Management of early prostatic cancer in the Nordic countries: variations in clinical policies and physicians' attitudes toward radical treatment options.

To explore the treatment of patients with early localized prostatic carcinoma, we surveyed the departments of urology and general surgery in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Clinical policies and physicians' attitudes toward the radical treatment options varied widely between the countries. A correlation seems to exist between practice patterns and national attitudes toward special technologies.

[Prostate cancer in Scandinavia. Variations in practice and attitude to radical treatment].

Some controversy persists as to the optimal assessment and treatment of prostate cancer, a lack of consensus reflected in differences in clinical practice. Our survey among departments of urology and general surgery in the Nordic countries showed Danish physicians to be the most conservative, while the most active intervention strategies were found in Finland.

Crucial questions for physiotherapy in Finland.

When planning for health services, questions of production and distribution as well as cost and quality are key issues for health planners and decision makers. The lack of available objective data often makes this work difficult. This paper presents recent efforts in Finland to improve the collection of information needed for planning in the field of physiotherapy.

Medical technology assessment in Finland.

We need five kinds of people to guide us further through the integrated process of medical technology assessment: (a) idea generators; (b) entrepreneurs/product, process and practice "champions"; (c) program managers; (d) gatekeepers/communicators; and (e) sponsors/"coaches." If we focus on idea generators, empirical research quickly points out a significant difference between people who create ideas and those who apply the ideas that others have generated. Entrepreneurs and product "champions" promote change and innovation, take ideas, and attempt to move them forward in organizations to gain their adoption.

Percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone during and after the acute phase of dermatitis in children.

Percutaneous absorption of hydrocortisone was measured by a four-hour absorption test in 16 children during and after the acute phase of dermatitis. In the acute phase, after the application of 1% hydrocortisone cream the increment in plasma cortisol ranged from 47 to 961 nmol per liter (median 248 nmol/L). After the acute phase the increment was significantly (P less than 0.