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M N Hall

Publications and source records attributed to M N Hall.

80 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Smoking behavior among casino employees: self-report validation using plasma cotinine.

The veracity of behavioral self-reports is often challenged, particularly when the motivation to avoid stigma and win social approval holds potential to introduce bias into the data collected. This study employed plasma cotinine tests to validate the self-reports of tobacco use collected from 3,841 casino employees as part of a comprehensive health survey. Rates of discordance were calculated by comparing employee self-reports with results from plasma colinine tests. This study provides evidence that casino employees can provide valid self-report data. Further, discordance rates of self-reported tobacco use vary according to operational definitions of tobacco use. These findings highlight the methodological importance of recognizing the inherent heterogeneity of smoking behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing substance abuse treatment provider training needs: screening skills.

Screening instruments for substance abuse can be expeditious and effective clinical tools. A training needs assessment conducted with a randomly selected sample of substance abuse treatment providers (n = 1684) in licensed facilities in New England identified the adequacy of training, interest in training, clinical skill, and training need in the use of 13 substance abuse screening instruments. The results revealed that New England substance abuse treatment providers are not skilled in the use of screening instruments and have a high level of training need in this area. Differences in screening skill were found among the New England states. In addition, women and those with less treatment experience have lower screening skill; similarly, women, those having less experience in the field, and social workers and nurses evidenced higher training need in screening. The discussion considers skill, adequacy of training, training interest, and training need. The conclusion suggests that one approach to the coexisting increased need for screening skills due to managed care requirements and the lack of interest in these skills is to study managed care marketplace demands to determine training priorities.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Updating and refining prevalence estimates of disordered gambling behaviour in the United States and Canada.

BACKGROUND: This study updates prevalence estimates of gambling-related disorders in the United States and Canada, identifies differences in prevalence estimates among population segments, and identifies changes in prevalence over the past 25 years. METHOD: A meta-analytic strategy guided the synthesis of 180 estimates derived from 146 prevalence studies. RESULTS: Prevalence estimates among adolescent samples were significantly higher than estimates among adult samples for both clinical (level 3) and sub-clinical (level 2) measures of disordered gambling within both lifetime and past-year time frames. Among adults, level 3 prevalence estimates continue to increase significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Membership in youth, treatment, and prison population segments is significantly associated with experiencing gambling-related disorders. Understanding sub-clinical gamblers provides a meaningful opportunity to lower the public health burden associated with gambling disorders. Prospective studies of incidence are necessary to determine whether the prevalence of disordered gambling continues to increase among the adult general population and how adolescent gambling experiences change as this cohort ages.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Penetration of the pericardium by a gastric ulcer--survival after pericardiocentesis.

Elderly patients often have unusual manifestations of common illnesses. We describe a geriatric patient having a pneumopericardium from pericardial penetration by a gastric ulcer. Benign gastric ulceration causing perforation of the pericardium or other cardiac structures was recognized as early as 1854; however, until 1964, the condition was invariably fatal. Our patient survived the episode after early pericardiocentesis and medical treatment. Aspects of this uncommon clinical entity and a brief review of the literature are described.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cinemeducation: an innovative approach to teaching psychosocial medical care.

This article discusses the use of clips of popular movies on videotape to educate family practice residents in the psychosocial aspects of medical care. Video clips anchor residents' insights about patients from clinical practice and illustrate family life cycle issues and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Revised diagnoses. Movies capture learners' attention, expose residents to diverse life-styles, engage the humanistic side of physicians, and imprint powerful pictorial images in memory. Teaching with film clips is time efficient and provides emotionally engaging experiences for faculty and residents. Selected films are reviewed for suitable clips and then incorporated into 1-hour teaching conferences. Successful "cinemeducation" requires appropriate films on videocassette, a VCR with a real-time counter, a television screen in clear view of all class members, audio speakers with sufficient volume to hear dialogue without distortion, and a willingness to be open to the emotional impact of movies. A detailed list identifies movie scenes that can be readily incorporated into the psychosocial teaching program of any medical education curriculum.

Clinical Medicine↗