Conservative spine care: opportunities to improve the quality and value of care.

Low back pain (LBP) has received considerable attention from researchers and health care systems because of its substantial personal, social, work-related, and economic consequences. A narrative review was conducted summarizing data about the epidemiology, care seeking, and utilization patterns for LBP in the adult US population. Recommendations from a consensus of clinical practice guidelines were compared to findings about the current state of clinical practice for LBP.

A targeted approach to reducing overutilization: use of percutaneous coronary intervention in stable coronary artery disease.

Overutilization, defined as use of unnecessary care when alternatives may produce similar outcomes, results in higher cost without increased value. Overutilization can be understood by focusing on settings where overuse is obvious. One example is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic stable angina.

Epidemiologic features of Campylobacter infection among cats in the upper midwestern United States.

Objective: To describe the epidemiologic features of Campylobacter infection among cats in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.

Design: Prevalence survey.

Animals: 152 cats examined at 3 private veterinary clinics and an animal humane society.

Reports of zoonotic disease outbreaks associated with animal exhibits and availability of recommendations for preventing zoonotic disease transmission from animals to people in such settings.

Objective: To assess the number of zoonotic disease outbreaks associated with animal exhibits and identify published recommendations for preventing zoonotic disease transmission from animals to people in exhibit settings.

Design: Literature review and survey of state public health veterinarians and state epidemiologists.

Procedure: MEDLINE and agriculture databases were searched from 1966 through 2000.