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Comparing outcome data derived from patients receiving treatment in different sites can identify different practice worthy of further examination. This paper illustrates an approach to benchmarking with data collected on 1,711 patients who have received occupational therapy in nine healthcare trusts. Detailed results of 288 patients indicate that there were differences between the services in the patients referred for occupational therapy, they were discharged at different points in their recovery and different amounts of gain were achieved during the treatment period. In order to interpret the reasons for the variation meaning needs to be added to the data. While casemix is an important consideration and may account for many of these differences, it would also appear that investigation of the different processes of care in different trusts may warrant further study.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/14664100010343890. When citing the article, please cite: Pam Enderby, Alexandra John, Anthony Hughes, Brian Petheram, (2000), “Benchmarking in rehabilitation: comparing physiotherapy services”, British Journal of Clinical Governance, Vol. 5 Iss: 2, pp. 86 - 92.

This paper aims to assess the feasibility of the proposed Caribbean Monetary Union (CMU) by examining the synchronization of business cycles within CARICOM. According to the literature on optimum currencies, the synchronization of business cycles is a key requirement for the formation of a monetary union.

In order to extract the business cycles we use the Hodrick‐Prescott (HP) filter and the band pass (BP) filter. For the purposes of measuring synchronization two concepts are used: the simple correlation coefficient and the Concordance statistic of Pagan and Harding. First, the feasibility of enlarging the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union is examined and then consideration is given to the formation of a new monetary union with Trinidad and Tobago as the center.

The paper finds the degree of business cycle synchronization to be weak. This casts doubt on the feasibility of the proposed CMU.

This paper has placed emphasis on the synchronization of business cycles. While the synchronization of business cycles is necessary, is not sufficient for a successful monetary union. Other factors such as political cohesion may be just as important.

This paper's main contribution is that it employs a more rigorous framework and a more comprehensive data set than previous studies.

This report presents outcome data from 3,176 consecutive prospective patients referred to physiotherapy for the treatment of soft tissue injuries. The results detailed here are part of a larger study collecting data from different NHS trusts in a benchmarking study. The Therapy Outcome Measure was used to collect data on each patient in four domains: Impairment, Disability/activity, Handicap/participation, and Distress/wellbeing on the entry and the exit from physiotherapy. The study concludes that patients do not have equal opportunity of accessing therapy for their specific condition according to their abilities and needs. Therapy provided in the Trusts did not produce similar changes in the patients’ abilities and some dimensions appeared to improve more significantly in some locations. Furthermore this study would suggest that there are no common criteria for discharge of patients with similar conditions from physiotherapy across the Trusts as measured by the Therapy Outcome Measure.

Traditional patterns of communications between universities and students are multifaceted, relying on a range of printed handbooks, guides, and publications, many of which are available only on the university campus at staff, administration, and student union offices. There is a fundamental mismatch between this method of information distribution and the profile of many institutions of higher education which see a significant proportion of students studying part time either on‐campus, or, increasingly, off‐campus.

The formulated proposals for this legal principle in the trade battern of the European Community have again appeared in the EEC draft Directive. It has been many years in coming, indicating the extreme difficulties encountered in bringing some sort of harmony in the different laws of Member‐states including those of the United Kingdom, relating to the subject. Over the years there were periods of what appeared to be complete inactivity, when no progress was being made, when consultations were at a stand‐still, but the situation was closely monitored by manufacturers of goods, including food and drink, in the UK and the BFJ published fairly detailed reviews of proposals being considered — in 1979 and 1981; and even as recently as the last few months — in “Consumerism in the Community”, the subject was briefly discussed.