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Biomedical subjects

A Antonovsky

Publications and source records attributed to A Antonovsky.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The interrupted consultation.

This paper focuses attention, in a modest empirical way, on a hitherto unexplored phenomenon. Widespread in Israel, the interrupted patient-physician consultation may or may not be found extensively elsewhere. It is assumed that interruptions coming from the social environment affect communication and hence diagnosis and therapy, as well as satisfaction of both doctor and patient. Observations were conducted in a random sample of 100 consultations, averaging 9.4 minutes, of four physicians in a neighbourhood health centre in Israel. Interruptions were recorded in 94 cases, with an average of 1.36 interruptions per consultation. Contrary to Israeli myth, most interruptions were not by other patients but by clinic staff. The phenomenon is considered in terms of cultural practice and the consequences of group practice, nurse autonomy and medical student teaching. Further research is proposed to study the extent, sources and consequences of interruptions in family practice and, if warranted, methods of coping.

Communication Barriers↗
PubMed1992

The sense of coherence concept and its relation to personality traits in Swedish samples.

The paper proposes that Antonovsky's salutogenic orientation and his sense of coherence (SOC) concept provide a sound theoretical basis for the study and strengthening of the caring component in clinical practice. In order to study the operational utility of the concept, the 29-item SOC questionnaire (in two formats) was administered to five Swedish samples (3 groups of nurses, patients in a hospital emergency department, and a general population sample). Psychometric data are provided which test the internal and test-retest reliability of the SOC scale. A Self-Motivation Inventory (SMI) and the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) were used to test the relation between the SOC concept and personality traits. The results revealed that those with strong SOC also scored as having more general motivation and less Somatic and Psychic Anxiety as well as less Hostility. In addition the data, though in some part modest in sample size, consistently supported the view that the SOC scale is a robust instrument. Particular note is taken of its crosscultural character and of its potential utility in clinical work.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Detection of emotional problems in the primary care clinic.

Emotional problems are an important component of general morbidity in primary care settings. Research on the sensitivity of primary care physicians to such problems is, however, scanty. This study examines the prevalence of emotional problems among 776 patients in primary care clinics in Israel using the GHQ-28 and as detected by their physicians. Hypotheses were tested relating to physician and practice characteristics and the extent to which they affect the matching of the two methods of problem identification. Using the GHQ, 69% of the patients were classified as 'cases'; physicians identified 31% of the patients as 'cases'. Specialist status in family medicine, interest and belief in the importance of emotional health, good communication, a low patient load and familiarity with the patient all predicted a better match of physician classification to GHQ-defined 'caseness'. The implications of these findings for ongoing medical education are briefly discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Confronting developmental tasks in the retirement transition.

This paper considers retirement as a widespread developmental transition. It seeks to exploit and advance Erikson's life cycle model, taken as a heuristic device, in three ways: noting major transition challenges between generativity and integrity; distinguishing between tasks and outcomes in such transitions; and viewing such tasks as derived from historical, biological, psychological, and sociocultural realities. Analysis of such realities in the lives of Israeli retirees pointed to four care tasks: active involvement, reevaluation of life satisfaction, reevaluation of a world view, and a sense of health maintenance.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Childhood vulnerability and adult invincibility.

This study is salutogenic, focusing on the people who cope successfully with the handicapping background of a high-risk childhood. Of those aged 0-15 in 1947 in a total population survey of 2 Swedish parishes, 221 persons with 3 or more childhood psychiatric risk factors were identified. Personal interviews were conducted with 148 of them in 1988-1989. Four measures were used: the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Symptom Distress Checklist, the Quality of Life Scale, and a qualitative overall measure of health status using all interview material. Data analysis focuses on stressing the considerable proportion who managed to overcome their handicapped backgrounds. The sense of coherence is proposed as a powerful explanatory variable in such success.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Attitudes toward retirement in an Israeli cohort.

The three-fold purpose of this study was 1) to clarify the concept of "attitudes toward retirement" and its multidimensional structure; 2) to test hypotheses about the relationship between attitudes and gender and SES; and 3) to analyze the relationship between attitudes and the Sense of Coherence concept in terms of the functional consequences of different attitudes. A sample of 805 (432 men and 373 women) Israeli "on-time" people on the verge of retirement were interviewed. Results point to the importance of distinguishing between perceptions of gains and losses in the retirement developmental transition; identification of blue-collar workers, with ambivalent attitudes, as a high-risk group; and the importance of a strong Sense of Coherence in adopting attitudes presumably functional in coping with the developmental transition.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

The submerged part of the iceberg and the family physician.

The paper describes an effort to make contact with a part of the population registered with a family practice in an Israeli neighbourhood health centre. Of 407 files reviewed, of patients aged 45 years and over, 15.5% showed there had been no contact with the family doctor for at least three years. The patients were invited to make an appointment for an examination. The experience of the study led to the following conclusions: (1) files are often out-of-date, containing patients no longer in the practice; (2) an invitation is insufficient motivation for most patients to visit the doctor but it can serve as a trigger when there is an existing problem; (3) a considerable number of patients with some direct contact with the health care system obtain care in what is called 'corridor medicine'; (4) significant health problems were identified among those who came and ease of mind was provided for others; (5) data in the files for earlier periods indicated significant untreated illness in all patients. If this survey in a single practice is in any way typical, a serious problem of health care delivery confronts the family practitioner.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1978

The effect of outside work on the menopausal woman.

1,148 women between the ages of 45 and 54 from five different ethnic groups in Israel, representing a traditional-modern continuum were investigated with regard to the relationship of their menopausal symptomatology with their work situations now and what they were when the women were aged 40. A relatively low symptomatology was found among European Jews, North African Jews and Arabs in the peri- or postmenopause where their work load was unchanged or somewhat more than before. On the other hand, the Persian Jews showed a remarkable contrast, namely: those who had never worked at all outside the home suffered less than all the others in all the stages of menopause. These results cannot be explained only by the socioeconomic differences between the five groups, as the North Africans and Persians both belong to the lower urban socioeconomic class and the Arabs to the low rural socioeconomic class, with the Europeans belonging to the middle urban class. Nor can the results be explained merely by the difference in modernity and traditionalism. The matter is more complicated, and additional factors such as physical health, marital relationships and general stability are almost certainly involved. The advice to "go out and work" which is so often given by medical practitioners to menopausal women is thus not always correct, and should not be given automatically.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Ethnicity and adaptation to climacterium.

An investigation was made into the menopausal symptoms and attitudes of 1,148 Israeli women of five different ethnic origins. The results show that, while some of the somatic menopausal symptoms are independent of ethnic origin, psychic and psychosomatic symptoms are more closely associated with this variable. Similarly, the general health of menopausal women also varies with cultural origin. This variation is shown to correlate with the psychic and psychosomatic symptomatology of the climacterium. This study underlines the necessity of a multi-factorial, biological, sociological, psychological and anthropological approach to problems of menopause.

Climacteric↗
PubMed1977

The perception of menopause in five ethnic groups in Israel.

An investigation was made into the menopausal symptoms and attitudes of 1, 148 Israeli women of five different ethnic origins. The results show that, while some of the somatic menopausal symptoms are independent of ethnic origin, psychic and psychosomatic symptoms are more closely associated with this variable. Similarly, attitudes to the climacteric vary across cultural origins, especially with regard to husband-wife relationships. This study underlines the necessity of a multi-factorial, biological, sociological, psychological and anthropological approach to problems of menopause.

Attitude↗