To realize an effective cost control, a practical and accurate cost accounting system is indispensable in hospitals. In traditional cost accounting systems, the volume-based costing (VBC) is the most popular cost accounting method. In this method, the indirect costs are allocated to each cost object (services or units of a hospital) using a single indicator named a cost driver (e.g., Labor hour...

Total turnaround time (TAT) in laboratory testing has been traditionally characterized as the time from specimen collection to the reporting of results (1, 2). Despite improvements in analytical testing systems (i.e., automation), little to no measurable improvements have been demonstrated for the preanalytical phase of TAT. Efforts to address some aspects of the preanalytical phase, specifical...

BACKGROUND Changes that improve the quality of health care should be sustained. Falling back to old, unsatisfactory ways of working is a waste of resources and can in the worst case increase resistance to later initiatives to improve care. Quality improvement relies on changing the clinical system yet factors that influence the sustainability of quality improvements are poorly understood. Theor...

OBJECTIVE This study describes the pregnancy and birth outcomes at two hospitals in Lima, Peru. The data collection and analysis is intended to inform patients, providers, and policy makers on Peru's progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to help set priorities for action and further research. METHODS Data were collected retrospectively from a sample of 237 women who d...

In this article, two methods for data collection in urban environments are presented. The first method combines multispectral imagery and laser altimeter data in an integrated classification for the extraction of buildings, trees and grass-covered areas. The second approach uses laser data and 2D ground plan information to obtain 3D reconstructions of buildings. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All...

ABSTRACT The assessment of citrus tristeza virus incidence by sampling involves laboratory testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of leaf material collected in the field. Using field data and computer simulation, methods of field data collection were compared. One method was similar to that used by the Central California Tristeza Eradication Agency, in which 4 to 6% of the trees in a plan...

Decision support computer technology (DST) embedded in laboratory or hospital information systems has great potential but has rarely been successful. Through studying a pharmacokinetic program that automatically extracted data without requiring manual data entry, we have identified several barriers to the successful implementation of DST. Manual data entry is a major barrier, but so is the entr...

Point-of-care testing (POCT) refers to any diagnostic test administered outside the central laboratory at or near the location of the patient. By performing the sample collection and data analysis steps in the same location POCT cuts down on transport and processing delays, resulting in the rapid feedback of test results to medical decision-makers. Over the past decades the availability and use...