A study was conducted to ascertain the relationships among different competence assessment methods for cytotechnologists. Of primary concern was the extent to which examinations using multiple choice questions, color plate photomicrographs and filmstrip formats measure abilities in common with or predict performance levels on a practical, job-sample-microslide examination format in gynecologic cytopathology. The majority of cytotechnologists who volunteered for these tests were trained in schools of cytotechnology approved by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) of the American Medical Association (AMA). School training, certification by the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) and by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) and participation in current continuing education activities were all associated with relatively higher test scores. The filmstrips format was least consistent in reflecting these distinctions. Overall, participants' scores in each test correlated to varying degrees with their scores on all other tests. Combinations of certain formats appear to have limited potential as performance evaluation methods; some of their drawbacks are presented.

Allied Health Personnel↗

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Equipment efficiency in a hospital dental service.

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Dental Equipment↗

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Listening to the customer: implementing a patient satisfaction measurement system.

Patient satisfaction is an important issue in positioning ambulatory medical services. An effective patient satisfaction measurement program not only helps hospital managers improve the quality of clinical and administrative activities, but also helps the hospital remain viable in increasingly competitive markets. A method for the design and measurement of patient satisfaction with outpatient Endoscopy Lab services is described in this article. The survey focuses on the sequence of events experienced by the patient. Outcome measures of primary interest include global patient satisfaction and the likelihood of using the service again if given a choice. Analysis of patient responses shows that global satisfaction with the outpatient experience is positively associated with service return intention. Additional analysis shows that facility cleanliness, privacy and nurse attention are most strongly associated with global patient satisfaction. Results underscore the importance of various service attributes on patient satisfaction and return intention and of the need to further expand the uses of patient satisfaction measurement in the outpatient Endoscopy Lab.

Adult↗

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[Reading numbers in pure alexia: effects of the task and hemispheric specialization].

Selective conservation of the ability to read Arabic numbers in patients unable to read words or even letters is a classical characteristic of pure alexia described by Dejerine (1982). We report our work on the capacity of two patients with pure typical alexia to process numbers. Our main finding was that these patients could count pairs of Arabic numbers correctly when the reading task was simple (example 2 4-->"two four") or when the task involved comparing sizes (example 2 4-->"four is bigger than two"). Inversely, these patients often made mistakes when asked to perform arithmetic operations (example 2 4-->"two plus four equals six"). Using these two numbers, there was a similar dissociation between excellent performance on comparison tests and severe deficiency in reading out loud. We interpret these findings with the hypothesis that both of the hemispheres can identify Arabic numbers, but that the visual systems on the right and left play a different role during different tasks. In pure alexia, a lesion in the left identification system leads to selective deficiency in linguistic tasks such as reading numbers out loud, recognizing numbers with several figures or mental arithmetic. The right identification system in intact and is sufficient for comparison or reading isolated Arabic numbers.

Aged↗