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PubMed2005

Socioeconomic status and insomnia.

This investigation compared the likelihood of insomnia and insomnia-related health consequences among individuals of different socioeconomic status. A random-digit dialing procedure was used to recruit at least 50 men and 50 women in each age decade from 20 to 80+ years old. Participants completed 2 weeks of sleep diaries as well as questionnaires related to fatigue, sleepiness, and psychological distress. Socioeconomic status was measured by education status assessed at 3 different levels: individual, household, and community. Results indicated that individuals of lower individual and household education were significantly more likely to experience insomnia even after researchers accounted for ethnicity, gender, and age. Additionally, individuals with fewer years of education, particularly those who had dropped out of high school, experienced greater subjective impairment because of their insomnia.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The use of clinical computer workstations as an educational adjunct in prosthodontics.

Current computer systems improve the health professional's ability to store, retrieve, and present visual data in a way never before possible. Health professionals in general are beginning to use computer-based digital imaging to improve the diagnosis and treatment planning of disease processes. The use of computer-based networks to transmit medical and dental data is in its infancy but promises to be the main form of data transmission of the future. This article outlines a few applications presently being used and developed at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in the preclinical and clinical courses in prosthodontics.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2005

Interindividual variation in nucleotide excision repair genes and risk of endometrial cancer.

Exposure to estrogens is a likely cause of endometrial cancer, but the means by which estrogens exert this effect are not entirely clear. One hypothesis is that certain estrogen metabolites bind to the DNA, forming bulky adducts that damage the DNA and initiate carcinogenesis. A woman's reduced capacity to repair such damage may increase her risk of endometrial cancer. We conducted a population-based case-control study in western Washington State to address the role of variation in nucleotide excision repair genes on the risk of endometrial cancer. Case women (n = 371), ages 50 to 69 years, were diagnosed with invasive endometrial cancer between 1994 and 1999. Control women (n = 420) were selected using random-digit dialing (ages 50-65 years) and by random selection from Health Care Financing Administration data files (ages 66-69 years). Genotyping assays were done for ERCC1, ERCC2 (XPD), ERCC4 (XPF), ERCC5 (XPG), XPA, and XPC. No appreciable differences between cases and controls were observed in the genotype distributions of ERCC1 (c8092a and c19007t), ERCC2 (D312N, K751Q, and c22541a), ERCC4 (R415Q and t30028c), or ERCC5 (D1104H). Carriage of at least one variant allele for XPA G23A was associated with decreased risk of endometrial cancer [odds ratio (OR), 0.70; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.53-0.93]. Carriage of at least one XPC A499V variant allele was associated with a modest decrease in risk (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.59-1.05). Women with variant alleles at both XPC A499V and K939Q had 58% of the risk of women with no XPC variant alleles (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.35-0.96). Our data suggest that interindividual variation in XPA and XPC influences a woman's risk of endometrial cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Informatics for Peru in the new millennium.

INTRODUCTION: As efforts continue to narrow the digital divide between the North and South, a new biomedical and health informatics training effort has been launched in Peru. This report describes the first year of work on this collaborative effort between the University of Washington (Seattle) Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and Universidad Nacional de San Marcos (Peru) OBJECTIVES: To describe activities in the first year of a new International Research and Training Program in Biomedical and Health Informatics. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of key activities including an assessment of electronic environment through observation and survey, an in country short course with quantitative evaluation, and first round of recruitment of Peruvian scholars for long-term training in Seattle. RESULTS: A two-week short course on informatics was held in the country. Participants' success in learning was demonstrated through pretest/posttest. A systematic assessment of electronic environment in Peru was carried out and two scholars for long-term training were enrolled at the University of Washington, Seattle. DISCUSSION: Initial activity in the collaborative training effort has been high. Of particular importance in this environment is orchestration of efforts among interested parties with similar goals in Peru, and integration of informatics skills into ongoing large-scale research projects in country.

International Cooperation↗
PubMed2002

Are we doing enough to screen for colorectal cancer? Findings from the 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate current rates of use of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy; to determine whether test use varies by demographic factors; and to compare 1999 rates of use with 1997 rates. STUDY DESIGN: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is an ongoing, state-based random-digit-dialed telephone survey of the US population that collects various health behavior information, including the use of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests. POPULATION: In 1999, 63,555 persons 50 years of age or older responded to questions regarding FOBT and sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. OUTCOMES MEASURED: The proportion of survey respondents reporting having had FOBT and sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy at any time; and the proportion reporting having had FOBT and sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy within recommended time intervals. Data were recorded for the years 1997 and 1999, and analyzed according to various demographic factors. RESULTS: In 1999, 40.3% of respondents reported having had an FOBT at some time, and 43.8% reported having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Regarding recent test use, 20.6% of respondents reported having had an FOBT within the year, and 33.6% reported having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy within the past 5 years. Some demographic variation was noted. In 1997, 19.6% reported having had an FOBT within the year, and 30.3% reported having had a sigmoidoscopy or proctoscopy within the past 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Use of CRC screening tests increased only slightly from 1997 to 1999. Usage remains low, despite consensus that screening for CRC reduces mortality from the disease. Efforts to promote awareness of, and screening for, CRC must intensify.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Relationships between angiographic findings and National Institutes of Health stroke scale score in cases of hyperacute carotid ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke severity in cases of hyperacute carotid ischemic stroke may be related to site of arterial occlusion. We evaluated the relationships between National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and findings on intra-arterial digital subtraction angiograms (IA-DSA) of patients with ischemic stroke within 6 hr of stroke onset. METHODS: A total of 43 consecutive patients (38 men and five women; mean age, 69.4 +/- 8.7 years) with ischemic stroke in the carotid territory underwent IA-DSA within 6 hr of stroke onset. Baseline NIHSS score was assessed immediately before IA-DSA. Patients were divided into four groups according to site of arterial occlusion: 1) the internal carotid artery (ICA group, n = 10); 2) stem of the middle cerebral artery or stem of the anterior cerebral artery (Stem group, n = 14); 3) branches of middle cerebral artery or anterior cerebral artery (Branch group, n = 11); and 4) no arterial occlusion (Normal group, n = 8). RESULTS: Mean (+/-SD) NIHSS score was 14.7 +/- 7.4. The interval from stroke onset to IA-DSA study was 205 +/- 76 min. NIHSS score was higher in the ICA group (median, 23; range, 6-32) than in the Branch (median, 17; range, 11-25; P =.02) or Normal (median, 15; range, 2-17; P <.001) groups but was not higher than in the Stem group (median, 6; range, 1-11; P =.73). Sensitivity-specificity curve analysis suggested an NIHSS score > or = 10 as indicative of arterial occlusion of the carotid system. A total of 96.9% of patients with NIHSS scores > or = 10 displayed arterial occlusion, and 63.6% of patients with NIHSS scores <10 displayed no arterial occlusion. CONCLUSION: NIHSS score is related to site of arterial occlusion in cases of hyperacute carotid ischemic stroke. An NIHSS score of 10 seems to represent the cut-off for discriminating between patients with arterial occlusion and patients without.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Computer-assisted classification of ICD-9/10 and IKPM in compliance with the new federal health care regulation--practice-oriented solution for trauma surgery and orthopedics].

From the beginning of 1995, the German law on the health system structure prescribes that in all clinics the four-digit ICD code be supplied for each diagnosis and the ICPM code for each operation. This makes on-line access to diagnosis and therapy codes embedded in a clinic documentation system advisable. Since 1 February 1995, in one department of traumatologic surgery the ICD diagnosis and ICPM therapy coding is managed on-line by the doctors in the outpatient clinic and operation theatre, using the "do it" coding system in combination with the KAUZ system for clinic documentation. The user guidance supplied by a frequency-oriented menu and specialist traumatological terms makes it possible to determine the ICD and ICPM codes without any great expenditure of effort. Furthermore, the appropriate flat rates per case and special charges are displayed. Comparison of manual and computer-assisted coding of operations during 1 month (160 patients, 173 operations) showed that manual coding could be corrected or improved by the computerized system in 35% of cases. The ICD-10 system has already been integrated: it improves the recording of diagnoses and will simplify the change over to the coming new revision.

Electronic Data Processing↗
PubMed1993

Communication networks for medical image transmission.

Digital communication networks are of increasing importance for data exchange in health care environments. They may be used to transmit multi-media data, such as text, images, graphics, signals and sound. The essential characteristics of modern network technologies are summarized in this article and are seen in the context of local, metropolitan and wide area networks. Standardized technologies discussed are Ethernet, token oriented systems, FDDI, DQDB and ATM. Off-line communication media based on magnetic optical disk, such as IS&C, are briefly introduced. The conclusion reached is that therapy planning for radiation therapy or hyperthermia can make use of communication technologies, for example, to transmit patient images, modelling data and results of distribution calculations of physical phenomena.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1998

[Prevalence and control of arterial hypertension in the adult population of the Valencian community, 1994].

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure (HBP) is probably one of the main targets for prevention in primary health care. Knowledge of the magnitude and control is needed for monitoring this health problem at the population level. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in the adult population of Valencian Region (VR) (Spain), and to evaluate the degree of treatment and control. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two measurements of blood pressure (BP) were obtained for a representative sample of 1,674 participants (14 years and older) in the nutrition and health survey of the VR in 1994. A semi-automatic digital esfingmomanometer was used. HBP definition was based on the criteria of the WHO and the Fifth Joint National Committee on Detection Evaluation and Treatment on HBP. Criteria of the MONICA project were used to determine the level of treatment and control of hypertension. Prevalence of HBP was estimated for sex and age groups accounting for the study design. RESULTS: HBP prevalence was 31.7% (14.1% borderline HBP plus 17.6% defined HBP). Hypertension increased with age from a prevalence of 9.3% in the group 15-24 years of age, to 68.8% in the group > or = 65 years old. A 57% of hypertensive persons were not under treatment, a 16.6% were treated but their BP was not controlled, and a 26.4% were under treatment and presents controlled BP. The uncontrolled BP was more evident at younger ages. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that one third of the adult population from VR had HBP, and over the half of them are not treated. Furthermore, over one third of hypertensives under pharmacological treatment presented uncontrolled BP. These results should be taken into account if preventive actions are to be implemented at the individual and population level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Conducting regional health surveys using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing method.

After the creation of thirteen health regions within Queensland in 1991, the need arose for an information base at the regional level to assist regions with their role in planning, monitoring and evaluating health services. A series of regional health surveys was conducted in 1993 to provide this information, using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing method. Over 10 400 interviews were conducted throughout the state. This is the first time a computer-assisted method has been used on a large scale to collect health-related information in Australia. Interviews used list-directed or random-digit dialing, depending on the rate of unlisted numbers in a region. Response rates were not significantly different for the two methods, although the number of contactable numbers attempted and the noncontact rates were significantly higher for random-digit regions. The last-birthday method was used to select the adult for interview in each household. The method resulted in a bias toward female respondents.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

An ex vivo comparison of conventional and digital radiography for perceived image quality of root fillings.

AIM: To compare the subjective image clarity of two different speed films and the Digora phosphor plate images with respect to the length and homogeneity of root canal fillings. METHODOLOGY: Root canal treatment was performed on 20 extracted permanent mandibular first molar teeth. Standardized images of each tooth positioned in a dried mandible were obtained with E- and F-speed films and Digora storage phosphor plates (SPP) at 0 degrees and 30 degrees horizontal angulations using the optimal exposure time recommended for each system. Five endodontists and five radiologists rated the image clarity of E- and F-speed radiographs as well as the original and enhanced Digora images. The data were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (P < 0.01). Inter-observer agreement was determined by Cohen's kappa. RESULTS: Enhanced digital images were rated as superior followed by E- and F-speed films and then the original digital images for the evaluation of both homogeneity and length (P < 0.01) of root canal fillings. Agreement among endodontists and radiologists measurements was high in all of the imaging methods (kappa = 0.87). CONCLUSION: Perceived image quality of the enhanced Digora images was superior to the original Digora and conventional film images for the evaluation of root fillings. However, E-speed film provided a significantly better image clarity in comparison with F-speed and original Digora images.

Dental Pulp Cavity↗
PubMed2005

Child health care clinicians' use of medications to help parents quit smoking: a national parent survey.

BACKGROUND: Smokers who use cessation medications when they attempt to quit double their likelihood of success. No prior survey has assessed the acceptability to parents of receiving smoking cessation medication prescriptions in the context of their child's primary care visits. OBJECTIVE: To assess acceptability to parents of receiving smoking cessation medication prescriptions and to compare that with the reported rate of actually receiving smoking cessation medication prescriptions in the context of the child's health care visit. METHODS: Data were collected through a national random-digit dial telephone survey of households from July to September 2003. The sample was weighted according to race and gender, on the basis of the 2002 US Census, to be representative of the US population. RESULTS: Of 3990 eligible respondents contacted, 3010 (75%) completed surveys; 1027 (34%) of those were parents. Of those parents, 211 (21%) were self-identified smokers. One half would consider using a smoking cessation medication and, of those, 85% said that it would be acceptable if the child's doctor prescribed or recommended it to them. In contrast, of the 143 smoking parents who accompanied their child to the doctor, only 15% had pharmacotherapy recommended and only 8% received a prescription for a smoking cessation medication. These results did not vary according to parent age, gender, race, or child age. CONCLUSIONS: Child health care clinicians have low rates of recommending and prescribing cessation therapies that have proved effective in other settings. The recommendation or provision of cessation medications would be acceptable to the majority of parents in the context of their child's health care visit.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Digital imaging analysis with mathematical morphology and fractal dimension for evaluation of periapical lesions following endodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To see if a method for digitizing trabecular pattern of bone could be used to quantitatively evaluate changes in bone pattern following endodontic treatment of teeth with periapical osteolytic lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Periapical radiographs were digitized and further processed with mathematical morphology operations known as skeletonization. The trabecular patterns resulting from this skeletonization process were further analyzed with fractal dimension analysis using box-counting. RESULTS: The periapical area in digitized radiographic images showed fractal behavior. Twenty-five of 27 patients showed increase of the fractal dimension after root canal treatment. Significant changes of the box-counting could be noted 3 months after root canal treatment (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Mathematical morphology operation and box-counting might be helpful in early detection of changes of periapical trabecular pattern after root canal treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Medical privacy: from the 4th Amendment to HIPAA. Right to privacy vs. public health: showdown looms over patient genetic information.

Newly adopted federal privacy regulations set a high standard for control of medical information that all medical offices and clinics must meet. Yet, the federal government can't even secure its own database of medical information. We have less than two years to come into full compliance with regulations that may well change over the coming months, making compliance a moving target. Learn the history of our privacy rights and regulations. And preview the privacy debates and dilemmas that await our digital society.

Confidentiality↗
PubMed1992

Indemnity plans rate higher in worker satisfaction.

Despite a cost disadvantage, employees enrolled in group indemnity plans are happier with their medical care than are their colleagues who are enrollees of health maintenance organizations, a new survey shows. However, as purchasers continue to confront annual double-digit increases in indemnity costs, the shift toward managed care is expected to continue.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1999

Developing a framework for worldwide image communication.

The increasing mobility of the population and frequent changes in healthcare coverage, in both the government and private sectors, require integration of medical records not only longitudinally, but also across a variety of healthcare providers. Early in 1998, the federal government decided to solve this problem by constructing a framework for access to medical records by all of the government's health care facilities, called the Government Computer-Based Patient Record (GCPR). The government consortium chose a proposal by Litton PRC, a partnership of 11 companies with complementary areas of expertise. The framework is based on open systems, which use publicly available standards, and includes a Master Patient Information Locator that allows access to medical information from remote facilities, based on creating a unique identifier for each and every individual patient. PRC will use the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) imaging standard for radiology, supplemented by Health Level Seven (HL7).

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2006

A national survey of the acceptability of quitlines to help parents quit smoking.

OBJECTIVE: Provision of telephone smoking cessation counseling can increase the rate of quitting smoking. The US Public Health Service recently helped to establish a free national quitline enrollment service. No previous surveys have assessed the acceptability to parents of enrollment in quitline counseling in the context of their child's health care visits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess acceptability to parents of enrollment in quitline counseling and to compare that with the reported rate of actually being enrolled in any smoking cessation counseling outside the office in the context of the child's health care visit. METHODS: Data were collected by a national random-digit-dial telephone survey of households from September to November 2004. The sample is weighted by race and gender on the basis of the current US Census to be representative of the US population. RESULTS: Of 3615 eligible respondents contacted, 3011 (83.3%) completed surveys; 958 (31.8%) who completed the survey were parents with children under the age of 18 years. Of these parents, 187 (19.7%) were self-identified smokers. Of the parents who smoked, 113 (64.2%) said that they would accept enrollment in a telephone cessation program if the child's doctor offered it to them. In contrast, of the 122 smoking parents who accompanied their child to the doctor in the past year, only 11 (9%) had any counseling recommended to them, and only 1 (0.8%) was actually enrolled. These results did not vary by parent age, gender, race, or child age. CONCLUSIONS: When interacting with parents who smoke, child health care providers have low rates of referring and enrolling parents in any services related to smoking. Enrollment in quitlines would be acceptable to the majority of parents in the context of their child's health care visit. Tobacco control efforts in the child health care setting should include implementation of office systems that can facilitate enrollment of parental smokers in telephone quitlines.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Trends in folic Acid awareness and behavior in the United States: the Gallup Organization for the March of Dimes Foundation surveys, 1995-2005.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize changes in folic acid awareness, knowledge, and behavior among women of childbearing age in the United States since the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) 1992 folic acid recommendation and later fortification. METHODS: Random-digit dialed telephone surveys were conducted of approximately 2000 women (per survey year) aged 18-45 years from 1995-2005 in the United States. RESULTS: The percentage of women reporting having heard or read about folic acid steadily increased from 52% in 1995 to 84% in 2005. Of all women surveyed in 2005, 19% knew folic acid prevented birth defects, an increase from 4% in 1995. The proportion of women who reported learning about folic acid from health care providers increased from 13% in 1995 to 26% in 2005. The proportion of all women who reported taking a vitamin supplement containing folic acid increased slightly from 28% in 1995 to 33% in 2005. Among women who were not pregnant at the time of the survey in 2005, 31% reported taking a vitamin containing folic acid daily compared with 25% in 1995. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of women taking folic acid daily has increased modestly since 1995. Despite this increase, the data show that the majority of women of childbearing age still do not take a vitamin containing folic acid daily. Health care providers and maternal child health professionals must continue to promote preconceptional health among all women of childbearing age, and encourage them to take a vitamin containing folic acid daily.

Adolescent↗