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Biomedical subjects

P Huston

Publications and source records attributed to P Huston.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Resolving writer's block.

PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED: Writer's block, or a distinctly uncomfortable inability to write, can interfere with professional productivity. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: To identify writer's block and to outline suggestions for its early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. MAIN COMPONENTS OF PROGRAM: Once the diagnosis has been established, a stepwise approach to care is recommended. Mild blockage can be resolved by evaluating and revising expectations, conducting a task analysis, and giving oneself positive feedback. Moderate blockage can be addressed by creative exercises, such as brainstorming and role-playing. Recalcitrant blockage can be resolved with therapy. Writer's block can be prevented by taking opportunities to write at the beginning of projects, working with a supportive group of people, and cultivating an ongoing interest in writing. CONCLUSIONS: Writer's block is a highly treatable condition. A systematic approach can help to alleviate anxiety, build confidence, and give people the information they need to work productively.

Humans

Workshop report. Health risks of drinking water chlorination by-products: report of an expert working group.

Studies of water chlorination by-products have suggested a possible increased risk of bladder and colon cancers, as well as adverse reproductive and developmental effects such as increased spontaneous abortion rates and fetal anomalies. A workshop for an expert working group was convened to advise Health Canada on the need for further action. Participants were given background papers and a set of key questions to review prior to the meeting. At the workshop, experts presented an overview of what was known to date on water chlorination by-products from toxicologic studies, epidemiologic studies of cancer and adverse reproductive/developmental effects, and risk assessment. This paper summarizes the information provided in the background papers and presentations, describes the consensus arrived at regarding assessment of evidence for level of risk and presents a number of suggestions for future research.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced

Qualitative studies. Their role in medical research.

OBJECTIVE: To define qualitative research in terms of its philosophical roots, the questions it addresses, its methods and analyses, and the type of results it can offer. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) databases were searched for the years January 1985 to April 1998. The search strategy consisted of "textword" terms that searched in the "title" field of both databases. Qualitative research and evaluation textbooks in health and the social sciences were also used. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: The information on qualitative research is based on the most recent and valid evidence from the health and social science fields. MAIN MESSAGE: Qualitative research seeks to understand and interpret personal experience to explain social phenomena, including those related to health. It can address questions that quantitative research cannot, such as why people do not adhere to a treatment regimen or why a certain health care intervention is successful. It uses many methods of data collection, including participant observation, case studies, and interviews, and numerous approaches to data analysis that range from the quasistatistical to the intuitive and inductive. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative research, a form of research completely different from quantitative research, can provide important insights into health-related phenomena and can enrich further research inquiries.

Data Collection

Current trends in cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiac rehabilitation can reduce mortality and morbidity for patients with many types of cardiac disease cost-effectively, yet is generally underutilized. Rehabilitation is helpful not only for patients who have had a myocardial infarction but also for those with stable angina or congestive heart failure or those who have undergone myocardial revascularization procedures, a heart transplant or heart valve surgery. The beneficial effects of rehabilitation include a reduction in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease, improved exercise tolerance, fewer cardiac symptoms, improved lipid levels, decreased cigarette smoking, improvement in psychosocial well-being and increased likelihood of return to work. Rehabilitation involves a multidisciplinary team that focuses on education, individually tailored exercise, risk-factor modification and the optimization of functional status and mental health. Current research trends in this area include the evaluation of new secondary-prevention modalities and alternative program options, such as home-based rehabilitation.

Adult

Cochrane Collaboration helping unravel tangled web woven by international research.

Although there are sceptics and critics, the Cochrane Collaboration continues to grow exponentially. With centres in nine countries, its common goal is to create, maintain and disseminate systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials in an effort to bring clinicians the most current, accurate evidence about medical treatments available around the world. The future of the collaboration will depend largely on whether the methodology of their reviews can be shown to be valid and to produce consistently relevant and timely reviews.

Information Systems