Evaluation of lung cancer early detection offered by the German Social Accident Insurance for formerly asbestos-exposed employees using low-dose computed tomography - setting and study design.

Background: Clinical trials have shown the benefits of lung cancer screening (LCS) in certain high-risk groups using low-dose high-resolution computed tomography (LDCT). Risk groups are usually defined by age and tobacco use. Exposure to asbestos dust is an important occupational risk factor for lung cancer.

[Development and pilot testing of a decision aid for early detection of lung cancer with low-dose CT offered to formerly asbestos-exposed employees].

To prevent lung cancer-related death, the German Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung) offers lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to persons older than 54 years with a history of occupational asbestos exposure and smoking (EVA-LCS). Participation is voluntary; however, it is subject to prior medical consultation. Evidence-based decision aids can inform eligible persons about relevant aspects of LDCT prior to medical consultation and thus contribute to independent and informed decision making.

The Effects of Displaying the Time Targets of the Manchester Triage System to Emergency Department Personnel: Prospective Crossover Study.

Background: The use of triage systems such as the Manchester Triage System (MTS) is a standard procedure to determine the sequence of treatment in emergency departments (EDs). When using the MTS, time targets for treatment are determined. These are commonly displayed in the ED information system (EDIS) to ED staff.

Changes in emergency department utilisation in Germany before and during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, using data from a national surveillance system up to June 2021.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health and social measures, decreasing patient numbers have been described in various healthcare settings in Germany, including emergency care. This could be explained by changes in disease burden, e.g.

[Characteristics of older versus younger emergency patients : Analysis of over 356,000 visits from the AKTIN German emergency department data registry].

Background: This nationwide study aims to analyze age-specific differences and characteristics of emergency patients with a special focus on older patients.

Method: In 2019, data were obtained from 11 emergency departments (EDs), all part of the German Emergency Department Data (AKTIN) registry. All patients 18 years and older visiting the EDs were included.

Medical and cardio-vascular emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: is there a collateral damage? A retrospective routine data analysis.

Background: In this retrospective routine data analysis, we investigate the number of emergency department (ED) consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in Germany compared to the previous year with a special focus on numbers of myocardial infarction and acute heart failure.

Methods: Aggregated case numbers for the two consecutive years 2019 and 2020 were obtained from 24 university hospitals and 9 non-university hospitals in Germany and assessed by age, gender, triage scores, disposition, care level and by ICD-10 codes including the tracer diagnoses myocardial infarction (I21) and heart failure (I50).

Results: A total of 2,216,627 ED consultations were analyzed, of which 1,178,470 occurred in 2019 and 1,038,157 in 2020.

Using routine emergency department data for syndromic surveillance of acute respiratory illness, Germany, week 10 2017 until week 10 2021.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic expanded the need for timely information on acute respiratory illness at population level.AimWe explored the potential of routine emergency department data for syndromic surveillance of acute respiratory illness in Germany.MethodsWe used routine attendance data from emergency departments, which continuously transferred data between week 10 2017 and 10 2021, with ICD-10 codes available for > 75% of attendances.

German emergency department measures in 2018: a status quo based on the Utstein reporting standard.

Background: Compelling data on clinical emergency medicine is required for healthcare system management. The aim of this survey was to describe the nationwide status quo of emergency care in Germany at the healthcare system level using the Utstein reporting template as the guideline to measure the data collected.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey collected standardized data from German EDs in 2018.

Length of stay as quality indicator in emergency departments: analysis of determinants in the German Emergency Department Data Registry (AKTIN registry).

Several indicators reflect the quality of care within emergency departments (ED). The length of stay (LOS) of emergency patients represents one of the most important performance measures. Determinants of LOS have not yet been evaluated in large cohorts in Germany.

[The way to routine data from 16 emergency departments for cross-sectoral health services research : Experiences, challenges and solution approaches from the extraction of pseudonymous data for the INDEED project].

Background: In Germany there is currently no health reporting on cross-sectoral care patterns in the context of an emergency department care treatment. The INDEED project (Utilization and trans-sectoral patterns of care for patients admitted to emergency departments in Germany) collects routine data from 16 emergency departments, which are later merged with outpatient billing data from 2014 to 2017 on an individual level.

Aim: The methodological challenges in planning of the internal merging of routine clinical and administrative data from emergency departments in Germany up to the final data extraction are presented together with possible solution approaches.

INDEED-Utilization and Cross-Sectoral Patterns of Care for Patients Admitted to Emergency Departments in Germany: Rationale and Study Design.

The crowding of emergency departments (ED) has been a growing problem for years, putting the care of critically ill patients increasingly at risk. The INDEED project's overall aim is to get a better understanding of ED utilization and to evaluate corresponding primary health care use patterns before and after an ED visit while driving forward processes and methods of cross-sectoral data merging. We aim to identify adequate utilization of EDs and potentially avoidable patient contacts as well as subgroups and clusters of patients with similar care profiles.

Evaluation of outcome relevance of quality indicators in the emergency department (ENQuIRE): study protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study.

Introduction: Quality of emergency department (ED) care affects patient outcomes substantially. Quality indicators (QIs) for ED care are a major challenge due to the heterogeneity of patient populations, health care structures and processes in Germany. Although a number of quality measures are already in use, there is a paucity of data on the importance of these QIs on medium-term and long-term outcomes.

Medical Emergencies During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: In this study, we investigate the number of emergency room consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in Germany compared to figures from the previous year.

Methods: Case numbers from calendar weeks 1 through 22 of the two consecutive years 2019 and 2020 were obtained from 29 university hospitals and 7 non-university hospitals in Germany. Information was also obtained on the patients' age, sex, and urgency, along with the type of case (outpatient/inpatient), admitting ward, and a small number of tracer diagnoses (I21, myocardial infarction; J44, COPD; and I61, I63, I64, G45, stroke /TIA), as well as on the number of COVID-19 cases and of tests performed for SARS-CoV-2, as a measure of the number of cases in which COVID-19 was suspected or at least included in the differential diagnoses.

[Routine Data from Emergency Departments: Varying Documentation Standards, Billing Modalities and Data Custodians at an Identical Unit of Care].

Background: Currently, there is a big need for data on emergency department (ED) utilization in Germany. One reason is the ongoing reorganisation of emergency care. Possible sources are routine data that are being collected based on legal regulations.

Implementation of Emergency Department Performance Benchmarking Using R and LaTeX.

The German Emergency Department Data Registry (GEDD-registry, AKTIN) provides an infrastructure for collecting and querying up-to-date medical records in a distributed manner. Within this framework, a benchmark report on cross-institutional comparison using the program R is prepared using routine data of participating hospitals. Currently, 16 emergency departments (EDs) routinely transfer data of 1,200 to approximately 5,000 patients per month to a federated GEDD-registry datawarehouse.

Suitability of the German version of the Manchester Triage System to redirect emergency department patients to general practitioner care: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the suitability of the German version of the Manchester Triage System (MTS) as a potential tool to redirect emergency department (ED) patients to general practitioner care. Such tools are currently being discussed in the context of reorganisation of emergency care in Germany.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

[Patient Motivation to Participate in Medical Education].

Background: Student education focuses increasingly on case-related teaching. Often the consent of the patient to participate in student education is supposed to be provided. In most instances this is taken for granted - which it is not.

Lessons learned in applying the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research methodology to translating Canadian Emergency Department Information System Presenting Complaints List into German.

Objectives: The patient's presenting complaint guides diagnosis and treatment in the emergency department, but there is no classification system available in German. The Canadian Emergency Department Information System (CEDIS) Presenting Complaint List (PCL) is available only in English and French. As translation risks the altering of meaning, the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) has set guidelines to ensure translational accuracy.

[Systematic review of the effect of pictorial warnings on cigarette packages in smoking behavior].

We used a structured approach to assess whether active smokers presented with pictorial warnings on cigarette packages (PWCP) had a higher probability of quitting, reducing, and attempting to quit smoking than did unexposed smokers. We identified 21 articles from among nearly 2500 published between 1993 and 2013, prioritizing coverage over relevance or quality because we expected to find only a few studies with behavioral outcomes. We found very large heterogeneity across studies, poor or very poor methodological quality, and generally null or conflicting findings for any explored outcome.

Systematic review of the effect of pictorial warnings on cigarette packages in smoking behavior.

We used a structured approach to assess whether active smokers presented with pictorial warnings on cigarette packages (PWCP) had a higher probability of quitting, reducing, and attempting to quit smoking than did unexposed smokers. We identified 21 articles from among nearly 2500 published between 1993 and 2013, prioritizing coverage over relevance or quality because we expected to find only a few studies with behavioral outcomes. We found very large heterogeneity across studies, poor or very poor methodological quality, and generally null or conflicting findings for any explored outcome.

Combined simulation of a micro permanent magnetic linear contactless displacement sensor.

The permanent magnetic linear contactless displacement (PLCD) sensor is a new type of displacement sensor operating on the magnetic inductive principle. It has many excellent properties and has already been used for many applications. In this article a Micro-PLCD sensor which can be used for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) measurements is designed and simulated with the CST EM STUDIO(®) software, including building a virtual model, magnetostatic calculations, low frequency calculations, steady current calculations and thermal calculations.