Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J A Bean

Publications and source records attributed to J A Bean.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

An examination of the relationships between physicians' clinical and hospital-utilization performance.

To examine the relationships between measures of attending physician teams' clinical and utilization performance, inpatient hospital audits were conducted in 22 Maryland and western Pennsylvania nonfederal short-term hospitals. A total of 6,980 medical records were abstracted from eight diagnostic categories using the Payne and JCAH PEP medical audit procedures. The results indicate weak statistical associations between the two medical care evaluation audits; between clinical performance and utilization performance, as measured by appropriateness of admissions and length of stay; and between three utilization measures. Based on these findings, it does not appear valid to use performance in one area to evaluate performance in the other in order to measure or evaluate and ultimately improve physicians; clinical or utilization performance.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1981

Use of active patient follow-up in cancer registries for designing epidemiologic studies.

The two primary functions of a population-based cancer registry are to collect incidence data and survival data, often obtained by active contact methods. Because of the expense and complexities of epidemiological research in determining carcinogenic risk, existing aggregate data collection systems need to be utilized for generating hypotheses. Direct follow-up contact with a patient by mail provides a mechanism for identifying potential risk factors at low cost. This method is being used to solicit information concerning environmental exposure. In addition, analysis of preliminary data on education and occupation collected by the mechanism indicated that staying patterns of cancer differ between rural and urban areas in the state of Iowa. The difference appears to be explained by education and not by occupation.

Follow-Up Studies↗
PubMed1980

Heart rate changes associated with EMG and alpha biofeedback.

Physiological concomitants of relaxation are needed to characterize objectively the response to biofeedback training. Ss (N = 30) received either alpha, EMG, or no biofeedback training. Heart rate, EMG, and alpha activity were measured in all groups. Increases in alpha and decreases in EMG were noted in their respective feedback groups. Heart rate, however, was not related systematically to these changes, and no significant changes in heart rate occurred in any group.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1980

A relationship between artifical menopause, previous estrogen consumption, and estrogen receptor content of breast neoplasms: preliminary communication.

A history of prior total bilateral oophorectomy and exogenous estrogen use was elicited from 45 women with breast surgery for cancer, 19 of whose neoplasms were estrogen receptor (ER) positive and 26 ER negative. In the ER-positive group there was a history of oophorectomy in 0/19 and estrogen use in 3/19. In the ER-negative group, corresponding values were 8/26 and 12/26 (p less than 0.05). Manipulation of the female hormonal milieu during or prior to the menopause may be related to the subsequent ER status of incident breast cancers.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1980

A performance comparison: USMG-FMG house staff physicians.

To determine whether differences exist in the performance of United States Medical Graduate (USMG) and Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) House Staff physicians, inpatient hospital audits evaluating individual physician performance on patient histories and physical examinations were conducted in 14 Maryland and Pennsylvania non-federal, short-term hospitals. A total of 3,204 medical records were abstracted from eight diagnostic categories for 898 house staff physicians, 556 of which were USMGs and 342 were FMGs. The results from these audits indicate that while there is evidence of a strong hospital/type of physician interaction for many of the diagnoses, there was no significant overall difference in performance of USMG and FMG house staff physicians. The largest and most consistent differences in physician performance were associated with hospital characteristics, not physician characteristics.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1979

Probability of menopause with increasing duration of amenorrhea in middle-aged women.

The empirical percent probability that natural menopause has occurred after first presentation of amenorrhea of various durations in women greater than or equal to 45 years of age has been calculated using data from a cohort of subjects who prospectively recorded menstrual flow and related gynecologic events. The probability that menopause has occurred increases with the amenorrheal interval (duration), and for a given interval, the probability increases with age. After 180 days of amenorrhea, 45% to 72% of subjects were menopausal; after 360 days, 90%. These data may offer assistance in advising patients on the probability of menopause and the continuance of contraceptive practices, and in considering whether late genital bleeding after amenorrhea represents a physiologic or pathologic process.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Postvaccine era measles epidemiology.

Measles incidence in the United States was calculated from estimates of the United States Immunization Survey for the years 1965 to 1975. These data were examined according to birth cohorts and cross-sectionally by age to determine the effect of live measles virus vaccine on measles epidemiology. The results showed a high rate of infection for children aged 1 year, followed by a decrease in the infection rates for preschool children, with rates increasing agin at ages 5 and 6 years. It was hypothesized that an effective vaccine-induced herb immunity exists in preschool children until they are of school age. When incidence rates were based on susceptible children, the highest rates occurred in the school-aged populations.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

A computer program for survival comparisons to a standard population.

PROPHAZ is a computer program created for the analysis of survival data using the general proportional hazards model. It was designed specifically for the situation in which the underlying hazard function may be estimated from the mortality experience of a large reference population, but may be used for other problems as well. Input for the program includes the variables of interest as well as the information necessary for estimating the hazard function (demographic and mortality data). Regression coefficients for the variables of interest are obtained iteratively using the Newton-Raphson method. Utilizing large sample asymptotic theory, x2 statistics are derived which may be used to test hypotheses of the form C beta = 0. Input format is completely flexible for the variables of interest as well as the mortality data.

Computers↗
PubMed1979

Effects of true and inverted feedback on integrated occipital alpha.

Ambient illumination had no effect on baseline levels of alpha of 20 female university students who had their eyes closed, and significant increases from these levels were obtained through true but not inverted feedback procedures. These results indicate that alpha enhancement can be obtained in a manner that is not explicable in terms of disinhibition processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Variations in the reporting of menstrual histories.

This investigation examined the accuracy of recall of females to questions concerning ages at memarche, natural and surgical menopause, first use of oral contraceptives and mean menstrual cycle length and variance. A sample of 160 women who had recorded their menstrual and reproductive events as they occurred were administered a questionnaire concerning these events, with responses compared to the original data. For the variables age at menarche, age at natural memopause, age at surgical menopause and age at first use of oral contraceptives, the percentage of women who correctly recalled within a year ranged from 75% to 90%. Recollection of menstrual cycle length and variability by interview was considered unreliable. These findings are encouraging regarding the ability to recall the age when certain menstrual and reproductive events occur, but not for menstrual cycle intervals or patterns. Because these women were well-educated and had once recorded study variables, these results might be considered optimal.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

A performance comparison: USMG-FMG attending physicians.

To determine whether patterns of differences in performance exist between United States Medical Graduate and Foreign Medical Graduate attending Physicians, two types of inpatient hospital audits (Payne Process Audit and the Joint Committee on Accreditation of Hospitals' Performance Evaluation Program-P.E.P. Audit) were conducted in 22 Maryland and Pennsylvania non-federal, short-term hospitals. A total of 6,980 medical records were abstracted from eight diagnostic categories for 1,321 attending physicians; 985 of which were USMGs and 331 were FMGs. The results from both audits indicate that while there is evidence of a strong hospital-type of physician interaction for many of the diagnoses, there was no significant overall difference in performance between USMG and FMG attending physicians. The largest and most consistent differences in physician performance were associated with hospital characteristics, not physician characteristics.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1979

Changes in heart rate following eyes-closed alpha enhancement.

Subjects (n = 20 females 18 to 26 yr. old) who had been trained in an eyes-closed alpha-enhancement task were grouped according to performance and changes in heart rate were compared. Subjects who showed a facility for producing alpha also evidenced a small decrease in heart rate while a small increase in heart rate while a small increase in heart rate was shown by the low alpha-output group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Resting levels of alpha and the Eysenck Personality Inventory.

The number of microvolt seconds of alpha rhythm emitted during a five-minute period were collected for 30 male and 30 female subjects. This measure of alpha abundance was then compared in subjects who scored high and in those who scored low on the E and N scales of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Subjects who scored low on the E scale tended to have a significantly greater number of microvolt seconds of alpha than did subjects who scored high on the scale. No differentiation on the basis of emitted alpha was possible for subjects scoring high and low on the N scale.

Adolescent↗