Effects of weekend admission and hospital teaching status on in-hospital mortality.

Purpose: The effect of reduced hospital staffing during weekends on in-hospital mortality is not known. We compared mortality rates between patients admitted on weekends and weekdays and whether weekend-weekday variation in rates differed between patients admitted to teaching and nonteaching hospitals in California.

Methods: The sample comprised patients admitted to hospitals from the emergency department with any of 50 common diagnoses (N = 641,860).

Cost-effectiveness of automated external defibrillator deployment in selected public locations.

Objective: The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends an automated external defibrillator (AED) be considered for a specific location if there is at least a 20% annual probability the device will be used. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the AHA recommendation and of AED deployment in selected public locations with known cardiac arrest rates.

Design: Markov Decision Model employing a societal perspective.

The impact of a celebrity promotional campaign on the use of colon cancer screening: the Katie Couric effect.

Background: Public participation in many preventive health programs is suboptimal. While various interventions to increase participation have been studied, the impact of a celebrity spokesperson on cancer screening has not been rigorously examined. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of Katie Couric's March 2000 Today Show colorectal cancer awareness campaign on colonoscopy rates.

The impact of including passive benefits in cost-effectiveness analysis: the case of automated external defibrillators on commercial aircraft.

Objective: Traditional cost-utility analysis assumes that all benefits from health-related interventions are captured by the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained by the few individuals whose outcome is improved by the intervention. However, it is possible that many individuals who do not directly benefit from an intervention receive utility, and therefore QALYs, because of the passive benefit (aka sense of security) provided by the existence of the intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact that varying quantities of passive benefit have on the cost-effectiveness of airline defibrillator programs.

Diagnostic testing or empirical neuraminidase inhibitor therapy for patients with influenza-like illness: what a difference a day makes.

Objective: To determine the clinical and economic trade-offs of available diagnostic and treatment options for patients with suspected influenza infection.

Design: Decision analytic model.

Patients: A simulated cohort of adults with influenza-like illness of less than 48 hours' duration.

Influenza. Cost of illness and considerations in the economic evaluation of new and emerging therapies.

Influenza infection has been a burden to humans for thousands of years. Despite the fact that epidemics could be predicted with regularity, the lack of available prevention or treatment measures left humankind vulnerable to the harmful effects of this ubiquitous virus. While the pandemics of 1918 and 1957 are recent examples of the devastation that influenza may inflict, even in a typical year influenza infection and related complications cause significant morbidity and mortality.

Diagnostic testing for influenza: review of current status and implications of newer treatment options.

Audience: This article is intended for all clinicians caring for patients at risk for or infected with influenza.

Goal: To review the accuracy and utility of diagnostic tests for influenza and to compare them with clinical diagnosis.

Objectives: 1.

Generalists or specialists--who does it better?

Managed care companies encourage primary care physicians to limit referrals to specialists and provide as much of the needed services themselves. As a result, generalist and specialist physicians are now in direct competition with one another. Is the care provided by generalist and specialist physicians different in terms of quality and cost? The authors reviewed the literature over the past five years and found 21 articles comparing the care between specialists and generalists.