Health Insurance Program have adopted a range of methods to limit crowd out. Future research is needed to evaluate whether these procedures and rules have succeeded.

Adult↗

Comparison of knowledge on asthma: doctors completing internal medicine residency and doctors completing medical school.

CONTEXT: Asthma has been reported as a disease of increasing prevalence. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of information and knowledge about asthma by means of a questionnaire among recent graduate physicians applying for medical residency at the Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. DESIGN: 14 multiple-choice questions for asthma diagnosis and management. SETTING: University of São Paulo Medical School (FMUSP). PARTICIPANTS: Recent graduate physicians applying for the medical residency program at FMUSP in 1999 (n = 448) and physicians that had completed 2 year of internal medicine residency (n = 92). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: We applied a questionnaire with 14 multiple-choice questions about the management of asthma based upon the Expert Panel Report 2 - Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, NIH/NHLBI, 1997 (EPR-2). RESULTS: The medical residency program in Internal Medicine improved treatment skills (the ability to propose adequate therapy) when compared to medical education (a score of 57.2% versus 46.9%, P < 0.001) but not diagnosis knowledge (understanding of asthma symptoms related to medicine intake) (33.5% versus 33.3%, P = 0.94). Treatment skills were higher among physicians who received their Medical Degree (MD) from public-sponsored medical schools in comparison with those from private schools [49.7 (SE 1.17)] versus [41.8 (SE 1.63)], P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Medical schools might consider reevaluating their programs regarding asthma in order to improve medical assistance, especially when considering the general results for residents, as they were supposed to have achieved performance after completing this in-service training.

Asthma↗

Veterinary education with career emphasis: a partnership with private, public, and corporate veterinary practice.

The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine responded to the Pew-sponsored National Veterinary Education Program by proposing a Center for Government and Corporate Veterinary Medicine. The Center is currently providing, through elective course offerings and practical experiences, a senior clinical curriculum that permits career emphasis in a number of species areas, in addition to a unique program for graduates wishing to enter the field of public and corporate veterinary medicine. The Center is also developing post-veterinary medicine. The Center is also developing post-veterinary school education for advanced degrees (PhD, MS) and residency training in public and corporate fields, and for midcareer updating and changes of career emphasis.

Career Choice↗

Treatment of diarrhoea in Indonesian children: what it costs and who pays for it.

The annual economic burden of diarrhoea in four subdistricts in Indonesia averaged $2.27 per child aged under 5 years when health centre, hospital, and private expenditures were all considered. The community itself spent $1.03 per child or 46% of the total; 96% of community payments went to the private sector, and 4% were for fees at government health centres and hospitals. The widespread availability of oral rehydration therapy has led to only partial abandonment of ineffective or marginally effective medications; non-rehydration medications amounted to 44% of total treatment expenditures. Most medication costs were for antimicrobial agents, such as tetracycline in the government sector and iodochlorhydroxyquin in the private sector. If the use of tetracycline at health centres could be restricted to 10% of episodes treated instead of the present 88%, their costs could be reduced by 50%.

Child↗

A coordinated strategy for evaluating new vaccines for human and animal tuberculosis.

There is a remarkable convergence in the current efforts to develop and evaluate new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidates for use in humans, domestic animals, and wild animal reservoirs. It is quite likely that similar vaccination strategies will prove useful in these diverse host species. Many TB vaccine candidates are being screened for protective efficacy in conventional laboratory animals (e.g. mouse, guinea pig), in captive wild species under laboratory conditions (e.g. brushtail possum), and in the target hosts (e.g. cattle, deer). These systems share some important features, e.g. direct challenge infection of the lung by intratracheal or aerosol exposure, and the use of bacterial enumeration, and gross and microscopic histopathology, as the readouts. Some TB vaccine candidates have been tested in many models, yielding important insights into common mechanisms of resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis, and providing evidence of the vaccine's ability to induce protection under widely different circumstances. Coordination of this global search for better TB vaccines, irrespective of target species, would facilitate the rapid application of new technologies and maximize the sharing of materials and experiences between human and veterinary TB researchers. The creation of liaisons between TB vaccine research efforts of government-sponsored medical and agricultural research programs, international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Community (EC), private foundations and the vaccine industry, will yield a high return.

Animals↗