Results for “Previous Practice” — Page 59

PubMed1996

Patient satisfaction with collaborative practice.

OBJECTIVE: To gather information on women's perceptions of the services delivered in collaborative obstetrics and gynecology practices and to determine whether patients perceive a difference in the delivery of services in a variety of practice settings. METHODS: A cross-sectional patient satisfaction survey was developed by the Collaborative Practice Advisory Group of ACOG. Ten collaborative practices were selected to participate: five in private offices, two in clinics, two in health maintenance organizations, and one in the military. Between April 15 and May 15, 1994, 3257 completed surveys were obtained for analysis. RESULTS: Between 71% and 92% of women, depending upon the practice setting, agreed with statements regarding the possible benefits from being cared for in a collaborative practice. The majority (75-92%) expected services provided in a collaborative practice to differ from those provided in a noncollaborative practice. Women making their first visit to a collaborative practice expected quicker appointments, more time with the provider, more health information, and more specific diet information than did women who had previously been seen in such a practice. There were minimal differences in comfort levels when discussing issues of sexuality and physical and sexual abuse in either public or private settings with physicians or non-physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in this survey were accepting of the concept of collaborative practice and felt that it offered quicker appointments, more time with the provider, more health information, and more specific diet information than did physician-only practices.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Choice of general practice for postgraduate training among medical graduates and undergraduates in Nigeria.

A questionnaire survey of career choices was carried out among 112 medical graduates, after one year's internship (group I), during their National Youth Corps programme in Kaduna, Lagos, Cross River and Oyo states of Nigeria, and 365 final-year medical undergraduates (group 2) in the colleges of medicine in the corresponding states. A total of 13% in group I and 40% in group 2 were undecided as regards their first choice. Obstetrics and gynaecology was the most popular first choice in both groups. General practice ranked fifth among group I, but displaced surgery to rank second among group 2. The differences were statistically significant. A total of 41% of group I and 46% of group 2 preferred to work in a teaching hospital, reflecting the high preference for surgical specialties. Twenty-six per cent and 33.7% of respondents in groups 1 and 2 respectively wished to own their own practice or work in the private sector. General practice is a new specialty and its growth is supported by a national postgraduate training programme. A shift towards general practice is seen compared with previous studies of career preference among Nigerian medical graduates and students. This may be due to a changing balance of supply and demand in the medical work-force, or a better assessment of the nation's health problems and manpower needs.

Career Choice↗

PubMed2000

Changing physician prescribing behavior: the community-acquired pneumonia intervention trial.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Point-of-care versus laboratory measurement of the International Normalized Ratio.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Visual compatibility of amiodarone hydrochloride injection with various intravenous drugs.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Amiodarone↗

PubMed2002

Effectiveness of preprinted order forms in promoting perioperative beta-blocker use.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

PubMed2002

Continuing-education programs in pharmacogenomics for pharmacists.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Education, Pharmacy, Continuing↗

PubMed2006

Use of an electronic medical record to detect patients at high risk of metformin-induced lactic acidosis.

The Notes section welcomes the following types of contributions: (1) practical innovations or solutions to everyday practice problems, (2) substantial updates or elaborations on work previously published by the same authors, (3) important confirmations of research findings previously published by others, and (4) short research reports, including practice surveys, of modest scope or interest. Notes should be submitted with AJHP's manuscript checklist. The text should be concise, and the number of references, tables, and figures should be limited.

Acidosis, Lactic↗

PubMed1999

Outcome of surgery for acromegaly--the experience of a dedicated pituitary surgeon.

Previous large series of outcome following pituitary surgery for acromegaly, including our own, have demonstrated poor results, with cure, defined as GH <5 mU/l, achieved in only 33-42% of patients. In our previous series, surgery was performed by one of eight different surgeons. Largely based on the disappointing results of this previous audit of outcome, our practice since 1990 has been, whenever possible, to refer all patients with acromegaly to a dedicated pituitary surgeon (APJ). The objective of the current study was to re-analyse the outcome of surgical treatment for acromegaly since instituting this change. Tumour size and extension was determined on CT/MRI scanning. Biochemical cure was defined as a basal GH <5 mU/l or a nadir GH of <2 mU/l across an OGTT following initial pituitary surgery. Surgery was performed on 66 patients and 42 (64%) were cured, compared with 26/78 (33%) in our previous study (p<0.0005, chi (2) test). The cure rate for microadenomas (n=22) was 86%, and for macroadenomas 52%, compared with 54% (p<0.05, chi (2) test) and 30% (p<0.05, chi (2) test) respectively, in our previous study. We conclude that surgical outcome for acromegaly is enhanced if patients are operated on by a single experienced surgeon.

Acromegaly↗

PubMed2001

Impact of the 1999 AAP/USPHS joint statement on thimerosal in vaccines on infant hepatitis B vaccination practices.

On July 8,1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) jointly recommended reducing infant exposure to thimerosal, a commonly used vaccine preservative that contains mercury. Specific recommendations were made to postpone the first hepatitis B vaccine dose until 2-6 months of age for infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative (i.e., not hepatitis B virus [HBV]-infected) women. Infants born to HBsAg-positive (i.e., HBV-infected) women, or to women whose HBsAg status was unknown, were recommended to receive postexposure prophylaxis with the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine administered within 12 hours of birth. By mid-September 1999, when adequate supplies of preservative-free hepatitis B vaccine became available, PHS advocated a return to previous infant hepatitis B vaccination practices, including administering the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine to newborns in hospitals that had discontinued the practice. In 2000, preliminary assessments of the impact of these policy changes on routine hepatitis B vaccination practices were conducted by public health officials in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Michigan. This report summarizes the results of these analyses, which indicate that many hospitals in Wisconsin have not reinstated policies to ensure routine administration of hepatitis B vaccine to newborns despite the availability of preservative-free hepatitis B vaccine, that the number of hepatitis B vaccine doses given to newborns in Oklahoma and Oregon has declined, and that an unvaccinated Michigan infant died from fulminant hepatitis B. Restoring routine newborn hepatitis B vaccination practices may require active advocacy by professional and government groups.

Hepatitis B↗

PubMed2006

A qualitative study to identify factors influencing COXIB prescribed by family physicians for musculoskeletal disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibiting (COXIB) anti-inflammatories have been the drug class prescribed for a large number of cases of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders in Canada over the past 5 years. The Alberta Improvements for MSK Disorders (AIMS) initiative sought to better understand the COXIB prescribing situation by funding several studies. The objective of this qualitative study was to determine the factors underlying primary care physicians' medication prescribing behaviour during an office visit for an MSK disorder, with particular emphasis on the prescribing of COXIBs. METHODS: The target respondents were Alberta primary care physicians chosen from a stratified random sample to meet a wide range of characteristics. Individual, semi-structured interviews were used to assess decision pathways in four real cases chosen by the physician. A total of 19 interviews were conducted and analysed using an analytic inductive approach. RESULTS: Factors judged as being important to decision pathways in relation to COXIB prescribing for MSK disease included safety, patient characteristics, affordability to patients, availability of samples, drug company marketing practices, habit formation, time contstraints, previous clinical experience of doctors and/or patient with certain drugs and doctors' perception of absolute versus relative risk. Interpretation. Most physicians preferentially prescribed COXIBs subsequent to a complicated, multifactorial, but essentially patient-centred, decision-making process.

Alberta↗

PubMed1999

Contractor safety practices and injury rates in construction of the Denver International Airport.

BACKGROUND: We sought to explain the variation in injury rates found for categories of companies and contracts involved in the construction of the Denver International Airport (DIA) by surveying contractors about company and contract-level safety practices. METHODS: We conducted 213 telephone interviews (83% response) with representatives of contracts with payrolls of more than $250,000. We investigated the bivariate relationship between safety actions reported in the survey and injury occurrence by calculating the aggregate injury rates (lost work-time (LWT) rates and non-LWT rates) for the group of respondent contracts reporting always taking the action and for the group not always taking the action. Using Poisson regression, we examined the association between contract injury rates and contract safety practices while controlling for variables previously shown to affect contract-level injury rates. RESULTS: In Poisson regression, two actions, 1) disciplinary action always resulting when safety rules were violated and 2) always considering experience modification ratings when selecting subcontractors, were associated with lower LWT injury rates. Three actions or contract characteristics resulted in lower non-LWT rates: management always establishing goals for safety for supervisors, conducting drug testing at times other than badging or after an accident, and completing the DIA contract on budget, rather than over budget. Reportedly consistent use of a number of accepted safety practices was associated with significantly higher injury rates in bivariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of counterintuitive results found in this study suggests that questions reflecting agreed-upon safety practices, when asked of the person responsible for all on-site construction activities, are likely to elicit normative responses. Objective validation of reported safety practices is critical to evaluating their efficacy in reducing injury rates, along with measures of both time at risk and outcome and control for prevailing risk of the work performed.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Partner, Learn, Progress: a conceptual model for continuous clinical education.

In practice disciplines, such as nursing, learning can be maximised through experience located in the clinical setting. However, placement in the clinical setting does not automatically mean that the learner's professional practice will improve. Experiences in 'real-life' settings need to be effectively facilitated to obtain the desired outcomes. This paper through the discussion of 'Partner, Learn, Progress' details a conceptual model for promoting learning in the clinical context. 'Partner' refers to the positive association between the learner and the experienced clinician that engenders trust. It occurs on a personal level in the context of a broader social and political environment. 'Learn' refers to the process whereby the experienced clinician is able to assist the learner make sense of theoretical knowledge or knowledge that has previously been 'distal' to their practice to be integrated into their immediate practice. The clinician requires to be cognisant of the learner's existing knowledge level so that the activities and accompanying discussion assist in making connections between theory and practice. Learning incorporates mutual collaboration whereby the learner is able to practise the application of knowledge in a safe context and make their own connections. The further exploration of meanings through experiences, feelings, attitudes leads the learner to 'progress': the development of knowledge. Such a conceptual model provides a framework for educators and supervisors of clinical learning to educate and learn from the next generation of nurses that will lead the nursing profession into the future.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2006

[The practice guideline 'Headache' from the Dutch College of General Practitioners; a response from the perspective of neurology].

In comparison with the previous version, the Dutch College of General Practitioners' practice guideline 'Headache' has been improved in several respects. The addition of information on cluster headache, tension headache and substance-induced headache may benefit the daily practice of the general practitioner. The list of alarm symptoms is useful for distinguishing between secondary and primary types of headache. With respect to substance-induced headache, there is a difference from the international criteria: according to the latter, the diagnosis may also be made if the headache does not completely disappear but reverts back to the previous pattern. There is a need for studies into the non-medicinal treatment of tension headache. In these practice guidelines, the medicinal treatment of migraine is largely consistent with the guidelines of The Netherlands Society of Neurology.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed2002

Reducing antibiotic use for acute bronchitis in primary care: blinded, randomised controlled trial of patient information leaflet.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether sharing the uncertainty of the value of antibiotics for acute bronchitis in the form of written and verbal advice affects the likelihood of patients taking antibiotics. DESIGN: Nested, single blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Three suburban general practices in Nottingham Participants: 259 previously well adults presenting with acute bronchitis. INTERVENTION: In group A, 212 patients were judged by their general practitioner not to need antibiotics that day but were given a prescription to use if they got worse and standard verbal reassurance. Half of them (106) were also given an information leaflet. All patients in group B (47) were judged to need antibiotics and were given a prescription and encouraged to use it. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Antibiotic use in the next two weeks. Reconsultation for the same symptoms in the next month. RESULTS: In group A fewer patients who received the information leaflet took antibiotics compared with those who did not receive the leaflet (49 v 63, risk ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.59 to 0.97, P=0.04). Numbers reconsulting were similar (11 v 14). In group B, 44 patients took the antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Most previously well adults with acute bronchitis were judged not to need antibiotics. Reassuring these patients and sharing the uncertainty about prescribing in a information leaflet supported by verbal advice is a safe strategy and reduces antibiotic use.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differentiated levels of nursing work force demand.

In addition to reviewing the literature about the extent to which basic nursing education is related to actual nursing practice, this article investigates the extent to which the relationship between nursing practice, education, and experience varies across specific health care settings. The literature presented no consistent or systematic association between type and amount of previous nursing experience and current nursing practice. However, the literature generally provided evidence of a consistent and systematic association between baccalaureate preparation and level of registered nurse (RN) practice. The review of practice and organizational differences across the hospital, nursing home, and ambulatory care sectors suggests that baccalaureate-prepared RNs in hospitals may have a more strongly differentiated role relative to those in nursing homes and ambulatory settings. If baccalaureate-prepared nurses continue to be perceived as capable of more complex and independent practice, and if employers believe that they can increase revenues by increasing the quality of nursing care or can save money by shifting to RNs some responsibilities now held by more costly personnel (such as physicians), then demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses may increase.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed2003

Psychological aspects of screening in families with hereditary prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 5-10% of prostate cancer cases are caused by dominantly inherited susceptibility to the disease. Although advances have been made in research concerning the genetic mechanisms of hereditary prostate cancer, little is known about the psychological consequences. The aim of this study was to assess possible negative psychological effects of screening for prostate cancer in a high-risk population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was based on a previous study of risk perception, screening practice and interest in genetic testing among unaffected men in families with hereditary prostate cancer. The present study included 87 men from the previous study who were screened regularly for prostate cancer. Of these, 74 men agreed to receive two further questionnaires, both of which included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES), one of which was filled in on the day of the next screening visit and the other 4-6 weeks later. RESULTS: The response rate was 77% (57/74). There were no statistically significant differences in total or subscale HAD or IES scores between the two points of measurement. There was a trend towards slightly higher HAD scores on the day of the screening visit, but the difference was so small that we did not consider it clinically relevant. In an attempt to identify risk factors for a negative impact of screening several subgroup analyses were performed, but none of these subgroups had significantly higher scores on the day of the visit than afterwards. CONCLUSION: Most men with a high hereditary risk of developing prostate cancer do not experience severe psychological adverse effects resulting from attendance for screening.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Clinicians' referral and matching of substance abuse patients to self-help groups after treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical practice guidelines for substance use disorders from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommend referral of some patients to self-help groups. The purpose of this study was to determine current patterns of referral to self-help groups in substance abuse treatment programs in the United States and compare them with referral recommendations in APA guidelines. METHODS: Directors of all 389 substance abuse treatment programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system completed a mailed survey on posttreatment self-help referral practices. RESULTS: Survey responses indicated that a large proportion of substance abuse patients were referred to Alcoholics Anonymous (79.4 percent), with other self-help organizations receiving a smaller but significant number of referrals. Referrals to 12-step self-help organizations were more common in programs that endorsed a 12-step treatment orientation and that employed a higher proportion of staff members in recovery from substance use disorders. Consistent with APA practice guidelines, clinicians were less likely to make a referral to a 12-step self-help group if a patient was an atheist, had a comorbid psychiatric disorder, or had less severe substance abuse problems. In deciding whom to refer to self-help groups, clinicians also considered other variables that are not addressed in current practice guidelines, such as age and previous involvement in 12-step groups. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians make extensive use of self-help groups for their patients, as recommended in APA practice guidelines. However, some differences between current practice and recommended practice warrant further investigation.

Adult↗