BACKGROUND Aeromedical transport in northern areas may be associated with hypothermia. The objective of this study was to determine whether significant hypothermia (core temperature <35 masculineC) occurs in severely injured or ill intubated patients during transport by rotary wing aircraft. METHODS In this prospective cohort study, all intubated patients over 16 years of age who were transpo...

The pressures for closer alignment between physicians and hospitals in both rural and urban areas are increasing. This study empirically specifies independent dimensions of physician and clinical integration and compares the extent to which such activities are practiced between rural and urban hospitals and among rural hospitals in different organizational and market contexts. Results suggest t...

OBJECTIVE Residents of rural communities have decreased access to cancer screening and treatments compared to urban residents, though use of resources and patient outcomes have not been assessed with a comprehensive population-based analysis. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether breast cancer screening and treatments were utilized less frequently in rural BC and whether this...

The number of stand-alone rural hospitals has been shrinking as larger health systems target these hospitals for mergers and acquisitions (M and As). However, little research has focused specifically on rural hospital M and A transactions. Using data from Irving Levin Associates' Healthcare M and A Report and Medicare Cost Reports from 2005 to 2012, we examined two research questions: (1) What ...

The present study measures levels of stigma within health care settings in urban and rural Gujarat, in an attempt to understand how this may have contributed to the state's increasing HIV incidence. Two sites were studied: a rural hospital in Bardoli and an urban hospital in Surat. HIV-associated stigma among healthcare workers (N=170) was assessed using a Stigma Index. Overall, analyses sugges...

This paper makes an analysis of subsidies in Chile’s public utilities. Rates rebalancing have practically eliminated cross subsidies, and current programs are funded from the national budget. Over the last decade in particular, significant efforts have been made to extend public services to rural populations, and a consumption subsidy for potable water currently benefits 17% of the population. ...

PURPOSE The purpose of this sub-analysis was to compare the early recovery of elderly patients following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) by geographic location (urban/rural) on physical functioning and physical activity. METHODS The sample was 124 subjects who had been in the usual care group (or control group) of a randomized controlled trial. Subjects were categorized into geographic ...

PURPOSE To evaluate an educational intervention promoting acceptance of cataract surgery in rural China using a randomized controlled design. METHODS Patients aged 50 years or older with presenting visual acuity (PVA) less than 6/18 in one or both eyes due to cataract were recruited from 26 screening sessions (13 intervention, 13 control) conducted by five rural hospitals in Guangdong, China....

BACKGROUND China has the largest population of cataract patients in the world. However, the cataract surgery rate per million remains low in China. We carried out a survey on costs of cataract surgery from four different graded providers in China and analyzed differences in cost among these clinics. METHODS 1,189 patients were recruited for the study in four eye clinics, located in two provin...