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Background: Outpatient department (OPD) clinics account for a significant proportion of healthcare expenditure. We report on a pilot study of a virtual outpatient clinic (VC) for urology patients as an alternative to a general urology clinic review.Aims: The study aims to assess the safety and cost-effectiveness of a virtual clinic as an alternative to general OPD review.Methods: A prospective study performed between March 2015 and December 2015 investigated the effectiveness of a VC in our institution. Eligible patients were recruited from general urology outpatient visits, from medical team members and from general practitioners (GP). Data recorded on each VC review included patient demographics, indication for referral to VC, outcome of VC and method of communication with the patient and their GP after the VC.Results: Three hundred eighty-five patients were registered for the VC. Indications for referral included review of imaging results (n = 136), doctor or patient query (n = 112) and review of laboratory results (n = 67). Outcomes after VC review included general OPD follow-up (n = 134), discharge from urology care (n = 39), referral for urological intervention (n = 29) and referral for radiological investigation (n = 23). VC review prevented 217 OPD clinic visits, saved €17,360 and provided a failsafe mechanism for reviewing investigation results. Two patients booked for OPD review following VC review did not receive appointments.Conclusions: Virtual clinic is a safe and cost-effective alternative to general OPD review in appropriately selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence has suggested that the introduction of rapid access prostate cancer programs has led to a more streamlined pathway for patients, and was designed to ultimately reduce referral delays Aims: To identify the initial impact of the introduction of the rapid access prostate clinic on Gleason grading within the prostate cancer cohort, as well as the impact of distance from a tertiary referral center on subsequent Gleason grading Methods: A prospective database was maintained from those men attended the rapid access prostate clinic in St. Vincent's University Hospital. Data relating to demographics, biopsy results, retrospective PSA readings, and subsequent treatment pathways were all recorded and analyzed. Statistical significance was taken at p < 0.05 Results: Prospective data from the rapid access prostate clinic illustrated similar results in patient demographics, Gleason grade and choice of treatment outcomes to other published institutions, however, for the first time demonstrate emerging evidence of the effect of the rapid access prostate clinic leading to a downward shift in Gleason grade over a 2-year period, as well as data showing an inverse correlation between leading Gleason grade and distance from our tertiary referral center Conclusion: These results suggest that the introduction of the rapid access prostate clinic has initially begun to demonstrate an initial downgrading in Gleason scoring patterns. Our data also reflects a poorer Gleason score in those patients living further away from the rapid access prostate clinic. This may be in part attributed to a surge in referrals of those patients previously managed outside a tertiary institution, and suggests that patients should undergo prompt referral following suspicion for prostate cancer [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a brief overview of the advantages of two-ear hearing in children and discusses the limitations, from a psychophysical and a technical perspective, which may constrain the ability of cochlear implant users to gain these benefits. The latest outcomes for children using bilateral cochlear implants are discussed, which suggest that results are more favorable for children who receive both devices before the age of 3.5 to 4 years. The available studies that have investigated electrophysiological responses for children receiving bilateral implants are discussed. These also support the notion that optimum development of binaural auditory skills may be more difficult after the age of 3.5 to 4 years. Studies that investigate the alternative for some children of using a hearing aid on the opposite ear to the cochlear implant are briefly discussed. These indicate that advantages for speech perception in noise and localization can be obtained consistently for children with significant residual hearing in the nonimplanted ear. The article concludes with an attempt to bring the available scientific evidence into the practical clinical context with suggestions that may assist clinicians in making recommendations for families considering bilateral cochlear implantation. Although the evidence remains limited at this time, it is reasonable to suggest that bilateral cochlear implantation can provide improved auditory skills over a single implant for children with severe and profound bilateral hearing loss. The available data suggest that the benefit may be maximized by introducing both implants as early as possible, at least before 3.5 to 4 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the history, purpose, and overall methodology of the Workplace Managed Care (WMC) study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). This study was initiated to discern best practices for workplaces and managed care organizations integrating their substance abuse prevention and early intervention programs, strategies, and activities for employees and their families. CSAP funded nine WMC grants to study their retrospective and prospective data. Results of the WMC study suggested the addition of substance abuse prevention material to existing workplace health promotion offerings that resulted in improved substance abuse attitudes without jeopardizing existing health promotion programs. Stress management programming was successful at improving substance abuse attitudes indirectly. This study provides a platform for multidisciplinary research in workplace and managed care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses managing disability costs with a partnership among employers, their supervisors and employees. Ten tips for reducing disability costs; Employee and employer incentives; Organizations culture influences disability costs; More.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral ondansetron (Zofran) as an antiemetic in patients receiving cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy.Design: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo-controlled trial conducted between March 1989 and January 1990.Setting: Twenty-seven oncology centers including university hospitals, community cancer centers, and private medical oncology practices.Patients: A total of 349 chemotherapy-naive patients having their first cycle of cyclophosphamide (> or = 450 mg/m2)-based chemotherapy. Patients also received methotrexate (> or = 30 mg/m2) or doxorubicin (> or = 35 mg/m2). All patients were evaluated for safety and 318 (91%) were evaluated for efficacy.Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: placebo, 1 mg, 4 mg, or 8 mg of ondansetron. Assigned study medication was taken three times per day for 3 consecutive days.Measurements: Time and number of emetic episodes as well as degree of nausea were recorded by patients for each of the 3 study days.Results: Compared with placebo, all three doses of ondansetron were superior (P < 0.001) in preventing vomiting and controlling nausea. A complete response (no emetic episodes) was observed in 19%, 57%, 65%, and 66% of patients in the placebo, 1-mg, 4-mg, and 8-mg ondansetron groups, respectively. For patients who received higher-dose cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, a dose-related trend in antiemetic efficacy of ondansetron was observed. Mild headache and constipation were the most frequently reported adverse events. No extrapyramidal reactions were observed.Conclusion: Oral ondansetron is a safe and effective antiemetic that is more efficacious than placebo for patients receiving cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined how problem drinking and drug use and their related treatment received by workers varied by health insurance coverage and employment characteristics.Method: We used National Survey on Drug Use and Health data on civilian workers ages 18 years and older from the 2002 and 2003 public-use files. Multivariate logistic regressions estimated the relationship between workers' uninsured status and problem use, dependence, and treatment while controlling for worker demographics, education, income, and job characteristics.Results: Controlling for differences in worker and workplace characteristics, uninsured workers were significantly more likely than privately insured workers to be illicit drug users or heavy drinkers. Among dependent workers, the lack of insurance was associated with a reduction in treatment received for problem drinkers (odds ratio = 0.31, p = .13). By contrast, a large, positive-albeit statistically nonsignificant-association between being uninsured and receiving treatment prevailed among uninsured workers using illicit drugs. Workplace substance-use policies were associated with a significant reduction in the odds of treatment received or treatment needed among problem drinkers without insurance coverage. Employee assistance programs were not good predictors of treatment received among uninsured workers.Conclusions: Uninsured workers were more likely to be heavy drinkers or illicit drug users than were workers with health insurance. Health insurance coverage was not significantly associated with treatment received among workers reporting problem use. Uninsured workers may be unable to benefit fully from employee assistance programs' treatment and referral services, whose utility depends on adequate behavioral health coverage for workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]