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Health behavior among patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus as reported from a regional diabetic outpatient department.

The cost of management of diabetes mellitus in Poland, which has become a very common disease recently, is estimated at over 1 milliard zloty a year. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of prevention and treatment of DM and its complications both by using improved methods and the promotion of positive health behaviours such as physical activity, rational diet, and reduction of harmful ones such as smoking, in diabetic patients. The aim of the study was to assess positive and negative health behaviours and the presence of diabetes mellitus complications in type 1 and 2 DM patients of provincial diabetic outpatient department. The study included 53 DM patients who reported to diabetic outpatient department in Biala Podlaska. The participants filled in a questionnaire consisting of some questions applying to the type of DM and a way of treatment, frequency of plasma glucose measurement, medical check-ups, DM complications, coexistent diseases, family history of DM and health behaviours (physical activity, appropriate diet, smoking etc.). The results allowed to draw the following conclusions: 1. the majority of diabetic patients of the studied population lead a fairly healthy life-style: they are physically active, use a suitable diabetic diet, do not smoke, regularly control weight, plasma glucose concentration and blood pressure, declare systematical ophthalmologist control and they take special care about their feet; 2. type 1 diabetic patients are more careful about DM management than type 2 diabetic subjects.

Adolescent↗

Stop wasting valuable time.

Companies routinely squander their most precious resource--the time of their top executives. In the typical company, senior executives meet to discuss strategy for only three hours a month. And that time is poorly spent in diffuse discussions never even meant to result in any decision. The price of misused executive time is high. Delayed strategic decisions lead to overlooked waste and high costs, harmful cost reductions, missed new product and business development opportunities, and poor long-term investments. But a few deceptively simple changes in the way top management teams set agendas and structure team meetings can make an enormous difference in their effectiveness. Efficient companies use seven techniques to make the most of the time their top executives spend together. They keep strategy meetings separate from meetings focused on operations. They explore issues through written communications before they meet, so that meeting time is used solely for reaching decisions. In setting agendas, they rank the importance of each item according to its potential to create value for the company. They seek to get issues not only on, but also off, the agenda quickly, keeping to a clear implementation timetable. They make sure they have considered all viable alternatives before deciding a course of action. They use a common language and methodology for reaching decisions. And they insist that, once a decision is made, they stick to it--that there be no more debate or mere grudging compliance. Once leadership teams get the basics right, they can make more fundamental changes in the way they work together. Strategy making can be transformed from a series of fragmented and unproductive events into a streamlined, effective, and continuing management dialogue. In companies that have done this, management meetings aren't a necessary evil; they're a source of real competitive advantage.

Administrative Personnel↗

Does legislation reduce harm to doctors who prescribe for themselves?

OBJECTIVE: To consider the issue of legislation restricting self prescribing by doctors. METHOD: Searches of the medical literature in Medline, Australian Medical Index and CINAHL using the terms 'medical', 'legislation' and 'physician impairment' from 1966-2003 supplemented by checking citations of review papers. RESULTS: We found 144 articles, although no trials of legislation. The remaining research was inadequate to answer the question of whether restricting self prescribing reduces doctor impairment. However, descriptive studies suggest that impairment attributed to self prescribing is most often from self administration, which is not altered by legislation to restrict self prescribing. DISCUSSION: There are important theoretical adverse consequences of legislation that restrict self prescribing. Apparently self evident legislation may be counter productive. The need for doctors to have an independent general practitioner is reinforced.

Drug Prescriptions↗

[Determination of potassium, calcium, manganese, chromium and cadmium in 10 kinds of (tobacco) cigarettes by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer].

We used the flame atomic absorption spectrophometer to determine the contents of potassium,calcium,manganese, chromium and cadmium in 10 kinds of (tobacco) cigarettes. The results showed that there were different contents of five kinds of metals in different cigarettes, providing useful data for plant and dryness of tobacco as well as the reduction of harm of smoking to human body.

Cadmium↗

The precautionary principle.

The Precautionary Principle in its simplest form states: "When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically". This Principle is the basis for European environmental law, and plays an increasing role in developing environmental health policies as well. It also is used in environmental decision-making in Canada and in several European countries, especially in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. The Precautionary Principle has been used in the environmental decision-making process and in regulating drugs and other consumer products in the United States. The Precautionary Principle enhances the collection of risk information for, among other items, high production volume chemicals and risk-based analyses in general. It does not eliminate the need for good science or for science-based risk assessments. Public participation is encouraged in both the review process and the decision-making process. The Precautionary Principle encourages, and in some cases may require, transparency of the risk assessment process on health risk of chemicals both for public health and the environment. A debate continues on whether the Principle should embrace the "polluter pays" directive and place the responsibility for providing risk assessment on industry. The best elements of a precautionary approach demand good science and challenge the scientific community to improve methods used for risk assessment.

Environmental Health↗

Computer-based tools for diagnosis and treatment of alcohol problems.

Diagnosis and treatment of alcohol-related problems are time-intensive procedures that often are difficult to implement in busy clinical settings. Computer-based tools are one approach that may enhance the availability and cost-effectiveness of assessment and intervention and also may offer other advantages over face-to-face interventions. Several PC- and Internet-based programs have been developed that can be used for assessing alcohol problems, some of which are based on existing screening instruments. Other programs have demonstrated effectiveness as interventions, serving to increase patient motivation and reduce alcohol-associated harm through skill building. Investigators also have begun to analyze the mechanisms through which computer-based programs can induce these effects. Future efforts should be aimed at developing and evaluating additional computer-based interventions, particularly for specific patient subgroups, and at removing barriers to the incorporation of such programs into clinical practice.

Alcoholism↗

Medical police and the nanny state: public health versus private autonomy.

Rome tried to increase both the numbers of its people and their well-being, and hence their wealth, but it was not until the 16th century that European rulers were urged to achieve these aims by the power of the state to enforce public health. By the 17th century, absolutist states such as France, Austria and especially Germany had created an administrative profession of enlightened despotism, with medical police to encourage healthy and thus wealth-producing citizens. Johann Peter Frank (1745-1821) was the profession's exemplar with his 6,262 page System einer vollstländigen medischiner Polizey, leading to comprehensive public health legislation in German-speaking states, followed by more libertarian countries such as Britain and the United States. However, controversy continues on the role of government in trying to save its citizens, and especially their children, from harming themselves and/or others by their actions and omissions.

Europe↗

Offer us what we want.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

[The importance and form of the collar in hip joint endoprosthesis. Theoretical analysis and biomechanical study].

Flat contact of the collar of the stem with the resection area of the femur in total hip replacement can often not be achieved even when the operation technique is very precise. Uneven bone patches or deviations in the resection angle lead to points of contact. If this contact area is localized to the lateral part of the collar, considerable varus torque acts on the prosthesis stem. By a simple modification, removal of the lateral area of the collar, medical bone - collar contact is achieved. It is independent from deviations in the operative procedure. In biomechanical experiments, drastic reduction in harmful torque was demonstrated by this modification. Thus, more "physiological" force transmission from the prosthesis to the bone can be expected.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

[Principles of assessing health and environmental risk in view of directives issued by the EEC].

The Directive 93/67/EEC on the principles for assessment of health and environmental risks associated with the traffic of newly introduced chemicals was discussed. The Directive applies to so called new chemicals which require notification in countries of the European Community. Risk assessment is essential for risk management which comprises control, prevention and reduction of harmful effects of chemicals on the human health and environment. In Poland an act on chemicals is being drafted which will, among others, include the provisions on health and environmental risk assessment. The principles presented for risk assessment and methods for identifying the hazard, assessing the magnitude of exposure as well as the characterisation of risk and development of criteria for drawing final conclusions can be, in opinion of the authors, adapted to the Polish legal regulations. It is suggested to built up a subject matter background and to publish guidelines on the magnitude of admissible risk acceptable to populations exposed, manufacturers and importers as well as to the state administration. An admissible risk should be specified for all health and environmental effects and for groups of exposed population stratified according to age and health state.

Environmental Monitoring↗

Redefining the goals of national drug policy: recommendations from a working group.

This paper discusses what the goals of national drug policy have been and suggests an alternative set of goals. The past emphasis on use reduction is found wanting. Total harm related to drugs can be viewed as the product of use and harm per use. Thus, reducing use usually serves to reduce harm. However, in some cases, use reduction programs may increase harm per use so much that they increase overall harm even as they succeed in reducing use. Hence, use reduction goals can be usefully augmented with the explicit objective of reducing the total harm created by the production, distribution, consumption, and control of drugs. Numerous programmatic recommendations flow from this approach.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Policy interventions to reduce the harm from smoking.

The other papers in this series on reduced smoking discuss interventions focused on individuals. This paper illustrates possible smoking reduction interventions focused on policies rather than individuals. Target 12 of the new WHO Health For All Policy aims to significantly reduce the harm from addictive substances, including tobacco, in all member states by 2015, and the WHO Third Action Plan for Tobacco-Free Europe focuses on reducing the harm from tobacco. These documents recommend five key policy strategies: market regulation, product liability, smoke-free environments, support for smoking cessation and education, public information and public opinion. Interventions such as price increases, restricting availability, advertising bans and product control could all be used to achieve harm reduction. Research on reducing the harm of smoking needs to include policy as well as treatment research.

Advertising↗

Guidelines for the use of carotid endarterectomy: current recommendations from the Canadian Neurosurgical Society.

OBJECTIVE: To develop guidelines on the suitability of patients for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). OPTIONS: For atherosclerotic carotid stenosis that has resulted in retinal or cerebral ischemia: antiplatelet drugs or CEA. For asymptomatic carotid stenosis: CEA or no surgery. OUTCOMES: Risk of stroke and death. EVIDENCE: Trials comparing CEA with nonsurgical management of carotid stenosis. VALUES: Greatest weight was given to findings that were highly significant both statistically and clinically. BENEFITS, HARMS AND COSTS: Benefit: reduction in the risk of stroke. Major harms: iatrogenic stroke, cardiac complications and death secondary to surgical manipulations of the artery or the systemic stress of surgery. Costs were not considered. RECOMMENDATIONS: CEA is clearly recommended for patients with surgically accessible internal carotid artery (ICA) stenoses equal to or greater than 70% of the more distal, normal ICA lumen diameter, providing: (1) the stenosis is symptomatic, causing transient ischemic attacks or nondisabling stroke (including retinal infarction); (2) there is no worse distal, ipsilateral, carotid distribution arterial disease; (3) the patient is in stable medical condition; and (4) the rates of major surgical complications (stroke and death) among patients of the treating surgeon are less than 6%. Surgery is not recommended for asymptomatic stenoses of less than 60%. Symptomatic stenoses of less than 70% and asymptomatic stenoses of greater than 60% are uncertain indications. For these indications, consideration should be given to (1) patient presentation, age and medical condition; (2) plaque characteristics such as degree of narrowing, the presence of ulceration and any documented worsening of the plaque over time; (3) other cerebral arterial stenoses or occlusions, or cerebral infarcts identified through neuroimaging; and (4) surgical complication rates at the institution. CEA should not be considered for asymptomatic stenoses unless the combined stroke and death rate among patients of the surgeon is less than 3%. VALIDATION: These guidelines generally agree with position statements prepared by other organizations in recent years, and with a January 1995 consensus statement by a group of experts assembled by the American Heart Association.

Canada↗