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Scott M Wright

Publications and source records attributed to Scott M Wright.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Clinical and educational uses of handheld computers.

Handheld computers, also known as personal digital assistants (PDAs), are becoming an increasingly valuable aid to physicians at the point of care. We review the use of handheld computers and their impact in clinical practice and medical education. Clinicians commonly use PDAs to access patient data and as a clinical reference tool. In medical education, handheld computers are most frequently used to track patient encounters and procedures done during medical school rotations and residency training. This report describes some interesting applications for present and future use of PDAs in inpatient care and medical education. Physicians and educational programs not using PDAs may wish to consider incorporating this technology.

Computers, Handheld↗
PubMed2003

Family physicians' interests in special features of electronic publication.

OBJECTIVE: Because many of the medical journals read by family physicians now have an electronic version, the authors conducted a survey to determine the interest of family physicians in specific features of electronic journal publications. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We surveyed 175 family physicians randomly selected from the American Academy of Family Physicians. RESULTS: The response rate was 63%. About half of family physicians reported good to excellent computer proficiency, and about one quarter used online journals sometimes or often. Many respondents reported high interest in having links to: an electronic medical text (48% for original articles, 56% for review articles), articles' list of references (52% for original articles, 56% for review articles), and health-related Websites (48% for original and review articles). CONCLUSION: Primary care-oriented journals should consider the interests of family physicians when developing and offering electronic features for their readers.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

Prominent medical journals often provide insufficient information to assess the validity of studies with negative results.

BACKGROUND: Physicians reading the medical literature attempt to determine whether research studies are valid. However, articles with negative results may not provide sufficient information to allow physicians to properly assess validity. METHODS: We analyzed all original research articles with negative results published in 1997 in the weekly journals BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine as well as those published in the 1997 and 1998 issues of the bimonthly Annals of Internal Medicine (N = 234). Our primary objective was to quantify the proportion of studies with negative results that comment on power and present confidence intervals. Secondary outcomes were to quantify the proportion of these studies with a specified effect size and a defined primary outcome. Stratified analyses by study design were also performed. RESULTS: Only 30% of the articles with negative results comment on power. The reporting of power (range: 15%-52%) and confidence intervals (range: 55-81%) varied significantly among journals. Observational studies of etiology/risk factors addressed power less frequently (15%, 95% CI, 8-21%) than did clinical trials (56%, 95% CI, 46-67%, p < 0.001). While 87% of articles with power calculations specified an effect size the authors sought to detect, a minority gave a rationale for the effect size. Only half of the studies with negative results clearly defined a primary outcome. CONCLUSION: Prominent medical journals often provide insufficient information to assess the validity of studies with negative results.

Confidence Intervals↗
PubMed2002

Excellence in role modelling: insight and perspectives from the pros.

BACKGROUND: Role modelling is an effective teaching method in medical education. We sought to better understand role modelling by examining the insights of respected physician role models. METHODS: We conducted 30-minute in-depth interviews with 29 highly regarded role models at 2 large teaching hospitals. We coded the transcripts independently, and compared our coding for agreement. Content analysis identified several major categories of themes. RESULTS: The informants identified specific characteristics related to role modelling. Subcategories under the domain of personal qualities included interpersonal skills, a positive outlook, a commitment to excellence and growth, integrity and leadership. Under the domain of teaching, the subcategories were establishing rapport with learners, developing specific teaching philosophies and methods, and being committed to the growth of learners. Subjects thought there was some overlap between teaching and role modelling, but felt that the latter was more implicit and more encompassing. Being a strong clinician was regarded as necessary but not sufficient for being an exemplary physician role model. Perceived barriers to effective role modelling included being impatient and overly opinionated, being quiet, being overextended, and having difficulty remembering names and faces. Physician role models described role modeling consciousness, in that they specifically think about being role models when interacting with learners. Subjects believed that medical learners should emulate multiple role models. INTERPRETATION: Highly regarded physician role models possess personal qualities, teaching abilities and exceptional clinical skills that outweigh their own barriers to serving as effective role models. Many of these positive attributes of role models represent behaviours that can be modified or skills that can be acquired.

Adult↗