Michael silver - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Michael silver
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Feb 1, 2001
This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality-adjusted price changes for video-re... more This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality-adjusted price changes for video-recorders. We use hedonic regressions to derive estimates of the changing worth of each quality component. These are then applied to weighted changes in the mix of quality attributes of products to derive estimates of qualityadjusted price (QAP) changes. The data source used is electronic-point-of-sale (EPOS) scanner data that are available for a wide range of goods. This study provides an example of how such methods can be more widely applied. The estimates of QAP changes correspond to constant-utility,`hedonic' cost-of-living indexes defined in economic theory as the ratio of expenditure functions at constant utility allowing for changing prices and characteristics of goods. This method is proposed as an improvement on the existing direct method, which takes its estimates directly from the coefficients associated with`time dummies' in a hedonic regression. We finally undertake a matching process, akin to that used by statistical offices, and compare the results. Direct comparisons with RPI estimates and these hedonic approaches are not easy since the approaches use quite different data sets. Our replication of a procedure akin to that used for the RPI on the scanner data set provides insights into sources of potential bias.
Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, 2002
The advent of bar-code, retail scanner data provides an alternative data source for the compilati... more The advent of bar-code, retail scanner data provides an alternative data source for the compilation of consumer price indexes. This paper outlines the nature and merits of such data for this purpose. The data allows aggregation via superlative index number formulae at a very elementary level and provides superior coverage to conventional sources. However, it has been argued that aggregation bias may still arise if the unit values which feed into the superlative indexes are defined for product items, as opposed to product items for given outlets. We explore for six products the nature and extent of unit value bias by outlet type. For three products we found the level of aggregation did not matter. However, we also found it can matter and established the extent of its effects which were always the aggregation by model only, falling less than by model and outlet. This should help provide a basis for an understanding of the issues at stake in the use of scanner data for the compilation of consumer price indexes.
Accurate and Complete Data Needed to Meet DOD's Core Capability Reporting Requirements Why GAO Di... more Accurate and Complete Data Needed to Meet DOD's Core Capability Reporting Requirements Why GAO Did This Study DOD uses both military depots and contractors to maintain many complex weapon systems and equipment. Recognizing the key role of the depots and the risk of overreliance on contractors, Section 2464 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code requires DOD to maintain a core maintenance capability-a government-owned and-operated combination of personnel, facilities, equipment, processes, and technology that is needed to meet contingency and other emergency requirements. Section 2464 requires DOD to provide a Biennial Core Report to Congress that includes three elements: (1) core capability requirements, (2) planned workload, and (3) a detailed rationale and mitigation plans for any shortfalls between core capability requirements and planned workload. Section 2464 mandated that GAO review DOD's Biennial Core Report for compliance and completeness. GAO assessed the extent to which the report complies with the three elements of the statute and the completeness of the report. GAO reviewed relevant legislation, DOD's 2014 Biennial Core Report, the military services' submissions to support the report, and related DOD guidance. What GAO Recommends GAO recommends that DOD assess its review processes and implement needed improvements to ensure that future submissions of the Biennial Core Report will be more accurate and complete. DOD concurred with this recommendation. What GAO Found The Department of Defense's (DOD) 2014 Biennial Core Report to Congress complies with two of the three required reporting elements of Section 2464-core capability requirements and planned workload. It partially complies with the third element-a detailed explanation or rationale for shortfalls and accompanying mitigation plans. Specifically, the report includes mitigation plans for the Marine Corps' shortfall but does not clearly provide an explanation of the identified shortfall. In February 2013, GAO recommended that DOD improve its Biennial Core Report by including detailed explanations of why the military services do not have the workload to meet core capability requirements for each identified shortfall. DOD concurred and stated that it would include such explanations in future reports. Fully implementing the recommendation would provide Congress visibility into whether the military services' plans will address the causes of the shortfalls.
Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per resp... more Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.
American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality, Jan 15, 2015
Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation can significantly affect physicians' job ... more Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation can significantly affect physicians' job satisfaction, which in turn can affect the quality of patient care. Between November 2012 and March 2013, the study team surveyed 159 community-based physicians in 159 practice sites that had experienced PCMH practice transformations in New York State. Of the 159 physicians, 121 responded (77% response rate) to the online survey. Nearly two thirds (60%) of physicians reported being somewhat or very satisfied overall with their practice after PCMH transformation. Overall satisfaction was lower than satisfaction with specific domains of practice: patient-centered care (82%), coordination of care (81%), access to care (79%), efficiency (76%), organizational culture (69%), and quality (69%). Although the physicians were moderately satisfied with care quality in their practices after PCMH transformation, their overall satisfaction was notably lower. The findings reveal a need to identify fact...
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 2001
This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality‐adjusted price changes for video‐re... more This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality‐adjusted price changes for video‐recorders. We use hedonic regressions to derive estimates of the changing worth of each quality component. These are then applied to weighted changes in the mix of quality attributes of products to derive estimates of quality‐adjusted price (QAP) changes. The data source used is electronic‐point‐of‐sale (EPOS) scanner data that are available for a wide range of goods. This study provides an example of how such methods can be more widely applied. The estimates of QAP changes correspond to constant‐utility, (hedonic) cost‐of‐living indexes defined in economic theory as the ratio of expenditure functions at constant utility allowing for changing prices and characteristics of goods. This method is proposed as an improvement on the existing direct method, which takes its estimates directly from the coefficients associated with ‘time dummies’ in a hedonic regression. We finally undertake a match...
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 2013
Background: Valproic acid is a drug used for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurol... more Background: Valproic acid is a drug used for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders. While it is well known to cause postural tremor, hyperammonemia, slowness, and sedation, it has also been described to occasionally cause a reversible form of parkinsonism. Materials and methods: A series of five cases is reported. Results: All patients were taking the drug for at least several months before onset of their parkinsonian symptoms. Parkinsonism was defined by the presence of bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and resting tremor, but not postural or action tremor. After discontinuing their valproic acid, improvement was seen by all patients. The course of improvement took days to months after discontinuance. Two of these patients responded to dopaminergic therapy, with drug-induced dyskinesia observed in one. In another patient, valproic acid was thought to unmask underlying Parkinson's Disease; this patient benefited from levodopa as well. Conclusion: Valproic acid-induced parkinsonism can look identical to idiopathic parkinsonism. In all five cases, the relationship between the valproic acid use and parkinsonism was initially unclear because of the delayed and insidious onset. Our finding of levodopa responsiveness and dyskinesia added to the diagnostic confusion. This treatment responsiveness also set it apart from neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. In all cases improvement of symptoms occurred after discontinuation of the offending medication.
Pain, 1991
1. Pain. 1991 Oct;47(1):124-5. Comment on 'Simultaneous interview technique for patients... more 1. Pain. 1991 Oct;47(1):124-5. Comment on 'Simultaneous interview technique for patients with persistent pain' by L. Jacobson, AJ Mariano, C. Chabal and EF Chaney in Pain, 45 (1991) 105-106. Covelman K, Scott S, Cohen DE, Shapiro BS, Howe CJ, Silver M, Osborne ML. ...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 1987
The FLASH technique for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging often employs strong magnetic field ... more The FLASH technique for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging often employs strong magnetic field gradients, called spoiler gradients, to dephase the transverse magnetization after it has been measured. Otherwise, image artifacts can develop. The effectiveness of spoiler gradients at suppressing these artifacts was evaluated experimentally on two-dimensional MR images of a uniform phantom and patients. It was informative to compare the magnetization immediately before the RF excitation in each phase encoding step. Only spoiler gradients in the slice selection direction were effective. Spoiler gradients that decreased steadily from a large amplitude in the first phase encoding step to zero in the last minimized the transverse magnetization and suppressed the image artifact, without changing the image contrast.
Journal of Vision, 2010
Abstract The neurotransmitter dopamine has been implicated in cognitive control and working memor... more Abstract The neurotransmitter dopamine has been implicated in cognitive control and working memory. Specifically, the D2 dopamine receptor agonist bromocriptine has been demonstrated to affect task switching and resistance to distraction in visual working memory. Here, we systematically manipulated spatial attention in a cueing paradigm and assessed the effects of bromocriptine administration on behavioral performance. Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a target grating that appeared in ...
Journal of Vision, 2010
Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a grating that... more Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a grating that appeared in one of four spatial locations in the visual display, arranged around the fixation point. An anti-cueing paradigm was used to manipulate attention. Each trial began with ...
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2013
Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming more common because of the federal EHR incentive pro... more Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming more common because of the federal EHR incentive programme, which is also promoting electronic health information exchange (HIE). To determine whether consumers' attitudes toward EHR and HIE are associated with experience with doctors using EHR, a nationwide random-digit-dial survey was conducted in December 2011. Of 1603 eligible people contacted, 1000 (63%) participated. Most believed EHR and HIE would improve healthcare quality (66% and 79%, respectively). Respondents whose doctor had an EHR were more likely to believe that these technologies would improve quality (for EHR, OR 2.3; for HIE, OR 1.7). However, experience with physicians using EHR was not associated with privacy concerns. Consumers whose physicians use EHR were more likely to believe that EHR and HIE will improve healthcare when compared to others. However, experience with a physician using an EHR had no relationship with privacy concerns.
Informatics for Health and Social Care, 2014
Primary objective: Electronic patient portals give patients access to personal medical data, pote... more Primary objective: Electronic patient portals give patients access to personal medical data, potentially creating opportunities to improve knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement in healthcare. The combination of knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement has been termed activation. Our objective was to assess the relationship between patient activation and outpatient use of a patient portal. Research design: Survey. Methods and procedures: A telephone survey was conducted with 180 patients who had been given access to a portal, 113 of whom used it and 67 of whom did not. The validated patient activation measure (PAM) was administered along with questions about demographics and behaviors. Results: Portal users were no different from nonusers in patient activation. Portal users did have higher education level and more frequent Internet use, and were more likely to have precisely 2 prescription medications than to have more or fewer. Conclusion: Patients who chose to use an electronic patient portal were not more highly activated than nonusers, although they were more educated and more likely to be Internet users.
Gastroenterology, 2009
was obtained in all subjects enrolled in a study on influenza vaccine immunogenicity in IBD. Immu... more was obtained in all subjects enrolled in a study on influenza vaccine immunogenicity in IBD. Immunization histories were verified with Phantim and Medipatient databases (immunization databases for southern Alberta). Data on demographics, IBD classification, and IBD medications were also collected. RESULTS: Sixty-one subjects participated in the study. The mean age of subjects was 14.8 years. Immunomodulatory therapy and anti-TNF therapy were used in 18% and 13% of subjects, respectively. Immunization histories were collected by records obtained by parents from the Public Health Office (15); personal immunization cards (8); parental recall (22); personal immunization cards and parental recall (15); and Public Health Office records and parental recall (1). Fifty-three histories were verified; only one history by parental recall had discrepant results. Five subjects had incomplete routine childhood immunizations (hepatitis B [4], DTaP-IPV at 4-6 years [1], MMR at 4-6 years [1], dTaP at 14-16 years of age [2]). The reasons for incomplete vaccination were: recent move from another province in Canada or another country with different childhood immunization pattern (2); unawareness of routine immunization (1); and use of immunosuppressive therapy at time of scheduled immunization (prednisone [2], imuran with infliximab [1]). CONCLUSION: A major limitation of this study is selection bias as these subjects were a cohort who volunteered to participate and receive influenza vaccination. Although most subjects had complete routine childhood immunizations, 10% had suboptimal immunization status despite being a highly motivated cohort. With increasing use of immunosuppressive therapy in IBD, physicians caring for children with IBD must evaluate immunization status and ensure completeness of childhood immunizations.
Bulletin of the American …, 2009
A recent proposal for realizing scalable quantum computation is based on a microfabricated ion tr... more A recent proposal for realizing scalable quantum computation is based on a microfabricated ion trap and its integration with micro-optical components performing various functionalities required for state preparation, gate operation, and state detection. In this work, we present ...
Archives of Surgery, 2006
Bariatric surgery performed at US academic centers is safe and associated with low mortality.
African Studies Review, 1981
This book focuses on the export sectors of the economies of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with emp... more This book focuses on the export sectors of the economies of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with emphasis on the period 1959-1971. The first half contains the basic, traditional information about East African economics dealt with in numerous other publications. General economic characteristics of the three East African countries, their export crops and their trade relationships with each other by way of the East African Common Market are analyzed in the first four chapters. The author reaches some general conclusions with respect to the development of the economics of the three countries during the first decade of independence: very few structural changes took place in the economics of the three countries; development, as indicated by education, health, social economic overhead data, did occur in the region; real per capita incomes increased throughout the region; a high degree of dependence on export or primary products continued, although some significant changes in the product mix occurred; and, all three countries experienced increases in their agricultural exports at rates higher than the average for the less developed countries.
Critical Care Medicine, 2006
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Feb 1, 2001
This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality-adjusted price changes for video-re... more This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality-adjusted price changes for video-recorders. We use hedonic regressions to derive estimates of the changing worth of each quality component. These are then applied to weighted changes in the mix of quality attributes of products to derive estimates of qualityadjusted price (QAP) changes. The data source used is electronic-point-of-sale (EPOS) scanner data that are available for a wide range of goods. This study provides an example of how such methods can be more widely applied. The estimates of QAP changes correspond to constant-utility,`hedonic' cost-of-living indexes defined in economic theory as the ratio of expenditure functions at constant utility allowing for changing prices and characteristics of goods. This method is proposed as an improvement on the existing direct method, which takes its estimates directly from the coefficients associated with`time dummies' in a hedonic regression. We finally undertake a matching process, akin to that used by statistical offices, and compare the results. Direct comparisons with RPI estimates and these hedonic approaches are not easy since the approaches use quite different data sets. Our replication of a procedure akin to that used for the RPI on the scanner data set provides insights into sources of potential bias.
Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, 2002
The advent of bar-code, retail scanner data provides an alternative data source for the compilati... more The advent of bar-code, retail scanner data provides an alternative data source for the compilation of consumer price indexes. This paper outlines the nature and merits of such data for this purpose. The data allows aggregation via superlative index number formulae at a very elementary level and provides superior coverage to conventional sources. However, it has been argued that aggregation bias may still arise if the unit values which feed into the superlative indexes are defined for product items, as opposed to product items for given outlets. We explore for six products the nature and extent of unit value bias by outlet type. For three products we found the level of aggregation did not matter. However, we also found it can matter and established the extent of its effects which were always the aggregation by model only, falling less than by model and outlet. This should help provide a basis for an understanding of the issues at stake in the use of scanner data for the compilation of consumer price indexes.
Accurate and Complete Data Needed to Meet DOD's Core Capability Reporting Requirements Why GAO Di... more Accurate and Complete Data Needed to Meet DOD's Core Capability Reporting Requirements Why GAO Did This Study DOD uses both military depots and contractors to maintain many complex weapon systems and equipment. Recognizing the key role of the depots and the risk of overreliance on contractors, Section 2464 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code requires DOD to maintain a core maintenance capability-a government-owned and-operated combination of personnel, facilities, equipment, processes, and technology that is needed to meet contingency and other emergency requirements. Section 2464 requires DOD to provide a Biennial Core Report to Congress that includes three elements: (1) core capability requirements, (2) planned workload, and (3) a detailed rationale and mitigation plans for any shortfalls between core capability requirements and planned workload. Section 2464 mandated that GAO review DOD's Biennial Core Report for compliance and completeness. GAO assessed the extent to which the report complies with the three elements of the statute and the completeness of the report. GAO reviewed relevant legislation, DOD's 2014 Biennial Core Report, the military services' submissions to support the report, and related DOD guidance. What GAO Recommends GAO recommends that DOD assess its review processes and implement needed improvements to ensure that future submissions of the Biennial Core Report will be more accurate and complete. DOD concurred with this recommendation. What GAO Found The Department of Defense's (DOD) 2014 Biennial Core Report to Congress complies with two of the three required reporting elements of Section 2464-core capability requirements and planned workload. It partially complies with the third element-a detailed explanation or rationale for shortfalls and accompanying mitigation plans. Specifically, the report includes mitigation plans for the Marine Corps' shortfall but does not clearly provide an explanation of the identified shortfall. In February 2013, GAO recommended that DOD improve its Biennial Core Report by including detailed explanations of why the military services do not have the workload to meet core capability requirements for each identified shortfall. DOD concurred and stated that it would include such explanations in future reports. Fully implementing the recommendation would provide Congress visibility into whether the military services' plans will address the causes of the shortfalls.
Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per resp... more Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.
American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality, Jan 15, 2015
Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation can significantly affect physicians' job ... more Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation can significantly affect physicians' job satisfaction, which in turn can affect the quality of patient care. Between November 2012 and March 2013, the study team surveyed 159 community-based physicians in 159 practice sites that had experienced PCMH practice transformations in New York State. Of the 159 physicians, 121 responded (77% response rate) to the online survey. Nearly two thirds (60%) of physicians reported being somewhat or very satisfied overall with their practice after PCMH transformation. Overall satisfaction was lower than satisfaction with specific domains of practice: patient-centered care (82%), coordination of care (81%), access to care (79%), efficiency (76%), organizational culture (69%), and quality (69%). Although the physicians were moderately satisfied with care quality in their practices after PCMH transformation, their overall satisfaction was notably lower. The findings reveal a need to identify fact...
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 2001
This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality‐adjusted price changes for video‐re... more This paper uses scanner data to generate estimates of quality‐adjusted price changes for video‐recorders. We use hedonic regressions to derive estimates of the changing worth of each quality component. These are then applied to weighted changes in the mix of quality attributes of products to derive estimates of quality‐adjusted price (QAP) changes. The data source used is electronic‐point‐of‐sale (EPOS) scanner data that are available for a wide range of goods. This study provides an example of how such methods can be more widely applied. The estimates of QAP changes correspond to constant‐utility, (hedonic) cost‐of‐living indexes defined in economic theory as the ratio of expenditure functions at constant utility allowing for changing prices and characteristics of goods. This method is proposed as an improvement on the existing direct method, which takes its estimates directly from the coefficients associated with ‘time dummies’ in a hedonic regression. We finally undertake a match...
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 2013
Background: Valproic acid is a drug used for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurol... more Background: Valproic acid is a drug used for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders. While it is well known to cause postural tremor, hyperammonemia, slowness, and sedation, it has also been described to occasionally cause a reversible form of parkinsonism. Materials and methods: A series of five cases is reported. Results: All patients were taking the drug for at least several months before onset of their parkinsonian symptoms. Parkinsonism was defined by the presence of bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and resting tremor, but not postural or action tremor. After discontinuing their valproic acid, improvement was seen by all patients. The course of improvement took days to months after discontinuance. Two of these patients responded to dopaminergic therapy, with drug-induced dyskinesia observed in one. In another patient, valproic acid was thought to unmask underlying Parkinson's Disease; this patient benefited from levodopa as well. Conclusion: Valproic acid-induced parkinsonism can look identical to idiopathic parkinsonism. In all five cases, the relationship between the valproic acid use and parkinsonism was initially unclear because of the delayed and insidious onset. Our finding of levodopa responsiveness and dyskinesia added to the diagnostic confusion. This treatment responsiveness also set it apart from neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. In all cases improvement of symptoms occurred after discontinuation of the offending medication.
Pain, 1991
1. Pain. 1991 Oct;47(1):124-5. Comment on 'Simultaneous interview technique for patients... more 1. Pain. 1991 Oct;47(1):124-5. Comment on 'Simultaneous interview technique for patients with persistent pain' by L. Jacobson, AJ Mariano, C. Chabal and EF Chaney in Pain, 45 (1991) 105-106. Covelman K, Scott S, Cohen DE, Shapiro BS, Howe CJ, Silver M, Osborne ML. ...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 1987
The FLASH technique for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging often employs strong magnetic field ... more The FLASH technique for fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging often employs strong magnetic field gradients, called spoiler gradients, to dephase the transverse magnetization after it has been measured. Otherwise, image artifacts can develop. The effectiveness of spoiler gradients at suppressing these artifacts was evaluated experimentally on two-dimensional MR images of a uniform phantom and patients. It was informative to compare the magnetization immediately before the RF excitation in each phase encoding step. Only spoiler gradients in the slice selection direction were effective. Spoiler gradients that decreased steadily from a large amplitude in the first phase encoding step to zero in the last minimized the transverse magnetization and suppressed the image artifact, without changing the image contrast.
Journal of Vision, 2010
Abstract The neurotransmitter dopamine has been implicated in cognitive control and working memor... more Abstract The neurotransmitter dopamine has been implicated in cognitive control and working memory. Specifically, the D2 dopamine receptor agonist bromocriptine has been demonstrated to affect task switching and resistance to distraction in visual working memory. Here, we systematically manipulated spatial attention in a cueing paradigm and assessed the effects of bromocriptine administration on behavioral performance. Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a target grating that appeared in ...
Journal of Vision, 2010
Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a grating that... more Subjects performed a visual discrimination task in which they reported the tilt of a grating that appeared in one of four spatial locations in the visual display, arranged around the fixation point. An anti-cueing paradigm was used to manipulate attention. Each trial began with ...
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2013
Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming more common because of the federal EHR incentive pro... more Electronic health records (EHR) are becoming more common because of the federal EHR incentive programme, which is also promoting electronic health information exchange (HIE). To determine whether consumers' attitudes toward EHR and HIE are associated with experience with doctors using EHR, a nationwide random-digit-dial survey was conducted in December 2011. Of 1603 eligible people contacted, 1000 (63%) participated. Most believed EHR and HIE would improve healthcare quality (66% and 79%, respectively). Respondents whose doctor had an EHR were more likely to believe that these technologies would improve quality (for EHR, OR 2.3; for HIE, OR 1.7). However, experience with physicians using EHR was not associated with privacy concerns. Consumers whose physicians use EHR were more likely to believe that EHR and HIE will improve healthcare when compared to others. However, experience with a physician using an EHR had no relationship with privacy concerns.
Informatics for Health and Social Care, 2014
Primary objective: Electronic patient portals give patients access to personal medical data, pote... more Primary objective: Electronic patient portals give patients access to personal medical data, potentially creating opportunities to improve knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement in healthcare. The combination of knowledge, self-efficacy, and engagement has been termed activation. Our objective was to assess the relationship between patient activation and outpatient use of a patient portal. Research design: Survey. Methods and procedures: A telephone survey was conducted with 180 patients who had been given access to a portal, 113 of whom used it and 67 of whom did not. The validated patient activation measure (PAM) was administered along with questions about demographics and behaviors. Results: Portal users were no different from nonusers in patient activation. Portal users did have higher education level and more frequent Internet use, and were more likely to have precisely 2 prescription medications than to have more or fewer. Conclusion: Patients who chose to use an electronic patient portal were not more highly activated than nonusers, although they were more educated and more likely to be Internet users.
Gastroenterology, 2009
was obtained in all subjects enrolled in a study on influenza vaccine immunogenicity in IBD. Immu... more was obtained in all subjects enrolled in a study on influenza vaccine immunogenicity in IBD. Immunization histories were verified with Phantim and Medipatient databases (immunization databases for southern Alberta). Data on demographics, IBD classification, and IBD medications were also collected. RESULTS: Sixty-one subjects participated in the study. The mean age of subjects was 14.8 years. Immunomodulatory therapy and anti-TNF therapy were used in 18% and 13% of subjects, respectively. Immunization histories were collected by records obtained by parents from the Public Health Office (15); personal immunization cards (8); parental recall (22); personal immunization cards and parental recall (15); and Public Health Office records and parental recall (1). Fifty-three histories were verified; only one history by parental recall had discrepant results. Five subjects had incomplete routine childhood immunizations (hepatitis B [4], DTaP-IPV at 4-6 years [1], MMR at 4-6 years [1], dTaP at 14-16 years of age [2]). The reasons for incomplete vaccination were: recent move from another province in Canada or another country with different childhood immunization pattern (2); unawareness of routine immunization (1); and use of immunosuppressive therapy at time of scheduled immunization (prednisone [2], imuran with infliximab [1]). CONCLUSION: A major limitation of this study is selection bias as these subjects were a cohort who volunteered to participate and receive influenza vaccination. Although most subjects had complete routine childhood immunizations, 10% had suboptimal immunization status despite being a highly motivated cohort. With increasing use of immunosuppressive therapy in IBD, physicians caring for children with IBD must evaluate immunization status and ensure completeness of childhood immunizations.
Bulletin of the American …, 2009
A recent proposal for realizing scalable quantum computation is based on a microfabricated ion tr... more A recent proposal for realizing scalable quantum computation is based on a microfabricated ion trap and its integration with micro-optical components performing various functionalities required for state preparation, gate operation, and state detection. In this work, we present ...
Archives of Surgery, 2006
Bariatric surgery performed at US academic centers is safe and associated with low mortality.
African Studies Review, 1981
This book focuses on the export sectors of the economies of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with emp... more This book focuses on the export sectors of the economies of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with emphasis on the period 1959-1971. The first half contains the basic, traditional information about East African economics dealt with in numerous other publications. General economic characteristics of the three East African countries, their export crops and their trade relationships with each other by way of the East African Common Market are analyzed in the first four chapters. The author reaches some general conclusions with respect to the development of the economics of the three countries during the first decade of independence: very few structural changes took place in the economics of the three countries; development, as indicated by education, health, social economic overhead data, did occur in the region; real per capita incomes increased throughout the region; a high degree of dependence on export or primary products continued, although some significant changes in the product mix occurred; and, all three countries experienced increases in their agricultural exports at rates higher than the average for the less developed countries.
Critical Care Medicine, 2006