Influence of single peer interventions on the recovery attitude of persons with a psychiatric disability.

Objective: This study examined the influence of single peer to peer interventions on participants' recovery attitudes.

Methods: Following a 40-hour training, pairs of individuals with a psychiatric disability offered a session (2.5 hour) in outpatient and residential psychiatric institutions.

Who benefits from peer support in psychiatric institutions?

This study examines the influence of recovery-oriented peer events on participants' recovery attitudes and explores who benefits most from such events. Changes in participants' recovery attitudes were evaluated (pre, post, follow-up), and compared with changes of control groups. Distributions of recovery-related values in subgroups were analyzed descriptively.

Exploring the disparities of regional health care expenditures in Switzerland: some empirical evidence.

This study investigates the determinants of regional variations in health care expenditures (HCE) in Switzerland, since there are significant differences between cantons per capita HCE. The empirical analysis contributes to the discussion on the outcome of federalism in the Swiss health care system by improving the understanding of the determinants of the differences in HCE. Our econometric estimations indicate that HCE are significantly related to the density of specialist physicians, density of dispensing doctors, per capita income, proportion of managed care, medical and technological progress and socio-economic factors.

Dual task interference in estimating the risk of falls and measuring change: a comparative, psychometric study of four measurements.

Objective: The aim is to examine the validity and reliability of the Timed Up and Go Test with dual task for predicting the risk of falls. Standard values for the TUG with dual task were determined, taking account of age and gender.

Design: Validation study.

Career success perception and work-related behaviour of employees in geriatric care--a pilot study in a German geriatric care facility.

Introduction: One of the job characteristics of geriatric care is the long-term relationship of the employees to the elderly people they are interacting with. However, these relationships are characterised by the fact that despite the care provided by the employees, the patients experience physical suffering during the relationship, which often ends with their deaths. Although that is to be expected in this profession, it can be interpreted as personal failure and may be a reason why employees in geriatric care feel exhausted and perceive strain and stress in the job.

Quality management and safety culture in medicine - Do standard quality reports provide insights into the human factor of patient safety?

In 1999 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published the landmark report "To err is human: building a safer healthcare system" highlighting critical deficiencies within the area of patient safety. As a consequence, safety culture evolved as a core component of quality management in medicine. Purpose of the investigation at hand was to find out to what extent this is reflected in standard quality reports issued by German hospitals providing maximum medical care.