BACKGROUND The air quality index (AQI) is widely used to characterize the quality of ambient air. Chinese cities officially report the AQI on a daily basis. To assess the possible effects of air pollution on daily outpatient visits, we examined the association between AQI and the daily outpatient count. METHODS Daily data on outpatient visits to each clinical department were collected from th...

OBJECTIVES To describe the prevalence of postdischarge outpatient rehabilitation among Medicaid-insured children hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to identify factors associated with receipt of services. METHODS Retrospective cohort of children <21 years, hospitalized for a TBI between 2007 and 2012, from a national Medicaid claims database. Outcome measures were receipt of...

OBJECTIVES To examine the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as an outpatient procedure, as in most centres PCNL is performed as an inpatient procedure that necessitates postoperative hospital admission. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our study included 186 patients undergoing PCNL for renal calculi. Only those who met strict inclusion criteria were discharged home on the s...

Stimulated by the economic constraints in developing countries, we have been interested in changes in the therapeutic approaches to hematologic malignancies that may result in both simplification and reduction of costs.1-4 One of the changes that has been shown to result in diminished costs of the modern effective therapeutic regimens is the completion of the procedures on an outpatient basis. ...

This article explores whether Medicare pays more for the same outpatient services provided in an acute specialty hospital than in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). How financially dependent a specialty hospital is on ASC-eligible services is also investigated. Medicare outpatient claims in 43 orthopedic and 12 surgical specialty hospitals in 2004 were repriced using ASC pricing software. Paym...

Data from 94 Alabama hospitals are examined to determine the relative profitability of sixteen outpatient Diagnosis Related Groups. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni multiple comparisons are made. Supplemental outpatient services are shown to be the most profitable outpatient service studied. Citation: Hegji, Charles, (2007) "A brief look at hospital profits by outpatient services offered." E...

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to determine whether outpatient treatment of pyelonephritis in pregnancy can reduce costs without compromising safety or efficacy. METHODS Pregnant patients with uncomplicated initial episodes of acute pyelonephritis were considered for outpatient management. The outpatient treatment consisted of an initial dose of IV ceftriaxone (2 g), followed by daily outp...

OBJECTIVE To determine patient-, treatment-, and facility-level characteristics associated with receiving outpatient rehabilitation services after lower extremity amputation within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING All Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). PARTICIPANTS Veterans (N=4165) with lower extremity amputation discharged from VAMCs between O...

Palpitations are a common problem seen in family medicine; most are of cardiac origin, although an underlying psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety, is also common. Even if a psychiatric comorbidity does exist, it should not be assumed that palpitations are of a noncardiac etiology. Discerning cardiac from noncardiac causes is important given the potential risk of sudden death in those with an ...