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Biomedical subjects

A J Enelow

Publications and source records attributed to A J Enelow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1981

Development of brief measures of psychological adjustment to medical illness applied to cancer patients.

The interrater reliability and validity of brief interview rated measures of psychosocial adjustment were examined in four sequential studies. A total of 25 videotaped interviews with cancer patients were rated by 105 social workers, nurses, physicians, and specialists in psychosocial oncology. The Rating of Psychosocial Function (RPF), Coping Adequacy Rating (CAR), and Global Adjustment to Illness Scale (GAIS) were used by various rating groups with an indication of interrater agreement. Agreement on ratings was not influenced by the length of interview (15 vs. 30 minutes) but appeared to the affected by the structure of the interview and profession of the raters. All three instruments showed a measure of matching with clinical impressions in addition to demonstrating a measure of both convergent and divergent construct validation. The GAIS was chosen as most adequately reflecting their clinical impression by a majority of raters. With a degree of training, any of the three instruments could be used to assess psychosocial adjustment with some measure of confidence in the validity of the rating.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

A survey of psychotropic drug prescriptions in an oncology population.

The present study examined the prescription practices concerning psychotropic drugs in 5 major oncology centers over a 6 month period. During the survey period 1579 patients were admitted to the collaborating institutions, and 51% of them were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication. Hypnotics were the most frequently prescribed drugs, accounting for 48% of total prescriptions, followed by anti-psychotics at 26% and anti-anxiety agents at 25%. Anti-depressant drugs accounted for only 1% of psychotropic prescriptions. Analysis of prescription rationales revealed that 44% of the psychotropic prescriptions were written for sleep, while 25% were given for nausea and vomiting; approximately 17% were attributed to psychological distress, and 12% were associated with diagnostic medical procedures. The overall rate of prescription was approximately 2 psychotropic drugs per patient per admission, with only 2% of prescriptions resulting in chart-documented side effects. At the level of individual compounds, 3 distinct drugs accounted for 72% of total prescriptions--flurazepam (33%), prochlorperazine (21%), and diazepam (17%).

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1967

The compensable injury.

The complexities and interferences in the doctor-patient relationship during the treatment of the compensably-injured workman create an unusually high incidence of delayed recovery, complications, and permanent disability. Many persons, once injured, never return to economic self-sufficiency. Among the factors that may have a bearing in producing this situation are: The psychological context of the injury itself; the personality of the patient; the "reverse incentive" created by reward for illness; third-party interference from attorneys, insurance claims adjusters, and union representatives; consequent hostility of the patient toward a doctor he usually has not chosen; and, too often, hostility of the physician toward his patient. Iatrogenic complications may also be present when ill-advised surgical procedures are used in the presence of psychological complications. To improve the situation the adversary system should be removed and outside interferences in treatment should be reduced. Physicians treating patients in such circumstances should learn more about psychiatric diagnosis and management. They should give more attention to remotivation and rehabilitation.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗