We propose a new mix network that is optimized to produce a correct output very fast when all mix servers execute the mixing protocol correctly (the usual case). Our mix network only produces an output if no server cheats. However, in the rare case when one or several mix servers cheat, we convert the inputs to a format that allows “back-up” mixing. This back-up mixing can be implemented using ...

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BACKGROUND Ratings on the quality of healthcare from the consumer's perspective need to be adjusted for consumer characteristics to ensure fair and accurate comparisons between healthcare providers or health plans. Although multilevel analysis is already considered an appropriate method for analyzing healthcare performance data, it has rarely been used to assess case-mix adjustment of such data...

Introduction In Malaysia, work on case mix based on DRG (Diagnostic Related Groups) was initiated in 1996 with the establishment of a case-mix research team consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health, the University of Malaya, the University of Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the University of Science Malaysia. This team conducted a research project involving 12 public hospitals in Mala...

INTRODUCTION Patient-safety monitoring based on health-outcome indicators can lead to misinterpretation of changes in case mix. This study aimed to compare the detection of indicator variations between crude and case-mix-adjusted control charts using data from thyroid surgeries. METHODS The study population included each patient who underwent thyroid surgery in a teaching hospital from Januar...

BACKGROUND Rising rates of obstetric interventions in the UK are a concern for health-care providers and the public. Our aims were to identify the socio-demographic and clinical factors (case mix) predictive of one of the most common obstetric interventions, induction of labour (IOL), and quantify the extent to which observed rates can be explained by case mix factors. METHODS We conducted a ...

OBJECTIVE To identify predictors of rehabilitation outcomes for the development of a case-mix system to rehabilitate patients suffering from hip fractures. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Two hospitals in Hong Kong. PATIENTS A cohort of hip fracture patients in 2005 (n=303) with a mean age of 82 years was studied. Rehabilitation outcomes were defined as: mortality, length of stay...