Method Inform Med
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This study aimed to identify and analyze characteristics of highly cited articles published in the Web of Science category of health care sciences and services from 1958 to 2012. ⋯ The application of quantitative techniques in the analysis of highly cited articles can improve the researchers' understanding of the directions in health care sciences and services field. Y-index is useful for the evaluation of contributing authors.
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Using three risk-adjustment methods we evaluated whether co-morbidity derived from electronic hospital patient data provided significant improvement on age adjustment when predicting major outcomes following an elective total joint replacement (TJR) due to osteoarthritis. ⋯ The predictive performance of co-morbidity derived from electronic hospital data is outcome and risk-adjustment method specific.
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Demographic change, rising co-morbidity and an increasing number of emergencies are the main challenges that emergency medical services (EMS) in several countries worldwide are facing. In order to improve quality in EMS, highly trained personnel and well-equipped ambulances are essential. However several studies have shown a deficiency in qualified EMS physicians. Telemedicine emerges as a complementary system in EMS that may provide expertise and improve quality of medical treatment on the scene. Hence our aim is to develop and test a specific teleconsultation system. ⋯ An innovative concept for the use of telemedicine for medical consultations in EMS was developed. Organisational and technical aspects were considered and practical requirements specified. Since technical feasibility was demonstrated in these technical field tests, the next step would be to prove medical usefulness and technical robustness under real conditions in a clinical trial.