STUDY OBJECTIVE We describe the epidemiology of emergency department (ED) visits for attempted suicide and self-inflicted injury. METHODS Data were obtained from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a national probability sample of ED visits. All visits for attempted suicide or self-inflicted injury (E950 to E959) during 1997 to 2001 were included in these analyses. RESULTS...

OBJECTIVE This report describes ambulatory care visits to physician offices, hospital outpatient departments (OPDs), and hospital emergency departments (EDs) as well as factors that may affect where care is sought. Ambulatory medical care utilization is described in terms of patient, practice/facility, and visit characteristics. Visits to office-based physicians are divided into the categories ...

In this paper, a novel method for ranking of fuzzy numbers are proposed. In this method, decision maker is defined based on the center of mass at some cuts of a pair of fuzzy numbers in discreet version and center of mass on all of cuts of a pair of fuzzy numbers in continuous version. Our method can rank more than two fuzzy numbers simultaneously. Also, some properties of methods are described...

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) present with comorbid complications with implications for healthcare utilization. To date, little is known about the effects of GERD treatment with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) on patients' subsequent healthcare utilization for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). This population-based study compared ARI episodes captured through outpatient ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the economic impact, from a societal perspective, of a multidimensional infection control education program (ICEP) in a preschool for children with Down syndrome. METHODS Krilov et al implemented a comprehensive ICEP in a specialized preschool setting and reported a significant decrease in medical resource utilization and days absent from school. Clinical and economic data...

BACKGROUND With ageing populations worldwide, mobility devices are used more than ever. In the current literature there is no consensus whether the available mobility devices safely improve the mobility of their users. Also, evidence is lacking concerning the risks and types of injuries sustained while using a four-wheeled walker. OBJECTIVE To assess injury risks and injury patterns in older ...

Seasonal influenza epidemics have a substantial public health and economic burden in the United States (US). On average, over 200,000 people are hospitalized and an estimated 23,000 people die from respiratory and circulatory complications associated with seasonal influenza virus infections each year. Annual direct medical costs and indirect productivity costs across the US have been found to a...

This paper examines relationships between aging, social capital, and healthcare utilization. Cross-sectional data from the 2001 Canadian Community Health Survey and the Canadian Census are used to estimate a two-part model for both GP physicians (visits) and hospitalization (annual nights) focusing on the impact of community- (CSC) and individual-level social capital (ISC). Quantile regressions...

BACKGROUND The Qassam rocket attacks on southern Israel during the years 2000-2007 created a unique situation of life undera continuous threat. The effect of this unique situation on health services utilization has not been previously examined. OBJECTIVES To evaluate health utilization patterns in two primary care clinics in southern Israel: one under continuous attacks of Qassam rockets as c...