Non-attendance reduces clinic and provider productivity and efficiency, compromises access and increases cost of health care. This systematic review of the English language literature (November 1999-November 2009) compares telephone, mail, text/short message service, electronic mail and open-access scheduling to determine which is best at reducing outpatient non-attendance and providing net financial benefit. Telephone, mail and text/short message service interventions all improved attendance modestly but at varying costs. Text messaging was the most cost-effective of the 3, but its applicability may be limited. Few data are available regarding electronic mail reminders, whereas open-access scheduling is an area of active research.

Evidence-based management of chronic systolic heart failure includes risk factor management, therapeutic lifestyle changes, and a polypharmaceutical regimen that prolongs survival, reduces or reverses progression of myocardial dysfunction, alleviates symptoms, and limits complications. Subspecialty consultation is warranted when symptoms progress despite standard therapy; interventions are needed for refractory coronary disease, an arrhythmia device is indicated, or surgical intervention or transplantation is considered.

More patients are both suffering and surviving acute coronary syndromes. After hospital discharge, a host of interventions, including medications, therapeutic lifestyle changes, revascularization, and electrophysiologic devices improve quality of life and survival. Evidence-based management requires the general internist to have a working knowledge of these interventions and to identify patients whose outcomes would benefit from subspecialty referral.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between V0,max and the 112-mile run-walk and the reliability of each in children with mental retardation (MR). Twenty-three children (13 boys, 10 girls) with mild or moderate MR participated in the study. Two maximal treadmill protocols with metabolic measurements and two 112-mile run-walk trials were randomly conducted on separate days. There was no difference between Trial 1 and Trial 2 for V0,max (28.2 vs. 29.6 ml . kg-' . min-I), maximal heart rate (175 vs. 177 bpm), or run-walk time (7.2 vs. 7.1 min). The test-retest correlations were r = .90 for VO,max, r = .81 for maximal heart rate, and r = .96 for the 112-mile run-walk @ < .05). The correlation between V0,max and the ID-mile run-walk was r = -.60 0, < .05). Adding body mass index to the model improved R to .67 (SEE = 7.3). The 112-mile run-walk was a reliable test, but had questionable validity as an indicator of aerobic capacity in children with mild and moderate MR.

While much can be found in the literature about what constitutes quality teaching and learning, little published research addresses how to structure faculty workloads to maximize faculty productivity without jeopardizing program quality. This descriptive study provides an initial look at issues of program structure (student-to-faculty ratios in class and in clinical settings, teaching loads for the director and the faculty, and salaries) that most affect the cost of delivery for associate degree nursing programs.