The U.S. health care system is undergoing a shift from individual clinical practice toward team-based care. This move toward team-based care requires fresh thinking about clinical leadership and responsibilities to ensure that the unique skills of each clinician are used to provide the best care for the patient as the patient's needs dictate, while the team as a whole must work together to ensu...

BACKGROUND Internet consultation without a previous relationship between the doctor and the enquirer seems to be increasing in popularity. However, little is known about the advantages, disadvantages or other differences compared with regular health care when using this kind of service. OBJECTIVE To investigate how an Internet-based Ask the Doctor service out with any pre-existing doctor-pati...

A human rights approach is predicated on the responsibility of states to design health systems and implement health policies that are consistent with human rights requirements. However, in the contemporary health landscape, health services are increasingly delivered through private health sector institutions, and governments often lack direct control over some or many components of the health s...

The American Society for Pain Management Nursing believes that the administration of analgesia and the management of the associated effects are fundamental nursing responsibilities. This position statement will address the registered nurse's responsibilities for the management and monitoring of analgesia by catheter techniques in all patients of all ages and in all care settings. It will provid...

BACKGROUND The recent emergence of a novel strain of influenza virus with pandemic potential underscores the need for quality surveillance and laboratory services to contribute to the timely detection and confirmation of public health threats. To provide a framework for strengthening disease surveillance and response capacities in African countries, the World Health Organization Regional Headqu...

OBJECTIVES Due to the high complexity of structures and processes in health care, thorough systems analyses in health care run the risk of becoming very complex and difficult to handle. Therefore, we aimed to support systematic systems analysis in health care by developing a comprehensive framework that presents and describes potential areas of analysis. METHODS A framework for systems analys...

The number of older drivers will continue to increase as the population ages. Health care professionals have the responsibility of providing care and maintaining confidentiality for their patients while ensuring public safety. This article discusses the ethics of clinical decision-making pertaining to reporting health-related driving risk of older drivers to licensing authorities. Ethical consi...

A criminal defendant must be competent to stand trial (CST) to safeguard the fundamental right to a fair trial. If there is a question as to a defendant's ability to assist in his or her own defense, a mental health professional is asked to perform a CST evaluation. Forensic assessment is a growing field, and CST is the most frequent evaluation requested. Over the years, forensic examiners' rep...

Introduction While many studies have documented a number of socio-cultural barriers to male involvement in maternal health, in The Gambia very little information is known about the social and cultural practices that characterized male involvement in maternal health. This study aims to explore some of the underlying social and cultural factors affecting husbands' involvement in maternal health i...