HYPOTHESIS An independent, multidisciplinary wound healing center in an accepted national expert function of wound healing is the optimal way to improve prophylaxis and treatment of patients with problem wounds. DESIGN A clinical perspective analysis. SETTING An independent, multidisciplinary wound healing center focusing on all types of problem wounds, organized as a university hospital de...

OBJECTIVE To observe the influences on clinicians when discharging patients, to explore patients' perspectives concerning their discharge or follow-up decision and to identify what patients think is important for clinicians to consider when taking a discharge decision. DESIGN Qualitative study involving observations of consultations and semistructured interviews with outpatients. SETTING Na...

Objective To describe the frequency with which nursing staff in hospitals presents an altered diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion. Method These findings were based on results obtained from 56 randomly selected professional nursing staff working in outpatient clinics, medical clinics, surgical clinics, operating theaters, pediatric and adult emergency units, adult and pediatric intensive care ...

Data mining-driven agents are often used in applications such as waiting times estimation or traffic flow prediction. Such approaches often require large amounts of data from multiple sources, which may be difficult to obtain and lead to incomplete or noisy datasets. University ID card data, in contrast, is easy to access with very low noise. However, little attention has been paid to the avail...

The objective of the project WiMonDi is to increase the usability and prolong the life span of assembly systems through the organized rebuilding of assembly facilities as well as the refurbishment and Re-Use of their components1. Therefore, it is necessary to develop organizational and methodical strategies and to initiate new distribution and user models between the supplier and user of assemb...

CONTEXT Nodular goiter is common worldwide, but there is still debate over the medical treatment. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was the measurement of the effect of a treatment with (nonsuppressive) T(4), iodine, or a combination of both compared with placebo on volume of thyroid nodules and thyroid. DESIGN This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial in patients with nodul...

BACKGROUND The additional benefit of lifestyle interventions in patients receiving cardioprotective drug treatment to improve cardiovascular risk profile is not fully established.The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a target-driven multidisciplinary structured lifestyle intervention programme of 6 months duration aimed at maximum reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in patient...

INTRODUCTION The complexity of factors involved in anorexia nervosa (AN) and the recommendations of prominent health organizations underscore the importance of reflecting on therapeutic interventions aimed at patients' family members. OBJECTIVE To expand knowledge about the mother-daughter relationship in AN, with a focus on developing a conceptual framework that is able to improve the treatm...

In Ecuador, Helicobacter pylori infections are highly prevalent. A total of 42 H. pylori clinical isolates from 86 patients attending the outpatient clinic of the gastroenterology department of the university hospital of Guayaquil in Ecuador were characterized. Their susceptibility, and cagA and vacA status were determined. Resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin was found in 80.9% and 9...

OBJECTIVES To measure satisfaction with medical visits in various health care settings and to assess the extent to which differences in satisfaction scores between health care settings can be attributed to patients' characteristics. DESIGN This was a cross sectional survey to measure seven dimensions of patient satisfaction. SETTINGS Ambulatory visits to 'gatekeepers' or specialists in a ne...