One hundred and thirty-two patients discharged from a rheumatology unit were randomly allocated to general practitioner care, attendance at hospital outpatient clinics, or follow-up by a senior occupational therapist attached to the hospital treatment team. At the end of 1 and 2 years a number of clinical and functional tests were applied, and information was gathered about the provision and us...

BACKGROUND There has been little knowledge about dietary supplementation by the Chinese elderly. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the usage of dietary supplements by older adults in southern China. METHODS A total of 600 community-dwelling older adults were recruited from the outpatient clinics of three major hospitals in Foshan city between July 2007 and July 2008. Fa...

BACKGROUND Laboratory testing results are often used to monitor influenza illness in populations, but results may not be representative of illness burden and distribution, especially in populations that are geographically, socioeconomically, and racially/ethnically diverse. OBJECTIVES Descriptive epidemiology and chi-square analyses using demographic, geographic, and medical condition prevale...

OBJECTIVE To examine challenges in forming accurate conclusions from claims data when comparing different patient groups, and to stress the need to adjust for confounding variables through application of statistical methods. METHODS Patients who were 60 or older and began amlodipine or felodipine in 1997 or 1998 were identified from a proprietary managed care claims database. Patients had 6 m...