CPAP Compliance in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Article

CPAP Compliance in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome - Article Example For instance, most individuals that undergo treatment have trouble with the machine and masks used during treatment, thus many individuals with sleep apnea often want to avoid the treatment, although the first few weeks of the treatment are usually vital. Therefore, this issue is something that must be studied with further analysis. Thus, the researchers state their hypothesis as such: "In this study, we aimed to evaluate, prospectively, the factors affecting adherence to the CPAP treatment and the correlations of apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), oxygen desaturation index (OD), arousal index (RI), the lowest oxygen saturation (LO), and the body mass index (BMI) with each other, in patients with OSAS" (Yetkin, Kunter & Gunen, 2008, p. 365). The researchers then proceed with a very clear presentation of their study, discussing the methods in some detail. The article does a fantastic job of defining the size of the sample, discussing inclusion criteria, sample inclusion criteria, comparability, confounding variables, and also mentions how the subjects were assignment to groups. The authors clearly state: "Seventy-one patients were enrolled to this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to CPAP usage. Group I consisted of patients who had never used CPAP, group II consisted of patients who had used CPAP occasionally, and group-III patients had used CPAP treatment regularly. Group-III patients had higher apnea- hypopnea index (AHI) than groups I and II (respectively, Oxygen desaturation index was significantly higher in group-III patients comparing to groups I and II" (Yetkin, Kunter & Gunen, 2008, p. 366). There is also more information provided by the researchers. They state: "After 3 months, the patien ts were asked about how good they had adhered to the CPAP treatment. Then, the patients were divided into three groups according to CPAP usage ratio. Group I consisted of patients who had never used CPAP (n=23), group II consisted of patients who had used CPAP occasionally (n=24), and group-III patients had used CPAP treatment regularly (n=24). By definition, patients who did not use CPAP each and every day of the 3 months period without a valid or acceptable reason (overnight travel, CPAP device dysfunction, etc.) were classified into the group II." (Yetkin, Kunter & Gunen, 2008, p. 366). While this information is presented clearly, there are some issues that are not mentioned in the study. There is no mention of convenience and randomization of the sample, but considering the circumstances of the study, this was probably not necessary. Demographics are also not discussed, but may also not have contributed much to the study since the focus is on a particular disease. Variables are not very clearly defined, however, and this would have added to the clarity of the study. There is also no mention of potential sources of sample bias, or strengths and weaknesses of sample characteristics. This is another flaw in this study that could have contributed, and provided more information about the disease itself. As for assessment design and characteristics, the study does state the outcome to be studied-basically the adherence to CPAP treatment. The length of

Cost Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost Control - Essay Example The new methods are based on activity based costing which helps in cost control up to the managerial level. Cost Control and Project Management Cost control has become a very important management tool for construction industry as it does not only helps to make a certain project successful but also gives idea to the construction firm about the most profitable project. The cost control systems can generate data which can be used for progress payment requests and future bidding predictions. Cost Control Systems and Cost Accounts An efficient cost control system is necessary for proper execution of a project. Following are the steps which are mandatory for a successful design and maintenance of a Cost Control System: 1. Determination and allocation of cost accounts is the first step for a cost control system. Proper breakdown of a project into various heads based on type of activity and work is essential. These heads into which the project is divided are known as cost accounts. Establish ing cost accounts helps in maintaining a relationship between the project expenditure and the general accounts of the firm. 2. The formulation of a proper project cost plan is the next step because it helps in setting up a mechanism according to which the actual cost of the project could be compared with the estimated/budgeted cost. Moreover project cost plan also helps in relating costs of the project to the project schedule. 3. Cost Data Collection is the next step in which the actual cost data is collected by various means which include historical data, vendor quotations, supplier catalogs and market surveys. 4. Project Cost Reporting should be done according to the requirement of managerial staff and the Cost Control Engineer should be able to identify the data which is beneficial to the managerial staff. 5. After collecting the data and analyzing it, the final step is selection of Cost Engineering techniques best suited to the project scenario. Cost Coding System and Structure Since the construction projects are of very large magnitude and there is a huge amount of data which has to be organized. Cost coding systems are used for organizing the cost control data so that the required information can be accessed easily. Various organizations like American Road Builders Association, Associated General Contractors and the Construction Specifications Institute have developed cost coding systems and a project manager and cost control engineer can select the appropriate system according to the project under consideration. The cost coding system helps in giving a proper structure to the cost control breakdown of a project. Various cost accounts are given cost codes according to the detail incorporated in them. Cost control codes have various detail levels, the longer is the cost code the higher is the detail present in it. The various details which are present in a cost code are project initiation year, project type, project number, construction type classificatio n, work classification, functional classification etc. This makes project codes as long as 13-digit, but these details can easily be processed in computers and is also understandable as the people working in the cost control department have a very clear idea of these codes. Cost control matrix is another way of controlling cost which traces the overlapping areas between material and work cost accounts. Earned Value Method Earned Value Meth