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S McDermott

Publications and source records attributed to S McDermott.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Improving dental epidemiologic data collection with computers.

A computerized dental data recording system (DDRS) was developed for the New England Elder Dental Study to improve data quality and increase field staff efficiency. The DDRS displays video screens similar to traditional paper forms to record data on coronal and root caries, dentate and denture status, subacute bacterial endocarditis screening, gingival bleeding, calculus, and periodontal attachment level. DDRS provides facilities for date and exam-component time tracking, on-line contextual comments, random record retrieval, editing, data backup, and data output in various data formats. This study compared the DDRS with a paper-form system for data entry accuracy. Dental caries and periodontal disease measurement data from 38 subjects were recorded on paper forms and independently entered using DDRS. The DDRS identified 150 illogical data errors, 39 inconsistent data errors, 7 invalid data and 34 miscellaneous data errors. Four technicians with field experience using both paper forms and DDRS reported time savings using DDRS in the field. DDRS has the potential for additional time savings by minimizing the time for data coding, cleaning, and management. Results demonstrate that DDRS could improve the quality of oral epidemiologic data by mandating strict adherence to protocols, preventing errors, and increasing field efficiency.

Computers↗
PubMed1991

Improving primary care in nursing homes.

We conducted a quasi-experiment to evaluate the impact of a Medicare waiver which allowed the use of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians assistants (PAs) to deliver primary care to Massachusetts nursing home patients and removed the limits on the reimbursable numbers of visits per month. A carefully matched set of 1,327 Medicaid patients from 95 non-participating homes in the same areas of Massachusetts was compared to 1,324 Medicaid demonstration patients from 75 homes. Information came from specially designed record reviews and the Medicaid and Medicare information systems. Separate analyses were done for newly admitted cases and rollovers. Comparisons of quality of care suggested that the medical groups using NPs and PAs provided as good or better care than did the physicians in the control group. There were no differences in functional status changes or in the use of medications. The demonstration patients received more attention, as reflected in more orders written and an average of one additional visit a month. Demonstration patients showed higher scores on three of seven specially designed quality tracers, congestive heart failure and hypertension for both new administrations and rollovers, and new urinary incontinence for new admissions. Rollovers had significantly fewer emergency and total hospital days. A cost analysis suggests that the use of NPs and PAs saves at least as much as it costs and may save additional money with more sustained use.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Effects of computerized nurse careplanning on selected health care effectiveness measures.

A computerized nurse careplanning system (CNCP) was implemented on two nursing units of the Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC. This pretest, post-test experimental study sought to determine the effects of implementing this system on selected nursing care activities and associated patient outcomes. Effects on outcomes of job satisfaction, use of careplanning and competency of staff nurses were also examined. The sample consists of four medical nursing wards with registered nurses (n = 40) and patients (n = 160 as subjects). Data collection included nurse questionnaires, patient interviews and chart reviews. Results of the multiple regression analyses will be summarized here. Plans for further enhancement of CNCP will be discussed.

District of Columbia↗
PubMed1990

Injury among male migrant farm workers in South Carolina.

A record review and interview survey were carried out to determine the impact of injury on the health of male migrant workers in the Ridge area of South Carolina. Thirteen percent of the men's visits to the Rural Migrant Clinic were for injuries. A larger number, sixty percent, of men's visits to the local Emergency Room were due to injuries. Documentation of alcohol and drug use or the circumstances of the injury was more complete on the Emergency Room records than on the Clinic records. Interviews with 116 migrant workers were carried out in the camps during the summers of 1986 and 1987. Male migrant workers had similar rates of work related accidents as other hired farm workers in the United States. However, male migrant workers have more episodes of personal violence than black males living in other types of rural settings. Heavy drinking was associated with these violent episodes. Over 83 percent of the episodes of personal violence occurred in the camps after dark. It is suggested that camp conditions with poor sanitation, crowding, lack of recreational outlets, and high presence of available alcohol contributes to the high rates of injury in this group of men.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1990

Impact of geriatric nurse practitioners on nursing-home residents' functional status, satisfaction, and discharge outcomes.

This study evaluated the impact of geriatric nurse practitioners (GNP) employed by nursing homes on quality of patient care and residents' outcomes during a 12-month study period. Quality of care was assessed in standardized interviews of 525 residents in five nursing homes with GNPs and 323 residents in five other nursing homes without GNPs. Each resident was interviewed up to four times during the study period (at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months later) to determine functional status, satisfaction with care, and physical condition at each of these points. The only significant difference between groups was that fewer newly admitted residents were hospitalized from GNP homes than from those without a GNP. The results of this interview study showed that the GNP as a nursing home employee had little impact on residents' functional status, physical condition, or satisfaction.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

Family stress and coping in rheumatoid arthritis.

Stress and coping were examined in a sample of 30 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and their 30 spouses. Two components of stress were measured: concerns and help needs. Results showed a significant agreement between patients and spouses on total concerns. The area of greatest concern for both groups was wondering about the future. The only help need that showed a significant difference between groups was diet and nutrition. Need for information about RA was the greatest need cited by both groups. Patients used significantly more coping strategies than spouses in dealing with RA-related stressors. Overall, cognitive restructuring was used most often by both groups. The study suggests that RA patients and spouses have similar concerns and help needs, and that while families may have lived with the RA for an extended period of time, health professionals should continuously assess concerns about the future and information needs in these families. The study results also suggest that spouses may need assistance in the use of effective coping strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1987

Cryptosporidium infections in birds and mammals and attempted cross-transmission studies.

Infections by Cryptosporidium were detected in association with clinical disease in 11 humans (Homo sapiens), 19 calves (Bos taurus), nine common quail (Coturnix coturnix), six mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), five ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and a single budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). Infections in mammals were accompanied by transient diarrhoea and anorexia, whereas infected birds exhibited clinical signs of respiratory distress. Repeated cross-transmission studies revealed apparent strain differences or differences in the host specificity of several mammalian and avian isolates for homologous vertebrate classes only. Oocysts from humans and calves were infective to mice, pigs or lambs, but not to chickens, whereas oocysts from quail and pheasant were infective to chickens, but not to mice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Campylobacter enteritis in South Australia.

Campylobacter jejuni was isolated on coproculture from 13 of 224 patients with suspected infectious diarrhoea whose faecal specimens were examined during a three-month period. These organisms were not isolated from 530 specimens received from asymptomatic and healthy individuals. Diarrhoea and cramping abdominal pain generally lasting two to three days were the major symptoms, though occasional patients had a more prolonged illness. Ingestion of campylobacter resulted in enteric infection with increasing numbers of campylobacter in the stool. Clinical laboratories should attempt to isolate these organisms from patients with diarrhoea.

Adolescent↗