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- Laurila, J, et al.
(författare)
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The efficacy of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) method in a radiological department. Comparison with non-CQI control material
- 2001
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Ingår i: Acta radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987). - : SAGE Publications. - 0284-1851 .- 1600-0455. ; 42:1, s. 96-100
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To study the efficacy of continuous quality improvement (CQI) compared to ordinary management in an on-duty radiology department. Material and Methods: Because of complaints regarding delivery of on-duty radiological services, an improvement was initiated simultaneously at two hospitals, at the HUCH (Helsinki University Central Hospital) utilising the CQI-method, and at the OUH (Oulu University Hospital) with a traditional management process. For the CQI project, a team was formed to evaluate the process with flow-charts, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto analysis and control charts. Interventions to improve the process were based on the results of these analyses. Results: The team at the HUCH implemented the following changes: A radiologist was added to the evening shift between 15:00-22:00 and a radiographer was moved from the morning shift to 15:00-22:00. A clear improvement was achieved in the turn-around time, but in the follow-up some of the gains were lost. Only minimal changes were achieved at the OUH, where the intervention was based on traditional management processes. Conclusion: CQI was an effective method for improving the quality of performance of a radiology department compared with ordinary management methods, but some of this improvement may be subsequently lost without a continuous measurement system.
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| 2. |
- Koivisto, K, et al.
(författare)
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The Effect of Zoledronic Acid on Serum Biomarkers among Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and Modic Changes in Lumbar Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- 2019
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Ingår i: Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland). - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4418. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the current study was to compare changes in serum biomarkers, including inflammatory mediators, signaling molecules, growth factors and markers of bone turnover after a single intravenous infusion of 5 mg zoledronic acid (ZA, a long-acting bisphosphonate; n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) among patients with Modic changes (MC) and chronic low back pain in a randomized controlled design. The MCs were classified into M1, predominating M1, predominating M2, and M2. We measured the serum concentrations of 39 biomarkers at baseline, and one month and one year after treatment. After Benjamini–Hochberg (B–H) correction, we observed significant differences in three biomarkers over one year: Interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP-10) had risen in the ZA group (p = 0.005), whereas alkaline phosphatase (AFOS) and intact procollagen I N-terminal propeptide (iPINP) had significantly decreased in the ZA group, but had not changed in the placebo group (p < 0.001 for both). Change in iPINP correlated with change in the volume of all MC and M1 lesions. ZA downregulated bone turnover markers as expected and, surprisingly, increased the chemokine IP-10 relative to placebo treatment. This adds to our knowledge of the effects of ZA on MC and the biomarkers that signal this process.
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