Until the first part of the 20th century, health was defined as the absence of disease and was measured in terms of morbidity and mortality. This simple definition of health was rejected in 1948 with the expansion of the concept of health by the World Health Organization (WHO), defining it as “a state …

Progressive disability develops with older age in association with underlying disease, comorbidity and frailty. Physical performance characteristics are important to improve the physical condition of older persons and therefore may be able to prevent or delay the onset of (progressive) disability. …

Several models have been developed to predict prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac surgery. However, no extensive quantitative validation of these models has yet been conducted. This study sought to identify and validate existing prediction models for prolonged ICU length of …

Uit diverse onderzoeken is naar voren gekomen dat de oudere patiënt extra kwetsbaar is voor medicatiegerelateerde problemen en sneller last van bijwerkingen heeft dan jongeren.Naar de manier waarop ouderen omgaan met hun medicatie is echter nog weinig onderzoek gedaan. Het doel van deze studie was inzicht …

Patients with poststroke aphasia have higher mortality rates and worse functional outcome than patients without aphasia. Nurses are well aware of aphasia and the associated problems for patients with stroke because they have daily contact with them. The challenge is to provide evidence-based care directed …

Thermal comfort -the state of mind, which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment- is an important aspect of the building design process as modern man spends most of the day indoors. This paper reviews the developments in indoor thermal comfort research and practice since the second half …

We developed an online survey for COPD patients to investigate which reasons patients themselves list for being less active. In addition, this survey provides information on whether the internet proves to be a usable platform to administer surveys in COPD patients.

After being hospitalised, 30–60% of older patients experience a decline in functioning, resulting in a decreased quality of life and autonomy. The objective of this study was to establish a screening instrument for identifying older hospitalised patients at risk for functional decline by comparing the …