The association between improved quality diabetes indicators, health outcomes and costs: towards constructing a "business case" for quality of diabetes care--a time series study.

Background: In primary health care systems where member's turnover is relatively low, the question, whether investment in quality of care improvement can make a business case, or is cost effective, has not been fully answered.The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the relationship between improvement in selected measures of diabetes (type 2) care and patients' health outcomes; and (2) to estimate the association between improvement in performance and direct medical costs.

Methods: A time series study with three quality indicators - Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing, HbA1C and LDL- cholesterol (LDL-C) control - which were analyzed in patients with diabetes, insured by a large health fund.

Pulmonary functions testing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: A high incidence of abnormal pulmonary function tests has been reported in cross-sectional studies among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Few patients have been enrolled in longitudinal studies.

Objectives: To perform PFT in rheumatoid arthritic patients without pulmonary involvement and to identify variables related to changes in PFT over 5 years of follow-up.

Accuracy of hepatitis C virus core antigen testing in pools among seroconverters.

Background: Screening blood units for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with nucleic acid testing (NAT) reduces the risk associated with the long "window period" (8-9 weeks) after HCV infection. The feasibility of adding the HCV core antigen assay in pools to the existing anti-HCV individual screening was examined as an alternative of NAT, for early detection of HCV.

Study Design And Methods: Eighteen HCV seroconversion panels were tested for HCV antibodies, HCV antigen, and HCV RNA.

Young infants' morbidity and exposure to fine particles in a region with two power plants.

This study investigated the effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ambient air on hospital admissions and emergency room (ER) visits among young children (0-3 yr) residing in 4 communities in southern Israel, within an area 5-25 km from the 2 power plants, which operate within 25 km of each other. Daily records of hospitalizations and ER visits for respiratory diseases at the 3 hospitals serving the region were examined for 9 mo, October 1, 2000-June 30, 2001.

Duplex study of the carotid and femoral arteries of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled study.

Background: "Ultrasonic biopsy" (U-B) is a noninvasive screening technique to detect early atherosclerotic plaques and arterial wall changes.

Aim: To identify atherosclerosis (AS) in the common carotid artery (CCA) and common femoral artery (CFA) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their matched controls.

Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive RA patients were enrolled in the study.

Duplex study of the carotid and femoral arteries of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a controlled study.

Objective: To identify atherosclerosis in the common carotid (CCA) and common femoral arteries (CFA) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and matched controls.

Methods: Fifty-one consecutive patients with SLE were enrolled in the study. Controls were matched by age, sex, ethnicity, and atherosclerosis risk factors.