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Economic incentives and the distribution of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripters and linear accelerators in Spain.

We studied the role of economic incentives for private providers in explaining Spain's disproportionately large number of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripters (ESWLs) and low number of linear accelerators (linacs) per million population (pmp) in comparison to other countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We found that the reimbursement policy for 1990 allowed an average profit per private ESWL of $732,000, but no profit for linacs. Regional per-capita income was positively correlated with ESWLs pmp in Spain (R2 = 0.49; p = .001), but not with linacs. Sixty-nine percent of ESWLs were privately held versus only 16% of linacs. To avoid these types of distortions, financial incentives should be based on a reasonable relationship between cost and charges and should be associated with the appropriateness of medical care.

Capital Expenditures↗

Strengthening behavioral interventions for weight loss: a randomized trial of food provision and monetary incentives.

Behavioral treatments for obesity seek to modify eating and exercise behaviors by a change in their antecedents and consequences. More direct modification of antecedents and consequences by (a) the provision of food to patients and (b) the provision of financial rewards for weight loss was hypothesized to improve treatment outcomes. Two hundred two men and women were randomly assigned to no treatment, standard behavioral treatment (SBT), SBT plus food provision, SBT plus incentives, or SBT plus food provision and incentives. The major finding was that food provision significantly enhanced weight loss. Weight losses with SBT averaged 7.7, 4.5, and 4.1 kg at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively, compared with 10.1, 9.1, and 6.4 kg, respectively, at the same intervals with the addition of food. Food provision also enhanced attendance, completion of food records, quality of diet, and nutrition knowledge. We conclude that the provision of food to weight-loss patients is a promising methodology that deserves further exploration.

Adult↗

Long-term effects of interventions for weight loss using food provision and monetary incentives.

One hundred seventy-seven men and women who had participated in an 18-month trial of behavioral interventions involving food provision and financial incentives were examined 12 months later. Food provision, but not financial incentives, led to better weight loss than standard behavioral treatment during the 18-month trial, but over 12 additional months of no-treatment follow-up, all treated groups gained weight, maintained only slightly better weight losses than a no-treatment control group, and did not differ from each other. Weight loss success during both active treatment and maintenance was associated with increase in exercise, decrease in percentage of energy from fat, increase in nutrition knowledge, and decrease in perceived barriers to adherence. Obesity treatment research should focus on developing better ways to maintain changes in the diet and exercise behaviors needed for sustained weight loss.

Adult↗

Cholecystokinin attenuates incentive learning in rats.

The hypothesis that endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) reduces the incentive value assigned to food was examined by training undeprived rats to lever press and chain pull, with one action earning food pellets and the other maltodextrin solution. All animals were then food deprived and reexposed to one outcome after an injection of CCK-8 and the other after an injection of vehicle (VEH). When maintained food deprived and given a choice between the lever and chain in an extinction test, the rats performed fewer of the action trained with the outcome that was reexposed under CCK whether tested under CCK or VEH. In a subsequent experiment, this preference was attenuated by coadministration of the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) agonist 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin during reexposure, suggesting that CCK interacts with 5-HT to modify incentive value.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

Dissociation of Pavlovian and instrumental incentive learning under dopamine antagonists.

The administration of the dopamine antagonists, pimozide and alpha-flupenthixol, to rats reduced Pavlovian-instrumental transfer when a conditioned stimulus (CS) that had been paired with a noncontingent food reward was tested on instrumental performance. The administration of the antagonists during Pavlovian conditioning and/or testing abolished the enhancement of instrumental performance by the CS. The effect of both antagonists on instrumental incentive learning was then examined. After training in which the rats performed 2 responses for different food rewards, they consumed 1 type food under the antagonists and the other type under vehicle during reexposure. When instrumental responding was subsequently tested in extinction, performance was unaffected by whether the rats had been reexposed to the training reward under the antagonists. These results suggest that Pavlovian and instrumental incentive learning are not mediated by a common process.

Animals↗

Various aspects of feeding behavior can be partially dissociated in the rat by the incentive properties of food and the physiological state.

The authors investigated the role of food incentive properties and homeostatic state on the motivational, anticipatory, and consummatory aspects of feeding. Behavioral tests were carried out on food-sated and food-restricted rats that were presented with 2 kinds of food differing in their palatability level. Both food-sated and food-restricted rats consumed large quantities and were highly motivated when presented with very palatable food. In contrast, only food-restricted rats developed anticipatory responses, regardless of the kind of food presented. These data suggest that food incentive properties play a key role in the control of consummatory and motivational components of feeding but seem less involved in the regulation of anticipatory behavior.

Analysis of Variance↗

Single- versus dual-drug target: effects in a brief abstinence incentive procedure.

The number of drugs targeted may have an important influence on the ability of drug abusers to abstain during motivational incentive procedures. The authors investigated outcomes in methadone maintenance patients (n = 58), who had evidence of both opiate and cocaine use, when continuous abstinence from cocaine only (single target) or from both cocaine and heroin (dual target) was required to earn US dollars 200 in voucher incentives over a 4-day period. Study patients were equally likely to initiate and sustain abstinence from cocaine under the single- versus the dual-drug target. They were more likely to initiate opiate abstinence under the dual-target condition, demonstrating sensitivity to reinforcer effects. Results suggest that adding a second drug target does not impede short-term cocaine abstinence initiation.

Adolescent↗

Incentive program decreases no-shows in nontreatment substance abuse research.

This study examined the use of a low-cost incentive program to decrease the rate of unanticipated no-shows in a nontreatment study of the genetics of substance dependence. Low-cost retail items (such as calling cards or gift certificates) were offered contingent on attendance at the first scheduled research appointment. Although the intervention did not result in an increase in the rate of attendance at appointments, it reduced the likelihood of unanticipated no-shows by almost 50%. This reduction was accompanied by a significant increase in advance cancellations. Despite limitations due to the study's A-B design, this research demonstrates that it may be possible to use modest incentives to increase the efficiency of research enrollment and increase service provision for substance abusers.

Appointments and Schedules↗

Serotonin transporter polymorphism mediates vulnerability to loss of incentive motivation following acute tryptophan depletion.

The serotonin (5-HT) system is implicated in incentive motivational processes. The present study utilized the acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) procedure to investigate the effect of temporarily lowering 5-HT synthesis on motivation in healthy volunteers, stratifying the results by allelic variation at the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR). ATD resulted in a robust reduction in plasma tryptophan concentration. Consistent with a previous study, ATD attenuated motivationally speeded action on the Cued-Reinforcement Reaction Time task. The present investigation revealed that this effect was restricted to volunteers of the ss genotype, whereas ll volunteers exhibited intact motivationally speeded action following ATD (treatment x reinforcement probability x genotype interaction: F1,26=5.8, p=0.024). Furthermore, tryptophan availability to the brain was correlated positively with motivationally speeded action following ATD in the ss genotype group (rho13=0.71, p=0.006), whereas this correlation was negative in the ll genotype group (rho14=-0.60, p=0.023). This is the first study to suggest that allelic variation at the 5-HTTLPR mediates motivational responses to ATD in healthy volunteers. These data indicate that the s allele at the 5-HTTLPR may confer risk for depression via its effect on incentive motivational processing, and highlight the importance of genetic variation in determining individual responses to pharmacological treatments.

Adult↗

Rewards and incentives for nonsalaried clinical faculty who teach medical students.

We surveyed the clerkship administrators of pediatrics, family medicine, and internal medicine at U.S. medical schools, and of pediatrics at Canadian medical schools to determine what rewards and incentives are being offered to nonsalaried faculty for office-based teaching. Monetary payment was offered by 13% to 22% of the programs. Nonmonetary rewards like educational opportunities were offered by 70% to 89%; academic appointments by 90% to 95%; special recognition events by 62% to 79%; and appreciation letters by 74% to 84% of programs. Only 3 of 338 responders offered no rewards or incentives.

Canada↗

A comparison of the effectiveness of an opioid analgesic and a nonpharmacologic intervention to improve incentive spirometry volumes.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of opioid analgesics and relaxation as interventions for incentive spirometry in postcardiovascular surgery patients. With the use of incentive spirometry change scores from pre- to posttreatment, 72 patients received either relaxation, opioid analgesia, or no intervention. Pre- to posttreatment differences in achieved spirometry volumes were significantly different for the 3 groups (F[2, 69] = 7.32; p =.002), whereas no difference in spirometry volume was found between the opioid and relaxation groups. Relaxation was as effective as opioid analgesia in permitting postcardiovascular surgical patients to deep breathe.

Adult↗

Effects of pecking incentives during rearing on feather pecking of laying hens.

1. Additional straw or grain was supplied to hens during rearing in floor pens with litter floors. During lay, hens were housed in pens with partly-littered partly-slatted floors. The effects on foraging behaviour and feather pecking were studied and feather damage was scored at 17, 30 and 42 weeks of age. 2. Supply of grain in the litter during rearing caused an increase in ground scratching. Ground pecking also tended to increase. Supply of straw had no significant effect on the observed behaviours. 3. Feather damage in the laying period was significantly reduced by providing grain during rearing. A similar tendency was found for groups that received straw during rearing. On the basis of the behavioural observations it was concluded that this better plumage cover was caused by less feather pecking. 4. The frequency of pecking at food was decreased during rearing by the supply of grain. This could not be explained solely on the basis of a lower food intake. Apparently the efficiency of pecking at food had changed as well. Behavioural data from the laying period suggest that this change was of a more permanent character. 5. The incentive value of the ground and the substrate covering it might be increased by the supply of grain during the rearing period. This causes foraging-related behaviours like scratching and pecking to be directed to the ground. The hens' perception of incentive stimuli for pecking is apparently influenced by experience during rearing. 6. To prevent birds redirecting their ground pecks to the feathers of other birds, not only the peckability/scratchability of the ground seems to be important but also other aspects like nutritive value or taste.

Animal Feed↗

Impact of economic incentives on costs and benefits of occupational health and safety.

The most common type of economic incentive used in the field of health and safety is experience rating of insurance premiums. The impact of this incentive on occupational health and safety (OHS) costs in the company was analysed by comparing insurance costs with other OHS costs associated with inadequate working conditions, such as accident costs borne by a company. Accident costs were estimated on the basis of research carried out in 10 companies. Insurance costs and their adjustments according to the health and safety level in a company were calculated according to an experience rating model developed in the Central Institute for Labour Protection.

Absenteeism↗

AIDS and long-term care. An examination of Florida's Medicaid incentive reimbursement program.

People living with HIV/AIDS will have a greater need for long-term care options as the disease develops into a chronic, rather than an acute, condition. Nursing homes, a major component in the long-term care continuum, traditionally have been reluctant to admit PWAs, forcing some states to adopt incentive programs to encourage such admissions. The efficacy of such programs, however, has not been studied. This article will examine Florida's Medicaid AIDS nursing home admission incentive program, focusing on its effect on PWA admission rates in the state.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

A worksite smoking intervention: a 2 year assessment of groups, incentives and self-help.

Sixty-three companies in the Chicago area were recruited to participate in a worksite smoking cessation program. Participants in each worksite received a television program and newspaper supplement (part of a community-wide media campaign), and one of three conditions: (1) self-help manuals alone (M), (2) self-help manuals and incentives for 6 months (IM) or (3) maintenance manuals, incentives and cognitive-behavioral support groups for 6 months (GIM). Results at the 2 year assessment are examined using a random-effects regression model. In addition, various definitions of quit-rate commonly used in smoking cessation research are explored and the advantages of using a public health approach in the worksite are examined.

Humans↗

Has the WIC incentive to formula-feed led to an increase in overweight children?

We explored the relationship between the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and overweight status in children, with a focus on WIC's provision of infant formula, through secondary analyses and review of existing literature. Because of the complexity involved and the lack of previous research on the combined link between WIC, breast-feeding, and overweight status, we considered evidence for each of these relations separately. Using food-cost data from the WIC's 1996 Participant and Program Characteristics Survey, we found that the state-level average for 1 y of program benefits for women who formula-fed was over twice the value of program benefits for those who breast-fed (BF). This difference in benefit levels, or formula incentive, was negatively associated with both the in-hospital and 6-mo BF rates in state-level multiple regression models. Despite WIC's efforts to promote BF, other large-scale studies have found a negative association of program participation with BF rates. An inverse association of BF on subsequent overweight in children also has been shown in a number of studies. Despite this accumulating evidence for the protective effect of BF, it has not been seen in African American or Latino populations. In sum, there is reason to be concerned that WIC's incentive to formula-feed may have led to an increase in overweight children; yet there is too much uncertainty about the issue to conclude that this is so. Further research is needed to understand this relationship, as is the development of applied interventions to increase BF rates.

Black or African American↗

Are maximal inspiratory breathing exercises or incentive spirometry better than early mobilization after cardiopulmonary bypass?

Forty-nine adults who had undergone cardiopulmonary bypass surgery were randomly assigned to one of three exercise programs to determine if either maximal inspiratory breathing exercises or incentive spirometry offered a therapeutic advantage over early mobilization alone. After extubation, the patients started their assigned exercise programs. A physical examination and pulmonary function tests were performed preoperatively, at the start of the exercise program, and 24 and 48 hours after the start of the program. The results showed a significant decrease (approximately 50%) in lung volumes but no airflow obstruction in patients who had coronary artery bypass graft. In those patients who had valve replacement, lung volumes fell, and in addition, mild airflow obstruction occurred. A majority of patients had postoperative pulmonary complications. There were no significant differences among the exercise programs in improving lung volumes and airflow or in preventing postoperative complications. We conclude that maximal inspiratory breathing exercises or incentive spirometry, when used in addition to early mobilization, offers no therapeutic advantage over early mobilization alone after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

Adult↗

The effectiveness of incentive spirometry with physical therapy for high-risk patients after coronary artery bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of incentive spirometry (IS) to postoperative pulmonary physical therapy is more effective than physical therapy alone in reducing postoperative pulmonary complications in high-risk patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Patients were given the spirometer and instructed in its use, as often occurs in clinical settings. SUBJECTS: Patients with chronic airflow limitation following CABG (N = 185) participated. METHODS: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either postoperative pulmonary physical therapy (breathing exercises, secretion removal, mobility) or physical therapy combined with IS. RESULTS: No difference was found between the two groups in atelectasis, spirometry, oxygen saturation, pulmonary infection, or hospital stay. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Incentive spirometry combined with physical therapy is no more effective than postoperative physical therapy alone in reducing atelectasis for this population. Use of the spirometer, however, was not monitored, and although the study mimicked practice as it often occurs, the effectiveness of the spirometer cannot be fully evaluated.

Adult↗