For each QI a unique set of possible determinants was evaluated, because not all determinants were applicable to every QI, e.g. outpatients were never involved in a change from intravenous to oral treatment (see Additional file 1).
This is because in these retrospective analyses: a) different determinants were evaluated in each study; and b) an overlapping among some of these biomarkers may occur in individual patients.
First, the potential determinants were evaluated for their individual association with each type of delay in a univariable analysis.
Associations between GPER expression and clinicopathological determinants were evaluated using the χ test and the Fisher's exact test (for nominal variables) as appropriate.
The following recorded determinants were evaluated by regression analysis for their effect: age, length, weight, BMI, sex, gravidity and muscle relaxation.
In an effort to identify such determinants, we evaluated the expression of approximately 4000 genes using cDNA microarray screening in a panel of 14 unrelated human ovarian cancer cell lines derived from patients who were either untreated or treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.
A specific column corresponding to a specific parameter was removed from the Jacobian matrix, and the subsequent effect on the determinant was evaluated.
With the shift towards patient-centered healthcare, patient- and person-reports of health-related factors, including outcomes, are seen as important determinants for evaluating and improving healthcare.
In addition, attention to asbestos fiber type, thorough fiber characterization, and careful dose-metric selection will continue to be critical determinants in evaluating disease outcomes, leading to important considerations in screening and risk assessment scenarios.
