[Harmful health effects of flavors in e-cigarettes].

Background: Almost all e-cigarettes contain flavorings that make the product more attractive. In the evaluation of e-cigarettes on health, flavors have so far played a subordinate role.

Method: Selective literature search in PubMed, supplemented by legal regulations on the use of flavors in e-cigarettes.

[Harmful health effects of flavors in e-cigarettes].

Background:  Almost all e-cigarettes contain flavorings that make the product more attractive. In the evaluation of e-cigarettes on health, flavors have so far played a subordinate role.

Method:  Selective literature search in PubMed, supplemented by legal regulations on the use of flavors in e-cigarettes.

[Scientific Rationale for the Directive on Opioid Substitution Treatment of the German Medical Association: A Summary].

Background: According to the Narcotic Drugs Prescription Ordinance (BtMVV), the German Medical Association was commissioned to issue a directive on opioid substitution treatment (OST) based on the current state of scientific medical knowledge.

Method: For the publication of the initial version of the German Medical Association's directive in 2002, an extensive literature research had been conducted, categorizing the results by levels of evidence. Subsequent revisions in 2010 and 2017 included recent systematic reviews, studies of evidence levels I-III and international guidelines.

[Continuity of care by Pflegeüberleitung? Results of participant observation].

Continuity of care between health care institutions is of increasing importance. In a two-year research project on this topic extensive participant observation was carried out for data gathering in three hospitals in Düsseldorf (Germany). In each institution four patients were observed until their discharge and all interactions between them and health care professionals were documented using a semi-structured data-gathering instrument.

[Continuity of care--the perspective of patients and their relatives].

As part of an extensive research project on securing continuity of care through Pflegeüberleitung, data on experiences of patients and their relatives regarding discharge from hospital were collected and analysed by means of a qualitative study. Ten focused interviews were conducted and analysed with five patients and five relatives, respectively. From the results of the patient interviews, the subjective experience of being ill was identified as a main issue, constituting a dimension which pervades all other categories of the results.

[Continuity of care--the perspective of nurses responsible for Pflegeüberleitung].

Until a few years ago, continuity of care in connection with a client's transition from one care setting to another was not considered part of the primary objectives of the health system, due to a strict division of intramural and extra-mural care systems. Nowadays, epidemiological as well as sociographic developments have changed the situation fundamentally. As their common main objective, the different approaches towards Pflegeüberleitung focus on the management of interfaces by reducing breaks in co-ordination, thereby improving the quality of the service.

[Methadone substitution--a scientific review in the context of out-patient therapy in Germany].

The German Betäubungsmittelverschreibungsverordnung BtmVV (prescription regulation of narcotics), 5 part 2, 01 July 2001 commissioned the German Medical Association to establish guidelines on methadone maintenance therapy according to the medical-scientific state of the art. A joint commission of the German Medical Association and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians developed guidelines for substitution therapy of opiate dependence which were adopted by the board of the German Medical Association in March 2002 and were published in the Deutsche Arzteblatt in May 24, 2002. The present study is a systematic review of the scientific literature on successful treatment in general, as well as on particular aspects of methadone substitution therapy considered by the German Medical Association's guidelines.

[Shared decision making. The perspective of practicing physicians].

Background And Purpose: More and more, patients want to participate in medical decision making. They expect a patient-centered communication as well as adequate information. However, little is known about the physicians' perspective and skills regarding shared decision making (SDM).

[Psychiatric morbidity in homeless single men].

Aim: The aim of this cross sectional study was to establish the extent of psychiatric morbidity among homeless men and compare this group with a sample of formerly homeless.

Method: [corrected] 82 homeless and a comparison group of 37 formerly homeless were interviewed using a psychopathological interview according to AMDP (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für medizinische Dokumentation) as well as selected modules of the CIDI (Composite International Diagnostic Interview). Diagnoses were established according to ICD-10.

[Prevalence of physical diseases, health behavior and health care utilization in single homeless men: a cross sectional study].

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of physical diseases, the subjective evaluation of their own health and health care utilization in the actually homeless and a comparison group of formerly homeless.

Methods: A representative sample of 82 homeless and 37 formerly homeless was studied. Instruments were a physical examination and a standardized interview.

[Family physicians, the internet and new knowledge. Utilization and judgment of efficiency of continuing education media by general physicians and internists in family practice].

Background And Objective: The application of new information technologies has a lasting impact on the physicians' working environment. Not only practice administration is undergoing substantial change, increasingly, individual learning preferences and continuing medical education are influenced by new media. This survey is designed to demonstrate current methods of and demand for continuing medical education by primary care physicians.

[www.evidence.de--assessment and utilization of clinical guidelines by primary care physicians and internists].

Background And Objective: Compared to the generation of new scientific results, implementation and utilization of evidence based knowledge is lacking far behind. Strengths and weaknesses of evidence- and HTML-based guidelines were evaluated in an academic network of primary care physicians to better understand the expectations and information needs of GPs.

Methods: Standardized survey of 72 primary care physicians (21% female, 79% male) regarding three network based issues: "frequency of guideline use", "reasons to use/not to use guidelines", "evaluation and overall judgement of guidelines".