Value agenda for heart failure in Ontario: Application of the Porter model.

Value in healthcare is a challenge that is faced all over the world; costs continue to rise despite efforts to increase quality and efficient healthcare delivery. Heart failure is a progressive chronic condition that has been demonstrated to benefit from close monitoring with positive effects on mortality and morbidity when well managed. This article will review the Porter model for value in healthcare by comparing the current state of heart failure management in Ontario, Canada, with the six key concepts of the value agenda.

Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for infection, sepsis and mortality in the critically ill: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: In Europe, vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent varying between 40% and 60% in the healthy general adult population. The consequences of vitamin D deficiency for sepsis and outcome in critically ill patients remain controversial. We therefore systematically reviewed observational cohort studies on vitamin D deficiency in the intensive care unit.