>> What makes the situation especially puzzling is that our system for CF care is far more sophisticated than that for most diseases. The hundred and seventeen CF centers across the country are all ultra-specialized, undergo a rigorous certification process, and have lots of experience in caring for people with CF. They all follow the same detailed guidelines for CF treatment. They all participate in research trials to figure out new and better treatments. You would think, therefore, that their results would be much the same. Yet the differences are enormous. Patients have not known this. So what happens when they find out?
Maybe this is simply correct and the variance in care is small, but the regional resources, environmental and other co-factors are distorting the patients results. If income and insurance are lower patients might have to take on more stressful jobs. If education is lower parents might not be able to care as effectively because they don't understand the physician's instructions. Other environmental cofactors in impoverished regions might worsen certain diseases but not do so in others, and so forth.
This is a very important point because it might heavily distort how good the care actually is, there was surprisingly little methodology in the article.
Maybe this is simply correct and the variance in care is small, but the regional resources, environmental and other co-factors are distorting the patients results. If income and insurance are lower patients might have to take on more stressful jobs. If education is lower parents might not be able to care as effectively because they don't understand the physician's instructions. Other environmental cofactors in impoverished regions might worsen certain diseases but not do so in others, and so forth.
This is a very important point because it might heavily distort how good the care actually is, there was surprisingly little methodology in the article.