Context and objectives: The definition of hospital policies to improve geographic equity requires information regarding the impact of changes of hospital supply on hospital utilisation. Previous models to predict hospital utilisation have been particularly weak in three respects: in capturing the process of demand for hospital care, in modelling the interaction between hospital utilisation and ...

An experimental system has been developed that allows the monitoring of biofilm development on supports exposed to water of different characteristics. The system consists of a series of packed-bed reactors filled with glass beads, and by periodically removing biofilm attached to these beads for off-line analyses this provides a means for monitoring biofilm development. Despite its reduced dimen...

The importance of health research utilisation in policy-making, and of understanding the mechanisms involved, is increasingly recognised. Recent reports calling for more resources to improve health in developing countries, and global pressures for accountability, draw greater attention to research-informed policy-making. Key utilisation issues have been described for at least twenty years, but ...

OBJECTIVE While living overseas in another culture, retirees need to adapt to a new environment but often this causes difficulties, particularly among those elderly who require healthcare services. This study examines factors affecting healthcare service utilisation among Japanese retirees in Malaysia. DESIGN We conducted 6 focus group discussions with Japanese retirees and interviewed 8 rele...

BACKGROUND Mass media is critical in disseminating public health information, improving health knowledge and changing health behaviours. However, most of the mass media public health interventions do not sufficiently engage the local people; they are externally determined. Due to this, very little is known about the effects of locally instigated mass media promotion. Therefore, the aim of this ...

To determine the relation between basic clinical characteristics and resource utilisation in paediatric intensive care, an open prospective study was performed. Resource utilisation was expressed using the therapeutic intervention score system (TISS) and length of stay (LOS), from which total resource utilisation per admission (TISSTOT) and average daily resource utilisation (TISSMEAN = TISSTOT...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To measure the trend, pattern, and cost of time spent in hospital during the last year of life in Western Australia and to identify trends in the place of death. The results were compared with those reported from the Oxford Record Linkage Study. DESIGN Mortality records for those aged 65 years and over were linked to inpatient hospital morbidity records with a date of separati...

The thesis examines the factors that impact on access and utilisation of health services in Ghana. The utilisation behaviour of residents of a typical urban and a typical rural district are used as representing the entire Ghanaian experience. Literature has demonstrated the dichotomy in utilisation between rural and urban areas, with urban residents having advantage over rural. It also shows th...

Ash sintering is an essential factor for the competitiveness of biomass gasification. Compared to conventional air gasification, gasification temperature reduced in auto thermal as utilisation compensation CaO carbonation reaction, which ultimately could suppress extent ash sintering. This work firstly investigated inhibition effect this process on simulated ashes (silica, potassium oxide and a...

BACKGROUND The burden of patients with heart failure on health care systems is widely recognised, although there have been few attempts to quantify individual patterns of care and differences in health service utilisation related to age, socio-economic factors and the presence of co-morbidities. The aim of this study was to assess the typical profile, trajectory and resource use of a cohort of ...