Study sample No sample size appears to have been determined in the planning phase of the study. All patients undergoing a scheduled lobectomy between January 1994 and January 2004 were included in the study. No patient appears to have refused to participate in the study or was refused access to their medical records. A total of 639 consecutive patients underwent a scheduled lobectomy, of which ...

Fundamental bias can be introduced in randomised trials if patients cannot be masked for the allocated strategy and assess subjective outcomes. In such a trial, on the effectiveness of outreach stroke care in addition to standard care, we masked patients by modifying the informed consent procedure. Before discharge home we informed patients that we were studying their needs six months after dis...

Medico-legal death investigation systems have the potential to play an important role in disease surveillance. While these systems are in place to serve a public function, the degree to which they are independent of central government can vary depending on jurisdiction. How these systems use this independence may present problems for public health initiatives, as it allows death investigators t...

Methods The study included 4 out of 5 Slovenian major hospitals selected from the hospital list; 1 hospital refused to participate. The employees of these hospitals represent 30% of all employees in nursing in Slovenian hospitals and the 509 employees included in the study represent 6%. One structured survey questionnaire was administered to the leaders and the other to employees, both consisti...

BACKGROUND Although in health services survey research we strive for a high response rate, this must be balanced against the need to recruit participants ethically and considerately, particularly in surveys with a sensitive nature. In survey research there are no established recommendations to guide recruitment approach and an 'opt-in' system that requires potential participants to request a co...

BACKGROUND Strengthening interorganizational relationships in the community has become an increasingly valued strategy for improving public health in recent years. However, no intervention strategy to foster an interorganizational network in the community has yet been devised. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on members of an organization of an intervention program designed ...

BACKGROUND There are currently several concerns about the ways in which people are recruited to participate in randomised controlled trials, the low acceptance rates among people invited to participate, and the experiences of trial participants. An information resource about on-going clinical trials designed for potential and current participants could help overcome some of these problems. ME...

AIM The purpose of this exploratory, mixed-methods study was to test an intervention to build social capital and civility among nursing students. BACKGROUND Incivility impacts nurses and nursing students, and can negatively influence patient care and the quality of nursing education. The Institute of Medicine and the Joint Commission recommended implementation of strategies to manage incivili...