Transcript of Interview: Mark K. Craig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCurdy, Howard E.

1992-01-01

This document is a transcript of an interview given by Howard E. McCurdy to Mark K. Craig. Craig gives details on his background including information on his family, education, and career path, his reaction to the news that America was planning to put a man on the Moon, why he thinks we should go to Mars, and the political speeches made at the time of early human space exploration planning.

Quality Control for Interviews to Obtain Dietary Recalls from Children for Research Studies

PubMed Central

SHAFFER, NICOLE M.; THOMPSON, WILLIAM O.; BAGLIO, MICHELLE L.; GUINN, CAROLINE H.; FRYE, FRANCESCA H. A.

2005-01-01

Quality control is an important aspect of a study because the quality of data collected provides a foundation for the conclusions drawn from the study. For studies that include interviews, establishing quality control for interviews is critical in ascertaining whether interviews are conducted according to protocol. Despite the importance of quality control for interviews, few studies adequately document the quality control procedures used during data collection. This article reviews quality control for interviews and describes methods and results of quality control for interviews from two of our studies regarding the accuracy of children's dietary recalls; the focus is on quality control regarding interviewer performance during the interview, and examples are provided from studies with children. For our two studies, every interview was audio recorded and transcribed. The audio recording and typed transcript from one interview conducted by each research dietitian either weekly or daily were randomly selected and reviewed by another research dietitian, who completed a standardized quality control for interviews checklist. Major strengths of the methods of quality control for interviews in our two studies include: (a) interviews obtained for data collection were randomly selected for quality control for interviews, and (b) quality control for interviews was assessed on a regular basis throughout data collection. The methods of quality control for interviews described may help researchers design appropriate methods of quality control for interviews for future studies. PMID:15389417

Concerns of the Novice Physical Education Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Evelyn J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine novice physical education teachers in the first and second year of teaching. Participants included two novice physical education teachers, John in Year 1 and Mark in Year 2. Methodology included observations, semistructured interviews, and documents. Data were analyzed using open coding and constant…

Negotiating the Digital Library: Document Delivery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Neil; Morris, Anne

1999-01-01

The eLib-funded FIDDO (Focused Investigation of Document Delivery Options) project provides library managers/others with information to support policy decisions. Senior libraries were interviewed about the future of document delivery and interviews were analyzed with the support of NUD*IST (Nonnumerical Unstructured Data by Indexing, Searching and…

Conceptions of systemic reform: California science education as an investigative example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachse, Thomas Paul

This study explored three perspectives of systemic reform in the context of the California state strategies for improving science education. The three perspectives are those of conceptualizers, implementers, and government administrators. The California case study is examined during the ten-year period from 1983 to 1993. This study is of particular significance, because it examines science education reforms during the ten-year period of Bill Honig's state superintendency in the largest and most diverse state. By examining the facets of state science reforms from three rather different perspectives, the study contrasts how systemic reform definitions vary with role. This qualitative study employs document analysis, archival reviews, and participant interviews as the primary data collection methods. Document analysis included key curriculum frameworks, project proposals and reports, relevant legislation, and professional correspondence. Archival reviews included databases (such as the California Basic Educational Data System), assessment reports (such as the California Assessment Program---Rationale and Content), and policy analyses (such as the Policy Analysis for California Education---Conditions of Education). Interviews were conducted for each of the three perspectives across five segments of the reform strategy for a total of fifteen interviews. Data analysis consisted of combining detailed reviews of documents, archives, and interview information with an examination of perspectives, by role group. The study concludes with an analysis of how each role group perceived the facets of systemic reform in the context of the California case study of science education reform. In addition, the research points to "lessons learned", the strengths and weaknesses of systemic reform strategies at the state level. The study offers recommendations to other large-scale (state level) policy reformers interested in creating, sustaining, and maintaining lasting change.

Creating history: documents and patient participation in nurse-patient interviews.

PubMed

Jones, Aled

2009-09-01

Strongly worded directives regarding the need for increased patient participation during nursing interaction with patients have recently appeared in a range of 'best-practice' documents. This paper focuses on one area of nurse-patient communication, the hospital admission interview, which has been put forward as an ideal arena for increased patient participation. It uses data from a total of 27 admission interviews, extensive periods of participant observation and analysis of nursing records to examine how hospital admission interviews are performed by nurses and patients. Analysis shows that topics discussed during admission closely follow the layout of the admission document which nurses complete during the interview. Whilst it is tempting to describe the admission document as a 'super technological power' in influencing the interaction and restricting patient participation, this analysis attempts a more rounded reading of the data. Findings demonstrate that, whilst opportunities for patient participation were rare, admission interviews are complex interactional episodes that often belie simplistic or prescriptive guidance regarding interaction between nurses and patients. In particular, issue is taken with the lack of contextual and conceptual clarity with which best-practice guidelines are written.

Wilderness Medicine Newsletter, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Holly A., Ed.; And Others

1996-01-01

This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" published during 1996. The newsletter addresses the treatment and prevention of medical emergencies in the wilderness and training resources. Issues typically include feature articles, interviews with doctors in the wilderness, conferences and training…

Documentation systems for educators seeking academic promotion in U.S. medical schools.

PubMed

Simpson, Deborah; Hafler, Janet; Brown, Diane; Wilkerson, LuAnn

2004-08-01

To explore the state and use of teaching portfolios in promotion and tenure in U.S. medical schools. A two-phase qualitative study using a Web-based search procedure and telephone interviews was conducted. The first phase assessed the penetration of teaching portfolio-like systems in U.S. medical schools using a keyword search of medical school Web sites. The second phase examined the current use of teaching portfolios in 16 U.S. medical schools that reported their use in a survey in 1992. The individual designated as having primary responsibility for faculty appointments/promotions was contacted to participate in a 30-60 minute interview. The Phase 1 search of U.S. medical schools' Web sites revealed that 76 medical schools have Web-based access to information on documenting educational activities for promotion. A total of 16 of 17 medical schools responded to Phase 2. All 16 continued to use a portfolio-like system in 2003. Two documentation categories, honors/awards and philosophy/personal statement regarding education, were included by six more of these schools than used these categories in 1992. Dissemination of work to colleagues is now a key inclusion at 15 of the Phase 2 schools. The most common type of evidence used to document education was learner and/or peer ratings with infrequent use of outcome measures and internal/external review. The number of medical schools whose promotion packets include portfolio-like documentation associated with a faculty member's excellence in education has increased by more than 400% in just over ten years. Among early-responder schools the types of documentation categories have increased, but students' ratings of teaching remain the primary evidence used to document the quality or outcomes of the educational efforts reported.

Kenya's health workforce information system: a model of impact on strategic human resources policy, planning and management.

PubMed

Waters, Keith P; Zuber, Alexandra; Willy, Rankesh M; Kiriinya, Rose N; Waudo, Agnes N; Oluoch, Tom; Kimani, Francis M; Riley, Patricia L

2013-09-01

Countries worldwide are challenged by health worker shortages, skill mix imbalances, and maldistribution. Human resources information systems (HRIS) are used to monitor and address these health workforce issues, but global understanding of such systems is minimal and baseline information regarding their scope and capability is practically non-existent. The Kenya Health Workforce Information System (KHWIS) has been identified as a promising example of a functioning HRIS. The objective of this paper is to document the impact of KHWIS data on human resources policy, planning and management. Sources for this study included semi-structured interviews with senior officials at Kenya's Ministry of Medical Services (MOMS), Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MOPHS), the Department of Nursing within MOMS, the Nursing Council of Kenya, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, Kenya's Clinical Officers Council, and Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board. Additionally, quantitative data were extracted from KHWIS databases to supplement the interviews. Health sector policy documents were retrieved from MOMS and MOPHS websites, and reviewed to assess whether they documented any changes to policy and practice as having been impacted by KHWIS data. Interviews with Kenyan government and regulatory officials cited health workforce data provided by KHWIS influenced policy, regulation, and management. Policy changes include extension of Kenya's age of mandatory civil service retirement from 55 to 60 years. Data retrieved from KHWIS document increased relicensing of professional nurses, midwives, medical practitioners and dentists, and interviewees reported this improved compliance raised professional regulatory body revenues. The review of Government records revealed few references to KHWIS; however, documentation specifically cited the KHWIS as having improved the availability of human resources for health information regarding workforce planning, management, and development. KHWIS data have impacted a range of improvements in health worker regulation, human resources management, and workforce policy and planning at Kenya's ministries of health. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

In Abundance: Networked Participatory Practices as Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Bonnie E.

2015-01-01

In an era of knowledge abundance, scholars have the capacity to distribute and share ideas and artifacts via digital networks, yet networked scholarship often remains unrecognized within institutional spheres of influence. Using ethnographic methods including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, this study investigates…

Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians’ Perceptions of Electronic Documentation and Workflow

PubMed Central

Neri, P.M.; Redden, L.; Poole, S.; Pozner, C.N.; Horsky, J.; Raja, A.S.; Poon, E.; Schiff, G.

2015-01-01

Summary Objective To understand emergency department (ED) physicians’ use of electronic documentation in order to identify usability and workflow considerations for the design of future ED information system (EDIS) physician documentation modules. Methods We invited emergency medicine resident physicians to participate in a mixed methods study using task analysis and qualitative interviews. Participants completed a simulated, standardized patient encounter in a medical simulation center while documenting in the test environment of a currently used EDIS. We recorded the time on task, type and sequence of tasks performed by the participants (including tasks performed in parallel). We then conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant. We analyzed these qualitative data using the constant comparative method to generate themes. Results Eight resident physicians participated. The simulation session averaged 17 minutes and participants spent 11 minutes on average on tasks that included electronic documentation. Participants performed tasks in parallel, such as history taking and electronic documentation. Five of the 8 participants performed a similar workflow sequence during the first part of the session while the remaining three used different workflows. Three themes characterize electronic documentation: (1) physicians report that location and timing of documentation varies based on patient acuity and workload, (2) physicians report a need for features that support improved efficiency; and (3) physicians like viewing available patient data but struggle with integration of the EDIS with other information sources. Conclusion We confirmed that physicians spend much of their time on documentation (65%) during an ED patient visit. Further, we found that resident physicians did not all use the same workflow and approach even when presented with an identical standardized patient scenario. Future EHR design should consider these varied workflows while trying to optimize efficiency, such as improving integration of clinical data. These findings should be tested quantitatively in a larger, representative study. PMID:25848411

Treatment of Battlefield Detainees in the War on Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-17

Security Advisor (Jan. 28, 2002), available at http://hrw.org/press/2002/01/us012802-ltr.htm. 8See Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question...June 1999 (citing interview with DoD law of war expert Hayes Parks, who advocates a purely de facto standard, without regard to political factors...117Military Prosecutor v. Kassem , 47 I.L.R. 470 (1971) (excerpts reprinted in DOCUMENTS ON PRISONERS OF WAR, document no. 160 (U.S. Naval War

7 CFR 253.7 - Certification of households.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... or by mail. The State agency shall document the date the application was received. Each household has... cooperates. (5) Interviews. All applicant households, including those submitting applications by mail, shall... organization available which provides free legal representation, the notice shall also advise the household of...

7 CFR 253.7 - Certification of households.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... or by mail. The State agency shall document the date the application was received. Each household has... cooperates. (5) Interviews. All applicant households, including those submitting applications by mail, shall... organization available which provides free legal representation, the notice shall also advise the household of...

Wilderness Medicine Newsletter, 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Holly, Ed.; Thompson, Ken, Ed.

1995-01-01

This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" issued during 1995. The newsletter addresses issues related to the treatment and prevention of medical emergencies in the wilderness. Issues typically include feature articles, interviews with doctors in the field of wilderness medicine, product reviews,…

Scientific and Technical Libraries in Kentucky.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Russell H.; Gleim, David E.

Based on initial questionnaires, plus followup contacts and interviews, this survey documents for the first time the holdings, rates of growth, and information resources available at 72 of Kentucky's scientific and technical libraries. Included are library book collections that emphasize the business, economic, biological, physical, medical, and…

Cultures of Abuse within Residential Child Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkin, Wendy; Green, Lorraine

1997-01-01

Uses interviews with residents and ex-residents, ethnographic techniques, and document analysis to examine sexuality and sexual abuse in residential childcare settings, including how their culture and leadership contribute to abuse and the denial and invisibility of sexuality. Discusses issues around researching sexuality, children, and abusive…

Multiple Case Study of STEM in School-Based Agricultural Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stubbs, Eric A.; Myers, Brian E.

2015-01-01

This multiple case study investigated the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in three Florida high school agriculture programs. Observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts provided qualitative data that indicated the types of STEM knowledge taught. Variables of interest included student and teacher…

AAHE Bulletin, 1997-98.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchese, Theodore J., Ed.

1998-01-01

This document consists of the ten consecutive issues of the "AAHE Bulletin" published during volume year 50. Issues of this bulletin present reports, reviews, and essays on issues concerning the advancement of higher education. Selected major articles in these ten issues include: "The Advancement of Teaching," an interview with Lee Shulman…

Accelerator-driven Medical Sterilization to Replace Co-60 Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kroc, Thomas K.; Thangaraj, Jayakar C.T.; Penning, Richard T.

This report documents the results of a study prepared at the request of the Office of Radiological Security of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), as part of the Domestic Protect and Reduce mission by the Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The study included a literature survey of over 80 relevant documents and articles including industry standards, regulatory documents, technical papers, a court case, previous task force reports and industry white papers. The team also conducted interviews or had conversations with over 40 individuals representing over a dozen organizations over the course of its 10-monthmore » program. This report summarizes our findings, addresses the specific questions posed to us by NNSA, and concludes with a list of actionable recommendations.« less

Initial Steps toward Validating and Measuring the Quality of Computerized Provider Documentation

PubMed Central

Hammond, Kenric W.; Efthimiadis, Efthimis N.; Weir, Charlene R.; Embi, Peter J.; Thielke, Stephen M.; Laundry, Ryan M.; Hedeen, Ashley

2010-01-01

Background: Concerns exist about the quality of electronic health care documentation. Prior studies have focused on physicians. This investigation studied document quality perceptions of practitioners (including physicians), nurses and administrative staff. Methods: An instrument developed from staff interviews and literature sources was administered to 110 practitioners, nurses and administrative staff. Short, long and original versions of records were rated. Results: Length transformation did not affect quality ratings. On several scales practitioners rated notes less favorably than administrators or nurses. The original source document was associated with the quality rating, as was tf·idf, a relevance statistic computed from document text. Tf·idf was strongly associated with practitioner quality ratings. Conclusion: Document quality estimates were not sensitive to modifying redundancy in documents. Some perceptions of quality differ by role. Intrinsic document properties are associated with staff judgments of document quality. For practitioners, the tf·idf statistic was strongly associated with the quality dimensions evaluated. PMID:21346983

Impact of a pharmacist-driven beta-lactam allergy interview on inpatient antimicrobial therapy: A pilot project.

PubMed

Sigona, Nicholas S; Steele, Jeffrey M; Miller, Christopher D

To determine the impact of a pharmacist-driven beta-lactam allergy interview on antimicrobial therapy. Tertiary care academic medical center. Clarification of beta-lactam allergy may expand treatment options for patients and potentially improve outcomes, reduce toxicity, and reduce costs. At our institution, a pilot service using a pharmacy resident and infectious diseases clinical pharmacist was implemented to clarify beta-lactam allergy information and, where appropriate, recommend a change to the patient's antibiotic therapy. Adult patients with a documented beta-lactam allergy who had received non-penicillin antibiotics and who had undergone a beta-lactam allergy interview were identified via pharmacy intervention data. A pharmacist interviewed these patients with the use of an internally developed allergy questionnaire. Recommendations for beta-lactam therapy were made to the patient's primary medical team based on the results of the allergy interview and factors including infection type and culture results. The primary objectives were to determine the percentage of patients successfully switched to beta-lactam therapy as a result of the drug allergy interview, to identify allergy discrepancies between the electronic medical record (EMR) and pharmacist's interview, and to quantify the acceptance rate of the pharmacist's antimicrobial recommendations after drug allergy clarification. Thirty-two patients were interviewed, and 24 were candidates for a beta-lactam recommendation. As a result of the interview, 21 patients (65.6%) were successfully switched from a non-penicillin antibiotic to a cephalosporin, carbapenem, or penicillin. A discrepancy between the EMR-reported allergy and history obtained on interview was identified in 11 patients (34.4%). Medical providers accepted 87.5% of pharmacists' antimicrobial recommendations. A pharmacist-driven beta-lactam allergy interview was effective in switching eligible patients to beta-lactam therapy and identifying discrepancies between EMR-documented allergies and confirmed allergies. Antimicrobial recommendations were well received by medical providers with a high acceptance rate. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recruitment and Selection: Meeting the Leadership Shortage in One Large Canadian School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normore, Anthony H.

2004-01-01

This article investigates the recruitment and selection strategies of one large Canadian school district in Ontario, called here the "Northwestern School District." Data collection included interviews, document analyses and observations, and were gathered in 2001. Findings indicated that designated structured teams, financial and…

Program Evaluation of a School District's Multisensory Reading Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asip, Michael Patrick

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a formative program evaluation of a school district's multisensory reading initiative. The mixed methods study involved semi-structured interviews, online survey, focus groups, document review, and analysis of extant special education student reading achievement data. Participants included elementary…

Creating a Shared Formulary in 7 Critical Access Hospitals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakefield, Douglas S.; Ward, Marcia M.; Loes, Jean L.; O'Brien, John; Abbas, Nancy

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper reports a case study of 7 Critical Access Hospitals' (CAH) and 1 rural referral hospital's successful collaboration to develop a shared formulary. Methods: Study methods included document reviews, interviews with key informants, and use of descriptive statistics. Findings: Through a systematic review and decision process, CAH…

Jobs: Finding and Keeping = Empleos: Buscandolos y Manteniendolos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Private Industry Council of Lehigh Valley, Inc., Allentown, PA.

This document consists of the English and Spanish versions of a booklet to aid individuals in finding and keeping jobs for which they are best suited. Topics covered include analyzing personal requirements (abilities, interests), where to look for jobs, letters of application, resumes, application forms, employment interviews, and job keeping…

Teacher Decision Making and the Implementation of an Integrated Arts Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devono, Mary K.

2009-01-01

This study examines the impact of teacher decision making upon implementing an integrated arts curriculum. Qualitative research methods, including interviews, lesson plan document analysis, and teacher discussion of student artwork comprise the research data from eight elementary classroom teachers. This study is designed to add to the descriptive…

Multiple Solutions Approach (MSA): Conceptions and Practices of Primary School Teachers in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nabie, Michael Johnson; Raheem, Kolawole; Agbemaka, John Bijou; Sabtiwu, Rufai

2016-01-01

The study explored the curriculum guidelines and primary school teachers' conceptions and practices of the Multiple Solutions Approach (MSA) in teaching mathematics using basic qualitative research design. Informal conversation interviews (ICIs), observations, video and document analyses were used to collect data. Participants included a purposive…

Transformative Learning through Education Abroad: A Case Study of a Community College Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenner, Ashley A.

2014-01-01

This case study examined how participating in a short-term education abroad program fostered transformative learning for a small group of community college students. As a participant-observer, I utilized ethnographic methods, including interviews, observations, and document analysis, to understand students' perceptions of their experiences…

Spousal Abuse among Immigrants from Ethiopia in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kacen, Lea

2006-01-01

This ethnographic study obtains first-hand information on spousal abuse from Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. Data include 23 interviews with male and female immigrants of various ages and 10 professionals who worked with this community as well as observations and documents. The findings, verified by participants, show that during cultural…

22 CFR 42.62 - Personal appearance and interview of applicant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... 42.62 Section 42.62 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.62 Personal... alien applying for an immigrant visa, including an alien whose application is executed by another person...

22 CFR 42.62 - Personal appearance and interview of applicant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... 42.62 Section 42.62 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.62 Personal... alien applying for an immigrant visa, including an alien whose application is executed by another person...

22 CFR 42.62 - Personal appearance and interview of applicant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... 42.62 Section 42.62 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Application for Immigrant Visas § 42.62 Personal... alien applying for an immigrant visa, including an alien whose application is executed by another person...

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Domestic Violence among Pregnant Women in Northern Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iliyasu, Zubairu; Abubakar, Isa S.; Galadanci, Hadiza S.; Hayatu, Zainab; Aliyu, Muktar H.

2013-01-01

Many women experience domestic violence during pregnancy. The magnitude and risk factors for domestic violence during pregnancy are not well documented in many countries, including Nigeria. Using interviewer- administered questionnaires the authors investigated predictors of domestic violence during current pregnancy among women presenting for…

Occupational Exploration at Ontario Junior High School: 8th Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Gene; And Others

The document contains 47 activities for Grade 8. The contents include the following areas: questionnaires; work vocabularies; employment seeking procedures--employment ads, application forms, resumes, job interviews, and resume preparation advice; a 24-page unit presenting occupational information in relation to career choice and job application…

The Teacher Trainer, 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Tessa, Ed.

1994-01-01

This document consists of the three issues of the journal "The Teacher Trainer" published in 1994. This journal is designed for those interested in modern language teacher training. It makes use of a variety of formats: article, letter, comment, quotation, cartoon, interview, spoof, Haiku ideas. Typical article topics during 1994 included:…

Examining One High School's Restructuring Efforts within "Garbage Can" Decision Making Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shindler, John V.

A study examined decision making within one large urban high school's restructuring efforts, using an emergent qualitative case-study design. Data, collected over a 2-year period, included formal and informal interviews, participant and nonparticipant observations, surveys, and documents. Results of data analysis supported matching the…

Enhancing witness memory with techniques derived from hypnotic investigative interviewing: focused meditation, eye-closure, and context reinstatement.

PubMed

Wagstaff, Graham F; Wheatcroft, Jacqueline M; Caddick, Andrea M; Kirby, Lara J; Lamont, Elizabeth

2011-04-01

Due to several well-documented problems, hypnosis as a forensic interviewing tool has been largely replaced by the cognitive interview; however, the latter is problematic in time and complexity. This article builds on previous research showing that some procedures used in traditional hypnotic forensic interviewing might still be useful in developing alternative procedures for use in investigative interviewing. Two experiments are described that include a focused meditation with eye-closure technique with similarities to conventional hypnotic induction but without the label of hypnosis. In the first, focused meditation was comparable to a context reinstatement, or revivification, technique in facilitating memory in children aged 6 to 7 without increasing errors or inflating confidence. In the second, when used in combination with context reinstatement, focused meditation was resistant to the effects of misleading information in adults. Implications are discussed.

Newly qualified teachers' visions of science learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Deborah L.

2011-12-01

This study investigated newly qualified teachers' visions of science learning and teaching. The study also documented their preparation in an elementary science methods course. The research questions were: What educational and professional experiences influenced the instructor's visions of science learning and teaching? What visions of science learning and teaching were promoted in the participants' science methods course? What visions of science learning and teaching did these newly qualified teachers bring with them as they graduated from their teacher preparation program? How did these visions compare with those advocated by reform documents? Data sources included participants' assignments, weekly reflections, and multi-media portfolio finals. Semi-structured interviews provided the emic voice of participants, after graduation but before they had begun to teach. These data were interpreted via a combination of qualitative methodologies. Vignettes described class activities. Assertions supported by excerpts from participants' writings emerged from repeated review of their assignments. A case study of a typical participant characterized weekly reflections and final multi-media portfolio. Four strands of science proficiency articulated in a national reform document provided a framework for interpreting activities, assignments, and interview responses. Prior experiences that influenced design of the methods course included an inquiry-based undergraduate physics course, participation in a reform-based teacher preparation program, undergraduate and graduate inquiry-based science teaching methods courses, participation in a teacher research group, continued connection to the university as a beginning teacher, teaching in diverse Title 1 schools, service as the county and state elementary science specialist, participation in the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, service on a National Research Council committee, and experience teaching a science methods course. The methods course studied here emphasized reform-based practices, science as inquiry, culturally responsive teaching, scientific discourse, and integration of science with technology and other disciplines. Participants' writings and interview responses articulated visions of science learning and teaching that included aspects of reform-based practices. Some participants intentionally incorporated and implemented reform-based strategies in field placements during the methods course and student teaching. The strands of scientific proficiency were evident in activities, assignments and participants' interviews in varying degrees.

Improving health care proxy documentation using a web-based interview through a patient portal

PubMed Central

Crotty, Bradley H; Kowaloff, Hollis B; Safran, Charles; Slack, Warner V

2016-01-01

Objective Health care proxy (HCP) documentation is suboptimal. To improve rates of proxy selection and documentation, we sought to develop and evaluate a web-based interview to guide patients in their selection, and to capture their choices in their electronic health record (EHR). Methods We developed and implemented a HCP interview within the patient portal of a large academic health system. We analyzed the experience, together with demographic and clinical factors, of the first 200 patients who used the portal to complete the interview. We invited users to comment about their experience and analyzed their comments using established qualitative methods. Results From January 20, 2015 to March 13, 2015, 139 of the 200 patients who completed the interview submitted their HCP information for their clinician to review in the EHR. These patients had a median age of 57 years (Inter Quartile Range (IQR) 45–67) and most were healthy. The 99 patients who did not previously have HCP information in their EHR were more likely to complete and then submit their information than the 101 patients who previously had a proxy in their health record (odds ratio 2.4, P = .005). Qualitative analysis identified several ways in which the portal-based interview reminded, encouraged, and facilitated patients to complete their HCP. Conclusions Patients found our online interview convenient and helpful in facilitating selection and documentation of an HCP. Our study demonstrates that a web-based interview to collect and share a patient’s HCP information is both feasible and useful. PMID:26568608

Text mining for the biocuration workflow

PubMed Central

Hirschman, Lynette; Burns, Gully A. P. C; Krallinger, Martin; Arighi, Cecilia; Cohen, K. Bretonnel; Valencia, Alfonso; Wu, Cathy H.; Chatr-Aryamontri, Andrew; Dowell, Karen G.; Huala, Eva; Lourenço, Anália; Nash, Robert; Veuthey, Anne-Lise; Wiegers, Thomas; Winter, Andrew G.

2012-01-01

Molecular biology has become heavily dependent on biological knowledge encoded in expert curated biological databases. As the volume of biological literature increases, biocurators need help in keeping up with the literature; (semi-) automated aids for biocuration would seem to be an ideal application for natural language processing and text mining. However, to date, there have been few documented successes for improving biocuration throughput using text mining. Our initial investigations took place for the workshop on ‘Text Mining for the BioCuration Workflow’ at the third International Biocuration Conference (Berlin, 2009). We interviewed biocurators to obtain workflows from eight biological databases. This initial study revealed high-level commonalities, including (i) selection of documents for curation; (ii) indexing of documents with biologically relevant entities (e.g. genes); and (iii) detailed curation of specific relations (e.g. interactions); however, the detailed workflows also showed many variabilities. Following the workshop, we conducted a survey of biocurators. The survey identified biocurator priorities, including the handling of full text indexed with biological entities and support for the identification and prioritization of documents for curation. It also indicated that two-thirds of the biocuration teams had experimented with text mining and almost half were using text mining at that time. Analysis of our interviews and survey provide a set of requirements for the integration of text mining into the biocuration workflow. These can guide the identification of common needs across curated databases and encourage joint experimentation involving biocurators, text mining developers and the larger biomedical research community. PMID:22513129

Text mining for the biocuration workflow.

PubMed

Hirschman, Lynette; Burns, Gully A P C; Krallinger, Martin; Arighi, Cecilia; Cohen, K Bretonnel; Valencia, Alfonso; Wu, Cathy H; Chatr-Aryamontri, Andrew; Dowell, Karen G; Huala, Eva; Lourenço, Anália; Nash, Robert; Veuthey, Anne-Lise; Wiegers, Thomas; Winter, Andrew G

2012-01-01

Molecular biology has become heavily dependent on biological knowledge encoded in expert curated biological databases. As the volume of biological literature increases, biocurators need help in keeping up with the literature; (semi-) automated aids for biocuration would seem to be an ideal application for natural language processing and text mining. However, to date, there have been few documented successes for improving biocuration throughput using text mining. Our initial investigations took place for the workshop on 'Text Mining for the BioCuration Workflow' at the third International Biocuration Conference (Berlin, 2009). We interviewed biocurators to obtain workflows from eight biological databases. This initial study revealed high-level commonalities, including (i) selection of documents for curation; (ii) indexing of documents with biologically relevant entities (e.g. genes); and (iii) detailed curation of specific relations (e.g. interactions); however, the detailed workflows also showed many variabilities. Following the workshop, we conducted a survey of biocurators. The survey identified biocurator priorities, including the handling of full text indexed with biological entities and support for the identification and prioritization of documents for curation. It also indicated that two-thirds of the biocuration teams had experimented with text mining and almost half were using text mining at that time. Analysis of our interviews and survey provide a set of requirements for the integration of text mining into the biocuration workflow. These can guide the identification of common needs across curated databases and encourage joint experimentation involving biocurators, text mining developers and the larger biomedical research community.

Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Volume 23, Number 4, Issue 79, October 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

the final word on ship design decisions, including critical operational requirements and costs. Kuehn provides a captivating description of how the...requires using material from primary sources, including program documents, policy papers, memoranda, surveys , interviews, etc. Articles are...instrument, • describe the limitations of the research, • ensure results are quantitative and qualitative, • determine if the study can be replicated, and

Investigating the Advantages of Constructing Multidigit Numeration Understanding through Oneida and Lakota Native Languages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hankes, Judith Elaine

This paper documents a culturally specific language strength for developing number sense among Oneida- and Lakota-speaking primary students. Qualitative research methods scaffolded this research study: culture informants were interviewed and interviews were transcribed and coded for analysis; culture documents were selected for analysis; and…

Documenting Art Therapy Clinical Knowledge Using Interviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regev, Dafna

2017-01-01

Practicing art therapists have vast stores of knowledge and experience, but in most cases, their work is not documented, and their clinical knowledge does not enter the academic discourse. This article proposes a systematic approach to the collection of practice knowledge about art therapy based on conducting interviews with art therapists who…

Vocation Project Interview Questions--Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheelahan, Leesa; Leahy, Mary; Fredman, Nick; Moodie, Gavin; Arkoudis, Sophie; Bexley, Emmaline

2012-01-01

This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Missing Links: The Fragmented Relation between Tertiary Education and Jobs. It is an added resource for further information. It contains interview questions for: (1) graduates; (2) learning advisors; (3) managers; (4) pathways officers; (5) students; and (6)…

Impacts of Computerized Physician Documentation in a Teaching Hospital: Perceptions of Faculty and Resident Physicians

PubMed Central

Embi, Peter J.; Yackel, Thomas R.; Logan, Judith R.; Bowen, Judith L.; Cooney, Thomas G.; Gorman, Paul N.

2004-01-01

Objective: Computerized physician documentation (CPD) has been implemented throughout the nation's Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) and is likely to increasingly replace handwritten documentation in other institutions. The use of this technology may affect educational and clinical activities, yet little has been reported in this regard. The authors conducted a qualitative study to determine the perceived impacts of CPD among faculty and housestaff in a VAMC. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted using semistructured interviews with faculty (n = 10) and a group interview with residents (n = 10) at a VAMC teaching hospital. Measurements: Content analysis of field notes and taped transcripts were done by two independent reviewers using a grounded theory approach. Findings were validated using member checking and peer debriefing. Results: Four major themes were identified: (1) improved availability of documentation; (2) changes in work processes and communication; (3) alterations in document structure and content; and (4) mistakes, concerns, and decreased confidence in the data. With a few exceptions, subjects felt documentation was more available, with benefits for education and patient care. Other impacts of CPD were largely seen as detrimental to aspects of clinical practice and education, including documentation quality, workflow, professional communication, and patient care. Conclusion: CPD is perceived to have substantial positive and negative impacts on clinical and educational activities and environments. Care should be taken when designing, implementing, and using such systems to avoid or minimize any harmful impacts. More research is needed to assess the extent of the impacts identified and to determine the best strategies to effectively deal with them. PMID:15064287

Improving public health evaluation: a qualitative investigation of practitioners' needs.

PubMed

Denford, Sarah; Lakshman, Rajalakshmi; Callaghan, Margaret; Abraham, Charles

2018-01-30

In 2011, the House of Lords published a report on Behaviour Change, in which they report that "a lot more could, and should, be done to improve the evaluation of interventions." This study aimed to undertake a needs assessment of what kind of evaluation training and materials would be of most use to UK public health practitioners by conducting interviews with practitioners about everyday evaluation practice and needed guidance and materials. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 public health practitioners in two UK regions, Cambridgeshire and the South West. Participants included directors of public health, consultants in public health, health improvement advisors, public health intelligence, and public health research officers. A topic guide included questions designed to explore participants existing evaluation practice and their needs for further training and guidance. Data were analysed using thematic analyses. Practitioners highlighted the need for evaluation to defend the effectiveness of existing programs and protect funding provisions. However, practitioners often lacked training in evaluation, and felt unqualified to perform such a task. The majority of practitioners did not use, or were not aware of many existing evaluation guidance documents. They wanted quality-assured, practical guidance that relate to the real world settings in which they operate. Practitioners also mentioned the need for better links and support from academics in public health. Whilst numerous guidance documents supporting public health evaluation exist, these documents are currently underused by practitioners - either because they are not considered useful, or because practitioners are not aware of them. Integrating existing guides into a catalogue of guidance documents, and developing a new-quality assured, practical and useful document may support the evaluation of public health programs. This in turn has the potential to identify those programs that are effective; thus improving public health and reducing financial waste.

Distancing Students from Nature: Science Camp and the Representation of the Human-Nature Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrill, Laura Anne

2015-01-01

This study investigated the curricular representations of the environment and the human-environment relationship at one residential school sponsored science camp. Data gathered included field notes from observational time at the camp, interviews with staff and classroom teachers, and documents from the site's website, guides, manuals, and…

What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2014: Documentation and Data Files

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat in America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2013-2014 are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview data ar...

What We Eat in America, NHANES 2011-2012: Documentation and Data Files

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat in America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2011-2012 and are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview dat...

Literacy Agents Online: E-Discussion Forums for Advancing Adults' Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzzetti, Barbara J.; Foley, Leslie M.

2014-01-01

This study explored how adults used a self-selected online forum to advance their own and others' literacy practices. The study was a discourse-centered online ethnography using triangulated methods, including analysis of list archives, semi-structured and informal interviews, and document collection. These data were analyzed by discourse…

Provision for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Botswana: A Situational Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth

2007-01-01

This paper considers the support of children with special educational needs in Botswana. A variety of sources including policy documents, literature, statistical data, interviews with key personnel and observation, are used to analyse the context and delivery of provision. Botswana is a middle-income country that has seen rapid economic expansion…

From Microscope to Mirror: Doctoral Students' Evolving Positionalities through Engagement with Culturally Sensitive Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roegman, Rachel; Knight, Michelle G.; Taylor, Ashley M.; Watson, Vaughn W. M.

2016-01-01

This study examines the experiences of doctoral students in a qualitative research course that centers culture throughout the research process. Data sources include one-on-one interviews, written documentation of course assignments, research team meetings, and doctoral students' conference proposals and publications examining civic learning and…

Measuring the Difficult to Measure: Teaching and Learning with an iPad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargis, Jace; Cavanaugh, Cathy; Kamali, Tayeb; Soto, Melissa

2013-01-01

This study applies a comprehensive set of measures to document teaching practice and instructor responses when integrating new mobile technology devices in the classroom. The triangulated measures include a rubric for observing teaching with mobile learning devices in higher education, an interview protocol for capturing faculty levels of mobile…

What We Eat In America, NHANES 2005-2006: Documentation and Data Files

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat In America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2005-2006 and are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview data ...

What We Eat In America, NHANES 2009-2010: Documentation and Data Files

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat In America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2009-2010 and are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview dat...

What We Eat In America, NHANES 2007-2008: Documentation and Data Files

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New nationwide dietary intake data were collected in What We Eat In America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2007-2008 and are now available for public use. Two days of dietary intake data are included for most participants. The dietary interview data ...

There and Back Again: Exploring Teacher Attrition and Mobility with Two Transitioning Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew

2011-01-01

This study chronicled the professional journeys of two beginning science teachers. The focus of the research effort documents what brought them to science teaching and investigated their resulting career paths. Data artifacts for this instrumental case study approach included: interviews, written survey responses, personal communications and…

Not Funding the Evidence-Based Model in Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edlefson, Carla

2010-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to describe the implementation of Ohio's version of the Evidence-Based Model (OEBM) state school finance system in 2009. Data sources included state budget documents and analyses as well as interviews with local school officials. The new system was responsive to three policy objectives ordered by the…

Secondary English Teachers' Perspectives on the Design and Use of Classroom Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janicki, Eric; Chandler-Olcott, Kelly

2012-01-01

Although K-12 teachers are frequently exhorted to maintain classroom websites, little is known about how they view or accomplish such work. To address this gap in the research literature, the study described here used qualitative methods, including computer-mediated interviews and document analysis, to explore secondary English teachers'…

A Critical Practice Analysis of Response to Intervention Appropriation in an Urban School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King Thorius, Kathleen A.; Maxcy, Brendan D.; Macey, Erin; Cox, Adrienne

2014-01-01

This qualitative case study focuses on factors mediating an urban school's enactment of Response to Intervention (RTI). Over one school year, we (a) observed weekly RTI meetings, (b) debriefed observations weekly, (c) interviewed RTI team members, and (d) examined procedural documents. Analyses included post-observation debriefing and coding…

Third Culture Kids: Transition and Persistence When Repatriating to Attend University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennison Smith, Virginia M

2011-01-01

Scope and Method of Study. This qualitative study used heuristic phenomenology and involved 20 interviews at 3 different sites, 2 focus groups, formal and informal observations, and the analysis of various artifacts including photos, drawings, and documents. Findings and Conclusions. Third culture kids are a diverse group of individuals who spent…

Emily and Rebecca: A Tale of Two Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, S.W.

2005-01-01

Using a qualitative study, two teachers, Emily and Rebecca, who started their teaching careers in their forties were interviewed and followed for 3 years to document their experiences in the teaching profession. The tale of these two teachers includes their joys, frustrations, and problems that surround their lives as middle school math teachers.…

Exploring a Paperless Business Administrative System (BAS) Implementation in a K-12 School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Issa, Marwan M.

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how a paperless BAS can affect the overall performance of a school's administrative activities. The research included direct observation, survey questionnaires, document review, and both structured and unstructured interviews. The selected school, a K-12 charter school, was an ideal…

The Law, Policy, and Politics of Formal Hypnosis in the Public Community College Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachs, Steven Mark

Information from printed sources, legal documents, and interviews with community college administrators formed the basis of an investigation of the legal, policy, and political implications of the use of formal hypnosis as an instructional augmentation in the community college classroom. Study findings included the following: (1) no formal policy…

78 FR 27389 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Public...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... minutes...... 278 Group (ACG)/ Experimental Group (EG). In-person interview EG 435 1 1.25 hours...... 544... information collection assigned OMB control number 0990-0308, scheduled to expire on June 30, 2013. Comments... submitting comments or requesting information, please include the OMB control number 0990-0308 and document...

A Naturalistic Inquiry of a Distance Learning University TESOL Program for In-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Summers-Rocha, Lonna

2015-01-01

In this naturalistic inquiry, I explore a professional development program which provided Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate coursework from a university in Northeast Kansas to in-service teachers in Southwest Kansas through distance learning. Data sources included interviews, participant observation, and document and…

75 FR 46904 - Request for Proposals: Fiscal Year 2010 Funding Opportunity for Research on the Economic Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

... supporting documentation for completed tasks include, but are not limited to, questionnaire or interview... 2009 research. 6. The performance of subcontracting services, oversight, and financial controls for the... United States Government and the eligible recipient during the performance of the research in the...

Restructuring State Education Agencies: Learning from State Leaders. SERVE Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Linda J.

Findings of a study that describes restructuring efforts undertaken by state education agencies (SEAs) are presented in this paper. Data were collected through telephone interviews with SEA officials in 24 states that were actively engaged in restructuring and analysis of SEA documents. Factors that contributed to restructuring included the place…

Increasing Urban Students' Engagement with School: Toward the Expeditionary Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikpeze, Chinwe

2013-01-01

This paper documents the findings of a case study of one K-10 urban expeditionary learning (EL) school. Drawing on theoretical perspectives consistent with the sociocultural theory, data were collected from a variety of sources that included a survey, interviews, field notes from classroom observations and other school activities. Thematic…

The implementation of portfolio assessment by the educators on the mathematics learning process in senior high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestariani, Ida; Sujadi, Imam; Pramudya, Ikrar

2018-05-01

Portfolio assessment can shows the development of the ability of learners in a period through the work so that can be seen progress monitored learning of each learner. The purpose of research to describe and know the implementation of portfolio assessment on the mathematics learning process with the Senior High school math teacher class X as the subject because of the importance of applying the assessment for the progress of learning outcomes of learners. This research includes descriptive qualitative research type. Techniques of data collecting is done by observation method, interview and documentation. Data collection then validated using triangulation technique that is observation technique, interview and documentation. Data analysis technique is done by data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. The results showed that the steps taken by teachers in applying portfolio assessment obtained focused on learning outcomes. Student learning outcomes include homework and daily tests. Based on the results of research can be concluded that the implementation of portfolio assessment is the form of learning results are scored. Teachers have not yet implemented other portfolio assessment techniques such as student work.

8 CFR 204.1 - General information about immediate relative and family-sponsored petitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... question. When an interview is required, all original documents must be presented for examination at the interview. (3) Foreign language documents must be accompanied by an English translation which has been... Service. If questions arise concerning the filing of the petition which cannot be resolved through a check...

8 CFR 204.1 - General information about immediate relative and family-sponsored petitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... question. When an interview is required, all original documents must be presented for examination at the interview. (3) Foreign language documents must be accompanied by an English translation which has been... Service. If questions arise concerning the filing of the petition which cannot be resolved through a check...

Improving health care proxy documentation using a web-based interview through a patient portal.

PubMed

Bajracharya, Adarsha S; Crotty, Bradley H; Kowaloff, Hollis B; Safran, Charles; Slack, Warner V

2016-05-01

Health care proxy (HCP) documentation is suboptimal. To improve rates of proxy selection and documentation, we sought to develop and evaluate a web-based interview to guide patients in their selection, and to capture their choices in their electronic health record (EHR). We developed and implemented a HCP interview within the patient portal of a large academic health system. We analyzed the experience, together with demographic and clinical factors, of the first 200 patients who used the portal to complete the interview. We invited users to comment about their experience and analyzed their comments using established qualitative methods. From January 20, 2015 to March 13, 2015, 139 of the 200 patients who completed the interview submitted their HCP information for their clinician to review in the EHR. These patients had a median age of 57 years (Inter Quartile Range (IQR) 45-67) and most were healthy. The 99 patients who did not previously have HCP information in their EHR were more likely to complete and then submit their information than the 101 patients who previously had a proxy in their health record (odds ratio 2.4, P = .005). Qualitative analysis identified several ways in which the portal-based interview reminded, encouraged, and facilitated patients to complete their HCP. Patients found our online interview convenient and helpful in facilitating selection and documentation of an HCP. Our study demonstrates that a web-based interview to collect and share a patient's HCP information is both feasible and useful. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Potential Role of Schools and Teachers in the Character Development of Young People in England: Perspectives from Pupils and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

See, Beng Huat; Arthur, James

2011-01-01

This paper considers the potential role of schools and teachers in the character development of pupils aged 10-19. It is based largely on the views of 5207 pupils in England, drawn from 25 state schools, including five primaries. Data include document contents, interviews and surveys with pupils and their teachers. Pupil accounts suggest that…

Western Kentucky University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2012

2012-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Western Kentucky University (WKU) on June 19-20, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by WKU and identified by the AED…

New York University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2012

2012-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to New York University (NYU) on December 8-9, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by NYU and identified by the AED research team, provide…

Montclair State University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Montclair State University (MSU) on September 25-26, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by MSU and identified by the AED research…

Jackson State University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Jackson State University (JSU) on October 13-14, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by JSU and identified by the AED…

Arizona State University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Arizona State University (ASU) on October 20-21, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by ASU and identified by the AED research team,…

Disclosure of Sexual Abuse in Sport Organizations: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parent, Sylvie

2011-01-01

The disclosure of sexual abuse in the world of sports is a process that has not been widely documented. This article presents the results of a document analysis of sport organization policies and interviews conducted with 27 sport stakeholders. The interviews focus on these stakeholders' perceptions of how the disclosure process would unfold if a…

Trained student pharmacists' telephonic collection of patient medication information: Evaluation of a structured interview tool.

PubMed

Margolis, Amanda R; Martin, Beth A; Mott, David A

2016-01-01

To determine the feasibility and fidelity of student pharmacists collecting patient medication list information using a structured interview tool and the accuracy of documenting the information. The medication lists were used by a community pharmacist to provide a targeted medication therapy management (MTM) intervention. Descriptive analysis of patient medication lists collected with telephone interviews. Ten trained student pharmacists collected the medication lists. Trained student pharmacists conducted audio-recorded telephone interviews with 80 English-speaking, community-dwelling older adults using a structured interview tool to collect and document medication lists. Feasibility was measured using the number of completed interviews, the time student pharmacists took to collect the information, and pharmacist feedback. Fidelity to the interview tool was measured by assessing student pharmacists' adherence to asking all scripted questions and probes. Accuracy was measured by comparing the audio-recorded interviews to the medication list information documented in an electronic medical record. On average, it took student pharmacists 26.7 minutes to collect the medication lists. The community pharmacist said the medication lists were complete and that having the medication lists saved time and allowed him to focus on assessment, recommendations, and education during the targeted MTM session. Fidelity was high, with an overall proportion of asked scripted probes of 83.75% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.62-86.88%). Accuracy was also high for both prescription (95.1%; 95% CI, 94.3-95.8%) and nonprescription (90.5%; 95% CI, 89.4-91.4%) medications. Trained student pharmacists were able to use an interview tool to collect and document medication lists with a high degree of fidelity and accuracy. This study suggests that student pharmacists or trained technicians may be able to collect patient medication lists to facilitate MTM sessions in the community pharmacy setting. Evaluating the sustainability of using student pharmacists or trained technicians to collect medication lists is needed. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trained student pharmacists’ telephonic collection of patient medication information: Evaluation of a structured interview tool

PubMed Central

Margolis, Amanda R.; Martin, Beth A.; Mott, David A.

2016-01-01

Objective To determine the feasibility and fidelity of student pharmacists collecting patient medication list information using a structured interview tool and the accuracy of documenting the information. The medication lists were used by a community pharmacist to provide a targeted medication therapy management (MTM) intervention. Design Descriptive analysis of patient medication lists collected via telephone interviews. Participants 10 trained student pharmacists collected the medication lists. Intervention Trained student pharmacists conducted audio-recorded telephone interviews with 80 English-speaking community dwelling older adults using a structured interview tool to collect and document medication lists. Main outcome measures Feasibility was measured using the number of completed interviews, the time student pharmacists took to collect the information, and pharmacist feedback. Fidelity to the interview tool was measured by assessing student pharmacists’ adherence to asking all scripted questions and probes. Accuracy was measured by comparing the audio recorded interviews to the medication list information documented in an electronic medical record. Results On average it took student pharmacists 26.7 minutes to collect the medication lists. The community pharmacist said the medication lists were complete and that having the medication lists saved time and allowed him to focus on assessment, recommendations, and education during the targeted MTM session. Fidelity was high with an overall proportion of asked scripted probes of 83.75% (95%CI: 80.62–86.88%). Accuracy was also high for both prescription (95.1%, 95%CI: 94.3–95.8%) and non-prescription (90.5%, 95%CI: 89.4–91.4%) medications. Conclusion Trained student pharmacists were able to use an interview tool to collect and document medication lists with a high degree of fidelity and accuracy. This study suggests that student pharmacists or trained technicians may be able to collect patient medication lists to facilitate MTM sessions in the community pharmacy setting. Evaluating the sustainability of using student pharmacists or trained technicians to collect medication lists is needed. PMID:27000165

Beyond Academic and Social Integration: Understanding the Impact of a STEM Enrichment Program on the Retention and Degree Attainment of Underrepresented Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Tonisha B.

2016-01-01

The current study used a case study methodological approach, including document analysis, semistructured interviews, and participant observations, to investigate how a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment program supported retention and degree attainment of underrepresented students at a large, public, predominantly…

Accolades and Recommendations: A Longitudinal Analysis of Monitoring Reports for Two Charter Schools Serving Native American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Derek L.; Holder, K. C.

2012-01-01

This longitudinal case study examines 10 years' worth of annual monitoring reports for two rural Native American Charter Schools. Using data from multiple sources including interviews, site visits, and document analyses, the authors used provisional coding and constant comparison analysis to categorize the accolades and recommendations embedded in…

United States Census 2000 Population with Bridged Race Categories. Vital and Health Statistics. Data Evaluation and Methods Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingram, Deborah D.; Parker, Jennifer D.; Schenker, Nathaniel; Weed, James A.; Hamilton, Brady; Arias, Elizabeth; Madans, Jennifer H.

This report documents the National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) methods for bridging the Census 2000 multiple-race resident population to single-race categories and describing bridged race resident population estimates. Data came from the pooled 1997-2000 National Health Interview Surveys. The bridging models included demographic and…

Perspectives of Teachers and Parents of Chinese American Students with Disabilities about Their Home-School Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Szu-Yin

2014-01-01

This exploratory qualitative study aimed to examine the perspectives of teachers and parents of Chinese American students with disabilities regarding home-school communication in the special education field. The author recruited 2 parents and 2 teachers for this study. Different sources of data including observations, interviews, documentations,…

Computerization of the Botswana National Library Service. Restricted Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Peter C.

This report discusses the scope for and feasibility of introducing automated systems into the Botswana National Library Service (BNLS). The study was undertaken at the request of BNLS and was conducted by an outside consultant who interviewed staff, read internal documents and reports, and studied patterns of work. Topics of the report include:…

Preschool Caregiver Perceptions of the Effect of Gender on Literacy Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Jenifer; Yin, Lishu; Weaver, Tandi; Lydell, Peggie; Logan, Suzette

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine preschool caregivers' perceptions of the effect of gender on literacy skills. The five caregivers selected for the study were all female and full-time employees of the preschool. Case studies (including interviews, observations, and documentation) of each of the caregivers were conducted to examine their…

Functional Impairments of College Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Necessary Modifications for Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Sylvia A.

2011-01-01

This study examines the impact of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) on college age students 18-25 years old. Qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews with students and significant others, writing samples and transcript documents, examine functional impairments of students with AD/HD as well as functional…

A Review of the Short Life of the U.S. Open University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krenelka, Lynette M.

2009-01-01

This article presents the findings of a single case study of the United States Open University (USOU), including factors affecting its demise and success. Interviews were conducted with administrators, board members, associate faculty, and staff who played a major role in the planning and operation of the USOU, and pertinent documents were…

Pathways to Adult Sexual Revictimization: Direct and Indirect Behavioral Risk Factors across the Lifespan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fargo, Jamison D.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate direct and indirect social and behavioral risk factors for adult sexual revictimization. Participants include 147 adult, predominantly African American (88%) women, 59% of whom had a documented history of child sexual abuse. Participants are interviewed in adulthood about adolescent and adult sexual…

A Case of Specific Language Impairment in a Deaf Signer of American Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinto-Pozos, David; Singleton, Jenny L.; Hauser, Peter C.

2017-01-01

This article describes the case of a deaf native signer of American Sign Language (ASL) with a specific language impairment (SLI). School records documented normal cognitive development but atypical language development. Data include school records; interviews with the child, his mother, and school professionals; ASL and English evaluations; and a…

Message in a Model: Teachers' Responses to a Court-Ordered Mandate for Curriculum Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Sharon

2004-01-01

This article reports the findings of a qualitative case study of two preschool teachers and their responses to a court-ordered mandate to use the High/Scope curriculum model. Analysis of the data record, which included interviews, observations, and documents, reveal that despite a framework for action, both teachers remained confused about their…

Workplace Influences on Chinese TEFL Academics' Development as Researchers: A Study of Two Chinese Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bai, Li; Millwater, Jan; Hudson, Peter

2013-01-01

Workplace influences on Chinese Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) academics' development as researchers were examined in two Chinese higher education institutions in this qualitative collective case study. Data sources included research documentation and interviews with 12 Chinese TEFL academics. Both institutions were keen on research…

Sexually Active Adolescent Women: Assessing Family and Peer Relationships Using Event History Calendars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saftner, Melissa Ann; Martyn, Kristy Kiel; Lori, Jody Rae

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore family and peer relationships (including support and influence on risk behavior) among sexually active European American and African American adolescent girls in the context of risk behaviors documented on retrospective event history calendars (EHCs) and in interviews. The EHCs were completed by…

Linking the Nature of Secondary School Students Who Are Highly Artistic with Curriculum Needs and Instructional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visconti, Victoria

2012-01-01

This exploratory qualitative investigation examined the nature of 7 secondary school students who are highly artistic to link visual arts programs that best accommodate their learning needs. Instrumentation for data collection included 1 questionnaire, 3 in-depth semistructured one-on-one interviews, artwork documents, observations, and field…

The effectiveness of consultation for clinicians learning to deliver motivational interviewing with fidelity.

PubMed

Barac, Raluca; Kimber, Melissa; Johnson, Sabine; Barwick, Melanie

2018-06-08

Despite the emerging literature documenting gains in clinician competence following consultation, little empirical work has examined consultation as an implementation strategy. To this end, the present study examined consultation in the context of implementing motivational interviewing in four community child and youth mental health organizations. We used qualitative methods with a dual goal: to describe the consultation process and to explore trainees' perspectives on consultation. Participants included 22 clinicians and 9 supervisors who received monthly, group, phone-based consultation for seven months following training in motivational interviewing. Analyses showed that consultation was perceived as effective because it helped to "keep motivational interviewing alive," fulfilled a profound learning function through collaboration and connection with others, and served as protected time for reflection on practice change. Our findings contribute to a body of knowledge about consultation elements that appear to be effective when implementing research-supported interventions in child and youth mental health.

Does implementation matter if comprehension is lacking? A qualitative investigation into perceptions of advance care planning in people with cancer.

PubMed

Ugalde, Anna; O'Callaghan, Clare; Byard, Clem; Brean, Samantha; MacKay, Jenelle; Boltong, Anna; Davoren, Sondra; Lawson, Deborah; Parente, Phillip; Michael, Natasha; Livingston, Patricia

2018-05-11

While advance care planning holds promise, uptake is variable and it is unclear how well people engage with or comprehend advance care planning. The objective of this study was to explore how people with cancer comprehended advance care plans and examine how accurately advance care planning documentation represented patient wishes. This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Data collection comprised interviews and an examination of participants' existing advance care planning documentation. Participants included those who had any diagnosis of cancer with an advance care plan recorded: Refusal of Treatment Certificate, Statement of Choices, and/or Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment) at one cancer treatment centre. Fourteen participants were involved in the study. Twelve participants were female (86%). The mean age was 77 (range: 61-91), and participants had completed their advance care planning documentation between 8 and 72 weeks prior to the interview (mean 33 weeks). Three themes were evident from the data: incomplete advance care planning understanding and confidence, limited congruence for attitude and documentation, advance care planning can enable peace of mind. Complete advance care planning understanding was unusual; most participants demonstrated partial comprehension of their own advance care plan, and some indicated very limited understanding. Participants' attitudes and their written document congruence were limited, but advance care planning was seen as helpful. This study highlighted advance care planning was not a completely accurate representation of patient wishes. There is opportunity to improve how patients comprehend their own advance care planning documentation.

Chaplain Documentation and the Electronic Medical Record: A Survey of ACPE Residency Programs.

PubMed

Tartaglia, Alexander; Dodd-McCue, Diane; Ford, Timothy; Demm, Charles; Hassell, Alma

2016-01-01

This study explores the extent to which chaplaincy departments at ACPE-accredited residency programs make use of the electronic medical record (EMR) for documentation and training. Survey data solicited from 219 programs with a 45% response rate and interview findings from 11 centers demonstrate a high level of usage of the EMR as well as an expectation that CPE residents document each patient/family encounter. Centers provided considerable initial training, but less ongoing monitoring of chaplain documentation. Centers used multiple sources to develop documentation tools for the EMR. One center was verified as having created the spiritual assessment component of the documentation tool from a peer reviewed published model. Interviews found intermittent use of the student chart notes for educational purposes. One center verified a structured manner of monitoring chart notes as a performance improvement activity. Findings suggested potential for the development of a standard documentation tool for chaplain charting and training.

University of North Carolina Greensboro: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) on October 23-24, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by UNCG and identified by…

34 CFR 200.89 - MEP allocations; Re-interviewing; Eligibility documentation; and Quality control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... determinations being tested) trained to conduct personal interviews and to understand and apply program... child eligibility determinations through the re-interview of a randomly selected sample of children previously identified as migratory. In conducting these re-interviews, an SEA must— (i) Use, at least once...

34 CFR 200.89 - MEP allocations; Re-interviewing; Eligibility documentation; and Quality control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... determinations being tested) trained to conduct personal interviews and to understand and apply program... child eligibility determinations through the re-interview of a randomly selected sample of children previously identified as migratory. In conducting these re-interviews, an SEA must— (i) Use, at least once...

Mobile Health Insurance System and Associated Costs: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Health Centers in Abuja, Nigeria.

PubMed

Chukwu, Emeka; Garg, Lalit; Eze, Godson

2016-05-17

Nigeria contributes only 2% to the world's population, accounts for 10% of the global maternal death burden. Health care at primary health centers, the lowest level of public health care, is far below optimal in quality and grossly inadequate in coverage. Private primary health facilities attempt to fill this gap but at additional costs to the client. More than 65% Nigerians still pay out of pocket for health services. Meanwhile, the use of mobile phones and related services has risen geometrically in recent years in Nigeria, and their adoption into health care is an enterprise worth exploring. The purpose of this study was to document costs associated with a mobile technology-supported, community-based health insurance scheme. This analytic cross-sectional survey used a hybrid of mixed methods stakeholder interviews coupled with prototype throw-away software development to gather data from 50 public primary health facilities and 50 private primary care centers in Abuja, Nigeria. Data gathered documents costs relevant for a reliable and sustainable mobile-supported health insurance system. Clients and health workers were interviewed using structured questionnaires on services provided and cost of those services. Trained interviewers conducted the structured interviews, and 1 client and 1 health worker were interviewed per health facility. Clinic expenditure was analyzed to include personnel, fixed equipment, medical consumables, and operation costs. Key informant interviews included a midmanagement staff of a health-management organization, an officer-level staff member of a mobile network operator, and a mobile money agent. All the 200 respondents indicated willingness to use the proposed system. Differences in the cost of services between public and private facilities were analyzed at 95% confidence level (P<.001). This indicates that average out-of-pocket cost of services at private health care facilities is significantly higher than at public primary health care facilities. Key informant interviews with a health management organizations and a telecom operator revealed high investment interests. Cost documentation analysis of income versus expenditure for the major maternal and child health service areas-antenatal care, routine immunization, and birth attendance for 1 year-showed that primary health facilities would still profit if technology-supported, health insurance schemes were adopted. This study demonstrates a case for the implementation of enrolment, encounter management, treatment verification, claims management and reimbursement using mobile technology for health insurance in Abuja, Nigeria. Available data show that the introduction of an electronic job aid improved efficiency. Although it is difficult to make a concrete statement on profitability of this venture but the interest of the health maintenance organizations and telecom experts in this endeavor provides a positive lead.

Mobile Health Insurance System and Associated Costs: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Health Centers in Abuja, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Garg, Lalit; Eze, Godson

2016-01-01

Background Nigeria contributes only 2% to the world’s population, accounts for 10% of the global maternal death burden. Health care at primary health centers, the lowest level of public health care, is far below optimal in quality and grossly inadequate in coverage. Private primary health facilities attempt to fill this gap but at additional costs to the client. More than 65% Nigerians still pay out of pocket for health services. Meanwhile, the use of mobile phones and related services has risen geometrically in recent years in Nigeria, and their adoption into health care is an enterprise worth exploring. Objective The purpose of this study was to document costs associated with a mobile technology–supported, community-based health insurance scheme. Methods This analytic cross-sectional survey used a hybrid of mixed methods stakeholder interviews coupled with prototype throw-away software development to gather data from 50 public primary health facilities and 50 private primary care centers in Abuja, Nigeria. Data gathered documents costs relevant for a reliable and sustainable mobile-supported health insurance system. Clients and health workers were interviewed using structured questionnaires on services provided and cost of those services. Trained interviewers conducted the structured interviews, and 1 client and 1 health worker were interviewed per health facility. Clinic expenditure was analyzed to include personnel, fixed equipment, medical consumables, and operation costs. Key informant interviews included a midmanagement staff of a health-management organization, an officer-level staff member of a mobile network operator, and a mobile money agent. Results All the 200 respondents indicated willingness to use the proposed system. Differences in the cost of services between public and private facilities were analyzed at 95% confidence level (P<.001). This indicates that average out-of-pocket cost of services at private health care facilities is significantly higher than at public primary health care facilities. Key informant interviews with a health management organizations and a telecom operator revealed high investment interests. Cost documentation analysis of income versus expenditure for the major maternal and child health service areas—antenatal care, routine immunization, and birth attendance for 1 year—showed that primary health facilities would still profit if technology-supported, health insurance schemes were adopted. Conclusions This study demonstrates a case for the implementation of enrolment, encounter management, treatment verification, claims management and reimbursement using mobile technology for health insurance in Abuja, Nigeria. Available data show that the introduction of an electronic job aid improved efficiency. Although it is difficult to make a concrete statement on profitability of this venture but the interest of the health maintenance organizations and telecom experts in this endeavor provides a positive lead. PMID:27189312

Documentation and knowledge acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rochowiak, Daniel; Moseley, Warren

1990-01-01

Traditional approaches to knowledge acquisition have focused on interviews. An alternative focuses on the documentation associated with a domain. Adopting a documentation approach provides some advantages during familiarization. A knowledge management tool was constructed to gain these advantages.

Gulf War Air Power Survey. Volume 5. A Statistical Compendium and Chronology

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

documentation proved to be a blessing and a curse. While students and analysts of the Gulf War can tap an especially broad spectrum of information collected...to target folders and pre- and post-strike photos. They include interviews and oral history materials, SITREPS from several different Services and...these limits. You will note the first "day" lasted longer than one day and included two nights. Subsequently, the system stabilized according to a

Legal Aspects of Oral History Collections. A Report to the Oral History Committee of the Medical Library Association.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, A. J.

Legal implications of oral history research and collection can be divided into four broad areas of concern, including copyright, restriction of access, libel, and contracts. This document presents highlights from various authorities in each of these areas. Peterson notes that interviewers and interviewees hold the copyright to their own words; a…

Actual and Ideal Decision-Making Processes Utilized in Senior High Schools That Individualize Instruction. Technical Report No. 460.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Arthur Noel

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the decision-making processes in senior high schools that were implementing programs of individualized schooling. Field methodology, including interviews, observations, and analysis of documents, was used to gather data in six senior high schools of varying size located throughout the country,…

The Training/Development of In-Company Trainers/Supervisors of Young People--The Case of Greece.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constantinides, Xenophon; And Others

This document describes the training of the in-company trainer of young people in Greece. Chapter 1 describes the context of training. Chapter 2 describes the methodology used in the study including questionnaires, interviews, and a forum. Chapter 3 reports the results of the study in the following categories: training manager, in-company trainer,…

Early Childhood Education and Care for Native Hawaiian Children in Hawai'i: A Brief History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Donna J.; Ku'ulei Serna, Alethea

2013-01-01

This study provides a brief overview of the history of early childhood education and care for Native Hawaiian children in Hawai'i. Data sources include a literature review, examination of archival documents, and interviews with a sample of Native Hawaiian parents and community members. We trace the emergence of outside-the-home early childhood…

A Case Study of the Suicide of a Gifted Female Adolescent: Implications for Prediction and Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyatt, Laurie

2010-01-01

In this case study focusing on a gifted adolescent female who took her life at the age of 18 using a firearm, the researcher investigated the personal, environmental, and cultural variables that may have contributed to her suicide. Data were collected from interviews, documents, and other artifacts, including a videotape that was a compilation of…

The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Carolyn, Ed.; And Others

This collection of 18 essays and interviews documents the unique approach to early childhood education taken by schools in the Reggio Emilia region of Northern Italy for the last 30 years. The book is divided into four major parts. Part I includes an introduction by Carolyn Edwards and others, and the essay, "What Can We Learn From Reggio…

The U.S. Role in International Disability Activities: A History and a Look towards the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groce, Nora

This study presents an introduction to U.S. involvement in the field of international rehabilitation and disability. Oral history interviews were conducted with 21 "distinguished elders" in the field, an oral history conference with 18 of the elders was held and documented, and written sources were reviewed. The study includes: (1) a…

Assessment of Current Knowledge about the Effectiveness of School Desegregation Strategies. Summary. Volume I: Strategies for Effective Desegregation: A Synthesis of Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Willis D.; And Others

This project report examines strategies for effective school desegregation based on case studies of individual schools, national school surveys, ethnographic studies of classrooms, trend analyses, opinion surveys and conference interviews, and court documents. The strategies identified in the report include the attainment of one or more of the…

Perspectives of rural and remote primary healthcare services on the meaning and goals of clinical governance.

PubMed

Kwedza, Ruyamuro K; Larkins, Sarah; Johnson, Julie K; Zwar, Nicholas

2017-10-01

Definitions of clinical governance are varied and there is no one agreed model. This paper explored the perspectives of rural and remote primary healthcare services, located in North Queensland, Australia, on the meaning and goals of clinical governance. The study followed an embedded multiple case study design with semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation. Participants included clinicians, non-clinical support staff, managers and executives. Similarities and differences in the understanding of clinical governance between health centre and committee case studies were evident. Almost one-third of participants were unfamiliar with the term or were unsure of its meaning; alongside limited documentation of a definition. Although most cases linked the concept of clinical governance to key terms, many lacked a comprehensive understanding. Similarities between cases included viewing clinical governance as a management and administrative function. Differences included committee members' alignment of clinical governance with corporate governance and frontline staff associating clinical governance with staff safety. Document analysis offered further insight into these perspectives. Clinical governance is well-documented as an expected organisational requirement, including in rural and remote areas where geographic, workforce and demographic factors pose additional challenges to quality and safety. However, in reality, it is not clearly, similarly or comprehensively understood by all participants.

Using systems thinking and the Intervention Level Framework to analyse public health planning for complex problems: Otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

PubMed Central

Durham, Jo; Vaughan, Lisa; Willis, Cameron D.

2018-01-01

Background Middle ear disease (otitis media) is endemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and represents an important cause of hearing loss. The disease is the result of a mix of biological, environmental and host risk factors that interact in complex, non-linear ways along a dynamic continuum. As such, it is generally recognised that a holistic, systems approach is required to reverse the high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The objective of this paper is to examine the alignment between efforts designed to address otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland, Australia and core concepts of systems thinking. This paper’s overall purpose is to identify which combination of activities, and at which level, hold the potential to facilitate systems changes to better support ear health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Methods We began with a review of documents identified in consultation with stakeholders and an online search. In addition, key informants were invited to participate in an online survey and a face-to-face or phone interview. Qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore survey responses in more depth. We also undertook interviews at the community level to elicit a diverse range of views. Ideas, statements or activities reported in the documents and interviews as being performed under the Intervention Level Framework were identified using qualitative thematic and content analysis. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also undertaken, whereby data was extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and coded under the relevant strategic directions and performance indicators of the Framework. Subsequently, we coded activities against the five-level intervention framework developed by Malhi and colleagues, that is: 1) paradigm; 2) goals; 3) system structure; 4) feedback and delays; and 5) structural elements. Results Overall, twenty documents were reviewed. We examined surveys and interviews with six key informants. Twenty-four individual and 3 group interviews were conducted across central and community level informants. One hundred and four items were coded from the 20 documents and 156 items from interview data. For both data sets, the majority of activities were coded at the structural elements level. The results suggested three key areas where further work is needed to drive sustained improvements: 1) build the governance structures needed for paradigm shift to achieve a multi-sectoral approach; 2) develop shared system level goals; 3) develop system-wide feedback processes. Conclusions Sustained progress in improving ear health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires a holistic, system-wide approach. To advance such work, governance structures for multi-sectoral collaboration including the development of joint goals and monitoring and feedback are required. Intervening at these higher leverage points could have a profound effect on persistent public health issues. PMID:29561891

Using systems thinking and the Intervention Level Framework to analyse public health planning for complex problems: Otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

PubMed

Durham, Jo; Schubert, Lisa; Vaughan, Lisa; Willis, Cameron D

2018-01-01

Middle ear disease (otitis media) is endemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and represents an important cause of hearing loss. The disease is the result of a mix of biological, environmental and host risk factors that interact in complex, non-linear ways along a dynamic continuum. As such, it is generally recognised that a holistic, systems approach is required to reverse the high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The objective of this paper is to examine the alignment between efforts designed to address otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland, Australia and core concepts of systems thinking. This paper's overall purpose is to identify which combination of activities, and at which level, hold the potential to facilitate systems changes to better support ear health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We began with a review of documents identified in consultation with stakeholders and an online search. In addition, key informants were invited to participate in an online survey and a face-to-face or phone interview. Qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore survey responses in more depth. We also undertook interviews at the community level to elicit a diverse range of views. Ideas, statements or activities reported in the documents and interviews as being performed under the Intervention Level Framework were identified using qualitative thematic and content analysis. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also undertaken, whereby data was extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and coded under the relevant strategic directions and performance indicators of the Framework. Subsequently, we coded activities against the five-level intervention framework developed by Malhi and colleagues, that is: 1) paradigm; 2) goals; 3) system structure; 4) feedback and delays; and 5) structural elements. Overall, twenty documents were reviewed. We examined surveys and interviews with six key informants. Twenty-four individual and 3 group interviews were conducted across central and community level informants. One hundred and four items were coded from the 20 documents and 156 items from interview data. For both data sets, the majority of activities were coded at the structural elements level. The results suggested three key areas where further work is needed to drive sustained improvements: 1) build the governance structures needed for paradigm shift to achieve a multi-sectoral approach; 2) develop shared system level goals; 3) develop system-wide feedback processes. Sustained progress in improving ear health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires a holistic, system-wide approach. To advance such work, governance structures for multi-sectoral collaboration including the development of joint goals and monitoring and feedback are required. Intervening at these higher leverage points could have a profound effect on persistent public health issues.

Advance Care Planning Documentation in Electronic Health Records: Current Challenges and Recommendations for Change.

PubMed

Lamas, Daniela; Panariello, Natalie; Henrich, Natalie; Hammes, Bernard; Hanson, Laura C; Meier, Diane E; Guinn, Nancy; Corrigan, Janet; Hubber, Sean; Luetke-Stahlman, Hannah; Block, Susan

2018-04-01

To develop a set of clinically relevant recommendations to improve the state of advance care planning (ACP) documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). Advance care planning (ACP) is a key process that supports goal-concordant care. For preferences to be honored, clinicians must be able to reliably record, find, and use ACP documentation. However, there are no standards to guide ACP documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). We interviewed 21 key informants to understand the strengths and weaknesses of EHR documentation systems for ACP and identify best practices. We analyzed these interviews using a qualitative content analysis approach and subsequently developed a preliminary set of recommendations. These recommendations were vetted and refined in a second round of input from a national panel of content experts. Informants identified six themes regarding current inadequacies in documentation and accessibility of ACP information and opportunities for improvement. We offer a set of concise, clinically relevant recommendations, informed by expert opinion, to improve the state of ACP documentation in the EHR.

Documenting the use of computers in Swedish Health Care up to 1980.

PubMed

Peterson, H E; Lundin, P

2011-01-01

This paper describes a documentation project to create, collect and preserve previously unavailable sources on informatics in Sweden (including health care as one of 16 subgroups), and making them available on the Web. Time was critical as the personal documentation and artifacts of early pioneers could be irretrievably lost. The criteria for participation were that a person had developed a system in a clinical environment which was used by others prior to 1980. Participants were interviewed and asked for early documentation such as notes, minutes from meetings, drawings, test results and early models - together with related artifacts. The approach included traditional oral history interviews, collection of autobiographies and new self-structuring and time saving methods, such as witness seminars and an Internet-based repository of their recollections (the Writers' Web). The combination of methods obtained new information on system errors, and challenges in reaching the goals due partly to inadequacies of the early technology, and partly to the insufficient understanding of the complexity of the many problems which needed to be solved before a useful electronic patient record could be realized. A very important result was the development of a method to collect information in an easier, faster and much less expensive way than using the traditional scientific method, and still reach results that are qualitative and quantitative for the purpose of documenting the early period of computer-based health care technology. The witness seminars and the Writers' Web yielded especially large amounts of hitherto-unknown information. With all material in one database available to everyone on the Web, it is accessed very frequently - especially by students, researchers, journalists and teachers. Study of the materials explains and clarifies the reasons behind the delays and difficulties that have been encountered in developing electronic patient records, as described in an article [3] published in the IMIA Yearbook 2006.

15 CFR 700.71 - Audits and investigations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... interviews and a systems evaluation to detect problems or failures in the implementation of this regulation... Commerce to interview the person's employees or agents, to inspect books, records, documents, other... them, and to inspect a person's property when such interviews and inspections are necessary or...

How IRBs View and Make Decisions About Consent Forms

PubMed Central

Klitzman, Robert L.

2013-01-01

IRBs have been criticized for long and complicated consent forms, but how IRBs make decisions about these issues hasn’t been examined. I contacted leaders of 60 IRBs, and interviewed IRB leaders from 34 (response rate = 55%), and 13 members and administrators. IRBs confront challenges and dilemmas regarding these documents: what and how much these forms should include (e.g., how “perfect” forms should be). While IRBs generally seek to decrease the length and complexity, institutions and industry funders often want these forms to be legal documents. IRBs may also “nitpick” these documents without realizing the costs. This study, the first to explore how IRBs view and make decisions about consent forms, suggests underlying tensions, ambiguities, and subjectivities that have important implications for future policy, practice, education, and research. PMID:23485667

Transparency in Canadian public drug advisory committees.

PubMed

Rosenberg-Yunger, Zahava R S; Bayoumi, Ahmed M

2014-11-01

Transparency in health care resource allocation decisions is a criterion of a fair process. We used qualitative methods to explore transparency across 11 Canadian drug advisory committees. We developed seven criteria to assess transparency (disclosure of members' names, disclosure of membership selection criteria, disclosure of conflict of interest guidelines and members' conflicts, public posting of decisions not to fund drugs, public posting of rationales for decisions, stakeholder input, and presence of an appeals mechanism) and two sub-criteria for when rationales were posted (direct website link and readability). We interviewed a purposeful sample of key informants who were conversant in English and a current or past member of either a committee or a stakeholder group. We analyzed data using a thematic approach. Interviewing continued until saturation was reached. We examined documents from 10 committees and conducted 27 interviews. The median number of criteria addressed by committees was 2 (range 0-6). Major interview themes included addressing: (1) accessibility issues, including stakeholders' degree of access to the decision making process and appeal mechanisms; (2) communication issues, including improving internal and external communication and public access to information; and (3) confidentiality issues, including the use of proprietary evidence. Most committees have some mechanisms to address transparency but none had a fully transparent process. The most important ways to improve transparency include creating formal appeal mechanisms, improving communication, and establishing consistent rules about the use of, and public access to, proprietary evidence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment program for patients being discharged from the hospital to the nursing facility.

PubMed

Hickman, Susan E; Nelson, Christine A; Smith-Howell, Esther; Hammes, Bernard J

2014-01-01

The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) documents patient preferences as medical orders that transfer across settings with patients. The objectives were to pilot test methods and gather preliminary data about POLST including (1) use at time of hospital discharge, (2) transfers across settings, and (3) consistency with prior decisions. Descriptive with chart abstraction and interviews. Participants were hospitalized patients discharged to a nursing facility and/or their surrogates in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. POLST forms were abstracted from hospital records for 151 patients. Hospital and nursing facility chart data were abstracted and interviews were conducted with an additional 39 patients/surrogates. Overall, 176 patients had valid POLST forms at the time of discharge from the hospital, and many (38.6%; 68/176) only documented code status. When the whole POLST was completed, orders were more often marked as based on a discussion with the patient and/or surrogate than when the form was used just for code status (95.1% versus 13.8%, p<.001). In the follow-up and interview sample, a majority (90.6%; 29/32) of POLST forms written in the hospital were unchanged up to three weeks after nursing facility admission. Most (71.9%; 23/32) appeared consistent with patient or surrogate recall of prior treatment decisions. POLST forms generated in the hospital do transfer with patients across settings, but are often used only to document code status. POLST orders appeared largely consistent with prior treatment decisions. Further research is needed to assess the quality of POLST decisions.

Development of a tethered personal health record framework for early end-of-life discussions.

PubMed

Bose-Brill, Seuli; Kretovics, Matthew; Ballenger, Taylor; Modan, Gabriella; Lai, Albert; Belanger, Lindsay; Koesters, Stephen; Pressler-Vydra, Taylor; Wills, Celia

2016-06-01

End-of-life planning, known as advance care planning (ACP), is associated with numerous positive outcomes, such as improved patient satisfaction with care and improved patient quality of life in terminal illness. However, patient-provider ACP conversations are rarely performed or documented due to a number of barriers, including time required, perceived lack of skill, and a limited number of resources. Use of tethered personal health records (PHRs) may help streamline ACP conversations and documentations for outpatient workflows. Our objective was to develop an ACP-PHR framework that would be for use in a primary care, outpatient setting. Qualitative content analysis of focus groups and cognitive interviews (participatory design). A novel PHR-ACP tool was developed and tested using data and feedback collected from 4 patient focus groups (n = 13), 1 provider focus group (n = 4), and cognitive interviews (n = 22). Patient focus groups helped develop a focused, 4-question PHR communication tool. Cognitive interviews revealed that, while patients felt framework content and workflow were generally intuitive, minor changes to content and workflow would optimize the framework. A focused framework for electronic ACP communication using a patient portal tethered to the PHR was developed. This framework may provide an efficient way to have ACP conversations in busy outpatient settings.

Digital Technology in Preservation of Buddist Monastery Treasures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaftel, A.

2017-08-01

Treasure Caretaker Training (Digital Monastery Project), teaches Buddhist monks, nuns and community cultural caretakers to protect and preserve their own monastery sacred art treasures. Participants learn to create digital inventories by use of their own mobile phones. Included in this documentation is the video interview of elders who hold the oral history of many of the treasures. Risk assessment and disaster mitigation are taught.

Curriculum Adaptation in Special Schools for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (SID): A Case Study of Project Learning in One SID School in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jia-Wei; Wong, Lam; Chan, Tak-Hang; Chiu, Chi-Shing

2014-01-01

Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors analyzed the curriculum adaptation process for one project learning activity in School K, which is a SID school in the context of school-university collaboration. Multiple sources of data were collected for triangulation, including interviews, documents and observations. Curriculum adaptation…

"I'll Do It My Own Way!": A Young Child's Appropriation and Recontextualization of School Literacy Practices in Out-of-School Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McTavish, Marianne

2014-01-01

What do young children do with the literacies they have learned at school? This article reexamines traditional notions of literacy by documenting a second grade child's literacy practices in school and out-of-school contexts. Data collected included field notes, interviews, observations of school and out-of-school literacy practices, and artefacts…

Methods used and lessons learnt in conducting document reviews of medical and allied health curricula - a key step in curriculum evaluation.

PubMed

Rohwer, Anke; Schoonees, Anel; Young, Taryn

2014-11-02

This paper describes the process, our experience and the lessons learnt in doing document reviews of health science curricula. Since we could not find relevant literature to guide us on how to approach these reviews, we feel that sharing our experience would benefit researchers embarking on similar projects. We followed a rigorous, transparent, pre-specified approach that included the preparation of a protocol, a pre-piloted data extraction form and coding schedule. Data were extracted, analysed and synthesised. Quality checks were included at all stages of the process. The main lessons we learnt related to time and project management, continuous quality assurance, selecting the software that meets the needs of the project, involving experts as needed and disseminating the findings to relevant stakeholders. A complete curriculum evaluation comprises, apart from a document review, interviews with students and lecturers to assess the learnt and taught curricula respectively. Rigorous methods must be used to ensure an objective assessment.

78 FR 2443 - Criminal Justice Interview Room Recording System (IRRS) Standard, Supplier's Declaration of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1612] Criminal Justice Interview Room Recording System (IRRS) Standard, Supplier's Declaration of Conformity Requirements, and... three draft documents related to Interview Room Recording Systems (IRRS) used by criminal justice...

Improving Information Dissemination Impact on Districts and Schools. Knowledge Brief Number 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Stephen R.

The California Department of Education commissioned a study to help guide ongoing information dissemination practices to the educational community. A pilot study, department of education staff interviews, and field interviews preceded document tracking. Phone interviews were conducted with district administrators, principals, and teachers…

[Psychoanalysis and Psychiatrie-Enquete: expert interviews and document analysis].

PubMed

Söhner, Felicitas Petra; Fangerau, Heiner; Becker, Thomas

2017-12-01

Background The purpose of this paper is to analyse the perception of the role of psychoanalysis and psychoanalysts in the coming about of the Psychiatrie-Enquete in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Methods We performed a qualitative content analysis of expert interviews with persons involved in the Enquete (or witnessing the events as mental health professionals active at the time), a selective literature review and an analysis of documents on the Enquete process. Results Expert interviews, relevant literature and documents point to a role of psychoanalysis in the Enquete process. Psychoanalysts were considered to have been effective in the run-up to the Enquete and the work of the commission. Conclusion Psychoanalysis and a small number of psychoanalysts were perceived as being relevant in the overall process of the Psychiatrie-Enquete in West Germany. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

77 FR 54571 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Office of Postsecondary Education; Assessing Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

... Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs Phone Interviews SUMMARY: The U.S. Department... Language Programs Phone Interviews. OMB Control Number: Pending. Type of Review: New. Total Estimated... collected through phone interviews will be used to document the implementation of individual projects as...

Content validity--establishing and reporting the evidence in newly developed patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for medical product evaluation: ISPOR PRO good research practices task force report: part 1--eliciting concepts for a new PRO instrument.

PubMed

Patrick, Donald L; Burke, Laurie B; Gwaltney, Chad J; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Martin, Mona L; Molsen, Elizabeth; Ring, Lena

2011-12-01

The importance of content validity in developing patient reported outcomes (PRO) instruments is stressed by both the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Content validity is the extent to which an instrument measures the important aspects of concepts that developers or users purport it to assess. A PRO instrument measures the concepts most significant and relevant to a patient's condition and its treatment. For PRO instruments, items and domains as reflected in the scores of an instrument should be important to the target population and comprehensive with respect to patient concerns. Documentation of target population input in item generation, as well as evaluation of patient understanding through cognitive interviewing, can provide the evidence for content validity. Developing content for, and assessing respondent understanding of, newly developed PRO instruments for medical product evaluation will be discussed in this two-part ISPOR PRO Good Research Practices Task Force Report. Topics include the methods for generating items, documenting item development, coding of qualitative data from item generation, cognitive interviewing, and tracking item development through the various stages of research and preparing this tracking for submission to regulatory agencies. Part 1 covers elicitation of key concepts using qualitative focus groups and/or interviews to inform content and structure of a new PRO instrument. Part 2 covers the instrument development process, the assessment of patient understanding of the draft instrument using cognitive interviews and steps for instrument revision. The two parts are meant to be read together. They are intended to offer suggestions for good practices in planning, executing, and documenting qualitative studies that are used to support the content validity of PRO instruments to be used in medical product evaluation. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Which Social Values Are Considered in Iranian Health System?

PubMed

Rashidian, Arash; Arab, Mohammad; Vaez Mahdavi, Mohammadreza; Ashtarian, Koimars; Mostafavi, Hakimeh

2018-05-01

Health systems have a set of limited resources for meeting the needs of communities. Health priority setting based on criteria and values is inevitable in such situation. This paper aims to identify the social values that are considered in Iranian health system. This qualitative study was conducted in 3 steps including collecting national documents and literature review, interviewing key informants, and a 2 round Delphi. Interviews and documents were analyzed through thematic framework analysis. Statistical guidance was applied for determining consensus cut-off in Delphi technique. Five social values including freedom of choice, equity, solidarity, severity of disease(s), and burden of disease(s) were considered more important than other values in the health priority setting decisions. Moreover, 2 non-value based factors including conflict of interest and lobbying had a high effect on decision making. Most health policy makers decide based on Egalitarian school, but restriction of resources in the country decreases the outcome. Moreover, personal judgments and preferences sometimes affect their decisions. It seems that developing a value-based framework and making it as a national guidance could have affirmative effect on health administers decisions. © 2018 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Say What? The Role of Audio in Multimedia Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linder, C. A.; Holmes, R. M.

2011-12-01

Audio, including interviews, ambient sounds, and music, is a critical-yet often overlooked-part of an effective multimedia video. In February 2010, Linder joined scientists working on the Global Rivers Observatory Project for two weeks of intensive fieldwork in the Congo River watershed. The team's goal was to learn more about how climate change and deforestation are impacting the river system and coastal ocean. Using stills and video shot with a lightweight digital SLR outfit and audio recorded with a pocket-sized sound recorder, Linder documented the trials and triumphs of working in the heart of Africa. Using excerpts from the six-minute Congo multimedia video, this presentation will illustrate how to record and edit an engaging audio track. Topics include interview technique, collecting ambient sounds, choosing and using music, and editing it all together to educate and entertain the viewer.

Documentation Status as a Contextual Determinant of HIV Risk Among Young Transgender Latinas.

PubMed

Palazzolo, Sarah L; Yamanis, Thespina J; De Jesus, Maria; Maguire-Marshall, Molly; Barker, Suyanna L

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the contextual factors that determine or mitigate vulnerability to HIV among Latina transgender women. Documentation status (legal authorization to live in the United States) has been cited by other studies as a barrier to recruitment or engagement in HIV-related care among immigrant Latinos, but not explored as a determinant of HIV risk for transgender immigrant Latinas. We collaborated with a community-based organization to explore these contextual, including social and structural, factors. In-depth interviews in Spanish captured life histories of eight 18- to 29-year-old transgender Latinas, who collectively self-identify as chicas trans. Codes were assigned deductively from the interview guide, and emerging themes were identified throughout data collection. Most participants migrated to the United States from Central America after experiencing discrimination and violence in their countries of origin. Participants emphasized documentation status as a critical factor in three areas related to social and structural determinants of HIV risk: gender identity expression, access to services, and relationship power dynamics. Chicas trans who gained legal asylum reported greater control over sexual relationships, improved access to services, and less risky employment. Documentation status emerged as a key HIV risk factor for this population. For undocumented transgender Latinas, legal asylum appears to be a promising HIV-related protective factor. Further research could assess whether legal assistance combined with wraparound support services affects HIV prevention for this population.

Documentation Status as a Contextual Determinant of HIV Risk Among Young Transgender Latinas

PubMed Central

Palazzolo, Sarah L.; De Jesus, Maria; Maguire-Marshall, Molly; Barker, Suyanna L.

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the contextual factors that determine or mitigate vulnerability to HIV among Latina transgender women. Documentation status (legal authorization to live in the United States) has been cited by other studies as a barrier to recruitment or engagement in HIV-related care among immigrant Latinos, but not explored as a determinant of HIV risk for transgender immigrant Latinas. Methods: We collaborated with a community-based organization to explore these contextual, including social and structural, factors. In-depth interviews in Spanish captured life histories of eight 18- to 29-year-old transgender Latinas, who collectively self-identify as chicas trans. Codes were assigned deductively from the interview guide, and emerging themes were identified throughout data collection. Results: Most participants migrated to the United States from Central America after experiencing discrimination and violence in their countries of origin. Participants emphasized documentation status as a critical factor in three areas related to social and structural determinants of HIV risk: gender identity expression, access to services, and relationship power dynamics. Chicas trans who gained legal asylum reported greater control over sexual relationships, improved access to services, and less risky employment. Conclusions: Documentation status emerged as a key HIV risk factor for this population. For undocumented transgender Latinas, legal asylum appears to be a promising HIV-related protective factor. Further research could assess whether legal assistance combined with wraparound support services affects HIV prevention for this population. PMID:26669583

The Catch to Confidentiality: The Use of Electronic Health Records in Adolescent Health Care.

PubMed

Stablein, Timothy; Loud, Keith J; DiCapua, Christopher; Anthony, Denise L

2018-05-01

This study aims to understand pediatric health-care providers' expectations and the practices they employ to protect confidentiality in electronic health records (EHRs) and subsequently how EHRs affect the documentation and dissemination of information in the course of health-care delivery to adolescent minors. Twenty-six pediatric health-care providers participated in in-depth interviews about their experiences using EHRs to understand a broad spectrum of expectations and practices guiding the documentation and dissemination of information in the EHR. A thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to draw findings and conclusions. Two themes and several subthemes emerged centering on how EHRs affected confidentiality expectations and practices. Participants expressed confidentiality concerns due to the EHR's longevity as a legacy record, its multidimensional uses, and increased access by users (theme 1). These concerns affected practices for protecting adolescent confidentiality within the EHR (theme 2). Practices included selectively omitting or concealing information and utilizing sets of personal and collective codes designed to alert providers or teams of providers to confidential information within a patient's record. EHRs create new and unresolved challenges for pediatric health care as they alter expectations of confidentiality and the documentation and dissemination of information within the record. This is particularly relevant in the course of care to adolescent minors as EHRs may compromise the tenuous balance providers maintain between protecting confidentiality and effective documentation within the record. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 10.115 - Good guidance practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., journal articles and editorials, media interviews, press materials, warning letters, memoranda of... document “Guidance Document Submission” and submit it to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), 5630... review. (iv) After providing an opportunity for public comment on a Level 1 guidance document, FDA will...

21 CFR 10.115 - Good guidance practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., journal articles and editorials, media interviews, press materials, warning letters, memoranda of... document “Guidance Document Submission” and submit it to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), 5630... review. (iv) After providing an opportunity for public comment on a Level 1 guidance document, FDA will...

21 CFR 10.115 - Good guidance practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., journal articles and editorials, media interviews, press materials, warning letters, memoranda of... document “Guidance Document Submission” and submit it to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), 5630... review. (iv) After providing an opportunity for public comment on a Level 1 guidance document, FDA will...

21 CFR 10.115 - Good guidance practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., journal articles and editorials, media interviews, press materials, warning letters, memoranda of... document “Guidance Document Submission” and submit it to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), 5630... review. (iv) After providing an opportunity for public comment on a Level 1 guidance document, FDA will...

Funding Based on Needs? A Study on the Use of Needs Assessment Data by a Major Humanitarian Health Assistance Donor in its Decisions to Allocate Funds

PubMed Central

Olin, Emma; von Schreeb, Johan

2014-01-01

Background: International humanitarian assistance is essential for disaster-affected populations, particularly in resource scarce settings. To target such assistance, needs assessments are required. According to internationally endorsed principles, donor governments should provide funding for humanitarian assistance based on need. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore a major donor’s use of needs assessment data in decision-making for allocations of funds for health-related humanitarian assistance contributions. Setting: This is a case study of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), a major and respected international donor of humanitarian assistance. Methods: To explore Sida’s use of needs assessment data in practice for needs-based allocations, we reviewed all decision documents and assessment memoranda for humanitarian assistance contributions for 2012 using content analysis; this was followed by interviews with key personnel at Sida. Results: Our document analysis found that needs assessment data was not systematically included in Sida’s assessment memoranda and decision documents. In the interviews, we observed various descriptions of the concept of needs assessments, the importance of contextual influences as well as previous collaborations with implementing humanitarian assistance organizations. Our findings indicate that policies guiding funding decisions on humanitarian assistance need to be matched with available needs assessment data and that terminologies and concepts have to be clearly defined. Conclusion: Based on the document analysis and the interviews, it is unclear how well Sida used needs assessment data for decisions to allocate funds. However, although our observations show that needs assessments are seldom used in decision making, Sida’s use of needs assessments has improved compared to a previous study. To improve project funds allocations based on needs assessment data, it will be critical to develop distinct frameworks for allocation distributions based on needs assessment and clear definitions, measurements and interpretations of needs. Key words: Needs assessment, humanitarian assistance, disasters, donor decision-making PMID:24894417

77 FR 62592 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

... application process, we conduct a personal interview, either face-to- face or via telephone, and document the interview using Form SSA-7165. The respondents are applicants for Social Security benefits, whose...

Assessment of the Accountability of Night Vision Devices Provided to the Security Forces of Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-17

of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering...and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other... data in this project. The qualitative data consisted of individual interviews, direct observation, and written documents. Quantitative data

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board: Improvements Needed to Strengthen Internal Control and Promote Transparency

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

results of those steps. GAO reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations , and guidance; analyzed DNFSB documents, including records of internal...agencies’ regulations on Sunshine Act meetings.11 We also interviewed a representative of the Sunlight Foundation, an organization focused on...Secretary’s role as operator and regulator of DOE’s defense nuclear facilities—to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety at these

Stakeholder Participation in System Change: A New Conceptual Model.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Tammy; Higuchi, Kathryn S; Hogg, William

2016-08-01

A recent change in Canada's primary care system led to the introduction of Nurse Practitioner-Led clinics. The literature suggests that stakeholders can influence system change initiatives. However, very little is known about healthcare stakeholder motivations, particularly stakeholders who are seen as resistors to change. To examine stakeholder participation in the system change process that led to the introduction of the first Nurse Practitioner-Led clinic in Ontario. This single case study included two site visits, semistructured individual tape-recorded interviews, and the examination of relevant public documents. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Sixteen individuals from different healthcare sectors and professions participated in the interviews and 20 documents were reviewed. Six key themes emerged from the data. Linking Evidence to Action The findings from the study present a new perspective on stakeholder participation that includes both those who supported the proposed change and those who advocated for a different change. The findings identify stakeholder activities used to shape, share, and protect their visions for system change. The conceptual model presented in this study adds to the understanding of challenges and complexities involved in healthcare system change. Understanding why and how stakeholders participate in change can help healthcare leaders in planning activities to enhance stakeholder involvement in healthcare system change. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Association of Filial Responsibility, Ethnicity, and Acculturation Among Japanese American Family Caregivers of Older Adults.

PubMed

Miyawaki, Christina E

2017-03-01

Challenges of filial caregiving practices by 1st-generation immigrants due to differences in caregiving values between their home and host countries are well documented. This study explored the filial responsibility of later generation Japanese American caregivers of older adults. Acculturation and filial responsibility were measured using the Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation scale and Filial Values Index, respectively. A qualitative interview guide was developed using Gordon's assimilation theory, and 21 caregivers ( M age = 68 years, 86% female, seven in each generation) were interviewed. Despite the 3rd-generation caregivers' high acculturation level, their filial responsibility scores remained high. Qualitative interviews also revealed later generation caregivers' strong filial responsibility and continued caregiving involvement. Unexpectedly, caregivers' own future expectancy of care included placement in mainstream residential facilities rather than ethnic-specific settings. Findings point to the need to develop caregiver services that consider later generation caregivers' culture and level of assimilation.

76 FR 61664 - Notice of Intent To Request New Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

... interviews........ 1932 1.00 1932 0.08 160.96 Household Interview 2: Completed interviews........ 5099 1.00... #0; #0;Notices #0; Federal Register #0; #0; #0;This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules #0;or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings #0...

Sustaining Teaching Careers: Perceptions of Veteran Teachers in a Rural Mid-Atlantic School Division

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, DeJuanna M.

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored rural veteran teachers' perceptions of career longevity attainment. Interviews, focus group interviews, and a review of documents were the sources of data for the study. The study produced four emergent themes from interview data: Respect and Recognition in the Community, Involvement with the Community, Intrinsic…

Learning in Preschool: Teachers' Talk about Their Work with Documentation in Swedish Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Löfgren, Håkan

2017-01-01

This article investigates preschool teachers' professionalism and professional strategies in relation to narratives about learning in preschool. These are expressed through the teachers' talk about documentation. A policy on increased systematic documentation in preschools has been introduced in Sweden. Preschool teachers were interviewed about…

The evaluator as technical assistant: A model for systemic reform support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Century, Jeanne Rose

This study explored evaluation of systemic reform. Specifically, it focused on the evaluation of a systemic effort to improve K-8 science, mathematics and technology education. The evaluation was of particular interest because it used both technical assistance and evaluation strategies. Through studying the combination of these roles, this investigation set out to increase understanding of potentially new evaluator roles, distinguish important characteristics of the evaluator/project participant relationship, and identify how these roles and characteristics contribute to effective evaluation of systemic science education reform. This qualitative study used interview, document analysis, and participant observation as methods of data collection. Interviews were conducted with project leaders, project participants, and evaluators and focused on the evaluation strategies and process, the use of the evaluation, and technical assistance. Documents analyzed included transcripts of evaluation team meetings and reports, memoranda and other print materials generated by the project leaders and the evaluators. Data analysis consisted of analytic and interpretive procedures consistent with the qualitative data collected and entailed a combined process of coding transcripts of interviews and meetings, field notes, and other documents; analyzing and organizing findings; writing of reflective and analytic memos; and designing and diagramming conceptual relationships. The data analysis resulted in the development of the Multi-Function Model for Systemic Reform Support. This model organizes systemic reform support into three functions: evaluation, technical assistance, and a third, named here as "systemic perspective." These functions work together to support the project's educational goals as well as a larger goal--building capacity in project participants. This model can now serve as an informed starting point or "blueprint" for strategically supporting systemic reform.

Past, present and perspectives of Manipur traditional medicine: A major health care system available for rural population in the North-East India.

PubMed

Deb, Lokesh; Laishram, Surbala; Khumukcham, Nongalleima; Ningthoukhongjam, Dhaneshwor; Nameirakpam, Surjit Singh; Dey, Amitabha; Moirangthem, Dinesh Singh; Talukdar, Narayan Chandra; Ningthoukhongjam, Tombi Raj

2015-07-01

Traditional health care practices are still being followed extensively in Manipur, North-East India. This is the major or the only medical facility available in some rural areas of Manipur. Cross cultural ethno-pharmacological survey was conducted to document traditional health care practices by Maiba-Maibi (male-female traditional health care practitioners of Manipur). All together 59 traditional practitioners belonging to 12 ethnic communities in nine districts of the Manipur state were interviewed. A predesigned questionnaire was used for interviews, which included queries for type of ailments treating, symptoms, bioresources used, method of preparation, dosage forms, formulation, unit doses. The entire interviews were done in the residence of respective Maiba-Maibi, their patient handing and preparation of medicinal formulations were documented in written and audio-visual format. The survey recorded traditional knowledge on 949 formulations used for 66 human ailments. Five hundred forty six plant products, 42 animal products and 22 organic/inorganic materials were found to be used in these 949 formulations. Five plant species - Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), Cocos nucifera (Arecaceae), Oroxylum indicum (Bignonaceae), Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) and Allium sativum (Liliaceae) used by maximum number of Maiba and Maibi in maximum number of formulations. This particular method of documentation keeps traditional knowledge alive. The WHO estimated perspective of traditional medicine across the world. These observations support therapeutic worth of Manipur Traditional medicines (MTM). Having generated a large database in course of this survey, next focus targeted for the scientific justification of MTM with an aim to develop commercially viable products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

“Because he has bought for her, he wants to sleep with her”: Alcohol as a currency for sexual exchange in South African drinking venues

PubMed Central

Watt, Melissa H.; Aunon, Frances M.; Skinner, Donald; Sikkema, Kathleen J.; Kalichman, Seth C.; Pieterse, Desiree

2012-01-01

Previous research has documented the practice of transactional sex in sub-Saharan Africa and its association with gender-based violence, gender inequalities and HIV risk. At the same time, it has been suggested that women may use transactional sex to obtain a greater sense of control over their lives and their sexualities, and to garner access to resources. The aim of this study was to better understand the practice of exchanging alcohol for sex in alcohol-serving venues in a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Data were collected between June 2009 and October 2010. Six venues were included and observations were conducted in each for four one-week periods over the course of a year. In-depth qualitative interviews included 31 women and 13 men whom interviewers had observed as regular venue customers. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 24 respondents to explore emerging themes. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a grounded theory approach, Atlas.ti was used to code transcripts, field notes, and analytical memos written about each document. Results revealed that alcohol was commonly used as a currency of sexual exchange in this setting, and both women and men understood that accepting alcohol from a man implied consent for sexual favors. Women reported a sense of agency in participating in the transactional sex dynamic, especially when they were able to manipulate it to meet their own ends without fulfilling the men’s sexual expectations. At the same time, data revealed that the norm of transactional sex reinforced the undervaluing and commoditization of women. As identified elsewhere, transactional sex put both women and men at greater risk of HIV through multiple partners and inconsistent use of condoms, and the possibility of rape. Interventions are needed to address sexual risk behaviors and substance use within this context to prevent new HIV infections. PMID:22326304

The development of a patient-reported outcome measure for assessing nighttime symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Hareendran, Asha; Palsgrove, Andrew C; Mocarski, Michelle; Schaefer, Michael L; Setyawan, Juliana; Carson, Robyn; Make, Barry

2013-06-25

The assessment of symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is important for monitoring and managing the disease and for evaluating outcomes of interventions. COPD patients experience symptoms during the day and night, and symptoms experienced at night often disturb sleep. The aim of this paper is to describe methods used to develop a patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument for evaluating nighttime symptoms of COPD, and to document evidence for the content validity of the instrument. Literature review and clinician interviews were conducted to inform discussion guides to explore patients' nighttime COPD symptom experience. Data from focus groups with COPD patients was used to develop a conceptual framework and the content of a new PRO instrument. Patient understanding of the new instrument was assessed via cognitive interviews with COPD patients. The literature review confirmed that there is no instrument with evidence of content validity currently available to assess nighttime symptoms of COPD. Additionally, the literature review and clinician interviews suggested the need to understand patients' experience of specific symptoms in order to evaluate nighttime symptoms of COPD. Analyses of patient focus group data (N = 27) supported saturation of concepts and aided in development of a conceptual framework. Items were generated using patients' terminology to collect data on concepts in the framework including the occurrence and severity of COPD symptoms, use of rescue medication at night, and nocturnal awakening. Response options were chosen to reflect concepts that were salient to patients. Subsequent cognitive interviewing with ten COPD patients demonstrated that the items, response options, recall period, and instructions were understandable, relevant, and interpreted as intended. A new PRO instrument, the Nighttime Symptoms of COPD Instrument (NiSCI), was developed with documented evidence of content validity. The NiSCI is ready for empirical testing, including item reduction and evaluation of psychometric properties.

The morphology of streams restored for market and nonmarket purposes: Insights from a mixed natural-social science approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, Martin W.; Singh, Jai; Lave, Rebecca; Robertson, Morgan M.

2015-07-01

We use geomorphic surveys to quantify the differences between restored and nonrestored streams, and the difference between streams restored for market purposes (compensatory mitigation) from those restored for nonmarket programs. We also analyze the social and political-economic drivers of the stream restoration and mitigation industry using analysis of policy documents and interviews with key personnel including regulators, mitigation bankers, stream designers, and scientists. Restored streams are typically wider and geomorphically more homogenous than nonrestored streams. Streams restored for the mitigation market are typically headwater streams and part of a large, complex of long restored main channels, and many restored tributaries; streams restored for nonmarket purposes are typically shorter and consist of the main channel only. Interviews reveal that designers integrate many influences including economic and regulatory constraints, but traditions of practice have a large influence as well. Thus, social forces shape the morphology of restored streams.

Medicinal plants used by women in Mecca: urban, Muslim and gendered knowledge.

PubMed

Alqethami, Afnan; Hawkins, Julie A; Teixidor-Toneu, Irene

2017-11-17

This study explores medicinal plant knowledge and use among Muslim women in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Ethnobotanical research in the region has focused on rural populations and male herbal healers in cities, and based on these few studies, it is suggested that medicinal plant knowledge may be eroding. Here, we document lay, female knowledge of medicinal plants in an urban centre, interpreting findings in the light of the growing field of urban ethnobotany and gendered knowledge and in an Islamic context. Free-listing, structured and semi-structured interviews were used to document the extent of medicinal plant knowledge among 32 Meccan women. Vernacular names, modes of preparation and application, intended therapeutic use and emic toxicological remarks were recorded. Women were asked where they learnt about medicinal plants and if and when they preferred using medicinal plants over biomedical resources. Prior informed consent was always obtained. We compared the list of medicinal plants used by these Meccan women with medicinal plants previously documented in published literature. One hundred eighteen vernacular names were collected, corresponding to approximately 110 plants, including one algae. Of these, 95 were identified at the species level and 39 (41%) had not been previously cited in Saudi Arabian medicinal plant literature. Almost one half of the plants cited are food and flavouring plants. Meccan women interviewed learn about medicinal plants from their social network, mass media and written sources, and combine biomedical and medicinal plant health care. However, younger women more often prefer biomedical resources and learn from written sources and mass media. The fairly small number of interviews conducted in this study was sufficient to reveal the singular body of medicinal plant knowledge held by women in Mecca and applied to treat common ailments. Plant availability in local shops and markets and inclusion in religious texts seem to shape the botanical diversity used by the Meccan women interviewed, and the use of foods and spices medicinally could be a global feature of urban ethnobotany. Ethnobotanical knowledge among women in Islamic communities may be changing due to access to mass media and biomedicine. We recognise the lack of documentation of the diversity of medicinal plant knowledge in the Arabian Peninsula and an opportunity to better understand gendered urban and rural knowledge.

Variations in the implementation and characteristics of chiropractic services in VA.

PubMed

Lisi, Anthony J; Khorsan, Raheleh; Smith, Monica M; Mittman, Brian S

2014-12-01

In 2004, the US Department of Veterans Affairs expanded its delivery of chiropractic care by establishing onsite chiropractic clinics at select facilities across the country. Systematic information regarding the planning and implementation of these clinics and describing their features and performance is lacking. To document the planning, implementation, key features and performance of VA chiropractic clinics, and to identify variations and their underlying causes and key consequences as well as their implications for policy, practice, and research on the introduction of new clinical services into integrated health care delivery systems. Comparative case study of 7 clinics involving site visit-based and telephone-based interviews with 118 key stakeholders, including VA clinicians, clinical leaders and administrative staff, and selected external stakeholders, as well as reviews of key documents and administrative data on clinic performance and service delivery. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a mixed inductive (exploratory) and deductive approach. Interview data revealed considerable variations in clinic planning and implementation processes and clinic features, as well as perceptions of clinic performance and quality. Administrative data showed high variation in patterns of clinic patient care volume over time. A facility's initial willingness to establish a chiropractic clinic, along with a higher degree of perceived evidence-based and collegial attributes of the facility chiropractor, emerged as key factors associated with higher and more consistent delivery of chiropractic services and higher perceived quality of those services.

China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Prospective Study of Acute Myocardial Infarction: Study Design.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Dreyer, Rachel P; Li, Xi; Du, Xue; Downing, Nicholas S; Li, Li; Zhang, Hai-Bo; Feng, Fang; Guan, Wen-Chi; Xu, Xiao; Li, Shu-Xia; Lin, Zhen-Qiu; Masoudi, Frederick A; Spertus, John A; Krumholz, Harlan M; Jiang, Li-Xin

2016-01-05

Despite the rapid growth in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in China, there is limited information about patients' experiences after AMI hospitalization, especially on long-term adverse events and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE)-Prospective AMI Study will enroll 4000 consecutive AMI patients from 53 diverse hospitals across China and follow them longitudinally for 12 months to document their treatment, recovery, and outcomes. Details of patients' medical history, treatment, and in-hospital outcomes are abstracted from medical charts. Comprehensive baseline interviews are being conducted to characterize patient demographics, risk factors, presentation, and healthcare utilization. As part of these interviews, validated instruments are administered to measure PROs, including quality of life, symptoms, mood, cognition, and sexual activity. Follow-up interviews, measuring PROs, medication adherence, risk factor control, and collecting hospitalization events are conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months after discharge. Supporting documents for potential outcomes are collected for adjudication by clinicians at the National Coordinating Center. Blood and urine samples are also obtained at baseline, 1- and 12-month follow-up. In addition, we are conducting a survey of participating hospitals to characterize their organizational characteristics. The China PEACE-Prospective AMI study will be uniquely positioned to generate new information regarding patient's experiences and outcomes after AMI in China and serve as a foundation for quality improvement activities.

[Knowledge and attitudes toward vaccination among midwives in Quebec].

PubMed

Dubé, Eve; Vivion, Maryline; Valderrama, Alena; Sauvageau, Chantal

2013-01-01

Vaccine acceptability among Quebec midwives is not well documented. The purpose of this study was to examine midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to immunization in Quebec. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants (17 midwives and 8 midwifery students). The mean duration of the interviews was 1 hour. The interviews were conducted in 2010 and were audiotaped, transcribed and submitted to content analysis using NVivo 8 software. In addition to the laws regulating midwifery practice in Quebec, the findings suggest that most midwifery interventions are based on midwifery philosophy. Informed choice is one of the key principles of this philosophy. In order to help women make an informed decision about vaccination, midwives seek to outline the pros and cons of vaccination using government documentation, as well as other sources such as books on naturopathy. Most of the participating midwives recognized that vaccination has advantages, including disease prevention and free vaccines. Various arguments against vaccination were also identified. Most of these were related to the vaccination schedule and to combined vaccines. Some of the participants noted that it was difficult to find unbiased information about vaccination. This study highlights the key role of midwifery philosophy in midwifery practice. Most decisions (such as vaccination) are made on the basis of the principle of informed choice. Most of the participants noted that they lacked information on vaccination.

8 CFR 1216.4 - Joint petition to remove conditional basis of lawful permanent resident status for alien spouse.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... with the interview requirements contained in the Act. Furthermore, if the documentation submitted in... marital relationship, the petitioner must arrange for the affiants to be present at the interview, at no..., provided the alien and the petitioning spouse comply with the interview requirements described in § 1216.4...

EPA Region 1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This coverage represents polygon equivalents of environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) in EPA Region I. ESAs were developed as part of an EPA headquarters initiative based on reviews of various regulatory and guidance documents, as well as phone interviews with federal/state/local government agencies and private organizations. ESAs include, but are not limited to, wetlands, biological resources, habitats, national parks, archaeological/historic sites, natural heritage areas, tribal lands, drinking water intakes, marinas/boat ramps, wildlife areas, etc.

Creating Synergies: Local Government Facilitating Learning and Development through Partnerships--Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waterhouse, Peter; Virgona, Crina; Brown, Richard

2006-01-01

This research sought to document and better understand four evolving learning communities in Victoria. It was based upon an earlier study by the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) (Snelling, 2003). The study was qualitative in nature, based on face-to-face interviews and case studies. This supporting document provides the literature…

Revenue-Generating Language Programs at Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions: Emerging Themes from a Documentation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Goddard, J. Tim

2008-01-01

This presentation identifies emerging themes in a study combining documentation analysis (Atkinson & Coffey, 2004) and interviews that examine policy statements, promotional materials and various institutional documents from selected English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at one Canadian University. It looks at how and why ESL programs…

What happened after the evaluation?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bennett, C L

1999-03-12

An ergonomics program including a ergonomic computer workstation evaluations at a research and development facility was assessed three years after formal implementation. As part of the assessment, 53 employees who had been subjects of computer workstation evaluations were interviewed. The documented reports (ergonomic evaluation forms) of the ergonomic evaluations were used in the process of selecting the interview subjects. The evaluation forms also provided information about the aspects of the computer workstation that were discussed and recommended as part of the evaluation, although the amount of detail and completeness of the forms varied. Although the results were mixed and reflectivemore » of the multivariate psychosocial factors affecting employees working in a large organization, the findings led to recommendations for improvements of the program.« less

A catalyst for system change: a case study of child health network formation, evolution and sustainability in Canada.

PubMed

McPherson, Charmaine; Ploeg, Jenny; Edwards, Nancy; Ciliska, Donna; Sword, Wendy

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine key processes and supportive and inhibiting factors involved in the development, evolution, and sustainability of a child health network in rural Canada. This study contributes to a relatively new research agenda aimed at understanding inter-organizational and cross-sectoral health networks. These networks encourage collaboration focusing on complex issues impacting health - issues that individual agencies cannot effectively address alone. This paper presents an overview of the study findings. An explanatory qualitative case study approach examined the Network's 13-year lifespan. Data sources were documents and Network members, including regional and 71 provincial senior managers from 11 child and youth service sectors. Data were collected through 34 individual interviews and a review of 127 documents. Interview data were analyzed using framework analysis methods; Prior's approach guided document analysis. Three themes related to network development, evolution and sustainability were identified: (a) Network relationships as system triggers, (b) Network-mediated system responsiveness, and (c) Network practice as political. Study findings have important implications for network organizational development, collaborative practice, interprofessional education, public policy, and public system responsiveness research. Findings suggest it is important to explicitly focus on relationships and multi-level socio-political contexts, such as supportive policy environments, in understanding health networks. The dynamic interplay among the Network members; central supportive and inhibiting factors; and micro-, meso-, and macro-organizational contexts was identified.

Linguistic and Cultural Challenges in Communication and Translation in US-Sponsored HIV Prevention Research in Emerging Economies

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Linguistic and cultural differences can impede comprehension among potential research participants during the informed consent process, but how researchers and IRBs respond to these challenges in practice is unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 researchers, research ethics committee (REC) chairs and members from 8 different countries with emerging economies, involved in HIV-related research sponsored by HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), regarding the ethical and regulatory challenges they face in this regard. In the interviews, problems with translating study materials often arose as major concerns. Four sets of challenges were identified concerning linguistic and cultural translations of informed consent documents and other study materials, related to the: (1) context, (2) process, (3) content and (4) translation of these documents. Host country contextual issues included low literacy rates, education (e.g., documents may need to be written below 5th grade reading level), and experiences with research, and different views of written documentation. Certain terms and concepts may not exist in other languages, or have additional connotations that back translations do not always reveal. Challenges arise because of not only the content of word-for-word, literal translation, but the linguistic form of the language, such as tone (e.g., appropriate forms of politeness vs. legalese, seen as harsh), syntax, manner of questions posed, and the concept of the consent); and the contexts of use affect meaning. Problems also emerged in bilateral communications – US IRBs may misunderstand local practices, or communicate insufficiently the reasons for their decisions to foreign RECs. In sum, these data highlight several challenges that have received little, if any, attention in past literature on translation of informed consent and study materials, and have crucial implications for improving practice, education, research and policy, suggesting several strategies, including needs for broader open-source multilingual lexicons, and more awareness of the complexities involved. PMID:26225759

Understanding primary school science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge: The case of teaching global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chordnork, Boonliang; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

This aim of this research was to investigate primary school science teachers understanding and teaching practice as well as the influence on teaching and learning a topic like global warming. The participants were four primary science teachers, who were not graduated in science education. Methodology was the case study method, which was under the qualitative research regarded from interpretive paradigm. Data were collected by openended questionnaire, semi-structure interview, and document colleting. The questionnaire examined teachers' background, teachers' understanding of problems and threats of science teaching, desiring of development their PCK, sharing the teaching approaches, and their ideas of strength and weakness. a semi-structured interview was conducted based on the approach for capturing PCK of Loughran [23] content representation (CoRe). And, the document was collected to clarify what evidence which was invented to effect on students' learning. These document included lesson plan, students' task, and painting about global warming, science projects, the picture of activities of science learning, the exercise and test. Data analysis employed multiple approach of evidence looking an issue from each primary science teachers and used triangulation method to analyze the data with aiming to make meaning of teachers' representation of teaching practice. These included descriptive statistics, CoRe interpretation, and document analysis. The results show that teachers had misunderstanding of science teaching practice and they has articulated the pedagogical content knowledge in terms of assessment, goal of teaching and linking to the context of socio cultural. In contrast, knowledge and belief of curriculum, students' understanding of content global warming, and strategies of teaching were articulated indistinct by non-graduate science teacher. Constructing opportunities for personal development, the curiosity of the student learning center, and linking context of socio-culture were the creative factor in the teaching global warming. On the other hand, the teachers had an idea that lack of technology and the defect of child's intelligence were hinder factors teaching global warming.

Linguistic and Cultural Challenges in Communication and Translation in US-Sponsored HIV Prevention Research in Emerging Economies.

PubMed

Hanrahan, Donna; Sexton, Patrina; Hui, Katrina; Teitcher, Jennifer; Sugarman, Jeremy; London, Alex John; Barnes, Mark; Purpura, James; Klitzman, Robert

2015-01-01

Linguistic and cultural differences can impede comprehension among potential research participants during the informed consent process, but how researchers and IRBs respond to these challenges in practice is unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 researchers, research ethics committee (REC) chairs and members from 8 different countries with emerging economies, involved in HIV-related research sponsored by HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), regarding the ethical and regulatory challenges they face in this regard. In the interviews, problems with translating study materials often arose as major concerns. Four sets of challenges were identified concerning linguistic and cultural translations of informed consent documents and other study materials, related to the: (1) context, (2) process, (3) content and (4) translation of these documents. Host country contextual issues included low literacy rates, education (e.g., documents may need to be written below 5th grade reading level), and experiences with research, and different views of written documentation. Certain terms and concepts may not exist in other languages, or have additional connotations that back translations do not always reveal. Challenges arise because of not only the content of word-for-word, literal translation, but the linguistic form of the language, such as tone (e.g., appropriate forms of politeness vs. legalese, seen as harsh), syntax, manner of questions posed, and the concept of the consent); and the contexts of use affect meaning. Problems also emerged in bilateral communications--US IRBs may misunderstand local practices, or communicate insufficiently the reasons for their decisions to foreign RECs. In sum, these data highlight several challenges that have received little, if any, attention in past literature on translation of informed consent and study materials, and have crucial implications for improving practice, education, research and policy, suggesting several strategies, including needs for broader open-source multilingual lexicons, and more awareness of the complexities involved.

Investigating How Nontraditional Elementary Pre-service Teachers Negotiate the Teaching of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, Mythianne

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the influences on nontraditional preservice teachers as they negotiated the teaching of science in elementary school. Based upon a sociocultural theoretical framework with an identity-in-practice lens, these influences included beliefs about science teaching, life experiences, and the impact of the teacher preparation program. The study sample consisted of two nontraditional preservice teachers who were student teaching in an elementary classroom. Data, collected over a five-month period, included in-depth individual interviews, classroom observations, audio recordings, and reviews of documentations. Interviews focused on the participants' beliefs relating to the teaching of science, prior experiences, and their teacher preparation program experiences relating to the teaching of science. Classroom observations provided additional insights into the classroom setting, participants' teaching strategies, and participants' interactions with the students and cooperating teacher. A whole-text analysis of the interview transcripts, observational field notes, audio recordings and documents generated eight major categories: beliefs about science teaching, role of family, teaching science in the classroom, teacher identity, non-teacher identity, relationships with others, discourses of classroom teaching, and discourses of teachers. The following significant findings emerged from the data: (a) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers related to early life experiences in science classes; (b) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers was influenced by their role as parents; (c) nontraditional student teachers learned strategies that supported their beliefs about inquiry learning; and (d) nontraditional student teachers valued the teacher preparation program support system. The results from this qualitative study suggest that sociocultural theory with an identity-in-practice lens provides a theoretical framework for understanding the influences that affect why nontraditional preservice teachers select strategies to teach science in the elementary classroom.

Improving clinic- and neighborhood-based smoking cessation services within federally qualified health centers serving low-income, minority neighborhoods.

PubMed

Fisher, Edwin; Musick, Judy; Scott, Catina; Miller, J Philip; Gram, Richard; Richardson, Veronica; Clark, Jane; Pachalla, Vani

2005-04-01

Within federally qualified health centers serving low-income, African American audiences, participatory approaches to system changes were organized through multidisciplinary committees that (a) drew on evidence-based guidelines, (b) guided system changes including the requirement of documenting smoking status and readiness to quit in encounter forms, (c) tested and refined practice improvements prior to their general adoption, and (d) guided development of neighborhood-based resources and supports for smoking cessation that were linked to clinic-based services. Documentation of smoking status or readiness to quit increased from 2% of encounter forms in the first 3 months to 94.3% in the last 3 months of the 24-month program. This rate remained over 90% throughout the following year. Exit interviews also indicated increased key clinic-based services, including "explained importance of quitting" (to 78% and 82% of interview respondents in the two intervention clinics in year 2), "tell you that you should quit" (to 80% in each), "tell you about nicotine gum...or other medications" (to 69% and 58%), "offer to help you quit" (to 61% and 64%), and "tell you about programs or help in your neighborhood" (to 51% and 56%). These rates exceeded those in one comparison clinic and equaled those in a second that also had launched a smoking cessation initiative. From exit interviews, improvements in neighborhood resources and support (e.g., people and activities that encourage nonsmoking) also exceeded those in comparison clinics. Thus, participatory approaches to system changes and quality improvement can enhance clinic- and neighborhood-based smoking cessation services within health centers serving low-income, minority populations.

Shuttle-Mir, CD-ROM Supplement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Clay; Launius, Roger (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This CD-ROM is a companion to an illustrated history book with the same title. This multi-media, searchable CD includes the full text and images in the book, as well as additional material. Interviews, photographs, and biographies of the U.S. Astronauts, cosmonauts, and team members for the Shuttle-Mir Program are available. STS Mission Summaries for each mission involved can be viewed, including launch and landing details, crew lists, and mission highlights. Photographs and videos from each mission are included, as well as diagrams of different spacecraft, and computer-generated animations of the Mir deorbit, collision, and flyaround. Additional documents include mission status reports, published documents, news releases, personal letters, and oral histories. The experiments carried out on Mir are described, highlighting combustion and fluid physics research, life in microgravity, and research of the development of the solar system. The focus on improving space technology and planning for the International Space Station is explained. The main features of the book itself include: (1) Training and Operations; (2) Long Duration Psychology; (3) Bilingual Blues; and (4) Earth Observations.

Patterns of Knowledge Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Bo

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge construction patterns in a local learning community. Observation, documents, and semistructured interviews were employed to collect data. Twenty learners were interviewed. Data were analyzed inductively using the constant comparative method. Five major patterns--radiation, circulation,…

Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gargus, Gerald Vincent

This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support meetings, classroom coaching/Big Lab co-teaching, summer institutes, and off-campus conferences and seminars. Results indicated that the effectiveness of the six venues was closely tied to the level of collaborative planning that took place between the Alexander Science Center School and the associated California Science Center. Examination of teachers' and stakeholders opinions reflect that after a year-and-a-half of operations, the school's professional development program is perceived as disjointed and ineffective, but that the foundation of a sound program has been established.

Partnering With a Family Advisor to Improve Communication in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

PubMed

Czulada, Laura; Leino, Patience; Willis, Tina Schade

2016-11-01

Inadequate communication between medical teams and families can lead to errors and poor-quality care. The objective was to understand why communication between the clinical team and families was not occurring consistently in the pediatric intensive care unit and improve the system using a multidisciplinary improvement team including a family advisor. This improvement project used Lean Six Sigma. The team observed updates and collected documented communication, survey, interview, and focus group data from families and staff. Root causes of failures included lack of assigned responsibility, lack of defined daily update, and lack of a daily communication standard. Process changes were implemented, resulting in an increased mean documented communication rate from 13% pre intervention to 65% post intervention that was sustained for more than 2 years (P < .001). Including a family advisor as an equal member of an improvement team provides family empowerment and a greater chance of success in complex areas. © The Author(s) 2015.

Perceptions of predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors influencing the use of a continuity of care document in special needs PLWH.

PubMed

Odlum, Michelle; Gordon, Peter; Camhi, Eli; Schnall, Rebecca; Teixeira, Paul; Bakken, Suzanne

2012-11-01

The provision of personal health information through electronic personal health management tools (EPHMT) has the potential to improve health outcomes. However, little is known about factors that affect EPHMT use in special needs people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). The purpose of this study was to describe PLWH perceptions of predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors affecting use of one type of EPHMT, a continuity of care document (CCD). Data were collected through focus groups and qualitative interviews with PLWH (n=35), health care providers (N=19) and care site managers (N=5). All participant types identified predisposing barriers to CCD use including literacy, privacy, and technology access and enabling factors to promote CCD use including user support and password simplicity. People living with HIV/AIDS also identified reinforcing factors for recurring CCD use including emergent situations and reducing test redundancy. Results inform methods to promote use of the CCD and other EPHMT by special needs PLWH.

Building the Capacity to Innovate: The Role of Human Capital--Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andrew; Courvisanos, Jerry; Tuck, Jacqueline; McEachern, Steven

2012-01-01

This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Building the Capacity to Innovate: The Role of Human Capital," and is an added resource for further information. This document contains the following appendices: (1) Survey methodology; (2) Synopsis of the literature; (3) Interview questions; and (4) Survey…

Analysis of the policymaking process in Burkina Faso's health sector: case studies of the creation of two health system support units.

PubMed

Zida, Andre; Lavis, John N; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Kouyate, Bocar; Moat, Kaelan; Shearer, Jessica

2017-02-13

Burkina Faso has made a number of health system policy decisions to improve performance on health indicators and strengthen responsiveness to health-related challenges. These included the creation of a General Directorate of Health Information and Statistics (DGISS) and a technical unit to coordinate performance-based financing (CT-FBR). We analysed the policymaking processes associated with the establishment of these units, and documented the factors that influenced this process. We used a multiple-case study design based on Kingdon's agenda-setting model to investigate the DGISS and CT-FBR policymaking processes. Data were collected from interviews with key informants (n = 28), published literature, policy documents (including two strategic and 230 action plans), and 55 legal/regulatory texts. Interviews were analysed using thematic qualitative analysis. Data from the documentary analysis were triangulated with the qualitative interview data. Key factors influencing the policymaking processes associated with the two units involved the 'problem' (problem identification), 'policy' (formation of policy proposals), and 'politics' (political climate/change) streams, which came together in a way that resulted in proposals being placed on the decision agenda. A number of problems with Burkina Faso's health information and financing systems were identified. Policy proposals for the DGISS and CT-FBR units were developed in response to these problems, emerging from several sources including development partners. Changes in political and public service administrations (specifically the 2008 appointment of a new Minister of Health and the establishment of a new budget allocation system), with corresponding changes in the actors and interests involved, appeared key in elevating the proposals to the decision agenda. Efforts to improve performance on health indicators and strengthen responsiveness to health-related challenges need focus on the need for a compelling problem, a viable policy, and conducive politics in order to make it to the decision agenda.

Development of Evidence-Based Health Policy Documents in Developing Countries: A Case of Iran

PubMed Central

Imani-Nasab, Mohammad Hasan; Seyedin, Hesam; Majdzadeh, Reza; Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Salehi, Masoud

2014-01-01

Background: Evidence-based policy documents that are well developed by senior civil servants and are timely available can reduce the barriers to evidence utilization by health policy makers. This study examined the barriers and facilitators in developing evidence-based health policy documents from the perspective of their producers in a developing country. Methods: In a qualitative study with a framework analysis approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews using purposive and snowball sampling. A qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA-10) was used to apply the codes and manage the data. This study was theory-based and the results were compared to exploratory studies about the factors influencing evidence-based health policymaking. Results: 18 codes and three main themes of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were identified. Factors that influence the development of evidence-based policy documents were identified by the participants: behavioral beliefs included quality of policy documents, use of resources, knowledge and innovation, being time-consuming and contextualization; normative beliefs included policy authorities, policymakers, policy administrators, and co-workers; and control beliefs included recruitment policy, performance management, empowerment, management stability, physical environment, access to evidence, policy making process, and effect of other factors. Conclusion: Most of the cited barriers to the development of evidence-based policy were related to control beliefs, i.e. barriers at the organizational and health system levels. This study identified the factors that influence the development of evidence-based policy documents based on the components of the theory of planned behavior. But in exploratory studies on evidence utilization by health policymakers, the identified factors were only related to control behaviors. This suggests that the theoretical approach may be preferable to the exploratory approach in identifying the barriers and facilitators of a behavior. PMID:24762343

Development of evidence-based health policy documents in developing countries: a case of Iran.

PubMed

Imani-Nasab, Mohammad Hasan; Seyedin, Hesam; Majdzadeh, Reza; Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Salehi, Masoud

2014-02-07

Evidence-based policy documents that are well developed by senior civil servants and are timely available can reduce the barriers to evidence utilization by health policy makers. This study examined the barriers and facilitators in developing evidence-based health policy documents from the perspective of their producers in a developing country. In a qualitative study with a framework analysis approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews using purposive and snowball sampling. A qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA-10) was used to apply the codes and manage the data. This study was theory-based and the results were compared to exploratory studies about the factors influencing evidence-based health policy-making. 18 codes and three main themes of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were identified. Factors that influence the development of evidence-based policy documents were identified by the participants: behavioral beliefs included quality of policy documents, use of resources, knowledge and innovation, being time-consuming and contextualization; normative beliefs included policy authorities, policymakers, policy administrators, and co-workers; and control beliefs included recruitment policy, performance management, empowerment, management stability, physical environment, access to evidence, policy making process, and effect of other factors. Most of the cited barriers to the development of evidence-based policy were related to control beliefs, i.e. barriers at the organizational and health system levels. This study identified the factors that influence the development of evidence-based policy documents based on the components of the theory of planned behavior. But in exploratory studies on evidence utilization by health policymakers, the identified factors were only related to control behaviors. This suggests that the theoretical approach may be preferable to the exploratory approach in identifying the barriers and facilitators of a behavior.

Understanding Energy Code Acceptance within the Alaska Building Community

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mapes, Terry S.

2012-02-14

This document presents the technical assistance provided to the Alaska Home Financing Corporation on behalf of PNNL regarding the assessment of attitudes toward energy codes within the building community in Alaska. It includes a summary of the existing situation and specific assistance requested by AHFC, the results of a questionnaire designed for builders surveyed in a suburban area of Anchorage, interviews with a lender, a building official, and a research specialist, and recommendations for future action by AHFC.

Treatment of ’Battlefield Detainees’ in the War on Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-23

Political Rights, Including the Question of Torture and Detention, Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, U.N. Commission on Human Rights...June 1999 (citing interview with DOD law of war expert Hayes Parks, who advocates a purely de facto standard, without regard to political factors). 72...Military Prosecutor v. Kassem , 47 I.L.R. 470 (1971) (excerpts reprinted in DOCUMENTS (continued...) GPW Art. 4A(1): Does Al Qaeda Form “Part of” the

No Exceptions: Documenting the Abortion Experiences of US Peace Corps Volunteers

PubMed Central

Arnott, Grady; Parniak, Simone; LaRoche, Kathryn J.; Trussell, James

2015-01-01

Since 1979, US federal appropriations bills have prohibited the use of federal funds from covering abortion care for Peace Corps volunteers. There are no exceptions; unlike other groups that receive health care through US federal funding streams, including Medicaid recipients, federal employees, and women in federal prisons, abortion care is not covered for volunteers even in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. We interviewed 433 returned Peace Corps volunteers to document opinions of, perceptions about, and experiences with obtaining abortion care. Our results regarding the abortion experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, especially those who were raped, bear witness to a profound inequity and show that the time has come to lift the “no exceptions” funding ban on abortion coverage. PMID:25494207

Research Library Year in Review 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knudson, Frances Lynn; Varjabedian, Kathryn Ruth; Boorman, Helen A.

2016 was a year of strategy, analysis and moving forward. We launched January with a strategic planning process. Building on the Lab’s Strategic Plan and Purpose Statement, we created a process that reached out to Lab leadership, scientists & engineers, and Research Library (RL) staff. An external consultant was engaged to help drive the process and to lead a fullday staff retreat. A survey was created and administered to staff, seeking feedback on priorities and direction. A parallel survey was created for stakeholders. Stakeholder questions began with the macro – from the external climate to Lab and division priorities –more » to the micro concerning priorities and directions for the RL. Stakeholders were personally interviewed by teams of two that included an interviewer and a scribe. These thirty-plus interviews were collated into a spreadsheet. A sociologist provided semantic analysis for the feedback, creating an impact document of the interviews. The full day retreat provided an opportunity for staff to build on their feedback as well as stakeholder feedback. A great deal of brainstorming led to categorized priorities and scenarios. The RL Compass Team, encompassing library leadership, moved the next stage of the process forward by taking retreat feedback and creating a first draft of a plan. Two more rounds of feedback with smaller staff groups as well as the Library Advisory Board led to the final plan. The core plan is included in this report.« less

Content analysis to detect high stress in oral interviews and text documents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar (Inventor); Jorgensen, Charles C. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A system of interrogation to estimate whether a subject of interrogation is likely experiencing high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict in the subject's responses to an interviewer's questions. The system applies one or more of four procedures, a first statistical analysis, a second statistical analysis, a third analysis and a heat map analysis, to identify one or more documents containing the subject's responses for which further examination is recommended. Words in the documents are characterized in terms of dimensions representing different classes of emotions and states of mind, in which the subject's responses that manifest high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict are identified. A heat map visually displays the dimensions manifested by the subject's responses in different colors, textures, geometric shapes or other visually distinguishable indicia.

A Behavior-Analytic Account of Motivational Interviewing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christopher, Paulette J.; Dougher, Michael J.

2009-01-01

Several published reports have now documented the clinical effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI). Despite its effectiveness, there are no generally accepted or empirically supported theoretical accounts of its effects. The theoretical accounts that do exist are mentalistic, descriptive, and not based on empirically derived behavioral…

Elementary Assistant Principals: Perspectives on Role and Responsibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, Terri L.

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored elementary assistant principals' perspectives on their role and responsibilities. Online interview questions, focus group interviews and review of documents were the source of data for this study. The study produced seven emergent themes: School Operational Management, Daily Discipline Management, Teacher Support…

Association of Filial Responsibility, Ethnicity, and Acculturation Among Japanese American Family Caregivers of Older Adults

PubMed Central

Miyawaki, Christina E.

2015-01-01

Challenges of filial caregiving practices by 1st-generation immigrants due to differences in caregiving values between their home and host countries are well documented. This study explored the filial responsibility of later generation Japanese American caregivers of older adults. Acculturation and filial responsibility were measured using the Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation scale and Filial Values Index, respectively. A qualitative interview guide was developed using Gordon’s assimilation theory, and 21 caregivers (M age = 68 years, 86% female, seven in each generation) were interviewed. Despite the 3rd-generation caregivers’ high acculturation level, their filial responsibility scores remained high. Qualitative interviews also revealed later generation caregivers’ strong filial responsibility and continued caregiving involvement. Unexpectedly, caregivers’ own future expectancy of care included placement in mainstream residential facilities rather than ethnicspecific settings. Findings point to the need to develop caregiver services that consider later generation caregivers’ culture and level of assimilation. PMID:25883044

Workplace hazards and prevention options from a nonrandom sample of retail trade businesses.

PubMed

Anderson, Vern Putz; Chun, Heekyoung

2014-01-01

Employer commitment is a key factor in an effective safety program, yet limited research has focused on the safety priorities of retail store managers. To address this, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recruited 4 experienced ergonomists, who met and interviewed 9 retailers in different parts of the eastern USA. The reports from the 9 interviews were used to document the hazards facing retailers and the interventions they attempted. Those interviewed were managers/owners of establishments that ranged from a small bakery with 11 employees to a supermarket with 85 or more employees. The main hazards across all establishments included overexertion, contact-with-objects, and falls-to-the-same-level. We also compared the retailers' perceptions of safety hazards with injuries from actual hazards as supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report provides insight into the retailers' perceptions of safety hazards as well as their commitment to the prevention of workplace injuries.

Workplace Hazards and Prevention Options From a Nonrandom Sample of Retail Trade Businesses

PubMed Central

Anderson, Vern Putz; Chun, Heekyoung

2015-01-01

Employer commitment is a key factor in an effective safety program, yet limited research has focused on the safety priorities of retail store managers. To address this, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recruited 4 experienced ergonomists, who met and interviewed 9 retailers in different parts of the eastern USA. The reports from the 9 interviews were used to document the hazards facing retailers and the interventions they attempted. Those interviewed were managers/owners of establishments that ranged from a small bakery with 11 employees to a supermarket with 85 or more employees. The main hazards across all establishments included overexertion, contact-with-objects, and falls-to-the-same-level. We also compared the retailers’ perceptions of safety hazards with injuries from actual hazards as supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report provides insight into the retailers’ perceptions of safety hazards as well as their commitment to the prevention of workplace injuries. PMID:24629880

A qualitative report on the subjective experience of intravenous psilocybin administered in an FMRI environment.

PubMed

Turton, S; Nutt, D J; Carhart-Harris, R L

2014-01-01

This report documents the phenomenology of the subjective experiences of 15 healthy psychedelic experienced volunteers who were involved in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that was designed to image the brain effects of intravenous psilocybin. The participants underwent a semi-structured interview exploring the effects of psilocybin in the MRI scanner. These interviews were analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The resultant data is ordered in a detailed matrix, and presented in this paper. Nine broad categories of phenomenology were identified in the phenomenological analysis of the experience; perceptual changes including visual, auditory and somatosensory distortions, cognitive changes, changes in mood, effects of memory, spiritual or mystical type experiences, aspects relating to the scanner and research environment, comparisons with other experiences, the intensity and onset of effects, and individual interpretation of the experience. This article documents the phenomenology of psilocybin when given in a novel manner (intravenous injection) and setting (an MRI scanner). The findings of the analysis are consistent with previous published work regarding the subjective effects of psilocybin. There is much scope for further research investigating the phenomena identified in this paper.

Resource allocation and purchasing arrangements to improve accessibility of medicines: Evidence from Iran.

PubMed

Bastani, Peivand; Mehralian, Gholamhossein; Dinarvand, Rasoul

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to review the current methods of pharmaceutical purchasing by Iranian insurance organizations within the World Bank conceptual framework model so as to provide applicable pharmaceutical resource allocation and purchasing (RAP) arrangements in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted through a qualitative document analysis (QDA), applying the four-step Scott method in document selection, and conducting 20 semi-structured interviews using a triangulation method. Furthermore, the data were analyzed applying five steps framework analysis using Atlas-ti software. The QDA showed that the purchasers face many structural, financing, payment, delivery and service procurement and purchasing challenges. Moreover, the findings of interviews are provided in three sections including demand-side, supply-side and price and incentive regime. Localizing RAP arrangements as a World Bank Framework in a developing country like Iran considers the following as the prerequisite for implementing strategic purchasing in pharmaceutical sector: The improvement of accessibility, subsidiary mechanisms, reimbursement of new drugs, rational use, uniform pharmacopeia, best supplier selection, reduction of induced demand and moral hazard, payment reform. It is obvious that for Iran, these customized aspects are more various and detailed than those proposed in a World Bank model for developing countries.

What criteria do consumer health librarians use to develop library collections? a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Papadakos, Janet; Trang, Aileen; Wiljer, David; Cipolat Mis, Chiara; Cyr, Alaina; Friedman, Audrey Jusko; Mazzocut, Mauro; Snow, Michelle; Raivich, Valeria; Catton, Pamela

2014-04-01

The criteria for determining whether resources are included in consumer health library collections are summarized in institutional collection development policies (CDPs). Evidence suggests that CDPs do not adequately capture all of these criteria. The aim of this study was to describe the resource review experience of librarians and compare it to what is described in CDPs. A phenomenological approach was used to explore and describe the process. Four consumer health librarians independently evaluated cancer-related consumer health resources and described their review process during a semi-structured telephone interview. Afterward, these librarians completed online questionnaires about their approaches to collection development. CDPs from participating libraries, interview transcripts, and questionnaire data were analyzed. Researchers summarized the findings, and participating librarians reviewed results for validation. Librarians all utilized similar criteria, as documented in their CDPs; however, of thirteen criteria described in the study, only four were documented in CDPs. CDPs for consumer health libraries may be missing important criteria that are considered integral parts of the collection development process. A better understanding of the criteria and contextual factors involved in the collection development process can assist with establishing high-quality consumer health library collections.

What criteria do consumer health librarians use to develop library collections? a phenomenological study*

PubMed Central

Papadakos, Janet; Trang, Aileen; Wiljer, David; Mis, Chiara Cipolat; Cyr, Alaina; Friedman, Audrey Jusko; Mazzocut, Mauro; Snow, Michelle; Raivich, Valeria; Catton, Pamela

2014-01-01

Objectives: The criteria for determining whether resources are included in consumer health library collections are summarized in institutional collection development policies (CDPs). Evidence suggests that CDPs do not adequately capture all of these criteria. The aim of this study was to describe the resource review experience of librarians and compare it to what is described in CDPs. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to explore and describe the process. Four consumer health librarians independently evaluated cancer-related consumer health resources and described their review process during a semi-structured telephone interview. Afterward, these librarians completed online questionnaires about their approaches to collection development. CDPs from participating libraries, interview transcripts, and questionnaire data were analyzed. Researchers summarized the findings, and participating librarians reviewed results for validation. Results: Librarians all utilized similar criteria, as documented in their CDPs; however, of thirteen criteria described in the study, only four were documented in CDPs. Conclusions: CDPs for consumer health libraries may be missing important criteria that are considered integral parts of the collection development process. Implications: A better understanding of the criteria and contextual factors involved in the collection development process can assist with establishing high-quality consumer health library collections. PMID:24860261

Medication communication through documentation in medical wards: knowledge and power relations.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Manias, Elizabeth; Gerdtz, Marie

2014-09-01

Health professionals communicate with each other about medication information using different forms of documentation. This article explores knowledge and power relations surrounding medication information exchanged through documentation among nurses, doctors and pharmacists. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in 2010 in two medical wards of a metropolitan hospital in Australia. Data collection methods included participant observations, field interviews, video-recordings, document retrieval and video reflexive focus groups. A critical discourse analytic framework was used to guide data analysis. The written medication chart was the main means of communicating medication decisions from doctors to nurses as compared to verbal communication. Nurses positioned themselves as auditors of the medication chart and scrutinised medical prescribing to maintain the discourse of patient safety. Pharmacists utilised the discourse of scientific judgement to guide their decision-making on the necessity of verbal communication with nurses and doctors. Targeted interdisciplinary meetings involving nurses, doctors and pharmacists should be organised in ward settings to discuss the importance of having documented medication information conveyed verbally across different disciplines. Health professionals should be encouraged to proactively seek out each other to relay changes in medication regimens and treatment goals. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinician preferences for verbal communication compared to EHR documentation in the ICU

PubMed Central

Collins, S.A.; Bakken, S.; Vawdrey, D.K.; Coiera, E.; Currie, L

2011-01-01

Background Effective communication is essential to safe and efficient patient care. Additionally, many health information technology (HIT) developments, innovations, and standards aim to implement processes to improve data quality and integrity of electronic health records (EHR) for the purpose of clinical information exchange and communication. Objective We aimed to understand the current patterns and perceptions of communication of common goals in the ICU using the distributed cognition and clinical communication space theoretical frameworks. Methods We conducted a focus group and 5 interviews with ICU clinicians and observed 59.5 hours of interdisciplinary ICU morning rounds. Results Clinicians used an EHR system, which included electronic documentation and computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and paper artifacts for documentation; yet, preferred the verbal communication space as a method of information exchange because they perceived that the documentation was often not updated or efficient for information retrieval. These perceptions that the EHR is a “shift behind” may lead to a further reliance on verbal information exchange, which is a valuable clinical communication activity, yet, is subject to information loss. Conclusions Electronic documentation tools that, in real time, capture information that is currently verbally communicated may increase the effectiveness of communication. PMID:23616870

China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Prospective Study of Acute Myocardial Infarction: Study Design

PubMed Central

Li, Jing; Dreyer, Rachel P; Li, Xi; Du, Xue; Downing, Nicholas S; Li, Li; Zhang, Hai-Bo; Feng, Fang; Guan, Wen-Chi; Xu, Xiao; Li, Shu-Xia; Lin, Zhen-Qiu; Masoudi, Frederick A; Spertus, John A; Krumholz, Harlan M; Jiang, Li-Xin

2016-01-01

Background: Despite the rapid growth in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in China, there is limited information about patients’ experiences after AMI hospitalization, especially on long-term adverse events and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Methods: The China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE)-Prospective AMI Study will enroll 4000 consecutive AMI patients from 53 diverse hospitals across China and follow them longitudinally for 12 months to document their treatment, recovery, and outcomes. Details of patients’ medical history, treatment, and in-hospital outcomes are abstracted from medical charts. Comprehensive baseline interviews are being conducted to characterize patient demographics, risk factors, presentation, and healthcare utilization. As part of these interviews, validated instruments are administered to measure PROs, including quality of life, symptoms, mood, cognition, and sexual activity. Follow-up interviews, measuring PROs, medication adherence, risk factor control, and collecting hospitalization events are conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months after discharge. Supporting documents for potential outcomes are collected for adjudication by clinicians at the National Coordinating Center. Blood and urine samples are also obtained at baseline, 1- and 12-month follow-up. In addition, we are conducting a survey of participating hospitals to characterize their organizational characteristics. Conclusion: The China PEACE-Prospective AMI study will be uniquely positioned to generate new information regarding patient's experiences and outcomes after AMI in China and serve as a foundation for quality improvement activities. PMID:26712436

Oliver Bloodstein: reflections on a career. Interview by Mark Onslow.

PubMed

Onslow, Mark

2007-01-01

Oliver Bloodstein arrived at the University of Iowa in 1941 to study under Wendell Johnson. There he began an influential career that included a seminal documentation of the development of stuttering, the development of the continuity hypothesis and the anticipatory struggle hypothesis, and the writing of five editions of the influential text "A Handbook on Stuttering." In this interview Dr. Bloodstein reflects on his remarkable and inspiring career, which continues today with his involvement in the preparation of a sixth edition of this text. The reader will: (1) describe the contribution to the field of stuttering made by Dr. Bloodstein; (2) discuss the career influences that led to his achievements; (3) know Dr. Bloodstein's current views on the cause of stuttering; and (4) identify the locations at which he worked during his career.

Children's communication about distressing events: the role of emotional openness and psychological attributes of family members.

PubMed

Lutz, Wilma J; Hock, Ellen; Kang, Min Ju

2007-01-01

This study documents the importance of emotional openness to the recovery process in families following traumatic events. In this longitudinal study, relationships are examined between emotional openness and parents' psychological attributes, and mothers' and children's open disclosure of feelings. After September 11, 2001, 48 mothers and their 11-year-old children were interviewed about their reactions to the terrorist attacks. Measures included interview-based scores of children's and mothers' degree of openness, mothers' openness assessed during pregnancy and infancy, and parental depression and anxiety in close relationships. Emotional openness is a stable and reliably measured construct. Mothers' emotional openness was significantly related to earlier assessments of openness, indicators of their own and their spouse's emotional health, and their children's open expression of emotion about the terrorist attacks.

Diagnosis of sustainable collaboration in health promotion – a case study

PubMed Central

Leurs, Mariken TW; Mur-Veeman, Ingrid M; van der Sar, Rosalie; Schaalma, Herman P; de Vries, Nanne K

2008-01-01

Background Collaborations are important to health promotion in addressing multi-party problems. Interest in collaborative processes in health promotion is rising, but still lacks monitoring instruments. The authors developed the DIagnosis of Sustainable Collaboration (DISC) model to enable comprehensive monitoring of public health collaboratives. The model focuses on opportunities and impediments for collaborative change, based on evidence from interorganizational collaboration, organizational behavior and planned organizational change. To illustrate and assess the DISC-model, the 2003/2004 application of the model to the Dutch whole-school health promotion collaboration is described. Methods The study combined quantitative research, using a cross-sectional survey, with qualitative research using the personal interview methodology and document analysis. A DISC-based survey was sent to 55 stakeholders in whole-school health promotion in one Dutch region. The survey consisted of 22 scales with 3 to 8 items. Only scales with a reliability score of 0.60 were accepted. The analysis provided for comparisons between stakeholders from education, public service and public health. The survey was followed by approaching 14 stakeholders for a semi-structured DISC-based interview. As the interviews were timed after the survey, the interviews were used to clarify unexpected and unclear outcomes of the survey as well. Additionally, a DISC-based document analysis was conducted including minutes of meetings, project descriptions and correspondence with schools and municipalities. Results Response of the survey was 77% and of the interviews 86%. Significant differences between respondents of different domains were found for the following scales: organizational characteristics scale, the change strategies, network development, project management, willingness to commit and innovative actions and adaptations. The interviews provided a more specific picture of the state of the art of the studied collaboration regarding the DISC-constructs. Conclusion The DISC-model is more than just the sum of the different parameters provided in the literature on interorganizational collaboration, organization change, networking and setting-approaches. Monitoring a collaboration based on the DISC-model yields insight into windows of opportunity and current impediments for collaborative change. DISC-based monitoring is a promising strategy enabling project managers and social entrepreneurs to plan change management strategies systematically. PMID:18992132

The "medication interest model": an integrative clinical interviewing approach for improving medication adherence-part 2: implications for teaching and research.

PubMed

Shea, Shawn Christopher

2009-01-01

Over the past several decades, exciting advances have been made in the art and science of teaching clinical interviewing, which are supported by an ever-growing evidence base documenting their effectiveness. In this second article in a 2-part series, the training and research implications of an innovative approach to improving medication adherence based on these educational advances--the medication interest model (MIM)--are described. The objective is to provide an "insider's view" of how to creatively teach the MIM to case managers, as well as design state-of-the-art courses and research platforms dedicated to improving medication adherence through improved clinical interviewing skills in both nursing and medical student education. The teaching and research design concepts are applicable to all primary care settings as well as specialty areas from endocrinology and cardiology to psychiatry. Evidence-based advances in the teaching of clinical interviewing skills such as response-mode research, facilic supervision, microtraining, and macrotraining lend a distinctive quality and integrative power to the MIM. The model delineates several new platforms for training and research regarding the enhancement of medication adherence including an approach for collecting individual interviewing techniques into manageable "learning modules" amenable to competency evaluation and potential certification.

Interviewing Children: Reporter Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Sarah

2012-01-01

Interviewing children is a critical element of the education reporter's daily work. However, practices for gaining access and avoiding harm and embarrassment vary widely depending on the news organization and individual reporter in question. This document aims to provide journalists with broad guidelines, but it stops short of advocating for the…

Key informant interviews test plan : model deployment of a regional, multi-modal 511 traveler information system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-28

This document presents the detailed plan to conduct the Key Informants Interviews Test, one of several test activities to be conducted as part of the national evaluation of the regional, multi-modal 511 Traveler Information System Model Deployment. T...

Les caracteristiques des apprenantes et des apprenants ages de 15 a 18 ans dans le systeme d'education en langue francaise en Ontario (The Characteristics of Female and Male Students Aged 15 to 18 Years in the French Language Educational System in Ontario).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herry, Yves; Levesque, Denis

A study undertaken to create a profile of 15- to 18-year-old students in minority French language schools in Ontario is reported. The first chapter describes the study's methodology, which included review of education ministry documents and other research, and interviews with students and educators. The second chapter summarizes research findings…

Foreign Languages for the Professions: An Inter-Cultural Approach to Modern Communications. Proceedings of the [Center for International Higher Education Documentation] Conference (5th, Weston, MA, May 14, 1981). CIHED Conference Series, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Solveig M., Ed.

The general focus of the papers in these proceedings is communication and the specific purpose for which persons study a foreign language. The following papers are included: (1) "Marketing Your Innovative Language Program," by S. Sadow; (2) "The Implementation of Taped Interviews in Foreign Language Courses," by J. Frommer and M. Collins Weitz;…

Concept and implementation of a study dashboard module for a continuous monitoring of trial recruitment and documentation.

PubMed

Toddenroth, Dennis; Sivagnanasundaram, Janakan; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Ganslandt, Thomas

2016-12-01

The difficulty of managing patient recruitment and documentation for clinical trials prompts a demand for instruments for closely monitoring these critical but unpredictable processes. Increasingly adopted Electronic Data Capture (EDC) applications provide novel opportunities to reutilize stored information for an efficient management of traceable trial workflows. In related clinical and administrative settings, so-called digital dashboards that continuously visualize time-dependent parameters have recently met a growing acceptance. To investigate the technical feasibility of a study dashboard for monitoring the progress of patient recruitment and trial documentation, we set out to develop a propositional prototype in the form of a separate software module. After narrowing down functional requirements in semi-structured interviews with study coordinators, we analyzed available interfaces of a locally deployed EDC application, and designed the prototypical study dashboard based on previous findings. The module thereby leveraged a standardized export format in order to extract and import relevant trial data into a clinical data warehouse. Web-based reporting tools then facilitated the definition of diverse views, including diagrams of the progress of patient accrual and form completion at different granularity levels. To estimate the utility of the dashboard and its compatibility with current workflows, we interviewed study coordinators after a demonstration of sample outputs from ongoing trials. The employed tools promoted a rapid development. Displays of the implemented dashboard are organized around an entry page that integrates key metrics for available studies, and which links to more detailed information such as study-specific enrollment per center. The interviewed experts commented that the included graphical summaries appeared suitable for detecting that something was generally amiss, although practical remedies would mostly depend on additional information such as access to the original patient-specific data. The dependency on a separate application was seen as a downside. Interestingly, the prospective users warned that in some situations knowledge of specific accrual statistics might undermine blinding in a subtle yet intricate fashion, so ignorance of certain patient features was seen as sometimes preferable for reproducibility. Our proposed study dashboard graphically recaps key progress indicators of patient accrual and trial documentation. The modular implementation illustrates the technical feasibility of the approach. The use of a study dashboard might introduce certain technical requirements as well as subtle interpretative complexities, which may have to be weighed against potential efficiency gains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The psychosocial aspects of donating blood stem cells: the sibling donor perspective.

PubMed

Williams, Susan; Green, Rachel; Morrison, Anne; Watson, Douglas; Buchanan, Susan

2003-01-01

The collection of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) by apheresis has become common in related allogeneic donors. However, the acceptability of the procedure to donors has not been documented. The purpose of this baseline case series study was to evaluate the psycho-social dimensions of apheresis from the perspective of healthy sibling donors and to explore issues surrounding fully informed consent including voluntary donation. At the first interview to discuss donation, 17 consecutive human leucocyte antigens (HLA) identical sibling donors who chose to donate PBPC were recruited to the study. They then completed both scales of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The state scale was completed again immediately before first apheresis. At the end of the final apheresis, the donors were interviewed again by an independent researcher using a standardised questionnaire. All aspects of the procedure were well tolerated, including levels of anxiety and pain. Donors donated even if the relationship with their sibling was poor. However, some areas for improvement were highlighted. Eight (47%) donors were asked to donate by their sibling or another close relative, and this gave them no real volunteer status. Written information was judged important by 11 (65%) donors, but the material used was limited. The possibility of a poor outcome for the recipient was not well understood. The content of the written documentation and the management of confidentiality in terms of donor volunteer status needed to be addressed. A further study regarding the follow-up needs of donors, including those where the outcome is poor, is underway. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Community-based birth waiting homes in Northern Sierra Leone: Factors influencing women's use.

PubMed

Kyokan, Michiko; Whitney-Long, Melissa; Kuteh, Mabel; Raven, Joanna

2016-08-01

to explore the factors influencing women's use of birth waiting homes in the Northern Bombali district, Sierra Leone. this was a descriptive exploratory study using qualitative research methodology, which included in depth interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, document review and observations. two chiefdoms in the Northern Bombali district, Sierra Leone. eight interviews were conducted with women who had delivered in the past one year and used birth waiting homes; eight key informant interviews with a project manager, birth waiting homes hosts, and community members; thirteen women who delivered in the past year without using birth waiting homes (four interviews and two focus group discussions). there are several factors influencing the use of birth waiting homes (BWHs) including: past experience of childbirth, promotion of the birth waiting homes by traditional birth attendance, distance and costs of transport to the homes, child care and other family commitments, family's views of the importance of the homes, the costs of food during women's stay, and information given to women and families about when and how to use the homes. some barriers, especially those related to family commitments and costs of food, are challenging to solve. In order to make a BWH a user-friendly and viable option, it may be necessary to adjust ways in which BWHs are used. Good linkage with the health system is strength of the programme. However, further strengthening of community participation in monitoring and managing the BWHs is needed for the long term success and sustainability of the BWHs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intimate Partner Violence Programs in a Children's Hospital: Comprehensive Assessment Utilizing a Delphi Instrument.

PubMed

Randell, Kimberly A; Evans, Sarah E; O'Malley, Donna; Dowd, M Denise

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a baseline assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV) practices in a pediatric hospital system. The Delphi Instrument for Hospital-based Domestic Violence Programs was used to assess the structure and components of the hospital system's IPV practices. Through key stakeholder interviews, we also assessed IPV practices in individual patient care areas. Qualitative analysis of interview data used a grounded theory approach. The hospital scored 17 of 100 points on the Delphi instrument assessment. Key areas of weakness identified by the Delphi instrument and interviews included lack of coordinated provider training and evaluation of IPV-related processes and no standards for IPV screening, safety assessment, and documentation. Most interviewees supported addressing IPV; all identified barriers to IPV screening at individual provider and institutional levels. Institutional barriers included lack of a standardized response to IPV disclosure, need for individualized screening protocols for different patient care settings, lack of standardized provider training, concerns about overextending social work resources, and lack of resources for hospital staff experiencing vicarious trauma. Individual barriers included concern that screening may harm physician-patient-family relationships and the perception that physicians are unwilling to address psychosocial issues. The Delphi Instrument for Hospital-based Domestic Violence Programs identified weaknesses and key areas for improvement in IPV practices. Deficiencies revealed by the Delphi instrument were affirmed by individual interview results. Institutional and individual provider level barriers must be addressed to optimize IPV practices in a pediatric hospital system. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

EVALUATION OF AN ELECTRONIC PAEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) MEDICATION RECONCILIATION (MR) FORM.

PubMed

Murray, Diane; Sedgeworth, Cathy; Kinnear, Moira; Diack, Lesley

2016-09-01

To gather opinions from doctors and pharmacists to improve the design of the PICU MR form generated by the electronic prescribing and clinical notes system to support transfer of care from PICU to downstream wards that use paper systems. A purposive sample of 10 forms covering a comprehensive range of medication information common to PICU patients was selected from practice between March 2014 and May 2014. Pharmacists (n=7) and doctors (n=9) who received these forms on downstream wards were invited to participate in semi-structured one-to-one interviews (n=20) with the PICU pharmacist within 48 hrs of receipt to explore their views about the form. The interview schedule was informed from literature and peer review. Comments and suggestions about layout and the MR process were invited. Two pilot interviews (1 pharmacist, 1 doctor) were conducted to test a priori themes were covered and that the questioning style was open, avoided leading and the participant was given time to consider their response. Interviews were recorded using an encrypted digital recorder, transcribed and checked (10%) for accuracy and coding. Framework analysis focused on documentation and work processes. A 110 bed paediatric hospital with critical care, medical, neurology, haematology, oncology and mixed speciality surgical services. The 8-bedded PICU uses the electronic clinical information system (CIS) MetaVision® provided by iMDsoft® and includes electronic prescribing and clinical notes. Downstream wards using paper systems are provided with a new paper drug chart and printed CIS documentation on transfer. New themes extracted during analysis included misunderstanding of the purpose of the form, barriers to use and accessibility of the form. Despite positive comments about the form "…just pull the sheet and you know the medication is confirmed…" (Pharmacist) and "…I think it's a really good system. I think it's quite user friendly and it prints it out in an easy to read way…" (Dr). Issues were identified including unfamiliar documentation "on a paper kardex you would see straight away [medication was discontinued]… you don't know that you need to look somewhere else until you've missed it and it's along with some other chart…" (Pharmacist). Suggestions were made to alter the layout of the form to follow the logical order of steps in the MR process. Non-standard terminology introduced by the computer system was considered ambiguous. Barriers to using the form included misunderstandings in relation to the stage of the patient's journey - was it referring to admission to hospital, admission to PICU, during PICU admission or transfer from PICU? Educational needs were identified during the interviews. Missing forms were a problem. "…our biggest issue is that they come down without having had the discharge printed off…" (Dr). User input informed recommendations for improvements such as clarity of wording and layout of the form, ensuring the MR form is available downstream and highlighted areas for user education. Further evaluation will be undertaken following implementation of these changes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

"Inside-out Pedagogy": Theorising Pedagogical Transformation through Teaching Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholl, Rosie

2014-01-01

This retrospective interview study focused on the impact that training and implementation of Philosophy, in Lipman's tradition of Philosophy for Children, had on the pedagogy of 14 primary teachers at one school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to document the impact of teaching Philosophy on pedagogy, the resources required to…

Job Analysis and the Preparation of Job Descriptions. Mendip Papers MP 037.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Bob

This document provides guidelines for conducting job analyses and writing job descriptions. It covers the following topics: the rationale for job descriptions, the terminology of job descriptions, who should write job descriptions, getting the information to write job descriptions, preparing for staff interviews, conducting interviews, writing the…

Complexities of Counting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stake, Bernadine Evans

This document focuses on one child's skip counting methods. The pupil, a second grade student at Steuben School, in Kankakee, Illinois, was interviewed as she made several attempts at counting twenty-five poker chips on a circular piece of paper. The interview was part of a larger study of "Children's Conceptions of Number and Numeral,"…

Community perceptions of mental distress in a post-conflict setting: a qualitative study in Burundi.

PubMed

Familiar, Itziar; Sharma, Sonali; Ndayisaba, Herman; Munyentwari, Norbert; Sibomana, Seleus; Bass, Judith K

2013-01-01

There is scant documentation of the mental health characteristics of low-income communities recovering from armed conflict. To prepare for quantitative health surveys and health service planning in Burundi, we implemented a qualitative study to explore concepts related to mental distress and coping among adults. Mental distress was defined as problems related to feelings, thinking, behaviour and physical stress. Using free listing and key informant interviews with a range of community members, we triangulated data to identify salient issues. Thirty-eight free list respondents and 23 key informants were interviewed in 5 rural communities in Burundi using 2 interview guides from the WHO Toolkit for Mental Health Assessment in Humanitarian Settings. Based on these interviews, we identified four locally defined idioms/terms relating to mental distress: ihahamuka (anxiety spectrum illnesses), ukutiyemera (a mix of depression and anxiety-like syndrome), akabonge (depression/grief-like syndrome) and kwamana ubwoba burengeje (anxiety-like syndrome). Mental distress terms were perceived as important problems impacting community development. Affected individuals sought help from several sources within the community, including community leaders and traditional healers. We discuss how local expressions of distress can be used to tailor health research and service integration from the bottom up.

Patients' understanding and use of advance directives.

PubMed Central

Jacobson, J A; White, B E; Battin, M P; Francis, L P; Green, D J; Kasworm, E S

1994-01-01

The Patient Self-Determination Act was implemented in December 1991. Before and after its implementation, we used a structured interview of 302 randomly selected patients to determine their awareness, understanding, and use of advance directives. Implementation of the Act did not have a major effect on these. Although more than 90% of patients were aware of the living will, only about a third selected the correct definition or the correct circumstances in which it applied, and less than 20% of patients had completed one. About a third of patients were aware of a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and chose the correct definition, and about half identified the correct circumstances in which it applies; less than 10% had completed such a document. Surprisingly, patients who said they had completed advance directives did not demonstrate better understanding of these documents. Our results indicate that many patients, including some who have completed advance directives, do not fully understand them. It may be unwise to regard these documents as carefully considered, compelling statements of patients' preferences. Appropriate responses to our findings include increased public education, revising state statutes to bring them into congruence with public perception, and expanding the dialogue between physicians and patients. PMID:8191755

Lab notebooks as scientific communication: Investigating development from undergraduate courses to graduate research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, Jacob T.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2016-12-01

In experimental physics, lab notebooks play an essential role in the research process. For all of the ubiquity of lab notebooks, little formal attention has been paid to addressing what is considered "best practice" for scientific documentation and how researchers come to learn these practices in experimental physics. Using interviews with practicing researchers, namely, physics graduate students, we explore the different experiences researchers had in learning how to effectively use a notebook for scientific documentation. We find that very few of those interviewed thought that their undergraduate lab classes successfully taught them the benefit of maintaining a lab notebook. Most described training in lab notebook use as either ineffective or outright missing from their undergraduate lab course experience. Furthermore, a large majority of those interviewed explained that they did not receive any formal training in maintaining a lab notebook during their graduate school experience and received little to no feedback from their advisors on these records. Many of the interviewees describe learning the purpose of, and how to maintain, these kinds of lab records only after having a period of trial and error, having already started doing research in their graduate program. Despite the central role of scientific documentation in the research enterprise, these physics graduate students did not gain skills in documentation through formal instruction, but rather through informal hands-on practice.

Student Problems with Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freimer, Gloria R.; Perry, Margaret M.

1986-01-01

Interviews with faculty, a survey of 20 students, and examination of style manuals revealed that students are confused by inconsistencies in and multiplicity of styles when confronted with writing and documenting a research paper. Librarians are urged to teach various citation formats and work for adoption of standardization. (17 references) (EJS)

Live, Model, Learn: Experiencing Information Systems Requirements through Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartzel, Kathleen S.; Pike, Jacqueline C.

2015-01-01

Information system professionals strive to determine requirements by interviewing clients, observing activities at the client's site, and studying existing system documentation. Still this often leads to vague and inaccurate requirements documentation. When teaching the skills needed to determine requirements, it is important to recreate a…

Building and analyzing an innovative community-centered dengue-ecosystem management intervention in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

PubMed Central

Tana, Susilowati; Umniyati, SittiRahmah; Petzold, Max; Kroeger, Axel; Sommerfeld, Johannes

2012-01-01

Background and Objectives Dengue is an important public health problem in Yogyakarta city, Indonesia. The aim of this study was to build an innovative community-centered dengue-ecosystem management intervention in the city and to assess the process and results. Methods For describing the baseline situation, entomological surveys and household surveys were carried out in six randomly selected neighborhoods in Yogyakarta city, documents were analyzed and different stakeholders involved in dengue control and environmental management were interviewed. Then a community-centered dengue-ecosystem management intervention was built up in two of the neighborhoods (Demangan and Giwangan) whereas two neighborhoods served as controls with no intervention (Tahunan and Bener). Six months after the intervention follow up surveys (household interviews and entomological) were conducted as well as focus group discussions and key informant interviews. FIindings The intervention results included: better community knowledge, attitude and practices in dengue prevention; increased household and community participation; improved partnership including a variety of stakeholders with prospects for sustainability; vector control efforts refocused on environmental and health issues; increased community ownership of dengue vector management including broader community development activities such as solid waste management and recycling. Conclusion The community-centred approach needs a lot of effort at the beginning but has better prospects for sustainability than the vertical “top-down” approach. PMID:23318239

Physician Information Needs and Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Time to Reengineer the Clinic Note.

PubMed

Koopman, Richelle J; Steege, Linsey M Barker; Moore, Joi L; Clarke, Martina A; Canfield, Shannon M; Kim, Min S; Belden, Jeffery L

2015-01-01

Primary care physicians face cognitive overload daily, perhaps exacerbated by the form of electronic health record documentation. We examined physician information needs to prepare for clinic visits, focusing on past clinic progress notes. This study used cognitive task analysis with 16 primary care physicians in the scenario of preparing for office visits. Physicians reviewed simulated acute and chronic care visit notes. We collected field notes and document highlighting and review, and we audio-recorded cognitive interview while on task, with subsequent thematic qualitative analysis. Member checks included the presentation of findings to the interviewed physicians and their faculty peers. The Assessment and Plan section was most important and usually reviewed first. The History of the Present Illness section could provide supporting information, especially if in narrative form. Physicians expressed frustration with the Review of Systems section, lamenting that the forces driving note construction did not match their information needs. Repetition of information contained in other parts of the chart (eg, medication lists) was identified as a source of note clutter. A workflow that included a patient summary dashboard made some elements of past notes redundant and therefore a source of clutter. Current ambulatory progress notes present more information to the physician than necessary and in an antiquated format. It is time to reengineer the clinic progress note to match the workflow and information needs of its primary consumer. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Electronic implementation of national nursing standards--NANDA, NOC and NIC as an effective teaching tool.

PubMed

Allred, Sharon K; Smith, Kevin F; Flowers, Laura

2004-01-01

With the increased interest in evidence-based medicine, Internet access and the growing emphasis on national standards, there is an increased challenge for teaching institutions and nursing services to teach and implement standards. At the same time, electronic clinical documentation tools have started to become a common format for recording nursing notes. The major aim of this paper is to ascertain and assess the availability of clinical nursing tools based on the NANDA, NOC and NIC standards. Faculty at 20 large nursing schools and directors of nursing at 20 hospitals were interviewed regarding the use of nursing standards in clinical documentation packages, not only for teaching purposes but also for use in hospital-based systems to ensure patient safety. A survey tool was utilized that covered questions regarding what nursing standards are being taught in the nursing schools, what standards are encouraged by the hospitals, and teaching initiatives that include clinical documentation tools. Information was collected on how utilizing these standards in a clinical or hospital setting can improve the overall quality of care. Analysis included univariate and bivariate analysis. The consensus between both groups was that the NANDA, NOC and NIC national standards are the most widely taught and utilized. In addition, a training initiative was identified within a large university where a clinical documentation system based on these standards was developed utilizing handheld devices.

Determination and prioritization of MoDOT geotechnical related problems with emphasis on effectiveness of design for bridge approach slabs and pavement edge drains

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

Surveys, interviews and site visits were used to identify, observe and document geotechnical-related problems in Missouri DOT infrastructure. Documented issues were evaluated and prioritized. Additional attention was focused on Pavement Edge Drains a...

EU Employment and Social Policy, 1999-2001: Jobs, Cohesion, Productivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs.

This document examines employment and social policy in the European Union in 1999-2001. The document begins with an interview with Anna Diamantopoulou, the European Union's commissioner for employment and social affairs and the paper "Balancing Jobs, Cohesion, and Productivity" by Odile Quintin, the European Union's director-general for…

Shifting Governance and Control in Church-Related Institutions of Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fioke, Clarence J.; King, Richard A.

Factors related to shifts in governance patterns of church-related private colleges were investigated through historical document analysis, interviews with 34 presidents and board members, and 59 questionnaires returned by current and past board members of 2 New Mexico institutions. Document analysis focused upon mission statements, annual…

Current status of brown bears in the Manasalu Conservation Area, Nepal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aryal, Achyut; Sathyakumar, S.; Schwartz, Charles C.

2010-01-01

Although brown bears (Ursus arctos) are rare in the Himalayan region, populations have been documented in alpine habitats of Pakistan and India. Brown bears were once known to exist in both Nepal and Bhutan, but current information on their numbers and distributions was lacking. We document the presence of brown bears in the Manasalu Conservation Area (MCA) in Nepal using field surveys and interviews with local people. We were able to confirm the existence of a remnant population based on finding bear scat and locations where bears excavated for Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana). Based on interviews with local people, it appeared that the presence of brown bears in the area is relatively recent and likely a result of immigration of bears from the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Interviews with local herders also indicated that livestock losses from brown bear predation amounted to approximately 318,000 Nepali rupees (US $4,240) from February 2006 through July 2008.

Socio-Structural Barriers, Protective Factors, and HIV Risk Among Central-Asian Female Migrants in Moscow

PubMed Central

Zabrocki, Christopher; Weine, Stevan; Chen, Stephanie; Brajkovic, Ivana; Bahromov, Mahbat; Loue, Sana; Jonbekov, Jonbek; Shoakova, Farzona

2013-01-01

Objective This study aimed to build formative knowledge on socio-structural barriers, protective factors, and HIV sexual risk amongst Central-Asian female migrants in Moscow. Methods Data collection included ethnographic interviews in Moscow with a purposive sample of 30 unmarried female migrants, 15 from Kyrgyzstan and 15 from Tajikistan. Results Study participants reported difficulties with acquiring documents for legal status, financial insecurity, discrimination, sexual harassment, and lack of support. Based on analysis of the cases, one pathway linked lack of legal documentation and instrumental support with elevated sexual risk. Another pathways linked traditional cultural attitudes with both no and moderate sexual risk. Conclusion Future HIV prevention efforts with Central Asian female migrants in Moscow should be multilevel and include: increasing HIV and prevention knowledge and skills, promoting condom use with regular partners, identifying and supporting cultural attitudes that protect against HIV sexual risk behaviors, facilitating legal status, building community support, and increasing economic options. PMID:25360392

Exploring 21st Century Literacy through Writing: Urban Educators' Use of Digital Storytelling with Struggling Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Sarah A.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of urban educators' integration of digital storytelling into supporting instruction, developing students' writing potential, and engaging students that struggle with writing literacy. Interviews, focus group interviews, review of documents, and audio-visual resources were the sources of data…

Co-Development of Conceptual Understanding and Critical Attitude: Analyzing Texts on Radiocarbon Dating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Décamp, N.; Viennot, L.

2015-01-01

This research documents the impact of a teaching interview aimed at developing a critical attitude in students, and focused on a particular topic: radiocarbon dating. This teaching interview is designed to observe students' reaction to limited written explanations of the phenomenon under study, and their possible frustration or intellectual…

Intelligence Studies in Higher Education: Integrating a Community of Practice Pedagogical Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westbrooks, Dennis A., II

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored faculty members' and senior level administrators' views of intelligence studies, communities of practice, and learning approaches. A focus group interview, individual interviews, and a review of documents were the sources of data for the study. Themes emerging from the investigation were strategies to connect…

Needs for Psychosocial Support in Home Care Hospice Patients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gotay, Carolyn Cook

There is little research documenting the psychosocial support needs of hospice patients and their families. To assess hospice patients' and families' use of and perceptions of need for support, 77 patients and their families were interviewed during home care for terminal illness (Group 1), and 50 family members (84% spouses) were interviewed 1…

Internationalisation in the Swedish Nurse Education from the Perspective of Teachers Involved: An Interview Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svensson, Lennart; Wihlborg, Monne

2007-01-01

This paper presents results from an interview investigation with teachers in Swedish nurse education especially interested in internationalising the education. The aim has been to study teachers' understandings and experiences of internationalisation against the backdrop of the strong concern for internationalisation expressed in policy documents.…

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: National Youth Fitness Survey Estimation Procedures, 2012.

PubMed

Johnson, Clifford L; Dohrmann, Sylvia M; Kerckove, Van de; Diallo, Mamadou S; Clark, Jason; Mohadjer, Leyla K; Burt, Vicki L

2014-11-01

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey's (NHANES) National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) was conducted in 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NNYFS collected data on physical activity and fitness levels to evaluate the health and fitness of children aged 3-15 in the United States. The survey comprised three levels of data collection: a household screening interview (or screener), an in-home personal interview, and a physical examination. The screener's primary objective was to determine whether any children in the household were eligible for the interview and examination. Eligibility was determined by preset selection probabilities for desired sex-age subdomains. After selection, the in-home personal interview collected demographic, health, physical activity, and nutrition information about the child as well as information about the household. The examination included physical measurements and fitness tests. This report provides background on the NNYFS program and summarizes the survey's sample design specifications. The report presents NNYFS estimation procedures, including the methods used to calculate survey weights for the full sample as well as a combined NHANES/NNYFS sample for 2012 (accessible only through the NCHS Research Data Center). The report also describes appropriate variance estimation methods. Documentation of the sample selection methods, survey content, data collection procedures, and methods to assess nonsampling errors are reported elsewhere. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

After-visit summaries in primary care: mixed methods results from a literature review and stakeholder interviews.

PubMed

Lyles, Courtney R; Gupta, Reena; Tieu, Lina; Fernandez, Alicia

2018-05-28

After-visit summary (AVS) documents presenting key information from each medical encounter have become standard in the USA due to federal health care reform. Little is known about how they are used or whether they improve patient care. First, we completed a literature review and described the totality of the literature on AVS by article type and major outcome measures. Next, we used reputational sampling from large-scale US studies on primary care to identify and interview nine stakeholders on their perceptions of AVS across high-performing primary care practices. Interviews were transcribed and coded for AVS use in practice, perceptions of the best/worst features and recommendations for improving AVS utility in routine care. The literature review resulted in 17 studies; patients reported higher perceived value of AVS compared with providers, despite poor recall of specific AVS content and varied post-visit use. In key informant interviews, key informants expressed enthusiasm for the potential of using AVS to reinforce key information with patients, especially if AVS were customizable. Despite this potential, key informants found that AVS included incorrect information and did not feel that patients or their practices were using AVS to enhance care. There is a gap between the potential of AVS and how providers and patients are using it in routine care. Suggestions for improved use of AVS include increasing customization, establishing care team responsibilities and workflows and ensuring patients with communication barriers have dedicated support to review AVS during visits.

Developing Teaching Strategies in the EHR Era: A Survey of GME Experts.

PubMed

Atwater, Amber R; Rudd, Mariah; Brown, Audrey; Wiener, John S; Benjamin, Robert; Lee, W Robert; Rosdahl, Jullia A

2016-10-01

There is limited information on the impact of widespread adoption of the electronic health record (EHR) on graduate medical education (GME). To identify areas of consensus by education experts, where the use of EHR impacts GME, with the goal of developing strategies and tools to enhance GME teaching and learning in the EHR environment. Information was solicited from experienced US physician educators who use EPIC EHR following 3 steps: 2 rounds of online surveys using the Delphi technique, followed by telephone interviews. The survey contained 3 stem questions and 52 items with Likert-scale responses. Consensus was defined by predetermined cutoffs. A second survey reassessed items for which consensus was not initially achieved. Common themes to improve GME in settings with an EHR were compiled from the telephone interviews. The panel included 19 physicians in 15 states in Round 1, 12 in Round 2, and 10 for the interviews. Ten items were found important for teaching and learning: balancing focus on EHR documentation with patient engagement achieved 100% consensus. Other items achieving consensus included adequate learning time, balancing EHR data with verbal history and physical examination, communicating clinical thought processes, hands-on EHR practice, minimizing data repetition, and development of shortcuts and templates. Teaching strategies incorporating both online software and face-to-face solutions were identified during the interviews. New strategies are needed for effective teaching and learning of residents and fellows, capitalizing on the potential of the EHR, while minimizing any unintended negative impact on medical education.

What Is Real-World Data? A Review of Definitions Based on Literature and Stakeholder Interviews.

PubMed

Makady, Amr; de Boer, Anthonius; Hillege, Hans; Klungel, Olaf; Goettsch, Wim

Despite increasing recognition of the value of real-world data (RWD), consensus on the definition of RWD is lacking. To review definitions publicly available for RWD to shed light on similarities and differences between them. A literature review and stakeholder interviews were used to compile data from eight groups of stakeholders. Data from documents and interviews were subjected to coding analysis. Definitions identified were classified into four categories: 1) data collected in a non-randomized controlled trial setting, 2) data collected in a non-interventional/non-controlled setting, 3) data collected in a non-experimental setting, and 4) others (i.e., data that do not fit into the other three categories). The frequency of definitions identified per category was recorded. Fifty-three documents and 20 interviews were assessed. Thirty-eight definitions were identified: 20 out of 38 definitions (53%) were category 1 definitions, 9 (24%) were category 2 definitions, 5 (13%) were category 3 definitions, and 4 (11%) were category 4 definitions. Differences were identified between, and within, definition categories. For example, opinions differed on the aspects of intervention with which non-interventional/non-controlled settings should abide. No definitions were provided in two interviews or identified in 33 documents. Most of the definitions defined RWD as data collected in a non-randomized controlled trial setting. A considerable number of definitions, however, diverged from this concept. Moreover, a significant number of authors and stakeholders did not have an official, institutional definition for RWD. Persisting variability in stakeholder definitions of RWD may lead to disparities among different stakeholders when discussing RWD use in decision making. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health system decentralisation in Nepal: identifying the issues.

PubMed

Collins, Charles; Omar, Mayeh; Adhikari, Damodar; Dhakal, Ramji; Emmel, Nick; Dhakal, Megha Raj; Chand, Padam; Thapa, Druba; Singh, Arjun B

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss policy analysis in Nepal and review the wide range of choices feasible in decentralisation decision making. In this paper an iterative qualitative method was developed and used in the research, which consisted of focus group interviews, key informant interviews, document analysis, including descriptive statistics, and analysis of the policy context. Participants in the research reflected the urban/rural mix of districts and the geography of Nepal. Analysis combined transcribed interviews with findings from document searches and analysis of the policy context. Coding was pre-determined during the training workshop and further codes were generated during and after the fieldwork. The paper finds that Nepal is in the process of decentralising public services from the central level to the local level, particularly to local bodies: District Development Committees (DDCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Municipalities. Key contextual factors referred to are the overall structure of decentralisation, the social context of poverty and the political instability leading to a fluid political situation characterised by political tension, armed conflict, controversies and agreements while carrying out the research. The key issues identified and discussed in the paper are the policy process leading to decentralisation, the organisational structure and tension in the proposed system, the systems of resource generation, allocation, planning and management and lastly the forms of accountability, participation, public-private relations and collaborative strategies. The paper discusses the challenges faced in conducting such a policy analysis, the broad ranging and unremitting nature of the decentralisation process, and the contextual setting of the process of change.

Direct facility funding as a response to user fee reduction: implementation and perceived impact among Kenyan health centres and dispensaries

PubMed Central

Opwora, Antony; Kabare, Margaret; Molyneux, Sassy; Goodman, Catherine

2010-01-01

There is increasing pressure for reduction of user fees, but this can have adverse effects by decreasing facility-level funds. To address this, direct facility funding (DFF) was piloted in Coast Province, Kenya, with health facility committees (HFCs) responsible for managing the funds. We evaluated the implementation and perceived impact 2.5 years after DFF introduction. Quantitative data collection at 30 public health centres and dispensaries included a structured interview with the in-charge, record reviews and exit interviews. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the in-charge and HFC members at 12 facilities, and with district staff and other stakeholders. DFF procedures were well established: HFCs met regularly and accounting procedures were broadly followed. DFF made an important contribution to facility cash income, accounting for 47% in health centres and 62% in dispensaries. The main items of expenditure were wages for support staff (32%), travel (21%), and construction and maintenance (18%). DFF was perceived to have a highly positive impact through funding support staff such as cleaners and patient attendants, outreach activities, renovations, patient referrals and increasing HFC activity. This was perceived to have improved health worker motivation, utilization and quality of care. A number of problems were identified. HFC training was reportedly inadequate, and no DFF documentation was available at facility level, leading to confusion. Charging user fees above those specified in the national policy remained common, and understanding of DFF among the broader community was very limited. Finally, relationships between HFCs and health workers were sometimes characterized by mistrust and resentment. Relatively small increases in funding may significantly affect facility performance when the funds are managed at the periphery. Kenya plans to scale up DFF nationwide. Our findings indicate this is warranted, but should include improved training and documentation, greater emphasis on community engagement, and insistence on user fee adherence. PMID:20211967

Direct facility funding as a response to user fee reduction: implementation and perceived impact among Kenyan health centres and dispensaries.

PubMed

Opwora, Antony; Kabare, Margaret; Molyneux, Sassy; Goodman, Catherine

2010-09-01

There is increasing pressure for reduction of user fees, but this can have adverse effects by decreasing facility-level funds. To address this, direct facility funding (DFF) was piloted in Coast Province, Kenya, with health facility committees (HFCs) responsible for managing the funds. We evaluated the implementation and perceived impact 2.5 years after DFF introduction. Quantitative data collection at 30 public health centres and dispensaries included a structured interview with the in-charge, record reviews and exit interviews. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the in-charge and HFC members at 12 facilities, and with district staff and other stakeholders. DFF procedures were well established: HFCs met regularly and accounting procedures were broadly followed. DFF made an important contribution to facility cash income, accounting for 47% in health centres and 62% in dispensaries. The main items of expenditure were wages for support staff (32%), travel (21%), and construction and maintenance (18%). DFF was perceived to have a highly positive impact through funding support staff such as cleaners and patient attendants, outreach activities, renovations, patient referrals and increasing HFC activity. This was perceived to have improved health worker motivation, utilization and quality of care. A number of problems were identified. HFC training was reportedly inadequate, and no DFF documentation was available at facility level, leading to confusion. Charging user fees above those specified in the national policy remained common, and understanding of DFF among the broader community was very limited. Finally, relationships between HFCs and health workers were sometimes characterized by mistrust and resentment. Relatively small increases in funding may significantly affect facility performance when the funds are managed at the periphery. Kenya plans to scale up DFF nationwide. Our findings indicate this is warranted, but should include improved training and documentation, greater emphasis on community engagement, and insistence on user fee adherence.

RECAPDOC - a questionnaire for the documentation of rehabilitation care utilization in individuals with disorders of consciousness in long-term care in Germany: development and pretesting.

PubMed

Klingshirn, Hanna; Mittrach, Rene; Braitmayer, Kathrin; Strobl, Ralf; Bender, Andreas; Grill, Eva; Müller, Martin

2018-05-04

A multitude of different rehabilitation interventions and other specific health care services are offered for individuals with disorders of consciousness in long-term care settings. To investigate the association of those services and patient-relevant outcomes, a specific instrument to document the utilization of those services is needed. The purpose of this study was to develop such a questionnaire administered to caregivers in epidemiological studies or patient registries in Germany. The development process of the RECAPDOC questionnaire was carried out in three steps. Step 1 consisted of a systematic literature review and an online-based expert survey to define the general content. Step 2 was an expert interview to evaluate the preliminary content of the questionnaire. Step 3 was a pretest including cognitive interviews with caregivers. After each step, the results were combined into a new version of the questionnaire. The first version of the questionnaire included items on utilization of medical care, medical aids, nursing and therapeutic care. The results of the expert interview led to the integration of five new items and the modification of six other items. The pretest led to some minor modifications of the questionnaire since it was rated as feasible and acceptable. The final questionnaire consisted of 29 items covering the domains "living situation", "social insurance status", "utilisation of home health care", "domestic services", "outpatient health care", "specific diagnostic measures", "adaptive technologies", "medical aids" and "utilization of therapies". Also the experience of family support and multidisciplinary collaboration of health professionals is covered. The developed questionnaire is a first step to make the situation of patients with disorders of consciousness in the long-term care setting accessible for evaluation in epidemiological studies and in the context of patient registries. However, further reliability and validity studies are needed.

An Organizational Effectiveness Officer Tackles a Management Job: A follow-Up OE Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

time, the COPPER "users manual " had not been updated to reflect the current methods and procedures of the PPSD. RAJ Johnson felt that documentation of...Users’ Manual , now known as PPSD Users’ Manual , to document every action and show document ilow with a flow chart. Also prior to implementing the change...comments is a document to work from. I’ll use it from my level, but let’s push it down in the organizacion ." When interviewed in December, RAJ Johnson was

Exploring nurses' perceptions of collecting and using HOBIC measures to guide clinical practice and improve care.

PubMed

Jeffs, Lianne; Wilson, Gail; Ferris, Ella; Cardiff, Brenda; Ng, San; Lanceta, Mary; White, Peggy; Pringle, Dorothy

2012-03-01

Ontario's Health Outcomes for Better Information and Care (HOBIC) is designed to help organizations and nurses plan and evaluate care by comparing patient outcomes with historical data on similar cases. Yet, fewer than 15% of patients in a 2010 study were found to have complete admission and discharge data sets. This low utilization rate of HOBIC measures prompted the current qualitative study, in which nurses from three clinical settings in an academic teaching hospital were interviewed to gain their perceptions related to collecting and using HOBIC measures in practice. The objective was to identify factors that promote or impede the collection and use of HOBIC data in clinical practice to improve patient care and outcomes. Analysis of interview results produced four key themes related to (a) use of HOBIC measures to inform patient care, (b) collecting and documenting HOBIC measures, (c) HOBIC as an afterthought and "black hole" and (d) impediments to assessing and documenting HOBIC measures because of language barriers, patients' cognitive status and lack of time. Recommendations to improve uptake include developing, implementing and evaluating a communication and learning plan that promotes HOBIC's values and benefits, and determining how managers and administrators perceive utilization of HOBIC at the clinical unit and organizational levels.

Resource allocation and purchasing arrangements to improve accessibility of medicines: Evidence from Iran

PubMed Central

Bastani, Peivand; Mehralian, Gholamhossein; Dinarvand, Rasoul

2015-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to review the current methods of pharmaceutical purchasing by Iranian insurance organizations within the World Bank conceptual framework model so as to provide applicable pharmaceutical resource allocation and purchasing (RAP) arrangements in Iran. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted through a qualitative document analysis (QDA), applying the four-step Scott method in document selection, and conducting 20 semi-structured interviews using a triangulation method. Furthermore, the data were analyzed applying five steps framework analysis using Atlas-ti software. Findings: The QDA showed that the purchasers face many structural, financing, payment, delivery and service procurement and purchasing challenges. Moreover, the findings of interviews are provided in three sections including demand-side, supply-side and price and incentive regime. Conclusion: Localizing RAP arrangements as a World Bank Framework in a developing country like Iran considers the following as the prerequisite for implementing strategic purchasing in pharmaceutical sector: The improvement of accessibility, subsidiary mechanisms, reimbursement of new drugs, rational use, uniform pharmacopeia, best supplier selection, reduction of induced demand and moral hazard, payment reform. It is obvious that for Iran, these customized aspects are more various and detailed than those proposed in a World Bank model for developing countries. PMID:25710045

A grounded theory model for reducing stigma in health professionals in Canada.

PubMed

Knaak, S; Patten, S

2016-08-01

The Mental Health Commission of Canada was formed as a national catalyst for improving the mental health system. One of its initiatives is Opening Minds (OM), whose mandate is to reduce mental health-related stigma. This article reports findings from a qualitative study on antistigma interventions for healthcare providers, which includes a process model articulating key stages and strategies for implementing successful antistigma programmes. The study employed a grounded theory methodology. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with programme stakeholders, direct observation of programmes, a review of programme documents, and qualitative feedback from programme participants. Analysis proceeded via the constant comparison method. A model was generated to visually present key findings. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted representing 18 different programmes. Eight programmes were observed directly, 48 programme documents were reviewed, and data from 1812 programme participants were reviewed. The analysis led to a four-stage process model for implementing successful antistigma programmes targeting healthcare providers, informed by the basic social process 'targeting the roots of healthcare provider stigma'. The process model developed through this research may function as a tool to help guide the development and implementation of antistigma programmes in healthcare contexts. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gerard Kuiper and the Infrared Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, Derek

2013-10-01

The life and contributions of Gerard Kuiper have been documented by Dale Cruikshank in his National Academy of Sciences biography. I will argue that particularly important in this eventful life was Kuiper's war time experiences. Kuiper's wartime role evolved as the war unfolded, but towards the end he was charged by the US military with reporting German progress with war-related technologies and the activities of scientists under Nazi control. He interviewed a great many scientists, including his own PhD mentor (Ejnar Hertzsprung), and when Kuiper was the only person available, he interviewed concentration-camp victims. He carried briefing sheets that identified the technologies being sought by the allies and the major fraction of these involved infrared equipment. He sent back to the USA boxes of documents, and large amounts of equipment, and he stressed to the military his interest in these for his own research. It seems very likely that in this way an effective PbS infrared detector, so critical to Kuiper's career and the future of planetary science, came to the USA and to Robert Cashman's laboratory at Northwestern University. As the war was winding down, Cashman and Kuiper worked together to develop a practical infrared spectrometer for astronomical use. Within months, Kuiper discovered the C02 atmospheres on Mars and Venus.

Exploring family physician stress

PubMed Central

Lee, F. Joseph; Brown, Judith Belle; Stewart, Moira

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To explore the nature of professional stress and the strategies used by family physicians to deal with this stress. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. PARTICIPANTS Ten key-informant family physicians. METHODS In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. A total of 40 key informants were identified, based on selected criteria; 24 provided consent. The potential participants were rank-ordered for interviews to provide maximum variation in age, sex, and years in practice. Interviews were conducted, audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed until thematic saturation was reached, as determined through an iterative process. This occurred after 10 in-depth interviews. Immersion and crystallization techniques were used. MAIN FINDINGS The participants described professional stresses and strategies at the personal, occupational, and health care system levels. Personal stressors included personality traits and the need to balance family and career, which were countered by biological, psychological, social, and spiritual strategies. Occupational stressors included challenging patients, high workload, time limitations, competency issues, challenges of documentation and practice management, and changing roles within the workplace. Occupational stressors were countered by strategies such as setting limits, participating in continuing medical education, soliciting support from colleagues and staff, making use of teams, improving patient-physician relationships, exploring new forms of remuneration, and scheduling appropriately. Stressors affecting the wider health care system included limited resources, imposed rules and regulations, lack of support from specialists, feeling undervalued, and financial concerns. CONCLUSION Family physicians face a multitude of challenges at personal, occupational, and health care system levels. A systems approach provides a new framework in which proactive strategies can augment more than one level of a system and, in contrast, reactive strategies can have negative inputs for different system levels. PMID:19282541

Approaches to Measuring and Understanding Employer Training Expenditure: Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andrew; Burke, Gerald; Long, Michael; Dumbrell, Tom

2008-01-01

This support document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Approaches to Measuring and Understanding Employer Training Expenditure," and is an added resource for further information. As outlined in the report, the research for this study was based on interviews and case studies, analysis of other research…

David J. Gross and the Strong Force

Science.gov Websites

allows physicist to predict experimental results to within one part in 100 million. ... The new Nobelists available in electronic documents and on the Web. Documents: Ultraviolet Behavior of Non-Abelian Gauge Gross, Interview (video) Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their

Report of the AD HOC Committee on Patent Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urbach, Peter; And Others

The Committee was established in September 1967 to study and make recommendations on Recommendation XXIX and XXX of the Report of the President's Commission on the Patent System. Based on interviews with Patent Office officials, patent examiners and classifiers and a review of Patent Office studies and documents, the Committee concluded that the…

A Study of University Teachers' Enactment of Curriculum Reform in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Aiqin

2015-01-01

This article documents an ongoing study of educational policy enactment in a Chinese university. Drawing upon data collected through document analysis, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, this paper argues that the enactment of China's systemic College English curriculum reform is not a matter of simple implementation but the…

Comparative Study on the Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curricula Development in Ethiopia and Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meleta, Fufa E.; Zhang, Weizhong

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study is to compare the process of the senior secondary school mathematics curricula development in Ethiopia and Australia. The study was investigated qualitatively with document analysis and semi-structured interview research methods. The documents were collected from Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of…

Assessing and Responding to Palliative Care Needs in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Results from a Model Intervention and Situation Analysis in Malawi

PubMed Central

Kalanga, Noel; Keck, James W.; Wroe, Emily B.; Phiri, Atupere; Mayfield, Alishya; Chingoli, Felix; Beste, Jason A.; Tengatenga, Listern; Bazile, Junior

2014-01-01

Introduction Palliative care is rarely accessible in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Partners In Health and the Malawi government established the Neno Palliative Care Program (NPCP) to provide palliative care in rural Neno district. We conducted a situation analysis to evaluate early NPCP outcomes and better understand palliative care needs, knowledge, and preferences. Methods Employing rapid evaluation methodology, we collected data from 3 sources: 1) chart review of all adult patients from the NPCP’s first 9 months; 2) structured interviews with patients and caregivers; 3) semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Results The NPCP enrolled 63 patients in its first 9 months. Frequent diagnoses were cancer (n = 50, 79%) and HIV/AIDS (n = 37 of 61, 61%). Nearly all (n = 31, 84%) patients with HIV/AIDS were on antiretroviral therapy. Providers registered 112 patient encounters, including 22 (20%) home visits. Most (n = 43, 68%) patients had documented pain at baseline, of whom 23 (53%) were treated with morphine. A majority (n = 35, 56%) had ≥1 follow-up encounter. Mean African Palliative Outcome Scale pain score decreased non-significantly between baseline and follow-up (3.0 vs. 2.7, p = 0.5) for patients with baseline pain and complete pain assessment documentation. Providers referred 48 (76%) patients for psychosocial services, including community health worker support, socioeconomic assistance, or both. We interviewed 36 patients referred to the NPCP after the chart review period. Most had cancer (n = 19, 53%) or HIV/AIDS (n = 10, 28%). Patients frequently reported needing income (n = 24, 67%) or food (n = 22, 61%). Stakeholders cited a need to make integrated palliative care widely available. Conclusions We identified a high prevalence of pain and psychosocial needs among patients with serious chronic illnesses in rural Malawi. Early NPCP results suggest that comprehensive palliative care can be provided in rural Africa by integrating disease-modifying treatment and palliative care, linking hospital, clinic, and home-based services, and providing psychosocial support that includes socioeconomic assistance. PMID:25313997

Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for the Defense Health Program’s Private Sector Care Budget Activity Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-28

2009 budget request for the Defense Health Program’s Private Sector Care BAG. To do this, we reviewed (1) DOD’s justification for the request for the... Private Sector Care BAG, including the underlying estimates and the extent to which DOD considered historical information; and (2) changes between this...develop the budget requests for the Private Sector Care BAG in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. We also interviewed officials and analyzed documents from

[Constraints and opportunities for inter-sector health promotion initiatives: a case study].

PubMed

Magalhães, Rosana

2015-07-01

This article analyzes the implementation of inter-sector initiatives linked to the Family Grant, Family Health, and School Health Programs in the Manguinhos neighborhood in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study was conducted in 2010 and 2011 and included document review, local observation, and 25 interviews with program managers, professionals, and staff. This was an exploratory case study using a qualitative approach that identified constraints and opportunities for inter-sector health experiences, contributing to the debate on the effectiveness of health promotion and poverty relief programs.

Assessing interventions available to internally displaced persons in Abia state, Nigeria.

PubMed

Enwereji, Ee

2009-03-01

Internally displaced persons are faced with several problems, such as sexual violence, and deserve appropriate intervention, especially in view of the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other infections in Nigeria. This study attempts to assess interventions offered by governmental authorities and organizations to internally displaced persons and to identify gaps in services as well as to identify what needs to be strengthened. The author reviewed relevant published and unpublished documents and collected data by interviews with semi-structured questions. Twenty-five organizations and government and police departments and 55 internally displaced persons were interviewed. None of the organizations, including governmental institutions, provided social services or assistance in prevention of HIV/AIDS to internally displaced persons. The main services provided by 17 (68%) organizations to 43 (78.2%) of internally displaced persons were provision of food, clothing and money, but these were provided on an ad hoc basis. Only 3 organizations (12%) included spiritual counseling and resolution of communal conflicts in their services. The fact that most organizations, including the government, do not have services for internally displaced persons indicates lack of support for internally displaced persons. The government should be urged to include these people in most prevention services, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. This should help reduce the national prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

A canary in the coal mine: documenting citizenship and identity in the State of Massachusetts.

PubMed

Kwong, Richard M; Miller, Edward Alan

2010-06-01

The U.S. federal government requires original documentation of citizenship and identity for applicants to qualify for coverage under Medicaid. The purpose of this investigation is to identify what challenges one state Medicaid agency has faced when implementing this requirement; and to identify what strategies this agency and other interested parties (e.g., providers, community advocates) adopted to help overcome them. The setting for this study is MassHealth, the Medicaid agency for the State of Massachusetts. Data derive from archival documents, direct observation, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including state officials, provider agencies, community health centers, and beneficiary advocates. While MassHealth has met several of the implementation benchmarks put forth in federal regulations and guidance letters, the agency has fallen short in several respects. This includes assisting applicants seeking to enroll in MassHealth and maintaining a seamless documentation submission process. The result has been an increase in application processing time and misinterpretations in the MassHealth community; for example, that legal immigrants should not apply for coverage even though the new requirement does not affect them. Assuming a prominent role in informing and assisting MassHealth applicants has been providers and community-based organizations. Consumer advocacy groups have also worked to streamline the process for demonstrating citizenship and identity. Synergies have been formed between MassHealth and these other organizations as well. Findings suggest a number of lessons for state Medicaid agencies wishing to address the challenges posed by federal requirements to demonstrate citizenship and identity. These include working to ensure the readability, comprehension and non-English translation of materials provided to program applicants. It also includes strengthening the document handling process and forming partnerships with providers, beneficiary advocates, and other community organizations. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu district, Kenya

PubMed Central

Nanyingi, Mark O; Mbaria, James M; Lanyasunya, Adamson L; Wagate, Cyrus G; Koros, Kipsengeret B; Kaburia, Humphrey F; Munenge, Rahab W; Ogara, William O

2008-01-01

Background Ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia is confidently used in disease intervention and there is need for documentation and preservation of traditional medical knowledge to bolster the discovery of novel drugs. The objective of the present study was to document the indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and their extinction threats in Samburu District, Kenya. Methods Field research was conducted in six divisions of Samburu District in Kenya. We randomly sampled 100 consented interviewees stratified by age, gender, occupation and level of education. We collected plant use data through semi-structured questionnaires; transect walks, oral interviews and focus groups discussions. Voucher specimens of all cited botanic species were collected and deposited at University of Nairobi's botany herbarium. Results Data on plant use from the informants yielded 990 citations on 56 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 54 different animal and human diseases including; malaria, digestive disorders, respiratory syndromes and ectoparasites. Conclusion The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries. PMID:18498665

Documentation of quality improvement exposure by internal medicine residency applicants.

PubMed

Kolade, Victor O; Sethi, Anuradha

2016-01-01

Quality improvement (QI) has become an essential component of medical care in the United States. In residency programs, QI is a focus area of the Clinical Learning Environment Review visits conducted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The readiness of applicants to internal medicine residency to engage in QI on day one is unknown. To document the reporting of QI training or experience in residency applications. Electronic Residency Application Service applications to a single internal medicine program were reviewed individually looking for reported QI involvement or actual projects in the curriculum vitae (CVs), personal statements (PSs), and letters of recommendation (LORs). CVs were also reviewed for evidence of education in QI such as completion of Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) modules. Of 204 candidates shortlisted for interview, seven had QI items on their CVs, including one basic IHI certificate. Three discussed their QI work in their PSs, and four had recommendation letters describing their involvement in QI. One applicant had both CV and LOR evidence, so that 13 (6%) documented QI engagement. Practice of or instruction in QI is rarely mentioned in application documents of prospective internal medicine interns.

Coteaching in physical education: a strategy for inclusive practice.

PubMed

Grenier, Michelle A

2011-04-01

Qualitative research methods were used to explore the factors that informed general and adapted physical education teachers' coteaching practices within an inclusive high school physical education program. Two physical education teachers and one adapted physical education teacher were observed over a 16-week period. Interviews, field notes, and documents were collected and a constant comparative approach was used in the analysis that adopted a social model framework. Primary themes included community as the cornerstone for student learning, core values of trust and respect, and creating a natural support structure. Coteaching practices existed because of the shared values of teaching, learning, and the belief that all students should be included. Recommendations include shifting orientations within professional preparation programs to account for the social model of disability.

New Faculty Interview Protocol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, University Park, PA.

This document is a protocol for interviewing new faculty to be used in conjunction with a new faculty survey as part of a project to create a profile of new faculty at U.S. colleges and universities. An introduction reports that the survey had been distributed to 5 schools (2 liberal arts colleges, a community college, a comprehensive univesity,…

Follow-Up Study of Rural Schools Implementing CSR Programs in the Southwest. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Robert V.

Case studies of five small and isolated rural schools in the Southwest focused on their ability to fully implement Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSR) programs over the 3-year period of their federal grants. Data were gathered via interviews with school personnel, classroom observations, document reviews, and telephone interviews with…

Interview with Pierre A. Lévy, French Philosopher of Collective Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Michael A.

2015-01-01

This article features an interview with Pierre A. Lévy, Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Ottawa, Canada. He occupies the Canada Research Chair in Collective Intelligence where he is engaged in research on the design of a universal system for semantic addressing of digital documents. He completed his MA at the Sorbonne…

Western Oregon University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Western Oregon University (WOU) on November 17-18, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional materials provided by WOU and identified by the AED research team,…

SPSP Phase III Recruiting, Selecting, and Developing Secure Power Systems Professionals: Behavioral Interview Guidelines by Job Roles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Neil, Lori Ross; Conway, T. J.; Tobey, D. H.

The Secure Power Systems Professional Phase III final report was released last year which an appendix of Behavioral Interview Guidelines by Job Roles. This new report is that appendix broken out as a standalone document to assist utilities in recruiting and developing Secure Power Systems Professionals at their site.

Contextualizing Black Boys' Use of a Street Identity in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Yasser Arafat; Starks, Brian Chad; Gibson, LaMar Rashad

2009-01-01

This participatory action research project worked with four street-life-oriented black men to document how a community sample of street-life-oriented black adolescents between the ages of sixteen and nineteen frame street life as a site of resiliency inside schools based on 156 surveys, 10 individual interviews, and 1 group interview. Data…

Transcripts of Oral Histories for An Ethnohistory of the Westport-Norwalk Area from 1900 to Today.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westport-Weston Arts Council, CT.

Transcripts are presented of interviews with 20 individuals of various ethnic backgrounds who live in the Westport-Norwalk, Connecticut, area. The document is part of a project to investigate the ethnically varied cultural, heritage of the Westport-Norwalk area from 1900 to 1979. Persons interviewed are identified by ethnic group, including…

Politics, policies and processes: a multidisciplinary and multimethods research programme on policies on the social determinants of health inequity in Australia

PubMed Central

Baum, Fran; Friel, Sharon

2017-01-01

Introduction The development and implementation of multisectoral policy to improve health and reduce health inequities has been slow and uneven. Evidence is largely focused on the facts of health inequities rather than understanding the political and policy processes. This 5-year funded programme of research investigates how these processes could function more effectively to improve equitable population health. Methods and analysis The programme of work is organised in four work packages using four themes (macroeconomics and infrastructure, land use and urban environments, health systems and racism) related to the structural drivers shaping the distribution of power, money and resources and daily living conditions. Policy case studies will use publicly available documents (policy documents, published evaluations, media coverage) and interviews with informants (policy-makers, former politicians, civil society, private sector) (~25 per case). NVIVO software will be used to analyse the documents to see how ‘social and health equity’ is included and conceptualised. The interview data will include qualitative descriptive and theory-driven critical discourse analysis. Our quantitative methodological work assessing the impact of public policy on health equity is experimental that is in its infancy but promises to provide the type of evidence demanded by policy-makers. Ethics and dissemination Our programme is recognising the inherently political nature of the uptake, formulation and implementation of policy. The early stages of our work indicate its feasibility. Our work is aided by a Critical Policy Reference Group. Multiple ethics approvals have been obtained with the foundation approval from the Social and Behavioural Ethics Committee, Flinders University (Project No: 6786). The theoretical, methodological and policy engagement processes established will provide improved evidence for policy-makers who wish to reduce health inequities and inform a new generation of policy savvy knowledge on social determinants. PMID:29273655

Politics, policies and processes: a multidisciplinary and multimethods research programme on policies on the social determinants of health inequity in Australia.

PubMed

Baum, Fran; Friel, Sharon

2017-12-21

The development and implementation of multisectoral policy to improve health and reduce health inequities has been slow and uneven. Evidence is largely focused on the facts of health inequities rather than understanding the political and policy processes. This 5-year funded programme of research investigates how these processes could function more effectively to improve equitable population health. The programme of work is organised in four work packages using four themes (macroeconomics and infrastructure, land use and urban environments, health systems and racism) related to the structural drivers shaping the distribution of power, money and resources and daily living conditions. Policy case studies will use publicly available documents (policy documents, published evaluations, media coverage) and interviews with informants (policy-makers, former politicians, civil society, private sector) (~25 per case). NVIVO software will be used to analyse the documents to see how 'social and health equity' is included and conceptualised. The interview data will include qualitative descriptive and theory-driven critical discourse analysis. Our quantitative methodological work assessing the impact of public policy on health equity is experimental that is in its infancy but promises to provide the type of evidence demanded by policy-makers. Our programme is recognising the inherently political nature of the uptake, formulation and implementation of policy. The early stages of our work indicate its feasibility. Our work is aided by a Critical Policy Reference Group. Multiple ethics approvals have been obtained with the foundation approval from the Social and Behavioural Ethics Committee, Flinders University (Project No: 6786).The theoretical, methodological and policy engagement processes established will provide improved evidence for policy-makers who wish to reduce health inequities and inform a new generation of policy savvy knowledge on social determinants. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Is there still an unknown Freud? A note on the publications of Freud's texts and on unpublished documents.

PubMed

Falzeder, Ernst

2007-01-01

This article presents an overview of the existing editions of what Freud wrote (works, letters, manuscripts and drafts, diaries and calendar notes, dedications and margin notes in books, case notes, and patient calendars) and what he is recorded as having said (minutes of meetings, interviews, memoirs of and interviews with patients, family members, and followers, and other quotes). There follows a short overview of biographies of Freud and other documentation on his life. It is concluded that a wealth of material is now available to Freud scholars, although more often than not this information is used in a biased and partisan way.

Improving care coordination between nephrology and primary care: a quality improvement initiative using the renal physicians association toolkit.

PubMed

Haley, William E; Beckrich, Amy L; Sayre, Judith; McNeil, Rebecca; Fumo, Peter; Rao, Vijaykumar M; Lerma, Edgar V

2015-01-01

Individuals at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those with diabetes mellitus and hypertension, are prevalent in primary care physician (PCP) practices. A major systemic barrier to mitigating risk of progression to kidney failure and to optimal care is failure of communication and coordination among PCPs and nephrologists. Quality improvement. Longitudinal practice-level study of tool-based intervention in nephrology practices and their referring PCP practices. 9 PCP and 5 nephrology practices in Philadelphia and Chicago. Tools from Renal Physicians Association toolkit were modified and provided for use by PCPs and nephrologists to improve identification of CKD, communication, and comanagement. CKD identification, referral to nephrologists, communication among PCPs and nephrologists, comanagement processes. Pre- and postimplementation interviews, questionnaires, site visits, and monthly teleconferences were used to ascertain practice patterns, perceptions, and tool use. Interview transcripts were reviewed for themes using qualitative analysis based on grounded theory. Chart audits assessed CKD identification and referral (PCPs). PCPs improved processes for CKD identification, referral to nephrologists, communication, and execution of comanagement plans. Documentation of glomerular filtration rate was increased significantly (P=0.01). Nephrologists improved referral and comanagement processes. PCP postintervention interviews documented increased awareness of risk factors, the need to track high-risk patients, and the importance of early referral. Final nephrologist interviews revealed heightened attention to communication and comanagement with PCPs and increased levels of satisfaction among all parties. Nephrology practices volunteered to participate and recruit their referring PCP practices. Audit tools were developed for quality improvement assessment, but were not designed to provide statistically significant estimates. The use of specifically tailored tools led to enhanced awareness and identification of CKD among PCPs, increased communication between practices, and improvement in comanagement and cooperation between PCPs and nephrologists. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges and opportunities in establishing a collaborative multisite observational study of chronic diseases and lifestyle factors among adults in Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Mattei, Josiemer; Rodríguez-Orengo, José F; Tamez, Martha; Corujo, Francheska; Claudio, Aida; Villanueva, Héctor; Campos, Hannia; Willett, Walter C; Tucker, Katherine L; Ríos-Bedoya, Carlos F

2017-01-31

Prevalence of chronic diseases and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among the adult population of Puerto Rico (PR) is high; however, few epidemiological studies have been conducted to address these. We aimed to document the methods and operation of establishing a multisite cross-sectional study of chronic diseases and risk factors in PR, in partnership with academic, community, clinical, and research institutions. The Puerto Rico Assessment of Diet, Lifestyle and Diseases (PRADLAD) documented lifestyle and health characteristics of adults living in PR, with the goal of informing future epidemiological and intervention projects, as well as public health, policy, and clinical efforts to help improve the population's health. The study was conducted in three primary care clinics in the San Juan, PR metropolitan area. Eligible volunteers were 30-75y, living in PR for at least 10 months of the previous year, and able to answer interviewer-administered questionnaires without assistance. Questions were recorded electronically by trained interviewers, and included socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, self-reported medically-diagnosed diseases, and psychosocial factors. Waist and hip circumferences were measured following standardized protocols. A subset of participants answered a validated food frequency questionnaire, a legumes questionnaire, and had medical record data abstracted. Process and outcome evaluation indicators were assessed. The study screened 403 participants in 5 months. Of these, 396 (98%) were eligible and 380 (94%) had reliable and complete information. A subset of 242 participants had valid dietary data, and 236 had medical record data. The mean time to complete an interview was 1.5 h. Participants were generally cooperative and research collaborators were fully engaged. Having multiple sites helped enhance recruitment and sociodemographic representation. Diagnosed conditions were prevalent across sites. Challenges in data monitoring, interviewer training, and scheduling were identified and corrected, and should be addressed in future studies. Epidemiological studies in PR can be successfully implemented in partnership with multiple institutions. Effective recruitment and implementation requires concerted planning and continued involvement from partners, frequent quality control, brief interviews, reasonable incentives, and thorough training/re-training of culturally-sensitive interviewers. Further studies are feasible and needed to help address highly prevalent chronic conditions in PR.

Barriers to Optimal Pain Management in Aged Care Facilities: An Australian Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Veal, Felicity; Williams, Mackenzie; Bereznicki, Luke; Cummings, Elizabeth; Thompson, Angus; Peterson, Gregory; Winzenberg, Tania

2018-04-01

Up to 80% of residents in aged care facilities (ACFs) experience pain, which is often suboptimally managed. The purpose of this study was to characterize pain management in ACFs and identify the barriers to optimal pain management. This exploratory descriptive qualitative study used semistructured interviews in five Southern Tasmania, Australian ACFs. Interviewees included 23 staff members (18 nurses and 5 facility managers) and were conducted from September to November 2015. Interviews included questions about how pain was measured or assessed, what happened if pain was identified, barriers to pain management, and potential ways to overcome these barriers. Interviewees noted that there were no formal requirements regarding pain assessment at the ACFs reviewed; however, pain was often informally assessed. Staff noted the importance of adequate pain management for the residents' quality of life and employed both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic techniques to reduce pain when identified. The barriers to optimal pain management included difficulty identifying and assessing pain, residents' resistance to reporting pain and/or taking medications, and communication barriers between the nursing staff and GPs. Staff interviewed were dedicated to managing residents' pain effectively; however, actions in a number of areas could improve resident outcomes. These include a more consistent approach to documenting pain in residents' progress notes and improving nurse-GP communications to ensure that new or escalating pain is identified and expedient changes can be made to the resident's management. Additionally, resident, family, nurse, and carer education, conducted within the facilities on a regular basis, could help improve the pain management of residents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Is the metaphor of 'barriers to change' useful in understanding implementation? Evidence from general medical practice.

PubMed

Checkland, Kath; Harrison, Stephen; Marshall, Martin

2007-04-01

To investigate how general medical practices in the UK react to bureaucratic initiatives, such as National Health Service (NHS) National Service Frameworks (NSFs), and to explore the value of the metaphor of 'barriers to change' for understanding this. Interviews, non-participant observation and documentary analysis within case studies of four practices in northern England. The practices had not actively implemented NSFs. At interview, various 'barriers' that had prevented implementation were listed, including the complexity of the documents and lack of time. Observation suggested that these barriers were constructions used by the participants to make sense of the situation in which they found themselves. The metaphor of 'removing barriers to change' was of limited use in a context where non-implementation of policy was an emergent property of underlying organizational realities, likely to be modifiable only if these realities were addressed.

Usability Evaluation of an Unstructured Clinical Document Query Tool for Researchers.

PubMed

Hultman, Gretchen; McEwan, Reed; Pakhomov, Serguei; Lindemann, Elizabeth; Skube, Steven; Melton, Genevieve B

2018-01-01

Natural Language Processing - Patient Information Extraction for Researchers (NLP-PIER) was developed for clinical researchers for self-service Natural Language Processing (NLP) queries with clinical notes. This study was to conduct a user-centered analysis with clinical researchers to gain insight into NLP-PIER's usability and to gain an understanding of the needs of clinical researchers when using an application for searching clinical notes. Clinical researcher participants (n=11) completed tasks using the system's two existing search interfaces and completed a set of surveys and an exit interview. Quantitative data including time on task, task completion rate, and survey responses were collected. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively. Survey scores, time on task and task completion proportions varied widely. Qualitative analysis indicated that participants found the system to be useful and usable in specific projects. This study identified several usability challenges and our findings will guide the improvement of NLP-PIER 's interfaces.

Learning in the tutorial group: a balance between individual freedom and institutional control.

PubMed

McAllister, Anita; Aanstoot, Janna; Hammarström, Inger Lundeborg; Samuelsson, Christina; Johannesson, Eva; Sandström, Karin; Berglind, Ulrika

2014-01-01

The study investigates factors in problem-based learning tutorial groups which promote or inhibit learning. The informants were tutors and students from speech-language pathology and physiotherapy programmes. Semi-structured focus-group interviews and individual interviews were used. Results revealed three themes: Responsibility. Time and Support. Under responsibility, the delicate balance between individual and institutional responsibility and control was shown. Time included short and long-term perspectives on learning. Under support, supporting documents, activities and personnel resources were mentioned. In summary, an increased control by the program and tutors decreases student's motivation to assume responsibility for learning. Support in tutorial groups needs to adapt to student progression and to be well aligned to tutorial work to have the intended effect. A lifelong learning perspective may help students develop a meta-awareness regarding learning that could make tutorial work more meaningful.

An Intersectional Analysis of Women's Experiences of Smoking-Related Stigma.

PubMed

Triandafilidis, Zoi; Ussher, Jane M; Perz, Janette; Huppatz, Kate

2017-08-01

In this article, we explore how young women encounter and counter discourses of smoking-related stigma. Twenty-seven young Australian women, smokers and ex-smokers, took part in interviews. A sub-sample of 18 participants took photographs to document their smoking experience, and took part in a second interview. Data were analyzed through Foucauldian discourse analysis. Four discourses were identified: "smoking as stigmatized," "the smoking double standard," "smoking as lower class," and "smokers as bad mothers." The women negotiated stigma in a variety of ways, shifting between agreeing, disagreeing, challenging, and displacing stigma onto "other" smokers. These experiences and negotiations of smoking-related stigma were shaped by intersecting identities, including gender, cultural background, social class, and mothering, which at times, compounded levels of stigmatization. It is concluded that tobacco control measures should consider the negative implications of smoking-related stigma, and the potential for women to experience compounding levels of stigma.

Using the critical incident technique in community-based participatory research: a case study.

PubMed

Belkora, Jeffrey; Stupar, Lauren; O'Donnell, Sara

2011-01-01

Successful community-based participatory research involves the community partner in every step of the research process. The primary study for this paper took place in rural, Northern California. Collaborative partners included an academic researcher and two community based resource centers that provide supportive services to people diagnosed with cancer. This paper describes our use of the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to conduct Community-based Participatory Research. We ask: Did the CIT facilitate or impede the active engagement of the community in all steps of the study process? We identified factors about the Critical Incident Technique that were either barriers or facilitators to involving the community partner in every step of the research process. Facilitators included the CIT's ability to accommodate involvement from a large spectrum of the community, its flexible design, and its personal approach. Barriers to community engagement included training required to conduct interviews, depth of interview probes, and time required. Overall, our academic-community partners felt that our use of the CIT facilitated community involvement in our Community-Based Participatory Research Project, where we used it to formally document the forces promoting and inhibiting successful achievement of community aims.

Co-development of Conceptual Understanding and Critical Attitude: Analyzing texts on radiocarbon dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Décamp, N.; Viennot, L.

2015-08-01

This research documents the impact of a teaching interview aimed at developing a critical attitude in students, and focused on a particular topic: radiocarbon dating. This teaching interview is designed to observe students' reaction to limited written explanations of the phenomenon under study, and their possible frustration or intellectual satisfaction in relation to these texts. We aim to document the possible link between students' developing conceptual understanding of a topic and their ability to express their frustration when presented with very incomplete explanations, or their intellectual satisfaction when presented with complete explanation. As a side product, we intend to observe some of their a priori ideas concerning this topic. Ten teaching interviews conducted with fourth-year University students were recorded, transcribed and coded. Beyond a series of results concerning students' a priori understanding of the domain, the analysis of the interviews suggests that, when students are presented with texts of increasing completeness and discuss these with the interviewer, their critical reactions evolve in time in a very specific way. We propose a tentative model for this co-evolution of student conceptual command and critical stance. The discussion bears on possible interpretations for the 'anesthesia of judgment' observed in most students at the beginning of the interview, and for a few of them throughout the discussion. Keeping in mind the 'competence vs concepts' current alternative, the conditions that seem to free students' critical potential are analyzed in relation to their evolving command of the topic and their degree of intellectual satisfaction.

Tracking Our Success: How TAFE Institutes Measure Their Effectiveness and Efficiency--Case Studies. Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misko, Josie; Wynes, Sian Halliday

2009-01-01

This report is the support document to "Tracking Our Success: How TAFE Institutes Measure Their Effectiveness and Efficiency". It comprises reports on each of the nine technical and further education (TAFE) institutes that have taken part in the study. Information was collected via in-depth interviews with chief executive officers and…

"The Dog Ate It" and Other Reasons Why Students Delay Registration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Debbie; And Others

1996-01-01

Data on the registration patterns of 203 applicants accepted to a regional comprehensive university but registering late found that 15 never made it to the fifth day of class, 22 withdrew officially, 7 were withdrawn administratively for failure to complete documentation, and 1 was suspended for falsifying an official document. Interviews with six…

Description and Documentation of the Dental School Dental Delivery System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Rosen and Wallace, Inc., Alexandria, VA.

A study was undertaken to describe and document the dental school dental delivery system using an integrated systems approach. In late 1976 and early 1977, a team of systems analysts and dental consultants visited three dental schools to observe the delivery of dental services and patient flow and to interview administrative staff and faculty.…

An Evaluation of Grades 9 and 10 Mathematics Textbooks vis-a-vis Fostering Problem Solving Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buishaw, Alemayehu; Ayalew, Assaye

2013-01-01

This study sought to evaluate the adequacy of integration of problematic situations and general problem-solving strategies (heuristics) in grades 9 and 10 mathematics textbooks. Grade 9 and grade 10 mathematics textbooks were used for analysis. Document analysis and interview were used as data gathering instruments. Document analysis was carried…

National Childcare Consumer Study: 1975. Volume IV: Supplemental Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unco, Inc., Washington, DC.

This document is the fourth and final report of a study sponsored by the Office of Child Development of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare to determine patterns of child care usage and related consumer preferences, attitudes and opinions about child care. The study was based on 4609 personal interviews conducted in 1975 from a…

Transcript of Audio Narrative Portion of: Scandinavian Heritage. A Set of Five Audio-Visual Film Strip/Cassette Presentations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Gerald D.; Olson, David B.

The document presents the transcript of the audio narrative portion of approximately 100 interviews with first and second generation Scandinavian immigrants to the United States. The document is intended for use by secondary school classroom teachers as they develop and implement educational programs related to the Scandinavian heritage in…

[Document management systems to support quality management systems at university hospitals - an interview-based study].

PubMed

Holderried, Martin; Bökel, Ann-Catrin; Ochsmann, Elke

2018-05-01

In order to save and control the processes and quality of medical services, a suitable steering system of all relevant documents is essential from the point of view of clinical quality management. Systems supporting an automated steering system of documents are called document management systems (DMS), and they also enter the healthcare sector. The use of DMS in the German healthcare sector has hardly been investigated so far. To close this knowledge gap, interviews were carried out with German university hospitals over a six-month period and subjected to a qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. In total, 25 university hospitals agreed to participate in this study, 19 of which have been working with a digital DMS for about six years on average. There was a great variety among the IT systems used. Document management and usability of the DMS as well as its integration into existing IT structures were key decision-making criteria for the selection of a digital DMS. In general, the long-term usability of the DMS is supported by regular evaluation of one's own requirements for the system, administration and training programs. In addition, DMS have a positive effect on patient safety and the quality of medical care. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

What are the key contextual factors when preparing for successful implementation of assistive living technology in primary elderly care? A case study from Norway.

PubMed

Gjestsen, Martha Therese; Wiig, Siri; Testad, Ingelin

2017-09-07

To identify contextual factors at different organisational levels to guide the implementation of an assistive living technology intervention in Norwegian primary home care. A single embedded case study design was carried out in an urban municipality in Western Norway to get an overview of key contextual factors from the municipality's perspective. The data collection was based on a triangulation of methods involving document analysis, semi-structured individual interviews and focus group interviews to get a broad insight when preparing for an intervention. Data were collected on three levels of the healthcare system: (1) national policy documents and regulations (macro), (2) five individual interviews with senior managers and municipal strategy documents (meso) and (3) two focus group interviews with nurses and nurse managers in direct patient care (micro). The Model for Understanding Success in Quality framework was used as a guide in the data analysis. The main contextual factors identified were external motivators and project sponsorship (macro level); leadership, workforce focus and maturity (meso level);and motivation to change and maturity (micro level). Strategies developed in policy documents affected upper management in the municipality, but healthcare personnel at the micro level were not so familiar with strategies and emphasis on assistive living technologies. Healthcare personnel in our study were motivated to use technological solutions, but lack of data infrastructure and resource availability hindered this. Aligning interests across multiple stakeholders remain a challenge when planning for an assistive living technology intervention in primary care. In the studied municipality, integration of technological solutions into healthcare services was more a vision than a reality because of a low level of organisational readiness. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The wonder of their voices: The 1946 Holocaust interviews of David Boder (New York: Oxford, 2010).

PubMed

Rosen, Alan C

2012-05-01

Writing a study of psychologist David Boder's 1946 displaced persons (DP) interview project gave me a chance to further document the substantial early response to the Holocaust. This was clearly one important piece of my study, and one that was eminently straightforward. Yet much of the research on Boder's project at the point in time that I carried it out was elliptical, partly because the primary interview materials were coming to light at an astonishing pace, partly because the archive collections were virtually untapped, and partly because of the misconception of Boder and his interview project itself.

University of Dayton: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2012

2012-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of Dayton (UD) on November 5-7, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who played significant roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional materials provided by UD and identified by the AED…

40 CFR 80.1165 - What are the additional requirements under this subpart for a foreign small refiner?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... audits may be by EPA employees or contractors to EPA. (iv) Any documents requested that are related to... interviewing employees. (vii) Any employee of the foreign refiner must be made available for interview by the... service on this agent constitutes service on the foreign refiner or any employee of the foreign refiner...

40 CFR 80.1165 - What are the additional requirements under this subpart for a foreign small refiner?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... audits may be by EPA employees or contractors to EPA. (iv) Any documents requested that are related to... interviewing employees. (vii) Any employee of the foreign refiner must be made available for interview by the... service on this agent constitutes service on the foreign refiner or any employee of the foreign refiner...

Educators Look to the Poets and Artists: The Importance of Creative Visioning in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cromwell, Ronald R.

This document summarizes a study attempting to understand the critical skill of creative visioning. In the study, 20 people who were involved in creativity or creative visioning were interviewed for 1.5-4 hours. Seven central themes emerged from the interviews: (1) the meaning of creative visioning; (2) trusting; (3) imagination; (4) connections;…

Mathematics Education in Rural Middle Schools: Parent Perceptions of Their Role in Mathematics Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Austrai

2017-01-01

This qualitative study explored parent perceptions of parental involvement in mathematics learning. The study was conducted in a rural area of South Carolina. Face-to-face interviews, online interviews, and review of documents were the sources of data for this inquiry. Findings revealed that parents admitted to a lack of involvement as long as…

Proficiency-Based High School Diploma Systems in Maine: Implications for Special Education and Career and Technical Education Programming and Student Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stump, Erika; Johnson, Amy; Jacobs, Cathy

2017-01-01

Document review and interviews were conducted with college admissions' personnel to gather data regarding alignment of proficiency-based diploma systems and college eligibility and entry requirements. In addition, leaders and representative personnel from and Maine businesses and the U.S. military were interviewed to identify postsecondary career…

Violence against female sex workers in Cameroon: accounts of violence, harm reduction, and potential solutions.

PubMed

Lim, Sahnah; Peitzmeier, Sarah; Cange, Charles; Papworth, Erin; LeBreton, Matthew; Tamoufe, Ubald; Kamla, Aristide; Billong, Serge; Fokam, Pamella; Njindam, Iliassou; Decker, Michele R; Sherman, Susan G; Baral, Stefan

2015-03-01

Female sex workers (FSWs) in Cameroon, and West Africa generally, suffer a disproportionate burden of HIV. Although violence against FSWs has been documented extensively in other parts of the world, data on violence from West African countries are lacking. The aim of this study was to qualitatively document violence and harm reduction strategies from the perspective of FSWs in Cameroon as well as to understand how experiences of violence may increase FSWs' HIV risk. FSWs from 7 major cities in Cameroon (Douala, Yaounde, Bamenda, Bertoua, Nagoundere, Kribi, and Bafoussam) were purposively recruited. Data from 31 in-depth interviews and 7 focus groups (n = 70; with some overlapping participants from in-depth interviews) conducted with these FSWs in 6 of these 7 cities (excluding Kribi) were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Transcripts revealed 3 primary themes related to violence: (1) sources and types of violence, including sexual, physical, and financial violence perpetrated by clients and police, (2) harm reduction strategies, including screening clients and safe work locations, receipt of payment before sexual act, and formation of an informal security network, and (3) recommendations on structural changes to reduce violence that emphasized sex work decriminalization and increased police accountability. As in other parts of the world, violence against FSWs is pervasive in Cameroon. Interventions targeting violence and HIV must address the forms of violence cited locally by FSWs and can build on FSWs' existing strengths and harm reduction strategies. Structural changes are needed to ensure access to justice for this population.

First, keep it safe: Integration of a complementary medicine service within a hospital.

PubMed

Schiff, Elad; Levy, Ilana; Arnon, Zahi; Ben-Arye, Eran; Attias, Samuel

2018-05-01

This paper sought to explore risk/safety considerations associated with the integration of a complementary medicine (CM) service within a public academic medical centre in Israel. We reviewed various sources pertaining to the CM service (interviews with CM staff, patients' electronic charts, service guidelines, correspondence with hospital administration) and conducted a thematic analysis to evaluate safety-related incidents during the 7 years of operation. In addition, we systematically assessed the charts for reports of treatment-associated adverse effects, which were documented in an obligatory field on treatment reports. After reviewing transcripts of interviews with 12 CM practitioners and with the director and vice-director of the CM service as well as transcripts of 8560 consultations that included 7383 treatments, we categorised 3 major domains of CM safety management: (i) prevention of safety-related incidents by appropriate selection of CM practitioners and modalities, (ii) actual adverse incidents and (iii) prevention of their recurrence using both hospital and CM service safety protocols. CM staff reported 5 categories of adverse incidents, most of which were minor. Twenty-nine adverse incidents were documented in the 7383 treatment sessions (0.4%). Safety management needs to be addressed both before introducing CM services in hospitals and throughout their integration. Important considerations for the safe integration of CM practices in the hospital include communication between CM and conventional practitioners, adherence to hospital safety rules, implementing a systematic approach for detecting and reporting safety-related incidents and continuous adaptation of the CM service safety protocols. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Emotional Risks to Respondents in Survey Research: Some Empirical Evidence

PubMed Central

Labott, Susan M.; Johnson, Timothy P.; Fendrich, Michael; Feeny, Norah C.

2014-01-01

Some survey research has documented distress in respondents with pre-existing emotional vulnerabilities, suggesting the possibility of harm. In this study, respondents were interviewed about a personally distressing event; mood, stress, and emotional reactions were assessed. Two days later, respondents participated in interventions to either enhance or alleviate the effects of the initial interview. Results indicated that distressing interviews increased stress and negative mood, although no adverse events occurred. Between the interviews, moods returned to baseline. Respondents who again discussed a distressing event reported moods more negative than those who discussed a neutral or a positive event. This study provides evidence that, among nonvulnerable survey respondents, interviews on distressing topics can result in negative moods and stress, but they do not harm respondents. PMID:24169422

Truth is at hand: How gesture adds information during investigative interviews

PubMed Central

Broaders, Sara C.; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2010-01-01

The accuracy of information obtained in forensic interviews is critically important to credibility in our legal system. Research has shown that the way interviewers frame questions influences the accuracy of witnesses’ reports. A separate body of research has shown that speakers spontaneously gesture when they talk, and that these gestures can express information not found anywhere in the speaker’s talk. This study of children interviewed about an event that they witnessed joins these two literatures and demonstrates that (1) interviewers’ gestures serve as a source of information and, at times, misinformation that can lead witnesses to report incorrect details; (2) the gestures witnesses spontaneously produce during interviews convey substantive information that is often not conveyed anywhere in their speech, and thus would not appear in written transcripts of the proceedings. These findings underscore the need to attend to and document gestures produced in investigative interviews, particularly interviews conducted with children. PMID:20483837

Patient Disease Perceptions and Coping Strategies for Arthritis in a Developing Nation: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is little prior research on the burden of arthritis in the developing world. We sought to document how patients with advanced arthritis living in the Dominican Republic are affected by and cope with their disease. Methods We conducted semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with economically disadvantaged Dominican patients with advanced knee and/or hip arthritis in the Dominican Republic. The interviews, conducted in Spanish, followed a moderator's guide that included topics such as the patients' understanding of disease etiology, their support networks, and their coping mechanisms. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim in Spanish, and systematically analyzed using content analysis. We assessed agreement in coding between two investigators. Results 18 patients were interviewed (mean age 60 years, median age 62 years, 72% women, 100% response rate). Patients invoked religious and environmental theories of disease etiology, stating that their illness had been caused by God's will or through contact with water. While all patients experienced pain and functional limitation, the social effects of arthritis were gender-specific: women noted interference with homemaking and churchgoing activities, while men experienced disruption with occupational roles. The coping strategies used by patients appeared to reflect their beliefs about disease causation and included prayer and avoidance of water. Conclusions Patients' explanatory models of arthritis influenced the psychosocial effects of the disease and coping mechanisms used. Given the increasing reach of global health programs, understanding these culturally influenced perceptions of disease will be crucial in successfully treating chronic diseases in the developing world. PMID:21985605

Computer-aided documentation. Quality, productivity, coding, and enhanced reimbursement.

PubMed

Foxlee, R H

1993-10-01

Physicians currently use technology, where appropriate, to improve patient care, for example, MRI and three-dimensional radiotherapy dose planning. One area that has seen limited benefit from current technology is in documenting of medical information. Review of related literature and directed interviews. Technology is available to assist in documenting the initial patient encounter. Patient care, quality of practice, and reimbursement may be improved with careful implementation. It will be worthwhile for practices to examine how to implement this technology to obtain the potential benefits.

The Rosetta video approach: An overview and lessons learned so far

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zender, J.; Schwehm, G.; Wilke, M.

2008-01-01

After an interplanetary cruise of 10 years, the Rosetta spacecraft and Philae lander, will arrive in 2014 at comet Churyomov-Gerasimenkov. All involved parties are aware of the knowledge decrease during these years and the potential complications that might arise during problem resolution before or during cometary operations. The Rosetta Science Operations Center (RSOC) supports the Rosetta orbiter experimenters in the preservation of their knowledge. The author will present the overall efforts that are done within the RSOC team to ensure the preservation of the existing information—address databases, documentation, etc.—but will emphasis on the effort to preserve existing experience using a video approach. The video approach included the visit of all orbiter experimenter teams for several days, executing interviews with engineers, technicians and scientists. During the interviews a table of content with attached keywords was generated. The final video was transferred into a computer readable form and connected with the table of content. We will present the methodology that was used to prepare and execute the interviews, to prepare the final video material and the storage and structure of the table of content and keyword. The experimenter interviews at their home institutes and the follow-up work are finished. The feedback we received so far from experimenters and the lessons learned from the interview team will be presented. In the meantime, the approach is continued during the Rosetta commissioning and interviews are executed after each instrument commissioning slot. The author will give an outlook of potential further usage of this approach.

[The registered nurse and the battle against tuberculosis in Brazil: 1961-1966].

PubMed

Montenegro, Hercília Regina do Amaral; de Almeida Filho, Antonio José; Santos, Tânia Cristina Franco; Lourenço, Lucia Helena Silva Corrêa

2009-12-01

The objective of this study was to describe the circumstances that promoted the implementation of the new Program for Action Against Tuberculosis in Brazil (Programa de Ação na Luta contra a Tuberculose no Brasil) and discuss the strategies used by registered nurses from the Santa Maria State Hospital, Guanabara State, to adjust nursing care to the new program against tuberculosis. This was performed through document research, interviews, and statements from nurses working at the time of the reorganization. Documents were analyzed based on the concepts of habitus, field, and symbolic power by Pierre Bourdieu, and included written and oral documents as well as secondary sources. The reorganization of the nursing service was performed under the leadership of a nurse whose symbolic capital assigned power and prestige to implement the necessary changes. It is concluded that the work of that nurse made it possible to implement the new program and contributed to establishing the position and importance of the registered nurse in providing care to individuals with tuberculosis, for prevention and cure.

Supporting Asylum Seekers: Clinician Experiences of Documenting Human Rights Violations Through Forensic Psychological Evaluation.

PubMed

Baranowski, Kim A; Moses, Melissa H; Sundri, Jasmine

2018-05-22

The United States permits foreign nationals to apply for asylum if they have experienced persecution or have a fear of future persecution. In order to meet the criteria for persecution, the harm inflicted upon the asylum seeker does not need to be or have been physical and can include psychological sequelae. In an effort to document persecution, lawyers seek the assistance of health professionals when preparing their clients' asylum applications. Mental health professionals work to corroborate psychological evidence of the asylum seeker's report of ill treatment through evaluation and presentation of their findings in the form of legal affidavits. This study gathered the experiences of 15 mental health clinicians who conduct forensic psychological evaluations and document the impact of torture and other human rights violations on asylum seekers. We analyzed the resulting interview transcripts using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) approach. The results of the study highlight challenges associated with this work, suggest recommendations for training, and encourage advocacy endeavors by mental health professionals who provide these services. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Success Stories of Undergraduate Retention: A Pathways Study of Graduate Students in Solar and Space Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrow, C. A.; Stoll, W.; Moldwin, M.; Gross, N. A.

2012-12-01

This presentation describes results from an NSF-funded study of the pathways students in solar and space physics have taken to arrive in graduate school. Our Pathways study has documented results from structured interviews conducted with graduate students attending two, week-long, NSF-sponsored scientific workshops during the summer of 2011. Our research team interviewed 48 solar and space physics students (29 males and 19 females currently in graduate programs at US institutions,) in small group settings regarding what attracted and retained them along their pathways leading to grad school. This presentation addresses what these students revealed about the attributes and influences that supported completion of their undergraduate experience and focused their aspirations toward graduate school. In advance of the interview process, we collected 125 on-line survey responses from students at the two workshops. This 20-item survey included questions about high school and undergraduate education, as well as about research and graduate experience. A subset of the 125 students who completed this on-line survey volunteered to be interviewed. Two types of interview data were collected from the 48 interviewees: 1) written answers to a pre-interview questionnaire; and 2) detailed notes taken by researchers during group interviews. On the pre-interview questionnaire, we posed the question: "How did you come to be a graduate student in your field?" Our findings to date are based on an analysis of responses to this question, cross correlated with the corresponding on-line survey data. Our analysis reveals the importance of early research experiences. About 80% of the students participating in the Pathways study cited formative undergraduate research experiences. Moreover, about 50% of participants reported undergraduate research experiences that were in the field of their current graduate studies. Graduate students interviewed frequently cited a childhood interest in science that grew through high school and undergraduate science courses on into trying out research as an undergraduate. Reasons cited for finding space physics more attractive than, say astronomy or cosmology, included: 1) the domain of physical reality being studied (near-Earth space) can be accessed by humans; 2) the research content is easier to explain to family and friends; and 3) the research has more societal relevance. Our data also suggest the pivotal role of undergraduate professors and research advisors in supporting student persistence.

Evaluation of applied public health emergency system at Prince Mohammed International Airport in Almedinah during Hajj season 2014: a qualitative case study.

PubMed

Gosadi, Ibrahim M; BinSaeed, Abdulaziz; Al-Hazmi, Ali M; Fadl, Amin A; Alharbi, Khalid H; Swarelzahab, Mazin M

2015-09-12

During the Hajj season 2014, several public health measures were applied by the Ministry of Health at Prince Mohammed International Airport in Almedinah. However, several operational defects affected the provision of preventive health services for passengers and airport workers. This study aims to evaluate the applied public health emergency system at the airport, detect any potential gaps and to provide appropriate operational solutions. This is a qualitative case study conducted at Prince Mohammed International Airport in Almedinah during the 2014 Hajj season, September 2014. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, focus groups and policy document reviews. Interviews were conducted with the 14 individuals of the airport's decision makers and relevant health practitioners. Data were recorded via taking notes during interviews and data coding was performed to produce the main themes and subthemes of the study. The main findings of the study revealed three main defects affecting the applied public health emergency system at the airport. The main themes were mainly related to shortage in logistics related to public health emergency systems, shortage in proper documentation of policies and lack of documented protocols of communications among airport stakeholders. The study highlighted the main factors hindering the application of public health emergency measures at the airport. A Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan was proposed as a method to regulate the process of providing logistics for public health preventive services, the method of producing documented policies and methods of producing Memoranda of Understandings as communication regulators.

Strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of maternal and perinatal death reviews in Tanzania: perceptions, processes and practice.

PubMed

Armstrong, C E; Lange, I L; Magoma, M; Ferla, C; Filippi, V; Ronsmans, C

2014-09-01

Tanzania institutionalised maternal and perinatal death reviews (MPDR) in 2006, yet there is scarce evidence on the extent and quality of implementation of the system. We reviewed the national policy documentation and explored stakeholders' involvement in, and perspectives of, the role and practices of MPDR in district and regional hospitals, and assessed current capacity for achieving MPDR. We reviewed the national MPDR guidelines and conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Thirty-two informants in Mara Region were interviewed within health administration and hospitals, and five informants were included at the central level. Interviews were analysed for comparison of statements across health system level, hospital, profession and MPDR experience. The current MPDR system does not function adequately to either perform good quality reviews or fulfil the aspiration to capture every facility-based maternal and perinatal death. Informants at all levels express differing understandings of the purpose of MPDR. Hospital reviews fail to identify appropriate challenges and solutions at the facility level. Staff are committed to the process of maternal death review, with routine documentation and reporting, yet action and response are insufficient. The confusion between MPDR and maternal death surveillance and response results in a system geared towards data collection and surveillance, failing to explore challenges and solutions from within the remit of the hospital team. This reduces the accountability of the health workers and undermines opportunities to improve quality of care. We recommend initiatives to strengthen the quality of facility-level reviews in order to establish a culture of continuous quality of care improvement and a mechanism of accountability within facilities. Effective facility reviews are an important peer-learning process that should remain central to quality of care improvement strategies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Challenges for Nurses Caring for Patients With Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Skilled Nursing Facilities

PubMed Central

Harrod, Molly; Montoya, Ana; Mody, Lona; McGuirk, Helen; Winter, Suzanne; Chopra, Vineet

2016-01-01

Objectives To understand frontline nurses’ (registered nurses and licensed practical nurses), unit nurse managers’ and skilled nursing facility (SNF) administrators’ perceived preparedness in providing care for patients with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in SNFs. Design An exploratory, qualitative pilot study. Setting Two community based SNFs. Participants Patients, frontline nurses (registered nurses and licensed practical nurses), unit nurse managers and SNF administrators. Methods Over 36-weeks, we observed and conducted informal interviews with 56 patients with PICCs and their nurses focusing on PICC care practices and documentation. In addition, we collected baseline PICC data including placement indication (e.g., antimicrobial administration), placement setting (hospital vs. SNF), and dwell time. We then conducted focus groups with frontline nurses and unit nurse managers and semi-structured interviews with SNF administrators to evaluate perceived preparedness for PICC care. Data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis approach. Results During weekly informal interviews and observations variations in documentation were observed. Differences between patient-reported PICC concerns (quality-of-life) and those described by frontline nurses were noted. Deficiencies in communication between hospitals and SNFs with respect to device care, date of last dressing change and PICC removal time were also noted. During focus group sessions, perceived inadequacy of information at the time of care transitions, limited availability of resources to care for PICCs and gaps in training and education were highlighted as barriers in improving practice and safety. Conclusion Our study suggests that practices for PICC care in SNFs can be improved. Multimodal strategies that enhance staff education, improve information exchange during care transitions and increase resource availability in SNFs appear necessary to enhance PICC care and patient safety. PMID:27603747

Traditional and scientific conceptions of snakes in Kenya: Alternative perspectives for teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojnowski, David

A 3-month qualitative study was conducted mid-September through mid-December 2005 to investigate rural southeast Kenyan teachers' conceptions of snakes. Teachers from five villages near Mt. Kasigau were interviewed to obtain an overall sense of what they thought about snakes (n = 60). Of those 60 teachers, 28 attended a 6-hour seminar on reptiles and amphibians. From these 28 teachers, 8 teachers from three villages were afforded additional educational opportunities about snakes, and 2 teachers from this group of 8 were teamed with 2 herpetologists as mentors during the last 2 months of the study. In turn, seven of these eight teachers presented lessons about snakes using live specimens to their fellow teachers and students. Observations of teacher participants during workshops and field outings were documented as well as teacher classroom pedagogy involving snakes before, during, and after the institute. Semi-structured and open-ended interviews were conducted with the eight core teacher participants and field notes were used to document participant observations during serendipitous live snake encounters, of which, there were many. In addition, village elders, including medicine men, one education administrator and one minister were interviewed to obtain a historical cultural backdrop, which teachers expressed as being an important influence while formulating their own conceptions about snakes. Findings suggest that teachers' conceptions of snakes, within a culture where all snakes are feared and killed onsite, can change toward a more favorable orientation when given the opportunity to learn about snakes, witness positive modeling of snake handling through mentoring by herpetologists, and experience direct contact with live harmless nonaggressive snakes (e.g., the Brown House Snake [Lamprohis fuliginosus] and Kenyan Sand Boa [ Eryx colubrinus]).

Teaching students behavior change skills: description and assessment of a new Motivational interviewing curriculum.

PubMed

White, Laura L; Gazewood, John D; Mounsey, Anne L

2007-05-01

One of the US government health goals outlined in the Healthy People 2010 document (2000) is to increase the number of physicians who counsel their patients regarding unhealthy behaviors. Studies have shown a low rate of physicians provide smoking cessation counseling. We introduced a motivational interviewing curriculum into our medical school for first and third year students and then evaluated the effect of this curriculum on third year students counseling skills. The motivational interviewing curriculum was comprised of a lecture series and small group teaching with practice in role plays. The effectiveness of the curriculum was evaluated by student performance in a videotaped interview with a standardized patient who portrayed a smoker. The interview was rated using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity scoring tool (MITI). The MITI assesses 6 criteria: empathy, MI spirit (autonomy, evocation and collaboration), MI adherence (asking permission, affirmation, emphasis of control and support), MI non adherence (advise, confront and direct), the types of questions (open or closed) and the number of reflections. Secondary outcomes included a knowledge exam related to motivational interviewing and students' evaluations of the effectiveness of the motivational interviewing curriculum. Analysis of the MITI scores showed that students reached a proficiency level on the rate of reflections, were just below proficiency in assessment of empathy and motivational interviewing spirit and substantially below proficiency in the percent of open ended questions. These proficiency scores were for professional counselors but nevertheless provided us with information on the effectiveness of the new curriculum and where the focus of our teaching should be. On the optional evaluation of the first-year MI curriculum by 112 students, 83% felt that the MI curriculum had helped them be more comfortable in discussing behavior change with patients and 98% felt it was an important skill for physicians to have.

Support for using five attributes to describe spirituality among families with a parent in hospice.

PubMed

Stephenson, Pam Shockey; Sheehan, Denice; Shahrour, Ghada

2017-06-01

The importance of spirituality in the dying process is well documented. However, what spirituality means in these situations is hard to discern because few people (patients, families, researchers, or caregivers) will view spirituality in the same way. The present research supports the use of a spiritual framework consisting of five common attributes (meaning, beliefs, connections, self-transcendence, and value) as a mechanism for viewing spirituality for people nearing the end of life. Using qualitative interviews from two related studies, our study aims to describe the prevalence of spirituality and its nature according to these five spiritual attributes. Data from two previous studies were analyzed. The first employed the methods of grounded theory to understand the strategies adolescents used to manage the impending death of a parent. Some 61 participants from 26 families were interviewed, including ill parents/patients, well parents/caregivers, and adolescents. The second study consisted of 15 interviews with the surviving parent and adolescents from 6 of these families after the death of the parent. The original research from which these data were drawn did not seek to describe spirituality. However, spiritual themes were prevalent in the stories of many participants and included each of the five spiritual attributes. Our findings demonstrate the prevalence of spirituality in the everyday lives of these families and supports the use of the spiritual framework according to the five common attributes to describe spirituality.

Sociocultural factors influencing breastfeeding practices in two slums in Nairobi, Kenya.

PubMed

Wanjohi, Milka; Griffiths, Paula; Wekesah, Frederick; Muriuki, Peter; Muhia, Nelson; Musoke, Rachel N; Fouts, Hillary N; Madise, Nyovani J; Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth W

2016-01-01

Despite numerous interventions promoting optimal breastfeeding practices in Kenya, pockets of suboptimal breastfeeding practices are documented in Kenya's urban slums. This paper describes cultural and social beliefs and practices that influence breastfeeding in two urban slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Qualitative data were collected in Korogocho and Viwandani slums through 10 focus group discussions and 19 in-depth interviews with pregnant, breastfeeding women and community health volunteers and 11 key-informant interviews with community leaders. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, coded in NVIVO and analyzed thematically. Social and cultural beliefs and practices that result to suboptimal breastfeeding practices were highlighted including; considering colostrum as 'dirty' or 'curdled milk', a curse 'bad omen' associated with breastfeeding while engaging in extra marital affairs, a fear of the 'evil eye' (malevolent glare which is believed to be a curse associated with witchcraft) when breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding being associated with sagging breasts. Positive social and cultural beliefs were also identified including the association of breast milk with intellectual development and good child health. The beliefs and practices were learnt mainly from spouses, close relatives and peers. Interventions promoting behavior change with regards to breastfeeding should focus on dispelling the beliefs and practices that result to suboptimal breastfeeding practices and to build on the positive ones, while involving spouses and other family members as they are important sources of information on breastfeeding. ISRCTN83692672: December 2013 (retrospectively registered).

Responding to the health needs of survivors of human trafficking: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hemmings, Stacey; Jakobowitz, Sharon; Abas, Melanie; Bick, Debra; Howard, Louise M; Stanley, Nicky; Zimmerman, Cathy; Oram, Sian

2016-07-29

Despite the multiple physical and psychological health consequences associated with human trafficking, there is little evidence-based guidance available for health providers on assessing and meeting the health needs of trafficked people. We aimed to review literature that provided guidance or research on care provision for people who had been trafficked. We conducted a systematic review and qualitative analysis of peer-reviewed and grey literature. Data sources included electronic databases, reference list screening, citation tracking, and expert recommendations. Documents were included if they reported on: 1) male or females (adults or children) who were currently or had previously been trafficked; 2) health interventions or service provision; 3) primary, secondary, tertiary or specialist post-trafficking services; and 4) World Bank high income countries. Two reviewers independently screened and quality appraised documents. Framework analysis was used to analyse extracted data. Forty-four documents were included, 19 of which reported findings of primary studies and nine of which exclusively addressed children. Evidence to inform the identification, referral and care of trafficked people is extremely limited. Within current literature on survivor identification, key indicators included signs of physical and sexual abuse, absence of documentation, and being accompanied by a controlling companion. Findings highlighted the importance of interviewing possible victims in private, using professional interpreters, and building trust. For provision of care, key themes included the importance of comprehensive needs assessments, adhering to principles of trauma-informed care, and cultural sensitivity. Further prominent themes were the necessity of multi-agency working strategies and well-defined referral pathways. Human trafficking survivors require healthcare that is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive to their particular needs. Coordination is needed between health providers and statutory and voluntary organisations. Future research should generate empirical evidence to develop trafficking indicators for use by health providers, alongside validated screening tools, and evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions.

Advisory Committee on human radiation experiments. Final report, Supplemental Volume 2. Sources and documentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This volume and its appendixes supplement the Advisory Committee`s final report by reporting how we went about looking for information concerning human radiation experiments and intentional releases, a description of what we found and where we found it, and a finding aid for the information that we collected. This volume begins with an overview of federal records, including general descriptions of the types of records that have been useful and how the federal government handles these records. This is followed by an agency-by-agency account of the discovery process and descriptions of the records reviewed, together with instructions on how tomore » obtain further information from those agencies. There is also a description of other sources of information that have been important, including institutional records, print resources, and nonprint media and interviews. The third part contains brief accounts of ACHRE`s two major contemporary survey projects (these are described in greater detail in the final report and another supplemental volume) and other research activities. The final section describes how the ACHRE information-nation collections were managed and the records that ACHRE created in the course of its work; this constitutes a general finding aid for the materials deposited with the National Archives. The appendices provide brief references to federal records reviewed, descriptions of the accessions that comprise the ACHRE Research Document Collection, and descriptions of the documents selected for individual treatment. Also included are an account of the documentation available for ACHRE meetings, brief abstracts of the almost 4,000 experiments individually described by ACHRE staff, a full bibliography of secondary sources used, and other information.« less

Developing patient portals in a fragmented healthcare system.

PubMed

Otte-Trojel, Terese; de Bont, Antoinette; Aspria, Marcello; Adams, Samantha; Rundall, Thomas G; van de Klundert, Joris; de Mul, Marleen

2015-10-01

Use of patient portals may contribute to improved patient health and experiences and better organizational performance. In the Netherlands, patient portals have gained considerable attention in recent years, as evidenced by various policy initiatives and practical efforts directed at developing portals. Due to the fragmented setup of the Dutch healthcare system patient portals that give patients access to information and services from across their providers are developed in inter-organizational collaboration. The objective of this paper is to identify and describe the types of collaborations, or networks, that have been established to develop patient portals in the Netherlands. Understanding the characteristics of these networks as well as the development of their respective portals enables us to assess the enabling and constraining effects of different network types on patient portal initiatives. We used qualitative methods including interview and documents analysis. In a first step, we interviewed eighteen experts and reviewed relevant national policy and strategy documents. Based on this orientation, we selected three networks we deemed to be representative of inter-organizational efforts to develop Dutch patient portals in 2012. In a second step, we interviewed twelve representatives of these patient portal networks and collected documents related to the portals. We applied content analytic techniques to analyze data from the three cases. The three studied networks differed in their number and diversity of actors, the degree to which these actors were mutually dependent, the degree to which network governance was decentralized, and the dynamics of the network structures. We observed that the portals developed in networks displaying the highest degree of these characteristics experienced most difficulties associated with developing patient portals - such as achieving interoperability, successful implementation, regulatory complaisance, and financial sustainability. Yet, at the same time, the portals developed in these networks may hold the highest functionality to patients, since they can consolidate information and services from a broad array of health service providers. The early empirical evidence provided here indicates that effective development of patient portals begs a tradeoff between envisioned functionality and ease of development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personality disorders: review and clinical application in daily practice.

PubMed

Angstman, Kurt B; Rasmussen, Norman H

2011-12-01

Personality disorders have been documented in approximately 9 percent of the general U.S. population. Psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and brief interventions designed for use by family physicians can improve the health of patients with these disorders. Personality disorders are classified into clusters A, B, and C. Cluster A includes schizoid, schizotypal, and paranoid personality disorders. Cluster B includes borderline, histrionic, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders. Cluster C disorders are more prevalent and include avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. Many patients with personality disorders can be treated by family physicians. Patients with borderline personality disorder may benefit from the use of omega-3 fatty acids, second-generation antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Patients with antisocial personality disorder may benefit from the use of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Other therapeutic interventions include motivational interviewing and solution-based problem solving.

Science Education Researchers as Orthographers: Documenting Keiyo (Kenya) Knowledge, Learning and Narratives about Snakes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Norman

2003-01-01

Advances the argument that science educators have a pivotal role as orthographers in preserving and promoting science for all. Interviews Keiyo elders and students (n=748) to determine indigenous names for snakes and how Keiyo oral narratives of snakes are used in teaching and learning. Uses the data to document Keiyo language and construct…

Preliminary Assessment of the Proposed Closure of the National Technical Information Service (NTIS): A Report to the President and the Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Forest Woody, Ed.; Kadec, Sarah T., Ed.

This document reports on an NCLIS (National Commission on Libraries and Information Science) study of the proposal to close NTIS (National Technical Information Service) and shift its paper, microfiche, digital archives, and bibliographic database to the Library of Congress. The report documents the results of research, interviews, public…

Understanding the Role of Critical Incidents in Relation to Self-Efficacy during Course-Embedded Preservice Teacher Field Experiences: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epperly, Anna C.

2017-01-01

This qualitative, collective case study documented the development of the self-efficacy beliefs of special education preservice candidates during one semester of a course-embedded field experience in a small, private, faith-based university in the Midwest. Interviews of candidates regarding critical incidents in field experiences as documented by…

Indiana State University: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Indiana State University (ISU) on November 11-12, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. Based upon the nine case studies, the AED research team will prepare a cross-case study that will document and…

The Nationalised and Gendered Citizen in a Global World--Examples from Textbooks, Policy and Steering Documents in Turkey and Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Marie; Kanci, Tuba

2017-01-01

This article analyses the construction of the gendered and nationalised citizen in education in Turkey and Sweden. We draw on a narrative approach identifying narratives linked to educational discourses. Our empirical data consist of textbooks (in the later years of mandatory schooling), steering documents and interviews. In both our cases, we…

Children's Self-Documentation and Understanding of the Concepts "Healthy" and "Unhealthy"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeve, Suzanne; Bell, Philip

2009-01-01

The present paper describes a study in which 13 children aged 9-11 years, of diverse ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, were asked to use a digital camera and small notebook to document the range of things they consider to be healthy and unhealthy. Using open-ended interview questions, the children were then asked to explain each…

The Existence of Alternative Framework in Students' Scientific Imagination on the Concept of Matter at Submicroscopic Level: Macro Imagination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdullah, Nurdiana; Surif, Johari

2015-01-01

This study is conducted with the purpose of identifying the alternative framework contained in students' imagination on the concept of matter at submicroscopic level. Through the design of purposive sampling techniques, a total of 15 students are interviewed to obtain the data. Data from analysis document is utilized to strengthen the interview.…

Concurrent Medical Conditions and Health Care Use and Needs among Children with Learning and Behavioral Developmental Disabilities, National Health Interview Survey, 2006-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schieve, Laura A.; Gonzalez, Vanessa; Boulet, Sheree L.; Visser, Susanna N.; Rice, Catherine E.; Braun, Kim Van Naarden; Boyle, Coleen A.

2012-01-01

Studies document various associated health risks for children with developmental disabilities (DDs). Further study is needed by disability type. Using the 2006-2010 National Health Interview Surveys, we assessed the prevalence of numerous medical conditions (e.g. asthma, frequent diarrhea/colitis, seizures), health care use measures (e.g. seeing a…

Combating Terrorism: Strategy to Counter Iran in the Western Hemisphere Has Gaps That State Department Should Address

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Waste , and Abuse in Federal Programs Congressional Relations Public Affairs Please Print on Recycled Paper. ...of national strategies. GAO analyzed agency documents and interviewed agency officials in Washington, D.C.; Argentina; Brazil ; Colombia; and...interviewed officials at the U.S. embassies in Argentina, Brazil , Colombia, and Mexico, and host government officials in Colombia and Mexico regarding

AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes, Provisional Data from the National Health Interview Survey: United States, August 1987. Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics. No. 146.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Deborah A.; And Others

This document presents provisional data for all Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) questionnaire items from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for August 1987. It notes that the AIDS questionnaire was designed to provide baseline estimates of public knowledge and attitudes about AIDS transmission, the prevention of AIDS virus…

Juggling confidentiality and safety: a qualitative study of how general practice clinicians document domestic violence in families with children.

PubMed

Drinkwater, Jessica; Stanley, Nicky; Szilassy, Eszter; Larkins, Cath; Hester, Marianne; Feder, Gene

2017-06-01

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and child safeguarding are interlinked problems, impacting on all family members. Documenting in electronic patient records (EPRs) is an important part of managing these families. Current evidence and guidance, however, treats DVA and child safeguarding separately. This does not reflect the complexity clinicians face when documenting both issues in one family. To explore how and why general practice clinicians document DVA in families with children. A qualitative interview study using vignettes with GPs and practice nurses (PNs) in England. Semi-structured telephone interviews with 54 clinicians (42 GPs and 12 PNs) were conducted across six sites in England. Data were analysed thematically using a coding frame incorporating concepts from the literature and emerging themes. Most clinicians recognised DVA and its impact on child safeguarding, but struggled to work out the best way to document it. They described tensions among the different roles of the EPR: a legal document; providing continuity of care; information sharing to improve safety; and a patient-owned record. This led to strategies to hide information, so that it was only available to other clinicians. Managing DVA in families with children is complex and challenging for general practice clinicians. National integrated guidance is urgently needed regarding how clinicians should manage the competing roles of the EPR, while maintaining safety of the whole family, especially in the context of online EPRs and patient access. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

Juggling confidentiality and safety: a qualitative study of how general practice clinicians document domestic violence in families with children

PubMed Central

Drinkwater, Jessica; Stanley, Nicky; Szilassy, Eszter; Larkins, Cath; Hester, Marianne; Feder, Gene

2017-01-01

Background Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and child safeguarding are interlinked problems, impacting on all family members. Documenting in electronic patient records (EPRs) is an important part of managing these families. Current evidence and guidance, however, treats DVA and child safeguarding separately. This does not reflect the complexity clinicians face when documenting both issues in one family. Aim To explore how and why general practice clinicians document DVA in families with children. Design and setting A qualitative interview study using vignettes with GPs and practice nurses (PNs) in England. Method Semi-structured telephone interviews with 54 clinicians (42 GPs and 12 PNs) were conducted across six sites in England. Data were analysed thematically using a coding frame incorporating concepts from the literature and emerging themes. Results Most clinicians recognised DVA and its impact on child safeguarding, but struggled to work out the best way to document it. They described tensions among the different roles of the EPR: a legal document; providing continuity of care; information sharing to improve safety; and a patient-owned record. This led to strategies to hide information, so that it was only available to other clinicians. Conclusion Managing DVA in families with children is complex and challenging for general practice clinicians. National integrated guidance is urgently needed regarding how clinicians should manage the competing roles of the EPR, while maintaining safety of the whole family, especially in the context of online EPRs and patient access. PMID:28137783

Is there an association between local health department organizational and administrative factors and childhood immunization coverage rates?

PubMed

Ransom, James; Schaff, Katherine; Kan, Lilly

2012-01-01

Vaccines are valuable, cost-effective tools for preventing disease and improving community health. Despite the importance and ubiquity of vaccinations, childhood immunization coverage rates vary widely by geography, race, and ethnicity. These differences have been documented for nearly two decades, but their sources are poorly understood. Between 2005 and 2008, immunization staff of the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) visited 17 local health department (LHD) immunization programs in 10 states to assess their immunization service delivery (ISD) practices and their impact on community childhood immunization coverage rates. To qualitatively characterize LHD immunization programs and specific organizational factors underlying ISD performance challenges and successes related to community childhood immunization coverage rates. Case studies were conducted in a convenience sample of 17 geographically and demographically diverse LHDs, predicated on each LHD's childhood immunization coverage rates per data from the National Immunization Survey and/or Kindergarten Retrospective Survey. NACCHO staff selected LHDs with high (> or = 80% up to date [UTD]), moderate (> or = 75% UTD but < 80% UTD), and low (< 75% UTD) coverage rates. All immunization staff members interviewed (n = 112) were included in focus group interviews at each LHD per a standard semi-structured interview script developed by NACCHO staff. Supporting documents from each LHD immunization program were also collected for inclusion in the analysis. Content and thematic analyses of interview transcripts and supporting documents were conducted. Two thematic dimensions and six key factors emerged from the data. The dimensions of the themes were success and challenge elements. The organizational factors that were associated with success and/or challenges with regard to improving childhood immunization coverage rates included 1) leadership: organizational leadership and management related to aligning ISD with other child-focused services within the LHD; 2) resources: organizational efforts focused on aligning federal and state ISD financing with local ISD needs; 3) politics: political advocacy and partnering with local community stakeholders, including local political entities and boards of health to better organize ISD; 4) community engagement/coalitions and partnerships: partnerships, coalitions, and community engagement to support local immunization-related decision-making and prioritization; 5) credibility: agency credibility and its ability to influence community attitudes and perspectives on the health department's value in terms of child health; and 6) cultural competency of LHD staff: LHD staff members' perceptions and understandings of its community's cultural, economic, and demographic attributes shaped their responses to and understandings of the community and how they interacted with it in terms of service delivery. Public health researchers are in a nascent stage of understanding how health department organizational factors may contribute to specific community health outcomes, such as childhood immunization coverage rates. An implicit challenge to LHD immunization programs is to implement strategies that lead to equitable and high vaccination coverage among children, despite shrinking resources and community demographic differences. Community-specific attributes (e.g., poverty, lack of health insurance, or geographic isolation) affect childhood immunization coverage rates, but internal LHD aspects such as leadership and organizational culture also likely have a significant impact.

The Decision to Send Humans Back to the Moon and on to Mars: Space Exploration Initiative History Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCurdy, Howard E.

1992-01-01

This folder contains working papers collected to date on a NASA-sponsored history project to document the events leading up to the July 20, 1989 speech setting forth the objectives of the Space Exploration Initiative. Included are a chronology of events, briefing papers produced by the NASA Working Group laying out proposal, briefing charts used to present the proposal, a copy of the President's speech, and an essay summarizing the events that led up to the announcement. Additionally, two fo the interviews conducted as part of the project are enclosed.

The Partnership: a History of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ezell, E. C.; Ezell, L. N.

1978-01-01

Correspondance, interviews, official documents, and other published materials were used to trace the evolution of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project from the initial proposal for international cooperation in space use and exploration until the successful completion of the joint Soviet-American mission. Conceptual drawings of proposed docking modules and mechanisms are presented and dicussed. Black and white photographs taken during mission planning and in-flight activities are included with color photographs of the earth taken during the mission. Joint meetings are summarized and the scientific experiments and launch vehicles are discussed in the appendices.

Registered nurses' decision-making regarding documentation in patients' progress notes.

PubMed

Tower, Marion; Chaboyer, Wendy; Green, Quentine; Dyer, Kirsten; Wallis, Marianne

2012-10-01

To examine registered nurses' decision-making when documenting care in patients' progress notes. What constitutes effective nursing documentation is supported by available guidelines. However, ineffective documentation continues to be cited as a major cause of adverse events for patients. Decision-making in clinical practice is a complex process. To make an effective decision, the decision-maker must be situationally aware. The concept of situation awareness and its implications for making safe decisions has been examined extensively in air safety and more recently is being applied to health. The study was situated in a naturalistic paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 registered nurses who used think-aloud research methods when making decisions about documenting information in patients' progress notes. Follow-up interviews were conducted to validate interpretations. Data were analysed systematically for evidence of cues that demonstrated situation awareness as nurses made decisions about documentation. Three distinct decision-making scenarios were illuminated from the analysis: the newly admitted patient, the patient whose condition was as expected and the discharging patient. Nurses used mental models for decision-making in documenting in progress notes, and the cues nurses used to direct their assessment of patients' needs demonstrated situation awareness at different levels. Nurses demonstrate situation awareness at different levels in their decision-making processes. While situation awareness is important, it is also important to use an appropriate decision-making framework. Cognitive continuum theory is suggested as a decision-making model that could support situation awareness when nurses made decisions about documenting patient care. Because nurses are key decision-makers, it is imperative that effective decisions are made that translate into safe clinical care. Including situation awareness training, combined with employing cognitive continuum theory as a decision-making framework, provides a powerful means of guiding nurses' decision-making. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Ethnobotanical study on the medicinal plants in the Mainarde Mountains (central-southern Apennine, Italy).

PubMed

Fortini, P; Di Marzio, P; Guarrera, P M; Iorizzi, M

2016-05-26

New documentation of the uses of plants in the popular medicine of the Mainarde Mountain, a protected area of the central-southern Apennine characterised by a high floristic richness, is here reported. Field data were collected through semi-structured and open interviews with native People between 2011 and 2014. The plants were identified and vouchers specimens were scanned to create a Virtual Herbarium. The Ethnobotanicity Index (EI), the Relative Importance Index (RI) and the Fidelity Level Index (FL) were calculated. The plant uses surveyed in the study area were compared with those described in medical and ethnobotanical literature. Seventy-one interviews were conducted, the age range of the informants was between 21 and 98 years. The inventory included 106 taxa belonging to 45 families; among these, 87 were wild species and 20 were cultivated species. The uses recorded were 429, among these, 69.1% of the uses concerned internal applications to treat digestive system disorders, infections and respiratory system disorders mainly, while 31.9% concerned external applications, especially to treat skin/subcutaneous cellular tissue disorders and injuries. In particular, 17 new uses and 16 unusual and rarely mentioned plants are documented. The data collected support evidence on traditional uses for plant in the Apennine. Findings from medical flora and from new or rare medical uses reinforce the usefulness of such research efforts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing interventions available to internally displaced persons in Abia state, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Enwereji, EE

2009-01-01

Internally displaced persons are faced with several problems, such as sexual violence, and deserve appropriate intervention, especially in view of the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other infections in Nigeria. This study attempts to assess interventions offered by governmental authorities and organizations to internally displaced persons and to identify gaps in services as well as to identify what needs to be strengthened. Method: The author reviewed relevant published and unpublished documents and collected data by interviews with semi-structured questions. Twenty-five organizations and government and police departments and 55 internally displaced persons were interviewed. Results: None of the organizations, including governmental institutions, provided social services or assistance in prevention of HIV/AIDS to internally displaced persons. The main services provided by 17 (68%) organizations to 43 (78.2%) of internally displaced persons were provision of food, clothing and money, but these were provided on an ad hoc basis. Only 3 organizations (12%) included spiritual counseling and resolution of communal conflicts in their services. Conclusion: The fact that most organizations, including the government, do not have services for internally displaced persons indicates lack of support for internally displaced persons. The government should be urged to include these people in most prevention services, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. This should help reduce the national prevalence of HIV/AIDS PMID:21483498

Exploration of the reasons for dropping out of psychotherapy: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Khazaie, Habibolah; Rezaie, Leeba; Shahdipour, Niloofar; Weaver, Patrick

2016-06-01

Elucidating the reasons for dropping out of psychotherapy can lead to the development of interventions aimed at reducing patient drop out. The present study aimed to explore patients' reasons for dropping out of psychotherapy in Kermanshah, Iran. The present qualitative study was performed using conventional content analysis. The current sample included 15 participants consisting of 7 patients who dropped out of psychotherapy and 8 psychotherapists who have previously experienced patient dropout. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection. All interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed. Content analysis using constant comparisons was performed for transcribed interviews. Four main categories emerged as reasons for dropping out of psychotherapy: dissatisfaction with the quality of psychotherapy, financial problems in psychotherapy, unprepared socio-cultural context of psychotherapy, and psychotherapy as a non-user friendly treatment. Additionally, specific subcategories within each main category were documented. The results revealed distinct reasons for psychotherapy drop out in the current Iranian-based sample. These identified reasons should be considered and addressed at the onset of treatment as well as in the development of formal interventions aimed at reducing dropout. Further research investigating the antecedents leading to patient drop out is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practices of traditional birth attendants in Machakos District, kenya.

PubMed

Kaingu, Catherine Kaluwa; Oduma, Jemimah Achieng; Kanui, Titus I

2011-09-01

The aim of the study was to document TBAs practices as well as the indigenous herbal remedies they use to manage pre, intra and post partum complications in a rural Kenyan community. A cross sectional study was conducted on practicing TBAs and their clients living in the study area. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and interviews. Focused group discussions were held with the TBAs to supplement the interviews and questionnaire survey. Two hundred TBAs and 20 clients were interviewed. The majority of the TBAs were females 75% of them having attended to over 200 pregnant women over a period of 5 years and above compared to only 6% of the males. A total of 10 pregnancy related complications and symptoms including threatened abortion, labor complications, post partum hemorrhage and retained after birth were recorded. Fifty five plant species most of them belonging to Euphorbiaceae family were identified for the management of the complications. Traditional Birth Attendants still have a role to play in assisting pregnant women in rural communities. Their knowledge on herbal medicines is equally important and should be preserved for posterity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The human factors of implementing shift work in logging operations.

PubMed

Mitchell, D L; Gallagher, T V; Thomas, R E

2008-10-01

A fairly recent development in the forest industry is the use of shift work in logging in the southeastern U.S. Logging company owners are implementing shift work as an opportunity to increase production and potentially reduce the cost of producing each unit of wood, without consideration of the potential impacts on the logging crew. There are many documented physiological and psychological impacts on workers from shift work in a variety of industries, although few address forestry workers in the U.S. Semi-structured interviews were performed to gather information about how logging company owners were implementing shift work in seven southeastern states. Data collected during the interviews included employee turnover, shift hours, shift scheduling, safety considerations, and production impacts. Various work schedules were employed. The majority of the schedules encompassed less than 24 hours per day. Permanent and rotating shift schedules were found. None of the logging company owners used more than two crews in a 24-hour period. Additional safety precautions were implemented as a result of working after dark. No in-woods worker accidents or injuries were reported by any of those interviewed. Results indicate that a variety of work schedules can be successfully implemented in the southeastern logging industry.

Expert Knowledge Influences Decision-Making for Couples Receiving Positive Prenatal Chromosomal Microarray Testing Results.

PubMed

Rubel, M A; Werner-Lin, A; Barg, F K; Bernhardt, B A

2017-09-01

To assess how participants receiving abnormal prenatal genetic testing results seek information and understand the implications of results, 27 US female patients and 12 of their male partners receiving positive prenatal microarray testing results completed semi-structured phone interviews. These interviews documented participant experiences with chromosomal microarray testing, understanding of and emotional response to receiving results, factors affecting decision-making about testing and pregnancy termination, and psychosocial needs throughout the testing process. Interview data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. In the absence of certainty about the implications of results, understanding of results is shaped by biomedical expert knowledge (BEK) and cultural expert knowledge (CEK). When there is a dearth of BEK, as in the case of receiving results of uncertain significance, participants rely on CEK, including religious/spiritual beliefs, "gut instinct," embodied knowledge, and social network informants. CEK is a powerful platform to guide understanding of prenatal genetic testing results. The utility of culturally situated expert knowledge during testing uncertainty emphasizes that decision-making occurs within discourses beyond the biomedical domain. These forms of "knowing" may be integrated into clinical consideration of efficacious patient assessment and counseling.

Fast Track Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The NASA Fast Track Study supports the efforts of a Special Study Group (SSG) made up of members of the Advanced Project Management Class number 23 (APM-23) that met at the Wallops Island Management Education Center from April 28 - May 8, 1996. Members of the Class expressed interest to Mr. Vem Weyers in having an input to the NASA Policy Document (NPD) 7120.4, that will replace NASA Management Institute (NMI) 7120.4, and the NASA Program/Project Management Guide. The APM-23 SSG was tasked with assisting in development of NASA policy on managing Fast Track Projects, defined as small projects under $150 million and completed within three years. 'Me approach of the APM-23 SSG was to gather data on successful projects working in a 'Better, Faster, Cheaper' environment, within and outside of NASA and develop the Fast Track Project section of the NASA Program/Project Management Guide. Fourteen interviews and four other data gathering efforts were conducted by the SSG, and 16 were conducted by Strategic Resources, Inc. (SRI), including five interviews at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and one at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The interviews were compiled and analyzed for techniques and approaches commonly used to meet severe cost and schedule constraints.

Challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Gauld, Robin; Lovell, Sarah; McBride, David; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Harthy, Abdullah

2013-03-15

Disasters are a growing global phenomenon. New Zealand has suffered several major disasters in recent times. The state of healthcare disaster preparedness in New Zealand prior to the Canterbury earthquakes is not well documented. To investigate the challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. Semi-structured interviews with emergency planners in all the District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand in the period between January and March 2010. The interview protocol revolved around the domains of emergency planning adopted by the World Health Organization. Seventeen interviews were conducted. The main themes included disinterest of clinical personnel in emergency planning, the need for communication backup, the integration of private services in disaster preparedness, the value of volunteers, the requirement for regular disaster training, and the need to enhance surge capability of the New Zealand healthcare system to respond to disasters. Prior to the Canterbury earthquakes, healthcare disaster preparedness faced multiple challenges. Despite these challenges, New Zealand's healthcare response was adequate. Future preparedness has to consider the lessons learnt from the 2011 earthquakes to improve healthcare disaster planning in New Zealand.

Northeast Regional Cancer Institute's Cancer Surveillance and Risk Factor Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lesko, Samuel M.

2007-07-31

OBJECTIVES The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute is conducting a program of ongoing epidemiologic research to address cancer disparities in northeast Pennsylvania. Of particular concern are disparities in the incidence of, stage at diagnosis, and mortality from colorectal cancer. In northeast Pennsylvania, age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates for colorectal cancer are higher, and a significantly smaller proportion of new colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed with local stage disease than is observed in comparable national data. Further, estimates of the prevalence of colorectal cancer screening in northeast Pennsylvania are lower than the US average. The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s research program supportsmore » surveillance of common cancers, investigations of cancer risk factors and screening behaviors, and the development of resources to further cancer research in this community. This project has the following specific objectives: I. To conduct cancer surveillance in northeast Pennsylvania. a. To monitor incidence and mortality for all common cancers, and colorectal cancer, in particular, and b. To document changes in the stage at diagnosis of colorectal cancer in this high-risk, underserved community. II. To conduct a population-based study of cancer risk factors and screening behavior in a six county region of northeast Pennsylvania. a. To monitor and document changes in colorectal cancer screening rates, and b. To document the prevalence of cancer risk factors (especially factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer) and to identify those risk factors that are unusually common in this community. APPROACH Cancer surveillance was conducted using data from the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s population-based Regional Cancer Registry, the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, and NCI’s SEER program. For common cancers, incidence and mortality were examined by county within the region and compared to data for similar populations in the US. For colorectal cancer, the stage at diagnosis of cases diagnosed in northeast Pennsylvania was compared to data from prior years. A population-based interview study of healthy adults was conducted to document the status of cancer screening and to estimate the prevalence of established cancer risk factors in this community. This study is similar in design to that used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This program includes two distinct but related projects. The first project uses existing data to conduct cancer surveillance in northeast Pennsylvania, and the second is a population-based study of cancer risk factors and cancer screening behaviors in this same population. HUMAN SUBJECTS CONSIDERATIONS This program includes two projects: cancer surveillance and a population-based study of cancer risk factors and screening behavior. The cancer surveillance project involves only the use of existing aggregate data or de-identified data. As such, the surveillance project is exempt from human subjects considerations. The study of cancer risk factors and screening behaviors includes data from a random sample of adult residents of northeast Pennsylvania who are 18 or more years of age. All races, ethnicities and both sexes are included in proportion to their representation in the population. Subjects are interviewed anonymously by telephone; those who are unable to complete an interview in English are ineligible. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Scranton-Temple Residency Program IRB (IRB00001355), which is the IRB for the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.« less

Start small, dream big: Experiences of physical activity in public spaces in Colombia.

PubMed

Díaz Del Castillo, Adriana; González, Silvia Alejandra; Ríos, Ana Paola; Páez, Diana C; Torres, Andrea; Díaz, María Paula; Pratt, Michael; Sarmiento, Olga L

2017-10-01

Multi-sectoral strategies to promote active recreation and physical activity in public spaces are crucial to building a "culture of health". However, studies on the sustainability and scalability of these strategies are limited. This paper identifies the factors related to the sustainability and scaling up of two community-based programs offering physical activity classes in public spaces in Colombia: Bogotá's Recreovía and Colombia's "Healthy Habits and Lifestyles Program-HEVS". Both programs have been sustained for more than 10years, and have benefited 1455 communities. We used a mixed-methods approach including semi-structured interviews, document review and an analysis of data regarding the programs' history, characteristics, funding, capacity building and challenges. Interviews were conducted between May-October 2015. Based on the sustainability frameworks of Shediac-Rizkallah and Bone and Scheirer, we developed categories to independently code each interview. All information was independently analyzed by four of the authors and cross-compared between programs. Findings showed that these programs underwent adaptation processes to address the challenges that threatened their continuation and growth. The primary strategies included flexibility/adaptability, investing in the working conditions and training of instructors, allocating public funds and requesting accountability, diversifying resources, having community support and champions at different levels and positions, and carrying out continuous advocacy to include physical activity in public policies. Recreovía and HEVS illustrate sustainability as an incremental, multi-level process at different levels. Lessons learned for similar initiatives include the importance of individual actions and small events, a willingness to start small while dreaming big, being flexible, and prioritizing the human factor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources of support for women experiencing obstetric fistula in northern Ghana: A focused ethnography.

PubMed

Sullivan, Ginger; O'Brien, Beverley; Mwini-Nyaledzigbor, Prudence

2016-09-01

we explored how women in northern Ghana who have or have had obstetric fistula and those close to them perceive support. focused ethnography, that includes in-depth interviews, participant observation, and scrutiny of relevant records. a fistula treatment centre in a regional urban centre and three remote villages located in northern Ghana. the sources of data included in-depth interview (n=14), non-participant observation and interaction, as well as scrutiny of relevant health records and documents. Participants for in-depth interviews and observation included women affected by obstetric fistula, their partners, parents, relatives, nurses and doctors. presentation of obstetric fistula information, particularly by Non-Governmental Organisations was not in a format that was readily understandable for many women and their families. Food and other basic requirements for daily living were not necessarily available in the fistula treatment centre. Travelling for care was costly and frequently not easily accessed from their communities. Fistula repair surgery was available at unpredictable times and only for a few days every one to two months. women perceived support from spouses/partner, family members, and other relatives but much of this is limited to tangible support. Perceptions of support were particularly focused on access to information and finances. the implementation of strategies to increase support for women living with obstetric fistula include improving access to fistula repair treatment, directing resources to create a dedicated specialist fistula centre located where most cases of OF occur and providing education to front-line workers. Strategies to prevent fistula as well as identify and support safe motherhood practices are needed for women affected by obstetric fistula. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Private sector accountable care organization development: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Scheck McAlearney, Ann; Hilligoss, Brian; Song, Paula H

2017-03-01

To explore accountable care organizations (ACOs) as they develop in the private sector, including their motivation for development, perspectives from consumers regarding these emerging ACOs, and the critical success factors associated with ACO development. Comprehensive organizational case studies of 4 full-risk private sector ACOs that included in-person interviews with providers and administrators and focus groups with local consumers. Sixty-eight key informant interviews conducted during site visits, supplemented by document collection and telephone interviews, and 5 focus groups were held with 52 consumers associated with the study ACOs. We found 3 main motivators for private sector ACO development: 1) opportunity to improve quality and efficiency, 2) potential to improve population health, and 3) belief that payment reform is inevitable. With respect to consumer perspectives, consumers were unaware they received care from an ACO. From the perspectives of ACO stakeholders, these ACOs noted that they prefer to focus on patients' relationships with providers and typically do not emphasize the ACO name or entity. Critical success factors for private sector ACO development included provider engagement, strategic buy-in, prior experience managing risk, IT infrastructure, and leadership, all meant to shift the culture to a focus on value instead of volume. These organizations perceived that pursuing an accountable care strategy allowed them to respond to policy changes anticipated to impact the way healthcare is delivered and reimbursed. Increased understanding of factors that have been important for more mature private sector ACOs may help other healthcare organizations as they strive to enhance value and advance in their ACO journeys.

Changing Reasons as Reasoning Changes: A Narrative Interview on Second Language Classroom Motivation, Telecollaboration, and the Learning of Foreign Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negueruela-Azarola, Eduardo

2011-01-01

This narrative interview study of a Spanish learner documents and explains apparent contradictions in a student's story when reporting on why she continues to take Spanish even when she does not like it or perform well in foreign language courses. A dialectical approach to human activity based on sociocultural theory is used to make sense of her…

Investigation of guided school tours, student learning, and science reform recommendations at a museum of natural history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox-Petersen, Anne M.; Marsh, David D.; Kisiel, James; Melber, Leah M.

2003-02-01

A study of docent-led guided school tours at a museum of natural history was investigated. Researchers engaged in naturalistic inquiry to describe how natural history content was conveyed to students and what students gained from this model of touring. They also investigated how the content and pedagogy within the guided tour complemented recommendations from formal science standards documents and informal learning literature. About 30 visiting school groups in Grades 2-8 were observed. Teachers (n = 30) and select students (n = 85) were interviewed. Researchers found that tours were organized in a didactic way that conflicted with science education reform documents and research related to learning within informal contexts. Students' responses to interview questions indicated high satisfaction with the tours but low levels of science learning.

Content validity of the PedsQL™ 3.2 Diabetes Module in newly diagnosed patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus ages 8-45.

PubMed

Varni, James W; Curtis, Bradley H; Abetz, Linda N; Lasch, Kathryn E; Piault, Elisabeth C; Zeytoonjian, Andrea A

2013-10-01

The content validity of the 28-item PedsQL™ 3.0 Diabetes Module has not been established in research on pediatric and adult patients with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes across a broad age range. This study aimed to document the content validity of three age-specific versions (8-12 years, 13-18 years, and 18-45 years) of the PedsQL™ Diabetes Module in a population of newly diagnosed patients with Type 1 diabetes. The study included in-depth interviews with 31 newly diagnosed patients with Type 1 diabetes between the ages of 8 and 45 years, as well as 14 parents and/or caregivers of child and teenage patients between the ages of 8 and 18 years of age; grounded theory data collection and analysis methods; and review by clinical and measurement experts. Following the initial round of interviews, revisions reflecting patient feedback were made to the Child and Teen versions of the Diabetes Module, and an Adult version of the Diabetes Module was drafted. Cognitive interviews of the modified versions of the Diabetes Module were conducted with an additional sample of 11 patients. The results of these interviews support the content validity of the modified 33-item PedsQL™ 3.2 Diabetes Module for pediatric and adult patients, including interpretability, comprehensiveness, and relevance suitable for all patients with Type 1 Diabetes. Qualitative methods support the content validity of the modified PedsQL™ 3.2 Diabetes Module in pediatric and adult patients. It is recommended that the PedsQL™ 3.2 Diabetes Module replaces version 3.0 and is suitable for measuring patient-reported outcomes in all patients with newly diagnosed, stable, or long-standing diabetes in clinical research and practice.

Geriatric Syndromes in Hospitalized Older Adults Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities

PubMed Central

Bell, Susan P.; Vasilevskis, Eduard E.; Saraf, Avantika A.; Jacobsen, J. Mary Lou; Kripalani, Sunil; Mixon, Amanda S.; Schnelle, John F.; Simmons, Sandra F.

2016-01-01

Background Geriatric syndromes are common in older adults and associated with adverse outcomes. The prevalence, recognition, co-occurrence and recent onset of geriatric syndromes in patients transferred from hospital to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are largely unknown. Design Quality improvement project. Setting Acute care academic medical center and 23 regional partner SNFs. Participants 686 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized between January 2013 and April 2014 and referred to SNFs. Measurements Nine geriatric syndromes were measured by project staff -- weight loss, decreased appetite, incontinence and pain (standardized interview), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), delirium (Brief-Confusion Assessment Method), cognitive impairment (Brief Interview for Mental Status), falls and pressure ulcers (hospital medical record utilizing hospital-implemented screening tools). Estimated prevalence, new-onset prevalence and common coexisting clusters were determined. The extent that syndromes were commonly recognized by treating physicians and communicated to SNFs in hospital discharge documentation was evaluated. Results Geriatric syndromes were prevalent in more than 90% of hospitalized adults referred to SNFs; 55% met criteria for 3 or more co-existing syndromes. Overall the most prevalent syndromes were falls (39%), incontinence (39%), decreased appetite (37%) and weight loss (33%). Of individuals that met criteria for 3 or more syndromes, the most common triad clusters included nutritional syndromes (weight loss, loss of appetite), incontinence and depression. Treating hospital physicians commonly did not recognize and document geriatric syndromes in discharge summaries, missing 33–95% of syndromes present as assessed by research personnel. Conclusion Geriatric syndromes in hospitalized older adults transferred to SNF are prevalent and commonly co-exist with the most frequent clusters including nutritional syndromes, depression and incontinence. Despite the high prevalence, this clinical information is rarely communicated to the SNF on discharge. PMID:27059831

The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative: An Example of Statewide Collective Impact.

PubMed

Meinen, Amy; Hilgendorf, Amy; Korth, Amy L; Christens, Brian D; Breuer, Catherine; Joyner, Hilary; Polzin, Molle; Adams, Alexandra; Wolfe, Daithi; Braun, Abbe; Hoiting, Jill; Paulson, Jeanette; Cullen, Bridget; Stader, Kelli

2016-11-01

The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (Initiative), established in 2007, seeks to address and prevent obesity in the early care and education system through nutrition and physical activity environmental and policy changes. The collaborative includes professionals from 3 state of Wisconsin Departments, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and public health and early care and education organizations. This paper explores the efforts of the Initiative to advance our understanding of collective impact in practice and its value to health promotion efforts. Evaluators conducted a mixed methods case study to evaluate the application of collective impact principles by the Initiative. This included a survey of Initiative partners, review of archival documents, and qualitative interviews with Initiative leaders. Initiative partners noted progress in establishing the conditions for collective impact. Archival documents and interviews describe both formal and informal practices that helped set a common agenda, align and coordinate partner activities, and promote communication among Initiative leaders. Results also detail the important current and potential roles of “backbone” staff from healthTIDE to support the Initiative. Additionally, results suggest particularly challenging aspects of the Initiative’s impact model related to shared measurement and broader stakeholder communication. While the Initiative is still setting in place the conditions for collective impact, it has achieved significant policy, systems, and environment changes since its formation. Inclusion of nutrition and physical activity criteria in the state’s quality rating improvement system for child care centers is one of its outcomes. This case study offers several important insights about the application of collective impact in health promotion efforts, particularly in relation to the transition from previous collaborative activities, the value of establishing a clear common agenda among partners, the roles of backbone staff, and time and partner relationships in collective impact.

Shared Decision Making at the Limit of Viability: A Blueprint for Physician Action

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objective To document interactions during the antenatal consultation between parents and neonatologist that parents linked to their satisfaction with their participation in shared decision making for their infant at risk of being born at the limit of viability. Methods This multiple-case ethnomethodological qualitative research study, included mothers admitted for a threatened premature delivery between 200/7 and 266/7 weeks gestation, the father, and the staff neonatologist conducting the clinical antenatal consultation. Content analysis of an audiotaped post-antenatal consultation interview with parents obtained their satisfaction scores as well as their comments on physician actions that facilitated their desired participation. Results Five cases, each called a “system—infant at risk”, included 10 parents and 6 neonatologists. From the interviews emerged a blueprint for action by physicians, including communication strategies that parents say facilitated their participation in decision making; such as building trustworthy physician-parent relationships, providing "balanced" information, offering choices, and allowing time to think. Conclusion Parent descriptions indicate that the opportunity to participate to their satisfaction in the clinical antenatal consultation depends on how the physician interacts with them. Practice implications The parent-identified communication strategies facilitate shared decision making regarding treatment in the best interest of the infant at risk to be born at the limit of viability. PMID:27893823

On-Site Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Kennedy Kam Ho; Yung, Benny Hin Wai

2015-05-01

Experiences and reflection have long been regarded as a foundation for pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development. However, little is known about how experienced teachers develop their PCK via reflection-in-action during their moment-to-moment classroom instruction. Drawing upon data sources including classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and stimulated recall interviews based on lesson videos, this study examined instances when four experienced teachers were found to invent new instructional strategies/representations on the spot during the lesson (referred to as on-site PCK development) in their first attempts at teaching a new topic. The study documented the moment-to-moment experiences of the teachers, including their reconstructed thought processes associated with these instances of on-site PCK development. An explanatory model of a three-step process comprising a stimulus, an integration process and a response was advanced to account for the on-site PCK development observed among the teachers. Three categories of stimulus that triggered on-site PCK development were identified. Factors influencing the integration process and, hence, the resulting response, included teachers' subject matter knowledge of the new topic, their general pedagogical knowledge and their knowledge of student learning difficulties/prior knowledge related to the new topic. Implications for teacher professional development in terms of how to enhance teachers' on-site PCK development are discussed.

The Starr County Border Health Initiative: Focus Groups on Diabetes Prevention in Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Brown, Sharon A; Perkison, William B; García, Alexandra A; Cuevas, Heather E; Velasquez, Mary M; Winter, Mary A; Hanis, Craig L

2018-06-01

Purpose The purpose of the study was to conduct focus groups with Mexican Americans in an impoverished rural community on the Texas-Mexico border to identify current barriers to adopting healthier lifestyles and to obtain recommendations for diabetes prevention. Methods Three separate 2-hour focus groups were led by an experienced bilingual Mexican American moderator. Interviews included questions about cultural factors and barriers that influence lifestyle behaviors, aspects of previous diabetes self-management interventions that were helpful for motivating behavioral change, and recommendations for diabetes prevention. Results Twenty-seven participants attended a focus group session; each session involved 7 to 12 informants. Individuals were diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus; most were female, foreign born, and Spanish speaking. Interviews documented the cultural importance of food. Informants raised priority issues for diabetes prevention, including the need to learn how to prepare healthier foods and track caloric intake. Major barriers to healthier lifestyles included high costs of healthy foods, fatigue from busy schedules and working multiple jobs, a cultural view that exercise is a waste of valuable time, and fear of deportation. Conclusions Cultural influences and barriers to implementing healthy lifestyles should be assessed regularly and strategies implemented to overcome them. Such factors may change as environmental, sociocultural, and political environments change.

[Sociology as a Major Factor for the Psychiatrie-Enquete in the Federal Republic of Germany - Results from Expert Interviews and Document Analyses].

PubMed

Söhner, Felicitas; Fangerau, Heiner; Becker, Thomas

2018-05-01

This paper examines the influence of sociology as a discipline on the Psychiatrie-Enquete by analysing interviews with expert (psychiatrist, psychologist, sociologist etc.) witnesses of the Enquete process and by analysing pertinent documents. 24 interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative secondary analysis. Sociological texts and research results influenced the professional development of psychiatrists at the time. Cross-talk between psychiatry and sociology developed through seminal sociological analyses of psychiatric institutions and the interest taken in medical institutions in a number of sociological texts. Inter-disciplinary joint studies (of sociologists and psychiatrists) affected the research interest and professional behaviour of psychiatrists involved in the process on the way to the Psychiatrie-Enquete. Tenacity of psychiatrists' systems of opinion was dissolved by impulses from the sociological thought community. The forms of contact between the psychiatric and the sociological thought collective which we could reconstruct are an example of the evolution of knowledge and practice through transdisciplinary communication. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Barriers and facilitators related to implementation of regulated midwifery in Manitoba: a case study.

PubMed

Thiessen, Kellie; Heaman, Maureen; Mignone, Javier; Martens, Patricia; Robinson, Kristine

2016-03-15

In 2000, midwifery was regulated in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Since the establishment of the midwifery program, little formal research has analyzed the utilization of regulated midwifery services. In Manitoba, the demand for midwifery services has exceeded the number of midwives in practice. The specific objective of this study was to explore factors influencing the implementation and utilization of regulated midwifery services in Manitoba. The case study design incorporated qualitative exploratory descriptive methods, using data derived from two sources: interviews and public documents. Twenty-four key informants were purposefully selected to participate in semi-structured in-depth interviews. All documents analyzed were in the public domain. Content analysis was employed to analyze the documents and transcripts of the interviews. The results of the study were informed by the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Three main topic areas were explored: facilitators, barriers, and future strategies and recommendations. The most common themes arising under facilitators were funding of midwifery services and strategies to integrate the profession. Power and conflict, and lack of a productive education program emerged as the most prominent themes under barriers. Finally, future strategies for sustaining the midwifery profession focused on ensuring avenues for registration and education, improving management strategies and accountability frameworks within the employment model, enhancing the work environment, and evaluating both the practice and employment models. Results of the document analysis supported the themes arising from the interviews. These findings on factors that influenced the implementation and integration of midwifery in Manitoba may provide useful information to key stakeholders in Manitoba, as well as other provinces as they work toward successful implementation of regulated midwifery practice. Funding for new positions and programs was consistently noted as a successful strategy. While barriers such as structures of power within Regional Health Authorities and inter and intra-professional conflict were identified, the lack of a productive midwifery education program emerged as the most prominent barrier. This new knowledge highlights issues that impact the ongoing growth and capacity of the midwifery profession and suggests directions for ensuring its sustainability.

Computers in the examination room and the electronic health record: physicians' perceived impact on clinical encounters before and after full installation and implementation.

PubMed

Doyle, Richard J; Wang, Nina; Anthony, David; Borkan, Jeffrey; Shield, Renee R; Goldman, Roberta E

2012-10-01

We compared physicians' self-reported attitudes and behaviours regarding electronic health record (EHR) use before and after installation of computers in patient examination rooms and transition to full implementation of an EHR in a family medicine training practice to identify anticipated and observed effects these changes would have on physicians' practices and clinical encounters. We conducted two individual qualitative interviews with family physicians. The first interview was before and second interview was 8 months later after full implementation of an EHR and computer installation in the examination rooms. Data were analysed through project team discussions and subsequent coding with qualitative analysis software. At the first interviews, physicians frequently expressed concerns about the potential negative effect of the EHR on quality of care and physician-patient interaction, adequacy of their skills in EHR use and privacy and confidentiality concerns. Nevertheless, most physicians also anticipated multiple benefits, including improved accessibility of patient data and online health information. In the second interviews, physicians reported that their concerns did not persist. Many anticipated benefits were realized, appearing to facilitate collaborative physician-patient relationships. Physicians reported a greater teaching role with patients and sharing online medical information and treatment plan decisions. Before computer installation and full EHR implementation, physicians expressed concerns about the impact of computer use on patient care. After installation and implementation, however, many concerns were mitigated. Using computers in the examination rooms to document and access patients' records along with online medical information and decision-making tools appears to contribute to improved physician-patient communication and collaboration.

Evidence Study Guide.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

involving novel scientific evidence, e.g., the drug-induced or hypnosis -induced interview of a witness. Although the rules on experts contain no reference...under the Fed.R.Evid. Among the evidence which Nil.R.Evid. 803(6) makes admissible are forensic laboratory reports and chain of custody documents. The...34 inclusion of forensic laboratory reports and chain of custody documents in this Mil.R.Evid. is in conflict with the legislative history of

Learning to manage vasoactive drugs-A qualitative interview study with critical care nurses.

PubMed

Häggström, Marie; Bergsman, Ann-Christin; Månsson, Ulrika; Holmström, Malin Rising

2017-04-01

Being a nurse in an intensive care unit entails caring for seriously ill patients. Vasoactive drugs are one of the tools that are used to restore adequate circulation. Critical care nurses often manage and administer these potent drugs after medical advice from physicians. To describe the experiences of critical care nurses learning to manage vasoactive drugs, and to highlight the competence required to manage vasoactive drugs. Twelve critical care nurses from three hospitals in Sweden were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis was applied. The theme "becoming proficient requires accuracy, practice and precaution" illustrated how critical care nurses learn to manage vasoactive drugs. Learning included developing cognitive, psychomotor, and effective skills. Sources for knowledge refers to specialist education combined with practical exercises, collegial support, and accessible routine documents. The competence required to manage vasoactive drugs encompassed well-developed safety thinking that included being careful, in control, and communicating failures. Specific skills were required such as titrating doses, being able to analyse and evaluate the technological assessments, adapting to the situation, and staying calm. Learning to manage vasoactive drugs requires a supportive introduction for novices, collegial support, lifelong learning, and a culture of safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"It's Just Not Very Realistic": Perceptions of Media Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

PubMed

Liechty, Toni; Coyne, Sarah M; Collier, Kevin M; Sharp, Aubrey D

2018-07-01

Although research has documented a connection between media and body image for women, little research has explored this connection among pregnant or postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to explore women's perceptions of media and body image during the perinatal period. Fredrickson's objectification theory provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 50 pregnant or postpartum women in which they were asked to describe their perceptions of media depictions of pregnant or postpartum women and its impact on their body image. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Four major themes emerged: (1) participants questioned the realism of media depictions of pregnant and postpartum women, (2) participants described complex reactions to media messages including negative impacts on body image and strategies for mitigating negative impacts, (3) participants desired changes in media messages to be more realistic and to depict a more complex portrayal of the life stage, and (4) participants discussed the unique and complex role of social media including both negative and positive impacts. Implications of the findings for pregnant and postpartum women, communication scholars, and healthcare professionals are discussed.

Exploring ecology in Alaska: Reflective storytelling as a model for environmental education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoemaker, Kay Warren

This professional project is formatted as a book that was written as a part of a qualitativeparticipatory action research study exploring best practices for diverse communities in Alaska to access reflective storytelling method as environmental education. Non-invasive assessment was utilized with participants in the form of talking circles, where program leaders and educators met in small groups with youth to practice sharing and reflecting on their experiential education activity. Youth voice and educator opinions were gathered in structured and unstructured interviews. Along with interviews, standard practice methods for a qualitative research project were utilized, including: participant observation, non-participant observation, field notes, reflexive journals, and analysis of documents and materials. The current book project was designed as a tool to assist with the implementation of the Alaska Natural Resource and Environmental Literacy Plan. Through place-based curriculum and experiential learning techniques, it shares examples of a unique method of teaching outdoor environmental education through storytelling.

Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Interdisciplinary Research Teams: Evidence-Based Practices for Integrating Knowledge Across Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, D. D.; Vincent, S.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded project "Employing Model-Based Reasoning in Socio-Environmental Synthesis (EMBeRS)" has developed a generic model for exchanging knowledge across disciplines that is based on findings from the cognitive, learning, social, and organizational sciences addressing teamwork in complex problem solving situations. Two ten-day summer workshops for PhD students from large, NSF-funded interdisciplinary projects working on a variety of water issues were conducted in 2016 and 2017, testing the model by collecting a variety of data, including surveys, interviews, audio/video recordings, material artifacts and documents, and photographs. This presentation will introduce the EMBeRS model, the design of workshop activities based on the model, and results from surveys and interviews with the participating students. Findings suggest that this approach is very effective for developing a shared, integrated research vision across disciplines, compared with activities typically provided by most large research projects, and that students believe the skills developed in the EMBeRS workshops are unique and highly desireable.

Human radiation studies: Remembering the early years. Oral history of biochemist John Randolph Totter, Ph.D., January 23, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

This document is a transcript of an interview of Dr. John Randolph Tottler by representatives of the US DOE Office of Human Radiation Experiments. Dr. Tottler was selected for this interview because of his career with the Atomic Energy Commission Division of Biology and Medicine (DBM), particularly as its director from 1967 to 1972. After a short biographical sketch Dr. Tottler discusses his remembrances on a wide range topics including nucleic acid and leukemia research at Oak Ridge, AEC biochemistry training in South America, DBM`s research focus on radiation effects, early leadership of DBM, relations with the US Public Healthmore » Service, controversies on low-level radiation, iodine from fallout, on John Gofman, and Project Plowshare, funding for AEC Research Programs and for international research, testicular irradiation of prisoners in Washington State and Oregon, Plutonium injections, ethics of government radiation research, and opinions of public misperceptions about radiation and cancer.« less

Does the Broad Categories for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (BCD-ED) Scheme Reduce the Frequency of Eating Disorder not Otherwise Specified?

PubMed Central

Sysko, Robyn; Walsh, B. Timothy

2010-01-01

Objective This study evaluated whether the Broad Categories for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (BCD-ED) proposal (Walsh & Sysko, 2009) reduces the number of individuals who receive a DSM-IV eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) diagnosis. Method Individuals calling a tertiary care facility completed a brief telephone interview and were classified into a DSM-IV eating disorder category (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, EDNOS). Subsequently, the proposed DSM-5 criteria for eating disorders and the BCD-ED scheme were also applied. Results A total of 247 individuals with telephone interview data met criteria for an eating disorder, including 97 (39.3%) with an EDNOS. Of patients with an EDNOS diagnosis, 97.6% were re-classified using the BCD-ED scheme. Discussion The BCD-ED scheme has the potential to virtually eliminate the use of DSM-IV EDNOS; however, additional data are needed to document its validity and clinical utility. PMID:21997426

Collaboration: A critical exploration of the care continuum.

PubMed

Penny, Robyn A; Windsor, Carol

2017-04-01

The purpose of this research was to explore the concept of collaboration within a specific healthcare context and to include the perspectives of healthcare users, a position largely lacking in previous studies. In applying a critical theoretical approach, the focus was on, as an exemplar, mothers with newborn babies who had spent more than 48 hr in a special care nursery. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with child health nurses, midwives and mothers. The three key theoretical findings on collaboration generated in the study point to layers of meanings around identity, knowledge and institutions of care. Findings from the interview data analysis were further examined through the lens of key policy documents. The research outcomes indicate that the concept of collaboration serves an important function in healthcare in obscuring the complexities and ambiguities that characterise the care continuum. The study concludes the need for a more critical approach to the assumptions that underlie the language of collaboration and the implications for practice in healthcare. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stability of parental understanding of random assignment in childhood leukemia trials: an empirical examination of informed consent.

PubMed

Greenley, Rachel Neff; Drotar, Dennis; Zyzanski, Stephen J; Kodish, Eric

2006-02-20

To examine stability versus change in parental understanding of random assignment in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for pediatric leukemia and to identify factors associated with changes in understanding. Eighty-four parents of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia who were enrolled onto a pediatric leukemia RCT at one of six US children's hospitals participated. Parents were interviewed twice, once within 48 hours after the Informed Consent Conference (ICC; time 1 [T1]) and again 6 months later (time 2 [T2]). Interviews focused on parental understanding of key components of the RCT, including random assignment. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and later analyzed. Changes in understanding of random assignment occurred in 19% of parents, with 17% of parents deteriorating in understanding from T1 to T2. Forty-nine percent of parents failed to understand random assignment at both times. Factors associated with understanding at both times included majority ethnicity, high socioeconomic status, parental reading of consent document, and presence of a nurse during the ICC. Physician discussion of specific components of the RCT was also associated with understanding at both times. Female caregivers and parents of low socioeconomic status were overrepresented among those who showed decay in understanding from T1 to T2. Parents showed little gain in understanding over time. Factors that predicted understanding at diagnosis as well as sustained understanding over time may be important intervention targets. Attention to both modifiable and nonmodifiable barriers is important for clinical practice.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge Is Vastly Under-Documented in Northwestern South America

PubMed Central

Cámara-Leret, Rodrigo; Paniagua-Zambrana, Narel; Balslev, Henrik; Macía, Manuel J.

2014-01-01

A main objective of ethnobotany is to document traditional knowledge about plants before it disappears. However, little is known about the coverage of past ethnobotanical studies and thus about how well the existing literature covers the overall traditional knowledge of different human groups. To bridge this gap, we investigated ethnobotanical data-collecting efforts across four countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia), three ecoregions (Amazon, Andes, Chocó), and several human groups (including Amerindians, mestizos, and Afro-Americans). We used palms (Arecaceae) as our model group because of their usefulness and pervasiveness in the ethnobotanical literature. We carried out a large number of field interviews (n = 2201) to determine the coverage and quality of palm ethnobotanical data in the existing ethnobotanical literature (n = 255) published over the past 60 years. In our fieldwork in 68 communities, we collected 87,886 use reports and documented 2262 different palm uses and 140 useful palm species. We demonstrate that traditional knowledge on palm uses is vastly under-documented across ecoregions, countries, and human groups. We suggest that the use of standardized data-collecting protocols in wide-ranging ethnobotanical fieldwork is a promising approach for filling critical information gaps. Our work contributes to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and emphasizes the need for signatory nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity to respond to these information gaps. Given our findings, we hope to stimulate the formulation of clear plans to systematically document ethnobotanical knowledge in northwestern South America and elsewhere before it vanishes. PMID:24416449

An in-depth, exploratory assessment of the implementation of the National Health Information System at a district level hospital in Tanzania.

PubMed

Wilms, Miriam C; Mbembela, Osman; Prytherch, Helen; Hellmold, Peter; Kuelker, Rainer

2014-02-26

A well functioning Health Information System (HIS) is crucial for effective and efficient health service delivery. In Tanzania there is a national HIS called Mfumo wa Taarifa za Uendeshaji Huduma za Afya (MTUHA). It comprises a guideline/manual, a series of registers for primary data collection and secondary data books where information from the registers is totalled or used for calculations. A mix of qualitative methods were used. These included key informant interviews; staff interviews; participant observations; and a retrospective analysis of the hospital's 2010 MTUHA reporting documents and the hospital's development plan. All staff members acknowledged data collection as part of their job responsibilities. However, all had concerns about the accuracy of MTUHA data. Access to training was limited, mathematical capabilities often low, dissemination of MTUHA knowledge within the hospital poor, and a broad understanding of the HIS's full capabilities lacking.Whilst data collection for routine services functioned reasonably well, filling of the secondary data tools was unsatisfactory. Internal inconsistencies between the different types of data tools were found. These included duplications, and the collection of data that was not further used. Sixteen of the total 72 forms (22.2%) that make up one of the key secondary data books (Hospital data/MTUHA book 2) could not be completed with the information collected in the primary data books.Moreover, the hospital made no use of any of the secondary data. The hospital's main planning document was its development plan. Only 3 of the 22 indicators in this plan were the same as indicators in MTUHA, the information for 9 more was collected by the MTUHA system but figures had to be extracted and recalculated to fit, while for the remaining 10 indicators no use could be made of MTUHA at all. The HIS in Tanzania is very extensive and it could be advisable to simplify it to the core business of data collection for routine services. Alternatively, the more comprehensive, managerial aspects could be sharpened for each type of facility, with a focus upon the hospital level. In particular, hospital planning documents need to be more closely aligned with MTUHA indicators.

Putting newborn hearing screening on the political agenda in Belgium: local initiatives toward a community programme – a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Kingdon model, based on the convergence of three streams (problem, policy, and politics) and the opening of a policy window, analyses the process by which a health issue is placed on the political agenda. We used this model to document the political agenda-setting process of the newborn hearing screening programme in Belgium. Methods A qualitative study based on a document review and on semi-directed interviews was carried out. The interviews were conducted with nine people who had played a role in putting the issue in question on the political agenda, and the documents reviewed included scientific literature and internal reports and publications from the newborn hearing screening programme. The thematic analysis of the data collected was carried out on the basis of the Kingdon model’s three streams. Results The political agenda-setting of this screening programme was based on many factors. The problem stream included factors external to the context under study, such as the technological developments and the contribution of the scientific literature which led to the recommendation to provide newborn hearing screening. The two other streams (policy and politics) covered factors internal to the Belgian context. The fact that it was locally feasible with financial support, the network of doctors convinced of the need for newborn hearing screening, the drafting of various proposals, and the search for financing were all part of the policy stream. The Belgian political context and the policy opportunities concerning preventive medicine were identified as significant factors in the third stream. When these three streams converged, a policy window opened, allowing newborn hearing screening onto the political agenda and enabling the policy decision for its introduction. Conclusions The advantage of applying the Kingdon model in our approach was the ability to demonstrate the political agenda-setting process, using the three streams. This made it possible to identify the many factors involved in the process. However, the roles of the stakeholders and of the context were somewhat inexplicit in this model. PMID:24986647

Putting newborn hearing screening on the political agenda in Belgium: local initiatives toward a community programme - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Vos, Bénédicte; Lagasse, Raphaël; Levêque, Alain

2014-07-01

The Kingdon model, based on the convergence of three streams (problem, policy, and politics) and the opening of a policy window, analyses the process by which a health issue is placed on the political agenda. We used this model to document the political agenda-setting process of the newborn hearing screening programme in Belgium. A qualitative study based on a document review and on semi-directed interviews was carried out. The interviews were conducted with nine people who had played a role in putting the issue in question on the political agenda, and the documents reviewed included scientific literature and internal reports and publications from the newborn hearing screening programme. The thematic analysis of the data collected was carried out on the basis of the Kingdon model's three streams. The political agenda-setting of this screening programme was based on many factors. The problem stream included factors external to the context under study, such as the technological developments and the contribution of the scientific literature which led to the recommendation to provide newborn hearing screening. The two other streams (policy and politics) covered factors internal to the Belgian context. The fact that it was locally feasible with financial support, the network of doctors convinced of the need for newborn hearing screening, the drafting of various proposals, and the search for financing were all part of the policy stream. The Belgian political context and the policy opportunities concerning preventive medicine were identified as significant factors in the third stream. When these three streams converged, a policy window opened, allowing newborn hearing screening onto the political agenda and enabling the policy decision for its introduction. The advantage of applying the Kingdon model in our approach was the ability to demonstrate the political agenda-setting process, using the three streams. This made it possible to identify the many factors involved in the process. However, the roles of the stakeholders and of the context were somewhat inexplicit in this model.

Exploration of the impacts of distributed-site Research Experiences for Undergraduates using pre-/post- student interviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colella, H.; Hubenthal, M.; Brudzinski, M. R.

2013-12-01

The benefits for student participants of undergraduate research opportunities have been well documented. However, advancements in information and communications technologies (ICT) and cultural shifts around online education and virtual peer-to-peer interaction have lead to new models in which to structure such experiences. Currently, these ICT-enabled Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs connect geographically distributed interns in supportive e-learning communities while maintaining a traditional local mentoring arrangement. To document and explore the effects of distributed REU Sites in more depth, six interns from such a program, the Incorporated Research Institution for Seismology (IRIS) REU, were selected at random and asked to be interviewed about the REU experience. The primary targets of the interviews are to understand the mentor/mentee relationships, feeling of support and development and value of near-peer and far-peer relationships throughout their internship in a distributed REU program, and whether they receive the training necessary to gain confidence as a researcher. We also examine the various communication technologies as well as best practices and strategies that can increase intern connectedness. Pre-internship interviews were conducted in-person at the start of the centralized internship orientation week, while post-internship interviews were virtual (e.g. video chat with Skype or Google Hangout). These semi-structured interviews have full audio recordings and subsequent transcriptions. An additional, virtual follow-up interview will be conducted next spring after the interns have an opportunity to attend and present their research at a national conference (e.g., AGU). Interview material will be analyzed through a process of coding, sorting, local integration, and inclusive integration. Results will also be triangulated with pre- and post- survey data both from participants and other survey data from previous years of the IRIS program. Our presentation will highlight the key findings of these analyses. GeoCorps and RESESS will begin to employ this interview style assessment beginning this fall and next year, respectively, which will facilitate detailed comparisons between distributed and non-distributed REU approaches.

A hundred years of change in wild vegetable use in southern Herzegovina.

PubMed

Łuczaj, Łukasz; Dolina, Katija

2015-05-26

Wild vegetable mixes used in southern Europe are interesting from the pharmacological point of view, as they contain many species which have considerable nutritional and medicinal value, but some are potentially toxic to humans. Although many ethnobotanical studies document the rich tradition of using wild vegetables at the turn of the 20th and 21st century in the Mediterranean region, there is a dearth of older historical studies which could help us to assess the extent of Traditional Knowledge loss. The aim of this study was to document the use of wild foods in an area of southern Herzegovina (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and to compare it with a list of 27 taxa of wild green vegetables used there, compiled in 1913 by Vejsil Ćurčić. We carried out 49 interviews in the same area to estimate the current use and knowledge of wild foods. Eighty-two species of wild food and herbal tea plants were recorded in the study. This includes 44 species whose wild leaves are used as salads or cooked side dishes, 17 species with edible fruits and 24 species whose leaves, shoots or flowers are used for everyday herbal teas. On average, 14.2 species (median=16.5) were listed per interview, including 9.0 species of wild vegetables. Out of 27 plant names mentioned 100 years ago - five remain unidentified. Out of the 22 species or species groups, which were identified, 18 are still used as wild vegetables (including five species used very rarely and known by very few people or only by one person). Nowadays, the most commonly used wild greens are: Dioscorea communis, Sonchus spp., Allium spp., Papaver rhoeas, Rumex pulcher, Silene latifolia, and Taraxacum spp. Although we observed some changes in the names and uses of plants compared to the list from a hundred years ago, around three quarters of the taxa are still used to some extent nowadays. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study of the medicinal plants used by the Marakwet Community in Kenya

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The medicinal plants used by herbalists in Kenya have not been well documented, despite their widespread use. The threat of complete disappearance of the knowledge on herbal medicine from factors such as deforestation, lack of proper regulation, overexploitation and sociocultural issues warrants an urgent need to document the information. The purpose of the study was to document information on medicinal plants used by herbalists in Marakwet District towards the utilization of indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge for the advancement of biomedical research and development. Methods Semi- structured oral interviews were conducted with 112 practicing herbalists. The types of plants used were identified and the conditions treated recorded. Results Herbal practice is still common in the district, and 111 plants were identified to have medicinal or related uses. Different herbal preparations including fruits and healing vegetables are employed in the treatment of various medical conditions. Veterinary uses and pesticides were also recorded. Conclusion The study provides comprehensive ethnobotanical information about herbal medicine and healing methods among the Marakwet community. The identification of the active ingredients of the plants used by the herbalists may provide some useful leads for the development of new drugs. PMID:24555424

The multiple meanings associated with the football tailgating ritual

Treesearch

Deborah Kerstetter; Mary Stansfield; Phileshia Dombroski; So Young Bae; Lindsay Usher; Matthew McKinney

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document the meanings that individuals associate with the football tailgating experience. Data were collected via photo-elicitation and follow-up interviews with 30 adults.

Effects of Information Access Cost and Accountability on Medical Residents' Information Retrieval Strategy and Performance During Prehandover Preparation: Evidence From Interview and Simulation Study.

PubMed

Yang, X Jessie; Wickens, Christopher D; Park, Taezoon; Fong, Liesel; Siah, Kewin T H

2015-12-01

We aimed to examine the effects of information access cost and accountability on medical residents' information retrieval strategy and performance during prehandover preparation. Prior studies observing doctors' prehandover practices witnessed the use of memory-intensive strategies when retrieving patient information. These strategies impose potential threats to patient safety as human memory is prone to errors. Of interest in this work are the underlying determinants of information retrieval strategy and the potential impacts on medical residents' information preparation performance. A two-step research approach was adopted, consisting of semistructured interviews with 21 medical residents and a simulation-based experiment with 32 medical residents. The semistructured interviews revealed that a substantial portion of medical residents (38%) relied largely on memory for preparing handover information. The simulation-based experiment showed that higher information access cost reduced information access attempts and access duration on patient documents and harmed information preparation performance. Higher accountability led to marginally longer access to patient documents. It is important to understand the underlying determinants of medical residents' information retrieval strategy and performance during prehandover preparation. We noted the criticality of easy access to patient documents in prehandover preparation. In addition, accountability marginally influenced medical residents' information retrieval strategy. Findings from this research suggested that the cost of accessing information sources should be minimized in developing handover preparation tools. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

The current practice of using multiple representations in year 4 science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuenmanee, Chanoknat; Thathong, Kongsak

2018-01-01

Multiple representations have been widely used as a reasoning tool for understanding complex scientific concepts. Thus this study attempted to investigate the current practice of using multiple representations on Year 4 science classrooms in terms of modes and levels which appear in curriculum documents, teaching plans, tasks and assessments, teaching practices, and students' behaviors. Indeed, documentary analysis, classroom observation, and interview were used as the data collection methods. First of all, Year 4 science documents were analyzed. Then classroom observation was used as a collecting method to seek what actually happen in the classroom. Finally, in-depth interviews were used to gather more information and obtain meaningful data. The finding reveals that many modes of verbal, visual, and tactile representations within three levels of representations are posed in Year 4 documents. Moreover, according to classroom observations and interviews, there are three main points of applying multiple representations into classrooms. First of all, various modes of representations were used, however, a huge number of them did not come together with the levels. The levels of representations, secondly, macroscopic and cellular levels were introduced into all classrooms while symbolic level was provided only in some classrooms. Finally, the connection of modes and levels pointed out that modes of representations were used without the considerations on the levels of them. So, it seems to be that teaching practice did not meet the aims of curriculum. Therefore, these issues were being considered in order to organize and design the further science lessons.

Etiology and clinical course of pseudoseizures. Relationship to trauma, depression, and dissociation.

PubMed

Bowman, E S

1993-01-01

Twenty-seven outpatients with video-EEG-documented pseudoseizures were interviewed by a psychiatrist to determine the historical course of seizures and diagnose the current presence of these DSM-III-R diagnoses: affective disorders (85%), dissociative disorders (85%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (33%). Their mean (26.7) and median (26.9) Dissociative Experiences Scale scores were elevated. Eighty-eight percent of subjects had sustained significant trauma, including sexual abuse/rape (77%) and physical abuse (70%). Four psychodynamic pathways to pseudoseizures were noted. Most commonly, pseudoseizures originated from dissociated personalities or ego states, were expressions of dissociated memories of child abuse, and were triggered by recent stresses or traumas.

Performance assessment in algebra learning process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestariani, Ida; Sujadi, Imam; Pramudya, Ikrar

2017-12-01

The purpose of research to describe the implementation of performance assessment on algebra learning process. The subject in this research is math educator of SMAN 1 Ngawi class X. This research includes descriptive qualitative research type. Techniques of data collecting are done by observation method, interview, and documentation. Data analysis technique is done by data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The results showed any indication that the steps taken by the educator in applying the performance assessment are 1) preparing individual worksheets and group worksheets, 2) preparing rubric assessments for independent worksheets and groups and 3) making performance assessments rubric to learners’ performance results with individual or groups task.

Exploring the therapeutic family intervention of commendations: insights from research.

PubMed

Limacher, Lori Houger; Wright, Lorraine M

2006-08-01

Offered in this article are interpretations that emerged in a qualitative, interpretive study focused on the family intervention called a "commendation." The tradition of philosophical hermeneutics informs and shapes the analysis of the data. Research participants include a heterosexual couple and a nurse who engaged in therapeutic conversations focused on difficulties with Internet pornography. Data sources include videotapes of clinical sessions, documentation, and research interviews. Isolated segments of clinical videotape are shared with the couple to prompt their memory of commending practices that emerged in clinical sessions. Commendations are not experienced by this couple as gentle and warm but instead as extremely provocative, albeit constructive. This study illuminates the complex, contextual nature of commending practice and suggests that the noticing of strengths and resources contains much more than the spoken word.

Agricultural drainage and wetland management in Ontario.

PubMed

Walters, Dan; Shrubsole, Dan

2003-12-01

Land drainage is recognized as an integral part of agricultural activity throughout the world. However, the increase in agricultural production has resulted in the loss of wetland functions and values. Therefore, wetland management and agricultural drainage illustrate the conflict between economic development and natural values. This research assesses the approval process for agricultural land drainage in Ontario, Canada, to determine how the benefits of increased agricultural production are balanced against the loss of wetland values. A permit review of drainage applications was conducted from 1978 to 1997 in Zorra Township, Ontario, Canada. Data collection also included the document reviews, interviews with government agencies and wetland evaluation files. The selected criteria include efficiency, equity, consistency and adequacy. The results indicate that while the process is efficient, fundamental problems remain with the bargaining process.

Situation awareness and documentation of changes that affect patient outcomes in progress notes.

PubMed

Tower, Marion; Chaboyer, Wendy

2014-05-01

To report on registered nurses' situation awareness as a precursor to decision-making when recording changes in patients' conditions. Progress notes are important to communicate patients' progress and detail changes in patients' conditions. However, documentation is often poorly completed. There is little work that examines nurses' decision-making during documentation. This study focused on describing situation awareness as a precursor to decision-making during documentation. This study used Endsley's (Situation Awareness Analysis and Measurement, 2000, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, NJ) work on situation awareness to guide and conceptualise information. The study was situated in a naturalistic paradigm to provide an interpretation of nurses' decision-making. Think-aloud research methods and semi-structured interviews were employed to illuminate decision-making processes. Audio recordings and interview texts were individually examined for evidence of cues, informed by Endsley's (Situation Awareness Analysis and Measurement, 2000, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, NJ) descriptions of situation awareness. As patients' conditions changed, nurses used complex mental models and pattern-matching of information, drawing on all 3 levels of situation awareness during documentation. Level 1 situation awareness provided context, level 2 situation awareness signified a change in condition and its significance for the patient, and level 3 situation awareness was evident when nurses thought aloud about what this information indicated. Three themes associated with changes in patients' conditions emerged: deterioration in condition, not responding to prescribed treatments as expected and issues related to professional practice that impacted on patients' conditions. Nurses used a complex mental model for decision-making, drawing on 3 levels of situation awareness. Hamm's cognitive continuum theory, when related to situation awareness, is a useful decision-making theory to provide a platform on which to draw together components of situation awareness and provide a framework on which to base decision-making regarding documentation. Understanding how RNs employ situation awareness and providing a framework for decision-making during documentation may assist effective documentation about changes in patients' conditions. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing an Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation Framework for U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

be conducted midstream, at the end of an activity program or LOE, or ex post facto . Not all security cooperation endeavors require evaluation...noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only...iv Developing an AME Framework for DoD Security Cooperation approach, the study team analyzed documents, interviewed subject- matter experts

Inquiry-based Science Instruction in High School Biology Courses: A Multiple Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aso, Eze

A lack of research exists about how secondary school science teachers use inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how science teachers used inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning in high school biology courses. The conceptual framework was based on Banchi and Bell's model of increasing levels of complexity for inquiry-based instruction. A multiple case study research design was conducted of biology programs at 3 high schools in an urban school district in the northeastern region of the United States. Participants included 2 biology teachers from each of the 3 high schools. Data were collected from individual interviews with biology teachers, observations of lessons in biology, and documents related to state standards, assessments, and professional development. The first level of data analysis involved coding and categorizing the interview and observation data. A content analysis was used for the documents. The second level of data analysis involved examining data across all sources and all cases for themes and discrepancies. According to study findings, biology teachers used confirmation, structure, and guided inquiry to improve student learning. However, they found open inquiry challenging and frustrating to implement because professional development about scaffolding of instruction over time was needed, and students' reading and writing skills needed to improve. This study contributes to positive social change by providing educators and researchers with a deeper understanding about how to scaffold levels of inquiry-based science instruction in order to help students become scientifically literate citizens.

A Qualitative Phenomenology of Christian Middle School Implementation of Inquiry-based Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrin, Patricia Ann

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study will be to explore curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals' implementation of Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) in Christian middle school science classes in the central Virginia area. IBI will be referred to as "a teaching method that combines the curiosity of students and the scientific method to enhance the development of critical thinking skills while learning science" (Warner & Myers, 2008, p.3). A qualitative phenomenology study will be made to consider the requirements and implementation of IBI in the Christian middle schools as compared to the requirements and implementation of IBI in the National Science Education Standard (NSES). Curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals, and participated in this study from five Christian middle schools in the central Virginia area. The guiding theories include John Dewey's (1948) Constructivism, Lev Vygotsky's (1998) Social Constructivism, and William Glasser's (2005) Choice Theory as they relate to the beliefs curriculum coordinators, teachers, and principals have regarding the implementation of IBI. A primary research question for this study is, "If research supports successful outcomes of IBI, then how and why do Christian CMSST, principals, and curriculum coordinators implement or not implement IBI?" Interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews were used for triangulation and data collection. The data analysis used in this study were completed by using Moustakas' (1994) seven step thematic coding derived from the observations, interview transcriptions, and school documents in the form of lesson plans and objectives (Merriam, 2009; Moustakas, 1994).

Do inquiries into health system failures lead to change in clinical governance systems?

PubMed

Gluyas, Heather; Alliex, Selma; Morrison, Paul

2011-01-01

This paper reports the first part of a case study investigation to examine the changes at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) following an inquiry established to review the quality of obstetric and gynaecological services. Common findings from a range of health inquiries in recent times include that there have been inadequate adverse event reporting systems, the absence of transparent systems for staff and patients to report concerns about quality of patient care, and an ineffective medical credentialing and performance review system. The similarity of findings from many health inquiries raises the question of whether an inquiry does lead to changes to improve patient care and safety. There has been very little reported in the literature about this. Using a case study strategy the areas of medical credentialing, performance review and involvement of consumers in care were chosen as the KEMH clinical governance processes to be examined for changes post inquiry. Documents, archives and interviews were used as data sources for this case study. Documents were examined using a normative analytic approach and the Miles and Huberman framework was used for data analysis of the interviews. There were significant changes in the area of credentialing and performance review evident in analysis of all sources of data. There were some improvements in the processes of involving consumers in care, but deficits were identified in regard to the provision of training and upskilling for clinicians to improve their communication skills and interactions with patients and families.

Participation a Key Factor for Life Recovery After Disaster: A Grounded Theory Study in an Iranian Context

PubMed Central

Nakhaei, Maryam; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Masoumi, Gholam Reza; Hosseini, Mohammad Ali; Parsa-Yekta, Zohreh

2016-01-01

Background Since life recovery after disasters is a subjective and multifaceted construct influenced by different factors, and survivors’ main concerns and experiences are not clear, the researchers intended to explore this process. Materials and Methods This study was conducted in 2011 - 2014 based on the grounded theory approach. Participants were selected by purposeful sampling followed by theoretical sampling to achieve conceptual and theoretical saturation. Data were collected through interviews, observation, focus group discussion, and document reviews. Data were analyzed by Strauss and Corbin’s (2008) recommended approach. Results Transcribed data from 26 interviews (managers, health care providers, and receivers), field notes, and other documents were analyzed, and 1,652 open codes were identified. The codes were categorized, using constant comparative analysis, into five main categories including reactive exposure, subsiding emotions, need for comprehensive health recovery, improvement of normalization (new normality achievement), and contextual factors. The process of life recovery after disaster was also explored. Conclusions The results clarified a deep perception of participants’ experiences after disaster. The path of life recovery after disasters involves participants’ striving to achieve a comprehensive health recovery, which starts with the need for all-inclusive health recovery as a main concern; this is the motivator for a responding strategy. This strategy is participatory, and the process is progressive; achievement of a new normality is the final goal, with new development and levels of empowerment. PMID:27703797

Challenges and Opportunities in the Provision of Surgical Care in Vanuatu: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

PubMed

Young, S; Perry, W R G; Leodoro, B; Nosa, V; Bissett, I; Windsor, J A; Dare, A J

2016-08-01

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu faces a number of challenges in delivering surgical care to its population. We aimed to understand and document the barriers, opportunities and required actions to improve surgical care in the country using a mixed methods analysis which incorporated the perspectives of local health stakeholders. A baseline quantitative assessment of surgical capacity in Vanuatu was carried out using the WHO situational analysis tool. Twenty semi-structured interviews were then conducted on the two main islands (Efate and Espiritu Santo) with surgeons, allied health staff, health managers, policy-makers and other key stakeholders, using a grounded theory qualitative case study methodology. Initial informants were identified by purposive sampling followed by snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were open and axially coded with subsequent thematic analysis. Vanuatu faces deficits in surgical infrastructure, equipment and human resources, especially in the rural provinces. Geographic isolation, poverty and culture-including the use of traditional medicine and low health literacy-all act as barriers to patients accessing timely surgical care. Issues with governance, human resourcing and perioperative care were commonly identified by stakeholders as key challenges facing surgical services. Increasing outreach clinics, developing efficient referral systems, building provincial surgical capacity and undertaking locally led research were identified as key actions that can improve surgical care. Documenting locally identified challenges and opportunities for surgical care in Vanuatu is an important first step towards developing formal strategies for improving surgical services at the country level.

Surviving the Implementation of a New Science Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, Beverly; Appleton, Ken

2015-12-01

Queensland schools are currently teaching with the first National Curriculum for Australia. This new curriculum was one of a number of political responses to address the recurring low scores in literacy, mathematics, and science that continue to hold Australia in poor international rankings. Teachers have spent 2 years getting to know the new science curriculum through meetings, training, and exploring the new Australian curriculum documents. This article examines the support and preparation for implementation provided in two regional schools, with a closer look at six specific teachers and their science teaching practices as they attempted to implement the new science curriculum. The use of a survey, field observations, and interviews revealed the schools' preparation practices and the teachers' practices, including the support provided to implement the new science curriculum. A description and analysis of school support and preparation as well as teachers' views of their experiences implementing the new science curriculum reveal both achievements and shortcomings. Problematic issues for the two schools and teachers include time to read and comprehend the curriculum documents and content expectations as well as time to train and change the current processes effectively. The case teachers' experiences reveal implications for the successful and effective implementation of new curriculum and curriculum reform.

Science education researchers as orthographers: documenting Keiyo (Kenya) knowledge, learning and narratives about snakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomson, Norman

2003-01-01

Using Keiyo (Kenya) knowledge, learning and oral narratives about snakes, the paper advances the argument that science educators have a pivotal role as orthographers in 'preserving and promoting science for all'. Linguists, and a growing number of scientists, realize that in processes of globalisation, many indigenous languages and cultures are facing extinction, especially languages that remain unwritten, such as the Keiyo language. Within these languages are several thousand years of indigenous science education that include knowledge, teaching and learning about local environments. Science educators are a missing link in the ongoing conversations between biologists, linguists and indigenous cultures. Today, it is also known that reptiles are at greater risk for extinction than amphibians. In an area noted for its reptiles (Kenya's Rift Valley), Keiyo elders and students (n = 748) were interviewed or given a questionnaire to determine indigenous names for snakes and how Keiyo oral narratives of snakes are used in teaching and learning. They provided names for 19 of 34 (55%) snake species and 278 narratives that include snakes. The data are being used to document Keiyo language and construct relevant written science curriculum materials for Keiyo children

Drug Use and Sex Work Among At-risk Women: A Qualitative Study of Initial Factors.

PubMed

Roshanfekr, Payam; Noori, Roya; Dejman, Masoumeh; Fathi Geshnigani, Zahra; Rafiey, Hassan

2015-06-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in performing research on drug use and sex work among at-risk women. Although there is a well-documented literature of the initial reasons associated with drug use and sex work among women, there is, however, a paucity of information in this area in Iran. This study aimed to explore the initial reasons associated with drug use and sex work in a group of female treatment seekers, who presented health-related risk behaviors, in Tehran, Iran. This qualitative study enrolled a total of 65 at-risk women, from five women-specific drug clinics, who participated in the study in 2011. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted. Focus group interviews were conducted with 10 key informants. All interviews were audio-taped and thematically written. The recorded data were analyzed using ATLASti qualitative research software version 10. The median age of the sample was 34 years. In addition, 44.6% of subjects were opiate users, and 55.4% were users of opiates and methamphetamine. Sex work was the main source of income for almost half of the sample. The most frequently reported reasons, associated with initial drug use, were extrinsic motivations, including the drug-using family, friends or social networks. Intrinsic motivations, including curiosity and individual willingness to use drugs, were other initial reasons. The most frequently reported reasons, associated with initial sex work, included the need to purchase drugs and financial problems. The study findings demonstrated a number of reasons associated with initial drug use and sex work. The role of sex work in providing drugs necessitates education and prevention. Special treatment programs should be implemented to prevent sex work among at-risk women in Iran.

A Qualitative Study of Violence Against Women after the Recent Disasters of Iran.

PubMed

Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz

2016-08-01

Introduction Violence against women (VAW) is one of the most widespread violations of human rights and a major barrier to achieving gender equality. Violence against women is increased in disaster-stricken communities. Violence experiences, cases, and lessons-learned concerning Iran's disasters have not been investigated, documented, or shared so far. To fill this knowledge gap, this qualitative study aimed to explore types of VAW and girls after the recent quakes and floods in Iran. Problem The objective for this study was exploring the manifestations of VAW after the natural disasters in Iran. A qualitative approach was used for this study. Data were collected by in-depth, unstructured interviews and field observations in three affected regions of Iran, including East Azerbaijan, Bushehr, and Mazandaran. A total of 15 participants, eight damaged women as well as seven key informants, were interviewed. A content analysis using Graneheim approach was performed for analyzing transcribed interviews. Two main themes were extracted from data, including domestic violence and violence within community. The first theme included three categories: physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Psychological violence and sexual harassment were two categories of violence within the community concept. Different types of violence emerged from the present research that can be anticipated and integrated into future disaster medicine plans, public health reforms, and national rules of Iran. Improving women's knowledge on their rights to have a life without violence, and participation of both women and men in violence reduction projects, can be considered in all disaster management phases. Sohrabizadeh S . A qualitative study of violence against women after the recent disasters of Iran. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(4):407-412.

Formative evaluation of AARP's Active for Life campaign to improve walking and bicycling environments in two cities.

PubMed

Emery, James; Crump, Carolyn; Hawkins, Margaret

2007-10-01

AARP conducted a 2.5-year social-marketing campaign to improve physical activity levels among older adults in Richmond, Virginia and Madison, Wisconsin. This article presents formative evaluation findings from the campaign's policy/environmental change component. Evaluation data were abstracted from technical-assistance documentation and telephone interviews. Results include 11 policy and 14 environmental changes attained or in-process by campaign closure. Differences between the cities' results are explained through differences in program implementation (e.g., types of changes planned, formalization of partnerships). Project teams took less time deciding to pursue policy change than environmental change; however, planning the policy activities took longer than planning environmental-change activities. Recommendations for future policy/environmental change interventions focus on the selection of strategies; planning for administrative resources; formalizing partnerships to ensure sustainability of impact; ensuring training and technical assistance; and documenting progress. Similar intervention results may be attainable with a multi-year timeframe, adequate part-time coordination, and committed volunteers.

Clinical extracts of biomedical literature for patient-centered problem solving.

PubMed Central

Florance, V

1996-01-01

This paper reports on a four-part qualitative research project aimed at designing an online document surrogate tailored to the needs of physicians seeking biomedical literature for use in clinical problem solving. The clinical extract, designed in collaboration with three practicing physicians, combines traditional elements of the MEDLINE record (e.g., title, author, source, abstract) with new elements (e.g., table captions, text headings, case profiles) suggested by the physicians. Specifications for the prototype clinical extract were developed through a series of relevance-scoring exercises and semi-structured interviews. For six clinical questions, three physicians assessed the applicability of selected articles and their document surrogates, articulating relevance criteria and reasons for their judgments. A prototype clinical extract based on their suggestions was developed, tested, evaluated, and revised. The final version includes content and format aids to make the extract easy to use. The goals, methods, and outcomes of the research study are summarized, and a template of the final design is provided. PMID:8883986

Broken connections of wetland cultural knowledge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Middleton, Beth A.

2016-01-01

As global agriculture intensifies, cultural knowledge of wetland utilization has eroded as natural resources become more stressed, and marginal farmers move away from the land. The excellent paper by Fawzi et al. (2016) documents a particularly poignant case of traditional knowledge loss among the Marsh Arab women of Iraq. Through interviews, the authors document the breakdown of skill transfer from the older to younger generation of women. The authors link the loss of their cultural knowledge with the loss of wetlands in the region. Women no longer can help provide for their families using wetland products, and along with that, their ancient knowledge of plant usage is lost. These ancient skills included medicinal uses, and reed harvesting for weaving and water buffalo fodder. As, the majority of the Mesopotamian Marshes have dried, this way of life is being forgotten (Fawzi et al. 2015). The global tragedy is that while the careful alliance of wetlands and people have sustained human cultures for millennia, degraded wetlands lose their ability to provide these services (Maltby 1980).

Safety analysis and review system (SARS) assessment report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Browne, E.T.

1981-03-01

Under DOE Order 5481.1, Safety Analysis and Review System for DOE Operations, safety analyses are required for DOE projects in order to ensure that: (1) potential hazards are systematically identified; (2) potential impacts are analyzed; (3) reasonable measures have been taken to eliminate, control, or mitigate the hazards; and (4) there is documented management authorization of the DOE operation based on an objective assessment of the adequacy of the safety analysis. This report is intended to provide the DOE Office of Plans and Technology Assessment (OPTA) with an independent evaluation of the adequacy of the ongoing safety analysis effort. Asmore » part of this effort, a number of site visits and interviews were conducted, and FE SARS documents were reviewed. The latter included SARS Implementation Plans for a number of FE field offices, as well as safety analysis reports completed for certain FE operations. This report summarizes SARS related efforts at the DOE field offices visited and evaluates the extent to which they fulfill the requirements of DOE 5481.1.« less

Lessons from New Zealand's introduction of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging.

PubMed

Hoek, Janet; Wilson, Nick; Allen, Matthew; Edwards, Richard; Thomson, George; Li, Judy

2010-11-01

While international evidence suggests that featuring pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging is an effective tobacco control intervention, the process used to introduce these new warnings has not been well documented. We examined relevant documents and interviewed officials responsible for this process in New Zealand. We found that, despite tobacco companies' opposition to pictorial health warnings and the resource constraints facing health authorities, the implementation process was generally robust and successful. Potential lessons for other countries planning to introduce or refresh existing pictorial health warnings include: (i) strengthening the link between image research and policy; (ii) requiring frequent image development and refreshment; (iii) using larger pictures (e.g. 80% of the front of the packet); (iv) developing themes that recognize concerns held by different smoker sub-groups; and (v) running integrated mass media campaigns when the warnings are introduced. All countries could also support moves by the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control's Secretariat to develop an international bank of copyright-free warnings.

Sociocultural and Academic Considerations for School-Age d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Multilingual Learners: A Case Study of a Deaf Latina.

PubMed

Baker, Sharon; Scott, Jessica

2016-01-01

For decades , research has focused on American Sign Language/English bilingual education for d/Deaf and hard of hearing students whose families used English or ASL. However, a growing population of d/Dhh children come from households where languages other than English (e.g., Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese) are used. In a longitudinal case study, the authors document the K-12 educational pathway of a deaf Latina student. Anecdotal records, semistructured interviews, assessment data, and document reviews of the participant's school and clinical records are used to develop the case study. The findings provide the basis for recommendations for future research and for critical factors to consider to improve the education of d/Dhh Multilingual Learners (DMLs). These include ensuring appropriate educational placements, addressing early communication and language needs, determining effective instructional techniques and assessments, strengthening the L1 to support L2 learning, and providing students with opportunities to learn their heritage language.

A narrative review of research impact assessment models and methods.

PubMed

Milat, Andrew J; Bauman, Adrian E; Redman, Sally

2015-03-18

Research funding agencies continue to grapple with assessing research impact. Theoretical frameworks are useful tools for describing and understanding research impact. The purpose of this narrative literature review was to synthesize evidence that describes processes and conceptual models for assessing policy and practice impacts of public health research. The review involved keyword searches of electronic databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EBM Reviews, and Google Scholar in July/August 2013. Review search terms included 'research impact', 'policy and practice', 'intervention research', 'translational research', 'health promotion', and 'public health'. The review included theoretical and opinion pieces, case studies, descriptive studies, frameworks and systematic reviews describing processes, and conceptual models for assessing research impact. The review was conducted in two phases: initially, abstracts were retrieved and assessed against the review criteria followed by the retrieval and assessment of full papers against review criteria. Thirty one primary studies and one systematic review met the review criteria, with 88% of studies published since 2006. Studies comprised assessments of the impacts of a wide range of health-related research, including basic and biomedical research, clinical trials, health service research, as well as public health research. Six studies had an explicit focus on assessing impacts of health promotion or public health research and one had a specific focus on intervention research impact assessment. A total of 16 different impact assessment models were identified, with the 'payback model' the most frequently used conceptual framework. Typically, impacts were assessed across multiple dimensions using mixed methodologies, including publication and citation analysis, interviews with principal investigators, peer assessment, case studies, and document analysis. The vast majority of studies relied on principal investigator interviews and/or peer review to assess impacts, instead of interviewing policymakers and end-users of research. Research impact assessment is a new field of scientific endeavour and there are a growing number of conceptual frameworks applied to assess the impacts of research.

Reasons sought for repeat drinking and driving

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-06-01

This document summarizes the results of a study about why some individuals repeatedly drive while under the influence or intoxicated, even after being convicted of DWI and after experiencing sanctions. Qualified interviewers asked repeat offenders di...

Determine Reasons for Repeat Drinking and Driving

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-05-01

This document summarizes the results of a study about why some individuals repeatedly drive while under the influence or intoxicated, even after being convicted of DWI and after experiencing sanctions. Qualified interviewers (trained counselors and p...

Determine reasons for repeat drinking and driving

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-05-01

This document summarizes the results of a study about why some individuals repeatedly drive while under the influence or intoxicated, even after being convicted of DWI and after experiencing sanctions. Qualified interviewers (trained counselors and p...

Louisiana ITS business plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-01

Seven Key ITS Application Goals emerged from the document review, key contact interviews and input from attendees at ITS committee meetings. They were to use the ITS applications to improve the overall safety of the transportation network, to improve...

Children's Drama in Mexico: An Interview with Socorro Merlin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritch, Pamela

1985-01-01

Dr. Merlin (director of the Rodolfo Usigli Center for Research, Information and Documentation at Bellas Artes, Mexico City) talks about professional children's theatre, creative drama in education, and the child as artist. (PD)

Hospital ships adrift? Part 2: the role of US Navy hospital ship humanitarian assistance missions in building partnerships.

PubMed

Licina, Derek; Mookherji, Sangeeta; Migliaccio, Gene; Ringer, Cheryl

2013-12-01

US Navy hospital ships are used as a foreign policy instrument to achieve various objectives that include building partnerships. Despite substantial resource investment by the Department of Defense (DoD) in these missions, their impact is unclear. The purpose of this study was to understand how and why hospital ship missions influence partnerships among the different participants. An embedded case study was used and included the hospital ship Mercy's mission to Timor-Leste in 2008 and 2010 with four units of analysis: the US government, partner nation, host nation, and nongovernmental organizations. Key stakeholders representing each unit were interviewed using open-ended questions that explored the experiences of each participant and their organization. Findings were analyzed using a priori domains from a proposed partnership theoretical framework. A documentary review of key policy, guidance, and planning documents was also conducted. Fifteen themes related to how and why hospital ship missions influence partnerships emerged from the 37 interviews and documentary review. The five most prominent included: developing relationships, developing new perspectives, sharing resources, understanding partner constraints, and developing credibility. Facilitators to joining the mission included partner nations seeking a regional presence and senior executive relationships. Enablers included historical relationships and host nation receptivity. The primary barrier to joining was the military leading the mission. Internal constraints included the short mission duration, participant resentment, and lack of personnel continuity. External constraints included low host nation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) capacity. The research finds the idea of building partnerships exists among most units of analysis. However, the results show a delay in downstream effects of generating action and impact among the participants. Without a common partnership definition and policy, guidance, and planning documents reinforcing these constructs, achieving the partnership goal will remain challenging. Efforts should be made to magnify the facilitators and enablers while developing mitigation strategies for the barriers and constraints. This is the first study to scientifically assess the partnership impact of hospital ship missions and could support the DoD's effort to establish, enable, and sustain meaningful partnerships. Application of the findings to improve partnerships in contexts beyond hospital ship missions may be warranted and require further analysis. This unique opportunity could bridge the rift with humanitarian actors and establish, enable, and sustain meaningful partnerships with the DoD.

Achieving equity through critical science agency: An ethnographic study of African American students in a health science career academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haun-Frank, Julie

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of a High School Health Science Career Academy to support African American students' science career trajectories. I used three key theoretical tools---critical science agency (Basu, 2007; Calabrese Barton & Tan, 2008), power (Nespor, 1994), and cultural production (Carlone, 2004; Eisenhart & Finkel, 1998) to highlight the intersections between the career trajectory implied by the Academy (its curriculum, classroom activities, and clinical experiences) and the students' pursued career trajectories. Data was collected over five months and included individual student interviews, group interviews, parent and administrator interviews, field notes from a culminating medical course and clinical internship, and Academy recruitment documents. The results of this study suggest that participants pursued a health science career for altruistic purposes and the Academy was a resource they drew upon to do so. However, the meanings of science and science person implied by the Academy hindered the possibility for many participants' to advance their science career trajectories. While the Academy promised to expose students to a variety of high-status health care roles, they were funneled into feminine, entry-level positions. This study adds to previous underrepresentation literature by contextualizing how identity-related factors influence African American students' career attainment.

Smokefree cars in New Zealand: rapid research among stakeholders on attitudes and future directions.

PubMed

Tapp, Dylan; Thomson, George

2009-09-25

To conduct a rapid appraisal of the attitudes of New Zealand decision makers and tobacco control stakeholders on enacting a smokefree cars law. A media and document search was made for relevant official and other statements. In early 2008, nine semi-structured interviews were carried out involving three MPs, two officials of government health agencies and four members of NGOs with a stake in tobacco control. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analysed for themes. In official statements, and amongst the interview sample, there was general opposition to giving smokefree car legislation a current high priority. Reasons given for opposition to such a law included the suboptimal use of advocacy capital compared with other initiatives (e.g. tobacco display bans), the perceived success of relevant health marketing campaigns, and concerns over the current political will to enact legislation that targets smoker freedoms. More information on the extent of current child exposure to tobacco smoke in New Zealand cars, and on the reach and effectiveness of the New Zealand smokefree cars media campaign would help advocates and policymakers. Wider dissemination to policymakers of New Zealand public and smoker support for banning smoking in cars, and of the progress overseas on smokefree car laws, appears to be essential.

The medical necessity for medicinal cannabis: prospective, observational study evaluating the treatment in cancer patients on supportive or palliative care.

PubMed

Bar-Sela, Gil; Vorobeichik, Marina; Drawsheh, Saher; Omer, Anat; Goldberg, Victoria; Muller, Ella

2013-01-01

Background. Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract than from synthetic products. However, almost all the research conducted to date has been performed with synthetic products. We followed patients with a medicinal cannabis license to evaluate the advantages and side effects of using cannabis by cancer patients. Methods. The study included two interviews based on questionnaires regarding symptoms and side effects, the first held on the day the license was issued and the second 6-8 weeks later. Cancer symptoms and cannabis side effects were documented on scales from 0 to 4 following the CTCAE. The distress thermometer was used also. Results. Of the 211 patients who had a first interview, only 131 had the second interview, 25 of whom stopped treatment after less than a week. All cancer or anticancer treatment-related symptoms showed significant improvement (P < 0.001). No significant side effects except for memory lessening in patients with prolonged cannabis use (P = 0.002) were noted. Conclusion. The positive effects of cannabis on various cancer-related symptoms are tempered by reliance on self-reporting for many of the variables. Although studies with a control group are missing, the improvement in symptoms should push the use of cannabis in palliative treatment of oncology patients.

[Adolescents as research subjects and free informed consent: knowledge and opinion of researchers and adolescents].

PubMed

Guariglia, Fabiana; Bento, Silvana Ferreira; Hardy, Ellen

2006-01-01

This article presents the results of a study that evaluated the knowledge and opinions of researchers and adolescents that served as their research subjects on the legal norms that regulate the participation of the latter as research subjects, the capacity of adolescents to make autonomous decisions regarding participation, and the adolescent experience after agreeing to take part in a study. This was a qualitative study with a convenience sample, the size of which was defined by the criteria of informational redundancy. Interviews were conducted with three researchers who had used adolescents as research subjects and nine of these subjects. This number of interviews was sufficient to reach informational redundancy. Data was collected through recorded semi-structured interviews, with open questions. All the researchers were familiar with some legal document related to the participation of adolescents as subjects of research. On the other hand, the adolescents were surprised because they were not aware of the existence of such documents. However, they considered them necessary for their own protection. In general, researchers and adolescents believe that adolescents have the capacity to decide autonomously to participate as research subjects. The adolescents affirmed that they had decided to volunteer conscientiously.

Exploring the roots of unintended safety threats associated with the introduction of hospital ePrescribing systems and candidate avoidance and/or mitigation strategies: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Mozaffar, Hajar; Cresswell, Kathrin M; Williams, Robin; Bates, David W; Sheikh, Aziz

2017-09-01

Hospital electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) systems offer a wide range of patient safety benefits. Like other hospital health information technology interventions, however, they may also introduce new areas of risk. Despite recent advances in identifying these risks, the development and use of ePrescribing systems is still leading to numerous unintended consequences, which may undermine improvement and threaten patient safety. These negative consequences need to be analysed in the design, implementation and use of these systems. We therefore aimed to understand the roots of these reported threats and identify candidate avoidance/mitigation strategies. We analysed a longitudinal, qualitative study of the implementation and adoption of ePrescribing systems in six English hospitals, each being conceptualised as a case study. Data included semistructured interviews, observations of implementation meetings and system use, and a collection of relevant documents. We analysed data first within and then across the case studies. Our dataset included 214 interviews, 24 observations and 18 documents. We developed a taxonomy of factors underlying unintended safety threats in: (1) suboptimal system design, including lack of support for complex medication administration regimens, lack of effective integration between different systems, and lack of effective automated decision support tools; (2) inappropriate use of systems-in particular, too much reliance on the system and introduction of workarounds; and (3) suboptimal implementation strategies resulting from partial roll-outs/dual systems and lack of appropriate training. We have identified a number of system and organisational strategies that could potentially avoid or reduce these risks. Imperfections in the design, implementation and use of ePrescribing systems can give rise to unintended consequences, including safety threats. Hospitals and suppliers need to implement short- and long-term strategies in terms of the technology and organisation to minimise the unintended safety risks. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A research strategy case study of alcohol and drug prevention by non-governmental organizations in Sweden 2003-2009.

PubMed

Eriksson, Charli; Geidne, Susanna; Larsson, Madelene; Pettersson, Camilla

2011-04-14

Alcohol and drug prevention is high on the public health agenda in many countries. An increasing trend is the call for evidence-based practice. In Sweden in 2002 an innovative project portfolio including an integrated research and competence-building strategy for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was designed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW). This research strategy case study is based on this initiative. The embedded case study includes 135 projects in 69 organisations and 14 in-depth process or effect studies. The data in the case study has been compiled using multiple methods - administrative data; interviews and questionnaires to project leaders; focus group discussions and seminars; direct and participatory observations, interviews, and documentation of implementation; consultations with the NBHW and the NGOs; and a literature review. Annual reports have been submitted each year and three bi-national conferences Reflections on preventions have been held. A broad range of organisations have been included in the NBHW project portfolio. A minority of the project were run by Alcohol or drug organisations, while a majority has children or adolescents as target groups. In order to develop a trustful partnership between practitioners, national agencies and researchers a series of measures were developed and implemented: meeting with project leaders, project dialogues and consultations, competence strengthening, support to documentation, in-depth studies and national conferences. A common element was that the projects were program-driven and not research-driven interventions. The role of researchers-as-technical advisors was suitable for the fostering of a trustful partnership for research and development. The independence of the NGOs was regarded as important for the momentum in the project implementation. The research strategy also includes elements of participatory research. This research strategy case study shows that it is possible to integrate research into alcohol and drug prevention programs run by NGOs, and thereby contribute to a more evidence-based practice. A core element is developing a trustful partnership between the researchers and the organisations. Moreover, the funding agency must acknowledge the importance of knowledge development and allocating resources to research groups that is capable of cooperating with practitioners and NGOs.

Recommendations for a Chicago River traffic plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

This report documents recent efforts to examine the vessel traffic conditions on the Chicago River and to develop recommendations to the City of Chicago, Department of Transportation for establishing a River Management Plan. Interviews were held with...

75 FR 28664 - Government-Owned Inventions, Available for Licensing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-21

...; telephone (650) 604-5104; fax (650) 604-2767. NASA Case No. ARC-14653-1: Air Traffic Management Evaluation...: Content Analysis to Detect High Stress in Oral Interviews and Text Documents. Dated: May 17, 2010. Richard...

Current Issues in the Design and Information Content of Instrument Approach Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

This report documents an analysis and interview effort conducted to identify common operational errors made using : current Instrument Approach Plates (IAP), Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) charts. Standard Instrument Departure : (SID) charts,...

An Exploratory Survey of Information Requirements for Instrument Approach Charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-03-01

This report documents a user centered survey and interview effort conducted to analyze the information content of : current Instrument Approach Plates (IAP). In the pilot opinion survey of approach chart information requirements, : respondents indica...

Optimizing the electronic health record to standardize administration and documentation of nutritional supplements

PubMed Central

Citty, Sandra W.; Kamel, Amir; Garvan, Cynthia; Marlowe, Lee; Westhoff, Lynn

2017-01-01

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is a major cause for hospital re-admission, pressure ulcers and increased hospital costs. Methods to improve the administration and documentation of nutritional supplements for hospitalized patients are needed to improve patient care, outcomes and resource utilization. Staff at a medium-sized academic health science center hospital in the southeastern United States noted that nutritional supplements ordered for patients at high risk for malnutrition were not offered or administered to patients in a standardized manner and/or not documented clearly in the electronic health record as per prescription. This paper reports on a process improvement project that redesigned the ordering, administration and documentation process of oral nutritional supplements in the electronic health record. By adding nutritional products to the medication order sets and adding an electronic nutrition administration record (ENAR) tab, the multidisciplinary team sought to standardize nutritional supplement ordering, documentation and administration at prescribed intervals. This process improvement project used a triangulated approach to evaluating pre- and post-process change including: medical record reviews, patient interviews, and nutrition formula room log reports. Staff education and training was carried out prior to initiation of the system changes. This process change resulted in an average decrease in the return of unused nutritional formula from 76% returned at baseline to 54% post-process change. The process change resulted in 100% of nutritional supplement orders having documentation about nutritional medication administration and/or reason for non-administration. Documentation in the ENAR showed that 41% of ONS orders were given and 59% were not given. Significantly more patients reported being offered the ONS product (p=0.0001) after process redesign and more patients (5% before ENAR and 86% after ENAR reported being offered the correct type, amount and frequency of nutritional products (p=0.0001). ENAR represented an effective strategy to improve administration and documentation of nutritional supplements for hospitalized patients. PMID:28243439

Optimizing the electronic health record to standardize administration and documentation of nutritional supplements.

PubMed

Citty, Sandra W; Kamel, Amir; Garvan, Cynthia; Marlowe, Lee; Westhoff, Lynn

2017-01-01

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is a major cause for hospital re-admission, pressure ulcers and increased hospital costs. Methods to improve the administration and documentation of nutritional supplements for hospitalized patients are needed to improve patient care, outcomes and resource utilization. Staff at a medium-sized academic health science center hospital in the southeastern United States noted that nutritional supplements ordered for patients at high risk for malnutrition were not offered or administered to patients in a standardized manner and/or not documented clearly in the electronic health record as per prescription. This paper reports on a process improvement project that redesigned the ordering, administration and documentation process of oral nutritional supplements in the electronic health record. By adding nutritional products to the medication order sets and adding an electronic nutrition administration record (ENAR) tab, the multidisciplinary team sought to standardize nutritional supplement ordering, documentation and administration at prescribed intervals. This process improvement project used a triangulated approach to evaluating pre- and post-process change including: medical record reviews, patient interviews, and nutrition formula room log reports. Staff education and training was carried out prior to initiation of the system changes. This process change resulted in an average decrease in the return of unused nutritional formula from 76% returned at baseline to 54% post-process change. The process change resulted in 100% of nutritional supplement orders having documentation about nutritional medication administration and/or reason for non-administration. Documentation in the ENAR showed that 41% of ONS orders were given and 59% were not given. Significantly more patients reported being offered the ONS product (p=0.0001) after process redesign and more patients (5% before ENAR and 86% after ENAR reported being offered the correct type, amount and frequency of nutritional products (p=0.0001). ENAR represented an effective strategy to improve administration and documentation of nutritional supplements for hospitalized patients.

Small Business: Action Needed to Determine Whether DOD’s Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program Should Be Made Permanent

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

collected. We determined that the methodologies were valid and the data were reliable for our purposes. In addition, we interviewed DOD officials and...of contracts and cost of labor involved in preparing program documentation, to arrive at the estimates for savings. To validate the data used in the...studies to be reasonable, and the data were sufficiently reliable for our purposes. We interviewed officials from DOD and 5 of the 12 Test Program

Quality of outpatient clinical notes: a stakeholder definition derived through qualitative research.

PubMed

Hanson, Janice L; Stephens, Mark B; Pangaro, Louis N; Gimbel, Ronald W

2012-11-19

There are no empirically-grounded criteria or tools to define or benchmark the quality of outpatient clinical documentation. Outpatient clinical notes document care, communicate treatment plans and support patient safety, medical education, medico-legal investigations and reimbursement. Accurately describing and assessing quality of clinical documentation is a necessary improvement in an increasingly team-based healthcare delivery system. In this paper we describe the quality of outpatient clinical notes from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. Using purposeful sampling for maximum diversity, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with clinicians, nursing and ancillary staff, patients, and healthcare administrators at six federal health care facilities between 2009 and 2011. All sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. The 163 participants included 61 clinicians, 52 nurse/ancillary staff, 31 patients and 19 administrative staff. Three organizing themes emerged: 1) characteristics of quality in clinical notes, 2) desired elements within the clinical notes and 3) system supports to improve the quality of clinical notes. We identified 11 codes to describe characteristics of clinical notes, 20 codes to describe desired elements in quality clinical notes and 11 codes to describe clinical system elements that support quality when writing clinical notes. While there was substantial overlap between the aspects of quality described by the four stakeholder groups, only clinicians and administrators identified ease of translation into billing codes as an important characteristic of a quality note. Only patients rated prioritization of their medical problems as an aspect of quality. Nurses included care and education delivered to the patient, information added by the patient, interdisciplinary information, and infection alerts as important content. Perspectives of these four stakeholder groups provide a comprehensive description of quality in outpatient clinical documentation. The resulting description of characteristics and content necessary for quality notes provides a research-based foundation for assessing the quality of clinical documentation in outpatient health care settings.

Guidelines for conducting bulletproof workplace investigations: part I--preparation and interviewing issues.

PubMed

Mitchell, Michael S; Koen, Clifford M

2012-01-01

Conducting proper and thorough investigations is one of the most important and most difficult responsibilities for today's health care manager in terms of avoiding or successfully defending lawsuits. This article provides guidance for managers on how to use proper interview and investigative techniques while avoiding a violation of employees' rights to privacy. Suggestions are provided on how to protect confidential information obtained by the investigation. Interview questions that may be asked during the investigation are provided. By asking appropriate questions and documenting all aspects of the investigative process, employers can provide useful information to their legal counsel and be on the winning side if the situation results in litigation.

Interview with Philippe Ory of the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) Career Centre. Interviewed by Debora Keller.

PubMed

Ory, Philippe

2008-06-01

EPFL's Career Centre was created in 2007 with the mission to be a bridge between EPFL's young graduates and industry, in order to facilitate the transition to active scientific life. Through courses, workshops and personalised advice, they help graduates to set up their application documents (CV, motivation letter), prepare for job interviews and manage their careers. The Centre also offers its services to companies by organising on-campus recruitment days, actively searching for fitting profiles or posting or mailing job adverts to the EPFL graduate community. The Career Centre's goal is to be the platform for the EPFL graduates to build their careers.

Translating policy into practice: a case study in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

PubMed

Prior, Lindsay; Wilson, Joanne; Donnelly, Michael; Murphy, Andrew W; Smith, Susan M; Byrne, Mary; Byrne, Molly; Cupples, Margaret E

2014-04-01

This paper focuses on the relationships between health 'policy' as it is embodied in official documentation, and health 'practice' as reported and reflected on in the talk of policy-makers, health professionals and patients. The specific context for the study involves a comparison of policies relating to the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the two jurisdictions of Ireland - involving as they do a predominantly state funded (National Health Service) system in the north and a mixed health-care economy in the south. The key question is to determine how the detail of health policy as contained in policy documents connects to and gets translated into practice and action. The data sources for the study include relevant health-care policy documents (N=5) and progress reports (N=6) in the two Irish jurisdictions, and semi-structured interviews with a range of policy-makers (N=28), practice nurses (14), general practitioners (12) and patients (13) to explore their awareness of the documents' contents and how they saw the impact of 'policy' on primary care practice. The findings suggest that although strategic policy documents can be useful for highlighting and channelling attention to health issues that require concerted action, they have little impact on what either professionals or lay people do. To influence the latter and to encourage a systematic approach to the delivery of health care it seems likely that contractual arrangements - specifying tasks to be undertaken and methods for monitoring and reporting on activity - are required. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Educating anesthesia residents to obtain and document informed consent for epidural labor analgesia: does simulation play a role?

PubMed

Antoniou, A; Marmai, K; Qasem, F; Cherry, R; Jones, P M; Singh, S

2018-05-01

Informed consent is required before placing an epidural. At our hospital, teaching of residents about this is done informally at the bedside. This study aimed to assess the ability of anesthesia residents to acquire and retain knowledge required when seeking informed consent for epidural labor analgesia. It assessed how well this knowledge was translated to clinical ability, by assessing the verbal consent process during an interaction with a standardized patient. Twenty anesthesia residents were randomized to a 'didactic group' or a 'simulation group'. Each resident was presented with a written scenario and asked to document the informed consent process, as they normally would do (pre-test). The didactic group then had a presentation about informed consent, while the simulation group members interviewed a simulated patient, the scenarios focusing on different aspects of consent. All residents then read a scenario and documented their informed consent process (post-test). Six weeks later all residents interviewed a standardized patient in labor and documented the consent from this interaction (six-week test). There was no significant difference in the baseline performance of the two groups. Both groups showed significant improvement in their written consent documentation at the immediate time point, the improvement in the didactic group being greater. The didactic group performed better at both the immediate time point and the six-week time point. In this small study, a didactic teaching method proved better than simulation-based teaching in helping residents to gain knowledge needed to obtain informed consent for epidural labor analgesia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the emergence of the tobacco industry's use of the term tobacco harm reduction in order to inform public health policy

PubMed Central

Peeters, Silvy; Gilmore, Anna B

2015-01-01

Objectives To explore the history of transnational tobacco companies’ use of the term, approach to and perceived benefits of ‘harm reduction’. Methods Analysis of internal tobacco industry documents, contemporary tobacco industry literature and 6 semistructured interviews. Results The 2001 Institute of Medicine report on tobacco harm reduction appears to have been pivotal in shaping industry discourse. Documents suggest British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International adopted the term ‘harm reduction’ from Institute of Medicine, then proceeded to heavily emphasise the term in their corporate messaging. Documents and interviews suggest harm reduction offered the tobacco industry two main benefits: an opportunity to (re-) establish dialogue with and access to policy makers, scientists and public health groups and to secure reputational benefits via an emerging corporate social responsibility agenda. Conclusions Transnational tobacco companies’ harm reduction discourse should be seen as opportunistic tactical adaptation to policy change rather than a genuine commitment to harm reduction. Care should be taken that this does not undermine gains hitherto secured in efforts to reduce the ability of the tobacco industry to inappropriately influence policy. PMID:24457543

Assessment of Caspian Seal By-Catch in an Illegal Fishery Using an Interview-Based Approach.

PubMed

Dmitrieva, Lilia; Kondakov, Andrey A; Oleynikov, Eugeny; Kydyrmanov, Aidyn; Karamendin, Kobey; Kasimbekov, Yesbol; Baimukanov, Mirgaliy; Wilson, Susan; Goodman, Simon J

2013-01-01

The Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) has declined by more than 90% since 1900 and is listed as endangered by IUCN. We made the first quantitative assessment of Caspian seal by-catch mortality in fisheries in the north Caspian Sea by conducting semi-structured interviews in fishing communities along the coasts of Russia (Kalmykia, Dagestan), Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. We recorded a documented minimum by-catch of 1,215 seals in the survey sample, for the 2008-2009 fishing season, 93% of which occurred in illegal sturgeon fisheries. Due to the illegal nature of the fishery, accurately quantifying total fishing effort is problematic and the survey sample could reflect less than 10% of poaching activity in the north Caspian Sea. Therefore total annual by-catch may be significantly greater than the minimum documented by the survey. The presence of high by-catch rates was supported independently by evidence of net entanglement from seal carcasses, during a mass stranding on the Kazakh coast in May 2009, where 30 of 312 carcasses were entangled in large mesh sturgeon net remnants. The documented minimum by-catch may account for 5 to 19% of annual pup production. Sturgeon poaching therefore not only represents a serious threat to Caspian sturgeon populations, but may also be having broader impacts on the Caspian Sea ecosystem by contributing to a decline in one of the ecosystem's key predators. This study demonstrates the utility of interview-based approaches in providing rapid assessments of by-catch in illegal small-scale fisheries, which are not amenable to study by other methods.

Chlamydia screening in England: a qualitative study of the narrative behind the policy

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The rationale for the English National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) has been questioned. There has been little analysis, however, of what drove the NCSP’s establishment and how it was implemented. Such analysis will help inform the future development of the NCSP. This study used a qualitative, theory-driven approach to evaluate the rationale for the NCSP’s establishment and implementation. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 14 experts in chlamydia screening were undertaken. The interview data were analysed with policy documents and commentaries from peer-reviewed journals (published 1996–2010) using the Framework approach. Results Two themes drove the NCSP’s establishment and implementation. The first, chlamydia control, was prominently referenced in documents and interviews. The second theme concerned the potential for chlamydia screening to advance wider improvements in sexual health. In particular, screening was expected to promote sexual health services in primary care and encourage discussion of sexual health with young people. While this theme was only indirectly referenced in policy documents, it was cited by interviewees as a strong influence on implementation in the early years. However, by full rollout of the Programme, a focus on screening volume may have limited the NCSP’s capacity to improve broader aspects of sexual health. Conclusions A combination of explicit and implicit drivers underpinned the Programme’s establishment. This combination may explain why there was widespread support for its introduction and why implementation of the NCSP was inconsistent. The potential to improve young people’s sexual health more comprehensively should be made explicit in future planning of the NCSP. PMID:22545922

Assessment of Caspian Seal By-Catch in an Illegal Fishery Using an Interview-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Dmitrieva, Lilia; Kondakov, Andrey A.; Oleynikov, Eugeny; Kydyrmanov, Aidyn; Karamendin, Kobey; Kasimbekov, Yesbol; Baimukanov, Mirgaliy; Wilson, Susan; Goodman, Simon J.

2013-01-01

The Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) has declined by more than 90% since 1900 and is listed as endangered by IUCN. We made the first quantitative assessment of Caspian seal by-catch mortality in fisheries in the north Caspian Sea by conducting semi-structured interviews in fishing communities along the coasts of Russia (Kalmykia, Dagestan), Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. We recorded a documented minimum by-catch of 1,215 seals in the survey sample, for the 2008–2009 fishing season, 93% of which occurred in illegal sturgeon fisheries. Due to the illegal nature of the fishery, accurately quantifying total fishing effort is problematic and the survey sample could reflect less than 10% of poaching activity in the north Caspian Sea. Therefore total annual by-catch may be significantly greater than the minimum documented by the survey. The presence of high by-catch rates was supported independently by evidence of net entanglement from seal carcasses, during a mass stranding on the Kazakh coast in May 2009, where 30 of 312 carcasses were entangled in large mesh sturgeon net remnants. The documented minimum by-catch may account for 5 to 19% of annual pup production. Sturgeon poaching therefore not only represents a serious threat to Caspian sturgeon populations, but may also be having broader impacts on the Caspian Sea ecosystem by contributing to a decline in one of the ecosystem’s key predators. This study demonstrates the utility of interview-based approaches in providing rapid assessments of by-catch in illegal small-scale fisheries, which are not amenable to study by other methods. PMID:23840590

'What is not written does not exist': the importance of proper documentation of medication use history.

PubMed

Silvestre, Carina Carvalho; Santos, Lincoln Marques Cavalcante; de Oliveira-Filho, Alfredo Dias; de Lyra, Divaldo Pereira

2017-10-01

Medications are perceived as health risk factors, because they might cause damage if used improperly. In this context, an adequate assessment of medication use history should be encouraged, especially in transitions of care to avoid unintended medication discrepancies (UMDs). In a case-controlled study, we investigated potential risk factors for UMDs at hospital admission and found that 150 (42%) of the 358 patients evaluated had one or more UMDs. We were surprised to find that there was no record of a patient and/or relative interview on previous use of medication in 117 medical charts of adult patients (44.8%). Similarly, in the medical charts of 52 (53.6%) paediatric patients, there was no record of parents and/or relatives interviews about prior use of medications. One hundred thirty-seven medical charts of adult patients (52.4%) and seventy-two medical charts of paediatric patients (74.2%) had no record about medication allergies and intolerances. In other words, there was a lack of basic documentation regarding the patient's medication use history. As patients move between settings in care, there is insufficient tracking of verbal and written information related to medication changes, which results in a progressive and cumulative loss of information, as evidenced by problems associated with clinical transfers and medication orders. Proper documentation of medication information during transfer is a key step in the procedure; hence, it should be rightly performed. It remains unclear whether interviews, and other investigations about medication use history have been performed but have not been recorded as health-care data. Therefore, it is crucial to the improvement of medication use safety that documentation of all drug-related information-even if not directly related to the actual event-become routine practice in health-care organizations, since 'what is not written does not exist'.

The Willow Hill Community Health Assessment: Assessing the Needs of Children in a Former Slave Community.

PubMed

Alfonso, Moya L; Jackson, Gayle; Jackson, Alvin; Hardy, DeShannon; Gupta, Akrati

2015-10-01

The overall purpose of this community needs assessment was to explore the perceptions of health and educational needs among youth residing in a rural Georgia community, document existing assets that could be utilized to meet those needs, and to identify socioeconomic barriers and facilitators in health education. A sequential mixed method design was used. Intercept surveys were conducted followed by individual, key informant interviews and a focus group. Survey data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet and SPSS for analysis and descriptive statistics including means and frequencies were calculated. For qualitative interviews, full transcripts were created from audio-recordings and uploaded into NVivo for content analysis. Several health issues were highlighted by the Willow Hill/Portal Georgia community members, including teachers, parents, youth and Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center board members. Some of the health issues identified by youth in the community were low levels of physical activity, obesity, diabetes, lack of healthy food choices, and access to health care services. Including the issues identified by youth, the parents, teachers and board members identified additional health issues in the community such as asthma, hygiene and lack of dental and eye care facilities. Overall, there is a need for better infrastructure and awareness among community members. Utilizing identified assets, including active community leaders, involved faith-based organizations, commitment of community members, presence of land resources, and commitment to physical activity and sports, could modify the current community landscape.

Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists' perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism.

PubMed

Adams, Krystyna; Snyder, Jeremy; Crooks, Valorie A; Johnston, Rory

2013-12-06

Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access non-emergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and ethical concerns related to the practice of medical tourism. Researchers indicate that the sources of information frequently used by medical tourists during their decision-making process may be biased and/or lack comprehensive information regarding individual safety and treatment outcomes, as well as potential impacts of the medical tourism industry on third parties. This paper explores the feedback from former Canadian medical tourists regarding the use of an information sheet to address this knowledge gap and raise awareness of the safety and ethical concerns related to medical tourism. According to feedback provided in interviews with former Canadian medical tourists, the majority of participants responded positively to the information sheet and indicated that this document prompted them to engage in further consideration of these issues. Participants indicated some frustration after reading the information sheet regarding a lack of know-how in terms of learning more about the concerns discussed in the document and changing their decision-making. This frustration was due to participants' desperation for medical care, a topic which participants frequently discussed regarding ethical concerns related to health care provision. The overall perceptions of former medical tourists indicate that an information sheet may promote further consideration of ethical concerns of medical tourism. However, given that these interviews were performed with former medical tourists, it remains unknown whether such a document might impact upon the decision-making of prospective medical tourists. Furthermore, participants indicated a need for an additional tool such as a website for continued discussion about these concerns. As such, along with dissemination of the information sheet, future research implications should include the development of a website for ongoing discussion that could contribute to a raised awareness of these concerns and potentially increase social responsibility in the medical tourism industry.

Rewriting abortion: deploying medical records in jurisdictional negotiation over a forbidden practice in Senegal.

PubMed

Suh, Siri

2014-05-01

Boundary work refers to the strategies deployed by professionals in the arenas of the public, the law and the workplace to define and defend jurisdictional authority. Little attention has been directed to the role of documents in negotiating professional claims. While boundary work over induced abortion has been extensively documented, few studies have examined jurisdictional disputes over the treatment of abortion complications, or post-abortion care (PAC). This study explores how medical providers deploy medical records in boundary work over the treatment of complications of spontaneous and induced abortion in Senegal, where induced abortion is prohibited under any circumstance. Findings are based on an institutional ethnography of Senegal's national PAC program over a period of 13 months between 2010 and 2011. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with 36 health care professionals, observation of PAC services at three hospitals, a review of abortion records at each hospital, and a case review of illegal abortions prosecuted by the state. Findings show that health providers produce a particular account of the type of abortion treated through a series of practices such as the patient interview and the clinical exam. Providers obscure induced abortion in medical documents in three ways: the use of terminology that does not differentiate between induced and spontaneous abortion in PAC registers, the omission of data on the type of abortion altogether in PAC registers, and reporting the total number but not the type of abortions treated in hospital data transmitted to state health authorities. The obscuration of suspected induced abortion in the record permits providers to circumvent police inquiry at the hospital. PAC has been implemented in approximately 50 countries worldwide. This study demonstrates the need for additional research on how medical professionals negotiate conflicting medical and legal obligations in the daily practice of treating abortion complications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching residents screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) skills for alcohol use: Using chart-stimulated recall to assess curricular impact.

PubMed

Wamsley, Maria A; Steiger, Scott; Julian, Katherine A; Gleason, Nathaniel; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Guy, Michelle; Satterfield, Jason M

2016-01-01

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) improves identification and intervention for patients at risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Residency curriculum is designed to teach SBIRT skills, but resources are needed to promote skill implementation. The electronic health record (EHR) can facilitate implementation through integration of decision-support tools. The authors developed electronic tools to facilitate documentation of alcohol assessment and brief intervention and to reinforce skills from an SBIRT curriculum. This prospective cohort study assessed primary care internal medicine residents' use of SBIRT skills and EHR tools in practice using chart-stimulated recall (CSR). Postgraduate year 2 and 3 residents received a 5-hour SBIRT curriculum with skills practice and instruction on SBIRT electronic tools. Participants were then given a list of their patients seen in a 1-year period who were drinking at/above the recommended limit. Trainees selected 3 patients to review with a faculty member in a CSR. Faculty used a 24-item chart checklist to assess application of SBIRT skills and electronic tool use and met with residents to complete a CSR interview. CSR interview notes were analyzed qualitatively to understand application of SBIRT skills and EHR tool use. Eighteen of 20 residents participated in the CSR, and 5 faculty reviewed 46 patient charts. Residents documented alcohol use (84.2% of charts) and assessment of quantity/frequency of use (71.0%) but were less likely to document assessment for an AUD (34%), an appropriate plan (50.0%), or follow-up (55%). Few residents used EHR tools. Residents reported barriers in addressing alcohol use, including lack of knowledge, patient barriers, and time constraints. More intensive training in SBIRT with opportunities for practice and feedback may be necessary for residents to consistently apply SBIRT skills in practice. EHR tools need to be better integrated into the clinic workflow in order to be useful.

Optimising adherence to childhood pneumonia treatment: the design and development of patient instructions and a job aid for amoxicillin dispersible tablets.

PubMed

Ebels, Kelly; Faulx, Dunia; Gerth-Guyette, Emily; Murunga, Peninah; Mahapatro, Samarendra; Das, Manoja Kumar; Ginsburg, Amy Sarah

2016-01-01

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death from infection in children worldwide. Despite global treatment recommendations that call for children with pneumonia to receive amoxicillin dispersible tablets, only one-third of children with pneumonia receive any antibiotics and many do not complete the full course of treatment. Poor adherence to antibiotics may be driven in part by a lack of user-friendly treatment instructions. In order to optimise childhood pneumonia treatment adherence at the community level, we developed a user-friendly product presentation for caregivers and a job aid for healthcare providers (HCPs). This paper aims to document the development process and offers a model for future health communication tools. We employed an iterative design process that included document review, key stakeholder interviews, engagement with a graphic designer and pre-testing design concepts among target users in India and Kenya. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research were used in the description of results. Though resources for pneumonia treatment are available in some countries, their content is incomplete and inconsistent with global recommendations. Document review and stakeholder interviews provided the information necessary to convey to caregivers and recommendations for how to present this information. Target users in India and Kenya confirmed the need to support better treatment adherence, recommended specific modifications to design concepts and suggested the development of a companion job aid. There was a consensus among caregivers and HCPs that these tools would be helpful and improve adherence behaviours. The development of user-friendly instructions for medications for use in low-resource settings is a critically important but time-intensive and resource-intensive process that should involve engagement with target audiences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Ethnopharmacological practices by livestock farmers in Uganda: Survey experiences from Mpigi and Gulu districts

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There is continued reliance on conventional veterinary drugs including anthelmintics, to some of which resistance has developed. Loss of indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) from societies affects the opportunities for utilization of ethnopharmacological practices unless properly documented. This study was conducted to identify common traditional practices using medicinal plants against helminthosis and other livestock diseases in Mpigi and Gulu districts of Uganda. Methods Seven focus group discussions with ten farmers per group plus 18 key informant interviews were held in each district from August to November 2011. Ranking was used to quantify disease burdens and to identify priority livestock and breeds. Samples of each plant were submitted to Makerere University herbarium for identification and documentation. The local name, relative availability and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status were recorded. Results Seventy six farmers in Mpigi and 74 in Gulu were interviewed. Theileriosis and helminthosis were the most common disease conditions in cattle and goats, respectively. Forty plant species within 34 genera from 22 botanical families were identified, with 20 of these used against helminthosis. Other plants treated wounds and ecto-parasites, theileriosis, retained placenta and bovine ephemeral fever. Non-plant practices (7) and plants cited were used in combination depending on availability. Males older than 40 years had most ethnopharmacological knowledge. Most plants (75%, n = 40) were common, but 10 were rare. IUCN status was not evaluated for 95% of these plants. Conventional and traditional drug use in Gulu and Mpigi districts was different (χ2 = 24; p < 0.001). The scientific, English, Luganda and Acholi names of all plants and their availability within the communities are documented herein. Conclusion This is the first detailed livestock-related ethnopharmacological study in Gulu district. Farmers in Uganda are still using a variety of practices to treat livestock ailments. Scientific validation and evaluation of conservation status are urgently needed to ensure future availability and knowledge about these plant resources. PMID:24467812

Rewriting abortion: deploying medical records in jurisdictional negotiation over a forbidden practice in Senegal

PubMed Central

Suh, Siri

2014-01-01

Boundary work refers to the strategies deployed by professionals in the arenas of the public, the law and the workplace to define and defend jurisdictional authority. Little attention has been directed to the role of documents in negotiating professional claims. While boundary work over induced abortion has been extensively documented, few studies have examined jurisdictional disputes over the treatment of abortion complications, or post-abortion care (PAC). This study explores how medical providers deploy medical records in boundary work over the treatment of complications of spontaneous and induced abortion in Senegal, where induced abortion is prohibited under any circumstance. Findings are based on an institutional ethnography of Senegal’s national PAC program over a period of 13 months between 2010 and 2011. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with 36 health care professionals, observation of PAC services at three hospitals, a review of abortion records at each hospital, and a case review of illegal abortions prosecuted by the state. Findings show that health providers produce a particular account of the type of abortion treated through a series of practices such as the patient interview and the clinical exam. Providers obscure induced abortion in medical documents in three ways: the use of terminology that does not differentiate between induced and spontaneous abortion in PAC registers, the omission of data on the type of abortion altogether in PAC registers, and reporting the total number but not the type of abortions treated in hospital data transmitted to state health authorities. The obscuration of suspected induced abortion in the record permits providers to circumvent police inquiry at the hospital. PAC has been implemented in nearly 50 countries worldwide. This study demonstrates the need for additional research on how medical professionals negotiate conflicting medical and legal obligations in the daily practice of treating abortion complications. PMID:24608117

Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists’ perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access non-emergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and ethical concerns related to the practice of medical tourism. Researchers indicate that the sources of information frequently used by medical tourists during their decision-making process may be biased and/or lack comprehensive information regarding individual safety and treatment outcomes, as well as potential impacts of the medical tourism industry on third parties. This paper explores the feedback from former Canadian medical tourists regarding the use of an information sheet to address this knowledge gap and raise awareness of the safety and ethical concerns related to medical tourism. Results According to feedback provided in interviews with former Canadian medical tourists, the majority of participants responded positively to the information sheet and indicated that this document prompted them to engage in further consideration of these issues. Participants indicated some frustration after reading the information sheet regarding a lack of know-how in terms of learning more about the concerns discussed in the document and changing their decision-making. This frustration was due to participants’ desperation for medical care, a topic which participants frequently discussed regarding ethical concerns related to health care provision. Conclusions The overall perceptions of former medical tourists indicate that an information sheet may promote further consideration of ethical concerns of medical tourism. However, given that these interviews were performed with former medical tourists, it remains unknown whether such a document might impact upon the decision-making of prospective medical tourists. Furthermore, participants indicated a need for an additional tool such as a website for continued discussion about these concerns. As such, along with dissemination of the information sheet, future research implications should include the development of a website for ongoing discussion that could contribute to a raised awareness of these concerns and potentially increase social responsibility in the medical tourism industry. PMID:24314027

The threat at home: Confronting the toxic legacy of the US military

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shulman, S.

1992-01-01

The author, using personal impressions, information from goverment and watchdog agency documents, and interviews with military officers, local elected officials, and residents, produces a comprehensive account of the U.S. military's toxic waste stream.

28 CFR 9.5 - Criteria governing administrative and judicial remission and mitigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... their interest in the property after the time of the violation underlying the forfeiture, the question... provide information or documents and to submit to interviews, as requested, may result in a denial of the...

28 CFR 9.5 - Criteria governing administrative and judicial remission and mitigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... their interest in the property after the time of the violation underlying the forfeiture, the question... provide information or documents and to submit to interviews, as requested, may result in a denial of the...

Application of oral history to contemporary history of medicine in Korea: with a focus on medical scientists.

PubMed

Kim, Ock-Joo

2013-08-01

The oral history helps researchers to fill the gap in historical documents in research on the contemporary history of medicine in Korea. More and more studies in history of contemporary medicine in Korea have come out using oral history of doctors and patients. Based upon the author's research on development of neurosurgery in late 20th century Korea, this paper discusses how to apply oral history to contemporary history of medicine, focusing on oral history of doctors in Korea. In this paper the author describes how to do and use oral history of key doctors and medical scientists in the contemporary history of medicine in Korea. The oral history can be a powerful tool to complement the written documents as following. First, from their interview, doctors and medical scientists often provide valuable information which historians cannot get from documents and written sources. As intelligent interviewees, they not only understand the purpose of research but also help actively the historianresearcher- interviewer. Second, the oral history facilitates further searches and often it leads to more findings of informants, and written and image material. More often than not, doctors and medical scientists do their own research on the topic and provide the historian with valuable historical source material from their laboratories, bedsides, family and friends. Third, interviews with medical scientists and oral material produced by doctors and medical scientists helped the researcher to understand and interpret the papers and written documents. Fourth, the subjective stories told by the medical scientists provide perspectives and historical source as narrative truth. Before a historian attempts to use the oral material as complementary historial evidence, he or she needs to cross-check the validity and of objectivity of the oral material. Oral material is produced through bidirectional intersubjective interaction between the interviewer and interviewee, and critical reflection over the relationship between the two is crucial. Especially the researcher should keep an eye on the possible bias and strive for the objectivity of the oral material with discernment and reflection, when she or he found the interviewees of doctors and medical scientists closely connected together and tied together in a web of relationship with a common interest or agenda.

Development and qualitative evaluation of an adapted return to work guideline for the sick-listed unemployed and temporary agency workers with minor psychological problems

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Among the working population, unemployed and temporary agency workers with psychological problems are a particularly vulnerable group, at risk for sickness absence and prolonged work disability. There is a need for the development of a new protocol for this group, because the existing return to work (RTW) interventions, including practice guidelines, do not address the situation when there is no workplace to return to. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe the adaptations needed in the practice guideline for employed workers to enable its use by insurance physicians (IPs) for counselling of sick-listed unemployed and temporary agency workers with minor psychological problems; and (2) evaluate the experiences of IPs when using the new guidance document for minor psychological problems (MPP guidance document). Methods The MPP guidance document for unemployed and temporary agency workers was developed through discussions with nine IPs and with the help of an expert. Semi-structured interviews with five IPs were then held to evaluate the IPs’ field experience using the MPP guidance document, in terms of (a) feasibility and (b) perceived usefulness of the MPP guidance document. Results The main adaptation introduced in the guideline is that interaction with the workplace, which is absent in this population, needed to be established in an alternative way, i.e., through the involvement of vocational rehabilitation agencies and labour experts. Overall, the guideline required minimal changes. In total, nineteen sick-listed workers were counselled using the MPP guidance document. The overall experience of the IPs was that the MPP guidance document was feasible and useful for the IP, while they had mixed responses on its usefulness for the sick-listed worker, in part due to the follow-up period of this study. Conclusions An existing practice guideline for employed workers was adapted for use as a guidance document for unemployed and temporary agency workers with minor psychological problems. IPs were positive about applying the MPP guidance document. The guidance document provides opportunities for RTW counselling for unemployed and temporary agency workers with minor psychological problems. PMID:23014258

The role of government policy in service development in a New Zealand statutory mental health service: implications for policy planning and development.

PubMed

Stanley-Clarke, Nicky; Sanders, Jackie; Munford, Robyn

2014-12-01

To explore the relationship between government policy and service development in a New Zealand statutory mental health provider, Living Well. An organisational case study utilising multiple research techniques including qualitative interviews, analysis of business and strategic documents and observation of meetings. Staff understood and acknowledged the importance of government policy, but there were challenges in its implementation. Within New Zealand's statutory mental health services staff struggled to know how to implement government policy as part of service development; rather, operational concerns, patient need, local context and service demands drove the service development process. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Legislating gender inequalities: the nature and patterns of domestic violence experienced by South Asian women with insecure immigration status in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Anitha, Sundari

2011-10-01

Research on domestic violence documents the particular vulnerability of immigrant women due to reasons including social isolation, language barriers, lack of awareness about services, and racism on the part of services. Based on qualitative interviews with 30 South Asian women with insecure immigration status residing in Yorkshire and Northwest England, this article explores how inequalities created by culture, gender, class, and race intersect with state immigration and welfare policies in the United Kingdom, thereby exacerbating structures of patriarchy within minority communities. It is within these contexts that South Asian women with insecure immigration status experience intensified forms and specific patterns of abuse.

Storytelling in Mexican Homes: Connections Between Oral and Literacy Practices

PubMed Central

Reese, Leslie

2013-01-01

The study focuses on storytelling among Mexican families, documenting the frequency of storytelling in the homes of working and middle class Mexican families, the range of topics of the stories, characteristics and genres of stories, and intergenerational continuity of storytelling practices. Also examined are potential associations between storytelling practices and children’s performance on language and early reading tasks. This qualitative study draws from interview data with 30 families, supplemented with survey and outcome data from the larger mixed method project of which it forms a part. Storytelling continues to be a widespread but not frequent activity, including genres of family anecdotes, horror stories, folktales, and historical recounts. Storytelling as a cultural resource is discussed. PMID:23565052

Deportation Experiences of Women Who Inject Drugs in Tijuana, Mexico

PubMed Central

Robertson, Angela M.; Lozada, Remedios; Vera, Alicia; Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Burgos, José Luis; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Rangel, Gudelia; Ojeda, Victoria D.

2013-01-01

Deportation from the United States for drug offenses is common, yet the consequences of deportation for women drug users are poorly documented. In 2008, in Tijuana, Mexico, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study of migration, deportation, and drug abuse by interviewing 12 Mexican injection-drug-using women reporting U.S. deportation. Women reported heavy drug use before and after deportation, but greater financial instability and physical danger following deportation than when in the United States. We identified an unmet need for health and social services among deported drug-using women, including HIV prevention, drug treatment, physical and mental health services, and vocational training. Binational coordination is needed to help deported women resettle in Mexico. PMID:21917563

Beyond Academic and Social Integration: Understanding the Impact of a STEM Enrichment Program on the Retention and Degree Attainment of Underrepresented Students

PubMed Central

Lane, Tonisha B.

2016-01-01

The current study used a case study methodological approach, including document analysis, semistructured interviews, and participant observations, to investigate how a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment program supported retention and degree attainment of underrepresented students at a large, public, predominantly white institution. From this study, a model emerged that encompassed four components: proactive care, holistic support, community building, and catalysts for STEM identity development. These components encompassed a number of strategies and practices that were instrumental in the outcomes of program participants. This paper concludes with implications for practice, such as using models to inform program planning, assessment, and evaluation. PMID:27543638

Criteria for evidence-based practice in Iranian traditional medicine.

PubMed

Soltani Arabshahi, SeyyedKamran; Mohammadi Kenari, Hoorieh; Kordafshari, Gholamreza; Shams-Ardakani, MohammadReza; Bigdeli, Shoaleh

2015-07-01

The major difference between Iranian traditional medicine and allopathic medicine is in the application  of  evidence  and  documents.  In  this  study,  criteria  for  evidence-based  practice  in  Iranian traditional medicine and its rules of practice were studied. The experts' views were investigated through in- depth, semi-structured interviews and the results were categorized into four main categories including Designing clinical questions/clinical question-based search, critical appraisal, resource search criteria and clinical prescription appraisal. Although the application of evidence in Iranian traditional medicine follows Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) principles but it benefits from its own rules, regulations, and criteria that are compatible with EBM.

Explanation of Change (EoC) Study: Approach and Findings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bitten, Robert E.; Emmons, Debra L.; Bordi, Francesco; Scolese, Christopher

2013-01-01

This study investigated thirty historical NASA science missions to explain the cost change experienced. The study included investigation of historical milestone and monthly status report documentation followed by interviews with key project personnel. Based on the information collected, the reasons for cost change were binned, at the highest level, into four separate categories: NASA External, Project External, Internal Planning, and Internal Execution. The results identified that roughly a third of the change is outside of the project's control, a third is due to assumptions made in project planning, and a third is due to the inherent difficulty of building highly complex, one-of-a-kind, cutting edge, Earth and space science missions.

Storytelling in Mexican Homes: Connections Between Oral and Literacy Practices.

PubMed

Reese, Leslie

2012-01-01

The study focuses on storytelling among Mexican families, documenting the frequency of storytelling in the homes of working and middle class Mexican families, the range of topics of the stories, characteristics and genres of stories, and intergenerational continuity of storytelling practices. Also examined are potential associations between storytelling practices and children's performance on language and early reading tasks. This qualitative study draws from interview data with 30 families, supplemented with survey and outcome data from the larger mixed method project of which it forms a part. Storytelling continues to be a widespread but not frequent activity, including genres of family anecdotes, horror stories, folktales, and historical recounts. Storytelling as a cultural resource is discussed.

Community service contracting for older people in urban China: a case study in Guangdong Province.

PubMed

Lin, Wenyi

2016-01-01

Contracting of community services to non-governmental service-providing organisations - mainly social work agencies - is an emerging phenomenon and a social innovation with regard to delivering community services in urban China. Contracting of community services for the older person, which is the focus of this study, is embedded in the macro context of the development of social service contracting in China. Qualitative research techniques, including document analysis, case study, participant observation and in-depth interviews, were adopted for this study. Nine government officials, three staff working in Community Residents' Committees, 15 staff working in social work agencies and 41 older people were interviewed in an effort to understand the impact and challenges of community service contracting in urban China. The findings showed that the involvement of social work agencies in the community service provision system results in integration of community resources, expansion of service coverage and enhancement of older people's access to community services. However, several problems may impede the development of community service provision in the context of contracting in China. These include purchaser-oriented rather than user-oriented service provision, older people's negative attitude towards social work services, inappropriate performance measurement, reliance of non-government organisations on government funding and ambiguous definition of community services.

The role of information technology in the development of community pharmacy services: visions and strategic views of international experts.

PubMed

Westerling, Anna M; Haikala, Veikko; Airaksinen, Marja

2011-12-01

Community pharmacy's strategic vision has been to extend practice responsibilities beyond dispensing and provide patient care services. Few studies have evaluated the strategic and long-term development of information technology (IT) systems to support this vision. The objective of this study was to explore international experts' visions and strategic views on IT development needs in relation to service provision in community pharmacies. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 14 experts from 8 countries in 2007-2008. These experts had expertise in the development of community pharmacy services and IT. The interviews were content analyzed using a constant comparison approach and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis was undertaken. Most of the experts shared the vision for community pharmacy adopting a patient care orientation; supported by IT-based documentation, new technological solutions, access to information, and shared patient data. Opportunities to achieve this vision included IT solutions, professional skills, and interprofessional collaboration. Threats included costs, pharmacists' attitude, and the absence of IT solutions. Those responsible for IT development in community pharmacy sector should create long-term IT development strategies that are in line with community pharmacy service development strategies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A survey of current practices for genomic sequencing test interpretation and reporting processes in US laboratories.

PubMed

O'Daniel, Julianne M; McLaughlin, Heather M; Amendola, Laura M; Bale, Sherri J; Berg, Jonathan S; Bick, David; Bowling, Kevin M; Chao, Elizabeth C; Chung, Wendy K; Conlin, Laura K; Cooper, Gregory M; Das, Soma; Deignan, Joshua L; Dorschner, Michael O; Evans, James P; Ghazani, Arezou A; Goddard, Katrina A; Gornick, Michele; Farwell Hagman, Kelly D; Hambuch, Tina; Hegde, Madhuri; Hindorff, Lucia A; Holm, Ingrid A; Jarvik, Gail P; Knight Johnson, Amy; Mighion, Lindsey; Morra, Massimo; Plon, Sharon E; Punj, Sumit; Richards, C Sue; Santani, Avni; Shirts, Brian H; Spinner, Nancy B; Tang, Sha; Weck, Karen E; Wolf, Susan M; Yang, Yaping; Rehm, Heidi L

2017-05-01

While the diagnostic success of genomic sequencing expands, the complexity of this testing should not be overlooked. Numerous laboratory processes are required to support the identification, interpretation, and reporting of clinically significant variants. This study aimed to examine the workflow and reporting procedures among US laboratories to highlight shared practices and identify areas in need of standardization. Surveys and follow-up interviews were conducted with laboratories offering exome and/or genome sequencing to support a research program or for routine clinical services. The 73-item survey elicited multiple choice and free-text responses that were later clarified with phone interviews. Twenty-one laboratories participated. Practices highly concordant across all groups included consent documentation, multiperson case review, and enabling patient opt-out of incidental or secondary findings analysis. Noted divergence included use of phenotypic data to inform case analysis and interpretation and reporting of case-specific quality metrics and methods. Few laboratory policies detailed procedures for data reanalysis, data sharing, or patient access to data. This study provides an overview of practices and policies of experienced exome and genome sequencing laboratories. The results enable broader consideration of which practices are becoming standard approaches, where divergence remains, and areas of development in best practice guidelines that may be helpful.Genet Med advance online publication 03 Novemeber 2016.

Tracking domestic ducks: A novel approach for documenting poultry market chains in the context of avian influenza transmission

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choi, Chang-Yong; Takekawa, John Y.; Xiong, Yue; Wikelski, Martin; Heine, George; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.; Edwards, John; Guo, Fusheng; Xiao, Xiangming

2016-01-01

Agro-ecological conditions associated with the spread and persistence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are not well understood, but the trade of live poultry is suspected to be a major pathway. Although market chains of live bird trade have been studied through indirect means including interviews and questionnaires, direct methods have not been used to identify movements of individual poultry. To bridge the knowledge gap on quantitative movement and transportation of poultry, we introduced a novel approach for applying telemetry to document domestic duck movements from source farms at Poyang Lake, China. We deployed recently developed transmitters that record Global Positioning System (GPS) locations and send them through the Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone system. For the first time, we were able to track individually marked ducks from 3 to 396 km from their origin to other farms, distribution facilities, or live bird markets. Our proof of concept test showed that the use of GPS-GSM transmitters may provide direct, quantitative information to document the movement of poultry and reveal their market chains. Our findings provide an initial indication of the complexity of source-market network connectivity and highlight the great potential for future telemetry studies in poultry network analyses.

MODIS information, data and control system (MIDACS) level 2 functional requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, D.; Salomonson, V.; Ormsby, J.; Sharts, B.; Folta, D.; Ardanuy, P.; Mckay, A.; Hoyt, D.; Jaffin, S.; Vallette, B.

1988-01-01

The MODIS Information, Data and Control System (MIDACS) Level 2 Functional Requirements Document establishes the functional requirements for MIDACS and provides a basis for the mutual understanding between the users and the designers of the EosDIS, including the requirements, operating environment, external interfaces, and development plan. In defining the requirements and scope of the system, this document describes how MIDACS will operate as an element of the EOS within the EosDIS environment. This version of the Level 2 Requirements Document follows an earlier release of a preliminary draft version. The sections on functional and performance requirements do not yet fully represent the requirements of the data system needed to achieve the scientific objectives of the MODIS instruments and science teams. Indeed, the team members have not yet been selected and the team has not yet been formed; however, it has been possible to identify many relevant requirements based on the present concept of EosDIS and through interviews and meetings with key members of the scientific community. These requirements have been grouped by functional component of the data system, and by function within each component. These requirements have been merged with the complete set of Level 1 and Level 2 context diagrams, data flow diagrams, and data dictionary.

Supporting children with disabilities at school: implications for the advocate role in professional practice and education

PubMed Central

Ng, Stella L.; Lingard, Lorelei; Hibbert, Kathryn; Regan, Sandra; Phelan, Shanon; Stooke, Rosamund; Meston, Christine; Schryer, Catherine; Manamperi, Madhushani; Friesen, Farah

2015-01-01

Abstract Purpose: School settings are a common practice context for rehabilitation professionals; health advocacy is a common and challenging practice role for professionals in this context. This study explored how pediatric practitioners advocate for children with disabilities at school. Specifically, we examined everyday advocacy in the context of school-based support for children with disabilities. Method: Our theoretical framework and methodological approach were informed by institutional ethnography, which maps and makes visible hidden social coordinators of work processes with a view to improving processes and outcomes. We included families, educators, and health/rehabilitation practitioners from Ontario. Of the 37 consented informants, 27 were interviewed and 15 observed. Documents and texts were collected from the micro-level (e.g. clinician reports) and the macro-level (e.g. policies). Results: Pediatric practitioners' advocacy work included two main work processes: spotlighting invisible disabilities and orienteering the special education terrain. Practitioners advocated indirectly, by proxy, with common proxies being documents and parents. Unintended consequences of advocacy by proxy included conflict and inefficiency, which were often unknown to the practitioner. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide practice-based knowledge about advocacy for children with disabilities, which may be used to inform further development of competency frameworks and continuing education for pediatric practitioners. The findings also show how everyday practices are influenced by policies and social discourses and how rehabilitation professionals may enact change.Implications for RehabilitationRehabilitation professionals frequently perform advocacy work. They may find it beneficial to perform advocacy work that is informed by overarching professional and ethical guidelines, and a nuanced understanding of local processes and structures.Competency frameworks and education for pediatric rehabilitation professionals may be improved by: encouraging professionals to consider how their practices, including their written documents, may affect parental burden, (mis)interpretation by document recipients, and potential unintended consequences.Policies and texts, e.g. privacy legislation and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), influence rehabilitation professionals' actions and interactions when supporting children with disabilities at school.An awareness of the influence of policies and texts may enable practitioners to work more effectively within current systems when supporting individuals with disabilities. PMID:25738906

Calculus Students' Understanding of Volume

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorko, Allison; Speer, Natasha M.

2013-01-01

Researchers have documented difficulties that elementary school students have in understanding volume. Despite its importance in higher mathematics, we know little about college students' understanding of volume. This study investigated calculus students' understanding of volume. Clinical interview transcripts and written responses to volume…

Husband Gatekeeping in Childbirth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Carolyn R.; And Others

1981-01-01

Interviews with new mothers document the husband's role as gatekeeper in his wife's preparing for and coping with childbirth. Social class, race, family stage, and the husband-wife relationship explain about 40 percent of the variance in whether husbands choose to prepare for childbirth. (Author)

40 CFR 194.26 - Expert judgment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... judgment elicitation processes and the reasoning behind those results. Documentation of interviews used to elicit judgments from experts, the questions or issues presented for elicitation of expert judgment... expert judgment elicitation comports with the level of knowledge required by the questions or issues...

75 FR 63489 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-15

... questions about interviews and application submission experiences. Sensitive data collected on the...,705 1 0.25 8,926.3 Supplemental Documents for Application 14,540 1 0.75 10,905.0 Feedback Questions 53...

40 CFR 194.26 - Expert judgment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... judgment elicitation processes and the reasoning behind those results. Documentation of interviews used to elicit judgments from experts, the questions or issues presented for elicitation of expert judgment... expert judgment elicitation comports with the level of knowledge required by the questions or issues...

A multi-phase telepsychiatry programme in Michigan: organizational factors affecting utilization and user perceptions.

PubMed

Whitten, Pamela; Kuwahara, Emily

2004-01-01

Over the last few years, telepsychiatry services in Michigan have been developed by LifeWays, a Medicaid-managed behavioural health-care organization. The project had four phases, involving the introduction of telepsychiatry services between a rural and an urban clinic, to a crisis intervention centre, to a youth detention centre and to patients' homes. The role of organizational issues in the success of the programme was examined through patient interviews, provider interviews, patient and provider pre- and post-project focus groups, and service documents. Utilization data were obtained from activity logs and patient charts. During the study, 297 clients received 578 teleconsultations. Almost 97% of the telepsychiatry visits were scheduled. Telemedicine usage varied between the four project phases. The reasons for its variation in use included provider roles, existing organizational strategic goals and resources, the inherent organizational culture and quirks, and leadership and managerial factors. The major difficulties stemmed from the providers and the organization itself. There is tremendous potential for telepsychiatry and the ways in which organizational variables can be managed to influence the success of telepsychiatry programmes deserve further study.

Recruiting Fathers to Parenting Programs: Advice from Dads and Fatherhood Program Providers

PubMed Central

Stahlschmidt, Mary Jo; Threlfall, Jennifer; Seay, Kristen D.; Lewis, Ericka M.; Kohl, Patricia L.

2014-01-01

The benefits of high-quality father-child relationships for fathers and children alike are well documented. While evidence suggests parenting programs can improve the quality of father-child relationships, few fathers participate in such programs. This qualitative study aims to fill the gap in knowledge on best practices for recruiting urban African American fathers, a group of fathers with unique parenting challenges, to parenting programs. Focus groups were conducted with 29 fathers to gain their perspectives on recruitment strategies. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a nationwide sample of 19 fatherhood program providers to learn about their most successful recruitment strategies. Recruitment strategies based on emergent themes from the focus groups and interviews are presented here. Themes included using word-of-mouth recruitment, increasing advertising, targeting advertising specifically to urban African American fathers, providing transportation and incentives, recruiting through the courts, collaborating with other community agencies, and offering parenting programming along with other programming valued by fathers such as employment assistance. Implications for developing strategies for recruiting urban African American fathers to parenting programs are discussed. PMID:24791035

Assessing Service Delivery Systems for Assitive Technology in Brazil using HEART Study quality indicators.

PubMed

Maximo, Tulio; Clift, Laurence

2015-01-01

recently in Brazil, there have been investments and improvements in the service delivery system for assistive technology provision. However, there is little documentation of this process, or evidence that users are being involved appropriately. to understand how a ssistive technology service provision currently functions in Belo Horizonte city, Brazil, in order to provide context-specific interventions and recommendations to improve services. Qualitative research design, including visits to key institutions and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Interview questions were divided with two purposes: 1) Exploratory, aiming to understand present service functioning; 2) Evaluative, aiming to assess staff difficulties in applying best existing best practices. Assistive Technology services in Belo Horizonte fall under the 'medical model' definition of service delivery developed by AAATE. It was also found that staff lack training and knowledge support to assess user requirements and involve them during the decision process. Additionally, there is no follow up stage after the device is delivered. The study clearly defines the service provision function and the staff difficulties at Belo Horizonte city, providing information for further studies.

Recruiting Fathers to Parenting Programs: Advice from Dads and Fatherhood Program Providers.

PubMed

Stahlschmidt, Mary Jo; Threlfall, Jennifer; Seay, Kristen D; Lewis, Ericka M; Kohl, Patricia L

2013-10-01

The benefits of high-quality father-child relationships for fathers and children alike are well documented. While evidence suggests parenting programs can improve the quality of father-child relationships, few fathers participate in such programs. This qualitative study aims to fill the gap in knowledge on best practices for recruiting urban African American fathers, a group of fathers with unique parenting challenges, to parenting programs. Focus groups were conducted with 29 fathers to gain their perspectives on recruitment strategies. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a nationwide sample of 19 fatherhood program providers to learn about their most successful recruitment strategies. Recruitment strategies based on emergent themes from the focus groups and interviews are presented here. Themes included using word-of-mouth recruitment, increasing advertising, targeting advertising specifically to urban African American fathers, providing transportation and incentives, recruiting through the courts, collaborating with other community agencies, and offering parenting programming along with other programming valued by fathers such as employment assistance. Implications for developing strategies for recruiting urban African American fathers to parenting programs are discussed.

Knowledge on plants used traditionally in the treatment of tuberculosis in Uganda.

PubMed

Bunalema, Lydia; Obakiro, Samuel; Tabuti, John R S; Waako, Paul

2014-02-03

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. The disease is especially important because of increasing drug resistant strains and co infection with human immune virus (HIV) and acquired immune disease syndrome (AIDS). Because of this there is need to identify new leads that can be developed into new drugs. The objectives of this study were to (1) document plant species commonly used by traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) to treat TB, methods of preparation and administration of drugs (2) document disease recognition by TMPs and (3) document medicine preservation and packaging practices by TMPs. We interviewed 40 TMPs from Mpigi and Butambala districts using a guided questionnaire. A total of 90 plant species, distributed within 44 families were documented. Priority plants identified include Zanthoxylum leprieurii, Piptadeniastrum africanum, Albizia coriaria and Rubia cordifolia which were most mentioned by TMPs. TMPs had knowledge of how TB is transmitted and they admitted that it is closely associated with HIV. Decoctions of multiple plant species were commonly used. Plant parts frequently used were leaves followed by the stem bark and root bark. The TMPs had insufficient knowledge about packaging and preservation techniques. Plant based therapies for treating TB have been identified in this study and further investigation of these plants is appropriate as these, may be developed into new drugs to curb the resistant strains of TB. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring work-related issues on corporate sustainability.

PubMed

Brunoro, C M; Bolis, I; Sznelwar, L I

2015-01-01

In a research project about work-related issues and corporate sustainability conducted in Brazil, the goal was to better understand how work-related issues were addressed in the corporate context. Particularly, there are some specific initiatives that serve as guides to organizational decisions, which make their performance indicators for the context of corporate sustainability. 1) To explore the presence of work-related issues and their origins in corporate sustainability approach, analyzing a) corporate disclosures; b) sustainability guidelines that are identified as relevant in corporate disclosures; c) documents that are related to sustainable development and also identified as key-documents for these guidelines and initiatives. 2) To present the activity-centered ergonomics and psychodynamics of work contributions to work-related issues in a corporate sustainability approach. An exploratory study based on multiple sources of evidence that were performed from 2012 to 2013, including interviews with companies that engaged in corporate sustainability and document analysis using the content analysis approach. Work-related issues have been presented since the earliest sustainable development documents. It is feasible to construct an empirical framework for work-related issues and corporate sustainability approaches. 1) Although some authors argue that corporate sustainability has its roots based only on the environmental dimension, there is strong empirical evidence showing that social dimension aspects such as work-related issues have been present since the beginning. 2) Some indicators should be redesigned to more precisely translate the reality of some workplaces, particularly those indicators related to organizational design and mental health.

Challenges to obtaining parental permission for child participation in a school-based waterpipe tobacco smoking prevention intervention in Qatar.

PubMed

Nakkash, Rima T; Al Mulla, Ahmad; Torossian, Lena; Karhily, Roubina; Shuayb, Lama; Mahfoud, Ziyad R; Janahi, Ibrahim; Al Ansari, Al Anoud; Afifi, Rema A

2014-09-30

Involving children in research studies requires obtaining parental permission. A school-based intervention to delay/prevent waterpipe use for 7th and 8th graders in Qatar was developed, and parental permission requested. Fifty three percent (2308/4314) of the parents returned permission forms; of those 19.5% of the total (840/4314) granted permission. This paper describes the challenges to obtaining parental permission. No research to date has described such challenges in the Arab world. A random sample of 40 schools in Doha, Qatar was selected for inclusion in the original intervention. Permission forms were distributed to parents for approval of their child's participation. The permission forms requested that parents indicate their reasons for non-permission if they declined. These were categorized into themes. In order to understand reasons for non-permission, interviews with parents were conducted. Phone numbers of parents were requested from the school administration; 12 of the 40 schools (30%) agreed to provide the contact information. A random sample of 28 parents from 12 schools was interviewed to reach data saturation. Thematic analysis was used to analyze their responses. Reasons for non-permission documented in both the forms and interviews included: poor timing; lack of interest; the child not wanting to participate; and the child living in a smoke-free environment. Interviews provided information on important topics to include in the consent forms, parents' decision-making processes regarding their child's participation, and considerations for communicating with parents. Many parents also indicated that this was the first time they had been asked to give an informed consent for their child's participation in a study. Results indicate that more attention needs to be given to the informed parental consent process. Researchers should consider enhancing both the methods of communicating information as well the specific information provided. Before embarking on recruitment of children for studies, formative research on the parental consent process is suggested.

Injecting buprenorphine-naloxone film: Findings from an explorative qualitative study.

PubMed

White, Nancy; Flaherty, Ian; Higgs, Peter; Larance, Briony; Nielsen, Suzanne; Degenhardt, Louisa; Ali, Robert; Lintzeris, Nicholas

2015-11-01

Experiences of buprenorphine-naloxone (BNX) sublingual film injection are not well documented or understood. We examined how people who inject BNX film seek and share information about this practice, document the methods used to prepare BNX film for injection, and report participants' experiences of this practice. Interviews were (n = 16) conducted with people who indicated that they had injected BNX film since its introduction onto the Australian market. Semistructured interviews were recorded and transcribed. NVivo10 program (QSR International) was used to analyse the data using qualitative description methodology. Participants largely reported similar BNX film preparation techniques, although the texture of BNX film during preparation to inject was reported to be unusual (gluggy), and there were many varied accounts associated with the amount of water used. Physical harms reported as associated with injecting BNX film were described (including local and systemic issues); participants reported injecting the film to enhance its immediate effects, yet generally reported that sublingual administration provided longer-lasting effects. Understanding knowledge acquisition about injecting new formulations of opioid substitution therapy is crucial in developing more effective harm-reduction strategies. Dissemination by peer networks to those who are currently or planning to inject BNX film regarding the 'gelatine like' texture when mixing, using only cold water and double filtering is important to ensure safer injecting practices. Findings from this study highlight the importance of peer networks for the dissemination of harm-reduction information. Introduction of new formulations internationally requires more qualitative studies to inform safer practices. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Supported employment specialist strategies to assist clients with severe mental illness and criminal justice issues.

PubMed

Whitley, Rob; Kostick, Kristin M; Bush, Philip W

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to document and analyze common strategies used by supported employment specialists to overcome criminal justice issues among clients with severe mental illness. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with a group of 22 supported employment specialists and their supervisors. Interviews were open ended and supplemented by ethnographic observation. Data were examined thematically by content analysis. Assisting clients with past and present criminal histories to find employment was confirmed as one of the hardest self-identified challenges for employment specialists. Three specific strategies commonly used by specialists for this subpopulation are documented and analyzed. These include taking an incremental approach with clients vis-à-vis obtaining work and career advancement, using a strengths-based model that emphasizes the client's strong points, and focusing the job search on "mom and pop" businesses that typically do not conduct background checks or do not have rigid recruitment policies. Enacting these strategies led to some deviation from the individualized placement and support model of supported employment. Participants noted that they felt most challenged when attempting to serve and assist clients with sex offenses. The findings imply that specialists are challenged when dealing with clients with criminal justice issues and use several approaches to overcome these challenges. Current specialist training may be deficient in preparing staff to effectively serve people with criminal justice issues. Further research should assess the efficacy of the approaches outlined in this article to give more guidance to specialists working with clients with criminal justice issues.

Understanding the distributed cognitive processes of intensive care patient discharge.

PubMed

Lin, Frances; Chaboyer, Wendy; Wallis, Marianne

2014-03-01

To better understand and identify vulnerabilities and risks in the ICU patient discharge process, which provides evidence for service improvement. Previous studies have identified that 'after hours' discharge and 'premature' discharge from ICU are associated with increased mortality. However, some of these studies have largely been retrospective reviews of various administrative databases, while others have focused on specific aspects of the process, which may miss crucial components of the discharge process. This is an ethnographic exploratory study. Distributed cognition and activity theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Ethnographic data collection techniques including informal interviews, direct observations and collecting existing documents were used. A total of 56 one-to-one interviews were conducted with 46 participants; 28 discharges were observed; and numerous documents were collected during a five-month period. A triangulated technique was used in both data collection and data analysis to ensure the research rigour. Under the guidance of activity theory and distributed cognition theoretical frameworks, five themes emerged: hierarchical power and authority, competing priorities, ineffective communication, failing to enact the organisational processes and working collaboratively to optimise the discharge process. Issues with teamwork, cognitive processes and team members' interaction with cognitive artefacts influenced the discharge process. Strategies to improve shared situational awareness are needed to improve teamwork, patient flow and resource efficiency. Tools need to be evaluated regularly to ensure their continuous usefulness. Health care professionals need to be aware of the impact of their competing priorities and ensure discharges occur in a timely manner. Activity theory and distributed cognition are useful theoretical frameworks to support healthcare organisational research. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prioritizing and Funding Nepal's Multisector Nutrition Plan.

PubMed

Pomeroy-Stevens, Amanda; Shrestha, Madhukar B; Biradavolu, Monica; Hachhethu, Kusum; Houston, Robin; Sharma, Indu; Wun, Jolene

2016-12-01

Nepal has a long tradition of designing good multisectoral nutrition policy. However, success of policy implementation has varied. More evidence on how to successfully carry out multisector nutrition policy is needed. We tracked the influence of Nepal's multisectoral nutrition plan (MSNP) on the process of priority setting and budgeting from 2014 to 2016. This study used a mixed-method longitudinal design to track qualitative and budgetary changes related to MSNP processes nationally as well as in 3 districts. Qualitative changes in each study area were assessed through interviews, observation, news content, and meeting notes. Changes in allocations and expenditures were calculated based on budget documents, work plans, and validation interviews. Improved understanding of the MSNP was documented nationally and in study districts but not in VDCs. Human resources, ownership, bottom-up planning, coordination, advocacy, and sustainable structures all emerged as important factors within the enabling environment. Evidence suggests the MSNP influenced improvements in the last 3 factors. We also found notable increases in activities and financing for nutrition-allocations increased steadily between FY 2013-2014 and FY 2015-2016, and 28% of total nutrition allocations in the final year came from new or expanded MSNP-affiliated activities. Data from 3 districts highlight challenges linking local planning and budgeting to central-level structures. The MSNP appears to have strengthened the nutrition system in Nepal and increased priority and funding for nutrition. Next steps include strengthening linkages to the districts and below. Other countries can learn from the MSNP's success in increasing investment for nutrition. © The Author(s) 2016.

Challenging symptoms in children with rare life-limiting conditions: findings from a prospective diary and interview study with families.

PubMed

Malcolm, C; Hain, R; Gibson, F; Adams, S; Anderson, G; Forbat, L

2012-09-01

The aim was to describe the nature, frequency, severity and management challenges of symptoms in children with two rare life-limiting conditions [Mucopolysaccharide (MPS) and Batten disease]. This was an embedded mixed-method study set in the UK between 2009 and 2011. Twenty-six children from 23 families took part. Seventeen children had an MPS condition [MPS III (Sanfilippo) n = 15; MPS I (Hurler) n = 1; MPS IVA (Morquio); n = 1]. Nine children had Batten disease. Prospective data relating to symptoms were collected over 8 weeks using a symptom diary, and qualitative retrospective interviews with families were conducted. Main outcome measures included frequency, severity rating and identification of most challenging symptoms to manage. The most common and severe symptoms in MPS III were agitation, repetitive behaviours, hyperactivity and disturbed sleep, and in Batten disease were agitation, joint stiffness, secretions, and disturbed sleep. The data highlighted the high prevalence of behavioural symptoms. Distress caused to families by symptoms was not related simply to their occurrence, but to difficulty in management, likelihood of control and extent to which they signalled disease progression and decline. In challenging contrast to the dominant biomedical framing of these rare conditions it was behavioural symptoms, rather than the physical ones, that families documented as most frequent, severe and challenging to manage. The diary developed for this study has potential use in aiding parents and clinicians to document and communicate concerns about symptoms. © 2012 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica © 2012 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

The link between quality and accreditation of residency programs: the surveyors’ perceptions

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Renato Antunes; Snell, Linda; Tenorio Nunes, Maria do Patrocinio

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Accreditation of medical residency programs has become globally important. Currently it is moving from the goal of attaining minimal standards to a model of continuous improvement. In some countries, the accreditation system engages peers (physicians) to survey residency programs. The surveyors are sometimes volunteers, usually engaged in multiple clinical and education activities. Few studies have investigated the benefits of residency program evaluation and accreditation from the perspective of the surveyors. As peers they both conduct and receive accreditation surveys, which puts them in a privileged position in that it provides the surveyor with an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge and apply what is learned in their own context. The objective of this study is to obtain the perceptions of these surveyors about the impact of an accreditation system on residency programs. Surveyors participated in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed on the interview data, and resulting topics were grouped into five themes: Burden (of documentation and of time needed); Efficiency and efficacy of the accreditation process; Training and experience of surveyors; Being a peer; Professional skills and recognition of surveyors. These categories were organized into two major themes: ‘Structure and Process’ and ‘Human Resources’. The study participants proposed ways to improve efficiency including diminish the burden of documentation to the physicians involved in the process and to increase efforts on training programs and payment for surveyors and program directors. Based on the results we propose a conceptual framework to improve accreditation systems. Abbreviations: PD: Program director PMID:28178919

Food for Life: evaluation of the impact of the Hospital Food Programme in England using a case study approach

PubMed Central

Orme, Judy; Pitt, Hannah; Jones, Matthew

2017-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the impact and challenges of implementing a Food for Life approach within three pilot NHS sites in 2014/2015 in England. Food for Life is an initiative led by the Soil Association, a non-governmental organisation in the UK that aims to encourage a healthy, sustainable food culture across communities. Design A case-study approach was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with staff and key stakeholders together with analysis of relevant documents such as meeting minutes, strategic plans and reports. Setting Three NHS Trusts in England. Participants Staff and key stakeholders. Main outcome measures Synthesis of key findings from semi-structured interviews and analysis of relevant documents. Results Key themes included the potential to influence contracting processes; measuring quality; food for staff and visitors; the role of food in hospitals, and longer term sustainability and impact. Participants reported that adopting the Food for Life approach had provided enormous scope to improve the quality of food in hospital settings and had provided levers and external benchmarks for use in contracting to help drive up standards of the food provided by external contractors for patients and staff. This was demonstrated by the achievement of an FFLCM for staff and visitor catering in all three organisations. Conclusions Participants all felt that the importance of food in hospitals is not always recognised. Engagement with Food for Life can produce a significant change in the focus on food within hospitals, and help to improve the quality of food and mealtime experience for staff, visitors and patients. PMID:29051822

Key stakeholders' perceptions of the acceptability and usefulness of a tablet-based tool to improve communication and shared decision making in ICUs.

PubMed

Ernecoff, Natalie C; Witteman, Holly O; Chon, Kristen; Chen, Yanquan Iris; Buddadhumaruk, Praewpannarai; Chiarchiaro, Jared; Shotsberger, Kaitlin J; Shields, Anne-Marie; Myers, Brad A; Hough, Catherine L; Carson, Shannon S; Lo, Bernard; Matthay, Michael A; Anderson, Wendy G; Peterson, Michael W; Steingrub, Jay S; Arnold, Robert M; White, Douglas B

2016-06-01

Although barriers to shared decision making in intensive care units are well documented, there are currently no easily scaled interventions to overcome these problems. We sought to assess stakeholders' perceptions of the acceptability, usefulness, and design suggestions for a tablet-based tool to support communication and shared decision making in ICUs. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 58 key stakeholders (30 surrogates and 28 ICU care providers). Interviews explored stakeholders' perceptions about the acceptability of a tablet-based tool to support communication and shared decision making, including the usefulness of modules focused on orienting families to the ICU, educating them about the surrogate's role, completing a question prompt list, eliciting patient values, educating about treatment options, eliciting perceptions about prognosis, and providing psychosocial support resources. The interviewer also elicited stakeholders' design suggestions for such a tool. We used constant comparative methods to identify key themes that arose during the interviews. Overall, 95% (55/58) of participants perceived the proposed tool to be acceptable, with 98% (57/58) of interviewees finding six or more of the seven content domains acceptable. Stakeholders identified several potential benefits of the tool including that it would help families prepare for the surrogate role and for family meetings as well as give surrogates time and a framework to think about the patient's values and treatment options. Key design suggestions included: conceptualize the tool as a supplement to rather than a substitute for surrogate-clinician communication; make the tool flexible with respect to how, where, and when surrogates can access the tool; incorporate interactive exercises; use video and narration to minimize the cognitive load of the intervention; and build an extremely simple user interface to maximize usefulness for individuals with low computer literacy. There is broad support among stakeholders for the use of a tablet-based tool to improve communication and shared decision making in ICUs. Eliciting the perspectives of key stakeholders early in the design process yielded important insights to create a tool tailored to the needs of surrogates and care providers in ICUs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expanding contraceptive options for PMTCT clients: a mixed methods implementation study in Cape Town, South Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Clients of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in South Africa who use contraception following childbirth rely primarily on short-acting methods like condoms, pills, and injectables, even when they desire no future pregnancies. Evidence is needed on strategies for expanding contraceptive options for postpartum PMTCT clients to include long-acting and permanent methods. Methods We examined the process of expanding contraceptive options in five health centers in Cape Town providing services to HIV-positive women. Maternal/child health service providers received training and coaching to strengthen contraceptive counseling for postpartum women, including PMTCT clients. Training and supplies were introduced to strengthen intrauterine device (IUD) services, and referral mechanisms for female sterilization were reinforced. We conducted interviews with separate samples of postpartum PMTCT clients (265 pre-intervention and 266 post-intervention) to assess knowledge and behaviors regarding postpartum contraception. The process of implementing the intervention was evaluated through systematic documentation and interpretation using an intervention tracking tool. In-depth interviews with providers who participated in study-sponsored training were conducted to assess their attitudes toward and experiences with promoting voluntary contraceptive services to HIV-positive clients. Results Following the intervention, 6% of interviewed PMTCT clients had the desired knowledge about the IUD and 23% had the desired knowledge about female sterilization. At both pre- and post-intervention, 7% of clients were sterilized and IUD use was negligible; by comparison, 75% of clients used injectables. Intervention tracking and in-depth interviews with providers revealed intervention shortcomings and health system constraints explaining the failure to produce intended effects. Conclusions The intervention failed to improve PMTCT clients’ knowledge about the IUD and sterilization or to increase use of those methods. To address the family planning needs of postpartum PMTCT clients in a way that is consistent with their fertility desires, services must expand the range of contraceptive options to include long-acting and permanent methods. In turn, to ensure consistent access to high quality family planning services that are effectively linked to HIV services, attention must also be focused on resolving underlying health system constraints weakening health service delivery more generally. PMID:24410922

Magnitude and risk factors for postpartum symptoms: a literature review.

PubMed

Norhayati, M N; Hazlina, N H Nik; Asrenee, A R; Emilin, W M A Wan

2015-04-01

The prevalence of postpartum depression worldwide varies from 0.5% to 60.8% in the first 12 months postpartum using self-reported questionnaire. This review aims to update the current magnitude of postpartum depression based on self-reported questionnaire and clinical interview and explore its associated factors in developed and developing countries. A literature search conducted between 2005 and 2014 identified 203 studies, of which 191 used self-reported questionnaire in 42 countries and 21 used structured clinical interview in 15 countries. Nine studies used a combination of self-reported questionnaire and clinical interview. The prevalence of postpartum depression varies from 1.9% to 82.1% in developing countries and from 5.2% to 74.0% in developed countries using self-reported questionnaire. Structured clinical interview shows a much lower prevalence range from 0.1% in Finland to 26.3% in India. Antenatal depression and anxiety, previous psychiatric illness, poor marital relationship, stressful life events, negative attitude towards pregnancy, and lack of social support are significant contributors to postpartum depression. All studies are included irrespective of the methodological quality, such as small sample size and their inclusion could affect the generalizability of the results. The current prevalence of postpartum depression is much higher than that previously reported, and similar risk factors are documented. A culturally sensitive cut-off score with adequate psychometric properties of the screening instruments should be available. In future studies, examining the physical, biological, and cultural factors in qualitative studies and in those with adequate methodological qualities is recommended. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The pervasive triad of food security, gender inequity and women's health: exploratory research from sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Hyder, Adnan A; Maman, Suzanne; Nyoni, Joyce E; Khasiani, Shaniysa A; Teoh, Noreen; Premji, Zul; Sohani, Salim

2005-12-01

This study was designed to explore the interactions between food securing activities, health and gender equity from the perspective of rural east African women. The specific objectives were to document the critical interaction among these three issues-food security, gender inequity, women's health within the context of sub-Saharan Africa; to describe the nature of this triad from the perspective of women farmers in Africa; and to propose a framework for linking available interventions to the vicious nature of this triad. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with rural women farmers in Kwale District, Kenya and Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. A total of 12 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions have been included in this analysis. Transcribed text from interviews and focus group discussions were coded and thematic conceptual matrices were developed to compare dimensions of common themes across interviews and settings. A thematic analysis was then performed and a framework developed to understand the nature of the triad and explore the potential for interventions within the interactions. The vicious cycle of increasing work, lack of time, and lack of independent decision making for women who are responsible for food production and health of their families, has health and social consequences. Food securing activities have negative health consequences for women, which are further augmented by issues of gender inequity. The African development community must respond by thinking of creative solutions and appropriate interventions for the empowerment of women farmers in the region to ensure their health.

Use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico.

PubMed

Alonso-Castro, Angel Josabad; Domínguez, Fabiola; Maldonado-Miranda, Juan José; Castillo-Pérez, Luis Jesús; Carranza-Álvarez, Candy; Solano, Eloy; Isiordia-Espinoza, Mario Alberto; Del Carmen Juárez-Vázquez, María; Zapata-Morales, Juan Ramón; Argueta-Fuertes, Marco Antonio; Ruiz-Padilla, Alan Joel; Solorio-Alvarado, César Rogelio; Rangel-Velázquez, Joceline Estefanía; Ortiz-Andrade, Rolffy; González-Sánchez, Ignacio; Cruz-Jiménez, Gustavo; Orozco-Castellanos, Luis Manuel

2017-02-23

The use of medicinal plants in Mexico has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. Nevertheless, the level of use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico remains to be explored. To evaluate the use, acceptance and prescription of medicinal plants by health professionals in 9 of the states of Mexico. Direct and indirect interviews, regarding the use and acceptance of medicinal plants, with health professionals (n=1614), including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and odontologists from nine states in Mexico were performed from January 2015 to July 2016. The interviews were analyzed with the factor the informant consensus (FIC). The information obtained indicated that 46% of those interviewed feel patients should not use medicinal plants as an alternative therapy. Moreover, 54% of health professionals, and 49% of the physicians have used medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for several diseases. Twenty eight percent of health professionals, and 26% of the physicians, have recommended or prescribed medicinal plants to their patients, whereas 73% of health professionals were in agreement with receiving academic information regarding the use and prescription of medicinal plants. A total of 77 plant species used for medicinal purposes, belonging to 40 botanical families were reported by the interviewed. The results of the FIC showed that the categories of diseases of the digestive system (FIC=0.901) and diseases of the respiratory system (FIC=0.898) had the greatest agreement. This study shows that medicinal plants are used for primary health care in Mexico by health professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Code Saturation Versus Meaning Saturation: How Many Interviews Are Enough?

PubMed

Hennink, Monique M; Kaiser, Bonnie N; Marconi, Vincent C

2017-03-01

Saturation is a core guiding principle to determine sample sizes in qualitative research, yet little methodological research exists on parameters that influence saturation. Our study compared two approaches to assessing saturation: code saturation and meaning saturation. We examined sample sizes needed to reach saturation in each approach, what saturation meant, and how to assess saturation. Examining 25 in-depth interviews, we found that code saturation was reached at nine interviews, whereby the range of thematic issues was identified. However, 16 to 24 interviews were needed to reach meaning saturation where we developed a richly textured understanding of issues. Thus, code saturation may indicate when researchers have "heard it all," but meaning saturation is needed to "understand it all." We used our results to develop parameters that influence saturation, which may be used to estimate sample sizes for qualitative research proposals or to document in publications the grounds on which saturation was achieved.

Pornographic lives.

PubMed

Jensen, R

1995-03-01

This article examines the connection between pornography and violence against women through interviews with men about pornography use. It emphasizes the value of narrative accounts as important sources of information over experimental laboratory research. The narratives described in this article give specific examples of how pornography can 1) be an important factor in shaping a male-dominant view of sexuality; 2) contribute to a user's difficulty in separating sexual fantasy and reality; 3) be used to initiate victims and break down their resistance to sexual activity; and 4) provide a training manual for abusers. The subjects in this study were divided into two groups: 11 men who responded to a classified ad that asked for male interview subjects and 13 residents of the Alpha Human Services sex offender treatment program. The interviews documented in this article focus on cases where there is a clear link between pornography use and abuse. Analysis of the interviews provides support for the feminist anti-pornography critique.

"Everywhere but not specifically somewhere": a qualitative study on why the right to health is not explicit in the post-2015 negotiations.

PubMed

Brolan, Claire E; Hill, Peter S; Ooms, Gorik

2015-08-21

The Millennium Development Goals expire at the end of 2015 and global negotiations are underway to finalise the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Much activism has occurred encouraging a post-2015 health and development goal embedded in the highest attainable standard of health ('right to health'). Despite this, the right to health was absent in three key post-2015 intergovernmental Sustainable Development Goal proposals in 2014, one of which was reinforced by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014 as the guiding document for ongoing interstate negotiations. This article examines why it appears the right to health, so far, is not gaining direct expression in post-2015 discussion. This qualitative research is part of a broader study using thematic and discourse analysis examining the high-level policy debate on health goals in the discourse of the formulation of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Key-informant interviews were conducted in two interview rounds in 2013 and 2014, with participants from multilateral and other organisations (government, academia, civil society and philanthropy) responsible for health in the post-2015 development agenda (or the post-2015 development agenda more broadly). This study synthesises data from both interview rounds on Health and Human Rights in post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal negotiations. Six reasons why the right to health may not have gained effective traction in the unfolding post-2015 Member State negotiations were found. The first three reasons relate to broader issues surrounding human rights' (including sexual and reproductive health and rights) positioning within international relations discourse, and the second three relate to the challenges of transforming the human right to health into a practically applied post-2015 health goal. This paper reports the views of participants, many of who sit at the interface of United Nations and Member State negotiations, on the right to health's location (and projected trajectory) at two temporal junctions in evolving post-2015 negotiations. The interviews provide insight into high-level hesitancy that the right to health be expressly incorporated in the final post-2015 health and development goal, as well as documents participants' doubt that rights language will explicitly frame the broader Sustainable Development Goals, their targets and indicators.

Development of Souvenir Production Transaction Processing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumambi, H.; Kaparang, R.; Lintong, J.

2018-01-01

This research aims to design a souvenir production transaction processing system for the craftsmen in North Sulawesi. The craftsmen make very simple recordings about souvenir production transactions and use documents that are not in accordance with the generally accepted accounting practices. This research uses qualitative method. The data is collected through interviews, observations, documents and literatures studies. The research stages are conducted in preliminary studies, data collection, data analyzed and system design. The design of system is built from chart of account, accounting cycle and documents as input and get processed in accounting recording. The outputs are financial statements. The system design provides benefits for the craftsmen in assessing the financial performance and getting financing from bank.

Proactive cancer care in primary care: a mixed-methods study

PubMed Central

Murray, Scott A

2013-01-01

Background. Current models of post-treatment cancer care are based on traditional practices and clinician preference rather than evidence of benefit. Objectives. To assess the feasibility of using a structured template to provide holistic follow-up of patients in primary care from cancer diagnosis onwards. Methods. A two-phase mixed methods action research project. An electronic Cancer Ongoing Review Document (CORD) was first developed with patients and general practitioners, and used with patients with a new diagnosis of cancer. This was evaluated through documentary analysis of the CORDs, qualitative interviews with patients, family carers and health professionals and record reviews. Results. The records of 107 patients from 13 primary care teams were examined and 45 interviews conducted. The document was started in 54% of people with newly diagnosed cancer, and prompted clear documentation of multidimension needs and understanding. General practitioners found using the document helped to structure consultations and cover psychosocial areas, but they reported it needed to be better integrated in their medical records with computerized prompts in place. Few clinicians discussed the review openly with patients, and the template was often completed afterwards. Conclusions. Anticipatory cancer care from diagnosis to cure or death, ‘in primary care’, is feasible in the UK and acceptable to patients, although there are barriers. The process promoted continuity of care and holism. A reliable system for proactive cancer care in general practice supported by hospital specialists may allow more survivorship care to be delivered in primary care, as in other long-term conditions. PMID:23382502