Paul W. Thurman

Scientific collaboration results in higher citation rates of published articles.

Study Objective. The primary objective was to analyze the relationship between the citation rate of an article and the extent of collaboration. The secondary objective was to analyze the relationship between the number of authors/article and the number of institutions/article for the period of study.

Disclosing a Diagnosis of Cancer: Where and How Does It Occur?

PURPOSE While disclosing a cancer diagnosis to a patient is common practice, how it is disclosed and the impact it has on the patient are poorly understood. We examined how cancer diagnoses were first given to patients and the impact of different aspects of disclosure on patient satisfaction. PATIENTS AND METHODS We provided a self-administered questionnaire to a total of 460 oncology patients of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) being treated at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. RESULTS Of the 437 patients who completed the survey, 54% were told their diagnosis in-person in the physicians office, 18% by phone, and 28% in the hospital. Forty-four percent of patients reported discussions of 10 minutes or fewer, 53% reported discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes, and 5% could not remember. Treatment options were not discussed for 31% of those who could clearly remember. Higher mean satisfaction scores were associated with diagnoses revealed in person rather than over the phone (68.2 +/- 1.6 v 47.2 +/- 3.7), diagnoses revealed in a personal setting rather than an impersonal setting (68.9 +/- 1.6 v 55.7 +/- 2.8), discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes rather than fewer than 10 minutes (73.5 +/- 1.9 v 54.1 +/- 2.4), and inclusion of treatment options rather than exclusion (72.0 +/- 1.9 v 50.7 +/- 3.2; P < .001 for each aspect). CONCLUSION Physicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.

Economic And Social Characteristics Of Albanian Immigrant Entrepreneurs In Greece

Greece has experienced rapid growth in immigrant and refugee populations since 1990. Although most are immigrants from Albania and throughout the Balkan region, some immigrant and refugee groups arriving in Greece also come from the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia and Africa. Some of these newcomers have started small businesses in their quest to become economically self-sufficient, serve the consumer needs of fellow newcomers, and integrate into community life. The purpose of this research is two-fold: to review the extant literature on social and economic factors influencing immigrant entrepreneurship in Greece, and to determine characteristics and business profiles of Albanian immigrant-owned small businesses within the municipality of Attiki — the location of Athens, Greeces capital city and largest urban center.

Father-daughter succession issues in family business among regional economies of Asia

An important issue that is evolving in the family business literature is the increasing involvement of women in leadership/management roles in businesses and more specifically, the family firm. In the developing economies of Asia, there is sparse research in the extant literature on gender issues in the family firm ownership and management. This research study seeks to investigate the trend for daughters in Asian family owned businesses to take over leadership roles from their fathers in the family firm and what might hinder or support a daughters intentions to succeed her father in the family business.

Entrepreneurship and sustainability: Can business really alleviate poverty?

An alarming percentage of the world’s population lives below the poverty line of less than USD 2 per day. Various approaches to poverty alleviation have been implemented through governmental policy reforms as well as the work of non-governmental organizations. Many approaches have focused on disparities evident in gender, employment, education and decision making, seeking to address limitations in these areas. However, mostly unabated poverty levels and a growing global population require a new approach to improving the living standards of those in Less Developed Countries. This can be achieved by boosting local economies with the support of entrepreneurial activities operating on the small and micro-scale.

Private Practice Administrative Costs Influenced by Insurance Payer Mix

BACKGROUND: Increased staffing and oncology drug costs per physician, combined with decreased drug revenue, have made private hematology-oncology practices susceptible to increased financial risk. We hypothesized that practices with a higher combined commercial insurance (CCI) mix would experience greater inefficiencies in insurance billing (IB) processes and higher IB administrative costs. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a national pool of private hematology-oncology practices. Practices were identified through the ASCO online registry. Participants self-reported insurance information. T and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare high (50% or more) Medicare payer mix groups and high (50% or more) CCI payer mix groups for practice operation indicators. These tests were also used to compare denial processing cost per Medicare patient and CCI patient. RESULTS: Among the 33 practices that responded to the survey, the mean total IB administrative cost for high Medicare payer mix groups was

NCI designated cancer center funding not influenced by organizational structure.

191,646.25 (standard deviation [SD],

Internet usage for health-related purposes among Greek consumers

173,031.63), significantly lower (P = .0454) than the mean for high CCI groups at

Entrepreneurship and sustainability : business solutions for poverty alleviation from around the world

476,280.00 (SD,

Assessing Cross-National Invariance of the Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment: A Cross-Country Study of University Faculty

475,408.57). The mean annual cost per IB support staff member was significantly higher (P = .0453) in the high CCI group at