The friction cost approach (FCA) is one way to estimate lost productivity, which considers the time taken to replace an employee, known as the friction period. The friction period may be influenced by local labour market conditions, limiting the relevance of international FCA estimates. The objective was to estimate the time and costs of replacing an employee in Australia.
 
  Staff responsible for recruitment in businesses across Australia were surveyed about the last management and non-management employee hired, workforce composition, friction period time and costs, and team dynamic effects. Primary analyses were conducted on respondents that recruited in the past 12months. The friction period was decomposed into three periods recruitment decision, recruitment period, and training period. Descriptive statistics of the friction period time and costs, and team dynamic effects were calculated.
 
  The sample consisted of Australian businesses (N = 274), primarily micro-organisations (2-4 employees, 44%) in urban locations (75%). The time (12.3weeks; SD 15.1) and costs ($6230; SD $17,502) to replace a manager were higher than those to replace non-managers (10.0weeks, SD 13.01; $2666, sd $7849). The training period represented the longest time component in replacing an employee (38-40% of the total friction period). There was an increasing impact on other employees' productivity, particularly for absent managers as time off work increased.
 
  The friction period in Australia was similar to international estimates. Interestingly, the friction period mainly consisted of time outside the recruitment period; the decision to recruit and the training period.
 The friction period in Australia was similar to international estimates. Interestingly, the friction period mainly consisted of time outside the recruitment period; the decision to recruit and the training period.This article examines the health system performance impact of China's new round of healthcare reform adopted in 2009. Specifically, we evaluated productivity and efficiency of health production pre- and post-reform period, compared the effects across all the 31 provinces of mainland China and identified potential determinants. As a major source of disability and premature mortality in China, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) had been the focus of our analysis, and the period during 2008-2015 was considered to allow enough time for the policy to have meaningful impact on the country's health system. Productivity and efficiency performance were analyzed using a bootstrapping data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) techniques, while a Tobit regression technique was used to identify determinants of inefficiency. We find that after the reform efficiency and productivity had declined across large number of provinces. Mean overall technical efficiency (OTE) post 2009 was about 30% lower than the potential maximum capacity, while productivity also fell at a rate of 7.57% per annum. Trends in productivity and efficiency performance were largely linked to patterns of scale of technological change observed during the study period. The findings suggest that efficiency and productivity can be improved through enhancing financial security, optimizing health resource allocation, particularly between human resources for health and hospital beds, and expanding cost-effective technology within the health sector. Better urban planning practices and investment in education were also found to contribute to improved efficiency of NCDs services.
  To quantify metamorphopsia with a novel objective method in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and to compare the relationships among metamorphopsia scores, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings, and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) results.
 
  This study included 52 eyes of 52 patients with idiopathic ERM who underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations, including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), OCT, and mfERG. The degree of metamorphopsia was quantified using MonPack One® (Metrovision, Perenchies, France). On the topographic map of the early treatment diabetic retinopathy (ETDRS) grid, retinal thickness in the central, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal subfields were measured, and metamorphopsia scores for each corresponding subfield were also obtained. The amplitudes and implicit times of mERG were elicited from each subfield. Then, the correlations among metamorphopsia scores, OCT findings, and mfERG responses were analyzed.
 
  The mean age otest can be a useful method to evaluate metamorphopsia symptoms for patients with ERM.
 The degree of metamorphopsia in patients with ERM could be objectively quantified in each subfield using a novel metamorphopsia test. The metamorphopsia scores were significantly correlated with retinal thickness, especially at the central subfields, and the scores in the central subfields were significantly correlated with the N1 and P1 amplitudes of mfERG. Thus, the metamorphopsia test can be a useful method to evaluate metamorphopsia symptoms for patients with ERM.Within the ambit of the National Mental Health Program, the Government of India has mandated long-acting risperidone, a patented molecule of Janssen Pharmaceutica. We contest that the healthcare system of India is ill-equipped (due to its weak infrastructure) to monitor side effects, regulate the use, and ensure informed consent. The process of including patented Risperdal Consta into the Indian formulary has lacked transparency and suggests undo favor towards Janssen. Janssen Pharmaceutica is known for its aggressive marketing strategy resulting in off-label use of oral risperidone in the US. Moreover, the lax regulatory structure for pharmaceutical dispensing in India coupled with Janssen's aggressive marketing is a potential cause of concern. We are critical of the decision to include a costly and patented molecule in a publicly financed health program otherwise sourced by generic drugs.Literacy is an important predictor of health care utilization and outcomes. We examine literacy among people seeking care in a state funded mental health clinic (Site 1) and a safety-net hospital clinic (Site 2). Limited literacy was defined as literacy at or below the 8th grade level. At Site 1, 53% of participants had limited reading literacy and 78% had limited aural literacy. At Site 2, 72% had limited reading and 90% had limited aural literacy. Regression analyses examined associations among limited literacy and psychiatric, neurocognitive and sociodemographic characteristics. Few associations among psychiatric and neurocognitive factors, and literacy were found. At Site 2, black and "other" race participants had higher odds for limited literacy compared to white participants suggesting that limited literacy may be an under-examined mechanism in understanding racial disparities in mental health.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/yd23.html  Work is needed to understand the relationships among literacy, mental health and mental health care.