Secure and Prepared Newsletter, January 28, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 2

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, February 11, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 3

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, February 25, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 4

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, March 11, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 4

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, March 25, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 5

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, April 8, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 7

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, April 22, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 8

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, May 6, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 9

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, May 20, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 10

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Case management for frequent users of the emergency department: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We devised a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an intervention based on case management care for frequent emergency department users. The aim of the intervention is to reduce such patients' emergency department use, to improve their quality of life, and to reduce costs consequent on frequent use. The intervention consists of a combination of comprehensive case management care and standard emergency care. It uses a clinical case management model that is patient-identified, patient-directed, and developed to provide high intensity services. It provides a continuum of hospital- and community-based patient services, which include clinical assessment, outreach referral, and coordination and communication with other service providers. METHODS/DESIGN: We aim to recruit, during the first year of the study, 250 patients who visit the emergency department of the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. Eligible patients will have visited the emergency department 5 or more times during the previous 12 months. Randomisation of the participants to the intervention or control groups will be computer generated and concealed. The statistician and each patient will be blinded to the patient's allocation. Participants in the intervention group (N = 125), additionally to standard emergency care, will receive case management from a team, 1 (ambulatory care) to 3 (hospitalization) times during their stay and after 1, 3, and 5 months, at their residence, in the hospital or in the ambulatory care setting. In between the consultations provided, the patients will have the opportunity to contact, at any moment, the case management team. Participants in the control group (N = 125) will receive standard emergency care only. Data will be collected at baseline and 2, 5.5, 9, and 12 months later, including: number of emergency department visits, quality of life (EuroQOL and WHOQOL), health services use, and relevant costs. Data on feelings of discrimination and patient's satisfaction will also be collected at the baseline and 12 months later. DISCUSSION: Our study will help to clarify knowledge gaps regarding the positive outcomes (emergency department visits, quality of life, efficiency, and cost-utility) of an intervention based on case management care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01934322.

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, July 15, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 11

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, July 29, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 12

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, August 12, 2011, Vol. 7, no. 13

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency management

Retrospective analysis of stored dried blood spots from children with cystic fibrosis and matched controls to assess the performance of a proposed newborn screening protocol in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Newborn screening (NBS) for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) has been introduced in many countries, but there is no ideal protocol suitable for all countries. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate whether the planned two step CF NBS with immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) and 7 CFTR mutations would have detected all clinically diagnosed children with CF in Switzerland. METHODS: IRT was measured using AutoDELFIA Neonatal IRT-Kit in stored NBS cards. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2009, 66 children with CF were reported, 4 of which were excluded for various reasons (born in another country, NBS at 6 months, no informed consent). 98% (61/62) had significantly higher IRT compared to matched control group. There was one false negative IRT result in an asymptomatic child with atypical CF (normal pancreatic function and sweat test). CONCLUSIONS: All children but one with atypical CF would have been detected with the planned two step protocol.