Post-occupancy evaluation in a medium city of Santa Catarina : perceptions about the users? satisfaction and needs.

Este artigo ? o resultado de uma pesquisa realizada em um conjunto habitacional de baixa renda, na cidade de Chapec?/SC, que visou avaliar o desempenho funcional das edifica??es e investigar o comportamento e o n?vel de satisfa??o das fam?lias. Para tanto, utilizou-se uma abordagem com m?ltiplos m?todos de avalia??o p?s-ocupa??o (APO), quantitativos e qualitativos, como an?lise walkthrough, question?rio e grupo focal. Observou-se que o PMCMV demonstra pouca preocupa??o com a diversidade socioecon?mica e cultural, bem como em atender a perfis fora do padr?o m?dio existente. Sobre a unidade habitacional, percebeu-se pouca funcionalidade, al?m de um n?mero de ambientes e ?rea ?til inferior ? necessidade de boa parte das fam?lias. Todos esses fatores colaboram para um baixo n?vel de satisfa??o dos moradores e uma r?pida obsolesc?ncia da edifica??o. Al?m disso, a compara??o com estudos similares realizados em outras localidades evidenciou a import?ncia da realiza??o de APOs em diversas regi?es do pa?s, gerando um panorama global do tema e divulgando diferen?as referentes ? diversidade cultural e ambiental.This paper is the result of a research carried out in a low income housing complex in the city of Chapec?/SC, which aims to evaluate the functional performance of the buildings and investigate the behavior and level of family satisfaction. For that, an approach was used with multiple methods of post-occupancy evaluation (POE), quantitative and qualitative, such as walkthrough analysis, questionnaire and focus group. The PMCMV shows little concern with socioeconomic and cultural diversity, as well as attending profiles outside the existing average standard. About the housing unit, low levels of functionality was detected, as well as a number of rooms and a living area that was less than the need of most families. All these factors contribute to a low level of satisfaction of the residents and a rapid obsolescence of the building. In addition, the comparison with similar studies carried out in other locations showed the importance of POEs in several regions of the country, generating a global panorama of the theme and disseminating differences regarding cultural and environmental diversity

Cost-effectiveness of Strategies for Primary Prevention of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug-induced Peptic Ulcer Disease

OBJECTIVE: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of peptic ulcer disease by 5- to 7-fold in the first 3 months of treatment. This study examined the relative cost-effectiveness of different strategies for the primary prevention of NSAID-induced ulcers in patients that are starting NSAID treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A decision analysis model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of 6 prophylactic strategies relative to no prophylaxis for patients 65 years of age starting a 3-month course of NSAIDs: (1) testing for Helicobacter pylori infection and treating those with positive tests; (2) empiric treatment of all patients for Helicobacter pylori; (3) conventional-dose histamine(2)receptor antagonists; (4) high-dose histamine(2)receptor antagonists; (5) misoprostol; and (6) omeprazole. Costs were estimated from 1997 Medicare reimbursement schedules and the Drug Topics Red Book. Empiric treatment of Helicobacter pylori with bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline was cost-saving in the baseline analysis. Selective treatment of Helicobacter pylori, misoprostol, omeprazole, and conventional-dose or high-dose histamine(2)receptor antagonists cost $23,800,$46,100, $34,400, and$15,600 or $21,500 per year of life saved, respectively, relative to prophylaxis. The results were sensitive to the probability of an ulcer, the probability and mortality of ulcer complications, and the cost of, efficacy of, and compliance with prophylaxis. The cost-effectiveness estimates did not change substantially when costs associated with antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori were incorporated. CONCLUSIONS: Several strategies for primary prevention of NSAID-induced ulcers in patients starting NSAIDs were estimated to have acceptable cost-effectiveness relative to prophylaxis. Empirically treating all patients for Helicobacter pylori with bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline was projected to be cost-saving in older patients