Pastoralist health care in Kenya

Health care for the Kenyan pastoralist people has serious shortcomings and it must be delivered under difficult circumstances. Often, the most basic requirements cannot be met, due to the limited accessibility of health care provisions to pastoralists. This adds major problems to the daily struggle for life, caused by bad climatic circumstances, illiteracy and poverty. We argue that strong, integrated and community based primary health care could provide an alternative for these inadequacies in the health system. The question then is how primary health care, which integrates a diversity of basic care provisions, such as pharmaceutical provision, child delivery assistance, mother and childcare and prevention activities, can be implemented. In our view, an appropriate mix of decentralisation forms, warranting better conditions on the one hand and relying on the current community and power structures and culture on the other hand, would be the best solution for the time being

Measurements of total odd nitrogen (NOy) aboard MOZAIC in-service aircraft: instrument design, operation and performance

A small system for the unattended measurement of total odd nitrogen (NOy, i.e., the sum of NO and its atmospheric oxidation products) aboard civil in-service aircraft in the framework of MOZAIC is described. The instrument employs the detection of NO by its chemiluminescence with O-3 in combination with catalytic conversion of the other NOy compounds to NO at 300degreesC on a gold surface in the presence of H-2. The instrument has a sensitivity of 0.4-0.7 cps/ppt and is designed for unattended operation during 1-2 service cycles of the aircraft (400-800 flight hours). The total weight is 50 kg, including calibration system, compressed gases, mounting, and safety measures. The layout and inlet configuration are governed by requirements due to the certification for passenger aircraft. Laboratory tests are described regarding the conversion efficiency for NO2 and HNO3 (both > 98%). Interference by non-NOy species is <1% for CH3CN and NH3, <5 x 10(-5) % for N2O (corresponding to <0.2 ppt fake NOy from ambient N2O) and 100% for HCN. The time response of the instrument is <1 s (90% change) for NO2. The response for HNO3 is nonlinear: 20 s for 67%, 60 s for 80%, and 150 s for 90% response, respectively

CAMbase – A XML-based bibliographical database on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

The term "Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)" covers a variety of approaches to medical theory and practice, which are not commonly accepted by representatives of conventional medicine. In the past two decades, these approaches have been studied in various areas of medicine. Although there appears to be a growing number of scientific publications on CAM, the complete spectrum of complementary therapies still requires more information about published evidence. A majority of these research publications are still not listed in electronic bibliographical databases such as MEDLINE. However, with a growing demand by patients for such therapies, physicians increasingly need an overview of scientific publications on CAM. Bearing this in mind, CAMbase, a bibliographical database on CAM was launched in order to close this gap. It can be accessed online free of charge or additional costs. The user can peruse more than 80,000 records from over 30 journals and periodicals on CAM, which are stored in CAMbase. A special search engine performing syntactical and semantical analysis of textual phrases allows the user quickly to find relevant bibliographical information on CAM. Between August 2003 and July 2006, 43,299 search queries, an average of 38 search queries per day, were registered focussing on CAM topics such as acupuncture, cancer or general safety aspects. Analysis of the requests led to the conclusion that CAMbase is not only used by scientists and researchers but also by physicians and patients who want to find out more about CAM. Closely related to this effort is our aim to establish a modern library center on Complementary Medicine which offers the complete spectrum of a modern digital library including a document delivery-service for physicians, therapists, scientists and researchers

Effectiveness of dementia follow-up care by memory clinics or general practitioners: randomised controlled trial

Objective To examine the effectiveness of post-diagnosis dementia treatment and coordination of care by memory clinics compared with general practitioners

The lumbosacral angle does not reflect progressive tethered cord syndrome in children with spinal dysraphism

Purpose: Our goal was to validate the hypothesis that the lumbosacral angle (LSA) increases in children with spinal dysraphism who present with progressive symptoms and signs of tethered cord syndrome (TCS), and if so, to determine for which different types and/or levels the LSA would be a valid indicator of progressive TCS. Moreover, we studied the influence of surgical untethering and eventual retethering on the LSA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 33 children with spinal dysraphism and 33 controls with medulloblastoma. We measured the LSA at different moments during follow-up and correlated this with progression in symptomatology. Results: LSA measurements had an acceptable intra- and interobserver variability, however, some children with severe deformity of the caudal part of the spinal column, and for obvious reasons those with caudal regression syndrome were excluded. LSA measurements in children with spinal dysraphism were significantly different from the control group (mean LSA change, 21.0° and 3.1° respectively). However, both groups were not age-matched, and when dividing both groups into comparable age categories, we no longer observed a significant difference. Moreover, we did not observe a significant difference between 26 children with progressive TCS as opposed to seven children with stable TCS (mean LSA change, 20.6° and 22.4° respectively). Conclusions: We did not observe significant differences in LSA measurements for children with clinically progressive TCS as opposed to clinically stable TCS. Therefore, the LSA does not help the clinician to dete

A four phase development model for integrated care services in the Netherlands

Background. Multidisciplinary and interorganizational arrangements for the delivery of coherent integrated care are being developed in a large number of countries. Although there are many integrated care programs worldwide, the process of developing these programs and interorganizational collaboration is described in the literature only to a limited extent. The purpose of this study is to explore how local integrated care services are developed in the Netherlands, and to conceptualize and operationalize a development model of integrated care. Methods. The research is based on an expert panel study followed by a two-part questionnaire, designed to identify the development process of integrated care. Essential elements of integrated care, which were developed in a previous Delphi and Concept Mapping Study, were analyzed in relation to development process of integrated care. Results. Integrated care development can be characterized by four developmental phases: the initiative and design phase; the experimental and execution phase; the expansion and monitoring phase; and the consolidation and transformation phase. Different elements of integrated care have been identified in the various developmental phases. Conclusion. The findings provide a descriptive model of the development process that integrated care services can undergo in the Netherlands. The findings have important implications for integrated care services, which can use the model as an instrument to reflect on their current practices. The model can be used to help to identify improvement areas in practice. The model provides a framework for developing evaluation designs for integrated care arrangements. Further research is recommended to test the developed model in practice and to add international experiences

The implementation of integrated care: the empirical validation of the Development Model for Integrated Care

Background: Integrated care is considered as a strategy to improve the delivery, efficiency, client outcomes and satisfaction rates of health care. To integrate the care from multiple providers into a coherent client-focused service, a large number of activities and agreements have to be implemented like streamlining information flows and patient transfers. The Development Model for Integrated care (DMIC) describes nine clusters containing in total 89 elements that contribute to the integration of care. We have empirically validated this model in practice by assessing the relevance, implementation and plans of the elements in three integrated care service settings in The Netherlands: stroke, acute myocardial infarct (AMI), and dementia. Methods. Based on the DMIC, a survey was developed for integrated care coordinators. We invited all Dutch stroke and AMI-services, as well as the dementia care networks to participate, of which 84 did (response rate 83%). Data were collected on relevance, presence, and year of implementation of the 89 elements. The data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics, Chi Square, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. Results: The results indicate that the integrated care practice organizations in all three care settings rated the nine clusters and 89 elements of the DMIC as highly relevant. The average number of elements implemented was 50 18, 42 13, and 45 22 for stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and dementia care services, respectively. Although the dementia networks were significantly younger, their numbers of implemented elements were comparable to those of the other services. The analyses of the implementation timelines showed that the older integrated care services had fewer plans for further implementation than the younger ones. Integrated care coordinators stated that the DMIC helped them to assess their integrated care development in practice and supported them in obtaining ideas for expanding their integrated car