Development of a self-treatment approach for patients with COPD and comorbidities: an ongoing learning process.

Background: Patient-initiated action plans are an important component of COPD self-management (SM) interventions. When integrated into SM interventions, these action plans have proven to be effective in reducing exacerbation severity, hospitalisations, and costs and in improving health status in patients with COPD without severe comorbidities. Because of overlap in symptoms, a self-treatment (ST) approach that focuses solely on traditional symptoms of COPD is inadequate for patients with COPD and comorbidities.

A systematic approach to chronic heart failure care: a consensus statement.

The National Heart Foundation of Australia assembled an expert panel to provide guidance on policy and system changes to improve the quality of care for people with chronic heart failure (CHF). The recommendations have the potential to reduce emergency presentations, hospitalisations and premature death among patients with CHF. Best-practice management of CHF involves evidence-based, multidisciplinary, patient-centred care, which leads to better health outcomes.

Predictors of total calories purchased at fast-food restaurants: restaurant characteristics, calorie awareness, and use of calorie information.

Objective: To examine purchase patterns at fast-food restaurants and their relation to restaurant characteristics, customer characteristics, and use of calorie information.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Fast-food restaurants in New York State.

Impact of a multimedia campaign to increase intention to call 9-1-1 for stroke symptoms, upstate New York, 2006-2007.

Introduction: Many people are not aware of stroke symptoms, the need for emergency care for those symptoms, and that calling 9-1-1 is recommended. The New York State Department of Health developed and implemented a multimedia campaign to increase stroke symptom awareness and awareness of the need to call 9-1-1.

Methods: The evaluation of the campaign's impact was a pre/post intervention matched comparison design.

Awareness of necessity to call 9-1-1 for stroke symptoms, upstate New York.

Introduction: Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in New York State. A New York study determined that only 19.9% of patients arrived at a designated stroke center within 3 hours of symptom onset.

Worksite characteristics and environmental and policy supports for cardiovascular disease prevention in New York state.

Introduction: Worksite policy and environmental supports that promote physical activity, healthy eating, stress management, and preventive health screenings can contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and lower employer costs. This study examines the availability of these four categories of supports in a statewide survey of New York State worksites.

Methods: In 2002, we recruited a statewide sample of worksites in New York State with 75 or more employees to participate in a mailed survey assessing worksite policy and environmental supports for wellness and health promotion.

BC Walks: replication of a communitywide physical activity campaign.

Introduction: Individuals not engaging in recommended amounts of moderate-intensity physical activity are deemed insufficiently active and are at greater risk of chronic disease. Social marketing strategies may promote positive changes in physical activity levels among insufficiently active individuals.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to determine whether the results of a previous communitywide physical activity social marketing campaign conducted in Wheeling, WVa (population, 31,420) could be replicated in the larger community of Broome County, New York (population, 200,536).