Direct hospital marketing: an idea whose time has come.

Health care marketing has arrived swiftly and with significant impact upon the hospital scene. From the early days of rejection and suspicion of only a few years ago, it has now taken its place with other hospital management functions. Still, however, hospitals have not yet reached the degree of expertise that exists in other sectors. One of the reasons why hospitals have not fully emerged to the level of marketing expertise as many of their traditional business counterparts is that many of the areas of both the science and art of marketing have not been fully developed. One such area is direct mail marketing. Presented here is an overview of the advantages and functions of hospital direct mail marketing. A variety of examples are given with a more thorough case example being provided by Lee's Summit Community Hospital in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The successful direct mail marketing campaign there should be both an inspiration and a model for success for other hospitals. Space limitations prevent the authors from some of the more exacting details of mail marketing and, of course, successful campaigns do not happen by magic. They take careful planning, strategy, and execution. They also require a coordinated organizational and human effort to be successful. But direct mail marketing does offer a potentially new arena of marketing for most hospitals. The expertise, skill, knowledge, and technology are in place. All that is really needed is the commitment on the part of the hospital leadership.

Properties and drug sensitivity of adenosine triphosphatases from Schistosoma mansoni.

The hydrolysis of ATP was measured in the presence of schistosome homogenates and various cations. The enzyme was stimulated strongly by either Ca2+ or Mg2+. Na+ added to the activation by Ca2+. A minor (17%) component was Na+ + K+ + Mg2+-dependent and ouabain-sensitive. Praziquantel, niridazole, oxamniquine, and hycanthone had no direct effect on the ATPase activity of schistosome homogenates. When schistosomes were pretreated with these drugs in vitro, washed thoroughly, and then homogenized, hycanthone, praziquantel, and oxamniquine caused a reduction in ATPase content of the worms. Niridazole did not share this effect. These results suggest that antischistosomal drugs did not directly inhibit ATPase, but did reduce ATPase in whole worms, possibly by removing or damaging the tegument, which is thought to contain most of the ATPase activity. In vitro ATPase measurements may be a useful indicator of pharmacologic activity of some types of drugs.

Effects of phosphonium compounds on Schistosoma mansoni.

A new series of phosphonium salts was examined for effects on the cholinergic nervous system of Schistosoma mansoni. Studies were conducted using both an activity-monitoring and fluorescent-labeling technique. The activity method gave more definitive results, indicating that some poly(methylene)bis(triphenylphosphonium) salts and some [3-(alkylamino)propyl]triphenylphosphonium salts have strong anticholinergic effects. Hexyltriphenylphosphonium bromide has very marked effects both in the motility and the fluorescence test, but these effects cannot immediately be ascribed to cholinergic actions.

Effects of dansylated acetylcholine analogs on Schistosoma mansoni.

A series of dansylated fluorescent analogs was synthesized and tested for cholinergic and anticholinergic activity in Schistosoma mansoni. The compounds were compared with a previously reported analog, 5-(dimethylamino)-N-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride (I). All of the compounds produced some fluorescent labeling of a structure in the head region of the worms. Major differences were not seen among the compounds. The compounds also were tested as antagonists of carbachol-induced paralysis in an activity monitor. Significant carbachol antagonism was seen for all compounds. Effects on the serotonin response also were recorded. Only one compound, a dibutylaminopropylamine derivative, produced striking antagonism of serotonin-induced motor activity.