Family medicine and research: from here to eternity.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Michael Parchman.
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Many researchers in family medicine use surveys to gather data from colleagues, learners, and patients on their demographics, personal histories, knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. Well-written surveys are easy for respondents to complete, gather information accurately and consistently, and obtain data that can be analyzed to answer research questions. All levels of family medicine researchers can follow eight steps to develop surveys that produce useful and publishable results: (1) state the problem or need, (2) plan the project, (3) state the research question, (4) review the literature, (5) develop or adapt existing survey items, (6) construct the survey, (7) conduct pilot tests, and (8) administer the survey. After completing this article, readers should be able to (1) state the appropriate uses of survey instruments as research tools and (2) construct and administer a well-designed survey instrument.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although otitis media is a common problem in primary care, little is known about the use of diagnostic tools such as pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, acoustic reflectometry, or tympanocentesis by family physicians in training. METHODS: This was a self-reported observational study of family practice residents' use of otitis media diagnostic tools. Twenty-three family practice programs in Texas and Oklahoma were surveyed during November and December 2000. Residents were asked about their use of diagnostic tools, and, if tools were not used, they were asked the reason for not using them. Residents were also asked about the criteria they used to diagnose otitis media, and their responses were compared to criteria recommended by national guideline panels. RESULTS: The response rate was 61% (n = 316). The percentage of residents using pneumatic otoscopy was 66%, tympanometry 29%, acoustic reflectometry 2%, and tympanocentesis 0%. The most common reasons cited for not using tools were lack of training or unavailability of equipment. Fifty-five percent of family practice residents do not report pneumatic otoscopy for diagnosing otitis media and thus did not use recommended criteria. Faculty training of residents in the use of diagnostic tools was associated with a higher rate of using these tools. DISCUSSION: Few residents believed that diagnostic tools had no value in the diagnosis of otitis media, but lack of training or equipment problems were reported as contributing to their not using these tools. Half of family practice residents may be inadequately diagnosing middle ear problems since they did not report that pneumatic otoscopy was necessary for diagnosing otitis media. Because training was associated with higher rates of using appropriate diagnostic tools, family medicine faculty can play a significant role in improving the residents' diagnostic skills.
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No theory adequately explicates the relationships between stress, social support, and health. The recently developed Stress Process Model incorporates multiple levels of support and stress at the individual, family, and community level, with a focus on predicting mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to use an existing database to assess the predictive value of the Stress Process Model in explaining mental health outcomes in community-dwelling subjects with and without panic attacks. This study is a secondary analysis using data obtained in 1990 through 1991 for the Panic Attack Care-Seeking Threshold (PACT) study. Subjects who agreed to participate completed an in-depth interview concerning demographic features, panic characteristics, chronic medical problems, family characteristics, illness attitudes and behaviors, coping strategies, symptom perceptions, psychiatric morbidity, health care utilization, and functional status. The utility of the Stress Process Model is supported by three lines of reasoning. First, most of the relationships predicted by the model were documented in this study. Second, the model accounted for significant amounts of variance in moderating factors, primary and secondary stressors, and mental health outcomes. Finally, two of the three hypotheses were supported by this study. The integration of family and neighborhood variables into the stress process should be attractive to mental health workers in primary care and community settings.