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Biomedical subjects

K O'Connor

Publications and source records attributed to K O'Connor.

105 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
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Making distance smaller.

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Education, Medical, Continuing↗
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Computerized records gain ground.

Frustrated with the paper medical records stored in a central repository, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, a non-profit group model HMO, began using an electronic medical record system in 1995 to better serve its 414,000 members in Oregon and Washington.

Computer Communication Networks↗
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Privacy. Are there any guarantees?

Many health plan members worry that their medical records no longer are kept securely in paper medical files. Electronic data, they argue, is too easy to access. But healthcare administrators often need to use personal medical information to follow trends in outcomes, quality management and utilization review. Is there a balance? Kathleen O'Connor reports that Donna Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, recently provided some suggestions for safeguarding medical privacy in the information age.

Computer Communication Networks↗
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Exposing the silent thief.

Like a thief in the night, osteoporosis can sneak up on women and rob them of good health. But new strategies hold promise for prevention, early diagnosis, and better treatment.

Aged↗
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Pioneers in patient care.

It's 1947, employer-sponsored health benefits are a rarity, and quality care is beyond the means of many Americans. But a small group of visionaries is convinced there is a better way to provide patient care.

Community Participation↗
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A prospective study of two intravenous catheter securement techniques in a skilled nursing facility.

A prospective, controlled study was undertaken in a skilled nursing facility to determine whether a sterile catheter securement device (StatLock i.v., Venetec International, Mission Viejo, CA) would provide better intravenous therapy outcomes than a standard securement technique. The StatLock-device resulted in significantly longer average catheter dwell times (3.95 days versus 2.45 days) and significantly fewer total complications (65 versus 155). In addition, the securement device reduced the total time spent managing a vascular access device by 13.5 minutes per patient. Thus, the StatLock i.v. device improved overall clinical outcomes of i.v. therapy and the quality of care.

Bandages↗
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Automatic and controlled processing in chronic tic disorders.

The study compared controlled and automatic processing in 17 people diagnosed with chronic tic disorder (CTD), 20 with habit disorder (HT), and 30 screened controls. Using a countermanding paradigm, time to initiate a response (GO-time) was compared with time taken to inhibit a response (STOP-time) under automated and controlled response conditions. The signals were 2 sets of traffic-light-like computer displays with ready, go, and stop lights. The automated response was a repetitive series of taps and the controlled response was a morse code pattern of taps. There were no group differences in GO time under any conditions. The control group but not the HD or CTD groups showed a significant practice effect over time. The CTD group was significantly slower to STOP the automated than the controlled response. The results suggest that the CTD group had specifically, greater difficulty inhibiting automated than controlled actions.

Adult↗
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Cholangiocarcinoma: a nursing perspective.

Primary cancer of the bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma [CC]) is a rare malignancy that presents many nursing challenges. This article focuses on disease presentation, treatment options, quality of life, and the nurse's unique role in caring for this patient population. Surgical resection is the only treatment modality that offers a potential cure and prolonged survival. In patients with unresectable disease, biliary bypass or nonoperative biliary drainage procedures can provide palliation. Other palliative treatment modalities include chemotherapy, radiation, and photodynamic therapy. The sudden onset, limited treatment options, and overall poor prognosis add to the challenge of caring for patients with CC.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗
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Impact of medical examiner/coroner practices on organ recovery in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The object of this research is to determine the nature and extent of the loss of donor organs during a 3-year period that are otherwise medically suitable for organ transplantation owing to nonrelease by a local medical examiner or coroner. DESIGN AND DATA SOURCES: In a retrospective study of the effects of medical examiner/coroner donor release practices, a detailed survey was mailed to every organ procurement organization (OPO) in the United States. This survey collected specific data (eg, number of cases denied per year), as well as descriptive information. RESULTS: Of the 2670 organ donors reported by 39 OPO respondents in 1990, 62.1% were medical examiner cases, and 129 (7.2%) of these cases were denied recovery by the local medical examiner/coroner. The number of denials increased to 181 (9.6% of medical examiner cases) in 1991 and to 251 (11.4% of medical examiner cases) in 1992. It is estimated that the population of medical examiner/coroner denials from 1990 through 1992 may be as many as 884. Twenty percent of the OPO respondents reported that no cases were denied recovery by a local medical examiner/coroner. A comparative analysis reveals that the proportion of total reported potential medical examiner/coroner cases that were denied increased by 65% from 1990 to 1992, while medical examiner/coroner cases released declined slightly. CONCLUSIONS: Since an average of 3.37 organs were recovered per donor in 1992, it is possible that as many as 2979 people may have been denied transplants from 1990 through 1992 owing to medical examiners'/coroners' denials. There were no donor denials in 10 geographical areas of the United States, nor was there any instance of violation of case law or any documentation of flawed autopsies or collection of forensic evidence in donor cases released. These two factors suggest that the loss of human life from denials is not needed to protect the judicial process. Increased cooperation between medical examiner offices and OPOs could significantly increase the availability of transplantable organs.

Coroners and Medical Examiners↗