Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Partner Communication”

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 1,171 records · Page 65Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of four years of exercise, language, and social interventions on Alzheimer discourse.

UNLABELLED: This article describes a comprehensive cognitive-linguistic intervention program for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients that provided communication skills practice in the context of health-enhancing and esteem-building community-based activities: physical fitness training and supervised volunteer work. The interventions were administered by undergraduate students who completed academic work, received faculty supervision, and earned three credits for one semester of participation. Effects of the interventions on the discourse of four participants who completed all 4 years of the program are reported in detail. The maintained or improved performance on multiple discourse outcome measures provides powerful rationale for making such interventions more widely available and preliminary support for their effectiveness in preserving communicative function. An additional role for speech-language pathologists (SLPs)--as trainers and supervisors of non-professional rehab partners for persons with dementia--is proposed. LEARNING OUTCOMES: From this article, participants will be able to (1) list specific language tasks that can be used to assess discourse in individuals with AD; (2) identify several cognitive-linguistic interventions appropriate for use with AD patients; and (3) understand how long-term cognitive-linguistic interventions may affect the language performance of individuals with AD.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Medical and psychosocial aspects of gonococcal infection in the adolescent patient: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Gonorrhea has reached epidemic proportions and poses a significant health problem for teenagers. The attitudes and behavior of adolescents play a major role in the increase of gonococcal infection, interacting with characteristics of the disease and public health issues. Controlling gonorrhea among teenagers thus requires attending to the medical and psychosocial issues. Accurate diagnosis is dependent, in part, on eliciting a valid sexual history. Selection of a laboratory protocol should reflect not only the sensitivity and specificity of a test but its acceptability to teenagers. Similarly, there is no longer a single "drug of choice" for treatment. Patient acceptability, potential for noncompliance, toxicity, cost, jeopardy to other uses, and possible coexistent infection are factors to be considered in addition to efficacy. Finally, medication is only part of the treatment plan, which includes sexual abstinence, therapy for sexual partners, and returning for a test of cure. Compliance with the entire treatment plan can often be enhanced by maximizing communication and rapport with the adolescent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Constructions of sexuality for women living with multiple sclerosis.

AIM: In this paper we reveal constructions of sexuality that were articulated by 12 women who participated in an inquiry, which aimed to understand the experiences of women who live with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this paper is to consider constructions of sexuality when chronic illness such as MS intervenes. BACKGROUND: In previous studies women placed their sexuality on the agenda for discussion, claiming that their concerns had not previously been vocalized nor understood. DESIGN: This participatory inquiry was framed by the principles of 'look, think and act'. These principles are operationalized as looking at ourselves, reflecting and questioning aspects of our lives, and then taking action to resolve the issues identified. Twelve women aged between 30 and 60 years who lived with MS joined the three researchers for five group sessions. Each session lasted 3 hours. In addition, several women opted to be interviewed individually. In this paper we describe the way in which women have constructed and articulated their sexuality since acquiring MS. FINDINGS: Sexuality has multiple meanings that are shaped and influenced by life experiences. When MS intrudes in a woman's life, sexuality is reshaped against a foundation of previous sexual experiences and expectations. Constructions of sexuality encompassed physical sexual responses, perceptions of appearance and attractiveness to self and others, communication and relationships, self-image and self-esteem, and the sense of affirmation and acknowledgement that women experienced from others in their everyday lives. CONCLUSIONS: This paper reveals that sexuality was not privileged by women but was regarded as an ordinary part of life. Often sexual activity was placed on hold as other aspects of living with a chronic illness intervene, for instance an exacerbation of MS. Whilst this paper has a focus on constructions of sexuality, there is a close relationship to shifts in self and identity. Health professionals need to reject the myths and stereotypes surrounding disabled women and attempt to understand the possible impact of long-term illness on women's sexuality.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Attachment style in the context of clinical and health psychology: a proposal for the assessment of valence, incongruence, and accessibility of attachment representations in various working models.

By combining the Adult Attachment Interview and the Autobiographical Memory Test, a structured interview was developed as a 'quick and dirty' measure for the assessment of attachment representations in clinical settings. The interview intends to assess valence, incongruence, and accessibility of the attachment representations that are organized in various mental models of relationships. In this study the mental models of relationships involving parents and current partner were addressed, as well as the more general model of self in relationships with significant others. Validity was examined in a sample of couples from the general community. Interrelationships between the different models of attachment relationships were strong enough to warrant the conclusion that each contributes to the same construct (style). Correlations with theoretically proposed consequences of insecure attachment style showed salience of specific working models: valence of self and partner (but not of parents) representations, and incongruence of parental representations related to depressive symptomatology, trait anxiety, relational quality, and communication efficiency. Results indicated that assessment of representations in the working models of different attachment relationships might prove useful in clinical settings, as it might enable localization of those representations that are related to the individual's experience of adversity in interpersonal relationships and affect regulation. Methodological shortcomings are discussed in this context.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Enhancing nursing students' clinical placement experiences: a quality improvement project.

Clinical experience is recognised as the core of nursing education. Quality clinical placements across a variety of venues are vital to the development of capable and competent professionals. However there is evidence, both anecdotal and empirical, suggesting that students' clinical placement experiences are fraught with problems. The quality improvement project described in this paper aimed to improve the clinical learning experience of nursing students by strengthening communication and partnerships between the university and the two local health services. To achieve this goal, clinicians' perceptions of the problems related to clinical placements and their recommendations for improvement were explored. Focus groups, brainstorming sessions, personal interviews and surveys were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Problems and priority issues were identified as more than five hundred clinicians expressed their concerns, claims and issues. Key findings from the project are described under five themes: communication breakdown between the university and clinicians; mentorship; preparation for clinical placements; clinical competence; and graduates' readiness for practice. Utilising a quality improvement framework this project promoted vigorous debate and dialogue between university and health service partners. The nature and extent of the problems surrounding clinical placements were examined, high priority issues targeted for improvement, and the subsequent results measured through feedback from clinicians and students. The success of this project, although impressive in the early stages, will depend upon ongoing communication and evaluation to ensure sustainability of the improvements made.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

[The woman's status and condom use in Cameroon].

The reasons for the high prevalence of STDs/HIV/AIDS among women are biological, economical and social. It is therefore necessary to carry out studies on the status of women and condom use in order to elucidate the mechanism through which the first variable affects the second. Such studies will also identify the elements to be taken into consideration in the prevention programmes of these diseases in women. In the year 2000, a survey on culture, gender, social behaviour and STDs/AIDS was conducted in Cameroun at Mbalmayo (Central Province) and at Bafoussam (Western Provience) among 1679 men and women of 15-49 years old. Multivariate logistic regression models were used, among others, to show that the woman's status has direct and indirect effects on condom use via age disparity between partners, frequency of discussion among couples on sexuality and the process of decision-making. Results obtained confirm this hypothesis. Communication among couples as well as women empowerment should, therefore, be improved as a strategy for considerably increasing the use of condom among Camerounian women. One of the ways to achieve this is to improve their status. Another way is to assist them during enlightenment campaigns to improve their self-perfection.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Resident partnerships: a tool for enhancing ambulatory training.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined resident partnerships and their effect on graduates' practice patterns. METHODS: The study authors surveyed graduates from a residency program that used resident partnerships. We also surveyed the graduates' current practice partners, and they served as a comparison group. RESULTS: The graduates' response rate was 86%, and their current practice partners' response rate was 61%. Graduates from a partnership program rated themselves better trained for outpatient medicine and more comfortable communicating with other physicians and working within a patient care team; they were also slightly less likely to practice inpatient medicine. Reported benefits during residency included enhanced availability for continuity clinics, more emotional and intellectual support, and more flexible work schedules. CONCLUSIONS: Graduates valued partnerships during their training and reported being better prepared to work with other physicians in ambulatory settings.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The relationship between source of sexual information and sexual behavior among female adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between the source of sexual information and adolescent sexual behavior is not well understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of a larger study, 892 sexually active female adolescents between 15 and 18 years of age completed a paper-and-pencil survey which assessed discussions about sexual intercourse, contraceptive use and condom use among friends and family members and their own sexual behavior. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations while controlling for key demographics. RESULTS: Adolescents who had never used condoms were less likely to report having had discussions about sexual intercourse with their friends [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.2]. Discussions about condom use among friends and family members were associated with condom use in the past 3 months, with adolescents who used condoms at least half of the time being more likely to report hearing discussions relative to adolescents who never used condoms (AORs 2.0-3.8). Furthermore, the number of sexual partners was related to whether the adolescent had heard discussions among her family about condom use; the higher the number of sexual partners, the more likely the adolescent was to have heard discussions. For adolescents reporting 2-3, 4-5 and 6 or more partners (relative to one partner), the AORs were 1.7, 2.3 and 2.7, respectively. DISCUSSION: Adolescents exposed to information about condom use among the primary individuals in their lives are more likely to be engaging in this behavior themselves.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Vocal buffering of the stress response: exposure to conspecific vocalizations moderates urinary cortisol excretion in isolated marmosets.

For many species, the presence of a significant social partner can lessen the behavioral and physiological responses to stressful stimuli. This study examined whether a single, individually specific, signature vocalization (phee call) could attenuate the physiological stress response that is induced in marmosets by housing them in short-term social isolation. Utilizing a repeated-measures design, adult marmosets (n=10) were temporarily isolated from their long-term pair mate and exposed to three conditions: signature vocalizations from the pair mate, phee calls from an unfamiliar opposite sex individual, or no auditory stimuli. Levels of urinary cortisol were monitored as a physiological indicator of the stress response. Urinary cortisol levels were also monitored, while subjects remained undisturbed in their home cages to provide baseline levels. Temporarily isolated marmosets showed significantly higher levels of urinary cortisol than undisturbed marmosets. However, the nature of the acoustic stimulus experienced during isolation led to differences in the excretion of urinary cortisol. Isolated marmosets exposed to a familiar pair mate's vocalization showed significantly lower levels of urinary cortisol than when exposed to unfamiliar marmoset vocalizations (P <0.04) or to no auditory stimuli (P <0.03). Neither the duration of pairing nor the quality of relationship in the pair (indexed by spatial proximity scores) predicted the magnitude of reduction in cortisol in the familiar vocalization condition. The results presented here provide the first evidence that a single, individually specific communication signal can decrease the magnitude of a physiological stress response in a manner analogous to the physical presence of a social partner, a process we term "vocal buffering."

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Communicating risk in prenatal genetic testing.

Prenatal testing for Down syndrome and neural tube defects has become routine, and testing for other genetic conditions is becoming commonplace. Counseling about these tests involves a discussion of risk information, so pregnant women and their partners can use the information effectively when they make choices about testing. Discussing risk can be challenging, as many individuals, particularly those of lower literacy, have a poor understanding of the numerical concept of risk. Furthermore, whether risk is comprehended accurately or not, it is interpreted by patients in light of their existing knowledge and past experiences. Strategies available to optimize understanding of risk include communication of risk figures as frequencies rather than as probabilities or percentages and explicit discussion of a woman's preconceptions about her risk and about the condition being tested for.

Chromosome Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parent and peer communication effects on AIDS-related behavior among U.S. high school students.

Data from a 1989 national probability sample of 8,098 high school students in the United States indicate that young people's discussions about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with parents and with peers are highly correlated and have opposite effects on behavior. Students who discussed HIV with their parents were less likely than those who did not to have had multiple sex partners, to have had unprotected sexual intercourse and to have ever injected drugs; on the other hand, students who discussed HIV with their peers were more likely than those who did not to have had multiple partners and to have had unprotected sexual intercourse. Subgroup analyses show that young women were influenced more by HIV discussions with parents, while young men were influenced more by discussions with peers; some communication effects differed by race and ethnicity. Students who received HIV instruction in school were more likely to have talked about HIV with both parents and peers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Medicare program; HCFA market research for providers and other partners--HCFA. General notice with comment period.

This notice seeks public comments on information needs of Medicare risk contract health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and competitive medical plans (CMPs) and communication strategies that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the risk contract program. Under section 4002 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and with the implementation of the Medicare + Choice program, all HMOs and CMPs will contract with HCFA under requirements of the Medicare + Choice program. The information sought in this notice will facilitate future changes in the contracting program, as well as improve information needs and communication strategies under the current risk program. Respondents should prioritize issues raised in the preliminary research and identify and additional areas of information needs and best communication strategies. This initiative is one component of our overall effort to develop a comprehensive communication strategy with Medicare providers and HMOs/CMPs and to develop innovative approaches that will assist all program participants to obtain and use information in the most accessible and effective manner. Preliminary research on the information needs of Medicare risk contract HMOs and CMPs and effective communication strategies has identified a number of areas in which we could provide additional information and potential strategies for communicating that information effectively.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Fine structural dependence of ultraviolet reflections in the King Penguin beak horn.

The visual perception of many birds extends into the near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and ultraviolet is used by some to communicate. The beak horn of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) intensely reflects in the ultraviolet and this appears to be implicated in partner choice. In a preliminary study, we recently demonstrated that this ultraviolet reflectance has a structural basis, resulting from crystal-like photonic structures, capable of reflecting in the near-UV. The present study attempted to define the origin of the photonic elements that produce the UV reflectance and to better understand how the UV signal is optimized by their fine structure. Using light and electron microscopic analysis combined with new spectrophotometric data, we describe here in detail the fine structure of the entire King Penguin beak horn in addition to that of its photonic crystals. The data obtained reveal a one-dimensional structural periodicity within this tissue and demonstrate a direct relationship between its fine structure and its function. In addition, they suggest how the photonic structures are produced and how they are stabilized. The measured lattice dimensions of the photonic crystals, together with morphological data on its composition, permit predictions of the wavelength of reflected light. These correlate well with experimentally observed values. The way the UV signal is optimized by the fine structure of the beak tissue is discussed with regard to its putative biological role.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed2003

New roles for astrocytes: regulation of synaptic transmission.

Abstract Although glia often envelop synapses, they have traditionally been viewed as passive participants in synaptic function. Recent evidence has demonstrated, however, that there is a dynamic two-way communication between glia and neurons at the synapse. Neurotransmitters released from presynaptic neurons evoke Ca2+ concentration increases in adjacent glia. Activated glia, in turn, release transmitters, including glutamate and ATP. These gliotransmitters feed back onto the presynaptic terminal either to enhance or to depress further release of neurotransmitter. Transmitters released from glia can also directly stimulate postsynaptic neurons, producing either excitatory or inhibitory responses. Based on these new findings, glia should be considered an active partner at the synapse, dynamically regulating synaptic transmission.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Business and faith: key community partnerships for school-based health centers.

School-based health centers need to form partnerships with organizations in the community. These relationships are essential to the viability of the centers because they can provide support and resources. However, benefits should be accrued by all partners, not just the health centers. Although there are many communities for school-based health centers to connect to, this article focuses on two integral ones--communities of business and faith. Key findings from a project formed to develop communication strategies and to generate support from the business community are reviewed. Recommendations for school-based health centers in approaching the business community are provided. Similarities and differences between communities of faith and strategies of develop relationships with these communities are presented. School-based health centers are encouraged to understand the characteristics and priorities of their partners in communities of business and faith, and to pursue strong relationships with both communities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Comparing communicative competence in child and chimp: the pragmatics of repetition.

Through an analysis of chimpanzee-human discourse, we show that two Pan troglodytes chimpanzees and two Pan paniscus chimpanzees (bonobos) exposed to a humanly devised symbol system use partial or complete repetition of others' symbols, as children do: they do not produce rote imitations, but instead use repetition to fulfil a variety of pragmatic functions in discourse. These functions include agreement, request, promise, excitement, and selection from alternatives. In so doing, the chimpanzees demonstrate contingent turn-taking and the use of simple devices for lexical cohesion. In short, they demonstrate conversational competence. Because of the presence of this conversational competence in three sibling species, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans, it is concluded that the potential to express pragmatic functions through repetition was part of the evolutionary history of human language, present in our common ancestor before the phylogenetic divergence of hominids and chimpanzees. In the context of these similarities, two interesting differences appeared: (I) Human children sometimes used repetition to stimulate more talk in their conversational partner; the chimpanzees, in contrast, use repetition exclusively to forward the non-verbal action. This difference may illuminate a unique feature of human linguistic communication, or it may simply reflect a modality difference (visual symbols used by the chimpanzees, speech used by the children) in the symbol systems considered in this research. A second difference seems likely to reflect a true species difference: utterance length. The one- and two-symbol repetitions used by the chimpanzees to fulfil a variety of pragmatic functions were less than half the maximum length found in either the visual symbol combinations addressed to them by their adult human caregivers or the oral repetitions of two-year-old children. This species difference probably reflects the evolution of increased brain size and consequent increased memory capacity that has occurred since the phylogenetic divergence of hominids and chimpanzees four to seven million years ago.

Animal Communication↗