Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “knowledge”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

[The effectiveness of the video-based Lamaze method on prenatal mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice].

This study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the video-based Lamaze method on pre-natal mothers' knowledge and attitudes, compared with that of traditional nursing guidelines. Using a quasi-experimental design, women in labor with gestations of 32 weeks or more were divided into four study groups, including two experimental groups (E(1): issued with traditional nursing guidelines and instructed in video-based Lamaze method; and E(2): instructed in video-based Lamaze method), and two control groups (C(1): issued with traditional nursing guidelines and C(2): issued with no guidelines). Before the intervention, E(1) had the highest score for knowledge. Scores for attitude showed no significant difference between the four groups. The experimental groups had higher scores than the control groups in the posttest. With the exception of the scores for attitude (E(1) > E(2)), knowledge (E(1): 13.09 +/- 1.40, E(2): 12.40 +/- 1.17) and management of the labor process (E(1): 119.00 +/- 10.91, E(2): 112.97 +/- 14.33) there were no significant differences between E(1) and E(2) in the posttest. Correlation analysis showed that the higher the scores for prenatal knowledge, the better the performance in prenatal practice, postnatal knowledge, attitude, and management of the labor process. The more positive the prenatal attitude, the better the performance in postnatal knowledge, attitude, and management of the labor process. The higher the scores in prenatal practice, the better the performance in postnatal knowledge, attitude, and management of the labor process. Positive associations were also found between postnatal knowledge, attitude, and management of the labor process. This study showed that the video-based Lamaze method is likely to promote more effectively than traditional guidelines the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of prenatal mothers in relation to giving birth. The use of this method in conjunction with traditional nursing guidelines may be even more effective in relation to maternal attitude.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Knowledge of phytopharmaceuticals among physicians from Morelos, Mexico].

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the proportion of primary care physicians from the Health System in the State of Morelos with knowledge about phytopharmaceuticals, and to explore some factors related to this knowledge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Through a descriptive, transversal and prospective study, physicians who work in the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, in the Secretaría de Salud in the State of Morelos, and in private practice, an "adequate knowledge" was conveyed when 70% or more answers were correct and "deficient knowledge," when this proportion was lower than 70%. A bivariated analysis was used in order to determine association and statistical differences. RESULTS: A total of 264 physicians were included. The majority (90.2%) fell in the group of "deficient knowledge," and only 9.8% fell into the "adequate knowledge" group. An association was found between the possession of adequate knowledge and private physicians (PR = 4.66, CI = 95%), as well as deficient knowledge and working in a morning shift (PR = 2.92, CI = 95%). CONCLUSIONS: As the results demonstrate, knowledge about phytopharmaceuticals among primary care physicians is deficient, regardless of the institution where they work.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Levels of common knowledge on common psychiatric disorders and therapeutic means taken in general population: effects of education level and living area].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in level of common knowledge toward common psychiatric disorders and means of therapy in general population, resulting from different education levels and living areas. METHODS: All 4,614 persons over 15 years of age recruited from general population in Zhejiang Province via stratified randomly sampling, were classified by education levels as illiteracy, primary school level, high school level, and college level. Each group was thus divided into two categories according to the person's living areas, ie urban and rural area. The level of common knowledge about psychosis and means of therapy were measured by a questionnaire administered to all subjects. RESULTS: The rate of knowledge of neurasthenic was the highest, reaching to 71.1%, then of knowledge of schizophrenia and depression, was 47.9% and 39.3% respectively, and the rate of knowledge of alcohol dependence, mania and obsessive-compulsive disorder was lower than 20%. The rate of knowledge of the 6 common psychiatric disorders was higher in people from urban area, than from rural areas. The rate of knowledge of common psychiatric disorders was increased correspondingly to the increase of the education level among the people residing at the same living area. The main means of therapy the people selected was western medicine and psychology, reaching at 24.0% and 34.8% respectively. There were significant differences among the people with different education levels but from the same living areas, and the people with lower education levels were likely to choose the therapy of western medicine, on the other hand, the people with higher education levels were tending to choose the therapy of psychology. CONCLUSION: The popularization of the knowledge and the education about mental health should be reinforced, as to improving the knowledge about mental health, choosing a correct means of therapy to the common psychiatric disorders and promoting the mental health status of the population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Physicians' knowledge about pharmacological management of cancer pain--with special reference on their prescribing responses to simulated patients with cancer pain.

BACKGROUND: Cancer pain control is unsatisfactory in Taiwan. Insufficient knowledge about cancer pain on the part of physicians is an important factor responsible for ineffective cancer pain relief. Therefore, this study was to explore the knowledge deficits of physicians on the specific aspects of pharmacological management of cancer pain (PMCP) and their influences on the prescriptions to simulated patients in a southern medical center in Taiwan. METHODS: A set of self-designed questions was delivered to 234 licensed physicians with the responsibility to care for cancer patients and 111 (47.4%) questionnaires were completed and returned anonymously. RESULTS: Most of the physicians showed inadequate knowledge of the pharmacological management of cancer pain (3.34 +/- 0.49; range 1-5), which included the principle subscale (3.38 +/- 0.67) and the practice subscale (3.32 +/- 0.46). Crucial knowledge deficits of principle were identified in the preferential analgesic route and schedule. The severe practice knowledge deficits were on the meperidine, transdermal fentanyl, equianalgesic dose-conversion as well as analgesics for different pain types. Furthermore, physicians' knowledge deficits in the practice subscale, but not the principle subscale, correlated with their correct prescription of opioids to the simulated hepatoma cases. The correlates of physicians' PMCP knowledge deficits were: clinical specialty of medicine or surgery, less than 5 years or more than 10 years from medical school graduation, with limited volume of cancer pain patients being cared, and with personal unusual pain. CONCLUSIONS: The PMCP knowledge deficits were prevalent in physicians and thus influenced their prescription of opioids for the simulated cases. An active continuing education program on both the international guidelines and the essential practice skills should be implemented and intensified specifically upon subgroup physicians, to correct their misconceptions and consolidate their PMCP knowledge.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Impact of health education program about reproductive health on knowledge and attitude of female Alexandria University students.

In Egypt, adolescents don't have enough and/or correct knowledge regarding reproductive health. Health education interventions are widely seen as the most appropriate strategy for promoting young people's sexual health. The aim of the present work was to assess the impact of a short-term health education program about reproductive health on knowledge and attitude of female Alexandria university students. Quasi-experimental study (pre-post testing control group) was carried out among 682 female university students living in the university hostels, 354 students represented the intervention group (Ezbet-Saad hostel) who received the program and 328 students constituted the control group (El-Shatby hostel). The study revealed that no one had satisfactory knowledge level while 61.7 % and 38.3% respectively had fair and poor levels. The low knowledge level was more evident regarding the questions about: the meaning of the term 'reproductive health' (only 5.1% gave correct complete answer), the benefits of premarital examination (only 37.9% reported complete answer), the investigations done for the pregnant woman (only 28.3% gave complete answer) the benefits of breast feeding (only 8.2% reported complete answer), methods of family planning (only 36.4% gave complete answer), side effects of female genital mutilation (only 4% reported complete answer), sexually transmitted diseases and methods of protection (only 11.9% and 3.9% reported complete answer). It was evident that 32.6% had an overall positive attitude level, 46.3% were in the neutral level and 21.1% had a negative level. It was also found that students of highly or moderately educated mothers and of high social class reported significantly higher knowledge score about premarital examination, age of marriage and breast-feeding than those of non-educated mothers and of low social class. After the intervention program there was a significant improvement in the majority of knowledge questions from pre to post test in the intervention group and no absolute changes were detected in the control group. The highest percentage of gain scores (33.3%) was detected for knowledge about the term 'reproductive health' and female genital mutilation. A significant gain score of 25% was observed for the knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases. Also there was a gain of 20% in the median score concerning the knowledge about breast feeding and family planning. A significant shift towards a positive attitude was found among the intervention group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitude towards voluntary counseling and testing among adults.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has the third highest population of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite this, the knowledge of HIV/AIDS and uptake of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) is still low, especially in the rural areas. This study assessed knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitude towards VCT among adults in a rural community in northern Nigeria. METHODS: A pretested questionnaire was administered on a cross-section of 210 adults in Danbare village, northern Nigeria. Information about knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitudes toward VCT was elicited among respondents. RESULTS: The majority of respondents (59%) did not know the causative agent of AIDS; however, knowledge of route of disease transmission was high, with 71% and 64% of study participants mentioning sexual activity and unscreened blood transfusion, respectively, as possible transmission routes. Respondents listed avoidance of premarital sex, outlawing prostitution, condom use and screening of blood before transfusion as protective measures. Overall, 58 (27.6%), 80 (38.1%) and 72 (34.3%) of the respondents had good, fair and poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, female gender and formal education remained significant predictors of HIV/AIDS knowledge. Reasons for rejection of VCT included fear of stigma, marital disharmony, incurable nature of the disease and cost of treatment. Formal education, female gender and HIV knowledge significantly predicted positive attitude toward VCT for HIV/AIDS among the study population. CONCLUSION: More than half of the respondents had adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and the majority were willing to have VCT. However, misconceptions, fear, gaps in knowledge and limited access to VCT remain prevalent. Our findings suggest the need to provide health education and scale up VCT services in northern Nigeria by targeting the efforts of international and local development partners to underserved rural areas.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pennsylvania dental hygienists' knowledge, attitudes, and infection control practices in relation to AIDS and AIDS patients.

PURPOSE: Limited documentation is found on dental hygienists' attitudes toward acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients and their knowledge and practice of clinical infection control to prevent disease transmission to themselves and their patients. The purpose of this paper was to survey practicing Pennsylvania dental hygienists to document 1) their infection control practices; 2) their attitudes towards AIDS patients; and 3) their knowledge of clinical infection control practices. METHODS: A self-administered survey questionnaire, with fixed-alternative responses, was mailed in January 1991 to a random sample (N = 300) of licensed, practicing Pennsylvania dental hygienists. The questionnaire comprised eight multiple-choice questions for demographic purposes and 89 Likert-type questions eliciting information in five areas: AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes toward AIDS patients, knowledge of recommended Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infection control measures, individual infection control measures, and individual laboratory infection control measures. Means and modes for individual questions and for specific categories were determined and analyzed utilizing Spearman rho correlation coefficients (p < .05). Mean scores were also tabulated for actual operator/laboratory infection control practices for both a routine patient and an AIDS patient. Those scores were analyzed utilizing the Wilcoxen signed-ranks test. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty questionnaires were returned for a 73.3% initial response rate. One hundred fifty-four of those returned were usable, for a 64% response rate. Results indicated that 94.2% of surveyed dental hygienists had comprehensive knowledge about AIDS and 92% had comprehensive knowledge of CDC-recommended infection control procedures. Eighty-five percent of respondents possessed a moderate or high feeling of worry concerning treatment of AIDS patients. The majority of surveyed dental hygienists routinely practiced the use of glasses, masks, and gloves; the use of disposable items; and surface disinfection of light handles, instrument bracket trays, and patient chair switches. Knowledge of recommended infection control procedures for dentistry was found to be associated (r = .22) with adherence to recommended infection control practices. Accurate knowledge about AIDS showed a weak (r = -.088) and nonsignificant relationship with dental hygienists' attitudes toward AIDS patients. Use of recommended infection control practices was found to be associated (r = -.20) with less fear concerning the treatment of AIDS patients. In addition, dental hygienists' infection control practices varied according to their perception of patient HIV status. CONCLUSIONS: Since Pennsylvania dental hygienists, within the limitations of this study, appear not to follow CDC guidelines on proper and responsible operatory/laboratory aseptic techniques stringently, and to differentiate infection control procedures based on perceived patient HIV status, recommendations are that 1) the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should mandate that all Pennsylvania-licensed dental hygienists take at least one state-approved course on operatory/laboratory infection control every two years to qualify for relicensure; 2) all dental and dental hygiene education institutions and professional organizations should place more emphasis on strict adherence to the various agency recommended clinical guidelines for infection control; and 3) all dental hygienists should continually strive to update their own knowledge of current infection control practices.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increasing disparity in knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors and risk-reduction strategies by socioeconomic status: implications for policymakers.

During the 1980s extensive local and national cardiovascular health promotion campaigns were implemented to improve knowledge of risk reduction. This study analyzed changes from 1980 to 1990 in knowledge of acquired cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., actual, objective knowledge of adverse lifestyle factors affecting cardiovascular health); perceived knowledge of risk-reduction strategies (i.e., subjective knowledge about how to reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease); and interest in risk modification (i.e., interest in changing risk-factor habits) by socioeconomic status using level of education. The study population included 2,455 women and men 25-74 years of age from three population-based cross-sectional surveys in two northern California cities. We found significant differentials in baseline knowledge that widened over the 10-year study period, resulting in larger disparities across educational groups at the final survey in 1990 (P < .05). From 1980 to 1990, individuals with < 12 years of education experienced only slight improvement in their knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors (mean summary score of 4.4 increasing to 5.5, based on a 17-item questionnaire of risk factors); those with > or = 16 years of education experienced twice as much improvement (mean of 8.4 increasing to 11.1) (P < .05). There were similar time-effect disparities in knowledge of risk-reduction strategies (P < .05). In contrast, interest in risk modification was high for all educational groups and remained uniform across time. The continuing and widening disparity in knowledge between socioeconomic groups suggests the need for policymakers to reform existing cardiovascular risk-reduction education campaigns.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Knowledge and attitudes about depression among non-generalists and generalists.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to learn more about barriers to managing depression by comparing knowledge and attitudes about depression among physicians, internists, obstetrician-gynecologists, and a reference group of psychiatrists. Among the non-psychiatrists, we hypothesized that generalist physicians would have more favorable attitudes and greater knowledge about depression than non-generalists. METHODS: Survey questionnaires were sent to resident and faculty physicians (N = 375) of two university-affiliated medical centers. The physicians were classified as non-generalists (medicine subspecialists, transitional year interns, and obstetrician-gynecologists), generalists (general internists and family physicians), and psychiatrists. A 33-item written questionnaire assessed knowledge and three attitudinal dimensions: attitudes attributed by physicians to patients; physicians' confidence in managing depression; and physicians' psychosocial orientation. A knowledge scale and an attitudes scale were scored by adding the number of knowledge items answered correctly and the more favorable attitudinal responses. Multivariable regression was used to identify physician characteristics among non-generalists and generalists associated with higher knowledge and attitudinal scores. RESULTS: Response rate was 82%. Sixty percent of the respondents were male, 63% were resident physicians, and 14% had advanced psychosocial training. Non-generalists and generalists had similar demographic characteristics, but psychiatrists were significantly more experienced. Psychiatrists had the most favorable attitudes, followed by generalists and non-generalists. Compared with non-generalists, generalists were more confident in prescribing antidepressants (62% vs 25%), more likely to report that treating depression is rewarding (71% vs 39%), and less likely to refer to a psychiatrist (58% vs 79%). Generalist classification, increased experience, and higher levels of psychosocial training were associated with more favorable attitudes. Knowledge scores were significantly higher for psychiatrists than for non-generalists and generalists. Among non-psychiatrists, correct responses for knowledge items were: treatment efficacy (61%), treatment duration (59%), > or = 5 DSM-III-R criteria (52%), and prevalence of depression (30%). Among those with incorrect responses, both non-generalists and generalists overestimated the prevalence (52%) and underestimated the efficacy of drug therapy (30%). CONCLUSIONS: Generalists and non-generalists have similar and relatively good basic knowledge about depression. Misperceptions about treatment efficacy, and attitudinal barriers, particularly among non-generalists, may compromise the physician's ability to diagnose and manage depression.

Depression↗
PubMed1998

[Visiting nurses' self evaluation of their professional skills and knowledge related to care management].

Evaluation methods for assessing professional skills and knowledge has become very important in this age of cooperation and coordination of health-social professionals. We have developed conceptual framework as well as practical methods to assess professional skills and knowledge for health-social professions' interrelationship. The purpose of this study is to clarify the visiting nurses' self evaluation of their professional skills and knowledge related to care management. Subjects (238 visiting nurses) and controls (894 other kinds of health-social professionals) were asked to answer a questionnaire on "Evaluation of professional skills and knowledge", which had 3 mainstreams--basic skills and knowledge, management skills and knowledge, and general evaluation. Each subscale included essential items for professional skills and knowledge, covering all health-social professions. Results of investigation showed that more than 98.2% of visiting nurses agreed to the framework of this evaluation and items. Differences in evaluation according to kinds of profession were few. The structure of items related to professional knowledge and skills were clearly shown by cluster analysis, and coefficient alphas were more than 0.95 for each subscale. In conclusion, this evaluation would be practical for visiting nurses. "Evaluation of professional skills and knowledge" will be useful for visiting nurses to facilitate their coordination with other kinds of professionals on the job and they will also be able to utilize it in educational situations.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2005

A knowledge management framework to morph clinical cases with clinical practice guidelines.

In this paper we present a knowledge management framework that allows the automatic linking/mapping of contextually and functionally similar medical knowledge that may originate from different sources and be represented in diverse modalities. Our tacit-explicit knowledge morphing framework supports the extraction of tacit knowledge from past cases stored in a case-base and maps it to corresponding explicit knowledge stored in clinical practice guidelines. The novelty of our approach is inherent in the fact that it allows practitioners to simultaneously refer to explicit knowledge-i.e. clinical practice guidelines-and experiential knowledge-i.e. past clinical cases. Here we present the system design and intended functionality of our knowledge morphing framework.

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗
PubMed2003

Puerto Rican primary physicians' knowledge about folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a study of a group of primary physicians in Puerto Rico to evaluate their knowledge about folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects. METHOD: The study design was transverse-correlational. A total of 66 primary physicians in two hospitals (public and private) participated in the study. The sample was nonrandom and opportunistic, and only those physicians present in the hospitals at the moment of distribution of the questionnaires participated. A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabular analysis were used to describe the results of this study. Inferential statistics were also used, including Chi square and t-tests to establish the associations/differences between physician knowledge and the independent variables. RESULTS: Of the participants, 87.9% demonstrated an inadequate knowledge about folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects as part of preconception care and only 12.1% demonstrated adequate knowledge. Older physicians had greater knowledge about folic acid. Also, women demonstrated greater knowledge about folic acid than did men. Most of the physicians who always recommend supplementation to their patients demonstrated a greater knowledge about folic acid, and all participants with adequate knowledge came from the public hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a concerted effort by the Health Department of Puerto Rico to provide education in the importance of folic acid supplementation to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects, primary physicians in two Puerto Rican hospitals generally have not availed themselves of this training and showed a lack of knowledge on this important clinical issue.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A general model for the adaptive function of self-knowledge in animals and humans.

This article offers a general definition of self-knowledge that embraces all forms and levels of self-knowledge in animals and humans. It is hypothesized that various levels of self-knowledge constitute an ordinal scale such that each species in a lineage displays the forms of self-knowledge found in related species as well as new forms it and its sister species may have evolved. Likewise, it is hypothesized that these various forms of levels of self-knowledge develop in the sequence in which they evolved. Finally, a general hypothesis for the functional significance of self-knowledge is proposed along with subhypotheses regarding the adaptive significance of various levels of self-knowledge in mammals including human and nonhuman primates. The general hypothesis is that self-knowledge serves as a standard for assessing the qualities of conspecifics compared to those of the self. Such assessment is crucial to deciding among alternative reproductive and subsistence strategies. The qualities that are assessed, which vary across taxa, range from the size and strength of the self to its mathematical or musical abilities. This so-called assessment model of self-knowledge is based on evolutionary biological models for social selection and the role of assessment in animal communication.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Knowledge of disease and health information needs of the patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a developing country.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study was performed to have a first-time assessment on the knowledge level of a population of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in a developing country like Iran and to identify their health information preferences. METHODS: One hundred over 18-year-old IBD patients presenting to an outpatient gastroenterology clinic in Tehran from April to November 2004 were asked to complete Persian-translated version of 24-item Crohn's and Colitis Knowledge (CCKNOW) score questionnaire and an additional questionnaire collecting their favorite disease-related knowledge topics. RESULTS: All of the patients (64 females, 36 males) wished to know more about their disease. The cause of IBD and the medications were the most favorite knowledge topics. The mean and median of CCKNOW score of the patients was 4.65 and 4.0 (out of 24), respectively. Women showed significantly higher scores than men (p=0.006). There was also a weak positive correlation between the level of education and CCKNOW score (Spearman's rho=0.23, p=0.02). No significant correlation was found between age, duration of disease, self-estimated level of suffering from disease, and CCKNOW score. The most severe knowledge deficit was evident in knowledge on IBD complications. CONCLUSION: Despite the overt inclination of Iranian IBD patients to know more about their disease, their knowledge levels were significantly lower than the IBD patients in developed countries. The more profound knowledge deficit in IBD complications may lead to disastrous aftermaths such as late diagnosis of colorectal cancer induced by prolonged IBD. Vigorous patient education programs for the Iranian IBD patient are suggested focusing on areas of knowledge deficit and their favorite topics.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Acquiring generic knowledge.

Generic knowledge is knowledge about kinds of things. The existence of generic knowledge poses a difficult acquisition problem: how do we acquire knowledge about kinds of things if we have experience with only a limited number of examples of the kinds in question? The problem is exacerbated by the fact that we sometimes acquire generic knowledge on the basis of experience with only a single instance of the kind. In this review, it is argued that there is a formal system for common-sense conception that underlies the acquisition of an important class of generic knowledge. Generic knowledge acquired through the use of the formal system represents the stable knowledge we have about kinds of things. It complements, rather than replaces, the statistical and causal (mechanistic) knowledge acquired through the use of other learning mechanisms.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Factors influencing the growth in knowledge of trainees in general practice.

OBJECTIVES: The relation between the content of postgraduate training for general practice and the outcome in terms of the growth in knowledge of trainees was investigated. The training variables included were: (1) the number of patients seen per day, (2) the trainer, (3) the practice and (4) the theoretical curriculum. METHODS: Subjects were 58 trainee-trainer pairs. Growth in knowledge was assessed by two written tests administered with eight months interval. Training variables were evaluated by means of questionnaires and logbook-registration. The correlation was explored between each of the training variables and the knowledge tests scores. To correct for interactional effects, a step-wise multiple regression analysis was performed with the second test as dependent variable and the first test as well as the training variables as independent variables. RESULTS: Significant growth in knowledge was demonstrated. Non of all training variables investigated explained the variance in scores on the second test equally good or better than the scores on the entry test. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the separate training-components on the growth in knowledge, remains unclear. We may speculate, that the sort of knowledge assessed with the written literature based true/false test is different from the sort of knowledge transferred during every day training: evidence based knowledge versus experience based knowledge. Equally valid is the conclusion that these findings fit into the theory that in adult learning the outcome is more learner than teacher dependent.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection: is quality of patient knowledge enough for prevention?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Fulminant, potentially life-threatening infection represents a major long-term risk after splenectomy. This study examines the impact of patient's knowledge and compliance on the prevention of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI). METHODS: A Total of 318 splenectomized patients (median age: 18 years (10-26 years); M : F, 187 : 131) were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire was administered to assess the degree of knowledge and patient compliance and their role in the prevention of postsplenectomy risks; while identifying the group of health-care providers most successful in conveying information. RESULTS: The 318 patients had been splenectomized and followed up through a 17-year period. OPSI occurred among 5.7% (n=18) of patients. Of these, 56% occurred within the first 6 months and 44% in the following 10 years post splenectomy. Three patients died of OPSI, two during the first 6 months and one 2 years later. Of the followed up patients, 44.8% (n=142) had good knowledge of the risks of splenectomy and their prevention, 30.4% (n=96) had fair knowledge and 24.8% (n=79) had poor knowledge. Patients displaying greatest knowledge had a prevalence of OPSI of 1.4% compared to 16.5% among those with poor knowledge (P<0.001). In all, 60% of patients with good knowledge got their information principally from their tending hematologist. Among patients on regular and irregular prophylactic oral penicillin, OPSI occurred in 2.7 and 10% respectively (P<0.01). The incidence of OPSI also decreased from 7.3 to 3.2% after routine administration of pneumococcal vaccine (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although good knowledge, prophylactic penicillin and pneumococcal vaccination have remarkably reduced OPSI, it was not enough for complete prevention. The use of lifelong antibiotic prophylaxis remains of disputed value since no OPSI was recorded more than 10 years post splenectomy.

Child↗
PubMed1987

A functional analysis of phonological knowledge and generalization learning in misarticulating children.

It has been suggested that a child's productive phonological knowledge may be one factor that potentially accounts for individual differences in generalization learning observed among phonologically disordered children (Dinnsen & Elbert, 1984; Elbert, Dinnsen, & Powell, 1984). This paper evaluates the hypothesis that productive phonological knowledge influences generalization. Three related studies involving 6 functionally misarticulating children were conducted. In the first study, a description of each child's phonological system was developed using procedures of standard generative analysis. Based upon these descriptions, each child's productive phonological knowledge of his or her own sound system was determined and then ranked on a continuum ranging from "most" to "least" knowledge relative to the adult target. The second study implemented an experimental treatment program based upon each child's productive phonological knowledge, with treatment sounds selected directly from each child's continuum of knowledge. The third study reassessed each child's productive phonological knowledge following treatment. The results of these three studies indicated that a child's productive phonological knowledge of the sound system influenced the overall amount of generalization learning. However, the extent of generalization learning was associated with the point on the knowledge continuum at which treatment was initiated. These findings are discussed with reference to individual differences in generalization learning.

Articulation Disorders↗