Association of Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative with patient-reported outcomes.

Objective: To determine whether the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative affected patient-reported measures of quality.

Data Sources: Surveys of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries discharged from acute care hospitals participating in BPCI Model 2 and comparison hospitals between October 2014 and June 2017. Variables from Medicare administrative data and the Provider of Services file were used for sampling and risk adjustment.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense responses of Etroplus suratensis to acute temperature fluctuations.

Fishes are always exposed to various environmental stresses and the chances of succumbing to such stresses are of great physiological concern. Any change in temperature from the ambient condition can induce various metabolic and physiological changes in the body. The present study evaluates the effects of temperature induced stress on the antioxidant profile of Etroplus suratensis such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation.

AMSSM scientific statement concerning viscosupplementation injections for knee osteoarthritis: importance for individual patient outcomes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling disease that produces severe morbidity reducing physical activity. Our position statement on treatment of knee OA with viscosupplementation injection (hyaluronic acid, HA) versus steroid (intra-articular corticosteroids, IAS) and placebo (intra-articular placebo, IAP) is based on the evaluation of treatment effect by examining the number of participants within a treatment arm who met the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials-Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) criteria, which is different and more relevant than methods used in other reviews which examined if the average change across the treatment groups were clinically different. We performed a systematic literature search for all relevant articles from 1960 to August 2014 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL.

AMSSM Scientific Statement Concerning Viscosupplementation Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: Importance for Individual Patient Outcomes.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling disease that produces severe morbidity reducing physical activity. Our position statement on treatment of knee OA with viscosupplementation injection [hyaluronic acid (HA)] versus steroid [intra-articular corticosteroid (IAS)] and placebo [intra-articular placebo (IAP)] is based on the evaluation of treatment effect by examining the number of subjects within a treatment arm that met the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials-Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) criteria, which is different and more relevant than methods used in other reviews which examined if the average change across the treatment groups was clinically different.

Data Sources: We performed a systematic literature search for all relevant articles from 1960 to August 2014 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL.

Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome.

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) may be implicated as a cause of lower leg pain in active individuals. Though a relatively rare syndrome, it is likely underdiagnosed. History often includes exertional lower leg pain, cramping, and/or paresthesias rather quickly relieved by rest, though examination may be benign.

The Global Burden of Potential Productivity Loss from Uncorrected Presbyopia.

Purpose: The onset of presbyopia in middle adulthood results in potential losses in productivity among otherwise healthy adults if uncorrected or undercorrected. The economic burden could be significant in lower-income countries, where up to 94% of cases may be uncorrected or undercorrected. This study estimates the global burden of potential productivity lost because of uncorrected functional presbyopia.

Effect of Minimalist Footwear on Running Efficiency: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Although minimalist footwear is increasingly popular among runners, claims that minimalist footwear enhances running biomechanics and efficiency are controversial.

Hypothesis: Minimalist and barefoot conditions improve running efficiency when compared with traditional running shoes.

Study Design: Randomized crossover trial.

Use of the analytic hierarchy process for medication decision-making in type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To investigate the feasibility and utility of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for medication decision-making in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We conducted an AHP with nine diabetes experts using structured interviews to rank add-on therapies (to metformin) for type 2 diabetes. During the AHP, participants compared treatment alternatives relative to eight outcomes (hemoglobin A1c-lowering and seven potential harms) and the relative importance of the different outcomes.

An international comparison of stakeholder motivation to implement liver cancer control.

Background: The World Health Organization offers clear guidance on the development of national cancer control programmes based on a country's level of resources, yet the motivation to implement such programmes may be driven by factors other than resources.

Objectives: To compare stakeholder motivation to implement a national liver cancer control programme and assess if variation in motivation was associated with stakeholder characteristics or with national indicators of need and resources.

Methods: Relevant stakeholders were purposively selected from 13 countries (Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and USA) to participate in a structured survey on liver cancer control.

Patient preferences for noninsulin diabetes medications: a systematic review.

Objective: An evidence-based synthesis of patient preferences for management of hyperglycemia is needed. Our objective was to systematically review patient preferences for noninsulin diabetes medications in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and EconLit databases for articles published on or before 23 January 2013.

Systematic assessment of benefits and risks: study protocol for a multi-criteria decision analysis using the Analytic Hierarchy Process for comparative effectiveness research.

Background: Regulatory decision-making involves assessment of risks and benefits of medications at the time of approval or when relevant safety concerns arise with a medication. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) facilitates decision-making in complex situations involving tradeoffs by considering risks and benefits of alternatives. The AHP allows a more structured method of synthesizing and understanding evidence in the context of importance assigned to outcomes.

Patient preferences for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a scoping review.

Background: As more studies report on patient preferences, techniques are needed to identify, assess and, eventually, synthesize results from a diverse set of methodologies. Data on patient preferences are valuable to decision makers in a variety of ways. Preferences for outcomes can be used to inform decision and cost-effectiveness models, while preferences for treatments can inform patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and patient-centered care.

Can public reporting impact patient outcomes and disparities? A systematic review.

Objective: Recent US healthcare reforms aim to improve quality and access. We synthesized evidence assessing the impact that public reporting (PR), which will be extended to the outpatient setting, has on patient outcomes and disparities.

Methods: A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines identified studies addressing the impact of PR on patient outcomes and disparities.

Stakeholder perspectives on European priorities for comprehensive liver cancer control: a conjoint analysis.

Background: As liver cancer incidence and mortality remain high in many parts of Europe, a more comprehensive response is required to reduce the burden. Expert stakeholders should be involved in the design of responses because they have important insights about potentially effective responses and will be affected by policy changes. We aimed to prioritize liver cancer control strategies based on European liver cancer stakeholders' views of which strategies would have the greatest impact in a comprehensive liver cancer control plan.

Prioritizing strategies for comprehensive liver cancer control in Asia: a conjoint analysis.

Background: Liver cancer is a complex and burdensome disease, with Asia accounting for 75% of known cases. Comprehensive cancer control requires the use of multiple strategies, but various stakeholders may have different views as to which strategies should have the highest priority. This study identified priorities across multiple strategies for comprehensive liver cancer control (CLCC) from the perspective of liver cancer clinical, policy, and advocacy stakeholders in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Is letrozole superior to clomiphene for ovarian stimulation prior to intrauterine insemination?

Objective: To compare the efficacy of letrozole with clomiphene citrate for ovarian stimulation prior to intrauterine insemination.

Methods: A total of 272 patients underwent 362 cycles of stimulation prior to IUI from January 2009 to May 2011. One hundred and twenty-six patients (170 cycles) received letrozole 5 mg and 146 patients (192 cycles) received clomiphene citrate 100 mg for 5 days starting on day 3 of the cycle.

Needs for hepatocellular carcinoma control policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is particularly burdensome in the Asia-Pacific region, however, cross-country comparisons have been limited to somewhat unreliable epidemiological measures. We conducted a comparative needs assessment for HCC control policy to inform HCC control efforts in the Asia-Pacific region. The aims were to identify regional needs, to compare overall competence across the region, and to identify which needs were concordant across the region.

Development of a congestive heart failure protocol in a rehabilitation setting.

A number of patients in a rehabilitation setting were being transferred to acute-care facilities with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF). A transfer penalty was charged to the rehabilitation facility based on each patient's length of stay. A multidisciplinary team was assembled with physician support to address the problem.

Impact of fatigue on gender-based high-risk landing strategies.

Purpose: Noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries carry significant short- and long-term morbidity, particularly in females. To combat this epidemic, neuromuscular training has evolved aimed at modifying high-risk lower-limb biomechanics. However, injury rates and the gender disparity in these rates remain, suggesting that key components of the injury mechanism continue to be ignored.

Superior performance of blind compared with sighted individuals on bimanual estimations of object size.

Five preliminary experiments on sighted individuals revealed marked overestimation on an object size-estimation task using a bimanual response. These experiments ruled out the possibility that overestimation was due to the mode of visual presentation (whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional), the input modality (visual or kinesthetic), or the influence of other visual cues. The main experiment then investigated whether these distortions are due to visual experience by using a variant of the same task to test 24 blind and 24 sighted control participants.