ABSTRACT Healthcare policy, clinical practice and research all declare patient benefit as their avowed aim. Yet, the conceptual question of what exactly constitutes has received much less attention than practical means realising it. Currently, three key areas unclarity make achieved, real-world impact hard to quantify disconnect it from magnitude endeavour: (1) distinction between obje...

Where curb parking is overcrowded, drivers who are searching for a rare open space congest traffic, pollute the air, and produce carbon dioxide. To avoid these problems, some cities have established Parking Benefit Districts that charge market prices spend revenue to pay public services on metered blocks. A case study of Manhattan’s Upper West Side found charging currently unmetered spaces woul...

I show that risk-sharing pension plans can reduce some of the shortcomings of defined benefit and defined contributions plans. The risk-sharing pension plan presented aims to improve the stability of benefits paid to generations of members, while allowing them to enjoy the expected advantages of a risky investment strategy. The plan does this by adjusting the investment strategy and benefits in...

The subjective benefit of middle ear implantation was studied in a group of 23 hearing-impaired patients who could not use conventional hearing aids owing to severe chronic external otitis. Changes in hearing disability (Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit [APHAB]) and changes in quality of life (Glasgow Benefit Inventory [GBI]) were determined. Mean benefit value on the APHAB for the su...

OBJECTIVES Dedicated otolaryngology emergency rooms (ERs) provide a unique mechanism of health care delivery. Relative costs and willingness to pay (WTP) for these services have not been studied. This study aims to provide a cost-benefit analysis of otolaryngology-specific ER care. STUDY DESIGN Cost-benefit analysis based on contingent valuation surveys. SETTING An otolaryngology-specific E...

Background. Few data have been published regarding long-term mortality in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with DBS. Methods. This study analyzed long-term mortality rates, causes, and correlates in PD patients treated with DBS. Results. 184 consecutive patients were included; mean follow-up was 50 months. Fifteen deaths occurred (total 8.15%, annual mortality rate 1.94%). Mean age at ...