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PubMedDate not supplied

Profile of callers to the VD National Hotline.

Information concerning callers to the VD (venereal disease) National Hotline was gleaned from study of a sample consisting of the records of 3,272 callers; various demographic, epidemiologic, and individual perceptions of infection or exposure to disease were analyzed. These data were compared with data from the sentinel clinics for sexually transmissible diseases. Analysis showed that 62.5% of sample Hotline callers were male and 37.5% were female, a distribution similar to that of diagnosed clinic patients (69.7% male, 30.3% female). Of male callers, 57.1+ were greater than or equal to 25 years old and 38.2% of female callers had attained this age, whereas 44.4% of male patients and 43.3% of female patients were 25 years or older. Disease concerns of Hotline callers were focused on genital herpes and syphilis; however, among clinic patients, more cases of gonorrhea and nongonococcal urethritis were diagnosed. Thirty-four and one-half percent of callers indicated that they believed they were either infected with or exposed to VD, and 45.4% of callers accepted referrals to clinics for medical evaluation. There percentages remained constant, irrespective of how callers heard about Hotline services; this fact leads to further questions concerning the most effective methods of alerting and educating the public in regard to venereal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Impact of the mass media on calls to the CDC National AIDS Hotline.

This paper considers new computer methodologies for assessing the impact of different types of public health information. The example used public service announcements (PSAs) and mass media news to predict the volume of attempts to call the CDC National AIDS Hotline from December 1992 through to the end of 1993. The analysis relied solely on data from electronic databases. Newspaper stories and television news transcripts were obtained from the NEXIS electronic database and were scored by machine for AIDS coverage. The PSA database was generated by computer monitoring of advertising distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and by others. The volume of call attempts was collected automatically by the public branch exchange (PBX) of the Hotline telephone system. The call attempts, the PSAs and the news story data were related to each other using both a standard time series method and the statistical model of ideodynamics. The analysis indicated that the only significant explanatory variable for the call attempts was PSAs produced by the CDC. One possible explanation was that these commercials all included the Hotline telephone number while the other information sources did not.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2005

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): knowledge, attitudes, practices and sources of information among physicians answering a SARS fever hotline service.

In June 2003, Taiwan introduced a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) telephone hotline service to provide concerned callers with rapid access to information, advice and appropriate referral where necessary. This paper reports an evaluation of the knowledge, attitude, practices and sources of information relating to SARS among physicians who staffed the SARS fever hotline service. A retrospective survey was conducted using a self-administered postal questionnaire. Participants were physicians who staffed a SARS hotline during the SARS epidemic in Taipei, Taiwan from June 1 to 10, 2003. A response rate of 83% was obtained. All respondents knew the causative agent of SARS, and knowledge regarding SARS features and preventive practices was good. However, only 54% of respondents knew the incubation period of SARS. Hospital guidelines and news media were the major information sources. In responding to two case scenarios most physicians were likely to triage callers at high risk of SARS appropriately, but not callers at low risk. Less than half of all respondents answered both scenarios correctly. The results obtained suggest that knowledge of SARS was generally good although obtained from both medical and non-medical sources. Specific knowledge was however lacking in certain areas and this affected the ability to appropriately triage callers. Standardized education and assessment of prior knowledge of SARS could improve the ability of physicians to triage callers in future outbreaks.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1997

Telephone hotline assessment and counselling of suicidal military service veterans in the USA.

Studies show that suicide occurs more frequently among people who are elderly, male, single, divorced or widowed, alienated, and among those with a life-threatening illness. Military service veterans are not spared these conditions; in some respect, they represent the 'down and out', the lonely and, increasingly, the older isolated people. This correlational descriptive study sought to identify the characteristic profile of telephone hotline users among veterans, their triggering crisis events, and whether the methods commonly used in suicide attempts relate to certain types of crisis. The random sample consisted of 271 veterans of the US military service, ranging in age from 20 to 79 years. Data were collected from nursing notes documented in the hotline suicide telephone call assessment records. The findings portray a sociodemographic profile of military veterans at risk of suicide attempts. Loneliness, alcoholism and unemployment topped the list of triggering events. The most common method used was drug overdose; shooting was a close second. These findings could serve as a base for development of suicide-prevention-focused programmes and optimal use of telephone hotlines for assessment and timely intervention of persons in great crisis.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Assessment of the utilization of a state AIDS/STD hotline by persons with and without HIV infection and their information needs.

A large number of AIDS/sexually transmitted disease (STD) helplines provide support to people seeking information how to avoid infection with HIV or how to deal with the infection if they have already contracted it. Nevertheless, limited knowledge is available about how such helplines are being utilized by different segments of the population and what the main concerns of the people calling the helplines are. The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of the State AIDS/STD Hotline in New Jersey and describe the information needs of its callers. Callers were categorized as either having HIV or being free of the virus based on their self-reported HIV status. A cross-sectional design was then used combining caller information from the New Jersey AIDS/STD Hotline with data from the state health department on the number of people living with HIV in each county in New Jersey. The utilization rate of the New Jersey AIDS/STD Hotline was significantly higher among persons with HIV infection compared to the utilization rate among persons who were either free of the virus or unaware of their HIV status. The callers infected with HIV differed significantly from the rest of the callers in terms of the type of information they requested. While callers who had the infection were most likely to ask about treatment options, financial assistance, and support groups, the rest of the callers were more likely to inquire about testing site location and prevention information.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed2004

[Evaluation of public knowledge about influenza based on influenza hotline consultations].

In 1999, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued guidelines on prevention and control of influenza. These included recommendations for public education about influenza and promotion of vaccination among persons at high risk for complications from influenza. In response, several public education programs were implemented, including an "influenza hotline" that was established within the Infectious Diseases Surveillance Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases. To assess the informational needs of callers about influenza and evaluate the impact of different communication modalities, we analyzed data from telephone consultations made to the "influenza hotline" and from a survey that was conducted among a subset of callers. During the influenza seasons of 2000-2001 to 2002-2003, there was an average of 2,230 callers to the "influenza hotline" each season, range 1,809-2,696. The majority (42.4%) of callers were women aged 30-39 years, which might reflect young mothers. The most frequently asked questions were about influenza vaccination of infants and young children. which accounted for 20.6% (1,501/7,295) of all vaccine-related questions during the four seasons. Questions about the number of recommended influenza vaccine doses was the second most frequently asked topic and comprised 17.8% (1,300/7,295) of all vaccine-related questions. Over the period 2000-2001 to 2002-2003, questions about the recommended number of influenza vaccine doses decreased among elderly callers, but not for callers aged < 60 years. The number of calls about the location of influenza vaccine clinics, availability of influenza vaccine, and vaccination of elderly person declined from 1999-2000 to 2002-2003. Of callers that were surveyed (N = 3,316) about where they received information about influenza, the most frequently reported sources were newspapers (47.7%), and the internet (26.2%). Internet use by callers showed differences among age groups. Only 2.4% of callers aged > or = 60 years reported receiving influenza information through the internet in contrast to 33.9% among callers aged < 60 years. Our study suggests a high public demand for information about influenza, especially by mothers regarding influenza vaccination of infants and young children, and recommended influenza vaccine doses for adults. To improve education of the public about influenza, multiple communication strategies should be utilized, including written information, and the internet.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Experiences with a science hotline.

Scientific literacy of the population may be enhanced by outreach programs conducted by universities. One such program, the University of Kentucky Science Hotline, has been successful in attracting and answering many inquiries from students, teachers, and others. The authors describe the organization and management of this hotline. The operation is inexpensive and efficient, with 35 faculty and staff members in 21 departments responding to 515 calls during the first year of operation. Fifty-four outreach visits were arranged through the hotline. Other benefits have included a more positive public image of scientists and the creation of links between academic scientists and precollege teachers.

Hotlines↗
PubMed2002

Setting up a hotline.

Consumer assistance hotlines represent one important model for delivering health-care information to consumers. However, developing and managing such programs can be complicated. This issue brief presents some of the issues involved in setting up and maintaining a hotline. It also highlights the experiences of the Health Rights Hotline, an independent consumer assistance program in Sacramento, California.

Community-Institutional Relations↗
PubMed1996

Mental health-related calls to the CDC National AIDS Hotline.

The CDC National AIDS Hotline provides confidential HIV-related information and referrals to anonymous callers, twenty-four hours a day. As part of a continuing quality improvement assessment of caller informational needs, 302 randomly selected anonymous overnight calls to the Hotline were evaluated for mental health-related content. Of 302 calls, 34 calls (11.3%) were mental health-related, in that callers spoke about specific mental health-related topics or requested mental health referrals, and 14 calls (4.6%) included signs or symptoms from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) potentially indicative of mental illness. The results suggest that training in recognizing and referring mental health calls might be useful for Hotline workers. The results also serve as a reminder for all health care professionals and organizations of the potential for overlap between patients' mental health-related needs and patients' HIV-related needs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The evaluation of the first 6 months of the activities of an AIDS hotline service].

AIDS hotline service is involved in prevention of HIV transmission by providing standard information and giving psycho-emotional support. During its first semester of activity within the Romanian Association Against AIDS (ARAS), Iaşi chapter, there have been received 144 calls, from Iaşi and surrounding towns. After each call, a special hotline file is completed, containing information that regard: time and place of calling, personal data (sex, age, profession), main reason of addressing to the service, risks, sexual behavior and HIV testing. Most of the requested information regarded transmission (how HIV can be and cannot be transmitted). The main declared risk factor among the callers was unprotected sex. The hotline volunteer may offer together with the requested information also a psycho-affective counselling, when necessary.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2002

[Efficacy of active core rewarming using fluid heating system HOTLINE before and during the operation in a patient with for panperitonitis in state of shock and hypothermia].

A 62-year-old man was transported to the emergency room. He was in the state of shock and hypothermia of 34.2 degrees C. Fluid therapy was started using a HOTLINE to raise the body temperature, with vasopressors, vitamin B1 and sodium bicarbonate after checking arterial blood gas. Diagnosis of panperitonitis was made and operation was started immediately. We used HOTLINE before and during the operation. Body temperature returned to normal ranges, and hemodynamic state was stabilized at the end of the operation. After the operation, he received controlled artificial ventilation and nutrition support with intravenous hyperalimentation. Though he was complicated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, he went to general ward 17 days, and was discharged at 47 days after the operation. Sepsis accompanied with hypothermia leads to poor prognosis. We used fluid therapy with rapid-heating, and obtained good outcome. HOTLINE is effective for hypothermia in an emergency patient, because its effect is sure and does not obstruct the examination and management.

Emergencies↗
PubMed2001

Municipal hotlines and automated weather stations as a tool for monitoring bad odour dispersion: the northern Negev case.

Bad odours are often dispersed from chemical industries, waste dumps, sewer plants, and other facilities. They are indicative of pollution emissions from these sites and cause discomfort, apprehension, and sometimes signal the presence of health hazards. Monitoring the pollution by direct means, such as chemical analysis of ambient air, is obviously the most reliable mechanism to acquire data regarding pollution. However, this is not always possible. In this paper we report on the value of local government hotlines that record information provided by the public regarding bad odours. These data can alert the authorities to the existence of pollution and should be regarded as potentially useful when collected in conjunction with information from automated weather stations. An analysis of data from the Be'er Sheva municipality and the Ramat Negev regional council hotlines is provided. Complaints recorded by these systems were correlated with weather data from local automatic weather stations to indicate the sources of the bad odours. Wind direction was found to be highly correlated with bad odour and pollution sources, revealing consistent patterns in terms of the time of day and weather conditions.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed1996

Communication during the recruitment phase of a multicenter trial: the recruitment hotline.

The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) is a randomized trial that compares the safety and efficacy of angioplasty and bypass surgery in selected patients with multivessel coronary disease. During recruitment, the Clinical Coordinating Center (CC) required an organized manner of responding to the many questions expected from the 18 clinical sites. Thus a dedicated telephone line was established to provide the clinical sites with information quickly and ensure consistent dissemination of information. In addition, the hotline functioned as a backup mechanism for patient randomization in the event of a computer failure at one of the sites. During the first 13 months of recruitment, 1332 calls were received. The average number of daily calls peaked at 7.3 with 14 calls being the highest in any one day. Calls gradually declined as the clinical sites became more familiar with the protocol, data collection forms, and computer systems. Most questions were answered by the data management staff; however a substantial number (37%) required faculty level input. For questions that could not be answered immediately, the median time for a return call was 25 min. The BARI hotline was an efficient way to provide accurate and consistent feedback to all sites and to identify areas that required protocol clarification. It allowed rapid identification of differences in protocol interpretation across sites so that these variations could be addressed. Review of specific questions by the Operations Committee resulted in decisions on how to apply the protocol to particularly difficult or exceptional cases. While the system was labor-intensive, its benefits outweighed this disadvantage. Recommended modifications to lower costs would result in a system that could be easily adapted for use in other clinical trials.

Hotlines↗
PubMed1995

Hotline for mental health in Shanghai, China.

In this article the author introduces the Hotline for Mental Health in Shanghai. According to the experience gained over the past 2 years, most of the 8214 callers were having difficulties in interpersonal relationships, often in relation to lovers and partners. Love affairs were the main reason for telephone consultation among the unmarried callers (51%), while marital disputes and family problems were the most common reason for married callers (57%). Some people who suffered from mental disorders made calls asking for help in management or social support. These calls included rehabilitation of psychoses (3.5%), sleep disturbance (3.2%), and suicidal ideation (2.2%). The author suggests that such a hotline service can be a simple and practicable crisis intervention approach for suicide prevention in Shanghai.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing a physicians' palliative care pain hotline in Maryland.

Physicians have had relatively little formal training in pain management and palliative care. For this reason, a telephone consultation service was offered, the physicians' palliative care pain hotline, that would allow physicians to call a toll-free number and, within 15 minutes, speak to a board-certified physician in hospice and palliative medicine. To our knowledge, this is the first program of its kind. This article describes the process involved in creating such a pain hotline and reports on some data collected on its use in the first 10 months. This report should help others who have an interest in establishing a similar program.

Education, Medical, Continuing↗
PubMed2005

Efficacy of brief telephone psychotherapy with callers to a suicide hotline.

The efficacy of two types of theapy conducted exclusively over the telephone was studied. Clients (N=55) were recruited from a pool of callers to a suicide hotline and were randomly assigned to a waiting list control (WC) or Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) or Common Factors Therapy (CFT). It was hypothesized that improvements would be significantly higher in the two therapy conditions compared to the waitlist control and SFBT would be significantly more efficacious than CFT. Results confirmed that improvement was significantly higher in the two treatment conditions compared to the waitlist control, but no difference in improvement was found between SFBT and CFT. The implications of these findings for suicide hotlines are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

An exercise in communication:-analysis of calls to a meningococcal disease hotline.

We describe our experience with a hotline which was set up to deal with enquiries relating to a secondary school mass vaccination campaign against meningococcal disease. Three thousand, three hundred calls were received over 6 days, mostly from the general public but also from contacts of the school and health practitioners. The hotline served as an important means of providing consistent advice and reassurance to the public and reduced the burden of calls to hospitals and public health units.

Australia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

National AIDS Hotline: HIV and AIDS information service through a toll-free telephone system.

The National AIDS Hotline (NAH), a service of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is an information resource for the population of the United States, its Territories, and Puerto Rico concerning the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since its inception in 1983, NAH has grown to be the world's largest health-related hotline service. NAH has received an average of more than 1.4 million calls per year since October 1987. Services of NAH include responding to the public's questions about HIV and AIDS and providing referrals to State and local resources. All services, including HIV and AIDS publications, are provided free of charge. The public contacts NAH 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through a toll-free telephone system. Services are available to English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and deaf populations. Each service has its own telephone number--English-speaking, 1-800-342-2437; Spanish-speaking, 1-800-344-7432; TTY service for the deaf, 1-800-243-7889. NAH employs approximately 170 information specialists to answer calls. The facility uses modern telecommunications technology to effectively manage and direct calls to 43 work stations. Each work station is supported by a personal computer that allows access to CDC's National AIDS Clearinghouse data bases for referrals and publication ordering. NAH ensures that information provided to the public is current, accurate, and consistent with approved government policy. Quality assurance reviews address call management, delivery of information, and content of calls.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗