Sample records for open ended interview

  1. An examination of the association between interviewer question type and story-grammar detail in child witness interviews about abuse.

    PubMed

    Feltis, Brooke B; Powell, Martine B; Snow, Pamela C; Hughes-Scholes, Carolyn H

    2010-06-01

    This study compared the effects of open-ended versus specific questions, and various types of open-ended questions, in eliciting story-grammar detail in child abuse interviews. The sample included 34 police interviews with child witnesses aged 5-15 years (M age=9 years, 9 months). The interviewers' questions and their relative sub-types were classified according to definitions reported in the child interview training literature. The children's responses were classified according to the proportion of story grammar and the prevalence of individual story grammar elements as defined by Stein and Glenn (1979). Open-ended questions were more effective at eliciting story grammar than specific questions. This finding was revealed across three age groups, two interview phases and irrespective of how question effectiveness was measured. However, not all types of open-ended questions were equally effective. Open-ended questions that encouraged a broad response, or asked the child to elaborate on a part of their account, elicited more story-grammar detail compared to open-ended questions that requested clarification of concepts or descriptions of the next (or another) activity or detail within a sequence. This study demonstrates that children's ability to provide story-grammar detail is maximised when there is minimal prompting from the interviewer. Given the association between story grammar production and victim credibility, greater guidance is warranted in interviewer training programs in relation to the effects and administration of different types of open-ended questions. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. An Examination of the Association between Interviewer Question Type and Story-Grammar Detail in Child Witness Interviews about Abuse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feltis, Brooke B.; Powell, Martine B.; Snow, Pamela C.; Hughes-Scholes, Carolyn H.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: This study compared the effects of open-ended versus specific questions, and various types of open-ended questions, in eliciting story-grammar detail in child abuse interviews. Methods: The sample included 34 police interviews with child witnesses aged 5-15 years ("M" age = 9 years, 9 months). The interviewers' questions and their…

  3. 75 FR 11540 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-11

    ... the evaluation: (1) Pre/post-test interview protocol--Consisting of both open- and closed-ended... respondents in interviews that will take one hour each. The pre/post-test interview protocol will be... the year. At the end of the year, post-test interviews will be performed as one-hour group interviews...

  4. Does the sequence of data collection influence participants' responses to closed and open-ended questions? A methodological study.

    PubMed

    Covell, Christine L; Sidani, Souraya; Ritchie, Judith A

    2012-06-01

    The sequence used for collecting quantitative and qualitative data in concurrent mixed-methods research may influence participants' responses. Empirical evidence is needed to determine if the order of data collection in concurrent mixed methods research biases participants' responses to closed and open-ended questions. To examine the influence of the quantitative-qualitative sequence on responses to closed and open-ended questions when assessing the same variables or aspects of a phenomenon simultaneously within the same study phase. A descriptive cross-sectional, concurrent mixed-methods design was used to collect quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data. The setting was a large multi-site health care centre in Canada. A convenience sample of 50 registered nurses was selected and participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two sequences for data collection, quantitative-qualitative or qualitative-quantitative. Independent t-tests were performed to compare the two groups' responses to the survey items. Directed content analysis was used to compare the participants' responses to the interview questions. The sequence of data collection did not greatly affect the participants' responses to the closed-ended questions (survey items) or the open-ended questions (interview questions). The sequencing of data collection, when using both survey and semi-structured interviews, may not bias participants' responses to closed or open-ended questions. Additional research is required to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The Effect of Intra- Versus Post-Interview Feedback during Simulated Practice Interviews about Child Abuse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Martine B.; Fisher, Ronald P.; Hughes-Scholes, Carolyn H.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of two types of instructor feedback (relative to no feedback) on investigative interviewers' ability to adhere to open-ended questions in simulated practice interviews about child abuse. Method: In one condition, feedback was provided at the end of each practice interview. In the other, the…

  6. The Interplay of Gender in the Careers of White Female and Male Senior Professors. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beaman-Smith, Kandis; Placier, Margaret

    A grounded theory study was conducted using open-ended interviews with white male and female senior, tenured faculty members. The setting was a major Midwestern research one university. Four male and five female participants, all white agreed to participate. An open-ended interview protocol was used. Following grounded theory strategies, open…

  7. An Investigation of Preservice Teachers' Use of Guess and Check in Solving a Semi Open-Ended Mathematics Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capraro, Mary Margaret; An, Song A.; Ma, Tingting; Rangel-Chavez, A. Fabiola; Harbaugh, Adam

    2012-01-01

    Open-ended problems have been regarded as powerful tools for teaching mathematics. This study examined the problem solving of eight mathematics/science middle-school teachers. A semi-structured interview was conducted with (PTs) after completing an open-ended triangle task with four unique solutions. Of particular emphasis was how the PTs used a…

  8. The Interview as a Technique for Assessing Oral Ability: Some Guidelines for Its Use.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nambiar, Mohana

    1990-01-01

    Some guidelines are offered that detail the complexities involved in interviewing for language testing purposes. They cover strategies for structuring interviews (informal conversational, interview guide, standardized open-ended), questions, interviewing skills, and physical setting. (five references) (LB)

  9. Normative Family Interactions: Hmong American Adolescents' Perceptions of Their Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamborn, Susie D.; Moua, MyLou

    2008-01-01

    Hmong American adolescents' perceptions of their parents were examined using the parenting styles and family ecologies models. Individual interviews of forty 11- to 18-year-old Hmong American teenagers resulted in open-ended and fixed-choice responses. In the open-ended responses, adolescents emphasized themes of parental involvement and depending…

  10. Assessing the effectiveness of the NICHD investigative interview protocol when interviewing French-speaking alleged victims of child sexual abuse in Quebec.

    PubMed

    Cyr, Mireille; Lamb, Michael E

    2009-05-01

    The study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the flexibly structured NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol for child sexual abuse (CSA) investigative interviews by police officers and mental health workers in Quebec. The NICHD Protocol was designed to operationalize "best practice" guidelines and to help forensic interviewers use open-ended prompts to facilitate free recall by alleged victims. A total of 83 interviews with 3- to 13-year-old alleged victims were matched with 83 interviews conducted by the same interviewers before they were trained to use the Protocol. Interviews were matched with respect to the children's ages, children-perpetrator relationships, and the types and frequency of abuse. Coders categorized each of the prompts used to elicit information about the abuse and tabulated the numbers of new forensically relevant details provided in each response. Interviewers used three times as many open-ended prompts in Protocol interviews than in non-Protocol interviews, whereas use of all other types of questions was halved, and the total number of questions asked decreased by 25%. Protocol-guided interviews yielded more details than comparison interviews. The mean number of details per prompt increased from 3 to 5 details when the Protocol was used. Even with young children, interviewers using the Protocol employed more invitations to elicit forensically relevant details. French-speaking investigators using the NICHD Protocol used open-ended prompts rather than focused questions when interviewing alleged victims. In addition, these interviewers needed fewer questions to get relevant information when using the Protocol. A French version of the NICHD Protocol is now available to police officers and social workers who investigate the alleged sexual abuse of young children in French-speaking countries. This French version allowed trained interviewers to increase the use of invitations and reduce the use of more focused and risky questions. When the number of questions was controlled, more central details and more details in total were obtained in Protocol interviews, because the average prompt elicited more detailed answers in Protocol interviews. However, learning to use the NICHD Protocol required extended training and continued feedback sessions to maintain the high quality of interviewing.

  11. "What has it been like for you to talk with me today?": the impact of participating in interview research on rape survivors.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Rebecca; Adams, Adrienne E; Wasco, Sharon M; Ahrens, Courtney E; Sefl, Tracy

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this project was to conduct a qualitative study of how participating in in-depth interviews impacted rape survivors. These interviews contained both open-ended, free response section and closed-ended, standardized assessments. The implementation of the interviews was informed by principles of feminist interviewing, which emphasized reducing hierarchy between the interviewer and interviewee, providing information and resources, and creating an emotionally supportive and compassionate setting. Narrative data were analyzed from rape survivors (N = 92) regarding how they were affected by participating in these interviews. Results suggested that the overwhelming majority of survivors found the interview to be a helpful, supportive, and insightful experience. Additional analyses revealed that the feminist interviewing principles were noticed and appreciated by the participants and contributed to their overall positive participation outcomes.

  12. Prospective Teachers' Perceptions on Different Aspects of Portfolio

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ok, Ahmet; Erdogan, Mehmet

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative-case study examined how portfolio and portfolio assessment were perceived by prospective teachers. The participants were 23 prospective teachers from seven different teaching areas from a Turkish university. A semi-structured individual interview was conducted. The interview schedule included 15 open-ended questions. The main…

  13. Success According to Professionals in the Fashion Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerber, Tara; Saiki, Diana

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine career success perceived by professionals in the fashion industry. Two sets of open-ended interviews were conducted with 33 fashion industry professionals. The interviews were analyzed for success themes using a grounded approach methodology. External definitions of success mentioned were salary,…

  14. Exploring Adolescent Motivations for Pursuing Maths-Related Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watt, Helen M. G.

    2005-01-01

    Adolescents from grade 9 in Sydney Australia (N = 60) were interviewed regarding why they would or would not consider pursuing maths-related careers. Open-ended interview data explored the comprehensiveness of explanations within the Expectancy-Value framework. The Expectancy-Value model is the major motivational framework for explaining students'…

  15. The Mutual Shaping of Online and Offline Social Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xie, Bo

    2008-01-01

    Introduction: This study examines the interplay between online and offline social relationships by focusing on an understudied social group: older Chinese Internet users. Method: Thirty-three semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with members of a senior-oriented Chinese Internet community in 2004. Analysis: Interview data were…

  16. Role Expectations of Parents of High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Busch, Judith W.; Blackwell, Peggy J.

    This paper discusses a study conducted with 100 parents of high school-age students in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to determine the nature and range of their goals for secondary education. Each parent participated in an open-ended, tape-recorded interview. Results of these interviews, while qualitative, revealed basic sex-role expectations of parents…

  17. An Investigation of Civilians Preparedness to Compete with Individuals with Military Experience for Army Board Select Acquisition Positions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-25

    37 Research Design ... research employed a mixed research methodology – quantitative with descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative with a thematic analysis approach...mixed research methodology – quantitative and qualitative, using interviews to collect the data. The interviews included demographic and open-ended

  18. Intellectual Initiatives at a Research University: Origins, Evolutions, and Challenges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frost, Susan H.; Jean, Paul M.; Teodorescu, Daniel; Brown, Amy B.

    This qualitative case study explored the origins, evolutions, and challenges of 12 cross-disciplinary intellectual initiatives at 1 research university. Researchers conducted open-ended interviews with leaders of the 12 initiatives and used program literature to support the data gathered from the interviews. The study found that key factors such…

  19. EXTENSION ADMINISTRATION AND STATE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS--A CASE STUDY OF THE 71ST MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    KYD, STIRLING

    TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF MISSOURI'S LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND AID ADMINISTRATORS OF THE EXTENSION DIVISION, THE AUTHOR INVESTIGATED THE 71ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE READ PUBLICATIONS, INTERVIEWED LOBBYISTS, AND CONDUCTED OPEN ENDED DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH LEGISLATORS SELECTED TO COMPRISE THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ASSEMBLY. HIS DISSERTATION PRESENTS THE…

  20. Connected Learning in Co-Operative Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Jeela

    2007-01-01

    This qualitative research study explored the experiences of students who had attended a co operative (co-op) education program, with a focus on what makes the experience meaningful to them. Utilizing a basic interpretive research design, students who graduated from a co-op program were interviewed using an open-ended interview protocol. Both male…

  1. Teacher Research in South Korean Early Childhood Education: New Initiative as Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Mina; Kang, Bokyung

    2012-01-01

    This study was designed to explore how Korean preschool and kindergarten teachers understand teacher research and utilize it in professional development. Two teachers, two site directors, and one district supervisor were interviewed in South Korea. Data were collected in multiple ways: (1) open-ended individual interviews; (2) participants'…

  2. When the Spaniels Conquered Central America: Academic English and First Year Composition Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sugawara, Yosei

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation presents the findings of an on-line survey completed by 222 FYC (First Year Composition) instructors at universities and community colleges across the United States along with supplemental information derived from multiple open-ended interviews with seven FYC instructors in Arizona. Both survey and interview questions were…

  3. Turkish Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions of "Good" Citizenship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yesilbursa, Cemil Cahit

    2015-01-01

    The current study explores Turkish pre-service social studies teachers' perceptions of "good" citizenship. The participants were 580 pre-service social studies teachers from 6 different universities in Turkey. The data were collected through an interview form having one open-ended question and analyzed according to open coding procedure.…

  4. A Phenomenological Study to Discover Low-Income Adults' Perceptions and Expectations Regarding Financial Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaffer, Brigid Ann

    2013-01-01

    This phenomenological study explored the perceptions and expectations of low income adults regarding financial literacy to discover ways to increase attendance in financial literacy programs designs for this cohort. The study utilized interviews with closed-ended questions to establish the participants' backgrounds, then opened-ended questions to…

  5. Beyond Money and Survival: The Meaning of Paid Work among Older Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altschuler, Joanne

    2004-01-01

    This article explores the meaning and experiences of paid work for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55 to 84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the meaning of work, reasons for working, and the centrality of work to personal identity.…

  6. The Contribution of a Particular "Kids in Parks" Programme to the Professional Development of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferreira, J. G.

    2014-01-01

    This article considers the possible contribution of the "kids in parks" programme offered at Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the professional development of teachers. Focus group interviews were held with teachers who participated in the programme, and an interview with open-ended questions was held with a learning facilitator…

  7. Next-Generation Bibliographic Manager: An Interview with Trevor Owens

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, James L.; Owens, Trevor

    2008-01-01

    James Morrison's interview with Trevor Owens explores Zotero, a free, open-source bibliographic tool that works as a Firefox plug-in. Previous bibliographic software, such as EndNote or Refworks, worked either online or offline to collect references and citations. Zotero leverages the power of the browser to allow users to work either online or…

  8. Comparing Freshman and Doctoral Engineering Students in Design: Mapping with a Descriptive Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carmona Marques, P.

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a study of engineering students' approaches to an open-ended design problem. To carry out this, sketches and interviews were collected from 9 freshmen (first year) and 10 doctoral engineering students, when they designed solutions for orange squeezers. Sketches and interviews were analysed and mapped with a…

  9. Assessing the anticipated consequences of Computer-based Provider Order Entry at three community hospitals using an open-ended, semi-structured survey instrument.

    PubMed

    Sittig, Dean F; Ash, Joan S; Guappone, Ken P; Campbell, Emily M; Dykstra, Richard H

    2008-07-01

    To determine what "average" clinicians in organizations that were about to implement Computer-based Provider Order Entry (CPOE) were expecting to occur, we conducted an open-ended, semi-structured survey at three community hospitals. We created an open-ended, semi-structured, interview survey template that we customized for each organization. This interview-based survey was designed to be administered orally to clinicians and take approximately 5 min to complete, although clinicians were allowed to discuss as many advantages or disadvantages of the impending system roll-out as they wanted to. Our survey findings did not reveal any overly negative, critical, problematic, or striking sets of concerns. However, from the standpoint of unintended consequences, we found that clinicians were anticipating only a few of the events, emotions, and process changes that are likely to result from CPOE. The results of such an open-ended survey may prove useful in helping CPOE leaders to understand user perceptions and predictions about CPOE, because it can expose issues about which more communication, or discussion, is needed. Using the survey, implementation strategies and management techniques outlined in this paper, any chief information officer (CIO) or chief medical information officer (CMIO) should be able to adequately assess their organization's CPOE readiness, make the necessary mid-course corrections, and be prepared to deal with the currently identified unintended consequences of CPOE should they occur.

  10. Nonnative English-Speaking Students' Lived Learning Experiences with MOOCs in a Regular College Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Moon-Heum; Byun, Moonkyoung

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study was to gain in-depth understanding about nonnative English-speaking students' lived experiences with massive open online courses (MOOCs) in a regular college classroom. Phenomenological methodology was used to examine those experiences in 24 Korean college students. Individual interviews, an open-ended online survey,…

  11. Starting the data conversation: informing data services at an academic health sciences library.

    PubMed

    Read, Kevin B; Surkis, Alisa; Larson, Catherine; McCrillis, Aileen; Graff, Alice; Nicholson, Joey; Xu, Juanchan

    2015-07-01

    The research obtained information to plan data-related products and services. Biomedical researchers in an academic medical center were selected using purposive sampling and interviewed using open-ended questions based on a literature review. Interviews were conducted until saturation was achieved. Interview responses informed library planners about researchers' key data issues. This approach proved valuable for planning data management products and services and raising library visibility among clients in the research data realm.

  12. Time To Learn: A Study of the Educational Histories of Incarcerated Juveniles. Preliminary Report to [the] Illinois General Assembly.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyle, Charles; And Others

    In 1990-91, the educational histories of incarcerated juveniles in Illinois were analyzed to assess the value of educational intervention strategies prior to incarceration. Following open-ended interviews with public officials, structured interviews were held with 200 juvenile offenders, of whom 50 were female, from all parts of the state. The…

  13. Informal and Formal Environmental Education Infusion: Actions of Malaysian Teachers and Parents among Students in a Polluted Area

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mustam, Baniah; Daniel, Esther Sarojini

    2016-01-01

    The study explored Environmental Education infusion among students by teachers and parents in two schools located in a highly polluted area. Qualitative data was collected through observations, interviews and an open-ended questionnaire. Participants of the observations and interviews were 6 Secondary 4 students, 6 teachers and 6 parents.…

  14. Multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to whole apples used in commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples: United States, 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    Angelo, K M; Conrad, A R; Saupe, A; Dragoo, H; West, N; Sorenson, A; Barnes, A; Doyle, M; Beal, J; Jackson, K A; Stroika, S; Tarr, C; Kucerova, Z; Lance, S; Gould, L H; Wise, M; Jackson, B R

    2017-04-01

    Whole apples have not been previously implicated in outbreaks of foodborne bacterial illness. We investigated a nationwide listeriosis outbreak associated with caramel apples. We defined an outbreak-associated case as an infection with one or both of two outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes highly related by whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST) from 1 October 2014 to 1 February 2015. Single-interviewer open-ended interviews identified the source. Outbreak-associated cases were compared with non-outbreak-associated cases and traceback and environmental investigations were performed. We identified 35 outbreak-associated cases in 12 states; 34 (97%) were hospitalized and seven (20%) died. Outbreak-associated ill persons were more likely to have eaten commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples (odds ratio 326·7, 95% confidence interval 32·2-3314). Environmental samples from the grower's packing facility and distribution-chain whole apples yielded isolates highly related to outbreak isolates by wgMLST. This outbreak highlights the importance of minimizing produce contamination with L. monocytogenes. Investigators should perform single-interviewer open-ended interviews when a food is not readily identified.

  15. Using Technology to Enhance Teaching of Patient-Centered Interviewing for Early Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Kaltman, Stacey; Talisman, Nicholas; Pennestri, Susan; Syverson, Eleri; Arthur, Paige; Vovides, Yianna

    2018-06-01

    Effective strategies for teaching communication skills to health professions students are needed. This article describes the design and evaluation of immersive and interactive video simulations for medical students to practice basic communication skills. Three simulations were developed, focusing on patient-centered interviewing techniques such as using open-ended questions, reflections, and empathic responses while assessing a patient's history of present illness. First-year medical students were randomized to simulation or education-as-usual arms. Students in the simulation arm were given access to three interactive video simulations developed using Articulate Storyline, an e-learning authoring tool, to practice and receive feedback on patient-centered interviewing techniques to prepare for their Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Trained raters evaluated videos of two OSCE cases for each participant to assess specific communication skills used during the history of present illness component of the interview. Eighty-seven percent of the students in the simulation arm interacted with at least one simulation during the history of present illness. For both OSCE cases, students in the simulation arm asked significantly more open-ended questions. Students in the simulation arm asked significantly fewer closed-ended questions and offered significantly more empathic responses in one OSCE case. No differences were found for reflections. Students reported that the simulations helped improve their communication skills. The use of interactive video simulations was found to be feasible to incorporate into the curriculum and was appealing to students. In addition, students in the simulation arm displayed more behaviors consistent with the patient-centered interviewing model practiced in the simulations. Continued development and research are warranted.

  16. Starting the data conversation: informing data services at an academic health sciences library*

    PubMed Central

    Read, Kevin B.; Surkis, Alisa; Larson, Catherine; McCrillis, Aileen; Graff, Alice; Nicholson, Joey; Xu, Juanchan

    2015-01-01

    Objective The research obtained information to plan data-related products and services. Methods Biomedical researchers in an academic medical center were selected using purposive sampling and interviewed using open-ended questions based on a literature review. Interviews were conducted until saturation was achieved. Results Interview responses informed library planners about researchers’ key data issues. Conclusions This approach proved valuable for planning data management products and services and raising library visibility among clients in the research data realm. PMID:26213504

  17. Professional Wisdom and Writing for Publication: Qualitative Interviews with Editors and Authors in Early Childhood Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jalongo, Mary Renck

    2013-01-01

    College and university faculty members specializing in early childhood education face some unique challenges in scholarly writing. The purpose of this research was to use open-ended interviews as a way to gather the collective wisdom of a group of key informants about academic writing and publishing in the field. Twenty-two editors and/or authors,…

  18. The Role and Role Context of the Lebanese School Principal: Toward a Culturally Grounded Understanding of the Principalship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akkary, Rima Karami

    2014-01-01

    This study provides empirical data about the role and work context of the school principal in the Lebanon. The study applied grounded theory methods in collecting and analysing the data. The data were collected through a series of open-ended interviews with 53 secondary school principals, and focus group interviews with 8 principals from public as…

  19. "I intend to donate but ...": non-donors' views of blood donation in the UK.

    PubMed

    McVittie, Chris; Harris, Lisa; Tiliopoulos, Niko

    2006-02-01

    Although only 6% of the eligible United Kingdom population regularly donate blood, reasons for low donation rates remain poorly understood. In a grounded theory investigation, blood donors (n = 23) and non-donors (n = 27) completed a questionnaire that included 15 open-ended items. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sub-samples of donors (n = 5) and non-donors (n = 7). Analysis of open-ended responses and interview transcripts identified five themes. Three themes, namely pro-social views, helping behaviour and awareness had similar relevance for donors and non-donors. Two themes, anxiety and practical difficulties, were used by non-donors to account for non-donation despite intentions to donate. Although non-donors' anxieties may be difficult to overcome, perceived practical difficulties provide scope for intervention. The removal of perceived barriers to donation offers one way of increasing donation rates.

  20. Do Prosecutors Use Interview Instructions or Build Rapport with Child Witnesses?

    PubMed

    Ahern, Elizabeth C; Stolzenberg, Stacia N; Lyon, Thomas D

    2015-08-01

    This study examined the quality of interview instructions and rapport-building provided by prosecutors to 168 children aged 5-12 years testifying in child sexual abuse cases, preceding explicit questions about abuse allegations. Prosecutors failed to effectively administer key interview instructions, build rapport, or rely on open-ended narrative producing prompts during this early stage of questioning. Moreover, prosecutors often directed children's attention to the defendant early in the testimony. The productivity of different types of wh- questions varied, with what/how questions focusing on actions being particularly productive. The lack of instructions, poor quality rapport-building, and closed-ended questioning suggest that children may not be adequately prepared during trial to provide lengthy and reliable reports to their full ability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. "How Should I Know What Scientists Do?--I Am Just a Kid": Fourth-Grade Students' Conceptions of Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad S.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore elementary students' views of (NOS) to see how well they align with national reform recommendations (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996). Using an open-ended questionnaire coupled with one-on-one interviews of fourth-grade students conducted at the end of the school year, the researchers explored students' understandings…

  2. Social surveys in HIV/AIDS: telling or writing? A comparison of interview and postal methods.

    PubMed

    McEwan, R T; Harrington, B E; Bhopal, R S; Madhok, R; McCallum, A

    1992-06-01

    We compare a probability sample postal questionnaire survey and a quota controlled interview survey, and review the literature on these subjects. In contrast to other studies, where quota samples were not representative because of biased selection of respondents by interviewers, our quota sample was representative. Response rates were similar in our postal and interview surveys (74 and 77%, respectively), although many previous similar postal surveys had poor response rates. As in other comparison studies, costs were higher in our interview survey, substantive responses and the quality of responses to closed-ended questions were similar, and responses to open-ended questions were better in the interview survey. 'Socially unacceptable' responses on sexual behaviour were less likely in interviews. Quota controlled surveys are appropriate in surveys on HIV/AIDS under certain circumstances, e.g. where the population parameters are well known, and where interviewers can gain access to the entire population. Postal questionnaires are better for obtaining information on sexual behaviour, if adequate steps are taken to improve response rates, and when in-depth answers are not needed. For most surveys in the HIV/AIDS field we recommend the postal method.

  3. Which medical interview skills are associated with patients' verbal indications of undisclosed feelings of anxiety and depressive feelings?

    PubMed

    Goto, Michiko; Takemura, Yousuke C

    2016-01-01

    In medical practice, obtaining information regarding patients' undisclosed "feelings of anxiety" or "depressive feelings" is important. The purpose of this study was to determine which interview skills are best suited for eliciting verbal indications of undisclosed feelings, for example anxiety or depressive feelings in patients. Our group videotaped 159 medical interviews at an outpatient department of the Department of Family Medicine, Mie University Hospital (Mie, Japan). Physicians' medical interview skills were evaluated using a Medical Interview Evaluation System and Emotional Information Check Sheet for assessing indications of "feelings of anxiety" or "depressive feelings". We analyzed the relationship between the interview skills and patients' consequent emotional disclosure using generalized linear model (GLIM). The usage of interview skills such as "open-ended questions" "asking the patient's ideas about the meaning of illness" "reflection" and "legitimization" were positively associated with the number of anxiety disclosure, whereas "close-ended questions" and "focused question" were negatively associated. On the other hand, only "respect" was positively associated with the number of depressive disclosures, whereas "surveying question" was negatively associated. The results revealed that there are several interview skills that are effective in eliciting verbal indication of undisclosed "feelings of anxiety" or "depressive feelings".

  4. Patients' expectations of orthodontic treatment: part 1 - development of a questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Sayers, M S; Newton, J T

    2006-12-01

    The development of a questionnaire to measure patients' and their parents' expectations before orthodontic treatment, and to test the reliability and validity of this measure. A two-stage methodology, with open-ended interviews to identify themes and concepts followed by development and testing of the questionnaire. GKT Orthodontic Department, King's College Dental Hospital. The sample consisted of 140 participants, 70 patients aged 12-14 years, who had been referred to the orthodontic department for treatment. One parent of each patient was also recruited. The study was in two phases. In the first phase 30 participants (15 new patients and their 15 parents) participated in open-ended interviews, which were analysed qualitatively. Information from these interviews was used to construct a questionnaire. During the second phase, the questionnaire was piloted on 10 participants, five new consecutive patients and their parents. The questionnaire was then distributed to 174 subjects (87 new patients and their 87 parents). Seventy-eight subjects (39 new patients and their 39 parents) completed the questionnaire before their orthodontic consultation. Another 96 subjects (48 new patients and their 48 parents) were invited to complete the questionnaire prior to and at their orthodontic consultation. Test-retest analysis was conducted on 22 participants (11 patients and their 11 parents), who completed the questionnaire previous to and at their orthodontic consultation, and contributed to the psychometric validation of this questionnaire. A questionnaire was devized using the key themes and concepts identified in the open-ended interviews. As a result, 10 questions, some with sub-questions were constructed using a visual analogue scale as the response format. The questionnaire developed had good face validity. Internal consistency of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha, produced an overall inter-item reliability > 0.7 along with item-total correlations > 0.3 in over 50% of questions. Test-retest reliability was statistically significant using Spearman's correlation. This study provides a valid and reliable measure of orthodontic expectations in participants aged 12-14 years and their parents.

  5. Resilient Women Leaders: A Qualitative Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baldwin, Julia; Maldonado, Nancy L.; Lacey, Candace H.; Efinger, Joan

    2004-01-01

    This qualitative study investigated perceptions of resilient, transformational, successful women leaders regarding their own resiliency and leadership. The ten participants provided information during semi-structured, open-ended, audio taped interviews which were transcribed, hand coded, and then analyzed with QSR N6 software. Findings indicated…

  6. The Invisible Elves of the Inclusive School - Paraprofessionals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goessling, Deborah Peters

    This microethnographic study examined the perspectives of paraprofessionals assisting students with disabilities in inclusive educational settings. Extensive open-ended individual interviews were conducted with 10 educational technicians from 10 different schools in Maine. Demographic data on paraprofessionals in Maine were also analyzed. The…

  7. What Is Classroom Discussion? A Look at Teachers' Conceptions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Bruce E.; Parker, Walter C.

    1996-01-01

    Explores three social-studies teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion, focusing on discussion's defining characteristics and purpose and influences on usage. Data included interview and think-aloud responses and classroom observations. Teachers view discussion as recitation, teacher-directed conversation, open-ended exploration, a…

  8. Why Failing Terrorist Groups Persist: The Case of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    and Nigeria in the South). As an AQ franchise organization their goals now include attacking western interests within the Sahel.10 Lastly, AQIM...concerning NEA. 317 Official, interview concerning NEA. 318 Official, interview concerning NEA 76 open society and encouraged entrepreneurship as...focused on criminal entrepreneurship than the AQIM Islamist ideology.359 The Joint Staff does not see an end to AQIM without a significant change in

  9. Metacognition Difficulty of Students with Visual-Spatial Intelligence during Solving Open-Ended Problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rimbatmojo, S.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi, R.

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to find out students metacognition difficulty during solving open-ended problem in mathematics. It focuses on analysing the metacognition difficulty of students with visual-spatial intelligence in solving open-ended problem. A qualitative research with case study strategy is used in this study. Data in the form of visual-spatial intelligence test result and recorded interview during solving open-ended problems were analysed qualitatively. The results show that: (1) students with high visual-spatial intelligence have no difficulty on each metacognition aspects, (2) students with medium visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on knowledge aspect on strategy and cognitive tasks, (3) students with low visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on three metacognition aspects, namely knowledge on strategy, cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. Even though, several researches about metacognition process and metacognition literature recommended the steps to know the characteristics. It is still important to discuss that the difficulties of metacognitive is happened because of several factors, one of which on the characteristics of student’ visual-spatial intelligence. Therefore, it is really important for mathematics educators to consider and pay more attention toward students’ visual-spatial intelligence and metacognition difficulty in designing better mathematics learning.

  10. Making Our Way through: Voices of Hispanic Counselor Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lerma, Eunice; Zamarripa, Manuel X.; Oliver, Marvarine; Cavazos Vela, Javier

    2015-01-01

    Through 23 open-ended questionnaires and 8 individual interviews, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of Hispanic men and women (N = 23) who completed doctoral degrees in counselor education. Six themes were identified: family role models, educational support, parental expectations, ethnic identity, acculturation/cultural…

  11. SCOPIC Design and Overview

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barth, Danielle; Evans, Nicholas

    2017-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of the design and motivation for creating the Social Cognition Parallax Interview Corpus (SCOPIC), an open-ended, accessible corpus that balances the need for language-specific annotation with typologically-calibrated markup. SCOPIC provides richly annotated data, focusing on functional categories relevant to social…

  12. Future Teachers' Perceptions of Discipline.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Volkman, Beatrice K.; McMahon, Rebecca

    This study investigated preservice teachers' perceptions of discipline, using questionnaires and followup interviews to obtain insight into their views regarding guidance, discipline, and punishment, as well as influences contributing to the formation of these views. The questionnaire included five demographic items and five open-ended questions.…

  13. An exploration of students' perceptions and attitudes towards creativity in engineering education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waller, David R.

    This study used a mixed methods approach to develop a broad and deep understanding of students’ perceptions towards creativity in engineering education. Studies have shown that students’ attitudes can have an impact on their motivation to engage in creative behavior. Using an ex-post facto independent factorial design, attitudes of value towards creativity, time for creativity, and creativity stereotypes were measured and compared across gender, year of study, engineering discipline, preference for open-ended problem solving, and confidence in creative abilities. Participants were undergraduate engineering students at Queen’s University from all years of study. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was adopted to study students’ understandings and experiences with engineering creativity. Eleven students participated in oneon- one interviews that provided depth and insight into how students experience and define engineering creativity, and the survey included open-ended items developed using the 10 Maxims of Creativity in Education as a guiding framework. The findings from the survey suggested that students had high value for creativity, however students in fourth year or higher had less value than those in other years. Those with preference for open-ended problem solving and high confidence valued creative more than their counterparts. Students who preferred open-ended problem solving and students with high confidence reported that time was less of a hindrance to their creativity. Males identified more with creativity stereotypes than females, however overall they were both low. Open-ended survey and interview results indicated that students felt they experienced creativity in engineering design activities. Engineering creativity definitions had two elements: creative action and creative characteristic. Creative actions were associated with designing, and creative characteristics were predominantly associated with novelty. Other barriers that emerged from the qualitative analysis were lack of opportunity, lack of assessment, and discomfort with creativity. It was concluded that a universal definition is required to establish clear and aligned understandings of engineering creativity. Instructors may want to consider demonstrating value by assessing creativity and establishing clear criteria in design projects. It is recommended that students be given more opportunities for practice through design activities and that they be introduced to design and creative thinking concepts early in their engineering education.

  14. Applying ethnic equivalence and cultural values models to African-American teens' perceptions of parents.

    PubMed

    Lamborn, Susie D; Felbab, Amanda J

    2003-10-01

    This study evaluated both the parenting styles and family ecologies models with interview responses from 93 14- and 15-year-old African-American adolescents. The parenting styles model was more strongly represented in both open-ended and structured interview responses. Using variables from the structured interview as independent variables, regression analyses contrasted each model with a joint model for predicting self-esteem, self-reliance, work orientation, and ethnic identity. Overall, the findings suggest that a joint model that combines elements from both models provides a richer understanding of African-American families.

  15. Leveraging Effectual Means through Business Plan Competition Participation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Kayleigh; McGowan, Pauric; Smith, Paul

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores whether the business plan competition (BPC), as a classically causational mechanism for extracurricular entrepreneurship education, can facilitate the development of the means that underpin an effectual approach to new venture creation. In-depth, open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted with participants in a regional…

  16. Aesthetic Encounters and Learning in the Museum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, David Raymond

    2017-01-01

    This article discusses how museum settings can provide opportunities for sensory and aesthetic encounters and learning. It draws on research into museum education programmes that included examinations of curatorial construction and display, observations of teaching and open-ended interviews with museum educators. The examples selected here focus…

  17. Christian School Leaders and Spirituality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banke, Susan; Maldonado, Nancy; Lacey, Candace H.

    2012-01-01

    This phenomenological study examined the spiritual experiences of Christian school leaders who are the spiritual leaders of their schools. A purposeful, nominated sample of 12 Christian school leaders was selected. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, audio taped, and then transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was based on Rudestam and…

  18. Using Family Photographs to Explore Life Cycle Changes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerace, Laina M.

    1989-01-01

    The author introduced discussions about family photographs as a clinical technique with depressed clients. During therapy, clients were encouraged to discuss the photos in an open-ended manner. Methods and themes elicited by photo-interview are presented. Comments on the clinical application of phototherapy are included. (CH)

  19. A Study of Self-Directed Professionals of High Attainment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouchard, Paul

    The determinants of self-directed learning (SDL) among professionals of high attainment were examined through open-ended, semidirected interviews with a purposeful sample of eight professional men and women who have acquired identifiable, high-level professional knowledge/skills typically taught in postsecondary learning institutions without ever…

  20. Perceptions of Adult Males Who Participated in Counseling for Trauma: A Generic Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pullen, Annette M.

    2017-01-01

    This generic qualitative inquiry explored the perceptions of adult males regarding their counseling for trauma experiences. Through that exploration, literature was enhanced considering the information processing theory. Individual interviews of 10 men were conducted using semi-structured, open-ended questions. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis…

  1. English Language Community College Students in the Nursing Classroom: Exploring What Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulready-Shick, JoAnn; Parker, Tara L.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of students as English language learners in the nursing classroom. Employing interpretive phenomenological methodology, participants at an urban community college in the Northeast engaged in open-ended interviews that yielded new understandings of everyday concerns that impacted their academic…

  2. "I Just See All Children as Children": Teachers' Perceptions about Inclusion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leatherman, Jane M.

    2007-01-01

    This narrative study examined teachers' perceptions of their inclusive classrooms. Eight early childhood teachers responded to open-ended interview questions about their experiences teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom environment. The social constructivist view of teaching and learning is highlighted as the…

  3. Models of Mentoring in Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buell, Cindy

    2004-01-01

    This study examined faculty and student conceptualizations and distinctively communicative practices of mentoring in the academy. The study included three phases: (1) open-ended surveys conducted with faculty and students via e-mail, (2) focus groups conducted with faculty and students to elaborate on findings from the e-mail interviews, and (3)…

  4. Blending Buddhism, Shinto, and the Secular: Japanese Conceptualizations of the Divine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crane, Lauren Shapiro; Bruce, Jessica L.; Salmon, Ptamonie Y.; Eich, R. Tony; Brandewie, Erika N.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative interview study investigated Japanese understandings of spirituality, religion, and The Divine. Thirteen native Japanese living in central Ohio (6 male, 7 female) answered open-ended questions about spiritual or religious activities they engaged in, motivations for engaging in them, what constitutes sacredness, why humanity and…

  5. Ingenuity in Action: Connecting Tinkering to Engineering Design Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Jennifer; Werner-Avidon, Maia; Newton, Lisa; Randol, Scott; Smith, Brooke; Walker, Gretchen

    2013-01-01

    The Lawrence Hall of Science, a science center, seeks to replicate real-world engineering at the "Ingenuity in Action" exhibit, which consists of three open-ended challenges. These problems encourage children to engage in engineering design processes and problem-solving techniques through tinkering. We observed and interviewed 112…

  6. Lean in and Lift up: Female Superintendents Share Their Career Path Choices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelsey, Cheryl; Allen, Kathy; Coke, Kelly; Ballard, Glenda

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the research was to inform professional practice pertaining to the preparation of female administrators as future school superintendents. Twenty female superintendents in Texas were interviewed using a qualitative research approach. Strategies, career experiences and perception of barriers were identified using open-ended questions.…

  7. Internal Communication Study. 1974-75 Evaluation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin Independent School District, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation.

    This report attempts to identify some communication problem areas in the Austin Independent School District, based on an open-ended interview questionnaire and a network analysis. Guidelines based on a review of the literature are included for communicators at all levels of the organizational structure. Backup summaries of that review are also…

  8. Turkish Undergraduates' Misconceptions of Evaporation, Evaporation Rate, and Vapour Pressure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canpolat, Nurtac

    2006-01-01

    This study focused on students' misconceptions related to evaporation, evaporation rate, and vapour pressure. Open-ended diagnostic questions were used with 107 undergraduates in the Primary Science Teacher Training Department in a state university in Turkey. In addition, 14 students from that sample were interviewed to clarify their written…

  9. Procrastination Revisited: The Constructive Use of Delayed Response.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subotnik, Rena F.; And Others

    This study investigated patterns of procrastination in the domains of health, relationships, employment, and creative outlets in 19 former Westinghouse Science Talent Search winners, age 32 years. A model was synthesized from the available literature and an interview schedule of 14 open-ended items was developed to elicit self-assessments of…

  10. Turnover of Public School Superintendents in Arizona

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Joyce Ntsoaki

    2013-01-01

    This study used a descriptive qualitative design utilizing a phenomenological approach to determine and examine the reasons behind the voluntary or involuntary turnover of Arizona school superintendents. Open-ended questions were used to interview five superintendents who had left their districts between 2008 and 2013 about their perceptions on…

  11. Observing Children's Stress Behaviors in a Kindergarten Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Lori A.

    2009-01-01

    This study used qualitative methods to determine whether kindergarten children exhibited stress behaviors during the academic work period of the day. Sixteen children (8 male, 8 female) ages 5-6 years were observed. The data consisted of classroom observations by the researcher, open-ended interviews with teachers, artifacts collected from the…

  12. Bringing Everyone to the Table to Eradicate School Discipline Disparities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Allison; Mediratta, Kavitha

    2015-01-01

    The Atlantic Philanthropies funded the work of the Positive and Safe Schools Advancing Greater Equity (PASSAGE) initiative, which is a unique approach to ending discipline disparities focused on partnerships between districts and community organizations. Open Society Foundations is considering funding similar work. For this interview, "Voices…

  13. Siblings of Childhood Cancer Survivors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gogan, Janis L.

    This paper reports on a long term follow up study of siblings of childhood cancer survivors. Seventy siblings of childhood cancer survivors in 37 families were interviewed using a semi-structured format which included both forced choice and open ended questions. The children discussed their memories of the sibling's cancer diagnosis and treatment…

  14. Christian School Leaders and Spirituality: A Phenomenological Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banke, Susan; Maldonado, Nancy; Lacey, Candace H.

    2011-01-01

    This phenomenological study examined the spiritual experiences of Christian school leaders who are the spiritual leaders of their schools. A purposeful, nominated sample of 12 Christian school leaders was selected. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted, audio taped, and then transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was based on Rudestam and…

  15. Students' Understanding of Cloud and Rainbow Formation and Teachers' Awareness of Students' Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malleus, Elina; Kikas, Eve; Kruus, Sigrid

    2016-01-01

    This study describes primary school students' knowledge about rainfall, clouds and rainbow formation together with teachers' predictions about students' performance. In our study, primary school students' (N = 177) knowledge about rainfall and rainbow formation was examined using structured interviews with open-ended questions. Primary school…

  16. Being Outside Learning about Science Is Amazing: A Mixed Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weibel, Michelle L.

    2011-01-01

    This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to examine teachers' environmental attitudes and concerns about an outdoor educational field trip. Converging both quantitative data (Environmental Attitudes Scale and teacher demographics) and qualitative data (Open-Ended Statements of Concern and interviews) facilitated interpretation.…

  17. Teacher Perceptions of Principals' Leadership Qualities: A Mixed Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hauserman, Cal P.; Ivankova, Nataliya V.; Stick, Sheldon L.

    2013-01-01

    This mixed methods sequential explanatory study utilized the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire, responses to open-ended questions, and in-depth interviews to identify transformational leadership qualities that were present among principals in Alberta, Canada. The first quantitative phase consisted of a random sample of 135 schools (with…

  18. Views on Values Education: From Teacher Candidates to Experienced Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iscan, Canay Demirhan

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to identify the views of experienced class teachers and class teacher candidates on values education. It conducted standard open-ended interviews with experienced class teachers and teacher candidates. The study group comprised 9 experienced class teachers from different socio-economic levels and 9 teacher candidates with…

  19. The Elders of the Kibbutz

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutmann, David; Shkolnik, Tamar

    2007-01-01

    In order to test the hypothesis that retirement would be particularly stressful for this highly motivated cohort, forty retired members of Israeli kibbutzim (22 men, 18 women) were interviewed in an open-ended fashion, concerning their early history, their decision to join the kibbutz, their working life, and their post-retirement adaptation.…

  20. Introducing dyadic interviews as a method for collecting qualitative data.

    PubMed

    Morgan, David L; Ataie, Jutta; Carder, Paula; Hoffman, Kim

    2013-09-01

    In dyadic interviews, two participants interact in response to open-ended research questions. There are few precedents for using dyadic interviews as a technique for qualitative research. We introduce this method largely in comparison to focus groups, because both represent forms of interactive interviewing. We do not, however, view dyadic interviews as miniature focus groups, and treat them as generating their own opportunities and issues. To illustrate the nature of dyadic interviewing, we present summaries of three studies using this method. In the first study, we used dyadic interviews and photovoice techniques to examine experiences of people with early-stage dementia. In the second study, we explored the experiences of staff who provided services to elderly housing residents. In the third study, we examined barriers and facilitators to substance abuse treatment among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hawaii. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research using dyadic interviews.

  1. Role of food and nutrition in the health perceptions of young children.

    PubMed

    Singleton, J C; Achterberg, C L; Shannon, B M

    1992-01-01

    Sixty healthy children, 4 to 7 years of age, were interviewed to evaluate their health perceptions in general and to determine the degree to which they included food and eating behavior in their perceptions. Individual interviews with children incorporated both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Concept maps were used to analyze interview transcripts. The pretest/posttest experimental design randomly assigned children to experimental and control groups. Children in the experimental group completed a 4-week, home-based, nutrition education program to determine the feasibility of changing children's health perceptions with an educational intervention. Pretest and posttest health perception scores were compared by analysis of covariance. Results indicated that children perceived nutrition as a meaningful concept in relation to their health perceptions at pretest, but that after program participation, children significantly increased their perception that health and nutrition were related concepts. Our findings indicate that young children are cognitively ready to learn more about food, nutrition, and health than previously thought, but closed-ended questions may not be sensitive enough to evaluate their learning at this age.

  2. Teachers' tendencies to promote student-led science projects: Associations with their views about science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bencze, J. Lawrence; Bowen, G. Michael; Alsop, Steve

    2006-05-01

    School science students can benefit greatly from participation in student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects. For various possible reasons, however, students tend not to be engaged in such inquiries. Among factors that may limit their opportunities to engage in open-ended inquiries of their design are teachers' conceptions about science. To explore possible relationships between teachers' conceptions about science and the types of inquiry activities in which they engage students, instrumental case studies of five secondary science teachers were developed, using field notes, repertory grids, samples of lesson plans and student activities, and semistructured interviews. Based on constructivist grounded theory analysis, participating teachers' tendencies to promote student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects seemed to correspond with positions about the nature of science to which they indicated adherence. A tendency to encourage and enable students to carry out student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects appeared to be associated with adherence to social constructivist views about science. Teachers who opposed social constructivist views tended to prefer tight control of student knowledge building procedures and conclusions. We suggest that these results can be explained with reference to human psychological factors, including those associated with teachers' self-esteem and their relationships with knowledge-building processes in the discipline of their teaching.

  3. Process-orientated psychoanalytic work in initial interviews and the importance of the opening scene.

    PubMed

    Wegner, Peter

    2014-06-01

    From the very first moment of the initial interview to the end of a long course of psychoanalysis, the unconscious exchange between analysand and analyst, and the analysis of the relationship between transference and countertransference, are at the heart of psychoanalytic work. Drawing on initial interviews with a psychosomatically and depressively ill student, a psychoanalytic understanding of initial encounters is worked out. The opening scene of the first interview already condenses the central psychopathology - a clinging to the primary object because it was never securely experienced as present by the patient. The author outlines the development of some psychoanalytic theories concerning the initial interview and demonstrates their specific importance as background knowledge for the clinical situation in the following domains: the 'diagnostic position', the 'therapeutic position', the 'opening scene', the 'countertransference' and the 'analyst's free-floating introspectiveness'. More recent investigations refer to 'process qualities' of the analytic relationship, such as 'synchronization' and 'self-efficacy'. The latter seeks to describe after how much time between the interview sessions constructive or destructive inner processes gain ground in the patient and what significance this may have for the decision about the treatment that follows. All these factors combined can lead to establishing a differential process-orientated indication that also takes account of the fact that being confronted with the fear of unconscious processes of exchange is specific to the psychoanalytic profession. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

  4. Chinese Students' Perceptions of Native English-Speaking Teachers in EFL Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rao, Zhenhui

    2010-01-01

    The article reports the views of 20 Chinese English as a foreign Language (EFL) students on the strengths and weaknesses of native English-speaking (NES) teachers in EFL teaching. Responding to an open-ended questionnaire and in-depth interviews, EFL students named the following as NES teachers' strengths: native language authenticity, cultural…

  5. "I Like Others to Not Try to Fix Me": Agency, Independence, and Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rossetti, Zachary; Ashby, Christine; Arndt, Katrina; Chadwick, Marilyn; Kasahara, Maho

    2008-01-01

    This article is based on an interpretevist, qualitative research project conducted with individuals labeled with "autism" who type to communicate. Researchers engaged in participant observation and conducted open-ended interviews with 9 participants who were working to develop independent typing skills. Three findings emerged from this research.…

  6. Revisiting Narrative Elaboration Training with an Ecologically Relevant Event

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Carole; Warren, Kelly L.; Hayes, Ashli H.

    2013-01-01

    A problematic issue for forensic interviewers is that young children provide limited information in response to open-ended recall questions. Although quantity of information is greater if children are asked more focused prompts and closed question types such as yes/no or forced choice questions, the quality of their responses is potentially…

  7. Professional "Development" and Professional "Learning": Bridging the Gap for Experienced Physical Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armour, Kathleen M.; Yelling, Martin

    2004-01-01

    This article analyses the career-long continuing professional development (CPD) of 85 experienced physical education (PE) teachers in England. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (20 teachers) and open-ended profile questionnaires (a further 65 teachers) to find out what forms of professional development these teachers had…

  8. Toward Authentic IEPs and Transition Plans: Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavendish, Wendy; Connor, David

    2018-01-01

    This mixed-methods study examined perspectives on factors that influence meaningful student and parent involvement in Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition planning. Survey data and open-ended qualitative interviews with urban high school students with a learning disability (LD; n = 16), their parents (n = 9), and their teachers (n =…

  9. Juvenile Offenders: Developing Motivation, Engagement, and Meaning-Making through Video Game Creation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruggiero, Dana; Garcia de Hurtado, Belen; Watson, William R.

    2013-01-01

    In this study, the authors examined juvenile offender experiences in Project Tech, a research-based educational pilot program to teach socially responsible serious game development at a major Midwest university's Games Lab. Using open-ended interviews, learner feedback surveys, and learner journaling during the program, the researchers examined…

  10. Devil in the Details: Making Sensible Modifications to No Child Left Behind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritter, Gary W.; Lucas, Christopher J.

    2006-01-01

    Achieving full compliance with the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation poses major challenges for most of the nation's states. Structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with ranking representatives from a number of so-called high-readiness states: California, Florida, New York, South Carolina,…

  11. Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Understanding of the Base Concept

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horzum, Tugba; Ertekin, Erhan

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to analyze what kind of conceptions prospective mathematics teachers (PMTs) have about the base concept (BC). One-hundred and thirty-nine PMTs participated in the study. In this qualitative research, data were obtained through open-ended questions, the semi-structured interviews and pictures of geometric figures drawn…

  12. Ethical Leadership in Canadian School Organizations: Tensions and Possibilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langlois, Lyse; Lapointe, Claire

    2007-01-01

    This study, which was sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, was conducted in French-language minority schools in seven Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Using an open-ended interview guide, 47 principals were asked about the…

  13. The Effects of Verbal Labels and Vocabulary Skill on Memory and Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kulkofsky, Sarah

    2010-01-01

    The current study investigated the effectiveness of the verbal labels procedure (D. A. Brown & M. E. Pipe, 2003) to improve preschool children's responses to direct open-ended and misleading questions. Additionally, children's vocabulary skill was considered. Eighty-seven preschool children from diverse backgrounds were interviewed about a unique…

  14. Des Diplomes Algeriens Partlent de la Formation Universitair.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boubekeur, Farid

    1999-01-01

    This evaluation of higher education in Algeria was performed by means of open-ended interviews with eight graduates of the University of Constantine. From the beginning of the 1980s, it was found that all disciplines, including Economics, Law, Library Science, and Psychology, showed failures in academic training. A change of direction towards…

  15. An Ethnographic Case Study of the Administrative Organization, Processes, and Behavior in a Model Comprehensive High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimman, Richard N.

    Using ethnographic case study methodology (involving open-ended interviews, participant observation, and document analysis) theories of administrative organization, processes, and behavior were tested during a three-week observation of a model comprehensive (experimental) high school. Although the study is limited in its general application, it…

  16. Academic Marginalism in Western Balkans: The Case of Croatia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brajkovic, Lucia

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study relies on document analysis and in-depth, open-ended interviews with university leaders and government officials in a post-socialist and a recent European Union entrant country, Croatia. The study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the Croatian academic sector, as well as to unpack the top academic officials'…

  17. Barriers to Caregiver Compliance with Eating and Drinking Recommendations for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Dysphagia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chadwick, Darren D.; Jolliffe, Jane; Goldbart, Juliet; Burton, Mark H.

    2006-01-01

    Background: There is scant research on the subject of dysphagia and people with intellectual disabilities. This study explores the barriers which caregivers believe make following Speech and Language Therapists' (SLTs) dysphagia management strategies more difficult. Method: Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with 46 caregivers…

  18. Mothers' and Fathers' Perceptions of Mutuality in Middle Childhood: The Domain of Intimacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliphant, Amy E.; Kuczynski, Leon

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated parents' experiences of closeness in their interactions with their children in middle childhood. Structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with mothers and fathers from 23 families (46 participants) with children aged between 7 and 11 years (M = 9.2 years). Qualitative analyses indicated that parents' experiences of…

  19. Policy Compliance of Smokers on a Tobacco-Free University Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russette, Helen C.; Harris, Kari Jo; Schuldberg, David; Green, Linda

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: To explore factors influencing compliance with campus tobacco policies and strategies to increase compliance. Participants: Sixty tobacco smokers (April 2012). Methods: A 22-item intercept-interview with closed-and open-ended questions was conducted with smokers in adjacent compliant and noncompliant areas at 1 university with a 100%…

  20. Infusing Gender and Diversity Issues into Educational Leadership Programs: Transformational Learning and Resistance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Michelle; Mountford, Meredith; Skrla, Linda

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to consider the impact of incorporating a set of readings focused on issues of gender, diversity, leadership, and feminist thought into the curriculum of a statewide educational leadership doctoral program. Design/methodology/approach: Based data from open-ended surveys, semi-structured interviews, and…

  1. Developing Turkish Preservice Preschool Teachers' Attitudes and Understanding about Teaching Science through Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bulunuz, Mizrap

    2012-01-01

    This research studied the development of preservice teachers' understandings and attitudes about teaching science through playful experiences. Subjects were 94 senior preservice teachers in two sections of a science methods class on teaching preschool children. Data sources were semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaire at the…

  2. Natural Mentors and Youth Drinking: A Qualitative Study of Mexican Youths

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strunin, Lee; Díaz-Martínez, Alejandro; Díaz-Martínez, L. Rosa; Kuranz, Seth; Hernández-Ávila, Carlos A.; Pantridge, Caroline E.; Fernández-Varela, Héctor

    2015-01-01

    Parental influences on youth drinking are well documented but not the influence of extended family members. This article explores extended family influences on alcohol use among Mexican youths and whether extended family members can be considered natural mentors. We conducted a qualitative study using ethnographic open ended interviews with 117…

  3. The Researcher's Journey: Scholarly Navigation of an Academic Library Web Site

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCann, Steve; Ravas, Tammy; Zoellner, Kate

    2010-01-01

    A qualitative study of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library's Web site identified the ways in which students and faculty of the University of Montana used the site for research purposes. This study employed open-ended interview questions and observations to spontaneously capture a user's experience in researching topics in which they…

  4. An Examination of Authentic Leadership Traits and Their Relation to Student Achievement Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Robin C.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative, single case study was to examine principal perceptions of their own leadership traits which may impact student achievement. Principals in one Florida district were invited to participate in an open ended interview, providing their own perceptions of their personal leadership behaviors. By examining the data…

  5. Ethnic Identity and Academic Achievement among Latino/a Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estela Zarate, Maria; Bhimji, Fazila; Reese, Leslie

    2005-01-01

    This study examines Latino/a adolescents' ethnic identities and academic achievement. In open-ended interviews, the high school aged youth employed cultural and nationality explanations for their ethnic label choices. In many cases, they did not commit to a specific label, employing instead language that indexed their fluid, border identities.…

  6. Using Multiple Representations to Promote Grade 11 Students' Scientific Understanding of the Particle Theory of Matter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adadan, Emine

    2013-01-01

    This study explored two groups of Grade 11 (age 16-17) students' conceptual understandings about aspects of particle theory before, immediately after, and 3 months after instruction with multiple representations (IMR) and instruction with verbal representations (IVR). Data sources included open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and student…

  7. Purposes and Effects of Lying.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hample, Dale

    Three exploratory studies were aimed at describing the purposes of lies and the consequences of lying. Data were collected through a partly open-ended questionnaire, a content analysis of several tape-recorded interviews, and a large-scale survey. The results showed that two of every three lies were told for selfish reasons, while three of every…

  8. Ethical Learning and the University: Listening to the Voices of Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maldonado, Nancy; Lacey, Candace H.; Thompson, Steve D.

    2007-01-01

    This qualitative study investigated perceptions of contemporary leaders regarding moral and ethical learning and the role of higher education. There were three steps in the data collection procedures: a survey of graduate students, open-ended interviews with the selected leaders, and document content analysis. Participants were asked whether they…

  9. Learning Qualitative Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerhart, Lael

    2009-01-01

    In this article I explore through a narrative how I came to do a research project in East New York. I show how first contact was established, how local contacts were made, and how trust between my research participants and me was created. I then explore how the research topic evolved through informal conversations, open-ended interviews, and…

  10. Teaching Kindergartners Racial Diversity through Multicultural Literature: A Case Study in a Kindergarten Classroom in Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, So Jung; Wee, Su-Jeong; Lee, Young Mi

    2016-01-01

    Research Findings: This qualitative case study examines Korean kindergartners' literary discussions about racial/cultural diversity during a whole-group read-aloud. Using multiple sources of data, including observations, open-ended interviews, and written materials and children's artifacts, this study found that (a) the children exhibited a biased…

  11. Turkish Prospective Chemistry Teachers' Alternative Conceptions about Acids and Bases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boz, Yezdan

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain prospective chemistry teachers' conceptions about acids and bases concepts. Thirty-eight prospective chemistry teachers were the participants. Data were collected by means of an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Analysis of data indicated that most prospective teachers did not have…

  12. Employer Occupational Needs Assessment, Elko, Nevada, Spring, 1991. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferry, Cliff

    In spring 1991, a survey was conducted by Northern Nevada Community College (NNCC) to determine the vocational education needs of local employers. Ninety-one employers were interviewed at their worksites using a modified open-ended question approach. Survey findings included the following: (1) employers most frequently used newspapers to obtain…

  13. Using Web 2.0 to Design Meaningful Language Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feng, Jiuguang; Wang, Wei

    2012-01-01

    This article reports on an exploratory study that examines how social networks can be used in foreign language teaching and learning. Qualitative data including interviews, online observations, and students' responses to open-ended survey questions was collected. The data suggests that there are both advantages and challenges associated with using…

  14. Classroom to Communities of Practice: Benefits for English Learners and Teacher Candidates through Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regalla, Michele; Davies, Alex; Grissom, Donita; Losavio, Antonio

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates a service-learning program for university students seeking teacher certification examined through the lens of sociocultural theory. Data was collected from teacher candidates (TCs) in the form of surveys and an open-ended writing assignment. Administrators from the partner schools were also interviewed to provide their…

  15. Reflective Voices: Understanding University Students' Experiences of Urban High School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lackman, Jeremy; Chepyator-Thomson, Jepkorir

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand first-year college students' reflections on past physical education (PE) experiences in urban high school settings. Method: Data collection included semi-structured, open-ended, qualitative interviews. Constant comparison method was used for data analysis. Results: Several findings emerged: (a)…

  16. Ethics Training and Workplace Ethical Decisions of MBA Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romious, Tamar S.; Thompson, Randall; Thompson, Elizabeth

    2016-01-01

    We recruited 15 MBA professionals in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area to explore experiences and perceptions of classroom ethics training and ethical experiences in the workplace. Telephone interviews were conducted using open-ended questions to collect data that were uploaded to NVivo 10 for qualitative analysis. As a result of the data…

  17. "I'm Just Kind of Winging It": Preparing and Supporting Educators of Adult Refugee Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, Kristen H.; Hart, Susan J.

    2012-01-01

    In this qualitative case study, we explore local adult educators' preparation to teach refugees, along with their professional development needs. This analysis focuses on 10 tutors and instructors in a midsize Southeastern city. Data collection involved an open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and observations; analysis involved…

  18. Benefits of Job Clubs for Executive Job Seekers: A Tale of Hares and Tortoises

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kondo, Christopher T.

    2009-01-01

    This qualitative research study compares the experiences of 2 groups of executive job seekers--job club members and nonmembers--through thematic analysis of open-ended interviews. The findings indicated that job club members benefited from group learning, increased accountability, networking opportunities, emotional support, helping other members,…

  19. Knowledge Ecologies in Fragile Online Learning Environments. Research: Information and Communication Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henning, Elizabeth; Van der Westhuizen, Duan; Diseko, Rabaitse

    2005-01-01

    This article gives an account of an inquiry into two different postgraduate student groups' ways of engaging with a virtual learning environment. Using a variety of data sources, including learning artefacts, interview data, open-ended qualitative questionnaires and online discussion postings, the inquiry captured processes of engagement of the…

  20. Investigating Principals' Knowledge and Perceptions of Second Language Programs for English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padron, Yolanda N.; Waxman, Hersh C.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined principals' knowledge and perceptions of second language programs for English language learners (ELLs) operating in their schools. An open-ended survey and in-depth interviews were used to examine elementary school principals' knowledge of the second language programs implemented at their schools. The survey asked principals…

  1. Formal and Informal Networks of Successful Female Superintendents in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, April

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the networking and mentoring practices of female superintendents in California. Through a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data was collected from a survey using electronic questionnaires, and qualitative data was collected from open-ended questions on the survey and interviews. The survey response rate was 50%. Of the…

  2. Five Mexican-American Women in Transition: A Case Study of Migrants in the Midwest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindborg, Kristina; Ovando, Carlos J.

    Focusing on four Mexican American women from migrant farmworker backgrounds and one woman recently immigrated from Mexico, the study explored the attitudes and experiences of the Mexican American culture considered important by Mexican American migrant women themselves. Extensive open-ended interviews, conducted mostly in the women's homes, were…

  3. Struggling with Involuntary Expressive Behaviours: Chinese Doctors' Professional Learning in Working Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Songge

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to explore what Chinese doctors have learned in authentic medical practice, what they want to learn, and the dynamics behind their professional learning in working contexts. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses Narrative Inquiry, qualitative data which were collected by open-ended face-to-face interviews and…

  4. "Stronger in Their Presence": Being and Becoming a Teacher of Color.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toppin, Reeda; Levine, Linda

    This paper is based on open-ended group interviews with 11 graduate students of color who had tried and rejected other occupations (such as journalism, marketing, nutrition, social work, youth counseling, secretarial work, waitressing, fashion merchandising, theater, medical claims examiner, and public relations) for teaching. The study examined:…

  5. Patient perceptions of a remote monitoring intervention for chronic disease management.

    PubMed

    Wakefield, Bonnie J; Holman, John E; Ray, Annette; Scherubel, Melody

    2011-04-01

    Use of telecommunications technology to provide remote monitoring for people with chronic disease is becoming increasingly accepted as a means to improve patient outcomes and reduce resource use. The purpose of this project was to evaluate patient perceptions of a nurse-managed remote monitoring intervention to improve outcomes in veterans with comorbid diabetes and hypertension. Postintervention evaluation data were collected using a 12-item questionnaire and an open-ended question. Participants rated the program as generally positive on the questionnaire, but responses to the open-ended question revealed criticisms and suggestions for improvement not captured on the questionnaire. Interviewing participants in these programs may offer richer data for identifying areas for program improvement. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  6. The Replacement Child: Substitution of a Lost Family Member.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denton, Roy T.; Green, Donald

    Patterns of successful and unsuccessful resolution of grief over death of a child were studied in 25 families who had lost children across an 11-year-span. The families varied considerably in age, income, education, and parental occupation. Data were gathered by means of an intensive, open-ended interview schedule. The research focused on two…

  7. School Choice in a Stratified Geography: Class, Geography, Otherness, and Moral Boundaries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gabay-Egozi, Limor

    2016-01-01

    Using open-ended, semi-structured interviews, this study pulls together insights on social class and geography to explore how parents choose schools differently for their children in a unique Israeli setting. Querying parents' feelings and perceptions about themselves and others in their immediate and distant locality offers an opportunity to…

  8. Development and Coherence of Beliefs Regarding Disease Causality and Prevention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sigelman, Carol K.

    2014-01-01

    Guided by a naïve theories perspective on the development of thinking about disease, this study of 188 children aged 6 to 18 examined knowledge of HIV/AIDS causality and prevention using parallel measures derived from open-ended and structured interviews. Knowledge of both risk factors and prevention rules, as well as conceptual understanding of…

  9. The Transmission of Values and the Transition into Adulthood within the Context of Home Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoelzle, Braden Ryan

    2013-01-01

    The current study explored the transmission of values and beliefs and the transition into adulthood within the context of home education through semi-structured open-ended interviews with four formerly home-educated young adults. The interviewees described their relationship with their parents as strong both now and while homeschooling but the…

  10. What Do the Prospective Science Teachers Know about the Human Eye?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin, Çigdem

    2014-01-01

    In this study, the views of the Prospective Science Teacher (PST)s about the human eye were examined. The following data collection tools were used: the Word Association Test (WAT), open ended questions, drawing technique, two tiered question item and an interview about concepts. The data of the study whose sample consisted of 34 PSTs were…

  11. Experiences and Expectations of Adolescents with Disabilities Who Live in Group Homes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilcox, Dorcas L.

    2016-01-01

    The goal of this study was to investigate the experiences of adolescents with disabilities who have lived in group homes, and their expectations for their future. For that purpose, a qualitative design utilizing a phenomenological approach was used in this study. A purposeful sample of eight participants was interviewed using open-ended questions.…

  12. Pre-Service Music Teachers' Opinions about the Significance of Choir Lesson

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Özçimen, Aycan

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to determine pre-service music teachers' opinions about the significance of the choir lesson. This is a qualitative research. The data were acquired with the participation of 54 pre-service teachers. An open-ended interview questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were processed using content analysis and classified in…

  13. Alternative Views of the Solar System among Turkish Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cin, Mustafa

    2007-01-01

    This study examines middle-school students' alternative frameworks of the earth's shape, its relative size and its distance from the sun and the moon. The sample was selected in the province of Giresun in Turkey. Sixty-five 14-year-old students participated in the research. A structured interview consisting of open-ended questions was employed to…

  14. Intentionally Designed Thinking and Experience Spaces: What We Learned at Summer Camp

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dahl, Tove I.; Sethre-Hofstad, Lisa; Salomon, Gavriel

    2013-01-01

    How do young people experience camp, and how might that experience help us expand our understanding of what is possible in non-formal learning environments? In-depth interviews consisting of forced-choice and open-ended questions were conducted with 59 Concordia Language Villages residential camp participants who partake in a linguistically and…

  15. Development of a Three-Tier Test to Assess Misconceptions about Simple Electric Circuits

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pesman, Haki; Eryilmaz, Ali

    2010-01-01

    The authors aimed to propose a valid and reliable diagnostic instrument by developing a three-tier test on simple electric circuits. Based on findings from the interviews, open-ended questions, and the related literature, the test was developed and administered to 124 high school students. In addition to some qualitative techniques for…

  16. Perspectives of Parent-Child Interaction in Filipino Mothers of Very Young Children with and without Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos, Rosa Milagros; McCollum, Jeanette A.

    2007-01-01

    This study was designed to expand understandings about Filipino mothers' daily interactions with their infants and toddlers with and without disabilities. Qualitative procedures were used to analyze transcripts from structured, open-ended interviews with mothers of 10- to 26-month-old children. Three themes were used to characterize and compare…

  17. Influence of Acculturation on Parents' Readings of and Expectations for Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Meredith; Cutner-Smith, Matthew D.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of acculturation on parents' readings of and expectations for physical education. Method: Participants were 39 parents of pupils enrolled at one public middle school. Data were collected with an open-ended questionnaire and follow-up formal interviews. They were analyzed using…

  18. Determining External and Internal Demotivating Factors among Young Learners at Pozanti Regional Primary Boarding School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erdogan, Esra; Tunaz, Mehmet

    2012-01-01

    This paper takes a brief look at external and internal demotivating factors among EFL young learners at Pozanti Regional Primary Boarding School (YIBO). In the search of the reasons of demotivation, a questionnaire consisting of 5-point Likert Scale, open-ended questions, observations and interviews were administered. Following the evaluation of…

  19. Your Case Will Now Be Heard: Sign Language Interpreters as Problematic Accommodations in Legal Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brunson, Jeremy L.

    2008-01-01

    This paper uses data from open-ended, videotaped interviews with 12 deaf people to examine their experiences negotiating access during interactions with legal authorities. In every case, these deaf persons preferred an accommodation that involved the use of an American Sign Language interpreter, and in every case, these accommodations were…

  20. Indigenous Crisis Counseling in Taiwan: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study of an Expert Therapist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuo, Ben C. H.; Hsu, Wei-Su; Lai, Nien-Hwa

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we adopted a single qualitative case study method to explore and examine indigenous approaches to crisis counseling in Taiwan, through the distinct lens of an expert Taiwanese counseling psychologist. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted with the psychologist (as the case) to document her lived clinical experiences…

  1. Designing and Piloting a Leadership Daily Practice Log: Using Logs to Study the Practice of Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spillane, James P.; Zuberi, Anita

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: This article aims to validate the Leadership Daily Practice (LDP) log, an instrument for conducting research on leadership in schools. Research Design: Using a combination of data sources--namely, a daily practice log, observations, and open-ended cognitive interviews--the authors evaluate the validity of the LDP log. Participants: Formal…

  2. Thai University Students' Prior Knowledge about P-Waves Generated during Particle Motion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rakkapao, Suttida; Arayathanikul, Kwan; Pananont, Passakorn

    2009-01-01

    The goal of this study is to identify Thai students' prior knowledge about particle motion when P-waves arrive. This existing idea significantly influences what and how students learn in the classroom. The data were collected via conceptual open-ended questions designed by the researchers and through explanatory follow-up interviews. Participants…

  3. Factors Contributing to Academic Success and Persistence in Female, Lower Socioeconomic College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huffman, Martisia Denise

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative research study looked at 13 students who because of their backgrounds and/or family environments were considered to be high risk of educational failure, but against the odds completed a 4-year degree with honors. Analysis of the open-ended interview protocol produced 5 emergent themes: (a) self-described individual attributes that…

  4. Quality of Life as a Social Representation in China: A Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Li

    2006-01-01

    This study explores the meaning of quality of life (QOL) in China from the perspective of social representations. The data were collected by open-ended individual interviews with 16 ordinary Chinese people. The study shows that social thinking about QOL in Chinese society is activated in five critical domains of life: health, family, work, social…

  5. A Qualitative Exploration of College Student Retention: Personal Experiences of Millennial Freshmen

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Kristen

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to discover personal reasons Millennial college freshmen, between the ages of 18-20, stated as obstacles to college retention. Fourteen students from a private college in the Midwest were selected to participate in an interview process. These students were asked a series of open-ended questions…

  6. Rewards and Costs in Adolescent Other-Sex Friendships: Comparisons to Same-Sex Friendships and Romantic Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hand, Laura Shaffer; Furman, Wyndol

    2009-01-01

    This study used a social exchange framework to examine the features of non-romantic other-sex (OS) friendships compared with same-sex (SS) friendships and romantic relationships. High school seniors (N = 141) completed open-ended interviews about the benefits and costs of having OS friendships, SS friendships, and romantic relationships in…

  7. What It Takes to Stick It out: Two Veteran Inner-City Teachers after 25 Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Rosetta Marantz

    2009-01-01

    This study considers the lives of two veteran, urban high school teachers who have persisted in the profession over several decades, and who demonstrate an investment and enthusiasm for the work that is unusual among teachers in "difficult" schools. Through ethnographic, open-ended interviews and observations, the study seeks to identify those…

  8. Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns and Solutions to Overcome Them (the Case of Pamukkale University)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cevher-Kalburan, Nilgün

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine early childhood pre-service teachers' concerns and solutions. One hundred early childhood pre-service teachers who were enrolled at Pamukkale University, Turkey, answered two open-ended questions by e-mail. In addition, six of these participants were interviewed for developing a deeper…

  9. A Qualitative Study of Information Technology Managers' Experiences and Perceptions Regarding Outsourced Data Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reid, Eric Justin

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of IT Managers in publicly traded companies within the San Antonio, Texas area about outsourced data centers. Narrative data was collected using open-ended questions and face-to-face interviews within semi-structured environments. The research questions guided the study: (1)…

  10. "Respect the Way I Need to Communicate with You": Healthcare Experiences of Adults on the Autism Spectrum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicolaidis, Christina; Raymaker, Dora M.; Ashkenazy, Elesia; McDonald, Katherine E.; Dern, Sebastian; Baggs, Amelia E. V.; Kapp, Steven K.; Weiner, Michael; Boisclair, W. Cody

    2015-01-01

    Our objective was to obtain an in-depth understanding of autistic adults' experiences with healthcare and their recommendations for improving care. Our academic-community partnership used a community-based participatory research approach to conduct semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 39 autistic adults and 16 people who had experience…

  11. Turkish Version of Students' Ideas about Nature of Science Questionnaire: A Validation Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cansiz, Mustafa; Cansiz, Nurcan; Tas, Yasemin; Yerdelen, Sundus

    2017-01-01

    Mass assessment of large samples' nature of science views has been one of the core concerns in science education research. Due to impracticality of using open-ended questionnaires or conducting interviews with large groups, another line of research has been required for mass assessment of pupils' nature of science conception meaningfully.…

  12. Issues Arising from the Use of University Ilectures: A Case Study of One Australian Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobinson, Toni J.; Bogachenko, Tatiana

    2018-01-01

    Australian universities have moved towards greater reliance on technology as a learning tool. The use of podcasts or recorded lectures (sometimes called ilectures) is now common practice in both on-campus and online modes. Using a qualitative approach to data collection which included recorded interviews, an online survey of open-ended questions…

  13. Motivation and Career-Development Training Programs: Use of Regulatory Focus to Determine Program Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anthony, Peter J.; Weide, Jeffrey

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to focus on the relationship between career-development training programs and the motivation of employees. The study used a qualitative method and a phenomenological design using semistructured interviews conducted with a script of open-ended questions. Two main components of the research design were the modified van…

  14. Older Women: The Meaning of Involvement in Support Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenberg, Reva M.

    With the increased longevity American women experience, it is important to begin to define the strengths and resources women bring to old age. Late parental, married women with a mean age of 58 (N=75) completed an interview questionnaire which included open- and closed-ended and scale items. Data analysis developed four life-style orientations…

  15. The Well at the Bottom of the World: Positionality and New Zealand [Aotearoa] Adolescents' Conceptions of Historical Significance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levstik, Linda S.

    A study investigated early adolescent Maori, Pacific Islander, and European New Zealanders' understanding of significance in New Zealand (Aotearoa) history through open-ended interviews with 49 11-13-year-old students. Participants understood history to have a dual purpose. First, history linked them to various national, racial, and ethnic…

  16. The Problems of the Beginning Teacher in the Arab Schools in Israel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toren, Zehava; Iliyan, Salman

    2008-01-01

    This article focuses on the problems of beginning teachers in the Arab sector in Israel. The participants were 146 beginning teachers, 5 mentors, and 5 advisors. The research measurements included an open-ended question and a semi-structured interview. Our research revealed many different cultural aspects related to most of the problems of the…

  17. A Case Study of Certified Support Staff Members' Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd, Tresseler S.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of certified support staff at a Georgia middle school, focusing on their opinions of Professional Learning Communities (PLC), the roles they played in PLCs and the effect PLCs had on their professional practices. This descriptive case study utilized open-ended interviews,…

  18. The Impact of Contextual Factors on the Use of Students' Conceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saglam, Yilmaz; Karaaslan, Emre Harun; Ayas, Alipasa

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the impacts of contextual factors on the use of students' conceptions. A total of 106 students received a questionnaire involving open-ended questions on acid-base and equilibrium concepts. Of these students, 16 students who provided complete and accurate responses to the questions participated in an interview. In…

  19. Teacher Candidates' Attitudes to Using Oral History in History Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demircioglu, Ebru

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this research is to determine the views of history teacher candidates towards an oral history project carried out in the Special Teaching Method Course of the history pedagogy program of the Fatih Faculty of Education (FFE) at Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. An open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview were the…

  20. Elderly Consumers and the Used Goods Economy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobbs, Ralph C.

    A study examined the used goods market as it affects older adults. A set of open-ended questions was administered to 100 respondents over sixty years of age who were either retired or near retirement, married or widowed, and suburban or rural. Interviews were conducted to derermine the effects of the used goods market on the elderly consumer, to…

  1. Challenges of Adopting the Use of Technology in Less Developed Countries: The Case of Cambodia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Jayson W.

    2011-01-01

    Drawing on Everett Rogers's theory of the diffusion of innovations, this article identifies the barriers, challenges, and successes in the adoption of technology training by teacher trainers in Cambodia. The analysis was based on data collected from an open-ended survey, face-to-face interviews, and document analysis. Findings reveal that the…

  2. A Qualitative Study of Information Technology Students' Learning Outcomes during a Cooperative Education Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krejci, Katherine T.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe the learning outcomes of the cooperative-education experience from an Information Technology student's perspective at a large Fortune 500 manufacturing/sales company located in the Midwest United States. Open-ended interview questions were developed based on the four-component model…

  3. Understanding Non-Traditional PhD Students Habitus--Implications for PhD Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naidoo, Devika

    2015-01-01

    Against the background of vast changes in doctoral education and the emergence of non-traditional doctoral programmes, this paper investigates the habitus of non-traditional PhD students at a South African university. Bourdieu's conceptual tool of habitus informed the study. In-depth and open-ended interviews were conducted with 10 non-traditional…

  4. Perspectives of Roles during Parent-Child Interactions of Filipino Immigrant Mothers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos, Rosa Milagros; Jeans, Laurie M.; McCollum, Jeanette; Fettig, Angel; Quesenberry, Amanda

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the perspectives of Filipino immigrant mothers regarding the roles and focus of their interactions with their infants and toddlers. Qualitative procedures were used to analyse transcripts from structured, open-ended interviews with 24 mothers of 10- to 36-month-old children. Statements of mothers were…

  5. Form Four Students' Misconceptions in Electrolysis of Molten Compounds and Aqueous Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bong, Anita Yung Li; Lee, Tien Tien

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to identify the Form Four students' misconceptions in the electrolysis of molten compounds and aqueous solutions. The respondents were 60 Form Four students from two secondary schools in Sibu, Sarawak. The two instruments used in this study were an open-ended electrochemistry assessment and interview protocol. This…

  6. Death Beliefs and Practices from an Asian Indian American Hindu Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gupta, Rashmi

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to explore Asian Indian American Hindu (AIAH) cultural views related to death and dying. Three focus group interviews were conducted with AIAH persons living in the southern region of United States. The focus group consisted of senior citizens, middle-aged adults, and young adults. Both open-ended and semistructured…

  7. Investigating Ways to Reform International Education in Confucian Contexts: A Case Study of South Korean Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schenck, Andrew; Mottalib, Ramy E.A.; Baldwin, Matthew

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore issues of international education within a Confucian context. Fifteen international learners were purposively sampled from a Korean university; these participants were then given an extensive open-ended interview to elicit information about educational experiences. Data analysis revealed five main issues: a…

  8. Impact of the Digital Divide on Computer Use and Internet Access on the Poor in Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tayo, Omolara; Thompson, Randall; Thompson, Elizabeth

    2016-01-01

    We recruited 20 community members in Ido Local Government Area, Oyo state and Yewa Local Government Area, Ogun state in Nigeria to explore experiences and perceptions of Internet access and computer use. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using open-ended questions to collect qualitative data regarding accessibility of information and…

  9. The Influence of Argumentation on Understanding Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boran, Gül Hanim; Bag, Hüseyin

    2016-01-01

    The aim in conducting this study is to explore the effects of argumentation on pre-service science teachers' views of the nature of science. This study used a qualitative case study and conducted with 20 pre-service science teachers. Data sources include an open-ended questionnaire and audio-taped interviews. According to pretest and posttest…

  10. A Case Study of Professors' and Instructional Designers' Experiences in the Development of Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevens, Karl B.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences of instructional designers and professors during the online course development process and to determine if their experiences had an effect on the process itself. To gain an understanding of their experiences, open-ended interviews were conducted, seeking descriptions of…

  11. Teaching Oral English in Higher Education: Challenges to EFL Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zan; Goh, Christine

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates difficulties that teachers encounter in teaching oral English in higher education in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Open-ended question surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to elicit data. There were 331 EFL teachers from 44 universities in 22 cities across China that responded to the survey…

  12. Convergent validity between a discrete choice experiment and a direct, open-ended method: comparison of preferred attribute levels and willingness to pay estimates.

    PubMed

    Marjon van der Pol; Shiell, Alan; Au, Flora; Johnston, David; Tough, Suzanne

    2008-12-01

    The Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) has become increasingly popular as a method for eliciting patient or population preferences. If DCE estimates are to inform health policy, it is crucial that the answers they provide are valid. Convergent validity is tested in this paper by comparing the results of a DCE exercise with the answers obtained from direct, open-ended questions. The two methods are compared in terms of preferred attribute levels and willingness to pay (WTP) values. Face-to-face interviews were held with 292 women in Calgary, Canada. Similar values were found between the two methods with respect to preferred levels for two out of three of the attributes examined. The DCE predicted less well for levels outside the range than for levels inside the range reaffirming the importance of extensive piloting to ensure appropriate level range in DCEs. The mean WTP derived from the open-ended question was substantially lower than the mean derived from the DCE. However, the two sets of willingness to pay estimates were consistent with each other in that individuals who were willing to pay more in the open-ended question were also willing to pay more in the DCE. The difference in mean WTP values between the two approaches (direct versus DCE) demonstrates the importance of continuing research into the different biases present across elicitation methods.

  13. Staff perspectives on the provision of end-of-life care in a community residence for older adults with developmental disabilities.

    PubMed

    Kirkendall, Abbie M; Waldrop, Deborah

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of community residence (CR) staff who have cared for older adults with developmental disabilities (ADDs) that are at the end of life. This exploratory, descriptive study utilized qualitative methods that involved semistructured interviews with CR staff members. The setting was a CR that was also an intermediate care facility (ICF) that provided 24-hour residential treatment for medical and/or behavioral needs. At least one registered nurse was present at all times. A CR with at least one resident who was over the age of 40 and had a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness was chosen. Participants included three frontline workers, four managers, and one registered nurse. In-person interviews included open-ended questions about end-of-life care for older ADDs. Demographics such as age, length of time working with ADDs, and education were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographics such as age, and length of time working with ADDs. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory techniques. Four themes illuminated unique elements of the provision of end-of-life care in a CR: (1) influence of relationships, (2) expression of individuality, (3) contribution of hospice, (4) grief and bereavement, and (5) challenges to end-of-life care. The results provided insight into the unique needs of older ADDs at the end of life and how this influences their care. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of specialized care that involved collaborations with hospice for older ADDs who remain in a CR at the end of life.

  14. Rigidity in routines and the development of resistance to change in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

    PubMed

    Haig, E L; Woodcock, K A

    2017-05-01

    Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) commonly show debilitating resistance to change, which has been linked to cognitive deficits in task switching. Anecdotal reports suggest that exposure to flexibility in routines during development may be beneficial for limiting subsequent resistance to change in people with PWS, which is consistent with a beneficial role of such exposure on the development of task switching, highlighted in typical children. Here, we aim to investigate the development of resistance to change in individuals with PWS and hypothesise that exposure to increased rigidity in routines will be associated with increased subsequent resistance to change. An author-compiled informant report interview and two previously validated questionnaires were administered to the caregivers of 10 individuals with PWS (5-23 years). The interview examined rigidity in routines and resistance to change across life stages defined by easily distinguishable events (before school, during primary school, during secondary school, after school, currently), using open-ended and structured yes/no and 5-point Likert questions. Open-ended data were coded using an author-compiled system. Responses from two additional informants and data from the questionnaires were used to assess inter-informant reliability and concurrent validity of the structured questions. The validity of the interview was supported by acceptable inter-rater reliability of the open-ended coding system and inter-informant reliability, internal consistency and concurrent validity of structured questions. Descriptive analyses of ratings of behaviour change showed a pattern of increasing resistance to change over the life course for the four oldest individuals, who had all been exposed to substantial rigidity in routines before and during primary school. Furthermore, only one individual - currently in primary school - was exposed to very little rigidity in routines before and during primary school, and he had showed a decrease in resistance to change after entering primary school. Open-ended data showed that more individuals currently evidencing little resistance to change had been exposed to parent or self-imposed flexibility in routines, than those currently evidencing substantial resistance to change. However, correlational analyses on rigidity and resistance to change ratings highlighted the possibility that rigidity during primary school is most relevant for developing resistance to change. Finally, open-ended data emphasised an important beneficial role of rigidity in routines for limiting the current challenging behaviour of individuals with high resistance to change. Because task switching appears to evidence a period of high developmental sensitivity during early primary school years, we propose that this period may represent a critical time when increasing flexibility in the routines of children with PWS could limit the development of resistance to change. However, a careful balance would need to be struck, given the apparent benefit of rigid routines on current behaviour. Further work in this area is much needed. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Insights into Chronic Functional Movement Disorders: The Value of Qualitative Psychiatric Interviews.

    PubMed

    Epstein, Steven A; Maurer, Carine W; LaFaver, Kathrin; Ameli, Rezvan; Sinclair, Stephen; Hallett, Mark

    Patients with functional movement disorders (FMDs) are commonly seen by neurologists and psychosomatic medicine psychiatrists. Research literature provides scant information about the subjective experiences of individuals with this often chronic problem. To enhance our understanding of psychologic aspects of FMDs by conducting qualitative interviews of research subjects. In total, 36 patients with FMDs were recruited from the Human Motor Control clinic at the National Institutes of Health. Each subject participated in a qualitative psychiatric interview and a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview. Of our 36 subjects, 28 had current or lifetime psychiatric disorders in addition to conversion disorder and 22 had current disorders. Qualitative interviews provided rich information on patients' understanding of their illnesses and impaired cognitive processing of emotions. Our study supports the addition of open-ended qualitative interviews to delineate emotional dynamics and conceptual frameworks among such patients. Exploratory interviews generate enhanced understanding of such complex patients, above and beyond that gained by assessing DSM diagnostic comorbidities. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. All rights reserved.

  16. Immigrant Hungarian Families' Perceptions of New Media Technologies in the Transmission of Heritage Language and Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szecsi, Tunde; Szilagyi, Janka

    2012-01-01

    The goal of this research was to explore thoroughly the perceptions of dispersed immigrant professionals and their bilingual and bicultural children regarding the place of new media technology in their lives. Open-ended interviewing and autoethnography were used to explore families' perceptions of the role of media technology in their children's…

  17. "It Doesn't Speak to Me": Understanding Student of Color Resistance to Critical Race Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alemán, Sonya M.; Gaytán, Sarita

    2017-01-01

    Scholars maintain that when race and racism are addressed as factors that continue to shape inequality in the classroom, white students often deny the validity of these claims, while Students of Color tend to feel empowered by them. However, drawing on open-ended interviews, focus group discussions, and survey data, we argue that some Students of…

  18. Exploring Turkish Upper Primary Level Pupils' Understanding of Digestion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cakici, Yilmaz

    2005-01-01

    This article reports a study of Turkish children's understanding of digestion in Grades 4 and 5 (ages 10-11). Data collection was carried out through the use of an open-ended questionnaire administered to 283 children in three Turkish primary schools. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 children in Grade 4 and 72 children in Grade 5. The…

  19. Do Children Really Mean What They Say? The Forensic Implications of Preschoolers' Linguistic Referencing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battin, David B.; Ceci, Stephen J.; Lust, Barbara C.

    2012-01-01

    This study compared younger (M = 53 months) and older (M = 90 months) children's use of linguistic referential devices to make a positive identification. Children were shown a 4-minute video that concluded with a wrongful act. They were interviewed 24 hours later and asked to identify the perpetrator of the wrongful act with open-ended and…

  20. Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge of the Nature of Science in the Particle Nature of Matter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bektas, Oktay; Ekiz, Betul; Tuysuz, Mustafa; Kutucu, Elif Selcan; Tarkin, Aysegul; Uzuntiryaki-Kondakci, Esen

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated pre-service chemistry teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of the nature of science (NOS) in the content of the particle nature of matter. Qualitative research design was utilized. Data were collected from seven pre-service chemistry teachers (PCTs) by using open-ended questions, interviews, observations, lesson plans,…

  1. Conceptualizing Human Nature and the Divine: Qualitative Interviews with Christians and Buddhists from a Mixed-Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crane, Lauren Shapiro; Burns, Emily M.; Johnson, Hannah E.; Brown, Betsy R.; Ufholz, Kelsey E.; Riehle, Jennifer L.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigated the possibility that a link exists between an individual's concept of Divinity and concept of self. Participants were 12 Christians (6 Catholic, 6 Methodist) and 8 Buddhists. They answered open-ended questions about sacredness, after-death experience, and humanity's relation to the natural world. Content analyses focused on…

  2. Young Adolescents' Positioning of Human Rights: Findings from Colombia, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, Keith C.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated how young adolescents thought about the location of human rights issues and the nature of violations in differing geographic regions. Open-ended, task-based interviews were conducted with 116 students in Colombia, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the United States. Although students in each location pointed to…

  3. Teachers' Perceptions of the Implementation of the Literacy Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Audrey Figueroa; Haller, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the experiences of U.S. teachers of English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs) as they sought to align the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with previously used standards and instructional approaches during the first year of CCSS implementation. Open-ended interviews were conducted…

  4. Divorce Is a Part of My Life . . . Resilience, Survival, and Vulnerability: Young Adults' Perception of the Implications of Parental Divorce

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eldar-Avidan, Dorit; Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M.; Greenbaum, Charles W.

    2009-01-01

    A qualitative study among 22 young adults (20-25 years old) whose parents divorced during their childhood was conducted in Israel, using semi-structured, in-depth, open-ended interviews. Qualitative data analysis led to identification of three profiles, aiming at a grounded theoretical conceptualization. Three core themes were identified: the…

  5. Recruiting Highly Qualified African American Teachers in American Urban Public Schools: A Qualitative Collective Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, LaNora Marcell

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of the qualitative collective case study is to identify the weaknesses in the methods used to recruit highly qualified African American preservice teachers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The data collection process consisted of one-on-one, open-ended interview questions with 10 highly qualified African American public school…

  6. The Critical Shapes of Body Image: The Role of Culture and Family in the Production of Eating Disorders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haworth-Hoeppner, Susan

    2000-01-01

    Explores how the family mediates cultural ideas about thinness, and considers how these messages are conveyed to family members. Discusses open-ended interviews with 32 White, middle-class women on the topic of body image and eating problems. Determined that a critical family environment, coercive parental control, and a dominating discourse on…

  7. Teachers' Perspectives on 40 Years of Reform: The Case of the Israeli Junior High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tubin, Dorit; Oplatka, Izhar

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to trace junior high school teachers' perspectives regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their type of school, and to glean more information concerning their preferable type of grade configuration. To this end, 25 teachers filled out an open questionnaire and six of them were further interviewed to provide more…

  8. Literacy Coaching Roles in Diverse Contexts of Teaching and Learning: New Ways of Working

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Leent, Lisa J.; Exley, Beryl

    2013-01-01

    As the demands placed on the literacy coach have evolved, so too have the roles of these educational providers who are often responsible for working with school teams to turn around student performance on standardized literacy tests. One literacy coach based in a Queensland primary school recounts her experiences via open-ended interview over a…

  9. Insights into the Experiences of Older Workers and Change: Through the Lens of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Unson, Christine; Richardson, Margaret

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The study examined the barriers faced, the goals selected, and the optimization and compensation strategies of older workers in relation to career change. Method: Thirty open-ended interviews, 12 in the United States and 18 in New Zealand, were conducted, recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. Results: Barriers to…

  10. Agency capacity for recreation science and management: the case of the U.S. Forest Service.

    Treesearch

    Lee K. Cerveny; Clare M. Ryan

    2008-01-01

    This report examines the capacity of natural resource agencies to generate scientific knowledge and information for use by resource managers in planning and decisionmaking. This exploratory study focused on recreation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. A semistructured, open-ended interview guide elicited insights from 58 managers and 28 researchers...

  11. The Culturally Unique Management Strategies of Families of Young Children with Special Needs in Puerto Rico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera-Bermudez, Carmen D.

    This report discusses the findings of a study that examined the views of 15 Puerto Rican families of young children with special needs. Information about the beliefs, attitudes, and personal experiences held by these families was collected using an informal, open-ended interview format. Redefinition was a form of internal appraisal focused…

  12. Extended Kinship in the United States: Competing Models and the Case of La Familia Chicana.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sena-Rivera, Jaime

    1979-01-01

    Extended kinship among Chicanos is explored through intensive open-ended interviews with four cases of three generations of Mexican-descent families. "La familia chicana" is posited as a modified extended or kin-integrated family extending over time and space from Mexico at the turn of the century to present day industrial America. (Author)

  13. Selling the Need for School Social Work Services to the Legislature: A Call for Advocacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whittlesey-Jerome, Wanda

    2012-01-01

    Recent attempts to marginalize the social work profession have had an impact on school social workers in New Mexico. To better understand the quality of the workplace for these related services professionals, a past lead social worker for a large school district was interviewed, and three open-ended items were added to the 2010 statewide school…

  14. Pre-Service Teachers' Comments toward Official Teacher Selection System (Civil Servant Selection Examination, KPSS) in Turkey: A Qualitative Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ugulu, Ilker; Yorek, Nurettin

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to investigate the opinions of the pre-service teachers toward teacher selection system and civil servant selection exam (KPSS). In this study, qualitative re-search methods and semi-structured interviews were used and researcher-made questionnaires containing open-ended questions were administered. The study group…

  15. Synergy between Molecular and Contextual Views of Coping among Four Ethnic Groups of Older Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conway, Francine; Magai, Carol; McPherson-Salandy, Renee; Milano, Kate

    2010-01-01

    The coping styles of four ethnic groups of older adults in response to negative life events were analyzed in a population-based study of 1118 residents of Brooklyn, New York. Using a molecular approach, data regarding the context of events and the corresponding coping responses was obtained. Open-ended semi-structured interviews allowed…

  16. City Meets the Cable: A Case Study in Technological Innovation and Community Decision-Making. Publication 75-7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalba, Kas

    The cable television decision-making process in Cincinnati, Ohio between 1969 and 1974 was investigated in detail. Data were obtained primarily through a series of open-ended interviews with various decision-making praticipants, including members of a Task Force on Urban Cable Communications, members of the city council and municipal agencies,…

  17. Voices from the Glass Closet: Lesbian and Gay Teachers Talk about Their Lives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kissen, Rita M.

    This study explores issues of importance to gay and lesbian teachers. It seeks to answer questions and to dramatize the damaging effects of homophobia on the lives of gay teachers, as well as all teachers and students. The project was narrative and qualitative, consisting of informal and open ended interviews of 10 self-identifies gay or lesbian…

  18. What Kinds of Numbers Do Students Assign to Literal Symbols? Aspects of the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christou, Konstantinos P.; Vosniadou, Stella

    2012-01-01

    Three experiments used multiple methods--open-ended assessments, multiple-choice questionnaires, and interviews--to investigate the hypothesis that the development of students' understanding of the concept of real variable in algebra may be influenced in fundamental ways by their initial concept of number, which seems to be organized around the…

  19. The Impact of Transition Services in Facilitating College Degree Completion for Students with Visual Impairments: Post-Bachelor's Degree Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mask, Paige R.; DePountis, Vicki

    2018-01-01

    This article portrays the complex nature of the transition process for two students with visual impairments (VI), both functionally blind, who successfully completed a bachelor's degree. Standardized open-ended interviews provided individual perspectives on the transition services, supports, and challenges faced by the participants with VI during…

  20. Sex Roles Inside the Corporation. A Summary of Findings from Mgmt. 689: "Special Topics in Careers & Sex Roles in the Organization".

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenfeld, Sue

    Advanced graduate students enrolled in a management course conducted thirty-four structured interviews at a major multi-million-dollar Houston-based oil company. Approximately fifty open-ended questions were asked the respondents over topics related to sex roles in the organization, including employee interactions, secretarial roles, work-related…

  1. 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…

  2. Evolving Curricular Models in Culinary Arts: An Instrumental Case Study of a Technical Field

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cossio, Allison

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research study was to examine how chefs and other individuals in the food industry understood the field of culinary arts. This study used an instrumental case study with purposeful sampling of multiple cases. Through a series of open-ended interviews using snowball-sampling strategy that concluded with 45 participants sharing…

  3. Analyzing Marketing Strategies Designed To Increase Minority Student Enrollment at Selected Urban Community Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galbraith, James D.

    A study was conducted to identify the most effective marketing techniques used by urban community colleges to recruit minority students. A 16-item, open-ended questionnaire was used in telephone interviews with marketing officials at 24 colleges. The colleges selected for the survey served an urban community of 100,000 or more residents, had a…

  4. The Employment Impact of the Des Moines Occupational Upgrading Project and Model Cities High School Equivalency Project: Project Year One Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palomba, Neil A.; And Others

    This study was conducted to: (1) evaluate the Occupational Upgrading Project (OUP) and the Model Neighborhood High School Equivalency (HSE) Project's first year of operation, and (2) create baseline data from which future and more conclusive evaluation can be undertaken. Data were gathered by conducting open-ended interviews with the…

  5. Psychological Abuse of Women by Spouses or Live-In Lovers: What Form Can It Take?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patrick-Hoffman, Patricia

    Psychological abuse, defined as behavior that is sufficiently threatening to limit the capacity to work, family and social interactions, and the enjoyment of good physical or mental health can be as damaging to women as physical abuse. To learn more about this behavior a series of open ended interviews was conducted with 25 women who identified…

  6. Beyond money and survival: the meaning of paid work among older women.

    PubMed

    Altschuler, Joanne

    2004-01-01

    This article explores the meaning and experiences of paid work for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55 to 84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the meaning of work, reasons for working, and the centrality of work to personal identity. Participants discussed the following topics: independence from men; lost dreams and regrets related to paid work and educational opportunities; being responded to as mother by co-workers and supervisors; and working above and beyond the call of duty.

  7. Provider communication behaviors that predict motivation to change in black adolescents with obesity.

    PubMed

    Carcone, April Idalski; Naar-King, Sylvie; Brogan, Kathryn E; Albrecht, Terrance; Barton, Ellen; Foster, Tanina; Martin, Tim; Marshall, Sharon

    2013-10-01

    The goal of this research was to identify communication behaviors used by weight loss counselors that mostly strongly predicted black adolescents' motivational statements. Three types of motivational statements were of interest: change talk (CT; statements describing their own desires, abilities, reasons, and need for adhering to weight loss recommendations), commitment language (CML; statements about their intentions or plans for adhering), and counterchange talk (CCT; amotivational statements against change and commitment). Thirty-seven black adolescents with obesity received a single motivational interviewing session targeting weight-related behaviors. The video-recorded transcribed sessions were coded using the Minority Youth Sequential Coding for Observing Process Exchanges generating a sequential chain of communication. Data were then subjected to sequential analysis to determine causal relationships between counselor and adolescent communication. Asking open-ended questions to elicit adolescent CT and emphasizing adolescents' autonomy most often led to CT. Open-ended questions to elicit CML, reflecting adolescent CML, and emphasizing autonomy most often led to CML. In contrast, open-ended questions to elicit CCT, reflecting CCT, reflecting ambivalence, and neutral open-ended questions about the target behavior led to CCT. This study provides clinicians with insight into the most effective way to communicate with black adolescents with obesity about weight loss. Specifically, reflective statements and open questions focusing on their own desires, abilities, reasons, need, and commitment to weight loss recommendations are more likely to increase motivational statements, whereas other types of reflections and questions may be counterproductive. Finally, because adolescents have a strong need for autonomous decision making, emphasizing their autonomy may be particularly effective in evoking motivational statements.

  8. The limitations of language: male participants, stoicism, and the qualitative research interview.

    PubMed

    Affleck, William; Glass, Kc; Macdonald, Mary Ellen

    2013-03-01

    The semistructured, open-ended interview has become the gold standard for qualitative health research. Despite its strengths, the long interview is not well suited for studying topics that participants find difficult to discuss, or for working with those who have limited verbal communication skills. A lack of emotional expression among male research participants has repeatedly been described as a significant and pervasive challenge by health researchers in a variety of different fields. This article explores several prominent theories for men's emotional inexpression and relates them to qualitative health research. The authors argue that investigators studying emotionally sensitive topics with men should look beyond the long interview to methods that incorporate other modes of emotional expression. This article concludes with a discussion of several such photo-based methods, namely, Photovoice, Photo Elicitation, and Visual Storytelling.

  9. Listening to the student voice to improve educational software.

    PubMed

    van Wyk, Mari; van Ryneveld, Linda

    2017-01-01

    Academics often develop software for teaching and learning purposes with the best of intentions, only to be disappointed by the low acceptance rate of the software by their students once it is implemented. In this study, the focus is on software that was designed to enable veterinary students to record their clinical skills. A pilot of the software clearly showed that the program had not been received as well as had been anticipated, and therefore the researchers used a group interview and a questionnaire with closed-ended and open-ended questions to obtain the students' feedback. The open-ended questions were analysed with conceptual content analysis, and themes were identified. Students made valuable suggestions about what they regarded as important considerations when a new software program is introduced. The most important lesson learnt was that students cannot always predict their needs accurately if they are asked for input prior to the development of software. For that reason student input should be obtained on a continuous and regular basis throughout the design and development phases.

  10. Student’s Critical Thinking in Solving Open-Ended Problems Based on Their Personality Type

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitriana, L. D.; Fuad, Y.; Ekawati, R.

    2018-01-01

    Critical thinking plays an important role for students in solving open-ended problems. This research aims at describing student’s critical thinking in solving open-ended problems based on Keirsey’s personality types, namely rational, idealist, guardian, and artisan. Four students, with the higher rank in the mathematics’ test and representing each type of Keirsey personality, were selected as the research subjects. The data were collected from the geometry problem and interviews. The student’s critical thinking is described based on the FRISCO criteria. The result underlines that rational and idealist students fulfilled all FRISCO criteria, and but not for guardian and artisan students. Related to the inference criteria, guardian and artisan students could not make reasonable conclusions and connect the concepts. Related to the reason of criteria, rational student performed critical thinking by providing logical reason that supported his strategy to solve the problem. In contrast, the idealist student provided subjective reason. This results suggest that teachers should frequently train the students’ logical thinkingin every lesson and activity to develop student’s critical thinking and take the student’s personality character into account, especially for guardian and artisan students.

  11. Crisis resolution: consumer, family and referrer perspectives on care.

    PubMed

    Carter, Frances A; Taylor, M Joan; Weston, Madeline J; Quigley, Teresa A; Beveridge, John H; Green, Robert Aj; Duffy, Steve

    2018-06-08

    To systematically assess the service satisfaction of consumers, their families and referrers with crisis resolution (CR). Consecutive consumers discharged after receiving CR over a five-week period were potentially eligible for participation, together with their family and referrer (broadly defined). Structured telephone interviews were conducted and involved forced-choice questions assessing global satisfaction and satisfaction with specific aspects of care, plus two open-ended questions. Participants were 75 consumers, 22 family and 16 referrers. High levels of satisfaction were seen for all participants for both global (86-96%) and most specific aspects of care (>75%). If consumers were dissatisfied with their overall care, they were significantly more likely to be aged 25-34 years of age. High levels of agreement among raters were found for global satisfaction (>85%) and most specific aspects of care (>70%), which provides some level of reassurance for staff. Open-ended questions showed that having effective treatment of sufficient duration and staff manner were most important to participants. High levels of satisfaction and agreement were found among consumers, family and referrers with CR. Open-ended questions identified which issues matter the most to key stakeholders, which may have implications for service evaluation tools.

  12. Is the qualitative research interview an acceptable medium for research with palliative care patients and carers?

    PubMed Central

    Gysels, Marjolein; Shipman, Cathy; Higginson, Irene J

    2008-01-01

    Background Contradictory evidence exists about the emotional burden of participating in qualitative research for palliative care patients and carers and this raises questions about whether this type of research is ethically justified in a vulnerable population. This study aimed to investigate palliative care patients' and carers' perceptions of the benefits and problems associated with open interviews and to understand what causes distress and what is helpful about participation in a research interview. Methods A descriptive qualitative study. The data were collected in the context of two studies exploring the experiences of care of palliative care patients and carers. The interviews ended with questions about patients' and carers' thoughts on participating in the studies and whether this had been a distressing or helpful event. We used a qualitative descriptive analysis strategy generated from the interviews and the observational and interactional data obtained in the course of the study. Results The interviews were considered helpful: sharing problems was therapeutic and being able to contribute to research was empowering. However, thinking about the future was reported to be the most challenging. Consent forms were sometimes read with apprehension and being physically unable to sign was experienced as upsetting. Interviewing patients and carers separately was sometimes difficult and not always possible. Conclusion The open interview enables the perspectives of patients and carers to be heard, unfettered from the structure of closed questions. It also enables those patients or carers to take part who would be unable to participate in other study designs. The context is at least as important as the format of the research interview taking into account the relational circumstances with carers and appropriate ways of obtaining informed consent. Retrospective consent could be a solution to enhancing participants control over the interview. PMID:18435846

  13. Fatherhood Education from a Cultural Perspective: Evolving Roles and Identities after a Fatherhood Intervention for Latinos in South Florida

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Concha, Maritza; Villar, Maria Elena; Tafur-Salgado, Rocio; Ibanez, Sandra; Azevedo, Lauren

    2016-01-01

    This article uses gender-role theory to consider the involvement of Latino fathers in their children's lives as a result of participating in a fatherhood educational intervention. Open-ended interviews (n = 48) were conducted with participants of the program. Findings revealed that the content of the group intervention encouraged fathers to…

  14. An Educational Technology Tool That Developed in the Natural Flow of Life among Students: WhatsApp

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cetinkaya, Levent

    2017-01-01

    This study was carried out to identify the benefits and drawbacks of using mobile social network application WhatsApp in the education of Secondary Education students. In this research, survey model was used and open-ended question form to 145 students together with semi-structured interview technique to 6 students were employed and answer to the…

  15. How Do African American Young Adult Females (AAYAF) over 16 Years of Age Make Career Decisions?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grayson, Nancy Mathea

    2010-01-01

    Scope and Method of Study: The overall purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions regarding how AAYAF over 16 years of age plan and make career decisions. The study participants included ten AAYAF over 16 years of age. The young women were interviewed fact-to-face using a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire was…

  16. Group sessions with Paro in a nursing home: Structure, observations and interviews.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Hayley; Broadbent, Elizabeth; MacDonald, Bruce

    2016-06-01

    We recently reported that a companion robot reduced residents' loneliness in a randomised controlled trial at an aged-care facility. This report aims to provide additional, previously unpublished data about how the sessions were run, residents' interactions with the robot and staff perspectives. Observations were conducted focusing on engagement, how residents treated the robot and if the robot acted as a social catalyst. In addition, 16 residents and 21 staff were asked open-ended questions at the end of the study about the sessions and the robot. Observations indicated that some residents engaged on an emotional level with Paro, and Paro was treated as both an agent and an artificial object. Interviews revealed that residents enjoyed sharing, interacting with and talking about Paro. This study supports other research showing Paro has psychosocial benefits and provides a guide for those wishing to use Paro in a group setting in aged care. © 2015 AJA Inc.

  17. Perceptions of patients on the utility or futility of end-of-life treatment.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, K L; Young, A J

    2006-08-01

    Definitions of medical futility, offered by healthcare professionals, bioethicists and other experts, have been rigorously debated by many investigators, but the perceptions of patients of futility have been explored only by a few. Patients were allowed to discuss their concerns about end-of-life care, so that their ideas about treatment futility or utility could be extrapolated by us. In this cross-sectional study, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 elderly people who were receiving outpatient care in a large, urban Veterans Affairs medical centre in the US. Each of their healthcare providers was also interviewed. Participants were asked to consider four terms commonly used in advance directive forms (ie, life-sustaining treatment, terminal condition, state of permanent unconsciousness and decision-making capacity) and to discuss what these terms meant to them. Audiotapes of the open-ended interviews were transcribed and responses were coded and categorised by constant comparison, a commonly used qualitative method. The following four factors were taken into account by the participants when discussing end-of-life interventions and outcomes: (1) expected quality of life; (2) emotional and financial costs of treatment; (3) likelihood of treatment success; and (4) expected effect on longevity. Although the terms "utility" or "futility" were not generally used by the participants, segments of speech indicating their perceptions of these terms were identified. Treatment was not always discussed in the same way by patients and providers, but seemed to reflect the same four concerns. Therefore, it may be fruitful for providers to focus on these concerns when discussing end-of-life treatment options with their patients.

  18. Evidence-based design in an intensive care unit: end-user perceptions.

    PubMed

    Ferri, Mauricio; Zygun, David A; Harrison, Alexandra; Stelfox, Henry T

    2015-04-25

    The objective of this study was to describe end-user impressions and experiences in a new intensive care unit built using evidence-based design. This qualitative study was comprised of early (2-3 months after opening) and late (12-15 months after opening) phase individual interviews with end-users (healthcare providers, support staff, and patient family members) of the newly constructed Foothills Medical Centre intensive care unit in Calgary, Canada. The study unit was the recipient of the Society of Critical Care Medicine Design Citation award in 2012. We conducted interviews with thirty-nine ICU end-users, twenty-four in the early phase and fifteen in the late phase. We identified four themes (eleven sub-themes): atmosphere (abundant natural light and low noise levels), physical spaces (single occupancy rooms, rooms clustered into clinical pods, medication rooms, and tradeoffs of larger spaces), family participation in care (family support areas and social networks), and equipment (usability, storage, and providers connectivity). Abundant natural light was the design feature most frequently associated with a pleasant atmosphere. Participants emphasized the tradeoffs of size and space, and reported that the benefits of additional space (e.g., fewer interruptions due to less noise) out-weighed the disadvantages (e.g., greater distances between patients, families and providers). End-users advised that local patient care policies (e.g., number of visitors allowed at a time) and staffing needed to be updated to reflect the characteristics of the new facility design. End-users identified design elements for creating a pleasant atmosphere, attention to the tradeoffs of space and size, designing family support areas to encourage family participation in care, and updating patient care policies and staffing to reflect the new physical space as important aspects to consider when building intensive care units. Evidence-based design may optimize ICU structure for patients, patient families and providers.

  19. Needs of informal caregivers across the caregiving course in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a qualitative analysis

    PubMed Central

    Carney, Sile; Corr, Bernie; Mays, Iain; Pender, Niall; Hardiman, Orla

    2018-01-01

    Objectives Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a debilitating terminal condition. Informal caregivers are key figures in ALS care provision. The physical, psychological and emotional impact of providing care in the home requires appropriate assistance and support. The objective of this analysis is to explore the needs of informal ALS caregivers across the caregiving course. Design In an open-ended question as part of a semistructured interview, caregivers were asked what would help them in their role. Interviews took place on three occasions at 4-month to 6-month intervals. Demographic, burden and quality of life data were collected, in addition to the open-ended responses. We carried out descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Setting and participants Home interviews at baseline (n=81) and on two further occasions (n=56, n=41) with informal caregivers of people with ALS attending the National ALS/MND Clinic at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Results The majority of caregivers were family members. Hours of care provided and caregiver burden increased across the interview series. Thematic analysis identified what would help them in their role, and needs related to external support and services, psychological-emotional factors, patient-related behaviours, a cure and ‘nothing’. Themes were interconnected and their prevalence varied across the interview time points. Conclusion This study has shown the consistency and adaptation in what caregivers identified as helpful in their role, across 12–18 months of a caregiving journey. Support needs are clearly defined, and change with time and the course of caregiving. Caregivers need support from family, friends and healthcare professionals in managing their tasks and the emotional demands of caregiving. Identifying the specific needs of informal caregivers should enable health professionals to provide tailored supportive interventions. PMID:29374665

  20. Depression in female adolescents: an IPA analysis.

    PubMed

    Shaw, Samantha K; Dallos, Rudi; Shoebridge, Philip

    2009-04-01

    Six female adolescents participated in open-ended interviews regarding their experiences of depression. The transcripts of their interviews were explored using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 1991). The analysis revealed three inter-connected super-ordinate themes which were: communication, hurt self, and difference. These themes centred on communication processes in participants' families and with peers, issues relating to shifts in identity through adolescence, and feelings of being damaged, distressed, and hurt. Amongst a range of potentially relevant perspectives, an attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) orientation was found to be particularly relevant and helpful in interpreting the themes that captured these young women's experiences. Some implications for clinical practice are discussed.

  1. Utilizing technology for longitudinal communication with homeless youth.

    PubMed

    Bender, Kimberly; Begun, Stephanie; DePrince, Anne; Haffejee, Badiah; Kaufmann, Sarah

    2014-10-01

    The current study investigated forms of technology (phone calls, texts, email and Facebook) for maintaining contact with homeless youth over baseline, 1-week, 6-week, and 3-month follow-up interviews. The study combined quantitative tracking of youths' response patterns and open-ended interviews regarding youths' preferred methods of communication. Results indicate that maintaining communication with homeless youth requires persistence, including frequent contact attempts over several days. Cell phone contacts (calls or texts) were most successful in communicating with youth, with e-mail and Facebook messaging useful when phones were lost or stolen. Youth who maintained contact were strikingly similar to youth who discontinued contact.

  2. In-office Discussions of Migraine: Results from the American Migraine Communication Study

    PubMed Central

    Hahn, Steven R.; Cady, Roger K.; Brandes, Jan Lewis; Simons, Suzanne E.; Bain, Philip A.; Nelson, Meaghan R.

    2008-01-01

    Background Research indicates that successful migraine assessment and treatment depends on information obtained during patient and healthcare professional (HCP) discussions. However, no studies outline how migraine is actually discussed during clinical encounters. Objective Record naturally occurring HCP–migraineur interactions, analyzing frequency and impairment assessment, and preventive treatment discussions. Design HCPs seeing high volumes of migraineurs were recruited for a communication study. Patients likely to discuss migraine were recruited immediately before their normally scheduled appointment and, once consented, were audio- and video-recorded without a researcher present. Separate post-visit interviews were conducted with patients and HCPs. All interactions were transcribed. Participants Sixty patients (83% female; mean age 41.7) were analyzed. Patients were diagnosed with migraine 14 years and experienced 5 per month, on average. Approach Transcripts were analyzed using sociolinguistic techniques such as number and type of questions asked and post-visit alignment on migraine frequency and impairment. American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study guidelines were utilized. Results Ninety-one percent of HCP-initiated, migraine-specific questions were closed-ended/short answer; assessments focused on frequency and did not focus on attention on impairment. Open-ended questions in patient post-visit interviews yielded robust impairment-related information. Post-visit, 55% of HCP–patient pairs were misaligned regarding frequency; 51% on impairment. Of the 20 (33%) patients who were preventive medication candidates, 80% did not receive it and 50% of their visits lacked discussion of prevention. Conclusions Sociolinguistic analysis revealed that HCPs often used narrowly focused, closed-ended questions and were often unaware of how migraine affected patients’ lives as a result. It is recommended that HCPs assess impairment using open-ended questions in combination with the ask-tell-ask technique. PMID:18459012

  3. In-office discussions of migraine: results from the American Migraine Communication Study.

    PubMed

    Lipton, Richard B; Hahn, Steven R; Cady, Roger K; Brandes, Jan Lewis; Simons, Suzanne E; Bain, Philip A; Nelson, Meaghan R

    2008-08-01

    Research indicates that successful migraine assessment and treatment depends on information obtained during patient and healthcare professional (HCP) discussions. However, no studies outline how migraine is actually discussed during clinical encounters. Record naturally occurring HCP-migraineur interactions, analyzing frequency and impairment assessment, and preventive treatment discussions. HCPs seeing high volumes of migraineurs were recruited for a communication study. Patients likely to discuss migraine were recruited immediately before their normally scheduled appointment and, once consented, were audio- and video-recorded without a researcher present. Separate post-visit interviews were conducted with patients and HCPs. All interactions were transcribed. Sixty patients (83% female; mean age 41.7) were analyzed. Patients were diagnosed with migraine 14 years and experienced 5 per month, on average. Transcripts were analyzed using sociolinguistic techniques such as number and type of questions asked and post-visit alignment on migraine frequency and impairment. American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study guidelines were utilized. Ninety-one percent of HCP-initiated, migraine-specific questions were closed-ended/short answer; assessments focused on frequency and did not focus on attention on impairment. Open-ended questions in patient post-visit interviews yielded robust impairment-related information. Post-visit, 55% of HCP-patient pairs were misaligned regarding frequency; 51% on impairment. Of the 20 (33%) patients who were preventive medication candidates, 80% did not receive it and 50% of their visits lacked discussion of prevention. Sociolinguistic analysis revealed that HCPs often used narrowly focused, closed-ended questions and were often unaware of how migraine affected patients' lives as a result. It is recommended that HCPs assess impairment using open-ended questions in combination with the ask-tell-ask technique.

  4. Pride Against Prejudice: Work in the Lives of Older Black and Young Puerto Rican Workers. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Dean

    Selected and edited from approximately 100 lengthy open-ended interviews with older black men and women and young Puerto Rican men and women in New York City and Newark, New Jersey, transcripts are presented in which 12 of the older black men and women and six of the young Puerto Ricans describe their work experiences and how they were related to…

  5. The Human Terrain System: Achieving a Competitive Advantage Through Enhanced Population-Centric Knowledge Flows

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    of behavior ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Moreover, the goal of the participating observer is to internalize fundamental “beliefs, fears, hopes and...expectations of the people under study” ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Additionally, HTT members frequently conduct informal interviews (open ended casual...techniques, and questionnaires ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). The third principle method HTT members use to learn the population is the semi- structured

  6. The embodiment of emotion: language use during the feeling of social emotions predicts cortical somatosensory activity.

    PubMed

    Saxbe, Darby E; Yang, Xiao-Fei; Borofsky, Larissa A; Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen

    2013-10-01

    Complex social emotions involve both abstract cognitions and bodily sensations, and individuals may differ on their relative reliance on these. We hypothesized that individuals' descriptions of their feelings during a semi-structured emotion induction interview would reveal two distinct psychological styles-a more abstract, cognitive style and a more body-based, affective style-and that these would be associated with somatosensory neural activity. We examined 28 participants' open-ended verbal responses to admiration- and compassion-provoking narratives in an interview and BOLD activity to the same narratives during subsequent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Consistent with hypotheses, individuals' affective and cognitive word use were stable across emotion conditions, negatively correlated and unrelated to reported emotion strength in the scanner. Greater use of affective relative to cognitive words predicted more activation in SI, SII, middle anterior cingulate cortex and insula during emotion trials. The results suggest that individuals' verbal descriptions of their feelings reflect differential recruitment of neural regions supporting physical body awareness. Although somatosensation has long been recognized as an important component of emotion processing, these results offer 'proof of concept' that individual differences in open-ended speech reflect different processing styles at the neurobiological level. This study also demonstrates SI involvement during social emotional experience.

  7. Involvement of African-American Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nkere, Nsidi

    A qualitative case study was conducted by examining the perceptions of fifth-grade African American girls about their experiences with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and potential for STEM as a future career. As the United States suffers from waning participation across all demographics in STEM and a high level of underrepresentation of African American women in STEM, the proposed study examined data collected through open-ended interviews with fifth-grade African American girls to explore how their current experiences and perceptions might relate to the underrepresentation of African American women in the STEM fields. Participants were selected from Miracle Elementary School (pseudonym), and consisted of all five students in a small class of high-achieving fifth-grade girls. Data were collected through in-class observations and open-ended interviews, and were analyzed using computer content analysis. The most important key results threaded through the data were related to the importance and role of the teacher, the importance of math to students, the role of experimentation and discovery, and hands-on and personal experience. Future studies are encouraged to utilize longitudinal design to follow students from elementary to university level in an effort to develop and understand the perception, persistence, and experience of all girls in STEM programs.

  8. Using the prisms of gender and rank to interpret research collaboration power dynamics.

    PubMed

    Gaughan, Monica; Bozeman, Barry

    2016-08-01

    Collaboration is central to modern scientific inquiry, and increasingly important to the professional experiences of academic scientists. While the effects of collaboration have been widely studied, much less is understood about the motivations to collaborate and collaboration dynamics that generate scientific outcomes. A particular interest of this study is to understand how collaboration experiences differ between women and men, and the attributions used to explain these differences. We use a multi-method study of university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics faculty research collaborators. We employ 177 anonymous open-ended responses to a web-based survey, and 60 semi-structured interviews of academic scientists in US research universities. We find similarities and differences in collaborative activity between men and women. Open-ended qualitative textual analysis suggests that some of these differences are attributed to power dynamics - both general ones related to differences in organizational status, and in power dynamics related specifically to gender. In analysis of semi-structured interviews, we find that both status and gender were used as interpretive frames for collaborative behavior, with more emphasis placed on status than gender differences. Overall, the findings support that gender structures some part of the collaborative experience, but that status hierarchy exerts more clear effects.

  9. Language acquisition: hesitations in the question/answer dialogic pair.

    PubMed

    Chacon, Lourenço; Villega, Cristyane de Camargo Sampaio

    2015-01-01

    (1) To verify the existence (or not) of hesitation marks in the beginning of utterances in children's discourse; and (2) to determine to what extent the presence/absence of these marks could be explained by retrievable facts in the production conditions of their discourses. Interview situations with four children aged 5-6 years attending Kindergarten level II in a public preschool at the time of the data collection were analyzed. The interviews were recorded on audio and video, inside a soundproof booth, with high fidelity equipment. Afterwards, the recordings were transcribed by six transcribers that were specially trained for this task. Transcription rules that prioritized the analyses of hesitations were used. For the analysis of retrievable facts in the production conditions of children's discourse, the dialogic pair question-answer was adopted. A correlation between presence/absence of hesitation in the beginning of utterances in children and type of question (open/closed) made by the collocutor was observed. When the question was closed ended, the utterances were preferably initiated without hesitation marks, and when the question was open ended, the utterances were preferably initiated with hesitation marks. The presence/absence of hesitation marks in the beginning of utterances in children was found to be dependent on the production conditions of their discourses.

  10. The embodiment of emotion: language use during the feeling of social emotions predicts cortical somatosensory activity

    PubMed Central

    Saxbe, Darby E.; Yang, Xiao-Fei; Borofsky, Larissa A.

    2013-01-01

    Complex social emotions involve both abstract cognitions and bodily sensations, and individuals may differ on their relative reliance on these. We hypothesized that individuals’ descriptions of their feelings during a semi-structured emotion induction interview would reveal two distinct psychological styles—a more abstract, cognitive style and a more body-based, affective style—and that these would be associated with somatosensory neural activity. We examined 28 participants’ open-ended verbal responses to admiration- and compassion-provoking narratives in an interview and BOLD activity to the same narratives during subsequent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Consistent with hypotheses, individuals’ affective and cognitive word use were stable across emotion conditions, negatively correlated and unrelated to reported emotion strength in the scanner. Greater use of affective relative to cognitive words predicted more activation in SI, SII, middle anterior cingulate cortex and insula during emotion trials. The results suggest that individuals’ verbal descriptions of their feelings reflect differential recruitment of neural regions supporting physical body awareness. Although somatosensation has long been recognized as an important component of emotion processing, these results offer ‘proof of concept’ that individual differences in open-ended speech reflect different processing styles at the neurobiological level. This study also demonstrates SI involvement during social emotional experience. PMID:22798396

  11. Salford Lung Study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SLS COPD): follow-up interviews on patient-centred outcomes.

    PubMed

    Doward, Lynda; Svedsater, Henrik; Whalley, Diane; Crawford, Rebecca; Leather, David; Lay-Flurrie, James; Bosanquet, Nick

    2017-12-15

    This study investigated patient perceptions, experiences and management of COPD throughout the SLS COPD study. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 400 patients who completed SLS COPD; a mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative information. Structured interviews using closed-ended questions were conducted with 360 patients, detailing aspects of background/lifestyle information and COPD. Extended interviews containing open-ended questions on perceptions of COPD and quality of life (QoL) in addition to the closed-ended questions were completed by 40 further patients. Participants also completed the Adherence Starts with Knowledge-12 (ASK-12) and the COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale (CASIS) questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively; qualitative data were analysed using qualitative description. The participants (n = 400) were reasonably representative of the SLS COPD population; mean age was 66.2 years. Breathlessness was the most commonly recalled symptom of/associated with COPD (88.5% of patients) and was the symptom that changed the most (improved, 26.8%/worsened, 20.9%) throughout the study. Participants' daily functioning and activities were most affected by symptoms of/associated with COPD, followed by relationships and psychological issues. 66.5% of participants experienced exacerbations, 60.5% of whom reported self-management as their first treatment strategy (taking antibiotics, resting and/or corticosteroids). Qualitative analysis revealed COPD symptoms, breathlessness in particular, to have a significant impact on mobility and in turn QoL. In conclusion, breathlessness was cited in these interviews as the COPD symptom with the greatest impact on participants' daily functioning, activities and self-care. The findings provided significant additional knowledge to the SLS COPD study findings.

  12. Life course effects of early parental loss among very old African Americans.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Colleen L; Barer, Barbara M

    2002-03-01

    To analyze the life course effects of the early loss of one or both parents on very old Black Americans. Open-ended, semistructured interviews were used with a sample of 109 respondents aged 85 years and older. Correlations identified significant associations, and qualitative data illustrate life course trajectories of selected respondents. Those who lost a parent through death or desertion were less integrated into family and friendship groups in late life, and they had fewer social resources in general. Qualitative data describe three outcomes in the sample: those who grew up with both parents present, those who lost a parent but still reported a contented childhood, and those with disrupted families and negative effects. The respondents' open-ended commentary about their past lives and their current situation enhances understanding of connections between early life events and adaptation in old age.

  13. Being outside learning about science is amazing: A mixed methods study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weibel, Michelle L.

    This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to examine teachers' environmental attitudes and concerns about an outdoor educational field trip. Converging both quantitative data (Environmental Attitudes Scale and teacher demographics) and qualitative data (Open-Ended Statements of Concern and interviews) facilitated interpretation. Research has shown that adults' attitudes toward the environment strongly influence children's attitudes regarding the environment. Science teachers' attitudes toward nature and attitudes toward children's field experiences influence the number and types of field trips teachers take. Measuring teacher attitudes is a way to assess teacher beliefs. The one day outdoor field trip had significant outcomes for teachers. Quantitative results showed that practicing teachers' environmental attitudes changed following the Forever Earth outdoor field trip intervention. Teacher demographics showed no significance. Interviews provided a more in-depth understanding of teachers' perspectives relating to the field trip and environmental education. Four major themes emerged from the interviews: 1) environmental attitudes, 2) field trip program, 3) integrating environmental education, and 4) concerns. Teachers' major concern, addressed prior to the field trip through the Open-Ended Statements of Concern, was focused on students (i.e., behavior, safety, content knowledge) and was alleviated following the field trip. Interpretation of the results from integrating the quantitative and qualitative results shows that teachers' personal and professional attitudes toward the environment influence their decision to integrate environmental education in classroom instruction. Since the Forever Earth field trip had a positive influence on teachers' environmental attitudes, further research is suggested to observe if teachers integrate environmental education in the classroom to reach the overall goal of increasing environmental literacy.

  14. Does the Discussion of Socio-Scientific Issues require a Paradigm Shift in Science Teachers' Thinking?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Day, Stephen P.; Bryce, Tom G. K.

    2011-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterise secondary school science teachers' conceptual models of discussion, against the background that a number of researchers have found that discussion of socio-scientific issues in science classrooms is rare, somewhat discomforting for teachers and its purpose unclear. Recent research indicates that when science teachers do engage in socio-scientific discussion, the quality is poor and is teacher-centred where pupils' views do not figure prominently (far less be clarified and integrated with their scientific learning). This has led to calls for such dialogue to be conducted by humanities teachers. The question arising from such thinking is: Do science teachers hold different conceptual models of discussion from their humanities colleagues? Using semi-structured interviews, three groups each of six teachers (experienced science teachers, experienced humanities teachers, and newly qualified science teachers) were interviewed in-depth in order to characterise their conceptual understanding of discussion as a teaching strategy. Analysis of the interview transcripts utilised the constant comparison approach of grounded theory. Five conceptual models of discussion emerged from an analysis of the data-discussion: (1) as a teacher-mediated discourse; (2) as open-ended inquiry; (3) for the development of reasoning skills; (4) as mediated transfer of knowledge to real-life contexts; and (5) as practice for democratic citizenship. The results confirmed that the science teachers' emphasis tended to stress practice for democratic citizenship whereas the humanities teachers' emphasis was more towards open-ended inquiry and for the development of reasoning skills.

  15. Musculoskeletal pain among women of menopausal age in Puebla, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Goode-Null, Susan K

    2005-06-01

    Worldwide, complaints of musculoskeletal pain are more frequent than complaints of hot flashes amongst women of menopausal age. The purpose of this study was to examine musculoskeletal pain among women of menopausal age in the city of Puebla, Mexico. An opportunity sample was recruited from public parks and markets, with representation from all social classes (n=755). Mean age was 50.1 years, and the majority were employed as saleswomen in small businesses. Symptom frequencies were collected by open-ended interviews and with a structured symptom list that queried symptom experience during the two weeks prior to interview. In response to open-ended questions, "dolores de huesos" (bone pain) was volunteered by 47% of respondents as a symptom associated with menopause, second only to hot flashes (53%). From the structured symptom list, 55.8% and 55.6% reported back pain and joint stiffness during the two weeks prior to interview. Women with back pain and joint stiffness were less likely to report being active during their leisure time (p<.01). The results of backwards stepwise logistic regressions indicate that women with back pain were more likely to be older, with less education, a higher BMI, and ate less meat. Women with joint pain were more likely to be post-menopausal, with less education, more children, a higher BMI, and were likely to drink milk and coffee more than once/week but less than once/day. While menopause is not necessarily a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain, it is important to recognize the pervasiveness of this complaint among women of menopausal age.

  16. Listening to the student voice to improve educational software

    PubMed Central

    van Wyk, Mari; van Ryneveld, Linda

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Academics often develop software for teaching and learning purposes with the best of intentions, only to be disappointed by the low acceptance rate of the software by their students once it is implemented. In this study, the focus is on software that was designed to enable veterinary students to record their clinical skills. A pilot of the software clearly showed that the program had not been received as well as had been anticipated, and therefore the researchers used a group interview and a questionnaire with closed-ended and open-ended questions to obtain the students’ feedback. The open-ended questions were analysed with conceptual content analysis, and themes were identified. Students made valuable suggestions about what they regarded as important considerations when a new software program is introduced. The most important lesson learnt was that students cannot always predict their needs accurately if they are asked for input prior to the development of software. For that reason student input should be obtained on a continuous and regular basis throughout the design and development phases. PMID:28678678

  17. Management issues related to effectively implementing a nutrition education program using peer educators.

    PubMed

    Taylor, T; Serrano, E; Anderson, J

    2001-01-01

    To explore the influence of administrative aspects of a nutrition education program with peer educators delivering the program. Telephone interviews with peer educators trained to deliver La Cocina Saludable, a nutrition education program for Hispanics. Open- and closed-ended questions. Abuelas (grandmothers) recruited and trained as peer educators for the program. The sample included peer educators no longer teaching (22%), currently teaching (30%), and who never taught after training. Motives and incentives for becoming peer educators, challenges for peer educators, and reasons peer educators withdrew from the program. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data from the closed-ended questions. Qualitative analysis was applied to data from open-ended questions. Working with community and learning about nutrition were prime motivators. Recruiting participants and coordination of classes appeared to be major challenges. Personal issues and traveling in a large geographic area were cited as the main reasons for quitting. The effectiveness of using peer educators for La Cocina Saludable may be improved through empowerment, additional training, a structured and equitable reimbursement system, and assistance to carry out administrative tasks.

  18. Physician perspectives on legal processes for resolving end-of-life disputes.

    PubMed

    Chidwick, Paula; Sibbald, Robert

    2011-01-01

    In order to understand how to effectively approach end-of-life disputes, this study surveyed physicians' attitudes towards one process for resolving end-of-life disputes, namely, the Consent and Capacity Board of Ontario. In this case, the process involved examining interpretation of best interests between substitute decision-makers and medical teams. Physicians who made "Form G" applications to the Consent and Capacity Board of Ontario that resulted in a decision posted on the open-access database, Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLii), were identified and surveyed. This purposive sample led to 13 invitations to participate and 12 interviews (92% response rate). Interviews were conducted using a prescribed interview guide. No barriers to the Consent and Capacity Board process were reported. Applications were made when physicians reached an impasse with the family and further treatment was perceived to be "unethical." The most significant challenge reported was the delay when appeals were launched. Appeals extended the process for an indefinite period of time making it so lengthy it negated any perceived benefits of the process. Benefits included that a neutral third party, namely the Consent and Capacity Board, was able to assess best interests. Also, when decisions were timely, further harm to the patient was minimized. Physicians reported this particular approach, namely the Consent and Capacity Board has a mechanism that is worthwhile, patient centred, process oriented, orderly and efficient for resolving end-of-life disputes and, in particular, determining best interests. However, unless the appeal process can be adjusted to respond to the ICU context there is a risk of not serving the best interest of patients. Physicians would recommend framing end-of-life treatment plans in the positive instead of negative, for example, propose palliative care and no escalation of treatment as opposed to withdrawal.

  19. Design, Development, and Psychometric Analysis of a General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Topic Inventory Based on the Identified Main Chemistry Topics Relevant to Nursing Clinical Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Corina E.

    2013-01-01

    This two-stage study focused on the undergraduate nursing course that covers topics in general, organic, and biological (GOB) chemistry. In the first stage, the central objective was to identify the main concepts of GOB chemistry relevant to the clinical practice of nursing. The collection of data was based on open-ended interviews of both nursing…

  20. An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

    PubMed Central

    Wyman, Joshua; Foster, Ida; Talwar, Victoria

    2016-01-01

    A considerable amount of research has evaluated children's lie-telling behaviors and skills1-2; however, limitations with the tasks used for eliciting false testimonies and interviewing children have restricted the generalizability of the findings. The primary aim of the current study is to provide an easy-to-administer and ecologically valid method for measuring the veracity and quality of school-aged children's (ages 6-11) testimonies when they are asked to provide different types of true and false reports. Moreover, the methodology enables researchers to examine the social and developmental factors that could influence the credibility of a child's testimony. In the current study, children will witness a theft, and are then asked to either falsely deny the transgression, falsely accuse a researcher of the theft, or tell the truth. Afterwards, children are to be interviewed by a second researcher using a thorough and ecologically valid interview protocol that requires children to provide closed-ended and free-recall responses about the events with the instigator (E1). Coders then evaluate the length and number of theft-related details the children give throughout the interview, as well as their ability to maintain their true and false reports. The representative results indicate that the truth and lie-telling conditions elicit the intended behaviors from the children. The open-ended interview questions encouraged children to provide free-recall information about their experiences with E1. Moreover, findings from the closed-ended questions suggest that children are significantly better at maintaining their lies with age, and when producing a false denial compared to a false accusation. Results from the current study can be used to develop a greater understanding of the characteristics of children's true and false testimonies about crime, which can potentially benefit law enforcement, legal staff and professionals who interview children. PMID:27168278

  1. An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime.

    PubMed

    Wyman, Joshua; Foster, Ida; Talwar, Victoria

    2016-05-03

    A considerable amount of research has evaluated children's lie-telling behaviors and skills(1-2); however, limitations with the tasks used for eliciting false testimonies and interviewing children have restricted the generalizability of the findings. The primary aim of the current study is to provide an easy-to-administer and ecologically valid method for measuring the veracity and quality of school-aged children's (ages 6-11) testimonies when they are asked to provide different types of true and false reports. Moreover, the methodology enables researchers to examine the social and developmental factors that could influence the credibility of a child's testimony. In the current study, children will witness a theft, and are then asked to either falsely deny the transgression, falsely accuse a researcher of the theft, or tell the truth. Afterwards, children are to be interviewed by a second researcher using a thorough and ecologically valid interview protocol that requires children to provide closed-ended and free-recall responses about the events with the instigator (E1). Coders then evaluate the length and number of theft-related details the children give throughout the interview, as well as their ability to maintain their true and false reports. The representative results indicate that the truth and lie-telling conditions elicit the intended behaviors from the children. The open-ended interview questions encouraged children to provide free-recall information about their experiences with E1. Moreover, findings from the closed-ended questions suggest that children are significantly better at maintaining their lies with age, and when producing a false denial compared to a false accusation. Results from the current study can be used to develop a greater understanding of the characteristics of children's true and false testimonies about crime, which can potentially benefit law enforcement, legal staff and professionals who interview children.

  2. Multisectorial Afghan perspectives on girl child marriage: foundations for change do exist in Afghanistan.

    PubMed

    Raj, Anita; Gomez, Charlemagne S; Silverman, Jay G

    2014-12-01

    The objective of this study was to identify Afghan perspectives on the causes of and potential solutions to child and forced marriage in the country. Open-ended interviews (N = 102 interviews) were conducted with religious leaders, police, teachers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and government officials in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Mazar. Informants reported recognition of the poor social and health consequences of these practices for mothers and infants, citing poverty, tradition, conflict-related insecurity, low status of women, and ignorance of religious and civil laws as causes of these practices. Recommended solutions centered on child marriage prevention; most informants felt little can be done for married girls. © The Author(s) 2011.

  3. Opinion survey: materials management and purchasing habits.

    PubMed

    1988-01-01

    This opinion survey was undertaken to gauge the current status of materials management and purchasing departments at hospitals throughout the southern and southeastern United States. The survey was based on lengthy telephone interviews (from 30 to 60 minutes) and followup discussions with materials managers, purchasing agents and administrators. Interviews covered a variety of topics, including: cost-containment strategies; group purchasing and consignment purchasing; and current and anticipated trends in materials management. Many questions were left open-ended, so the survey could gauge attitudes, as well as determine contemporary practices and procedures. (In some cases, respondents were also given the opportunity to comment on the statements of their peers, in order to corroborate and substantiate data.)

  4. Use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suyitno, A.; Suyitno, H.; Rochmad; Dwijanto

    2018-03-01

    Mathematical creativity is the essence of learning in mathematics. However, mathematical creativity had not yet grown among students. Means there was a gap between needs and reality. This gap must be bridged through by scientific studies, and there were novelty findings, namely the discovery of stages to cultivate of Mathematical Creativity. The problem formulation: How to use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student? The goal was to use of open issues as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student. Research method with a qualitative approach. After data was collected then activity in data analysis, include data reduction, data presentation, data interpretation, and conclusion/verification. The results of the research: After the learning by applying the modification of RTTW learning model, then the students were trained to do the open-ended problems and by looking at the UTS and UAS values then qualitatively the results: (1) There was a significant increase of the student's final score. (2) The category of the growth of mathematical creativity of students, the Very Good there were three students, the Good there were six students, There were 17 students, and there were six students. The validation of these results was reinforced by interviews and triangulation. (3) Stage to cultivate mathematical creativity: lecturers should need to provide inputs on student work; Apply an appropriate learning model, and train students to work on the continuing problems.

  5. Lived experience of economic and political trends related to globalization.

    PubMed

    Cushon, Jennifer A; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Labonte, Ronald

    2010-01-01

    A multi-method case study examined how the economic and political processes of globalization have influenced the determinants of health among low-income children in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This paper presents the results from the qualitative interview component of the case study. The purpose of the interviews was to uncover the lived experience of low-income families and their children in Saskatoon with regards to political and economic trends related to globalization, an important addition to the usual globalization and health research that relies primarily on cross-country regressions in which the personal impacts remain hidden. In-depth phenomenological interviews with 26 low-income parents of young children (aged zero to five) who were residents of Saskatoon. A combination of volunteer and criterion sampling was used. Interview questions were open-ended and based upon an analytical framework. Analysis proceeded through immersion in the data, a process of open coding, and finally through a process of selective coding. The larger case study and interviews indicate that globalization has largely not been benefiting low-income parents with young children. Low-income families with young children were struggling to survive, despite the tremendous economic growth occurring in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon at the time of the interviews. This often led to participants expressing a sense of helplessness, despair, isolation, and/or anger. Respondents' experiences suggest that globalization-related changes in social conditions and public policies and programs have great potential to negatively affect family health through either psychosocial effects in individuals and/or decreased levels of social cohesion in the community.

  6. Listening to music during regional anesthesia: patients' experiences and the effect on mood.

    PubMed

    Sven-Olof Trängeberg, Örjan; Stomberg, Margareta Warrén

    2013-10-01

    Many patients experience a sense of anxiety and insecurity during the perianesthesia period. It is important to the care relationship that the nurse be able to help the patient to establish a degree of control over their situation and thus regain their own sense of security. Music therapy can be a useful tool to accomplish this. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a music intervention on patient's mood and self-reported satisfaction. A multimodal research design using an open-ended interview and quantitative anxiety scale was used. A total of 15 patients were interviewed with an open question in addition to completing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and the HAD scale according to standard practice. An analysis of the interviews revealed a main theme: a feeling of satisfaction, and three subthemes: positive experience, inner peace, and detachment from reality. It emerged from the interviews that it was important for the patients to select music themselves. Patients had a positive experience, inner peace, and detachment from reality with changes in the patients' state of mind before and after the musical intervention. The anxiety level significantly decreased (P = .019) after the patients listened to music during surgery compared with the prevalence of anxiety before listening to music. This study shows that music has a positive impact on patients undergoing anesthesia. Copyright © 2013 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Through the Patients’ Eyes: The Experience of End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Concerning the Provided Nursing Care

    PubMed Central

    Stavropoulou, Areti; Grammatikopoulou, Maria G.; Rovithis, Michail; Kyriakidi, Konstantina; Pylarinou, Andriani; Markaki, Anastasia G.

    2017-01-01

    Chronic kidney disease is a condition that affects both the physical and mental abilities of patients. Nursing care is of pivotal importance, in particular when end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are concerned, since the quality of the provided care may severely influence the patient’s quality of life. This is why it is important to explore patient experiences concerning the rendered care. However, limited up-to-date studies have addressed this issue. The aim of the present study was to stress the experiences of ESRD patients concerning the provided nursing care in the hemodialysis unit at the University Hospital in Heraklion, Crete. A qualitative methodological approach was used, based on the principles of phenomenological epistemology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and open-ended questions were applied to record how patients experienced the rendered care during dialysis. The recorded data were analyzed via qualitative content analysis, which revealed three main themes: ‘Physical Care’, ‘Psychological Support’ and ‘Education’. Patients’ views were conceptualized into sub-themes within each main theme. The interviews revealed the varied and distinct views of ESRD patients, indicating that the rendered care should be individualized. PMID:28754014

  8. Using a Lego-based communications simulation to introduce medical students to patient-centered interviewing.

    PubMed

    Harding, S R; D'Eon, M F

    2001-01-01

    Teaching patient-centered interviewing skills to medical students can be challenging. We have observed that 1st-year medical students, in particular, do not feel free to concentrate on the interviewing skills because they are preoccupied with complicated technical medical knowledge. The Lego simulation we use with our 1st-year students as part of a professional-skills course overcomes that difficulty. The Lego activity is a role play analogous to a doctor-patient interview that uses identical sets of Legos for the "doctor" and for the "patients" and a small construction that represents a patient history. With a simple questionnaire, data were collected from students at different points during instruction. Results indicate that the Lego activity was very effective in helping students learn the importance of open-ended questioning. It also was rated as highly as the very dynamic interactive part of the instructional session. The effectiveness of the Lego activity may be due to the properties of analogies.

  9. Determining Family Needs on an Oncology Hospital Unit Using Interview, Art, and Survey.

    PubMed

    Catlin, Anita; Ford, Marilee; Maloney, Carrie

    2016-04-01

    A movement worldwide, and specifically new to our hospital, is the implementation of Patient- and Family-Centered Care. We were unsure, however, what the needs were of our patients' families. This triangulated study, on a 28-bed oncology unit, studied family members at the bedside. We asked family members what their needs were in a three-step process (open-ended interview, use of the Draw a Bridge art therapy technique, and the Family Inventory of Needs survey). Nineteen interviews revealed needs for physical comfort, emotional support, cultural sensitivity, recognition of help provided by family members and improved pain management. Art therapy revealed the stress of caregiving and helped to uncover unmet needs for interviewers to explore. The FIN identified that care at home after discharge was a major worry. Knowledge of family members' needs while a loved one is in the hospital allows for planning and provision of modalities to assist them in their caregiving. © The Author(s) 2015.

  10. What Works in Israeli Prison-Based Sex Offender Rehabilitation Programs: Program Participants' Perspective.

    PubMed

    Geiger, Brenda; Fischer, Michael

    2017-09-01

    This study invited 10 of the 22 sex offenders enrolled in a prison-based rehabilitation program in one of the prisons in Israel to engage in the two first of the 4-D ( Discover, Dream, Design, and Deliver) stages of the Appreciative Inquiry . Consistent with the responsivity principle, and the IA tenets, program participants were interviewed to Discover components to which they were responsive and Dream/envision additional ones that would increase engagement and progress. Content analysis of the interviews indicated that despite the initial decision to enrol based on external incentives, participants eventually engaged in group therapy and expressed the desire to understand and regulate their sexual behaviour. While the the modules of Cognitive Behabioral Group Therapy (CBT) were viewed as assets, the lack of sufficient recruitment criteria, the large therapy group size, and its open-ended structure were mentioned as impediments reaching therapeutic goals. Social workers/therapists were criticized for their request that they be informers, and for their accusative therapeutic style whenever sexual issues were broached. Recommendations derived from the offenders' narrative were to increase staff professionalism to create a therapeutic alliance that promotes trust and open communication. Criminal justice practitioners may then take up the challenge of the never-ending process of Appreciative Inquiry to Design and Deliver program components envisioned by the participants to increase participants' responsivity to the program and thus its effectiveness.

  11. Community pharmacists as educators in Danish residential facilities: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Mygind, Anna; El-Souri, Mira; Pultz, Kirsten; Rossing, Charlotte; Thomsen, Linda A

    2017-08-01

    To explore experiences with engaging community pharmacists in educational programmes on quality and safety in medication handling in residential facilities for the disabled. A secondary analysis of data from two Danish intervention studies where community pharmacists were engaged in educational programmes. Data included 10 semi-structured interviews with staff, five semi-structured interviews and three open-ended questionnaires with residential facility managers, and five open-ended questionnaires to community pharmacists. Data were thematically coded to identify key points pertaining to the themes 'pharmacists as educators' and 'perceived effects of engaging pharmacists in competence development'. As educators, pharmacists were successful as medicines experts. Some pharmacists experienced pedagogical challenges. Previous teaching experience and obtained knowledge of the local residential facility before teaching often provided sufficient pedagogical skills and tailored teaching to local needs. Effects of engaging community pharmacists included in most instances improved cooperation between residential facilities and community pharmacies through a trustful relationship and improved dialogue about the residents' medication. Other effects included a perception of improved patient safety, teaching skills and branding of the pharmacy. Community pharmacists provide a resource to engage in educational programmes on medication handling in residential facilities, which may facilitate improved cooperation between community pharmacies and residential facilities. However, development of pedagogical competences and understandings of local settings are prerequisites for facilities and pharmacists to experience the programmes as successful. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  12. The meaning of social support for the critically ill patient.

    PubMed

    Hupcey, J E

    2001-08-01

    Social support has been shown to be important for the critically ill patient. However, what constitutes adequate support for these patients has not been investigated. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate patients' perceptions of their need for and adequacy of the social support received while they were critically ill. Thirty adult patients who were critical during some point of their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) stay were interviewed, once stable. Interviews were tape-recorded and began with an open-ended question regarding the ICU experience. This was followed by open-ended focused questions regarding social support, such as 'Who were your greatest sources of social support while you were critically ill?' 'What did they do that was supportive or unsupportive?' Data were analyzed according to Miles and Huberman (1994). The categories that emerged were need for social support based on patient perceptions (not number of visitors), quality of support (based on perceptions of positive and negative behaviors of supporters) and lack of support. This study found that quality of support was more important than the actual number of visitors. Patients with few visitors may have felt supported, while those with numerous visitors felt unsupported. Patients who felt unsupported also were more critical of the staff and the care they received. Nurses need to individually assess patients regarding their need for support, and assist family/friends to meet these needs.

  13. Interviews of Children in a Portuguese Special Judicial Procedure.

    PubMed

    Peixoto, Carlos Eduardo; Fernandes, Raquel Veludo; Almeida, Telma Sousa; Silva, Júlia Marina; La Rooy, David; Ribeiro, Catarina; Magalhães, Teresa; Lamb, Michael E

    2017-05-01

    Since 2007, alleged victims of child sexual abuse in Portugal have provided evidence in a mandatory "Declarações para Memória Futura" (DMF; English transl. 'Statement for future use') proceeding. In order to protect children from having to testify in court, interviews conducted at the DMF can be used later as trial evidence because the hearings are conducted by judges. The present study examined 137 interviews with 3- to 17-year-olds conducted in several Portuguese criminal courts. Detailed examination of interview transcripts showed that 69% of all questions asked were option-posing questions, 16% were directive questions, 11% were suggestive questions, and only 3% were open-ended prompts. The vast majority of details provided by children were thus obtained using the risky recognition-based prompts (i.e., option posing and suggestive questions) associated with the risks of contaminating and limiting children's informativeness, both potential threats to the credibility of their testimony. There is an urgent need to address this issue and consider the implementation of a scientifically validated structured interview protocol in Portugal. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Listening to patients' voices: linguistic indicators related to diabetes self-management.

    PubMed

    Connor, Ulla; Anton, Marta; Goering, Elizabeth; Lauten, Kathryn; Hayat, Amir; Roach, Paris; Balunda, Stephanie

    2012-01-01

    A great deal of research in health care has examined a wide range of variables to better understand the degree to which patients follow the advice of medical professionals in managing their health, known as adherence. This paper explains the development of the linguistic systems to describe and evaluate two psychosocial constructs (i.e. control orientation and agency) that have been found to be related to adherence in previous research for subjects with diabetes (Trento et al. 2007; Wangberg 2007; O'Hea et al. 2009). The present data came from 43 semi-structured in-depth interviews of subjects with Type 2 diabetes. One-on-one interviews with open-ended questions elicited subjects' 'stories' about living with diabetes, and the transcribed interviews were analyzed to develop the linguistic systems of control orientation and agency. The resultant systems were applied to the 43 interviews by raters with high inter-rater reliability. The results showed demarcations of clearly identified codings of patient types. The paper presents the linguistic coding systems developed in the study, the results of their application to the patient interview data, and recommendations for improved communication with patients.

  15. Understandings of the nature of science and decision making on science and technology based issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Randy L.; Lederman, Norman G.

    2003-05-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to explicate the role of the nature of science in decision making on science and technology based issues and to delineate factors and reasoning associated with these types of decisions. Twenty-one volunteer participants purposively selected from the faculty of geographically diverse universities completed an open-ended questionnaire and follow-up interview designed to assess their decision making on science and technology based issues. Participants were subsequently placed in one of two groups based upon their divergent views of the nature of science as assessed by a second open-ended questionnaire and follow-up interview. Profiles of each group's decision making were then constructed, based on participants' previous responses to the decision making questionnaire and follow-up interviews. Finally, the two groups' decisions, decision influencing factors, and decision making strategies were compared. No differences were found between the decisions of the two groups, despite their disparate views of the nature of science. Participants in both groups based their decisions primarily on personal values, morals/ethics, and social concerns. While all participants considered scientific evidence in their decision making, most did not require absolute proof, even though many participants held absolute conceptions of the nature of science. Overall, the nature of science did not figure prominently in either group's decisions. These findings contrast with basic assumptions of current science education reform efforts and call for a re-examination of the goals of nature of science instruction. Developing better decision making skills - even on science and technology based issues - may involve other factors, including more value-based instruction and attention to intellectual/moral development.

  16. 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.

  17. Information sharing during diagnostic assessments: what is relevant for parents?

    PubMed

    Klein, Sheryl; Wynn, Kerry; Ray, Lynne; Demeriez, Lori; LaBerge, Patricia; Pei, Jacqueline; St Pierre, Cherie

    2011-05-01

    ABSTRACT This descriptive qualitative study facilitates the application of family-centered care within a tertiary care interdisciplinary neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment clinic by furthering an understanding of parent perceptions of the relevance of diagnostic information provision. An interdisciplinary assessment team completed an open-ended questionnaire to describe parent information provision. Parents from 9 families completed in-depth parent interviews following clinic attendance to discuss perceptions of information received. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded by related themes. Parents did not perceive the information in the way professionals expected. Parents acknowledged receipt of comprehensive information relevant to the diagnosis but indicated that not all their needs were met. During the interviews, parents described the assessment process, preassessment information, and "steps in their journey." They noted that a strength-based approach and a focus on parental competency would support their coping efforts. Results underscore the need for professionals to be attentive to parents' individualized needs.

  18. Physicians' opening questions and patients' satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Jeffrey D; Heritage, John

    2006-03-01

    To determine the association between the format of physicians' opening questions that solicit patients' presenting concerns and patients' post-visit evaluations of (i.e., satisfaction with) the affective-relational dimension of physicians' communication. Videotape and questionnaire data were collected from visits between 28 primary-care physicians and 142 adult patients with acute problems. Factor analysis resulted in three dependent variables derived from the 9-item Socioemotional Behavior subscale of the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale. Question format was significantly, positively associated with patients' evaluations of physicians' listening (p=.028) and positive affective-relational communication (p=.046). Patients desire opportunities to present concerns in their own time and terms regardless of how extensively they act on this opportunity. Visits should be opened with general inquiries (e.g., What can I do for you today?) versus closed-ended requests for confirmation (e.g., Sore throat, huh?).

  19. The use and role of open source software applications in public and not-for-profit hospitals in the United States.

    PubMed

    Vest, Joshua R; Stephens, James H

    2013-01-01

    The potential cost savings and customizability of open source software (OSS) may be particularly attractive for hospitals. However, numerous health-care-specific OSS applications exist, the adoption of OSS health information technology (HIT) applications is not widespread in the United States. This disconnect between the availability of promising software and low adoption raises the basic question: If OSS HIT is so advantageous, why are more health care organizations not using it? We interviewed the chief information officer, or equivalent position, at 17 not-for-profit and public hospitals across the United States. Through targeted recruitment, our sample included nine hospitals using OSS HIT and eight hospitals not using OSS HIT. The open-ended interview questions were guided by domains included in the fit-viability theory, an organizational-level innovation adoption framework, and those suggested by a review of the literature. Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive and comparative approach, which involved an open coding for relevant themes. Interviews described the state of OSS use in hospitals. Specifically, general OSS applications were widely used by IT professionals. In addition, hospitals using OSS HIT still relied heavily on vendor support. In terms of why decisions arose to use OSS HIT, several hospitals using OSS HIT noted the cost advantages. In contrast, hospitals avoiding OSS HIT were clear, OSS as a class did not fit with clinical work and posed too much risk. Perceptions of OSS HIT ranged from enthusiastic embracement to resigned adoption, to refusal, to abandonment. Some organizations were achieving success with their OSS HIT choices, but they still relied on vendors for significant support. The decision to adopt OSS HIT was not uniform but contingent upon views of the risk posed by the technology, economic factors, and the hospital's existing capabilities.

  20. "The Jackson Table Is a Pain in the…": A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perception Toward a Spinal Surgery Table.

    PubMed

    Asiedu, Gladys B; Lowndes, Bethany R; Huddleston, Paul M; Hallbeck, Susan

    2016-01-07

    The aim of this study was to define health care providers' perceptions toward prone patient positioning for spine surgery using the Jackson Table, which has not been hitherto explored. We analyzed open-ended questionnaire data and interviews conducted with the spine surgical team regarding the current process of spinal positioning/repositioning using the Jackson Table. Participants were asked to provide an open-ended explanation as to whether they think the current process of spinal positioning/repositioning is safe for the staff or patients. Follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 of the participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges and safety issues related to prone patient positioning. Data analysis resulted in 6 main categories: general challenges with patient positioning, role-specific challenges, challenges with the Jackson Table and the "sandwich" mechanism, safety concerns for patients, safety concerns for the medical staff, and recommendations for best practices. This study is relevant to everyday practice for spinal surgical team members and advances our understanding of how surgical teams qualitatively view the current process of patient positioning for spinal surgery. Providers recommended best practices for using the Jackson Table, which can be achieved through standardized practice for transfer of patients, educational tools, and checklists for equipment before patient transfer and positioning. This research has identified several important practice opportunities for improving provider and patient safety in spine surgery.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivitives 3.0 License, where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0.

  1. General population and medical student perceptions of good and bad doctors in Mozambique.

    PubMed

    Pfeiffer, Annett; Noden, Bruce H; Walker, Zoë A; Aarts, Rembrant; Ferro, Josefo

    2011-04-01

    A key element of the doctor-patient relationship is to understand the patient's and doctor's perceptions of quality care. To assess the perceptions of good and bad doctors among first-year medical students and local community members in a semi-urban, African settings. Using open-ended and closed dichotomous questions, 115 first-year medical students in Beira, Mozambique were surveyed regarding their perceptions of a 'good' and 'bad' doctor. Students then surveyed 611 community members in a predominately poor, semi-urban neighbourhood. Answers to open-ended questions provided by both groups produced the same four most important positive characteristics, with good diagnostic and therapeutic skills and dedication ranked highest. Closed-ended questions revealed that local community members felt that being concerned/considerate and diagnosing well were equally important (19.5% and 17.5%, respectively) compared to students (17.5% and 41.2%, respectively). The most important negative characteristics to the open-ended question for both groups were discrimination and contemptuous behaviour: 29.3% for community members and 27.4% for medical students. The biggest difference between groups was poor attending skills: 17.3% by community members and 3.9% by medical students. This study highlights differences and similarities between the perceptions of medical students and community members concerning a 'good' and a 'bad' doctor. Our data suggest that perceptions are guided by the experiences and values of those interviewed. Results indicate that medical education in developing countries should focus on patient-centered care, including communication skills and attitudes, besides training knowledgeable doctors.

  2. Living with and dying from advanced heart failure: understanding the needs of older patients at the end of life.

    PubMed

    Klindtworth, Katharina; Oster, Peter; Hager, Klaus; Krause, Olaf; Bleidorn, Jutta; Schneider, Nils

    2015-10-15

    Heart failure (HF) is a life-limiting illness and patients with advanced heart failure often suffer from severe physical and psychosocial symptoms. Particularly in older patients, HF often occurs in conjunction with other chronic diseases, resulting in complex co-morbidity. This study aims to understand how old and very old patients with advanced HF perceive their disease and to identify their medical, psychosocial and information needs, focusing on the last phase of life. Qualitative longitudinal interview study with old and very old patients (≥70 years) with severe HF (NYHA III-IV). Interviews were conducted at three-month intervals over a period of up to 18 months and were analysed using qualitative methods in relation to Grounded Theory. A total of 95 qualitative interviews with 25 patients were conducted and analysed. The following key categories were developed: (1a) dealing with advanced heart failure and ageing, (1b) dealing with end of life; (2a) perceptions regarding care, and (2b) interpersonal relations. Overall, our data show that older patients do not experience HF as a life-limiting disease. Functional restrictions and changed conditions leading to problems in daily life activities were often their prime concerns. The needs and priorities of older HF patients vary depending on their disease status and individual preferences. Pain resulting in reduced quality of life is an example of a major symptom requiring treatment. Many older HF patients lack sufficient knowledge about their condition and its prognosis, particularly concerning emergency situations and end of life issues, and many expressed a wish for open discussions. From the patients' perspective, there is a need for improvement in interaction with health care professionals, and limits in treatment and medical care are not openly discussed. Old and very old patients with advanced HF often do not acknowledge the seriousness and severity of the disease. Their communication with physicians predominantly focuses on curative treatment. Therefore, aspects such as self-management of the disease, dealing with emergency situations and end-of-life issues should be addressed more prominently. An advanced care planning (ACP) programme for heart disease in older people could be an option to improve patient-centred care.

  3. "The Jackson Table Is a Pain in the…": A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perception Toward a Spinal Surgery Table.

    PubMed

    Asiedu, Gladys B; Lowndes, Bethany R; Huddleston, Paul M; Hallbeck, Susan

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study was to define health care providers' perceptions toward prone patient positioning for spine surgery using the Jackson Table, which has not been hitherto explored. We analyzed open-ended questionnaire data and interviews conducted with the spine surgical team regarding the current process of spinal positioning/repositioning using the Jackson Table. Participants were asked to provide an open-ended explanation as to whether they think the current process of spinal positioning/repositioning is safe for the staff or patients. Follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 of the participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges and safety issues related to prone patient positioning. Data analysis resulted in 6 main categories: general challenges with patient positioning, role-specific challenges, challenges with the Jackson Table and the "sandwich" mechanism, safety concerns for patients, safety concerns for the medical staff, and recommendations for best practices. This study is relevant to everyday practice for spinal surgical team members and advances our understanding of how surgical teams qualitatively view the current process of patient positioning for spinal surgery. Providers recommended best practices for using the Jackson Table, which can be achieved through standardized practice for transfer of patients, educational tools, and checklists for equipment before patient transfer and positioning. This research has identified several important practice opportunities for improving provider and patient safety in spine surgery.

  4. Facilitating Scholarly Writing in Academic Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Pololi, Linda; Knight, Sharon; Dunn, Kathleen

    2004-01-01

    Scholarly writing is a critical skill for faculty in academic medicine; however, few faculty receive instruction in the process. We describe the experience of 18 assistant professors who participated in a writing and faculty development program which consisted of 7 monthly 75-minute sessions embedded in a Collaborative Mentoring Program (CMP). Participants identified barriers to writing, developed personal writing strategies, had time to write, and completed monthly writing contracts. Participants provided written responses to open-ended questions about the learning experience, and at the end of the program, participants identified manuscripts submitted for publication, and completed an audiotaped interview. Analysis of qualitative data using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification showed that this writing program facilitated the knowledge, skills, and support needed to foster writing productivity. All participants completed at least 1 scholarly manuscript by the end of the CMP. The impact on participants’ future academic productivity requires long-term follow-up. PMID:14748862

  5. Friendship in inclusive physical education.

    PubMed

    Seymour, Helena; Reid, Greg; Bloom, Gordon A

    2009-07-01

    Social interaction and development of friendships between children with and without a disability are often proposed as potential outcomes of inclusive education. Physical activity specialists assert that exercise and sport environments may be conducive to social and friendship outcomes. This study investigated friendship in inclusive physical education from the perspective of students with (n = 8) and without (n = 8) physical disabilities. All participants attended a reversely integrated school and were interviewed using a semistructured, open-ended format. An adapted version of Weiss, Smith, and Theeboom's (1996) interview guide exploring perceptions of peer relationships in the sport domain was used. Four conceptual categories emerged from the analysis: development of friendship, best friend, preferred physical activities and outcomes, and dealing with disability. The results demonstrated the key characteristics of best friends and the influential role they play.

  6. Experiences of Australian men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Chambers, Suzanne K; Hyde, Melissa K; Laurie, Kirstyn; Legg, Melissa; Frydenberg, Mark; Davis, Ian D; Lowe, Anthony; Dunn, Jeff

    2018-01-01

    Objective To explore men’s lived experience of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) and preferences for support. Design Cross-sectional qualitative study applying open-ended surveys and interviews conducted between June and November 2016. Interviews audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed from an interpretive phenomenological perspective. Setting Australia, nation-wide. Participants 39 men diagnosed with advanced PCa (metastatic or castration-resistant biochemical progression) were surveyed with 28 men subsequently completing a semistructured in depth telephone interview. Results Thematic analysis of interviews identified two organising themes: lived experience and supportive care. Lived experience included six superordinate themes: regret about late diagnosis and treatment decisions, being discounted in the health system, fear/uncertainty about the future, acceptance of their situation, masculinity and treatment effects. Supportive care included five superordinate themes: communication, care coordination, accessible care, shared experience/peer support and involvement of their partner/family. Conclusions Life course and the health and social context of PCa influence men’s experiences of advanced disease. Multimodal interventions integrating peer support and specialist nurses are needed that more closely articulate with men’s expressed needs. PMID:29455168

  7. Spouses' reflections on implantable cardioverter defibrillator treatment with focus on the future and the end-of-life: a qualitative content analysis.

    PubMed

    Fluur, Christina; Bolse, Kärstin; Strömberg, Anna; Thylén, Ingela

    2014-08-01

    To explore future reflections of spouses living with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipient with focus on the end-of-life phase in an anticipated palliative phase. A history of or risk for life-threatening arrhythmias may require an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Despite the life-saving capacity of the device, eventually life will come to an end. As discussion about preferences of shock therapy at end-of-life phase seldom takes place in advance, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients may face defibrillating shocks in the final weeks of their lives, adding to stress and anxiety in patients and their families. Qualitative study with in-depth interviews analysed with a content analysis. Interviews were performed with 18 spouses of medically stable implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients during 2011-2012. The spouses described how they dealt with changes in life and an uncertain future following the implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. Six subcategories conceptualized the spouses' concerns: Aspiring for involvement; Managing an altered relationship; Being attentive to warning signs; Worries for deterioration in the partner's health; Waiting for the defibrillating shock; and Death is veiled in silence. Despite the partner's serious state of health; terminal illness or death and the role of the device was seldom discussed with healthcare professionals or the implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipient. Open and honest communication was requested as important to support coping with an unpredictable life situation and to reduce worries and uncertainty about the future and end-of-life. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Mediating Systems of Care: Emergency Calls to Long-Term Care Facilities at Life's End.

    PubMed

    Waldrop, Deborah P; McGinley, Jacqueline M; Clemency, Brian

    2018-04-09

    Nursing home (NH) residents account for over 2.2 million emergency department visits yearly; the majority are cared for and transported by prehospital providers (emergency medical technicians and paramedics). The purpose of this study was to investigate prehospital providers' perceptions of emergency calls at life's end. This article focuses on perceptions of end-of-life calls in long-term care (LTC). This pilot study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Concepts from the symbolic interaction theory guided the exploration of perceptions and interpretations of emergency calls in LTC facilities. A purposeful sample of prehospital providers was developed from one agency in a small northeastern U.S. city. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 prehospital providers to explore their perceptions of factors that trigger emergency end-of-life calls in LTC facilities. Qualitative data analysis involved iterative coding in an inductive process that included open, systematic, focused, and axial coding. Interview themes illustrated the contributing factors as follows: care crises; dying-related turmoil; staffing ratios; and organizational protocols. Distress was crosscutting and present in all four themes. The findings illuminate how prehospital providers become mediators between NHs and emergency departments by managing tension, conflict, and challenges in patient care between these systems and suggest the importance of further exploration of interactions between LTC staff, prehospital providers, and emergency departments. Enhanced communication between LTC facilities and prehospital providers is important to address potentially inappropriate calls and transport requests and to identify means for collaboration in the care of sick frail residents.

  9. A qualitative study of women's decision-making at the end of IVF treatment.

    PubMed

    Peddie, V L; van Teijlingen, E; Bhattacharya, S

    2005-07-01

    The decision not to pursue further in vitro fertilization (IVF) after one or more unsuccessful attempts is an important and often difficult one for couples. Relatively little is known about the woman's perception of this decision-making process. The aim of this study was to examine patients' perspectives of decision-making, including circumstances influencing it and satisfaction with the decision-making process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 25 women who had decided to end treatment after unsuccessful IVF treatment. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed by means of thematic analysis using the open coding technique. Women experienced difficulty in accepting that their infertility would remain unresolved. Many felt that they had started with unrealistic expectations of treatment success and felt vulnerable to the pressures of both the media and society. Although the decision to end treatment was difficult, it offered many women a way out of the emotional distress caused by IVF; however, the process of decision-making created a sense of 'confrontation' for the women in which they had to address issues they had previously avoided. Adoptive parents perceived less societal pressure than those who remained childless. Efforts to improve the psychological preparation of couples who decide to end IVF treatment should be directed towards examination of the existing system of consultation, which has certain limitations in terms of the quality of communication and the provision of post-treatment support. Further efforts to develop strategies, which facilitate the decision-making process, should be considered.

  10. Evaluating reasons for nursing turnover: comparison of exit interview and panel data.

    PubMed

    Weisman, C S; Alexander, C S; Chase, G A

    1981-06-01

    Data from a study of nursing turnover are used to compare findings based on two techniques for evaluating the reasons for resignations within the same population of hospital nurses during one year. The techniques are: (1) exit interviews, in which resigning nurses were asked to report in an open-ended format their major reasons for leaving their jobs; and (2) a prospective panel study, in which nurses who resigned are compared with nurses who remained, and actual turnover is predicted. Results show that due to the absence of a comparison group of remaining nurses and of baseline data, causal inferences based on exit interview data alone are overly simplistic and misleading for management purposes. Results of the panel study are more informative, although implications for hospital management are more complex. Use of the prospective panel design is recommended for hospitals concerned with evaluating nursing job conditions during a period of high turnover and staff nurse shortages.

  11. Exploration of Habitability Factors Influencing Short Duration Spaceflight: Structured Postflight Interviews of Shuttle Crewmembers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Locke, James; Leveton, Lauren; Keeton, Kathryn; Whitmire, Alexandra

    2009-01-01

    Astronauts report significant difficulties with sleep during Space missions. Psychological, physiological, and habitability factors are all thought to play a role in spaceflight insomnia. Crewmembers gain experience with the spaceflight sleep environment as their missions progress, but this knowledge is not formally collected and communicated to subsequent crews. This lack of information transfer prevents crews from optimizing their capability to sleep during mission, which leads to fatigue and its potentially deleterious effects. The goal of this project is astronauts with recent spaceflight experience to gather their knowledge of and insights into sleep in Space. Structured interviews consisting of standardized closed and open-ended questionnaires are administered to astronauts who have flown on the Space Shuttle since the Columbia disaster. It is hoped that review and analysis of the pooled responses to the interview questions will lead to greater understanding of the sleep environment during short duration spaceflight, with attention placed on problem aspects and their potential solutions.

  12. The Qualitative Interview Study of Persistent and Nonpersistent Substance Use in the MTA: Sample Characteristics, Frequent Use, and Reasons for Use.

    PubMed

    Swanson, James M; Wigal, Timothy; Jensen, Peter S; Mitchell, John T; Weisner, Thomas S; Murray, Desiree; Arnold, L Eugene; Hechtman, Lily; Molina, Brooke S G; Owens, Elizabeth B; Hinshaw, Stephen P; Belendiuk, Katherine; Howard, Andrea; Wigal, Sharon B; Sorensen, Page; Stehli, Annamarie

    2017-10-01

    To evaluate participants' perceptions about frequent use and reasons for substance use (SU) in the qualitative interview study, an add-on to the multimodal treatment study of ADHD (MTA). Using the longitudinal MTA database, 39 ADHD cases and 19 peers with Persistent SU, and 86 ADHD cases and 39 peers without Persistent SU were identified and recruited. In adulthood, an open-ended interview was administered, and SU excerpts were indexed and classified to create subtopics (frequent use and reasons for use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs). For marijuana, the Persistent compared with Nonpersistent SU group had a significantly higher percentage of participants describing frequent use and giving reasons for use, and the ADHD group compared with the group of peers had a significantly higher percentage giving "stability" as a reason for use. Motivations for persistent marijuana use may differ for adults with and without a history of ADHD.

  13. An interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis to inform the treatment of challenging behavior in a young child with autism.

    PubMed

    Herman, Ciara; Healy, Olive; Lydon, Sinéad

    2018-04-01

    Experimental Functional analysis (EFA) is considered the "gold standard" of behavioural assessment and its use is predictive of treatment success. However, EFA has a number of limitations including its lengthy nature, the high level of expertise required, and the reinforcement of challenging behaviour. This study aimed to further validate a novel interview-informed synthesised contingency analysis (IISCA). An open-ended interview and brief direct observation informed an IISCA for a young boy with autism who engaged in challenging behaviour. Resulting data supported the hypothesis that the target behaviour was multiply controlled by escape from demands and access to tangible items. An intervention comprised of most-to-least prompting, escape extinction, differential reinforcement and a high-probability instruction sequence was evaluated using a reversal design. This intervention reduced challenging behaviour to low levels and resulted in increased compliance. Findings support the status of the IISCA as a valid, practical, and effective process for designing function-based interventions.

  14. Arms Transfers, Congress, and Foreign Policy. The Case of Latin America, 1967-1976.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-01-01

    interview that by 1967 the Peruvian air force had a 35 different types of air- craft and wanted to reduce this inventory to 7. For reasons of improved...International a Petroleum Company (IPC). After a long controversy, in July 1967 the Peruvian Congress declared the oil fields were national property. Peru then...written, the duration was open-ended and could be seen as an extremely 4 6 5 Ibid., p. 26222. 6 6 Ibid. 6 7 ,, Peruvians Attack U.S. Fishing Boats and Cap

  15. Witness recall across repeated interviews in a case of repeated abuse.

    PubMed

    Brubacher, Sonja P; La Rooy, David

    2014-02-01

    In this illustrative case study we examine the three forensic interviews of a girl who experienced repeated sexual abuse from ages 7 to 11. She disclosed the abuse after watching a serialized television show that contained a storyline similar to her own experience. This triggered an investigation that ended in successful prosecution of the offender. Because this case involved abuse that was repeated on a weekly basis for 4 years we thus investigated the degree to which the child's narrative reflected specific episodes or generic accounts, and both the interviewer's and child's attempts to elicit and provide, respectively, specific details across the 3 interviews collected in a 1 month period. Across the 3 interviews, the child's account was largely generic, yet on a number of occasions she provided details specific to individual incidents (episodic leads) that could have been probed further. As predicted: earlier interviews were characterized more by episodic than generic prompts and the reverse was true for the third interview; the child often responded using the same style of language (episodic or generic) as the interviewer; and open questions yielded narrative information. We discuss the importance of adopting children's words to specify occurrences, and the potential benefits of permitting generic recall in investigative interviews on children's ability to provide episodic leads. Despite the fact that the testimony was characterized by generic information about what usually happened, rather than specific episodic details about individual occurrences, this case resulted in successful prosecution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 24 CFR 203.270 - Open-end insurance charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Open-end insurance charges. 203.270... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Open-End Insurance Charges-All Mortgages § 203.270 Open-end insurance charges. (a) Required charge. In the case of an insured open-end advance...

  17. 24 CFR 203.270 - Open-end insurance charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Open-end insurance charges. 203.270... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Open-End Insurance Charges-All Mortgages § 203.270 Open-end insurance charges. (a) Required charge. In the case of an insured open-end advance...

  18. 24 CFR 203.270 - Open-end insurance charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Open-end insurance charges. 203.270... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Open-End Insurance Charges-All Mortgages § 203.270 Open-end insurance charges. (a) Required charge. In the case of an insured open-end advance...

  19. 24 CFR 203.270 - Open-end insurance charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Open-end insurance charges. 203.270... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Open-End Insurance Charges-All Mortgages § 203.270 Open-end insurance charges. (a) Required charge. In the case of an insured open-end advance...

  20. 24 CFR 203.270 - Open-end insurance charges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Open-end insurance charges. 203.270... SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Open-End Insurance Charges-All Mortgages § 203.270 Open-end insurance charges. (a) Required charge. In the case of an insured open-end advance...

  1. "Good for older ladies, not me": how elderly women choose their shoes.

    PubMed

    Davis, Annette; Murphy, Anna; Haines, Terry P

    2013-01-01

    Footwear selection is important among older adults. Little is known about factors that influence footwear selection among older women. If older women are to wear better footwear that reduces their risk of falls and foot abnormalities, then a better understanding of the factors underlying footwear choice is needed. This study aims to identify factors that drive footwear selection and use among older community-dwelling women with no history of falls. A cross-sectional survey using a structured, open-ended questionnaire was conducted by telephone interview. The participants were 24 women, 60 to 80 years old, with no history of falls or requirement for gait aids. The responses to open-ended questions were coded and quantified under a qualitative description paradigm. The main themes identified about footwear selection were aesthetics and comfort. Aesthetics was by far the main factor influencing footwear choice. Wearing safe footwear was not identified as a consideration when purchasing footwear. This study indicates that older women are driven primarily by aesthetics and comfort in their footwear selection. These footwear drivers have implications for health-care providers when delivering fall and foot health education.

  2. Recapitulating the History of Sickle-Cell Anemia Research: Improving Students' NOS Views Explicitly and Reflectively

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howe, Eric Michael; Wÿss Rudge, David

    This paper provides an argument in favor of a specific pedagogical method of using the history of science to help students develop more informed views about nature of science (NOS) issues. The paper describes a series of lesson plans devoted to encouraging students to engage, unbeknownst to them, in similar reasoning that led scientists to understand sickle-cell anemia from the perspective of multiple subdisciplines in biology. Students pursue their understanding of a "mystery disease"; by means of a series of open-ended problems that invite them to discuss it from the perspective of anatomy, physiology, ecology, evolution, and molecular and cell biology. Throughout this unit, instructors incorporate techniques that invite students to explicitly and reflectively discuss various NOS issues with reference to this example and more generally. It is argued on the grounds of constructivist tenets that this pedagogy has substantial advantages over more implicit approaches. The findings of an empirical study using an open-ended survey and follow-up, semi-structured interviews to assess students' pre- and post-instruction NOS conceptions support the efficacy of this approach.

  3. Elderly Homeless Veterans in Los Angeles: Chronicity and Precipitants of Homelessness

    PubMed Central

    van den Berk-Clark, Carissa; McGuire, James

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We compared the characteristics of chronically homeless and acutely homeless elderly veterans to better understand precipitants of homelessness. Methods. We conducted interviews with 33 chronically and 26 acutely homeless veterans aged 65 years and older receiving transitional housing services in Los Angeles, California, between 2003 and 2005. We asked questions regarding their sociodemographic characteristics and other social status measures. Other precipitants of homelessness were acquired via observation and open-ended and structured questions. Results. Both veterans groups were more similar than different, with substantial levels of physical, psychiatric, and social impairment. They differed significantly in homelessness history, with chronically homeless veterans having more homelessness episodes and more total time homeless. They were also less educated and had smaller social networks. In response to open-ended questioning, elderly homeless veterans revealed how health and substance use issues interacted with loss of social support and eviction to exacerbate homelessness. Conclusions. Assessment of a range of factors is needed to address risk factors and events leading to homelessness. Further research with larger samples is needed to confirm the characteristics and needs of the elderly homeless veteran population. PMID:24148059

  4. Elderly homeless veterans in Los Angeles: chronicity and precipitants of homelessness.

    PubMed

    van den Berk-Clark, Carissa; McGuire, James

    2013-12-01

    We compared the characteristics of chronically homeless and acutely homeless elderly veterans to better understand precipitants of homelessness. We conducted interviews with 33 chronically and 26 acutely homeless veterans aged 65 years and older receiving transitional housing services in Los Angeles, California, between 2003 and 2005. We asked questions regarding their sociodemographic characteristics and other social status measures. Other precipitants of homelessness were acquired via observation and open-ended and structured questions. Both veterans groups were more similar than different, with substantial levels of physical, psychiatric, and social impairment. They differed significantly in homelessness history, with chronically homeless veterans having more homelessness episodes and more total time homeless. They were also less educated and had smaller social networks. In response to open-ended questioning, elderly homeless veterans revealed how health and substance use issues interacted with loss of social support and eviction to exacerbate homelessness. Assessment of a range of factors is needed to address risk factors and events leading to homelessness. Further research with larger samples is needed to confirm the characteristics and needs of the elderly homeless veteran population.

  5. Engaging Gatekeeper-Stakeholders in Development of a Mobile Health Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence Among African American and Pacific Islander Elderly Patients With Hypertension

    PubMed Central

    Bazargan, Mohsen; Jones, Loretta; Vawer, May; Seto, Todd B; Farooq, Summer; Taira, Deborah A

    2016-01-01

    Background Approximately 70 million people in the United States have hypertension. Although antihypertensive therapy can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension, often patients do not take their medication as prescribed. Objective The goal of this study was to better understand issues affecting the acceptability and usability of mobile health technology (mHealth) to improve medication adherence for elderly African American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander patients with hypertension. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 gatekeeper-stakeholders using targeted open-ended questions. Interviews were deidentified, transcribed, organized, and coded manually by two independent coders. Analysis of patient interviews used largely a deductive approach because the targeted open-ended interview questions were designed to explore issues specific to the design and acceptability of a mHealth intervention for seniors. Results A number of similar themes regarding elements of a successful intervention emerged from our two groups of African American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander gatekeeper-stakeholders. First was the need to teach participants both about the importance of adherence to antihypertensive medications. Second, was the use of mobile phones for messaging and patients need to be able to access ongoing technical support. Third, messaging needs to be short and simple, but personalized, and to come from someone the participant trusts and with whom they have a connection. There were some differences between groups. For instance, there was a strong sentiment among the African American group that the church be involved and that the intervention begin with group workshops, whereas the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander group seemed to believe that the teaching could occur on a one-to-one basis with the health care provider. Conclusions Information from our gatekeeper-stakeholder (key informant) interviews suggests that the design of a mHealth intervention to improve adherence to antihypertensives among the elderly could be very similar for African Americans and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. The main difference might be in the way in which the program is initiated (possibly through church-based workshops for African Americans and by individual providers for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders). Another difference might be who sends the messages with African Americans wanting someone outside the health care system, but Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders preferring a provider. PMID:27784651

  6. Cigarette sales to women and children in urban Thailand.

    PubMed

    Jirojwong, Sansnee

    2003-03-01

    This descriptive study aimed to document cigarette retailers' knowledge and behaviors about the minimum legal age of cigarette buyers, and their estimates of the proportion of children and women among cigarette buyers. The study was conducted among 70 shop attendants in Hat Yai and Chon Buri cities. A semi-structured interview method was used to collect data using open-ended and close-ended questions. Qualitative data gained from observation and in-depth interviews among six shop owners provided information to support data collected from semi-structured interviews. Cigarettes are sold in small family-run food and household item shops. Although cigarette sales provide limited profits, they were described as essential to attract customers. Twenty-four percent sold only Thai cigarettes, 4% sold only imported cigarettes and 72% sold both. Almost one-third said they did not know the minimum legal age and more than half sold cigarettes to persons younger than 18 years. Single Thai cigarettes were sold to poor customers and to children. A small proportion (13%) said that 50% of their cigarette customers were women. It is possible that women and children were buying for adult males. Although cigarette sales to children younger than 18 years have been prohibited in Thailand for almost ten years, this information was only acknowledged by a small proportion of the shopkeepers. More research is needed on smoking prevalence and the reasons for initiating of smoking in women and children.

  7. Why do older people oppose physician-assisted dying? A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Malpas, Phillipa J; Wilson, Maria K R; Rae, Nicola; Johnson, Malcolm

    2014-04-01

    Physician-assisted dying at the end of life has become a significant issue of public discussion. While legally available in a number of countries and jurisdictions, it remains controversial and illegal in New Zealand. The study aimed to explore the reasons some healthy older New Zealanders oppose physician-assisted dying in order to inform current debate. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed by the authors after some edits had been made by respondents. In all, 11 older participants (over 65 years) who responded to advertisements placed in Grey Power magazines and a University of Auckland email list were interviewed for around 1 h and asked a number of open-ended questions. Four central themes opposing physician-assisted dying were identified from the interviews: one's personal experience with health care and dying and death, religious reasoning and beliefs, slippery slope worries and concern about potential abuses if physician-assisted dying were legalised. An important finding of the study suggests that how some older individuals think about physician-assisted dying is strongly influenced by their past experiences of dying and death. While some participants had witnessed good, well-managed dying and death experiences which confirmed for them the view that physician-assisted dying was unnecessary, those who had witnessed poor dying and death experiences opposed physician-assisted dying on the grounds that such practices could come to be abused by others.

  8. Freshman year computer engineering students' experiences for flipped physics lab class: An action research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akı, Fatma Nur; Gürel, Zeynep

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this research is to determine the university students' learning experiences about flipped-physics laboratory class. The research has been completed during the fall semester of 2015 at Computer Engineering Department of Istanbul Commerce University. In this research, also known as a teacher qualitative research design, action research method is preferred to use. The participants are ten people, including seven freshman and three junior year students of Computer Engineering Department. The research data was collected at the end of the semester with the focus group interview which includes structured and open-ended questions. And data was evaluated with categorical content analysis. According to the results, students have some similar and different learning experiences to flipped education method for physics laboratory class.

  9. Improving Diabetes Management With a Patient Portal: Qualitative Study of a Diabetes Self-Management Portal

    PubMed Central

    Dupak, Kourtney; Kuehner, Zachary; Leonard, Kevin; Lovrics, Emily; Picton, Peter; Seto, Emily; Cafazzo, Joe

    2012-01-01

    Background Effective management and care of diabetes is crucial to reducing associated risks such as heart disease and kidney failure. With increasing access and use of the Internet, online chronic disease management is being explored as a means of providing patients with support and the necessary tools to monitor and manage their disease. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate the experience of patients and providers using an online diabetes management portal for patients. Methods Participants were recruited from a large sample population of 887 for a follow-up questionnaire to be completed after 6 months of using the patient portal. Participants were presented with the option to participate in an additional interview and, if the participant agreed, a time and date was scheduled for the interview. A 5-item, open-ended questionnaire was used to capture providers' opinions of the patient portal. Providers included general practitioners (GPs), nurses, nurse practitioners (NPs), dieticians, diabetes educators (DECs), and other clinical staff. Results A total of 854 patients were consented for the questionnaire. Seventeen (8 male, 9 female) patients agreed to participate in a telephone interview. Sixty-four health care providers completed the five open-ended questions; however, an average of 48.2 responses were recorded per question. Four major themes were identified and will be discussed in this paper. These themes have been classified as: facilitators of disease management, barriers to portal use, patient-provider communication and relationship, and recommendations for portal improvements. Conclusions This qualitative study shows that online chronic disease management portals increase patient access to information and engagement in their health care, but improvements in the portal itself may improve usability and reduce attrition. Furthermore, this study identifies a grey area that exists in the roles that GPs and AHPs should play in the facilitation of online disease management. PMID:23195925

  10. Teaching habitat and animal classification to fourth graders using an engineering-design model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marulcu, Ismail

    2014-05-01

    Background: The motivation for this work is built upon the premise that there is a need for research-based materials for design-based science instruction. In this paper, a small portion of our work investigating the impact of a LEGOTM engineering unit on fourth grade students' preconceptions and understanding of animals is presented. Purpose: The driving questions for our work are: (1) What is the impact of an engineering-design-based curricular module on students' understanding of habitat and animal classification? (2) What are students' misconceptions regarding animal classification and habitat? Sample: The study was conducted in an inner-city K-8 school in the northeastern region of the United States. There were two fourth grade classrooms in the school. The first classroom included seven girls and nine boys, whereas the other classroom included eight girls and eight boys. All fourth grade students participated in the study. Design and methods: In answering the research questions mixed-method approaches are used. Data collection methods included pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-interviews, student journals, and classroom observations. Identical pre- and post-tests were administered to measure students' understanding of animals. They included four multiple-choice and six open-ended questions. Identical pre- and post-interviews were administered to explore students' in-depth understanding of animals. Results: Our results show that students significantly increased their performance after instruction on both the multiple-choice questions (t = -3.586, p = .001) and the open-ended questions (t = -5.04, p = .000). They performed better on the post interviews as well. Also, it is found that design-based instruction helped students comprehend core concepts of a life science subject, animals. Conclusions: Based on these results, the main argument of the study is that engineering design is a useful framework for teaching not only physical science-related subjects, but also life science subjects in elementary science classrooms.

  11. Improving diabetes management with a patient portal: a qualitative study of diabetes self-management portal.

    PubMed

    Urowitz, Sara; Wiljer, David; Dupak, Kourtney; Kuehner, Zachary; Leonard, Kevin; Lovrics, Emily; Picton, Peter; Seto, Emily; Cafazzo, Joe

    2012-11-30

    Effective management and care of diabetes is crucial to reducing associated risks such as heart disease and kidney failure. With increasing access and use of the Internet, online chronic disease management is being explored as a means of providing patients with support and the necessary tools to monitor and manage their disease. The objective of our study was to evaluate the experience of patients and providers using an online diabetes management portal for patients. Participants were recruited from a large sample population of 887 for a follow-up questionnaire to be completed after 6 months of using the patient portal. Participants were presented with the option to participate in an additional interview and, if the participant agreed, a time and date was scheduled for the interview. A 5-item, open-ended questionnaire was used to capture providers' opinions of the patient portal. Providers included general practitioners (GPs), nurses, nurse practitioners (NPs), dieticians, diabetes educators (DECs), and other clinical staff. A total of 854 patients were consented for the questionnaire. Seventeen (8 male, 9 female) patients agreed to participate in a telephone interview. Sixty-four health care providers completed the five open-ended questions; however, an average of 48.2 responses were recorded per question. Four major themes were identified and will be discussed in this paper. These themes have been classified as: facilitators of disease management, barriers to portal use, patient-provider communication and relationship, and recommendations for portal improvements. This qualitative study shows that online chronic disease management portals increase patient access to information and engagement in their health care, but improvements in the portal itself may improve usability and reduce attrition. Furthermore, this study identifies a grey area that exists in the roles that GPs and AHPs should play in the facilitation of online disease management.

  12. [Inclusive education in nursing: analysis of students' needs].

    PubMed

    Faro, Ana Cristina Mancussi E; Gusmai, Luana de Fátima

    2013-02-01

    Inclusive education is based on assisting all students alike, providing an education aimed at everyone equally in order to identify the particular educational needs of each student. The objectives of the present study were to identify the occurrence of disabilities, explore the learning resources that allow for inclusion; identify the architectural, communication, educational and attitudinal barriers that may affect students' performance; and discuss the students' suggestions of how to promote inclusion. This exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed using a quantitative approach. Data collection was performed through interviewing undergraduate nursing students, using a questionnaire containing open- and closed-ended questions. It was found that 66.3% of students have a visual impairment and 1.2% reported having a hearing impairment, but no physical disability was reported. Architectural barriers were the most frequently mentioned by the interviewed students, followed by educational barriers.

  13. Opening the Conversation on REU Assessment and Evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pressley, S. N.; LeBeau, J. E.

    2015-12-01

    Project evaluation is a key component to ensuring success of any Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The Washington State University (WSU) Regional Atmospheric Chemistry: State-of-the-art Measurement and Modeling in the Pacific Northwest REU Site employs a mixed method approach to determine what is working well and what can use improvement (formative evaluation) and to determine impact and effectiveness of the project in reaching the stated goals (summative evaluation). Quantitative data is collected via a pre-/post-test measuring participants' research self-efficacy (RSE), motivation, background information, extent of socialization, and their interpretation of the value of the REU experience. Qualitative data is gathered through individual interviews with the REU students (at the beginning and end of the program) and faculty mentors (at the end). Beginning interviews focus on expectations for the REU program and student backgrounds. End interviews focus on student RSE development, interpretations of their experience, and the value of the experience. Faculty mentors are interviewed to gather insight on student performance in the program and perspectives on the overall success of the program in meeting the proposed goals. Students are provided an opportunity to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of workshops, providing critical feedback to the particular instructor and enabling the faculty to modify the workshop content and activities in future years. Finally, research results are evaluated during the final poster presentation, and faculty are interviewed to report on their perception of how each student learned and gained knowledge during the program. To evaluate the retention of students in engineering and science and identify chosen career paths, a longitudinal survey was created and it is administered via email each year. Many REU programs also employ the Undergraduate Research Students Self-Assessment (URSSA) online tool designed for evaluating REU experiences (University of Colorado at Boulder). Information presented in this presentation will include a discussion of the current tools used as described above as well as a discussion of the pros/cons of using URSSA. One of the concerns with using URSSA in conjunction with the other assessment tools is "survey fatigue".

  14. Electrostatic shape-shifting ion optics

    DOEpatents

    Dahl, David A.; Scott, Jill R.; Appelhans, Anthony D.

    2006-05-02

    Electrostatic shape-shifting ion optics includes an outer electrode that defines an interior region between first and second opposed open ends. A first inner electrode is positioned within the interior region of the outer electrode at about the first open end. A second inner electrode is positioned within the interior region of the outer electrode at about the second open end. A first end cap electrode is positioned at about a first open end of the first inner electrode so that the first end cap electrode substantially encloses the first open end of the first inner electrode. A second end cap electrode is positioned at about a second open end of the second inner electrode so that the second end cap electrode substantially encloses the second open end of the second inner electrode. A voltage source operatively connected to each of the electrodes applies voltage functions to each of the electrodes to produce an electric field within an interior space enclosed by the electrodes.

  15. Interactive Lecture Experiments in Large Introductory Physics Classes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milner-Bolotin, Marina M.; Kotlicki, A.; Rieger, G.; Bates, F.; Moll, R.; McPhee, K.; Nashon, S.

    2006-12-01

    We describe Interactive Lecture Experiments (ILE), which build on Interactive Lecture Demonstrations proposed by Sokoloff and Thornton (2004) and extends it by providing students with the opportunity to analyze experiments demonstrated in the lecture outside of the classroom. Real time experimental data is collected, using Logger Pro combined with the digital video technology. This data is uploaded to the Internet and made available to the students for further analysis. Student learning is assessed in the following lecture using conceptual questions (clickers). The goal of this project is to use ILE to make large lectures more interactive and promote student interest in science, critical thinking and data analysis skills. We report on the systematic study conducted using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey, Force Concept Inventory, open-ended physics problems and focus group interviews to determine the impact of ILE on student academic achievement, motivation and attitudes towards physics. Three sections of students (750 students) experienced four ILE experiments. The surveys were administered twice and academic results for students who experienced the ILE for a particular topic were compared to the students, from a different section, who did not complete the ILE for that topic. Additional qualitative data on students’ attitudes was collected using open ended survey questions and interviews. We will present preliminary conclusions about the role of ILEs as an effective pedagogy in large introductory physics courses. Sokoloff, D.R. and R.K. Thornton (2004). Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: Active Learning in Introductory Physics, J.Wiley & Sons, INC. Interactive Lecture Experiments: http://www.physics.ubc.ca/ year1lab/p100/LectureLabs/lectureLabs.html

  16. Training Community Clergy in Serious Illness: Balancing Faith and Medicine.

    PubMed

    Koss, Sarah E; Weissman, Ross; Chow, Vinca; Smith, Patrick T; Slack, Bethany; Voytenko, Vitaliy; Balboni, Tracy A; Balboni, Michael J

    2018-06-06

    Community-based clergy are highly engaged in helping seriously ill patients address spiritual concerns at the end of life (EOL). While they desire EOL training, no data exist in guiding how to conceptualize a clergy-training program. The objective of this study was used to identify best practices in an EOL training program for community clergy. As part of the National Clergy Project on End-of-Life Care, the project conducted key informant interviews and focus groups with active clergy in five US states (California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas). A diverse purposive sample of 35 active clergy representing pre-identified racial, educational, theological, and denominational categories hypothesized to be associated with more intensive utilization of medical care at the EOL. We assessed suggested curriculum structure and content for clergy EOL training through interviews and focus groups for the purpose of qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis identified key themes around curriculum structure, curriculum content, and issues of tension. Curriculum structure included ideas for targeting clergy as well as lay congregational leaders and found that clergy were open to combining resources from both religious and health-based institutions. Curriculum content included clergy desires for educational topics such as increasing their medical literacy and reviewing pastoral counseling approaches. Finally, clergy identified challenging barriers to EOL training needing to be openly discussed, including difficulties in collaborating with medical teams, surrounding issues of trust, the role of miracles, and caution of prognostication. Future EOL training is desired and needed for community-based clergy. In partnering together, religious-medical training programs should consider curricula sensitive toward structure, desired content, and perceived clergy tensions.

  17. Gaps in international nutrition and child feeding guidelines: a look at the nutrition and young child feeding education of Ghanaian nurses.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jennie N; Brown, Helen; Ramsay, Samantha A

    2017-08-01

    To examine the nutrition and young child feeding (YCF) education and training of nurses in public health clinics of Ghana's Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem region (KEEA) in relation to global health guidelines, and how nurses served as educators for caregivers with children aged 0-5 years. A qualitative study of semi-structured one-on-one and group interviews (n 21) following a questionnaire of closed- and open-ended questions addressing child feeding, nutrition and global health recommendations. Interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded, transcribed and coded. Descriptive data were tabulated. Content analysis identified themes from open-ended questions. KEEA public health clinics (n 12). Nurses (n 41) purposefully recruited from KEEA clinics. A model capturing nurses' nutrition and YCF education emerged with five major themes: (i) adequacy of nurses' basic knowledge in breast-feeding, complementary feeding, iron-deficiency anaemia, YCF and hygiene; (ii) nurses' delivery of nutrition and YCF information; (iii) nurses' evaluation of children's health status to measure education effectiveness; (iv) nurses' perceived barriers of caregivers' ability to implement nutrition and YCF education; and (v) a gap in global health recommendations on YCF practices for children aged 2-5 years. Nurses demonstrated adequate nutrition and YCF knowledge, but reported a lack of in-depth nutrition knowledge and YCF education for children 2-5 years of age, specifically education and knowledge of YCF beyond complementary feeding. To optimize child health outcomes, a greater depth of nutrition and YCF education is needed in international health guidelines.

  18. The Technology Acceptance Model for Resource-Limited Settings (TAM-RLS): A Novel Framework for Mobile Health Interventions Targeted to Low-Literacy End-Users in Resource-Limited Settings.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Jeffrey I; Aturinda, Isaac; Mwesigwa, Evans; Burns, Bridget; Santorino, Data; Haberer, Jessica E; Bangsberg, David R; Holden, Richard J; Ware, Norma C; Siedner, Mark J

    2017-11-01

    Although mobile health (mHealth) technologies have shown promise in improving clinical care in resource-limited settings (RLS), they are infrequently brought to scale. One limitation to the success of many mHealth interventions is inattention to end-user acceptability, which is an important predictor of technology adoption. We conducted in-depth interviews with 43 people living with HIV in rural Uganda who had participated in a clinical trial of a short messaging system (SMS)-based intervention designed to prompt return to clinic after an abnormal laboratory test. Interviews focused on established features of technology acceptance models, including perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, and included open-ended questions to gain insight into unexplored issues related to the intervention's acceptability. We used conventional (inductive) and direct content analysis to derive categories describing use behaviors and acceptability. Interviews guided development of a proposed conceptual framework, the technology acceptance model for resource-limited settings (TAM-RLS). This framework incorporates both classic technology acceptance model categories as well as novel factors affecting use in this setting. Participants described how SMS message language, phone characteristics, and experience with similar technologies contributed to the system's ease of use. Perceived usefulness was shaped by the perception that the system led to augmented HIV care services and improved access to social support from family and colleagues. Emergent themes specifically related to mHealth acceptance among PLWH in Uganda included (1) the importance of confidentiality, disclosure, and stigma, and (2) the barriers and facilitators downstream from the intervention that impacted achievement of the system's target outcome. The TAM-RLS is a proposed model of mHealth technology acceptance based upon end-user experiences in rural Uganda. Although the proposed model requires validation, the TAM-RLS may serve as a useful tool to guide design and implementation of mHealth interventions.

  19. Symptom clusters at midlife: A four-country comparison of checklist and qualitative responses

    PubMed Central

    Sievert, Lynnette Leidy; Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf

    2011-01-01

    Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency and clustering of somatic symptoms as reported by women aged 45-55 years in four countries, to compare women's responses to open-ended questions with those derived from structured checklists, and to assess the extent to which bodily symptoms grouped with emotional complaints. Methods The Decisions at Menopause Study (DAMES) recruited 1,193 women from the general population in Beirut, Lebanon; Rabat, Morocco; Madrid, Spain; and central Massachusetts. Women participated in semi-structured interviews about health, menopause, and bodily changes at midlife. Women's responses to symptom checklists and their statements in response to open-ended questions were analyzed through factor analysis and textual analysis. Results There was considerable consistency between the frequencies of quantitative and qualitative responses, and the analyses of qualitative data illustrate the extent to which women associate somatic and emotional complaints. In open-ended responses, women in Massachusetts and Spain did not often cluster somatic symptoms together with emotional symptoms. In Morocco, dizziness, fatigue, and headaches were clustered with emotional symptoms. Women in Lebanon explicitly associated shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, gastro-intestinal complaints, headaches, and, to a lesser extent, joint pain and numbness with emotional symptoms. Conclusions The number of volunteered symptom responses was small because respondents were relatively healthy; however, the extent and pattern of association between somatic and emotional symptoms varied across sites. Certain somatic symptoms may be more likely to communicate psychosocial distress in particular cultures. These results have implications for patterns of health care utilization. PMID:22042326

  20. Open end protection for solid oxide fuel cells

    DOEpatents

    Zafred, Paolo R.; Dederer, Jeffrey T.; Tomlins, Gregory W.; Toms, James M.; Folser, George R.; Schmidt, Douglas S.; Singh, Prabhakar; Hager, Charles A.

    2001-01-01

    A solid oxide fuel cell (40) having a closed end (44) and an open end (42) operates in a fuel cell generator (10) where the fuel cell open end (42) of each fuel cell contains a sleeve (60, 64) fitted over the open end (42), where the sleeve (60, 64) extends beyond the open end (42) of the fuel cell (40) to prevent degradation of the interior air electrode of the fuel cell by fuel gas during operation of the generator (10).

  1. Influences on decision-making for undergoing plastic surgery: a mental models and quantitative assessment.

    PubMed

    Darisi, Tanya; Thorne, Sarah; Iacobelli, Carolyn

    2005-09-01

    Research was conducted to gain insight into potential clients' decisions to undergo plastic surgery, their perception of benefits and risks, their judgment of outcomes, and their selection of a plastic surgeon. Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 60 people who expressed interest in plastic surgery. Qualitative analysis revealed their "mental models" regarding influences on their decision to undergo plastic surgery and their choice of a surgeon. Interview results were used to design a Web-based survey in which 644 individuals considering plastic surgery responded. The desire for change was the most direct motivator to undergo plastic surgery. Improvements to physical well-being were related to emotional and social benefits. When prompted about risks, participants mentioned physical, emotional, and social risks. Surgeon selection was a critical influence on decisions to undergo plastic surgery. Participants gave considerable weight to personal consultation and believed that finding the "right" plastic surgeon would minimize potential risks. Findings from the Web-based survey were similar to the mental models interviews in terms of benefit ratings but differed in risk ratings and surgeon selection criteria. The mental models interviews revealed that interview participants were thoughtful about their decision to undergo plastic surgery and focused on finding the right plastic surgeon.

  2. What do patients and relatives know about problems and failures in care?

    PubMed

    Iedema, Rick; Allen, Suellen; Britton, Katherine; Gallagher, Thomas H

    2012-03-01

    To understand what patients and family members know about problems and failures in healthcare. Qualitative, semistructured open-ended interviews were conducted with 39 patients and 80 family members about their experiences of incidents in tertiary healthcare. Nineteen interviews involved more than one respondent, yielding 100 interviews in total. Participants were recruited through advertisements in the national broadsheet and tabloid print media (43%), with the help of the health services where the incidents occurred (28%), through invitations sent out by two internet marketing companies (27%) and by consumer organisations (2%). Interviews were conducted in the homes of the respondents or over the phone. One participant emailed her responses to the questionnaire. Analysis of the interview data revealed: (1) considerable knowledge on the part of patients and relatives about health service risks, problems and incidents; (2) the insight of interviewees into care improvement opportunities; and (3) challenges faced by patients and relatives when trying to negotiate their knowledge and insights with health service staff. Patients (and family members) need access to structured processes ensuring dialogue with health service personnel about perceived risks, problems and incidents. Such dialogue would reveal patients' and family members' questions and knowledge about improvement opportunities, and minimise the risk that their questions and knowledge are ignored.

  3. Critical thinking by nurses on ethical issues like the termination of pregnancies.

    PubMed

    Botes, A

    2000-09-01

    This research forms part of a larger interdisciplinary research project on the termination of pregnancies. The focus of this part of the project is on the ethical issues related to termination of pregnancies. The practice of the professional nurse is confronted with ethical dilemmas and disputes. Whether the nurse chooses to participate in the termination of pregnancies or not, the core function of the nurse is that of counseling and ethical decision-making. Effective counseling requires empathy, respect for human rights and unconditional acceptance of a person. Making ethical decisions implies making critical decisions. It is self-evident, therefore, that such decisions should be based on sound arguments and logical reasoning. It is of vital importance that ethical decisions can be justified on rational ground. Decision-making is a critical thinking approach process for choosing the best action to meet a desired goal. The research question that is relevant for this paper is: Are nurses thinking critically about ethical issues like the termination of pregnancies? To answer the research question a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design was used (Mouton, 1996:103-169). Registered nurses were selected purposively (Creswell, 1994:15). 1200 registered nurses completed the open-ended questionnaires. Focus group interviews were conducted with 22 registered nurses from a public hospital for women and child health services. Data analysis, using secondary data from open-ended questionnaires and transcribed focus group interviews, were based on the approach of Morse and Field (1994:25-34) and Strauss and Corbin (1990). The themes and categories from open coding were compared, conceptualized and linked with theories on critical thinking (Paul, 1994; Watson & Glaser, 1991 and the American Philosophical Association, 1990). The measures of Lincoln and Guba (1985) and Morse (1994) related to secondary data analysis were employed to ensure trustworthiness. Based on these findings the researcher concluded that nurses are not thinking critically when making ethical decisions concerning the termination of pregnancies. Recommendations are made as a possible solution for this problem.

  4. Vocational aspirations of sheltered workshop workers with intellectual disability in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Li, E P

    1998-06-01

    In Hong Kong, the understanding of the vocational experience of sheltered workshop workers with intellectual disability is still relatively meagre. Twenty-three participants with intellectual disability and four professionals from their sheltered workshops were interviewed using mainly open-ended questions. Content analysis and constant comparative method were adopted to categorize the descriptive data into themes that were salient to the participants' vocational aspirations to try open employment. The insider perspective showed that all participants were motivated to have employment. Thirteen participants with intellectual disability preferred to try open employment and they had individual vocational preferences which mainly belonged to unskilled and manual work. The professionals pointed out that sheltered workshop workers with intellectual disability needed professionals' assistance and parents' consent in moving on to open employment, and parents were the key people in this decision-making process. These findings indicate that sheltered workshop workers with intellectual disability have limited self-determination in the work arena. The need to empower people with intellectual disability, improve the quality of sheltered employment services and increase the involvement of their family members are discussed.

  5. The decision-making experience of mothers selecting waterbirth.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chia-Jung; Chung, Ue-Lin

    2003-12-01

    Waterbirth has been a way of birth for 20 to 30 years abroad, while in Taiwan, only in the past three years have some women chosen water birth. This study aims to explore the decision-making experience of mothers selecting waterbirth. A phenomenological approach was employed in this study. Nine mothers who had given birth in water successfully in the midwife clinic in the past year were chosen and one-by-one, face-to-face interviews were conducted. The research tools included a basic information questionnaire, a semi-structured and open-ended interview guide, and an audio recorder to record the entire interviews. The content of the interviews was faithfully transcribed and analyzed with Giorgi's phenomenological method and Lincoln and Guba's qualitative credibility. Four main concepts concluded from the experience context of the studied women were: (1) Dissatisfaction with existing obstetric practices; (2) Demonstration of autonomy; (3) Consideration of relatives' attitude; and (4) Employing strategies to achieve goals. The result of this study can help nursing staff and the public to understand the decision-making experience of mothers selecting waterbirth, and help the contemplation of health care providers with respect to furnishing a more humanized birth environment in hospitals.

  6. A phenomenographic case study: Concept maps from the perspectives of middle school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saglam, Yilmaz

    The objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of middle school students when concept maps were used as a learning tool. Twenty-nine students' written responses, concept maps and videotapes were analyzed. Out of 29 students, thirteen students were interviewed using a semi-structured and open-ended interview protocol. The students' initial written responses provided us with the students' initial reactions to concept maps. The videotapes captured the students' behavior, and interpersonal interactions. The interviews probed students': (1) knowledge about drawing concept maps, (2) perception of the meaning and usefulness of concept maps, and (3) attitudes towards concept maps. The results indicated that the students viewed concept maps as useful tools in learning science. They believed that concept maps organized and summarized the information, which thereby helped them understand the topic easily. They also believed that concept maps had some cognitive benefits. However, the students viewed concept maps as hard to construct because it was difficult for the students to think of related concepts. The students' initial written responses, interviews and videotapes indicated that the students seemed to see both positive and negative aspects of concept maps. Some students' had more positive and some had more negative attitudes.

  7. End of Life: A Family Narrative

    PubMed Central

    Black, Helen K.; Moss, Miriam S.; Rubinstein, Robert L.; Moss, Sidney Z.

    2011-01-01

    This paper is based on ethnographic research that examines family reaction to an elderly husband and father's end of life. From a group of 30 families in our study (family defined as a widow aged 70 and over and two adult biological children between the ages of 40 and 60), we offer an extreme case example of family bereavement. We report our findings through the open-ended responses of a widow and two children who were interviewed ten months after the death of the husband and father. Three general themes emerged: (1) how the family imputes meaning to the end of life, (2) changes in the roles of family members, and (3) the family's ways of coping with the death, particularly through their belief system. A key finding is that the meaning family members find in their loved one's death is tied to the context of his death (how and where he died), their perception of his quality of life as a whole, and their philosophical, religious, and spiritual beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife that are already in place. PMID:21629740

  8. Beyond Open Source: According to Jim Hirsch, Open Technology, Not Open Source, Is the Wave of the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villano, Matt

    2006-01-01

    This article presents an interview with Jim Hirsch, an associate superintendent for technology at Piano Independent School District in Piano, Texas. Hirsch serves as a liaison for the open technologies committee of the Consortium for School Networking. In this interview, he shares his opinion on the significance of open source in K-12.

  9. Keeping all options open: Parents' approaches to advance care planning.

    PubMed

    Beecham, Emma; Oostendorp, Linda; Crocker, Joanna; Kelly, Paula; Dinsdale, Andrew; Hemsley, June; Russell, Jessica; Jones, Louise; Bluebond-Langner, Myra

    2017-08-01

    Early engagement in advance care planning (ACP) is seen as fundamental for ensuring the highest standard of care for children and young people with a life-limiting condition (LLC). However, most families have little knowledge or experience of ACP. To investigate how parents of children and young people with LLCs approach and experience ACP. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of 18 children; nine children who were currently receiving palliative care services, and nine children who had received palliative care and died. Verbatim transcripts of audiotaped interviews were analysed following principles of grounded theory while acknowledging the use of deductive strategies, taking account of both the child's condition, and the timing and nature of decisions made. Parents reported having discussions and making decisions about the place of care, place of death and the limitation of treatment. Most decisions were made relatively late in the illness and by parents who wished to keep their options open. Parents reported different levels of involvement in a range of decisions; many wished to be involved in decision making but did not always feel able to do so. This study highlights that parents' approaches to decision making vary by the type of decision required. Their views may change over time, and it is important to allow them to keep their options open. We recommend that clinicians have regular discussions over the course of the illness in an effort to understand parents' approaches to particular decisions rather than to drive to closure prematurely. © 2016 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. End-of-life dreams and visions: a longitudinal study of hospice patients' experiences.

    PubMed

    Kerr, Christopher W; Donnelly, James P; Wright, Scott T; Kuszczak, Sarah M; Banas, Anne; Grant, Pei C; Luczkiewicz, Debra L

    2014-03-01

    End-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) have been well documented throughout history and across cultures. The impact of pre-death experiences on dying individuals and their loved ones can be profoundly meaningful. Our aim was to quantify the frequency of dreams/visions experienced by patients nearing the end of life, examine the content and subjective significance of the dreams/visions, and explore the relationship of these factors to time/proximity to death. This mixed-methods study surveyed patients in a hospice inpatient unit using a semi-structured interview. Sixty-six patients admitted to a hospice inpatient unit between January 2011 and July 2012 provided informed consent and participated in the study. The semi-structured interviews contained closed and open-ended questions regarding the content, frequency, and comfort/distress of dreams/visions. Fifty-nine participants comprised the final sample. Most participants reported experiencing at least one dream/vision. Almost half of the dreams/visions occurred while asleep, and nearly all patients indicated that they felt real. The most common dreams/visions included deceased friends/relatives and living friends/relatives. Dreams/visions featuring the deceased (friends, relatives, and animals/pets) were significantly more comforting than those of the living, living and deceased combined, and other people and experiences. As participants approached death, comforting dreams/visions of the deceased became more prevalent. ELDVs are commonly experienced phenomena during the dying process, characterized by a consistent sense of realism and marked emotional significance. These dreams/visions may be a profound source of potential meaning and comfort for the dying, and therefore warrant clinical attention and further research.

  11. The Open-Ended Approach Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munroe, Lloyd

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a pedagogical framework that teachers can use to support students who are engaged in solving open-ended problems, by explaining how two Japanese expert teachers successfully apply open-ended problems in their mathematics class. The Open-Ended Approach (OPA) framework consists of two main sections: Understanding Mathematical…

  12. Counseling for personal care options at neonatal end of life: a quantitative and qualitative parent survey.

    PubMed

    Shelkowitz, Emily; Vessella, Sharon L; O'Reilly, Patricia; Tucker, Richard; Lechner, Beatrice E

    2015-12-02

    The death of a newborn is a traumatic life changing event in the lives of parents. We hypothesized that bereaved parents of newborn infants want to have choices in the personal care of their infant at the end of life. Parents who had suffered a perinatal or neonatal loss between 1 and 6 years before the survey in a regional level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and associated labor and delivery room were invited to participate. Parents chose between an online survey, paper survey or telephone interview. The survey included multiple choice and open ended questions. Parents prefer multiple options for the personal care of their infant at the end of life. Emergent themes were need for guidance by the medical team, memory making, feeling cared for and respected by staff, and regrets related to missed opportunities. While parents differ in their preferences in utilizing specific personal care options for their infant's end of life, they share a common preference for being presented with multiple options to choose from and in being guided and supported by healthcare providers, while being afforded the opportunity to make memories with their infant by bonding with and parenting them.

  13. Using Cognitive Interviewing to Better Assess Young Adult E-cigarette Use.

    PubMed

    Hinds, Josephine T; Loukas, Alexandra; Chow, Sherman; Pasch, Keryn E; Harrell, Melissa B; Perry, Cheryl L; Delnevo, Cristine; Wackowski, Olivia A

    2016-10-01

    Characteristics of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) make assessment of their use a challenge for researchers. Cognitive interviews are a way of gaining insight into participants' interpretations of survey questions and the methods they use in answering them, to improve survey tools. We used cognitive interviews to modify a young adult survey and improve assessment of quantity and frequency of ENDS use, as well as reasons for initiation and use of ENDS products. Twenty-five college students between the ages of 18 and 32 participated in individual cognitive interviews, which assessed question comprehension, answer estimation, retrieval processes, and answer response processes. Comprehension issues arose discerning between ENDS device types (eg, cigalikes vs. vape pens), and answer estimation issues arose regarding ENDS use as drug delivery systems. These issues appeared to improve when pictures were added specifying the device in question, as well as when specific language naming nicotine as the ENDS product content was added to survey questions. Regarding answer retrieval, this sample of users had problems reporting their frequency of ENDS use, as well as quantifying the amount of ENDS products consumed (eg, volume of e-juice, number of cartridges, nicotine concentration). Accurate assessment of ENDS products proved challenging, but cognitive interviews provided valuable insight into survey interpretation that was otherwise inaccessible to researchers. Future research that explores how to assess the wide array of ENDS devices, as well as possible population differences among specific device-type users would be valuable to public health researchers and professionals. This study extends the current literature by using cognitive interviews to test ENDS assessment questions in a sample of young adults, a population at elevated risk for ENDS use. Problems encountered when answering ENDS use questions underscore the need to develop easily understood ENDS questions that allow for quantification of ENDS use. Future research examining the nature of ENDS product types and different levels of user experience will yield valuable assessment tools for researchers and tobacco control professionals. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Using Cognitive Interviewing to Better Assess Young Adult E-cigarette Use

    PubMed Central

    Hinds, Josephine T; Chow, Sherman; Pasch, Keryn E; Harrell, Melissa B; Perry, Cheryl L; Delnevo, Cristine; Wackowski, Olivia A

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Introduction Characteristics of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) make assessment of their use a challenge for researchers. Cognitive interviews are a way of gaining insight into participants’ interpretations of survey questions and the methods they use in answering them, to improve survey tools. Methods We used cognitive interviews to modify a young adult survey and improve assessment of quantity and frequency of ENDS use, as well as reasons for initiation and use of ENDS products. Twenty-five college students between the ages of 18 and 32 participated in individual cognitive interviews, which assessed question comprehension, answer estimation, retrieval processes, and answer response processes. Results Comprehension issues arose discerning between ENDS device types (eg, cigalikes vs. vape pens), and answer estimation issues arose regarding ENDS use as drug delivery systems. These issues appeared to improve when pictures were added specifying the device in question, as well as when specific language naming nicotine as the ENDS product content was added to survey questions. Regarding answer retrieval, this sample of users had problems reporting their frequency of ENDS use, as well as quantifying the amount of ENDS products consumed (eg, volume of e-juice, number of cartridges, nicotine concentration). Conclusions Accurate assessment of ENDS products proved challenging, but cognitive interviews provided valuable insight into survey interpretation that was otherwise inaccessible to researchers. Future research that explores how to assess the wide array of ENDS devices, as well as possible population differences among specific device-type users would be valuable to public health researchers and professionals. Implications This study extends the current literature by using cognitive interviews to test ENDS assessment questions in a sample of young adults, a population at elevated risk for ENDS use. Problems encountered when answering ENDS use questions underscore the need to develop easily understood ENDS questions that allow for quantification of ENDS use. Future research examining the nature of ENDS product types and different levels of user experience will yield valuable assessment tools for researchers and tobacco control professionals. PMID:27029822

  15. Contradictions in stem cell research education amongst science educators and Buddhist, Christian and Muslim theologians

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elhayboubi, Samira Nawal

    We examine how teachers approach stem cell research (SCR) as a controversial religio-scientific issue, and how theologians derive rulings in SCR. We also examine the contradictions teachers have regarding religio-scientific aspect of SCR. Two observations were the igniters of this study, increasing public involvement in political decision-making and changing demographics among voters. Two samples were gathered, a teachers' group and a theologians' group. The teachers' group consisted of 43 graduate-level Science education teachers and teachers-in-training from the University of Texas at Dallas and Stanford University. The theologian's group consisted of theologians from 3 denominations, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Data was obtained using Likert-surveys, open-ended questions and interviews. Results show that majority of the teachers' group are open to discussing SCR but fear retaliation.

  16. Noise Suppression Apparatus and Methods of Manufacturing the Same

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weir, Don (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A noise suppression apparatus includes a body portion including a plurality of nested channels, each channel of the plurality of nested channels including a first end opening and a second end opening, and a surface portion including each first end opening and each second end opening of each channel.

  17. Stressors of dual-qualification nursing teachers in the ChengDu-ChongQing economic zone of China--a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Wu, Youfeng; Liu, Hui; He, Hongyan

    2013-12-01

    Nursing and teaching are considered risk professions with high levels of stress and burnout. Dual-qualification nursing teachers (DQNT) are nurses who both teach and practise. These nurses face additional stress. This study explored the stressors of DQNT in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. This qualitative study used in-depth, open-ended interviews. The interview responses were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The participants in this study included 21 DQNT from 5 teaching hospitals in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. The results indicated that heavy workload, personal safety, inadequate pay, role overload, and poor working environment are stressors of DQNT. Furthermore, Chinese DQNT face violence from patients and students. The study provides a theoretical basis to help DQNT to cope with stress. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Seeking life balance: the perceptions of health of Cambodian women in resettlement.

    PubMed

    Catolico, Olivia

    2013-07-01

    This grounded theory study in California, United States was an inquiry into the perceptions of health of Cambodian women in resettlement. The sequelae of significant life trauma on the health of women who escaped political conflict have received little attention in the nursing literature. Thirty-nine Cambodian women were recruited through a social service organization and verbal referrals. Open-ended questions and a conversational approach to dialogue and data gathering facilitated the interview process. Women were interviewed at home or the local temple. Seeking life balance emerged as the core perspective of this study. The relationships between thematic categories of seeking life balance, patterns of knowing, and caring for self were salient. Outcomes of these interrelationships further moved women's health toward disharmony or harmony. The findings of this study are limited by sampling participants in a tightly networked community and may serve as a pilot for future research.

  19. The immigration experience among elderly Korean immigrants.

    PubMed

    Lee, Y-M

    2007-06-01

    The purpose of this preliminary, qualitative study was to describe elderly Korean immigrants' perception of stressors they experienced through immigration and the acculturation process. The methodology used was naturalistic inquiry, a descriptive approach used to elicit the elderly immigrants' own perception of their immigration and acculturation experiences. The six elderly Korean immigrants were interviewed via a semi-structured, open-ended interview guide. The main stressors identified by the subjects as a result of adjusting to life in the United States were language barriers, isolation and loneliness, fear of dependence upon their children, fear of being a burden, financial problems, transportation problems, discrimination, and fear of death. These Korean elders also perceived changes in the traditional family values of respect for elders and support for the aged. The results of this research help to provide an understanding of the immigration and acculturation experiences of elderly Korean immigrants.

  20. Mothers With Physical Disability: Child Care Adaptations at Home

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Diane L.; Iezzoni, Lisa I.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. This study describes how women with physical disability experience caregiving for a new infant and how they adapt their home environment and care tasks. METHOD. In 2013, we conducted 2-hr telephone interviews with 22 women with significant physical disability who had delivered babies within the previous 10 yr. The semistructured, open-ended interview protocol addressed wide-ranging pregnancy-related topics. NVivo was used to sort the texts for content analysis. RESULTS. Night care, bathing, and carrying the baby were identified as the biggest challenges. Typical adaptations (with and without occupational therapy consultation) included use of a wrap for carrying the infant, furniture adaptations for mothers using wheelchairs, and assistance from caregivers. CONCLUSION. Women with physical disability can be fully capable of caring for an infant and can find ways to adapt their environment. Further research may determine the role of occupation therapy. PMID:27767945

  1. Interpersonal relations and nurses' job satisfaction through knowledge and usage of relational skills.

    PubMed

    Lapeña-Moñux, Yolanda Raquel; Cibanal-Juan, Luis; Maciá-Soler, M Loreto; Orts-Cortés, M Isabel; Pedraz-Marcos, Azucena

    2015-11-01

    Many interpersonal labor disputes stem from the lack of communication skills and the relational problems in the interactions between health professionals. A qualitative study was conducted in a Spanish hospital in order to get to know how the communicative interaction between hospital nurses is like in relation to the nurses' interpersonal interaction and communication skills developed in their working relationships. Twenty-one hospital nurses between 29 and 55 years old, working in different wards, were interviewed. Open-ended interview discourses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The following four key themes were analyzed: communication and sender; communication and awareness of who has the problem; non-verbal communication; communication and recipient. The results of this study highlight the need to broaden nurses' relational-communication skills in order to increase job satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Unintentional Misreporting on Self-Report Measures of Sexually Aggressive Behavior: An Interview Study.

    PubMed

    Strang, Emily; Peterson, Zoё D

    2017-10-01

    The development of effective sexual aggression prevention programs for men relies on data garnered from studies using self-report measures of sexual aggression perpetration. However, few studies have focused on understanding and improving self-report measures of sexual aggression perpetration. The current study used open-ended interviews to explore the nature and frequency of community men's (N = 34) unintentional misreporting-including both overreporting and underreporting-on two self-report measures of sexual aggression perpetration: the Sexual Experiences Survey-Long Form Perpetration (SES-LFP; Koss et al., 2007) and the Sexual Strategies Scale (SSS; Strang, Peterson, Hill, & Heiman, 2013a). Item misinterpretation led to both overreporting and underreporting of sexual aggression, although underreporting was more common. Men's interpretations of items, decision-making processes, and reasons for producing discrepant reports across measures were analyzed and discussed. Results could help inform efforts to refine self-report measurement of men's sexual aggression.

  3. The Stigma of Mental Illness as a Barrier to Self Labeling as Having a Mental Illness.

    PubMed

    Stolzenburg, Susanne; Freitag, Simone; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Muehlan, Holger; Schmidt, Silke; Schomerus, Georg

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate whether personal stigma decreases self-identification as having a mental illness in individuals with untreated mental health problems. We interviewed 207 persons with a currently untreated mental health problem as confirmed by a structured diagnostic interview. Measures included symptom appraisal, self-identification as having a mental illness (SELFI), self-labeling (open-ended question on the nature of their problem) stigma-related variables (explicit and implicit), as well as sociodemographics, current symptom severity, and previous treatment. Support for discrimination and implicit stigmatizing attitude were both associated with lower likelihood of self-identification. More social distance and support for discrimination were associated with less self-labeling. Previous treatment was the strongest predictor of symptom appraisal, SELFI, and self-labeling. Destigmatizing mental illness could increase awareness of personal mental health problems, potentially leading to lower rates of untreated mental illness.

  4. Organizational ethics in managed behavioral health care: perspectives from executives and leaders.

    PubMed

    Sharar, David A; Huff, Stan; Ackerson, Barry

    2003-01-01

    Managed behavioral health care (MBHC) is frequently criticized on ethical grounds for the way it undermines classical ideals of professionalism in mental health and addiction treatment. There is an implied assumption that practitioners who are executives and leaders in MBHC companies have moved away from clinical ethics to the adoption of business and financial models. This qualitative study explores perceptions of organizational ethical issues from the point of view of leaders working in MBHC settings and how their perspectives contribute to our current schemas for analyzing the ethical complexities of MBHC. Twenty-seven participants from across the United States were interviewed using an interview guide that relied on open-ended questions and probes. Inquiry findings present four major themes and describe participant material in a way that enhances sensitivity and understanding to organizational ethics in MBHC and behavioral health services and research.

  5. Itinerant deaf educator and general educator perceptions of the D/HH push-in model.

    PubMed

    Rabinsky, Rebecca J

    2013-01-01

    A qualitative case study using the deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) push-in model was conducted on the perceptions of 3 itinerant deaf educators and 3 general educators working in 1 school district. Participants worked in pairs of 1 deaf educator and 1 general educator at 3 elementary schools. Open-ended research questions guided the study, which was concerned with teachers' perceptions of the model in general and with the model's advantages, disadvantages, and effectiveness. Data collected from observations, one-to-one interviews, and a focus group interview enabled the investigator to uncover 4 themes: Participants (a) had an overall positive experience, (b) viewed general education immersion as an advantage, (c) considered high noise levels a disadvantage, and (d) believed the effectiveness of the push-in model was dependent on several factors, in particular, the needs of the student and the nature of the general education classroom environment.

  6. Sámi youth health, the role of climate change, and unique health-seeking behaviour.

    PubMed

    Kowalczewski, Emilie; Klein, Joern

    2018-12-01

    The goal of this cross-sectional qualitative study was to assess the impact of climate change on Sámi youth health, health care access, and health-seeking behaviour. Indigenous research methodology served as the basis of the investigation which utilised focus groups of youths and one-on-one interviews of adult community leaders using a semi-structured, open-ended questions. The results of the focus groups and interviews were then analysed to identify trends. We found that Sámi youth mostly associate the implications of climate change to their culture andcultural practices rather than the historical influence the environment had on Sámi health. They also take part in unique health-seeking behaviour by utilising both traditional and Western medicine simultaneously but without interaction due to social and structural factors. Our findings suggest that the health of Sámi teens is not tied to the environment directly, but through cultural activities.

  7. How the public engages with global warming: A social representations approach.

    PubMed

    Smith, Nicholas; Joffe, Helene

    2013-01-01

    The present study utilises social representations theory to explore common sense conceptualisations of global warming risk using an in-depth, qualitative methodology. Fifty-six members of a British, London-based 2008 public were initially asked to draw or write four spontaneous "first thoughts or feelings" about global warming. These were then explored via an open-ended, exploratory interview. The analysis revealed that first thoughts, either drawn or written, often mirrored the images used by the British press to depict global warming visually. Thus in terms of media framings, it was their visual rather than their textual content that was spontaneously available for their audiences. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of interview data revealed that global warming was structured around three themata: self/other, natural/unnatural and certainty/uncertainty, reflecting the complex and often contradictory nature of common sense thinking in relation to risk issues.

  8. Improving undergraduate nursing research education: the effectiveness of collecting and analyzing oral histories.

    PubMed

    Duggleby, W

    1998-09-01

    Nine oral histories of retired RNs (age range from 60 to 77) were collected by trained senior nursing students in their nursing research class. Attitudes toward nursing research of the 18 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students participating in the collection and analysis of oral histories were compared with 20 students who did not participate. Both groups of students completed a pretest and posttest Attitudes Toward Nursing Research Questionnaire. The participating students had significantly positive changes in their attitudes toward nursing research. The nonparticipating group did not. While reminiscing about their careers, the retired RNs related historical events that influenced their nursing practice. Three themes emerged: World War II, technology, and intensive care units. Through an open-ended, written questionnaire following the interview, the nurses expressed positive benefits of participation. The collection and analysis of oral histories was an effective experiential learning strategy with positive outcomes for the students and the retired nurses who were interviewed.

  9. Why should I comply? Sellers' accounts for (non-)compliance with legal age limits for alcohol sales.

    PubMed

    Gosselt, Jordy F; Van Hoof, Joris J; De Jong, Menno D T

    2012-01-23

    Availability is an important predictor of early and excessive alcohol consumption by adolescents. Many countries have implemented age limits to prevent underage purchases of alcohol. However, shop-floor compliance with these age limits appears to be problematic. This study addresses the issue of non-compliance with age limits. Which measures do vendors take to avoid underage alcohol sales, and what do they report as important reasons to comply or not with age limits for alcohol sales? Open-ended telephone interviews were conducted with store managers selling alcohol (N = 106). Prior to the interviews, all outlets were visited by an underage mystery shopper in order to measure compliance with the legal age limits on alcohol sales. The interview results are compared against actual compliance rates. Several measures have been taken to prevent underage sales, but the compliance level is low. Furthermore, open coding resulted in 19 themes, representing both valid and invalid arguments, that vendors mentioned as relevant to their decisions of whether to comply with the law. Compliance with age limits is dependent on the knowledge of the rules and the ability and motivation to follow the rules. The ability aspect in particular seems to be problematic, but in many cases, the motivation to actively comply with the age limits is lacking. To enhance compliance, it is important to raise the awareness of the importance of age limits and to connect possible violations of the regulations to negative consequences.

  10. Why should i comply? Sellers' accounts for (non-)compliance with legal age limits for alcohol sales

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Availability is an important predictor of early and excessive alcohol consumption by adolescents. Many countries have implemented age limits to prevent underage purchases of alcohol. However, shop-floor compliance with these age limits appears to be problematic. This study addresses the issue of non-compliance with age limits. Which measures do vendors take to avoid underage alcohol sales, and what do they report as important reasons to comply or not with age limits for alcohol sales? Methods Open-ended telephone interviews were conducted with store managers selling alcohol (N = 106). Prior to the interviews, all outlets were visited by an underage mystery shopper in order to measure compliance with the legal age limits on alcohol sales. The interview results are compared against actual compliance rates. Results Several measures have been taken to prevent underage sales, but the compliance level is low. Furthermore, open coding resulted in 19 themes, representing both valid and invalid arguments, that vendors mentioned as relevant to their decisions of whether to comply with the law. Compliance with age limits is dependent on the knowledge of the rules and the ability and motivation to follow the rules. The ability aspect in particular seems to be problematic, but in many cases, the motivation to actively comply with the age limits is lacking. Conclusions To enhance compliance, it is important to raise the awareness of the importance of age limits and to connect possible violations of the regulations to negative consequences. PMID:22269016

  11. Nursing Care at the Time of Death: A Bathing and Honoring Practice.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Debra; Calmes, Beth; Grotts, Jonathan

    2016-05-01

    To explore family members' experience of a bathing and honoring practice after a loved one's death in the acute care setting.
. A descriptive, qualitative design using a semistructured telephone interview script.
. The Inpatient Adult Oncology Unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. 
. 13 family members who participated in the bathing and honoring practice after their loved one's death on the oncology unit.
. Participants were selected by purposive sampling and interviewed by telephone three to six months after their loved one's death. Interviews using a semistructured script with open-ended questions were recorded, transcribed, verified, and analyzed using phenomenologic research techniques to identify common themes of experience.
. 24 first-level themes and 11 superordinate themes emerged from the data. All participants indicated that the bathing and honoring practice was a positive experience and supported the grieving process. The majority found the practice to be meaningful and stated that it honored their loved one. Many expressed that the bathing and honoring was spiritually significant in a nondenominational way and that they hope it will be made available to all families of patients who die in the hospital. 
. After patient death, a bathing and honoring practice with family member participation is positive and meaningful, and it supports family members' initial grieving.
. This study is a first step toward establishing specific nursing interventions as evidence-based practice that can be incorporated in routine nursing care for patients and families at the end of life.

  12. Women's beliefs about the purpose and value of routine pelvic examinations.

    PubMed

    Norrell, Laura L; Kuppermann, Miriam; Moghadassi, Michelle N; Sawaya, George F

    2017-07-01

    The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a pelvic examination be offered to asymptomatic women after an informed discussion with their provider. Although the adverse health outcomes that the examination averts were not delineated, the organization stated that it helps establish open communication between patients and physicians. Recent surveys have focused on obstetrician-gynecologists' attitudes and beliefs about the examination, but the perspectives of women have not been well-characterized. The purpose of this study was to better understand women's beliefs about the purpose and value of routine pelvic examinations. We completed structured interviews with 262 women who were 21-65 years old who agreed to participate in a 50-minute interview about cervical cancer screening. Recruitment took place in outpatient women's clinics at a public hospital and an academic medical center in San Francisco, CA. Women were shown an illustration of a bimanual pelvic examination and asked a series of closed-ended questions: if they knew why it was performed, if it reassured them of their health, and if they believed it helped establish open communication with their provider. Women were asked an open-ended question about their perception of the examination's purpose. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify demographic predictors of responses. Approximately one-half of the participants (56%) stated that they knew the examination's purpose. The most frequently cited reason was assurance of normalcy. Most of participants (82%) believed that the examination reassured them of their health. Approximately two-thirds of the participants (62%) believed that the examination helps establish open communication with their provider. In multivariate analyses, older age (≥45 years) independently predicted a higher likelihood of a belief that they knew the examination's purpose (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-5.6) and a belief that it facilitates open communication (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.9). Non-white race also was associated with a belief that the examination helps facilitate open communication between patients and providers (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.1). Approximately one-half of the women who participated in our study reported not knowing the purpose of the pelvic examination, yet most of them believed it to be of some value, especially reassurance of health. To achieve shared, informed decision-making, clinicians will need to communicate better to their patients the examination's purpose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. 24 CFR 203.256 - Insurance of open-end advance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance of open-end advance. 203.256 Section 203.256 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Insurance § 203.256 Insurance of open-end advance. Insurance on an open-end advance will be evidenced by...

  14. 24 CFR 203.256 - Insurance of open-end advance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Insurance of open-end advance. 203.256 Section 203.256 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Insurance § 203.256 Insurance of open-end advance. Insurance on an open-end advance will be evidenced by...

  15. 24 CFR 203.256 - Insurance of open-end advance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Insurance of open-end advance. 203.256 Section 203.256 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Insurance § 203.256 Insurance of open-end advance. Insurance on an open-end advance will be evidenced by...

  16. 24 CFR 203.256 - Insurance of open-end advance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Insurance of open-end advance. 203.256 Section 203.256 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Insurance § 203.256 Insurance of open-end advance. Insurance on an open-end advance will be evidenced by...

  17. 24 CFR 203.256 - Insurance of open-end advance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Insurance of open-end advance. 203.256 Section 203.256 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... Insurance § 203.256 Insurance of open-end advance. Insurance on an open-end advance will be evidenced by...

  18. 40 CFR 63.167 - Standards: Open-ended valves or lines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Open-ended valves or lines... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES...: Open-ended valves or lines. (a)(1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap, blind...

  19. 40 CFR 60.482-6 - Standards: Open-ended valves or lines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Open-ended valves or lines... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for... Standards: Open-ended valves or lines. (a)(1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap...

  20. 40 CFR 265.1056 - Standards: Open-ended valves or lines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES Air Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks § 265.1056 Standards: Open-ended valves or lines. (a)(1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap, blind flange... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Open-ended valves or lines...

  1. Acceptability of Bibliotherapy for Patients With Cancer: A Qualitative, Descriptive Study.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Nicole; Lee, Virginia; Ananng, Bethsheba; Körner, Annett

    2016-09-01

    To determine the acceptability of a self-help workbook, Mastering the Art of Coping in Good Times and Bad, for patients with cancer.
. Descriptive, qualitative.
. Participants were recruited from the psychosocial support cancer centers of two tertiary care teaching hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
. 18 individuals diagnosed with cancer.
. A semistructured interview guide with open-ended questions was used to gather feedback from participants about the workbook. 
. 18 participants completed the interviews from which the data emerged. Two main categories were identified from the respondents' interviews regarding the acceptability of the workbook. The first category focuses on content, whereas the other focuses on recommendations. Interviewees specified the following content as most helpful. Bibliotherapy gives patients access to knowledge to help them cope and engage in their own self-management. The workbook Mastering the Art of Coping in Good Times and Bad may be an acceptable means of helping them manage their stress. 
. Bibliotherapy is not only cost-effective and easy to administer but also an acceptable minimal intervention.

  2. Understanding hospital meal experiences by means of participant-driven-photo-elicitation.

    PubMed

    Justesen, Lise; Mikkelsen, Bent E; Gyimóthy, Szilvia

    2014-04-01

    A patients' hospital meal experiences can be complex and often difficult to capture using traditional methods. This study investigated patients' hospital meal experiences using participant-driven-photo-elicitation (PDPE). PDPE invites respondents to photograph their daily lives and combines this with interviews, which can provide deeper insight into multisensory experiences beyond verbal or written discourse. The sample consisted of eight hospitalised patients. Patients completed a photo-essay of their hospital meal experience during a single day at a Danish hospital and afterwards participated in an open-ended interview. Two inductive analytical approaches were selected to assess the patients' reflections on their hospital meal experiences. First, the interview transcripts were analysed using the Semiotic Analysis approach using qualitative data analysis software NVivo 9. Second, the 91 produced photographs and the participants' engagement with the photographs were analysed by means of a Reflexive Content Analysis. The study found that PDPE is a research method that can be used for expanding the conceptualisation of hospital meal experiences, revealing the significance of the meal context, materiality and memories beyond food per se. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Supportive or suggestive: Do human figure drawings help 5- to 7-year-old children to report touch?

    PubMed

    Brown, Deirdre A; Pipe, Margaret-Ellen; Lewis, Charlie; Lamb, Michael E; Orbach, Yael

    2007-02-01

    The authors examined the accuracy of information elicited from seventy-nine 5- to 7-year-old children about a staged event that included physical contact-touching. Four to six weeks later, children's recall for the event was assessed using an interview protocol analogous to those used in forensic investigations with children. Following the verbal interview, children were asked about touch when provided with human figure drawings (drawings only), following practice using the human figure drawings (drawings with instruction), or without drawings (verbal questions only). In this touch-inquiry phase of the interview, most children provided new information. Children in the drawings conditions reported more incorrect information than those in the verbal questions condition. Forensically relevant errors were infrequent and were rarely elaborated on. Although asking children to talk about innocuous touch may lead them to report unreliable information, especially when human figure drawings are used as aids, errors are reduced when open-ended prompts are used to elicit further information about reported touches. Copyright 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Essential Nutrition and Food Systems Components for School Curricula: Views from Experts in Iran

    PubMed Central

    SADEGHOLVAD, Sanaz; YEATMAN, Heather; OMIDVAR, Nasrin; PARRISH, Anne-Maree; WORSLEY, Anthony

    2017-01-01

    Background: This study aimed to investigate food experts’ views on important nutrition and food systems knowledge issues for education purposes at schools in Iran. Methods: In 2012, semi-structured, face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with twenty-eight acknowledged Iranian experts in food and nutrition fields. Participants were selected from four major provinces in Iran (Tehran, Isfahan, Fars and Gilan). Open-ended interview questions were used to identify nutrition and food systems knowledge issues, which experts considered as important to be included in school education programs. Qualitative interviews were analyzed thematically using NVivo. Results: A framework of knowledge that would assist Iranian students and school-leavers to make informed decisions in food-related areas was developed, comprising five major clusters and several sub-clusters. Major knowledge clusters included nutrition basics; food production; every day food-related practices; prevalent nutritional health problems in Iran and improvement of students’ ethical attitudes in the food domain. Conclusion: These findings provide a guide to curriculum developers and policy makers to assess current education curricula in order to optimize students’ knowledge of nutrition and food systems. PMID:28845405

  5. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: A Qualitative Interview Study of How and Why Youth Mentoring Relationships End

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spencer, Renée; Basualdo-Delmonico, Antoinette; Walsh, Jill; Drew, Alison L.

    2017-01-01

    Endings in youth mentoring relationships have received little empirical attention despite the fact that many relationships do end. The present study utilized qualitative interview data collected from participants in a longitudinal study of community-based mentoring relationships to examine how and why the relationships ended and how participants…

  6. Impact of organ transplantation in heart, lung and liver recipients: assessment of positive life changes.

    PubMed

    Anand-Kumar, Vinayak; Kung, Mary; Painter, Liz; Broadbent, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    The majority of psychological studies with organ transplant recipients have examined negative psychological effects. This study aimed to further investigate the positive effects of organ transplantation and to construct a specific measurement instrument. The initial pool of 14 items for the Positive Effects of Transplant Scale (PETS) was derived from organ recipient interviews. A cross-sectional postal study included 87 heart, 46 lung and 193 liver transplant recipients. The PETS was subjected to principal components analysis (PCA) using varimax rotation, and associations with other measures investigated. PETS and an open-ended item about positive effects. Coding of the open-ended item revealed that the majority of recipients attributed positive life changes to the transplant experience. PCA of the PETS indicated three factors that accounted for 58.82% of the variance. The 12-item questionnaire assesses improvements in: (1) life philosophy, (2) gratitude and (3) health. The total PETS scores exhibited adequate internal consistency and validity. Most transplant patients report positive psychological effects, which suggests this may be an understudied area. The initial development of an assessment tool provides researchers and clinicians a way to assess the degree and nature of these life changes.

  7. Views from Within a Narrative: Evaluating Long-Term Human-Robot Interaction in a Naturalistic Environment Using Open-Ended Scenarios.

    PubMed

    Syrdal, Dag Sverre; Dautenhahn, Kerstin; Koay, Kheng Lee; Ho, Wan Ching

    2014-01-01

    This article describes the prototyping of human-robot interactions in the University of Hertfordshire (UH) Robot House. Twelve participants took part in a long-term study in which they interacted with robots in the UH Robot House once a week for a period of 10 weeks. A prototyping method using the narrative framing technique allowed participants to engage with the robots in episodic interactions that were framed using narrative to convey the impression of a continuous long-term interaction. The goal was to examine how participants responded to the scenarios and the robots as well as specific robot behaviours, such as agent migration and expressive behaviours. Evaluation of the robots and the scenarios were elicited using several measures, including the standardised System Usability Scale, an ad hoc Scenario Acceptance Scale, as well as single-item Likert scales, open-ended questionnaire items and a debriefing interview. Results suggest that participants felt that the use of this prototyping technique allowed them insight into the use of the robot, and that they accepted the use of the robot within the scenario.

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

    Chilese, Francis C.; Torczynski, John R.; Garcia, Rudy

    An apparatus for use with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light comprising A) a duct having a first end opening, a second end opening and an intermediate opening intermediate the first end opening the second end opening, B) an optical component disposed to receive EUV light from the second end opening or to send light through the second end opening, and C) a source of low pressure gas at a first pressure to flow through the duct, the gas having a high transmission of EUV light, fluidly coupled to the intermediate opening. In addition to or rather than gas flow the apparatusmore » may have A) a low pressure gas with a heat control unit thermally coupled to at least one of the duct and the optical component and/or B) a voltage device to generate voltage between a first portion and a second portion of the duet with a grounded insulative portion therebetween.« less

  9. 17 CFR 274.11A - Form N-1A, registration statement of open-end management investment companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... statement of open-end management investment companies. 274.11A Section 274.11A Commodity and Securities...(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 by open-end management investment companies other than... registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of the securities of all open-end management investment companies...

  10. 40 CFR 63.1033 - Open-ended valves or lines standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Open-ended valves or lines standards... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks-Control Level 2 Standards § 63.1033 Open-ended... requirements. (1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap, blind flange, plug, or a second...

  11. 12 CFR 221.109 - Loan to open-end investment company.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Loan to open-end investment company. 221.109... PURCHASING OR CARRYING MARGIN STOCK (REGULATION U) Interpretations § 221.109 Loan to open-end investment company. In response to a question regarding a possible loan by a bank to an open-end investment company...

  12. 12 CFR 250.400 - Service of open-end investment company.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Service of open-end investment company. 250.400 Section 250.400 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL...-Steagall Act § 250.400 Service of open-end investment company. An open-end investment company is defined in...

  13. 40 CFR 63.1014 - Open-ended valves or lines standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Open-ended valves or lines standards... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks-Control Level 1 § 63.1014 Open-ended valves or... requirements. (1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap, blind flange, plug, or a second...

  14. 40 CFR 61.242-6 - Standards: Open-ended valves or lines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... for Equipment Leaks (Fugitive Emission Sources) § 61.242-6 Standards: Open-ended valves or lines. (a)(1) Each open-ended valve or line shall be equipped with a cap, blind flange, plug, or a second valve... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Open-ended valves or lines...

  15. BRICS countries and the global movement for universal health coverage.

    PubMed

    Tediosi, Fabrizio; Finch, Aureliano; Procacci, Christina; Marten, Robert; Missoni, Eduardo

    2016-07-01

    This article explores BRICS' engagement in the global movement for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the implications for global health governance. It is based on primary data collected from 43 key informant interviews, complemented by a review of BRICS' global commitments supporting UHC. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire that included both closed- and open-ended questions. Question development was informed by insights from the literature on UHC, Cox's framework for action, and Kingdon's multiple-stream theory of policy formation. The closed questions were analysed with simple descriptive statistics and the open-ended questions using grounded theory approach. The analysis demonstrates that most BRICS countries implicitly supported the global movement for UHC, and that they share an active engagement in promoting UHC. However, only Brazil, China and to some extent South Africa, were recognized as proactively pushing UHC in the global agenda. In addition, despite some concerted actions, BRICS countries seem to act more as individual countries rather that as an allied group. These findings suggest that BRICS are unlikely to be a unified political block that will transform global health governance. Yet the documented involvement of BRICS in the global movement supporting UHC, and their focus on domestic challenges, shows that BRICS individually are increasingly influential players in global health. So if BRICS countries should probably not be portrayed as the centre of future political community that will transform global health governance, their individual involvement in global health, and their documented concerted actions, may give greater voice to low- and middle-income countries supporting the emergence of multiple centres of powers in global health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. The Patient Educator Presentation in Dental Education: Reinforcing the Importance of Learning About Rare Conditions.

    PubMed

    Edwards, Paul C; Graham, Jasmine; Oling, Rebecca; Frantz, Kate E

    2016-05-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether a patient educator presentation (PEP) on pemphigus vulgaris would increase second-year dental students' awareness of the importance of learning about rare conditions and improve their retention of rare disease knowledge. The study involved students' subjective assessments of a PEP experience at two U.S. dental schools. In this mixed methods study, cross-sectional data were obtained by surveys and in-depth interviews. Questions focused on students' assessment of the messages acquired from the PEP and its likely impact on their future clinical care. At University 1, students completed paper surveys with open-ended questions and participated in a focus group. At University 2, students completed an online survey consisting of rating scale and open-ended questions. Responses to open-ended questions were categorized into themes. At University 1, 79 students (out of a possible 102; response rate 77.5%) completed the survey, and an additional ten students participated in a focus group. At University 2, 30 students (out of a possible 104; response rate 28.8%) completed the survey. At Universities 1 and 2, 88% and 100%, respectively, of respondents stated the PEP would influence their future clinical decision making. The vast majority of respondents (94% and 100% at University 1 and University 2, respectively) were of the opinion that the personal testimonial from a patient would help them recall information about pemphigus vulgaris in five years' time. Respondents from both universities commented that the PEP emphasized the importance of not dismissing a patient's concerns. These results suggest that a presentation by a patient with a rare condition can be an effective educational tool for preclinical dental students.

  17. Determining quality in doctoral programming: A grounded theory study of biological sciences, English studies, and special education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fansler, A. Gigi

    This study uses the grounded theory approach to identify how 12 faculty members at Illinois State University define the key determinants of a quality doctoral program. Two sets of interviews were conducted, lasting from 45 to 90 minutes. The first round of interviews was guided by the following open-ended questions: (1) How do you define a quality doctoral program? (2) What has led you to define quality in that way? and (3) What events or actions have you experienced that have been evidence of "quality?" While these three served as the primary questions, many follow-up questions and prompts were used throughout the entire interview process. A subsequent interview was conducted with the participants in order to explore the 12 emergent categories. The theory was generated using the transcriptions from both rounds of interviews and a conceptual map that was revised throughout the process. The researcher used open-coding, axial coding, and selective coding throughout the study until saturation of the data was achieved, and relationships among the categories were formed. The following nine factors of the model emerged from the data: (a) professional mentorship; (b) faculty productivity; (c) program accountability and/or evaluation; (d) students who publish; (e) solid educational experience; (f) quality of students; (g) student placement; (h) experience as a faculty member; (i) experiences as a doctoral student. The first seven describe how the 12 faculty members defined a quality doctoral program. The last two address the factors that led the participants to define quality in the way they did. This study provides leaders of higher education institutions a glimpse of one stakeholder group's perceptions of what constitutes a quality doctoral program. Such information can be used as a starting point for assessing quality of doctoral programs in an era of accountability.

  18. Occupational case-control studies: I. Collecting information on work histories and work-related exposures.

    PubMed

    Stewart, W F; Stewart, P A

    1994-09-01

    The strength and credibility of evidence from occupational case-control studies largely depend on the validity and precision with which the work history is reported and the exposure is assessed. We discuss the two steps which ultimately lead to an exposure decision. The first step involves the exchange between the respondent and an interviewer. The latter is usually naïve to occupations and workplace exposures and, as such, is limited to asking generic and open-ended questions about the workplace. Often, this type of information is too nonspecific to assess exposure. In the second step, an expert reviews the information reported on each occupation and decides on exposure status without contacting either the interviewer or respondent. Exposure assessment is not, therefore, integrated with data collection and, in fact, is usually not initiated until after all the interviews are completed. As such, the exposure expert does not have an opportunity to resolve questions before making the exposure decision. To improve the quality and specificity of data collected, we have developed over 40 sets of close-ended questions (branch questions) which are specific to defined occupations. These branch questions, incorporated into a computer-assisted telephone interview, are asked if selected occupations or their synonyms are reported. Second, to link the data collection process with the assessment process, we have developed a procedure called SCORE (Subject Corrected Occupational Report) which provides the industrial hygienist with a cost efficient method to ask questions directly of respondents. Shortly after each interview is completed, a computerized version of the work history is reviewed by the industrial hygienist who develops questions when more information is needed. Subsequently, respondents are mailed a form listing their reported work history along with the questions. After two mailings, 73% of participants in a pilot study returned the SCORE form.

  19. How the Story Unfolds: Exploring Ways Faculty Develop Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Case Designs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nesbitt, Leslie M.; Cliff, William H.

    2008-01-01

    Open-ended or closed-ended case study design schemes offer different educational advantages. Anatomy and physiology faculty members who participated in a conference workshop were given an identical case about blood doping and asked to build either an open-ended study or a closed-ended study. The workshop participants created a rich array of case…

  20. 12 CFR Appendix G to Part 226 - Open-End Model Forms and Clauses

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Open-End Model Forms and Clauses G Appendix G... RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 226, App. G Appendix G to Part 226—Open-End... Card Accounts Under an Open-End (Not Home-Secured) Consumer Credit Plan [Interest will be charged to...

  1. Parent Involvement in the Pediatric Resident Applicant Interview.

    PubMed

    Dandekar, Abhay; Weintraub, Miranda L Ritterman; McFeely, Eric D; Chasnovitz, Rebecca

    2018-03-19

    Parents and patients are actively involved in the clinical learning environment, yet scant literature exists about their involvement in the residency interview process. We aimed to pilot a process of including parents in resident interviews and to determine its value. During the 2016-17 residency interview cycle, 22 parent volunteers, blinded to applicant credentials, conducted brief structured interviews with 118 applicants. We then surveyed all parents and applicants with the use of mixed methods: descriptive statistics to analyze 5-point Likert-type-scale responses, and content analysis to identify themes from open-ended questions. Although parent interviews were not used in ranking, we later compared final composite parent interview scores (1-10, with 10 being high) among the final rank and match list candidates. Response rates were high for both groups (parents 100%; resident applicants 98.3%). Parents felt strongly positive about meeting applicants (mean ± SD, 5.00 ± 0.00), the value of parent participation (4.90 ± 0.30), and their own experience (4.95 ± 0.22). Applicants felt positive about meeting parents (4.45 ± 0.70), the value of parent participation (3.92 ± 0.84), and their own experience (4.51 ± 0.67). Several themes emerged from both groups, with the most salient parent themes including the value of patient-centered perspectives and appreciation and joy of meeting applicants. Parent interview scores correlated with the final match list, with matched applicants scoring higher (9.08 vs 8.51; P = .05). Involvement of parents in the pediatric residency interview process is achievable, is perceived positively by parents and applicants, and may provide valuable perspectives for consideration in residency selection. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparative Kinetic Analysis of Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Porous Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Yiliang; Gaur, Girija; Mernaugh, Raymond L.; Laibinis, Paul E.; Weiss, Sharon M.

    2016-09-01

    Efficient mass transport through porous networks is essential for achieving rapid response times in sensing applications utilizing porous materials. In this work, we show that open-ended porous membranes can overcome diffusion challenges experienced by closed-ended porous materials in a microfluidic environment. A theoretical model including both transport and reaction kinetics is employed to study the influence of flow velocity, bulk analyte concentration, analyte diffusivity, and adsorption rate on the performance of open-ended and closed-ended porous sensors integrated with flow cells. The analysis shows that open-ended pores enable analyte flow through the pores and greatly reduce the response time and analyte consumption for detecting large molecules with slow diffusivities compared with closed-ended pores for which analytes largely flow over the pores. Experimental confirmation of the results was carried out with open- and closed-ended porous silicon (PSi) microcavities fabricated in flow-through and flow-over sensor configurations, respectively. The adsorption behavior of small analytes onto the inner surfaces of closed-ended and open-ended PSi membrane microcavities was similar. However, for large analytes, PSi membranes in a flow-through scheme showed significant improvement in response times due to more efficient convective transport of analytes. The experimental results and theoretical analysis provide quantitative estimates of the benefits offered by open-ended porous membranes for different analyte systems.

  3. Self-management Experiences of Older Korean Women With Urinary Incontinence: A Descriptive Qualitative Study Using Focus Groups.

    PubMed

    Park, Sunah; Yeoum, SoonGyo; Kim, Yoonjung; Kwon, Hye Jin

    The purpose of this study was to explore the self-management experiences of Korean women with urinary incontinence (UI). Descriptive, qualitative study using focus groups. Twenty-two community-dwelling women, 65 years and older, participated in 3 focus-group interviews. Participants were recruited from 2 elderly halls and 1 senior welfare center in South Korea. Three focus group interviews comprising 6 to 8 individuals were conducted in a quiet venue at the elderly hall or senior welfare center. Two investigators performed the interviews; one acted as moderator and one as notetaker; interviews began with scripted open-ended questions. All interviews were electronically recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using an inductive thematic approach, data were first analyzed by the first and second authors; and all 4 authors contributed to coding and agreed on final themes. Korean women perceived UI as a loss of dignity, an odor problem, an uncontrollable disease, and a life impairment. Thematic analysis revealed 4 themes regarding the self-management experience of UI: preserving self-respect in the sociocultural environment, deodorizing the smell, keeping the secret of uncontrollability, and adjusting to an impaired life. Women in this study used various daily-living strategies to manage UI, but they mainly implemented strategies to keep UI a secret, including restrictions in activities of daily living. Educational approaches are needed to inform women with UI about more effective management skills.

  4. Open port sampling interface

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

    Van Berkel, Gary J

    A system for sampling a sample material includes a probe which can have an outer probe housing with an open end. A liquid supply conduit within the housing has an outlet positioned to deliver liquid to the open end of the housing. The liquid supply conduit can be connectable to a liquid supply for delivering liquid at a first volumetric flow rate to the open end of the housing. A liquid exhaust conduit within the housing is provided for removing liquid from the open end of the housing. A liquid exhaust system can be provided for removing liquid from themore » liquid exhaust conduit at a second volumetric flow rate, the first volumetric flow rate exceeding the second volumetric flow rate, wherein liquid at the open end will receive sample, liquid containing sample material will be drawn into and through the liquid exhaust conduit, and liquid will overflow from the open end.« less

  5. Exploring end-of-life care for South Asian kidney patients: interviewer reflections.

    PubMed

    Wilkinson, Emma; Waqar, Muhammad; Gill, Balbir; Hoque, Pina; Jetha, Champa; Bola, Kulwinder Kaur; Mahmood, Riffat; Mahmood, Sultan; Saujani, Rita; Randhawa, Gurch

    2017-03-16

    The reduction of inequalities in access to quality care has been a central tenet of UK health policy. Ethnic minorities may experience additional inequalities because of language and other cultural barriers. This article reports interviewer reflections of conducting interviews with South Asian kidney patients about their experiences of end-of-life care. It explores themes which emerged from the analysis of a focus group held with eight bilingual research interviewers. The relevance of these themes to understanding inequalities and access to end-of-life care is discussed; together with the potential for the research process to contribute to service improvement.

  6. Product differentiation among health maintenance organizations: causes and consequences of offering open-ended products.

    PubMed

    Wholey, D R; Christianson, J B

    1994-01-01

    Open-ended products that allow an HMO enrollee to use providers who are not affiliated with the HMO have become an important component of the Clinton administration's health reform proposal, because these products maintain consumer freedom of choice of any provider. However, little is known about the consequences of offering an open-ended product from an organizational standpoint. This paper uses a theory of "spatial competition" to examine the decisions of health maintenance organizations to offer an open-ended product and the effect of offering an open-ended product on their enrollment.

  7. A refined protocol for coding nursing home residents' comments during satisfaction interviews.

    PubMed

    Levy-Storms, Lené; Simmons, Sandra F; Gutierrez, Veronica F; Miller-Martinez, Dana; Hickey, Kelly; Schnelle, John F

    2005-11-01

    This study's objective was to refine a method for coding nursing home (NH) residents' comments about their perceptions of care into unmet needs specific to the manner and frequency of care delivery. NH residents (N=69) were interviewed with both closed-ended (i.e., forced-choice) and open-ended (i.e., residents' own words) questions about their perceptions of care across eight care domains. Unmet needs included comments indicating that residents desired a change in staff- and non-staff-related care. Staff-related unmet needs were further coded into unmet emotional support (i.e., emotional support or manner of care delivery) and instrumental (i.e., instrumental support or frequency of care) needs. Of 66 residents who commented, 66% expressed at least one unmet need across eight care domains. Among these 44 residents, 52% and 84% had unmet emotional support and instrumental support needs, respectively (kappa=68 and.92). An additional 18% expressed both unmet emotional support and instrumental support needs. The refined method offers a systematic way to code residents' comments about their care into unmet needs related to the manner and frequency of care delivery. The findings have direct implications for the identification of care areas in need of improvement from the resident's perspective and the evaluation of improvement efforts.

  8. Creating a Positive School Culture in Newly Opened Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Michael Todd

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective practices by school administrators when creating school culture in newly opened schools. Using semi-structured interviews, four principals who opened a new school were interviewed individually and in a focus group. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Two themes…

  9. Recasting Distance Learning with Network-Enabled Open Education: An Interview with Vijay Kumar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, James L.; Kumar, Vijay

    2008-01-01

    In an interview with James Morrison, "Innovate's" editor-in-chief, Vijay Kumar describes how rethinking distance learning as network-enabled open education can catalyze a whole new set of learning opportunities. The growing open-education movement has made an increasing number and variety of resources freely available online, including everything…

  10. Witness memory and alcohol: The effects of state-dependent recall.

    PubMed

    Schreiber Compo, Nadja; Carol, Rolando N; Evans, Jacqueline R; Pimentel, Pamela; Holness, Howard; Nichols-Lopez, Kristin; Rose, Stefan; Furton, Kenneth G

    2017-04-01

    Many real-world eyewitnesses are under the influence of alcohol either at the time of the crime, the interview, or both. Only recently has empirical research begun to examine the effects of alcohol on witness memory, yielding mixed results. The present study tested the importance of state-dependent memory in the context of alcohol's effects on encoding versus retrieval of a witnessed event, while simultaneously informing real-world investigative practices: Should witnesses sober up before an interview? Participants (N = 249) were randomized to a control, placebo, or alcohol condition at encoding and to either an immediate retrieval condition (in the same state) or a 1-week delay control, placebo, or alcohol retrieval condition. They recalled a witnessed mock crime using open ended and cued recall formats. After a delay, witnesses intoxicated at both encoding and retrieval provided less accurate information than witnesses in sober or placebo groups at both times. There was no advantage of state-dependent memory but intoxicated witnesses were best when recalling immediately compared to 1 week later (sober, placebo, or reintoxicated). Findings have direct implications for the timing of intoxicated witnesses' interviews such that moderately intoxicated witnesses may not benefit from a sobering delay but rather, should be interviewed immediately. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Qualitative study of the communication expectations of clients accessing oncology care at a tertiary referral center for dogs with life-limiting cancer.

    PubMed

    Stoewen, Debbie L; Coe, Jason B; MacMartin, Clare; Stone, Elizabeth A; E Dewey, Catherine

    2014-10-01

    To describe the process aspects (communication) of the information expectations of clients accessing oncology care services at a tertiary referral center for dogs with life-limiting cancer. Qualitative analysis of data acquired during in-person single and dyadic interviews. 43 dog owners participating in 30 interviews. Independent in-person interviews were conducted with standardized open- and closed-ended questions from April to October 2009. Thematic analysis was performed on transcripts of the interview discussions. The participants expected information to be communicated in a forthright manner; in multiple formats; with understandable language; in an unrushed environment wherein staff took the time to listen, answer all questions, and repeat information when necessary; on a continuous basis, with 24-hour access to address questions or concerns; in a timely manner; with positivity; with compassion and empathy; with a nonjudgmental attitude; and through staff with whom they had established relationships. Results indicated that the manner in which information is communicated is vitally important to clients of dogs with life-limiting cancer in that it not only facilitates comprehension but also creates a humanistic environment from which clients derive the psychosocial support needed to successfully cope with their pet's condition.

  12. Expectations of pregnant women of Mexican origin regarding their health care providers.

    PubMed

    Baxley, Susan M; Ibitayo, Kristina

    2015-01-01

    To explore the expectations of pregnant women of Mexican origin regarding trust and communication with their health care providers. Qualitative, descriptive inquiry. A large metropolitan area community clinic in Texas that provided services to predominately Hispanic women. The sample consisted of 13 women between ages 19 and 36 (mean = 29) who received prenatal health care at a community clinic that offers care to Hispanic women. Semistructured interviews were conducted with open-ended starter questions and follow-up questions based on the participant responses. Based on the women's language preference nine interviews were conducted in Spanish and four in English. Themes emerged from the beginning interviews, and after five interviews, saturation was reached. Data were arranged by the emerged themes of the model of trust and communication (Figure 1). The themes reflected the perception of trust, communication, patient centeredness, and satisfaction with health care providers. These women wanted their providers to provide them with "everything," to be direct, to speak their language, and to present information as friends. Health care providers need to be able to provide communication not only in the participant's preferred language, but also in a way that is culturally sensitive. © 2015 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

  13. How GPs implement clinical guidelines in everyday clinical practice--a qualitative interview study.

    PubMed

    Le, Jette V; Hansen, Helle P; Riisgaard, Helle; Lykkegaard, Jesper; Nexøe, Jørgen; Bro, Flemming; Søndergaard, Jens

    2015-12-01

    Clinical guidelines are considered to be essential for improving quality and safety of health care. However, interventions to promote implementation of guidelines have demonstrated only partial effectiveness and the reasons for this apparent failure are not yet fully understood. To investigate how GPs implement clinical guidelines in everyday clinical practice and how implementation approaches differ between practices. Individual semi-structured open-ended interviews with seven GPs who were purposefully sampled with regard to gender, age and practice form. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and then analysed using systematic text condensation. Analysis of the interviews revealed three different approaches to the implementation of guidelines in clinical practice. In some practices the GPs prioritized time and resources on collective implementation activities and organized their everyday practice to support these activities. In other practices GPs discussed guidelines collectively but left the application up to the individual GP whilst others again saw no need for discussion or collective activities depending entirely on the individual GP's decision on whether and how to manage implementation. Approaches to implementation of clinical guidelines vary substantially between practices. Supporting activities should take this into account. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding cholera preparedness and prevention in Ga-Mampuru village, Limpopo, South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Jordaan, Andries J.; Mabela, Beverly M.

    2016-01-01

    The study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of cholera prevention and preparedness in Ga-Mampuru village (Limpopo, South Africa). Interviewers collected data using a two-pronged method, namely a household questionnaire (open- and closed-ended questions) to assess knowledge and attitudes about cholera and observations to assess practices in the prevention and management of the disease. Additionally, interviewers took pictures with the respondents’ permission. Ninety-six respondents were interviewed. Most respondents (86%) indicated they knew how cholera was contracted with 84% indicating contaminated water as a source. Ninety percent of the respondents indicated they knew how to prevent contracting cholera. All respondents generally knew that cholera could be treated with medicine received at a health-care facility or worker. Fewer respondents (58%) had specific knowledge such as the use of rehydration solutions. The respondents’ high level of prevention practices could be biased. Interviewers observed that many practices were not adhered to, like not washing hands, not using toilet paper and throwing waste in respondents’ yards. Therefore, the community of Ga-Mampuru had not reached a stage of adequate cholera prevention and preparedness in spite of the fact that they were aware of cholera risks and risk-reduction measures.

  15. Teaching and Evaluating Using "Open-Ended Problems" in Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nohda, Nobuhiko

    1995-01-01

    Discusses advantages and considerations in using open-ended problems in mathematics teaching and evaluation. Describes results of using open-ended problems in a sixth-grade class in Japan. (Author/MKR)

  16. Parental Perceptions of Neighborhood Effects in Latino Comunas

    PubMed Central

    Horner, Pilar; Sanchez, Ninive; Castillo, Marcela; Delva, Jorge

    2011-01-01

    Objectives To obtain rich information about how adult Latinos living in high-poverty/high-drug use neighborhoods perceive and negotiate their environment. Methods In 2008, thirteen adult caregivers in Santiago, Chile were interviewed with open-ended questions to ascertain beliefs about neighborhood effects and drug use. Analysis Inductive analysis was used to develop the codebook/identify trends. Discussion Residents externalized their understanding of drug use and misuse by invoking the concept of delinquent youth. A typology of their perceptions is offered. Learning more about residents’ circumstances may help focus on needs-based interventions. More research with Latino neighborhoods is needed for culturally-competent models of interventions. PMID:22497879

  17. The fluidity of Thai women's gendered and sexual subjectivities.

    PubMed

    Thaweesit, Suchada

    2004-05-01

    This paper reports on an ethnographic study of gender and sexuality as factors within contemporary Thai factory women's subjectivities. Competing discourses of what it means to be a woman in contemporary Thai society make women's self-presentations fluid and incoherent. Data from participant-observation and open-ended interviews suggest that the fluidity and inconsistency of women's self-presentations reflect both their negative experiences and oppression within the Thai patriarchal system, and women's strength and resistance to the normative discourses that oppress them. By naming or reinterpreting experiences and desires in their own terms, Thai factory women can redraw elements of their own lives.

  18. Social Support: A Mixed Blessing for Women in Substance Abuse Treatment

    PubMed Central

    Tracy, Elizabeth M.; Munson, Michelle R.; Peterson, Lance T.; Floersch, Jerry E.

    2010-01-01

    Using a personal social network framework, this qualitative study sought to understand how women in substance abuse treatment describe their network members' supportive and unsupportive behaviors related to recovery. Eighty-six women were interviewed from residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs. Positive and negative aspects of women's social networks were assessed via open-ended questions. Analysis was guided by grounded theory techniques using three coders. The findings extend classic social support concepts such as emotional, tangible, and informational support. Practice implications are presented in light of the potential roles network members may play in substance use and recovery. PMID:20953326

  19. Alcohol use among two generations of Southeast Asians in the U.S

    PubMed Central

    Battle, Robynn S.; Antin, Tamar M.J.; Lipton, Robert

    2011-01-01

    The paper assesses the drinking norms and practices of two generations of Southeast Asians in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Researchers included quantity and frequency measures of current alcohol use and binge drinking and open-ended questions on drinking norms and behaviors in a mixed-method study of tobacco use. The study generated data through in-person interviews with 164 respondents from two urban East Bay neighborhoods. The findings include normative drinking among women and underage youth, with heavy drinking among underage youths particularly troubling. Preventive interventions for this population should consider community-level alcohol problems as well as individual alcohol use disorders. PMID:19064436

  20. Understanding parenting in Manitoba First nations: implications for program development.

    PubMed

    Eni, Rachel; Rowe, Gladys

    2011-01-01

    This qualitative study introduced the "Manitoba First Nation Strengthening Families Maternal Child Health Pilot Project" program and evaluation methodologies. The study provided a knowledge base for programmers, evaluators, and communities to develop relevant health promotion, prevention, and intervention programming to assist in meeting health needs of pregnant women and young families. Sixty-five open-ended, semistructured interviews were completed in 13 communities. Data analysis was through grounded theory. Three major themes emerged from the data: interpersonal support and relationships; socioeconomic factors; and community initiatives. Complex structural, historical events compromise parenting; capacity and resilience are supported through informal and formal health and social supports.

  1. An experiment in using open-text comments from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study on health service priorities.

    PubMed

    Rich, Jane; Handley, Tonelle; Inder, Kerry; Perkins, David

    2018-02-01

    Conducting research in rural and remote areas is compounded by challenges associated with accessing relatively small populations spread over large geographical areas. Open-ended questions provided in a postal survey format are an advantageous way of including rural and remote residents in research studies. This method means that it is possible to ask for in-depth perspectives, from a large sample, in a relatively resource-efficient way. Such questions are frequently included in population-based surveys; however, they are rarely analysed. The aim of this article is to explore word cloud analysis, to evaluate the utility of automated programs to supplement the analysis of open-ended survey responses. Participants from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study completed the open-ended question 'What health services would you like to see the local health district providing that are currently not available in your area?' A word cloud analysis was then undertaken using the program Wordle; the size of the word in the cloud illustrates how many times, in proportion to other words, a word has appeared in responses, and provides an easily interpretable visual illustration of research results. In total, 388 participants provided a response to the free-text question. Using the word cloud as a visual guide, key words were identified and used to locate relevant quotes from the full open-text responses. \\'Mental health\\' was the most frequent request, cited by 81 people (20.8%). Following mental health, requests for more \\'specialists\\' (n=59) and \\'services\\' (n=53) were the second and third most frequent responses respectively. Visiting specialists were requested by multiple respondents (n=14). Less frequent requests illustrated in the word cloud are important when considering representatives from smaller population groups such as those with specific health needs or conditions including \\'maternity\\' services (n=13), \\'cancer\\' (n=10), \\'drug and alcohol\\' services (n=8), and \\'aged care\\' (n=7) services are all core services even though they were being called for by fewer people. This lesser frequency may suggest that these services are already considered as available in some rural and remote communities. This research aimed to determine whether meaningful and informative data could be obtained from short responses from open-ended survey questions using an automated data analysis technique to supplement a more in-depth analysis. The findings showed that, while not as detailed as interview responses, the open-ended survey questions provided sufficient information to develop a broad overview of the health service priorities identified by this large rural sample. Such automated data analysis techniques are rarely employed; however, the current research provides valuable support for their utility in rural and remote health research. This research has implications for researchers interested in engaging rural and remote residents, demonstrating that meaningful information can be extracted from short survey response data, contributing a resource-efficient supplement to a more detailed analysis. Open-ended questions are often asked in population-based studies yet they are rarely analysed, posing both an opportunity and a challenge for researchers using such participant-driven responses. The lessons learned from the methodology applied can be transferred to other population-based survey studies more widely.

  2. A Four-Year Follow-Up of Means-End Outcomes from Outdoor Adventure Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldenberg, Marni; Soule, Katherine E.

    2015-01-01

    Means-end theory was used to analyze differences in outcomes from original interviews and follow-up interviews occurring four years after Outward Bound (OB) and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) 2006 course participation. In 2006, a semi-structured, in-person interview was conducted after participants (N = 510) completed their course. In…

  3. "Do I really want to do this?" Longitudinal cohort study participants' perspectives on postal survey design: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Harcombe, Helen; Derrett, Sarah; Herbison, Peter; McBride, David

    2011-01-27

    Randomised controlled trials have investigated aspects of postal survey design yet cannot elaborate on reasons behind participants' decision making and survey behaviour. This paper reports participants' perspectives of the design of, and participation in, a longitudinal postal cohort survey. It describes strengths and weaknesses in study design from the perspectives of study participants and aims to contribute to the: 1) design of future cohort surveys and questionnaires generally and, 2) design of cohort surveys for people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) specifically. In-depth interviews explored the design of postal surveys previously completed by participants. Interviews used open ended questioning with a topic guide for prompts if areas of interest were not covered spontaneously. Thematic data analysis was undertaken based on the framework method. A second researcher verified all coding. Data from fourteen interviews were analysed within three main themes; participation, survey design and survey content. One of the main findings was the importance of clear communication aimed at the correct audience both when inviting potential participants to take part and within the survey itself. Providing enough information about the study, having a topic of interest and an explanation of likely benefits of the study were important when inviting people to participate. The neutrality of the survey and origination from a reputable source were both important; as was an explanation about why information was being collected within the survey itself. Study findings included participants' impressions when invited to take part, why they participated, the acceptability of follow-up of non-responders and why participants completed the follow-up postal survey. Also discussed were participants' first impression of the survey, its length, presentation and participants' views about specific questions within the survey. Ideas generated in this study provide an insight into participants' decision making and survey behaviour and may enhance the acceptability of future surveys to potential participants. As well as clear communication, participants valued incentives and survey questions that were relevant to them. However, opinions varied as to the preferred format for responses with some advising more opportunity for open-ended feedback. We also found that some standard format questions can raise quandaries for individual participants.

  4. Need for information, honesty and respect: patient perspectives on health care professionals communication about cancer and fertility.

    PubMed

    Ussher, Jane M; Parton, Chloe; Perz, Janette

    2018-01-05

    Individuals affected by cancer report a need for information about fertility from health care professionals (HCPs), in order to inform decision making and alleviate anxiety. However, there is evidence that many health professionals do not engage in such discussions. A mixed method design was used to examine the construction and subjective experience of communication with health professionals about fertility in the context of cancer, from the perspective of patients. A survey was completed by 693 women and 185 men, across a range of cancer tumour types and age groups, and in-depth one-to-one interviews conducted with a purposively selected subsample of survey respondents, 61 women and 17 men. The chi square test for independence was used to test for group differences between women and men on closed survey items. Thematic analysis was used to examine the open ended survey responses and interviews. Significantly more women (57%, n = 373) than men (46%, n = 80) (X 2 (2517)  = 6.54, p = .011) reported that they had discussed fertility with a HCP since diagnosis of cancer. Satisfaction with the discussion was reported by 65% (n = 242) of women and 69% (n = 54) (ns) of men. This discussion was reported to have been initiated by the patient or their partner in 44% (n = 165) of women and 47% (n = 37) (ns) of men. In the interviews and open ended surveys three themes were identified: Feeling heard and informed about fertility after cancer: Positive experiences of HCP communication; "I was never given full disclosure": HCP silence or reticence about discussing fertility after cancer, including the sub-theme "Their primary concern is getting me cancer free": Constructions of absence of fertility communication by HCPs; and Confusion and lack of compassion: Unsatisfactory information provision about fertility and cancer. Discussion with a HCP about fertility concerns, and satisfaction with the discussion, was associated with reports of lower patient distress, greater knowledge and understanding of the consequences of cancer on fertility, involvement in the decision making process about fertility preservation, and satisfaction with health care.

  5. Understandings of the nature of science and decision making on science and technology-based issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Randy Lee

    Current reforms emphasize the development of scientific literacy as the principal goal of science education. The nature of science is considered a critical component of scientific literacy and is assumed to be an important factor in decision making on science and technology based issues. However, little research exists that delineates the role of the nature of science in decision making. The purpose of this investigation was to explicate the role of the nature of science in decision making on science and technology based issues and to delineate the reasoning and factors associated with these types of decisions. The 15-item, open-ended "Decision Making Questionnaire" (DMQ) based on four different scenarios concerning science and technology issues was developed to assess decision making. Twenty-one volunteer participants purposively selected from the faculty of geographically diverse universities completed the questionnaire and follow-up interviews. Participants were subsequently grouped according to their understandings of the nature of science, based on responses to a second open-ended questionnaire and follow-up interview. Profiles of each group's decision making were constructed, based on their previous responses to the DMQ and follow-up interviews. Finally, the two groups' decisions, decision making factors, and decision making strategies were compared. No differences were found between the decisions of the two groups, despite their disparate views of the nature of science. While their reasoning did not follow formal lines of argumentation, several influencing factors and general reasoning patterns were identified. Participants in both groups based their decisions primarily on personal values, morals/ethics, and social concerns. While all participants said they considered scientific evidence in their decision making, most did not require absolute "proof," even though Group B participants held more absolute conceptions of the nature of science. Overall, the nature of science did not figure prominently in either group's decisions. These findings contrast with the assumptions of the science education community and current reform efforts and call for a reexamination of the goals of nature of science instruction. Developing better decision making skills---even on science and technology based issues---may involve other factors, including more values-based instruction and attention to intellectual/moral development.

  6. Team social cohesion, professionalism, and patient-centeredness: Gendered care work, with special reference to elderly care - a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Öhman, Ann; Keisu, Britt-Inger; Enberg, Birgit

    2017-06-02

    Healthcare organisations are facing large demands in recruiting employees with adequate competency to care for the increasing numbers of elderly. High degrees of turnover and dissatisfaction with working conditions are common. The gendered notion of care work as 'women's work', in combination with low salaries and status, may contribute to negative work experiences. There is abundant information about the negative aspects of elderly care health services, but little is known about positive aspects of this work. The study aim was to investigate work satisfaction from a gender perspective among Swedish registered nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, focusing specifically on healthcare services for the elderly. A mixed methods approach was adopted in which we combined statistics and open-ended responses from a national survey with qualitative research interviews with healthcare professionals in elderly care organisations. The survey was administered to a random sample of 1578 registered nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Qualitative interviews with 17 professionals were conducted in six elderly care facilities. Qualitative and quantitative content analyses, chi 2 and constructivist grounded theory were used to analyse the data. There was a statistically significant difference in overall work satisfaction between those who worked in elderly care and those who did not (64 and 74,4% respectively, p <0.001). Nine themes were derived from open-ended responses in the questionnaire. The qualitative interviews revealed four prominent storylines: 'Team social cohesion', 'Career development and autonomy', 'Client-centeredness', and 'Invisible and ignored power structures'. The results show the complexity of elderly care work and describe several aspects that are important for work satisfaction among health professionals. The results reveal that work satisfaction is dependent on social interrelations and cohesion in the work team, in possibilities to use humour and to have fun together, and in the ability to work as professionals to provide client-centered elderly care. Power relations such as gendered hierarchies were less visible or even ignored aspects of work satisfaction. The storylines are clearly linked to the two central discourses of professionalism and gender equality.

  7. Qualitative modification and development of patient- and caregiver-reported outcome measures for iron chelation therapy.

    PubMed

    Horodniceanu, Erica G; Bal, Vasudha; Dhatt, Harman; Carter, John A; Huang, Vicky; Lasch, Kathryn

    2017-06-23

    Compliance, palatability, gastrointestinal (GI) symptom, and treatment satisfaction patient- and observer-reported outcome (PRO, ObsRO) measures were developed/modified for patients with transfusion-dependent anemias or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) requiring iron chelation therapy (ICT). This qualitative cross-sectional observational study used grounded theory data collection and analysis methods and followed PRO/ObsRO development industry guidance. Patients and caregivers of patients with transfusion-dependent anemias or MDS were individually interviewed face-to-face to cognitively debrief the Compliance, Palatability, GI Symptom Diary, and Modified Satisfaction with Iron Chelation Therapy (SICT) instruments presented electronically. Interviews were conducted in sets. Interviews began open-endedly to spontaneously elicit ICT experiences. Item modifications were debriefed during the later interviews. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. Data was analyzed using ATLAS.ti qualitative research software. Twenty-one interviews were completed (Set 1: 5 patients, 6 caregivers; Set 2: 6 patients, 4 caregivers) in 6 US cities. Mean age was 43 years for patients and 9 years for children of caregivers. Conditions requiring ICT use across groups included transfusion-dependent anemias (85.7%) and MDS (14.3%). Concepts spontaneously reported were consistent with instruments debriefed. Interview analysis resulted in PRO and ObsRO versions of each instrument: Compliance (2 items), Palatability (4 items), GI Symptom Diary (6 items), and Modified SICT (PRO = 13, ObsRO = 17 items). Qualitative research data from cognitive interviews supports the content validity and relevance of the instruments developed/modified. Quantitative validation of these PRO and ObsRO measures is needed testing for validity, reliability, and responsiveness for future research use with new formulations of oral ICT.

  8. Retrospective accounts of self-stigma experienced by young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression.

    PubMed

    McKeague, Lynn; Hennessy, Eilis; O'Driscoll, Claire; Heary, Caroline

    2015-06-01

    Little is known about self-stigma experienced by young people with mental health problems, despite the fact that research has demonstrated its existence. In the present study, we sought to investigate the experiences of self-stigma in childhood and adolescence, and particularly the nature of change in self-stigma across this developmental period. Young adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression before their 18th birthdays were interviewed about their experiences within their peer groups during childhood and adolescence. This qualitative study involved open-ended interviews with 16 young adults aged 18-30 years. Interviews focused on the experience of stigmatization, responses to stigma, and how these changed over time. Three main themes pertaining to self-stigma emerged: (a) being different, (b) peer stigmatization and associated experiences of self-stigma, and (c) selective disclosure and a move toward greater openness. The findings also suggested that the passing of time and changes in young people's social networks and/or degrees of recovery were associated with changes in their experiences of self-stigma. During childhood and adolescence, self-stigma is characterized by a sense of being different from peers and negative self-evaluation as a consequence of that difference. However, our findings also demonstrated that some young people were prepared to challenge the stigma they experienced. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to these differing responses and to develop antistigma interventions that facilitate the inclusion of young people with mental health problems in their peer groups. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Exploring Leadership Competencies in Established and Aspiring Physician Leaders: An Interview-based Study

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, Jay C.; Stoller, James K.

    2008-01-01

    Background and Objectives Academic health care institutions have become interested in understanding and supporting current leaders and preparing leaders for the future. We designed this exploratory study to better understand specific perceived leadership needs of physicians from the perspective of “aspiring” and “established” leaders within our institution. Design A qualitative, inductive, structured interview-based design was used to examine the study questions. Participants A purposeful sample of current and aspiring leaders was obtained, sampling across specialties and levels of leadership. Interventions All participants were interviewed by the same investigator (CT). Five open-ended questions were developed as prompts. Two of the investigators independently analyzed the transcripts, using an open coding method to identify themes within the narratives. Inter-observer comparisons were made and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Results Four themes emerged from analyzing the responses to our questions. Aspiring and established leaders agreed that “knowledge”, “people skills” or emotional intelligence, and “vision” were all characteristics of effective leaders and critical to the success of aspiring leaders. Established leaders in our sample added a characteristic of “organizational orientation” that extended the description of “leaders” to include an understanding of the institution as well as dedication to its success (a trait we have called “organizational altruism”). Conclusions Our findings validate others’ regarding leadership competencies while extending these findings to the specific context of health care and physicians. Important implications for curricular design include: inclusion of emotional intelligence competencies and reducing formal didactics in favor of programs that are both interactive and problem-based. PMID:18327531

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

    Van Berkel, Gary J.

    A system for sampling a sample material includes a probe which can have an outer probe housing with an open end. A liquid supply conduit within the housing has an outlet positioned to deliver liquid to the open end of the housing. The liquid supply conduit can be connectable to a liquid supply for delivering liquid at a first volumetric flow rate to the open end of the housing. A liquid exhaust conduit within the housing is provided for removing liquid from the open end of the housing. A liquid exhaust system can be provided for removing liquid from themore » liquid exhaust conduit at a second volumetric flow rate, the first volumetric flow rate exceeding the second volumetric flow rate, wherein liquid at the open end will receive sample, liquid containing sample material will be drawn into and through the liquid exhaust conduit, and liquid will overflow from the open end.« less

  11. Disclosing clinical adverse events to patients: can practice inform policy?

    PubMed Central

    Sorensen, Ros; Iedema, Rick; Piper, Donella; Manias, Elizabeth; Williams, Allison; Tuckett, Anthony

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Objectives  To understand patients’ and health professionals’ experience of Open Disclosure and how practice can inform policy. Background  Open Disclosure procedures are being implemented in health services worldwide yet empirical evidence on which to base models of patient–clinician communication and policy development is scant. Design, setting and participants  A qualitative method was employed using semi‐structured open‐ended interviews with 154 respondents (20 nursing, 49 medical, 59 clinical/administrative managerial, 3 policy coordinators, 15 patients and 8 family members) in 21 hospitals and health services in four Australian states. Results  Both patients and health professionals were positive about Open Disclosure, although each differed in their assessments of practice effectiveness. We found that five major elements influenced patients’ and professionals’ experience of openly disclosing adverse events namely: initiating the disclosure, apologizing for the adverse event, taking the patient’s perspective, communicating the adverse event and being culturally aware. Conclusions  Evaluating the impact of Open Disclosure refines policy implementation because it provides an evidence base to inform policy. Health services can use specific properties relating to each of the five Open Disclosure elements identified in this study as training standards and to assess the progress of policy implementation. However, health services must surmount their sensitivity to revealing the extent of error so that research into patient experiences can inform practice and policy development. PMID:19804555

  12. Exploring the role of practical nursing wisdom in the care of patients with urinary problems at the end of life: a qualitative interview study.

    PubMed

    Farrington, Naomi; Fader, Mandy; Richardson, Alison; Sartain, Samantha

    2015-10-01

    This study examined how nurses understand urinary problems at the end of life, and identified sources of evidence upon which they base their practice through semi-structured qualitative interviews. The aim was to decide whether research or interventions (such as formulation of best practice guidelines) could improve continence care at the end of life. There is little evidence in nursing literature to indicate how nurses should manage urinary problems at the end of life. Evidence is particularly lacking regarding the insertion of indwelling urinary catheters. This was an applied qualitative interview study which used the 'guided interview' approach. Twelve participants who worked in two hospital wards and one hospice were interviewed about management of patients with urinary problems approaching the end of life. The transcribed interviews were organised using the qualitative analysis software qsr NVivo version 10 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Constant comparison was used to analyse the interviews. The patient and their family were a key concern of all interviewees. Participants focused on processes including: giving care, making decisions, managing uncertainty and assimilating knowledge. These processes are mediated by 'phronesis' or practical wisdom. Within each of the processes (giving care, making decisions, managing uncertainty and assimilating knowledge), participants approached each patient as an individual, using experience, patient wishes, available resources, clinical knowledge and advice from colleagues to provide care. A generalised set of guidelines on managing urinary problems at the end of life would probably not be useful. There is uncertainty about what constitutes best practice in specific areas of continence care at the end of life such as indwelling urinary catheter insertion. A careful approach is needed to ensure that the intellectual and moral knowledge that constitutes practical wisdom is shared and developed throughout teams. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Open-Ended Cases in Agroecology: Farming and Food Systems in the Nordic Region and the US Midwest

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Francis, Charles; King, James; Lieblein, Geir; Breland, Tor Arvid; Salomonsson, Lennart; Sriskandarajah, Nadarajah; Porter, Paul; Wiedenhoeft, Mary

    2009-01-01

    Our aim is to describe open-ended case studies for learning real-life problem solving skills, and relate this approach to conventional, closed-ended decision case studies. Teaching methods are open-ended cases in agroecology, an alternative to traditional strategies that lead students through prepared materials and structured discussions to…

  14. Design and Implementation of an Operations Module for the ARGOS paperless Ship System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-06-01

    A. OPERATIONS STACK SCRIPTS SCRIPTS FOR STACK: operations * BACKGROUND #1: Operations * on openStack hide message box show menuBar pass openStack end... openStack ** CARD #1, BUTTON #1: Up ***** on mouseUp visual effect zoom out go to card id 10931 of stack argos end mouseUp ** CARD #1, BUTTON #2...STACK SCRIPTS SCRIPTS FOR STACK: Reports ** BACKGROUND #1: Operations * on openStack hie message box show menuBar pass openStack end openStack ** CARD #1

  15. Device for controlling the pouring of molten materials

    DOEpatents

    Moore, A.F.; Duncan, A.L.

    1994-02-15

    A device is described for controlling the pouring of a molten material from a crucible or other container. The device includes an annular retainer ring for mounting in the drain opening in the bottom of a conventional crucible, the retainer ring defining a opening there through. The device also includes a plug member having an annular forward end portion for force-fit reception in the opening of the retainer ring to selectively seal the opening and for being selectively forced through the opening. The plug member has a rear end portion for being positioned within the crucible, the rear end portion including stop means for prohibiting the rear end portion from passing through the opening in the retainer ring when the forward end portion is selectively forced through the opening. The plug member defines at least one, and preferably a plurality of flutes, each extending from a point rearward the annular forward end portion of the plug member, and forward the stop means, to a point rearward of the stop means. The flutes permit fluid communication between the interior and exterior of the crucible when the forward end portion of the plug member is forced through the opening in the retaining ring such that the molten material is allowed to flow from the crucible. 5 figures.

  16. A qualitative study of conceptions and attitudes regarding maternal mortality among traditional birth attendants in rural Guatemala.

    PubMed

    Rööst, Mattias; Johnsdotter, Sara; Liljestrand, Jerker; Essén, Birgitta

    2004-12-01

    To explore conceptions of obstetric emergency care among traditional birth attendants in rural Guatemala, elucidating social and cultural factors. design Qualitative in-depth interview study. Rural Guatemala. Thirteen traditional birth attendants from 11 villages around San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Guatemala. Interviews with semi-structured, thematic, open-ended questions. Interview topics were: traditional birth attendants' experiences and conceptions as to the causes of complications, attitudes towards hospital care and referral of obstetric complications. Conceptions of obstetric complications, hospital referrals and maternal mortality among traditional birth attendants. Pregnant women rather than traditional birth attendants appear to make the decision on how to handle a complication, based on moralistically and fatalistically influenced thoughts about the nature of complications, in combination with a fear of caesarean section, maltreatment and discrimination at a hospital level. There is a discrepancy between what traditional birth attendants consider appropriate in cases of complications, and the actions they implement to handle them. Parameters in the referral system, such as logistics and socio-economic factors, are sometimes subordinated to cultural values by the target group. To have an impact on maternal mortality, bilateral culture-sensitive education should be included in maternal health programs.

  17. Medical students' agenda-setting abilities during medical interviews.

    PubMed

    Roh, HyeRin; Park, Kyung Hye; Jeon, Young-Jee; Park, Seung Guk; Lee, Jungsun

    2015-06-01

    Identifying patients' agendas is important; however, the extent of Korean medical students' agenda-setting abilities is unknown. The study aim was to investigate the patterns of Korean medical students' agenda solicitation. A total of 94 third-year medical students participated. One scenario involving a female patient with abdominal pain was created. Students were video-recorded as they interviewed the patient. To analyze whether students identify patients' reasons for visiting, a checklist was developed based on a modified version of the Calgary-Cambridge Guide to the Medical Interview: Communication Process checklist. The duration of the patient's initial statement of concerns was measured in seconds. The total number of patient concerns expressed before interruption and the types of interruption effected by the medical students were determined. The medical students did not explore the patients' concerns and did not negotiate an agenda. Interruption of the patient's opening statement occurred in 4.62±2.20 seconds. The most common type of initial interruption was a recompleter (79.8%). Closed-ended questions were the most common question type in the second and third interruptions. Agenda setting should be emphasized in the communication skills curriculum of medical students. The Korean Clinical Skills Exam must assess medical students' ability to set an agenda.

  18. Breast-feeding attitudes and practices among Vietnamese mothers in Ho Chi Minh City.

    PubMed

    Lundberg, Pranee C; Ngoc Thu, Trieu Thi

    2012-04-01

    to describe breast-feeding attitudes and practices among Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City. a descriptive qualitative study was used. The theory of planned behaviour provided the conceptual framework. the Well-baby Clinic, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a university hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 23 voluntary Vietnamese mothers. semi-structured in-depth interview with five open-ended questions and observation was used. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data from the interviews and observations were analysed by use of content analysis. five categories of breast-feeding attitudes and practices were identified: breast-feeding best but not exclusive, cultural and traditional beliefs, infant feeding as a learning process, factors influencing decision to breast feed, and intention to feed the child. cultural and traditional beliefs and practices, and socio-economic situation, influenced the Vietnamese mothers' breast feeding. Health-care professionals should consider cultural context and socio-economic issues when preparing infant feeding education and intervention programmes. Appropriate knowledge about cultural values should be included in health-care education in order to provide culturally congruent care to Vietnamese mothers in Vietnam as well as in Western countries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Integrating Genetic Studies of Nicotine Addiction into Public Health Practice: Stakeholder Views on Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities

    PubMed Central

    Dingel, M.J.; Hicks, A.D.; Robinson, M.E.; Koenig, B.A.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Will emerging genetic research strengthen tobacco control programs? In this empirical study, we interview stakeholders in tobacco control to illuminate debates about the role of genomics in public health. Methods: The authors performed open-ended interviews with 86 stakeholders from 5 areas of tobacco control: basic scientists, clinicians, tobacco prevention specialists, health payers, and pharmaceutical industry employees. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using standard techniques. Results: The central tension is between the hope that an expanding genomic knowledge base will improve prevention and smoking cessation therapies and the fear that genetic research might siphon resources away from traditional and proven public health programs. While showing strong support for traditional public health approaches to tobacco control, stakeholders recognize weaknesses, specifically the difficulty of countering the powerful voice of the tobacco industry when mounting public campaigns and the problem of individuals who are resistant to treatment and continue smoking. Conclusions: In order for genetic research to be effectively translated into efforts to minimize the harm of smoking-related disease, the views of key stakeholders must be voiced and disagreements reconciled. Effective translation requires honest evaluation of both the strengths and limitations of genetic approaches. PMID:21757875

  20. Teaching strategies used by internal medicine residents on the wards.

    PubMed

    Smith, Dustin T; Kohlwes, R Jeffrey

    2011-01-01

    Residents serve as teachers to interns and students in most internal medicine residency programs. The purpose of our study is to explore what internal medicine residents perceive as effective teaching strategies in the inpatient setting and to formulate a guideline for preparing residents to lead their ward teams. Housestaff identified as excellent teaching residents were recruited from a large internal medicine residency program. Focus groups were formed and interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. Transcripts of the interviews were reviewed, analyzed, and compared for accuracy by two investigators. The transcripts were then coded to categorize data into similar subjects from which recurrent themes in resident teaching were identified. Twenty-two residents participated in four focus group interviews held in 2008. We identified five principal themes for effective teaching by residents: (T)aking advantage of teaching opportunities, (E)mpowering learners, (A)ssuming the role of leader, (C)reating a learning environment, and (H)abituating the practice of teaching. Strategies for effective teaching by residents exist. The TEACH mnemonic is a resident-identified method of instruction. Use of this tool could enable residency programs to create instructional curricula to prepare their residents and interns to take on the roles of team leaders and teachers.

  1. Effects of organizational citizenship behaviors on selection decisions in employment interviews.

    PubMed

    Podsakoff, Nathan P; Whiting, Steven W; Podsakoff, Philip M; Mishra, Paresh

    2011-03-01

    This article reports on an experiment examining the effects of job candidates' propensity to exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) on selection decisions made in the context of a job interview. We developed videos that manipulated candidate responses to interview questions tapping task performance and citizenship behavior content in 2 administrative positions. Results obtained from 480 undergraduates provided support for our hypotheses that job candidates who exhibited higher levels of helping, voice, and loyalty behaviors were generally rated as more competent, received higher overall evaluations, and received higher salary recommendations than job candidates who exhibited lower levels of these behaviors. These effects held even after taking into account candidate responses regarding task performance. We also found that candidate responses to OCB-related questions tended to have a greater effect on selection decisions for the higher level position (supervisor of administrative personnel) than for the lower level one (administrative assistant). Finally, content analyses of open-ended responses indicated that participants' selection decisions were particularly sensitive to candidates who exhibited low levels of voice and helping behaviors. Implications and future research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

  2. Fifth Graders' Learning About Simple Machines Through Engineering Design-Based Instruction Using LEGO™ Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marulcu, Ismail; Barnett, Mike

    2013-10-01

    This study is part of a 5-year National Science Foundation-funded project, Transforming Elementary Science Learning Through LEGO™ Engineering Design. In this study, we report on the successes and challenges of implementing an engineering design-based and LEGO™-oriented unit in an urban classroom setting and we focus on the impact of the unit on students' content understanding of simple machines. The LEGO™ engineering-based simple machines module, which was developed for fifth graders by our research team, was implemented in an urban school in a large city in the Northeastern region of the USA. Thirty-three fifth grade students participated in the study, and they showed significant growth in content understanding. We measured students' content knowledge by using identical paper tests and semistructured interviews before and after instruction. Our paired t test analysis results showed that students significantly improved their test and interview scores (t = -3.62, p < 0.001 for multiple-choice items and t = -9.06, p < 0.000 for the open-ended items in the test and t = -12.11, p < 0.000 for the items in interviews). We also identified several alternative conceptions that are held by students on simple machines.

  3. Dual Diagnosis Motivational Interviewing: a modification of Motivational Interviewing for substance-abusing patients with psychotic disorders

    PubMed Central

    Martino, Steve; Carroll, Kathleen; Kostas, Demetrios; Perkins, Jennifer; Rounsaville, Bruce

    2013-01-01

    Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a brief treatment approach for helping patients develop intrinsic motivation to change addictive behaviors. While initially developed to target primary substance using populations, professionals are increasingly recognizing the promise this approach has for addressing the motivational dilemmas faced by patients who have co-occurring psychiatric and psychoactive substance use disorders. Unfortunately, this recognition has not lead to a clear explication of how MI might be adopted for specific diagnostic populations of dually diagnosed patients. In this article we describe how we have applied the principles and practices of MI to patients who have psychotic disorders and co-occurring drug or alcohol use problems. Specifically, we provide two supplemental guidelines to augment basic MI principles (adopting an integrated dual diagnosis approach, accommodating cognitive impairments and disordered thinking). We present recommended modifications to primary MI skill sets (simplifying open-ended questions, refining reflective listening skills, heightening emphasis on affirmations, integrating psychiatric issues into personalized feedback and decisional balance matrices). Finally, we highlight other clinical considerations (handling psychotic exacerbation and crisis events, recommended professional qualifications) when using MI with psychotic disordered dually diagnosed patients. PMID:12495791

  4. College students' preferences for health care providers when accessing sexual health resources.

    PubMed

    Garcia, Carolyn M; Lechner, Kate E; Frerich, Ellen A; Lust, Katherine A; Eisenberg, Marla E

    2014-01-01

    Many emerging adults (18-25 year olds) report unmet health needs and disproportionately experience problems such as sexually transmitted infections. This study was conducted to examine college students' perceptions of health care providers, specifically in the context of accessing sexual health resources. Students (N = 52) were recruited from five diverse colleges in one state to participate in a one-to-one interview that involved walking and virtually exploring resources on and near campus. Interviews were conducted from May to November 2010. Open-ended one-to-one interview questions. Inductive qualitative analysis yielded six themes summarizing students' perceptions of provider characteristics, health care resources, the role of their peers, and students' suggestions for strengthening health care services. Importantly, students consider a variety of staff-and their student peers-to be resources for sexual health information and services. Findings emphasize the importance of collaboration between health service staff and broader campus staff because students often turn to campus staff initially. Postsecondary students welcome opportunities to know a provider through interactive websites that include details about providers on campus; their decisions to seek sexual health care services are influenced by their perceptions of providers' characteristics and interpersonal skills. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Development of Assessment Instrument of Critical Thinking in Physics at Senior High School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugiarti, T.; Kaniawati, I.; Aviyanti, L.

    2017-02-01

    The result of preliminary study shows that the assessment of physics in school did not train students’ critical thinking skill. The assessment instrument just measured low cognitive aspects. Supposedly, critical thinking skill is trained in the assessment activity. The study aims to determine the characteristics and the quality of critical thinking skill instrument. It employs descriptive-qualitative method with research and development as the research design. The research participants are 35 students involved in the limited trial and 188 students in the wider trial from three public senior high school in Ciamis which in high level school. The data was collected through expert validation, tests and interviews. The results indicate that the characteristics of the assessment instrument of critical thinking skill is open-ended. The instrument fulfills some indicators namely analyzing argument, deduction, induction, and display information in the form of scenario, text, graphic and table. In addition, the data processing through V4 Anates program shows that the instrument reliability achieves 0.67 with high interpretation of 0.67 and the validity is 0.47 with enough interpretation. Thus, the assessment instrument of critical thinking skill in the form of open-ended essay meets the criteria of quality test, so it can use as instrument of assessment critical thinking skill.

  6. Designing human centered GeoVisualization application--the SanaViz--for telehealth users: a case study.

    PubMed

    Joshi, Ashish; de Araujo Novaes, Magdala; Machiavelli, Josiane; Iyengar, Sriram; Vogler, Robert; Johnson, Craig; Zhang, Jiajie; Hsu, Chiehwen E

    2012-01-01

    Public health data is typically organized by geospatial unit. GeoVisualization (GeoVis) allows users to see information visually on a map. Examine telehealth users' perceptions towards existing public health GeoVis applications and obtains users' feedback about features important for the design and development of Human Centered GeoVis application "the SanaViz". We employed a cross sectional study design using mixed methods approach for this pilot study. Twenty users involved with the NUTES telehealth center at Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil were enrolled. Open and closed ended questionnaires were used to gather data. We performed audio recording for the interviews. Information gathered included socio-demographics, prior spatial skills and perception towards use of GeoVis to evaluate telehealth services. Card sorting and sketching methods were employed. Univariate analysis was performed for the continuous and categorical variables. Qualitative analysis was performed for open ended questions. Existing Public Health GeoVis applications were difficult to use. Results found interaction features zooming, linking and brushing and representation features Google maps, tables and bar chart as most preferred GeoVis features. Early involvement of users is essential to identify features necessary to be part of the human centered GeoVis application "the SanaViz".

  7. Children's disengagement from cancer care and treatment on the ward: an undesirable social tactic in the long term.

    PubMed

    Løvschal-Nielsen, P; Clausen, N; Meinert, L

    2017-11-01

    This anthropological study explores children's non-social reactions during the active treatment period, the on-treatment, in a paediatric oncology ward in a Danish university hospital. It is argued that, although some children's non-social reactions is a tactical disengagement to manage the on-treatment situation, such non-social tactics might ultimately prove an undesirable strategy with negative long-term social consequences for social survivorship. Data were generated over 7 months of ethnographic fieldwork between May 2011 and January 2013, using qualitative methods such as participant observation and open-ended interviewing. Fifty children of both sexes between 4 and 15 years, their families and hospital staff participated in the study. These data formed the basis for the study. The findings show that children's response to care challenges, including exhaustion from care management, exposure from being in a public space, and the open-ended duration of treatment, configure in tactic forms that we term social disengagement. It is suggested that such tactical social disengagement might expand into long-term social patterns, and, as such, change from an alleviating tactic to a socially isolating and damaging tactic for survivors of cancer in childhood. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Dust control technology usage patterns in the drywall finishing industry.

    PubMed

    Young-Corbett, Deborah E; Nussbaum, Maury A

    2009-06-01

    A telephone survey was conducted to quantify drywall finishing industry usage rates of dust control technology, identify barriers to technology adoption, and explore firm owner perception of risk. Industry use of the following technologies was described: wet methods, respiratory protection, pole sanders, ventilated sanders, and low-dust joint compound. A survey instrument composed of both Likert-type scaled items and open-ended items was developed and administered by telephone to the census population of the owners of member firms of trade associations: Finishing Contractors Association and Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries. Of 857 firms, 264 interviews were completed. Along with descriptive statistics, results were analyzed to examine effects of firm size and union affiliation on responses. Responses to open-ended items were analyzed using content analysis procedures. Firm owners rated the risk of dust to productivity and customer satisfaction as low-moderate. Half rated the dust as having some impact on worker health, with higher impacts indicated by owners of small firms. Among the available control technologies, respiratory protection was used most frequently. Several barriers to implementation of the more effective control technologies were identified. Barriers associated with technology usability, productivity, and cost, as well as misperceptions of risk, should be addressed to improve dust control in the drywall finishing industry.

  9. Preparing Pediatric Healthcare Professionals for End-of-Life Care Discussions: An Exploratory Study.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Amanda; Young, Jeanine; Herbert, Anthony; Bradford, Natalie; Pedersen, Lee-Anne

    2017-06-01

    Preparedness to initiate end-of-life (EoL) discussions is a confronting and daunting task for all healthcare professionals. We conducted a group interview to explore healthcare professionals' experiences of preparing for EoL discussions with the patient and their family in a pediatric context. To identify what pediatric healthcare professionals consider important when preparing for an EoL discussion. A qualitative design using a group interview. Two open-ended questions were asked: (1) How could preparedness to initiate EoL care discussions between healthcare professionals and the patient and family be enhanced? (2) What education resources/strategies could be developed to support preparation for EoL care discussions? Healthcare professionals, including medical, nursing, and allied health professionals working in pediatric palliative care settings across Queensland, Australia. These settings included major tertiary hospitals, general practice, community, and nongovernment organizations. A convenience sample of 36 healthcare professionals consented to participate in the study. An analysis of the data identified seven themes that had relevance for preparing for an EoL discussion: communication, healthcare professional perspectives, interdisciplinary team role, patient and family perspectives, practical issues, addressing mistakes, and healthcare professional education. Pediatric healthcare professionals confirmed that gaps exist in preparing for an EoL discussion. The findings support a need for further research in two areas. First, a systematic review of interdisciplinary resources that are available to support healthcare professionals in preparing for EoL discussions is recommended. Second, evidence-based interdisciplinary interventions to support pediatric EoL discussions need to be developed and evaluated.

  10. Conduit purging device and method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilks, Michael T. (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    A device for purging gas comprises a conduit assembly defining an interior volume. The conduit assembly comprises a first conduit portion having an open first end and an open second end and a second conduit portion having an open first end and a closed second end. The open second end of the first conduit portion is disposed proximate to the open first end of the second conduit portion to define a weld region. The device further comprises a supply element supplying a gas to the interior volume at a substantially constant rate and a vent element venting the gas from the interior volume at a rate that maintains the gas in the interior volume within a pressure range suitable to hold a weld bead in the weld region in equilibrium during formation of a weld to join the first conduit portion and the second conduit portion.

  11. "The Only Thing I Wish I Could Change Is That They Treat Us Like People and Not Like Animals": Injury and Discrimination Among Latino Farmworkers.

    PubMed

    Snipes, Shedra A; Cooper, Sharon P; Shipp, Eva M

    2017-01-01

    This article describes how perceived discrimination shapes the way Latino farmworkers encounter injuries and seek out treatment. After 5 months of ethnographic fieldwork, 89 open-ended, semistructured interviews were analyzed. NVivo was used to code and qualitatively organize the interviews and field notes. Finally, codes, notes, and co-occurring dynamics were used to iteratively assess the data for major themes. The primary source of perceived discrimination was the "boss" or farm owner. Immigrant status was also a significant influence on how farmworkers perceived the discrimination. Specifically, the ability to speak English and length of stay in the United States were related to stronger perceptions of discrimination. Finally, farm owners compelled their Latino employees to work through their injuries without treatment. This ethnographic account brings attention to how discrimination and lack of worksite protections are implicated in farmworkers' injury experiences and suggests the need for policies that better safeguard vulnerable workers.

  12. Family experiences of living with an eating disorder: a narrative analysis.

    PubMed

    Papathomas, Anthony; Smith, Brett; Lavallee, David

    2015-03-01

    Families are considered important in the management and treatment of eating disorders. Yet, rarely has research focused on family experiences of living with an eating disorder. Addressing this gap, this study explores the experiences of an elite 21-year-old triathlete with an eating disorder in conjunction with the experiences of her parents. Family members attended interviews individually on three separate occasions over the course of a year. In line with the narrative approach adopted, whereby stories are considered the primary means to construct experience, interviews encouraged storytelling through an open-ended, participant-led structure. Narrative analysis involved repeated readings of the transcripts, sensitising towards issues of narrative content (key themes) and structure (overarching plot). Family difficulties arose when personal experiences strayed from culturally dominant narrative forms and when family members held contrasting narrative preferences. Suggestions are forwarded as to how an appreciation of eating disorder illness narratives might inform treatment and support. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. [A phenomenological study of suicide attempts in elders].

    PubMed

    Im, Mi Young; Kim, Yun Jeong

    2011-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning and essence of suicide for elderly people who had previously attempted suicide as an older person. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenology was used for analysis. The researchers carried out in-depth interviews, recordings and memos individually with four elders. The elders were individuals who had attempted suicide sometime in the past 5 yr. They were interviewed from 5 to 10 times using open-ended questions and a semi-structural format. Demographic data were also collected. The meaning of suicide before a suicide attempt in older people had four core components: conflict with family, powerlessness and despair in their life with a drop in self-esteem, using internal and external resources to resolve their troubles and awareness of imminent crisis. These results of this study will increase understanding of suicide in older people by defining their subjective experience of suicide attempts and applying grounded data in the development of programs that provide concrete intervention strategies to prevent suicide in elderly people.

  14. Fifteen years after a ferry disaster: clinical interviews and survivors’ self-assessment of their experience

    PubMed Central

    Arnberg, Filip K.; Hultman, Christina M.; Michel, Per-Olof; Lundin, Tom

    2013-01-01

    Background Disasters yield increased rates of psychological disorders decades later. Other consequences, however, have received little attention in the past. Objective We aimed to examine diagnostic status and survivors’ views on disaster-related consequences and social support. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used with 22 survivors (of 49 eligible) 15 years after a ferry disaster. Data collection included audiotaped interviews with open-ended questions and diagnostic assessment of Axis-I disorders. Results The post-disaster incidence was 54% (12/22) for Axis-I disorders, and 45% (10/22) for full or subsyndromal posttraumatic stress disorder. Thematic analysis revealed that survivor perception of the long-term consequences included positive (character change) and negative aspects (being ascribed a survivor identity). Participants’ sought social support for several years, yet many felt hindered by experiential dissimilarity and distress of significant others. Conclusions Axis-I disorders were prevalent, but not salient to survivors’ perceptions in the long-term. Post-disaster interventions need to attend to common barriers to support. PMID:24106579

  15. Exploring the self-concepts of persons with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Li, Eria Ping-Ying; Tam, Alan Sing-Fai; Man, David Wai-Kwong

    2006-03-01

    This study explores the self-concepts of Hong Kong Chinese with intellectual disabilities. Face-to-face and individual interviews were conducted in Cantonese, using the Chinese version of the Adult Source of Self-Esteem Inventory (ASSEI) together with three open-ended questions to explore the participants' self-conceptions in different life domains. An opportunity sample of 135 young adults with intellectual disabilities was interviewed. The findings showed that the family self, the social self and achievement in school and work were the self-concept attributes most important to the participants. The participants of this study had a higher total self-concept than that of a comparison group of people without disabilities when the participants used the in-group social comparison to maintain positive self-perception. The importance of partnership with family, self-concept enhancement strategies and quality employment service are discussed in order to facilitate people with intellectual disabilities to develop more positive self-concepts and thus achieve better community integration.

  16. Religious beliefs prevailing among Somali men living in Finland regarding the use of the condom by men and that of other forms of contraception by women.

    PubMed

    Degni, Filio; Mazengo, Charles; Vaskilampi, Tuula; Essén, Brigitta

    2008-09-01

    The objective of this study was to explore religious beliefs of Somali men residing in Finland that may influence their use of condoms and their perceptions of contraceptive use by women of their community. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to study 98 refugee Somali married men aged 30-65 years. Participants filled in self-administered questionnaires (in English or in Somali) but were also interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured, featuring thematically clustered open-ended questions; they were conducted in Somali or in English. Participants had arrived in Finland between 1990-1998. They had from 2-12 children. For religious reasons, 63% of the men avoided using condoms and were opposed to women's contraceptive use. The remaining 37% were not deterred by religious beliefs from using condoms and from approving women's contraceptive practices. In conclusion, for religious reasons, most Somali men assessed avoided using condoms and disapproved of the use of contraception by women.

  17. Meta-Emotion Philosophy Among Asian Indian Immigrant Mothers in the United States.

    PubMed

    Fishman, Jonathan L; Raval, Vaishali V; Daga, Suchi S; Raj, Stacey P

    2014-07-01

    We explored the meta-emotion philosophies of Indian immigrant mothers living in the Midwest region of the United States to expand the scarce literature on emotion socialization in diverse families. A total of 15 mothers of teen and preteen children participated in a meta-emotion interview, in which they were asked about their own and their children's experiences of anger, sadness, and fear. We analyzed interview responses through an open-ended phenomenological approach and found the following major themes: familial context of emotions, subtle communication of emotions, and an overarching philosophy centering on inevitability of negative emotions and the importance of moving on. Mothers differed in how well they believed that they could move on. Overall, the present findings demonstrate the role culture plays in emotional experiences of immigrant mothers and serve as a reminder that theories based on European American families might have limited applicability to other cultural and ethnic groups. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. Living at Risk: Concealing Risk and Preserving Hope in Huntington Disease

    PubMed Central

    Sims, Sharon L.; Swenson, Melinda M.; Harrison, Joan M.; Moskowitz, Carol; Stepanov, Nonna; Suter, Gregory W.; Westphal, Beryl J.

    2013-01-01

    Much of the qualitative research on Huntington disease has focused on the genetic testing aspects of HD. The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to gather information about the everyday experience of living with the risk of developing Huntington disease in a sample of individuals at risk for HD who have chosen not to pursue genetic testing. Data for this article was obtained from unstructured, open-ended qualitative interviews of a sample of people participating in the PHAROS study. PHAROS, the Prospective Huntington At-Risk Observational Study, is a multi-site study that aims to establish whether experienced clinicians can reliably determine the earliest clinical symptoms of Huntington disease in individuals at 50% risk for HD who have chosen not to undergo genetic testing. Interviews were conducted at six PHAROS research sites across the United States. In this paper, the research team used qualitative description to construct and explore two main themes: (1) careful concealment of risk as an act of self-preservation and (2) preserving hope. PMID:17943424

  19. Modes of Hoping: Understanding hope and expectation in the context of a clinical trial of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic pain

    PubMed Central

    Eaves, Emery R; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Nichter, Mark; Hopkins, Allison L.; Sherman, Karen J

    2014-01-01

    This article explores the role of hope in participants’ assessments of their expectations, experiences and treatment outcomes. Data analysis focused on semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 44 participants, interviewed 3-5 times each over the course of a study evaluating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD, a form of chronic orofacial pain). Transcripts were coded and analyzed using qualitative and ethnographic methods. A “Modes of Hoping”1 framework informed our analysis. Five modes of hoping emerged from participant narratives: Realistic Hope; Wishful Hope; Utopian Hope; Technoscience Hope; and Transcendent Hope. Using this framework, hope is demonstrated as exerting a profound influence over how participants assess and report their expectations. This suggests that researchers interested in measuring expectations and understanding their role in treatment outcomes should consider hope as exercising a multifaceted and dynamic influence on participants’ reporting of expectations and their experience and evaluation of treatment. PMID:25037665

  20. Hazard perception and occupational injuries in the welders and lathe machine operators of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

    PubMed

    Shaikh, M A

    2001-02-01

    To study the prevalence of occupational injuries in the welders and lathe machine operators and their hazard perception. This study was conducted in the welders and lathe machine operators working in the welding and metal working shops in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by two trained health interviewers using uniform questionnaire with both close and open-ended questions. Two hundred and eight welders and 104 lathe machine operators were interviewed. Thirty nine (18.7%) welders and 27 (26%) lathe machine operators reported an injury in the past three months, while 63 (30.3%) welders and 76 (73.8%) lathe machine operators reported sustaining an injury in the past twelve months. However, only half of the welders and 31 (29.8%) lathe machine operators believed that their occupation was hazardous for health. For effective public health policy there is a need preventive education and enforcement of safety regulations for the informal occupational sector in Pakistan.

  1. Modes of hoping: understanding hope and expectation in the context of a clinical trial of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic pain.

    PubMed

    Eaves, Emery R; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Nichter, Mark; Hopkins, Allison L; Sherman, Karen J

    2014-01-01

    This article explores the role of hope in participants' assessments of their expectations, experiences and treatment outcomes. Data analysis focused on semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 44 participants, interviewed 3-5 times each over the course of a study evaluating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for temporomandibular disorders (TMD), a form of chronic orofacial pain. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using qualitative and ethnographic methods. A "Modes of Hoping" (Webb, 2007)(1) framework informed our analysis. Five modes of hoping emerged from participant narratives: Realistic Hope, Wishful Hope, Utopian Hope, Technoscience Hope, and Transcendent Hope. Using this framework, hope is demonstrated as exerting a profound influence over how participants assess and report their expectations. This suggests that researchers interested in measuring expectations and understanding their role in treatment outcomes should consider hope as exercising a multi-faceted and dynamic influence on participants' reporting of expectations and their experience and evaluation of treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Resident challenges with daily life in Chinese long-term care facilities: A qualitative pilot study.

    PubMed

    Song, Yuting; Scales, Kezia; Anderson, Ruth A; Wu, Bei; Corazzini, Kirsten N

    As traditional family-based care in China declines, the demand for residential care increases. Knowledge of residents' experiences with long-term care (LTC) facilities is essential to improving quality of care. This pilot study aimed to describe residents' experiences in LTC facilities, particularly as it related to physical function. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted in two facilities with residents stratified by three functional levels (n = 5). Directed content analysis was guided by the Adaptive Leadership Framework. A two-cycle coding approach was used with a first-cycle descriptive coding and second-cycle dramaturgical coding. Interviews provided examples of challenges faced by residents in meeting their daily care needs. Five themes emerged: staff care, care from family members, physical environment, other residents in the facility, and personal strategies. Findings demonstrate the significance of organizational context for care quality and reveal foci for future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Registered nurses' thoughts on blended learning in a postgraduate course in cancer care--content analyses of web surveys and a focus group interview.

    PubMed

    Arving, Cecilia; Wadensten, Barbro; Johansson, Birgitta

    2014-06-01

    Purpose of the research was to describe registered nurses' (RNs) (n = 53) thoughts on the blended learning format in a 'specialist nursing programme in cancer care'. The study was conducted in autumn 2007 and 2008. A content analysis of answers to open-ended questions in a web-based questionnaire and a focus group interview were carried out. The analysis revealed that the RNs appreciated blended learning. The web lectures facilitated learning and gave RNs access to the education at any time. However, according to the RNs, knowledge is gained through interaction between RNs and teachers, and this aspect needed to be improved. The RNs also thought that the content of the seminars on campus should focus on evidence-based nursing knowledge and practical skills, not just taught as stable facts and procedures. The result from the present study could help to improve the design and content of advanced nursing courses using a blended learning format.

  4. A journey of restoring self-confidence: the life experiences of women recipients of augmentation mammaplasty.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wan-Ru; Chung, Ue-Lin; Chang, Sophia C N

    2007-06-01

    The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the preoperative through postoperative phase experience of women who had undergone augmentation mammaplasty. Nine women undergoing augmentation mammaplasty were selected by purposive sampling and interviewed using semi- structured, open-ended interview guidelines. Researchers used Symbolic interactionism to frame their overall perspective and analyzed data with the content analysis method. Rigors of data analysis were adopted credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability proposed by Guba and Lincoln. The main theme of living experience of women who received augmentation mammaplasty could be summarized as "a journey to restore self-confidence". The categories identified within this journey included: (1) the invisible standards of breast beauty; (2) Taking courageous action to make changes; (3) conflicts between the natural and artificial. The above findings provided initial qualitative data from Taiwanese women's perspective. By better understanding their experience, nurses can become increasingly sensitive to patients' psychosocial adjustment and provide prudential nursing care.

  5. Oncologists' strategies and barriers to effective communication about the end of life.

    PubMed

    Granek, Leeat; Krzyzanowska, Monika K; Tozer, Richard; Mazzotta, Paolo

    2013-07-01

    Communicating about the end of life with patients has been reported as one of the most difficult and stressful part of the work of oncologists. Despite this fact, oncologists receive little training in this area, and many do not communicate effectively with patients. The purpose of this analysis, part of a larger study examining oncologists' experiences of patient loss, was to explore oncologists' communication strategies and communication barriers when discussing end-of-life issues with patients. Twenty oncologists were interviewed at three hospitals about their communication strategies on end-of-life issues with patients. The data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The findings revealed the strategies to effective communication about the end of life included: being open and honest; having ongoing, early conversations; communicating about modifying treatment goals; and balancing hope and reality. Barriers to implementing these strategies fell broadly into three domains, including physician factors, patient factors, and institutional factors. Physician factors included difficulty with treatment and palliation, personal discomfort with death and dying, diffusion of responsibility among colleagues, using the "death-defying mode," lack of experience, and lack of mentorship. Patient factors included, patients and/or families being reluctant to talk about the end of life, language barriers, and younger age. Institutional factors included stigma around palliative care, lack of protocol about end-of-life issues; and lack of training for oncologists on how to talk with patients about end-of-life issues. We conclude by drawing implications from our study and suggest that further research and intervention are necessary to aid oncologists in achieving effective communication about end-of-life issues.

  6. 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.

  7. Brazilian Citizens: Expectations Regarding Dairy Cattle Welfare and Awareness of Contentious Practices

    PubMed Central

    Cardoso, Clarissa S.; von Keyserlingk, Marina A. G.; Hötzel, Maria José

    2017-01-01

    Simple Summary Animal welfare is an important issue for citizens in North America and Europe, but much less is known about how citizens from emergent countries, such as Brazil, view this topic. Our aim was to explore attitudes of urban Brazilian citizens about dairy production and, in particular, how they view four routine husbandry practices: early cow-calf separation; zero-grazing; culling of the newborn male calf; and dehorning without pain mitigation. Through in-depth interviews and a questionnaire using open-ended questions, we can conclude that animal welfare was a major issue for our participants, especially in terms of its perceived relation with milk quality. Although participants were initially unaware about any of the four management practices, they were all viewed as contentious and not supported. This study provides some insights that farmers and others working in the Brazilian dairy supply chain should take into consideration, particularly in terms of social sustainability. Abstract The primary aim of this study was to explore attitudes of urban Brazilian citizens about dairy production. A secondary aim was to determine their knowledge and attitudes about four potentially contentious routine dairy cattle management practices: early cow-calf separation; zero-grazing; culling of newborn male calves; and dehorning without pain mitigation. To address the first aim 40 participants were interviewed using open-ended semi-structured questions designed to probe their views and attitudes about dairy production in Brazil, and 300 participants answered a questionnaire that included an open-ended question about the welfare of dairy cattle. Primary concerns reported by the participants centered on milk quality, which included the rejection of any chemical additives, but also animal welfare, environmental and social issues. The interviewees rarely mentioned animal welfare directly but, when probed, expressed several concerns related to this topic. In particular, participants commented on factors that they perceived to influence milk quality, such as good animal health, feeding, clean facilities, and the need to avoid or reduce the use of drugs, hormones and pesticides, the avoidance of pain, frustration and suffering, and the ability of the animals to perform natural behaviors. To address our second aim, participants were asked questions about the four routine management practices. Although they self-reported being largely unaware of these practices, the majority of the participants rejected these practices outright. These data provide insight that animal welfare may be an important issue for members of the public. Failure to consider this information may increase the risk that certain dairy production practices may not be socially sustainable once lay citizens become aware of them. PMID:29186864

  8. Advanced penning ion source

    DOEpatents

    Schenkel, Thomas; Ji, Qing; Persaud, Arun; Sy, Amy V.

    2016-11-01

    This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for ion generation. In one aspect, an apparatus includes an anode, a first cathode, a second cathode, and a plurality of cusp magnets. The anode has a first open end and a second open end. The first cathode is associated with the first open end of the anode. The second cathode is associated with the second open end of the anode. The anode, the first cathode, and the second cathode define a chamber. The second cathode has an open region configured for the passage of ions from the chamber. Each cusp magnet of the plurality of cusp magnets is disposed along a length of the anode.

  9. Quality of life for patients with diabetes in Korea--I: the meaning of health-related quality of life.

    PubMed

    Choe, M A; Padilla, G V; Chae, Y R; Kim, S

    2001-12-01

    This study describes the impact of diabetes and the meaning of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for 22 male and female patients in Korea. Open-ended interviews yielded six HRQOL themes: health, overall well-being, harmonious relationships and family responsibilities, a rewarding life, spiritual life, and material support. The physical impact of diabetes included decreased energy, limitations, and physical suffering; while its psychological/spiritual impact extended to general stress, helplessness, fear, depression, anger, and relationship with God. Like Americans, Koreans valued health, psychological well-being and interpersonal support. In addition, the Koreans valued smooth, harmonious interpersonal relationships, overall well-being pertaining to living a comfortable and honorable life.

  10. The Impact of Integrating Community Advocacy Into Community Health Worker Roles on Health-Focused Organizations and Community Health Workers in Southern Arizona.

    PubMed

    Reinschmidt, Kerstin M; Ingram, Maia; Schachter, Kenneth; Sabo, Samantha; Verdugo, Lorena; Carvajal, Scott

    2015-01-01

    Organizational environments may encourage community health workers (CHWs) to engage community members in improving their communities. We conducted open-ended interviews and focus groups to explore how participation in the Acción intervention, which trained CHWs in community advocacy, affected organizational capacity to support their CHWs. Supervisors described improved organizational recognition and trust of CHWs. Organizational leaders reported organizational benefits and increased appreciation of CHW leadership. Both expressed increased interest in future advocacy trainings. Limiting factors included organizational mission, CHW position descriptions, and funding. Findings indicate that, with training and funding, CHW community advocacy can be integrated into organizations with congruent missions.

  11. Sustaining K-12 professional development in geology: Recurrent participation in Rockcamp

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Repine, T.E.; Hemler, D.A.; Behling, R.E.

    2004-01-01

    A reconnaissance study of the geology professional development program known as RockCamp was initiated to examine the sustained, or recurrent, participation of K-12 science teachers. Open-ended interviews, concept mapping, and creative writing assignments were used to explore the perceptions of six teachers possessing an exceptional record of participation. Efficacy, fun, right time of life, and support emerged as unanimous reasons for recurrent participation. Content, friendship, and methodology were very important. College credit was not critical. These teachers' perceptions suggest their sustained involvement in the RockCamp Program is stimulated by situated learning experiences stressing a compare, contrast, connect, and construct pedagogy within a supportive learning community.

  12. Living in the epilepsy treatment gap in rural South India: A focused ethnography of women and problems associated with stigma.

    PubMed

    von Gaudecker, Jane R; Taylor, Ann Gill; Keeling, Arlene W; Buelow, Janice M; Benjamin, Sailas

    2017-07-01

    In India, women with epilepsy face unique challenges. A focused ethnography of six women within the epilepsy treatment gap was conducted in rural South India. Women were asked to describe their day-to-day lives. Data were collected through open-ended, semistructured interview questions, participant observation, and field notes. Thematic analysis was done. The disease-related stigma contributed to the women's physical, psychological, and emotional struggles; the women and their family members made every effort to conceal the disease. Educational interventions to create awareness could help women seek effective treatments for their seizures, thereby reducing the stigma and improving the quality of their lives.

  13. Parental perceptions of neighborhood effects in Latino Comunas: the script of "the Delinquent" in understanding drug use, violence, and social disorganization.

    PubMed

    Horner, Pilar; Sanchez, Ninive; Castillo, Marcela; Delva, Jorge

    2012-06-01

    To obtain rich information about how adult Latinos living in high-poverty/high-drug use neighborhoods perceive and negotiate their environment. In 2008, 13 adult caregivers in Santiago, Chile, were interviewed with open-ended questions to ascertain beliefs about neighborhood effects and drug use. Inductive analysis was used to develop the codebook/identify trends. Residents externalized their understanding of drug use and misuse by invoking the concept of delinquent youth. A typology of their perceptions is offered. Learning more about residents' circumstances may help focus on needs-based interventions. More research with Latino neighborhoods is needed for culturally competent models of interventions.

  14. Some factors involved in alcohol consumption of first-year undergraduates.

    PubMed

    Leeman, R F; Wapner, S

    2001-01-01

    Three studies were conducted with samples of first-year undergraduates in order to assess relationships among college drinking, adjustment, recent life-changing events, interpersonal factors, self-control, and perceived risk. Significant correlations were found between alcohol use and life-change, but not between alcohol use and college adjustment. In addition, several significant findings linked alcohol use to social factors. Responses to open-ended interview questions suggest that self-control and risk may play a role in students' decisions regarding consumption, after initial experience with alcohol use. Non-social factors, namely stressful events, appear to play a role in consumption behavior; however, students more frequently report on social factors as motivating their decisions regarding alcohol intake.

  15. 17 CFR 274.11 - Form N-1, registration statement of open-end management investment companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... statement of open-end management investment companies. 274.11 Section 274.11 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (CONTINUED) FORMS PRESCRIBED UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT...(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 by open-end management investment companies that are...

  16. 40 CFR 63.1033 - Open-ended valves or lines standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Open-ended valves or lines standards... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks-Control Level 2 Standards § 63.1033 Open-ended...

  17. 40 CFR 63.1014 - Open-ended valves or lines standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Open-ended valves or lines standards... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Equipment Leaks-Control Level 1 § 63.1014 Open-ended valves or...

  18. Comparing comprehension measured by multiple-choice and open-ended questions.

    PubMed

    Ozuru, Yasuhiro; Briner, Stephen; Kurby, Christopher A; McNamara, Danielle S

    2013-09-01

    This study compared the nature of text comprehension as measured by multiple-choice format and open-ended format questions. Participants read a short text while explaining preselected sentences. After reading the text, participants answered open-ended and multiple-choice versions of the same questions based on their memory of the text content. The results indicated that performance on open-ended questions was correlated with the quality of self-explanations, but performance on multiple-choice questions was correlated with the level of prior knowledge related to the text. These results suggest that open-ended and multiple-choice format questions measure different aspects of comprehension processes. The results are discussed in terms of dual process theories of text comprehension. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  19. Unravelling the quality of HIV counselling and testing services in the private and public sectors in Zambia

    PubMed Central

    Ron Levey, Ilana; Wang, Wenjuan

    2014-01-01

    Background Despite the substantial investment for providing HIV counselling and testing (VCT) services in Zambia, there has been little effort to systematically evaluate the quality of VCT services provided by various types of health providers. This study, conducted in 2009, examines VCT in the public and private sectors including private for-profit and NGO/faith-based sectors in Copperbelt and Luapula. Methods The study used five primary data collection methods to gauge quality of VCT services: closed-ended client interviews with clients exiting VCT sites; open-ended client interviews; interviews with facility managers; review of service statistics; and an observation of the physical environment for VCT by site. Over 400 clients and 87 facility managers were interviewed from almost 90 facilities. Sites were randomly selected and results are generalizable at the provincial level. Results The study shows concerning levels of underperformance in VCT services across the sectors. It reveals serious underperformance in counselling about key risk-reduction methods. Less than one-third of clients received counselling on reducing number of sexual partners and only approximately 5% of clients received counselling about disclosing test results to partners. In terms of client profiles, the NGO sector attracts the most educated clients and less educated Zambians seek VCT services at very low rates (7%). The private for-profit performs equally or sometimes better than other sectors even though this sector is not adequately integrated into the Zambian national response to HIV. Conclusion The private for-profit sector provides VCT services on par in quality with the other sectors. Most clients did not receive counselling on partner reduction or disclosure of HIV test results to partners. In a generalized HIV epidemic where multiple concurrent sexual partners are a significant problem for transmitting the disease, risk-reduction methods and discussion should be a main focus of pre-test and post-test counselling. PMID:25012796

  20. Unravelling the quality of HIV counselling and testing services in the private and public sectors in Zambia.

    PubMed

    Ron Levey, Ilana; Wang, Wenjuan

    2014-07-01

    Despite the substantial investment for providing HIV counselling and testing (VCT) services in Zambia, there has been little effort to systematically evaluate the quality of VCT services provided by various types of health providers. This study, conducted in 2009, examines VCT in the public and private sectors including private for-profit and NGO/faith-based sectors in Copperbelt and Luapula. The study used five primary data collection methods to gauge quality of VCT services: closed-ended client interviews with clients exiting VCT sites; open-ended client interviews; interviews with facility managers; review of service statistics; and an observation of the physical environment for VCT by site. Over 400 clients and 87 facility managers were interviewed from almost 90 facilities. Sites were randomly selected and results are generalizable at the provincial level. The study shows concerning levels of underperformance in VCT services across the sectors. It reveals serious underperformance in counselling about key risk-reduction methods. Less than one-third of clients received counselling on reducing number of sexual partners and only approximately 5% of clients received counselling about disclosing test results to partners. In terms of client profiles, the NGO sector attracts the most educated clients and less educated Zambians seek VCT services at very low rates (7%). The private for-profit performs equally or sometimes better than other sectors even though this sector is not adequately integrated into the Zambian national response to HIV. The private for-profit sector provides VCT services on par in quality with the other sectors. Most clients did not receive counselling on partner reduction or disclosure of HIV test results to partners. In a generalized HIV epidemic where multiple concurrent sexual partners are a significant problem for transmitting the disease, risk-reduction methods and discussion should be a main focus of pre-test and post-test counselling. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

  1. Interviews with children about their mental health problems: The congruence and validity of information that children report.

    PubMed

    Macleod, Emily; Woolford, June; Hobbs, Linda; Gross, Julien; Hayne, Harlene; Patterson, Tess

    2017-04-01

    To obtain a child's perspective during a mental health assessment, he or she is usually interviewed. Although researchers and clinicians generally agree that it is beneficial to hear a child's account of his or her presenting issues, there is debate about whether children provide reliable or valid clinical information during these interviews. Here, we examined whether children provide clinically and diagnostically relevant information in a clinical setting. In all, 31 children aged 5-12-years undergoing mental health assessments were asked open-ended questions about their presenting problems during a semi-structured interview. We coded the information that children reported to determine whether it was clinically relevant and could be used to diagnose their problems and to formulate and plan treatment. We also coded children's information to determine whether it was congruent with the children's presenting problems and their eventual clinical diagnoses. Most of the information that children reported was clinically relevant and included information about behaviour, affect, temporal details, thoughts, people, the environment, and the child's physical experiences. The information that children reported was also clinically valid; it was congruent with the problems that were discussed (84%) and also with the eventual diagnosis that the child received after a complete assessment (74%). We conclude that children can contribute relevant, clinically useful, valid information during clinical psychological assessments.

  2. Amelogenesis Imperfecta and Early Restorative Crown Therapy: An Interview Study with Adolescents and Young Adults on Their Experiences

    PubMed Central

    Wickström, Anette; Hasselblad, Tove; Dahllöf, Göran

    2016-01-01

    Patients with Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) can present with rapid tooth loss or fractures of enamel as well as alterations in enamel thickness, color, and shape; factors that may compromise aesthetic appearance and masticatory function. The aim was to explore the experiences and perceptions of adolescents and young adults living with AI and receiving early prosthetic therapy. Seven patients with severe AI aged 16 to 23 years who underwent porcelain crown therapy participated in one-to-one individual interviews. The interviews followed a topic guide consisting of open-ended questions related to experiences of having AI. Transcripts from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis process identified three main themes: Disturbances in daily life, Managing disturbances, and Normalization of daily life. These themes explain the experiences of patients living with enamel disturbances caused by AI and receiving early crown therapy. Experiences include severe pain and sensitivity problems, feelings of embarrassment, and dealing with dental staff that lack knowledge and understanding of their condition. The patients described ways to manage their disturbances and to reduce pain when eating or drinking, and strategies for meeting other people. After definitive treatment with porcelain crown therapy, they described feeling like a normal patient. In conclusion the results showed that adolescents and young adults describe a profound effect of AI on several aspects of their daily life. PMID:27359125

  3. Accounting for the social triggers of sexual compulsivity.

    PubMed

    Parsons, Jeffrey T; Kelly, Brian C; Bimbi, David S; Muench, Frederick; Morgenstern, Jon

    2007-01-01

    To examine the social triggers of sexual compulsivity amongst a diverse sample of gay and bisexual men. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 180 gay and bisexual men in the United States who self-identified that their sex lives were spinning out of control. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to explore the range of social triggers that were driving sexual compulsions. An open-ended interview and a structured clinical interview were conducted with each participant. The interviews examined their experiences with sexual compulsivity over time and the impact of their problematic sexual behaviors on their lives. Two types of social triggers emerged from the data: event-centered triggers and contextual triggers. Event-centered triggers arise from sudden, unforeseen events. Two major event-centered triggers were identified: relationship turmoil and catastrophes. Contextual triggers, on the other hand, have a certain element of predictability, and included such things as location, people, the use of drugs, and pornography. This framework of triggers has clinical implications for the prevention and treatment of sexual compulsivity. Clinicians can utilize the framework of social triggers in the therapeutic process to provide insight into ways to effectively work through symptoms of sexual compulsivity. Awareness of the contextual aspects of sexual compulsivity may be critical to understanding the behaviors of sexually compulsive clients. Thus, therapeutic assessments should focus upon the social context in addition to the psychological components of the disorder.

  4. A Qualitative Secondary Evaluation of Statewide Follow-Up Interviews for Abnormal Newborn Screening Results for Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathy

    PubMed Central

    La Pean, Alison; Collins, Jenelle L.; Christopher, Stephanie A.; Eskra, Kerry L.; Roedl, Sara; Tluczek, Audrey; Farrell, Michael H.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this qualitative analysis was to assess parental acceptability of large-scale, telephone follow-up regarding their infants' newborn screening (NBS) results indicating carrier status for sickle cell hemoglobinopathy (SCH) and cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods Analysis of 195 interview transcripts focused on parents' responses to two open-ended questions “What was your reaction to being called by me?” and “What do you think of the state newborn screening program having follow-up people calling parents like you?” Responses were coded using conventional content analysis procedures and non-parametric tests were performed to analyze quantitative data. Results Most parents reported favorable opinions about the follow-up. Favorable opinions were associated with several emotional reactions to receiving follow-up (p<0.001), and three reasons why parents found the interview beneficial (p<0.05): it provided information, clarified NBS results, and answered questions. Seventeen parents of SCH carriers reportedly had not been told their infant's NBS results and received them for the first time during the follow-up interview. Conclusion Parents of CF and SCH carrier infants had favorable opinions and identified specific benefits to receiving follow-up contact. This analysis demonstrates an information deficit among carrier parents and illustrates the importance of NBS follow-up and need for comprehensive communication and counseling. PMID:22261754

  5. Characterizations of a quality certified athletic trainer.

    PubMed

    Raab, Scot; Wolfe, Brent D; Gould, Trenton E; Piland, Scott G

    2011-01-01

    Didactic proficiency does not ensure clinical aptitude. Quality athletic health care requires clinical knowledge and affective traits. To develop a grounded theory explaining the constructs of a quality certified athletic trainer (AT). Delphi study. Interviews in conference rooms or business offices and by telephone. Thirteen ATs (men = 8, women = 5) stratified across the largest employment settings (high school, college, clinical) in the 4 largest districts of the National Athletic Trainers? Association (2, 3, 4, 9). Open-ended interview questions were audio recorded, transcribed, and reviewed before condensing. Two member checks ensured trustworthiness. Open coding reduced text to descriptive adjectives. We grouped adjectives into 5 constructs (care, communication, commitment, integrity, knowledge) and grouped these constructs into 2 higher-order constructs (affective traits, effective traits). According to participants, ATs who demonstrate the ability to care, show commitment and integrity, value professional knowledge, and communicate effectively with others can be identified as quality ATs. These abilities facilitate the creation of positive relationships. These relationships allow the quality AT to interact with patients and other health care professionals on a knowledgeable basis that ultimately improves health care delivery. Our resulting theory supported the examination of characteristics not traditionally assessed in an athletic training education program. If researchers can show that these characteristics develop ATs into quality ATs (eg, those who work better with others, relate meaningfully with patients, and improve the standard of health care), they must be cultivated in the educational setting.

  6. Using motivational interviewing to facilitate death talk in end-of-life care: an ethical analysis.

    PubMed

    Black, Isra; Helgason, Ásgeir Rúnar

    2018-03-21

    Morbidity arising from unprepared bereavement is a problem that affects close personal relations of individuals at the end-of-life. The bereavement studies literature demonstrates that a lack of preparedness for a loved one's death is a risk factor for secondary psychological morbidity among survivors. Short awareness time of death negatively correlates to preparedness for bereavement. The absence of disclosure of end-of-life diagnosis and prognosis to close personal relations ('death talk') between patients and loved ones, or health professionals and loved ones, may contribute to short awareness time of death. To increase awareness time of death, we might attempt to increase patient first-personal disclosure of end-of-life diagnosis and prognosis to loved-ones, and/or patient consent to health professional disclosure of the same. Interventions based on motivational interviewing in end-of-life care whose aim is to facilitate death talk, either by the patient directly, or by a health professional with the patient's consent, may offer a part solution to the problem of unprepared bereavement. This paper evaluates the ethical permissibility of such interventions. We consider two ethical objections to using motivational interviewing in this way: first, that it is inappropriate for practitioners to seek disclosure as an outcome in this setting; second, that aiming at disclosure risks manipulating individuals into death talk. While it need not be impermissible to direct individuals toward disclosure of end-of-life diagnosis/prognosis, the objection from manipulation implies that it is pro tanto ethically preferable to use motivational interviewing in a non-directive mode in death talk conversations. However, insofar as non-directive motivational interviewing requires more advanced skills, and thus may be more difficult to learn and to practise, we advance that it may be ethically permissible, all things considered, to employ directional, or specific outcome-oriented, motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing interventions in end-of-life care whose aim is to facilitate death talk, either by the patient directly, or by a health professional with the patient's consent may be ethically permissible, all things considered.

  7. Constructing Understandings of End-of-Life Care in Europe: A Qualitative Study Involving Cognitive Interviewing with Implications for Cross-National Surveys

    PubMed Central

    Bechinger-English, Dorothee; Bausewein, Claudia; Simon, Steffan T.; Harding, Richard; Higginson, Irene J.; Gomes, Barbara

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background Although national findings regarding people's end-of-life care (EoLC) preferences and priorities are available within Europe, a lack of research coordination between countries has meant that cross-national understandings of EoLC remain unknown. Purpose To (1) identify English and German understandings of EoLC within the context of an EoLC survey, and (2) to synthesise these understandings to aid interpretation of results from a cross-national survey. Methods An inductive and interpretive two-phased sequential design involving (1) qualitative analysis of cognitive interview data from 15 English and 15 German respondents to develop country-related categories, and (2) qualitative synthesis to identify a conceptually coherent understanding of EoLC. Results Open and axial coding resulted in six English and six German categories. Commonalities included (a) the importance of social and relational dimensions, (b) dynamic decision making comprising uncertainty, (c) a valuing of life's quality and quantity, and (d) expectations for holistic care involving autonomy, choice, and timely information from trusted professionals. Differences involved attention to practical matters, and thoughts about prolongation of life, preferred place of death, and the role of media and context. Synthesis resulted in four concepts with underlying coherence: expectations of a high standard of EoLC involving autonomy, choice, and context; evolving decision making amid anticipated change; thoughts about living and existing; and worldviews shaping EoLC preferences in real and hypothetical scenarios. Conclusion Individual and country-related diversity must be remembered when quantifying EoLC understandings. Inductive-interpretive analysis of cognitive interview data aids interpretation of survey findings. Cross-national research coordination and qualitative synthesis assists EoLC in Europe. PMID:21306232

  8. Not Such a Happy Ending: The Ideology of the Open Ending.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Preis, Eran

    1990-01-01

    Defines and analyzes the ideological conditions which motivate a writer to conclude a screenplay with an open ending. Questions whether screenwriting instructors in the 1990s should encourage their students to write nonclassical Hollywood cinema endings. (KEH)

  9. 12 CFR 221.109 - Loan to open-end investment company.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... CARRYING MARGIN STOCK (REGULATION U) Interpretations § 221.109 Loan to open-end investment company. In... customarily purchases stocks registered on a national securities exchange, the Board stated that in view of... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Loan to open-end investment company. 221.109...

  10. 12 CFR 1026.59 - Reevaluation of rate increases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ...) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 1026.59... an annual percentage rate that applies to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured... percentage rates applicable to similar new credit card accounts under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer...

  11. 12 CFR 226.53 - Allocation of payments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... (CONTINUED) TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End... periodic payment for a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan, the... program. When a balance on a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan...

  12. 12 CFR 1026.59 - Reevaluation of rate increases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ...) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 1026.59... an annual percentage rate that applies to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured... percentage rates applicable to similar new credit card accounts under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer...

  13. 12 CFR 1026.59 - Reevaluation of rate increases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ...) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 1026.59... an annual percentage rate that applies to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured... percentage rates applicable to similar new credit card accounts under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer...

  14. 12 CFR 226.53 - Allocation of payments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit... payment for a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan, the card... program. When a balance on a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan...

  15. 12 CFR 226.53 - Allocation of payments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit... payment for a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan, the card.... When a balance on a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan is...

  16. 12 CFR 1026.52 - Limitations on fees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 1026.52 Limitations on... required to pay with respect to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit... terms or other requirements of a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer...

  17. 12 CFR 226.53 - Allocation of payments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... (CONTINUED) TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End... periodic payment for a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan, the... program. When a balance on a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan...

  18. 12 CFR 1026.52 - Limitations on fees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 1026.52 Limitations on... required to pay with respect to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit... terms or other requirements of a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer...

  19. 12 CFR 226.52 - Limitations on fees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit... charges any fees to a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan during... of a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured) consumer credit plan unless the dollar...

  20. 12 CFR 619.9230 - Open-end mortgage loan plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Open-end mortgage loan plans. 619.9230 Section 619.9230 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9230 Open-end mortgage loan plans. A mortgage loan which permits the borrower to obtain additional sums during...

  1. 12 CFR 619.9230 - Open-end mortgage loan plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Open-end mortgage loan plans. 619.9230 Section 619.9230 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9230 Open-end mortgage loan plans. A mortgage loan which permits the borrower to obtain additional sums during...

  2. 12 CFR 619.9230 - Open-end mortgage loan plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Open-end mortgage loan plans. 619.9230 Section 619.9230 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9230 Open-end mortgage loan plans. A mortgage loan which permits the borrower to obtain additional sums during...

  3. 12 CFR 619.9230 - Open-end mortgage loan plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Open-end mortgage loan plans. 619.9230 Section 619.9230 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9230 Open-end mortgage loan plans. A mortgage loan which permits the borrower to obtain additional sums during...

  4. 12 CFR 619.9230 - Open-end mortgage loan plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Open-end mortgage loan plans. 619.9230 Section 619.9230 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 619.9230 Open-end mortgage loan plans. A mortgage loan which permits the borrower to obtain additional sums during...

  5. Open-ended half-mode substrate integrated waveguide sensor with ground flange for complex permittivity measurement

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A novel open-ended half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) sensor with ground flange for measuring complex permittivity of liquids, semisolids, and granular and particulate materials is presented. The open-ended HMSIW is designed and fabricated on FR4 substrate. The ground flange was custo...

  6. Open-Ended Questions and the Process Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Wendy B.

    2013-01-01

    Open-ended questions, as discussed in this article, are questions that can be solved or explained in a variety of ways, that focus on conceptual aspects of mathematics, and that have the potential to expose students' understanding and misconceptions. When working with teachers who are using open-ended questions with their students for the…

  7. 40 CFR 60.482-6a - Standards: Open-ended valves or lines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards: Open-ended valves or lines... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for..., Reconstruction, or Modification Commenced After November 7, 2006 § 60.482-6a Standards: Open-ended valves or...

  8. Interpretive investigation of the science-related career decisions of three African-American college students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Bradford F.; Collins, Angelo

    2001-05-01

    Reports published since 1977 indicate that African Americans are underrepresented among Ph.D.-holding scientists. Although researchers have identified numerous factors that correlate with career choice, they have failed to address students' reasons for choosing or not choosing science and science-related careers. This study examines the career decisions of three African-American college students. All three students began college aspiring toward science-related careers. However, by the end of data collection only one student was working toward a science-related career. Data were collected by means of eight, open-ended, 1-hour interviews conducted over a period of 6 months. Findings indicate that students' interest in a science-related career is directly related to the degree to which they perceive that career as being supportive of deep-seated life goals; and that a deeper view of the nature of science better enables students to perceive a science-related career as supportive of life goals.

  9. Research Students and the Loughborough Institutional Repository

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pickton, Margaret; McKnight, Cliff

    2006-01-01

    This article investigates the potential role for research students in an institutional repository (IR). Face-to-face interviews with 34 research students at Loughborough University were carried out. Using a mixture of closed and open questions, the interviews explored the students' experiences and opinions of publishing, open access and the…

  10. Relatives’ level of satisfaction with advanced cancer care in Greenland – a mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    Augustussen, Mikaela; Hounsgaard, Lise; Pedersen, Michael Lynge; Sjøgren, Per; Timm, Helle

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Palliative cancer care in Greenland is provided by health professionals at local level, the national Queen Ingrid’s Hospital and at Rigshospitalet in Denmark. To improve and develop care for relatives of patients with advanced cancer, we conducted a mixed method study examining relatives’ level of satisfaction with care and treatment and their current main concerns. The aim was to investigate relatives’ level of satisfaction with advanced cancer care and bring to light their current main concerns. The FAMCARE-20 questionnaire was translated to Greenlandic and pilot tested. The questionnaire was supplemented by open-ended questions about relative’s current main concerns and analyzed with a phenomenological hermeneutical approach. Greenlandic patients with advanced cancer who were previously participating in a prospective study were asked if their closest adult relative would participate in the study. Telephone interviews were conducted and relatives responded to the questionnaire. A total of thirty-two relatives were contacted by telephone and 30 (94%) completed the FAMCARE-20 questionnaire and answered open-ended questions. The highest rate of satisfaction was with the availability of a hospital bed (66%) and relatives were the most dissatisfied with the lack of inclusion in decision making related to treatment and care (71%) and the length of time required to diagnose cancer (70%). Responses to the open-ended questions revealed that relatives faced challenges in gaining access to information from health professionals. They experienced a lack of security, worries about the future and a lack of support at home. The study showed a substantial level of dissatisfaction among relatives of patients with advanced cancer. We strongly recommend a focus on psychosocial care, more access to information and to include relatives in decision making and in the future planning of palliative care services. An assessment of relatives’ needs is essential to develop an adequate palliative care in a range of settings. PMID:28613119

  11. Comparison of closed-ended, open-ended, and perceived informed consent comprehension measures for a mock HIV prevention trial among women in Tanzania.

    PubMed

    MacQueen, Kathleen M; Chen, Mario; Ramirez, Catalina; Nnko, Soori E A; Earp, Kelly M

    2014-01-01

    Verifying participant comprehension continues to be a difficult ethical and regulatory challenge for clinical research. An increasing number of articles assessing methods to improve comprehension have been published, but they use a wide range of outcome measures including open-ended, closed-ended, and self-perceived measures of comprehension. Systematic comparisons of different measures have rarely been reported. This study evaluated the likely direction of bias observed when using open-ended, closed-ended, and perceived ease of comprehension measures among women administered a mock informed consent process in Mwanza, Tanzania. Participants were randomized to either a closed-ended or an open-ended assessment of comprehension, administered the consent process for a hypothetical HIV prevention trial in Kiswahili, and then administered a comprehension assessment, per their randomization. They were then asked how easy or hard it was to understand each of the informed consent components measured in the comprehension assessment. Women in the closed-ended arm had significantly higher overall comprehension scores than in the open-ended arm. Perceived scores were significantly higher when compared to both open-ended and close-ended scores within arms but were similar between arms. Findings highlight the importance of comprehension assessments in complex clinical trials that go beyond asking participants if they understand or have any questions. They also indicate the need for continued exploration of objective measures of comprehension in international clinical research settings, so that points in need of clarification can be efficiently and effectively identified and addressed. Such measures would reduce burdens on both staff and participants that result from well-intentioned but potentially unnecessary time spent explaining in unwarranted detail things already understood.

  12. Engagement with Young Adult Literature: Outcomes and Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ivey, Gay; Johnston, Peter H.

    2013-01-01

    This study examines students' perceptions of the outcomes and processes of engaged reading in classrooms prioritizing engagement through self-selected, self-paced reading of compelling young adult literature. The primary data were 71 end-of-year student interviews, supported by end-of-year teacher interviews, biweekly observational data,…

  13. Effect of patient-centered communication training on discussion and detection of nonadherence in glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Hahn, Steven R; Friedman, David S; Quigley, Harry A; Kotak, Sameer; Kim, Elizabeth; Onofrey, Meaghan; Eagan, Corey; Mardekian, Jack

    2010-07-01

    To assess communication about adherence and to determine the impact of communication skills training on physicians' approach to nonadherence. Sociolinguistic analysis of videotaped community ophthalmologists' encounters with patients with glaucoma before and after training. Patients in both phases and physicians in phase I knew communication was being studied but not what the focus of the study was. In phase II, physicians knew the targeted communication behaviors. Twenty-three ophthalmologists and 100 regularly scheduled patients with glaucoma (50 per phase). An educational program with videotaped vignettes of simulated patient encounters using audience response and role play to teach patient-centered communication skills, including a 4-step adherence assessment and the use of open-ended questions in ask-tell-ask sequences. Physician eliciting an acknowledgment of nonadherence during a clinical encounter compared with acknowledgment of nonadherence during a postvisit research interview (primary outcome), and performance of targeted communication and substantive discussion of adherence. After intervention, physicians increased the proportion of open-ended questions (15% vs 6%; P = 0.001) and specifically about medication taking (82% compared with 18% of encounters; P<0.001). Compared with the absence of ask-tell-ask communication, 32% of phase II encounters included a complete ask-tell-ask sequence, 78% included an ask-tell sequence, and 32% a tell-ask sequence (P<0.001). Three of 4 steps for assessment of adherence were more common in phase II, and substantial discussions of adherence occurred in 86% versus 30% of encounters (P<0.001). In phase II, physicians elicited acknowledgment of nonadherence in 78% (7/9) of those who acknowledged nonadherence in the postvisit interview compared with 25% in phase I (3/12; P = 0.03). This study demonstrates that experienced community physicians significantly improved their communication strategies and ability to detect and address nonadherence after a 3-hour educational program. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references. Copyright 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Information literacy during entry to practice: information-seeking behaviors in student nurses and recent nurse graduates.

    PubMed

    Wahoush, Olive; Banfield, Laura

    2014-02-01

    The ability to locate information pertinent to guide clinical practice is important for quality nursing care and patient safety. To date, little is known about the transfer of information literacy skills as student nurses transition to clinical practice as new graduates. This study begins to address this gap from the perspective of student nurses, recent nurse graduates (RNs), nurse leaders and library staff. To describe the information-seeking behaviors of student nurses and RNs within their clinical settings. This is a descriptive study that included both cross-sectional surveys and key informant interviews. Participants were senior-level undergraduate students and recently graduated RNs (graduated since 2008), and nurse leaders and library staff employed in one of the clinical sites accepting undergraduate students from the McMaster Mohawk and Conestoga BScN program. The study was completed in two large hospital corporations in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Student nurses and RNs were invited to complete online surveys to assess their access to and use of information sources and resources within clinical practice. Students completed a survey comprised of five open-ended questions, while RNs completed a survey comprised of 13 fixed choice and open-ended questions. Nurse leaders and library staff participated in qualitative interviews to verify the extent and availability of information resources. Eighteen RNs and 62 students completed their respective surveys. Three categories of information sources and resources were identified: electronic, print and interpersonal. Electronic sources of information were the most used resource by both students and RNs. More RNs reported using interpersonal sources, while students reported using more print sources of information. Recent RN graduates meet the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing performance indicators related to information access for the entry to practice Nursing Informatics competencies. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of scanning and eliminating paper-based medical records on hospital physicians' clinical work practice.

    PubMed

    Laerum, Hallvard; Karlsen, Tom H; Faxvaag, Arild

    2003-01-01

    It is not automatically given that the paper-based medical record can be eliminated after the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) in a hospital. Many keep and update the paper-based counterpart, and this limits the use of the EMR system. The authors have evaluated the physicians' clinical work practices and attitudes toward a system in a hospital that has eliminated the paper-based counterpart using scanning technology. Combined open-ended interviews (8 physicians) and cross-sectional survey (70 physicians) were conducted and compared with reference data from a previous national survey (69 physicians from six hospitals). The hospitals in the reference group were using the same EMR system without the scanning module. The questionnaire (English translation available as an online data supplement at ) covered frequency of use of the EMR system for 19 defined tasks, ease of performing them, and user satisfaction. The interviews were open-ended. The physicians routinely used the system for nine of 11 tasks regarding retrieval of patient data, which the majority of the physicians found more easily performed than before. However, 22% to 25% of the physicians found retrieval of patient data more difficult, particularly among internists (33%). Overall, the physicians were equally satisfied with the part of the system handling the regular electronic data as that of the physicians in the reference group. They were, however, much less satisfied with the use of scanned document images than that of regular electronic data, using the former less frequently than the latter. Scanning and elimination of the paper-based medical record is feasible, but the scanned document images should be considered an intermediate stage toward fully electronic medical records. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment from a hospital in the process of completing such a scanning project.

  16. Development of an Index of Engagement in HIV Care: An Adapted Internet-Based Delphi Process

    PubMed Central

    Koester, Kimberly A; Wood, Troy; Neilands, Torsten B; Pomeranz, Jamie L; Christopoulos, Katerina A

    2017-01-01

    Background Improving engagement in medical care among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is critical to optimizing clinical outcomes and reducing onward transmission of HIV. However, a clear conceptualization of what it means to be engaged in HIV care is lacking, and thus efforts to measure and enhance engagement in care are limited. Objective This paper describes the use of a modified online Delphi process of consensus building to solicit input from a range of HIV and non-HIV researchers and providers, and to integrate that input with focus group data conducted with HIV-infected patients. The overarching goal was to generate items for a patient-centered measure of engagement in HIV care for use in future research and clinical practice. Methods We recruited 66 expert panelists from around the United States. Starting with six open-ended questions, we used four rounds of online Delphi data collection in tandem with 12 in-person focus groups with patients and cognitive interviews with 25 patients. Results We recruited 66 expert panelists from around the United States and 64 (97%) were retained for four rounds of data collection. Starting with six open-ended questions, we used four rounds of online Delphi data collection in tandem with 12 in-person focus groups with patients and cognitive interviews with 25 patients. The process resulted in an expansion to 120 topics that were subsequently reduced to 13 candidate items for the planned assessment measure. Conclusions The process was an efficient method of soliciting input from geographically separated and busy experts across a range of disciplines and professional roles with the aim of arriving at a coherent definition of engagement in HIV care and a manageable set of survey items to assess it. Next steps are to validate the utility of the new measure in predicting retention in care, adherence to treatment, and clinical outcomes among patients living with HIV. PMID:29208589

  17. Exploring culture, language and the perception of the nature of science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutherland, Dawn

    2002-01-01

    One dimension of early Canadian education is the attempt of the government to use the education system as an assimilative tool to integrate the First Nations and Me´tis people into Euro-Canadian society. Despite these attempts, many First Nations and Me´tis people retained their culture and their indigenous language. Few science educators have examined First Nations and Western scientific worldviews and the impact they may have on science learning. This study explored the views some First Nations (Cree) and Euro-Canadian Grade-7-level students in Manitoba had about the nature of science. Both qualitative (open-ended questions and interviews) and quantitative (a Likert-scale questionnaire) instruments were used to explore student views. A central hypothesis to this research programme is the possibility that the different world-views of two student populations, Cree and Euro-Canadian, are likely to influence their perceptions of science. This preliminary study explored a range of methodologies to probe the perceptions of the nature of science in these two student populations. It was found that the two cultural groups differed significantly between some of the tenets in a Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS). Cree students significantly differed from Euro-Canadian students on the developmental, testable and unified tenets of the nature of scientific knowledge scale. No significant differences were found in NSKS scores between language groups (Cree students who speak English in the home and those who speak English and Cree or Cree only). The differences found between language groups were primarily in the open-ended questions where preformulated responses were absent. Interviews about critical incidents provided more detailed accounts of the Cree students' perception of the nature of science. The implications of the findings of this study are discussed in relation to the challenges related to research methodology, further areas for investigation, science teaching in First Nations communities and science curriculum development.

  18. Middle school students' earthquake content and preparedness knowledge - A mixed method study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henson, Harvey, Jr.

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of earthquake instruction on students' earthquake content and preparedness for earthquakes. This study used an innovative direct instruction on earthquake science content and concepts with an inquiry-based group activity on earthquake safety followed by an earthquake simulation and preparedness video to help middle school students understand and prepare for the regional seismic threat. A convenience sample of 384 sixth and seventh grade students at two small middle schools in southern Illinois was used in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using open-ended survey questions, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected using a 21 item content questionnaire administered to test students' General Earthquake Knowledge, Local Earthquake Knowledge, and Earthquake Preparedness Knowledge before and after instruction. A pre-test and post-test survey Likert scale with 21 items was used to collect students' perceptions and attitudes. Qualitative data analysis included quantification of student responses to the open-ended questions and thematic analysis of observation notes and interview transcripts. Quantitative datasets were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including t tests to evaluate the differences in means scores between paired groups before and after interventions and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test for differences between mean scores of the comparison groups. Significant mean differences between groups were further examined using a Dunnett's C post hoc statistical analysis. Integration and interpretation of the qualitative and quantitative results of the study revealed a significant increase in general, local and preparedness earthquake knowledge among middle school students after the interventions. The findings specifically indicated that these students felt most aware and prepared for an earthquake after an intervention that consisted of an inquiry-based group discussion on safety, earthquake content presentation and earthquake simulation video presentation on preparedness. Variations of the intervention, including no intervention, were not as effective in significantly increasing students' conceptual learning of earthquake knowledge.

  19. Method and apparatus for igniting an in situ oil shale retort

    DOEpatents

    Burton, Robert S.; Rundberg, Sten I.; Vaughn, James V.; Williams, Thomas P.; Benson, Gregory C.

    1981-01-01

    A technique is provided for igniting an in situ oil shale retort having an open void space over the top of a fragmented mass of particles in the retort. A conduit is extended into the void space through a hole in overlying unfragmented formation and has an open end above the top surface of the fragmented mass. A primary air pipe having an open end above the open end of the conduit and a liquid atomizing fuel nozzle in the primary air pipe above the open end of the primary air pipe are centered in the conduit. Fuel is introduced through the nozzle, primary air through the pipe, and secondary air is introduced through the conduit for vortical flow past the open end of the primary air pipe. The resultant fuel and air mixture is ignited for combustion within the conduit and the resultant heated ignition gas impinges on the fragmented mass for heating oil shale to an ignition temperature.

  20. Investigating Students' Success in Solving and Attitudes towards Context-Rich Open-Ended Problems in Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Overton, Tina L.; Potter, Nicholas M.

    2011-01-01

    Much research has been carried out on how students solve algorithmic and structured problems in chemistry. This study is concerned with how students solve open-ended, ill-defined problems in chemistry. Over 200 undergraduate chemistry students solved a number of open-ended problem in groups and individually. The three cognitive variables of…

  1. Open-Ended (Extended/Constructed) Response Questions as Predictors of Success on Subsequent State Mathematics Examination: The Influence of Mathematical Awareness and Conceptual Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gullie, Kathy A.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the predictive ability of students' responses to open-ended, constructed/extended questions in third and fourth grade mathematics content subcategories on subsequent fifth grade mathematics achievement proficiency levels. Open-ended, extended/constructed response questions reflected content as outlined by the National…

  2. 17 CFR 239.15A - Form N-1A, registration statement of open-end management investment companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... statement of open-end management investment companies. 239.15A Section 239.15A Commodity and Securities... Registration Statements § 239.15A Form N-1A, registration statement of open-end management investment companies... management investment companies other than separate accounts of insurance companies registered under the...

  3. 49 CFR 231.13 - Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. 231... Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Each passenger-train car shall be...) Location. Each hand brake shall be so located that it can be safely operated while car is in motion. (b...

  4. 49 CFR 231.13 - Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. 231... Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Each passenger-train car shall be...) Location. Each hand brake shall be so located that it can be safely operated while car is in motion. (b...

  5. 49 CFR 231.13 - Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. 231... Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Each passenger-train car shall be...) Location. Each hand brake shall be so located that it can be safely operated while car is in motion. (b...

  6. 49 CFR 231.13 - Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. 231... Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Each passenger-train car shall be...) Location. Each hand brake shall be so located that it can be safely operated while car is in motion. (b...

  7. 49 CFR 231.13 - Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. 231... Passenger-train cars with open-end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Each passenger-train car shall be...) Location. Each hand brake shall be so located that it can be safely operated while car is in motion. (b...

  8. 12 CFR 1026.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit.... (a) Definitions—(1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured...

  9. 12 CFR 226.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 226.57 Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit. (a) Definitions: (1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit...

  10. 12 CFR 1026.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit.... (a) Definitions—(1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured...

  11. 12 CFR 1026.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit.... (a) Definitions. (1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit card account under an open-end (not home-secured...

  12. 12 CFR 226.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 226.57 Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit. (a) Definitions: (1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit...

  13. 12 CFR 226.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 226.57 Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit. (a) Definitions: (1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit...

  14. 12 CFR 226.57 - Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College Students § 226.57 Reporting and marketing rules for college student open-end credit. (a) Definitions: (1) College student credit card. The term “college student credit card” as used in this section means a credit card issued under a credit...

  15. 12 CFR Optional Annual Percentage... - End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ....5b Annual Optional Annual Percentage Rate Computations for Creditors Offering Open Banks and Banking... (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College... Creditors Offering Open-End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b In determining the denominator of...

  16. 12 CFR Optional Annual Percentage... - End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ....5b Annual Optional Annual Percentage Rate Computations for Creditors Offering Open Banks and Banking... (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to College... Creditors Offering Open-End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b In determining the denominator of...

  17. 12 CFR Optional Annual Percentage... - End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ....5b Annual Optional Annual Percentage Rate Computations for Creditors Offering Open Banks and Banking... LENDING (REGULATION Z) Special Rules Applicable to Credit Card Accounts and Open-End Credit Offered to... Computations for Creditors Offering Open-End Plans Subject to the Requirements of § 226.5b In determining the...

  18. Current debates on end-of-life sedation: an international expert elicitation study.

    PubMed

    Papavasiliou, Evangelia Evie; Payne, Sheila; Brearley, Sarah

    2014-08-01

    End-of-life sedation, though increasingly prevalent and widespread internationally, remains one of the most highly debated medical practices in the context of palliative medicine. This qualitative study aims to elicit and record the perspectives of leading international palliative care experts on current debates. Twenty-one professionals from diverse backgrounds, sharing field-specific knowledge/expertise defined by significant scholarly contribution on end-of-life sedation, were recruited. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews, following a topic-oriented structure reflecting on current debates, were conducted. Results were analysed using thematic content analysis. Three main aspects of sedation were identified and discussed as potentially problematic: (a) continuous deep sedation as an extreme facet of end-of-life sedation, (b) psycho-existential suffering as an ambivalent indication for sedation and (c) withdrawal or withholding of artificial nutrition and hydration as potentially life-shortening. On these grounds, concerns were reported over end-of-life sedation being morally equivalent to euthanasia. Considerable emphasis was placed on intentions as the distinguishing factor between end-of-life acts, and protective safeguards were introduced to distance sedation from euthanasia. This study shows that, despite the safeguards introduced, certain aspects of sedation, including the intentions associated with the practice, are still under question, parallels being drawn between end-of-life sedation and euthanasia. This reaffirms the existence of a grey area surrounding the two practices, already evidenced in countries where euthanasia is legalized. More clarity over the issues that generate this grey area, with their causes being uncovered and eliminated, is imperative to resolve current debates and effectively inform research, policy and practice of end-of-life sedation.

  19. The Rest of the Story: A Qualitative Study of Complementing Standardized Assessment Data with Informal Interviews with Older Patients and Families.

    PubMed

    Lafortune, Claire; Elliott, Jacobi; Egan, Mary Y; Stolee, Paul

    2017-04-01

    While standardized health assessments capture valuable information on patients' demographic and diagnostic characteristics, health conditions, and physical and mental functioning, they may not capture information of most relevance to individual patients and their families. Given that patients and their informal caregivers are the experts on that patient's unique context, it is important to ensure they are able to convey all relevant personal information to formal healthcare providers so that high-quality, patient-centered care may be delivered. This study aims to identify information that older patients and families consider important but that might not be included in standardized assessments. Transcripts were analyzed from 29 interviews relating to eight patients with hip fractures from three sites (large urban, smaller urban, rural) in two provinces in Canada. These interviews were conducted as part of a larger ethnographic study. Each transcript was analyzed by two researchers using content analysis. Results were reviewed in two focus group interviews with older adults and family caregivers. Identified themes were compared with items from two standardized assessments used in healthcare settings. Three broad themes emerged from the qualitative analysis that were not covered in the standardized assessments: informal caregiver and family considerations, insider healthcare knowledge, and patients' healthcare attitudes and experiences. The importance of these themes was confirmed through focus group interviews. Focus group participants also emphasized the importance of conducting assessments in a patient-centered way and the importance of open-ended questions. A less structured interview approach may yield information that would otherwise be missed in standardized assessments. Combining both sources could yield better-informed healthcare planning and quality-improvement efforts.

  20. Self-care management of Thai Buddhists and Muslims with type 2 diabetes after an empowerment education program.

    PubMed

    Lundberg, Pranee C; Thrakul, Supunnee

    2018-04-23

    The aim of the present study was to explore self-care management of Thai Buddhists and Muslims with type 2 diabetes and inadequate blood glucose levels, after they had been subjected to a 6-month diabetes empowerment education program. Twenty-seven participants (male and female) were selected through purposive convenience sampling for an explorative qualitative study. Semistructured focus group interviews with four open-ended questions were used to study the participants' self-care behavior at the beginning and the end of the program, and the data obtained were subjected to content analysis. At the end, one third of the participants had been able to reduce their blood glucose to acceptable levels. Most of the others had achieved reduced but irregular blood glucose levels; however, some did not achieve any reduction. Diet was the most difficult problem, and economic difficulties, incorrect knowledge, and misleading beliefs were barriers. In conclusion, an empowerment education program can substantially improve the outcome of self-care management for many people with type 2 diabetes. In the planning of such programs, barriers should be taken into account. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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