Drexel University

About: Drexel University is a education organization based out in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 26770 authors who have published 51438 publications receiving 1949443 citations. The organization is also known as: Drexel & Drexel Institute.

A review of policy dissemination and implementation research funded by the National Institutes of Health, 2007–2014

Abstract: Policy has a tremendous potential to improve population health when informed by research evidence. Such evidence, however, typically plays a suboptimal role in policymaking processes. The field of policy dissemination and implementation research (policy D&I) exists to address this challenge. The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the extent to which policy D&I was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), (2) identify trends in NIH-funded policy D&I, and (3) describe characteristics of NIH-funded policy D&I projects. The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool was used to identify all projects funded through D&I-focused funding announcements. We screened for policy D&I projects by searching project title, abstract, and term fields for mentions of “policy,” “policies,” “law,” “legal,” “legislation,” “ordinance,” “statute,” “regulation,” “regulatory,” “code,” or “rule.” A project was classified as policy D&I if it explicitly proposed to conduct research about the content of a policy, the process through which it was developed, or outcomes it produced. A coding guide was iteratively developed, and all projects were independently coded by two researchers. ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed were used to obtain additional project information and validate coding decisions. Descriptive statistics—stratified by funding mechanism, Institute, and project characteristics—were produced. Between 2007 and 2014, 146 projects were funded through the D&I funding announcements, 12 (8.2 %) of which were policy D&I. Policy D&I funding totaled $16,177,250, equivalent to 10.5 % of all funding through the D&I funding announcements. The proportion of funding for policy D&I projects ranged from 14.6 % in 2007 to 8.0 % in 2012. Policy D&I projects were primarily focused on policy outcomes (66.7 %), implementation (41.7 %), state-level policies (41.7 %), and policies within the USA (83.3 %). Tobacco (33.3 %) and cancer (25.0 %) control were the primary topics of focus. Many projects combined survey (58.3 %) and interview (33.3 %) methods with analysis of archival data sources. NIH has made an initial investment in policy D&I research, but the level of support has varied between Institutes. Policy D&I researchers have utilized a variety of designs, methods, and data sources to investigate the development processes, content, and outcomes of public and private policies.

Open cholecystectomy. A contemporary analysis of 42,474 patients

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated, in a large, heterogeneous population, the outcome of open cholecystectomy as it is currently practiced. SUMMARY BACKGROUND AND DATA: Although cholecystectomy has been the gold standard of treatment for cholelithiasis for more than 100 years, it has recently been challenged by the introduction of several new modalities including laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Efforts to define the role of these alternative treatments have been hampered by the lack of contemporary data regarding open cholecystectomy. METHODS: A population-based study was performed examining all open cholecystectomies performed by surgeons in an eastern and western state during a recent 12-month period. Data compiled consisted of a computerized analysis of Uniformed Billing (UB-82) discharge analysis information from all non-Veterans Administration (VA), acute care hospitals in California (Office of Statewide Planning and Development [OSHPD]) and in Maryland (Health Services Cost Review Commission [HSCRC]) between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1989. This data base was supplemented with a 5% random sample of Medicare UB-82 data from patients who were discharged between October 1, 1988, and September 30, 1989. Patients undergoing cholecystectomy were identified based on diagnosis-related groups (DRG-197 and DRG-198), and then classified by Principal Diagnosis and divided into three clinically homogeneous subgroups: acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis, and complicated cholecystitis. RESULTS: A total of 42,474 patients were analyzed, which represents approximately 8% of all patients undergoing cholecystectomy in the United States in any recent 12-month period. The overall mortality rate was 0.17% and the incidence rate of bile duct injuries was approximately 0.2%. The mortality rate was 0.03% in patients younger than 65 years of age and 0.5% in those older than 65 years of age. Mortality rate, length of hospital stay, and charges were all significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with age, admission status (elective, urgent, or emergent), and disease status. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that open cholecystectomy currently is a very safe, effective treatment for cholelithiasis and is being performed with near zero mortality. The ultimate role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy needs to be defined in the context of current and contemporary data regarding open cholecystectomy.

Green States and Social Movements: Environmentalism in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Norway

Abstract: 1. States, Movements, and Democracy 2. Patterns of Inclusion and Exclusion in the Four Countries 3. Cooptive or Effective Inclusion? Movement Aims and State Imperatives 4. The Perils of Political Inclusion: Moderation and Bureaucratization 5. The Dynamics of Democratization 6. Evaluating Movement Effectiveness and Strategy 7. Ecological Modernization, Risk Society, and the Green State Conclusion

Newborn-care training and perinatal mortality in developing countries.

Abstract: Background Of the 37 million neonatal deaths and 33 million stillbirths each year, 98% occur in developing countries An evaluation of community-based interventions designed to reduce the number of these deaths is needed Methods With the use of a train-the-trainer model, local instructors trained birth attendants from rural communities in six countries (Argentina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, India, Pakistan, and Zambia) in the World Health Organization Essential Newborn Care course (which focuses on routine neonatal care, resuscitation, thermoregulation, breast-feeding, “kangaroo” [skin-to-skin] care, care of the small baby, and common illnesses) and (except in Argentina) in a modified version of the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Program (which teaches basic resuscitation in depth) The Essential Newborn Care intervention was assessed among 57,643 infants with the use of a before-and-after design The Neonatal Resuscitation Program intervention was assessed as a cluster-randomized, controlled trial involving 62,366 infants The primary outcome was neonatal death in the first 7 days after birth Results The 7-day follow-up rate was 992% After birth attendants were trained in the Essential Newborn Care course, there was no significant reduction from baseline in the rate of neonatal death from all causes in the 7 days after birth (relative risk with training, 099; 95% confidence interval [CI], 081 to 122) or in the rate of perinatal death; there was a significant reduction in the rate of stillbirth (relative risk with training, 069; 95% CI, 054 to 088; P = 0003) In clusters of births in which attendants had been randomly assigned to receive training in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program, as compared with control clusters, there was no reduction in the rates of neonatal death in the 7 days after birth, stillbirth, or perinatal death Conclusions The rate of neonatal death in the 7 days after birth did not decrease after the introduction of Essential Newborn Care training of community-based birth attendants, although the rate of stillbirths was reduced Subsequent training in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program did not significantly reduce the mortality rates (ClinicalTrials gov number, NCT00136708)