Adherence to guideline recommendations for asthma care in community pharmacies: actual and needed performance.

Pharmaceutical care guidelines aim to provide recommendations for pharmaceutical care, reduce unwanted pharmacy practice variation and ultimately improve the quality of healthcare. This study evaluated community pharmacists' adherence to recommendations for the provision of care to asthma patients with first dispensing and follow-up refill encounters in The Netherlands. Data were pharmacists' self-assessment of adherence to guideline recommendations, independent observations of dispensing encounters and a nationwide questionnaire on pharmacists' views on the desirable (clinical) necessity of applying guideline recommendations to their patient population. The 21 pharmacists who performed self-assessment judged their adherence concerning inhalation instructions as high. The lowest scores were reported for recommendations to collect additional information on the type of lung disease and for asking patients' expectations, wishes and concerns. Sixty-eight dispensing encounters were observed. In 83% of the 35 first dispensing observations, inhalation instruction was provided. This percentage was lower (62%) at refill dispensings. During all encounters, pharmacy staff seldom explored patients' perceptions or responded to patients' expectations, wishes and concerns. One hundred and four pharmacists completed the feasibility questionnaire. Pharmacists judged that all patients should receive inhalation instruction at first dispensing. They regarded it necessary to check on patients' expectations, wishes and concerns regarding the treatment for only up to 70% of the patients. More efforts on guideline implementation are needed, especially on follow-up dispensings and on gaining relevant information from patients and other healthcare professionals. Pharmacists still have opportunities to grow in applying a patient-tailored approach and exploring patients' individual needs, rather than providing practical information.

Super-resolution radar imaging for breast cancer detection with microwaves: the integrated information selection criteria.

This paper focuses on the data preprocessing scheme, as well as on the frequency selection and spatial filtering modules integrated with a Time-Reversal Multiple Signal Classification (TR-MUSIC) algorithm, for microwave breast imaging. This algorithm is part of the data processing chain of the Wavelia Microwave Breast Imaging (MBI) system prototype, which has been recently installed at the University Hospital of Galway, Ireland, for a first-in-human clinical trial. Indicative results from application of the algorithm on an experimental phantom dataset, and on a first patient dataset, are presented in this paper. Good correspondence between the two datasets is demonstrated, confirming the validity of the experimental setup used so far for the on-site acceptance of the Wavelia system, after installation at the hospital for clinical testing.

[Tobacco addiction of the young French male and his military service (author's transl)]. / Le tabagisme du jeune Français et le service militaire.

73% of the young males beginning their military service smoke. Chiefly cigarettes, but also pipes and cigars; 29% began smoking before 15 years of age and have increased their consumption since they started, especially those who quit school at fifteen. The military service now plays but a minimum role in inciting, smoking habits in young men (4%). The increase in consumption is frequent (59% of smokers), mostly due to the conditions of the individuals existence. Environmental initiation and the sale of tobacco at a reduced price are negligible motives. Reactions of the anti-smoking campaign were generally positive. One quarter of the smokers feel that they are now better informed. Two thirds have indicated that they would like to cut down on their tobacco consumption. Only a quarter of these have progressed from intention to action. Such diffusion of anti-tobacco information is useful in that it leads to reflection. But it is clearly during elementary and at the beginning of secondary school that anti-smoking campaigns have the greatest effect.