Development of a quality scoring tool to assess quality of discharge summaries.

Introduction: Timely, precise, and relevant communication between hospital-based clinicians and primary care physicians post-discharge (DC) ensures quality transitions, thereby reducing patient safety incidents and preventing readmission. At the present time there is limited knowledge of elements of quality or methods to score the quality criteria in the context of DC summaries. The Nova Scotia Health Authority, a provincial health system responsible for the delivery of services in a small Canadian province, embarked on a system-level approach to the standardization of DC summaries in an effort to improve quality and safety at care transitions from hospital to primary care.

Improving wait times to care for individuals with multimorbidities and complex conditions using value stream mapping.

Background: Recognizing the significant impact of wait times for care for individuals with complex chronic conditions, we applied a LEAN methodology, namely - an adaptation of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to meet the needs of people with multiple chronic conditions and to improve wait times without additional resources or funding.

Methods: Over an 18-month time period, staff applied a patient-centric approach that included LEAN methodology of VSM to improve wait times to care. Our framework of evaluation was grounded in the needs and perspectives of patients and individuals waiting to receive care.

Diagnosing and improving functioning in interdisciplinary health care teams.

Interdisciplinary teams play a key role in the delivery of health care. Team functioning can positively or negatively impact the effective and efficient delivery of health care services as well as the personal well-being of group members. Additionally, teams must be able and willing to work together to achieve team goals within a climate that reflects commitment to team goals, accountability, respect, and trust.

Temporal and spatial biomonitoring of heavy metals in Hong Kong coastal waters using Tetraclita squamosa.

The barnacle Tetraclita squamosa (Crustacea: Cirripedia) was collected from 11 sites in the coastal waters of Hong Kong during three consecutive seasons, i.e. summer 1996, winter 1996-1997 and summer 1997.

Effects of aqueous and dietary preexposure and resulting body burden on silver biokinetics in the green mussel Perma viridis.

To determine whether preexposure of green mussel Perna viridis to Ag influenced metal uptake kinetics we compared various physiological indicators of metal uptake kinetics between the control mussels and mussels preexposed to Ag in both diet and water at different levels (up to 5 weeks). In all preexposed mussels, the assimilation of Ag increased by 1.1-3.