OBJECTIVE To assess cost and cost-effectiveness of immunization reminder/recall systems in the private sector. METHODS A manual postcard system (mail) was compared with a computer-based telephone system (autodialer) and control. Costs included time costs and the cost of equipment and supplies. The cost per child and the incremental cost of the intervention relative to control were computed. C...

Doctors performing brain surgery by flashlight during a blackout necessitated by a Japanese air raid. The austerity of the surroundings is evident in the lack of medical equipment and supplies. Just as the wounded soldier moves along a pathway from injury, to triage, to care, to recovery, military physicians need to travel along their own pathway of understanding themselves as both physician an...

BACKGROUND Nurses are the main users of supplies and equipment applied in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) which are high-priced and costly. Therefore, understanding ICU nurses' experiences about resource management contributes to the better control of the costs. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the culture of nurses' working environment regarding the resource management in the ICUs ...

Logistics mainly involves the management of physical distribution systems. The first significant applications of logistics were developed in the military sector. Modern military operations require constant mobility and consume large amounts of supplies. Although military logistics first developed in the Nineteenth Century (O’Sullivan and Miller, 1983), it was in World War II that logistics theo...

Who is responsible? The manager of the eye care unit is ultimately responsible for ensuring that equipment and supplies are adequate. However, the manager may delegate a member of the team to act as the ‘equipment person’. This person will have some responsibilities for ordering and will also be responsible for keeping the equipment inventory up to date. The inventory should contain information...

video conference, and Skype). During the initial meetings, J.S.M. mentored C.M.G. in the framework of the guided inquiry–based research model created by J.S.M. We then identified a semester and course in which C.M.G. would implement the research model, and we developed an overall timeline and schedule to achieve this goal. We worked together to adapt the model to work within a two-year college ...

Laboratories and laboratory networks are a fundamental component of tuberculosis (TB) control, providing testing for diagnosis, surveillance and treatment monitoring at every level of the health-care system. New initiatives and resources to strengthen laboratory capacity and implement rapid and new diagnostic tests for TB will require recognition that laboratories are systems that require quali...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review was to develop a 'contributory factors framework' from a synthesis of empirical work which summarises factors contributing to patient safety incidents in hospital settings. DESIGN A mixed-methods systematic review of the literature was conducted. DATA SOURCES Electronic databases (Medline, PsycInfo, ISI Web of knowledge, CINAHL and EMBASE), articl...

AIMS To measure the productivity and factors associated with high productivity of trichiasis surgeons. METHODS A standardised, pretested questionnaire was posted to all trichiasis surgeons trained in Tanzania at the address listed at the time of training, and then followed up by post and telephone with those who did not return the form. Questions asked related to place of work, number of surg...

BACKGROUND The poor maintenance of equipment and inadequate supplies of drugs and other items contribute to the low quality of maternity services often found in rural settings in low- and middle-income countries, and raise the risk of adverse patient outcomes through delaying care provision. We aim to describe staff experiences of providing maternal and neonatal care in rural health facilities ...