– Normalization procedures are required in multiattribute decision making (MADM) to transform performance ratings with different data measurement units in a decision matrix into a compatible unit. MADM methods generally use one particular normalization procedure without considering the suitability of other available procedures. This study compares four commonly known normalization procedures in...

BACKGROUND Simulation based learning environments are designed to improve the quality of medical education by allowing students to interact with patients, diagnostic laboratory procedures, and patient data in a virtual environment. However, few studies have evaluated whether simulation based learning environments increase students' knowledge, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy, and help th...

This paper aims to place the findings of the NSW Adult and Child Dental Health Surveys in an international context. The comparator countries are the US and the UK, both of which have well-documented epidemiological dental health data. The US has a mainly private system of dental care, similar to NSW, whereas the UK has primarily a government-funded dental care program. The adult data collected ...

Practice guidelines are standardized specifications for managing particular clinical problems and are intended to improve the outcomes of medical care by increasing adherence to standards of care. They are also meant to make medicine more cost-effective by eliminating unnecessary procedures. A relatively recent phenomenon, the practice guidelines now emerging will have implications for malpract...

We live in an era of evidence-based medicine. Doctors are expected to be knowledgeable about the relative risks and benefits of different treatment options and to share that information with patients as part of their treatment decision-making. For an invasive procedure such as major surgery, both doctors and patients must consider a host of medical and psychological risks. Before patients agree...

In this article, five villages in Sichuan earthquake-stricken area are selected for study as examples. By building Logistic of binary choice models to analyze the influencing factors of peasants’ autonomy to play in post-earthquake reconstructions, authors found there was a positive correlation between education, subjective cognition of reconstruction, willingness to participate, effectiveness ...

BACKGROUND During surgery, various images as well as other relevant visual information are usually shown upon request with the help of operating staff. However, the lack of direct control over the display may represent a source of stress for surgeons, particularly when fast decision making is needed. OBJECTIVE To present the development and initial clinical testing of an innovative device tha...

We compared centralized vs distributed methods for delivering "stat" test results for blood gas, glucose, and electrolyte assays. The parameters for comparison were as follows: (a) laboratory turnaround time (TAT), (b) therapeutic TAT, and (c) staff satisfaction. Therapeutic TAT, defined as the time from the initiating order to the receipt of the result and the implementation of any indicated c...

Health resources are limited and consequently real cost generators must be identified to optimize resources. In the present article, we describe the structure of the Allergy Unit of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca in Murcia (Spain), the health area in which allergic patients are attended, and the final healthcare products generated. Based on the 2004-2005 budget, variable costing ...