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Biomedical subjects

M A Sweeney

Publications and source records attributed to M A Sweeney.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Collaboration between pharmacy and osteopathic medicine to teach via the Internet.

This article describes the results of a survey from graduate pharmacy students who completed a neurology/psychiatry course taught by a pharmacist and an osteopathic physician via the Internet. Seventeen practicing pharmacists completed the 11-week course, and thirteen students completed the survey provided at the end of the course. Results indicated that students were pleased with the course. Mean evaluation scores ranged from 4.31 to 4.77 on a five-point scale. Additionally, students indicated that the collaboration of medicine and pharmacy provided an educational model that should be duplicated for future courses.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Practice analysis survey: revalidation of advanced clinical practice in orthopaedic physical therapy.

The first orthopaedic physical therapy practice analysis survey was completed in 1983. Another practice analysis survey was conducted in 1993 to identify the advance practice of clinicians who practice in orthopaedic physical therapy settings. Since 10 years elapsed, a new practice analysis study was conducted to identify the practice of orthopaedic clinical specialists. The purpose of this report is to describe the results of this survey. Orthopaedic physical therapists, both specialists and nonspecialists, participated in group interviews, subject matter expert meetings, and a national practice survey to delineate important knowledges and responsibilities. The survey was.sent to a stratified convenience sample of 1,000 orthopaedic physical therapists, of which 325 were orthopaedic clinical specialists. The three-part survey contained 180 items. A total of 420 respondents, of which 241 were orthopaedic clinical specialists, rated the importance and application level for the items. The results of this study provide evidence for a core body of knowledge required by clinicians practicing with advanced skills in orthopaedic physical therapy and create the framework for the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Specialty Exam.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1995

Developing patient education programs with multimedia technology incorporating patient feedback into program design.

The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has been the site of a three year project to develop a unique set of computer-based health promotion programs for patients in community-based settings. The Healthy Touch Series is a collection of four interactive multimedia programs that were produced to provide health promotion information to underserved groups on topics related to maternal-infant health. The programs have bilingual audio tracks in English and Spanish and run on a CD-ROM platform with touch-screen control. Use of the technology with a large group of patients led to many modifications and alternations. Formative evaluation results review the key concepts we learned.

Audiovisual Aids↗
PubMed1995

Combining telecommunications and interactive multimedia health information on the electronic superhighway.

This paper describes a unique system of providing health education in community-based settings. This project combines the structure of a telecommunications delivery system with the appeal of a colorful interactive educational program to produce a new type of "telemultimedia" program. Learners in two rural areas of Colorado can enter the electronic world of the information superhighway by way of the Denver Free-Net at The University Colorado Health Science Center in Denver; they can access The Healthy Touch Series of multimedia programs on maternal-infant health from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. This educational journey connects the learner with electronic devices in all three sites in a seamless interconnection of hardware and software. The journey was made possible by funding from The Colorado Trust and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Colorado↗
PubMed1995

Conflict resolution with end of life decisions in critical care settings.

This demonstration will present the key modules from an innovative videodisc-based program that was designed as an educational tool for health care professionals. It provides a resource for learning to deal with patients and families regarding the increasing problematic area of end-of-life-decisions. Tough Choices: Ethics, the Elderly, and Life-Sustaining Technologies is an interactive program that combines abstract ethical approaches with the realistic drama of a critical care setting. The format integrates scientific facts about the patient with value questions regarding the utilization of life-sustaining technologies. The unique program provides health care personnel with strategies on how to guide family decision-making as well as examples of the various interventions. This interactive multimedia program opens up an opportunity for health care providers to participate in a clinical case in which life and death decisions are made. Learners can explore various perspectives and treatment options within the framework of the dramatic case presentation without the usual time constraints or worries about causing harm to patients. The program involves learners in a variety of ethical and legal dilemmas that centers around a patient, her family, and a variety of health care professionals. Dramatic advances in the development of life-sustaining medical technologies have given hope to many people whose conditions would have meant certain death only a few years ago. As access to the technologies has expanded, concern for their appropriate utilization has become an issue worthy of increasing attention. Questions about the benefits of life-sustaining treatments are being raised in many quarters, particularly when the technology is viewed as a modern means of postponing death and prolonging suffering. Tough Choices brings to life the story of Irene Sullivan, an elderly widow who has an unexpected heart attack. Suddenly, her very existence depends on the life-support provided by mechanical ventilation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This is a growing area of concern since more than half of the patients who receive CPR and tube feedings and one third of the people receiving mechanical ventilation are 65 or over. Mrs. Sullivan's health care team is forced to deal with the opposing viewpoints of several close family members regarding the utilization of advanced medical technology. The interactive program invites viewers to explore the complex ethical and legal dilemmas involved in making life-and-death decisions about her care. It also permits immediate access to supportive resources in three areas: the clinical chart, abstracts of relevant research studies on life-sustaining technologies, and information from the professional literature on advance directives. The program incorporates practical steps involved in implementing the Patient Self-Determination Act as it follows the patient from the time of hospitalization through a series of life-threatening crises. Two very different aspects of the role of the health care professionals were explored: a crisis mode which covers the steps in managing a full-blown crisis situation, and a prevention mode which analyzes steps that could have been followed to keep an ethical crisis from occurring. The strong role models for practice display many of the characteristics that the helping professions need to foster in an atmosphere of healthcare reform.

Advance Directives↗
PubMed1993

Structural changes in the antennapedia complex of Drosophila pseudoobscura.

The discovery of the striking positional conservation between the Antennapedia and Bithorax homeotic gene complexes (ANT-C and BX-C) in Drosophila melanogaster and the murine Hox and human HOX clusters has had a substantial impact on our understanding of the evolution of development and its genetic regulation. Structural differences do exist among the mammalian Hox complexes and the ANT-C in D. melanogaster. To gain further insight into the evolutionary changes among these complexes, the ANT-C was cloned in the closely related species, Drosophila pseudoobscura. The overall structure of the ANT-C in D. pseudoobscura is highly similar to its D. melanogaster counterpart; however, two differences in the organization of the ANT-C have been identified. First, the z2 gene, a member of the ANT-C in D. melanogaster, is not present in the D. pseudoobscura ANT-C and is possibly absent from the D. pseudoobscura genome. Second, the orientation of the Deformed gene is inverted in D. pseudoobscura, providing it with a 5' to 3' direction of transcription identical to the remaining ANT-C homeobox genes with the exception of fushi tarazu. These differences demonstrate that subtle changes can occur in ANT-C structure during relatively short periods of evolutionary divergence, although the fundamental organization of the complex is conserved. These observations and others suggest that the complex is not absolutely rigid but that selective pressures have maintained this organization of genes for some functional reason that remains elusive.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Interactive video in health care: blending patient care, computer technology, and research results.

This article illustrates one method of combining research results and computer technology to produce a "high-tech" patient-education program that has demonstrated its applicability in clinical practice. A videodisc entitled The Story of Maria was produced as part of a large primary care research project along the southwestern U.S.-Mexico border. A needs assessment of approximately 200 Hispanic mothers preceded the scripting of the videodisc. The paper presents an overview of the production process, as well as a description of some special technological features, including the bilingual soundtrack, touchscreen control, and careful design of instructions to eliminate the need for literacy. Pilot testing of the interactive video program in two community health centers in the U.S.-Mexico border area indicates that the program is not only fulfilling its purpose, but also being enthusiastically received by the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The health belief model as an explanation for breast-feeding practices in a Hispanic population.

Pender's modification of the health belief model was used to examine the motivations for breast-feeding in a group of 140 primiparous women along the US-Mexican border. The backward elimination technique of linear regression was used to order the variables in the model. The findings indicate that the three components of the health belief model--individual perceptions, modifying factors, and likelihood of action--are useful in predicting health-related outcomes. Each component of the model made an independent contribution to the breast-feeding decision but varied in the strength of the contribution. The only significant interpersonal influence on the feeding decision was that of the husband or partner. More empirical research with the model is necessary, however, in order to develop it as a paradigm for prenatal health.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Essential skills for baccalaureate graduates: perspectives of education and service.

What psychomotor tasks should baccalaureate graduates be able to perform when they arrive on the doorsteps of practice settings? This article describes a research study in which a representative sample of nursing educators and nursing service personnel provide their perceptions in regard to that question. The content offers a clear view of the expectations of both groups, emphasizes the need for dialogue on this topic between educational service, and raises important issues for nursing administrators regarding the role of staff development and the transition of new graduates to the work setting.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗