BACKGROUND Incomplete hospitalization is the cause of disease relapse, readmission, and increase in medical costs. Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA) in emergency department (ED) is critical for hospitals. This paper aims to explore the underlying reasons behind DAMA in ED of four teaching hospitals in Kerman, Iran. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study in which the samples were drawn...

To My Family ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I am really grateful to my family for their unconditional support. My father has been such a great model for me. I would like to thank my mother, who is always so supportive in every step in my life. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Joseph Reinhardt for his continuous support during my Master's study. Dr. Reinhardt is such ...

BACKGROUND Little data exists on the factors associated with health care seeking behaviour for primary symptoms of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to identify individual, provider and psychosocial factors associated with (i) ever seeking medical advice and (ii) seeking early medical advice for primary symptoms of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS 1592 persons aged 56-88 years randoml...

BACKGROUND The phenomenon of discharge against medical advice (DAMA) among pediatric patients places pediatricians in a dilemma between respect for the parent's decision and the desire to provide complete care for the vulnerable child-patient. Little has been written about factors that affect a pediatrician's decision to allow a parent to discharge his child against medical advice. This qualita...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was to characterize hospitalizations associated with discharges against medical advice (DAMA) in a large, population-based data system. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study on 11 436 500 hospital admissions. The hospital discharge records for residents of the Veneto region (north-east Italy) discharged from 2001 to 2012, from both publ...

BACKGROUND Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represents a devastating complication observed in critical care medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiological aspects of ALI/ARDS in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and risk factors of mortality. METHODS Patients with ALI/ARDS in PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital, a tertiary medica...