MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Evaluation' source. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:04:39 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510790&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F487%3Frss%3D1 While surveys of nurses are an important tool in health services and policy research, they are often characterized by low response rates. The authors conducted a systematic review of 22 published reports of efforts to improve response rates to nurse surveys. Two general strategies were explored in this literature: incentive and design-based approaches. Even small financial incentives were found to be effective in improving nurse survey participation. Token nonmonetary incentives, in contrast, were much less effective. In terms of design strategies, postal and telephone strategies have generally been more successful than have fax or web-based approaches, with evidence also supporting use of mixed-mode surveys in this population. In addition, use of first-class stamps on return envelopes as ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510790 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510789&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F464%3Frss%3D1 An experiment was conducted to maximize participation of both the Director of Nursing (DoN) and the Administrator (ADMIN) in long-term care facilities. Providers in each of the 224 randomly selected facilities were randomly assigned to 1 of 16 conditions based on the combination of data collection mode (web vs. mail), questionnaire length (short vs. long), and incentive structure. Incentive structures were determined by amount compensated if the individual completed and an additional amount per individual if the pair completed (a) $30 individual/$5 pair/$35 total; (b) $10 individual/$25 pair/$35 total; (c) $30 individual/$20 pair/$50 total; and (d) $10 individual/$40 pair/$50 total. Overall, 47.4% of eligible respondents participated; both respondents participated in 29.3% of facilities. I... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510789 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510788&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F448%3Frss%3D1 A survey was distributed, using a sequential mixed-mode approach, to a national sample of obstetrician–gynecologists. Differences between responses to the web-based mode and the on-paper mode were compared to determine if there were systematic differences between respondents. Only two differences in respondents between the two modes were identified. University-based physicians were more likely to complete the web-based mode than private practice physicians. Mail respondents reported a greater volume of endometrial ablations compared to online respondents. The web-based mode had better data quality than the paper-based mailed mode in terms of less missing and inappropriate responses. Together, these findings suggest that, although a few differences were identified, the web-based surve... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510788 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510787&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F434%3Frss%3D1 Little is known about what strategies are cost-effective in increasing participation among physicians in surveys that are conducted exclusively via the web. To assess the effects of incentives and prenotification on response rates and costs, general internists (N = 3,550) were randomly selected from the American Medical Association (AMA) Masterfile and assigned to experimental groups that varied in the amount of a promised incentive (none, entry into a $200 lottery, $50, or $100) and prenotification (none, prenotification letter only, or prenotification letter containing a $2 preincentive). Results indicated that the response rates were highest in the groups promised $100 and $50, respectively. While the postal prenotification letter increased response rates, the inclusion of a small token... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510787 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510786&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F429%3Frss%3D1 Tinnitus is a heterogeneous disorder that causes significant impairment in many patients. Treatment is elusive and there is a need for more comprehensive guidelines for diagnosis and management of tinnitus. However, different standardization approaches should be differentiated according to their specific purpose. Standardization of assessment methods and outcome measurements are useful for the performance of clinical trials, for comparison of results across centers, for clinic audits, and for epidemiological studies. In contrast, clinical guidelines are the best approach for the standardization of the clinical management of tinnitus patients. In the development of these clinical guidelines, the heterogeneity of tinnitus should be considered. Tinnitus can be a symptom of a severe underlying... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510786 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510785&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F421%3Frss%3D1 There is a desire among many tinnitus researchers and clinicians for greater standardization in the assessment and management of tinnitus. In their commentary on the complexity of tinnitus, Hoare et al. have highlighted the need for strong evidence-based protocols. The authors make many valid and important conclusions as to the current state of clinical guidelines; they identify clear gaps in evidence and limited consensus as to clinical practice. While I agree with the bulk of their commentary there are a few areas where I will offer a counter view. In particular I will address their view that only high-level evidence has a place in forming practice guidelines for tinnitus. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510785 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510784&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F413%3Frss%3D1 Subjective tinnitus is an enigmatic and chronic condition that is predominantly managed as symptomatic. Little high-level evidence exists for the efficacy and specificity of the various tinnitus management strategies currently used, and this is reflected in documents that aim to guide clinicians. As a consequence, there are clear gaps in evidence-based practice linking diagnosis to the most effective management strategies as well as a general lack of consensus about which are appropriate strategies for assessment and management. Several guidelines have been produced from research efforts and from expert opinion. All recommend standardization of assessment and a range of management options but do not yet provide a means to link the two. The authors call for clinicians, scientists, and polic... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510784 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5510783&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F4%2F403%3Frss%3D1 In conclusion, the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment of depression remains unproven and the authors' findings are consistent with acupuncture effects in depression being indistinguishable from placebo effects. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5510783 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5510783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266935&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F383%3Frss%3D1 In conclusion, the online, interactive video modules were associated with improvements in a majority of clinical skills. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266935 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266934&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F371%3Frss%3D1 A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a random sample of 449 nurses in Italy, using a self-administered questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding evidence-based practice (EBP). A significantly higher level of knowledge was observed among nurses who (a) did not work in medical and surgical wards; (b) believed that the evaluation of the efficacy of the health interventions is needed in their activity; (c) believed that the clinical experience must be combined with the evidence; (d) attended a course about EBP in the last year; and (e) received information from courses and scientific journals. The perceived importance of the application of guidelines and protocols was significantly higher among nurses who (a) worked in medical wards; (b) agreed that the guid... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266934 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266933&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F362%3Frss%3D1 This discussion piece suggests that reliance on a Higher Power in drug abuse recovery programs is entertained among some addicts for its psychobiological effects. Prayer, meditation, early romantic love, and drug abuse may have in common activation of mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways of the brain and the generation of intense emotional states. In this sense, reliance on a Higher Power may operate as a substitute addiction, which replaces the psychobiological functions formerly served by drug use. Implications of this perspective are discussed. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266933 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266932&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F349%3Frss%3D1 The benefits of HIV treatment (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy [HAART]) have been less apparent in injecting drug users (IDUs), most probably as a result of poor adherence to treatment. We explored factors related to HIV treatment adherence as reported by 23 IDU-HIV patients and nine health professionals from healthcare services in Alicante and Valencia, Spain. We carried out a qualitative study based on personal interviews. Health professionals reported the lack of coordination among hospital services and difficulties in accessibility to nonspecialized services for IDU-HIV patients as relevant factors for treatment adherence. Their perception of a patient’s likelihood of treatment adherence was also considered to influence the decision to prescribe HAART. A better treatment adh... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266932 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266931&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F336%3Frss%3D1 The Neighborhood Voice is a vehicle customized for conducting health research in community settings. It brings research studies into neighborhoods affected most by health disparities and reaches groups often underrepresented in research samples. This paper reports on the experience and satisfaction of 599 African American women who participated in research on board the Neighborhood Voice. Using bivariate, psychometric, and logistic regression analyses, we examined responses to a brief post-research survey. Most women (71%) reported that they had never previously participated in research, and two-thirds (68%) rated their Neighborhood Voice experience as excellent. Satisfaction scores were highest among first-time research participants (p < .05). Women’s ratings of the Neighborhood ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266931 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266930&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F309%3Frss%3D1 Using a case study analysis of the Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma, this article compares the workflows and knowledge requirements of primary care practice to the structure and content of a well-respected set of clinical guidelines. The authors show that there are discrepancies between physician workflow and the structure of the EPR-3, as well as between physicians’ knowledge requirements and the content of the EPR-3. The analysis suggests that closing the gap between medical knowledge and practice will require alternative ways to represent guidelines’ knowledge and recommendations. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266930 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266929&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F297%3Frss%3D1 This article evaluates the use of a range of search strategies to identify qualitative evidence on the implementation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programs. Within the time-limited context of the production of a policy-relevant systematic review, the authors found the protocol-driven, targeted, and reference-checking search strategies to be the most effective, while obtaining authors’ suggestions proved to be a resource-intensive process with negligible results. Weaknesses in the indexing of qualitative research in electronic literature databases mean that the sensitivity of searches may need to be reduced to allow time for other search strategies to be implemented. Expert knowledge may be optimally used through involving experts in the design and implementation of a se... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266929 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266928&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F278%3Frss%3D1 This article describes how evidence is defined and used in two British Columbia public health departments during the implementation of a Healthy Living initiative in 2009. Through interviews with 21 public health staff and decision makers, the author sought to investigate how "evidence" was defined by both frontline and management staff and how it was used in decision making. The authors found public health staff, particularly frontline practitioners, to be drawn to grassroots and local "lived experience" evidence. This tacit wisdom, in combination with evidence from academia and clinical evidence accessed through disciplinary or professional networks, offered a knowledge transition opportunity to inform decision making, rather than what can be characterized in the literature as unidirecti... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266928 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266927&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F3%2F258%3Frss%3D1 In order to study the impact of interventions on multidisciplinary teamwork in care processes, relevant indicators need to be defined. In the present study, the authors performed a Delphi survey of a purposively selected expert panel consisting of scientific researchers and hospital managers. Thirty-six experts from 13 countries participated. Each participant rated a list of team indicators on a scale of 1–6. Consensus was sought in two consecutive rounds. The content validity index (CVI) varied from 8% to 92%. A final list of 19 indicators was generated: 5 on team context/structure, 8 on team process, and 6 on team outcomes. Most relevant team indicators were as follows: "team relations," "quality of team leadership," "culture/climate for teamwork," "team perceived coordination of t... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266927 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5266926&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F34%2F3%2F255%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5266926 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5266926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810957&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F239%3Frss%3D1 This study examines the distribution of health outcomes research (HOR) studies in the clinical literature by clinical areas and journal impact factor. The authors reviewed 535 journals and divided the sample into higher and lower impact journals across four clinical area. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine differences across four categories of outcomes research articles published, specifically the incidence of articles in higher versus lower impact journals and differences across clinical areas. All high-impact journals published more safety and quality articles than process assessment, quality of life, or cost analysis studies. The number of each type of outcomes research study published was highly variable across all clinical areas. Only arthritis and outcomes res... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810957 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810956&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F226%3Frss%3D1 Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) evaluate factual knowledge in medical education and have a high reliability, if performed appropriately. However, many MCQs contain formal errors leading to reduced validity. The authors developed a Web application capable of recognizing and eliminating five frequent contraindicated practices in MCQs: negative stem, unfocused stem, cueing words, longest item = right item flaw, and stem/item similarities. The authors used simple string algorithms and dynamic comparisons with keywords. The system was successfully validated with a sample of approximately 800 continuous medical education (CME) questions, showing that our system automatically detects 60% of all formal didactic errors. Flaws not detected by the software can easily be avoided using quick manuals o... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810956 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810955&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F201%3Frss%3D1 The authors describe the customary tools used by health services researchers to conduct economic evaluations of health interventions. Recognizing the inherent challenges of these tools for utilization in contemporary public health practice, we recommend a practical cost-benefit analysis (PCBA) to allow public health practitioners to assess the economic merits of their existing public health programs. The PCBA estimates what health effects and corresponding medical cost avoidance would be required to support the costs associated with implementing a community-based prevention program. We apply the PCBA to evaluate a statewide evidence-based falls prevention program for seniors in Texas. We estimate a positive return on realized costs due to avoided direct and indirect medical expenses if the... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810955 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810954&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F181%3Frss%3D1 Multiple behavioral change is an exciting and evolving research area, albeit one that presents analytic challenges to investigators. This manuscript considers the problem of modeling jointly trajectories for two or more possibly non-normally distributed dependent variables, such as marijuana smoking and risky sexual activity, collected longitudinally. Of particular scientific interest is applying such modeling to elucidate the nature of the interaction, if any, between an intervention and personal characteristics, such as sensation seeking and impulsivity. The authors describe three analytic approaches: generalized linear mixed modeling, group-based trajectory modeling, and latent growth curve modeling. In particular, the authors identify identify the strengths and weaknesses of these anal... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810954 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810953&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F164%3Frss%3D1 When conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is unfeasible, the goal is to replicate the randomization process by creating a control group that is essentially equivalent to the treatment group on known pre-intervention characteristics and assume that the remaining unknown characteristics will not bias the results. The strategies proposed in this article are based on the thesis that since only pre-intervention characteristics are used for adjustment, a comparable control group can be established as soon as the participant group is identified. Consequently, outcomes can be observed immediately after launching the initiative rather than waiting until study completion. The benefit is that significant treatment effects can be observed as they occur, or alternatively, the initiative can b... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810953 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810952&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F151%3Frss%3D1 While designing a trial to evaluate a complex intervention, one may be confronted with the dilemma that randomization at the level of the individual patient risks contamination bias, whereas cluster randomization risks incomparability of study arms and recruitment problems. Literature provides only few solutions to this dilemma and these are not always feasible. As an alternative solution for this dilemma, we developed a new two-stage randomization method called pseudo cluster randomization. In the first stage, the clusters (e.g., recruiting physicians) are randomized into two groups: one group of clusters in which the majority of the participants (e.g., 80%) will receive the experimental treatment; one group of clusters in which the majority will receive the control condition. Following t... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810952 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4810951&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F2%2F135%3Frss%3D1 Investigators have used both one- and two-tailed tests to determine the significance of findings yielded by program evaluations. While the literature that addresses the appropriate use of each type of significance test should be used is historically inconsistent, almost all authorities now agree that one-tailed tests are rarely (if ever) appropriate. A review of 85 published evaluations of school-based drug prevention curricula specified on the National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices revealed that 20% employed one-tailed tests and, within this subgroup, an additional 4% also employed two-tailed tests. The majority of publications either did not specify the type of statistical test employed or used some other criterion such as effect sizes or confidence intervals. Evaluators r... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4810951 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4810951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432168&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F1%2F127%3Frss%3D1 Although a randomized controlled trial (RCT) provides the strongest level of evidence when properly conducted, it is by no means the only research design capable of supporting causal claims. As discussed in Gugiu and Gugiu, numerous non-RCTs are able to produce valid and reliable results, providing they can establish approximately equivalent treatment groups at baseline. The purpose of this article is to respond to the issues raised by Berger and Knoll. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432168 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432167&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F34%2F1%2F124%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432167 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432166&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F1%2F103%3Frss%3D1 This study evaluated health benefits of long-term participation in an employer-based wellness program, focusing on selected chronic disease risk factors. A repeated measures longitudinal time-series study was conducted of 8 years of existing prospectively collected annual data, including clinical measures of weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body fat percent. Participants were divided into their risk levels at baseline. Outcomes were compared to level of participation, for which annual points earned was a surrogate. Participants had lower increases in body mass index (BMI) than the general population had during the same time period. Greatest improvements in BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol were seen in those at highest risk levels at baseline and in those whose physical activity... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432166 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432165&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F1%2F81%3Frss%3D1 This study explored associations between depressive symptom dimensions and 13 theoretically distinct domains of smoking dependence motivation in current cigarette smokers (N = 212; 53% female, mean [M] age = 24 years). Results demonstrated substantial variability in the pattern of motivational correlates across depressive dimensions. Low PA exhibited the narrowest motivational profile, associating with only the tendency to prioritize smoking over other reinforcers. NA demonstrated a broader profile, associating with smoking for affect regulation and cognitive enhancement as well as prioritizing smoking. SF associated with prioritizing smoking and smoking because of cue exposure, craving, and weight control. IP demonstrated the broadest profile, associating with 7 of 13 motivational domains... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432165 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432164&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F1%2F57%3Frss%3D1 The objective was to evaluate the Alcohol and Pregnancy Project that provided health professionals in Western Australia (WA) with educational resources to inform them about prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The authors developed, produced, and distributed educational resources to 3,348 health professionals in WA. Six months later, they surveyed 1,483 of these health professionals. The authors used the RE-AIM framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) to evaluate the project. The educational resources were effective in producing a 31% increase in the proportion of health professionals who routinely provided pregnant women with information about the consequences of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. One hundre... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432164 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4432163&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F34%2F1%2F3%3Frss%3D1 An increasing number of research studies over the last three decades suggest that a wide range of substance and process addictions may serve similar functions. The current article considers 11 such potential addictions (tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, eating, gambling, Internet, love, sex, exercise, work, and shopping), their prevalence, and co-occurrence, based on a systematic review of the literature. Data from 83 studies (each study n = at least 500 subjects) were presented and supplemented with small-scale data. Depending on which assumptions are made, overall 12-month prevalence of an addiction among U.S. adults varies from 15% to 61%. The authors assert that it is most plausible that 47% of the U.S. adult population suffers from maladaptive signs of an addictive disorder over a 12-m... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4432163 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4432163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252332&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F4%2F534%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252332 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252331&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F514%3Frss%3D1 Caring for parents whose infant has died is extremely demanding, difficult, and stressful. In some situations, nurses may experience personal failure, feel helpless, and need to distance themselves from bereaved parents because they are unable to deal with the enormity of the parental feelings of loss. The aim of the study was to describe and compare attitudes toward perinatal bereavement care across a sample of nurses working in five obstetrics and gynecology settings from three Asian cities, as well as the factors associated with these attitudes. A survey was conducted, and 573 nurses were recruited from 2006 to 2007. The data were collected using the perinatal bereavement attitudes scale, which involves an 11-item self-report questionnaire. Nurses’ attitudes were mainly positive, ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252331 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252330&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F497%3Frss%3D1 In Belgium and the Netherlands, consultation of a second independent physician by the attending physician is mandatory in euthanasia cases. In both countries, specialized consultation services have been established to provide physicians trained for that purpose. This retrospective study describes and compares the quality of consultation of both services based on surveys of attending physicians and those providing the consultation (consultants). While Dutch consultants discussed certain subjects, for example, alternative curative or palliative treatment more often with the attending physician than Belgian consultants, both usually discussed those subjects considered necessary for a quality consultation and were independent from patient and attending physician. Over 90% of attending physicia... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252330 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252329&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F480%3Frss%3D1 The purpose of this study is to describe the experience of a standing panel of psychiatric outpatients over a period of five years. The procedure is used as a complementary method to assess client satisfaction regarding services provided by a Montreal psychiatric institute. During this period, 13 meetings were held, involving a total of 22 patients as active members of the panel. These sessions allowed 11 decision makers of the institute to consult the panel regarding various topics such as service organization, quality of services, and client information. In a context of internal evaluation, by giving direct and rapid access to service users’ perspectives on key issues regarding service provision, the panel appeared to be a practical procedure for use in complement with other satisf... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252329 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252328&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F473%3Frss%3D1 This article reports a study evaluating the effects of implementing smoking bans among drug-using prisoners in Taiwan. Seventy-seven new entrants were recruited in May 2008. Six focus groups were conducted in a prison-based treatment center, the only prison with a total smoking ban in Taiwan. All the subjects were male and their average age was 37 years. Three general reactions to the ban were identified across all focus groups: (a) unfair/hypocritical policy; (b) being forced to stop smoking; and (c) finding ways to smoke anyway. Future studies should compare the effects of total versus partial smoking bans among drug abusers in prison to better explore policy options. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252328 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252327&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F452%3Frss%3D1 It is generally believed that culturally competent clinical practice depends in part on the development of positive attitudes toward the care of immigrant patients. However, few tools exist to measure such attitudes in physicians. The authors operationalized ‘‘culturally competent attitudes’’ to include a high level of interest in caring for immigrant patients, an acceptance of the responsibility of doctors and hospitals to adapt to immigrant patients’ needs, and the opinion that understanding the patient’s psychosocial context is particularly important when caring for immigrant patients. The authors then assessed these attitudes and opinions among a sample of 619 Geneva doctors and medical students using a self-administered questionnaire and explored th... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252327 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252326&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F437%3Frss%3D1 This study assesses the validity of self-reported diagnostic follow-up among 819 low-income, mostly Latina, indigent women with a breast abnormality at two public hospitals in Los Angeles County. Survey responses on receipt of a mammogram, ultrasound, fine needle aspiration, surgical biopsy, or clinical breast exam for diagnostic evaluation of the breast abnormality were compared to medical record data. The authors calculated concordance, Cohen’s statistic, and sensitivity and specificity. Kappa values indicated slight agreement for mammogram, ultrasound, and clinical breast exam, and moderate agreement for fine needle aspiration and surgical biopsy. Sensitivity of self-reports was high for all tests; specificity was poor for all tests except surgical biopsy. Self-reports of receipt ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252326 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252325&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F4%2F414%3Frss%3D1 This study conducted a focus group of African American smokers about their attitudes and beliefs about menthol cigarettes. These attitudes and beliefs, along with others from the literature, were included in a survey of 720 African American smokers in Los Angeles County, California. Five common factors emerged—Medicinal Effects, Image, Less Harmful, Tradition, and Taste/Sensation. Menthol smokers had significantly higher scores on the Taste/Sensation, Medicinal Effects, and Less Harmful scales than nonmenthol smokers did. Men were significantly more likely than women to endorse Medicinal Effects, Image, and Tradition, whereas women were significantly more likely to endorse Taste/Sensation. Education was inversely associated with endorsement of Medicinal Effects, Image, Less Harmful, ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252325 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4252324&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F4%2F412%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4252324 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4252324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910456&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F3%2F404%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910456 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910455&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F386%3Frss%3D1 Years of research with high-stakes written tests indicates that although repeat examinees typically experience score gains between their first and subsequent attempts, their pass rates remain considerably lower than pass rates for first-time examinees. This outcome is consistent with expectations. Comparable studies of the performance of repeat examinees on oral examinations are lacking. The current research evaluated pass rates for more than 50,000 examinees on written and oral exams administered by six medical specialty boards for several recent years. Pass rates for first-time examinees were similar for both written and oral exams, averaging about 84% across all boards. Pass rates for repeat examinees on written exams were expectedly lower, ranging from 22% to 51%, with an average of 36... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910455 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910454&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F365%3Frss%3D1 For medical schools, the increasing presence of women makes it especially important that potential sources of gender bias be identified and removed from student evaluation methods. Our study looked for patterns of gender bias in adjective data used to inform our Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs). Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to model the latent structure of the adjectives attributed to students (n = 657) and to test for systematic scoring errors by gender. Gender bias was evident in two areas: (a) women were more likely than comparable men to be described as ‘‘compassionate,’’ ‘‘sensitive,’’ and ‘‘enthusiastic’’ and (b) men were more likely than comparable women to be seen as &ls... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910454 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910453&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F343%3Frss%3D1 This article presents patient-reported experiences of health care among 8,973 of chronically ill adults from eight countries, using telephone survey data. We designed a ‘‘morbidity score’’ combining the number of conditions and reported health status. Respondents with high morbidity scores reported less favorable experience with coordination of care compared to those with low morbidity scores. They also reported lower ratings of overall quality of care. There were no differences in reported experience with the individual physicians. Comparing type of comorbidity, chronic lung, and mental health problems were associated with lower ratings than hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed in... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910453 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910452&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F321%3Frss%3D1 Satisfaction with treatment is regarded as an important outcome measure, but its suitability has not been thoroughly investigated in the context of shared decision making (SDM). The authors evaluated whether both patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction ratings differ between an intervention group and a control group within a structured tool for cardiovascular prevention (ARRIBA-Herz). In a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, controlled trial, 44 family physicians in the intervention group consecutively recruited 550 patients whereas 47 physicians in the control group included 582 patients. Main findings were high satisfaction ratings independent of group allocation in patients and physicians. Significant differences had only negligible effect sizes. Compared to global satisfaction ra... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910452 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910451&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F302%3Frss%3D1 This study used 957 physicians certified in internal medicine (IM) or a subspecialty, who completed the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Diabetes Practice Improvement Module (PIM). Ten clinical and two patient-experience measures were aggregated into a composite measure. The composite measure score was highly reliable (r = .91) and classification accuracy was high across the entire score scale (>0.90), which indicated that it is possible to differentiate high-performing and low-performing physicians. Physicians certified in endocrinology and those who scored higher on their IM certification examination had higher composite scores, providing some validity evidence. In summary, it is feasible to create a psychometrically robust composite measure of physicians’ clinical per... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910451 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:20 +0100 3910451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910450&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F276%3Frss%3D1 Evidence-based therapies (EBTs) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are reportedly underutilized in older people. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of EBTs for the prevention of CVD events in older people and secondarily whether a Home Medicines Review (HMR) service by pharmacists’ predicts the use of these medicines. A retrospective cross-sectional audit of HMR reports pertaining to 608 community-dwelling older people (≥65 years) was conducted. EBTs considered for this audit included four guideline-recommended therapies for CVD: antithrombotic therapy (warfarin ± antiplatelet therapy), β-blockers, statins, and angiotensin agents (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [ACEI] ± angiotensin II receptor blockers [ARBs]). Th... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910450 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:19 +0100 3910450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910449&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F256%3Frss%3D1 A commitment to practice change (CTC) approach may be used in educational program evaluation to document practice changes, examine the educational impact relative to the instructional focus, and improve understanding of the learning-to-change continuum. The authors reviewed various components and procedures of this approach and discussed some practical aspects of its application using an example of a study evaluating a presentation on menopausal care for primary care physicians. The CTC approach is a valuable evaluation tool, but it requires supplementation with other data to have a complete picture of the impact of education on practice. From the evaluation perspective, the self-reported nature of the CTC data is a major limitation of this method. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910449 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:19 +0100 3910449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910448&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F3%2F233%3Frss%3D1 Over the past 30 years, a general consensus has emerged within the medical community regarding the essential role served by grading guidelines in evaluating the quality of evidence produced by a medical research study. Specifically, consensus exists regarding the hierarchy of evidence, where randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the ‘‘gold standard’’ followed by nonrandomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) and uncontrolled trials. As guidelines have become more sophisticated, processes have been developed for downgrading poorly conducted studies and upgrading strong studies. Lists of threats to internal validity have been disseminated, thereby assisting reviewers in grading studies. However, despite these many accomplishments, considerable issues remain u... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910448 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:19 +0100 3910448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3910447&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F3%2F232%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3910447 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:19 +0100 3910447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658270&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F226%3Frss%3D1 Dr. Steve Sussman’s affiliation was incorrectly printed in the footnote of the article. The correct affiliation is University of Southern California. SAGE regrets the error. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658270 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658269&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F216%3Frss%3D1 The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between wait time and parent satisfaction and determine whether time with the physician potentially moderated any observed negative effects of long wait time. Data were collected from parents in a pediatric outpatient clinic. Parent satisfaction with the clinic visit was significantly negatively related to wait times. More time spent with the physician was positively related to satisfaction independent of wait times. Furthermore, among clinic visits with long wait times, more time with the physician showed a relatively strong positive relationship with parent satisfaction. Therefore, although long wait times was related to decreased parent satisfaction with pediatric clinic visits, increased time with the physician tended to mode... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658269 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658268&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F197%3Frss%3D1 The objective of this study was to develop a psychometrically valid, multidimensional, self-administered, general questionnaire measuring patient satisfaction with pharmacy performance for outpatients. A multiphase development process was employed to attain this goal. In Phase I, questionnaire’s content was generated using interviews with pharmacy users regarding their experiences and expectations relating to pharmacies. In Phase II, the content and format of the questionnaire was defined in a two-round modified Delphi study, where an expert panel estimated importance of generated items for patient satisfaction. In Phase III, the initial validation of the questionnaire, which included a random sample of 5,400 patients coming out of the selected pharmacies, took place. The outcome of ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658268 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658267&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F177%3Frss%3D1 The purpose of this study was to determine who chooses a rapid test for HIV when given a choice in a community-based or mobile van setting in Long Beach, California. Individuals were given a choice of either rapid or standard HIV testing either alone or in conjunction with testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Of the 2,752 HIV tests performed between March 2005 and March 2009, 917 (33%) were rapid tests. Preference for rapid HIV testing was among men who have sex with men (MSM), who reported using alcohol in the last 48 hr but who did not endorse the use of illicit drugs; individuals reporting sex trading were also more likely to choose the rapid HIV test. African Americans, regardless of sexual identification, were significantly less likely to choose an HIV rapid test. Strategi... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658267 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658266&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F164%3Frss%3D1 A questionnaire survey on health among students of higher education was planned. To produce a response rate high enough for the analysis in a cost-effective manner, a pilot study was carried out to test various methods of data collection. Electronic invitation by the university messaging system to fill a Web-based questionnaire, invitation by the same means to fill paper-based questionnaires at a predefined place and time with or without conditional incentives yielded response rates below 10%. Therefore, a combination of postal and Internet-based questionnaires was used for data collection enhanced with a small up-front gift and conditional incentives suggested by a student focus group. This modality resulted in a 68.6% response rate (65.2% after data cleaning). Those who responded through... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658266 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658265&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F140%3Frss%3D1 This study calls into question the ability of an admissions interview to select for noncognitive character traits. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658265 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:30 +0100 3658265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658264&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F2%2F127%3Frss%3D1 Complementary and alternative therapies such as reflexology and acupuncture have been the subject of numerous evaluations, clinical trials, and systematic reviews, yet the empirical evidence in support of their efficacy remains equivocal. The empirical evaluation of a therapy would normally assume a plausible rationale regarding the mechanism of action. However, examination of the historical background and underlying principles for reflexology, iridology, acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, and some herbal medicines, reveals a rationale founded on the principle of analogical correspondences, which is a common basis for magical thinking and pseudoscientific beliefs such as astrology and chiromancy. Where this is the case, it is suggested that subjecting these therapies to empirical evaluati... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658264 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:02:29 +0100 3658264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278937&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F109%3Frss%3D1 This article addresses the rarely studied aspect of optimal number of patient charts for an acceptable reliable assessment. Fifteen patient charts for each of a group of 20 practicing physicians were independently reviewed by 4 professional peer assessors. Generalizability (G) and decision (D) studies were applied to the data. It appears that as few as 10 patient charts are sufficient for any assessor to obtain a G coefficient of 0.80. Results of the current study suggest the possibility of getting generalizable assessments by peer reviewer with minimal information. These results are not in accordance with the concept of case specificity in which it is claimed that performance on a case is a poor predictor of performance on a different case. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278937 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278936&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F96%3Frss%3D1 Item disclosure is one of the most serious threats to the validity of high stakes examinations, and identifying examinees that may have had unauthorized access to material is an important step in ensuring the integrity of an examination. A procedure was developed to identify examinees that potentially had unauthorized prior access to examination content. A standardized difference score is created by comparing examinee ability estimates for potentially exposed items to ability estimates for unexposed items. Outliers in this distribution are then flagged for further review. The steps associated with this procedure are described and followed by an example of applying the procedure. In addition, the use of this procedure is supported by the results of a simulation that models the use of unauth... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278936 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278935&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F81%3Frss%3D1 In Poland, 38.0% of men and 25.6% of women smoke daily. One method for expanding access to smoking cessation services is through community-based pharmacists. Surveys were administered in 2007—2008 to (a) current smokers, (b) members of a pharmacy association, and (c) pharmacy students in their final year of training. Pharmacists were the highest ranked health professionals to whom Polish smokers reported they would turn for information about pharmacological support for smoking cessation. Most pharmacists (79%) reported their knowledge allowed them to provide basic smoking cessation information to their patients. Pharmacy students reported being more able to provide information about the health consequences of tobacco smoking than to help patients quit smoking (85% vs. 61%). In Poland... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278935 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278934&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F56%3Frss%3D1 The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to evaluate the scaling assumptions and component structure of and present normative data for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a sample of US adults (N = 503), both overall and across demographic subgroups and (b) to provide new data regarding the relationship between the two RSES subcomponents of self-competence (SC) and self-liking (SL), and other demographic and clinical variables. As hypothesized, all psychometric tests supported the underlying structure of the RSES. Overall RSES scores varied significantly across age, racial and ethnic, education, employment status, income, and marital status groups. Furthermore, differences between SC and SL were also found across groups differing in gender, age, employment status, and marital st... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278934 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278933&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F26%3Frss%3D1 The investigation of the applicability of Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA) for teens has only been a subject of empirical research investigation since the early 1990s. In the present review, the author describes teen involvement in AA/NA programming, provides an exhaustive review of the outcomes of 19 studies that used an AA/NA model as part of their formal teen substance abuse treatment programs, and provides data on the effects of AA/NA attendance on abstinence at follow-up, on which youth tend to become involved in AA/NA, and on mediation of the benefits of AA/NA participation. In addition, the author suggests the reasons for somewhat limited participation by teens in more informal, community-based 12-step meetings, and makes suggestions for maximizing participation at m... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278933 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278932&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F33%2F1%2F12%3Frss%3D1 The Government of Taiwan has imposed a tobacco health tax of NT$5 (US$0.14) per pack of cigarettes since January 2002. The Department of Health has now begun to fund a smoking cessation program that provides nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) and brief counseling by physicians in outpatient clinics. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the smoking cessation program with a 3-year follow-up review implemented at outpatient clinics, which were run by the Family Medicine Department in a medical center, with a total of 772 adult participants. The abstinence rates were 99.7%, 49.2%, 37.7%, 30.2%, and 22.7%, at the 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 36-month points, respectively. The frequency of clinic visits is a major factor predicting long-term cessation. The results indicate the need to pursue... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278932 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278931&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F1%2F7%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278931 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3278930&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F33%2F1%2F3%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3278930 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:39:30 +0100 3278930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028993&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F431%3Frss%3D1 Between 1986 and 2003, research efforts on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) were subsidized by the Dutch government. This led to 12 academic theses and a considerable number of papers in medical journals. In our review, we have summarized the results of this research, grouped by therapeutic category (that is, acupuncture, paranormal therapies, naturopathy, manual therapies, homeopathy and anthroposophical medicine.) Of the 12 theses, four were written in Dutch, three of which were not subsequently published in peer-reviewed journals, while the fourth, on enzyme therapy, led to a number of papers in Dutch medical journals. In three instances, mildly positive findings were reported: on the efficacy of manual therapies, the use of acupuncture analgesia in surgery, and an eliminati... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028993 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028992&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F417%3Frss%3D1 Systematic reviews (SRs) are considered the best tools for summarizing the evidence for or against the effectiveness of health care interventions. The principles and methods of SRs apply equally to both, mainstream and complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). Certain challenges are, however, more commonly encountered in CAM or even specific to it; this article is aimed at raising awareness of these among systematic reviewers. When searching for literature, specific issues relating to specialist databases, indexing, access, foreign language studies, and certain forms of publication bias need to be considered. Researchers also need to be aware of the difficulties of comparing CAM studies and address the variability between studies. CAM modalities are highly diversified and great variations ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028992 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028991&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F410%3Frss%3D1 The deregulation of the marketing of dietary supplements with health claims has increased interest in evaluating the clinical effectiveness of these products. Clinical trials of herbal treatments pose challenges of limited preclinical data, lack of product standardization and characterization, and difficulties of blinding, which are substantially different from those in studies of conventional medications. These issues must be recognized and addressed if studies of herbal remedies are to provide useful information. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028991 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028990&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F393%3Frss%3D1 Acupuncture is one of the most widely used and broadly researched of the complementary and alternative therapies, but high-quality trials generally show no benefit over sham acupuncture. Many would view this result as evidence of ineffectiveness for this intervention. This discussion article focuses on the report of a large multicenter randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for chronic low-back pain (CLBP) in the lay and academic press, the ensuing discussion, and its impact on both clinical practice and service provision. The authors suggest that interpretive bias has affected reporting, leading to questionable conclusions and advocacy in favor of this form of care that may exceed the evidence. They also suggest that a lack of understanding of research into the placebo effect may have... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028990 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028989&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F370%3Frss%3D1 The growing use of complementary and alternative medications (CAM) for cognitive enhancement in both healthy elderly and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementing disorders has led to rapidly growing literature with conflicting results. There are studies that suggest benefit from CAM in both the healthy elderly and dementing patients as well as studies that suggest no benefit for either group. Because of the lack of regulatory oversight (e.g., Food and Drug Administration [FDA], European Medicines Agency [EMeA]), there are currently no generally accepted guidelines to standardize the types of studies that are conducted. Due to the absence of guidelines that set standards for study design, outcomes, and analysis, it is difficult to compare studies with conflicting res... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028989 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028988&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F349%3Frss%3D1 Forty-five complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) efficacy randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from high-impact medical journals (NEJM, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Archives of Internal Medicine) were reviewed based on their meeting three validity criteria (the existence of a placebo control, moderate attrition rates, and 50 or more participants per group). Of the 26 efficacy trials meeting all three criteria, only 2 (7.7%) were judged to be positive (i.e., the alternative therapy was significantly superior to its placebo control), while over half (55.5%) of the 19 trials that failed to meet one or more of these criteria reported positive results (p < .001). Of the two positive high-validity trials, one was funded and authored by the herbal company marketing the product ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028988 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028987&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F343%3Frss%3D1 Discontentment with the massive violations of the influential Dutch Prime Minister’s (Johan Rudolf Thorbecke) health laws led to the foundation of the Dutch Society Against Quackery, in 1880. Within a few years, the Society had more than 1,100 members. Initially, quackery mostly consisted of the unauthorized practice of medicine and the peddling of industrially manufactured ‘‘secret remedies.’’ Since the 50s however, the energy of the society focused mainly on magnetizers, especially after they gained support from the field of parapsychology, lay manipulators of the back and herb doctors. The most important object of the society since 1980 has been the fight against the so-called alternative medicine, of which Chinese acupuncture, homeopathy, manipulative ther... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028987 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028986&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F4%2F335%3Frss%3D1 The current popularity of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) generates many challenges to medical ethics. The one discussed here is the advice offered by CAM practitioners. Using selected examples, the author tries to demonstrate that some of the advice issued through the popular media or provided by acupuncturists, chiropractors, herbalists, homeopaths, pharmacists, and doctors is misleading or dangerous. This, the author argues, can impinge on the main principle of medical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy. We should work toward correcting this deplorable situation. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028986 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:29 +0100 3028986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3028985&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F32%2F4%2F331%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3028985 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:28 +0100 3028985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729184&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F314%3Frss%3D1 Disparities exist between rural and urban emergency departments with respect to knowledge resources such as online journals and clinical specialists. As knowledge is a critical element in the delivery of quality care, a web-based learning project was proposed to address the knowledge needs of emergency clinicians. One objective of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the online environment for knowledge exchange among rural and urban emergency clinicians. Descriptive and content analysis of the online discussion board revealed 202 postings with rural participants contributing the largest number of postings (75%; 152/202). Postings were used to establish a clinical presence (87/202), seek clinical information (52/202), and share clinical information (63/202). Postintervention s... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729184 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729183&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F300%3Frss%3D1 In this study, differences in basic empathy and ethnocultural empathy were explored in a sample of 365 undergraduate students at the beginning and end of four master’s programs in health care (medicine, psychology, nursing, and social work). Results showed that it was mainly psychology students in the first semester who had significantly higher general empathic skills and ethnocultural empathic skills compared to students in the other study programs. Few signs of differences between students in their first and in later semesters were obtained. The observed differences may be explained by (a) levels of admission grades and applications requirements or (b) different cultures and expectations from the surrounding milieus in the investigated study programs. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729183 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729182&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F281%3Frss%3D1 This study introduces the MRR-Conduction Model, which was used to implement a MRR, and examines the IRR between two abstractors who collected preinjury medical and psychiatric, incident-related medical and postinjury head symptom information from the medical records of 47 neurologically injured workers. Results showed that the percentage agreement was ≥85% and the unweighted statistic was ≥.60 for most variables, indicating substantial IRR. An effective and reliable MRR to abstract medical-related information requires planning and time. The MRR-Conduction Model is proposed to guide the process of creating a MRR. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729182 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729181&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F264%3Frss%3D1 The Fennell Phase Inventory (FPI) is an instrument designed to measure phases of the illnesses known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The current study explored how the FPI was related to physical and psychological functioning as well as coping style. Based on FPI scores, 111 adults with ME/CFS were placed in one of three groups: crisis, stabilization, or resolution. Results showed that the crisis group demonstrated significantly worse functioning than at least one other group for depression, quality of life, mental functioning, anxiety, and self-efficacy; and utilized less adaptive coping styles. These results indicate that patients with ME/CFS who are in the crisis phase tend to experience more severe psychological and physical symptoms and utilize poorer c... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729181 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729180&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F249%3Frss%3D1 A cross-sectional survey was carried out on a random sample of Italian physicians through a self-administered questionnaire to describe knowledge, attitudes, and professional behavior toward economic evaluations of health interventions. A response rate of 74.1% was achieved (760 questionnaires). Although many physicians show a positive attitude toward cost-minimization and, to a lesser extent, to cost-effectiveness analysis, they rated their methodological knowledge as unsatisfactory, and the professional use of the economic evaluations of the health interventions in clinical practice is quite low. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that adequate knowledge and positive attitudes are associated with increased physicians’ use of health economic evaluations, as well as time de... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729180 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729179&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F229%3Frss%3D1 This article identifies and describes free and commercial programs for sample size determination. Programs are categorized as follows: (a) multiple procedure for sample size determination; (b) single procedure for sample size determination; and (c) Web-based. Programs are described in terms of (a) cost; (b) ease of use, including interface, operating system and hardware requirements, and availability of documentation and technical support; (c) file management, including input and output formats; and (d) analytical and graphical capabilities. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729179 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2729178&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F3%2F207%3Frss%3D1 This article aims to present readers with a practical discussion of how to analyze longitudinal data using the LMMs procedure in the SPSS statistical software package. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2729178 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2729178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2411833&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F2%2F184%3Frss%3D1 This article describes process evaluation methods for the Pool Cool diffusion trial across 4 years. Pool Cool is a skin cancer prevention program that was found to improve behaviors and environments for sun protection at swimming pools in a randomized efficacy trial, which was followed by a national diffusion trial. The process evaluation focus shifted from measuring program satisfaction to assessing widespread program implementation, barriers and facilitators to implementation, and program maintenance and sustainability. Data collection methods include training surveys, database tracking, field coordinator activity logs, e-mails, surveys of parents, lifeguards and pool managers, and process evaluation interviews and site visits. The data revealed high levels of implementation of major pro... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2411833 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2411833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2411832&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F2%2F165%3Frss%3D1 In conclusion, this study indicated that the pediatrics clerkship evaluation at the CMMS-AGU has, overall, some acceptable content and internal structure evidence of validity and that the raters are the major source of error. To improve the construct validity, there is a need to increase the number of raters and to train raters about the proper process of clerkship evaluation. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2411832 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2411832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2411831&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F2%2F144%3Frss%3D1 A Dominican Republic (DR)—based multi-community trial of smoking cessation viewed health care workers (HCWs) as potential interventionists. Effectively engaging them requires a clear understanding of their attitudes and practices regarding smoking. A Rapid Assessment Procedure, conducted among HCWs in six economically disadvantaged communities, included physicians, nurses, other health professionals, paraprofessionals, and lay workers. Attitudes and practices about smoking were consistent across the 82 HCWs and mostly reflected community views. HCWs lacked proactiveness related to smoking cessation and had a limited view of their role, attributing clients' quitting successes to personal will. Prior cessation training was limited, although interest was generally high. Material resourc... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2411831 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2411831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2411830&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F2%2F128%3Frss%3D1 The object of this study is to compare the multisource assessments of patient— physician relationship with assessments by their patients at two time points. In this observational study, 1,747 outpatients nested under 64 internists and 70 surgeons are surveyed by face-to-face interview at initial patient— physician visits and then in a telephone interview 2 weeks later. On the first evaluation, physicians' self-assessments are not correlated their patients' assessments. At follow-up, physicians' self-assessments correlated with the perceived improvements in patients' health status (p < .05). We also find a positive association (p < .05) between patient satisfaction with their surgeons and perceived improvements of health status at the 2-week follow-up, suggesting that pati... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2411830 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2411830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2411829&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F2%2F95%3Frss%3D1 Using the 2005 National Association of County and City Health Officers Profile of Local Health Departments data set, bivariate probit and Heckman selection models were used to test the hypothesis that the level of federal funding received for bioterrorism preparedness is related to the preparedness activities undertaken by local health departments. Overall budget, leadership, and crisis experience are found to be the most important determinants of local preparedness activity, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention preparedness funding plays a mediating role by building capacity through the hiring of one key leadership position, the emergency preparedness coordinator. Additional research is needed to determine the potential impact of these funds on other aspects of the local public ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2411829 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2411829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2193852&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F1%2F69%3Frss%3D1 The treatment of Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with depression or schizophrenia was examined to determine whether adherence to treatment guideline was associated with health care financing strategy, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. Individuals in a fee-for-service condition were significantly more likely to receive treatment consistent with guidelines than those in managed care. Mental health costs were higher for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, individuals in an acute phase of illness at intake into the study, and those receiving treatment consistent with practice guidelines. Being in an acute phase of illness and having treatment that comported with recommended practice guidelines were associated with higher total social costs. Policy implications of the findings and r... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2193852 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2193852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2193851&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F1%2F59%3Frss%3D1 This article provides a framework for practical approaches to program planning, evaluation, and sustainability. Joint Commission accreditation functions (chapters) are similar to health program goals. Standards are similar to program objectives. Elements of performance are similar to activities or methods. Scoring comparisons are similar to measures. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2193851 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2193851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2193850&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F1%2F38%3Frss%3D1 The complexities of research in the community mental health sector are seldom acknowledged in existing literature; this article attempts to address this void. It presents the methodological challenges experienced in the longitudinal evaluation of the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative—a program that supports people with chronic mental illness toward long-term recovery. The evaluation provides a case study for understanding methodological problems in community mental health research, which include working with organizations that experience high staff turnover; staff members who have large caseloads; and clients who have chronic mental illness. Although not applicable to all research designs, the suggested strategies highlight the importance of innovation, flexibility, and ba... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2193850 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2193850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2193849&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F1%2F23%3Frss%3D1 The Pediatric Lead Assessment Network Education Training Program (PLANET) is a peer-to-peer in-person 1-hr lead poisoning prevention educational program for health professionals. This evaluation was designed to determine the impact of the PLANET program. Evaluation methods included analyzing data from PLANET sign-in sheets, evaluation forms, pre/postknowledge tests, claims data, and focus groups (FGs) and interviews (IVs) with PLANET attendees and nonattendees. Claims data were used to compare blood lead testing rates for physicians attending and those not attending a PLANET program. Over 2,000 health professionals attended the 192 PLANET presentations delivered between June 2001 and December 2006; most were registered nurses or physicians. Written evaluations were overwhelmingly positive.... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2193849 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2193849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2193848&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F32%2F1%2F3%3Frss%3D1 This study assessed the effects of training at an AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) over an 18-month period. Health care professionals (HCP) who attended more than one training event showed small but significant improvements over time in HIV-related clinical practice behaviors. The type of training also predicted self-reported practice behavior, with interactive trainings and individual consultations associated with greater change, and intensive clinical training activities associated with a faster rate of change but not better scores on the self-reported behavior measure. Participants also reported high levels of satisfaction, knowledge improvement, and intention to change after each training event; however, these results were unrelated to whether trainees actually reported improv... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2193848 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2193848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1973509&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F4%2F419%3Frss%3D1 In this study, the authors evaluate the components that contribute to measurement error using this scale. Generalizability theory was used to reveal components of measurement error that allow for better understanding of test results. A major component of measurement error came from inconsistency in performance across the two cadaveric test bones each resident was assigned. In contrast, ratings of performance using the WS1 were highly consistent across raters and rating sessions within raters. The largest source of measurement error was caused by residents' inconsistent performance across bones. Rater disagreement introduced only small error into scores. The WS1 provides small measurement error, with two raters and two bones for each participant. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1973509 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1973509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1973508&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F4%2F404%3Frss%3D1 This study investigated the relationship between candidate's proficiency in communication/organization and ability measures derived from judges' oral examination ratings on a medical specialty certification examination. Judges who rated candidates on the oral examination also provided a separate rating for candidates' communication/organization skills. ANOVA was used to examine differences among levels of communication/organizational skills with respect to candidates' ability measures on the oral examination. There was a statistically significant increase in oral examination measures for candidates with higher levels of communication/organization skills. This supports the hypothesis that candidates who were more proficient in organizing and presenting their responses were more likely to ha... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1973508 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1973508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1973507&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F4%2F390%3Frss%3D1 This study sought to identify clinician beliefs about patients who do not adhere to treatment, the clinicians' own beliefs about medicines, and the impact of beliefs on efforts to enhance patient adherence. In total, 292 clinicians responded to an anonymous questionnaire that included questions about their beliefs and their efforts to enhance adherence. Results indicated that clinicians' beliefs about their own adequacy to enhance adherence significantly predicted actual efforts to enhance adherence. Both pessimism about outcomes and empathy for the patient predicted outcome expectancy. It was concluded that enhancing clinicians' beliefs about working with nonadherent patients is a potentially important ingredient in efforts to improve patient adherence. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1973507 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1973507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1973506&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F4%2F370%3Frss%3D1 For meta-analyses of observational epidemiology studies, unadjusted and adjusted study estimates are often extracted. However, there is evidence of selective reporting of adjusted study estimates. We investigate adjustment reporting bias, examining the reasons why some studies do not contribute an adjusted estimate to a meta-analysis. Ten published meta-analyses were re-analysed to assess evidence of adjustment reporting bias and over 100 primary studies were read to investigate why they did not contribute an adjusted estimate to a meta-analysis. Selective reporting of adjusted estimates may lead to a bias in some meta-analyses when adjusted study estimates are not reported because univariate analyses indicated a non-significant effect. We recommend that unadjusted and adjusted study estim... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1973506 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1973506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1973505&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F4%2F335%3Frss%3D1 This study examines the causal effects of CABS, using both conventional methods and a newer method (propensity score analysis) in attempting to account for selection biases (e.g., selecting the "best and the brightest") in estimating the award's impact. The results indicated that grantees outperformed unsuccessful applicants in obtaining a faculty position, competing for an R01 grant, and publishing in prestigious journals. However, it was nearly impossible to remove all the effects of selection bias from estimates of program effects. Because selection bias is a pervasive problem in assessing these programs, recommendations for improving evaluations of similar merit-based programs are offered. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1973505 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1973505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659761&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F323%3Frss%3D1 In this concluding article, the authors describe factors that influence the international translation of programs. These include language, control over the translation process, local normative challenges to translation, program adaptation, and globalization. The authors suggest that systematic efforts at language translation, program adaptation partnership, and compromise are general principals needed to surmount these challenges. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659761 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659760&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F318%3Frss%3D1 This article focuses on malaria as a current major cause of morbidity and mortality in Tanzania. Patients and caretakers have tended to rely on traditional sociocultural practices as a means of treating the convulsions associated with severe malaria in children and often do not seek care at health facilities, therefore, delaying prompt management of the disease. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659760 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659759&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F313%3Frss%3D1 This article examines the effect of cultural differences on translation accuracy outcomes for the translation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 (S. R. Hathaway & J. C. McKinley, 1940) into Farsi for use in Iran. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659759 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659758&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F306%3Frss%3D1 This article describes efforts to link people together to address tobacco use cessation among Israeli and Palestinian high-risk youth and provides an overview of a current initiative to demonstrate a smoking cessation model, Project EX, which may contribute to the health of those involved and to societal change in the region. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659758 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659757&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F297%3Frss%3D1 This article provides information on Croatia's general background, current smoking prevalence and attitudes, and current evidence-based smoking prevention efforts. Furthermore, various cultural and contextual conditions within Croatia that facilitate or impede smoking prevention research utilization are discussed. Finally, it is concluded that new research is needed that continues to build on comprehensive research-tested multicomponent prevention initiatives utilizing school-, family-, community-, and mass media—based delivery modalities, which specifically focus on the social influences of smoking. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659757 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659756&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F290%3Frss%3D1 This article reviews the sociocultural and economic background relevant to health policy change and smoking cessation initiatives. Recommendations are made for effective Bulgarian tobacco control. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659756 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659755&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F282%3Frss%3D1 Bashkortostan is a republic in the Russian Federation with a population of 4.1 million. As with other health behaviors, the prevalence of seat belt use is low, which may account in part for the very high rate of motor-vehicle-related mortality in this republic. The authors discuss the need and potential for translating seat belt promotion programming from other Russian regions and other countries to Bashkortostan. The authors conclude that current policies developed in other countries could work well in the republic, if they are enforced. Meanwhile, initiatives such as the Sakhalin Road Safety Partnership offer great potential for translation in Bashkortostan as well as in other regions with similarly low seat belt use prevalence. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659755 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659754&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F272%3Frss%3D1 This article considers the plausibility of application of general principles of alcohol policy translated in the Russian Federation. We conclude that alcohol policy approaches could be implemented in the same ways as they have been in other countries. In addition, there should be special attention to decreasing distilled spirits consumption, illegal alcohol production, nonbeverage alcohol consumption, and enforcement of current governmental regulations. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659754 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659753&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F258%3Frss%3D1 This study describes the establishment, promotion, and preliminary findings of a peer-led smoking cessation quitline for Chinese youth smokers in Hong Kong. The Youth Quitline targeted Chinese smokers aged 12 to 25, who smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days and were willing to leave telephone numbers for follow up. The protocol was translated from the California Smoker's Helpline and we provided toll-free telephone counseling based on motivational intervention with multiple follow-up sessions for smokers who called the service. By intention-to-treat analysis, 55% reported at least one quit attempt, and the quit rate was 22.1% (self-reported 7-day point prevalence) or 17.5% (self-reported 30-day point prevalence). The Hong Kong Youth Quitline, along with enforcement of the antis... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659753 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659752&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F3%2F245%3Frss%3D1 This article describes the translation of a harm minimization cessation program for teens, the Smoking Cessation for Youth Project (SCYP), derived from an approach developed with adults. In addition, the article describes the unique sociopolitical context of Australia in which the SCYP program was developed and the significant conceptual, contextual, and methodological factors that enabled and limited this program's effective implementation and translation. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659752 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1659751&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F31%2F3%2F243%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1659751 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1659751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409073&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F31%2F2%2F240%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409073 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409072&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F226%3Frss%3D1 This article reviews the SFP theory and research and a recommended cultural adaptation process. Challenges in international dissemination of evidence-based programs (EBPs) are discussed based on the results of U.N. and U.S. governmental initiatives to transport EBP family interventions to developing countries. The technology transfer and quality assurance system are described, including the language translation and cultural adaptation process for materials development, staff training, and on-site and online Web-based supervision and technical assistance and evaluation services to assure quality implementation and process evaluation feedback for improvements. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409072 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409071&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F211%3Frss%3D1 This article describes challenges to MST transport internationally by virtue of the political, legal, economic, and cultural contexts in different nations. Modifications used to address these challenges and facilitate the international implementation of MST are described and pertain to pre-implementation processes, clinical staff, training materials and procedures, and clinical service delivery. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409071 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409070&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F198%3Frss%3D1 With their numbers now approaching almost 30 million, Nepalese feature importantly in the South Asian demography. Yet, it has been only 60 years since Nepal gained international recognition as a nation-state. Nepal at present is one of the world's poorest countries and is in dire need of development, especially in the area of health. Given the current civil instability coupled with rapid modernization, the health and well-being of the Nepalese people have been increasingly affected by newer threats, such as HIV/AIDS. The present study discusses the uniqueness of the Nepalese context in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention. The authors suggest that HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Nepal should now focus more on adolescents from rural regions. The authors also suggest the ways one may approach the... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409070 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409069&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F182%3Frss%3D1 This article examines the status of evidence-based interventions for preventing drug dependence in Spain. The evolution of the perception that the Spanish have of the problem and how this has influenced prevention efforts is described. An analysis is made of how programs designed to prevent drug use have been translated from the field of experimental research to implementation. The characteristics of evidence-based programs developed in Spain are outlined, analyzing their efficacy and the adaptations of programs from other countries to the Spanish context. Most have been school based, although some family and leisure-time based programs also have been developed. The processes for translation and cultural adaptation of evidence-based programs are described. Finally, pending aspects of the a... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409069 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409068&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F167%3Frss%3D1 This article outlines the current Dutch approach to alcohol prevention in this target group. It is argued that well-enforced evidence-based control measures are lacking despite renewed political interest in them. Politicians often favor alcohol education, but to increase the effectiveness of alcohol prevention, a combined approach of policy measures, enforcement, and education is needed. Translation of education and policy-based measures is discussed. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409068 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409067&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F145%3Frss%3D1 This article describes features of the sociocultural and political-economic context of Mexico that pose challenges and opportunities to the effective translation of WHO-FCTC policies there. It also considers how strategic communication efforts may advance these policies by framing their arguments in ways that resonate with prevalent values, understandings, and concerns. A focus on a smoke-free policy illustrates barriers to policy compliance, including how similar issues have been overcome among Latino populations in California. Overall, this article aims to lay the foundation for comparative research from policy uptake to impact so that the scientific evidence base on tobacco control policies includes examination of how context moderates this process. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409067 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409066&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F124%3Frss%3D1 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures in the United States include a diverse group of indigenous cultures that have been affected by their contact with European Americans and have suffered adverse psychological, physical, and economic consequences. AI/AN adolescents have the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking of all U.S. ethnic groups. Culturally competent health promotion programs are needed to enhance their resiliency and help them avoid recreational, addictive use of commercial tobacco. The authors describe the diverse AI/AN populations and their unique health and social issues, including adolescent smoking. They present examples of smoking prevention programs tailored or adapted for AI/AN adolescents and make recommendations for implementation and evaluation of protot... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409066 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409065&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F2%2F110%3Frss%3D1 This article introduces the topic of international translation of health programs. Different perspectives toward the study of national-level variables that are relevant to translation of evidence-based programming developed outside of or in a country are discussed. Concepts including national prototypes, national stereotypes, country clusters, knowledge incompatibility, and absorptive capacity are introduced. The ideas expressed in this article serve to provide direction when considering developing a health behavior program for a country, using previous programmatic knowledge from elsewhere. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409065 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409064&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F31%2F2%2F107%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409064 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1409064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1206191&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F1%2F81%3Frss%3D1 This article summarizes the findings from a study examining the predictors of satisfaction among individuals enrolled in a county-sponsored indigent health care plan. Mail survey procedures were used to obtain information from enrollees regarding their satisfaction with the health care plan, as well as enrollees' demo-graphics, health care status, and trust in their providers. Results of a stepwise regression model developed using a random half of the respondents revealed enrollees' trust in health care providers was the strongest predictor of general satisfaction, followed by perception of change in health status, and age. The model explained 49% of the variance and demonstrated little shrinkage when cross-validated on the remaining half of the respondents. Trust in health care providers,... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1206191 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1206191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1206190&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F1%2F65%3Frss%3D1 In this study, the authors examined the association between multiple reminders and nonresponse bias, survey estimates and costs in a survey of family physicians in Norway (N = 3,463). After three postal reminders and one telephone follow-up, the response rate was 65.9%. They analyzed differences in nine demographic and practice variables between respondents and nonrespondents, the effect of nonresponse bias on survey estimates, and the cost-effectiveness of each reminder. Statistically significant differences between respondents and nonrespondents were found for six variables. However, demographic and practice variables had little association with the main outcome variables, and the overall survey estimates changed little with additional reminders. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of th... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1206190 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1206190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1206189&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F1%2F43%3Frss%3D1 This study compared the use of mail and Internet surveys of sentinel networks of physicians with traditional random sample mail surveys for three national vaccine policy surveys. Three nationally representative sentinel networks of physicians were established (pediatricians, n = 427; general internists, n = 438; and family physicians, n = 433). Surveys of the sentinel networks were compared with simultaneous surveys conducted with random samples of the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile. Response rates were 74% to 78% for sentinel surveys and 29% to 43% for traditional random sample surveys. Respondents to the two methods were generally comparable in demographic characteristics. While there were some differences in responses to survey topic questions, none of the diffe... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1206189 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1206189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1206188&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F1%2F22%3Frss%3D1 The objectives of this study were to explore the meaning of scientific evidence as it is understood by primary care physicians. Individual interviews were conducted with actors chosen for their roles in the production and use of knowledge: 22 family physicians, 13 specialist physicians, and 6 researchers. Two situations served as points of reference for these discussions: screening for genetic breast cancer and treatment of hypertension. The results suggest that there may be a misunderstanding between the producers of knowledge and primary care practitioners with respect to what constitutes "evidence"— knowledge ready for integration into the clinical practice of primary care. These potential differences go beyond the issues of how information is disseminated. Rather, many of the que... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1206188 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1206188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1206187&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F31%2F1%2F3%3Frss%3D1 Providers underutilize evidence-based practice guidelines as they prescribe contraceptives. To discern biases in guideline utilization by 172 providers of three countries, this study used observations from simulated clients trained to choose oral contraceptives. Providers implemented less than one third of the guideline set, but they addressed, more frequently than other guidelines, items categorized as essential by expert opinion (p < .01). Indian providers emphasized instructions on method use in 9-minute consultations, Rwandan providers emphasized contraindications in 29-minute sessions, and Peruvian providers did not emphasize any single guideline category. Providers should use job aids to improve guideline utilization. Those pressed for time need an evidence-based, rather than arbi... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1206187 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1206187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1008727&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F4%2F376%3Frss%3D1 Peer-assessment processes with chart review have been used for many years to assess the clinical performance of physicians. The Quebec medical licensing authority has been required by provincial law to assess the practicing Quebec physicians on a nonvoluntary basis. During the period from January 2001 to November 2004, 25 family physicians in active practice were randomly selected from a pool of about 300. For each physician, 25 to 40 patients' medical charts were randomly selected to evaluate the interrater reliability of peer-review assessment of medical charts and to compare ratings based on chart review with a chart-stimulated recall interview to those based on chart review alone. The concordance between chart review alone and that of chart review with chart-stimulated recall interview... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1008727 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1008727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1008726&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F4%2F362%3Frss%3D1 Cluster analysis can be a useful statistical technique for setting minimum passing scores on high-stakes examinations by grouping examinees into homogenous clusters based on their responses to test items. It has been most useful for supplementing data or validating minimum passing scores determined from expert judgment approaches, such as the Ebel and Nedelsky methods. However, there is no evidence supporting how well cluster analysis converges with the modified Angoff method, which is frequently used in medical credentialing. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of cluster analysis for validating Angoff-derived minimum passing scores. Data are from 652 examinees who took a national credentialing examination based on a content-by-process test blueprint. Resul... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1008726 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1008726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1008725&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F4%2F339%3Frss%3D1 This study explores whether a clinical teaching effectiveness (CTE) instrument provides valid scores for summative faculty assessment. The sample included all CTE instruments (n = 10,087) that learners (N = 1,194) completed to assess clinical teachers (N = 872) during 1 academic year. The authors investigated response processes (e.g., missing data, straight-line responses, level of learner), internal structure (e.g., confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis), teaching ratings by learner group (medical student or resident), and relation to other variables (e.g., correlation with global rating). Response processes identified a high prevalence of straight-line responses (same rating across all items) and differential patterns of missing data by learner group. Medical students rated their ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1008725 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1008725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1008724&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F4%2F322%3Frss%3D1 Public health providers are increasingly called on to do more with fewer resources. Aiming to help HIV clinical training providers in 15 local sites to better target their efforts, the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC) implemented a method for integrating disparate information, such as program-level evaluation and publicly available health services data, into one combined and useful format. The resulting local area profiles were distributed to each training site and were updated annually for 2 years. As a result, local training teams adopted data-based approaches to doing their work. Training managers and faculty reported that data presented in spatial formats (i.e., maps) were most helpful for targeting their outreach and training. In addition to achieving the aim of supp... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1008724 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1008724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1008723&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F4%2F303%3Frss%3D1 Although physician surveys are an important tool in health services and policy research, they are often characterized by low response rates. The authors conducted a systematic review of 66 published reports of efforts to improve response rates to physician surveys. Two general strategies were explored in this literature: incentive and design-based approaches. Even small financial incentives were found to be effective in improving physician response. Token nonmonetary incentives were much less effective. In terms of design strategies, postal and telephone strategies have generally been more successful than have fax or Web-based approaches, with evidence also supporting use of mixed-mode surveys in this population. In addition, use of first-class stamps on return envelopes and questionnaires... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1008723 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1008723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792106&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F30%2F3%2F300%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792106 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792105&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F3%2F284%3Frss%3D1 This article is the result of considerations during the design of a three-arm microbicide trial. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792105 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792104&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F3%2F266%3Frss%3D1 The authors used a many-faceted Rasch measurement model to analyze rating data from a clinical skills assessment of 173 fourth-year medical students to investigate four types of rater errors: leniency, inconsistency, the halo effect, and restriction of range. Students performed six clinical tasks with 6 standardized patients (SPs) selected from a pool of 17 SPs. SPs rated the performance of each student in six skills: history taking, physical examination, interpersonal skills, communication technique, counseling skills, and physical examination etiquette. SPs showed statistically significant differences in their rating severity, indicating rater leniency error. Four SPs exhibited rating inconsistency. Four SPs restricted their ratings in high categories. Only 1 SP exhibited a halo effect. ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792104 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792103&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F3%2F254%3Frss%3D1 Health care providers depend on the findings of observational intervention studies and systematic reviews of those studies to make evidence-based decisions about their clients' care. The nonrandom methods of group formation in observational studies necessitate carefully assessing threats to the validity of conclusions. Regression to the mean is a source of change in clinical outcome measures that has escaped widespread notice as a potential threat to the accuracy of conclusions from observational studies and systematic reviews thereof. Failure to assess the degree to which regression confounds study results elevates the risk of making clinical decisions using biased estimates of intervention effectiveness. Because the change in average outcome scores due to regression can be quantified, it... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792103 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792102&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F3%2F229%3Frss%3D1 In May 2004, 12 experts in evaluating large-scale health communication programs came to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to participate in an electronic focus group discussion. They offered advice on topics ranging from the role of logic models to the best strategies for controlling for self-selection bias in surveys regarding outcomes of exposure to mass media health messages. The experts also highlighted health communication evaluation topics that have received too little scientific attention. Finally, they made strategic policy recommendations. Use of the state-of-the-art evaluation methods that they recommended could improve the communication of factual and persuasive health messages and help to guard the public health of the nation. Their advice may also advance evaluati... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792102 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=792101&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F3%2F207%3Frss%3D1 This review identifies key issues associated with the design of future longitudinal studies of human development. Sixteen international studies were compared for initial response and retention rate, sample size, type of data collected, and sampling frames. The studies had little information about the influences of fathers, extended family members, childcare, and educational institutions; the effects of peers; children's use of time; the needs of disabled children; urban versus rural environments; or the influence of genetic factors. A contemporary longitudinal study should include measures of physical and mental health, cognitive capacity, educational attainment, social adjustment, conduct and behavior, resiliency, and risk-taking behaviors. It needs to address genetic and intergenerationa... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=792101 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 792101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606730&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F2%2F186%3Frss%3D1 The authors evaluated determinants of response to Internet-based surveys in a sample (n = 5600) of Texas healthcare professionals. Participants were given the option of responding by mail or over the Web (response, 66%). Internet respondents were younger (p < .001), had worked fewer years in healthcare (p < .001), and were more likely to be male (p < .001) and to work in a hospital (p = .007). Missing questionnaire items were significantly higher among Web responders with regard to age, sex, race, body mass index, and smoking (p < .001). In the final multivariate logistic regression, only male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.56-2.80) and younger age remained significantly associated with response over the Internet. Age quartile and responding electronically were inve... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606730 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606729&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F2%2F170%3Frss%3D1 In this study, the authors examined the effects of nonresponse bias in a mail survey of physicians (N = 3,400). Because slightly more than one half of the sample did not respond to the survey, there was potential for bias if nonresponders differed significantly from responders with respect to key demographic and practice variables. They analyzed response status and timing of response with respect to five variables: gender, region, specialty, urbanicity, and survey length. The potential consequences of nonresponse bias on the survey estimates were then analyzed. Men were more likely to respond, as were physicians receiving a shorter questionnaire. Repeated follow-up attempts reduced gender response bias because male physicians were more likely to be early responders. Overall, higher respons... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606729 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606728&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F2%2F150%3Frss%3D1 A random sample of 500 phlebotomy technicians certified by a national organization was queried regarding perceptions of importance of 53 specific practice-related tasks representative of various departmental areas. The sample was surveyed via a mail questionnaire. Role centrality was assessed by considering mean importance ratings and by applying the Rasch measurement model to assigned importance ratings. Approximately 36% of the questionnaires received by respondents were returned. The results revealed which tasks were fundamental to the phlebotomy technician scope of practice. To assess longitudinal change in core duties, task saliency was considered with respect to similar data collected a decade earlier. Task importance may be considered by agencies that educate, credential, or employ ... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606728 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606727&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F2%2F138%3Frss%3D1 In conclusion, the HR method using the YMCA V O2—HR relationship appears to be effective in predicting EE at submaximal intensities but not at maximum efforts. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606727 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606726&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F2%2F118%3Frss%3D1 Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is presented as an unrecognized and urgently needed approach for addressing the persistent public health concern of college student drinking in the United States. A major contention of this article is that the lack of progress in reducing alcohol-related harm among college students during the past several decades has been the research community's failure to effectively engage and collaborate with undergraduates on shared concerns. The challenges of addressing college student drinking are reviewed, distinctive features of CBPR are described, and suggestions are provided for adopting CBPR as a more viable approach than those offered by traditional campus strategies. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606726 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=606725&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F30%2F2%2F115%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=606725 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 606725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410095&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F96%3Frss%3D1 In many countries with highly developed health care systems, significant improvements in end-of-life care are strongly recommended. Up to the present, the assessment of perceived deficits predominantly reflects the point of view of experts in the palliative and hospice movement, with very little being known about the perspective of other professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the points of view of a wide range of different health care providers who treated or interacted with palliative care patients. The authors subsequently performed 597 semistructured telephone interviews with a wide range of German health care professionals. Overall, the assessment of the current situation was better than expected, although statistically significant differences existed among the groups surve... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410095 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410094&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F75%3Frss%3D1 The authors compared three approaches to feedback of clinical audit findings relating to miscarriage in 15 Scottish maternity services (printed report alone; report plus action planning letter; report plus face-to-face facilitated action planning). Clinicians were surveyed to measure theory of planned behavior constructs (in the context of two audit criteria) before and after feedback (n = 253) and assessed perceptions of the audit through in-depth interviews (n = 17). Prefeedback, clinicians had positive attitudes and strong subjective norms and intentions to comply, although perceived behavioral control was lower. Generally, positive attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions increased after feedback but for one of the two criteria (providing a 7-day miscarriage service), perceived beha... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410094 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410093&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F64%3Frss%3D1 This study is designed to measure the relationship between experience with SPs and performance on a SP examination. A general linear model is used to determine if a relationship exists and the pattern of that relationship as experience increases. There is a linear association between increased experience and better performance in technical domains. In interpersonal skill domains, there is a curvilinear association between experience and performance with improved performance with moderate levels of experience but not in the most experienced group. Different levels of experience with SPs are associated with differences in performance. The varied pattern of associations suggests a possible practice effect or test-taking behavior. Additional studies are needed to assess this potential effect o... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410093 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410092&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F47%3Frss%3D1 Lawmakers at the state level require good estimates of those without health insurance in the areas they serve to inform policy decisions. These estimates are often built on inadequate data from smaller geographic areas, such as counties. The Small Area Estimates Branch of the U.S. Census Bureau developed a method to generate stable estimates at the county level using data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey and several other sources. Using data collected in the state of Tennessee, this article presents a less complicated and arguably less expensive alternative to that method, while providing comparable results. Limitations of both methods and suggestions for future research are discussed. (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410092 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410091&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F35%3Frss%3D1 Despite advances in the storage and retrieval of information within health care systems, health researchers conducting surveys for evaluations still face technical barriers that may lead to sampling bias. The authors describe their experience in administering a Web-based, international survey to English-speaking countries. Identifying the sample was a multistage effort involving (a) searching for published e-mail addresses, (b) conducting Web searches for publicly funded agencies, and (c) performing literature searches, personal contacts, and extensive Internet searches for individuals. After pretesting, the survey was converted into an electronic format accessible by multiple Web browsers. Sampling bias arose from (a) system incompatibility, which did not allow potential respondents to op... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410091 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410089&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F22%3Frss%3D1 This study presents an uncontrolled preliminary evaluation of a pilot health insurance subsidy program and addresses whether provision of subsidized insurance that required employee contribution had an impact upon preventive health utilization among small businesses and their employees. Self-report questionnaires were mailed to the employees; these included questions on use of preventive health services before and after enrollment in the subsidy program. The analysis was stratified by self-reported prior enrollment in an insurance program to compare employees with and without prior health insurance. The findings suggest significant increases in health service utilization among the previously uninsured. Regular checkups more than doubled (p < .0001), as did the number of individuals rece... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410089 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=410087&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F30%2F1%2F3%3Frss%3D1 Tools to examine the effects of teaching interventions across a variety of studies are needed. The authors perform a meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of teaching on medical students’ patient communication skills. Study quality is rated using a modified Jadad score, and standardized mean difference effect size (d) measures are calculated. Fifteen of 24 studies have sufficient data for analysis. Students’ ability to establish rapport improves after teaching. The effects are large when the teaching intervention was small group discussion (n = 5) or giving structured feedback on a student-patient interview (n = 6). A similar effect of teaching is seen on student data gathering skills (n = 5). Teaching medical students patient communication ski... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=410087 Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0100 410087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=275302&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F29%2F4%2F455%3Frss%3D1 (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=275302 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0100 275302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=275301&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F29%2F4%2F440%3Frss%3D1 Researchers and practitioners have problems retrieving qualitative studies. Search strategies that can easily and effectively retrieve these studies from large databases such as PsycINFO are therefore important. To determine if search strategies can identify qualitative studies, 64 journals published in 2000 were hand searched using explicit methodological criteria to identify qualitative studies. The authors tested multiple search strategies using 4,985 potential search terms in PsycINFO (Ovid Technologies) and compared the results with the hand search data to calculate retrieval effectiveness. A total of 125 qualitative studies were identified. Single-term and multiple-term strategies had sensitivities (maximizing retrieval of qualitative studies) up to 94.4% and specificities (minimizin... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=275301 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0100 275301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=275300&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F29%2F4%2F424%3Frss%3D1 This article deals with the participation of patients in setting the agenda of health research that potentially directly affects their lives. The focus is on the communication problems encountered between lay people and medical professionals in developing a joint research agenda. The author argues that a participatory methodology can address these problems and thereby give patients "a say" in the types of health research that have the greatest chance of affecting them personally. The article uses a case example of people with spinal cord injuries participating in research to support the importance and value of patient participation. The case example also helps to rethink appropriate methodologies or at least to modify existing approaches by paying more attention to required social conditio... Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=275300 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0100 275300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=275299&cid=s_31275_51_f&fid=31275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehp.sagepub.com%2Fcgi%2Fcontent%2Fabstract%2F29%2F4%2F407%3Frss%3D1 This article describes a simple quasi–experimental model called the regression point displacement (RPD) design, which compares the prepost results of a single or multiple treat–ment groups to that of a control population. This design has shown great potential in evalu–ating health care pilot programs or demonstra–tion projects–especially those that are community based–due to its relative ease of implementation and low cost of analysis (Source: Evaluation) Evaluation journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=275299 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0100 275299