In the experience of health professionals, it appears that interacting with peers in the workplace fosters learning and information sharing. Informal groups and networks present good opportunities for information exchange. Communities of practice (CoPs), which have been described by Wenger and others as a type of informal learning organization, have received increasing attention in the health care sector; however, the lack of uniform operating definitions of CoPs has resulted in considerable variation in the structure and function of these groups, making it difficult to evaluate their effectiveness.

Objective. To estimate the direct and indirect arthritis-attributable costs to individuals with disabling hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods. An established population cohort with disabling hip and/or knee OA from two regions of Ontario, Canada was surveyed to determine participant and caregiver costs related to OA, and the predictors of these costs. Results. The response rate was 87.2%. Of 1378 respondents, 1258 had OA (mean age 73.1 yr, range 59–100). Sixty per cent (n = 758) reported OA-related costs. Among these individuals, the average annual cost was $12 200 ($CDN in 2002, where $1.00 CDN ≈ $0.81 US). Time lost from employment and leisure by participants and their unpaid caregivers accounted for 80% of the total. Men were less likely than women to report costs (adjusted odds ratio 0.54, P<0.0001), but when they did their expenditures were significantly higher (P = 0.004). Greater disability was associated with higher costs: compared with individuals with WOMAC total scores <15, those with scores ≥55 were 15 times more likely to report costs, and their costs were 3 times greater (both P<0.0001). Both the young (<65 yr) and very old were more likely to incur costs (P<0.0001), and when they did their costs were higher (P<0.001). Conclusion. Costs incurred were mainly for time lost from employment and leisure, and for unpaid informal caregivers. Failure to value such indirect costs significantly underestimates the true burden of OA. Costs increased with worsening health status and greater OA severity. After adjustment, men were less likely to incur costs, possibly due to greater social resources.

Since being identified as a concept for understanding knowledge sharing, management, and creation, communities of practice (CoPs) have become increasingly popular within the health sector. The CoP concept has been used in the business sector for over 20 years, but the use of CoPs in the health sector has been limited in comparison.

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Otitis media is the most common medical problem in young children. The usual surgical treatment is myringotomy with insertion of tympanostomy tubes. There is debate about the usefulness of concomitant adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy. We examined the effects of these adjuvant procedures on the rates of reinsertion of tympanostomy tubes and rehospitalization for conditions related to otitis media.

Self-rated health (SRH) is not only used to measure health status and health inequalities, but also as a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to: 1) evaluate the factors that account for variations in self-rated health among Chinese citizens; and to 2) explore the process through which socio-economic status may impact self-rated health. Data were derived from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) (2013). Determinants of self-rated health were analyzed along four main dimensions: demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors. Multivariate odds ratios for good self-rated health were calculated for different variables in order to analyze the determinants. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the extent to which lifestyle and psychosocial factors explained the association between socio-economic status and self-rated health. About 65% of the survey respondents reported good self-rated health. Women, the elderly, married or single respondents and residents of Western China were less likely to report good self-rated health. Respondents who were engaged in work, had higher household income, reported high social class and higher socio-economic status compared with peers were more likely to report good self-rated health. Normal weight and physically active respondents along with those reporting a happy life, no depression, and good relationships with families and friends were related to good self-rated health. We also found the effect of socio-economic status on self-rated health was partly explained by lifestyle and psychosocial factors. The present findings support the notion that both socio-economic status and lifestyle as well as psychosocial factors were related with good self-rated health. The interventions targeting these factors could improve the health status of the population. The depression was the most influential predictor of self-rated health, especially for the women and the elderly. Although lifestyle and psychosocial factors explained partly the the association between socio-economic status and health, the reason why socio-economic difference exists in health must be further explored. What’s more, it needs to be further studied why the same determinant has different influence strengths on the health of different groups of people.