Vitamin D Supplementation in Chronic Schizophrenia Patients Treated with Clozapine: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: While accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the risk to develop schizophrenia and its outcome, there are no studies on vitamin D supplementation in this context. We sought to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on psychiatric, cognitive and metabolic parameters in chronic clozapine-treated schizophrenia patients.

Methods: This eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, recruited schizophrenia patients who had been maintained on clozapine treatment for at least 18weeks and had low levels of vitamin D (<75nmol/l) and total PANSS scores >70 (to ascertain the presence of residual symptoms).

Telecardiology for patients with acute or chronic cardiac complaints: the 'SHL' experience in Israel and Germany.

Objective: To assess the impact of a telemedicine program in which electrocardiogram (EKG), body weight and/or blood pressure are measured at home and medically trained personnel judge the transmitted data and council the patients by telephone.

Method: We systematically studied the outcome and cost-effectiveness of the cardiac programs carried out by Shahal (SHL) during the past 19 years.

Result: Most patients (85%) with acute complaints resembling coronary artery disease, could be reassured, representing a savings of about 677.

Tele-Cardiology for Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: The 'SHL' Experience in Israel and Germany.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an example of a disease that can benefit to a great extent from a combination of disease management, telemedicine and outreaching care by professionals. This article summarizes how experience has been built up since 15 years and how cost-effectiveness could be demonstrated in several studies. Tele-cardiology for CHF has proven it's value and is currently being applied successfully in Israel and Germany by SHL-telemedicine International LTD.

Good healthcare innovation practice (GHIP)--a network-driven, knowledge-conscious approach for innovation in the (Dutch) healthcare sector.

In this article we describe why and how a new approach has been developed for innovation projects in the Dutch healthcare sector. There are three key aspects in the approach: Innovation should be seen as a (fair) process, the process is owned by all stakeholders (which calls for a Network approach) and, finally, the process should be knowledge-enabled, i.e.