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Biomedical subjects

Steven B Dowd

Publications and source records attributed to Steven B Dowd.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A nontraditional method of providing radiation protection instruction at a large health science center.

In the 4 quarter of 2001 the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) converted its traditional classroom radiation safety course, taught exclusively in a classroom setting four times each year, to a combined online-classroom format in which the majority of the course is taught online. This change was instituted in an effort to minimize the time spent in the classroom for UAB research personnel. This format should provide the additional benefit of self-paced instruction for course participants. The hypothesis that the combined online/lecture format was as effective as the lecture-only format was tested. A statistical analysis was performed on the average first-attempt test scores of the tests (number of tests = 334) taken during a 2-y period before the online transition (average score = 75.5), and the average first-attempt test scores of the tests (number of tests = 359) taken during a 2-y period after the online transition (average score = 74.1.) A two-tailed Student's t-test was performed on the data. The t-value was 1.73, and P (T< or = t) was 0.083. At alpha = 0.05, the null hypothesis that the two averages are equal cannot be rejected. Thus the online course format appears to be as effective a method of radiation safety instruction as the more traditional, exclusively-classroom method of instruction. This article also reviews steps under consideration to improve the current online course to make it a more effective tool in radiation safety instruction.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The hospital manager and game theory: chess master, poker player, or cooperative game player?

Hospital management can be seen as a game, and doctors, nurses, and health maintenance organizations are its players. The astute hospital manager realizes the interdependence of individual career strategies and the hospital's success, just as players in a game are interdependent on each other. Managers familiar with game theory may successfully transfer that knowledge to the hospital realm. They may recognize patterns and calculate outcomes like chess players, bluff other hospitals into folding services as poker players do, and cooperate with their own team to maximize productivity. Knowledge of game theory may also make the hospital manager's job.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The history of US national health plans: will these same issues resurface in 2004?

Health care managers are an important aspect of any proposed national health care plan; the implementation of such a plan will change their work lives in significant ways, no matter which type of plan is adopted. It is important to occasionally revisit historical developments, especially when they resurface in the people's consciousness. It appears that health care reform and various national health plan proposals may become an important part of the 2004 election, particularly given the economic concerns today. This article reviews health care plans in a historical perspective, particularly from the time of the 1930s onward, with a special longer look at Clinton's failure to implement a national health plan when the timing for such seemed perfect. Whether an individual manager is a supporter of national health plans or not, this article seeks to educate the manager on past efforts to better understand what may develop in the future.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Applied game theory for the hospital manager. Three case studies.

This article reviews the more complex aspects of game theory than those presented in a recent HCM article. Following a basic overview of terminology and simplified examples, case studies are presented to show the hospital manager how game theory is a useful modeling strategy for predicting human interactions and the potential outcomes of certain decisions, especially economic ones. Understanding game theory provides the manager with an understanding of basic and advanced strategies that can be utilized to competitive advantage in the health care market (thus giving it applicability at the manager's clinical level of decision making), as well as grasping the "larger picture" of health care decision making at high levels, such as in professional societies and government.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMedDate not supplied

E-mail use in the radiology workplace.

E-mail is a wonderful tool. But, like any tool, it can be misused. The proper use of e-mail by an administrator, manager, or technologist can provide a wonderful communication tool not just for customers and colleagues. Bulk e-mail-especially those developed in HTML, which can include visually appealing fonts and graphics-has an unrealized potential in radiology. Just be sure it doesn't qualify as the hated "spam," or important colleagues and customers will feel abused rather than helped. Finally, use words and phrases in an e-mail that can enhance collaboration and build positive relationships. E-mail can help win friends and influence others in meaningful and positive ways. It can be a useful strategy to facilitate positive interactions and gain support.

Electronic Mail↗