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Biomedical subjects

M R Salkind

Publications and source records attributed to M R Salkind.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Community pharmacy: a method of assessing quality of care.

Generalisability theory is presented as a research method for assessing the quality of health advice. The theory is applied to make a comprehensive assessment of primary health care advice given by community pharmacists. A random sample of pharmacies from all London postal districts were selected and visited for set periods throughout one year. During these visits all consultations on health or the use of drugs between pharmacists and clients were tape-recorded. Nine characteristics were derived by an external criterion panel on which the quality of advice in a random sample of consultations (50) was assessed using rating scales. Following the application of generalisability theory, operational conditions for the assessment were selected to obtain a generalisability coefficient of around 0.8. Nearly half the consultations achieved satisfactory scores on at least three-quarters of the criteria on which they were assessed. However almost a third were considered satisfactory on less than a quarter of the criteria, most of these being satisfactory on none of them. Performance regarding disease prevention/health promotion activity was poorest. Thus the quality of most consultations was found to be either very good or very poor, relatively few occupying the middle ground.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1987

Teaching medical ethics symposium. A student-led approach to teaching.

It is increasingly agreed that ethics has a place in undergraduate medical education. There is, however, debate about how it should be taught, and by whom. We present our experience of teaching ethics in a general practice module over six years. During this period there has been a shift from a teacher-centred to a student-centred approach in which students choose ethical issues to explore within a framework provided. The issues raised are discussed with examples, and the future directions of our ethics teaching outlined.

Bioethical Issues↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of the effects of clobazam, A 1,5 benzodiazepine, on mood and psychomotor performance in clinically anxious patients in general practice.

1 The methodology of clinical trails of anxiolytic drugs carried out in general practice conditions is discussed. Particular problems include: the selection of suitable patients; placebo effects; the influence of non-specific variables such as life-events; and patient compliance. 2 Clobazam, a novel 1,5 benzodiazepine, and diazepam were compared with placebo in a double-blind group comparative trial in general practice, which was designed to avoid as many confounding variables as possible. Anxiety-reducing effects were evaluated and at the same time the effects of the drugs on psychomotor performance were examined. 3 Both clobazam and diazepam produced significant improvements in anxiety ratings on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and the Morbid Anxiety Inventory, whereas placebo did not. 4 The placebo group demonstrated a significant improvement in performance on a pursuit rotor and digit symbol substitution test (DSST), whereas the diazepam group's performance did not change. The clobazam group showed improvement in both tests, significantly so in the DSST. This suggests that diazepam produces impairment in performance, which had negated the practice effects seen in the placebo group, whereas clobazam did not seem to produce similar impairment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

A clinical and psychometric evaluation of flurazepam.

1 The efficacy of flurazepam (15 mg or 30 mg) as a hypnotic, and the residual effects of each dose were compared with placebo in a double-blind cross-over trial involving thirty patients in a general practice setting. Patients received each medication for one week. Daily self-ratings of onset, duration and quality of sleep, together with reports of any untoward effects were made. At the end of each period of medication psychomotor tests (reaction time, pursuit rotor, tapping speed) were administered at 09.00 hours. 2 Both doses of flurazepam were significantly more effective than placebo in inducing sleep, improving the quality of sleep and extending its duration. 3 'Hangover' effects were marked following 30 mg, but not after flurazepam (15 mg). Flurazepam (30 mg, but not 15 mg) significantly impaired performance on the pursuit rotor test and tapping speed. Flurazepam thus appears to be an effective hypnotic drug with the optimum dose for use in general practice being 15 mg at night.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗