ABSTRACT
The Sisters of Charity Health Care Systems, Inc., (SCHCS) developed methods to collect more than 290 data elements from its 15 hospitals to measure community benefit, illness prevention, patient satisfaction, severity of illness, appropriateness, traditional quality measures, outcome measures, maternal/child services, psychiatric services, efficiency, financial performance, and risk management. The data were compiled to produce a report card called the Hospital Quality Profile, which SCHCS hospitals now use for strategic quality planning, assessment, and monitoring. Collaboration between quality management, information systems, and financial department personnel is critical to the success of such a quality database.
Subject(s)
Databases, Factual , Hospitals, Religious/standards , Multi-Institutional Systems/standards , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/organization & administration , Catholicism , Community-Institutional Relations , Data Collection , Documentation , Hospitals, Religious/organization & administration , Information Services , Multi-Institutional Systems/organization & administration , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/standards , Planning Techniques , United StatesABSTRACT
Calcium polycarbophil was compared with placebo in 23 patients with irritable bowel syndrome in a six-month, randomized double-blind crossover study. Patients received polycarbophil tablets at a dosage of 6 g/day (twelve 0.5-g tablets) or matching placebo tablets. At study end, among patients expressing a preference, 15 of 21 (71%) chose polycarbophil over placebo for relief of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Statistically significant differences favouring polycarbophil were found among the following patient subgroups: 15 (79%) of 19 with constipation: all six with alternating diarrhoea and constipation; 13 (87%) of 15 with bloating: and 11 (92%) of 12 with two or more symptoms. Polycarbophil was rated better than placebo in monthly global responses to therapy. Patient diary entries showed statistically significant improvement for ease of passage with polycarbophil. Polycarbophil was rated better than placebo for relief of nausea, pain, and bloating. The data suggest that calcium polycarbophil can benefit irritable bowel syndrome patients with constipation or alternating diarrhoea and constipation and may be particularly useful in patients with bloating as a major complaint.
Subject(s)
Acrylic Resins/therapeutic use , Antidiarrheals/therapeutic use , Cathartics/therapeutic use , Colonic Diseases, Functional/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , PlacebosSubject(s)
Cetylpyridinium/therapeutic use , Chlorides , Dental Plaque/prevention & control , Gingivitis/prevention & control , Pyridinium Compounds/therapeutic use , Zinc Compounds , Zinc/therapeutic use , Animals , Dental Plaque Index , Dogs , Drug Combinations , Male , Periodontal Index , Time Factors , WaterABSTRACT
The electron transport systems of 134 strains of streptococci were studied after aerobic growth on glucose in the presence of haematin, by examining the inhibition of electron transport as well as the cellular site of NADH oxidation. Each strain was placed into one of three possible groups: cytochrome-like NADH oxidase; flavin-like NADH oxidase; or no NADH oxidase. Most (88%) of the strains of Streptococcus faecalis and its variants liquefaciens and zymogenes and a few strains of S. lactis and its variant diacetylactis contained cytochrome-like respiratory systems. Other streptococci including S. faecium fell into one of the other groups but did not contain cytochrome-like NADH oxidases.
