Biomedical subjects

Jodi Polaha

Publications and source records attributed to Jodi Polaha.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in rural primary care: the portability of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines to the "real world".

OBJECTIVE: To examine the implementation of a protocol for the assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in rural pediatric practices. The protocol was designed to provide an efficient means for pediatricians to learn and use the ADHD guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). METHODS: Primary care staff (physicians, nurses, etc) from 2 rural pediatric practices were trained to use the ADHD-assessment protocol. Medical records for 101 patients were reviewed from 1 to 2 years before the introduction of the protocol and for 86 patients during the subsequent 2 to 3 years to assess compliance with the AAP guidelines. In addition, 34% of the scales scored by the staff were rescored to check for scoring accuracy. RESULTS: Before the availability of the AAP guidelines and the implementation of the assessment protocol, neither primary care site was consistently collecting the comprehensive information that is now recommended for an ADHD assessment. Parent and/or teacher rating scales were collected for only 0% to 21% of assessments across sites. When provided with brief training and supporting materials, medical records reflected significant improvement in the ascertainment of clinically necessary ADHD information, with parent and teacher rating scales present 88% to 100% of the time. Staff demonstrated an ability to score rating scales with a high degree of accuracy. The integrity of protocol collection and management was maintained 2 to 3 years after training. CONCLUSIONS: An efficient system for conducting ADHD assessments according to AAP guidelines in rural pediatrics clinics can be initiated and maintained with integrity. Additional research is needed to determine if this system improves diagnostic decision-making and patient outcomes.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2004

Self-monitoring as an intervention to decrease swimmers' stroke counts.

Self-monitoring of stroke count by swimmers is a common coaching strategy, it is but one that has little data to support it. Although research has demonstrated that self-monitoring can motivate behavior change, little research has focused on whether self-monitoring can enhance skill development. The purpose of the present set of studies was to examine the effects of self-monitoring on the improvement of a specific swimming skill (i.e., stroke count). Eight adult fitness swimmers and three college-level competitive swimmers participated in Study 1. In an A-B-A design, swimmers were observed to reduce stroke counts by about one stroke per lap when instructed to self-monitor and to verbally report strokes. In Study 2. swimmers self-monitored and visually reported strokes on a dry-erase board. A greater improvement was observed in five out of six swimmers. Across studies, stroke counts generally returned to baseline levels when self-monitoring was ended, and improvements during both self-monitoring phases were the greatest in the weakest swimmers. Limitations of the research, mechanisms of change, and implications for coaches are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Toilet training in primary care: current practice and recommendations from behavioral pediatrics.

This article is the first to evaluate pediatricians' (1). current practices regarding recommendations for toilet training typically developing first-time learners and (2). opinions on an intensive procedure for rapid toilet training. Results of surveys obtained from 103 pediatricians indicate that physicians' recommendations lean toward a gradual, passive approach to toilet training with 72% endorsing "child interest" in the toilet as one of the top criteria children must exhibit before beginning training. Respondents had a somewhat unfavorable view of intensive toilet training for first-time learners with 29% endorsing the use of such a procedure, although in most cases without all of the components. It is recommended that some components of the intensive procedure could easily "fit" with physicians' current practices to increase toilet-training effectiveness within a shorter training interval. These recommendations, including compliance training as a part of teaching, increased fluid intake to promote toileting trials, and multiple training sits, are described.

Behavioral Medicine↗