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OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of major trauma on individual and population health. METHODS: Data from a regional trauma registry were used, including all trauma fatalities and nonfatal severely injured patients (injury severity score >15) in 1999 and 2000. The impact of fatalities was expressed in terms of years of life lost (YLL). The impact of severe injury on survivors was expressed in terms of years lived with disability (YLD). Disability weights were based on quality of life at 15 months after injury, measured with EuroQol-5D. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of YLLs and YLDs. FINDINGS: There were 567 fatalities and 335 survivors. At the individual level, trauma fatalities (32 YLLs per patient) and nonfatal cases of major trauma (12 YLDs per patient) both led to a substantial loss of healthy life years. Each victim of major trauma contributed an average of 25 DALYs to the burden of disease. At the population level, major trauma caused 10 DALYs per 1000 inhabitants. Road-traffic injury was the main contributor to the population burden of major trauma. CONCLUSION: Both at individual and population levels, major trauma has a massive impact on health. Most severely injured victims of road-traffic crashes reach the hospital and have good chances of survival. Injury prevention and trauma care policies should aim at further reduction of both fatalities and permanent consequences among survivors. Copyright © 2008 World Health Organization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To make detailed calculations on the direct medical costs of injuries in the Netherlands to support priority setting in prevention. METHODS: A computerised, incidence based model for cost calculations was developed and incidence figures derived from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System (LIS) which provides national estimates of the annual number of patients treated at an emergency department. A comprehensive set of cost elements (that is, health care segments) was obtained from health care registrations and a LIS patient survey. Patients were assigned to specific groups based on LIS characteristics (for example, age, injury type). Average costs per patient group were calculated for each cost element and total costs estimated by adding costs for all patient groups. RESULTS: The direct costs of injury average 2000 guilders per injury patient attending an emergency department. Home and leisure injuries account for over half of the costs, although cost per patient is highest for motor vehicle injuries. Injuries to the lower extremities account for almost half of the total costs and are incurred mainly in the home or recreation. Motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of head injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The model permits continuous and detailed monitoring of injury costs. Estimates can be compiled for any LIS patient group or injury subcategory. The results can be used to rank injuries for prioritisation of prevention by injury categories (for example, traffic, home, or leisure), or by specific scenarios (for example, fall at home). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To detect and explain changing trends in incidence, case fatality rates, and mortality for unintentional injuries in the Netherlands for the years 1950 through 1995. Methods. Using national registry data, the authors analyzed trends in traffic injuries, occupational injuries, and home and leisure injuries. Results. Between 1950 and 1970, mortality from unintentional injuries rose, reflecting an increasing incidence of injuries. This was followed by a sharp decline in mortality due to a decreasing incidence combined with a rapidly falling case fatality rate. Starting in the second half of the 1980s, the decline in mortality leveled off as the incidence of several injury subclasses once again rose. The observed trends reflect several background factors, including economic fluctuations (influencing exposure), preventive measures (reducing injury risk and injury severity), and improvements in trauma care (lowering the severity-adjusted case fatality rate). Conclusions. Injury mortality can be reduced through measures that lower injury risk, injury severity, or severity-adjusted case fatality rates. Beginning in the mid- 1980s, such compensatory mechanisms have fallen short in the Netherlands. New policies are needed despite the impressive reductions in mortality already reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fractures of the proximal humerus are associated with a profound temporary and sometimes permanent, impairment of function and quality of life. The treatment of comminuted fractures of the proximal humerus like selected three-or four-part fractures and split fractures of the humeral head is a demanding and unresolved problem, especially in the elderly. Locking plates appear to offer improved fixation; however, screw cut-out rates ranges due to fracture collapse are high. As this may lead to higher rates of revision surgery, it may be preferable to treat comminuted fractures in the elderly primarily with a prosthesis or non-operatively. Results from case series and a small-sample randomized controlled trial (RCT) suggest improved function and less pain after primary hemiarthroplasty (HA); however these studies had some limitations and a RCT is needed. The primary aim of this study is to compare the Constant scores (reflecting functional outcome and pain) at one year after primary HA versus non-operative treatment in elderly patients who sustained a comminuted proximal humeral fracture. Secondary aims include effects on functional outcome, pain, complications, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness.Methods/design: A prospective, multi-center RCT will be conducted in nine centers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Eighty patients over 65 years of age, who have sustained a three-or four part, or split head proximal humeral fracture will be randomized between primary hemiarthroplasty and conservative treatment. The primary outcome is the Constant score, which indicates pain and function. Secondary outcomes include the Disability of the Arm and Shoulder (DASH) score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, radiographic healing, health-related quality of life (Short-form-36, EuroQol-5D) and healthcare consumption. Cost-effectiveness ratios will be determined for both trial arms. Outcome will be monitored at regular intervals over the subsequent 24 months (1, 3 and 6 weeks, and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months). Data will be analyzed on an intention to treat basis, using univariate and multivariable analyses.Discussion: This trial will provide level-1 evidence on the effectiveness of the two mostly applied treatment options for three-or four part and split head proximal humeral fractures in the elderly. These data may support the development of a clinical guideline for treatment of these traumatic injuries.Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2040). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Injuries in or around the home are the most important cause of death among children aged 0-4 years old. It is also a major source of morbidity and loss of quality of life. In order to reduce the number of injuries, the Consumer Safety Institute introduced the use of Safety Information Leaflets in the Netherlands to provide safety education to parents of children aged 0-4 years. Despite current safety education, necessary safety behaviours are still not taken by a large number of parents, causing unnecessary risk of injury among young children. In an earlier study an E-health module with internet-based, tailored safety information was developed and applied. It concerns an advice for parents on safety behaviours in their homes regarding their child. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of this safety information combined with personal counselling on parents' child safety behaviours.Methods/design: Parents who are eligible for the regular well-child visit with their child at child age 5-8 months are invited to participate in this study. Participating parents are randomized into one of two groups: 1) internet-based, tailored safety information combined with personal counselling (intervention group), or 2) personal counselling using the Safety Information Leaflets of the Consumer Safety Institute in the Netherlands for children aged 12 to 24 months (control group). All parents receive safety information on safety topics regarding the prevention of falling, poisoning, drowning and burning. Parents of the intervention group will access the internet-based, tailored safety information module when their child is approximately 10 months old. After completion of the assessment questions, the program compiles a tailored safety advice. The parents are asked to devise and inscribe a personal implementation intention. During the next well-child visit, the Child Health Clinic professional will discuss this tailored safety information and the implementation intention with the parents. The control group will receive usual care, i.e. the provision of Safety Information Leaflets during their well-child visit at the child's age of 11 months.Discussion: It is hypothesized that the intervention, internet-based, tailored safety information combined with personal counselling results in more parents' child safety behaviours.Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials NTR1836. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to assess prevalence and correlates related to sub optimal outcome after pediatric burns and to make a comparison with pediatric injuries not related to burns. We conducted a cross-sectional study on quality of life (QOL) after burns in a sample (n=138; median 24 months post-burn) of Dutch and Flemish children (5-15 years) with an admission to a burn center. QOL was assessed with the Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ). The generic EuroQol-5D was used to allow for a comparison with children after injuries not related to burns. More than half of the children had long-term limitations. According to the BOQ, children frequently (>50%) experienced sub optimal functioning on 5 out of 12 dimensions, concerning 'appearance', 'parental concern', 'itch', 'emotional health' and 'satisfaction with current state'. Children with a high total burned surface area (TBSA >=10%) showed significantly more sub optimal functioning on 'upper extremity function' (OR=5.3; >=20% TBSA), 'appearance' (OR=5.5; >=10-20% TBSA), 'satisfaction with current state' (OR=3.4; >=10-20% TBSA) and 'parental concern' (OR=3.4; >=10-20% TBSA), compared to children with less than 10% TBSA. Burn victims at 9 months post-injury appeared to be worse off at several health dimensions. After 24 months generic quality of life of in pediatric burns was more comparable to pediatric injuries not related to burns. Children after burns experience substantial problems, mainly on itch and appearance and several psychosocial dimensions. More extensive burns are related to sub optimal functioning. These problems are in part specific for burns and not picked up by generic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contact investigation is an important tool to identify unrecognized patients who are colonized with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Many Dutch hospitals include already discharged contact patients by sending them a self-sampling request at home, incl. an information letter and sampling materials. Each hospital composes these information letters on their own initiative, however, whether discharged patients comprehend and comply with these requests remains unclear. Therefore, the aim was to provide insight into patients' comprehension of and self-reported compliance with self-sampling requests post-discharge., Methods: This mixed-methods study was performed in eight Dutch hospitals. First, the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) language level of self-sampling request letters was established. Second, a questionnaire about patients' comprehension of the letter, self-reported compliance, and reasons for compliance or non-compliance were sent to patients that received such a request in 2018/2019. Finally, a random selection of questionnaire respondents was interviewed between January and March 2020 to gain additional insights., Results: CEFR levels of 15 letters were established. Four letters were assigned level B1, four letters B1-B2, and seven letters B2. The majority of patients reported good comprehension of the letter they had received. Conversely, some respondents indicated that information about the bacterium (18.4%), the way in which results would be communicated (18.1%), and the self-sampling instructions (9.7%) were (partially) unclear. Furthermore, self-reported compliance was high (88.8%). Reasons to comply were personal health (84.3%), the health of others (71.9%), and general patient safety (96.1%). Compliant patients appeared to have a need for confirmation, wanted to protect family and/or friends, and felt they were providing the hospital the ability to control the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Although a limited number of non-compliant patients responded to the questionnaire, it seemed that more patients did not comply with self-sampling requests when they received a letter in a higher CEFR-level (B2) compared to a lower CEFR-level (< B2) (9.8% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.049)., Conclusions: This study showed an overall good comprehension of and high self-reported compliance with self-sampling requests post-discharge. Providing balanced information in self-sampling request letters has the potential to reduce patient's ambiguity and concerns, and can cause increased compliance with self-sampling requests., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Hand hygiene compliance (HHC) can be influenced by behavioural determinants, but knowledge on this remains scarce. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) hand hygiene questionnaire was developed by Lydon et al. to gain insight into self-reported behavioural determinants and self-reported HHC., Aims: To determine the validity of self-reported HHC using the COM-B questionnaire; and investigate the influence of self-reported behavioural determinants on observed HHC, taking environmental determinants into account., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, from September to November 2019, in nine hospitals in the Netherlands. Healthcare workers (HCWs) completed the COM-B questionnaire, and direct hand hygiene observations were performed. In addition, information on environmental determinants (workload, ward category, hospital type and ward infrastructure) was collected. Validity of self-reported HHC was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Univariable and multi-variable regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between behavioural and environmental determinants and observed HHC., Findings: The ICC showed no association between self-reported HHC and observed HHC [0.04, 95% CI -0.14 to 0.21]. In univariable regression analyses, ward category and the opportunity and motivation subscales were significantly associated with observed HHC. In multi-variable regression analysis, only ward category and the motivation subscale remained significant., Conclusion: Self-reported HHC is not a valid substitute for direct hand hygiene observations. Motivation (behavioural determinant) was significantly associated with HCC, while almost none of the environmental determinants had an effect on observed HHC. In further development of hand hygiene interventions, increasing the intrinsic motivation of HCWs should receive extra attention., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the effects of a quality improvement (QI) team training intervention, by measuring the intervention fidelity and the compliance with a surgical site infection (SSI) bundle in the operating theatre (OT)., Design: Multicentre before-after study., Setting: This study was performed in four Dutch hospitals., Intervention: The QI team training intervention consisted of four sessions per hospital and stimulated participants to set culture norms and targets, identify barriers, and formulate management activities to improve compliance with four standard operating procedures (SOPs) of a SSI bundle in the OT. Participants were executive board members, top-level managers, leading clinicians and support staff. The four SOPs were: (1) reducing door movements; (2) preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing; (3) preoperative shaving; and (4) postoperative normothermia. Poisson and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyse the effect of the intervention on compliance with the individual SOPs (primary outcome measure) and on the influence of medical specialty, time of day the procedure took place and time in the OT (secondary outcome measures)., Results: Not all management layers were successfully involved during all sessions in the hospitals. Top-level managers were best represented in all hospitals, leading clinicians the least. The number of implemented improvement activities was low, ranging between 2 and 14. The team training intervention we developed was not associated with improvements in the compliance with the four SOP of the SSI bundle. Medical specialty, time of day, and time in OT were associated with median number of door movements, and preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis administration., Conclusion: This study showed that after the QI team training intervention the overall compliance with the four SOPs did not improve. Minimal involvement of leading clinicians and a low number of self-initiated activities after the team training were important barriers for compliance., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Observing hand hygiene compliance (HHC) among non-sterile healthcare workers (HCWs) in the operating theatre (OT) is challenging as there are no tailored protocols or observation tools., Aim: To develop and test a hand hygiene protocol tailored to non-sterile HCWs in the OT., Methods: In this prospective observational study, nine hospitals in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region provided input on a draft protocol on hand hygiene in the OT, resulting in a new consensus protocol for the region. An observation tool based on the protocol was developed and tested. HHC rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by type of hospital and type of HCW., Findings: The protocol has three sections: (1) written general hand hygiene rules; (2) written hand hygiene rules specific for anaesthesia and surgery; and (3) visual representation of the OT, divided into four hand hygiene areas. Hand hygiene should be applied when changing area. Average HHC of 48.0% (95% CI 45.2-61.2%) was observed in OTs across all hospitals. HHC was highest in the two specialized hospitals (64.0%, 95% CI 30.6-89.8%; 76.7%, 95% CI 62.8-84.5%) and lowest in the academic teaching hospital (23.1%, 95% CI 0.0-45.8%). In terms of type of HCW, HHC was lowest among anaesthesiologists (31.6%, 95% CI 19.2-62.4%) and highest among OT assistants (57.4%, 95% CI 50.1-78.2%)., Conclusion: This uniform way of observing HHC in the OT enables evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions in the OT and facilitates friendly competition. In the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region, HHC in the OT was below 50%; this needs to be addressed, particularly in teaching hospitals and among physicians., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare healthcare and productivity costs between patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) who received verbal discharge instructions only and patients who received an additional flyer with or without video instructions., Setting: Emergency departments (EDs) of 6 hospitals in the Netherlands., Participants: In total, 1155 adult patients with mTBI (384 with verbal instructions; 771 with additional flyer with or without video instructions) were included., Design: Cost study with comparison between usual care and intervention., Methods: Medical and productivity costs up to 3 months after presentation at the ED were compared between mTBI patients with usual care and mTBI patients who received the intervention., Results: Mean medical costs per mTBI patient were slightly higher for the verbal instructions-only cohort (€337 vs €315), whereas mean productivity costs were significantly higher for the flyer/video cohort (€1625 vs €899). Higher productivity costs were associated with higher working age, injury severity, and postconcussion symptoms., Conclusion: This study showed that the implementation of flyer (and video) discharge instructions for patients with mTBI who present at the ED increased reports of postconcussion symptoms and reduced medical costs, whereas productivity costs were found to be higher for the working population in the first 3 months after the sustained head injury., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Major trauma often results in long-term disabilities. The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life, cognition, and return to work 1 year after major trauma from a trauma network perspective., Methods: All major trauma patients in 2016 (Injury Severity Score > 15, n = 536) were selected from trauma region Southwest Netherlands. Eligible patients (n = 365) were sent questionnaires with the EQ-5D-5L and questions on cognition, level of education, comorbidities, and resumption of paid work 1 year after trauma., Results: A 50% (n = 182) response rate was obtained. EQ-US and EQ-VAS scored a median (IQR) of 0.81 (0.62-0.89) and 70 (60-80), respectively. Limitations were prevalent in all health dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L; 90 (50%) responders reported problems with mobility, 36 (20%) responders reported problems with self-care, 108 (61%) responders reported problems during daily activities, 129 (73%) responders reported pain or discomfort, 70 (39%) responders reported problems with anxiety or depression, and 102 (61%) of the patients reported problems with cognition. Return to work rate was 68% (37% full, 31% partial). A median (IQR) EQ-US of 0.89 (0.82-1.00) and EQ-VAS of 80 (70-90) were scored for fully working responders; 0.77 (0.66-0.85, p < 0.001) and 70 (62-80, p = 0.001) for partial working respondents; and 0.49 (0.23-0.69, p < 0.001) and 55 (40-72, p < 0.001) for unemployed respondents., Conclusion: The majority experience problems in all health domains of the EQ-5D-5L and cognition. Return to work status was associated with all health domains of the EQ-5D-5L and cognition., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Study Objective: We measure the effect of video discharge instructions on postconcussion symptoms in patients with mild traumatic brain injury in the emergency department., Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in which patients with mild traumatic brain injury were randomly assigned to either intervention (verbal, written, and video discharge information) or control (verbal and written discharge information only). All patients were interviewed 1 week and 3 months from randomization. Primary outcome measure was the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire at 3 months. Secondary outcomes were correct recall, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score, health-related quality of life (12-Item Short Form Health Survey), return visits, and patient satisfaction., Results: A total of 2,883 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 381 were included in the control group and 390 in the video intervention group. Difference in mean total Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire score between the 2 groups was 0.2 at 1 week and 0.3 at 3 months after traumatic brain injury (estimated effect -0.7; 95% confidence interval -2.1 to 0.7). There was also no difference in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score, recall, 12-Item Short Form Health Survey score, return visits, and patient satisfaction between the control and intervention group., Conclusion: Severity of postconcussion symptoms in patients with mild traumatic brain injury did not improve by adding video information to standard care. Also, there was no difference in recall, health-related quality of life, return visits, and patient satisfaction between the control and intervention groups., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate whether the implementation of a multifactorial falls intervention in nursing homes is cost-beneficial and alleviates the professional workload., Design: A comprehensive quantitative model was developed to calculate the impact of investments in multifactorial falls prevention in nursing homes in the Netherlands, comparing the fall incidence using intervention strategies in 1000 nursing home residents with the conditions of usual care over a five-year timeline., Setting and Participants: We built a model combining several data sources regarding falls and injury prevalence in nursing home residents, health care costs, intervention costs and effectiveness, and demographic statistics., Measures: The primary outcomes were number of falls and injuries, treatment hours and cost., Results: In the nursing home setting, a baseline scenario was calculated with 1471 falls incidents resulting in 345 injuries per year. The mean cost of injury related treatment and care was calculated 860 thousand euro per year and €4.63 million in five years. Implementing multifactorial intervention over five years, costing 702 thousand euro, resulted in savings in health care costs of €2.0 million, of which €1.6 million was saved in nursing home injury care. The benefits outweighed the costs: each euro invested was compensated by 2.86 euro benefit in total care, 2.31 benefit in nursing home care. Yearly 3050 nursing hours, 3100 paramedical care hours and 760 h of physician care were saved., Conclusion and Implications: Implementation of customized multifactorial interventions provided by multidisciplinary teams is cost-beneficial in reduction of falls in nursing homes. The CBA model gives valuable information about the advantageous consequences (i.e. health benefits, financial benefits and reduced workload of staff) of falls prevention in nursing homes and can provide guidance to the management in structural implementation of multifactorial falls prevention., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To describe the demographic and medical characteristics and changes of the patients who visit the Rotterdam Street Doctors' office hours., Design: Retrospective study of registered patient contacts from 2006-2017., Method: Street doctors registered age, gender and ICPC diagnoses of patients in a GP information system. The characteristics of these patients have been analysed for three periods of four years: 2006-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2017. For each of these periods, the number of individual patients visiting the Rotterdam Street Doctors' office hours at least once, have been documented. Data from the period 2014-2017, have been used to describe characteristics of homeless patients and have been compared with a regular GP practice., Results: At the street doctors' office, patients with mental problems are most often documented, followed by patients with heart diseases and endocrine problems. Serious illnesses that require extra care are registered , such as drug and alcohol addiction, HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C. Patients with mental problems and trauma have a larger share at the street doctor's office than in a regular GP practice. The proportion of women has increased since 2006 as has the proportion of elderly patients. The proportion of patients with documented needs for cardiovascular diseases (in particular hypertension), endocrine disorders (in particular diabetes and thyroid diseases) and cancer has increased., Conclusion: A relatively large part of the patient contacts at the street doctor's office is devoted to mental problems and trauma. As the proportion of patients with chronic diseases and risk factors is rising, street doctor care seems to move towards regular care. But extra care for serious classical illnesses among the homeless is still necessary.

Introduction: Falls in older aged adults are an important public health problem. Insight into differences in fall-related injury rates between countries can serve as important input for identifying and evaluating prevention strategies. The objectives of this study were to compare Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates on incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to fall-related injury in older adults across 22 countries in the Western European region and to examine changes over a 28-year period., Methods: We performed a secondary database descriptive study using the GBD 2017 results on age-standardised fall-related injury in older adults aged 70 years and older in 22 countries from 1990 to 2017., Results: In 2017, in the Western European region, 13 840 per 100 000 (uncertainty interval (UI) 11 837-16 113) older adults sought medical treatment for fall-related injury, ranging from 7594 per 100 000 (UI 6326-9032) in Greece to 19 796 per 100 000 (UI 15 536-24 233) in Norway. Since 1990, fall-related injury DALY rates showed little change for the whole region, but patterns varied widely between countries. Some countries (eg, Belgium and Netherlands) have lost their favourable positions due to an increasing fall-related injury burden of disease since 1990., Conclusions: From 1990 to 2017, there was considerable variation in fall-related injury incidence, mortality, DALY rates and its composites in the 22 countries in the Western European region. It may be useful to assess which fall prevention measures have been taken in countries that showed continuous low or decreasing incidence, death and DALY rates despite ageing of the population., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Dr. Briggs reports grants from Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, outside the submitted work. Professor Cooper reports personal fees from Alliance for Better Bone Health, Amgen, Eli Lilly, GSK, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Servier, Takeda and UCB. Dr. Haro reports personal fees from Lundbeck and from Roche, and that the institution for which they work provides scientific work for Eli Lilly and Co. Dr. James reports grants from Sanofi Pasteur, outside the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To develop a tool to assess the safety of the home environment that could produce valid measures of a child's risk of suffering an injury., Methods: Tool development: A four-step process was used to develop the CHASE (Child Housing Assessment for a Safe Environment) tool, including (1) a literature scan, (2) reviewing of existing housing inspection tools, (3) key informants interviews, and (4) reviewing the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to determine the leading housing elements associated with paediatric injury. Retrospective case-control study to validate the CHASE tool: Recruitment included case (injured) and control (sick but not injured) children and their families from a large, urban paediatric emergency department in Baltimore, Maryland in 2012. Trained inspectors applied both the well-known Home Quality Standard (HQS) and the CHASE tool to each enrollee's home, and we compared scores on individual and summary items between cases and controls., Results: Twenty-five items organised around 12 subdomains were included on the CHASE tool. 71 matched pairs were enrolled and included in the analytic sample. Comparisons between cases and controls revealed statistically significant differences in scores on individual items of the CHASE tool as well as on the overall score, with the cases systematically having worse scores. No differences were found between groups on the HQS measures., Conclusion: Programmes conducting housing inspections in the homes of children should consider including the CHASE tool as part of their inspection measures. Future study of the CHASE inspection tool in a prospective trial would help assess its efficacy in preventing injuries and reducing medical costs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: In the past 10 years, there has been a decrease in the number of patients who report to the Emergency Department (ED) every year for injuries from accidents or violence, especially in the subgroup of patients who did not require hospital admission. We investigated how the number of injury-related emergency department visits and GP contacts evolved over the period 2013-2017., Design: Retrospective observational trend study., Method: To calculate the trend in emergency department visits in the Netherlands, we used data from the injury information system (LIS) for the period 2013-2017. To calculate the trend in GP contacts (GP practices as well as GP centres), we used data from the NivelZorgregistraties (Nivel medical records). In order to compare the trends, we distinguished between minor and major injuries. The numbers from the records were extrapolated to numbers for the whole of the Netherlands., Results: In the period studied, the number of patients with minor injuries who visited the ED dropped by 38.5%, while the number of patients with major injuries (fractures and brain injuries) increased by 4.1%. In the same period, the number of GP contacts for minor injuries at GP practices increased by 25% and at GP centres by 43%; the number of primary care contacts for major injuries increased by 5.1% (GP practices) and 31% (GP centres) respectively., Conclusion: The role of general practitioners in the treatment of patients with minor injuries is increasing. The trend in major injuries is a better indicator for monitoring accidents and violence in the Netherlands. Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.

Study Objective: We conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to provide an overview of the different manners of providing discharge instructions in the emergency department (ED) and to assess their effects on comprehension and recall of the 4 domains of discharge instructions: diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and return instructions., Methods: We performed a systematic search in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases for studies published before March 15, 2018. A quality assessment of included articles was performed. Pooled proportions of correct recall by manner of providing discharge instructions were calculated., Results: A total of 1,842 articles were screened, and after selection, 51 articles were included. Of the 51 included studies, 12 used verbal discharge instructions only, 30 used written discharge instructions, and 7 used video. Correct recall of verbal, written, and video discharge instructions ranged from 8% to 94%, 23% to 92%, and 54% to 89%, respectively. Meta-analysis was performed on data of 1,460 patients who received verbal information only, 3,395 patients who received written information, and 459 patients who received video information. Pooled data showed differences in correct recall, with, on average, 47% for patients who received verbal information (95% confidence interval 32.2% to 61.7%), 58% for patients who received written information (95% confidence interval 44.2% to 71.2%), and 67% for patients who received video information (95% confidence interval 57.9% to 75.7%)., Conclusion: Communicating discharge instructions verbally to patients in the ED may not be sufficient. Although overall correct recall was not significantly higher, adding video or written information to discharge instructions showed promising results for ED patients., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Fall-related injuries are a leading cause of morbidity among older adults, leading to a high healthcare consumption and mortality. We aim to describe and quantify time trends of fall-related healthcare use and mortality among adults aged ≥65 years in the Netherlands, 1997-2016., Design: Data were extracted from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System, Dutch Hospital Discharge Registry, and Cause-of-Death Statistics Netherlands, by age, sex, diagnosis, injury location, and year., Measurements: Absolute numbers and age-standardized rates of fall-related Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and fatalities, as well as average length of hospital stay (LOS) were calculated., Results: Between 1997 and 2016, absolute numbers of fall-related ED visits increased by 48%, hospital admissions increased by 59%, and mortality showed an almost threefold increase. These absolute numbers doubled among adults aged ≥85 years. A shift in fall-related injury diagnosis was observed over the years with a growing share of skull/brain injuries. In contrast to the increase in absolute numbers, standardized incidence rates of ED visits decreased by 30% (p = 0.00), whereas incidence rates of hospital admissions and mortality did not significantly change over time. Furthermore, the absolute number of hospital admission days almost halved, due to a reduced average LOS from 18.5 (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.2-18.8) days (1997) to 6.1 (95% CI, 6.1-6.2) days (2016)., Conclusion: Even though the standardized incidence rates of ED visits decreased in the past twenty years, the absolute number of fall-related ED visits increased. The number of hospital admissions has also increased, but the total number of admission days has almost halved during the same period. If the observed trends would continue, this may have implications for healthcare resource allocation, as the burden of care in EDs increases, and the admission duration reduces., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Children attending kindergarten are at high risk for contracting infections, for which hand hygiene (HH) has been recognized as the most cost-effective prevention measure globally. Kindergarten teachers' HH behavior plays a vital role in encouraging favorable hygiene techniques and environment. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention at changing kindergarten teachers' HH behavior and social cognitive factors that influences HH behavior in China. The intervention named "Clean Hands, Happy Life" includes HH products with refills, reminders and cues for action, a kick-off event with awards, and training programs. We evaluated the intervention using a self-administrative questionnaire with a stratified random sample of 12 kindergartens. Two surveys was completed by 176 teachers at baseline and 185 after the 6-month intervention. Compared with the baseline scores, there was a significant improvement in the overall self-reported HH compliance of teachers (9.38 vs. 9.68 out of 10, p = 0.006), as well as teachers' perceived disease susceptibility, disease severity and behavioral control after the intervention (p<0.05). We found that teachers' HH compliance was likely to be higher among those who have better HH guideline awareness (β = 0.48, p<0.01) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.26, p = 0.01), which explained 24.2% of the variance of self-reported compliance of teachers at baseline. The assessed intervention may provide Chinese kindergarten teachers with behavioral skills and cognitions that associated with the compliance of HH behavior. We thus recommend future intervention studies consider our HH behavior change techniques, address multiple social cognitive determinants of HH behavior and include the change of targeted influences in the impact evaluation., Competing Interests: The hand hygiene products used in this study were jointly sponsored by Essity Hygiene Corporate and Vinda China Group. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development, or marketed products to declare.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of the "Clean Hands, Happy Life" intervention on the incidence of hand, food and mouth disease (HFMD) and on school absences due to sickness in kindergarten students., Methods: The intervention consisted of four hand hygiene (HH) promotion components and was evaluated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial among 8275 children and 18 kindergartens from May to October, 2015 in Shenzhen, China. We compared two intervention arms - received the intervention in kindergartens only and in both kindergartens and families, respectively - to the control arm in multilevel analyses., Results: During the follow-up, the incidence of HFMD in both intervention arms was significantly lower than in the control arm (IRR 1 : 0.39, 95%CI: 0.26-0.59; IRR 2 : 0.30, 95%CI: 0.19-0.49); the duration of absence due to sickness (in days) in both intervention arms was significantly shorter than in the control arm (β 1 = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.41-0.74; β 2 = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.17-0.50), controlling for the area type of kindergarten and grade level of children. Furthermore, during the follow-up we found that there were fewer episodes of absence due to respiratory, skin and eye infections (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Our intervention is effective at reducing HFMD infections and absence due to sickness in children attending kindergartens in China., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive overview of economic evaluations of falls prevention programs and to evaluate the methodology and quality of these studies., Design: Systematic review of economic evaluations on falls prevention programs., Setting: Studies (N=31) of community-dwelling older adults (n=25), of older adults living in residential care facilities (n=3), and of both populations (n=3) published before May 2017., Participants: Adults aged 60 and older., Measurements: Information on study characteristics and health economics was collected. Study quality was appraised using the 20-item Consensus on Health Economic Criteria., Results: Economic evaluations of falls prevention through exercise (n = 9), home assessment (n = 6), medication adjustment (n = 4), multifactorial programs (n = 11), and various other programs (n = 13) were identified. Approximately two-thirds of all reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as outcome were below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY. All studies on home assessment and medication adjustment programs reported favorable ICERs, whereas the results of studies on exercise and multifactorial programs were inconsistent. The overall methodological quality of the studies was good, although there was variation between studies., Conclusion: The majority of the reported ICERs indicated that falls prevention programs were cost-effective, but methodological differences between studies hampered direct comparison of the cost-effectiveness of program types. The results imply that investing in falls prevention programs for adults aged 60 and older is cost-effective. Home assessment programs (ICERs < $40,000/QALY) were the most cost-effective type of program for community-dwelling older adults, and medication adjustment programs (ICERs < $13,000/QALY) were the most cost-effective type of program for older adults living in a residential care facility. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2197-2204, 2018., (© 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.)

Aims and Objective: To estimate the increased care demand and medical costs caused by falls in nursing homes., Background: There is compelling evidence that falls in nursing homes are preventable. However, proper implementation of evidence-based guidelines to prevent falls is often hindered by insufficient management support, staff time and funding., Design: A three-round Delphi study., Methods: A panel of 41 experts, all working in nursing homes in the Netherlands, received three online questionnaires to estimate the extra hours of care needed during the first year after the fall. This was estimated for ten falls categories with different levels of injury severity, in three scenarios, that is a best-case, a typical-case and a worst-case scenario. We calculated the costs of falls by multiplying the mean amount of extra hours that the participants spent on the care for a resident after a fall with their hourly wages., Results: In case of a noninjurious fall, the extra time spent on the faller is on average almost 5 hr, expressed in euros that add to € 193. The extra staff time and costs of falls increased with increasing severity of injury. In the case of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 132 hr, expressed in euros that is € 4,604. In the worst-case scenario of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 284 hr, expressed in euros that is € 10,170., Conclusions: Falls in nursing homes result in a great deal of extra staff time spent on care, with extra costs varying between € 193 for a noninjurious fall and € 10,170 for serious falls., Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study could aid decision-making on investing in appropriate implementation of falls prevention interventions in nursing homes., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: We aimed to assess the contribution of specific causes-of-death to excess mortality of homeless persons and to identify differences in cause-specific mortality rates after vs. before implementing social policy measures., Methods: We conducted a register based 10-year follow-up study of homeless adults in Rotterdam and calculated the proportion of deaths by cause-of-death in this cohort in the period 2001-2010. We estimated cause-specific mortality among the homeless compared to the general population with Standardized Mortality Ratios. We calculated Hazard Ratios adjusted for age and sex to compare mortality rates by cause-of-death among the homeless in the period after (2006-2010) vs. before (2001-2005) implementing social policy measures., Results: Our cohort consisted of 2130 homeless persons with a mean age of 40, 3 years. Unnatural death, cardiovascular disease and cancer were the main causes of death. Compared to the general population of Rotterdam, the homeless had an excess risk of death for all causes. The largest mortality differences with Rotterdam citizens were observed for unnatural death (SMR 14.8, CI 11.5-18.7), infectious diseases (SMR 10.0, CI 5.2-17.5) and psychiatric disorders (SMR 7.7, CI 4.0-13.5). Mortality due to intentional injuries (suicide and homicide) differed significantly between the two study periods (HR 0.45, CI 0.20-0.97)., Conclusions: Reducing unnatural death should be a target in social policies aimed at improving the health of the homeless. We generated the hypothesis that social policies aimed at housing, work and improved contact with health care could be accompanied by less suicides and homicides within this vulnerable group.

Objective: Get insight into excess mortality in the Rotterdam homeless population according to cause of death and changes in this mortality after introduction of social policies in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2006., Design: Uncontrolled before-and-after study., Method: We included homeless adults who visited the Rotterdam shelter in 2001 and followed them for 10 years (2001-2010). We then linked the data of this cohort to Statistics Netherlands mortality figures. We calculated the shares of specific mortality causes in total mortality for the entire study period. We used the 'standardised mortality ratio' (SMR) to compare mortality in the homeless cohort of this period with mortality figures of the general Rotterdam population. In order to be able to compare the homeless death rates according to cause of death in the period before (2001-2005) and after introduction of social policy measures (2006-2010), the hazard ratio (HR) was calculated., Results: Our cohort consisted of 2130 homeless persons with a mean age of 40.3 years. The most important causes of death were unnatural death (26%; 95% CI: 21-32), cardiovascular diseases (22%; 17-27) and cancer (17%; 13-22). Suicide and murder together were responsible for 50% of the unnatural deaths. The largest differences in mortality in comparison with the Rotterdam population were those for unnatural death (SMR: 14.8; 95% CI: 11.5-18.7), infectious diseases (SMR: 10.0; 5.2-17.5) and psychiatric conditions (SMR: 7.7; 4.0-13.5). Mortality due to suicide or murder was significantly different for both study periods (HR: 0.45; 0.20-0.97)., Conclusion: Prevention of unnatural deaths among the homeless should be one of the priorities in homeless policy. Improvement of their living conditions may reduce the number of murders and suicides in this vulnerable group.

Introduction: This study aimed to provide an overview of the current falls prevention activities in community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling in the Netherlands. Therefore, we determined: a) how health professionals detect community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling; b) which falls prevention activities are used by health professionals and why; c) how elderly can be stimulated to participate in falls prevention programs; and d) how to finance falls prevention., Methods: A two-round online Delphi study among health experts was conducted. The panel of experts (n=125) consisted of community physiotherapists, community nurses, general practitioners, occupational therapists and geriatricians, from all over the Netherlands. The median and Inter Quartile Deviation (IQD) were reported for the questions with 5-point Likert scales, ranging from 'least' (1) to 'most' (5)., Results: Respectively 68% (n=85/125) and 58% (n=72/125) of the panel completely filled in the first and second round questionnaires. According to the panel, regular detection of fall risk of community-dwelling elderly with an increased risk of falling hardly takes place (median=2 [hardly]; IQD=1). Furthermore, these elderly are reluctant to participate in annual detection of fall risk (median=3 [reluctant]; IQD=1). According to 73% (n=37/51) of the panel, 0-40% of the elderly with an increased risk of falling are referred to exercise programs. In general, the panel indicated that structural follow-up is often lacking. Namely, after one month (n=21/43; 49%), three months (n=24/42; 57%), and six months (n=27/45; 60%) follow-up is never or hardly ever offered. Participation of elderly in falls prevention programs could be stimulated by a combination of measures. Should a combination of national health education, healthcare counseling, and removal of financial barriers be applied, 41-80% of the elderly is assumed to participate in falls prevention programs (n=47/64; 73%). None of the panel members indicated full financing of falls prevention by the elderly. A number of individuals are considered key in falls prevention activities, such as the general practitioner, physiotherapist, and informal caregiver., Conclusion: This Delphi study showed clear directions for improving falls prevention activities and how to increase participation rates., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Insight into the change from pre- to post-injury health-related quality of life (HRQL) of trauma patients is important to derive estimates of the impact of injury on HRQL. Prospectively collected pre-injury HRQL data are, however, often not available due to the difficulty to collect these data before the injury. We performed a systematic review on the current methods used to assess pre-injury health status and to estimate the change from pre- to post-injury HRQL due to an injury., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and other databases. We identified studies that reported on the pre-injury HRQL of trauma patients. Articles were collated by type of injury and HRQL instrument used. Reported pre-injury HRQL scores were compared with general age- and gender-adjusted norms for the EQ-5D, SF-36, and SF-12., Results: We retrieved results from 31 eligible studies, described in 41 publications. All but two studies used retrospective assessment and asked patients to recall their pre-injury HRQL, showing widely varying timings of assessments (soon after injury up to years after injury). These studies commonly applied the SF-36 (n = 13), EQ-5D (n = 9), or SF-12 (n = 3) using questionnaires (n = 14) or face-to-face interviews (n = 11). Two studies reported prospective pre-injury assessment, based on prospective longitudinal cohort studies from a sample of initially non-injured patients, and applied questionnaires using the SF-36 or SF-12. The recalled pre-injury HRQL scores of injury patients consistently exceeded age- and sex-adjusted population norms, except in a limited number of studies on injury types of higher severity (e.g., traumatic brain injury and hip fractures). All studies reported reduced post-injury HRQL compared to pre-injury HRQL. Both prospective studies reported that patients had recovered to their pre-injury levels of physical and mental health, while in all but one retrospective study patients did not regain the reported pre-injury levels of HRQL, even years after injury., Conclusions: So far, primarily retrospective research has been conducted to assess pre-injury HRQL. This research shows consistently higher pre-injury HRQL scores than population norms and a recovery that lags behind that of prospective assessments, implying a systematic overestimation of the change in HRQL from pre- to post-injury due to an injury. More prospective research is necessary to examine the effect of recall bias and response shift. Researchers should be aware of the bias that may arise when pre-injury HRQL is assessed retrospectively or when population norms are applied, and should use prospectively derived HRQL scores wherever possible to estimate the impact of injury on HRQL.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of withdrawal of fall-risk-increasing-drugs (FRIDs) versus ‘care as usual’ on reducing falls in community-dwelling older fallers., Design: Randomised multicentre trial, Participants: Six hundred and twelve older adults who visited an Emergency Department (ED) because of a fall., Interventions: Withdrawal of FRIDs., Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome was time to the first self-reported fall. Secondary outcomes were time to the second self-reported fall and to falls requiring a general practitioner (GP)-consultation or ED-visit. Intention-to-treat (primary) and a per-protocol (secondary) analysis were conducted. The hazard ratios (HRs) for time-to-fall were calculated using a Cox-regression model. Differences in cumulative incidence of falls were analysed using Poisson regression., Results: During 12 months follow-up, 91 (34%) control and 115 (37%) intervention participants experienced a fall; 35% of all attempted interventions were unsuccessful, either due to recurrence of the initial indication for prescribing, additional medication for newly diagnosed conditions or non-compliance. Compared to baseline, the overall percentage of users of ≥3 FRIDs at 12 months did not change in either the intervention or the control group. Our intervention did not have a significant effect on time to first fall (HR 1.17; 95% confidence interval 0.89–1.54), time to second fall (1.19; 0.78–1.82), time to first fall-related GP-consultation (0.66; 0.42–1.06) or time to first fall-related ED-visit (0.85; 0.43–1.68)., Conclusion: In this population of complex multimorbid patients visiting an ED because of a fall, our single intervention of FRIDs-withdrawal was not effective in reducing falls., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register NTR1593.

- The effects of severe injuries can be charted using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model and the burden of disease model, in which the burden of disease is expressed in 'disability-adjusted life years' (DALYs). - Severe accidents cause 10 DALYs per 1000 people, which is comparable with the burden of disease of mood disorders and lung cancer.- In the Netherlands, severe injury victims are often males aged < 40 years, who are often injured in road traffic accidents. - The average hospital stay after a severe injury is one month, after which almost 75% of the patients are discharged home, while one quarter subsequently stay in rehabilitation facilities for 3-6 months. More than half return to their original employment. - Patients with thoracic and abdominal injuries recover relatively well, whereas injuries of the lower extremities, brain and spinal cord give a relatively poor prognosis. Comorbidity increases the chance of a less good recovery. Older people who survive an accident recover relatively well.

- Injuries from accidents and violence are amongst the most important public health issues in the world, including in Europe and the Netherlands.- Using the Dutch Injury Surveillance System and the Dutch Burden of Injury Model, we describe the incidence and costs associated with injuries in the Netherlands that are registered via Emergency Departments (ED). We also map the main causes of injury by age category.- Annually, 700,000 patients attend the ED of a hospital with an injury; 1 in 6 attendees is admitted.- The societal costs of these injuries totals 3.2 billion euro per year. These costs consist of direct care-related costs and indirect costs through work absence.- Private injuries contribute to more than half of the number of casualties. Injuries occur relatively more often in children and the elderly.- The key underlying causes differ per age category. Common causes in all ages are cycling accidents, falls from heights, and other fall-related incidents.- The government should continue to deliver the public health interventions for prevention of fall injuries and cycling accidents.

This review examined pre- and post-injury prevalence of, and risk factors for, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders after traumatic brain injury (TBI), based on evidence from structured diagnostic interviews. A systematic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. We identified studies in civilian adults with TBI reporting on the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders using structured diagnostic interviews and assessed their quality. Pooled pre- and post-injury prevalence estimates of anxiety disorders and depressive disorders were computed. A total of 34 studies described in 68 publications were identified, often assessing anxiety disorders (n = 9), depressive disorders (n = 7), or a combination of disorders (n = 6). Prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders varied widely. Pooled prevalence estimates of anxiety and depressive disorders were 19% and 13% before TBI and 21% and 17% in the first year after TBI. Pooled prevalence estimates increased over time and indicated high long-term prevalence of Axis I disorders (54%), including anxiety disorders (36%) or depressive disorders (43%). Females, those without employment, and those with a psychiatric history before TBI were at higher risk for anxiety and depressive disorders after TBI. We conclude that a substantial number of patients encounter anxiety and depressive disorders after TBI, and that these problems persist over time. All health care settings should pay attention to the occurrence of psychiatric symptoms in the aftermath of TBI to enable early identification and treatment of these disorders and to enhance the recovery and quality of life of TBI survivors.

Background: The use of Fall-Risk-Increasing-Drugs (FRIDs) has been associated with increased risk of falls and associated injuries. This study investigates the effect of withdrawal of FRIDs versus 'care as usual' on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), costs, and cost-utility in community-dwelling older fallers., Methods: In a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial FRIDs assessment combined with FRIDs-withdrawal or modification was compared with 'care as usual' in older persons, who visited the emergency department after experiencing a fall. For the calculation of costs the direct medical costs (intramural and extramural) and indirect costs (travel costs) were collected for a 12 month period. HRQoL was measured at baseline and at 12 months follow-up using the EuroQol-5D and Short Form-12 version 2. The change in EuroQol-5D and Short Form-12 scores over 12 months follow-up within the control and intervention groups was compared using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for continuous variables and the McNemar test for dichotomous variables. The change in scores between the control and intervention groups were compared using a two-way analysis of variance., Results: We included 612 older persons who visited an emergency department because of a fall. The mean cost of the FRIDs intervention was €120 per patient. The total fall-related healthcare costs (without the intervention costs) did not differ significantly between the intervention group and the control group (€2204 versus €2285). However, the withdrawal of FRIDs reduced medication costs with a mean of €38 per participant. Furthermore, the control group had a greater decline in EuroQol-5D utility score during the 12-months follow-up than the intervention group (p = 0.02). The change in the Short Form-12 Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores did not differ significantly between the two groups., Conclusions: Withdrawal of FRID's in older persons who visited an emergency department due to a fall, did not lead to reduction of total health-care costs. However, the withdrawal of FRIDs reduced medication costs with a mean of €38 per participant in combination with less decline in HRQoL is an important result., Trial Registration: The trial is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register ( NTR1593 - October 1 st 2008).

Background: Base deficit provides a more objective indicator of physiological stress following injury as compared with vital signs constituting the revised trauma score (RTS). We have previously developed a base deficit-based trauma survival prediction model [base deficit and injury severity score model (BISS)], in which RTS was replaced by base deficit as a measurement of physiological imbalance., Purpose: To externally validate BISS in a large cohort of trauma patients and to compare its performance with established trauma survival prediction models including trauma and injury severity score (TRISS) and a severity characterization of trauma (ASCOT). Moreover, we examined whether the predictive accuracy of BISS model could be improved by replacement of injury severity score (ISS) by new injury severity score (NISS) in the BISS model (BNISS)., Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, clinical data of 3737 trauma patients (age ≥15 years) admitted consecutively from 2003 to 2007 were obtained from a prospective trauma registry to calculate BISS, TRISS, and ASCOT models. The models were evaluated in terms of discrimination [area under curve (AUC)] and calibration., Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 8.1 %. The discriminative performance of BISS to predict survival was similar to that of TRISS and ASCOT [AUCs of 0.883, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.865-0.901 for BISS, 0.902, 95 % CI 0.858-0.946 for TRISS and 0.864, 95 % CI 0.816-0.913 for ASCOT]. Calibration tended to be optimistic in all three models. The updated BNISS had an AUC of 0.918 indicating that substitution of ISS with NISS improved model performance., Conclusions: The BISS model, a base deficit-based trauma model for survival prediction, showed equivalent performance as compared with that of TRISS and ASCOT and may offer a more simplified calculation method and a more objective assessment. Calibration of BISS model was, however, less good than that of other models. Replacing ISS by NISS can considerably improve model accuracy, but further confirmation is needed.

Gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children attending daycare centres (DCCs) are common and compliance with hand hygiene (HH) guidelines to prevent infections is generally low. An intervention was developed to increase HH compliance and reduce infections in DCCs. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on HH compliance. The intervention was evaluated in a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial in 71 DCCs in The Netherlands. Thirty-six DCCs received the intervention including: (1) HH products; (2) training about HH guidelines; (3) two team training sessions aimed at goal setting and formulating HH improvement activities; and (4) reminders and cues for action (posters/stickers). Intervention DCCs were compared to 35 control DCCs that continued usual practice. HH compliance of caregivers and children was observed at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months follow-up. Using multilevel logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained for the intervention effect. Of 795 caregivers, 5042 HH opportunities for caregivers and 5606 opportunities for supervising children's HH were observed. At 1 month follow-up caregivers' compliance in intervention DCCs was 66% vs. 43% in control DCCs (OR 6·33, 95% CI 3·71-10·80), and at 6 months 59% vs. 44% (OR 4·13, 95% CI 2·33-7·32). No effect of the intervention was found on supervising children's HH (36% vs. 32%; OR 0·64, 95% CI 0·18-2·33). In conclusion, HH compliance of caregivers increased due to the intervention, therefore dissemination of the intervention can be considered.

Objective: Indicators to measure the quality of trauma care may be instrumental in benchmarking and improving trauma systems. This retrospective, observational study investigated whether data on three indicators for competencies of Dutch trauma teams (i.e. education, exposure, experience; agreed upon during a prior Delphi procedure) can be retrieved from existing registrations. The validity and distinctive power of these indicators were explored by analysing available data in four regions., Methods: Data of all polytrauma patients treated by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services were collected retrospectively over a 1-year period. During the Delphi procedure, a polytrauma patient was defined as one with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 9 or less or a Paediatric Coma Scale of 9 or less, together with a Revised Trauma Score of 10 or less. Information on education, exposure and experience of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services physician and nurse were registered for each patient contact., Results: Data on 442 polytrauma patients could be retrieved. Of these, according to the Delphi consensus, 220 were treated by a fully competent team (i.e. both the physician and the nurse fulfilled the three indicators for competency) and 22 patients were treated by a team not fulfilling all three indicators for competency. Across the four regions, patients were treated by teams with significant differences in competencies (P=0.002)., Conclusion: The quality indicators of education, exposure and experience of prehospital physicians and nurses can be measured reliably, have a high level of usability and have distinctive power.