[Evaluating the quality of organization of nursing care in a hospital in Turin (Italy): a pilot study]. / La valutazione della qualità organizzativa delle attività di competenza della professione infermieristica: uno studio pilota.

Evaluating the quality of organization of nursing activities is essential to improve hospital care delivery. The aim of this pilot study was to develop and test a tool for measuring this aspect of quality of care. A working group developed an assessment instrument by identifying thirteen items to be evaluated and their relevant criteria, indicators, standards and methods of evaluation. The instrument was tested in eight wards of the S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital in Turin (Italy) and, on the basis of assessment results, the working group designed interventions for improvement. The assessment instrument tested was found to be user -friendly and shown to be an effective tool for evaluating the organizational quality of care in a standardized and repeatable manner, and for highlighting areas of concern and identifying possible solutions for improvement.

Declining Amenable Mortality: Time Trend (2000-2013) and Geographic Area Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To update amenable mortality in 32 OECD countries at 2013 (or last available year), to describe the time trends during 2000-2013, and to evaluate the association of these trends with various geographic areas. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data from 32 countries during 2000-2013, gathered from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. STUDY DESIGN: Time trend analysis. DATA COLLECTION: Using Nolte and McKee's list, age-standardized amenable mortality rates (SDRs) were calculated as the annual number of deaths over the population aged 0-74 years per 100,000 inhabitants. We performed a mixed-effects polynomial regression analysis on the annual SDRs to determine whether specific geographic areas were associated with different SDR trajectories over time. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The OECD average annual decrease was 3.6/100,000 (p < .001), but slowed over time (coefficient for the quadratic term = 0.11, p < .001). Eastern and Atlantic European countries had the steepest decline (-6.1 and -4.7, respectively), while Latin American countries had the lowest slope (-1.7). The OECD average annual decline during the 14-year period was -0.5 (p < .001) for cancers and -2.5 (p < .001) for cardiovascular diseases, with significant differences among countries. CONCLUSION: Declining trend of amenable SDRs was continuing to 2013 but with steepness change compared with previous periods and with a slowdown.