OBJECTIVES To develop valid, reliable indicators of the appropriateness of long-term prescribing in general practice medical records in the United Kingdom. DESIGN A nominal group was used to identify potential indicators of appropriateness of prescribing. Their face and content validity were subsequently assessed in a two round Delphi exercise. Feasibility and reliability between raters were ...

BACKGROUND In the past decades, many new insights and best practices in palliative care, a relatively new field in health care, have been published. However, this knowledge is often not implemented. The aim of this study therefore was to identify strategies to implement improvement activities identified in a research project within daily palliative care practice. METHODS A nominal group techn...

Within a formal framework, where each object is characterized by a set of predicates as a binary sequence of 0 and 1, a nominal level of measurement is discussed. The nominal scale is reinterpreted as a set of predicates, and nominal measurement as an assignment of binary sequences to the objects. One remarkable character of this formalization is a reciprocal relationship between the objects an...

BACKGROUND Little attention has been paid to the need for accountability instruments applicable across all health units in the public health system. One tool, the balanced scorecard was created for industry and has been successfully adapted for use in Ontario hospitals. It consists of 4 quadrants: financial performance, outcomes, customer satisfaction and organizational development. The aim of ...