Shared trust of resident physicians in top-management and professional burnout: A cross-sectional study towards capacity for patient-focussed care, peer support and job expectations.

Rational: Hospitals desire to achieve the strategy of patient-centred care but burnout inhibits its implementation. Management has a role in responding to needs of patients, junior professional staff, and the hospital, in the present and future.

Aim: To test the association between shared organisational trust (OT) of resident physicians in top-management, a systemic organisational process, and professional burnout among residents.

Internal locus of control, health literacy and health, an Israeli cultural perspective.

The association between health literacy (HL) and health outcomes, including self-perceived health (SPH) has been well documented. Yet the complexity of this association is not yet completely clear. Drawing on the Health Literacy Scale (HLS) study in Israel, we examined the association between HL, Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLOC) and SPH among Jews and Arabs.

The Association of Health Literacy with Health Behavior, Socioeconomic Indicators, and Self-Assessed Health From a National Adult Survey in Israel.

There is a growing need to understand how health literacy influences health outcomes in diverse populations. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health literacy, health behavior, sociodemographic indicators, and self-assessed health in the adult population in Israel while identifying populations at risk for low health literacy. A cross-sectional national survey was conducted among 600 adults randomly selected from a national database.

Cost Analysis of an Intervention to Prevent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Transmission.

Introduction: Our objective was to assess the cost implications of a vertical MRSA prevention program that led to a reduction in MRSA bacteremia.

Methods: We performed a matched historical cohort study and cost analysis in a single hospital in Israel for the years 2005-2011. The cost of MRSA bacteremia was calculated as total hospital cost for patients admitted with bacteremia and for patients with hospital-acquired bacteremia, the difference in cost compared to matched controls.

Is there clinical benefit to routine enzyme testing of patients on statins?

Objective: Statin-treated patients undergo frequent laboratory tests. This study evaluated the clinical impact of abnormal liver or muscle enzyme results.

Research Design And Methods: This clinical process evaluation study took place in six primary care clinics in Israel.

Addressing healthcare inequities in Israel by eliminating prescription drug copayments.

Objectives: To determine whether subsidizing prescription drug copayments for patients with chronic illness and low socioeconomic status would increase their use of prescription drugs and improve their health.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: Enrolled were 355 patients with low socioeconomic status, as defined by the Israel National Insurance Institute, who were not regularly purchasing prescribed medications.

Quality of anticoagulation control among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To assess the level of anticoagulation control achieved in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving routine medical care within a large managed care organization and to explore patient factors that influence control.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study of all patients with AF treated in Clalit Health Services (CHS) community clinics in central Israel between November 1, 2006, to October 31, 2007.

Methods: Using the CHS computerized database, we identified 906 patients with a diagnosis of AF who were treated with warfarin for at least 6 months.

The perceived performance, barriers and solutions for the good preventive care of elderly people in Israel.

Background: Many elderly people, who experience functional and cognitive deterioration, visit their family physician or general practitioner (GP) who is well placed to administer preventive care; however, this provision is often suboptimal.

Aim: To examine barriers to preventive care among the elderly and examine self-perceived skills and knowledge among Israeli physicians.

Design: Quantitative and qualitative research methods involving focus groups were used.

Incidence and clinical manifestations of rheumatic fever: a 6 year community-based survey.

Background: Most data on the incidence of rheumatic fever come from hospital records. We presumed that there may be cases of RF that do not require hospitalization, especially in countries with high quality community health care.

Objectives: To explore the incidence and characteristics of RF using community-based data.

A low carbohydrate Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes control among overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 1-year prospective randomized intervention study.

Background: The appropriate dietary intervention for overweight persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is unclear. Trials comparing the effectiveness of diets are frequently limited by short follow-up times and high dropout rates.

Aim: The effects of a low carbohydrate Mediterranean (LCM), a traditional Mediterranean (TM), and the 2003 American Diabetic Association (ADA) diet were compared, on health parameters during a 12-month period.

Improvements and difficulties in postoperative pain management.

Background: This review examines postoperative pain (POP) management from the perspectives of healthcare providers, patients, and institutions. It summarizes current thought about POP, including difficulties and recent improvements in the field.

Methods: Studies were identified from PubMed, MEDLINE, and the search engine Google Scholar and by hand-searching reference lists from review articles and research papers (1998-2009).

Measurement of quality improvement in family practice over two-year period using electronic database quality indicators: retrospective cohort study from Israel.

Aim: To investigate the associations between family physicians' characteristics and the change in quality of health care indicators (QI) over a two-year period.

Methods: The retrospective cohort study included 161 (60.5%) of 266 family physicians who worked for the Clalit health fund in Israel in the period from January 2003 until December 2005.

[Health care inequalities in Israel--the responsibility of the family physician].

The National Health Insurance Law, which went into effect on January 1, 1995, requires the healthcare system to provide equitable, high quality health services to all residents of Israel. This study evaluated several health measures including life expectancy, infant mortality, chronic illness, oral health, mental health, health behaviors, and access to basic health services, and correlated them with demographic indicators such as religion, nationality, education, socio-economic status, cultural background, and place of residence. Individual co-payments for medical services included in the national health package have increased over the years since the National Health Law was enacted, and this has had a significant impact on the lower-income segments of the population.

Pathomorphologic and immunohistochemical study on the devastation of rat embryos by antiphospholipid antibody positive serum.

Problem: While relying on previous publications, our aim was to examine the morphologic changes, induced in early rat embryos by intra-uterine exposure to the low-molecular weight fraction of boiled human serum containing antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) that had been obtained from women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Method Of Study: Human APLA-positive sera were pooled, boiled, centrifuged and separated by ultrafiltration. The molecular weight fraction lower than 30 kDa was used for the experiments.

Characteristics of diabetics with poor glycemic control who achieve good control.

Objective: To find the characteristics of diabetics with poorly controlled diabetes that became well controlled compared with the patients with poorly controlled diabetes that remained poorly controlled.

Methods: The sample included diabetic patients, aged 40 years and older, from the Central district of Clalit Health Service in Israel, with at least one HbA1c measure greater than 9.5 mg% during 2001.

A modified Mediterranean diet is associated with the greatest reduction in alanine aminotransferase levels in obese type 2 diabetes patients: results of a quasi-randomised controlled trial.

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the effect of different dietary interventions on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in obese patients with diabetes.

Methods: A post hoc analysis of an open label, parallel design, quasi-randomised (allocation by alternation), controlled trial, conducted in Israel. Obese patients with diabetes (n = 259), treated in the community, were centrally allocated to one of three diets: (1) the 2003 recommended American Diabetes Association diet (ADA): 50-55% carbohydrate, 30% fat and 20% protein, n = 85; (2) a low glycaemic index (LGI) diet: 50-55% LGI carbohydrate, 30% fat, 15-20% protein, n = 89; or (3) a modified Mediterranean diet (MMD): 35% LGI carbohydrate, 45% fat that was high in monounsaturated fat, 15-20% protein, n = 85.

Adherence with statins over 8 years in a usual care setting.

Objective: To describe adherence with statin treatment in a usual practice setting and to investigate potential determinants of better adherence.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data.

Methods: Study patients were 47,680 individuals enrolled in the Central District of Clalit Health Services HMO in Israel who filled at least 1 prescription for statins between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2006.

Long-term adherence to antihypertensive therapy: a survey in four primary care clinics.

Background: Many hypertensive patients have suboptimal control of their blood pressure. One of the most common causes is poor adherence with treatment.

Aim: To identify factors associated with poorer adherence to antihypertensive treatment.

The placental barrier in allogenic immune conflict in spontaneous early abortions: immunohistochemical and morphological study.

Problem: Morphologic changes in the placental barrier in spontaneous early abortions under the maternal-embryonic immune conflict, and the role of maternal immunoglobulins (Igs) in these changes.

Materials And Methods: We examined chorionic villi and other tissues obtained from 54 aborts between weeks 3.5 and 8 of pregnancy.

Effect of the characteristics of family physicians on their utilisation of laboratory tests.

Background: The use of laboratory tests by family physicians has increased in recent years.

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between family physicians' characteristics and the number and type of laboratory tests requested, taking into account chronic diseases.

Design Of Study: Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Does dairy calcium intake enhance weight loss among overweight diabetic patients?

Objective: To examine the effect of dairy calcium consumption on weight loss and improvement in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes indicators among overweight diabetic patients.

Research Design And Methods: This was an ancillary study of a 6-month randomized clinical trial assessing the effect of three isocaloric diets in type 2 diabetic patients: 1) mixed glycemic index carbohydrate diet, 2) low-glycemic index diet, and 3) modified Mediterranean diet. Low-fat dairy product consumption varied within and across the groups by personal choice.

Cataract surgery is associated with a higher rate of photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the association between cataract surgery and the rate of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Observational population-based retrospective case-control study.

Participants: All members in a district of the largest health maintenance organization (HMO) in Israel > 50 years old on January 1, 2001, who did not terminate their membership through May 31, 2005 (139 894 members).

Prevalence of methylphenidate use among Israeli children: 1998-2004.

Background: Use of methylphenidate for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased throughout the world in the past decade. In Israel, as elsewhere, there is much debate regarding the diagnosis of ADHD and methylphenidate use. The aim of this study was to examine methylphenidate use rates for the treatment of ADHD among children in Israel during the years 1998-2004 with a special focus on prescriptions among girls.

Increased risk for herpetic eye disease in patients with allergic conjunctivitis.

Purpose: To evaluate the risk of ocular surface herpetic eye disease (osHED) in allergic eye disease.

Methods: We calculated the risk for osHED in 11,205 patients on antiallergic ocular topical agents compared with 453,069 controls based on filled prescriptions for topical acyclovir between 2001 and 2003.

Results: Significantly more allergic patients, of all age groups, received treatment for osHED (p < 0.