A computer analysis of the patients seen at the Forest Grove Optometric Clinic in 1973

At a time when Optometrists are working more closely with insurance companies and health maintenance organizations, it becomes necessary to be able to intelligently predict the type of treatment that may be given before the patients are seen. In this survey, a graphical analysis of the Forest Grove Optometric Clinic shows the relationship of diagnosis and treatment as a function of age. Information such as that shown here will be helpful in estimating optometric fees and insurance premiums

The OSCE in a pre-registration osteopathy program: Introduction and psychometric properties

Objective To investigate the psychometric properties of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) conducted in the final year of a pre-professional osteopathy program. A variety of metrics are used to determine the reliability and validity of the examination. Methods Data from the OSCE conducted in 2011 was collated and analysed to establish the pass/fail rates, cost of the examination, internal consistency, and variance components. The examination was conducted over two days with students completing 5 stations on day 1 and 4 stations on day 2. Each station was of 15 min duration and there were 2 examiners per station. Results Forty-eight students and 31 examiners were involved in the examination. Twenty-six students failed at least one station with six students failing three or more stations. Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.80 for all stations indicating that each is internally consistent and over 50% of the variance in the students' total score for a station was due to the students themselves. The total cost of conducting the examination was $AUD12,933.20. Conclusion The results of the study suggest that the OSCE format is an appropriate method for assessing clinical competency in osteopathic education. The OSCE should be used in conjunction with other forms of assessment to develop and overall picture of the students' clinical competency. Some modifications to the format of the assessment are required to improve the examination and these will be the subject of further studies

Trends in esophageal cancer and body mass index by race and gender in the state of Michigan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has been increasing in incidence in the U.S. over the past several decades, particularly among white males. The factors driving the racial disparity in adenocarcinomas rates are not well understood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Here we examine trends in both esophageal cancer incidence and body mass index (BMI) in a geographically defined cohort by gender and race. Age-adjusted esophageal cancer incidence rates from 1985 to 2005 were calculated from data collected by the Michigan state cancer registry. Trends were analyzed along with trends in BMI data obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey administered by the Centers for Disease Control.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, age adjusted incidence rates in esophageal carcinoma increased from 4.49 to 4.72 cases/100,000 persons per year in Michigan from 1985 to 2005. Among white males, the rate of adenocarcinomas increased by 0.21 cases/100,000 per year to a maximum of 6.40 cases/100,000 in 1999, after which these rates remained constant. There was a slight but non-significant increase in the rate of adenocarcinomas among African American males, for whom the average incidence rate was 8 times lower than that for white males (0.58 vs 4.72 cases/100,000 person years). While average BMI is rising in Michigan (from 26.68 in 1988 to 30.33 in 2005), average BMI was slightly higher among African Americans on average, and the rates of increase in BMI were not different between African American males and white males.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The disparity between African American males and white males is not explained by ecological-level trends in BMI. Further research to identify the factors responsible for this disparity, possibly including anatomic fat distribution, are required.</p