[Semantic and conceptual equivalence of the observable indicatorsof Nursing Home Care Quality Instrument].

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) for the elderly are an important health care alternative in the world, though Brazil does not yet have a valid instrument to monitor the quality of these institutions. This study sought to describe the initial stages of the cross-cultural adaptation of the Observable Indicators of Nursing Home Care Quality (OIQ) instrument used to assess the quality of care in LTCFs. Conceptual equivalence was conducted to assess the relevance and feasibility of the OIQ within the Brazilian context, using the Content Validity Index (CVI).

[Patient safety culture and related factors in a network of Spanish public hospitals].

The objectives were to describe Patient Safety Culture (PSC) in a regional network of public hospitals, according to the perceptions of health professionals, and analyze the influence of socio-professional factors. A survey was conducted with 1,113 professionals from eight Spanish hospitals, using a questionnaire that explores 12 dimensions of PSC. Perceptions were described through the Percentage of Positive (PPR) and Negative Responses (PNR) by dimension, and the association of factors was analyzed using multivariate linear regression.

Effectiveness of internal quality assurance programmes in improving clinical practice and reducing costs.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of internal initiatives to improve quality as compared with external feedback, and as compared with a control group.

Method: Ten primary health centres were randomly selected from the centres in the Murcia's Region and were randomly assigned into three groups: G1 committed themselves to the improvement; G2 composed by two subgroups: with and without quality improvement (QI) activities - received external feedback; G3 received no intervention. Quality of common cold management was measured in a random sample of 50 patients per centre before and after interventions.

Conservative management of burst fractures of the fifth lumbar vertebra.

Isolated fractures of the lumbar fifth vertebrae (L5) are very rare, and there is little information in the literature regarding comparisons between conservative management and surgical treatment of this entity. This retrospective analysis reports on five cases of isolated burst fractures of the fifth lumbar vertebra without neurologic deficit. All cases were managed nonoperatively with a short period of bed rest followed by protected mobilization.