BMC Health Services Research Tutorials

1. Home injuries and built form – methodological issues and developments in database linkage

By Home injuries and built form – methodological issues and developments in database linkage Robert G Newcombe1 , Ronan A Lyons2 , Sarah J Jones1 and Joanne Patterson3 1Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK 2The Clinical School, Un... read more

2. Can surveying practitioners about their practices help identify priority clinical practice guideline topics?

By Can surveying practitioners about their practices help identify priority clinical practice guideline topics? Melissa C Brouwers1 , Alexandra Chambers1 and James Perry2 for the Neuro-oncology Disease Site Group1 1Program in Evidence-based Care, Cancer Care Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 2Toronto-Sunnybr... read more

3. Impact of patient characteristics on the risk of influenza/ILI-related complications

By Impact of patient characteristics on the risk of influenza/ILI-related complications Debra E Irwin1 , Lisa B Weatherby1 , Wen-Yi Huang2, 3 , Daniel M Rosenberg4 , Suzanne F Cook2 and Alexander M Walker1 1Ingenix Pharmaceutical Services, Epidemiology Division, Newton Lower Falls, Massachu... read more

4. Patient attitudes toward using computers to improve health services delivery

By Patient attitudes toward using computers to improve health services delivery Christopher N Sciamanna1 , Joseph Diaz2 and Puja Myne3 1Brown University School of Medicine Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine at The Miriam Hospital, USA 2Brown University School of Medicine Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, US... read more

5. Improving prescribing of antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering drugs: a method for identifying and addressing barriers to change

By Improving prescribing of antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering drugs: a method for identifying and addressing barriers to change Atle Fretheim , Andrew D Oxman and Signe Flottorp Informed Choice Research Department, Norwegian Health Services Research Centre, P.O. Box 7004, St. Olavs plass, Oslo, Norway BMC Health Services Research 2004, 4:23   ... read more

6. Volume-based referral for cardiovascular procedures in the United States: a cross-sectional regression analysis

By Background: We sought to estimate the numbers of patients affected and deaths avoided by adopting the Leapfrog Group's recommended hospital procedure volume minimums for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In addition to hospital risk-adjusted mortality standards, the Leapfrog Group recommends annual hospital procedure minimums of 450 for CABG... read more

7. The role of 'confounding by indication' in assessing the effect of quality of care on disease outcomes in general practice: results of a case-control

By The role of 'confounding by indication' in assessing the effect of quality of care on disease outcomes in general practice: results of a case-control study Johan S de Koning1 , Niek S Klazinga2 , Peter J Koudstaal3 , Ad Prins4 , Gerard JJM Borsboom1 and Johan P Mackenbach1 1Department of Public Hea... read more

8. A centralised public information resource for randomised trials: a scoping study to explore desirability and feasibility

By Background: There are currently several concerns about the ways in which people are recruited to participate in randomised controlled trials, the low acceptance rates among people invited to participate, and the experiences of trial participants. An information resource about on-going clinical trials designed for potential and current participants could help overcome some of these problems. Met... read more

9. Design of the BiRmingham Early Detection In untREated psyChosis Trial (REDIRECT): cluster randomised controlled trial of general practitioner educatio

By Design of the BiRmingham Early Detection In untREated psyChosis Trial (REDIRECT): cluster randomised controlled trial of general practitioner education in detection of first episode psychosis [ISRCTN87898421] Lynda Tait1 , Helen Lester1 , Max Birchwood2 , Nick Freemantle1 and Sue Wilson1 1Department of Primar... read more

10. Unhappy doctors? A longitudinal study of life and job satisfaction among Norwegian doctors 1994 - 2002

By Background: General opinion is that doctors are increasingly dissatisfied with their job, but few longitudinal studies exist. This study has been conducted to investigate a possible decline in professional and personal satisfaction among doctors by the turn of the century. Methods: We have done a survey among a representative sample of 1 174 Norwegian doctors in 2002 (response rate 73 %) and c... read more

11. Identification of ambiguities in the 1994 chronic fatigue syndrome research case definition and recommendations for resolution

By Identification of ambiguities in the 1994 chronic fatigue syndrome research case definition and recommendations for resolution Bart Stouten BMC Health Services Research 2005, 5:37     doi:10.1186/1472-6963-5-37 Published   13 May 2005 Abstract (provisional) read more

12. What questions do patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement surgery have?

By What questions do patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement surgery have? Alex Macario1 , Peter Schilling1 , Richard Rubio1 , Amandeep Bhalla2 and Stuart Goodman3 1Departments of Anesthesia and Health Research & Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA ... read more

13. Racial variations in processes of care for patients with community-acquired pneumonia

By Racial variations in processes of care for patients with community-acquired pneumonia Eric M Mortensen1 , John Cornell1 and Jeff Whittle2 1VERDICT and Division of General Internal Medicine, Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital and University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA 2Kansas City VA Medical Center and D... read more

14. International Questionnaire Postal Response Rate: An experiment comparing no return postage to provision of International Postage Vouchers

By International Questionnaire Postal Response Rate: An experiment comparing no return postage to provision of International Postage Vouchers – "Coupon-Réponse International" Cheryl Carling Informed Choice Research Department, Norwegian Health Services Research Centre, Postboks 7004 St. Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway BMC Health Services Research 2004, 4:1... read more

15. What kind of evidence is it that Evidence-Based Medicine advocates want health care providers and consumers to pay attention to?

By What kind of evidence is it that Evidence-Based Medicine advocates want health care providers and consumers to pay attention to? R Brian Haynes Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada BMC Health Services Research 2002, 2:3     doi:10.1186/1472-6963-2... read more

16. Application of the development stages of a cluster randomized trial to a framework for evaluating complex health interventions

By Application of the development stages of a cluster randomized trial to a framework for evaluating complex health interventions Mark B Loeb Departments of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada BMC Health Services Research 2002, 2:13     doi:10.1186/1472-... read more

17. Hospital service areas - a new tool for health care planning in Switzerland.

By Background: The description of patient travel patterns and variations in health care utilization may guide a sound health care planning process. In order to accurately describe these differences across regions with homogeneous populations, small area analysis (SAA) has proved as a valuable tool to create appropriate area models. This paper presents the methodology to create and characterize popul... read more

18. Intermediate care: for better or worse? Process evaluation of an intermediate care model between a university hospital and a residential home.

By Background: Intermediate care was developed in order to bridge acute, primary and social care, primarily for elderly persons with complex care needs. Such bridging initiatives are intended to reduce hospital stays and improve continuity of care. Although many models assume positive effects, it is often ambiguous what the benefits are and whether they can be transferred to other settings. This is ... read more

19. General practitioners with a special interest in respiratory medicine: national survey of UK primary care organisations

By Background: To meet the universally recognised challenge of caring for people with long-term diseases many healthcare cultures are encouraging family physicians to develop specialist skills. We aimed to determine the major factors influencing the appointment of respiratory General Practitioners with a Special Interest (GPwSI) in the UK, and to determine the priority attached to the potential ro... read more

20. Recruiting pregnant smokers for a placebo-randomised controlled trial of nicotine replacement therapy

By Recruiting pregnant smokers for a placebo-randomised controlled trial of nicotine replacement therapy Tim Coleman1 , Marilyn Antoniak2 , John Britton3 , Jim Thornton4 , Sarah Lewis2 and Kim Watts5 1Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham, Queen's University Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7... read more

21. Good physicians from the perspective of their patients

By Good physicians from the perspective of their patients Ami Schattner1, 2 , Dan Rudin1 and Navah Jellin3 1Department of Medicine, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel 2Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel 3Division of Biostatistics, Clalit Health Services, Tel Avi... read more

22. The medical care of patients with primary care home nursing is complex and influenced by non-medical factors: a comprehensive retrospective study from

By The medical care of patients with primary care home nursing is complex and influenced by non-medical factors: a comprehensive retrospective study from a suburban area in Sweden Sonja Modin and Anna-Karin Furhoff Centre for Family Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 12, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden BMC Health Services... read more

23. Setting priorities in health care organizations: criteria, processes, and parameters of success

By Setting priorities in health care organizations: criteria, processes, and parameters of success Jennifer L Gibson1 , Douglas K Martin1, 2 and Peter A Singer1, 3 1University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, 88 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L4, Canada 2Department of Health Policy, M... read more

24. Changes in the use of coronary artery revascularization procedures in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and

By Changes in the use of coronary artery revascularization procedures in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 1991–1999 Charles Maynard1, 2 and Anne E Sales1, 2 1Health Services Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs Puget S... read more