Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Swanson

Publications and source records attributed to A Swanson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

A census-based design for the recruitment of a community sample of older adults: efficacy and costs.

PURPOSE: This is a report of the scientific and cost implications of a census-based design to identify residents aged 55 and over for a community study of the effects of aging on physical function. METHODS: A census of residents in a study community was conducted by the use of a mailed questionnaire. For households that did not complete and return the mailed census questionnaire, contact was attempted first by telephone and then by home visit. A comparison was made of the unit costs and characteristics of subjects identified by the different methods. RESULTS: A total of 3509 age-eligible subjects were identified (78.3% by mailer, 19.5% by telephone, and 2.0% by home visit). Costs per enrolled age-eligible subject were lower for mailing and telephone ($7.76 and $4.72 respectively) than for home visit ($36.25). Subjects identified by home visit were significantly younger than subjects identified either by mail or telephone. After adjustment for age, subjects identified by telephone had less education and income and poorer health and functional status than subjects identified by mail. With the exception of age, there were no significant differences between subjects identified by mailer and home visit. CONCLUSIONS: A mailed questionnaire with telephone recontact is a practical strategy for community-based recruitment. Recontact of subjects by telephone can be expected to identify subjects who are not well-represented in a sample based only on a mailer. In contrast, the home visit is expensive and identifies subjects who do not differ meaningfully from those identified by mailer.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Primary health-care physicians: vital roles in organ and tissue donation.

The involvement of primary-care physicians is integral to the success of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Primary-care physicians have a vital role to play in educating patients and encouraging family discussion about organ and tissue donation. A study to determine the practice of Connecticut primary-care physicians relative to providing donation information to patients during routine care was conducted in three phases: 1) validation of current practice of primary-care physicians regarding educating patients about donation, 2) development and distribution of educational materials requested by primary-care physicians, 3) evaluation of primary-care physician practice and educational materials. Most (69% N = 310) responding primary-care physicians never discuss organ/tissue donation with patients during routine care and only 5% (N = 24) had donation information available. When provided with donation materials, most primary-care physicians left these materials in the waiting room and did not personally discuss donation with the patient. Collaboration between primary-care physicians and organ procurement staff needs to be increased so that primary-care physician's more readily discuss donation with their patients and encourage patients to discuss donation decisions with family members.

Connecticut↗
PubMed1981

The arthritic great toe metatarsophalangeal joint: a review of flexible silicone implant arthroplasty from two medical centers.

A review of 159 feet with double-stem silicone implants in the hallux metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint was conducted in two medical centers. The majority of patients had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Follow-up evaluations ranging between 18 months and six years indicate that pain relief was present in all cases with most having complete relief of pain. Hallux valgus was corrected in most and a functional range of motion as well as good muscle strength was restored. The stability provided by the procedure has improved the postoperative alignment of the lateral MTP joints from which the metatarsal heads had been excised. Operative technique must be precise and tissues must be handled and prepared for the implant with care.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1978

Microdetermination of caffeine in blood by gas chromatography--mass spectrometry.

A micromethod for the quantitative analysis of caffeine present in small quantities (100 microliter) of whole blood is described. It is based on the gas chromatographic--mass spectrometric analysis of chloroform extracts of biological samples. The method is relatively simple, rapid, specific and sensitive; as little as 20 ng of caffeine can be measured.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Educational materials reviewed for AVLINE.

The need for a central source of information regarding the availability, suitability, and quality of educational materials has led to the development of AVLINE. AVLINE is a computer information service available through the MEDLARS system of the National Library of Medicine. The Association of American Medical Colleges is gathering information from faculty members concerning useful materials and is bringing together content specialists, instructional designers, and technical specialists to review these materials. Information on materials that are recommended is provided to the National Library of Medicine to be cataloged, indexed, and abstracted for ultimate listing in AVLINE. Twenty-eight percent of the material has not been recommended; the many reasons for low ratings are categorized under content quality, instructional design, and technical quality.

Audiovisual Aids↗