Inpatient Hospital Charge Variability of U.S. Hospitals.

Background: The range of hospital charges for similar diagnoses show tremendous variability across U.S. hospitals.

Financial incentives for home-based health monitoring: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Home wireless device monitoring could play an important role in improving the health of patients with poorly controlled chronic diseases, but daily engagement rates among these patients may be low.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of two different magnitudes of financial incentives for improving adherence to remote-monitoring regimens among patients with poorly controlled diabetes.

Design: Randomized, controlled trial.

Public opinion about financial incentives for smoking cessation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess public support for a smoking cessation policy involving financial incentives.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial using an experimental survey design. One of four questionnaire versions was distributed to participants.

The New York Times readers' opinions about paying people to take their medicine.

Background: There has been considerable interest in using financial incentives to help people improve their health. However, paying people to improve their health touches on strongly held views about personal responsibility.

Method: The New York Times printed two articles in June 2010 about patient financial incentives, which resulted in 394 comments from their online audience.

Development of novel mucoadhesive pellets of metformin hydrochloride.

Mucoadhesive polymer-coated pellets containing metformin hydrochloride were prepared by the powder-layering technique using a centrifugal fluidizing (CF)-granulator. Four high-viscosity polymers were applied to make the pellets: 1) hydroxymethylcellulose (HPMC), 2) sodium alginate (Na-Alg), 3) HPMC/Carbopol, and 4) sodium carboxylmethylcellulose (Na-CMC). The physical crushing test, mucoadhesive test, zeta-potential test, in vitro release study and observation of gastroretention state of the dosage form were performed to investigate the pellets.

Can a mini-bypass circuit improve perfusion in cardiac surgery compared to conventional cardiopulmonary bypass?

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the 'mini-bypass technique' can give a reduction in complications after cardiac surgery compared to the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass circuit. Altogether 144 papers were found using the reported search, of which 14 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question.