1,721,257 research outputs found
Recensione a: Alber J.,Fahey, T. and Saraceno C. (eds.) Hanbook of quality of life in the Enlarged European Union
No full textRecensione al volume: Alber J.,Fahey, T. and Saraceno C. (eds.) (2008) Hanbook of quality of life in the Enlarged European Union, Abindon: Routledge
New simplified approach to the pooled analysis of calibration of clinical prediction rules for systematic reviews of validation studies
No full textAppropriateness of prescribing for childhood eczema: evidence from a community-based study
No full textData on dispensed prescriptions of topical corticosteroids and emollients were analysed in a population of 25 484 children aged ? 6 years in Tayside, Scotland. Over a 17-month period, 5818 (22.8%) children were prescribed a topical corticosteroid; half of this group, (2946; 50.6%) were not prescribed any emollient. In the group of children prescribed topical corticosteroids, 3505/5818 (60.2%) received combined preparations of topical corticosteroids with antimicrobials over this time period, and potent or very potent preparations were prescribed for 923/5818 (15.9%
A concept for a long-term scalable bioengineering model of primary care
No full textWe present a concept for development of a unified bioengineering framework that consolidates efforts in extending the geographical boundaries and outreach of primary care in Ireland and ensure its long-term scalability. This framework encompasses infrastructures, devices, systems, techniques, materials, engineering practices and socio-technical set-ups for improved access, safety and quality of care at national and global levels. In particular, we address the development of special purpose solutions, technologies and devices for healthcare from a bioengineering perspective, within the wider healthcare and biotechnology agendas in Ireland
Primary health care models and suitability for provision of e-services: an overview
No full textWe present an overview of the most frequently distributed types of primary health care (PHC) models of delivery across different countries and cultural environments. We summarise and describe most important definitions, principles of classification, attributes, necessary conditions (e.g., patient-management systems, electronic health records, ICT platforms) and organisation and key performance indicators (KPI) for functioning of the primary health care systems. We review and explore the suitability of different PHC models for provision of electronic (e-)services.</p
Variations in General Practitioners' prescribing patterns in Ireland: preliminary results
No full textA simplified approach to the pooled analysis of calibration of clinical prediction rules for systematic reviews of validation studies
Full text linkObjective: Estimating calibration performance of clinical prediction rules (CPRs) in systematic reviews of validation studies is not possible when predicted values are neither published nor accessible or sufficient or no individual participant or patient data are available. Our aims were to describe a simplified approach for outcomes prediction and calibration assessment and evaluate its functionality and validity.Study design and methods: Methodological study of systematic reviews of validation studies of CPRs: a) ABCD2 rule for prediction of 7 day stroke; and b) CRB-65 rule for prediction of 30 day mortality. Predicted outcomes in a sample validation study were computed by CPR distribution patterns (“derivation model”). As confirmation, a logistic regression model (with derivation study coefficients) was applied to CPR-based dummy variables in the validation study. Meta-analysis of validation studies provided pooled estimates of “predicted:observed” risk ratios (RRs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and indexes of heterogeneity (I2) on forest plots (fixed and random effects models), with and without adjustment of intercepts. The above approach was also applied to the CRB-65 rule.Results: Our simplified method, applied to ABCD2 rule in three risk strata (low, 0–3; intermediate, 4–5; high, 6–7 points), indicated that predictions are identical to those computed by univariate, CPR-based logistic regression model. Discrimination was good (c-statistics =0.61–0.82), however, calibration in some studies was low. In such cases with miscalibration, the under-prediction (RRs =0.73–0.91, 95% CIs 0.41–1.48) could be further corrected by intercept adjustment to account for incidence differences. An improvement of both heterogeneities and P-values (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test) was observed. Better calibration and improved pooled RRs (0.90–1.06), with narrower 95% CIs (0.57–1.41) were achieved.Conclusion: Our results have an immediate clinical implication in situations when predicted outcomes in CPR validation studies are lacking or deficient by describing how such predictions can be obtained by everyone using the derivation study alone, without any need for highly specialized knowledge or sophisticated statistics
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
- …
