An assessment of the demographic and clinical correlates of the dimensions of alcohol use behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Gillian W; Shevlin, Mark; Murphy, Jamie; Houston, James E

2010-01-01

To identify population-based clinical and demographic correlates of alcohol use dimensions. Using data from a population-based sample of Great Britain (n = 7849), structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to identify associations between demographic and clinical variables and two competing dimensional models of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A two-factor SEM fit best. In this model, Factor 1, alcohol consumption, was associated with male sex, younger age, lower educational attainment, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and suicide attempts. Factor 2, alcohol-related problems, was associated with the demographic variables (to a lesser extent) and to a wider range of clinical variables, including depressive episode, GAD, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobia, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The one-factor SEM was associated with demographic and all assessed clinical correlates; however, this model did not fit the data well. Two main conclusions justify the two-factor approach to alcohol use classification. First, the model fit was considerably superior and, second, the dimensions of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems vary considerably in their associations with measures of demographic and clinical risk. A one-factor representation of alcohol use, for instance, would fail to recognize that measures of affective/anxiety disorders are more consistently related to alcohol-related problems than to alcohol consumption. It is suggested therefore that to fully understand the complexity of alcohol use behaviour and its associated risk, future research should acknowledge the basic underlying dimensional structure of the construct.

Socio-demographic, Clinical and Laboratory Features of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Children Treated in Pediatric Clinic

OpenAIRE

Azemi, Mehmedali; Berisha, Majlinda; Ismaili-Jaha, Vlora; Kolgeci, Selim; Avdiu, Muharrem; Jakupi, Xhevat; Hoxha, Rina; Hoxha-Kamberi, Teuta

2013-01-01

Aim: The aim of work was presentation of several socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus. The examinees and methods: The examinees were children under the age of five years treated at the Pediatric Clinic due to acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus. Rotavirus is isolated by method chromatographic immunoassay by Cer Test Biotec. Results: From the total number of patients (850) suffering from acute gastroenteritis, feces test on bac...

Clinical, psychological and demographic parameters of body pain in multiple sclerosis

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Ghasem Salehpoor

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Body pain in multiple sclerosis (MS is a common phenomenon that can create or exacerbate by different parameters of clinical, psychological and demographic. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parameters of clinical (fatigue, clinical course, body mass index and duration, psychological (depression, anxiety and stress and demographic (age, gender, marital status and education characters with multiple sclerosis patient’s body pain. Methods: This cross-sectional study has been performed in the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Guilan Province and Imam Reza Specialized and Sub-specialized Clinic, Rasht City, Iran during June to February 2010. In this study 162 patients with MS were selected by consecutive sampling. We used the clinical and demographic variables inventory, body pain subscale of the health survey questionnaire, depression, anxiety and stress scale and fatigue severity scale along with identical analog-spring balance. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and point bi-serial, one-way analysis of variance, Gabriel test and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The findings showed that patients who scored 3 or higher in relapses experienced significantly more body pain than patients who scored 1-2 times of relapses (P= 0.031. In the meantime, significant differences were not found between the two groups of patients with a score of 3 or higher in relapses and non-relapse and between non-relapse patients and with a score 1-2 times of relapses in terms of body pain. Also, significant differences were not found in different groups of hospitalization in terms of body pain. However, anxiety and fatigue together could explain significantly 25% of the shared variance of body pain (F= 26.29, P≤ 0.0009. Conclusion: This study showed the effect of psychological and clinical factors on body pain exacerbation in MS patients. Therefore, it is necessary for clinicians to consider

Clinical and demographic trends in a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Mumbai (1994-2006): an epidemiologic analysis.

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Setia, Maninder S; Jerajani, Hemangi R; Brassard, Paul; Boivin, Jean-Francois

2010-01-01

People presenting to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) clinics represent an important risk group for HIV infection; prevention strategies will depend on the clinical attendance. The demographic and clinical changes in clinic attendees in Mumbai, as well as the factors associated with HIV infection in this clinic over a 13-year period, were assessed. STI clinic data in 3417 individuals (1994 to 2006) were analyzed: clinical presentation, types of STIs, and serology over the 13-year period. We used a logistic regression model to assess socio-demographic and clinical associations with HIV infection. The clinic evaluated 689 patients in 1994 and the number had dropped to 97 in 2006. In 1994, the majority of STIs seen in the clinic were bacterial (53%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 50% to 57%); however, this proportion had dropped in 2006 (28%, 95% CI: 19% to 38%). There was a proportional increase in viral STIs during the same time period. Although women attending the clinic were younger than men, they were more likely to be married. The overall seropositivity for HIV was 28%. Viral STIs were more likely to be associated with HIV than bacterial infections (odds ratio: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.9). Viral infections were the most common STIs in recent years in a tertiary care center in Mumbai. HIV prevalence was high in this population. Thus, these clinical data suggest that STI patients were and continue to be an important group for HIV prevention in the country.

Demographic and clinical factors related to ostomy complications and quality of life in veterans with an ostomy.

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Pittman, Joyce; Rawl, Susan M; Schmidt, C Max; Grant, Marcia; Ko, Clifford Y; Wendel, Christopher; Krouse, Robert S

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life variables related to ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting to an ostomy) in a veteran population in the United States. The original study employed a descriptive crosssectional study using a mixed method design. This secondary analysis used the quantitative data collected. Two hundred thirty-nine veterans with intestinal ostomies from 3 Veteran's Administration hospitals participated in the study. Instruments used for this investigation included the City of Hope Quality of Life: Ostomy Instrument. Demographic and medical history data were collected from the survey, the Veteran's Administration health information system, and the Tumor Registry database. A self-administered survey questionnaire (mCOH-QOL-Ostomy) was mailed to each participant. The severity of skin irritation, problems with leakage, and difficulty adjusting were significantly related to demographic, clinical, and quality-of-life domains. Univariate analyses showed that age, income, employment, preoperative care (stoma site marking and education), having a partner, ostomy type, reason for ostomy, time since surgery, total quality-of-life scores and scores on all 4 domains of quality of life were related to the severity of these ostomy complications. Age was inversely related to severity of all 3 ostomy complications (skin irritation, leakage, and difficulty adjusting). Having an ileostomy, rather than a colostomy, was associated with higher severity of skin irritation. Having had the stoma site marked preoperatively was associated with less difficulty adjusting to an ostomy, and having had preoperative ostomy education was associated with less severe problems with skin irritation and leakage. Severity of each ostomy complication predicted total quality-of-life scores. Difficulty adjusting to the ostomy was related to all 4 quality-of-life domains (physical, psychological, social, and

Oromandibular Dystonia: Demographics and Clinical Data from 240 Patients

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Linda Slaim

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Objective To report demographic data from a large cohort of patients with oromandibular dystonia (OMD. Methods This is a retrospective review of patients with OMD referred to our institution between 1989 and 2015. Demographic (age of onset, gender, and familial history of dystonia and clinical (type of OMD, associated dystonia, and etiology of dystonia data were collected from a cohort of 240 individuals. Results The mean age of onset of OMD was 51.6 years old, with a female predominance (2:1. A family history of dystonia was found in 6 patients (2.5%. One hundred and forty-nine patients (62.1% had the jaw-opening type of OMD, 48 patients (20.0% had the jaw-closing type, and 43 patients (17.9% had a mixed form of OMD. Lingual dystonia was also present in 64 (26.7% of these patients. Eighty-two patients (34.2% had a focal dystonia, 131 patients (54.6% had a segmental dystonia, and 27 patients (11.3% had a generalized dystonia. One hundred and seventy-one patients (71.3% had idiopathic OMD. Conclusion OMD is a chronic and disabling focal dystonia. Our study found a prevalence of female patients, an onset in middle age and a predominantly idiopathic etiology. Unlike other studies, jaw-opening was found to be the most frequent clinical type of OMD.

Trauma-associated tinnitus: audiological, demographic and clinical characteristics.

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Peter M Kreuzer

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes. OBJECTIVE: By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma. MATERIALS: A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL. RESULTS: Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and - at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and

Trauma-associated tinnitus: audiological, demographic and clinical characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreuzer, Peter M; Landgrebe, Michael; Schecklmann, Martin; Staudinger, Susanne; Langguth, Berthold

2012-01-01

Tinnitus can result from different etiologies. Frequently, patients report the development of tinnitus after traumatic injuries. However, to which extent this specific etiologic factor plays a role for the phenomenology of tinnitus is still incompletely understood. Additionally, it remains a matter of debate whether the etiology of tinnitus constitutes a relevant criterion for defining tinnitus subtypes. By investigating a worldwide sample of tinnitus patients derived from the Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) Database, we aimed to identify differences in demographic, clinical and audiological characteristics between tinnitus patients with and without preceding trauma. A total of 1,604 patients were investigated. Assessment included demographic data, tinnitus related clinical data, audiological data, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Tinnitus Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, various numeric tinnitus rating scales, and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL). Our data clearly indicate differences between tinnitus patients with and without trauma at tinnitus onset. Patients suffering from trauma-associated tinnitus suffer from a higher mental burden than tinnitus patients presenting with phantom perceptions based on other or unknown etiologic factors. This is especially the case for patients with whiplash and head trauma. Patients with posttraumatic noise-related tinnitus experience more frequently hyperacousis, were younger, had longer tinnitus duration, and were more frequently of male gender. Trauma before tinnitus onset seems to represent a relevant criterion for subtypization of tinnitus. Patients with posttraumatic tinnitus may require specific diagnostic and therapeutic management. A more systematic and - at best - standardized assessment for hearing related sequelae of trauma is needed for a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and for developing more tailored treatment approaches as well.

Characterization of salt consumption among hypertensives according to socio-demographic and clinical factors

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Milena Sia Perin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the relationship between the behaviors of salt consumption and socio-demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: sodium consumption was evaluated using the methods: self-reporting (considering 3 different behaviors related to salt consumption, 24- hr dietary recall, discretionary salt, food frequency questionnaire, estimation of total sodium intake and 24-hr urinary excretion of sodium (n=108. RESULTS: elevated salt intake according to the different measurements of consumption of the nutrient was associated with the variables: male sex, low level of schooling and monthly income, being Caucasian, and being professionally inactive; and with the clinical variables: elevated Body Mass Index, tensional levels, ventricular hypertrophy and the number of medications used. CONCLUSION: the data obtained shows a heterogenous association between the different behaviors related to salt consumption and the socio-demographic and clinical variables. This data can be used to optimize the directing of educational activities with a view to reducing salt consumption among hypertensives.

Demographic and Clinical Correlates of Autism Symptom Domains and Autism Spectrum Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Frazier, Thomas W.; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Embacher, Rebecca; Hardan, Antonio Y.; Constantino, John N.; Law, Paul; Findling, Robert L.; Eng, Charis

2014-01-01

Demographic and clinical factors may influence assessment of autism symptoms. This study evaluated these correlates and also examined whether social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior provided unique prediction of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. We analyzed data from 7352 siblings included in the Interactive…

Socio-demographic and clinical profiles of paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenia: a prospective, multicenter study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yu-Tao; Wang, Chuan-Yue; Chiu, Helen F K; Weng, Yong-Zhen; Bo, Qi-Jing; Chan, Sandra S M; Lee, Edwin H M; Ungvari, Gabor S

2011-07-01

This study aimed to explore the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of paranoid and nonparanoid subtypes of schizophrenia. In a multicenter, randomized, controlled, longitudinal study, 374 clinically stable schizophrenia patients were interviewed at entry with standardized assessment instruments and followed for 12-26 months. In the multivariate analysis, male sex, married marital status, urban abode, and more frequent relapse over the study period were independently associated with paranoid schizophrenia. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with the paranoid subtype of schizophrenia are different from those of their Caucasian counterparts who are more likely to be women and have a better outcome. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: demographic, clinical, endoscopic and histological panorama

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, A.; Bhutto, K. A.R.; Baloch, A.

2015-01-01

To assess the demographic, clinical, endoscopic and histological spectrum of Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome (SRUS). Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Medical Unit-III, Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) and Ward 7, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, from January 2009 to June 2012. Methodology: Patients with SRUS, based on characteristic endoscopic and histological findings, were enrolled. Patients were excluded if they had other causes of the rectal lesions (neoplasm, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and trauma). Endoscopically, lesions were divided on the basis of number (solitary or multiple) and appearance (ulcerative, polypoidal/nodular or erythematous mucosa). Demographic, clinical and endoscopic characteristics of subjects were evaluated. Results: Forty-four patients met the inclusion criteria; 21 (47.7%) were females and 23 (52.3%) were males with overall mean age of 33.73 ±13.28 years. Symptom-wise 41 (93.2%) had bleeding per rectum, 39 (88.6%) had mucous discharge, 34 (77.3%) had straining, 34 (77.3%) had constipation, 32 (72.7%) had tenesmus, 5 (11.4%) had rectal prolapse and 2 (4.5%) had fecal incontinence. Twelve (27.27%) patients presented with hemoglobin less 10 gm/dl, 27 (61.36%) with 10 - 12 gm/dl and 05 (11.36%) subjects had hemoglobin more than 12 gm/dl. Endoscopically, 26 (59.1%) patients had mucosal ulceration, 11 (25.0%) had mucosal ulceration with polypoid characteristics; while only polypoid features were found in 7 (15.9%) subjects. Conclusion: Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome affects adults of both genders with diverse clinical presentation and nonspecific endoscopic features. (author)

Socio-demographic and Clinical Features of Young Adult Males Using Synthetic Cannabinoid (English

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Taner Oznur

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Object: Synthetic Cannabinoid (SC use is becoming more widespread throughout the world. Studies that revealed user profiles indicate that the drug is especially popular among young men. Knowledge on sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and motivation for SC users in our country is limited. On the other hand, in spite of the increase of information known about symptoms of acute intoxication of SC use, physical and psychiatric consequences and loss of function due to longterm use of SC is limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with SC use and the negative consequences caused by the use of SC. Methods: 166 male patients who admitted to the psychiatric outpatient clinic due to SC use disorder between November 2014 to April 2015 were enrolled in the study. Demographic data of patients, substance use characteristics, familial substance use, reasons for substance use, medical history, the problems related to drug use was questioned. Results: The age of onset for SC use was found to be 17.25 ± 2.30. SC using duration was 3.79 ± 2.15 years. The most common agents accompanying SC use were smoking (95.8% and cannabis (88.6%. It was determined that 62.7% developed suicidal ideas due to SC use. Among psychiatric side effects, most common were euphoria, hallucinations, skepticism and suicidal ideation. About 1/3 of cases were found to live loss of business and legal issues depending on long-term SC use. 76.5% of the patients' consumed SC through inhalation and 22.9 % orally. It was determined that oral users began SC use at an earlier age than users via inhalation. Discussion: Despite the physical, mental, occupational, social and legal problems caused by the use of SC, it has become an important public health problem, especially among young men. Effective intervention programs for the use of outbreaking SCs need to be developed.

Using a generalised identity reference model with archetypes to support interoperability of demographics information in electronic health record systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu Chen; Berry, Damon; Stephens, Gaye

2015-01-01

Computerised identity management is in general encountered as a low-level mechanism that enables users in a particular system or region to securely access resources. In the Electronic Health Record (EHR), the identifying information of both the healthcare professionals who access the EHR and the patients whose EHR is accessed, are subject to change. Demographics services have been developed to manage federated patient and healthcare professional identities and to support challenging healthcare-specific use cases in the presence of diverse and sometimes conflicting demographic identities. Demographics services are not the only use for identities in healthcare. Nevertheless, contemporary EHR specifications limit the types of entities that can be the actor or subject of a record to health professionals and patients, thus limiting the use of two level models in other healthcare information systems. Demographics are ubiquitous in healthcare, so for a general identity model to be usable, it should be capable of managing demographic information. In this paper, we introduce a generalised identity reference model (GIRM) based on key characteristics of five surveyed demographic models. We evaluate the GIRM by using it to express the EN13606 demographics model in an extensible way at the metadata level and show how two-level modelling can support the exchange of instances of demographic identities. This use of the GIRM to express demographics information shows its application for standards-compliant two-level modelling alongside heterogeneous demographics models. We advocate this approach to facilitate the interoperability of identities between two-level model-based EHR systems and show the validity and the extensibility of using GIRM for the expression of other health-related identities.

Prevalence, demographics and clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis in Qatar.

Science.gov (United States)

Deleu, Dirk; Mir, Danial; Al Tabouki, Ahmed; Mesraoua, Rim; Mesraoua, Boulenouar; Akhtar, Naveed; Al Hail, Hassan; D'souza, Atlantic; Melikyan, Gayane; Imam, Yahia Z B; Osman, Yasir; Elalamy, Osama; Sokrab, Tageldin; Kamran, Sadaat; Ruiz Miyares, Francisco; Ibrahim, Faiza

2013-05-01

No published epidemiologic data on multiple sclerosis (MS) in Qatar exist. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence, demographics and clinical characteristics of MS in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar. We analyzed data for Qatari MS patients fulfilling the McDonald diagnostic criteria. A total of 154 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. On 31 April 2010, the crude prevalence of MS in Qatar was 64.57 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI: 58.31-70.37). The female-to-male ratio was 1.33:1. A positive family history was found in 10.4% of included MS patients. We conclude that Qatar is now a medium-to-high risk area for MS, with some important differences in clinical characteristics as compared to other countries in the region.

Socio demographic and clinical predictors of absenteeism A cross sectional study of urban industrial employees

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Suhash Chakraborty

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Public sector undertakings are facing a threat of privatization due to unsatisfactory performance putting pressure on management and in turn to employees. There is an increasing trend of absenteeism observed amongst employees citing job stress. Aim: To find an association between job stress and absenteeism in relation to socio-demographic and clinical profile. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in an urban aeronautical industry with 68 employees who mentioned stress at workplace during evaluation. Job stress was assessed using Professional Life Stress Scale (David Fontana. Those who scored more than 30 (n = 43 were taken up for the study after an informed consent. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to find socio-demographic and clinical profile. Employees who reported taking leave in last six months just to avoid work or workplace constitute the "absenteeism" group. The absenteeism group was compared to non-absenteeism group using Fisher exact/Chi-square test or independent t-test depending on type of variables. Results: Out of 43 subjects, 18 had absenteeism while 25 did not have absenteeism. Comparing the two groups, interstate migration, having more than one previous job, commuting time more than an hour, co-morbid anxiety/depression, and alcohol abuse were significantly associated with absenteeism (P 0.05. Conclusion: In absenteeism research, one of the widely accepted models is Steer and Rhode′s "Process model of absenteeism." The model postulates job stress as one of the barriers for attendance. Thus, knowing the factors for absenteeism would help in preventing absenteeism.

Socio-demographic and clinical predictors of absenteeism - A cross-sectional study of urban industrial employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Suhash; Subramanya, Anantha H C

2013-01-01

Public sector undertakings are facing a threat of privatization due to unsatisfactory performance putting pressure on management and in turn to employees. There is an increasing trend of absenteeism observed amongst employees citing job stress. To find an association between job stress and absenteeism in relation to socio-demographic and clinical profile. The study was conducted in an urban aeronautical industry with 68 employees who mentioned stress at workplace during evaluation. Job stress was assessed using Professional Life Stress Scale (David Fontana). Those who scored more than 30 (n = 43) were taken up for the study after an informed consent. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to find socio-demographic and clinical profile. Employees who reported taking leave in last six months just to avoid work or workplace constitute the "absenteeism" group. The absenteeism group was compared to non-absenteeism group using Fisher exact/Chi-square test or independent t-test depending on type of variables. Out of 43 subjects, 18 had absenteeism while 25 did not have absenteeism. Comparing the two groups, interstate migration, having more than one previous job, commuting time more than an hour, co-morbid anxiety/depression, and alcohol abuse were significantly associated with absenteeism (P Absentees complained more about fatigue and relationship problem with colleagues than non-absentees (P absenteeism (P > 0.05). In absenteeism research, one of the widely accepted models is Steer and Rhode's "Process model of absenteeism." The model postulates job stress as one of the barriers for attendance. Thus, knowing the factors for absenteeism would help in preventing absenteeism.

Clinical and Demographical Characteristics of Patients with Medication Overuse Headache in Argentina and Chile

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shand, Beatriz; Goicochea, Maria Teresa; Valenzuela, Raul

2015-01-01

population was formed by 240 MOH subjects, 110 from Chile and 130 from Argentina, consecutively attending the local headache centres. In each centre, specifically trained neurologist interviewed and confirmed the diagnosis according to the ICHD-II criteria. A detailed history was collected on an electronic......BACKGROUND: Data on the characteristics of Medication Overuse Headache (MOH) in Latin American (LA) are scarce. Here we report the demographic and clinical features of the MOH patients from Argentina and Chile enrolled in the multinational COMOESTAS project in the period 2008-2010. METHODS: The LA......, where it affects mostly women, in the most active decades of life. Some differences emerge as regards the demographic and clinical characteristics of MOH in this population as compared to Europe or Northern America. What seems more worrying about MOH in Argentina and Chile is that most patients overuse...

Clinical and demographic profile of HIV/AIDS patients diagnosed at a tertiary care centre in Kashmir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mir, M.A.; Ahmad, P.M.; Siddeque, M.A.; Sofi, F.A.; Ahmad, S.N.; Dar, M.R.

2010-01-01

Objectives: To study the clinical and demographic profile of HIV/AIDS patients diagnosed at a tertiary care centre. Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 1141 patients suspected of having HIV/AIDS on clinical grounds. Screening was done using different Elisa's as advised by NACO and those confirmed as HIV positive were studied for their clinical spectrum and different demographic parameters. Results: Out of 1141 patients tested, 26 proved to have HIV 1 infection with no case of HIV 2 detected. Mean age of presentation was 40.04 +- 7 years, main age group affected 31-40 years and a male: female ratio of 4.2:1 was observed. More than 42% were non Kashmiris with armed forces outnumbering all other occupational classes. Heterosexual transmission was the commonest with married out numbering unmarried. Fever, asthenia and weight loss were the predominant symptoms and pulmonary tuberculosis and oropharyngeal candidiasis commonest opportunistic infections. Conclusion: The clinical and demographic profile of HIV/AIDS patients in Kashmir is largely similar to the rest of India. Kashmir no longer stands immune to the menace of HIV/AIDS. With increasing globalization, frequent travel and change in social values the state is likely to witness an alarming rise in new cases unless a multi pronged approach is undertaken to control the spread. (author)

Clinical and Demographic Variables Associated Coping and the Burden of Caregivers of Schizophrenia Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Mora-Castañeda, Belvy; Márquez-González, María; Fernández-Liria, Alberto; de la Espriella, Ricardo; Torres, Néstor; Arenas Borrero, Álvaro

To analyse of the relationship between burden of illness and coping strategies and the demographic variables of caregivers, and the demographic and clinical variables of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Multicentre correlational cross-sectional study including 70 people diagnosed with schizophrenia, or a schizoaffective disorder, and 70 primary informal caregivers. They were evaluated using Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory, Family Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and the brief Disability Assessment Scale. Burden of illness positively associated with patient impairment in occupational and social functioning, and negatively with education level. Avoidance, coercion and positive communication were positively associated with impairment in occupational and social functioning of patients. Social interest and friendships showed a positive association with the education level of caregivers. Spiritual assistance negatively correlated with impairment in social functioning and patient age, and resignation was negatively associated with length of the disorder and patient education level. Burden and dysfunctional coping strategies, such as avoidance and coercion, are associated with functional impairment of the patient. These findings suggest the need to provide support to caregivers, adjusted to the functional level of the patient, in order to prevent burden of care. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Demographic and clinical correlates of autism symptom domains and autism spectrum diagnosis

OpenAIRE

Frazier, Thomas W; Youngstrom, Eric A; Embacher, Rebecca; Hardan, Antonio Y; Constantino, John N; Law, Paul; Findling, Robert L; Eng, Charis

2013-01-01

Demographic and clinical factors may influence assessment of autism symptoms. This study evaluated these correlates and also examined whether social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior provided unique prediction of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. We analyzed data from 7352 siblings included in the Interactive Autism Network registry. Social communication and interaction and restricted/repetitive behavior symptoms were obtained using caregiver-reports on the So...

75 FR 53724 - Proposed Collection; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Form, Demographic Information...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT OFFICE Proposed Collection; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Form, Demographic Information on Applicants, OMB 3046-0046; Correction AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice; correction. SUMMARY: The published document in the Federal Register of August 2...

Optimal demographic information for policy development in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

After ten years of a democratic education system in South Africa , the demographic realities should be better understood in educational planning. The fragmented nature of the predemocratic education system has led to undesirable perceptions about quality education and has subsequently influenced the demographic ...

Validation of mismatch negativity and P3a for use in multi-site studies of schizophrenia: characterization of demographic, clinical, cognitive, and functional correlates in COGS-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Light, Gregory A; Swerdlow, Neal R; Thomas, Michael L; Calkins, Monica E; Green, Michael F; Greenwood, Tiffany A; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Lazzeroni, Laura C; Nuechterlein, Keith H; Pela, Marlena; Radant, Allen D; Seidman, Larry J; Sharp, Richard F; Siever, Larry J; Silverman, Jeremy M; Sprock, Joyce; Stone, William S; Sugar, Catherine A; Tsuang, Debby W; Tsuang, Ming T; Braff, David L; Turetsky, Bruce I

2015-04-01

Mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a are auditory event-related potential (ERP) components that show robust deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) patients and exhibit qualities of endophenotypes, including substantial heritability, test-retest reliability, and trait-like stability. These measures also fulfill criteria for use as cognition and function-linked biomarkers in outcome studies, but have not yet been validated for use in large-scale multi-site clinical studies. This study tested the feasibility of adding MMN and P3a to the ongoing Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia (COGS) study. The extent to which demographic, clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics contribute to variability in MMN and P3a amplitudes was also examined. Participants (HCS n=824, SZ n=966) underwent testing at 5 geographically distributed COGS laboratories. Valid ERP recordings were obtained from 91% of HCS and 91% of SZ patients. Highly significant MMN (d=0.96) and P3a (d=0.93) amplitude reductions were observed in SZ patients, comparable in magnitude to those observed in single-lab studies with no appreciable differences across laboratories. Demographic characteristics accounted for 26% and 18% of the variance in MMN and P3a amplitudes, respectively. Significant relationships were observed among demographically-adjusted MMN and P3a measures and medication status as well as several clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of the SZ patients. This study demonstrates that MMN and P3a ERP biomarkers can be feasibly used in multi-site clinical studies. As with many clinical tests of brain function, demographic factors contribute to MMN and P3a amplitudes and should be carefully considered in future biomarker-informed clinical studies. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Demographic and clinical features and prescribing patterns of psychotropic medications in patients with the melancholic subtype of major depressive disorder in China.

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Yu-Tao Xiang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Little has been known about the demographic and clinical features of the melancholic subtype of major depressive disorder (MDD in Chinese patients. This study examined the frequency of melancholia in Chinese MDD patients and explored its demographic and clinical correlates and prescribing patterns of psychotropic drugs. METHODS: A consecutively collected sample of 1,178 patients with MDD were examined in 13 psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric units of general hospitals in China nationwide. The cross-sectional data of patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and prescriptions of psychotropic drugs were recorded using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. The diagnosis of the melancholic subtype was established using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI. Medications ascertained included antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty nine (53.4% of the 1,178 patients fulfilled criteria for melancholia. In multiple logistic regression analyses, compared to non-melancholic counterparts, melancholic MDD patients were more likely to be male and receive benzodiazepines, had more frequent suicide ideations and attempts and seasonal depressive episodes, while they were less likely to be employed and receive antidepressants and had less family history of psychiatric disorders and lifetime depressive episodes. CONCLUSIONS: The demographic and clinical features of melancholic MDD in Chinese patients were not entirely consistent with those found in Western populations. Compared to non-melancholic MDD patients, melancholic patients presented with different demographic and clinical features, which have implications for treatment decisions.

Demographics and co-occurring conditions in a clinic-based cohort with Down syndrome in the United Arab Emirates.

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Corder, Jennifer Price; Al Ahbabi, Fatima Jaber Sehmi; Al Dhaheri, Hind Saif; Chedid, Fares

2017-09-01

The majority of studies describing demographics and co-occurring conditions in cohorts with Down syndrome come from regions outside of the Middle East, mainly from Europe and North America. This paper describes demographics and co-occurring conditions in a hospital-based cohort of individuals with Down syndrome living in the Middle Eastern country of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The first dedicated Down syndrome clinic in the UAE was established in 2012 at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain. This paper describes a clinic-based cohort of 221 participants over 4 years from the Gulf Down Syndrome Registry, a new Down syndrome database and contact registry created at Tawam Hospital. Key demographic findings include mean maternal age of 37 years, among the highest described in the literature. Sixty-two percent of mothers are >35 years. Over 90% of mothers received post-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome. High sex ratio, parental consanguinity, and large family size also characterize the group. The spectrum of many co-occurring conditions mirrors that of previously described populations, with some notable differences. Cardiovascular malformations are well represented, however, atrioventricular canal is not the most common. Genitourinary conditions are common, as evidenced by 12% of males with hypospadias and 15% with undescended testes. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, alpha thalassemia trait, hypovitaminosis D, and dental caries are common in our cohort. This study describes a large hospital-based group with Down syndrome presenting to a new dedicated Down syndrome clinic in the UAE, highlighting unique demographic and co-occurring conditions found in that population. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Baseline demographics, clinical features, and treatment protocols of 240 patients with optic neuropathy: experiences from a neuro-ophthalmological clinic in the Aegean region of Turkey.

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Karti, Omer; Karti, Dilek Top; Kilic, İlay Hilal; Gokcay, Figen; Celebisoy, Nese

2017-12-19

To analyze the demographic patterns, clinical characteristics, and treatment protocols of optic neuropathies. The hospital data of patients with optic neuropathy admitted to the Department of Neuro-ophthalmology in a tertiary referral center in Turkey between January 2010 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic patterns, clinical features, treatment protocols, and the natural disease courses were assessed. The total number of patients with optic neuropathy seen over this period was 240, which consist of 43 with idiopathic optic neuritis (17.9%), 40 with multiple sclerosis-related optic neuritis (16.7%), 12 with chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuritis (5.0%), 12 with atypical optic neuritis (5.0%), 11 with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders-related optic neuritis (4.6%), 90 with non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (37.5%), 4 with arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (1.7%), 10 with traumatic optic neuropathy (4.1%), 6 with compressive optic neuropathy (2.5%), and 12 with mitochondrial optic neuropathy [9 with toxic optic neuropathy (3.7%) and 3 with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (1.2%)]. There were 101 males (42%) and 139 females (58%). The mean age was 43.34 ± 15.86 years. This study reported the demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment protocols of optic neuropathies in a neuro-ophthalmology specialty clinic at a tertiary referral center in Turkey during the past decade. The data may be useful in assessing the global status of optic neuropathies.

The LupusQoL and associations with demographics and clinical measurements in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

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McElhone, Kathleen; Castelino, Madhura; Abbott, Janice; Bruce, Ian N; Ahmad, Yasmeen; Shelmerdine, Joanna; Peers, Kate; Isenberg, David; Ferenkeh-Koroma, Ada; Griffiths, Bridget; Akil, Mohammed; Maddison, Peter; Gordon, Caroline; Teh, Lee-Suan

2010-11-01

Having developed and validated a disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measure for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the LupusQoL, we determined its relationship to demographic and clinical measurements in a group of patients with SLE. A group of 322 outpatients completed the LupusQoL. Demographic (age, sex, marital status, ethnicity) and clinical variables (disease duration, disease activity, damage) were recorded. Associations between the 8 LupusQoL domains and age, disease duration, disease activity, and damage were explored using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Differences in LupusQoL scores were examined for sex and marital status using the Mann-Whitney U test. Ethnic groups were compared using ANOVA. All domains of LupusQoL were impaired, with fatigue (56.3) being the worst affected and body image (80.0) the least. The correlations between the LupusQoL domain scores and age (r = -0.01 to -0.22) and disease duration (r = 0 to 0.16) were absent or weak. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the LupusQoL scores regarding sex, marital status, or the 3 main ethnic groups (Black-Caribbean, Asian, White). Although there were statistically significant correlations between the scores of the LupusQoL domains and some scores of the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group index (r = -0.22 to 0.09) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (r = -0.29 to 0.21), these were weak. HRQOL was impaired in this cohort of outpatients with SLE as assessed by the validated lupus-specific LupusQoL. There were no clinically important associations between the 8 domains of the LupusQoL and clinical or demographic variables in this group of patients. Thus, the LupusQoL is a relatively independent outcome measure in patients with SLE.

Predicting tularemia with clinical, laboratory and demographical findings in the ED.

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Yapar, Derya; Erenler, Ali Kemal; Terzi, Özlem; Akdoğan, Özlem; Ece, Yasemin; Baykam, Nurcan

2016-02-01

We aimed to determine clinical, laboratory and demographical characteristics of tularemia on admission to Emergency Department (ED). Medical data of 317 patients admitted to ED and subsequently hospitalized with suspected tularemia between January 1, 2011, and May 31, 2015, were collected. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to microagglutination test results, as tularemia (+) and tularemia (-). Of the 317 patients involved, 49 were found to be tularemia (+) and 268 were tularemia (-). Mean age of the tularemia (+) patients was found to be higher than that of tularemia (-) patients. When compared to tularemia (-) patients, a significant portion of patients in tularemia (+) patients were elderly, living in rural areas and had contact with rodents. When clinical and laboratory findings of the 2 groups were compared, any statistical significance could not be determined. Tularemia is a disease of elderly people living in rural areas. Contact with rodents also increases risk of tularemia in suspected patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

College Students' Health Information Activities on Facebook: Investigating the Impacts of Health Topic Sensitivity, Information Sources, and Demographics.

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Syn, Sue Yeon; Kim, Sung Un

2016-07-01

College students tend to lack access to health information. Because social networking sites (SNSs) are popularly adopted by college students, SNSs are considered to be good media channels for college students to obtain health-related information. This study examines the factors that influence college students' health information-seeking and -sharing activities on Facebook. An online survey was distributed to college students between the ages of 18 and 29 to determine intentions pertaining to health information activities according to the factors identified for the study. The factors included both contextual factors (such as health topic sensitivity and health information sources) as well as user factors (such as demographics). Our findings showed that college students are willing to read and post health-related information on Facebook when the health topic is not sensitive. In addition, there are clear differences in preferences between professional sources and personal sources as health information sources. It was found that most user factors, except gender, have no influence on health information activities. The impacts of SNS contexts, awareness of information sources, types of interlocutors, and privacy concerns are further discussed.

[Demographic and clinical aspects of hepatic fascioliasis between 2013-2010 in National Hospital Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru].

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Chang Wong, Millie Rocío; Pinto Elera, Jesús Omar Andrés; Guzman Rojas, Patricia; Terashima Iwashita, Angélica; Samalvides Cuba, Frine

2016-01-01

To describe the demographic and clinical aspects of hepatic fascioliasis as well as the complications and associations between various factors and the disease in a reference hospital. This is a descriptive and retrospective case series study; we included all patients who had a recent diagnosis of hepatic fascioliasis from 2003 to 2010 in the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia. Demographic and clinical variables were analyzed including complications and treatment received. 68 medical records were found eligible for the study. The mean age was 36 years. Ancash department was the most frequent place of origin and residence. Most of them were diagnosed in the chronic phase, the most common symptom was abdominal pain and eight patients had complications: 3 hepatic abscess, 1 subcapsular hematoma, 1 cholangitis and 1 cholangitis plus cholecystitis. There were the following associations: Age under 15 years with chronic phase and hyporexia, being a student with a positive stool analysis; and between being born in an endemic area with the absence of complications. Hepatic fascioliasis has unspecific clinical presentation so the epidemiological or dietary history and specially eosinophilia should guide the diagnosis.

Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant and puerperal crack-cocaine using women: preliminary data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARIA LUCRÉCIA SCHERER ZAVASCHI

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background The literature provides several studies on the effects of cocaine when exposed to the fetus. However, the majority of these data comes from animal models. Objective The objective of this study is to present socio-demographic and clinical data in crack-cocaine using pregnant women and their babies, as compared to non-users. Methods Cross-sectional study, comprised by 56 dyads of crack-cocaine using mothers-babies and 89 control dyads. In addition to the socio-demographic data and the babies’ information, data collection was based on ABIPEMI for socioeconomic level, WAIS for IQ, MINI for psychopathology and ASSIST for drug use. Results Most crack users, in comparison to non-users, did not have a partner (10.52% vs 4.4%, P = 0.001 and presented lower IQ (78.15, +/-8.07 vs 84.27 +/- 9.87; P = 0.002. The prevalence of antisocial personality disorder and suicide risk in users was higher than in non-users (24.44% vs none, P < 0.001; 28.26% vs 10.46% P = 0.01. Most of the users did not participate in prenatal care (75%. The babies that the crack-cocaine using mothers gave birth to weighed significantly less than the controls (2.858 g vs 3.240 g, P = 0.002. Discussion Users had a higher degree of psychopathology and lower attendance in prenatal care. There was an overlap of adverse factors, both for exposed mothers and babies. The sum of these vulnerabilities could result in significant harm to the developing infant.

The Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Ulcerative Colitis in a Northeast Brazilian Population

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Bruno César da Silva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of UC in Bahia, a Brazilian state, and to identify the variables associated with extensive colitis, steroid therapy, immunosuppression, and colectomy. Methods. In this cross-sectional study UC patients were interviewed, and additional information was collected from the medical records. Descriptive statistics and multivariate Poisson regression analysis were used. Results. This study included 267 individuals, the mean age of whom was 39.4 years at diagnosis. There was a predominance of females and left-side colitis. Extensive colitis was positively associated with male gender, diarrhea, weight loss, and a younger age at diagnosis. In contrast, active smoking and a family history of IBD were negatively associated with extensive colitis. Positive associations were observed between steroid therapy and diarrhea, weight loss, urban patients, extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs, and hospitalization. Younger age and weight loss at diagnosis, a family history of IBD, extensive colitis, EIMs, hospitalization, and steroid therapy were all positively associated with immunosuppression. In contrast, Caucasian individuals, smokers, patients with rectal bleeding, and rural patients areas were all observed to have a decreased likelihood of immunosuppression. Conclusions. Our results corroborate the association between higher prevalence of extensive colitis and younger age at diagnosis. An association between steroid therapy and clinical presentation at diagnosis was observed. The observation that white individuals and rural patients use less immunosuppressive drugs highlights the need to study the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the behavior of UC in this population.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of consistent and inconsistent longitudinal reporters of lifetime suicide attempts in adolescence through young adulthood.

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Hart, Shelley R; Musci, Rashelle J; Ialongo, Nicholas; Ballard, Elizabeth D; Wilcox, Holly C

2013-10-01

Within the context of the recent release of the 2012 National Suicide Prevention Strategy, and as the third leading cause of death for individuals 10- to 24-years-old, suicide prevention is a national priority. A consistently reported and robust risk factor for suicide is a prior suicide attempt; however few studies have investigated the consistency of self-reported lifetime suicide attempts. The goal of this study is to describe the prevalence and characteristics of inconsistent reporting of suicide attempt in a longitudinal cohort of participants annually assessed in 12 waves of data collected from middle school (age 12) to early adulthood (age 22). Among this cohort (n = 678), we compared those who consistently, inconsistently, and never reported a suicide attempt according to demographic and clinical variables. Almost 90% (88.5%) of our sample inconsistently reported a lifetime suicide attempt. Consistent and inconsistent reporters of lifetime suicide attempt did not differ on demographic or clinical variables with the exception of higher rates of lifetime suicidal ideation among consistent reporters (P adolescents. Inconsistent and consistent reporters of suicide attempt differ on few demographic or clinical variables; further prospective research should investigate the reasons for inconsistent reporting as well as the validity and stability of reporting in predicting future suicidal behavior. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Demographic Information Sources and Utilization as Determinants of Educational Policy Making in South Western Nigeria

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Gbadamosi, Belau Olatunde

2013-01-01

The paper examines demographic information sources and utilization as determinants of educational policy making in South West Nigeria. Using validated and structured questionnaire, the study population of 398 officers in the ministries of education in the affected states were enumerated. The study establishes population census, vital registration,…

The Retrospective Evaluation of Childhood Psoriasis Clinically and Demographic Features

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Ayşe Serap Karadağ

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was aimed to define the clinical and demographic findings of psoriasis in childhood. Methods: In this retrospective study, the data from 64 children with psoriasis admitted at the our dermatology clinic between January 2007 and January 2011 were included whose data were fully. Results: Of the patients, 37 (57.8% were boys and 27 (42.2% were girls. Mean age of the children was 10.08 ±3.98 years (3-16. In 10 (15% cases, a positive family history was detected. The most frequent localizations at onset were trunk (46.9%, scalp (28.1%, knee-elbow (10.9% and extremities (7.9%, respectively. The most commonly seen clinical types were plaque (68.8%, guttate (20.3%, palmoplantar (9.4%, pustular (1.6%, respectively. Nine children had nail involvement. Out of all patients, 21.9% had upper respiratory tract infections and 9.4% had emotional stres. Four cases were diagnosed with depression. Of the cases, two cases were on non-steroid anti-inflammatory medication, and 4 of them were on antibiotics. Systemic treatments were given to 21.9% of the cases besides topical treatments. Conclusion: The epidemiological studies of psoriasis during childhood period for different countries have been reported. In this study, the ratio shows differences when compared to those previous studies. There are few epidemiologic studies for Turkey. We believe that further epidemiological studies including large number of patients' groups will contribute the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

The Mayo Clinic Arizona Spasmodic Dysphonia Experience: A Demographic Analysis of 718 Patients.

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Patel, Alpen B; Bansberg, Stephen F; Adler, Charles H; Lott, David G; Crujido, Lisa

2015-11-01

Analyze demographic data collected over a 25-year experience of 718 patients with spasmodic dysphonia (SD) who have been treated with botulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A) and compare our data with previously published studies. Seven hundred eighteen patients with SD were treated with 6621 BoNT-A injections at Mayo Clinic Arizona between 1989 and 2014. All patients were treated by the same physician team. Background demographic data for each patient were recorded. Of 718 patients, 557 patients were female (77.6%). Six hundred sixty of 718 (91.8%) patients had adductor SD (AdSD), and 58 of 718 (8.1%) patients had abductor SD (AbSD). Average age of onset was 51 years. Of 718 patients, 378 (52.6%) had vocal tremor (VT); VT was present in 54.4% of AdSD patients and 32.1% of AbSD patients. Thirty-seven of 718 (5.2%) patients had other dystonias, including cervical dystonia (2.3%), blepharospasm (1.4%), limb dystonia (1.1%), and oromandibular dystonia (0.3%). A positive family history of SD was present in only 6 of 718 patients (0.8%) and of other dystonias in 11 of 718 patients (1.5%). Spasmodic dysphonia is a chronic and potentially disabling focal laryngeal dystonia. The Mayo Clinic Arizona SD experience compares to prior reports and reveals a female preponderance, onset in middle age, infrequent hereditary pattern, high co-occurrence of VT, and low co-occurrence of other dystonias. © The Author(s) 2015.

Demographic and clinical characteristics in relation to patient and health system delays in a tuberculosis low-incidence country

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leutscher, Peter; Madsen, Gitte; Erlandsen, Mogens

2012-01-01

Background: Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are commonly encountered. Methods: A study was undertaken among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) patients in a Danish university hospital to describe demographic and clinical characteristics...

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated with Engagement in Behavioral Health Treatment among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Croen, Lisa A.; Shankute, Naomi; Davignon, Meghan; Massolo, Maria L.; Yoshida, Cathleen

2017-01-01

This study investigates demographic and clinical factors associated with initiation, continuation, and adherence to behavioral health treatment (BHT) among children with autism spectrum disorder. Among 293 insured children referred for applied behavior analysis (ABA) based BHT, 23% never initiated treatment. Among those initiating treatment, 31%…

Effect of Socio-Demographic and Clinical Characteristics on Physical Activity of Pregnant Women at Referral Hospital in Riyadh, KSA

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Shaffi Ahamed Shaik

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of socio demographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant women on their physical activity. Methods: An observational quantitative cross sectional design was carried out in the delivery ward and paediatrics clinic of king Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study subjects included all women who had delivered in the last three months, during the study period between 2013- 2014. The sample size was 336. Data collection included socio-demographic variables, pregnancy related variables and the physical activity by using validated pregnancy physical activity questionnaire. Results: The mean (standard deviation total physical activity score of all the study subjects was 197.39(72.1. The physical activity scores are statistically significantly higher in younger women, graduation education level, and among those who were employed. The physical activity scores were statistically significantly higher in women who had normal delivery, did not have any illness and those who had followed the advice to perform physical activity. Conclusion: The levels of physical activity along with their socio demographic and clinical characteristic were assessed among the pregnant women. The study found low pursuance of physical activity during pregnancy. Any kind of illness suffered during pregnancy further reduced the physical activity levels. It was only the young and educated pregnant women who held onto regular physical activity as advised during their pregnancy.

Predicting outcomes following cognitive behaviour therapy in child anxiety disorders: the influence of genetic, demographic and clinical information

OpenAIRE

Hudson, Jennifer L; Lester, Kathryn J; Lewis, Cathryn M; Tropeano, Maria; Creswell, Cathy; Collier, David A; Cooper, Peter; Lyneham, Heidi J; Morris, Talia; Rapee, Ronald M; Roberts, Susanna; Donald, Jennifer A; Eley, Thalia C

2013-01-01

Background. Within a therapeutic gene by environment (GxE) framework, we recently demonstrated that variation in \\ud the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism; 5HTTLPR and marker rs6330 in Nerve Growth Factor gene; NGF is \\ud associated with poorer outcomes following cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for child anxiety disorders. The aim of this \\ud study was to explore one potential means of extending the translational reach of G×E data in a way that may be clinically \\ud informative. W...

Radiation information and informed consent for clinical trials

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Caon, Martin [School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide (Australia)], E-mail: martin.caon@flinders.edu.au

2008-09-01

Examples of the statements about the radiation from medical imaging in the information for participants provided to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) for approval are presented and discussed. There is considerable scope for improvement in the information about radiation that is presented to potential participants in clinical trials. Many radiation statements seem only intended to allay fear and anxiety about radiation rather than providing accurate information. This situation cannot be said to be conducive to allowing the participant to give informed consent to their involvement in a clinical trial in which ionising radiation is used. As many clinical trials are international and conducted at many sites (sometimes over 100), we would expect the same statements to have been seen by members of HRECs in many countries. Few HRECs include a member who is an expert in radiation. Hence, to ensure that the information is sound, those sections of the participant information that refer to radiation should be written or reviewed by a specialist in radiation protection such as a medical physicist, a health physicist or a radiation safety officer. (opinion)

Radiation information and informed consent for clinical trials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caon, Martin

2008-01-01

Examples of the statements about the radiation from medical imaging in the information for participants provided to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) for approval are presented and discussed. There is considerable scope for improvement in the information about radiation that is presented to potential participants in clinical trials. Many radiation statements seem only intended to allay fear and anxiety about radiation rather than providing accurate information. This situation cannot be said to be conducive to allowing the participant to give informed consent to their involvement in a clinical trial in which ionising radiation is used. As many clinical trials are international and conducted at many sites (sometimes over 100), we would expect the same statements to have been seen by members of HRECs in many countries. Few HRECs include a member who is an expert in radiation. Hence, to ensure that the information is sound, those sections of the participant information that refer to radiation should be written or reviewed by a specialist in radiation protection such as a medical physicist, a health physicist or a radiation safety officer. (opinion)

The NIAID Division of AIDS enterprise information system: integrated decision support for global clinical research programs

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nitin; Varghese, Suresh; Virkar, Hemant

2011-01-01

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Division of AIDS (DAIDS) Enterprise Information System (DAIDS-ES) is a web-based system that supports NIAID in the scientific, strategic, and tactical management of its global clinical research programs for HIV/AIDS vaccines, prevention, and therapeutics. Different from most commercial clinical trials information systems, which are typically protocol-driven, the DAIDS-ES was built to exchange information with those types of systems and integrate it in ways that help scientific program directors lead the research effort and keep pace with the complex and ever-changing global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Whereas commercially available clinical trials support systems are not usually disease-focused, DAIDS-ES was specifically designed to capture and incorporate unique scientific, demographic, and logistical aspects of HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and vaccine research in order to provide a rich source of information to guide informed decision-making. Sharing data across its internal components and with external systems, using defined vocabularies, open standards and flexible interfaces, the DAIDS-ES enables NIAID, its global collaborators and stakeholders, access to timely, quality information about NIAID-supported clinical trials which is utilized to: (1) analyze the research portfolio, assess capacity, identify opportunities, and avoid redundancies; (2) help support study safety, quality, ethics, and regulatory compliance; (3) conduct evidence-based policy analysis and business process re-engineering for improved efficiency. This report summarizes how the DAIDS-ES was conceptualized, how it differs from typical clinical trial support systems, the rationale for key design choices, and examples of how it is being used to advance the efficiency and effectiveness of NIAID's HIV/AIDS clinical research programs. PMID:21816958

Socio demographic and clinical predictors of absenteeism A cross sectional study of urban industrial employees

OpenAIRE

Suhash Chakraborty; Anantha H. C. Subramanya

2013-01-01

Context: Public sector undertakings are facing a threat of privatization due to unsatisfactory performance putting pressure on management and in turn to employees. There is an increasing trend of absenteeism observed amongst employees citing job stress. Aim: To find an association between job stress and absenteeism in relation to socio-demographic and clinical profile. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in an urban aeronautical industry with 68 employees who mentioned stress at wo...

Demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in children with gender identity disorder: a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis.

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Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Owen, Allison; Kaijser, Vanessa G; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2003-02-01

This study examined demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in clinic-referred children with gender identity problems in Toronto, Canada (N = 358), and Utrecht, The Netherlands (N = 130). The Toronto sample was, on average, about a year younger than the Utrecht sample at referral, had a higher percentage of boys, had a higher mean IQ, and was less likely to be living with both parents. On the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), both groups showed, on average, clinical range scores in both social competence and behavior problems. A CBCL-derived measure of poor peer relations showed that boys in both clinics had worse ratings than did the girls. A multiple regression analysis showed that poor peer relations were the strongest predictor of behavior problems in both samples. This study-the first cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis of children with gender identity disorder-found far more similarities than differences in both social competence and behavior problems. The most salient demographic difference was age at referral. Cross-national differences in factors that might influence referral patterns are discussed.

Demographic correlates of children and adolescents with Autistic disorder

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Ayyoub Malek

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Comparison of the demographic characteristics of patients provides useful information to their identification. This study aimed to determine the demographic characteristics of children and adolescents with autistic disorder (AD. Methods: In this cross-sectional case-control study, 115 children and adolescents with AD were selected from Autism Society Rehabilitation Center in Tabriz, Iran, and 112 normal children and adolescents from the public schools, in 2014. The participants in both groups were matched regarding age and gender. Diagnosis of AD was performed using diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-4th edition (DSM-IV criteria and clinical diagnostic interviews by two child and adolescent psychiatrists. The demographic information of children and adolescents and their parents were collected from the medical records of children and interviews with their mothers. Results: Most of the children with autism had second or higher birth order and had families with more than three members. Mothers of children with autism had significantly lower levels of education and were mostly housewives. Fathers of autistic children mostly had high school diploma and fewer had university education, and most of them were employed. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the AD group and the control group regarding the average height and weight of children and the residence (urban or rural and age of parents at childbirth.Conclusion: The demographic characteristics of the two groups of children and adolescents with AD and normal controls were different from each other regarding family size, birth order, parent occupation, and parent education variables.

A Community Patient Demographic System

OpenAIRE

Gabler, James M.; Simborg, Donald W.

1985-01-01

A Community Patient Demographic System is described. Its purpose is to link patient identification, demographic and insurance information among multiple organizations in a community or among multiple registration systems within the same organization. This function requires that there be a competent patient identification methodology and clear definition of local responsibilities for number assignment and database editing.

Demographic characteristics and clinical predictors of patients discharged from university hospital-affiliated pain clinic due to breach in narcotic use contract.

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Chakrabortty, Shushovan; Gupta, Deepak; Rustom, David; Berry, Hussein; Rai, Ajit

2014-01-01

The current retrospective study was completed with the aim to identify demographic characteristics and clinical predictors (if any) of the patients discharged from our pain clinic due to breach in narcotic use contract (BNUC). Retrospective patient charts' review and data audit. University hospital-affiliated pain clinic in the United States. All patient charts in our pain clinic for a 2-year period (2011-2012). The patients with BNUC were delineated from the patients who had not been discharged from our pain clinic. Pain characteristics, pain management, and substance abuse status were compared in each patient with BNUC between the time of admission and the time of discharge. The patients with BNUC discharges showed significant variability for the discharging factors among the pain physicians within a single pain clinic model with this variability being dependent on their years of experience and their proactive interventional pain management. The patients with BNUC in our pain clinic setting were primarily middle-aged, obese, unmarried males with nondocumented stable occupational history who were receiving only noninterventional pain management. Substance abuse, doctor shopping, and potential diversion were the top three documented reasons for BNUC discharges. In 2011-2012, our pain clinic discharged 1-in-16 patients due to breach in narcotic use contract.

Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: Incidence and Correlation with Demographic and Clinical Variables

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Laura MUNTEAN

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS and determine its correlation with the demographic and clinical characteristics of AS. Patients and Methods: Demographic, clinical and osteodensitometric data were evaluated in a cross-sectional study that included 136 patients with AS. Spine and hip BMD were measured by means of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA. Using the modified Schober’s test we assessed spine mobility. We examined the sacroiliac, anteroposterior and lateral dorso-lumbar spine radiographs in order to grade sacroiliitis and assess syndesmophytes. Disease activity was evaluated using C-reactive protein (CRP levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR. Demographic data and BMD measurements were compared with those of 167 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: Patients with AS had a significantly lower BMD at the spine, femoral neck, trochanter and total hip as compared to age-matched controls (all p<0.01. According to the WHO classification, osteoporosis was present in 20.6% of the AS patients at the lumbar spine and in 14.6% at the femoral neck. There were no significant differences in BMD when comparing men and women with AS, except for trochanter BMD that was lower in female patients. No correlations were found between disease activity markers (ESR, CRP and BMD. Femoral neck BMD was correlated with disease duration, Schober’s test and sacroiliitis grade. Conclusion: Patients with AS have a lower spine and hip BMD as compared to age- and sex-matched controls. Bone loss at the femoral neck is associated with disease duration and more severe AS.

Laboratory Demographics Lookup Tool

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This website provides demographic information about laboratories, including CLIA number, facility name and address, where the laboratory testing is performed, the...

[Socio-demographic, clinical and criminological features of a population discharged from forensic hospital and admitted to neuropsychiatric clinic, in scheme of restriction of freedom].

Science.gov (United States)

Anastasia, Annalisa; Cataldo, Daniela; Colletti, Chiara; Di Falco, Rosanna; Centracchio, Irma; Del Nero, Paolo; Rinaldi, Raffaella; Bersani, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

Over the past twenty years, in Italy there has been an intense debate that has focused on the function, and overcoming the limits of the institution Judicial Psychiatric Hospital (ospedale psichiatrico giudiziario - OPG). Although the contribution of legislative proposals, conferences and workshops on the OPG subject has received significant, the interest focused on the development and elaboration of criminological and epidemiological research on a national scale has been proportionately less impetum. In this study a survey aimed to explore the socio-demographic, clinical and criminological features of patients discharged from the OPG and admitted to neuropsychiatric clinic, under the restriction of freedom, has been performed. The information was gathered at the time of entry in the clinical management, by means of the first clinical interview and during subsequent interviews. During hospitalization, patients were administered the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and K Axis (Axis V of Kennedy) questionaires. 23 patients from forensic hospitals of Aversa, Secondigliano and Castiglione delle Stiviere were included in the study. The main characteristics investigated delineate a profile of an individual with an average age of about 49 years, unmarried, from a low socio-economic context, unemployed at the time of internment. About the diagnosis, schizophrenic spectrum disorders prevail, there is history of substance abuse in 35% of cases, history of previous admission to psychiatric facilities in 87% of these subjects. The type of committed crimes regards crimes against the person. About 40% of individuals have exhausted the danger to society correlate at the time of admission. Despite the small sample size, the data from this study are consistent with those reported in few studies in the literature. The specificity of clinical care needs of mentally ill offenders requires greater definition that could be achieved through the development of this research area.

Demographic and clinical profile of patients with complicated unsafe abortion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddique, S.; Hafeez, M.

2007-01-01

To describe the demographic and clinical profile of patients admitted as a result of complicated unsafe abortion. The study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore from August 2001 to July 2002. Patients admitted with complicated unsafe abortion were evaluated regarding age, parity, marital and educational status, indication for abortion, method used, qualification of abortion providers, contraceptive usage, complications and death rate in abortion seekers. Descriptive statistics was used for describing variables. Fiftynine patients were admitted with complicated unsafe abortion. The mean age was 29 years, 95% were married and multiparous, 40% had secondary and higher education, 85% approached unqualified abortion providers who used instrumentation in more than 40% of cases for termination of pregnancy resulting in visceral trauma. More than 50% were using contraception and 5% died due to postabortion complications. Unsafe abortion is a major health problem. The associated morbidity is much higher than mortality. This study focus on the need of postabortion care and easy accessibility to contraception to improve quality of health. (author)

Gathering Opinions on Depression Information Needs and Preferences: Samples and Opinions in Clinic Versus Web-Based Surveys.

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Bernstein, Matthew T; Walker, John R; Sexton, Kathryn A; Katz, Alan; Beatie, Brooke E

2017-04-24

There has been limited research on the information needs and preferences of the public concerning treatment for depression. Very little research is available comparing samples and opinions when recruitment for surveys is done over the Web as opposed to a personal invitation to complete a paper survey. This study aimed to (1) to explore information needs and preferences among members of the public and (2) compare Clinic and Web samples on sample characteristics and survey findings. Web survey participants were recruited with a notice on three self-help association websites (N=280). Clinic survey participants were recruited by a research assistant in the waiting rooms of a family medicine clinic and a walk-in medical clinic (N=238) and completed a paper version of the survey. The Clinic and Web samples were similar in age (39.0 years, SD 13.9 vs 40.2 years, SD 12.5, respectively), education, and proportion in full time employment. The Clinic sample was more diverse in demographic characteristics and closer to the demographic characteristics of the region (Winnipeg, Canada) with a higher proportion of males (102/238 [42.9%] vs 45/280 [16.1%]) and nonwhites (Aboriginal, Asian, and black) (69/238 [29.0%] vs 39/280 [13.9%]). The Web sample reported a higher level of emotional distress and had more previous psychological (224/280 [80.0%] vs 83/238 [34.9%]) and pharmacological (202/280 [72.1%] vs 57/238 [23.9%]) treatment. In terms of opinions, most respondents in both settings saw information on a wide range of topics around depression treatment as very important including information about treatment choices, effectiveness of treatment, how long it takes treatment to work, how long treatment continues, what happens when treatment stops, advantages and disadvantages of treatments, and potential side effects. Females, respondents with a white background, and those who had received or felt they would have benefited from therapy in the past saw more information topics as very

Demographic, clinical, and quality of life variables related to embarrassment in veterans living with an intestinal stoma.

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Mitchell, Kimberly A; Rawl, Susan M; Schmidt, C Max; Grant, Marcia; Ko, Clifford Y; Baldwin, Carol M; Wendel, Christopher; Krouse, Robert S

2007-01-01

The study aims were to identify demographic, clinical, and quality of life variables related to embarrassment for people living with ostomies and to determine the experiences and/or feelings of veterans who were embarrassed by their ostomy. This was a cross-sectional, correlational study. A convenience sample of veterans (n = 239) living with ostomies from 3 VA medical centers was studied. The veterans were primarily Caucasian (84%), male (92%), and older (M = 69). The modified City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy questionnaire was used. Additionally, an open-ended question related to living with an ostomy was asked. The questionnaire packets were mailed to participants and self-administered. Approximately half of the participants (48%) rated their embarrassment as low, but 26% reported high embarrassment. Participants with high embarrassment were compared to those with low embarrassment on demographic, clinical, and quality of life variables. High embarrassment was associated with poorer total quality of life (P hopefulness were associated with low embarrassment (P < .001). Sources of embarrassment included leakage, odor, and noise. Embarrassment may negatively impact a person's quality of life; therefore, the variables associated with high embarrassment should be recognized and addressed.

Socio-demographic and clinical determinants of self-care in adults with type 2 diabetes: a multicentre observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ausili, Davide; Rossi, Emanuela; Rebora, Paola; Luciani, Michela; Tonoli, Luca; Ballerini, Enrico; Androni, Silvia; Vellone, Ercole; Riegel, Barbara; Di Mauro, Stefania

2018-04-05

To describe self-care as defined by the Middle Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness and to identify clinical and socio-demographic determinants in a T2DM population. A multicentre observational cross-sectional study was conducted involving 540 adults with a confirmed diagnosis of T2DM from six outpatient diabetes services in Italy. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. The Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory (SCODI) was used to measure self-care maintenance, monitoring, management, and confidence dimensions. For each separate scale, scores were standardized 0-100 with higher SCODI scores indicating better self-care; a score ≥ 70 is adequate. Multiple quantile regression models were performed to identify determinants of each self-care dimension. Self-care maintenance (median = 81.3) and self-care confidence (median = 79.5) were adequate in most of the subjects. Self-care monitoring was adequate in only half of the sample (median = 70.6). Self-care management was poor (median = 59.4). Lower self-care maintenance was associated with lower self-care confidence (p self-care monitoring was associated with being male (p self-care confidence (p diabetes for self-care management was associated with being male (p = 0.002), being older (p = 0.005), having a low income (p = 0.030), being employed (p = 0.008), having missed diabetes education in the last year (p = 0.002), and lower self-care confidence (p self-care confidence was associated with having diabetes for self-care maintenance, monitoring, management and confidence include both clinical and socio-demographic variables. Modifiable determinants such as self-care confidence and diabetes self-care management education could be used to tailor interventions to improve diabetes self-care.

A system architecture for sharing de-identified, research-ready brain scans and health information across clinical imaging centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chervenak, Ann L; van Erp, Theo G M; Kesselman, Carl; D'Arcy, Mike; Sobell, Janet; Keator, David; Dahm, Lisa; Murry, Jim; Law, Meng; Hasso, Anton; Ames, Joseph; Macciardi, Fabio; Potkin, Steven G

2012-01-01

Progress in our understanding of brain disorders increasingly relies on the costly collection of large standardized brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets. Moreover, the clinical interpretation of brain scans benefits from compare and contrast analyses of scans from patients with similar, and sometimes rare, demographic, diagnostic, and treatment status. A solution to both needs is to acquire standardized, research-ready clinical brain scans and to build the information technology infrastructure to share such scans, along with other pertinent information, across hospitals. This paper describes the design, deployment, and operation of a federated imaging system that captures and shares standardized, de-identified clinical brain images in a federation across multiple institutions. In addition to describing innovative aspects of the system architecture and our initial testing of the deployed infrastructure, we also describe the Standardized Imaging Protocol (SIP) developed for the project and our interactions with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) regarding handling patient data in the federated environment.

Demographic variables, clinical aspects, and medicolegal implications in a population of patients with adjustment disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Anastasia, Annalisa; Colletti, Chiara; Cuoco, Valentina; Quartini, Adele; Urso, Stefania; Rinaldi, Raffaella; Bersani, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Although adjustment disorder (AD) is considered as residual diagnosis and receives little attention in research, it plays an important role in clinical practice and also assumes an increasingly important role in the field of legal medicine, where the majority of diagnostic frameworks (eg, mobbing) often refer to AD. Our study aimed to look for specific stressor differences among demographic and clinical variables in a naturalistic setting of patients with AD. A restrospective statistical analysis of the data of patients diagnosed with AD from November 2009 to September 2012, identified via manual search from the archive of the outpatient setting at the University Unit of Psychiatry "A. Fiorini" Hospital, Terracina (Latina, Italy), was performed. The sample consisted of 93 patients (46 males and 47 females), aged between 26 and 85, with medium-high educational level who were mainly employed. In most cases (54.80%), a diagnosis of AD with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was made. In all, 72% of the sample reported a negative family history for psychiatric disorders. In 22.60%, a previous history of psychopathology, especially mood disorders (76.19%), was reported. The main stressors linked to the development of AD were represented by working problems (32.30%), family problems (23.70%), and/or somatic disease (22.60%) with significant differences with respect to age and sex. Half of the patients were subjected to a single first examination; 24.47% requested a copy of medical records. Confirming previous data from previous reports, our results suggest that AD may have a distinct profile in demographic and clinical terms. Increased scientific attention is hoped, particularly focused on addressing a better definition of diagnostic criteria, whose correctness and accuracy are critical, especially in situations with medicolegal implications.

[Clinical and demographic profile and risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection].

Science.gov (United States)

Carvajal, Carlos; Pacheco, Carlos; Jaimes, Fabián

2017-01-24

Clostridium difficile infection is the leading cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea. The increasing incidence added to a lower rate of response to the initial treatment and higher rates of relapse has generated a higher burden of the disease. To determine the clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with C. difficile infection. We made a nested case-cohort study. We reviewed medical records of the patients with nosocomial diarrhea for whom an assay for toxin A-B of C. difficile had been requested from February, 2010, to February, 2012. We defined case as a patient with diarrhea and a positive assay for the toxin, and control as those patients with a negative assay for the toxin. We collected data on demographic and clinical characteristics, risk factors, hospital length of stay, treatment, and complications. We collected data from 123 patients during the follow-up period, 30 of whom were positive for the toxin. Mean age in the study population was 49 years and 60% were men. The main symptoms were abdominal pain (35%) and fever (34%). The principal complications were electrolytic alteration and severe sepsis with secondary acute kidney injury. Mortality was 13% and independent factors associated to the appearance of the infection were the use of proton pump inhibitors and previous gastrointestinal tract surgery. The use of proton pump inhibitors and previous gastrointestinal tract surgery were factors associated to C. difficile infection.

Demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in children with gender identity disorder : A cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cohen-Kettenis, PT; Owen, A; Kaijser, VG; Bradley, SJ; Zucker, KJ

This study examined demographic characteristics, social competence, and behavior problems in clinic-referred children with gender identity problems in Toronto, Canada (N = 358), and Utrecht, The Netherlands (N = 130). The Toronto sample was, on average, about a year younger than the Utrecht sample

Demographic and clinical profile of oral lichen planus: A retrospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita D Munde

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Oral lichen planus (OLP is a relatively common inflammatory mucocutaneous disorder that frequently involves the oral mucosa. The clinical presentation of OLP ranges from mild painless white keratotic lesions to painful erosions and ulcerations. An important complication of OLP is the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma, which led the World Health Organization (WHO to classify OLP as a potentially malignant disorder. The demographic and clinical characteristics of OLP have been well-described in several relatively large series from developed countries, whereas such series from developing countries are rare. Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 128 OLP patients in rural population of India. Materials and Methods: In this study, the diagnostic criteria proposed by van der Meij et al. in 2003 based on the WHO definition of OLP were used to identify cases. Results: In 128 patients, M:F ratio was 1.61:1. The buccal mucosa was the most common site (88.20%. White lichen was seen in 83.59% and red lichen in 16.40% cases. Reticular type of OLP was the most common form (83.5% followed by erosive (15.6% and atrophic OLP (0.78%. The incidence of systemic diseases included hypertension (11%, diabetes mellitus (2.4%, and hypothyroidism (0.78%. Histopathologically epithelial dysplasia was present in 4 cases. Conclusion: Most of the characteristics are consistent with previous studies with differences in few. Lichen planus is a chronic disease where treatment is directed to control of symptoms. Long-term follow-up is essential to monitor for symptomatic flare ups and possible malignant transformation.

Demographic and clinical profile of oral lichen planus: A retrospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Munde, Anita D.; Karle, Ravindra R.; Wankhede, Pranali K.; Shaikh, Safia S.; Kulkurni, Meena

2013-01-01

Introduction: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common inflammatory mucocutaneous disorder that frequently involves the oral mucosa. The clinical presentation of OLP ranges from mild painless white keratotic lesions to painful erosions and ulcerations. An important complication of OLP is the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma, which led the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify OLP as a potentially malignant disorder. The demographic and clinical characteristics of OLP have been well-described in several relatively large series from developed countries, whereas such series from developing countries are rare. Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 128 OLP patients in rural population of India. Materials and Methods: In this study, the diagnostic criteria proposed by van der Meij et al. in 2003 based on the WHO definition of OLP were used to identify cases. Results: In 128 patients, M:F ratio was 1.61:1. The buccal mucosa was the most common site (88.20%). White lichen was seen in 83.59% and red lichen in 16.40% cases. Reticular type of OLP was the most common form (83.5%) followed by erosive (15.6%) and atrophic OLP (0.78%). The incidence of systemic diseases included hypertension (11%), diabetes mellitus (2.4%), and hypothyroidism (0.78%). Histopathologically epithelial dysplasia was present in 4 cases. Conclusion: Most of the characteristics are consistent with previous studies with differences in few. Lichen planus is a chronic disease where treatment is directed to control of symptoms. Long-term follow-up is essential to monitor for symptomatic flare ups and possible malignant transformation. PMID:24015006

Evaluation of possibilities in demographic data exchange support in Czech healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy, Miroslav; Seidl, Libor; Zvarova, Jana

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes the evaluation of two standardized approaches to implementation of messages for demographic data exchange between the preventive cardiology outpatient department located at the Institute of Computer Science AS CR, v.v.i. in Prague and the Outpatients Department of Cardiology of Municipal Hospital in Caslav. Our setting consists of four independent systems maintaining different clinical data (scheduling system, hospital information system, EHR system and a digital ECG). The aim is to avoid repetitive patient demographic data entry. We evaluate the suitability of IHE Patient Administration Management Profile (including HL7 v.2.5) and Czech national standard DASTA using Standard Evaluation Framework proposed and published in 2008 by J. Mykkänen et al. Besides the evaluation of standards, we also discuss some aspects of the framework.

The first 5 years of the family clinic for HIV at Tygerberg Hospital: Family demographics, survival of children and early impact of antiretroviral therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kooten Niekerk, N. K. M.; Knies, M. M.; Howard, J.; Rabie, H.; Zeier, M.; van Rensburg, A.; Frans, N.; Schaaf, H. S.; Fatti, G.; Little, F.; Cotton, M. F.

2006-01-01

Background: Family clinics address the problems of HIV-infected children and their families. The aims were to document demographics of the children and caregivers attending the Family Clinic for HIV at Tygerberg Academic Hospital (TAH) and to investigate factors affecting disease progression in

Detecting clinically relevant new information in clinical notes across specialties and settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Arsoniadis, Elliot G; Lee, Janet T; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B

2017-07-05

Automated methods for identifying clinically relevant new versus redundant information in electronic health record (EHR) clinical notes is useful for clinicians and researchers involved in patient care and clinical research, respectively. We evaluated methods to automatically identify clinically relevant new information in clinical notes, and compared the quantity of redundant information across specialties and clinical settings. Statistical language models augmented with semantic similarity measures were evaluated as a means to detect and quantify clinically relevant new and redundant information over longitudinal clinical notes for a given patient. A corpus of 591 progress notes over 40 inpatient admissions was annotated for new information longitudinally by physicians to generate a reference standard. Note redundancy between various specialties was evaluated on 71,021 outpatient notes and 64,695 inpatient notes from 500 solid organ transplant patients (April 2015 through August 2015). Our best method achieved at best performance of 0.87 recall, 0.62 precision, and 0.72 F-measure. Addition of semantic similarity metrics compared to baseline improved recall but otherwise resulted in similar performance. While outpatient and inpatient notes had relatively similar levels of high redundancy (61% and 68%, respectively), redundancy differed by author specialty with mean redundancy of 75%, 66%, 57%, and 55% observed in pediatric, internal medicine, psychiatry and surgical notes, respectively. Automated techniques with statistical language models for detecting redundant versus clinically relevant new information in clinical notes do not improve with the addition of semantic similarity measures. While levels of redundancy seem relatively similar in the inpatient and ambulatory settings in the Fairview Health Services, clinical note redundancy appears to vary significantly with different medical specialties.

Annotating temporal information in clinical narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weiyi; Rumshisky, Anna; Uzuner, Ozlem

2013-12-01

Temporal information in clinical narratives plays an important role in patients' diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. In order to represent narrative information accurately, medical natural language processing (MLP) systems need to correctly identify and interpret temporal information. To promote research in this area, the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) project developed a temporally annotated corpus of clinical narratives. This corpus contains 310 de-identified discharge summaries, with annotations of clinical events, temporal expressions and temporal relations. This paper describes the process followed for the development of this corpus and discusses annotation guideline development, annotation methodology, and corpus quality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prognostic impact of demographic factors and clinical features on the mode of death in high-risk patients after myocardial infarction--a combined analysis from multicenter trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yap, Yee Guan; Duong, Trinh; Bland, J Martin

2005-01-01

mortality, whereas diabetes was only predictive of all-cause mortality. Smoking habit and atrial fibrillation had no prognostic value. Similar parameters were also predictive of short-term mortality, but not identical. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that in high-risk patients post MI, who have been...... preselected using LVEF or frequent ventricular premature beats, demographic and clinical features are powerful predictors of mortality in the thrombolytic era. We propose that demographic and clinical factors should be considered when designing risk stratification or survival studies, or when identifying high...

The (in)stability of 21st century orthopedic patient contact information and its implications on clinical research: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

London, Daniel A; Stepan, Jeffrey G; Goldfarb, Charles A; Boyer, Martin I; Calfee, Ryan P

2017-04-01

In clinical research, minimizing patients lost to follow-up is essential for data validity. Researchers can employ better methodology to prevent patient loss. We examined how orthopedic surgery patients' contact information changes over time to optimize data collection for long-term outcomes research. Patients presenting to orthopedic outpatient clinics completed questionnaires regarding methods of contact: home phone, cell phone, mailing address, and e-mail address. They reported currently available methods of contact, if they changed in the past 5 and 10 years, and when they changed. Differences in the rates of change among methods were assessed via Fisher's exact tests. Whether participants changed any of their contact information in the past 5 and 10 years was determined via multivariate modeling, controlling for demographic variables. Among 152 patients, 51% changed at least one form of contact information within 5 years, and 66% changed at least one form within 10 years. The rate of change for each contact method was similar over 5 (15%-28%) and 10 years (26%-41%). One patient changed all four methods of contact within the past 5 years and seven within the past 10 years. Females and younger patients were more likely to change some type of contact information. The type of contact information least likely to change over 5-10 years is influenced by demographic factors such as sex and age, with females and younger participants more likely to change some aspect of their contact information. Collecting all contact methods appears necessary to minimize patients lost to follow-up, especially as technological norms evolve.

Impact of digital imaging and communications in medicine workflow on the integration of patient demographics and ophthalmic test data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandit, Ravi R; Boland, Michael V

2015-02-01

To determine the impact of a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) workflow on the linkage of demographic information to ophthalmic testing data. Evaluation of technology. Six hundred ninety-nine visual field testing encounters performed by 6 ophthalmic technicians and the transfer error queue of 37 442 ophthalmic test results. At 3 months before and 6 and 18 months after implementation of a DICOM workflow, technicians recorded the work required to enter, confirm, or edit patient demographics in each visual field device. We also determined the proportion of imaging tests sent to an error queue for manual reconciliation because of incorrect demographic information before and 3, 6, and 18 months after the DICOM workflow was established. The proportion of testing encounters for which staff had to enter, edit, or merge patient demographics and the proportion of misfiled images. Staff entered, edited, or merged data for 48% of patients before implementation (n = 237). This decreased to 24% within 6 months and 20% within 18 months of implementing the DICOM archive (n = 230 and n = 232, respectively). Staff could locate a patient in a DICOM work list for 97% of encounters at 3 months and 99% at 18 months. Before implementation, 9.2% of the images required additional intervention to be associated with the correct patient (n = 3581). This decreased by 85% over 6 months to 1.4% (n = 9979; P workflow in an ophthalmology clinic reduced the need to enter or edit patient demographic information into imaging or testing devices by more than 50% and reduced the need to manage misfiled images by 76%. In a clinical environment that demands both efficiency and patient safety, the DICOM workflow is an important update to current practice. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demographic and Economic Changes and Postsecondary Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Charner, Ivan

The interaction of demographic and economic shifts has led to, and will continue to effect, changes in the postsecondary education system and institutions. Demographic shifts include aging of the population, more women in the paid labor force, and increased numbers of minorities. Economic shifts include the growth of the information sector,…

Qualified nurses' perceptions of nursing graduates' abilities vary according to specific demographic and clinical characteristics. A descriptive quantitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Missen, Karen; McKenna, Lisa; Beauchamp, Alison; Larkins, Jo-Ann

2016-10-01

Evidence from the literature and anecdotally from clinical settings suggests that newly graduated nurses are not fully prepared to be independent practitioners in healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of qualified nurses in relation to the practice readiness of newly registered nursing graduates and determine whether these views differ according to specific demographic characteristics, clinical settings, and geographical locations. A descriptive quantitative design was used. An online survey tool was used to assess how qualified nurses (n=201) in Victoria, Australia, rated newly graduated nurses' abilities on 51 individual clinical skills/competencies in eight key skill areas. A composite score was calculated for each skill area and a comparative analysis was undertaken on the various cohorts of participants according to their demographic and clinical characteristics using one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests. Newly graduated nurses were found to be lacking competence in two key skill areas and were rated as performing adequately in the remaining six skill areas assessed. Significant differences (p≤0.05) in performance were found according to the age of the nurse, number of years registered, the educational setting in which they undertook their nurse education, their role, and the clinical area in which they worked. There were no significant differences according to whether the nurse worked in the private or public healthcare sector. Few differences were found between nurses working in a metropolitan vs. regional/rural healthcare setting. This is the first study to quantify the scale of this problem. Our findings serve as a reference for both nurse education providers and healthcare settings in better preparing nursing graduates to be competent, safe practitioners in all clinical areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preferred information sources for clinical decision making: critical care nurses' perceptions of information accessibility and usefulness.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Andrea P; West, Sandra H; Aitken, Leanne M

2011-12-01

Variability in clinical practice may result from the use of diverse information sources to guide clinical decisions. In routine clinical practice, nurses privilege information from colleagues over more formal information sources. It is not clear whether similar information-seeking behaviour is exhibited when critical care nurses make decisions about a specific clinical practice, where extensive practice variability exists alongside a developing research base. This study explored the preferred sources of information intensive care nurses used and their perceptions of the accessibility and usefulness of this information for making decisions in clinically uncertain situations specific to enteral feeding practice. An instrumental case study design, incorporating concurrent verbal protocols, Q methodology and focus groups, was used to determine intensive care nurses' perspectives of information use in the resolution of clinical uncertainty. A preference for information from colleagues to support clinical decisions was observed. People as information sources were considered most useful and most accessible in the clinical setting. Text and electronic information sources were seen as less accessible, mainly because of the time required to access the information within the documents. When faced with clinical uncertainty, obtaining information from colleagues allows information to be quickly accessed and applied within the context of a specific clinical presentation. Seeking information from others also provides opportunities for shared decision-making and potential validation of clinical judgment, although differing views may exacerbate clinical uncertainty. The social exchange of clinical information may meet the needs of nurses working in a complex, time-pressured environment but the extent of the evidence base for information passed through verbal communication is unclear. The perceived usefulness and accessibility of information is premised on the ease of use and access

Considering context in academic medicine: differences in demographic and professional characteristics and in research productivity and advancement metrics across seven clinical departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, Erica T; Carapinha, René; Weber, Griffin M; Hill, Emorcia V; Reede, Joan Y

2015-08-01

To understand the disciplinary contexts in which faculty work, the authors examined demographics, professional characteristics, research productivity, and advancement across seven clinical departments at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and nationally. HMS analyses included faculty from seven clinical departments-anesthesiology, medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, and surgery-in May 2011 (N = 7,304). National analyses included faculty at 141 U.S. medical schools in the same seven departments as of December 31, 2011 (N = 91,414). The authors used chi-square and Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney tests to compare departmental characteristics. Heterogeneity in demographics, professional characteristics, and advancement across departments was observed in HMS and national data. At HMS, psychiatry had the highest percentage of underrepresented minority faculty at 6.6% (75/1,139). In anesthesiology, 24.2% (128/530) of faculty were Asian, whereas in psychiatry only 7.9% (90/1,139) were (P advancement across clinical departments at HMS and nationally. The context in which faculty work, of which department is a proxy, should be accounted for in research on faculty career outcomes and diversity inclusion in academic medicine.

Epilepsy and quality of life: socio-demographic and clinical aspects, and psychiatric co-morbidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gloria Maria de Almeida Souza Tedrus

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective To study socio-demographic and clinical aspects, as well as psychiatric co-morbidity that influence the quality of life of adult epileptic patients. Methods One hundred and thirty-two individuals diagnosed with epilepsy were evaluated from neurological/clinical and psychiatric points of view and by the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31. Predictive factors for the QOLIE-31 scores were studied. Results The regression analyses indicated the existence of psychiatric co-morbidity (total score, seizure worry, emotional well-being, energy/fatigue, social function and cognitive function and a greater seizure frequency (total score, cognitive function and energy/fatigue as predictive factors for lower scores in the total QOLIE-31 score and in various dimensions. Abnormalities in the neurological exam and poly-therapy with anti-epileptic drugs were negative factors limited to one of the dimensions cognitive function and social function, respectively. Conclusion The presence of psychiatric co-morbidity and a greater seizure frequency were the main factors influencing the quality of life in epileptic patients as evaluated by QOLIE-31.

Demographics in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Ulvestad, James S.

2011-05-01

Astronomy has been undergoing a significant demographic shift over the last several decades, as shown by data presented in the 2000 National Research Council (NRC) report "Federal Funding of Astronomical Research," and the 2010 NRC report, "New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics." For example, the number of advertised postdoctoral positions in astronomy has increased much more rapldly than the number of faculty positions, contributing to a holding pattern of early-career astronomers in multiple postdoctoral positions. This talk will summarize some of the current demographic trends in astronomy, including information about gender and ethnic diversity, and describe some of the possible implications for the future. I thank the members of the Astro2010 Demographics Study Group, as well as numerous white-paper contributors to Astro2010, for providing data and analyses.

Demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics among Meuhedet sick fund mental health referrals.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishkin, Arie; Cohen-Hadad, Gerard; Lang, Michal; Kofler, Esther; Vardi, Yoel; Schrira, Samuel; Heresco-Levy, Uriel

2003-01-01

The role of the sick funds in the delivery of mental health outpatient services is expected to increase in Israel in the near future. Consequently there is an urgent need for assessing relevant parameters of the patient populations and treatment patterns presently characterizing sick fund's mental health delivery frameworks. During a random census month all patients who referred to Kupat Holim Meuhedet mental health services in Jerusalem district completed structured questionnaires including demographic, medical and mental health history data, and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). The professionals who performed the screening assessments filled in a structured questionnaire referring to clinical status parameters, diagnosis and treatment decisions. Eighty-three new referrals were screened during the period studied, out of which 54 (65%) were absorbed within the treatment framework of the sick fund. Women patients were twice as numerous as men. The sample was heterogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics and included relatively high rates of recent physical injury and medical hospitalization. Only approximately 10% of the patients had been referred by their family doctor and only approximately 3% had psychotic disorders. The symptom profile reported was characterized by mild to moderate severity and the most common DSM-IV diagnoses made were depressive, anxiety adjustment and personality disorders. About 50% of the sample was recommended individual psychotherapy and though not mutually exclusive approximately 40% psychotropic medication. Relatively small sample size and catchment area. Before generalization of the findings, larger scale studies are warranted. This pilot study offers a rigorous examination of the content of care of a small sick fund mental health delivery system. Our findings may be instrumental in the development of new services and adaptations to changes in mental health policies.

Demographic and clinical predictors of mortality from highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1 virus infection: CART analysis of international cases.

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Rita B Patel

Full Text Available Human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI A (H5N1 viruses have occurred in 15 countries, with high mortality to date. Determining risk factors for morbidity and mortality from HPAI H5N1 can inform preventive and therapeutic interventions.We included all cases of human HPAI H5N1 reported in World Health Organization Global Alert and Response updates and those identified through a systematic search of multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, including articles in all languages. We abstracted predefined clinical and demographic predictors and mortality and used bivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship of each candidate predictor with mortality. We developed and pruned a decision tree using nonparametric Classification and Regression Tree methods to create risk strata for mortality.We identified 617 human cases of HPAI H5N1 occurring between December 1997 and April 2013. The median age of subjects was 18 years (interquartile range 6-29 years and 54% were female. HPAI H5N1 case-fatality proportion was 59%. The final decision tree for mortality included age, country, per capita government health expenditure, and delay from symptom onset to hospitalization, with an area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC curve of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76-0.86.A model defined by four clinical and demographic predictors successfully estimated the probability of mortality from HPAI H5N1 illness. These parameters highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and may enable early, targeted pharmaceutical therapy and supportive care for symptomatic patients with HPAI H5N1 virus infection.

The Study of the Demographic and Clinical and Laboratory Findings in Naltrexone Poisoning Patients Admitted to Razi Hospital, Rasht, During 2007-08

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Morteza Rahbar Taromsar

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Naltrexone is a competitive opioid receptor antagonist blocking the euphoric effects of exogenous opioids. When used concomitantly with opioids, naltrexone causes severe withdrawal symptoms. The main aim of the study is to determine the symptomatology and outcome of patients who consumed naltrexone in conjunction with an opioid substance. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on the patients hospitalized with history of naltrexone usage coincided with opioid substances at Razi Hospital, Rasht, Iran. The collected data were demographic information, abuse information, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, and therapeutic measures taken. Data analysis was performed by descriptive tests using SPSS software version 16. Results: The mean age of the patients was 33.7±10.2. The majority of the cases were male (95.6% and urban (96.7%. The main cause of withdrawal symptoms in 91.1% of the patients was inappropriate naltrexone usage. The main poisoning agent in 80% of the cases was consumed naltrexone alone. The route of consumption in 90.1% of the cases was oral and in 9.9% the cases was IV injection. The major clinical features were nausea, vomiting, and agitation. The main therapeutic measures were supportive intravenous fluids (94.8% and opioid administration in the form of methadone. The mean hospitalization period was 21.8±18 hours. Conclusion: Severity, clinical course, and outcome of opioid withdrawal by accidental or intentional naltrexone abuse varies greatly among patients and is unpredictable. Common findings upon presentation were gastrointestinal symptoms and agitation and the main therapeutic measures for these patients were support with intravenous fluids and anti-nausea drugs administration as plasil and opioid administration as methadone.

An assessment of treatment guidelines, clinical practices, demographics, and progression of disease among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japan, the United States, and Europe.

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Takei, Koji; Tsuda, Kikumi; Takahashi, Fumihiro; Hirai, Manabu; Palumbo, Joseph

2017-10-01

There is an increasing clinical research focus on neuroprotective agents in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, it is unclear how generalisable clinical study trial results are between different countries and regions. To assess similarities and differences in clinical practice and treatment guidelines for ALS, and also to compare the demographics and rate of progression of disease in patients with ALS enrolled in clinical trials in Japan, the US, and Europe. We performed a review of clinical studies published since 2000 to compare the demographics and characteristics of patients with ALS. Progression of ALS disease was assessed in patients receiving placebo. The changes per month in ALSFRS-R score were calculated and compared between the studies. Overall, diagnostic criteria, recognition of ALS symptoms, comorbidities, use of riluzole, and nutritional, and respiratory support were similar. Regarding demographics and characteristics, there were no clear differences in the incidence of sporadic ALS (range 91-98%), bulbar onset (range 11-41%), and median time from onset to diagnosis (range 9-14 months) among the populations despite the difference in race between regions. However, use of tracheostomy-based invasive respiratory support was higher in Japan (29-38%) than in the US (4%) and Europe (1-31%). Rate of progression of disease was similar between the US and Europe study populations (range -0.89 to -1.60 points/month), and the Japanese study populations (range -1.03 to -1.21 points/month). There is evidence to support the generalisability of data from the Japanese ALS trial experience to the US and Europe populations in early to mid-stage of ALS.

The digital divide: Examining socio-demographic factors associated with health literacy, access and use of internet to seek health information.

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Estacio, Emee Vida; Whittle, Rebecca; Protheroe, Joanne

2017-02-01

This article aims to examine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with access and use of Internet for health-related purposes and its relationship with health literacy. Data were drawn from a health literacy survey ( N = 1046) and analysed using logistic regression. Results show a strong association between health literacy, internet access and use. Socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, education, income, perceived health and social isolation also predict internet access. Thus, in addition to widening access, the movement towards digitisation of health information and services should also consider digital skills development to enable people to utilise digital technology more effectively, especially among traditionally hard-to-reach communities.

Sexual Risk Behavior Among Youth With Bipolar Disorder: Identifying Demographic and Clinical Risk Factors.

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Krantz, Megan; Goldstein, Tina; Rooks, Brian; Merranko, John; Liao, Fangzi; Gill, Mary Kay; Diler, Rasim; Hafeman, Danella; Ryan, Neal; Goldstein, Benjamin; Yen, Shirley; Hower, Heather; Hunt, Jeffrey; Keller, Martin; Strober, Michael; Axelson, David; Birmaher, Boris

2018-02-01

This study aims to document rates of sexual activity among youth with bipolar spectrum disorder (BD) and to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with first sexual activity and sexual risk behavior during follow-up. The sample was drawn from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) study of 413 youth 7 to 17 years at baseline who met criteria for bipolar spectrum disorder according to the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children. Psychiatric symptoms during follow-up were assessed using the Adolescent Longitudinal Interview Follow-Up Evaluation (ALIFE). Sexual behavior and level of sexual risk (e.g., unprotected sex, multiple partners, and/or partners with known sexually transmitted infections) were assessed by trained evaluators using the ALIFE Psychosocial Functioning Scale. Analyses were conducted in relation to first sexual behavior during follow-up and then to subsequent sexual behaviors (mean 9.7 years, standard deviation 3.2). Sexually active COBY youth (n = 292 of 413; 71%) were more likely females, using substances, and not living with both parents. Consistent with findings among healthy youth, earlier first sexual activity in the sample was significantly associated with low socioeconomic status, female sex, comorbid disruptive behavior disorder, and substance use. As with healthy youth, sexual risk behavior during follow-up was significantly associated with non-Caucasian race, low socioeconomic status, substance use, and history of sexual abuse. Of those COBY youth who were sexually active, 11% reported sexual assault or abuse, 36% reported becoming pregnant (or the significant other becoming pregnant), and 15% reported having at least 1 abortion (or the significant other having an abortion) during follow-up. Hypomanic symptoms during follow-up were temporally associated with the greatest risk for sexual risk behavior. Demographic and clinical factors could help identify youth with bipolar spectrum

Demographics as predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A meta-analysis.

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Xieyining Huang

Full Text Available Certain demographic factors have long been cited to confer risk or protection for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, many studies have found weak or non-significant effects. Determining the effect strength and clinical utility of demographics as predictors is crucial for suicide risk assessment and theory development. As such, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effect strength and clinical utility of demographics as predictors.We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, and GoogleScholar for studies published before January 1st, 2015. Inclusion criteria required that studies use at least one demographic factor to longitudinally predict suicide ideation, attempt, or death. The initial search yielded 2,541 studies, 159 of which were eligible. A total of 752 unique statistical tests were included in analysis.Suicide death was the most commonly studied outcome, followed by attempt and ideation. The average follow-up length was 9.4 years. The overall effects of demographic factors studied in the field as risk factors were significant but weak, and that of demographic factors studied as protective factors were non-significant. Adjusting for publication bias further reduced effect estimates. No specific demographic factors appeared to be strong predictors. The effects were consistent across multiple moderators.At least within the narrow methodological constraints of the existing literature, demographic factors were statistically significant risk factors, but not protective factors. Even as risk factors, demographics offer very little improvement in predictive accuracy. Future studies that go beyond the limitations of the existing literature are needed to further understand the effects of demographics.

Lichen planopilaris: Demographic, clinical and histopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of 25 cases

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Deren Özcan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Design: Lichen planopilaris (LPP is a type of cicatricial alopecia characterized by autoreactive lymphocytic destruction of the hair follicle. We aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical and histopathological features, and treatment outcomes of patients with LPP. Materials and Methods: Medical reports of 25 patients, who have been diagnosed with LPP according to the clinical and histopathological findings between January 2006 and June 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. The transverse and vertical sections of scalp biopsy specimens were re-evaluated by a pathologist, and the findings were noted. Results: Of the 25 patients, 18 were female and 7 were male, the mean age was 49.8±12.4 years. Eighteen patients had been diagnosed with classic LPP and 7 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA. The alopecia has begun in postmenopausal period in 5 patients with FFA. Alopecia was associated with pruritus, pain and/or burning in 19 patients. Extra-scalp involvement was observed in 11 patients. The most common clinical findings were follicular hyperkeratosis (92%, perifollicular erythema (48%, perifollicular lichenoid papules, and positive hair-pull test (44%. Dermatoscopic examination was performed in 14 patients, and most commonly, absence of follicular openings (100%, perifollicular scales (92.9% and perifollicular erythema (50% were noted. The most common diagnostic histopathological findingsmwere follicular vacuolar and lichenoid degeneration (88% and vacuolar and lichenoid interface changes (56%. Twenty-three patients who were started on treatment received topical, intramuscular and intralesional corticosteroids, topical minoxidil, oral tetracycline, cyclosporine A, and hydroxychloroquine either alone or in combination. Progression of alopecia was prevented and the symptoms and/or signs were reduced in 12 (75% of 16 patients whose follow-up data were available. Conclusion: LPP can be diagnosed accurately through a detailed

Socio-demographic characteristics of a semi-urban community in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: The study revealed that more frequent ad-hoc small-scale intensive surveys are needed to obtain valid, reliable demographic information for planning health intervention programmes and allocation of scarce resources to relevant sectors. KEY WORDS: Socio-Demographic characteristics; Semi urban ...

Demographic variables, clinical aspects, and medicolegal implications in a population of patients with adjustment disorder

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Anastasia A

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Annalisa Anastasia,1 Chiara Colletti,1 Valentina Cuoco,1 Adele Quartini,1 Stefania Urso,2 Raffaella Rinaldi,2 Giuseppe Bersani1 1Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 2Department of Anatomical, Istological, Forensic and Locomotor System Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy Introduction: Although adjustment disorder (AD is considered as residual diagnosis and receives little attention in research, it plays an important role in clinical practice and also assumes an increasingly important role in the field of legal medicine, where the majority of diagnostic frameworks (eg, mobbing often refer to AD. Our study aimed to look for specific stressor differences among demographic and clinical variables in a naturalistic setting of patients with AD.Methods: A restrospective statistical analysis of the data of patients diagnosed with AD from November 2009 to September 2012, identified via manual search from the archive of the outpatient setting at the University Unit of Psychiatry “A. Fiorini” Hospital, Terracina (Latina, Italy, was performed.Results: The sample consisted of 93 patients (46 males and 47 females, aged between 26 and 85, with medium–high educational level who were mainly employed. In most cases (54.80%, a diagnosis of AD with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was made. In all, 72% of the sample reported a negative family history for psychiatric disorders. In 22.60%, a previous history of psychopathology, especially mood disorders (76.19%, was reported. The main stressors linked to the development of AD were represented by working problems (32.30%, family problems (23.70%, and/or somatic disease (22.60% with significant differences with respect to age and sex. Half of the patients were subjected to a single first examination; 24.47% requested a copy of medical records.Conclusion: Confirming previous data from previous reports, our results

Changes in information behavior in clinical teams after introduction of a clinical librarian service

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Urquhart, Christine; Turner, Janet; Durbin, Jane; Ryan, Jean

2007-01-01

Objectives: The eighteen-month evaluation of a clinical librarian project (October 2003–March 2005) conducted in North Wales, United Kingdom (UK) assessed the benefits of clinical librarian support to clinical teams, the impact of mediated searching services, and the effectiveness of information skills training, including journal club support. Methods: The evaluation assessed changes in teams' information-seeking behavior and their willingness to delegate searching to a clinical librarian. Baseline (n = 69 responses, 73% response rate) and final questionnaire (n = 57, 77% response rate) surveys were complemented by telephone and face-to-face interviews (n = 33) among 3 sites served. Those attending information skills training sessions (n = 130) completed evaluations at the session and were surveyed 1 month after training (n = 24 questionnaire responses, n = 12 interviews). Results: Health professionals in clinical teams reported that they were more willing to undertake their own searching, but also more willing to delegate some literature searching, than at the start of the project. The extent of change depended on the team and the type of information required. Information skills training was particularly effective when organized around journal clubs. Conclusions: Collaboration with a clinical librarian increased clinician willingness to seek information. Clinical librarian services should leverage structured training opportunities such as journal clubs. PMID:17252062

Demographic characteristics of MS patients in Poland's upper Silesia region.

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Pierzchala, Krystyna; Adamczyk-Sowa, Monika; Dobrakowski, Pawel; Kubicka-Baczyk, Katarzyna; Niedziela, Natalia; Sowa, Pawel

2015-05-01

In Poland, no national registry of MS patients has yet been introduced. So far, no demographic studies have been conducted in patients with MS in Upper Silesia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, for the first time, a selected demographic and clinical parameters in MS patients from the Upper Silesia region and compare these characteristics with previously published data from other regions of Poland. 640 patients with clinically defined MS, were prospectively and randomly selected for the study. Social, socio-economic, and demographic data were obtained through a questionnaire study. All subjects performed a self-assessment of their health condition using EQ-5D and EQ-VAS version questionnaires. The ratio of women to men was 2.18. The average age of onset was 29.6 ± 11.1 years; the disease duration was 7.9 ± 4.5 years. The relapsing-remitting form of MS was diagnosed in 73.12%. In 71.25% the onset was monofocal and in 28.75% multifocal disease onset was observed. Among the studied population 339 (52.97%) patients were still employed. A mean EQ-VAS score of 66.11 ± 20.12 was calculated. Results from our study identify for the first time the demographic and clinical characteristics of the Upper Silesia MS population.

Country Demographic Profiles: Thailand.

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Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD. Population Div.

This profile of the population of Thailand contains 35 tables of selected demographic information, including size of population and estimates of fertility and mortality, beginning in 1950. An adjusted distribution of the population by age and sex is given for the latest census year, as well as for 1976. Projections of the number of women of…

Extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis: Demographic, clinicoradiological, and inflammatory features.

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Mariana Marcin Sierra

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis (ExPNCC, an infection caused by Taenia solium cysticerci that mainly occurs in the ventricular compartment (Ve or the basal subarachnoid space (SAb, is more severe but less frequent and much less studied than parenchymal neurocysticercosis (ParNCC. Demographic, clinical, radiological, and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid features of patients affected by ExPNCC are herein described and compared with those of ParNCC patients.429 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, attending the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, a tertiary reference center in Mexico City, from 2000 through 2014, were included. Demographic information, signs and symptoms, radiological patterns, and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF laboratory values were retrieved from medical records for all patients. Data were statistically analyzed to assess potential differences depending on cyst location and to determine the effects of age and sex on the disease presentation. In total, 238 ExPNCC and 191 ParNCC patients were included. With respect to parenchymal cysts, extraparenchymal parasites were diagnosed at an older age (P = 0.002, chiefly caused intracranial hypertension (P < 0.0001, were more frequently multiple and vesicular (P < 0.0001, and CSF from these patients showed higher protein concentration and cell count (P < 0.0001. SAb patients were diagnosed at an older age than Ve patients, and showed more frequently seizures, vesicular cysticerci, and higher CSF cellularity. Gender and age modulated some traits of the disease.This study evidenced clear clinical, radiological, and inflammatory differences between ExPNCC and ParNCC, and between SAb and Ve patients, and demonstrated that parasite location determines different pathological entities.

Implications of research staff demographics for psychological science.

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Does, Serena; Ellemers, Naomi; Dovidio, John F; Norman, Jasmine B; Mentovich, Avital; van der Lee, Romy; Goff, Phillip Atiba

2018-03-01

Long-standing research traditions in psychology have established the fundamental impact of social categories, such as race and gender, on people's perceptions of themselves and others, as well as on the general human cognition and behavior. However, there is a general tendency to ignore research staff demographics (e.g., researchers' race and gender) in research development and research reports. Variation in research staff demographics can exert systematic and scientifically informative influences on results from psychological research. Consequently, research staff demographics need to be considered, studied, and/or reported, along with how these demographics were allowed to vary across participants or conditions (e.g., random assignment, matched with participant demographics, or included as a factor in the experimental design). In addition to providing an overview of multidisciplinary evidence of research staff demographics effects, we discuss how research staff demographics might influence research findings through (a) ingroup versus outgroup effects, (b) stereotype and (implicit) bias effects, and (c) priming and social tuning effects. Finally, an overview of recommended considerations is included (see the Appendix) to help illustrate how to systematically incorporate relevant research staff demographics in psychological science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Diagnostic and treatment pathways for men with prostate cancer in Queensland: investigating spatial and demographic inequalities

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Baade Peter D

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patterns of diagnosis and management for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Queensland, Australia, have not yet been systematically documented and so assumptions of equity are untested. This longitudinal study investigates the association between prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment outcomes and key area-level characteristics and individual-level demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors. Methods/Design A total of 1064 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between February 2005 and July 2007 were recruited through hospital-based urology outpatient clinics and private practices in the centres of Brisbane, Townsville and Mackay (82% of those referred. Additional clinical and diagnostic information for all 6609 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Queensland during the study period was obtained via the population-based Queensland Cancer Registry. Respondent data are collected using telephone and self-administered questionnaires at pre-treatment and at 2 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months and 60 months post-treatment. Assessments include demographics, medical history, patterns of care, disease and treatment characteristics together with outcomes associated with prostate cancer, as well as information about quality of life and psychological adjustment. Complementary detailed treatment information is abstracted from participants' medical records held in hospitals and private treatment facilities and collated with health service utilisation data obtained from Medicare Australia. Information about the characteristics of geographical areas is being obtained from data custodians such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Geo-coding and spatial technology will be used to calculate road travel distances from patients' residences to treatment centres. Analyses will be conducted using standard statistical methods along with multilevel regression models including individual and area-level components

Clinical Information Support System (CISS)

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — Clinical Information Support System (CISS) is a web-based portal application that provides a framework of services for the VA enterprise and supplies an integration...

Clinico - demographic factors associated with diarrhoeal disease ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: To determine the proportion of under-5 children presenting with diarrhoeal disease, and the clinicodemographic variables associated with the outcome at the emergency paediatric ward (CHER) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South- East Nigeria. Methods: Clinical and demographic ...

Clinical information in drug package inserts in India

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Shivkar Y

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: It is widely recognized that accurate and reliable product information is essential for the safe and effective use of medications. Pharmaceutical companies are the primary source of most drug information, including package inserts. Package inserts are printed leaflets accompanying marketed drug products and contain information approved by the regulatory agencies. Studies on package inserts in India, in 1996, had shown that crucial information was often missing and they lacked uniformity. Aim: To assess the presentation and completeness of clinically important information provided in the currently available package inserts in India. Materials and Methods: Package inserts accompanying allopathic drug products marketed by pharmaceutical companies in India were collected. These package inserts were analyzed for the content of clinically important information in various sections. Statistical Analysis: The results were expressed as absolute numbers and percentages. Results: Preliminary analyses revealed that most package inserts did contain information under headings, such as, therapeutic indications, contraindications, undesirable effects, etc., listed in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945. The findings indicated considerable improvement in package inserts since 1996. However, on critical evaluation it was revealed that clinically important information was not well presented and was often incomplete. Information with regard to pediatric and geriatric use was present in only 44% and 13% of the package inserts, respectively. Only five of the inserts had information on the most frequent adverse drug reactions associated with the drug. Also, information on interactions and overdosage was often missing. Conclusion: Although the package inserts appear to have improved over the past decade there is still a definite need to further refine the clinical information contained, to minimize the risks to patients. This could be brought about by self

Clinical and demographic factors associated with urinary tract infection in young febrile infants.

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Zorc, Joseph J; Levine, Deborah A; Platt, Shari L; Dayan, Peter S; Macias, Charles G; Krief, William; Schor, Jeffrey; Bank, David; Shaw, Kathy N; Kuppermann, Nathan

2005-09-01

Previous research has identified clinical predictors for urinary tract infection (UTI) to guide urine screening in febrile children or =38 degrees C) infants who were pediatric emergency departments from October through March 1999-2001 were eligible. Clinical appearance was evaluated using the Yale Observation Scale. UTI was defined as growth of a known bacterial pathogen from a catheterized specimen at a level of (1) > or =50000 cfu/mL or (2) > or =10000 cfu/mL in association with a positive dipstick test or urinalysis. We used bivariate tests and multiple logistic regression to identify demographic and clinical factors that were associated with the likelihood of UTI. A total of 1025 (67%) of 1513 eligible patients were enrolled; 9.0% of enrolled infants received a diagnosis of UTI. Uncircumcised male infants had a higher rate of UTI (21.3%) compared with female (5.0%) and circumcised male (2.3%) infants. Infants with maximum recorded temperature of > or =39 degrees C had a higher rate of UTI (16.3%) than other infants (7.2%). After multivariable adjustment, UTI was associated with being uncircumcised (odds ratio: 10.4; bias-corrected 95% confidence interval: 4.7-31.4) and maximum temperature (odds ratio: 2.4 per degrees C; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.6). Factors that were reported previously to be associated with risk for UTI in infants and toddlers, such as white race and ill appearance, were not significantly associated with risk for UTI in this cohort of young infants. Being uncircumcised and height of fever were associated with UTI in febrile infants who were < or =60 days of age. Uncircumcised male infants were at particularly high risk and may warrant a different approach to screening and management.

The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Digital Imaging Network, Picture Archival and Communication System, and Radiology Information System.

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Goldszal, A F; Brown, G K; McDonald, H J; Vucich, J J; Staab, E V

2001-06-01

In this work, we describe the digital imaging network (DIN), picture archival and communication system (PACS), and radiology information system (RIS) currently being implemented at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH). These systems are presently in clinical operation. The DIN is a redundant meshed network designed to address gigabit density and expected high bandwidth requirements for image transfer and server aggregation. The PACS projected workload is 5.0 TB of new imaging data per year. Its architecture consists of a central, high-throughput Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data repository and distributed redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) servers employing fiber-channel technology for immediate delivery of imaging data. On demand distribution of images and reports to clinicians and researchers is accomplished via a clustered web server. The RIS follows a client-server model and provides tools to order exams, schedule resources, retrieve and review results, and generate management reports. The RIS-hospital information system (HIS) interfaces include admissions, discharges, and transfers (ATDs)/demographics, orders, appointment notifications, doctors update, and results.

Random demographic household surveys in highly mobile pastoral communities in Chad.

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Weibel, Daniel; Béchir, Mahamat; Hattendorf, Jan; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Zinsstag, Jakob; Schelling, Esther

2011-05-01

Reliable demographic data is a central requirement for health planning and management, and for the implementation of adequate interventions. This study addresses the lack of demographic data on mobile pastoral communities in the Sahel. A total of 1081 Arab, Fulani and Gorane women and 2541 children (1336 boys and 1205 girls) were interviewed and registered by a biometric fingerprint scanner in five repeated random transect demographic and health surveys conducted from March 2007 to January 2008 in the Lake Chad region in Chad. Important determinants for the planning and implementation of household surveys among mobile pastoral communities include: environmental factors; availability of women for interviews; difficulties in defining "own" children; the need for information-education-communication campaigns; and informed consent of husbands in typically patriarchal societies. Due to their high mobility, only 5% (56/1081) of registered women were encountered twice. Therefore, it was not possible to establish a demographic and health cohort. Prospective demographic and health cohorts are the most accurate method to assess child mortality and other demographic indices. However, their feasibility in a highly mobile pastoral setting remains to be shown. Future interdisciplinary scientific efforts need to target innovative methods, tools and approaches to include marginalized communities in operational health and demographic surveillance systems.

[The informed consent in international clinical trials including developing countries].

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Montenegro Surís, Alexander; Monreal Agüero, Magda Elaine

2008-01-01

The informed consent procedure has been one of the most important controversies of ethical debates about clinical trials in developing countries. In this essay we present our recommendations about important aspects to consider in the informed consent procedure for clinical trials in developing countries. We performed a full publications review identified by MEDLINE using these terms combinations: informed consent, developing countries, less developed countries and clinical trials. To protect volunteers in less developed countries should be valuated the importance of the community in the informed consent proceeding. The signing and dating of the informed consent form is not always the best procedure to document the informed consent. The informed consent form should be written by local translators. Alternative medias of communications could be needed for communicatios of the information to volunteers. Comparing with developed countries the informed consent proceeding in clinical trials in developing countries frequently require additional efforts. The developing of pragmatic researches is needed to implement informed consent proceedings assuring subjects voluntarily in each developing country. The main aspects to define in each clinical trial for each country are the influence of the community, the effective communication of the information, the documentation of the informed consent and local authority's control.

Demographic and health surveillance of mobile pastoralists in Chad: integration of biometric fingerprint identification into a geographical information system.

Science.gov (United States)

Weibel, Daniel; Schelling, Esther; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Utzinger, Jürg; Hattendorf, Jan; Abdoulaye, Mahamat; Madjiade, Toguina; Zinsstag, Jakob

2008-11-01

There is a pressing need for baseline demographic and health-related data to plan, implement and evaluate health interventions in developing countries, and to monitor progress towards international development goals. However, mobile pastoralists, i.e. people who depend on a livestock production system and follow their herds as they move, remain marginalized from rural development plans and interventions. The fact that mobile people are hard to reach and stay in contact with is a plausible reason why they are underrepresented in national censuses and/or alternative sequential sample survey systems. We present a proof-of-concept of monitoring highly mobile, pastoral people by recording demographic and health-related data from 933 women and 2020 children and establishing a biometric identification system (BIS) based on the registration and identification of digital fingerprints. Although only 22 women, representing 2.4% of the total registered women, were encountered twice in the four survey rounds, the approach implemented is shown to be feasible. The BIS described here is linked to a geographical information system to facilitate the creation of the first health and demographic surveillance system in a mobile, pastoralist setting. Our ultimate goal is to implement and monitor interventions with the "one health" concept, thus integrating and improving human, animal and ecosystem health.

Demographic and health surveillance of mobile pastoralists in Chad: integration of biometric fingerprint identification into a geographical information system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Weibel

2008-11-01

Full Text Available There is a pressing need for baseline demographic and health-related data to plan, implement and evaluate health interventions in developing countries, and to monitor progress towards international development goals. However, mobile pastoralists, i.e. people who depend on a livestock production system and follow their herds as they move, remain marginalized from rural development plans and interventions. The fact that mobile people are hard to reach and stay in contact with is a plausible reason why they are underrepresented in national censuses and/or alternative sequential sample survey systems. We present a proof-of-concept of monitoring highly mobile, pastoral people by recording demographic and health-related data from 933 women and 2020 children and establishing a biometric identification system (BIS based on the registration and identification of digital fingerprints. Although only 22 women, representing 2.4% of the total registered women, were encountered twice in the four survey rounds, the approach implemented is shown to be feasible. The BIS described here is linked to a geographical information system to facilitate the creation of the first health and demographic surveillance system in a mobile, pastoralist setting. Our ultimate goal is to implement and monitor interventions with the “one health” concept, thus integrating and improving human, animal and ecosystem health.

[Demographic and clinical features of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Piauí, Brazil--evaluation of 98 patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Maria do Socorro Teixeira Moreira; Almeida, João Vicente Moreira; Bertolo, Manoel Barros

2014-01-01

Brazilian epidemiological studies on rheumatoid arthritis are scarce, mainly in the northeast; thus many data currently available originate from the international literature. To describe demographic, clinical and serological characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) followed-up by the same physician, in state of Piauí, Brazil. Data were collected between August 2010 and March 2013, in three health services of Piauí that provided health care in Rheumatology: a university-affiliated hospital, a public outpatient clinic and a private clinic. The numbers represent mean ± SD or percentage: 47.5±11.03 years-old non-Caucasian woman, non-smoker (59.2%), low educational level, mean disease duration of 7.7 years ± 7.6, and major extra-articular manifestations were rheumatoid nodules (19.4%) and sicca syndrome (46.9%). Features of rheumatoid arthritis obtained in this study are similar to those found in some national and international studies, but we observed higher female preponderance and illiteracy rate, in addition to a moderately severe erosive disease on average, with frequent sicca and other extra-articular manifestations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Investigating the congruence of crowdsourced information with official government data: the case of pediatric clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minki; Jung, Yuchul; Jung, Dain; Hur, Cinyoung

2014-02-03

Health 2.0 is a benefit to society by helping patients acquire knowledge about health care by harnessing collective intelligence. However, any misleading information can directly affect patients' choices of hospitals and drugs, and potentially exacerbate their health condition. This study investigates the congruence between crowdsourced information and official government data in the health care domain and identifies the determinants of low congruence where it exists. In-line with infodemiology, we suggest measures to help the patients in the regions vulnerable to inaccurate health information. We text-mined multiple online health communities in South Korea to construct the data for crowdsourced information on public health services (173,748 messages). Kendall tau and Spearman rank order correlation coefficients were used to compute the differences in 2 ranking systems of health care quality: actual government evaluations of 779 hospitals and mining results of geospecific online health communities. Then we estimated the effect of sociodemographic characteristics on the level of congruence by using an ordinary least squares regression. The regression results indicated that the standard deviation of married women's education (P=.046), population density (P=.01), number of doctors per pediatric clinic (P=.048), and birthrate (P=.002) have a significant effect on the congruence of crowdsourced data (adjusted R²=.33). Specifically, (1) the higher the birthrate in a given region, (2) the larger the variance in educational attainment, (3) the higher the population density, and (4) the greater the number of doctors per clinic, the more likely that crowdsourced information from online communities is congruent with official government data. To investigate the cause of the spread of misleading health information in the online world, we adopted a unique approach by associating mining results on hospitals from geospecific online health communities with the sociodemographic

Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients referred to psychiatric unit in a tertiary care hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousafzai, A.W.; Kazim, M.; Jehangiri, A.U.R.

2015-01-01

Very few studies from Pakistan have examined the profile of patients seen by psychiatrists in general hospital. The aim of this research is to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients referred to the psychiatric unit of a general hospital over a one year period. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, from January 1st to December 31st 2012. All patients being referred to psychiatry were included in the study over one year period. The information was recorded on a structured questionnaire and analysed the data using SPSS-19.0. Results: Out of the 105 patients referred to the psychiatric unit, 74 (72.3%) were females. A total of 69 (68.5%) patients were married. More than half were uneducated and only number 4 (3%) patients had university qualification. Housewives made up 64.4% of the patient population followed by students (11%). Majority 55 (53%) had less than Rs. 5000/ monthly income. About 30% patients were shifted to psychiatry ward while, nearly one tenth were discharged. In 35% cases the psychiatrist was asked to help in the management, while in 50% cases only opinion was sought. Aggressive and threatening behaviour was source of concern in majority of patients for the primary team while 34% exhibited suicidal behaviour. Depression was most frequent diagnosis in 45 43% patients, followed by conversion disorder 19 (17%) and delirium 16 (14%). Conclusion: The rate of psychiatric referrals is dismal with only one third of the patients being transferred to the psychiatric ward. The major psychiatric diagnosis was depression. Patients with aggressive and threatening behaviour were more frequently referred. (author)

Using Twitter data for demographic research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilek Yildiz

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Social media data is a promising source of social science data. However, deriving the demographic characteristics of users and dealing with the nonrandom, nonrepresentative populations from which they are drawn represent challenges for social scientists. Objective: Given the growing use of social media data in social science research, this paper asks two questions: 1 To what extent are findings obtained with social media data generalizable to broader populations, and 2 what is the best practice for estimating demographic information from Twitter data? Methods: Our analyses use information gathered from 979,992 geo-located Tweets sent by 22,356 unique users in South East England between 23 June and 4 July 2014. We estimate demographic characteristics of the Twitter users with the crowd-sourcing platform CrowdFlower and the image-recognition software Face++. To evaluate bias in the data, we run a series of log-linear models with offsets and calibrate the nonrepresentative sample of Twitter users with mid-year population estimates for South East England. Results: CrowdFlower proves to be more accurate than Face++ for the measurement of age, whereas both tools are highly reliable for measuring the sex of Twitter users. The calibration exercise allows bias correction in the age-, sex-, and location-specific population counts obtained from the Twitter population by augmenting Twitter data with mid-year population estimates. Contribution: The paper proposes best practices for estimating Twitter users' basic demographic characteristics and a calibration method to address the selection bias in the Twitter population, allowing researchers to generalize findings based on Twitter to the general population.

Exploring the structure and organization of information within nursing clinical handovers.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Maree; Jefferies, Diana; Nicholls, Daniel

2012-10-01

Clinical handover is the primary source of patient information for nurses; however, inadequate information transfer compromises patient safety. We investigated the content and organization of information conveyed at 81 handovers. A structure that captures and presents the information transferred at handover emerged: identification of the patient and clinical risks, clinical history/presentation, clinical status, care plan and outcomes/goals of care (ICCCO). This approach covers essential information while allowing for prioritization of information when required. Further research into the impact of ICCCO on patient safety is in progress. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The effect of socio-demographic factors and sources of sex ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of socio-demographic factors and sources of sex information on romantic love levels among Jimma university students. ... Socio-demographic factors including gender, religion, ethnicity, place of origin (urban/rural), and level of education did not have a statistically significant effect on the romantic love level of the ...

Information on blinding in registered records of clinical trials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viergever Roderik F

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Information on blinding is part of the data that should be provided upon registration of a trial at a clinical trials registry. Reporting of blinding is often absent or of low quality in published articles of clinical trials. This study researched the presence and quality of information on blinding in registered records of clinical trials and highlights the important role of data-recording formats at clinical trial registries in ensuring high-quality registration.

Serbian demographers on demography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rašević Mirjana

2013-01-01

ageing were singled out the most as significant for examining in the immediate future. The inclusion of Stanovništvo on the Science Citation Information Journal List and expanding the circle of authors were the basic recommendations of the respondents regarding better quality of the journal. All interviewed experts mentioned various kinds of knowledge and characteristics necessary for demographers to posses in order to be successful. Contrary to the homogeneous opinion that a demographer should be a superior-researcher, a wide range of responses were given to the question regarding selecting the best indicator for determining the successfulness of researchers in the study of population. As many as eight out of ten interviewed experts believe population ageing is the greatest population challenge which Serbia is facing. However, a low level of consensus appeared among the demographers as regards the range of the political response. Namely, five experts declared they were pessimists in view of the possibilities for mitigating the challenge they singled out. On the contrary, five interviewed experts expressed optimism, as they believe in the economic development of Serbia, the possibilities of institutional adjustments to demographic changes, and/or in man and his rationality. Conclusion: Demographers in Serbia highly appreciate the discipline they belong to. At the same time they are strict critics and have high expectations in all matters dealing with demography. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 47006: Istraživanje demografskih fenomena u funkciji javnih politika u Srbiji

Random demographic household surveys in highly mobile pastoral communities in Chad

Science.gov (United States)

Béchir, Mahamat; Hattendorf, Jan; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Zinsstag, Jakob; Schelling, Esther

2011-01-01

Abstract Problem Reliable demographic data is a central requirement for health planning and management, and for the implementation of adequate interventions. This study addresses the lack of demographic data on mobile pastoral communities in the Sahel. Approach A total of 1081 Arab, Fulani and Gorane women and 2541 children (1336 boys and 1205 girls) were interviewed and registered by a biometric fingerprint scanner in five repeated random transect demographic and health surveys conducted from March 2007 to January 2008 in the Lake Chad region in Chad. Local setting Important determinants for the planning and implementation of household surveys among mobile pastoral communities include: environmental factors; availability of women for interviews; difficulties in defining “own” children; the need for information-education-communication campaigns; and informed consent of husbands in typically patriarchal societies. Relevant changes Due to their high mobility, only 5% (56/1081) of registered women were encountered twice. Therefore, it was not possible to establish a demographic and health cohort. Lessons learnt Prospective demographic and health cohorts are the most accurate method to assess child mortality and other demographic indices. However, their feasibility in a highly mobile pastoral setting remains to be shown. Future interdisciplinary scientific efforts need to target innovative methods, tools and approaches to include marginalized communities in operational health and demographic surveillance systems. PMID:21556307

Socio-demographic, Clinical and Laboratory Features of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Children Treated in Pediatric Clinic

Science.gov (United States)

Azemi, Mehmedali; Berisha, Majlinda; Ismaili-Jaha, Vlora; Kolgeci, Selim; Avdiu, Muharrem; Jakupi, Xhevat; Hoxha, Rina; Hoxha-Kamberi, Teuta

2013-01-01

Aim: The aim of work was presentation of several socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus. The examinees and methods: The examinees were children under the age of five years treated at the Pediatric Clinic due to acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus. Rotavirus is isolated by method chromatographic immunoassay by Cer Test Biotec. Results: From the total number of patients (850) suffering from acute gastroenteritis, feces test on bacteria, viruses. protozoa and fungi was positive in 425 (49.76%) cases. From this number the test on bacteria was positive in 248 (58.62%) cases, on viruses it was positive in 165 (39.0%), on protozoa in 9 (2.12%) cases and on fungi only one case. Rotavirus was the most frequent one in viral test, it was isolated in 142 (86.06%) cases, adenoviruses were found in 9 (5.45%) cases and noroviruses in only one case. The same feces sample that contained rotavirus and adenoviruses were isolated in five cases, whereas rotavirus with bacteria was isolated in the same feces sample in five cases. The biggest number of cases 62 (43.66%) were of the age 6-12 months, whereas the smallest number 10 (7.04%) cases were of the age 37-60 months. There were 76 (53.52%) of cases of male gender, from rural areas there were 81 (57.04%) cases and there were 58 (40.80%) cases during the summer period. Among the clinical symptoms the most prominent were diarrhea, vomiting, high temperature, whereas the different degree of dehydration were present in all cases (the most common one was moderate dehydration). The most frequent one was isonatremic dehydration in 91 (64.08%) cases, less frequent one was hypernatremic dehydration in 14 (9.85%) cases. The majority of cases (97.89%) had lower blood pH values, whereas 67 (47.17%) cases had pH values that varied from 7.16 -7.20 (curve peak), normal values were registered in only 3 (2.11%) cases. Urea values were increased in 45 (31.07%) cases (the maximum value

Tools in a clinical information system supporting clinical trials at a Swiss University Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Michael; Bucklar, Guido; Blaser, Jürg

2014-12-01

Issues concerning inadequate source data of clinical trials rank second in the most common findings by regulatory authorities. The increasing use of electronic clinical information systems by healthcare providers offers an opportunity to facilitate and improve the conduct of clinical trials and the source documentation. We report on a number of tools implemented into the clinical information system of a university hospital to support clinical research. In 2011/2012, a set of tools was developed in the clinical information system of the University Hospital Zurich to support clinical research, including (1) a trial registry for documenting metadata on the clinical trials conducted at the hospital, (2) a patient-trial-assignment-tool to tag patients in the electronic medical charts as participants of specific trials, (3) medical record templates for the documentation of study visits and trial-related procedures, (4) online queries on trials and trial participants, (5) access to the electronic medical records for clinical monitors, (6) an alerting tool to notify of hospital admissions of trial participants, (7) queries to identify potentially eligible patients in the planning phase as trial feasibility checks and during the trial as recruitment support, and (8) order sets to facilitate the complete and accurate performance of study visit procedures. The number of approximately 100 new registrations per year in the voluntary trial registry in the clinical information system now matches the numbers of the existing mandatory trial registry of the hospital. Likewise, the yearly numbers of patients tagged as trial participants as well as the use of the standardized trial record templates increased to 2408 documented trial enrolments and 190 reports generated/month in the year 2013. Accounts for 32 clinical monitors have been established in the first 2 years monitoring a total of 49 trials in 16 clinical departments. A total of 15 months after adding the optional feature of

Socio-demographic and clinical correlates of lifetime suicide attempts and their impact on quality of life in Chinese schizophrenia patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yu-Tao; Weng, Yong-Zhen; Leung, Chi-Ming; Tang, Wai-Kwong; Ungvari, Gabor Sandor

2008-05-01

This study determines the socio-demographic and clinical correlates of suicide attempts in Chinese schizophrenia outpatients and their impact on patients' quality of life (QOL). Two hundred and fifty-five clinically stable schizophrenia outpatients were randomly selected in Hong Kong (HK) and their counterparts matched according to sex, age, age at onset and length of illness were recruited in Beijing (BJ). All subjects at both sites were interviewed by the same investigator using standardized assessment instruments. Basic socio-demographic and clinical data and history of suicide attempts were collected. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts was 26.7% in the whole sample and 20% and 33.6% in the HK and BJ samples, respectively. Patients with a history of suicide attempts were less likely to receive depot antipsychotic (AP) medication, more likely to receive clozapine, benzodiazepines (BZD) and higher doses of APs; were younger at onset, had more hospitalizations; had more severe positive, depressive, anxiety and extrapyramidal (EPS) symptoms; were poorer QOL in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains; and were more likely to be BJ residents. In multiple logistic regression analysis, early age at onset, poor physical QOL, use of clozapine and BZDs, and study site (HK vs BJ) were significant contributors to lifetime suicide attempts. Significant difference was found between matched samples in HK and BJ with respect to suicide attempts. HK is a cosmopolitan city with a Western social structure and mental health system, whereas in BJ more traditional Chinese cultural values predominate, with a mental health policy radically different from that of HK. These differences suggest that socio-cultural factors play a significant role in determining suicide attempts in schizophrenia.

PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA AND ITS SOCIO - DEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINANTS IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

OpenAIRE

Prabhjot Singh; Swati; Rajat; Urvahi; Karnika; Isha; Navsangeet; Arihant

2015-01-01

AIM: Prevalence of anemia and its socio - demographic determinants in pregnant women at a tertiary care hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan . MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the pregnant women aged 25 to 35 years , registered at antenatal clinic at Department of Obstetrics an d Gynaecology , Mahatma Gandhi Medical College , Jaipur were included. A predesigned and pre tested questionnaire was used to elicit the information. Various possible causes of anaemi...

Patient representatives? views on patient information in clinical cancer trials

OpenAIRE

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-01-01

Background Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives? views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. Methods Written patient information leaflet...

Risk adjustment models for interhospital comparison of CS rates using Robson's ten group classification system and other socio-demographic and clinical variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Colais, Paola; Fantini, Maria P; Fusco, Danilo; Carretta, Elisa; Stivanello, Elisa; Lenzi, Jacopo; Pieri, Giulia; Perucci, Carlo A

2012-06-21

Caesarean section (CS) rate is a quality of health care indicator frequently used at national and international level. The aim of this study was to assess whether adjustment for Robson's Ten Group Classification System (TGCS), and clinical and socio-demographic variables of the mother and the fetus is necessary for inter-hospital comparisons of CS rates. The study population includes 64,423 deliveries in Emilia-Romagna between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004, classified according to theTGCS. Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted hospital relative risks of CS compared to a reference category. Analyses were carried out in the overall population and separately according to the Robson groups (groups I, II, III, IV and V-X combined). Adjusted relative risks (RR) of CS were estimated using two risk-adjustment models; the first (M1) including the TGCS group as the only adjustment factor; the second (M2) including in addition demographic and clinical confounders identified using a stepwise selection procedure. Percentage variations between crude and adjusted RRs by hospital were calculated to evaluate the confounding effect of covariates. The percentage variations from crude to adjusted RR proved to be similar in M1 and M2 model. However, stratified analyses by Robson's classification groups showed that residual confounding for clinical and demographic variables was present in groups I (nulliparous, single, cephalic, ≥37 weeks, spontaneous labour) and III (multiparous, excluding previous CS, single, cephalic, ≥37 weeks, spontaneous labour) and IV (multiparous, excluding previous CS, single, cephalic, ≥37 weeks, induced or CS before labour) and to a minor extent in groups II (nulliparous, single, cephalic, ≥37 weeks, induced or CS before labour) and IV (multiparous, excluding previous CS, single, cephalic, ≥37 weeks, induced or CS before labour). The TGCS classification is useful for inter-hospital comparison of CS section rates, but

Patient representatives' views on patient information in clinical cancer trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-01-01

of future simplified and more attractive informed consent forms. CONCLUSIONS: The emotional and cognitive responses to written patient information reported by patient representatives provides a basis for revised formats in future trials and add to the body of information that support use of plain language......BACKGROUND: Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed...... consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives' views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. METHODS: Written patient information leaflets used in four clinical trials for colorectal cancer were used for the study. The trials included phase I...

Socio-demographic and clinical features of Irish iatrogenic hepatitis C patients: a cross-sectional survey.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McKenna, Olivia

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: A discrete sub-group of iatrogenically-acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals exists in the Irish population on whom limited current research data is available. The aim of this study was to establish a current profile of the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the Irish iatrogenic hepatitis C population and to determine factors predicting symptoms experienced. METHODS: An anonymous, national, cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore this populations\\' self-reported health and social attributes. Data were collected on 290 respondents. RESULTS: Mean time since infection was 26 years. Eighty-four percent (n = 237) of respondents were female (mean age = 55.9 +\\/- 9.6 years). Hepatic and extra-hepatic symptoms were common (62% and 99% respectively). Fatigue and pain were frequent complaints while 89% reported diagnosed co-morbid disease. On logistic regression, female gender, age and co-morbid disease emerged as independent predictors of self-reported symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study describes the current status of the iatrogenically infected patient cohort in Ireland, adding to existing knowledge regarding the clinical course and consequences of HCV infection. Changing healthcare needs were shown by comparison with earlier surveys in this same population, in terms of disease progression, development of co-morbid disease and ageing.

Socio-economic and demographic factors related to HIV status in urban informal settlements in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenkamp, Liana; Venter, Danie; Walsh, Corinna; Dana, Pelisa

2014-09-01

The prevalence of HIV&AIDS is embedded in social and economic inequity and the relationship between social determinants and HIV incidence is well established. The aim of this study was to determine which socio-economic and demographic factors are related to HIV status in the age group 18 to 49 years in informal settlements in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 informal settlements (n = 752) during March 2013 within the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City districts. A proportional cluster sample was selected and stratified by area and formal plot/squatter households in open areas. Respondents who volunteered to participate had to provide informed written consent before trained, bilingual peer educators interviewed them and completed the structured questionnaire. HIV status was determined and information on demographic and socio-economic variables was included in the bivariate analysis. The prevalence of HIV was higher, at 17.3%, than the 2011 estimated national prevalence among the general population in South Africa. The level of education (χ(2) = 5.50, df = 1, p < 0.05), geographical site (χ(2) = 7.41, df = 2, p < 0.05), gender (χ(2) = 33.10, df = 1, p < 0.0005), household food insecurity (χ(2) = 4.77, df = 1, p < 0.05), cooking with cast iron pots (χ(2) = 15.0, df = 3, p < 0.05) and availability of perceived 'wealth' indicators like mobile telephones and refrigerators (χ(2) = 9.67, df = 2, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with HIV-status. No significant associations could be demonstrated between household income, the number of people living in the household and the availability of electricity/water and HIV status. As the observed levels of HIV prevalence underlined gender bias and failure to graduate from high school, future interventions should focus on HIV prevention in female schoolchildren. However, HIV infection is also prevalent among wealthier individuals in informal settlements, which indicates that

Clinical and Demographic Factors Associated with the Cognitive and Emotional Efficacy of Regular Musical Activities in Dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Särkämö, Teppo; Laitinen, Sari; Numminen, Ava; Kurki, Merja; Johnson, Julene K; Rantanen, Pekka

2016-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that music-based interventions can be beneficial in maintaining cognitive, emotional, and social functioning in persons with dementia (PWDs). Our aim was to determine how clinical, demographic, and musical background factors influence the cognitive and emotional efficacy of caregiver-implemented musical activities in PWDs. In a randomized controlled trial, 89 PWD-caregiver dyads received a 10-week music coaching intervention involving either singing or music listening or standard care. Extensive neuropsychological testing and mood and quality of life (QoL) measures were performed before and after the intervention (n = 84) and six months later (n = 74). The potential effects of six key background variables (dementia etiology and severity, age, care situation, singing/instrument playing background) on the outcome of the intervention were assessed. Singing was beneficial especially in improving working memory in PWDs with mild dementia and in maintaining executive function and orientation in younger PWDs. Music listening was beneficial in supporting general cognition, working memory, and QoL especially in PWDs with moderate dementia not caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD) who were in institutional care. Both music interventions alleviated depression especially in PWDs with mild dementia and AD. The musical background of the PWD did not influence the efficacy of the music interventions. Our findings suggest that clinical and demographic factors can influence the cognitive and emotional efficacy of caregiver-implemented musical activities and are, therefore, recommended to take into account when applying and developing the intervention to achieve the greatest benefit.

Epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of 47 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease from Saudi Arabia: a descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Assiri, Abdullah; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A; Al-Rabeeah, Abdullah A; Al-Rabiah, Fahad A; Al-Hajjar, Sami; Al-Barrak, Ali; Flemban, Hesham; Al-Nassir, Wafa N; Balkhy, Hanan H; Al-Hakeem, Rafat F; Makhdoom, Hatem Q; Zumla, Alimuddin I; Memish, Ziad A

2013-09-01

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a new human disease caused by a novel coronavirus (CoV). Clinical data on MERS-CoV infections are scarce. We report epidemiological, demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of 47 cases of MERS-CoV infections, identify knowledge gaps, and define research priorities. We abstracted and analysed epidemiological, demographic, clinical, and laboratory data from confirmed cases of sporadic, household, community, and health-care-associated MERS-CoV infections reported from Saudi Arabia between Sept 1, 2012, and June 15, 2013. Cases were confirmed as having MERS-CoV by real-time RT-PCR. 47 individuals (46 adults, one child) with laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV disease were identified; 36 (77%) were male (male:female ratio 3·3:1). 28 patients died, a 60% case-fatality rate. The case-fatality rate rose with increasing age. Only two of the 47 cases were previously healthy; most patients (45 [96%]) had underlying comorbid medical disorders, including diabetes (32 [68%]), hypertension (16 [34%]), chronic cardiac disease (13 [28%]), and chronic renal disease (23 [49%]). Common symptoms at presentation were fever (46 [98%]), fever with chills or rigors (41 [87%]), cough (39 [83%]), shortness of breath (34 [72%]), and myalgia (15 [32%]). Gastrointestinal symptoms were also frequent, including diarrhoea (12 [26%]), vomiting (ten [21%]), and abdominal pain (eight [17%]). All patients had abnormal findings on chest radiography, ranging from subtle to extensive unilateral and bilateral abnormalities. Laboratory analyses showed raised concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (23 [49%]) and aspartate aminotransferase (seven [15%]) and thrombocytopenia (17 [36%]) and lymphopenia (16 [34%]). Disease caused by MERS-CoV presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations and is associated with substantial mortality in admitted patients who have medical comorbidities. Major gaps in our knowledge of the epidemiology, community prevalence

Clinical Simulation and Workflow by use of two Clinical Information Systems, the Electronic Health Record and Digital Dictation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou Jensen, Iben; Koldby, Sven

2013-01-01

digital dictation and the EHR (electronic health record) were simulated in realistic and controlled clinical environments. Useful information dealing with workflow and patient safety were obtained. The clinical simulation demonstrated that the EHR locks during use of the integration of digital dictation......Clinical information systems do not always support clinician workflows. An increasing number of unintended clinical inci-dents might be related to implementation of clinical infor-mation systems and to a new registration praxis of unin-tended clinical incidents. Evidence of performing clinical...... simulations before implementation of new clinical information systems provides the basis for use of this method. The intention has been to evaluate patient safety issues, functionality, workflow, and usefulness of a new solution before implementation in the hospitals. Use of a solution which integrates...

The IL--6 dependent effect of oral warfarin in heart valve replacement patients by measuring interacting clinical and demographic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiq, H.; Rashid, A.; Majeed, A.; Razah, S.; Asghar, I.

2016-01-01

Objective: To examine an inflammatory effect of warfarin and comparing with IL-6 levels along with different demographic and clinical variables. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Center of Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine (CREAM), Army Medical College/National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad from Oct 2013 to Oct 2015. Material and Methods: The study design was Quasi Experimental study. Samples were collected by Non probability convenience sampling. Total 76 patients were included according to warfarin dose response in warfarin therapy patients, i.e. 32(42 percent) were taking 10mg/day of warfarin dose. Patient's demographic and clinical variables were noted i.e. age, gender, BMI, duration of therapy, INR history, hepatic, gastrointestinal and diabetic complications. Human IL-6 ELISA assay was performed. Results: The statistically significant difference was found between age groups (in years) and different levels of warfarin dose (p=0.046) along with IL-6 production. There is a negative correlation between warfarin dose and age group i.e. as age increases, the dose of warfarin decreases. Among the inter and intra-patient variability age and serum IL-6 levels were found to be statistically significant with warfarin dose response. BMI and warfarin dose were found to be weak positively correlated. Conclusion: A marked immunomodulatory response of warfarin was noted by measuring IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels retained a significant association with warfarin dose. (author)

Development of a clinical data warehouse from an intensive care clinical information system.

Science.gov (United States)

de Mul, Marleen; Alons, Peter; van der Velde, Peter; Konings, Ilse; Bakker, Jan; Hazelzet, Jan

2012-01-01

There are relatively few institutions that have developed clinical data warehouses, containing patient data from the point of care. Because of the various care practices, data types and definitions, and the perceived incompleteness of clinical information systems, the development of a clinical data warehouse is a challenge. In order to deal with managerial and clinical information needs, as well as educational and research aims that are important in the setting of a university hospital, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands, developed a data warehouse incrementally. In this paper we report on the in-house development of an integral part of the data warehouse specifically for the intensive care units (ICU-DWH). It was modeled using Atos Origin Metadata Frame method. The paper describes the methodology, the development process and the content of the ICU-DWH, and discusses the need for (clinical) data warehouses in intensive care. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient representatives' views on patient information in clinical cancer trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-02-01

Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives' views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. Written patient information leaflets used in four clinical trials for colorectal cancer were used for the study. The trials included phase I-III trials, randomized and non-randomized trials that evaluated chemotherapy/targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and palliative settings. Data were collected through focus groups and were analysed using inductive content analysis. Two major themes emerged: emotional responses and cognitive responses. Subthemes related to the former included individual preferences and perceptions of effect, while subthemes related to the latter were comprehensibility and layout. Based on these observations the patient representatives provided suggestions for improvement, which largely included development of future simplified and more attractive informed consent forms. The emotional and cognitive responses to written patient information reported by patient representatives provides a basis for revised formats in future trials and add to the body of information that support use of plain language, structured text and illustrations to improve the informed consent process and thereby patient enrolment into clinical trials.

MedTime: a temporal information extraction system for clinical narratives.

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Lin, Yu-Kai; Chen, Hsinchun; Brown, Randall A

2013-12-01

Temporal information extraction from clinical narratives is of critical importance to many clinical applications. We participated in the EVENT/TIMEX3 track of the 2012 i2b2 clinical temporal relations challenge, and presented our temporal information extraction system, MedTime. MedTime comprises a cascade of rule-based and machine-learning pattern recognition procedures. It achieved a micro-averaged f-measure of 0.88 in both the recognitions of clinical events and temporal expressions. We proposed and evaluated three time normalization strategies to normalize relative time expressions in clinical texts. The accuracy was 0.68 in normalizing temporal expressions of dates, times, durations, and frequencies. This study demonstrates and evaluates the integration of rule-based and machine-learning-based approaches for high performance temporal information extraction from clinical narratives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Public information about clinical trials and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Plétan, Yannick; Zannad, Faïez; Jaillon, Patrice

2003-01-01

Be it to restore the confused image of clinical research in relation to the lay public, or to develop new ways of accruing healthy volunteers or patients for clinical trials, there is a need to draft some guidance on how best to provide information on research. Although the French legal and regulatory armamentarium in this area is essentially liberal, there is currently little-justified reluctance among study sponsors to advertise publicly. A group of academic and pharmaceutical industry researchers, assembled for a workshop, together with regulators, journalists, representatives from ethics committees, social security, patient and health consumer groups and other French institutional bodies, has suggested the following series of recommendations: there is no need for additional legal or regulatory constraints; sponsors should be aware of and make use of direct public information on trials; a 'good practice charter' on public communication about clinical trials should be developed; all professionals should be involved in this communication platform; communication in the patient's immediate vicinity should be preferred (primary-care physician, local press); clinical databases and websites accessible to professionals, but also to patients and non-professionals, should be developed; genuine instruction on clinical trials for physicians and health professionals unfamiliar with such trials should be developed and disseminated; media groups should receive at least some training in the fundamentals of clinical research.

The re-identification risk of Canadians from longitudinal demographics

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background The public is less willing to allow their personal health information to be disclosed for research purposes if they do not trust researchers and how researchers manage their data. However, the public is more comfortable with their data being used for research if the risk of re-identification is low. There are few studies on the risk of re-identification of Canadians from their basic demographics, and no studies on their risk from their longitudinal data. Our objective was to estimate the risk of re-identification from the basic cross-sectional and longitudinal demographics of Canadians. Methods Uniqueness is a common measure of re-identification risk. Demographic data on a 25% random sample of the population of Montreal were analyzed to estimate population uniqueness on postal code, date of birth, and gender as well as their generalizations, for periods ranging from 1 year to 11 years. Results Almost 98% of the population was unique on full postal code, date of birth and gender: these three variables are effectively a unique identifier for Montrealers. Uniqueness increased for longitudinal data. Considerable generalization was required to reach acceptably low uniqueness levels, especially for longitudinal data. Detailed guidelines and disclosure policies on how to ensure that the re-identification risk is low are provided. Conclusions A large percentage of Montreal residents are unique on basic demographics. For non-longitudinal data sets, the three character postal code, gender, and month/year of birth represent sufficiently low re-identification risk. Data custodians need to generalize their demographic information further for longitudinal data sets. PMID:21696636

[Development and clinical evaluation of an anesthesia information management system].

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jing-yi; Chen, Hua; Zhu, Sheng-mei

2010-09-21

To study the design, implementation and clinical evaluation of an anesthesia information management system. To record, process and store peri-operative patient data automatically, all kinds of bedside monitoring equipments are connected into the system based on information integrating technology; after a statistical analysis of those patient data by data mining technology, patient status can be evaluated automatically based on risk prediction standard and decision support system, and then anesthetist could perform reasonable and safe clinical processes; with clinical processes electronically recorded, standard record tables could be generated, and clinical workflow is optimized, as well. With the system, kinds of patient data could be collected, stored, analyzed and archived, kinds of anesthesia documents could be generated, and patient status could be evaluated to support clinic decision. The anesthesia information management system is useful for improving anesthesia quality, decreasing risk of patient and clinician, and aiding to provide clinical proof.

Using Twitter for Demographic and Social Science Research: Tools for Data Collection and Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Tyler H; Lee, Hedwig; Cesare, Nina; Shojaie, Ali; Spiro, Emma S

2017-08-01

Despite recent and growing interest in using Twitter to examine human behavior and attitudes, there is still significant room for growth regarding the ability to leverage Twitter data for social science research. In particular, gleaning demographic information about Twitter users-a key component of much social science research-remains a challenge. This article develops an accurate and reliable data processing approach for social science researchers interested in using Twitter data to examine behaviors and attitudes, as well as the demographic characteristics of the populations expressing or engaging in them. Using information gathered from Twitter users who state an intention to not vote in the 2012 presidential election, we describe and evaluate a method for processing data to retrieve demographic information reported by users that is not encoded as text (e.g., details of images) and evaluate the reliability of these techniques. We end by assessing the challenges of this data collection strategy and discussing how large-scale social media data may benefit demographic researchers.

Neuromyelitis Optica and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients in Turkish Cohort: Demographic, Clinical, and Laboratory Features.

Science.gov (United States)

Altintas, Ayse; Karabudak, Rana; Balci, Belgin P; Terzi, Murat; Soysal, Aysun; Saip, Sabahattin; Tuncer Kurne, Asli; Uygunoglu, Ugur; Nalbantoglu, Mecbure; Gozubatik Celik, Gokcen; Isik, Nihal; Celik, Yahya; Gokcay, Figen; Duman, Taskin; Boz, Cavit; Yucesan, Canan; Mangan, Mehmet Serhat; Celebisoy, Nese; Diker, Sevda; Colpak Isikay, Ilksen; Kansu, Tulay; Siva, Aksel

2015-10-01

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an immune-mediated, chronic relapsing, inflammatory disease characterized by severe attacks of optic neuritis and myelitis. To determine the demographic, clinical, and laboratory features; antibody status; and treatment modalities of patients with NMO and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders in a Turkish cohort from 11 centers. A total of 182 patients were included in this study. Data on age at disease onset, sex, type of attacks, clinical presentation, analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, serum antiaquaporin-4 antibody status, annual progression index, and medical and family histories were collected. Mean age was 38.43±12.40 years (range, 13 to 75 y), and mean age at disease onset was 31.29±12.40 years (median, 29 y; range, 10 to 74 y). In NMO group, the rate of NMO immunoglobulin (Ig)G positivity was 62.5%. The annual progression index was significantly higher in the longitudinally extending spinal cord lesion. The mean Expanded Disability Status Scale score was higher in the late than early-onset NMO group. Our results revealed a lower rate of NMO IgG positivity, more severe disability in patients with NMO/neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders presenting with either transverse myelitis or late-onset NMO, and no correlation between disability and NMO IgG status.

Quality of life in acne vulgaris: Relationship to clinical severity and demographic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Aayush; Sharma, Yugal Kishor; Dash, Kedar Nath; Chaudhari, Nitin Dinkar; Jethani, Sumit

2016-01-01

Acne vulgaris is known to impair many aspects of quality of life. However, the correlation of this impairment with clinical severity remains equivocal despite various school, community and hospital-based studies. A hospital-based study was undertaken to measure the impairment of quality of life of patients of acne vulgaris and correlate it with the severity of lesions. This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study in a cohort of 100 patients of acne vulgaris attending the outpatient department of our referral hospital. A physician measured the severity of lesions using the global acne grading system, and patients assessed quality of life by completing a questionnaire (Cardiff acne disability index). A correlation of these two was done; some additional correlations were brought out through demographic data collected from the patients. There was no correlation between the severity of acne vulgaris and an impaired quality of life. Patients who consumed alcohol and/or smoked cigarettes were found to have an impaired quality of life. While the severity of acne progressively lessened in older patients, the impact on quality of life increased. The sample size was small and there was a lack of guaranteed reliability on the self-reported quality of life. The severity of acne vulgaris does not correlate with impairment in quality of life.

How information systems should support the information needs of general dentists in clinical settings: suggestions from a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wali Teena

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A major challenge in designing useful clinical information systems in dentistry is to incorporate clinical evidence based on dentists' information needs and then integrate the system seamlessly into the complex clinical workflow. However, little is known about the actual information needs of dentists during treatment sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify general dentists' information needs and the information sources they use to meet those needs in clinical settings so as to inform the design of dental information systems. Methods A semi-structured interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 general dentists in the Pittsburgh area during clinical hours. One hundred and five patient cases were reported by these dentists. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with a constant comparative method to identify categories and themes regarding information needs and information source use patterns. Results Two top-level categories of information needs were identified: foreground and background information needs. To meet these needs, dentists used four types of information sources: clinical information/tasks, administrative tasks, patient education and professional development. Major themes of dentists' unmet information needs include: (1 timely access to information on various subjects; (2 better visual representations of dental problems; (3 access to patient-specific evidence-based information; and (4 accurate, complete and consistent documentation of patient records. Resource use patterns include: (1 dentists' information needs matched information source use; (2 little use of electronic sources took place during treatment; (3 source use depended on the nature and complexity of the dental problems; and (4 dentists routinely practiced cross-referencing to verify patient information. Conclusions Dentists have various information needs at the point of care. Among them, the needs

Provider-to-provider communication in dermatology and implications of missing clinical information in skin biopsy requisition forms: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Comfere, Nneka I; Sokumbi, Olayemi; Montori, Victor M; LeBlanc, Annie; Prokop, Larry J; Murad, M Hassan; Tilburt, Jon C

2014-05-01

Various components of the skin biopsy requisition form (SBRF) may contribute to accurate dermatopathologic interpretation. A search of electronic databases, including those of Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus, was conducted from inception to October 2011. Two authors independently screened all articles for eligibility. Inclusion criteria required material to represent original studies on skin biopsy and pathology requisition forms. Data abstracted from each article that met the inclusion criteria included details of the study characteristics, including the study location, type of pathology practice, specimen type, type of dermatoses, medical specialty of the requesting provider, suggested clinical components, and format of the SBRF. Of 32 titles and abstracts reviewed, seven articles were included. From these, we determined that dermatologists, general practitioners and surgeons completed SBRFs. Commonly included components were patient demographics and requesting clinician characteristics. Clinical information and differential diagnosis were provided in 4% (two of 48 surgeons) to 36% (18 of 50 dermatologists) of requisitions. Most SBRFs did not include information on specimen type, clinical morphology, photographs or clinical history. The limited medical literature demonstrates variation in the content of SBRFs across clinicians and practices, and suggests an important target for improvement in the quality of communication and dermatologic care by requesting clinicians and pathologists. © 2013 The International Society of Dermatology.

MedEx: a medication information extraction system for clinical narratives

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Shane P; Doan, Son; Johnson, Kevin B; Waitman, Lemuel R; Denny, Joshua C

2010-01-01

Medication information is one of the most important types of clinical data in electronic medical records. It is critical for healthcare safety and quality, as well as for clinical research that uses electronic medical record data. However, medication data are often recorded in clinical notes as free-text. As such, they are not accessible to other computerized applications that rely on coded data. We describe a new natural language processing system (MedEx), which extracts medication information from clinical notes. MedEx was initially developed using discharge summaries. An evaluation using a data set of 50 discharge summaries showed it performed well on identifying not only drug names (F-measure 93.2%), but also signature information, such as strength, route, and frequency, with F-measures of 94.5%, 93.9%, and 96.0% respectively. We then applied MedEx unchanged to outpatient clinic visit notes. It performed similarly with F-measures over 90% on a set of 25 clinic visit notes. PMID:20064797

Demographics and clinical presentation of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in Singapore: comparing the East with the West.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Yi-Jia; Kagda, Fareed; Lam, Khee Sien; Hui, James H P; Lim, Kevin B L; Mahadev, Arjandas; Lee, Eng Hin

2008-11-01

This study examines the demographics and clinical presentation of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in Singapore. Sixty-six patients (53 boys, 13 girls) with 77 involved hips were reviewed retrospectively. Local prevalence was 1.2/100,000 children. Twenty-four patients were Chinese, 12 were Malay, 27 were Indians, and three patients were Eurasians. A total of 76.6% of patients above the 90th percentile for body weight were present; 16.7% of patients had bilateral involvement. Seventeen patients had endocrine-related problems. We had a high male preponderance, and a disproportionately high number of Indian patients. A high proportion of patients were obese. Our incidence of bilateral involvement seems to be higher than our Indonesian neighbors. The differences seen may be due to genetic and sociocultural variations.

SOCIAL POLICY AND DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION OF THE LIPETSK REGION

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S. A. Pavlova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In 2016–2018 are carried out actions of the second stage of a demographic policy of the Russian Federation for the period till 2025. During the look-ahead period it is supposed to develop and pass the federal law provided by articles 133 and 421 Labor codes of the Russian Federation by which the order of finishing of the minimum wage rate till the size of a living wage of able-bodied population of subjects will be established. In the Law of the Russian Federation from April, 19th, 1991 N 1032-1 “changes will be passed About population employment in the Russian Federation”, providing entering of specifications into an order and terms of payment of the unemployment benefits directed on an exception of abusing’s at reception of the unemployment benefit, and also essentially increasing the size of the given grant for separate categories of citizens. In the Law of the Russian Federation “changes will be passed About population employment in the Russian Federation” regarding an establishment of powers of enforcement authorities of subjects of the Russian Federation, employers on placing of the information on conditions of attraction of citizens for realization of labor activity with a view of perfection of an information portal “Work in Russia” and to filling by its trustworthy information. In state and the level subjectsof programs join problems and actions which urged to improve a demographic situation. Federal and regional programs of social and economic development join the questions connected with revealing of problem directions. On the basis of the received information perspective lines of activity and actions for management of a situation are developed. In subject’s programs of social and economic development are developed and take root. The accepted programs allow to reveal in due time demographic tendencies during the current period and to react by means of acceptance of administrative decisions. On the levelsubject’sit is

Epidemiologic and Demographic Features, Therapeutic Intervention and Prognosis of the Patients with Cerebral Aneurysm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masih Sabouri

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cerebral aneurysms are a kind of cardiovascular diseases which are accompanied with high morbidity and mortality due to rupturing and causing subarachnoid hemorrhages. The current study aimed to determine epidemiologic and demographic features and prognosis of patients with cerebral aneurysms. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 465 patients with cerebral aneurysms hospitalized in Al-Zahra Hospital were studied. The required information including demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical features of the disease were extracted from their records. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software and the factors associated with the prognosis of the disease were determined. Results: Four hundred and sixty-five cases with cerebral aneurysm undergoing surgery were investigated. The mean age of the patients was 48 ± 14 years whereas 216 cases (46.5% were male and 249 (53.5% were female. Two hundred and thirty-seven patients (51% remitted completely while the disease caused moderate disability in 84 cases (18.1%, severe disability in 24 ones (5.2% and vegetative state in 9 cases (1.9% and mortality in 57 ones while it was unknown in 54 cases (11.6%. In terms of the age of patient, WFNS index, anatomical position of aneurysm, type of aneurysm lesion, the incidence season of the disease, type of postoperative complications, family history and operative approach, the disease outcome had a significant difference while gender, ethnicity, and risk factors had no significant effect on the disease outcome. Conclusions: According to the type of aneurysm, the incidence position of the aneurysm and other epidemiologic, demographic, and clinical features, providing the prevention and treatment strategies is necessary.

Clinical and Para Clinical Information Needs of Infertility Electronic Health Records in Iran: A Delphi Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Jeddi, Fateme Rangraz; Gilasi, Hamid Reza; Shirzadi, Diana

2017-09-01

infertility is referred to the person's inability to conceive pregnancy after one year of intercourse without using protection. This study paves the ground for creating a complete, united, and coherent source of patients' medical information. this is an applied research of descriptive-cross sectional type which has been carried out through qualitative - quantitative methods. The sample of the present study was 50 specialists in the field of infertility which has been chosen based on purposive sampling method. Designing the questionnaire was done based on library studies and Gathering experts' views was done based on Delphi technique. 261 items from clinical and Para clinical information of infertile patients' electronic health records were subjected to an opinion poll by experts. During this process 223 items were accepted and 38 items have been rejected after two sessions of surveys by infertility experts. Para clinical information section consisted of 57 items that all of them have been accepted by the experts. Also, clinical information section consisted of 242 items from which 204 items were accepted and 38 items were rejected by the experts. existence of a structured electronic record system of infertile patients' information leads to the integration of patients' information, improvement of health care services and a decrease in treatment costs: all working to increase information safety. Furthermore, only essential and relevant information would be provided for the specialists and it will facilitate and direct the future infertility related studies due to the coherence, unity and relevance of the information.

Informal sources of supervision in clinical training.

Science.gov (United States)

Farber, Barry A; Hazanov, Valery

2014-11-01

Although formal, assigned supervision is a potent source of learning and guidance for psychotherapy trainees, many beginning psychotherapists use other, informal sources of supervision or consultation for advice and support. Results of an online survey of beginning trainees (N = 146) indicate that other than their formally assigned supervisor, trainees most often consult with colleagues in their program, their own psychotherapist, and their significant other; that they're most likely to seek these other sources of help when they're feeling stuck or feel they've made a clinical mistake; that they do so because they need extra reassurance and suggestions; that they feel the advice given from these sources is helpful; and that they don't especially regret sharing this information. Several case examples are used to illustrate these points. Discussing clinical material with informal sources is, apparently, a great deal more common than typically acknowledged, and as such, has implications for training programs (including discussions of ethics) and formal supervision. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Socio-Demographic Factors in Under Five Children with Acute ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the socio-demographic factors in under five children with acute diarrhoea. Design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Children's Emergency Room and Children's Outpatient Clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. Subjects: One hundred and seventy-four ...

Simplification improves understanding of informed consent information in clinical trials regardless of health literacy level.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Su Hyun

2015-06-01

This study evaluated the effect of a simplified informed consent form for clinical trials on the understanding and efficacy of informed consent information across health literacy levels. A total of 150 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups and provided with either standard or simplified consent forms for a cancer clinical trial. The features of the simplified informed consent form included plain language, short sentences, diagrams, pictures, and bullet points. Levels of objective and subjective understanding were significantly higher in participants provided with simplified informed consent forms relative to those provided with standard informed consent forms. The interaction effects between type of consent form and health literacy level on objective and subjective understanding were nonsignificant. Simplified informed consent was effective in enhancing participant's subjective and objective understanding regardless of health literacy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Socio-demographic and clinical factors related to mortality among the geriatric suicide attempters admitted to the emergency department

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Yılmaz Zengin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: The ratio of elderly people in Turkey is rapidly growing. Accordingly, psychiatric problems and suicidality among elderly people are growing concerns. In this study, we aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of older people who attempted suicide by drug and to identify risk factors affecting mortality. Methods: Patients who were over 65 years old and admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital due to drug-related suicide attempt between January 1, 2004 and December 30, 2014, were included into this retrospective cross-sectional study. Relationship between suicide attempt and mortality was investigated in regard to socio-demographic and clinical factors. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they survived or died. Results: Of the 107 patients included in the study, 68.2% were female and 31.8% were male; 34.6% were married. Common reasons for suicide attempt were depression (34.6% and domestic violence (30.8%. Analgesics (33.6% were the most common drugs used in suicide attempts. The analysis of the factors related to suicide attempt and mortality revealed that significant factors were loneliness, being widowed, being retired, having adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Loneliness, being widowed, being retired, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorder were found as the risk factors affecting mortality in geriatric suicide attempts.

Health Management Information System in Private Clinics in Ilorin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This descriptive survey was conducted among private clinics located in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria to determine the awareness and level of involvement of private clinic operators towards the National Health Management Information System. A total of 37 functional clinics responded to the survey. Structured questionnaire ...

Effects of demographic factors and information sources on United States consumer perceptions of animal welfare.

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McKendree, M G S; Croney, C C; Widmar, N J O

2014-07-01

As consumers have become more interested in understanding how their food is produced, scrutiny and criticism have increased regarding intensified food animal production methods. Resolution of public concerns about animal agricultural practices depends on understanding the myriad factors that provide the basis for concerns. An online survey of 798 U.S. households was conducted to investigate relationships between household characteristics (demographics, geographic location, and experiences) and level of concern for animal welfare as well as sources used to obtain information on the subject. Because recent media attention has focused on animal care practices used in the U.S. swine industry, respondents were also asked specific questions pertaining to their perceptions of pig management practices and welfare issues and their corresponding pork purchasing behavior. Respondents reporting higher levels of concern about animal welfare were more frequently female, younger, and self-reported members of the Democratic Party. Fourteen percent of respondents reported reduction in pork consumption because of animal welfare concerns with an average reduction of 56%. Over half of the respondents (56%) did not have a primary source for animal welfare information; those who identified a primary information source most commonly used information provided by animal protection organizations, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Midwest participants were significantly, at the 5% significance level, less concerned about domestic livestock animal welfare and more frequently reported not having a source for animal welfare information than those from other regions of the United States. Overall, the U.S. livestock and poultry industries and other organizations affiliated with animal agriculture appear to be less used public sources of information on animal welfare than popular animal protection organizations. Improved

Clinical and socio-demographic determinants of self-care behaviours in patients with heart failure and diabetes mellitus: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ausili, Davide; Rebora, Paola; Di Mauro, Stefania; Riegel, Barbara; Valsecchi, Maria Grazia; Paturzo, Marco; Alvaro, Rosaria; Vellone, Ercole

2016-11-01

Self-care is vital for patients with heart failure to maintain health and quality of life, and it is even more vital for those who are also affected by diabetes mellitus, since they are at higher risk of worse outcomes. The literature is unclear on the influence of diabetes on heart failure self-care as well as on the influence of socio-demographic and clinical factors on self-care. (1) To compare self-care maintenance, self-care management and self-care confidence of patients with heart failure and diabetes versus those heart failure patients without diabetes; (2) to estimate if the presence of diabetes influences self-care maintenance, self-care management and self-care confidence of heart failure patients; (3) to identify socio-demographic and clinical determinants of self-care maintenance, self-care management and self-care confidence in patients with heart failure and diabetes. Secondary analysis of data from a multicentre cross-sectional study. Outpatient clinics from 29 Italian provinces. 1192 adults with confirmed diagnosis of heart failure. Socio-demographic and clinical data were abstracted from patients' medical records. Self-care maintenance, self-care management and self-care confidence were measured with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Version 6.2; each scale has a standardized score from 0 to 100, where a score self-care. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Of 1192 heart failure patients, 379 (31.8%) had diabetes. In these 379, heart failure self-care behaviours were suboptimal (means range from 53.2 to 55.6). No statistically significant differences were found in any of the three self-care measures in heart failure patients with and without diabetes. The presence of diabetes did not influence self-care maintenance (p=0.12), self-care management (p=0.21) or self-care confidence (p=0.51). Age (p=0.04), number of medications (p=0.01), presence of a caregiver (p=0.04), family income (p=0.009) and self-care confidence (pself

Examination of the Relationship between Demographic Characteristics of the Family and the Language Development of Children

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Akçay, Ahmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and the language development of children. In the research, a "Personal Information Form" consisting of 14 items containing information about the demographic structure of the family was used and a "Language Development Checklist"…

Modeling the Temporal Nature of Human Behavior for Demographics Prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felbo, Bjarke; Sundsøy, Pål; Pentland, Alex

2017-01-01

Mobile phone metadata is increasingly used for humanitarian purposes in developing countries as traditional data is scarce. Basic demographic information is however often absent from mobile phone datasets, limiting the operational impact of the datasets. For these reasons, there has been a growing...... interest in predicting demographic information from mobile phone metadata. Previous work focused on creating increasingly advanced features to be modeled with standard machine learning algorithms. We here instead model the raw mobile phone metadata directly using deep learning, exploiting the temporal...... on both age and gender prediction using only the temporal modality in mobile metadata. We finally validate our method on low activity users and evaluate the modeling assumptions....

Effect of clinical information in brain CT scan interpretation : a blinded double crossover study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhianpour, M.; Janghorbani, M.

2004-01-01

Errors and variations in interpretation can happen in clinical imaging. Few studies have examined the biased effect of clinical information on reporting of brain CT scans. In a blinded double crossover design, we studied whether three radiologists were biased by clinical information when making CT scan diagnosis of the brain. Three consultant radiologists in three rounds with at least a one month interval assessed 100 consecutive cases of brain CT scan. In the first round, clinical information was not available and 100 films without clinical information were given to radiologists. In the second round, the same 100 films were given and true clinical information was available. In the third round, the same 100 films were given and false clinical information was allocated. In 180 cases (60%) the evaluation resulted in the same diagnosis on all three occasions (95% confidence interval (CI): 54.5, 65.5), whereas 120(40%; 95% CI:34.5, 45.5) sets were evaluated differently. 48 cases (16%; 95% CI:11.9,20.1) had discordant evaluation with true and 33 (11%; 95% CI:7.5, 14.5) with false clinical information. Discordance without and with true and false clinical information was 39 (13%; 95% CI:9.2, 16.8). Correct clinical information improves the brain CT report, while the report became less accurate false clinical information was allocated. These results indicate that radiologists are biased by clinical information when reporting brian CT scans

Information perception, wishes, and satisfaction in ambulatory cancer patients under active treatment: patient-reported outcomes with QLQ-INFO25

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Pinto, Ana Catarina; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Lago, Lissandra Dal; de Azambuja, Evandro; Pimentel, Francisco Luís; Piccart-Gebhart, Martine; Razavi, Darius

2014-01-01

Background Information is vital to cancer patients. Physician–patient communication in oncology presents specific challenges. The aim of this study was to evaluate self-reported information of cancer patients in ambulatory care at a comprehensive cancer centre and examine its possible association with patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics. Patients and methods This study included adult patients with solid tumours undergoing chemotherapy at the Institute Jules Bordet’s Day Hospital over a ten-day period. EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-INFO25 questionnaires were administered. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results 101 (99%) fully completed the questionnaires. They were mostly Belgian (74.3%), female (78.2%), with a mean age of 56.9 ± 12.8 years. The most frequent tumour was breast cancer (58.4%). Patients were well-informed about the disease and treatments, but presented unmet information domains. The Jules Bordet patients desired more information on treatment side effects, long-term outcome, nutrition, and recurrence symptoms. Patients on clinical trials reported having received less information about their disease and less written information than patients outside clinical trials. Higher information levels were associated with higher quality of life (QoL) scores and higher patient satisfaction. Conclusion Patients were satisfied with the information they received and this correlated with higher QoL, but they still expressed unmet information wishes. Additional studies are required to investigate the quality of the information received by patients enrolled in clinical trials. PMID:24834120

Demographic-Based Content Analysis of Web-Based Health-Related Social Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadah, Shouq A; Shahbazi, Moloud; Wiley, Matthew T; Hristidis, Vagelis

2016-06-13

An increasing number of patients from diverse demographic groups share and search for health-related information on Web-based social media. However, little is known about the content of the posted information with respect to the users' demographics. The aims of this study were to analyze the content of Web-based health-related social media based on users' demographics to identify which health topics are discussed in which social media by which demographic groups and to help guide educational and research activities. We analyze 3 different types of health-related social media: (1) general Web-based social networks Twitter and Google+; (2) drug review websites; and (3) health Web forums, with a total of about 6 million users and 20 million posts. We analyzed the content of these posts based on the demographic group of their authors, in terms of sentiment and emotion, top distinctive terms, and top medical concepts. The results of this study are: (1) Pregnancy is the dominant topic for female users in drug review websites and health Web forums, whereas for male users, it is cardiac problems, HIV, and back pain, but this is not the case for Twitter; (2) younger users (0-17 years) mainly talk about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression-related drugs, users aged 35-44 years discuss about multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs, and middle-aged users (45-64 years) talk about alcohol and smoking; (3) users from the Northeast United States talk about physical disorders, whereas users from the West United States talk about mental disorders and addictive behaviors; (4) Users with higher writing level express less anger in their posts. We studied the popular topics and the sentiment based on users' demographics in Web-based health-related social media. Our results provide valuable information, which can help create targeted and effective educational campaigns and guide experts to reach the right users on Web-based social chatter.

Effects of Demographic Factors, Body Mass Index, Alcohol Drinking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

9.6) and in females, lower ... fill in a demographic self‑questionnaire that included information about age, gender, ..... of irritable bowel syndrome in young adult Malaysians: A survey .... the development of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents:.

Subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia in Hong Kong and Beijing: relationship to socio-demographic and clinical factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yu-Tao; Weng, Yong-Zhen; Leung, Chi-Ming; Tang, Wai-Kwong; Ungvari, Gabor S

2008-02-01

This study compared the subjective quality of life (SQOL) in schizophrenia patients living with their families in Hong Kong (HK) and Beijing (BJ) and explored the relationship between SQOL and basic socio-demographic and clinical factors. Two hundred and sixty-four clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia were randomly selected in HK and 258 counterparts matched according to age, sex, age at onset, and length of illness in BJ. SQOL and psychiatric status were assessed with standard rating instruments. There was no significant difference in any of SQOL domains between the two cohorts after controlling for potentially confounding variables. Positive, depressive and anxiety symptoms and drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) were all significantly correlated with SQOL. Multiple regression analysis revealed that only depressive symptoms predicted all SQOL domains in both groups. Having removed depressive symptoms from the model, positive symptoms predicted all domains, anxiety predicted all but social domains, use of benzodiazepines (BZD) predicted all but physical domains, EPS predicted physical domain, and history of suicide predicted social domain in HK; anxiety predicted all domains, positive symptoms predicted all but physical domains, EPS, use of BZD and history of suicide all predicted physical domains, and length of illness predicted environmental domain in BJ. Despite considerable differences between the two sites in terms of health care delivery and the economic conditions of the subjects, SQOL did not differ between HK and BJ. The conclusion is in line with previous studies that suggested that patients' SQOL was independent of their living standard as long as it reached a certain minimum level. SQOL was more strongly related to the severity of depressive symptoms and had weak association with socio-demographic factors.

CLINICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFI LE OF HIV/AIDS PATIENTS IN BLDEU ’S SHRI B. M. PATIL MEDICAL COLLEGE, HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE, VIJAYA PUR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prakash G.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND : Our aim was to study the clinical and demographic profile of patients infected with HIV infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS : The prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care referral teaching hospital in Vijayapur, India. The study was conducted on a group of 290 patients confirmed as HIV positive. They were studied for their clinical spectrum and different demographic parameters. RESULTS : The mean age of present ation was 36.32+/ - 12.42 years and majority of the patients belonged to the age group 31 - 40 years. Predominant route of transmission seen in these patients was heterosexual contact. The most common symptoms observed in the study group were fever, cough, bre athlessness, diarrhea, ab dominal pain. Tuberculosis and O ropharyngeal candidiasis were the most common opportunistic infections. CONCLUSION : The initial presentation of HIV - infected patients to health care assistance is occurring at a late stage of the dis ease, when signs and symptoms of immunodeficiency are already established. Efforts are necessary to construct strategies to make an early diagnosis of these patients, improve the quality of care, and guarantee the benefits of antiretroviral therapy, when i t is indicated

An integrated clinical and genomic information system for cancer precision medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yeongjun; Choi, Taekjin; Kim, Jongho; Park, Jisub; Seo, Jihae; Kim, Sangok; Kwon, Yeajee; Lee, Seungjae; Lee, Sanghyuk

2018-04-20

Increasing affordability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has created an opportunity for realizing genomically-informed personalized cancer therapy as a path to precision oncology. However, the complex nature of genomic information presents a huge challenge for clinicians in interpreting the patient's genomic alterations and selecting the optimum approved or investigational therapy. An elaborate and practical information system is urgently needed to support clinical decision as well as to test clinical hypotheses quickly. Here, we present an integrated clinical and genomic information system (CGIS) based on NGS data analyses. Major components include modules for handling clinical data, NGS data processing, variant annotation and prioritization, drug-target-pathway analysis, and population cohort explorer. We built a comprehensive knowledgebase of genes, variants, drugs by collecting annotated information from public and in-house resources. Structured reports for molecular pathology are generated using standardized terminology in order to help clinicians interpret genomic variants and utilize them for targeted cancer therapy. We also implemented many features useful for testing hypotheses to develop prognostic markers from mutation and gene expression data. Our CGIS software is an attempt to provide useful information for both clinicians and scientists who want to explore genomic information for precision oncology.

High-end clinical domain information systems for effective healthcare delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangalampalli, Ashish; Rama, Chakravarthy; Muthiyalian, Raja; Jain, Ajeet K

2007-01-01

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) provides doctors with a quick, reliable, secure, real-time and user-friendly source of all relevant patient data. The latest information system technologies, such as Clinical Data Warehouses (CDW), Clinical Decision-Support (CDS) systems and data-mining techniques (Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) and Online Transactional Processing (OLTP)), are used to maintain and utilise patient data intelligently, based on the users' requirements. Moreover, clinical trial reports for new drug approvals are now being submitted electronically for faster and easier processing. Also, information systems are used in educating patients about the latest developments in medical science through the internet and specially configured kiosks in hospitals and clinics.

Prevalence, demographic and clinical characteristics of body dysmorphic disorder among psychiatric outpatients with mood, anxiety or somatoform disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer, Job; van Rood, Yanda R; van der Wee, Nic J; den Hollander-Gijsman, Margien; van Noorden, Martijn S; Giltay, Erik J; Zitman, Frans G

2012-09-01

To describe the prevalence, demographic and clinical characteristics of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) compared with other psychiatric outpatients with a mood, anxiety or somatoform disorder. Outpatients referred for treatment of a mood, anxiety or somatoform disorder were routinely assessed at intake. A structured interview (MINI-Plus), observer-based and self-rating instruments were administered by an independent assessor. Among our sample of 3798 referred patients, 2947 patients were diagnosed with at least one DSM-IV mood, anxiety or somatoform disorder. Of these patients 1.8% (n = 54) met the diagnostic criteria for BDD. In comparison with other outpatients, patients with BDD were on average younger, less often married and were more often living alone. Highly prevalent comorbid diagnoses were major depression (in 46.3% of cases), social anxiety disorder (in 35.2% of cases) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (in 16.7% of cases). Furthermore, patients with BDD had higher scores on the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) as well as lower scores on the Short Form 36 social role functioning. BDD is frequently associated with depression, social phobia and OCD. Patients with BDD have more distress and more impaired interpersonal functioning.

Demographic characteristics in patients with short-gap and long-gap ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Further analysis of this topic is warranted ... Keywords: demographic characteristics, long-gap esophageal atresia, short-gap ... Thus, we conducted the present study to analyze the character- ..... this issue, providing fundamental information.

Clinical trials information in drug development and regulation : existing systems and standards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valkenhoef, Gert van; Tervonen, Tommi; Brock, Bert de; Hillege, Hans

2012-01-01

Clinical trials provide pivotal evidence on drug efficacy and safety. The evidence, information from clinical trials, is currently used by regulatory decision makers in marketing authorization decisions, but only in an implicit manner. For clinical trials information to be used in a transparent and

Informed consent in oncology clinical trials: A Brown University Oncology Research Group prospective cross-sectional pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Schumacher

Full Text Available Informed consent forms (ICFs for oncology clinical trials have grown increasingly longer and more complex. We evaluated objective understanding of critical components of informed consent among patients enrolling in contemporary trials of conventional or novel biologic/targeted therapies.We evaluated ICFs for cancer clinical trials for length and readability, and patients registered on those studies were asked to complete a validated 14-question survey assessing their understanding of key characteristics of the trial. Mean scores were compared in groups defined by trial and patient characteristics.Fifty patients, of whom half participated in trials of immunotherapy or biologic/targeted agents and half in trials of conventional therapy, completed the survey. On average, ICFs for industry-originated trials (N = 9 trials were significantly longer (P < .0001 and had lower Flesch ease-of-reading scores (P = .003 than investigator-initiated trials (N = 11. At least 80% of patients incorrectly responded to three key questions which addressed the experimental nature of their trial therapy, its purported efficacy and potential risks relative to alternative treatments. The mean objective understanding score was 76.9±8.8, but it was statistically significantly lower for patients who had not completed high school (P = .011. The scores did not differ significantly by type of cancer therapy (P = .12 or trial sponsor (P = .38.Many participants enrolled on cancer trials had poor understanding of essential elements of their trial. In order to ensure true informed consent, innovative approaches, such as expanded in-person counseling adapted to the patient's education level or cultural characteristics should be evaluated across socio-demographic groups.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01772511.

Informal Leadership in the Clinical Setting: Occupational Therapist Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clark Patrick Heard

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Leadership is vital to clinical, organizational, and professional success. This has compelled a high volume of research primarily related to formal leadership concepts. However, as organizations flatten, eliminate departmental structures, or decentralize leadership structures the relevance of informal leaders has markedly enhanced. Methods: Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines the impact of informal leadership in the clinical setting for occupational therapists. Data was collected through the completion of semi-structured interviews with 10 peer-identified informal occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. Collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by multiple coders. Several methods were employed to support trustworthiness. Results: The results identify that informal leaders are collaborative, accessible, and considered the “go to” staff. They demonstrate professional competence knowledge, experience, and accountability and are inspirational and creative. Practically, informal leaders organically shape the practice environment while building strength and capacity among their peers. Conclusion: Recommendations for supporting informal leaders include acknowledgement of the role and its centrality, enabling informal leaders time to undertake the role, and supporting consideration of informal leadership concepts at the curriculum and professional level.

Socio-Demographic Characteristics Of Adults Screened For Hiv/Aids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AIDS in Nigeria with a prevalence rate of 9.3 among adults aged 15 to 45 years. Yet, there is paucity of information on the socio-demographic factors associated with this level of prevalence. We hereby report the prevalence and ...

Does exclusion of cancers registered only from death-certificate information diminish socio-demographic disparities in recorded survival?

Science.gov (United States)

Tervonen, Hanna E; Roder, David; Morrell, Stephen; You, Hui; Currow, David C

2017-06-01

Death Certificate Only (DCO) cancer cases are commonly excluded from survival analyses due to unknown survival time. This study examines whether socio-demographic factors are associated with DCO diagnosis, and the potential effects of excluding DCO cases on socio-demographic cancer survival disparities in NSW, Australia. NSW Cancer Registry data for cases diagnosed in 2000-2008 were used in this study. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of DCO registration by socio-demographic sub-group (socio-economic disadvantage, residential remoteness, country of birth, age at diagnosis). Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the probability of death from cancer by socio-demographic subgroup when DCO cases were included and excluded from analyses. DCO cases consisted of 1.5% (n=4336) of all cases (n=299,651). DCO diagnosis was associated with living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas (most disadvantaged compared with least disadvantaged quintile: odds ratio OR 1.25, 95%CI 1.12-1.40), living in inner regional (OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.08-1.25) or remote areas (OR 1.48, 95%CI 1.01-2.19), having an unknown country of birth (OR 1.63, 95%CI 1.47-1.81) and older age. Including or excluding DCO cases had no significant impact on hazard ratios for cancer death by socio-economic disadvantage quintile or remoteness category, and only a minor impact on hazard ratios by age. Socio-demographic factors were associated with DCO diagnosis in NSW. However, socio-demographic cancer survival disparities remained unchanged or varied only slightly irrespective of including/excluding DCO cases. Further research could examine the upper limits of DCO proportions that significantly alter estimated cancer survival differentials if DCOs are excluded. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CliniProteus: A flexible clinical trials information management system

Science.gov (United States)

Mathura, Venkatarajan S; Rangareddy, Mahendiranath; Gupta, Pankaj; Mullan, Michael

2007-01-01

Clinical trials involve multi-site heterogeneous data generation with complex data input-formats and forms. The data should be captured and queried in an integrated fashion to facilitate further analysis. Electronic case-report forms (eCRF) are gaining popularity since it allows capture of clinical information in a rapid manner. We have designed and developed an XML based flexible clinical trials data management framework in .NET environment that can be used for efficient design and deployment of eCRFs to efficiently collate data and analyze information from multi-site clinical trials. The main components of our system include an XML form designer, a Patient registration eForm, reusable eForms, multiple-visit data capture and consolidated reports. A unique id is used for tracking the trial, site of occurrence, the patient and the year of recruitment. Availability http://www.rfdn.org/bioinfo/CTMS/ctms.html. PMID:21670796

Datasets on demographic trends in enrollment into undergraduate engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O; Ajayi, Priscilla

2018-06-01

In this data article, we present and analyze the demographic data of undergraduates admitted into engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria. The population distribution of 2649 candidates admitted into Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering programs between 2002 and 2009 are analyzed by gender, age, and state of origin. The data provided in this data article were retrieved from the student bio-data submitted to the Department of Admissions and Student Records (DASR) and Center for Systems and Information Services (CSIS) by the candidates during the application process into the various engineering undergraduate programs. These vital information is made publicly available, after proper data anonymization, to facilitate empirical research in the emerging field of demographics analytics in higher education. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file is attached to this data article and the data is thoroughly described for easy reuse. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the demographic data are presented in tables, plots, graphs, and charts. Unrestricted access to these demographic data will facilitate reliable and evidence-based research findings for sustainable education in developing countries.

EJSCREEN Demographic Indicators 2015 Public

Science.gov (United States)

EJSCREEN uses demographic factors as very general indicators of a community's potential susceptibility to the types of environmental factors included in this screening tool. There are six demographic indicators: Demographic Index, Supplementary Demographic Index, Individuals under Age 5, Individuals over Age 64, Percent Low-Income, Linguistic Isolation, Percent Minority, and Less than High School Education.

Physician capability to electronically exchange clinical information, 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Vaishali; Swain, Matthew J; King, Jennifer; Furukawa, Michael F

2013-10-01

To provide national estimates of physician capability to electronically share clinical information with other providers and to describe variation in exchange capability across states and electronic health record (EHR) vendors using the 2011 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey Electronic Medical Record Supplement. Survey of a nationally representative sample of nonfederal office-based physicians who provide direct patient care. The survey was administered by mail with telephone follow-up and had a 61% weighted response rate. The overall sample consisted of 4326 respondents. We calculated estimates of electronic exchange capability at the national and state levels, and applied multivariate analyses to examine the association between the capability to exchange different types of clinical information and physician and practice characteristics. In 2011, 55% of physicians had computerized capability to send prescriptions electronically; 67% had the capability to view lab results electronically; 42% were able to incorporate lab results into their EHR; 35% were able to send lab orders electronically; and, 31% exchanged patient clinical summaries with other providers. The strongest predictor of exchange capability is adoption of an EHR. However, substantial variation exists across geography and EHR vendors in exchange capability, especially electronic exchange of clinical summaries. In 2011, a majority of office-based physicians could exchange lab and medication data, and approximately one-third could exchange clinical summaries with patients or other providers. EHRs serve as a key mechanism by which physicians can exchange clinical data, though physicians' capability to exchange varies by vendor and by state.

Responsive survey design, demographic data collection, and models of demographic behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Axinn, William G; Link, Cynthia F; Groves, Robert M

2011-08-01

To address declining response rates and rising data-collection costs, survey methodologists have devised new techniques for using process data ("paradata") to address nonresponse by altering the survey design dynamically during data collection. We investigate the substantive consequences of responsive survey design-tools that use paradata to improve the representative qualities of surveys and control costs. By improving representation of reluctant respondents, responsive design can change our understanding of the topic being studied. Using the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6, we illustrate how responsive survey design can shape both demographic estimates and models of demographic behaviors based on survey data. By juxtaposing measures from regular and responsive data collection phases, we document how special efforts to interview reluctant respondents may affect demographic estimates. Results demonstrate the potential of responsive survey design to change the quality of demographic research based on survey data.

Body Esteem Among Women with Multiple Sclerosis and its Relationship with Demographic, Clinical and Socio-Psychological Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilski, M; Tasiemski, T; Dąbrowski, A

2016-06-01

The principal aim of this study was to verify if specific socio-demographic, clinical, and socio-psychological factors are correlates of body esteem in women with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study included 185 women with MS who completed the Body Esteem Scale (BES), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), Actually Received Support Scale (a part of the Berlin Social Support Scale), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The patients were recruited as a result of cooperation with the Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Centre in Borne Sulinowo and Polish Society of Multiple Sclerosis. The demographic characteristics of the participants and their illness-related problems were determined with a self-report survey. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that four factors, psychological condition (R (2) = 0.23, p ≤ 0.001), received support (R (2) = 0.28, p ≤ 0.001), personal control (R (2) = 0.30, p ≤ 0.001), and physical condition (R (2) = 0.31, p ≤ 0.001), were significant correlates of the general body esteem in our study group of women with MS. The model explained 31 % of variance in body esteem. Positive body esteem, an important component of self-esteem in women with MS, is associated with better social support, overcoming negative illness-related appraisals and improvement of psychological well-being. Subjective perception of a negative impact of MS on one's physical condition may be helpful in the identification of women with MS being at increased risk of decreased body esteem.

The Swedish strategy and method for development of a national healthcare information architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenälv, Jessica; Lundell, Karl-Henrik

2012-01-01

"We need a precise framework of regulations in order to maintain appropriate and structured health care documentation that ensures that the information maintains a sufficient level of quality to be used in treatment, in research and by the actual patient. The users shall be aided by clearly and uniformly defined terms and concepts, and there should be an information structure that clarifies what to document and how to make the information more useful. Most of all, we need to standardize the information, not just the technical systems." (eHälsa - nytta och näring, Riksdag report 2011/12:RFR5, p. 37). In 2010, the Swedish Government adopted the National e-Health - the national strategy for accessible and secure information in healthcare. The strategy is a revision and extension of the previous strategy from 2006, which was used as input for the most recent efforts to develop a national information structure utilizing business-oriented generic models. A national decision on healthcare informatics standards was made by the Swedish County Councils, which decided to follow and use EN/ISO 13606 as a standard for the development of a universally applicable information structure, including archetypes and templates. The overall aim of the Swedish strategy for development of National Healthcare Information Architecture is to achieve high level semantic interoperability for clinical content and clinical contexts. High level semantic interoperability requires consistently structured clinical data and other types of data with coherent traceability to be mapped to reference clinical models. Archetypes that are formal definitions of the clinical and demographic concepts and some administrative data were developed. Each archetype describes the information structure and content of overarching core clinical concepts. Information that is defined in archetypes should be used for different purposes. Generic clinical process model was made concrete and analyzed. For each decision

Modeling Pathologic Response of Esophageal Cancer to Chemoradiation Therapy Using Spatial-Temporal 18F-FDG PET Features, Clinical Parameters, and Demographics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hao; Tan, Shan; Chen, Wengen; Kligerman, Seth; Kim, Grace; D'Souza, Warren D.; Suntharalingam, Mohan; Lu, Wei

2014-01-01

Purpose: To construct predictive models using comprehensive tumor features for the evaluation of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods and Materials: This study included 20 patients who underwent trimodality therapy (CRT + surgery) and underwent 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) both before and after CRT. Four groups of tumor features were examined: (1) conventional PET/CT response measures (eg, standardized uptake value [SUV] max , tumor diameter); (2) clinical parameters (eg, TNM stage, histology) and demographics; (3) spatial-temporal PET features, which characterize tumor SUV intensity distribution, spatial patterns, geometry, and associated changes resulting from CRT; and (4) all features combined. An optimal feature set was identified with recursive feature selection and cross-validations. Support vector machine (SVM) and logistic regression (LR) models were constructed for prediction of pathologic tumor response to CRT, cross-validations being used to avoid model overfitting. Prediction accuracy was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and precision was evaluated by confidence intervals (CIs) of AUC. Results: When applied to the 4 groups of tumor features, the LR model achieved AUCs (95% CI) of 0.57 (0.10), 0.73 (0.07), 0.90 (0.06), and 0.90 (0.06). The SVM model achieved AUCs (95% CI) of 0.56 (0.07), 0.60 (0.06), 0.94 (0.02), and 1.00 (no misclassifications). With the use of spatial-temporal PET features combined with conventional PET/CT measures and clinical parameters, the SVM model achieved very high accuracy (AUC 1.00) and precision (no misclassifications)—results that were significantly better than when conventional PET/CT measures or clinical parameters and demographics alone were used. For groups with many tumor features (groups 3 and 4), the SVM model achieved significantly higher accuracy than

Inferring Demographic History Using Two-Locus Statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ragsdale, Aaron P; Gutenkunst, Ryan N

2017-06-01

Population demographic history may be learned from contemporary genetic variation data. Methods based on aggregating the statistics of many single loci into an allele frequency spectrum (AFS) have proven powerful, but such methods ignore potentially informative patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between neighboring loci. To leverage such patterns, we developed a composite-likelihood framework for inferring demographic history from aggregated statistics of pairs of loci. Using this framework, we show that two-locus statistics are more sensitive to demographic history than single-locus statistics such as the AFS. In particular, two-locus statistics escape the notorious confounding of depth and duration of a bottleneck, and they provide a means to estimate effective population size based on the recombination rather than mutation rate. We applied our approach to a Zambian population of Drosophila melanogaster Notably, using both single- and two-locus statistics, we inferred a substantially lower ancestral effective population size than previous works and did not infer a bottleneck history. Together, our results demonstrate the broad potential for two-locus statistics to enable powerful population genetic inference. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

The effects of informal carers' characteristics on their information needs: The information needs state approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Alzougool, Basil; Chang, Shanton; Gray, Kathleen

2017-09-01

There has been little research that provides a comprehensive account of the nature and aspects of information needs of informal carers. The authors have previously developed and validated a framework that accounts for major underlying states of information need. This paper aims to apply this framework to explore whether there are common demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that affect the information needs states of carers. A questionnaire about the information needs states was completed by 198 carers above 18 years old. We use statistical methods to look for similarities and differences in respondents' information needs states, in terms of the demographic and socioeconomic variables. At least one information needs state varies among carers, in terms of seven demographic and socioeconomic variables: the age of the patient(s) that they are caring for; the condition(s) of the patient(s) that they are caring for; the number of patients that they are caring for; their length of time as a carer; their gender; the country that they live in; and the population of the area that they live in. The findings demonstrate the utility of the information needs state framework. We outline some practical implications of the framework.

Knowledge in schizophrenia: The Portuguese version of KAST (Knowledge About Schizophrenia Test) and analysis of social-demographic and clinical factors' influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Daltio, C S; Attux, C; Ferraz, M B

2015-10-01

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder, and the knowledge about it can have a positive impact. The purpose of this study was to make the translation and cultural adaptation of the Knowledge About Schizophrenia Test (KAST) into Portuguese and determine the influence of clinical and socio-demographic factors on knowledge. The test was applied to 189 caregivers of patients enrolled in Schizophrenia Program of the Federal University of São Paulo, 30 caregivers of clinical patients of the General Outpatient Clinic of the same University, and 30 health professionals. The face and content validity of the test was established. The mean value (SD) obtained with the application of the final version to caregivers of schizophrenic patients was 12.96 (2.45) - maximum 17. Level of knowledge increased considering the following order: caregivers of clinical patients, caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and mental health professionals. The intraclass correlation coefficient (0.592) obtained in the test-retest was statistically significant. An influence of social class, race, gender and education of the caregiver on the test was observed, and the last two factors were more relevant. The KAST translated and adapted into Portuguese is a valid instrument and can be used as an evaluation tool on psychoeducational interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dancing with Demographers.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Heather-Jane

2000-01-01

Demographic projections concerning the shortage of teachers in Canada, their pay scale, the feminization of teaching, the gender gap in salaries, and teacher autonomy have often been incorrect, or correct for the wrong reasons. Instead of relying on demographic predictions, teachers should contemplate who they really want to be professionally,…

Modeling Relationships Between Flight Crew Demographics and Perceptions of Interval Management

Science.gov (United States)

Remy, Benjamin; Wilson, Sara R.

2016-01-01

The Interval Management Alternative Clearances (IMAC) human-in-the-loop simulation experiment was conducted to assess interval management system performance and participants' acceptability and workload while performing three interval management clearance types. Twenty-four subject pilots and eight subject controllers flew ten high-density arrival scenarios into Denver International Airport during two weeks of data collection. This analysis examined the possible relationships between subject pilot demographics on reported perceptions of interval management in IMAC. Multiple linear regression models were created with a new software tool to predict subject pilot questionnaire item responses from demographic information. General patterns were noted across models that may indicate flight crew demographics influence perceptions of interval management.

Socio-Demographic, Clinical and Behavioral Characteristics Associated with a History of Suicide Attempts among Psychiatric Outpatients: A Case Control Study in a Northern Mexican City.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarado-Esquivel, Cosme; Sánchez-Anguiano, Luis Francisco; Arnaud-Gil, Carlos Alberto; Hernández-Tinoco, Jesús; Molina-Espinoza, Luis Fernando; Rábago-Sánchez, Elizabeth

2014-03-01

Little is known about the epidemiology of suicide attempts among psychiatric outpatients in Mexico. This study was aimed to determine the socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics associated with suicide attempts in psychiatric outpatients in two public hospitals in Durango, Mexico. Two hundred seventy six psychiatric outpatients (154 suicide attempters and 122 patients without suicide attempt history) attended the two public hospitals in Durango City, Mexico were included in this study. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics were obtained retrospectively from all outpatients and compared in relation to the presence or absence of suicide attempt history. Increased prevalence of suicide attempts was associated with mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10-19) (P=0.01), schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (F20-29) (P=0.02), mood (affective) disorders (F30-39) (Purban residence (OR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.17-4.57; P=0.01), memory impairment (OR=1.91, 95% CI: 1.07-3.40; P=0.02), alcohol consumption (OR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.21-4.70; P=0.01), and sexual promiscuity (OR=3.90, 95% CI: 1.74-8.77; PMexico. Results may be useful for an optimal planning of preventive measures against suicide attempts in psychiatric outpatients.

Transparency and public accessibility of clinical trial information in Croatia: how it affects patient participation in clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Šolić, Ivana; Stipčić, Ana; Pavličević, Ivančica; Marušić, Ana

2017-06-15

Despite increased visibility of clinical trials through international trial registries, patients often remain uninformed of their existence, especially if they do not have access to adequate information about clinical research, including the language of the information. The aim of this study was to describe the context for transparency of clinical trials in Croatia in relation to countries in Central and Eastern Europe, and to assess how informed Croatian patients are about clinical trials and their accessibility. We assessed the transparency of clinical trials from the data available in the public domain. We also conducted an anonymous survey on a convenience sample of 257 patients visiting two family medicine offices or an oncology department in south Croatia, and members of national patients' associations. Despite legal provisions for transparency of clinical trials in Croatia, they are still not sufficiently visible in the public domain. Among countries from Central and Eastern Europe, Croatia has the fewest number of registered trials in the EU Clinical Trials Registry. 66% of the patients in the survey were aware of the existence of clinical trials but only 15% were informed about possibilities of participating in a trial. Although 58% of the respondents were willing to try new treatments, only 6% actually participated in a clinical trial. Only 2% of the respondents were aware of publicly available trial registries. Our study demonstrates that there is low transparency of clinical trials in Croatia, and that Croatian patients are not fully aware of clinical trials and the possibilities of participating in them, despite reported availability of Internet resources and good communication with their physicians. There is a need for active policy measures to increase the awareness of and access to clinical trials to patients in Croatia, particularly in their own language.

Illness self-concept in Type 1 diabetes: a cross-sectional view on clinical, demographic, and psychosocial correlates.

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Luyckx, Koen; Rassart, Jessica; Weets, Ilse

2015-01-01

The present study assessed the centrality of one's illness self-concept, or the degree to which chronic illness intrudes upon one's self, in a sample of 478 18-35-year-old patients with Type 1 diabetes. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that illness self-concept centrality was a one-dimensional construct, despite the fact that three constituting components (i.e. pervasiveness, directionality, and illness self-consciousness) have been forwarded. Further, important demographic and clinical correlates of illness self-concept were identified: women, unemployed individuals, individuals with a lower educational level, and patients with an insulin pump had a more central illness self-concept. Finally, a series of correlation and regression analyses indicated that, despite the fact that illness self-concept centrality was negatively related to emotional stability, self-esteem, and diabetes integration, and positively to perceived consequences of diabetes, illness self-concept had unique predictive value over and above these variables for problem areas in diabetes and depressive symptoms. Implications and suggestions for future research are outlined.

Parent-Adolescent Cross-Informant Agreement in Clinically Referred Samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rescorla, Leslie A; Ewing, Grace; Ivanova, Masha Y

2017-01-01

To conduct international comparisons of parent-adolescent cross-informant agreement in clinical samples, we analyzed ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) for 6,762 clinically referred adolescents ages 11-18 from 7 societies (M = 14.5 years, SD = 2.0 years; 51...

Significant differe nces in demographic, clinical, and pathological features in relation to smoking and alcohol consumption among 1,633 head and neck cancer patients

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Raquel Ajub Moyses

2013-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: As a lifestyle-related disease, social and cultural disparities may influence the features of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in different geographic regions. We describe demographic, clinical, and pathological aspects of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck according to the smoking and alcohol consumption habits of patients in a Brazilian cohort. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed the smoking and alcohol consumption habits of 1,633 patients enrolled in five São Paulo hospitals that participated in the Brazilian Head and Neck Genome Project - Gencapo. RESULTS: The patients who smoked and drank were younger, and those who smoked were leaner than the other patients, regardless of alcohol consumption. The non-smokers/non-drinkers were typically elderly white females who had more differentiated oral cavity cancers and fewer first-degree relatives who smoked. The patients who drank presented significantly more frequent nodal metastasis, and those who smoked presented less-differentiated tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck demonstrated demographic, clinical, and pathological features that were markedly different according to their smoking and drinking habits. A subset of elderly females who had oral cavity cancer and had never smoked or consumed alcohol was notable. Alcohol consumption seemed to be related to nodal metastasis, whereas smoking correlated with the degree of differentiation.

Excessive exercise among adolescents with eating disorders: examination of psychological and demographic variables.

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Renz, Jessica A; Fisher, Martin; Vidair, Hilary B; Hirsch, Dina; Malizio, Joan; Barger, Hamutal; Fornari, Victor

2017-08-29

Background While a large number of patients with eating disorders (EDs) engage in excessive exercise (EE), both for weight control and mood regulation, there has been minimal research evaluating the relationship between EE and demographic and psychological factors, especially in adolescent patients. Purpose The goals of this study were to identify the occurrence of EE compared to other ED behaviors and to develop a regression model examining psychological, behavioral and demographic predictors of EE among adolescents with EDs. Methods Demographic and clinical information was determined for 217 adolescent patients in several levels of care (126 outpatient, 61 day program, 28 inpatient) with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa (AN) (24.9%), bulimia nervosa (BN) (25.8%), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) (49.3%). These patients presented to a large ED program and completed a series of questionnaires on admission to the program. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square analyses and multiple logistic regression were utilized to describe the population of adolescent patients and develop the model for predicting EE. Results Forty-seven percent of patients indicated they participated in EE in the past 4 weeks, compared to 32% for binge eating, 35% for vomiting and 15% for laxative use; 42% of patients with anorexia nervosa participated in EE, compared to 54% with bulimia nervosa and 49% with EDNOS. The regression model that was developed to predict EE, which included factors of depression, anxiety, dietary restraint, age, body mass index (BMI), diagnosis and level of care, correctly classified EE in 71.5% of cases. Dietary restraint and BMI were the two factors found to be significantly associated with EE. Conclusions Forty-seven percent of adolescent patients presenting for treatment of an ED reported participating in EE. This was larger than the numbers of patients reporting other ED behaviors that are commonly assessed, indicating the need for

There are some questions you may not ask in a clinic: providing contraception information to young people in Kenya using SMS.

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Vahdat, Heather L; L'Engle, Kelly L; Plourde, Kate F; Magaria, Loice; Olawo, Alice

2013-11-01

To evaluate the acceptability, information access, and potential behavioral impact of providing contraception information via text message on mobile phones to young people in Kenya. Three methods of data collection were implemented during the 17-month pilot period for the Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) program in Kenya: automatic logging of all queries to the m4RH system; demographic and behavior change questions sent via short message service protocol (SMS) to everyone who used m4RH during the pilot period; and telephone interviews with a subset of m4RH users. During the pilot period, 4817 unique users accessed m4RH in Kenya. Of these, 82% were 29 years of age and younger, and 36% were male. Condom and natural family-planning information was accessed most frequently, although users queried all methods. One in 5 used the m4RH system to locate nearby clinics. Respondents liked the simple language and confidentiality of receiving health information via mobile phone, and reported increased contraceptive knowledge and use after using m4RH. Providing contraception information via mobile phone is an effective strategy for reaching young people. More research is needed to learn how to link young people to youth-friendly services effectively. © 2013.

Online Broker Investors: Demographic Information, Investment Strategy, Portfolio Positions, and Trading Activity

OpenAIRE

Glaser, Markus

2003-01-01

It is often argued that the internet influences investor behavior. Furthermore, the recent 'bubble' in internet stocks is sometimes ascribed, at least in part, to online trading. However, little is known about how online investors actually behave. This paper contributes to fill this gap. A sample of approximately 3,000 online broker investors is studied over a 51 month period ending in April 2001. The main goal of this paper is to present various descriptive statistics on demographic informat...

Factors shaping effective utilization of health information technology in urban safety-net clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Sheba; Garth, Belinda; Fish, Allison; Baker, Richard

2013-09-01

Urban safety-net clinics are considered prime targets for the adoption of health information technology innovations; however, little is known about their utilization in such safety-net settings. Current scholarship provides limited guidance on the implementation of health information technology into safety-net settings as it typically assumes that adopting institutions have sufficient basic resources. This study addresses this gap by exploring the unique challenges urban resource-poor safety-net clinics must consider when adopting and utilizing health information technology. In-depth interviews (N = 15) were used with key stakeholders (clinic chief executive officers, medical directors, nursing directors, chief financial officers, and information technology directors) from staff at four clinics to explore (a) nonhealth information technology-related clinic needs, (b) how health information technology may provide solutions, and (c) perceptions of and experiences with health information technology. Participants identified several challenges, some of which appear amenable to health information technology solutions. Also identified were requirements for effective utilization of health information technology including physical infrastructural improvements, funding for equipment/training, creation of user groups to share health information technology knowledge/experiences, and specially tailored electronic billing guidelines. We found that despite the potential benefit that can be derived from health information technologies, the unplanned and uninformed introduction of these tools into these settings might actually create more problems than are solved. From these data, we were able to identify a set of factors that should be considered when integrating health information technology into the existing workflows of low-resourced urban safety-net clinics in order to maximize their utilization and enhance the quality of health care in such settings.

The counseling african americans to control hypertension (caatch trial: baseline demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics

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Diaz-Gloster Marleny

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Effectiveness of combined physician and patient-level interventions for blood pressure (BP control in low-income, hypertensive African Americans with multiple co-morbid conditions remains largely untested in community-based primary care practices. Demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics of participants in the Counseling African American to Control Hypertension (CAATCH Trial are described. CAATCH evaluates the effectiveness of a multi-level, multi-component, evidence-based intervention compared with usual care (UC in improving BP control among poorly controlled hypertensive African Americans who receive primary care in Community Health Centers (CHCs. Methods Participants included 1,039 hypertensive African Americans receiving care in 30 CHCs in the New York Metropolitan area. Baseline data on participant demographic, clinical (e.g., BP, anti-hypertensive medications, psychosocial (e.g., depression, medication adherence, self-efficacy, and behavioral (e.g., exercise, diet characteristics were gathered through direct observation, chart review, and interview. Results The sample was primarily female (71.6%, middle-aged (mean age = 56.9 ± 12.1 years, high school educated (62.4%, low-income (72.4% reporting less than $20,000/year income, and received Medicaid (35.9% or Medicare (12.6%. Mean systolic and diastolic BP were 150.7 ± 16.7 mm Hg and 91.0 ± 10.6 mm Hg, respectively. Participants were prescribed an average of 2.5 ± 1.9 antihypertensive medications; 54.8% were on a diuretic; 33.8% were on a beta blocker; 41.9% were on calcium channel blockers; 64.8% were on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs. One-quarter (25.6% of the sample had resistant hypertension; one-half (55.7% reported medication non-adherence. Most (79.7% reported one or more co-morbid medical conditions. The majority of the patients had a Charlson Co-morbidity score ≥ 2. Diabetes

Spatial demographic models to inform conservation planning of golden eagles in renewable energy landscapes.

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Spatial demographic models can help guide monitoring and management activities targeting at-risk species, even in cases where baseline data are lacking. Here, we provide an example of how site-specific changes in land-use and other anthropogenic stressors can be incorporated int...

Understanding the Demographic Differences in Neighborhood Walking Supports.

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Carlson, Susan A; Watson, Kathleen B; Paul, Prabasaj; Schmid, Thomas L; Fulton, Janet E

2017-04-01

Information about how presence and usefulness of neighborhood supports for walking differs by demographic characteristics can help guide community strategies to promote walking. Reported presence and usefulness of neighborhood supports (shops, transit stops, sidewalks, parks, interesting things to look at, well-lit at night, low crime rate, and cars following speed limit) were examined in 3973 U.S. adults who completed the 2014 SummerStyles survey. Percentage reporting neighborhood supports as present ranged from 25.3% (SE = 0.8) for interesting things to 55.8% (SE = 1.0) for low crime rate. Percentage who reported a support as useful ranged from 24.6% (SE = 1.4) for transit stops to 79.0% (SE = 1.1) for sidewalks among those with the support. This percentage ranged from 13.4% (SE = 0.8) for transit stops to 52.8% (SE = 1.1) for shops among those without the support. One or more demographic differences were observed for the presence of each support, and the presence of all supports differed by education and metro status. Demographic patterns were less clear when examining usefulness and patterns often differed by support type and presence. Presence and usefulness of neighborhood supports for walking can differ by type and demographic characteristics. Recognizing these difference can help communities plan and implement strategies to promote walking.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC POTENTIAL IN FUNCTION OF TOURISM

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Mijalce Gjorgievski

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Man is the prime mover of the overall social economic and political life of the entire globe and therefore he is studied from various aspects depending on the needs of what we want to obtain information on the demographic potential and its features.In this paper, the subject of study will be processing potential through its demographic characteristics (number condition, age structure, natural increase, economic activity, religious composition, etc. for the tourism economy. We know that the basic elements of tourism are the natural and cultural wealth that detect, evaluate and put into operation in tourism. However, it has its function, the basic factor are the people who need to visit those places, so it is very important to understand the demographic characteristics of people in every region of the globe in order to come to some understanding of the habits, needs and affinities of people depending on age, nationality and religious affiliation, etc. when choosing their travel destination.

Patterns of the Demographics, Clinical Characteristics, and Resource Utilization Among Maternal Decedents in Texas, 2001 - 2010: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

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Oud, Lavi

2015-12-01

Contemporary reporting of maternal mortality is focused on single, mutually exclusive causes of death among a minority of maternal decedents (pregnancy-related deaths), reflecting initial events leading to death. Although obstetric patients are susceptible to the lethal effects of downstream, more proximate contributors to death and to conditions not caused or precipitated by pregnancy, the burden of both categories and related patients' attributes is invisible to clinicians and healthcare policy makers with the current reporting system. Thus, the population-level demographics, clinical characteristics, and resource utilization associated with pregnancy-associated deaths in the United States have not been adequately characterized. We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to perform a population-based cohort study of the patterns of demographics, chronic comorbidity, occurrence of early maternal demise, potential contributors to maternal death, and resource utilization among maternal decedents in the state during 2001 - 2010. There were 557 maternal decedents during study period. Chronic comorbidity was reported in 45.2%. Most women (74.1%) were admitted to an ICU. Hemorrhage (27.8%), sepsis (23.5%), and cardiovascular conditions (22.6%) were the most commonly reported potential contributing conditions to maternal death, varying across categories of pregnancy-associated hospitalizations. More than one condition was reported in 39% of decedents. One in three women died during their first day of hospitalization, with no significant change over the past decade. The mean hospital length of stay was 7.9 days and total hospital charges were $250,000 or higher in 65 (11.7%) women. The findings of the high burden of chronic illness, patterns of occurrence of a broad array of potential contributing conditions to pregnancy-associated death, and the resource-intensive needs of a large contemporary population-based cohort of maternal decedents may better inform

An ontologically founded architecture for information systems in clinical and epidemiological research.

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Uciteli, Alexandr; Groß, Silvia; Kireyev, Sergej; Herre, Heinrich

2011-08-09

This paper presents an ontologically founded basic architecture for information systems, which are intended to capture, represent, and maintain metadata for various domains of clinical and epidemiological research. Clinical trials exhibit an important basis for clinical research, and the accurate specification of metadata and their documentation and application in clinical and epidemiological study projects represents a significant expense in the project preparation and has a relevant impact on the value and quality of these studies.An ontological foundation of an information system provides a semantic framework for the precise specification of those entities which are presented in this system. This semantic framework should be grounded, according to our approach, on a suitable top-level ontology. Such an ontological foundation leads to a deeper understanding of the entities of the domain under consideration, and provides a common unifying semantic basis, which supports the integration of data and the interoperability between different information systems.The intended information systems will be applied to the field of clinical and epidemiological research and will provide, depending on the application context, a variety of functionalities. In the present paper, we focus on a basic architecture which might be common to all such information systems. The research, set forth in this paper, is included in a broader framework of clinical research and continues the work of the IMISE on these topics.

[Informed consent right of the appraised individuals in forensic clinical examination].

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Li, Ju-Ping; Han, Wei; Gu, Shan-Zhi; Chen, Teng

2015-02-01

Informed consent right is not just for basic ethical consideration, but is important for protecting patient's right by law, which is expressed through informed consent contract. The appraised individuals of forensic clinical examination have the similar legal status as the patients in medical system. However, the law does not require informed consent right for the appraised individuals. I recommend giving certain informed consent right to the appraised individuals in the forensic clinical examination. Under the contracted relationship with the institution, the appraised individuals could participate in the examination process, know the necessary information, and make a selected consent on the examination results, which can assure the justice and fairness of judicial examination procedure.

The discrepancy between patients and informants on clinician-rated measures in major depressive disorder: implications for clinical trials and clinical practice.

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Peselow, Eric D; Karamians, Reneh; Lord, Marie; Tobia, Gabriel; IsHak, Waguih William

2014-03-01

Clinician-rated measures are used in clinical trials and measurement-based clinical care settings to assess baseline symptoms and treatment outcomes of major depressive disorder (MDD), with a widely held dictum that they are sufficient in assessing the patient's clinical status. In this study, we examined clinician-rated measures of depressive and global symptom severity, obtained by interviewing patients as well as informants in an attempt to examine the potential difference or similarity between these two sources of information. The sample consisted of 89 treatment seeking, DSM-IV diagnosed MDD outpatients treated between 1995 and 2004. The clinician-rated measures used included the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) for Severity. The scores of the clinician-rated measures collected from patients' interviews were compared with those collected from informants' interviews. Clinician-rated scores, collected by interviewing patients, were significantly higher and indicative of greater symptom severity when compared with those collected by interviewing informants. This was true for both the MADRS before (Ppractical in MDD clinical trials or everyday clinical care. The discrepancies observed between the clinician-rated scores obtained from patients and informants emphasize the importance of incorporating collateral information during the assessment and rating of depressive symptom severity in both clinical trials as well as in clinical practice.

Designing healthcare information technology to catalyse change in clinical care

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William Lester

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The gap between best practice and actual patient care continues to be a pervasive problem in our healthcare system. Efforts to improve on this knowledge_performance gap have included computerised disease management programs designed to improve guideline adherence. However, current computerised reminder and decision support interventions directed at changing physician behaviour have had only a limited and variable effect on clinical outcomes. Further, immediate pay-for-performance financial pressures on institutions have created an environmentwhere disease management systems are often created under duress, appended to existing clinical systems and poorly integrated into the existing workflow, potentially limiting their realworld effectiveness. The authors present a review of disease management as well as a conceptual framework to guide the development of more effective health information technology (HIT tools for translating clinical information into clinical action.

Information needs for the rapid response team electronic clinical tool.

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Barwise, Amelia; Caples, Sean; Jensen, Jeffrey; Pickering, Brian; Herasevich, Vitaly

2017-10-02

Information overload in healthcare is dangerous. It can lead to critical errors and delays. During Rapid Response Team (RRT) activations providers must make decisions quickly to rescue patients from physiological deterioration. In order to understand the clinical data required and how best to present that information in electronic systems we aimed to better assess the data needs of providers on the RRT when they respond to an event. A web based survey to evaluate clinical data requirements was created and distributed to all RRT providers at our institution. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each data item in guiding clinical decisions during a RRT event response. There were 96 surveys completed (24.5% response rate) with fairly even distribution throughout all clinical roles on the RRT. Physiological data including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure were ranked by more than 80% of responders as being critical information. Resuscitation status was also considered critically useful by more than 85% of providers. There is a limited dataset that is considered important during an RRT. The data is widely available in EMR. The findings from this study could be used to improve user-centered EMR interfaces.

Informed Consent for Inclusion into Clinical Trials: A Serious Subject ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Informed Consent for Inclusion into Clinical Trials: A Serious Subject to Note in the Developing World Morteza. ... Review: The process of taking informed consent is wellunderstood in developed countries, with every effort taken to enhance and maintain the autonomy of patients and their right to make an informed choice of ...

The Assessment of Children’s Socio-Demographic Features at the Adolescent Outpatient Clinic

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Y. Kenan Haspolat

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: In this study, we investigated socio-demo­graphic characteristics of adolescents living in our region. Methods: Were analyzed, retrospectively, patients admit­ted Dicle University Faculty of Medicine’ adolescent out­patient clinic. Demographic data, body mass index (BMI, medical history and family background, school status, academic achievement, habits, trauma and psychosocial status were recorded. Results: Of the 244 adolescents, 124/% were females. The average age of cases was 12.99 ± 1.89 years (10-18 years. 48.3% of adolescents were low BMI. The smoking rate of 32.4% (n=79 and was higher in men. In smok­ers, school performance was lower (p = 0.002, and the rate of suicidal idea was higher (p < 0.001. In those with family history of suicide, the rate of suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide was higher (p = 0.005, p = 0.022, re­spectively. Similarly, in cases exposed to physical vio­lence, the rates of attempted suicide or suicidal thoughts were higher (p=0.011, p=0.001, respectively. In addition, in cases exposed to psychological violence the rates of attempted suicide or suicidal thoughts were higher (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively. Conclusion: Adolescents, for they can complete this period in a healthy way, health-care services, education units, especially their parents, should be made aware of the adolescence period-specific problems. Additionally, special centers customized adolescents, should be cre­ated and supported by state and private institutions.

Traditional eye medicine use by newly presenting ophthalmic patients to a teaching hospital in south-eastern Nigeria: socio-demographic and clinical correlates

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Uche Judith

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study set out to determine the incidence, socio-demographic, and clinical correlates of Traditional Eye Medicine (TEM use in a population of newly presenting ophthalmic outpatients attending a tertiary eye care centre in south-eastern Nigeria. Methods In a comparative cross-sectional survey at the eye clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH, Enugu, between August 2004 - July 2006, all newly presenting ophthalmic outpatients were recruited. Participants' socio-demographic and clinical data and profile of TEM use were obtained from history and examination of each participant and entered into a pretested questionnaire and proforma. Participants were subsequently categorized into TEM- users and non-users; intra-group analysis yielded proportions, frequencies, and percentages while chi-square test was used for inter-group comparisons at P = 0.01, df = 1. Results Of the 2,542 (males, 48.1%; females, 51.9% participants, 149 (5.9% (males, 45%; females, 55% used TEM for their current eye disease. The TEMs used were chemical substances (57.7%, plant products (37.7%, and animal products (4.7%. They were more often prescribed by non-traditional (66.4% than traditional (36.9% medicine practitioners. TEMs were used on account of vision loss (58.5%, ocular itching (25.4% and eye discharge (3.8%. Reported efficacy from previous users (67.1% and belief in potency (28.2% were the main reasons for using TEM. Civil servants (20.1%, farmers (17.7%, and traders (14.1% were the leading users of TEM. TEM use was significantly associated with younger age (p Conclusion The incidence of TEM use among new ophthalmic outpatients at UNTH is low. The reasons for TEM use are amenable to positive change through enhanced delivery of promotive, preventive, and curative public eye care services. This has implications for eye care planners and implementers. To reverse the trend, we suggest strengthening of eye care programmes, even

Birth tourism: socio-demographic and statistical aspects

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Anatoly V. Korotkov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to research birth tourism issue. The article gives the socio-demographic and statistical aspects of research problems of birth inbound tourism in the Russian Federation. Following the literature analysis, the degree of study for birth tourism lags behind its actual size. Currently, the media has accumulated a significant amount of information on birth tourism in Russia, that requires processing, systematization and understanding that can and should become an independent area of study of sociologists and demographers to develop recommendations for the management of socio-demographic processes in birth tourism in our country. It is necessary to identify the problems that will inevitably arise. At present, this process is almost not regulated.These problems are complex, it requires the joint efforts of sociologists and demographers. However, it is impossible to obtain reliable results and to develop management decisions without attention to the statistical aspect of this problem. It is necessary to create methodological support for collecting and information processing and model development of the birth tourism. At the initial stage it is necessary to identify the direction and objectives of the analysis to determine the factors in the development of this process, to develop a hierarchical system of statistical indicators, to receive the information, needed for calculating of specific indicators.The complex research of the birth tourism issues should be based on the methodology of sociology, demography and statistics, including statistical observation, interviews with residents, structure analysis and birth tourism concentration in the country, the analysis of the dynamics, classification of factors and reasons, the grouping of regions for the development of the studied processes and, of course, the development of economic-statistical indicators.The article reveals the problem of the significant influence of the

Utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) among sexually transmitted disease clinics attendees with coexisting drinking problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xingdi; Dodd, Virginia J; Oliverio, James C; Cook, Robert L

2014-03-26

Alcohol misuse remains a major risk factor for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) not typically addressed in STD clinic settings. Information and communication technology (ICT) can offer new avenues to deliver evidence-based screening and treatment for problematic drinking, however, few data exists regarding the utilization of ICT among STD clinic attendees with coexisting drinking problems. The objectives of this study are to identify STD clinics attendees with hazardous drinking, to examine socio-demographic factors associated with ICT use, and to explore individuals' interests in engaging in ICT-based health interventions. Cross-sectional questionnaires examining alcohol consumption and ICT use were administered to 396 persons attending two non-urban STD clinics. Descriptive statistics for ICT use were calculated for both hazardous drinkers and the entire sample. Multivariable logistic regression models among hazardous drinkers identified factors significantly associated with use of each kind of ICT. The mean age of the 396 participants was 25 years, 66% were females and 60% were African-Americans. One third of the sample met the criteria of hazardous drinking. ICT use in hazardous drinkers included 94% reporting having internet access at least monthly, 82% reporting having an email account, 85% reporting currently owning a cell phone, and 91% reporting use of any cell phone application. More than two thirds (73%) of hazardous drinkers were willing to play health-related video games during clinic waiting time, slightly higher than the entire sample (69%). Multivariable analyses indicated that younger age were significantly related to monthly internet use, and multifunction cell phone use, while being males and younger age were significantly associated with monthly video game playing. Our study demonstrates commonality of ICT use among STD clinic attendees with hazardous drinking, indicating the viability of using ICT to assist screening and

Utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) among sexually transmitted disease clinics attendees with coexisting drinking problems

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Alcohol misuse remains a major risk factor for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) not typically addressed in STD clinic settings. Information and communication technology (ICT) can offer new avenues to deliver evidence-based screening and treatment for problematic drinking, however, few data exists regarding the utilization of ICT among STD clinic attendees with coexisting drinking problems. The objectives of this study are to identify STD clinics attendees with hazardous drinking, to examine socio-demographic factors associated with ICT use, and to explore individuals’ interests in engaging in ICT-based health interventions. Methods Cross-sectional questionnaires examining alcohol consumption and ICT use were administered to 396 persons attending two non-urban STD clinics. Descriptive statistics for ICT use were calculated for both hazardous drinkers and the entire sample. Multivariable logistic regression models among hazardous drinkers identified factors significantly associated with use of each kind of ICT. Results The mean age of the 396 participants was 25 years, 66% were females and 60% were African-Americans. One third of the sample met the criteria of hazardous drinking. ICT use in hazardous drinkers included 94% reporting having internet access at least monthly, 82% reporting having an email account, 85% reporting currently owning a cell phone, and 91% reporting use of any cell phone application. More than two thirds (73%) of hazardous drinkers were willing to play health-related video games during clinic waiting time, slightly higher than the entire sample (69%). Multivariable analyses indicated that younger age were significantly related to monthly internet use, and multifunction cell phone use, while being males and younger age were significantly associated with monthly video game playing. Conclusions Our study demonstrates commonality of ICT use among STD clinic attendees with hazardous drinking, indicating the viability of

Where is information quality lost at clinical level? A mixed-method study on information systems and data quality in three urban Kenyan ANC clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Daniel; Wanjala, Pepela; Marx, Michael

2013-08-29

Well-working health information systems are considered vital with the quality of health data ranked of highest importance for decision making at patient care and policy levels. In particular, health facilities play an important role, since they are not only the entry point for the national health information system but also use health data (and primarily) for patient care. A multiple case study was carried out between March and August 2012 at the antenatal care (ANC) clinics of two private and one public Kenyan hospital to describe clinical information systems and assess the quality of information. The following methods were developed and employed in an iterative process: workplace walkthroughs, structured and in-depth interviews with staff members, and a quantitative assessment of data quality (completeness and accurate transmission of clinical information and reports in ANC). Views of staff and management on the quality of employed information systems, data quality, and influencing factors were captured qualitatively. Staff rated the quality of information higher in the private hospitals employing computers than in the public hospital which relies on paper forms. Several potential threats to data quality were reported. Limitations in data quality were common at all study sites including wrong test results, missing registers, and inconsistencies in reports. Feedback was seldom on content or quality of reports and usage of data beyond individual patient care was low. We argue that the limited data quality has to be seen in the broader perspective of the information systems in which it is produced and used. The combination of different methods has proven to be useful for this. To improve the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems, combined measures are needed which include technical and organizational aspects (e.g. regular feedback to health workers) and individual skills and motivation.

Where is information quality lost at clinical level? A mixed-method study on information systems and data quality in three urban Kenyan ANC clinics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Hahn

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Well-working health information systems are considered vital with the quality of health data ranked of highest importance for decision making at patient care and policy levels. In particular, health facilities play an important role, since they are not only the entry point for the national health information system but also use health data (and primarily for patient care. Design: A multiple case study was carried out between March and August 2012 at the antenatal care (ANC clinics of two private and one public Kenyan hospital to describe clinical information systems and assess the quality of information. The following methods were developed and employed in an iterative process: workplace walkthroughs, structured and in-depth interviews with staff members, and a quantitative assessment of data quality (completeness and accurate transmission of clinical information and reports in ANC. Views of staff and management on the quality of employed information systems, data quality, and influencing factors were captured qualitatively. Results: Staff rated the quality of information higher in the private hospitals employing computers than in the public hospital which relies on paper forms. Several potential threats to data quality were reported. Limitations in data quality were common at all study sites including wrong test results, missing registers, and inconsistencies in reports. Feedback was seldom on content or quality of reports and usage of data beyond individual patient care was low. Conclusions: We argue that the limited data quality has to be seen in the broader perspective of the information systems in which it is produced and used. The combination of different methods has proven to be useful for this. To improve the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems, combined measures are needed which include technical and organizational aspects (e.g. regular feedback to health workers and individual skills and motivation.

Where is information quality lost at clinical level? A mixed-method study on information systems and data quality in three urban Kenyan ANC clinics

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Hahn, Daniel; Wanjala, Pepela; Marx, Michael

2013-01-01

Background Well-working health information systems are considered vital with the quality of health data ranked of highest importance for decision making at patient care and policy levels. In particular, health facilities play an important role, since they are not only the entry point for the national health information system but also use health data (and primarily) for patient care. Design A multiple case study was carried out between March and August 2012 at the antenatal care (ANC) clinics of two private and one public Kenyan hospital to describe clinical information systems and assess the quality of information. The following methods were developed and employed in an iterative process: workplace walkthroughs, structured and in-depth interviews with staff members, and a quantitative assessment of data quality (completeness and accurate transmission of clinical information and reports in ANC). Views of staff and management on the quality of employed information systems, data quality, and influencing factors were captured qualitatively. Results Staff rated the quality of information higher in the private hospitals employing computers than in the public hospital which relies on paper forms. Several potential threats to data quality were reported. Limitations in data quality were common at all study sites including wrong test results, missing registers, and inconsistencies in reports. Feedback was seldom on content or quality of reports and usage of data beyond individual patient care was low. Conclusions We argue that the limited data quality has to be seen in the broader perspective of the information systems in which it is produced and used. The combination of different methods has proven to be useful for this. To improve the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems, combined measures are needed which include technical and organizational aspects (e.g. regular feedback to health workers) and individual skills and motivation. PMID:23993022

Risk of non-fatal suicide ideation and behaviour in recent onset schizophrenia--the influence of clinical, social, self-esteem and demographic factors.

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Tarrier, Nicholas; Barrowclough, Christine; Andrews, Bernice; Gregg, Lynsey

2004-11-01

Suicide rates amongst schizophrenic patients are high. There are disadvantages in investigating successfully completed suicides which make suicidal ideation and previous attempts important proxy measures of suicidal risk. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with these risk measures. Fifty-nine patients suffering recent onset schizophrenia were assessed for suicidal ideation and history, and a range of demographic, clinical, social (including relatives' Expressed Emotion) and self-esteem measures. Univariate comparisons were made between those with and without suicide ideation and previous attempts. Path analysis was conducted to identify factors directly or indirectly associated with a composite scale of risk (low, medium or high). Approximately 25% of the sample reported a current desire to kill themselves and 47% had made one or more previous attempts. There were numerous significant univariate differences between those with or without ideation or history. Path analysis indicated that greater hopelessness (OR 1.22) and longer duration of illness (OR 1.13) increased risk. Hopelessness was associated with higher negative self-evaluation and social isolation. Negative self-evaluation was associated with more relatives' criticism which was associated with more negative symptoms. Being a male, unmarried and unemployed were all significantly associated with an increase in negative symptoms. Social isolation was associated with being unemployed, older, more positive symptoms and longer illness duration. Duration of illness was not itself predicted by any other variables. Non-fatal suicide ideation and behaviour are significantly associated with an array of demographic, clinical, interpersonal and psychological factors. To reduce risk of suicide, these factors need to be assessed and methods developed to reduce their influence.

Intelligent system to study demographic evolution

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Rodrigues, M. de Fatima; Ramos, Carlos; Henriques, Pedro R.

1999-02-01

With three centuries of existence, the study of population's behavior implies the manipulation of large amounts of incomplete and imprecise data with high dimensionality. By virtue of its multidisciplinary character, the work in demography involves at least historicists, statisticians and computer scientists/programmers. Moreover, successful demographic analysis requires qualified experts, who have succeeded in analysing data through many views and relate different sources of information, including their personal knowledge of the epoch or regions under study. In this paper, we present an intelligent system to study demographic evolution (ISSDE). This system has a module based on on-line analytical processing (OLAP), which permits conducting multiple analysis, combining many data dimensions. It has a deductive database system, which allows the execution of elaborated queries through the database. It has another module for date treatment (generalization and/or reduction); and, at last, a data mining module to discover nontrivial relations hidden within data. We discover the data treatment procedure with two phases: data generalization and data reduction. In data generalization, utilizing knowledge about concept hierarchies and relevance of data, aggregation of attribute values is performed. In the data reduction phase, rough set theory is applied to compute the minimal attribute set. We highlight the advantages of combining attribute value generalization with rough set theory, to find a subset of attributes that lets the mining process discover more useful patterns, by providing results from the application of the C5.0 algorithm in a demographic relational database.

Distinguishing bipolar II depression from major depressive disorder with comorbid borderline personality disorder: demographic, clinical, and family history differences.

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Zimmerman, Mark; Martinez, Jennifer H; Morgan, Theresa A; Young, Diane; Chelminski, Iwona; Dalrymple, Kristy

2013-09-01

Because of the potential treatment implications, it is clinically important to distinguish between bipolar II depression and major depressive disorder with comorbid borderline personality disorder. The high frequency of diagnostic co-occurrence and resemblance of phenomenological features has led some authors to suggest that borderline personality disorder is part of the bipolar spectrum. Few studies have directly compared patients with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. In the present study from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services project, we compared these 2 groups of patients on demographic, clinical, and family history variables. From December 1995 to May 2012, 3,600 psychiatric patients presenting to the outpatient practice at Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, Rhode Island) were evaluated with semistructured diagnostic interviews for DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II disorders. The focus of the present study is the 206 patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder (MDD-BPD) and 62 patients with DSM-IV bipolar II depression without borderline personality disorder. The patients with MDD-BPD were significantly more often diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (P depression had a significantly higher morbid risk for bipolar disorder in their first-degree relatives than the MDD-BPD patients (P depression and major depressive disorder with comorbid borderline personality disorder differed on a number of clinical and family history variables, thereby supporting the validity of this distinction. © Copyright 2013 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Spontaneously Reported Symptoms by Informants Are Associated with Clinical Severity in Dementia Help-Seekers.

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Xu, Jia-Qi; Choy, Jacky C P; Tang, Jennifer Y M; Liu, Tian-Yin; Luo, Hao; Lou, Vivian W Q; Lum, Terry Y S; Wong, Gloria H Y

2017-09-01

To investigate the predictive value of symptoms of dementia that the person or an informant noticed spontaneously in determining the clinical severity of dementia. Cross-sectional. Community-based open-referral dementia assessment service in Hong Kong between 2005 and 2013. Help-seekers for dementia assessment service and their informants (N = 965 dyads). Participants underwent a clinical dementia interview based on the Clinical Dementia Rating. Spontaneous complaints that the person and the informant made that had prompted their help-seeking of groups with interview results suggestive of no impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia were compared. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the predictive value of spontaneous complaints for clinical severity. Independent raters blinded to clinical results coded spontaneously reported symptoms into theoretical themes: memory, executive function, language, time and place orientation, neuropsychiatric, mood, and avolition. Memory problems were the most frequently reported complaints for participants (87.7%) and their informants (95.5%), followed by self-reported language (33.0%) and informant-reported orientation (33.0%) difficulties. Informant-reported but not self-reported symptoms predicted clinical severity. Compared with the persons themselves, informants reported more pervasive symptoms corresponding to clinical severity. Persons with dementia self-reported fewer types of symptoms than their healthy or mildly impaired counterparts. Spontaneously reported language and orientation symptoms by the informant distinguished persons with mild or worse dementia (P < .001, Nagelkerke coefficient of determination = 29.7%, percentage correct 85.6%). The type and pervasiveness of symptoms spontaneously that informants reported predicted clinical severity. This may provide a quick reference for triage. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

Clinical Information Systems as the Backbone of a Complex Information Logistics Process: Findings from the Clinical Information Systems Perspective for 2016.

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Hackl, W O; Ganslandt, T

2017-08-01

Objective: To summarize recent research and to propose a selection of best papers published in 2016 in the field of Clinical Information Systems (CIS). Method: The query used to retrieve the articles for the CIS section of the 2016 edition of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics was reused. It again aimed at identifying relevant publications in the field of CIS from PubMed and Web of Science and comprised search terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) catalog as well as additional free text search terms. The retrieved articles were categorized in a multi-pass review carried out by the two section editors. The final selection of candidate papers was then peer-reviewed by Yearbook editors and external reviewers. Based on the review results, the best papers were then chosen at the selection meeting with the IMIA Yearbook editorial board. Text mining, term co-occurrence mapping, and topic modelling techniques were used to get an overview on the content of the retrieved articles. Results: The query was carried out in mid-January 2017, yielding a consolidated result set of 2,190 articles published in 921 different journals. Out of them, 14 papers were nominated as candidate best papers and three of them were finally selected as the best papers of the CIS field. The content analysis of the articles revealed the broad spectrum of topics covered by CIS research. Conclusions: The CIS field is multi-dimensional and complex. It is hard to draw a well-defined outline between CIS and other domains or other sections of the IMIA Yearbook. The trends observed in the previous years are progressing. Clinical information systems are more than just sociotechnical systems for data collection, processing, exchange, presentation, and archiving. They are the backbone of a complex, trans-institutional information logistics process. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Detailed clinical models: representing knowledge, data and semantics in healthcare information technology.

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Goossen, William T F

2014-07-01

This paper will present an overview of the developmental effort in harmonizing clinical knowledge modeling using the Detailed Clinical Models (DCMs), and will explain how it can contribute to the preservation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) data. Clinical knowledge modeling is vital for the management and preservation of EHR and data. Such modeling provides common data elements and terminology binding with the intention of capturing and managing clinical information over time and location independent from technology. Any EHR data exchange without an agreed clinical knowledge modeling will potentially result in loss of information. Many attempts exist from the past to model clinical knowledge for the benefits of semantic interoperability using standardized data representation and common terminologies. The objective of each project is similar with respect to consistent representation of clinical data, using standardized terminologies, and an overall logical approach. However, the conceptual, logical, and the technical expressions are quite different in one clinical knowledge modeling approach versus another. There currently are synergies under the Clinical Information Modeling Initiative (CIMI) in order to create a harmonized reference model for clinical knowledge models. The goal for the CIMI is to create a reference model and formalisms based on for instance the DCM (ISO/TS 13972), among other work. A global repository of DCMs may potentially be established in the future.

Physical rehabilitation for lung transplant candidates and recipients: An evidence-informed clinical approach

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Wickerson, Lisa; Rozenberg, Dmitry; Janaudis-Ferreira, Tania; Deliva, Robin; Lo, Vincent; Beauchamp, Gary; Helm, Denise; Gottesman, Chaya; Mendes, Polyana; Vieira, Luciana; Herridge, Margaret; Singer, Lianne G; Mathur, Sunita

2016-01-01

Physical rehabilitation of lung transplant candidates and recipients plays an important in optimizing physical function prior to transplant and facilitating recovery of function post-transplant. As medical and surgical interventions in lung transplantation have evolved over time, there has been a demographic shift of individuals undergoing lung transplantation including older individuals, those with multiple co-morbidites, and candidates with respiratory failure requiring bridging to transplantation. These changes have an impact on the rehabilitation needs of lung transplant candidates and recipients. This review provides a practical approach to rehabilitation based on research and clinical practice at our transplant centre. It focuses on functional assessment and exercise prescription during an uncomplicated and complicated clinical course in the pre-transplant, early and late post-transplant periods. The target audience includes clinicians involved in pre- and post-transplant patient care and rehabilitation researchers. PMID:27683630

A clinical study of papular urticaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raza, N.; Lodhi, M.S.; Ali, L.

2008-01-01

To determine the clinical features and demographic profile of the patients having papular urticaria. Individuals of all age groups and either gender either suspected of or having definite history of insect bite were included in the study. A specially-designed proforma was filled for each patient separately. The proforma included demographic features, information regarding clothing and sleeping habits, personal or family history of atopy and clinical patterns of the lesions. Computer programme SPSS 10 was used to manage and analyze the data. Out of 280 patients, 201 (71.8%) were children upto 12 years of age, 178 (63.6%) were males, 91 (32.5%) had atopy, 194 (69.3%) were non-locals, 212 (75.7%) came from urban/peri-urban areas and 173 (61.8%) presented during May-August. Lesions were present over exposed parts of the body in 36 (12.9%), arranged in groups in 152 (54.3%) and were papular urticaria in 185 (66.1%) patients. Children, adult males, non-locals and those belonging to urban/peri-urban areas are more vulnerable to papular urticaria in a particular region. Papular and urticarial lesions arranged in groups over both exposed as well as covered body parts of a single patient is the most common clinical pattern. (author)

Text de-identification for privacy protection: a study of its impact on clinical text information content.

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Meystre, Stéphane M; Ferrández, Óscar; Friedlin, F Jeffrey; South, Brett R; Shen, Shuying; Samore, Matthew H

2014-08-01

As more and more electronic clinical information is becoming easier to access for secondary uses such as clinical research, approaches that enable faster and more collaborative research while protecting patient privacy and confidentiality are becoming more important. Clinical text de-identification offers such advantages but is typically a tedious manual process. Automated Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods can alleviate this process, but their impact on subsequent uses of the automatically de-identified clinical narratives has only barely been investigated. In the context of a larger project to develop and investigate automated text de-identification for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical notes, we studied the impact of automated text de-identification on clinical information in a stepwise manner. Our approach started with a high-level assessment of clinical notes informativeness and formatting, and ended with a detailed study of the overlap of select clinical information types and Protected Health Information (PHI). To investigate the informativeness (i.e., document type information, select clinical data types, and interpretation or conclusion) of VHA clinical notes, we used five different existing text de-identification systems. The informativeness was only minimally altered by these systems while formatting was only modified by one system. To examine the impact of de-identification on clinical information extraction, we compared counts of SNOMED-CT concepts found by an open source information extraction application in the original (i.e., not de-identified) version of a corpus of VHA clinical notes, and in the same corpus after de-identification. Only about 1.2-3% less SNOMED-CT concepts were found in de-identified versions of our corpus, and many of these concepts were PHI that was erroneously identified as clinical information. To study this impact in more details and assess how generalizable our findings were, we examined the overlap between

Rational clinical evaluation of suspected acute coronary syndromes: The value of more information.

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Hancock, David G; Chuang, Ming-Yu Anthony; Bystrom, Rebecca; Halabi, Amera; Jones, Rachel; Horsfall, Matthew; Cullen, Louise; Parsonage, William A; Chew, Derek P

2017-12-01

Many meta-analyses have provided synthesised likelihood ratio data to aid clinical decision-making. However, much less has been published on how to safely combine clinical information in practice. We aimed to explore the benefits and risks of pooling clinical information during the ED assessment of suspected acute coronary syndrome. Clinical information on 1776 patients was collected within a randomised trial conducted across five South Australian EDs between July 2011 and March 2013. Bayes theorem was used to calculate patient-specific post-test probabilities using age- and gender-specific pre-test probabilities and likelihood ratios corresponding to the presence or absence of 18 clinical factors. Model performance was assessed as the presence of adverse cardiac outcomes among patients theoretically discharged at a post-test probability less than 1%. Bayes theorem-based models containing high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-troponin) outperformed models excluding hs-troponin, as well as models utilising TIMI and GRACE scores. In models containing hs-troponin, a plateau in improving discharge safety was observed after the inclusion of four clinical factors. Models with fewer clinical factors better approximated the true event rate, tended to be safer and resulted in a smaller standard deviation in post-test probability estimates. We showed that there is a definable point where additional information becomes uninformative and may actually lead to less certainty. This evidence supports the concept that clinical decision-making in the assessment of suspected acute coronary syndrome should be focused on obtaining the least amount of information that provides the highest benefit for informing the decisions of admission or discharge. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Socio-demographic and clinical variables associated with psychological distress 1 and 3 years after breast cancer diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alfonsson, Sven; Olsson, Erik; Hursti, Timo

2016-01-01

Purpose A large group of women (20–30 %) report psychological distress shortly after breast cancer diagnosis, and some experience continued or increased symptoms over time. The aim of this study was to investigate socio-demographic and clinical variables associated with sustained psychological di...... of anxiety or depression. Participants with poor financial status, previous psychological problems, or high levels of fatigue may be at increased risk of psychological distress. Such individuals may benefit most from psychosocial interventions....... and Depression Scale was used as a measure of psychological distress at both time points. Results The number of participants who reported elevated levels of anxiety was 231 (28 %) at T1 and 231 (28 %) at T2 while elevated depressive symptoms was reported by 119 (14 %) women at T1 and 92 (11 %) at T2. Despite non......-significant differences in mean scores over time, 91 (15 %) participants reported increased anxiety symptoms and 47 (7 %) reported increased depressive symptoms. Poor financial situation, lack of social support, previous psychiatric treatment, and high levels of fatigue were associated with both anxiety and depressive...

Information technology for clinical, translational and comparative effectiveness research. Findings from the section clinical research informatics.

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Daniel, C; Choquet, R

2013-01-01

To summarize advances of excellent current research in the new emerging field of Clinical Research Informatics. Synopsis of four key articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2013. The selection was performed by querying PubMed and Web of Science with predefined keywords. From the original set of 590 papers, a first subset of 461 articles which was in the scope of Clinical Research Informatics was refined into a second subset of 79 relevant articles from which 15 articles were retained for peer-review. The four selected articles exemplify current research efforts conducted in the areas of data representation and management in clinical trials, secondary use of EHR data for clinical research, information technology platforms for translational and comparative effectiveness research and implementation of privacy control. The selected articles not only illustrate how innovative information technology supports classically organized randomized controlled trials but also demonstrate that the long promised benefits of electronic health care data for research are becoming a reality through concrete platforms and projects.

The role of effective communication in achieving informed consent for clinical trials.

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Pick, Andrew; Gilbert, Kayleigh; McCaul, James

2014-11-11

Informed consent is fundamental to the protection of the rights, safety and wellbeing of patients in clinical research. For consent to be valid, patients must first be given all the information they need about the proposed research to be able to decide whether they would like to take part. This material should be presented in a way that is easy for them to understand. This article explores the importance of communication in clinical research, and how more effective communication with patients during the informed consent process can ensure they are fully informed.

Demographic studies of Joshua trees in Mojave Desert National Parks: demography with emphasis on germination and recruitment

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Esque, T.C.; Reynolds, B.; DeFalco, L.A.; Waitman, B.A.; Hughson, Debra

2010-01-01

The study of population change with regard to reproduction, seed dispersal, and germination, establishment, growth, and survival/mortality is known as demography. Demographic studies provide managers with information to assess future trends on the density, distribution, health, and population changes of importance or value, including Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). Demographic research provides the potential to understand the combined impacts of climate change and land-use practices and determine if strategies for protecting important species are likely to succeed or fall short of management goals and will identify factors that have the potential to de-stabilize populations outside the realm of natural variation so that management strategies can be developed to circumvent challenges for key species, processes, and ecosystems. The National Park Service and US Geological Survey are collaborating to collect demographic information about the demographics of Joshua tree in the Mojave Desert.

Minimally invasive surgery fellowship graduates: Their demographics, practice patterns, and contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Adrian E; Sutton, Erica R H; Heniford, B Todd

2015-12-01

Fellowship opportunities in minimally invasive surgery, bariatric, gastrointestinal, and hepatobiliary arose to address unmet training needs. The large cohort of non-Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education -accredited fellowship graduates (NACGMEG) has been difficult to track. In this, the largest survey of graduates to date, our goal was to characterize this unique group's demographics and professional activities. A total of 580 NACGMEG were surveyed covering 150 data points: demographics, practice patterns, academics, lifestyle, leadership, and maintenance of certification. Of 580 previous fellows, 234 responded. Demographics included: average age 37 years, 84% male, 75% in urban settings, 49% in purely academic practice, and 58% in practice maintenance of certification activities. Fellowship alumnae appear to be productive contributors to American surgery. They are clinically and academically active, believe endoscopy is important, have adopted continuous learning, and most assume work leadership roles. The majority acknowledge their fellowship training as having met expectations and uniquely equipping them for their current practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a clinical information tool for the electronic medical record: a case study.

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Epstein, Barbara A; Tannery, Nancy H; Wessel, Charles B; Yarger, Frances; LaDue, John; Fiorillo, Anthony B

2010-07-01

What is the process of developing a clinical information tool to be embedded in the electronic health record of a very large and diverse academic medical center? The development took place at the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System. The clinical information tool developed is a search box with subject tabs to provide quick access to designated full-text information resources. Each subject tab offers a federated search of a different pool of resources. Search results are organized "on the fly" into meaningful categories using clustering technology and are directly accessible from the results page. After more than a year of discussion and planning, a clinical information tool was embedded in the academic medical center's electronic health record. The library successfully developed a clinical information tool, called Clinical-e, for use at the point of care. Future development will refine the tool and evaluate its impact and effectiveness.

The changing demographic, legal, and technological contexts of political representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Forest, Benjamin

2005-10-25

Three developments have created challenges for political representation in the U.S. and particularly for the use of territorially based representation (election by district). First, the demographic complexity of the U.S. population has grown both in absolute terms and in terms of residential patterns. Second, legal developments since the 1960s have recognized an increasing number of groups as eligible for voting rights protection. Third, the growing technical capacities of computer technology, particularly Geographic Information Systems, have allowed political parties and other organizations to create election districts with increasingly precise political and demographic characteristics. Scholars have made considerable progress in measuring and evaluating the racial and partisan biases of districting plans, and some states have tried to use Geographic Information Systems technology to produce more representative districts. However, case studies of Texas and Arizona illustrate that such analytic and technical advances have not overcome the basic contradictions that underlie the American system of territorial political representation.

[Informed consent process in clinical trials: Insights of researchers, patients and general practitioners].

Science.gov (United States)

Giménez, Nuria; Pedrazas, David; Redondo, Susana; Quintana, Salvador

2016-10-01

Adequate information for patients and respect for their autonomy are mandatory in research. This article examined insights of researchers, patients and general practitioners (GPs) on the informed consent process in clinical trials, and the role of the GP. A cross-sectional study using three questionnaires, informed consent reviews, medical records, and hospital discharge reports. GPs, researchers and patients involved in clinical trials. Included, 504 GPs, 108 researchers, and 71 patients. Consulting the GP was recommended in 50% of the informed consents. Participation in clinical trials was shown in 33% of the medical records and 3% of the hospital discharge reports. GPs scored 3.54 points (on a 1-10 scale) on the assessment of the information received by the principal investigator. The readability of the informed consent sheet was rated 8.03 points by researchers, and the understanding was rated 7.68 points by patients. Patient satisfaction was positively associated with more time for reflection. GPs were not satisfied with the information received on the participation of patients under their in clinical trials. Researchers were satisfied with the information they offered to patients, and were aware of the need to improve the information GPs received. Patients collaborated greatly towards biomedical research, expressed satisfaction with the overall process, and minimised the difficulties associated with participation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Depression in prison population: Demographic and clinical predictors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluyinka Emmanuel Majekodunmi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Studies have shown that mental illnesses are more common among the prison population than the general population. However, most studies in this environment had only looked at nonspecific psychiatric morbidities. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of major depressive disorder, its associated sociodemographic and clinical variables in a population of inmates in Nigeria. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 prisoners consisting of 136 awaiting trials (AT and 60 convicted inmates (CI. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Depression was assessed with the depression module of the Structured Clinical Interview Schedule for Axis 1 Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV Disorders. The diagnosis was made according to the DSM-IV criteria and severity assessed with the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS. Forty-one (30.1% of AT compared with 21 (35.0% of the CI were depressed. The mean total MADRS score for AT was 23.90 standard deviation (SD ±7.97 while the mean total MADRS score for the convicted was 25.50 SD ± 8.70, P= 0.479. Unlike the general population, there were no sociodemographic predictors of depression. Among the ATs, depression was associated with the presence of physical complaints, having a chronic illness and family history of psychiatric illness among the CI. The prevalence of depression among prisoners was found to be high and associated with clinical variables. Due attention needs to be given to address the mental health needs of the prisoners.

Information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Vanessa; Rosecler Bez el Boukhari, Marta

2007-11-01

This article describes information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories. The quality of laboratory analyses is of fundamental importance for health professionals in aiding appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Information systems allow the automation of internal quality management processes, using standard sample tests, Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard multirule analysis. This simplifies evaluation and interpretation of quality tests and reduces the possibility of human error. This study proposes the development of an information system with appropriate functions and costs for the automation of internal quality control in small and medium-sized clinical laboratories. To this end, it evaluates the functions and usability of two commercial software products designed for this purpose, identifying the positive features of each, so that these can be taken into account during the development of the proposed system.

Information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitz, Vanessa; Boukhari, Marta Rosecler Bez el

2007-01-01

This article describes information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories. The quality of laboratory analyses is of fundamental importance for health professionals in aiding appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Information systems allow the automation of internal quality management processes, using standard sample tests, Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard multirule analysis. This simplifies evaluation and interpretation of quality tests and reduces the possibility of human error. This study proposes the development of an information system with appropriate functions and costs for the automation of internal quality control in small and medium-sized clinical laboratories. To this end, it evaluates the functions and usability of two commercial software products designed for this purpose, identifying the positive features of each, so that these can be taken into account during the development of the proposed system

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Work-related Open Globe Injuries in the Most Industrialised Region of Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sertaç Argun Kıvanç

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of work-related open globe injuries in the most industrialized region of Turkey. Materials and Methods: The demographic and medical records of patients with work-related open globe injuries who presented to the ophthalmology or emergency departments with an official occupational accident report were retrospectively reviewed. Visual acuity categories were defined according to the World Health Organization. The injury types and zones of the open globes were classified according to Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System. Results: Among 479 patients with work-related eye injuries in 5 years, there were 102 eyes of 101 patients with open globe injuries (21%. The mean age of the patients was 34.5±8.9 years with a mean follow-up of 12.5±12.6 months. The injuries peaked in June in the hour between 12:00 and 13:00. Eighty-six percent presented to emergency services within 12 hours after the injury. Twenty-two percent of the patients had been wearing protective eyewear at the time of injury. The open globe injuries were penetrating in 51%, intraocular foreign body in 40%, rupture in 7% and perforation in 2% of the eyes. The most frequent finding was traumatic cataract. Final visual acuity of 33.3% of patients was below 3/60. Seventy-eight percent of patients that had visual acuity worse than 6/18 at presentation had visual acuity of 6/18 or better at final visit. Sixty-three percent of eyes which had injuries involving all 3 zones resulted in phthisis bulbi, enucleation or evisceration. Conclusion: Work-related open globe injuries may have severe consequences such as visual impairment and blindness among the young male working population in industrialized areas. Nearly half of the occupational open globe injuries resulted in visual impairment and blindness.

Socio-demographic factors and edentulism: the Nigerian experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akeredolu Patricia

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The rate of total edentulism is said to be increasing in developing countries and this had been attributed mainly to the high prevalence of periodontal diseases and caries. Several reports have shown that non-disease factors such as attitude, behavior, dental attendance, characteristics of health care systems and socio-demographic factors play important roles in the aetiopathogenesis of edentulism. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between socio-demographic factors and edentulism. Methods A total of 152 patients made up of 80 (52.6% males and 72 (47.4% females who presented in two prosthetic clinics located in an urban and a rural area were included in the study. The relationship between gender, age, socio-economic status and edentulism in this study population was established. Results No significant relationship between gender and denture demand was noted in the study. The demand for complete dentures increased with age while the demand for removable partial dentures also increased with age until the 3rd decade and then started to decline. A significant relationship was found between denture demand and the level of education with a higher demand in lower educational groups (p Conclusions The findings in this study revealed a significant relationship between socio-demographic variables and edentulism with age, educational level and socio-economic status playing vital roles in edentulism and denture demand.

Assessment of demographic and pathoanatomic risk factors in recurrent patellofemoral instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiemstra, Laurie Anne; Kerslake, Sarah; Lafave, Mark

2017-12-01

The WARPS/STAID classification employs clinical assessment of presenting features and anatomic characteristics to identify two distinct subsets of patients within the patellofemoral instability population. The purpose of this study was to further define the specific demographics and the prevalence of risky pathoanatomies in patients classified as either WARPS or STAID presenting with recurrent patellofemoral instability. A secondary purpose was to further validate the WARPS/STAID classification with the Banff Patella Instability Instrument (BPII), the Marx activity scale and the Patellar Instability Severity Score (ISS). A convenience sample of 50 patients with recurrent patellofemoral instability, including 25 WARPS and 25 STAID subtype patients, were assessed. Clinical data were collected including assessment of demographic risk factors (sex, BMI, bilaterality of symptoms, affected limb side and age at first dislocation) and pathoanatomic risk factors (TT-TG distance, patella height, patellar tilt, grade of trochlear dysplasia, Beighton score and rotational abnormalities of the tibia or femur). Patients completed the BPII and the Marx activity scale. The ISS was calculated from the clinical assessment data. Patients were stratified into the WARPS or STAID subtypes for comparative analysis. An independent t test was used to compare demographics, the pathoanatomic risk factors and subjective measures between the groups. Convergent validity was tested with a Pearson r correlation coefficient between the WARPS/STAID and ISS scores. Demographic risk factors statistically associated with a WARPS subtype included female sex, age at first dislocation and bilaterality. Pathoanatomic risk factors statistically associated with a WARPS subtype included trochlear dysplasia, TT-TG distance, generalized ligamentous laxity, patellar tilt and rotational abnormalities. The independent t test revealed a significant difference between the ISS scores: WARPS subtype (M = 4.4, SD�

Clinical and Demographical Characteristics of Patients with Medication Overuse Headache in Argentina and Chile: Analysis of the Latin American Section of COMOESTAS Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Shand, Beatriz; Goicochea, Maria Teresa; Valenzuela, Raul; Fadic, Ricardo; Jensen, Rigmor; Tassorelli, Cristina; Nappi, Giuseppe

2015-01-01

Data on the characteristics of Medication Overuse Headache (MOH) in Latin American (LA) are scarce. Here we report the demographic and clinical features of the MOH patients from Argentina and Chile enrolled in the multinational COMOESTAS project in the period 2008-2010. The LA population was formed by 240 MOH subjects, 110 from Chile and 130 from Argentina, consecutively attending the local headache centres. In each centre, specifically trained neurologist interviewed and confirmed the diagnosis according to the ICHD-II criteria. A detailed history was collected on an electronic patient record form. The mean patient age was 38.6 years, with a female/male ratio of 8:2. The mean time since onset of the primary headache was 21 years, whereas duration of MOH was 3.9 years. The primary headache was migraine without aura in 77.5 % and migraine with aura in 18.8 %. Forty two % of the patients self-reported emotional stress associated with the chronification of headache; 43.8 % reported insomnia. The most overused medications were acute drug combinations containing ergotamine (70 %), NSAIDs (33.8 %) and triptans (5.4 %). Though little described, MOH is present also in LA, where it affects mostly women, in the most active decades of life. Some differences emerge as regards the demographic and clinical characteristics of MOH in this population as compared to Europe or Northern America. What seems more worrying about MOH in Argentina and Chile is that most patients overuse ergotamine, a drug that may cause serious adverse events when used chronically. These findings once more underscore the importance of properly diagnose and treat MOH.

77 FR 38634 - Request for Information: Collection and Use of Patient Work Information in the Clinical Setting...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-28

... (specialty) health care: At your clinical facility, how is the patient's work information collected... the Clinical Setting: Electronic Health Records AGENCY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety... Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of...

The demographics of human and malaria movement and migration patterns in East Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Pindolia, Deepa K; Garcia, Andres J; Huang, Zhuojie; Smith, David L; Alegana, Victor A; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Tatem, Andrew J

2013-11-05

The quantification of parasite movements can provide valuable information for control strategy planning across all transmission intensities. Mobile parasite carrying individuals can instigate transmission in receptive areas, spread drug resistant strains and reduce the effectiveness of control strategies. The identification of mobile demographic groups, their routes of travel and how these movements connect differing transmission zones, potentially enables limited resources for interventions to be efficiently targeted over space, time and populations. National population censuses and household surveys provide individual-level migration, travel, and other data relevant for understanding malaria movement patterns. Together with existing spatially referenced malaria data and mathematical models, network analysis techniques were used to quantify the demographics of human and malaria movement patterns in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Movement networks were developed based on connectivity and magnitudes of flow within each country and compared to assess relative differences between regions and demographic groups. Additional malaria-relevant characteristics, such as short-term travel and bed net use, were also examined. Patterns of human and malaria movements varied between demographic groups, within country regions and between countries. Migration rates were highest in 20-30 year olds in all three countries, but when accounting for malaria prevalence, movements in the 10-20 year age group became more important. Different age and sex groups also exhibited substantial variations in terms of the most likely sources, sinks and routes of migration and malaria movement, as well as risk factors for infection, such as short-term travel and bed net use. Census and survey data, together with spatially referenced malaria data, GIS and network analysis tools, can be valuable for identifying, mapping and quantifying regional connectivities and the mobility of different demographic

A proposed clinical decision support architecture capable of supporting whole genome sequence information.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Brandon M; Loya, Salvador Rodriguez; Eilbeck, Karen; Kawamoto, Kensaku

2014-04-04

Whole genome sequence (WGS) information may soon be widely available to help clinicians personalize the care and treatment of patients. However, considerable barriers exist, which may hinder the effective utilization of WGS information in a routine clinical care setting. Clinical decision support (CDS) offers a potential solution to overcome such barriers and to facilitate the effective use of WGS information in the clinic. However, genomic information is complex and will require significant considerations when developing CDS capabilities. As such, this manuscript lays out a conceptual framework for a CDS architecture designed to deliver WGS-guided CDS within the clinical workflow. To handle the complexity and breadth of WGS information, the proposed CDS framework leverages service-oriented capabilities and orchestrates the interaction of several independently-managed components. These independently-managed components include the genome variant knowledge base, the genome database, the CDS knowledge base, a CDS controller and the electronic health record (EHR). A key design feature is that genome data can be stored separately from the EHR. This paper describes in detail: (1) each component of the architecture; (2) the interaction of the components; and (3) how the architecture attempts to overcome the challenges associated with WGS information. We believe that service-oriented CDS capabilities will be essential to using WGS information for personalized medicine.

Can Propensity Score Analysis Approximate Randomized Experiments Using Pretest and Demographic Information in Pre-K Intervention Research?

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Nianbo; Lipsey, Mark W

2017-01-01

It is unclear whether propensity score analysis (PSA) based on pretest and demographic covariates will meet the ignorability assumption for replicating the results of randomized experiments. This study applies within-study comparisons to assess whether pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) treatment effects on achievement outcomes estimated using PSA based on a pretest and demographic covariates can approximate those found in a randomized experiment. Data-Four studies with samples of pre-K children each provided data on two math achievement outcome measures with baseline pretests and child demographic variables that included race, gender, age, language spoken at home, and mother's highest education. Research Design and Data Analysis-A randomized study of a pre-K math curriculum provided benchmark estimates of effects on achievement measures. Comparison samples from other pre-K studies were then substituted for the original randomized control and the effects were reestimated using PSA. The correspondence was evaluated using multiple criteria. The effect estimates using PSA were in the same direction as the benchmark estimates, had similar but not identical statistical significance, and did not differ from the benchmarks at statistically significant levels. However, the magnitude of the effect sizes differed and displayed both absolute and relative bias larger than required to show statistical equivalence with formal tests, but those results were not definitive because of the limited statistical power. We conclude that treatment effect estimates based on a single pretest and demographic covariates in PSA correspond to those from a randomized experiment on the most general criteria for equivalence.

YouTube Videos as a Source of Information About Clinical Trials: Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hillyer, Grace Clarke; MacLean, Sarah A; Beauchemin, Melissa; Basch, Corey H; Schmitt, Karen M; Segall, Leslie; Kelsen, Moshe; Brogan, Frances L; Schwartz, Gary K

2018-06-26

Clinical trials are essential to the advancement of cancer treatment but fewer than 5% of adult cancer patients enroll in a trial. A commonly cited barrier to participation is the lack of understanding about clinical trials. Since the internet is a popular source of health-related information and YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, we examined the content of the top 115 YouTube videos about clinical trials to evaluate clinical trial information available through this medium. YouTube videos posted prior to March 2017 were searched using selected keywords. A snowballing technique was used to identify videos wherein sequential screening of the autofill search results for each set of keywords was conducted. Video characteristics (eg, number of views and video length) were recorded. The content was broadly grouped as related to purpose, phases, design, safety and ethics, and participant considerations. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess associations between video type (cancer vs noncancer) and video characteristics and content. In total, 115 videos were reviewed. Of these, 46/115 (40.0%) were cancer clinical trials videos and 69/115 (60.0%) were noncancer/general clinical trial videos. Most videos were created by health care organizations/cancer centers (34/115, 29.6%), were oriented toward patients (67/115, 58.3%) and the general public (68/115, 59.1%), and were informational (79/115, 68.7%); altruism was a common theme (31/115, 27.0%). Compared with noncancer videos, cancer clinical trials videos more frequently used an affective communication style and mentioned the benefits of participation. Cancer clinical trial videos were also much more likely to raise the issue of costs associated with participation (odds ratio [OR] 5.93, 95% CI 1.15-29.46) and advise patients to communicate with their physician about cancer clinical trials (OR 4.94, 95% CI 1.39-17.56). Collectively, YouTube clinical trial videos

Ethics in clinical research: need for assessing comprehension of informed consent form?

Science.gov (United States)

Shafiq, Nusrat; Malhotra, Samir

2011-03-01

Comprehension of informed consent form has not achieved the attention it deserves. We made a 24-item questionnaire to assess clinical research participants' comprehension of informed consent form (Contemp Clin Trials 2009;30:427-30). Due to repeated requests by clinical researchers in our country and abroad, we are publishing the questionnaire in this article. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demographic Consequences of Defeating Aging

OpenAIRE

Gavrilov, Leonid A.; Gavrilova, Natalia S.

2010-01-01

A common objection against starting a large-scale biomedical war on aging is the fear of catastrophic population consequences (overpopulation). This fear is only exacerbated by the fact that no detailed demographic projections for radical life extension scenario have been conducted so far. This study explores different demographic scenarios and population projections, in order to clarify what could be the demographic consequences of a successful biomedical war on aging. A general conclusion o...

Demographic structure and macroeconomic trends

OpenAIRE

Aksoy, Yunus; Basso, H.S.; Smith, Ronald; Grasl, Tobias

2018-01-01

We estimate the effect of changes in demographic structure on long term\\ud trends of key macroeconomic variables using a Panel VAR for 21 OECD economies from 1970-2014. The panel data variation assists the identification of demographic effects, while the dynamic structure,\\ud incorporating multiple channels of influence, uncovers long-term effects.\\ud We propose a theoretical model, relating demographics, innovation and\\ud growth, whose simulations match our empirical findings. The current\\ud...

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE USAGE AND PERCEIVED CREDIBILITY OF SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ovidiu I. MOISESCU

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the usage and perceived credibility of several sources of information domestic travelers take into consideration when gathering information on potential accommodation providers, on one hand, and, respectively, travelers’ demographic characteristics, on the other hand. After analyzing data from an online questionnaire based study conducted among a sample of 346 young Romanian Facebook users (between 19 and 35 years old, the results showed that, considering types of information sources usually taken into consideration, personal sources and Facebook are more frequently found among travelers with a lower income, travel agencies are more frequently mentioned as usual sources of information among older travelers and among those with a higher level of education, while women are more inclined than men to use leaflets and booklets as sources of information on accommodation providers. Moreover, the research showed that the higher the income, the higher the level of perceived credibility of online portals is. Also, travel agencies and personal sources are more frequently mentioned among the most credible sources by women, than by men, while men are slightly more confident than women in online banners and blogs. The findings can be very useful and relevant from a practical perspective, especially for communication and promotion purposes in the hospitality industry.

Informed Consent for Inclusion into Clinical Trials: A Serious Subject ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Informed Consent for Inclusion into Clinical Trials: A Serious Subject to Note in the Developing World Morteza. ... Arab Journal of Nephrology and Transplantation ... in developed countries, with every effort taken to enhance and maintain the autonomy of patients and their right to make an informed choice of whether to ...

Coexisting Disadvantages in later Life: Demographic and Socio-Economic Inequalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Heap, Josephine; Fors, Stefan; Lennartsson, Carin

2017-01-01

In this study, we aimed to identify which of certain demographic and socio-economic groups in the oldest part of the population that have an increased probability of experiencing simultaneous disadvantages in different life domains - here termed coexisting disadvantages. To do so, we compared analyses of coexisting disadvantages, measured as two or more simultaneous disadvantages, with analyses of single disadvantages and specific combinations of disadvantages. Indicators of physical health problems, ADL limitations, psychological health problems, limited financial resources, and limited social resources were included. We used nationally representative data from 2011 on people aged 76 and older in Sweden ( n  = 765). Results showed that coexisting disadvantages were associated with specific demographic and socio-economic groups, particularly certain marital status groups. Moreover, the differences between the demographic and socio-economic groups were only found for those who reported coexisting disadvantages, and not for those who reported only one disadvantage, which suggests that demographic and social factors become more important as disadvantages compound. Further, we analysed pairwise combinations of disadvantages. We found that different combinations of disadvantages tended to be associated with different groups, information useful from a social planning perspective since different combinations of disadvantages may imply different needs for help and support.

EJSCREEN Version 1, Demographic Data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This map service displays demographic data used in EJSCREEN. All demographic data were derived from American Community Survey 2006-2010 estimates. EJSCREEN is an...

To compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate in teaching information mastery to clinical residents: a crossover randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayyah Ensan, Ladan; Faghankhani, Masoomeh; Javanbakht, Anna; Ahmadi, Seyed-Foad; Baradaran, Hamid Reza

2011-01-01

To compare PubMed Clinical Queries and UpToDate regarding the amount and speed of information retrieval and users' satisfaction. A cross-over randomized trial was conducted in February 2009 in Tehran University of Medical Sciences that included 44 year-one or two residents who participated in an information mastery workshop. A one-hour lecture on the principles of information mastery was organized followed by self learning slide shows before using each database. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to answer 2 clinical scenarios using either UpToDate or PubMed Clinical Queries then crossed to use the other database to answer 2 different clinical scenarios. The proportion of relevantly answered clinical scenarios, time to answer retrieval, and users' satisfaction were measured in each database. Based on intention-to-treat analysis, participants retrieved the answer of 67 (76%) questions using UpToDate and 38 (43%) questions using PubMed Clinical Queries (PPubMed Clinical Queries (PPubMed Clinical Queries users (PPubmed Clinical Queries can lead to not only a higher proportion of relevant answer retrieval within a shorter time, but also a higher users' satisfaction. So, addition of tutoring pre-appraised sources such as UpToDate to the information mastery curricula seems to be highly efficient.

Impact and user satisfaction of a clinical information portal embedded in an electronic health record.

Science.gov (United States)

Tannery, Nancy H; Epstein, Barbara A; Wessel, Charles B; Yarger, Frances; LaDue, John; Klem, Mary Lou

2011-01-01

In 2008, a clinical information tool was developed and embedded in the electronic health record system of an academic medical center. In 2009, the initial information tool, Clinical-e, was superseded by a portal called Clinical Focus, with a single search box enabling a federated search of selected online information resources. To measure the usefulness and impact of Clinical Focus, a survey was used to gather feedback about users' experience with this clinical resource. The survey determined what type of clinicians were using this tool and assessed user satisfaction and perceived impact on patient care decision making. Initial survey results suggest the majority of respondents found Clinical Focus easy to navigate, the content easy to read, and the retrieved information relevant and complete. The majority would recommend Clinical Focus to their colleagues. Results indicate that this tool is a promising area for future development.

Clinical information has low sensitivity for postmortem diagnosis of heart valve disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Coffey, Sean; Harper, Andrew R; Cairns, Benjamin J; Roberts, Ian Sd; Prendergast, Bernard D

2017-07-01

Accuracy of routinely collected information concerning cause of death is essential for public health and health systems planning. Since clinical examination has relatively low sensitivity for detection of valvular heart disease (VHD), mortality data based on clinical information alone might routinely underestimate the number of deaths due to VHD. We compared autopsy findings against premortem clinical information for 8198 consecutive adult postmortems (mean age 69.1 years, 61.3% men), performed in a single UK tertiary referral centre with on-site cardiac surgical facilities over a 10-year period (2004-2013) during which 21% of the adult population underwent postmortem examination. Following postmortem, VHD was the principal cause of death in 165 individuals (2.0%), a principal or contributory cause ('any cause') of death in 326 (4.0%) and an incidental (ie, non-causal) finding in a further 346 (4.2%). Clinical documentation of VHD before death was highly specific but relatively insensitive for postmortem identification of VHD as the principal (specificity 96.8%; 95% CI 96.4% to 97.2%; sensitivity 69.7%, 95% CI 62.1% to 76.6%) or any (specificity 98.1%; 95% CI 97.8% to 98.4%; sensitivity 68.4%, 95% CI 63.1% to 73.4%) cause of death. VHD (principally aortic stenosis, endocarditis and rheumatic heart disease) was newly noted at postmortem and listed as a cause of death in 142 individuals (1.7%). Clinical information recorded premortem is highly specific but relatively insensitive for the cause of death established at autopsy. Population-based mortality statistics that depend on premortem clinical information are likely to routinely underestimate the mortality burden of VHD. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

[Association between vaginal secretion culture, socio-demographic characteristics and clinical manifestations of patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Márcio Tavares; Gonçalves, Ana Carolina; Alvim, Mariana Carolina Tocantins; Castellano Filho, Didier Silveira; Zimmermmann, Juliana Barroso; da Silva, Vânia Lúcia; Diniz, Cláudio Galuppo

2013-12-01

To investigate the etiology and the epidemiological profile of patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and predisposing factors. Vaginal secretions were streaked in Sabouraud agar and yeast samples were isolated and identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Demographic and clinical data were obtained with a questionnaire. For statistical analysis, the Student's t-test, the χ² and Fischer tests were applied as needed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, with the level of significance set at 5%. Sixty-nine patients aged from 15 to 52 years were evaluated. They were predominantly white (79.7%), with higher education (58%), married (56.5%) and sexually active (97.1%). Among them, 34.8% were pregnant, 7.2% diabetic, 1.4% seropositive for AIDS, and 36.2% were using oral contraceptives. Recent antibiotic therapy was mentioned by 13% of the patients, and antifungal or anti-trichomonas therapy was mentioned by 5.8 and 1.4% of the patients, respectively. Corticosteroid use was reported by 2.9% and antineoplastic by 1.4%. Vaginal discharge and itching were the main complaints (97.1 and 73.9%), followed by burning (63.8%) and erythema (63.8%). When present, the vaginal flow was predominantly white (88.1%) or lumpy (86.6%). The diagnosis was confirmed by culture in 55 (79.7%) patients, with mixed infections in 4 patients. The most prevalent species was C. albicans, followed by C. glabrata (one monoinfection and two mixed infections with C. albicans). C. lusitaniae and C. albicans were also identified in mixed infections (two patients). Despite the high culture positivity and clinical data characteristic of VVC, the symptoms were not pathognomonic. C. albicans is the most prevalent species, but other species are also involved in VVC etiology, such as the emergence of C. lusitaniae.

Clinical and demographic profile of cancer patients in a consultation-liaison psychiatric service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa de Albuquerque Citero

Full Text Available ABSTRACT CONTEXT: An almost 50% prevalence of psychiatric disorders among cancer patients has prompted a series of studies on consultation-liaison psychiatry. Nonetheless, there are few reports on the epidemiological factors involving comorbidity between cancer and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological profile of cancer inpatients referred to the consultation-liaison psychiatric service in an oncology hospital during its first year of activity. TYPE OF STUDY: Descriptive study. SETTING: Tertiary-care teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 319 patients referred 412 times to the consultation-liaison psychiatry service. PROCEDURES: From August 97 to July 98, an appraisal was made of data on all admissions registered at the Hospital do Câncer, and also all referrals registered at the consultation-liaison psychiatry service. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The demographics and patients' clinical data, the type and flow of the request, and the evaluation conducted by the service were analyzed and comparisons with the hospital data were made. The distribution of the number of referrals was used to construct a profile of patients who had repeatedly used the service. RESULTS: Psychiatric diagnoses were found in 59% of the cases. Forty-three percent of these required medication, 18.3% needed psychotherapy, 22.1% family intervention and 20.5% guidance from the staff. Over 22.8% of the consultations were reevaluations, mainly involving younger male patients with worst prognoses. These patients required lengthier and more elaborate intervention, and had higher prevalence of depressive and behavioral disorders. CONCLUSION: A younger and mainly male population of non-surgical oncological cases was referred to the consultation-liaison psychiatric service during its first year of activity. The psychiatric disorder prevalence was higher than expected, and consisted predominantly of mood disorders. We detected a priority group, namely the reevaluated

A Proposed Clinical Decision Support Architecture Capable of Supporting Whole Genome Sequence Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brandon M. Welch

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Whole genome sequence (WGS information may soon be widely available to help clinicians personalize the care and treatment of patients. However, considerable barriers exist, which may hinder the effective utilization of WGS information in a routine clinical care setting. Clinical decision support (CDS offers a potential solution to overcome such barriers and to facilitate the effective use of WGS information in the clinic. However, genomic information is complex and will require significant considerations when developing CDS capabilities. As such, this manuscript lays out a conceptual framework for a CDS architecture designed to deliver WGS-guided CDS within the clinical workflow. To handle the complexity and breadth of WGS information, the proposed CDS framework leverages service-oriented capabilities and orchestrates the interaction of several independently-managed components. These independently-managed components include the genome variant knowledge base, the genome database, the CDS knowledge base, a CDS controller and the electronic health record (EHR. A key design feature is that genome data can be stored separately from the EHR. This paper describes in detail: (1 each component of the architecture; (2 the interaction of the components; and (3 how the architecture attempts to overcome the challenges associated with WGS information. We believe that service-oriented CDS capabilities will be essential to using WGS information for personalized medicine.

From Demographic Dividend to Demographic Burden? : Regional Trends of Population Aging in Russia

OpenAIRE

Matytsin, Mikhail; Moorty, Lalita; Richter, Kaspar

2015-01-01

Do regions with higher working age populations grow faster? This paper examines this question using data from Russian regions and finds evidence that demographic trends influence regional growth convergence. In other words, keeping other factors constant, poorer regions grow faster than richer regions, and some of the growth convergence is explained by demographic changes: faster growth in...

Stock vs. Bond Yields, and Demographic Fluctuations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gozluklu, Arie; Morin, Annaïg

This paper analyzes the strong comovement between real stock and nominal bond yields at generational (low) frequencies. Life-cycle patterns in savings behavior in an overlapping generations model with cash-in-advance constraints explain this persistent comovement between financial yields. We argue...... that the slow-evolving time-series covariation due to changing population age structure accounts for the equilibrium relation between stock and bond markets. As a result, by exploiting the demographic information into distant future, the forecasting performance of evaluation models improves. Finally, using...

Brief report: reporting practices of methodological information in four journals of pediatric and child psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Raad, Jennifer M; Bellinger, Skylar; McCormick, Erica; Roberts, Michael C; Steele, Ric G

2008-08-01

To replicate Sifers, Puddy, Warren, and Roberts (2002) examining reporting rates of demographic, methodological, and ethical information in articles published during 1997, and to compare these rates to those found in articles published during 2005, in order to determine whether and how reporting practices of these variables have changed over time. We examined reporting demographic, methodological, and ethical information in articles in four journals: Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, and Child Development. Reporting rates during 2005 were compared to articles published during 1997. These four journals improved on many of the 23 variables compared to Sifers et al. including increases in the reporting of ethnicity, attrition, child assent procedures, socioeconomic status, reliability, and reward/incentive offered to participants. Improvements in descriptive information have implications for interpretation, replication, and generalizability of research findings.

Peer Review of Clinical Information Models: A Web 2.0 Crowdsourced Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Leslie, Heather; Ljosland Bakke, Silje

2017-01-01

Over the past 8 years the openEHR Clinical Model program has been developing a Web 2.0 approach and tooling to support the development, review and governance of atomic clincial information models, known as archetypes. This paper describes the background and review process, and provides a practical example where cross standards organisation collaboration resulted in jointly agreed clinical content which was subsequently represented in different implementation formalisms that were effectively semantically aligned. The discussion and conclusions highlight some of the socio-technical benefits and challenges facing organisations who seek to govern automic clinical information models in a global and collaborative online community.

Natural language processing systems for capturing and standardizing unstructured clinical information: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreimeyer, Kory; Foster, Matthew; Pandey, Abhishek; Arya, Nina; Halford, Gwendolyn; Jones, Sandra F; Forshee, Richard; Walderhaug, Mark; Botsis, Taxiarchis

2017-09-01

We followed a systematic approach based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to identify existing clinical natural language processing (NLP) systems that generate structured information from unstructured free text. Seven literature databases were searched with a query combining the concepts of natural language processing and structured data capture. Two reviewers screened all records for relevance during two screening phases, and information about clinical NLP systems was collected from the final set of papers. A total of 7149 records (after removing duplicates) were retrieved and screened, and 86 were determined to fit the review criteria. These papers contained information about 71 different clinical NLP systems, which were then analyzed. The NLP systems address a wide variety of important clinical and research tasks. Certain tasks are well addressed by the existing systems, while others remain as open challenges that only a small number of systems attempt, such as extraction of temporal information or normalization of concepts to standard terminologies. This review has identified many NLP systems capable of processing clinical free text and generating structured output, and the information collected and evaluated here will be important for prioritizing development of new approaches for clinical NLP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Socio-demographic characteristics affecting sport tourism choices: A structural model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Slak Valek

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Effective tourism management in the field of sports tourism requires an understanding of differences in socioeconomic characteristics both within and between different market segments. Objective: In the broad tourism market demographic characteristics have been extensively analyzed for differences in destination choices, however little is known about demographic factors affecting sport tourists' decisions. Methods: A sample of Slovenian sports tourists was analyzed using data from a comprehensive survey of local and outbound tourist activity conducted by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia in 2008. After data weighting the information for 353,783 sports related trips were available for analysis. The research model adopted suggests that four socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, level of education and income significantly affect a tourist's choice of sports related travel either locally within Slovenia or to a foreign country. Furthermore the destination (local or foreign has an influence on the choice of the type of accommodation selected and the tourist's total expenditure for the trip. For testing the first part of our model (the socio-demographic characteristics effects a linear regression was used, and for the final part of the model (the selection of accommodation type and travel expenditure t-test were applied. Results: The result shows the standardized β regression coefficients are all statistically significant at the .001 level for the tested socio-demographic characteristics and also the overall regression model was statistically significant at .001 level. Conclusions: With these results the study confirmed that all the selected socio-demographic characteristics have a significant influence on the sport-active tourist when choosing between a domestic and foreign tourism destination which in turn affect the type of accommodation chosen and the level of expenditure while travelling.

Gender Differences in Compulsive Buying Disorder: Assessment of Demographic and Psychiatric Co-Morbidities

OpenAIRE

Nicoli de Mattos, Cristiana; Kim, Hyoun S.; Requi?o, Marinalva G.; Marasaldi, Renata F.; Filomensky, Tatiana Z.; Hodgins, David C.; Tavares, Hermano

2016-01-01

Compulsive buying is a common disorder found worldwide. Although recent research has shed light into the prevalence, etiology and clinical correlates of compulsive buying disorder, less is known about gender differences. To address this empirical gap, we assessed potential gender differences in demographic and psychiatric co-morbidities in a sample of 171 compulsive buyers (20 men and 151 women) voluntarily seeking treatment in São Paulo, Brazil. A structured clinical interview confirmed the ...

The demographic and academic profile of Irish dental school faculty members.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Sullivan, Eleanor M

2010-04-23

AIM: This paper reviews the demographic, academic and professional profile of Irish dental school faculty members. Faculty duties are explored. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Custom-designed questionnaires were distributed to faculty members for self-completion, adopting a \\'mixed-method\\' approach with quantitative and qualitative components. Response rate was 64.60%. RESULTS: Demographic profile reveals a male-dominated regime (64%). Males also occupy a disproportionate number of senior academic positions. The age profile mirrors international trends with 75% of staff over 40 and c.33% over 50, including 78% of professorial staff (p < 0.001). Dental school faculties are comprised of highly educated professionals with the following qualifications: 89% BDS, 43% FDS, 39% Masters, 16% Doctorates. Most (77%) have 10+ years of clinical experience, while 47% have over 20 years\\' experience. Clinical experience varied by age, rank (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.05). A review of contractual agreements and duties confirms the major role of part-time clinical staff in dental education, comprising the largest single group (48%) delivering the bulk of the clinical teaching. However, 54% of part-time clinical staff have less than five years teaching experience. This study also explores staff views of various faculty roles. CONCLUSIONS: This report provides a benchmark profile of Irish dental school faculty members. It reflects on the heavily skewed age groups of our current dental educators and the impending retirement of many senior academics. Educational organisations need to explore ways to make a career in dental education financially and sociologically attractive and provide adequate support for existing faculty to ensure their development during these challenging times.

The regulation of informed consent to participation in clinical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

participation in clinical research by mentally ill persons – the discussion on informed consent .... usually lay persons without scientific and medical knowledge. It is .... is not defined by the Mental Health Care Act; nor is it stated anywhere in the ...

The information security needs in radiological information systems-an insight on state hospitals of Iran, 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Farhadi, Akram; Ahmadi, Maryam

2013-12-01

Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) was originally developed for radiology services over 20 years ago to capture medical images electronically. Medical diagnosis methods are based on images such as clinical radiographs, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, or other imaging modalities. Information obtained from these images is correlated with patient information. So with regards to the important role of PACS in hospitals, we aimed to evaluate the PACS and survey the information security needed in the Radiological Information system. First, we surveyed the different aspects of PACS that should be in any health organizations based on Department of Health standards and prepared checklists for assessing the PACS in different hospitals. Second, we surveyed the security controls that should be implemented in PACS. Checklists reliability is affirmed by professors of Tehran Science University. Then, the final data are inputted in SPSS software and analyzed. The results indicate that PACS in hospitals can transfer patient demographic information but they do not show route of information. These systems are not open source. They don't use XML-based standard and HL7 standard for exchanging the data. They do not use DS digital signature. They use passwords and the user can correct or change the medical information. PACS can detect alternation rendered. The survey of results demonstrates that PACS in all hospitals has the same features. These systems have the patient demographic data but they do not have suitable flexibility to interface network or taking reports. For the privacy of PACS in all hospitals, there were passwords for users and the system could show the changes that have been made; but there was no water making or digital signature for the users.

Quantitative metrics for evaluating the phased roll-out of clinical information systems.

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Wong, David; Wu, Nicolas; Watkinson, Peter

2017-09-01

We introduce a novel quantitative approach for evaluating the order of roll-out during phased introduction of clinical information systems. Such roll-outs are associated with unavoidable risk due to patients transferring between clinical areas using both the old and new systems. We proposed a simple graphical model of patient flow through a hospital. Using a simple instance of the model, we showed how a roll-out order can be generated by minimising the flow of patients from the new system to the old system. The model was applied to admission and discharge data acquired from 37,080 patient journeys at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford between April 2013 and April 2014. The resulting order was evaluated empirically and produced acceptable orders. The development of data-driven approaches to clinical Information system roll-out provides insights that may not necessarily be ascertained through clinical judgment alone. Such methods could make a significant contribution to the smooth running of an organisation during the roll-out of a potentially disruptive technology. Unlike previous approaches, which are based on clinical opinion, the approach described here quantitatively assesses the appropriateness of competing roll-out strategies. The data-driven approach was shown to produce strategies that matched clinical intuition and provides a flexible framework that may be used to plan and monitor Clinical Information System roll-out. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of demographic and clinical variables on the oral health-related quality of life among five-year-old children: a population-based study using self-reports.

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Abanto, Jenny; Panico, Claudia; Bönecker, Marcelo; Frazão, Paulo

2018-01-01

Although SOHO-5 has been validated, there is no study testing this instrument in population-based samples. To evaluate the impact of demographic and oral clinical variables on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in 5-year-old children from a socially deprived Brazilian area using selfreports. Data from 588 children were analyzed. Examinations included untreated dental caries and occlusal deviations. Children answered the Brazilian SOHO-5 version and interviewers collected demographic characteristics of the child (sex and skin color). Robust Poisson regression associated outcome and exposures. General, the oral impacts were reported by 71.1% of children. The mean and standard deviation total score of the Brazilian SOHO-5 were 3.51 and 3.82, respectively. Children with untreated dental caries (PR = 1.28; P = 0.004) and increased overjet (PR = 1.35; P = 0.002) experienced a worse OHRQoL. Dark and mixed skin color children did not have a good impact on their OHRQoL (PR = 1.53; P = 0.006 and PR = 1.44; P < 0.000, respectively) compared to light ones. Untreated dental caries and increased overjet were independently associated with worst OHRQoL in 5-year-old children. As an indication of social deprivation, dark and mixed skin color children compared to light ones presented higher probability for reporting worst OHRQoL independently of the oral clinical conditions. © 2017 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spatial data on energy, environmental, socioeconomic, health and demographic themes at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory: 1978 inventory. [SEEDIS system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burkhart, B.R.; Merrill, D.W. (eds.)

1979-04-01

Spatial data files covering energy, environmental, socio-economic, health, and demographic themes are described. Descriptions provide data dates, abstracts, geographic coverage, documentation, original data source, availability limitations, and contact person. A current version of this document is maintained as part of the Socio-Economic-Environmental-Demographic Information System (SEEDIS) within the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Department, and is available for on-line retrieval using the Virginia Sventek, (415) 486-5216 or (FTS) 451-5216 for further information.

Evaluation of socio-demographic variables affecting the periodontal health of pregnant women in Chandigarh, India

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Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The literature is replete with reports that pregnant women have an increased level of periodontal disease as compared with non-pregnant women of the same age. There are many studies correlating the effect of periodontal disease on the adverse pregnancy outcomes. The development of periodontal diseases during pregnancy can be influenced by factors such as preexisting oral conditions, general health, and socio-cultural background. There is very little data studying the effect of socio-demographic factors on the periodontal health of pregnant women. This study evaluated the periodontal status of a sample of pregnant women of Chandigarh and adjoining areas. The study also investigated the relationship between these variables and a series of demographic and clinical variables. Materials and Methods: The participants were 190 pregnant women attending Gynecology and Obstetrics outpatient department of Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. The participants were examined for their periodontal health and various socio-demographic variables were recorded on performas designed for the purpose of study. Statistical analysis was done. Results: The results revealed that the mean bleeding index scores and probing depth increased with statistical significance when the socio-economic status was lower ( P0.1. The plaque index was not significantly associated with the socio-economic status, profession, place of residence, and trimester of pregnancy ( P>0.1. Conclusion: In the population of pregnant women investigated under this study, the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics showed non-significant correlation except socio-economic status which showed statistically significant correlation with bleeding on probing and pocket depth. Further studies may be required in Indian population to determine the association of periodontal diseases in pregnant women with socio-demographic variables.

Federally qualified health center dental clinics: financial information.

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Bailit, Howard L; Devitto, Judy; Myne-Joslin, Ronnie; Beazoglou, Tryfon; McGowan, Taegan

2013-01-01

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dental clinics are a major component of the dental safety net system, providing care to 3.75 million patients annually. This study describes the financial and clinical operations of a sample of FQHCs. In cooperation with the National Network for Oral Health Access, FQHC dental clinics that could provide 12 months of electronic dental record information were asked to participate in the study. Based on data from 28 dental clinics (14 FQHCs), 50 percent of patients were under 21 years of age. The primary payers were Medicaid (72.4 percent) and sliding-scale/self-pay patients (17.5 percent). Sites averaged 3.1 operatories, 0.66 dental hygienists, and 1.9 other staff per dentist. Annually, each FTE dentist and hygienist provided 2,801 and 2,073 patient visits, respectively. Eighty percent of services were diagnostic, preventive, and restorative. Patient care accounted for 82 percent of revenues, and personnel (64.2 percent) and central administration (13.4 percent) accounted for most expenses. Based on a small convenience sample of FQHC dental clinics, this study presents descriptive data on their clinical and financial operations. Compared with data from the UDS (Uniform Data System) report, study FQHCs were larger in terms of space, staff, and patients served. However, there was substantial variation among clinics for almost all measures. As the number and size of FQHC dental clinics increase, the Health Resources and Services Administration needs to provide them access to comparative data that they can use to benchmark their operations. © 2013 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Company project: "Evaluation of the quality of medical records as a tool of clinical risk management"

OpenAIRE

Anna Santa Guzzo; Mario Tecca; Enrico Marinelli; Claudio Bontempi; Caterina Palazzo; Paolo Ursillo; Giuseppe Ferro; Anna Miani; Annunziata Salvati; Stefania Catanzaro; Massimiliano Chiarini; Domenica Vittoria Colamesta; Domenico Cacchio; Patrizia Sposato; Anna Maria Lombardi

2017-01-01

Introduction: The medical record was defined by the Italian Ministry of Health in 1992 as "the information tool designed to record all relevant demographic and clinical information on a patient during a single hospitalization episode". Retrospective analysis of medical records is a tool for selecting direct and indirect indicators of critical issues (organizational, management, technical and professional issues). The project’s purpose being the promotion of an evaluation and self-evaluation ...

Clinical Information Systems Integration in New York City's First Mobile Stroke Unit.

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Kummer, Benjamin R; Lerario, Michael P; Navi, Babak B; Ganzman, Adam C; Ribaudo, Daniel; Mir, Saad A; Pishanidar, Sammy; Lekic, Tim; Williams, Olajide; Kamel, Hooman; Marshall, Randolph S; Hripcsak, George; Elkind, Mitchell S V; Fink, Matthew E

2018-01-01

Mobile stroke units (MSUs) reduce time to thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke. These units are widely used, but the clinical information systems underlying MSU operations are understudied. The first MSU on the East Coast of the United States was established at New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) in October 2016. We describe our program's 7-month pilot, focusing on the integration of our hospital's clinical information systems into our MSU to support patient care and research efforts. NYP's MSU was staffed by two paramedics, one radiology technologist, and a vascular neurologist. The unit was equipped with four laptop computers and networking infrastructure enabling all staff to access the hospital intranet and clinical applications during operating hours. A telephone-based registration procedure registered patients from the field into our admit/discharge/transfer system, which interfaced with the institutional electronic health record (EHR). We developed and implemented a computerized physician order entry set in our EHR with prefilled values to permit quick ordering of medications, imaging, and laboratory testing. We also developed and implemented a structured clinician note to facilitate care documentation and clinical data extraction. Our MSU began operating on October 3, 2016. As of April 27, 2017, the MSU transported 49 patients, of whom 16 received tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Zero technical problems impacting patient care were reported around registration, order entry, or intranet access. Two onboard network failures occurred, resulting in computed tomography scanner malfunctions, although no patients became ineligible for time-sensitive treatment as a result. Thirteen (26.5%) clinical notes contained at least one incomplete time field. The main technical challenges encountered during the integration of our hospital's clinical information systems into our MSU were onboard network failures and incomplete clinical documentation. Future

Does collateral retrospective information about childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms assist in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults? Findings from a large clinical sample.

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Breda, Vitor; Rovaris, Diego Luiz; Vitola, Eduardo Schneider; Mota, Nina Roth; Blaya-Rocha, Paula; Salgado, Carlos Alberto Iglesias; Victor, Marcelo Moraes; Picon, Felipe Almeida; Karam, Rafael Gomes; Silva, Katiane Lilian; Rohde, Luis Augusto; Bau, Claiton Henrique Dotto; Grevet, Eugenio Horacio

2016-06-01

In accordance with consolidated clinical practice, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition suggests a key role of collateral information in the evaluation of retrospective childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults despite poor evidence supporting its use. This study aims to assess the incremental value of collateral information on the presence of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms when evaluating adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adult patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n = 449) and non-attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder subjects (n = 143) underwent an extensive clinical assessment based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition criteria. For patients, retrospective collateral information regarding childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was obtained and used to sort them into two groups: agreement (n = 277) and disagreement (n = 172) between self- and collateral reports. We compared demographic, clinical and response to treatment profiles among groups to test the relevance of collateral information on the specific issue of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder groups had higher rates of several comorbidities (oppositional defiant, conduct, substance use and bipolar disorders; all p attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms occurred in 38% of patients. Overall, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder disagreement and agreement groups had similar profiles in response to treatment and comorbidity, and the few differences detected in impairment measures were of small magnitude (Eta(2) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children, it has no incremental value in the evaluation of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults with a self-reported history of attention

Micro-costing the provision of emotional support and information in UK eye clinics.

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Gillespie-Gallery, Hanna; Subramanian, Ahalya; Conway, Miriam L

2013-11-19

Sight loss has wide ranging implications for an individual in terms of education, employment, mobility and mental health. Therefore there is a need for information and support to be provided in eye clinics at the point of diagnosis of sight threatening conditions, but these aspects of care are often missing from clinics. To meet these needs, some clinics employ an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) but the position has yet to be widely implemented. The aims of this study were:(1) To evaluate the forms of advice and emotional support in eye clinics provided by ECLOs.(2) To determine the cost of the ECLO service per patient. Micro-costing was carried out using interviews, a survey and administrative data. The survey was completed by 18 of the 49 accredited ECLOs in the UK (37%) and provided information on the activities performed by ECLOs, numbers of patients seen per day, training costs incurred and the salary of the ECLOs. ECLOs provided information about the services in eye clinics and the community, referral to social services, emotional support to patients and also other advice. The cost of an ECLO per patient per contact was £17.94 based on an average annual ECLO salary of £23,349.60 per year, reviewing on average 9.1 patients per day, in a 42 week year. This study provides the first costing of support services in hospital eye clinics, providing a range of estimates to suit the circumstances of different clinics. The information can be used by local decision makers to estimate the cost of implementing an ECLO service.

Association Between the Prevalence of Common Diseases and Demo-Graphic, Occupational Factors in Elderly Staff in IRIB in 2010

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Zahra Roshani

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explaine the association between the prevalence of common diseases and demographic, occupotional factors in elderly staff in IRIB (Tehran center Regarding the increasing of elderly populationin the world, indluding IRAN, the prevalence of the physical disability in this age range is raised which leads to several unfavarable out comes such as: hospitalization, overuse of health care system and mortality rate. For achiving elderly health and preventing of chronic diseases and decreasing prevalence of elderly common diseases, the firsrt step is indentification of their health status. By which, we can recognise their health and medical needs and also prevent their occurrence. Considring relationship between demographic occupational factors and common disease in elderly staff in radio and television centers , unfortunately, I could not find any article. Methods & Materials: This study is a cross-sectional one wich was conducted on 152 enderly patient who were reffered to IRIB Clinic and studied for association between demographic and occupational factors with prevalenc of common diseases. In this reaserch a questionnaire contaning demographic information and history of diseases was used. They were complated with elderly paintent. then the phesition examined them. Data were analyzed with analysis of T-test chi-2 and pearson correlation in spss16. Results: The analysis of our data showed that osteoarthrities (46%, hypertension (36%, heart diseases (35.5% and diabet (21% were the most common diseases in elderly patient that were reffered to IRIB clinic during the year 1389. In this study a significant relactionship was observed between osteoarthrities, hypertension, heart disease and age (P=0.000, BMI (P=0.000, Incom level (P=0.000, education (P=0.000 and physical activity (P=0.01 while, ther was no singificany relationship between heart diseases and diabet whit gender (P=0.17, reffering times to the general

Validity of self-reported periodontal measures, demographic characteristics and systemic medical conditions.

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Chatzopoulos, Georgios S; Cisneros, Alejandro; Sanchez, Miguel; Lunos, Scott; Wolff, Larry F

2018-04-06

The objective of the present study was to assess self-reported periodontal screening questions, demographic characteristics, systemic medical conditions and tobacco use for predicting periodontal disease among individuals seeking dental therapy in a university dental clinic. In this retrospective study, a total of 4,890 randomly selected dental charts were evaluated from among patients who had attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry clinics for treatment. Radiographic bone loss measurements were utilized to assess the severity of periodontal disease. Demographic characteristics as well as medical history of the patients were also recorded. Five self-reported periodontal screening questions were included with the range of answers limited to Yes/No. Generalized logit models were used to assess the association between bone loss and the predictors. The sample mean age was 54.1 years and included 52.6% males and 14.9% smokers with a mean number of missing teeth of 3.5. Self-reported tooth mobility, history of "gum treatment" and the importance to keep the teeth as well as age, tobacco use and cancer were statistically significant (p brushing", gender, diabetes, anxiety and arthritis. Self-reported periodontal screening questions as well as demographic characteristics, smoking and systemic medical conditions were significant predictors of periodontal disease and they could be used as valid, economical and practical measures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 American Academy of Periodontology.

Practitioner-Customizable Clinical Information Systems: A Case Study to Ground Further Research and Development Opportunities

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Cecily Morrison

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The uptake of electronic records and information technology support in intensive care medicine has been slower than many people predicted. One of the engineering challenges to overcome has been the subtle, but important, variation in clinical practice in different units. A relatively recent innovation that addresses this challenge is practitioner-customizable clinical information systems, allowing clinicians wide scope in adjusting their systems to suit their clinical practice. However, these systems present a significant design challenge, not only of added technical complexity, but in providing tools that support clinicians in doing many of the tasks of a software engineer. This paper reviews the use of a commercially available clinical information system that is intended to be practitioner-customizable, and considers the further design and development of tools to support healthcare practitioners doing end-user customization on their own clinical information systems.

Developing a Workflow Composite Score to Measure Clinical Information Logistics. A Top-down Approach.

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Liebe, J D; Hübner, U; Straede, M C; Thye, J

2015-01-01

Availability and usage of individual IT applications have been studied intensively in the past years. Recently, IT support of clinical processes is attaining increasing attention. The underlying construct that describes the IT support of clinical workflows is clinical information logistics. This construct needs to be better understood, operationalised and measured. It is therefore the aim of this study to propose and develop a workflow composite score (WCS) for measuring clinical information logistics and to examine its quality based on reliability and validity analyses. We largely followed the procedural model of MacKenzie and colleagues (2011) for defining and conceptualising the construct domain, for developing the measurement instrument, assessing the content validity, pretesting the instrument, specifying the model, capturing the data and computing the WCS and testing the reliability and validity. Clinical information logistics was decomposed into the descriptors data and information, function, integration and distribution, which embraced the framework validated by an analysis of the international literature. This framework was refined selecting representative clinical processes. We chose ward rounds, pre- and post-surgery processes and discharge as sample processes that served as concrete instances for the measurements. They are sufficiently complex, represent core clinical processes and involve different professions, departments and settings. The score was computed on the basis of data from 183 hospitals of different size, ownership, location and teaching status. Testing the reliability and validity yielded encouraging results: the reliability was high with r(split-half) = 0.89, the WCS discriminated between groups; the WCS correlated significantly and moderately with two EHR models and the WCS received good evaluation results by a sample of chief information officers (n = 67). These findings suggest the further utilisation of the WCS. As the WCS does not

An Automated Medical Information Management System (OpScan-MIMS) in a Clinical Setting

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Margolis, S.; Baker, T.G.; Ritchey, M.G.; Alterescu, S.; Friedman, C.

1981-01-01

This paper describes an automated medical information management system within a clinic setting. The system includes an optically scanned data entry system (OpScan), a generalized, interactive retrieval and storage software system(Medical Information Management System, MIMS) and the use of time-sharing. The system has the advantages of minimal hardware purchase and maintenance, rapid data entry and retrieval, user-created programs, no need for user knowledge of computer language or technology and is cost effective. The OpScan-MIMS system has been operational for approximately 16 months in a sexually transmitted disease clinic. The system's application to medical audit, quality assurance, clinic management and clinical training are demonstrated.

Automated Methods to Extract Patient New Information from Clinical Notes in Electronic Health Record Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui

2013-01-01

The widespread adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) has resulted in rapid text proliferation within clinical care. Clinicians' use of copying and pasting functions in EHR systems further compounds this by creating a large amount of redundant clinical information in clinical documents. A mixture of redundant information (especially outdated…

Self-Reported Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity in High School Students: Demographic and Clinical Characteristics

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Antonio Carroccio

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS has recently been included among the gluten-related disorders. As no biomarkers of this disease exist, its frequency has been estimated based on self-reported symptoms, but to date no data are available about self-reported NCWS in teenagers. Aim: To explore the prevalence of self-reported NCWS in a group of high school students and to study their demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: The study was performed between April 2015 and January 2016 in two high schools of a coastal town in the south of Sicily (Italy. A total of 555 students (mean age 17 years, 191 male, 364 female completed a modified validated questionnaire for self-reported NCWS. The subjects who self-reported NCWS were then compared with all the others. Results: Seven individuals (1.26% had an established diagnosis of CD. The prevalence of self-reported NCWS was 12.2%, and 2.9% were following a gluten-free diet (GFD. Only 15 out of 68 (23% NCWS self-reporters had consulted a doctor for this problem and only nine (14% had undergone serological tests for celiac disease. The NCWS self-reporters very often had IBS symptoms (44%. Conclusions: Self-reported NCWS was found to be common in teenagers, with a frequency of 12.2%; the frequency of GFD use was 2.9%, which was much higher than the percentage of known CD in the same population (1.26%. A greater awareness of the possible implications on the part of the subjects involved, and a more thorough medical approach to the study of self-reported wheat-induced symptoms are required.

The Need for Clinical Decision Support Integrated with the Electronic Health Record for the Clinical Application of Whole Genome Sequencing Information

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Brandon M. Welch

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Whole genome sequencing (WGS is rapidly approaching widespread clinical application. Technology advancements over the past decade, since the first human genome was decoded, have made it feasible to use WGS for clinical care. Future advancements will likely drive down the price to the point wherein WGS is routinely available for care. However, were this to happen today, most of the genetic information available to guide clinical care would go unused due to the complexity of genetics, limited physician proficiency in genetics, and lack of genetics professionals in the clinical workforce. Furthermore, these limitations are unlikely to change in the future. As such, the use of clinical decision support (CDS to guide genome-guided clinical decision-making is imperative. In this manuscript, we describe the barriers to widespread clinical application of WGS information, describe how CDS can be an important tool for overcoming these barriers, and provide clinical examples of how genome-enabled CDS can be used in the clinical setting.

The value of pathogen information in treating clinical mastitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cha, Elva; Smith, Rebecca L.; Kristensen, Anders R.; Hertl, Julia A.; Schukken, Ynte H.; Tauer, Loren W.; Welcome, Frank L.; Gröhn, Yrjö T.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic value of obtaining timely and more accurate clinical mastitis (CM) test results for optimal treatment of cows. Typically CM is first identified when the farmer observes recognisable outward signs. Further information of whether the

The value of pathogen information in treating clinical mastitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cha, Elva; Smith, Rebecca L.; Kristensen, Anders R.; Hertl, Julia A.; Schukken, Ynte H.; Tauer, Loren W.; Welcome, Frank L.; Gröhn, Yrjö T.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic value of obtaining timely and more accurate clinical mastitis (CM) test results for optimal treatment of cows. Typically CM is first identified when the farmer observes recognisable outward signs. Further information of whether the pathogen

Land use and demographic grids in Cosyma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, C.A.; Hasemann, I.

1991-01-01

The spatial distribution of the population, agricultural production, economic activity, and the position of land and sea, are important elements of accident consequence codes. These data are necessary in evaluating the health effects within the population arising from the external dose, inhalation and ingestion pathways. These distributions are also essential in calculating the economic impact of implementing countermeasures, such as relocation and food bans. This paper includes a discussion of the agricultural production and population distribution information available for EC countries, their resolution, availability and sources. The gridded data included in the COSYMA system are described. Particular aspects, such as the difficulties involved with using economic land use information, are also explained. Future developments, and their effect on the requirements for land use and demographic grids, are outlined

Comparing clinical and demographic characteristics of people with mental illness in hospital- and community-based residential rehabilitation units in Queensland.

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Meehan, Tom; Stedman, Terry; Parker, Stephen; Curtis, Bretine; Jones, Donna

2017-05-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to examine care pathways and characteristics of mental health consumers participating in both hospital- and community-based residential rehabilitation programs. Methods An audit of consumers (n=240) in all publicly funded residential rehabilitation units in Queensland was performed on the same day in 2013. Data collection focused on demographic characteristics, clinical information and measures of consumer functioning. Results Significant differences emerged for consumers in community- and hospital-based services with regard to age, length of stay, functioning, Mental Health Act status, guardianship status, family contact and risk of violence. Consumers in hospital-based programs have more severe and complex problems. Conclusions Consumers in residential rehabilitation units have high levels of disability, poor physical health and high levels of vulnerability. Nonetheless, it is likely that a sizeable proportion of consumers occupying rehabilitation beds in Queensland could be discharged if more 'step-down' options to move patients on were available. What is known about the topic? A small subgroup of people with severe and complex mental health problems is likely to require time in a residential rehabilitation program. This group is characterised by failure to respond to treatment, severe negative symptoms and some degree of cognitive impairment. What does this paper add? Patients currently occupying residential rehabilitation beds in Queensland have high levels of disability, poor physical health and high levels of vulnerability. Patients in hospital-based programs are more severely disabled than those in community-based programs. What are the implications for practitioners? It is likely that a sizeable proportion of patients occupying rehabilitation beds in Queensland could be discharged if more 'step-down' options were available. Future planning initiatives need to focus on developing a greater array of community

Using language models to identify relevant new information in inpatient clinical notes.

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Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V; Lee, Janet T; Melton, Genevieve B

2014-01-01

Redundant information in clinical notes within electronic health record (EHR) systems is ubiquitous and may negatively impact the use of these notes by clinicians, and, potentially, the efficiency of patient care delivery. Automated methods to identify redundant versus relevant new information may provide a valuable tool for clinicians to better synthesize patient information and navigate to clinically important details. In this study, we investigated the use of language models for identification of new information in inpatient notes, and evaluated our methods using expert-derived reference standards. The best method achieved precision of 0.743, recall of 0.832 and F1-measure of 0.784. The average proportion of redundant information was similar between inpatient and outpatient progress notes (76.6% (SD=17.3%) and 76.7% (SD=14.0%), respectively). Advanced practice providers tended to have higher rates of redundancy in their notes compared to physicians. Future investigation includes the addition of semantic components and visualization of new information.

Quantifying the Search Behaviour of Different Demographics Using Google Correlate

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Letchford, Adrian; Preis, Tobias; Moat, Helen Susannah

2016-01-01

Vast records of our everyday interests and concerns are being generated by our frequent interactions with the Internet. Here, we investigate how the searches of Google users vary across U.S. states with different birth rates and infant mortality rates. We find that users in states with higher birth rates search for more information about pregnancy, while those in states with lower birth rates search for more information about cats. Similarly, we find that users in states with higher infant mortality rates search for more information about credit, loans and diseases. Our results provide evidence that Internet search data could offer new insight into the concerns of different demographics. PMID:26910464

Confidence and Information Access in Clinical Decision-Making: An Examination of the Cognitive Processes that affect the Information-seeking Behavior of Physicians.

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Uy, Raymonde Charles; Sarmiento, Raymond Francis; Gavino, Alex; Fontelo, Paul

2014-01-01

Clinical decision-making involves the interplay between cognitive processes and physicians' perceptions of confidence in the context of their information-seeking behavior. The objectives of the study are: to examine how these concepts interact, to determine whether physician confidence, defined in relation to information need, affects clinical decision-making, and if information access improves decision accuracy. We analyzed previously collected data about resident physicians' perceptions of information need from a study comparing abstracts and full-text articles in clinical decision accuracy. We found that there is a significant relation between confidence and accuracy (φ=0.164, p<0.01). We also found various differences in the alignment of confidence and accuracy, demonstrating the concepts of underconfidence and overconfidence across years of clinical experience. Access to online literature also has a significant effect on accuracy (p<0.001). These results highlight possible CDSS strategies to reduce medical errors.

Family demographic profiles and their relationship with the quality of executive functioning subcomponents in kindergarten.

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Vandenbroucke, Loren; Verschueren, Karine; Ceulemans, Eva; De Smedt, Bert; De Roover, Kim; Baeyens, Dieter

2016-06-01

Executive functioning (EF), needed for goal-oriented behaviour, thoughts, and emotions, is important for various life domains. This study examined the relationship between family demographics and EF subcomponents. A kindergarten sample was tested on subcomponents of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Parents provided information on demographic variables. For 78 children both EF and demographic data were available. First, demographic profiles were identified within the sample. Two profiles were found: A low-risk profile of mainly two-biological-parent, high-income families with a highly educated mother who did not smoke during pregnancy and a high-risk profile of low-income families with a young, low-educated mother who more often smoked during pregnancy. Second, children with different demographic profiles were compared on EF subcomponents. Results indicate differential relations between family demographics and EF subcomponents: Whereas for most EF subcomponents no association with family demographics was found, high-risk children performed better on response shifting and tended to perform worse on verbal memory than low-risk children. Parenting stress decreased performance only for high-risk children. Although this study found limited impact of family demographics for EF, further longitudinal research can provide nuanced insights about which factors influence specific EF subcomponents during which developmental periods and guide targeted prevention of EF difficulties. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

5. Clinical-Demographic Variables and Compliance with Home ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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not been studied among Nigerian informal ... abilities, behaviour and communication. ... accelerate improvement in a child with cerebral palsy ... siblings of the children with CP and the compliance ..... O.O. Comparative quality of life of Nigerian.

Formal and Informal Continuing Education Activities and Athletic Training Professional Practice

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Armstrong, Kirk J.; Weidner, Thomas G.

2010-01-01

Abstract Context: Continuing education (CE) is intended to promote professional growth and, ultimately, to enhance professional practice. Objective: To determine certified athletic trainers' participation in formal (ie, approved for CE credit) and informal (ie, not approved for CE credit) CE activities and the perceived effect these activities have on professional practice with regard to improving knowledge, clinical skills and abilities, attitudes toward patient care, and patient care itself. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Athletic training practice settings. Patients or Other Participants: Of a geographic, stratified random sample of 1000 athletic trainers, 427 (42.7%) completed the survey. Main Outcome Measure(s): The Survey of Formal and Informal Athletic Training Continuing Education Activities was developed and administered electronically. The survey consisted of demographic characteristics and Likert-scale items regarding CE participation and perceived effect of CE on professional practice. Internal consistency of survey items was determined using the Cronbach α (α  =  0.945). Descriptive statistics were computed for all items. An analysis of variance and dependent t tests were calculated to determine differences among respondents' demographic characteristics and their participation in, and perceived effect of, CE activities. The α level was set at .05. Results: Respondents completed more informal CE activities than formal CE activities. Participation in informal CE activities included reading athletic training journals (75.4%), whereas formal CE activities included attending a Board of Certification–approved workshop, seminar, or professional conference not conducted by the National Athletic Trainers' Association or affiliates or committees (75.6%). Informal CE activities were perceived to improve clinical skills or abilities and attitudes toward patient care. Formal CE activities were perceived to enhance knowledge. Conclusions: More

Clinical decision support for whole genome sequence information leveraging a service-oriented architecture: a prototype.

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Welch, Brandon M; Rodriguez-Loya, Salvador; Eilbeck, Karen; Kawamoto, Kensaku

2014-01-01

Whole genome sequence (WGS) information could soon be routinely available to clinicians to support the personalized care of their patients. At such time, clinical decision support (CDS) integrated into the clinical workflow will likely be necessary to support genome-guided clinical care. Nevertheless, developing CDS capabilities for WGS information presents many unique challenges that need to be overcome for such approaches to be effective. In this manuscript, we describe the development of a prototype CDS system that is capable of providing genome-guided CDS at the point of care and within the clinical workflow. To demonstrate the functionality of this prototype, we implemented a clinical scenario of a hypothetical patient at high risk for Lynch Syndrome based on his genomic information. We demonstrate that this system can effectively use service-oriented architecture principles and standards-based components to deliver point of care CDS for WGS information in real-time.

The use of mobile phones for demographic surveillance of mobile pastoralists and their animals in Chad: proof of principle.

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Jean-Richard, Vreni; Crump, Lisa; Moto Daugla, Doumagoum; Hattendorf, Jan; Schelling, Esther; Zinsstag, Jakob

2014-01-01

Demographic information is foundational for the planning and management of social programmes, in particular health services. The existing INDEPTH network surveillance sites are limited to coverage of sedentary populations. Including mobile populations in this approach would be expensive, time consuming and possibly low in accuracy. Very little is known about the demography of mobile pastoralists and their animals, so innovative approaches are urgently needed. To test and evaluate a mobile demographic surveillance system for mobile pastoralist households, including livestock herds, using mobile phones. Mobile pastoralist camps were monitored (10 for 12 months and 10 for 18 months) using biweekly mobile phone calls with camp leaders and their wives to conduct interviews about the households and livestock. The collected information was validated through personal visits, GPS data and a livestock demographic model. The study showed the feasibility of mobile phone surveillance for mobile pastoralist camps, providing usable, valid information on human and livestock population structures, pregnancy outcomes and herd dynamics, as well as migration patterns. The approach was low-cost and applicable with the existing local resources. Demographic surveillance in mobile populations is feasible using mobile phones. Expansion of the small-scale system into a full mobile demographic surveillance system is warranted and would likely lead to improved planning and provision of human and animal health care.

Hospital clinicians' information behaviour and attitudes towards the 'Clinical Informationist': an Irish survey.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Flynn, Maura G

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Hospital clinicians are increasingly expected to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) in order to minimize medical errors and ensure quality patient care, but experience obstacles to information-seeking. The introduction of a Clinical Informationist (CI) is explored as a possible solution. AIMS: This paper investigates the self-perceived information needs, behaviour and skill levels of clinicians in two Irish public hospitals. It also explores clinicians\\' perceptions and attitudes to the introduction of a CI into their clinical teams. METHODS: A questionnaire survey approach was utilised for this study, with 22 clinicians in two hospitals. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Analysis showed that clinicians experience diverse information needs for patient care, and that barriers such as time constraints and insufficient access to resources hinder their information-seeking. Findings also showed that clinicians struggle to fit information-seeking into their working day, regularly seeking to answer patient-related queries outside of working hours. Attitudes towards the concept of a CI were predominantly positive. CONCLUSION: This paper highlights the factors that characterise and limit hospital clinicians\\' information-seeking, and suggests the CI as a potentially useful addition to the clinical team, to help them to resolve their information needs for patient care.

Demographic and clinical profile of Multiple Sclerosis in Kashmir: A short report.

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Zahoor, Insha; Asimi, Ravouf; Haq, Ehtishamul; Yousuf Wani, Irfan

2017-04-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). There have been only few population/hospital based studies on MS in India, and at the same time there is no data on its profile in Kashmir. A total of 41 MS patients diagnosed on the basis of 2010 Revised Mc Donald criteria were enrolled in this study from Kashmir region of India. Clinical, demographic, radiological and biochemical parameters were analyzed for most of the patients. Male to female ratio was found to be 1:3.1 with mean age at the time of analysis 32.26±7.54 (range 18-48) years. The mean disease duration was found to be 3.2±3.6 years. The most common course was relapsing-remitting (RR) present in 87.80% of cases followed by secondary progressive (SP) in 9.76% and primary progressive (PP) in 2.44%. Numbness, weakness of limbs, prickling and tingling sensations, muscle stiffness, and visual disturbances were most common manifestations. Condition of bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) and vertigo was rarely observed. Oligoclonal bands (OCB) were present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of majority of the patients. Symptomatic and steroidal treatment mode was given to majority of the patients (92.68%) and only 7.32% patients were given disease modifying drug. This is the first preliminary report on MS profile in Kashmir. The high prevalence of female patients and RR course of MS, low prevalence of progressive cases, predominance of OCB positive cases, insignificant family history in all cases, predominance of cases with low socio-economic status, and high rate of less educated and unemployed cases are the most important findings. By and large MS pattern in Kashmir was found to be relatively similar to West and rest of the Asia. Larger comprehensive studies are mandatory to completely understand MS pattern in Kashmir. There is utmost requirement to maintain a local MS registry in Kashmir so as to get an idea about the actual number of

Public Pension Reform, Demographics, and Inequality

OpenAIRE

von Weizsäcker, Robert K

1994-01-01

Starting from a simple, descriptive model of individual income, an explicit link between the age composition of a population and the personal distribution of incomes is established. Demographic effects on income inequality are derived. Next, a pay-as-you-go financed state pension system is introduced. The resulting government budget constraint entails interrelations between fiscal and demographic variables, causing an additional, indirect demographic impact on the distribution. This is shown ...

Gender inequalities from the demographic perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devedžić Mirjana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the meaning of the phrase "the woman’s status in the society" that is recognized in demography as an important cultural factor of demographic development and transitional changes. The analysis indicates qualitative shifts in the woman’s status and simultaneously reveals its importance at present, not only in traditional, but also in modern and developed societies. On the other hand, it explains the importance of sex as a biodemographic determinant, and introduces the concept of gender that sheds another light on the concepts of sex and woman’s status in the society and integrates them. Gender regimes that subsume the inferiority of women in public and private social structures are examined from demographic perspective, albeit only in those phenomenological aspects that can be supported by demographic research, theories, and analyses. To this end, the paper analyzes the effects of strengthening gender equalities on the fertility and mortality transitions, the gender’s impact on the population distribution by sex in South Asian countries, and highlights the key role of gender in interpreting certain social and economic structures. It also stresses the establishing of gender equality as an important element of population policies. The global dimension of the patriarchal society is illustrated through a series of examples of demographic phenomena from various societies. Gender regimes underlie all of these phenomena. The paper puts foreword certain theoretical hypotheses about gender inequalities, and finds their connections with demographic behaviors and demographic indicators. Finally, it summarizes the role of demography in gender (inequality research and the demographic perspective of the way and the speed the demographic equality is being established. Demography is seen as an irreplaceable discipline in examining gender inequalities, especially at the global level. With the advance of qualitative methods in demography

Information disclosure in clinical informed consent: "reasonable" patient's perception of norm in high-context communication culture.

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Hammami, Muhammad M; Al-Jawarneh, Yussuf; Hammami, Muhammad B; Al Qadire, Mohammad

2014-01-10

The current doctrine of informed consent for clinical care has been developed in cultures characterized by low-context communication and monitoring-style coping. There are scarce empirical data on patients' norm perception of information disclosure in other cultures. We surveyed 470 adults who were planning to undergo or had recently undergone a written informed consent-requiring procedure in a tertiary healthcare hospital in Saudi Arabia. Perceptions of norm and current practice were explored using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree with disclosure) and 30 information items in 7 domains: practitioners' details, benefits, risks, complications' management, available alternatives, procedure's description, and post-procedure's issues. Respondents' mean (SD) age was 38.4 (12.5); 50.2% were males, 57.2% had ≥ college education, and 37.9% had undergone a procedure. According to norm perception, strongly agree/agree responses ranged from 98.0% (major benefits) to 50.5% (assistant/trainee's name). Overall, items related to benefits and post-procedure's issues were ranked better (more agreeable) than items related to risks and available alternatives. Ranking scores were better in post-procedure respondents for 4 (13.3%) items (p s name) to 13.9% (lead practitioner's training place), ranking scores were worse for all items compared to norm perception (p norm, 2) the focus of the desired information is closer to benefits and post-procedure's issues than risks and available alternatives, 3) male, post-procedure, and older patients are in favor of more information disclosure, 4) male, older, and more educated patients may be particularly dissatisfied with current information disclosure. The focus and extent of information disclosure for clinical informed consent may need to be adjusted if a "reasonable" patient's standard is to be met.

Beyond demographics is destiny: understanding economic mitigation strategies for demographic change in China

OpenAIRE

Judy, John B.

2015-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The favorable demographics that have contributed to China’s rapid economic growth are changing. China’s working-age population is currently peaking and within two decades its overall population will begin to shrink. In addition to a shrinking working-age population, China will see an increase in the elderly population and a rising dependency ratio. This demographic change may have an economically significant impact. If China’s enormous...

Factors Influencing Electronic Clinical Information Exchange in Small Medical Group Practices

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Kralewski, John E.; Zink, Therese; Boyle, Raymond

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the organizational factors that influence electronic health information exchange (HIE) by medical group practices in rural areas. Methods: A purposive sample of 8 small medical group practices in 3 experimental HIE regions were interviewed to determine the extent of clinical information exchange…

Innovating information-delivery for potential clinical trials participants. What do patients want from multi-media resources?

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Shneerson, Catherine; Windle, Richard; Cox, Karen

2013-01-01

To discover whether the provision of clinical trials information via a multi-media platform could better meet the needs, preferences and practices of potential cancer trial participants. A mixed qualitative and quantitative questionnaire was delivered to 72 participants from cancer support groups to elicit views on the provision and design features of multimedia resources in delivering clinical trials information. Perceived lack of information is an expressed barrier to clinical trials participation. Multimedia resources were viewed positively as a way to address this barrier by most potential clinical trials participants; in particular by helping to align information to individual needs, promote active engagement with information, and by allowing more control of the learning experience. Whilst text remained the most valued attribute of any resource, other highly rated attributes included the resource being simple to use, easily accessible, having a clear focus, incorporating examples and visual aids, and being interactive. Provision of support for the learning resource was also rated highly. As in other areas, such as education, multimedia resources may enhance the delivery and acceptance of information regarding clinical trials. Better alignment of information may have a positive impact on recruitment and retention into clinical trials. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

What Clinical Information Is Valuable to Doctors Using Mobile Electronic Medical Records and When?

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Kim, Junetae; Lee, Yura; Lim, Sanghee; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Lee, Byungtae; Lee, Jae-Ho

2017-10-18

There has been a lack of understanding on what types of specific clinical information are most valuable for doctors to access through mobile-based electronic medical records (m-EMRs) and when they access such information. Furthermore, it has not been clearly discussed why the value of such information is high. The goal of this study was to investigate the types of clinical information that are most valuable to doctors to access through an m-EMR and when such information is accessed. Since 2010, an m-EMR has been used in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The usage logs of the m-EMR by doctors were gathered from March to December 2015. Descriptive analyses were conducted to explore the overall usage patterns of the m-EMR. To assess the value of the clinical information provided, the usage patterns of both the m-EMR and a hospital information system (HIS) were compared on an hourly basis. The peak usage times of the m-EMR were defined as continuous intervals having normalized usage values that are greater than 0.5. The usage logs were processed as an indicator representing specific clinical information using factor analysis. Random intercept logistic regression was used to explore the type of clinical information that is frequently accessed during the peak usage times. A total of 524,929 usage logs from 653 doctors (229 professors, 161 fellows, and 263 residents; mean age: 37.55 years; males: 415 [63.6%]) were analyzed. The highest average number of m-EMR usage logs (897) was by medical residents, whereas the lowest (292) was by surgical residents. The usage amount for three menus, namely inpatient list (47,096), lab results (38,508), and investigation list (25,336), accounted for 60.1% of the peak time usage. The HIS was used most frequently during regular hours (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). The peak usage time of the m-EMR was early in the morning (6:00 AM to 10:00 AM), and the use of the m-EMR from early evening (5:00 PM) to midnight was higher than during regular

Optimal demographic information for policy development in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erna Kinsey

After ten years of a democratic education system in South Africa , the ... period load of educators, the need to promote a certain learning area, the size of the school, the ..... schools in informal settlements are not able to maintain governing body ...

Demographic Trends: Impact on Schools

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Chong, Sylvia N. Y.; Cheah, Horn Mun

2010-01-01

Background: Singapore is experiencing great demographic change. These demographic trends show fewer young people and declining birth rates, greater longevity for ageing generations and an increase in the number of non-Singaporean residents. Statistics also show that more than half of the total population increase in the last decades was…

Comprehensive process model of clinical information interaction in primary care: results of a "best-fit" framework synthesis.

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Veinot, Tiffany C; Senteio, Charles R; Hanauer, David; Lowery, Julie C

2018-06-01

To describe a new, comprehensive process model of clinical information interaction in primary care (Clinical Information Interaction Model, or CIIM) based on a systematic synthesis of published research. We used the "best fit" framework synthesis approach. Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, and Engineering Village. Two authors reviewed articles according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data abstraction and content analysis of 443 published papers were used to create a model in which every element was supported by empirical research. The CIIM documents how primary care clinicians interact with information as they make point-of-care clinical decisions. The model highlights 3 major process components: (1) context, (2) activity (usual and contingent), and (3) influence. Usual activities include information processing, source-user interaction, information evaluation, selection of information, information use, clinical reasoning, and clinical decisions. Clinician characteristics, patient behaviors, and other professionals influence the process. The CIIM depicts the complete process of information interaction, enabling a grasp of relationships previously difficult to discern. The CIIM suggests potentially helpful functionality for clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) to support primary care, including a greater focus on information processing and use. The CIIM also documents the role of influence in clinical information interaction; influencers may affect the success of CDSS implementations. The CIIM offers a new framework for achieving CDSS workflow integration and new directions for CDSS design that can support the work of diverse primary care clinicians.

Improvements in Clinical Trials Information Will Improve the Reproductive Health and Fertility of Cancer Patients.

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Dauti, Angela; Gerstl, Brigitte; Chong, Serena; Chisholm, Orin; Anazodo, Antoinette

2017-06-01

There are a number of barriers that result in cancer patients not being referred for oncofertility care, which include knowledge about reproductive risks of antineoplastic agents. Without this information, clinicians do not always make recommendations for oncofertility care. The objective of this study was to describe the level of reproductive information and recommendations that clinicians have available in clinical trial protocols regarding oncofertility management and follow-up, and the information that patients may receive in clinical trials patient information sheets or consent forms. A literature review of the 71 antineoplastic drugs included in the 68 clinical trial protocols showed that 68% of the antineoplastic drugs had gonadotoxic animal data, 32% had gonadotoxic human data, 83% had teratogenic animal data, and 32% had teratogenic human data. When the clinical trial protocols were reviewed, only 22% of the protocols reported the teratogenic risks and 32% of the protocols reported the gonadotoxic risk. Only 56% of phase 3 protocols had gonadotoxic information and 13% of phase 3 protocols had teratogenic information. Nine percent of the protocols provided fertility preservation recommendations and 4% provided reproductive information in the follow-up and survivorship period. Twenty-six percent had a section in the clinical trials protocol, which identified oncofertility information easily. When gonadotoxic and teratogenic effects of treatment were known, they were not consistently included in the clinical trial protocols and the lack of data for new drugs was not reported. Very few protocols gave recommendations for oncofertility management and follow-up following the completion of cancer treatment. The research team proposes a number of recommendations that should be required for clinicians and pharmaceutical companies developing new trials.

Socio-demographic profile of patients with sarcoidosis vis-à-vis tuberculosis.

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Gupta, D; Vinay, N; Agarwal, R; Agarwal, A N

2013-11-25

Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis closely resemble each other and Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been implicated as a causative agent for sarcoidosis. Herein we explore the socio-demographic features of patients with sarcoidosis vis-a-vis tuberculosis. In a prospective case-control design, we studied hundred patients each of newly diagnosed sarcoidosis, bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and healthy controls. Socio-demographic profile was recorded on a standardized questionnaire. Information about tobacco smoking, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and cooking fuels was also collected. Various parameters were compared among the three groups. Compared to tuberculosis, patients with sarcoidosis were elder, had better body mass index (BMI), higher urban residence (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.02-4.69), were better educated (ORs 8.50 to 74.25 for different categories), had higher per capita income (OR 13.33; 95% CI: 6.79-26.19) and belonged to better overall socio-economic status (SES) (ORs 8.57-195.0 for different categories). All these differences were also significant when sarcoidosis patients were compared to healthy controls albeit to a lesser degree. Tobacco smoking, ETS exposure and use of fossil/biomass fuels for cooking were more commonly seen in TB patients. In the multivariate analysis, as compared to TB or controls, sarcoidosis patients had higher odds for a better SES after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, religion, smoking, ETS exposure and cooking fuel. Patients with sarcoidosis are likely to be better educated and more affluent compared to those with tuberculosis and healthy controls and this can be useful in clinical differential diagnosis of the two conditions in populations with high prevalence of TB.

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Omani Children - Single Center Experience

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Saif Al-Yaarubi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To describe the demographic characteristics and clinical presentation of Omani children with type 1 diabetes mellitus at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all children with type 1 diabetes mellitus attending the Pediatric Endocrine Unit at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman from June 2006 to May 2013. Results: One hundred and forty-four patients were included in the study. The mean±SD of age at diagnosis was 6.7 ± 3.7 years. The median duration of symptoms was 10 days (IQR; 5-14. The most commonly reported presenting symptoms were polyuria (94%, polydipsia (82%, and weight loss (59%. Diabetic ketoacidosis at initial presentation was diagnosed in 31% of the patients. Different insulin regimens were prescribed: multiple daily injections in 109 (76% patients, twice daily insulin regimen in 23 (16% patients, and insulin pump therapy in 12 (8% patients. Family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus was present in 31 (22% patients. There were no significant differences in presenting complaints (polyuria, p=0.182; polydipsia, p=0.848, duration of symptoms (p=0.331, reported weight loss (p=0.753, or diabetic ketoacidosis at presentation (p=0.608 between patients with and without family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss are the most common presenting symptoms. Family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus is highly prevalent among the studied patients. Diabetic ketoacidosis was found to be less common in Oman compared to other diabetes centers in the Middle East.

The Association of Point-of-Sale E-cigarette Advertising with Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Neighborhoods.

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Wan, Neng; Siahpush, Mohammad; Shaikh, Raees A; McCarthy, Molly; Ramos, Athena; Correa, Antonia

2018-06-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) marketing expenditure is skyrocketing in the United States. However, little is understood about the geographic and socio-demographic patterns of e-cigarette advertising. We examined the associations between point-of-sale (POS) e-cigarette advertising and neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics in the Omaha Metropolitan Area of Nebraska. In 2014, fieldworkers collected comprehensive POS e-cigarette advertising data from all stores that sell tobacco (n = 463) in the Omaha Metropolitan Area. We used Geographic Information Systems to map POS e-cigarette advertisement density for the entire study area. Linear regression was used to examine the association between socio-demographic factors and POS e-cigarette advertising density. E-cigarette advertising density exhibited an obviously uneven geographic pattern in Omaha. Higher level of POS e-cigarette advertising was significantly related to lower median household income, higher percentage of Hispanics, and higher percentage of young adults. However, after adjusting for covariates, only median household income remained significantly associated with POS e-cigarette advertising. We found geographic, socioeconomic, and racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to POS e-cigarette advertising in Omaha, Nebraska. Future studies are needed to understand how these disparities influence e-cigarette adoption by different social groups and how to use such information to inform e-cigarette prevention strategies.

Multilocus dataset reveals demographic histories of two peat mosses in Europe

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Hock Zsófia

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Revealing the past and present demographic history of populations is of high importance to evaluate the conservation status of species. Demographic data can be obtained by direct monitoring or by analysing data of historical and recent collections. Although these methods provide the most detailed information they are very time consuming. Another alternative way is to make use of the information accumulated in the species' DNA over its history. Recent development of the coalescent theory makes it possible to reconstruct the demographic history of species using nucleotide polymorphism data. To separate the effect of natural selection and demography, multilocus analysis is needed because these two forces can produce similar patterns of polymorphisms. In this study we investigated the amount and pattern of sequence variability of a Europe wide sample set of two peat moss species (Sphagnum fimbriatum and S. squarrosum with similar distributions and mating systems but presumably contrasting historical demographies using 3 regions of the nuclear genome (appr. 3000 bps. We aimed to draw inferences concerning demographic, and phylogeographic histories of the species. Results All three nuclear regions supported the presence of an Atlantic and Non-Atlantic clade of S. fimbriatum suggesting glacial survival of the species along the Atlantic coast of Europe. Contrarily, S. squarrosum haplotypes showed three clades but no geographic structure at all. Maximum likelihood, mismatch and Bayesian analyses supported a severe historical bottleneck and a relatively recent demographic expansion of the Non-Atlantic clade of S. fimbriatum, whereas size of S. squarrosum populations has probably decreased in the past. Species wide molecular diversity of the two species was nearly the same with an excess of replacement mutations in S. fimbriatum. Similar levels of molecular diversity, contrasting phylogeographic patterns and excess of replacement

"ALS reversals": demographics, disease characteristics, treatments, and co-morbidities.

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Harrison, Daniel; Mehta, Paul; van Es, Michael A; Stommel, Elijah; Drory, Vivian E; Nefussy, Beatrice; van den Berg, Leonard H; Crayle, Jesse; Bedlack, Richard

2018-04-02

To identify differences in demographics, disease characteristics, treatments, and co-morbidities between patients with "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) reversals" and those with typically progressive ALS. Cases of possible ALS reversals were found in prior publications, in the Duke ALS clinic, through self-referral or referral from other Neurologists, and on the internet. Of 89 possible reversals identified, 36 cases were included because chart or literature review confirmed their diagnosis and a robust, sustained improvement in at least one objective measure. Controls were participants in the Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials database and the National ALS Registry. Cases and controls were compared using descriptive statistics. ALS reversals were more likely to be male, have limb onset disease, and initially progress faster. The prevalences of myasthenia gravis (MG) and purely lower motor neuron disease in cases were higher than estimates of these prevalences in the general population. The odds of taking curcumin, luteolin, cannabidiol, azathioprine, copper, glutathione, vitamin D, and fish oil were greater for cases than controls. When compared to patients with typically progressive ALS, patients with reversals differed in their demographics, disease characteristics, and treatments. While some of these patients may have had a rare antibody-mediated ALS mimicker, such as atypical myasthenia gravis, details of their exams, EMGs and family histories argue that this was unlikely. Instead, our data suggest that ALS reversals warrant evaluation for mechanisms of disease resistance and that treatments associated with multiple ALS reversals deserve further study.

Social vs. Clinical Perspectives on the Use of Information: Implications for School-based Information Systems. Systemic Evaluation Project.

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Sirotnik, Kenneth A.; And Others

This paper presents a study of the contrast of social and clinical perspectives on the selection and use of information by school staff, including: (1) an outline of the context and activities of the study; (2) a definition and discussion of the basic distinction between social and clinical perspectives; (3) an examination of case material…

[The demographic potential of Russia].

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Vishnevskii, A

1998-05-01

This is a general review of current demographic trends in Russia. The author analyzes the decline in population size that is taking place at the end of the twentieth century, and traces its origins as far back as the disturbances associated with World War I, the Communist revolution, and the civil war that followed it. Political repression during the Stalinist period and the tribulations experienced during World War II also contributed to the current demographic crisis. The author discusses the changes in migration patterns and the declining fertility and increasing mortality rates. The decline in life expectancy is also addressed. Some comparisons are made with the demographic situation in other European countries.

Evaluation of clinical information modeling tools.

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Moreno-Conde, Alberto; Austin, Tony; Moreno-Conde, Jesús; Parra-Calderón, Carlos L; Kalra, Dipak

2016-11-01

Clinical information models are formal specifications for representing the structure and semantics of the clinical content within electronic health record systems. This research aims to define, test, and validate evaluation metrics for software tools designed to support the processes associated with the definition, management, and implementation of these models. The proposed framework builds on previous research that focused on obtaining agreement on the essential requirements in this area. A set of 50 conformance criteria were defined based on the 20 functional requirements agreed by that consensus and applied to evaluate the currently available tools. Of the 11 initiative developing tools for clinical information modeling identified, 9 were evaluated according to their performance on the evaluation metrics. Results show that functionalities related to management of data types, specifications, metadata, and terminology or ontology bindings have a good level of adoption. Improvements can be made in other areas focused on information modeling and associated processes. Other criteria related to displaying semantic relationships between concepts and communication with terminology servers had low levels of adoption. The proposed evaluation metrics were successfully tested and validated against a representative sample of existing tools. The results identify the need to improve tool support for information modeling and software development processes, especially in those areas related to governance, clinician involvement, and optimizing the technical validation of testing processes. This research confirmed the potential of these evaluation metrics to support decision makers in identifying the most appropriate tool for their organization. Los Modelos de Información Clínica son especificaciones para representar la estructura y características semánticas del contenido clínico en los sistemas de Historia Clínica Electrónica. Esta investigación define, prueba y valida

Demographics of US pediatric contact dermatitis registry providers.

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Goldenberg, Alina; Jacob, Sharon E

2015-01-01

Children are as likely as adults to be sensitized and reactive to contact allergens. However, the prevailing data on pediatric allergic contact dermatitis are quantitatively and qualitatively limited because of a narrow geographic localization of data-reporting providers. The aim of the study was to present the first quarter results from the Loma Linda Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry focused on registered providers who self-identified as providing care for pediatric allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) within the United States. The US providers were invited to join the registry via completion of an online, secure, 11-question registration survey addressing demographics and clinical practice essentials. The presented results reflect data gathered within the first quarter of registry recruitment; registration is ongoing. Of 169 responders from 48 states, the majority of providers were female (60.4%), academic (55.6%), and dermatologists (76.3%). Based on individual provider averages, the minimum cumulative number of pediatric patch-test evaluations performed each year ranged between 1372 and 3468 children. The Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry provides a description of the current leaders in the realm of pediatric ACD and gaps, which are in need of attention. The registry allows for a collaborative effort to exchange information, educate providers, and foster investigative research with the hope of legislation that can reduce the disease burden of ACD in US children.

Estimating demographic contributions to effective population size in an age-structured wild population experiencing environmental and demographic stochasticity.

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Trask, Amanda E; Bignal, Eric M; McCracken, Davy I; Piertney, Stuart B; Reid, Jane M

2017-09-01

A population's effective size (N e ) is a key parameter that shapes rates of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity, thereby influencing evolutionary processes and population viability. However, estimating N e , and identifying key demographic mechanisms that underlie the N e to census population size (N) ratio, remains challenging, especially for small populations with overlapping generations and substantial environmental and demographic stochasticity and hence dynamic age-structure. A sophisticated demographic method of estimating N e /N, which uses Fisher's reproductive value to account for dynamic age-structure, has been formulated. However, this method requires detailed individual- and population-level data on sex- and age-specific reproduction and survival, and has rarely been implemented. Here, we use the reproductive value method and detailed demographic data to estimate N e /N for a small and apparently isolated red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) population of high conservation concern. We additionally calculated two single-sample molecular genetic estimates of N e to corroborate the demographic estimate and examine evidence for unobserved immigration and gene flow. The demographic estimate of N e /N was 0.21, reflecting a high total demographic variance (σ2dg) of 0.71. Females and males made similar overall contributions to σ2dg. However, contributions varied among sex-age classes, with greater contributions from 3 year-old females than males, but greater contributions from ≥5 year-old males than females. The demographic estimate of N e was ~30, suggesting that rates of increase of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation per generation will be relatively high. Molecular genetic estimates of N e computed from linkage disequilibrium and approximate Bayesian computation were approximately 50 and 30, respectively, providing no evidence of substantial unobserved immigration which could bias demographic estimates of N e . Our analyses identify

Demographic factors associated with moral sensitivity among nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuvesson, Hanna; Lützén, Kim

2017-11-01

Today's healthcare environment is often characterized by an ethically demanding work situation, and nursing students need to prepare to meet ethical challenges in their future role. Moral sensitivity is an important aspect of the ethical decision-making process, but little is known regarding nursing students' moral sensitivity and its possible development during nursing education. The aims of this study were to investigate moral sensitivity among nursing students, differences in moral sensitivity according to sample sub-group, and the relation between demographic characteristics of nursing students and moral sensitivity. A convenience sample of 299 nursing students from one university completed a questionnaire comprising questions about demographic information and the revised Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire. With the use of SPSS, non-parametric statistics, including logistic regression models, were used to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics and moral sensitivity. Ethical considerations: The study followed the regulations according to the Swedish Ethical Review Act and was reviewed by the Ethics Committee of South-East Sweden. The findings showed that mean scores of nursing students' moral sensitivity were found in the middle to upper segment of the rating scale. Multivariate analysis showed that gender (odds ratio = 3.32), age (odds ratio = 2.09; 1.73), and parental status (odds ratio = 0.31) were of relevance to nursing students' moral sensitivity. Academic year was found to be unrelated to moral sensitivity. These demographic aspects should be considered when designing ethics education for nursing students. Future studies should continue to investigate moral sensitivity in nursing students, such as if and how various pedagogical strategies in ethics may contribute to moral sensitivity in nursing students.

Student Media in U.S. Secondary Schools: Associations with School Demographic Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Bobkowski, Piotr S.; Goodman, Mark; Bowen, Candace Perkins

2012-01-01

This study provides an up-to-date counting of student media in U.S. public high schools. The analysis underscores the importance of school demographic characteristics in predicting whether schools offer student media. The disparities identified here should inform how journalism schools, scholastic journalism organizations, funding agencies, and…

Associate Residency Training Directors in Psychiatry: Demographics, Professional Activities, and Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Arbuckle, Melissa R.; DeGolia, Sallie G.; Esposito, Karin; Miller, Deborah A.; Weinberg, Michael; Brenner, Adam M.

2012-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize associate training director (ATD) positions in psychiatry. Method: An on-line survey was e-mailed in 2009 to all ATDs identified through the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT). Survey questions elicited information regarding demographics,…

Clinical psychology service users' experiences of confidentiality and informed consent: a qualitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martindale, S J; Chambers, E; Thompson, A R

2009-12-01

To explore and describe the experience of clinical psychology service users in relation to the processes associated with confidentiality and the generation of informed consent in individual therapy. A qualitative interview-based study employing interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted with service users. User researchers were active collaborators in the study. A focus group of four users was convened to explore issues related to confidentiality and consent, which then informed the development of the semi-structured interview schedule. Twelve users of community mental health clinical psychology services were interviewed by user researchers. A user researcher and a clinical psychologist undertook joint analysis of the data. A second clinical psychologist facilitated reflexivity and wider consideration of validity issues. Four main themes were identified from the data: being referred; the participant's feelings, mental health difficulties, and their impact; relationships with workers and carers; and autonomy. The meaningfulness of processes of discussing confidentiality, and generating informed consent, can be improved by psychologists placing a greater emphasis on choice, control, autonomy, individual preferences, and actively involving the user in dialogue on repeated occasions.

[Demographic analysis of a congenital heart disease clinic of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, with special interest in the adult].

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez-González, Horacio; Yáñez-Gutiérrez, Lucelli; Rivera-May, Jimena Lucely; López-Gallegos, Diana; Almeida-Gutiérrez, Eduardo

2017-11-07

Congenital heart disease (CHD) has an incidence of 8-10 cases per 1000 live births. In Mexico, there are 18,000-20,000 new cases per year. Most tertiary care centers for CHD attend only pediatric population; the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) has a clinic that attends pediatric and adult population. To analyze the demographic aspects of the CHD clinic of IMSS. From 2011 to 2016 a cross-sectional study of the CC clinic of a third level hospital of the IMSS, including all patients with confirmed structural heart disease of recent diagnosis was carried out. The sex, age, reference entity, antecedent of pregnancy and treatment were registered. The population was divided into age ranges (17.1 years). Descriptive statistics and χ 2 test were used in qualitative variables. 3,483 patients with CHD (male:female ratio, 0.8:1.2) were included. Increased pulmonary flow acyanogenic cardiopathies were the most frequent CHD group (47.2%), with atrial septal defect being the most frequent diagnosis overall; 25.6% were adults and 35% of women with a history of pregnancy. Chiapas was Federal entity with greater proportion of patients diagnosed in the adult stage (33.82%); 7% were not candidates for any treatment for complications of the disease. CHD is a late diagnosis; it is necessary to create a national register to promote new health policies and a rational distribution of resources for these patients. Copyright © 2017 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Ubiquitous information for ubiquitous computing: expressing clinical data sets with openEHR archetypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Garde, Sebastian; Hovenga, Evelyn; Buck, Jasmin; Knaup, Petra

2006-01-01

Ubiquitous computing requires ubiquitous access to information and knowledge. With the release of openEHR Version 1.0 there is a common model available to solve some of the problems related to accessing information and knowledge by improving semantic interoperability between clinical systems. Considerable work has been undertaken by various bodies to standardise Clinical Data Sets. Notwithstanding their value, several problems remain unsolved with Clinical Data Sets without the use of a common model underpinning them. This paper outlines these problems like incompatible basic data types and overlapping and incompatible definitions of clinical content. A solution to this based on openEHR archetypes is motivated and an approach to transform existing Clinical Data Sets into archetypes is presented. To avoid significant overlaps and unnecessary effort during archetype development, archetype development needs to be coordinated nationwide and beyond and also across the various health professions in a formalized process.

Demographic Ranking of the Baltic Sea States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sluka N.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the study lies in the acute need to modernise the tools for a more accurate and comparable reflection of the demographic reality of spatial objects of different scales. This article aims to test the methods of “demographic rankings” developed by Yermakov and Shmakov. The method is based on the principles of indirect standardisation of the major demographic coefficients relative to the age structure.The article describes the first attempt to apply the method to the analysis of birth and mortality rates in 1995 and 2010 for 140 countries against the global average, and for the Baltic Sea states against the European average. The grouping of countries and the analysis of changes over the given period confirmed a number of demographic development trends and the persistence of wide territorial disparities in major indicators. The authors identify opposite trends in ranking based on the standardised birth (country consolidation at the level of averaged values and mortality (polarisation rates. The features of demographic process development in the Baltic regions states are described against the global and European background. The study confirmed the validity of the demographic ranking method, which can be instrumental in solving not only scientific but also practical tasks, including those in the field of demographic and social policy.

Sociocultural and Demographic Risk Factors for the Development of Multiple Sclerosis in Kuwait: A Case - Control Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhail N Al-Shammri

Full Text Available Immunological, genetic and environmental factors are believed to play important roles in the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS. There have been many studies on risk factors for MS but these have been mainly in Caucasian populations; robust studies in Arab populations remain relatively uncommon. This study therefore aimed to identify behavioral, socio-cultural, and demographic factors associated with development of MS in Kuwait, a high income Arab country, currently undergoing a demographic transition.In this case- control study, 195 Kuwaiti MS patients and 146 healthy age and sex-matched controls were recruited. Both groups of subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, in relation to anthropometric, socio-cultural and demographic data, residence during the 1990/91 Gulf War and current and past medical history, including medications. We also clinically evaluated, and retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients to derive appropriate clinical information, including associated chronic medical illness requiring long-term treatment.On multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounders including age, gender and BMI, in all the subjects, a positive associations prevail with presence of MS and some sociocultural and demographic factors, which included non-Bedouin ethnicity (AOR 2, 95% CI 1.0-3.9, p 0.049, positive family history of MS (AOR 10.6, 95% CI 3.0-36.9, p < 0.001, and low daily sunlight exposure of < 15min/day (AOR 5.3, 95% CI 2.7-10.5 p < 0.001. In addition, while 41.8% of MS patients indicated at least one comorbidity, only 26.8% of the controls reported any associated physical illness, with the suggestion that presence of certain comorbidities might increase MS risk (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.7, p < 0.001. Other risk variables such as smoking status and mode of routine outdoor dressing were not significant in all the MS subjects taken as a whole, but demonstrated variably positive

Designing a clinical dashboard to fill information gaps in the emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Jordan L; Cimino, James J; Fred, Matthew R; Green, Robert A; Vawdrey, David K

2014-01-01

Data fragmentation within electronic health records causes gaps in the information readily available to clinicians. We investigated the information needs of emergency medicine clinicians in order to design an electronic dashboard to fill information gaps in the emergency department. An online survey was distributed to all emergency medicine physicians at a large, urban academic medical center. The survey response rate was 48% (52/109). The clinical information items reported to be most helpful while caring for patients in the emergency department were vital signs, electrocardiogram (ECG) reports, previous discharge summaries, and previous lab results. Brief structured interviews were also conducted with 18 clinicians during their shifts in the emergency department. From the interviews, three themes emerged: 1) difficulty accessing vital signs, 2) difficulty accessing point-of-care tests, and 3) difficulty comparing the current ECG with the previous ECG. An emergency medicine clinical dashboard was developed to address these difficulties.

Work–home interference: Examining socio-demographic predictors in the South African context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marissa de Klerk

2010-04-01

Research purpose: The main research aim of the study was to investigate the socio-demographic predictors of negative and positive work–home interaction of South African employees. Motivation for the study: Little information is known about the prevalence of work–home interaction within groups. This study is aimed at enabling the researcher and organisations to identify those groups that are at risk of negative interference and which are prone to positive interaction, to allow for the development of appropriate strategies and intervention programmes. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used in the study. A sample (N = 2040 was taken from four South African industries (i.e. the police service, the earthmoving equipment industry, mining and nursing. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Survey Work–Home Interaction-Nijmegen (SWING were used. Main findings: The results indicated that robust predictors included occupation, gender and language for negative work–home interference; occupation, age and language for positive work–home interference; occupation and language for negative home–work interference; and occupation, age, education and language for positive home–work interference. Practical/managerial implications: The implications of the study are that negative and positive work–home interaction is uniquely associated with socio-demographic characteristics. Work–life balance initiatives should, therefore, be carefully tailored to address the needs of each socio-demographic group. Contribution/value-add: The findings of the study suggest answers to the management of the work–home interaction among various socio-demographic groups in organisations.

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support.

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, Gregory J; Boyle, Scott N; Brinner, Kristin M; Osheroff, Jerome A

2009-10-08

Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures), and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In addition, to represent meaningful benefits to personalized

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brinner Kristin M

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Discussion Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures, and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. Summary This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In

Discrepancies between self and observer ratings of depression. The relationship to demographic, clinical and personality variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Enns, M W; Larsen, D K; Cox, B J

2000-10-01

The observer-rated Hamilton depression scale (HamD) and the self-report Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) are among the most commonly used rating scales for depression, and both have well demonstrated reliability and validity. However, many depressed subjects have discrepant scores on these two assessment methods. The present study evaluated the ability of demographic, clinical and personality factors to account for the discrepancies observed between BDI and HamD ratings. The study group consisted of 94 SCID-diagnosed outpatients with a current major depressive disorder. Subjects were rated with the 21-item HamD and completed the BDI and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. Younger age, higher educational attainment, and depressive subtype (atypical, non-melancholic) were predictive of higher BDI scores relative to HamD observer ratings. In addition, high neuroticism, low extraversion and low agreeableness were associated with higher endorsement of depressive symptoms on the BDI relative to the HamD. In general, these predictive variables showed a greater ability to explain discrepancies between self and observer ratings of psychological symptoms of depression compared to somatic symptoms of depression. The study does not determine which aspects of neuroticism and extraversion contribute to the observed BDI/HamD discrepancies. Depression ratings obtained with the BDI and HamD are frequently discordant and a number of patient characteristics robustly predict the discrepancy between these two rating methods. The value of multi-modal assessment in the conduct of research on depressive disorders is re-affirmed.

The information needs and behaviour of clinical researchers: a user-needs analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Korjonen-Close, Helena

2005-06-01

As part of the strategy to set up a new information service, including a physical Resource Centre, the analysis of information needs of clinical research professionals involved with clinical research and development in the UK and Europe was required. It also aimed to identify differences in requirements between the various roles of professionals and establish what information resources are currently used. A user-needs survey online of the members of The Institute. Group discussions with specialist subcommittees of members. Two hundred and ninety members responded to the online survey of 20 questions. This makes it a response rate of 7.9%. Members expressed a lack of information in their particular professional area, and lack the skills to retrieve and appraise information. The results of the survey are discussed in more detail, giving indications of what the information service should collect, what types of materials should be provided to members and what services should be on offer. These were developed from the results of the needs analysis and submitted to management for approval. Issues of concern, such as financial constraint and staff constraints are also discussed. There is an opportunity to build a unique collection of clinical research material, which will promote The Institute not only to members, but also to the wider health sector. Members stated that the most physical medical libraries don't provide what they need, but the main finding through the survey and discussions is that it's pointless to set up 'yet another medical library'.

Demographic, behavioral, and psychometric characteristics of persons denied unescorted access on the basis of psychological assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berghausen, P.E.

1988-01-01

This paper examines the demographic, behavioral, and psychometric characteristics of persons who were denied unescorted access authorization for protected areas and vital islands of nuclear power plants, in accordance with the relevant proposed rule of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Demographic characteristics examined include age, sex, occupation, education, marital status, and number of children. Behavioral characteristics examined include substance use/abuse/treatment and instances of antisocial behavior. Psychometric characteristics examined include elevations on basic MMPI clinical scales, elevations on special indices of psychosis and substance abuse, and endorsement of so-called critical items

Internet use by parents of children attending a dedicated scoliosis outpatient clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Joseph F; Devitt, Brian M; Lynch, Sam; Green, Connor J; Byrne, Damien P; Kiely, Patrick J

2012-10-01

No information exists on the level of internet use among parents of pediatric patients with scoliosis. The internet may represent a medium through which to provide information to augment the outpatient consultation. The aim of this research was to establish the prevalence of internet use amongst a cohort of parents attending a pediatric scoliosis outpatient clinic. A previously used questionnaire (Baker et al., Eur Spine J, 19:1776-1779, 2010) was distributed to parents attending a dedicated scoliosis outpatient clinic with their children. Demographic data and details about use of the internet were collected. Fifty-eight percent of respondents had used the internet to search for information on scoliosis, and 94 % were interested in a local internet provided information provision. A positive history of corrective surgery and possession of health insurance were independent positive predictors of internet use. As surgeons we need to be aware of our patients' use of the internet, and there is the opportunity to use this medium to provide additional education.

Pediatric Clinical Trials Conducted in South Korea from 2006 to 2015: An Analysis of the South Korean Clinical Research Information Service, US ClinicalTrials.gov and European Clinical Trials Registries.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sheung-Nyoung; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Song, In-Kyung; Kim, Eun-Hee; Kim, Jin-Tae; Kim, Hee-Soo

2017-12-01

The status of pediatric clinical trials performed in South Korea in the last decade, including clinical trials of drugs with unapproved indications for children, has not been previously examined. The aim was to provide information regarding the current state of pediatric clinical trials and create a basis for future trials performed in South Korea by reviewing three databases of clinical trials registrations. We searched for pediatric clinical studies (participants South Korea between 2006 and 2015 registered on the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), ClinicalTrials.gov, and the European Clinical Trials Registry (EuCTR). Additionally, we reviewed whether unapproved indications were involved in each trial by comparing the trials with a list of authorized trials provided by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The primary and secondary outcomes were to determine the change in number of pediatric clinical trials with unapproved indications over time and to assess the status of unauthorized pediatric clinical trials from the MFDS and the publication of articles after these clinical trials, respectively. We identified 342 clinical studies registered in the CRIS (n = 81), ClinicalTrials.gov (n = 225), and EuCTR (n = 36), of which 306 were reviewed after excluding duplicate registrations. Among them, 181 studies were interventional trials dealing with drugs and biological agents, of which 129 (71.3%) involved unapproved drugs. Of these 129 trials, 107 (82.9%) were authorized by the MFDS. Pediatric clinical trials in South Korea aiming to establish the safety and efficacy of drugs in children are increasing; however, non-MFDS-authorized studies remain an issue.

Demographics of implant placement and complications of a patient subgroup in a dental hospital population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brennan, Maire

2011-03-14

Little has been reported about the demographics of implant placement in the Irish population and the complications that occur. This is important in terms of service planning and providing patient information.

Demographics of implant placement and complications of a patient subgroup in a dental hospital population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brennan, Maire

2010-05-01

Little has been reported about the demographics of implant placement in the Irish population and the complications that occur. This is important in terms of service planning and providing patient information.

Multiregional demographic projections in practice: a metropolitan example.

Science.gov (United States)

Congdon, P

1992-01-01

"This paper examines options for local and regional projections which reflect both demographic interdependencies with jobs and housing at this area scale, and the inapplicability of traditional demographic projection methods to population or areal subdivisions. This context for local demographic projections requires constraints (for example, to job and housing forecasts or to higher area totals), the use of proxy or explanatory indicators to predict demographic rates or totals, and parameterization of demographic schedules, to facilitate comparison across numerous localities and to set future assumptions about demographic components. The traditional framework of self-contained projection by deterministic cohort survival is therefore widened to include regio-scientific and stochastic modelling concepts. The framework for empirical analysis is London [England] and its boroughs." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND GER) excerpt

Base line study on demographic and health pattern around uranium mining area at Tummalapalle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tondare, Devidas; Bala Krishna, C.; Ganesh, B.; Vinod Kumar, A.

2013-01-01

Aim of the study is to document baseline data on the socio-economic, demographic and health status of the study area with specific objective to generate household information on infrastructure, housing, agriculture, drinking water and sanitation facilities

Informed consent for clinical trials: a review | Lema | East African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Data sources: Published original research findings and reviews in the English literature, together with anecdotal information from our current professional experiences with clinical trials. Design: Review of peer-reviewed articles. Data extraction: Online searches were done and requests for reprints from corresponding ...

Influence of Internet Accessibility and Demographic factors on utilization of Web-based Health Information Resources by Resident Doctors in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajuwon, G A; Popoola, S O

2014-09-01

The internet is a huge library with avalanche of information resources including healthcare information. There are numerous studies on use of electronic resources by healthcare providers including medical practitioners however, there is a dearth of information on the patterns of use of web-based health information resource by resident doctors in Nigeria. This study therefore investigates the influence of internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of study consisted of medical doctors undergoing residency training in 13 tertiary healthcare institutions in South-West Nigeria. The tertiary healthcare institutions were Federal Medical Centres, University Teaching Hospitals and Specialist Hospitals (Neuropsychiatric and Orthopaedic). A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 34 years and males were in the majority (69.0%). A total of 96.1% respondents had access to the Internet. E-mail (X̄=5.40, SD=0.91), Google (X̄=5.26, SD=1.38), Yahoo (X̄=5.15, SD=4.44) were used weekly by the respondents. Preparation for Seminar/Grand Round presentation (X̄=8.4, SD=1.92), research (X̄=7.8, SD=2.70) and communication (X̄=7.6, SD=2.60) were ranked high as purposes for use of web-based information resources. There is a strong, positive and significant relationship between internet accessibility and utilization of web-based health information resources (r=0.628, pdesignation (B=-0.343) educational qualification (B=2.411) significantly influence utilization of web-based health information resources of the respondents. A

5 CFR 841.404 - Demographic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Demographic factors. 841.404 Section 841.404 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM-GENERAL ADMINISTRATION Government Costs § 841.404 Demographic...

Changing demographics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, B.M.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on changing population demographics, poor academic preparation for and a decreasing interest in engineering among college students which indicates possible shortages ahead, particularly among chemical and petroleum engineers. The talent pool for engineering must be enlarged to include women and minority men, if we are to ensure an adequate future supply for the U.S

SANDS: a service-oriented architecture for clinical decision support in a National Health Information Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Adam; Sittig, Dean F

2008-12-01

In this paper, we describe and evaluate a new distributed architecture for clinical decision support called SANDS (Service-oriented Architecture for NHIN Decision Support), which leverages current health information exchange efforts and is based on the principles of a service-oriented architecture. The architecture allows disparate clinical information systems and clinical decision support systems to be seamlessly integrated over a network according to a set of interfaces and protocols described in this paper. The architecture described is fully defined and developed, and six use cases have been developed and tested using a prototype electronic health record which links to one of the existing prototype National Health Information Networks (NHIN): drug interaction checking, syndromic surveillance, diagnostic decision support, inappropriate prescribing in older adults, information at the point of care and a simple personal health record. Some of these use cases utilize existing decision support systems, which are either commercially or freely available at present, and developed outside of the SANDS project, while other use cases are based on decision support systems developed specifically for the project. Open source code for many of these components is available, and an open source reference parser is also available for comparison and testing of other clinical information systems and clinical decision support systems that wish to implement the SANDS architecture. The SANDS architecture for decision support has several significant advantages over other architectures for clinical decision support. The most salient of these are:

Are Clinical Trial Experiences Utilized?: A Differentiated Model of Medical Sites’ Information Transfer Ability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smed, Marie; Schultz, Carsten; Getz, Kenneth A.

2015-01-01

The collaboration with medical professionals in pharmaceutical clinical trials facilitates opportunities to gain valuable market information concerning product functionality issues, as well as issues related to market implementation and adoption. However, previous research on trial management lacks......’ information transfer ability, their methods of communicating, are included. The model is studied on a unique dataset of 395 medical site representatives by applying Rasch scale modeling to differentiate the stickiness of the heterogenic information issues. The results reveal that economic measures...... a differentiated perspective on the potential for information transfer from site to producer. An exploration of the variation in stickiness of information, and therefore the complexity of information transfer in clinical trials, is the main aim of this study. To further enrich the model of the dispersed sites...

Is there a Demographic Time-bomb?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greve, Bent

2006-01-01

The article discuss whether the demographic transition in Europe will have any impact on the future of the European welfare states......The article discuss whether the demographic transition in Europe will have any impact on the future of the European welfare states...

Anonymity versus privacy: selective information sharing in online cancer communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Jeana; Vermeulen, Ivar E; Beekers, Nienke

2014-05-14

Active sharing in online cancer communities benefits patients. However, many patients refrain from sharing health information online due to privacy concerns. Existing research on privacy emphasizes data security and confidentiality, largely focusing on electronic medical records. Patient preferences around information sharing in online communities remain poorly understood. Consistent with the privacy calculus perspective adopted from e-commerce research, we suggest that patients approach online information sharing instrumentally, weighing privacy costs against participation benefits when deciding whether to share certain information. Consequently, we argue that patients prefer sharing clinical information over daily life and identity information that potentially compromises anonymity. Furthermore, we explore whether patients' prior experiences, age, health, and gender affect perceived privacy costs and thus willingness to share information. The goal of the present study is to document patient preferences for sharing information within online health platforms. A total of 115 cancer patients reported sharing intentions for 15 different types of information, demographics, health status, prior privacy experiences, expected community utility, and privacy concerns. Factor analysis on the 15 information types revealed 3 factors coinciding with 3 proposed information categories: clinical, daily life, and identity information. A within-subject ANOVA showed a strong preference for sharing clinical information compared to daily life and identity information (F1,114=135.59, P=.001, η(2)=.93). Also, adverse online privacy experiences, age, and health status negatively affected information-sharing intentions. Female patients shared information less willingly. Respondents' information-sharing intentions depend on dispositional and situational factors. Patients share medical details more willingly than daily life or identity information. The results suggest the need to focus on

Informed consent in clinical research; Do patients understand what they have signed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Villamañán

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Informed consent is an essential element of research, and signing this document is required to conduct most clinical trials. Its aim is to inform patients what their participation in the study will involve. However, increasingly, their complexity and length are making them difficult to understand, which might lead patients to give their authorization without having read them previously or without having understood what is stated. In this sense, the Ethics Committees for Clinical Research, and Pharmacists specialized in Hospital Pharmacy and Primary Care in their capacity as members of said committees, play an important and difficult role in defending the rights of patients. These Committees will review thoroughly these documents to guarantee that all legal requirements have been met and, at the same time, that they are easy to understand by the potential participants in a clinical trial

Demographic and psychological correlates of New Zealanders support for euthanasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Carol Hj; Duck, Isabelle M; Sibley, Chris G

2017-01-13

To explore the distribution of New Zealanders' support towards the legalisation of euthanasia and examine demographic and psychological factors associated with these attitudes. 15,822 participants responded to the 2014/15 New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) survey. This survey included an item on people's attitudes towards euthanasia, and information on their demographic and psychological characteristics. The majority of New Zealanders expressed support for euthanasia, which was assessed by asking "Suppose a person has a painful incurable disease. Do you think that doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient's life if the patient requests it?" Non-religious, liberal, younger, employed, non-parents and those living in rural areas were more supportive. Those of Pacific or Asian ethnicity, with lower income and higher deprivation, education and socio-economic status were less supportive. Furthermore, those high on extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism showed more support, while those high on agreeableness and honesty-humility exhibited less support. There is strong public support for euthanasia when people are asked whether doctors should be allowed by law to end the life of a patient with a painful incurable disease upon their request. There are reliable demographic and personality differences in support for euthanasia.

Turkey’s Epidemiological and Demographic Transitions: 1931-2013

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Coşkun Bakar

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The causes of death have changed with regard to the epidemiological and demographic events in society. There is no evidence of prior research into the epidemiological transition in Turkey. This transition in Turkey should be observed starting with the Ottoman Empire period (19th to early 20th century. However, information about the Ottoman Empire is quite limited. Aims: To discuss the epidemiological and demographic transitions in Turkey, using demographic, educational and urbanization data in our present study. Study Design: A descriptive archive study. Methods: Mortality statistics dating from 1931 and published by the Turkish Statistical Institute were analysed, and the causes of death were coded and classified according to ICD-10. Other data were obtained from the published reports and studies regarding the issue. Results: In the 1930s, Turkey’s life expectancy was low (aged 40 years, fertility and mortality rates were high (respectively 45% and 31%, and the main causes of death were infectious diseases. Nowadays, life expectancy is close to 80 years, the total fertility rate has dropped to 2.1 per woman, and the main causes of death are chronic diseases and cancer. The population rate in the urban areas has increased steadily from 24.2% in 1927 to 77.3% in 2012. level of education has also increased during this period. In 1935, less than 10% of women were literate, and in 2013 90% were literate. Qualitative and quantitative increase have been observed in the presentation and access of healthcare services compared to the early years of the Republic. Conclusion: Turkey has been undergoing a modernization period in the last 200 years, and it is believed that the epidemiological and demographic transitions result from this period. This process has led to urbanization and an increase in the level of education, as well as a decrease in premature deaths, lower fertility rates, and an increase in the elderly population and chronic

The Influence of Demographic, Clinical, Psychological and Functional Determinants on Post-stroke Cognitive Impairment at Day Care Stroke Center, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Zulkifly, Mohd Faizal; Ghazali, Shazli Ezzat; Che Din, Normah; Subramaniam, Ponnusamy

2016-01-01

Background This study aims to estimate the prevalence and explore the predictors for post-stroke cognitive impairment at the community level in Malaysia. Methods A total of 50 stroke patients aged 29 to 81–year-old were included in this study. A face to face interview was conducted to gather the demographic and clinical data. Subsequently, assessments including Barthel ADL Index (BI), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered to the subjects. Results The results showed that the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 76% among the studied populations. The subjects’ race (Fisher’s value= 9.56, P cognitive status. The depression score was significantly higher in cognitively impaired group [t (48) = −4.42, P cognitively impaired group (median = 18.00, P cognitive impairment (OR 2.03, 95% CI = 1.20–3.45). Conclusion In conclusion, the prevalence of cognitive impairment in this study was higher than other community based studies and depression was a risk factor for cognitive impairment. PMID:27547115

R&D manpower and technological performance : The impact of demographic and task-related diversity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faems, D.L.M.; Subramaniam, A.

2013-01-01

We assess the impact of R&D manpower diversity on firms' technological performance. Relying on insights from two theoretical perspectives on team diversity (i.e. social categorization perspective and information decision-making perspective), we hypothesize that both demographic and task-related

The Effectiveness and Clinical Usability of a Handheld Information Appliance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia A. Abbott

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical environments are complex, stressful, and safety critical—heightening the demand for technological solutions that will help clinicians manage health information efficiently and safely. The industry has responded by creating numerous, increasingly compact and powerful health IT devices that fit in a pocket, hook to a belt, attach to eyeglasses, or wheel around on a cart. Untethering a provider from a physical “place” with compact, mobile technology while delivering the right information at the right time and at the right location are generally welcomed in clinical environments. These developments however, must be looked at ecumenically. The cognitive load of clinicians who are occupied with managing or operating several different devices during the process of a patient encounter is increased, and we know from decades of research that cognitive overload frequently leads to error. “Technology crowding,” enhanced by the plethora of mobile health IT, can actually become an additional millstone for busy clinicians. This study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of clinicians’ interactions with a mobile clinical computing appliance (Motion Computing C5 designed to consolidate numerous technological functions into an all-in-one device. Features of usability and comparisons to current methods of documentation and task performance were undertaken and results are described.

Malignant multiple sclerosis: clinical and demographic prognostic factors

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Fabrício Hampshire-Araújo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Patients with malignant multiple sclerosis (MMS reach a significant level of disability within a short period of time (Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 6 within five years. The clinical profile and progression of the disease were analyzed in a Brazilian cohort of 293 patients. Twenty-five (8,53% patients were found to have MMS and were compared with the remaining 268 (91,47%. Women, non-white patients, older age at disease onset, shorter intervals between the first attacks, and more attacks in the first two years of the disease were all more common in the MMS group. These findings could serve as prognostic factors when making therapeutic decisions.

Social demographic change and autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kayuet; Zerubavel, Noam; Bearman, Peter

2010-05-01

Parental age at child's birth--which has increased for U.S. children in the 1992-2000 birth cohorts--is strongly associated with an increased risk of autism. By turning a social demographic lens on the historical patterning of concordance among twin pairs, we identify a central mechanism for this association: de novo mutations, which are deletions, insertions, and duplications of DNA in the germ cells that are not present in the parents' DNA. Along the way, we show that a demographic eye on the rising prevalence of autism leads to three major discoveries. First, the estimated heritability of autism has been dramatically overstated. Second, heritability estimates can change over remarkably short periods of time because of increases in germ cell mutations. Third, social demographic change can yield genetic changes that, at the population level, combine to contribute to the increased prevalence of autism.

The spatial context of clinic-reported sexually transmitted infection in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Shui-Shan; Ho, King-Man; Cheung, Georgiana M T

2010-09-21

The incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infection (STI) in China has been on the rise in the past decade. Delineation of epidemiologic pattern is often hampered by its uneven distribution. Spatial distribution is often a neglected aspect of STI research, the description of which may enhance epidemiologic surveillance and inform service development. Over a one month-period, all first time attendees of 6 public STI clinics in Hong Kong were interviewed before clinical consultation using a standard questionnaire to assess their demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics. A GIS (geographic information system)-based approach was adopted with mapping performed. The cases attending the clinics in different locations were profiled. A comparison was made between neighbourhood cases (patients living near a clinic) and distant cases (those farther off), by calculating the odds ratio for demographic, behavioural and geographic characteristics. Of the 1142 STI patients evaluated, the residence locations of 1029 (90.1%) could be geocoded, of which 95.6% were ethnic Chinese and 63.4% male. Geographically only about a quarter lived in the same district as the clinic. STI patients aged 55 or above were more likely to be living in the vicinity of the clinic, located in the same or adjacent tertiary planning unit (a small geographic unit below district level). A majority of patients came from locations a few kilometers from the clinic, the distance of which varies between clinics. Overall, more syphilis cases were reported in patients residing in the same or adjacent tertiary planning unit, while distant cases tended to give a higher risk of inconsistent condom use. There were otherwise no significant clinical and epidemiologic differences between neighbourhood and distant STI cases. There was no specific relationship between STI and the residence location of patients as regards their clinical and epidemiologic characteristics in the territory of Hong Kong

The spatial context of clinic-reported sexually transmitted infection in Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheung Georgiana MT

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infection (STI in China has been on the rise in the past decade. Delineation of epidemiologic pattern is often hampered by its uneven distribution. Spatial distribution is often a neglected aspect of STI research, the description of which may enhance epidemiologic surveillance and inform service development. Methods Over a one month-period, all first time attendees of 6 public STI clinics in Hong Kong were interviewed before clinical consultation using a standard questionnaire to assess their demographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics. A GIS (geographic information system-based approach was adopted with mapping performed. The cases attending the clinics in different locations were profiled. A comparison was made between neighbourhood cases (patients living near a clinic and distant cases (those farther off, by calculating the odds ratio for demographic, behavioural and geographic characteristics. Results Of the 1142 STI patients evaluated, the residence locations of 1029 (90.1% could be geocoded, of which 95.6% were ethnic Chinese and 63.4% male. Geographically only about a quarter lived in the same district as the clinic. STI patients aged 55 or above were more likely to be living in the vicinity of the clinic, located in the same or adjacent tertiary planning unit (a small geographic unit below district level. A majority of patients came from locations a few kilometers from the clinic, the distance of which varies between clinics. Overall, more syphilis cases were reported in patients residing in the same or adjacent tertiary planning unit, while distant cases tended to give a higher risk of inconsistent condom use. There were otherwise no significant clinical and epidemiologic differences between neighbourhood and distant STI cases. Conclusions There was no specific relationship between STI and the residence location of patients as regards their clinical and

Clinical information system based on the medical smart card.

Science.gov (United States)

Danon, Y L; Saiag, E

2000-07-01

Over the last 5 years Israel has implemented a nationwide health insurance plan covering the entire population of the country. We have developed a clinical information system based on electronic-chip health care medical smart cards. Health care cards are used in several European countries and chip smart cards have been successful in many sectors. Our project involves the community use of the MSC, thereby enabling health care professionals to skillfully employ card systems in the health care sector. This system can easily arrange electronic medical charts in clinics, facilitating the confidential sharing of personal health databases among health professionals. To develop an MSC applicable for daily use in the community and hospital system. The MSC project, currently underway in Israel and the USA, will aid in determining the costs, benefits and feasibility of the MSC. Successful implementation of the MSC in chosen clinics will promote a nationwide willingness to adopt this promising technology.

Child, Maternal and Demographic Factors Influencing Caregiver-Reported Autistic Trait Symptomatology in Toddlers

Science.gov (United States)

Goh, D. A.; Gan, D.; Kung, J.; Baron-Cohen, S.; Allison, C.; Chen, H.; Saw, S. M.; Chong, Y. S.; Rajadurai, V. S.; Tan, K. H.; Shek, P. C. L.; Yap, F.; Broekman, B. F. P.; Magiati, I.

2018-01-01

Current research on children's autistic traits in the general population relies predominantly on caregiver-report, yet the extent to which individual, caregiver or demographic characteristics are associated with informants' ratings has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, caregivers of 396 Singaporean two-year-olds from a birth cohort…

Facebook addiction among Turkish college students: the role of psychological health, demographic, and usage characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Koc, Mustafa; Gulyagci, Seval

2013-04-01

This study explored Facebook addiction among Turkish college students and its behavioral, demographic, and psychological health predictors. The Facebook Addiction Scale (FAS) was developed and its construct validity was assessed through factor analyses. A total of 447 students reported their personal information and Facebook usage and completed the FAS and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The results revealed that weekly time commitment, social motives, severe depression, and anxiety and insomnia positively predicted Facebook addiction. Neither demographic variables nor the interactions of gender by usage characteristics were found to be significant predictors.

Association of Informal Clinical Integration of Physicians With Cardiac Surgery Payments.

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Russell J; Owen-Smith, Jason; Kaufman, Samuel A; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K; Hollingsworth, John M

2018-05-01

To reduce inefficiency and waste associated with care fragmentation, many current programs target greater clinical integration among physicians. However, these programs have led to only modest Medicare spending reductions. Most programs focus on formal integration, which often bears little resemblance to actual physician interaction patterns. To examine how physician interaction patterns vary between health systems and to assess whether variation in informal integration is associated with care delivery payments. National Medicare data from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2011, identified 253 545 Medicare beneficiaries (aged ≥66 years) from 1186 health systems where Medicare beneficiaries underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Interactions were mapped between all physicians who treated these patients-including primary care physicians and surgical and medical specialists-within a health system during their surgical episode. The level of informal integration was measured in these networks of interacting physicians. Multivariate regression models were fitted to evaluate associations between payments for each surgical episode made on a beneficiary's behalf and the level of informal integration in the health system where the patient was treated. The informal integration level of a health system. Price-standardized total surgical episode and component payments. The total 253 545 study participants included 175 520 men (69.2%; mean [SD] age, 74.51 [5.75] years) and 78 024 women (34.3%; 75.67 [5.91] years). One beneficiary of the 253 545 participants did not have sex information. The low level of informal clinical integration included 84 598 patients (33.4%; mean [SD] age, 75.00 [5.93] years); medium level, 84 442 (33.30%; 74.94 [5.87] years); and high level, 84 505 (33.34%; 74.66 [5.72] years) (P integration levels varied across health systems. After adjusting for patient, health-system, and community factors, higher levels

Competing infant feeding information in mothers' networks: advice that supports v. undermines clinical recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashida, Sato; Lynn, Freda B; Williams, Natalie A; Schafer, Ellen J

2016-05-01

To identify the social contextual factors, specifically the presence of information that supports v. undermines clinical recommendations, associated with infant feeding behaviours among mothers in low-income areas. Cross-sectional survey evaluating social support networks and social relationships involved in providing care to the infant along with feeding beliefs and practices. Out-patient paediatric and government-funded (Women, Infants, and Children) clinics in an urban, low-income area of the south-eastern USA. Eighty-one low-income mothers of infants between 0 and 12 months old. Most mothers reported receiving both supportive and undermining advice. The presence of breast-feeding advice that supports clinical recommendations was associated with two infant feeding practices that are considered beneficial to infant health: ever breast-feeding (OR=6·7; 95% CI 1·2, 38·1) and not adding cereal in the infant's bottle (OR=15·9; 95% CI 1·1, 227·4). Advice that undermines clinical recommendations to breast-feed and advice about solid foods were not associated with these behaviours. Efforts to facilitate optimal infant feeding practices may focus on increasing information supportive of clinical recommendations while concentrating less on reducing the presence of undermining information within mothers' networks. Cultural norms around breast-feeding may be stronger than the cultural norms around the introduction of solid foods in mothers' social environments; thus, additional efforts to increase information regarding introduction of solid foods earlier in mothers' infant care career may be beneficial.

'Trial Exegesis': Methods for Synthesizing Clinical and Patient Reported Outcome (PRO Data in Trials to Inform Clinical Practice. A Systematic Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angus G K McNair

Full Text Available The CONSORT extension for patient reported outcomes (PROs aims to improve reporting, but guidance on the optimal integration with clinical data is lacking. This study examines in detail the reporting of PROs and clinical data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs in gastro-intestinal cancer to inform design and reporting of combined PRO and clinical data from trials to improve the 'take home' message for clinicians to use in practice.The case study was undertaken in gastro-intestinal cancer trials. Well-conducted RCTs reporting PROs with validated instruments were identified and categorized into those combining PRO and clinical data in a single paper, or those separating data into linked primary and supplemental papers. Qualitative methods were developed to examine reporting of the critical interpretation of the trial results (trial exegesis in the papers in relation of the PRO and clinical outcomes and applied to each publication category. Results were used to inform recommendations for practice.From 1917 screened abstracts, 49 high quality RCTs were identified reported in 36 combined and 15 linked primary and supplemental papers. In-depth analysis of manuscript text identified three categories for understanding trial exegesis: where authors reported a "detailed", "general", or absent PRO rationale and integrated interpretation of clinical and PRO results. A total of 11 (30% and 6 (16% combined papers reported "detailed" PRO rationale and integrated interpretation of results although only 2 (14% and 1 (7% primary papers achieved the same standard respectively. Supplemental papers provide better information with 11 (73% and 3 (20% achieving "detailed" rationale and integrated interpretation of results. Supplemental papers, however, were published a median of 20 months after the primary RCT data in lower impact factor journals (median 16.8 versus 5.2.It is recommended that single papers, with detailed PRO rationale and integrated PRO and

A CIS (Clinical Information System) Quality Evaluation Tool for Nursing Care Services

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seon Ah

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to evaluate the quality of a clinical information system (CIS) conceived by nurses and conduct a pilot test with the developed tool as an initial assessment. CIS quality is required for successful implementation in information technology (IT) environments. The study started with the realization that…

[Recent demographic trends in Turkey].

Science.gov (United States)

Behar, C

1993-01-01

Coverage of Turkey's vital registration system remains incomplete, and it cannot yet be used to measure annual population changes. Data and demographic indices based on the 1990 census and the 1989 National Demographic Survey are the most recent available. Turkey's population in 1990 was 56 million. The proportion urban increased to 59% from 49.2% in 1980. Nearly 35% of the population was under 15 years old, and the median age was 21.6 for males and 22.3 for females. The average age at first marriage in 1989 was 24.8 for men and 21.8 for women. Mortality has been in continuous decline. The crude death rate dropped from 16.4/1000 in 1960-65 to slightly under 8 in 1989. Life expectancy at birth was 63.3 for men and 66 for women. The infant mortality rate declined from 166 in 1965-70 to 85 in 1989. Rural or urban residence and maternal educational level were the most significant determinants of infant mortality differentials. Turkey's total fertility rate declined from 6.2 in 1960 to 4.3 in 1978 and 3.4 in 1988-89. The crude birth rate declined from around 40/1000 in 1968 to under 28/1000 in 1989. Fertility began to decline in the last third of the nineteenth century in Istanbul and other large cities of the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul's total fertility rate was a relatively low 3.9 even before World War I. Turkey adopted a policy to slow demographic growth in the mid 1960s, and family planning activities were supported by nongovernmental organizations. The direct impact of these policies on demographic behavior appears to have been somewhat limited, and the use of traditional methods of birth limitation remains widespread. Abortion was legalized in 1983 and is available at public hospitals. The proportion of married women aged 15-49 who use contraception increased from 38% in 1973 to 63% in 1988. Regional differentials in demographic indices are significant in Turkey, with the Anatolian East and Southeast lagging behind other regions in fertility and mortality decline

Planet earth 1984-2034: a demographic vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouvier, L F

1984-02-01

In recognition of 1984 as the year of both Orwell's famous futuristic novel and the International Population Conference following up the 1974 World Population Conference, this Bulletin examines the current state of world population and presents the author's speculations on what it might be 50 years from now. World population, now close to 4.8 billion and growing at 1.8%/year, is being shaped by 3 demographic phenomena: prolonged below-replacement fertility in developed nations, perhaps partly in response to the reduced need for workers in the emerging information era; rapid growth despite failing fertility in developing nations, due to earlier rapid mortality decline; and rapid urbanization in developing nations and unprecedented migration from poor to better-off nations. The author's assumptions for nondemographic factors related to population change in the next 50 years are no world war, nuclear or otherwise; global resource adequacy; rapid scientific and technological progress shared equitably; and the demise of capitalism and communism and greatly increased economic aid from advanced to less advanced nations. For 2034 the author envisages nations divided into service/information societies (4% of global population) where immigration balances low fertility to prevent population decline; industrialized nations (38% of total), with fertility close to or at replacement level and growth slowing; developing nations (43%), in sight of replacement level fertility; and least developed nations, with still critical demographic problems but only 15% of the world population. Total population will be 8.03 billion, but growth will be down to 0.8%/year and global zero growth is possible in another 50 years. This relatively optimistic scenario for 2034 will only be possible if mankind acts to see that the stated nondemographic assumptions are borne out.

Genes, Demography, and Life Span: The Contribution of Demographic Data in Genetic Studies on Aging and Longevity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yashin, AI; De Benedictis, G; Vaupel, JW

1999-01-01

In population studies on aging, the data on genetic markers are often collected for individuals from different age groups. The purpose of such studies is to identify, by comparison of the frequencies of selected genotypes, “longevity” or “frailty” genes in the oldest and in younger groups...... of individuals. To address questions about more-complicated aspects of genetic influence on longevity, additional information must be used. In this article, we show that the use of demographic information, together with data on genetic markers, allows us to calculate hazard rates, relative risks, and survival...... functions for respective genes or genotypes. New methods of combining genetic and demographic information are discussed. These methods are tested on simulated data and then are applied to the analysis of data on genetic markers for two haplogroups of human mtDNA. The approaches suggested in this article...

Micro-costing the provision of emotional support and information in UK eye clinics

OpenAIRE

Gillespie-Gallery, Hanna; Subramanian, Ahalya; Conway, Miriam L

2013-01-01

Background Sight loss has wide ranging implications for an individual in terms of education, employment, mobility and mental health. Therefore there is a need for information and support to be provided in eye clinics at the point of diagnosis of sight threatening conditions, but these aspects of care are often missing from clinics. To meet these needs, some clinics employ an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) but the position has yet to be widely implemented. The aims of this study were: (1) T...

Spatial demographic models to inform conservation planning of golden eagles in renewable energy landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Wiens, J. David; Schumaker, Nathan H.; Inman, Richard D.; Esque, Todd C.; Longshore, Kathleen M.; Nussear, Kenneth E

2017-01-01

Spatial demographic models can help guide monitoring and management activities targeting at-risk species, even in cases where baseline data are lacking. Here, we provide an example of how site-specific changes in land use and anthropogenic stressors can be incorporated into a spatial demographic model to investigate effects on population dynamics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Our study focused on a population of Golden Eagles exposed to risks associated with rapid increases in renewable energy development in southern California, U.S.A. We developed a spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model that integrated empirical data on demography of Golden Eagles with spatial data on the arrangement of nesting habitats, prey resources, and planned renewable energy development sites. Our model permitted simulated eagles of different stage-classes to disperse, establish home ranges, acquire prey resources, prospect for breeding sites, and reproduce. The distribution of nesting habitats, prey resources, and threats within each individual's home range influenced movement, reproduction, and survival. We used our model to explore potential effects of alternative disturbance scenarios, and proposed conservation strategies, on the future distribution and abundance of Golden Eagles in the study region. Results from our simulations suggest that probable increases in mortality associated with renewable energy infrastructure (e.g., collisions with wind turbines and vehicles, electrocution on power poles) could have negative consequences for population trajectories, but that site-specific conservation actions could reduce the magnitude of negative effects. Our study demonstrates the use of a flexible and expandable modeling framework to incorporate spatially dependent processes when determining relative effects of proposed management options to Golden Eagles and their habitats.

Critical care providers refer to information tools less during communication tasks after a critical care clinical information system introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballermann, Mark; Shaw, Nicola T; Mayes, Damon C; Gibney, R T Noel

2011-01-01

Electronic documentation methods may assist critical care providers with information management tasks in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). We conducted a quasi-experimental observational study to investigate patterns of information tool use by ICU physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists during verbal communication tasks. Critical care providers used tools less at 3 months after the CCIS introduction. At 12 months, care providers referred to paper and permanent records, especially during shift changes. The results suggest potential areas of improvement for clinical information systems in assisting critical care providers in ensuring informational continuity around their patients.

Experts Networks and the European Commission on Demographic Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni; Willers, Johann Ole

experts on demographic change. Our findings suggest that on demographic change issues at the EU level, DG EMPL has taken the lead, while DG ECFIN is the secondary actor. Still, internal European Commission dynamics mean that the lead actor on demographic issues has less autonomy in articulating a funded......This paper examines who populates the expert and policy network around demographic change issues in Europe. We examine how competing policy departments in the European Commission Directorates-General (DGs) deal with the issue of Europe’s changing demography, as well as discuss the role of external...... and clear policy position on how to address them. As a consequence, there is little institutional memory and hardly a depository of activity on demographic change. While outside expertise comes primarily from demographers, and other scholars concerned with demographic change, they are primarily an academic...

Understanding the Demographic and Health Transition in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

23 juin 2009 ... Understanding the Demographic and Health Transition in Developing Countries ... countries comes from analysis of demographic and health survey data. ... Navrongo (Ghana), Matlab (Bangladesh) and Filabavi (Viet Nam) ...

A Systematic Approach to Find a Professional Audiology Clinic: Patient-Based Information

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Gungu; Kim, Gibbeum; Na, Wondo

2016-01-01

This brief communication introduced a systematic way to find a professional audiology clinic developed for patients and professionals by the American Academy of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Healthy Hearing. Patients can access each organization's website to find professionals and/or clinics based on criteria such as location, hours, special areas, types of service, reviews and rating by previous patients, and kinds of insurance accepted. Such a system may protect the patients from information overload, guarantee accurate information, and help them find themselves professional audiologists who can assist them. We expect professional organizations to adopt this system as soon as possible and link hearing-impaired patients with professional audiologists in Korea. PMID:27626086

Demographic Analysis from Biometric Data: Achievements, Challenges, and New Frontiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yunlian; Zhang, Man; Sun, Zhenan; Tan, Tieniu

2018-02-01

Biometrics is the technique of automatically recognizing individuals based on their biological or behavioral characteristics. Various biometric traits have been introduced and widely investigated, including fingerprint, iris, face, voice, palmprint, gait and so forth. Apart from identity, biometric data may convey various other personal information, covering affect, age, gender, race, accent, handedness, height, weight, etc. Among these, analysis of demographics (age, gender, and race) has received tremendous attention owing to its wide real-world applications, with significant efforts devoted and great progress achieved. This survey first presents biometric demographic analysis from the standpoint of human perception, then provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art advances in automated estimation from both academia and industry. Despite these advances, a number of challenging issues continue to inhibit its full potential. We second discuss these open problems, and finally provide an outlook into the future of this very active field of research by sharing some promising opportunities.

SU-D-BRD-04: A Logical Organizational Approach to Clinical Information Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, W; Kupelian, P; Wang, J; Low, D; Ruan, D

2014-01-01

Purpose: To develop a clinical information management system (CIMS) that collects, organizes physician inputs logically and supports analysis functionality. Methods: In a conventional electronic medical record system (EMR), the document manager component stores data in a pool of standalone .docx or .pdf files. The lack of a content-based logical organization makes cross-checking, reference or automatic inheritance of information challenging. We have developed an information-oriented clinical record system that addresses this shortcoming. In CIMS, a parent library predefines a set of available questions along with the data types of their expected answers. The creation of a questionnaire template is achieved by selecting questions from this parent library to form a virtual group. Instances of the same data field in different documents are linked by their question identifier. This design allows for flexible data sharing and inheritance among various forms using a longitudinal lineage of data indexed according to the modification time stamps of the documents. CIMS is designed with a web portal to facilitate querying, data entry and modification, aggregate report generation, and data adjudication. The current implementation addresses diagnostic data, medical history, vital signs, and various quantities in consult note and treatment summaries. Results: CIMS is currently storing treatment summary information of over 1,000 patients who have received treatment at UCLA Radiation Oncology between March 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. We are in the process of incorporating a DICOM-RT dosimetry parser and patient reporting applications into CIMS, as well as continuing to define document templates to support additional forms. Conclusion: We are able to devise an alternative storage paradigm which results in an improvement in the accuracy and organizational structure of clinical information

SU-D-BRD-04: A Logical Organizational Approach to Clinical Information Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, W; Kupelian, P; Wang, J; Low, D; Ruan, D [UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To develop a clinical information management system (CIMS) that collects, organizes physician inputs logically and supports analysis functionality. Methods: In a conventional electronic medical record system (EMR), the document manager component stores data in a pool of standalone .docx or .pdf files. The lack of a content-based logical organization makes cross-checking, reference or automatic inheritance of information challenging. We have developed an information-oriented clinical record system that addresses this shortcoming. In CIMS, a parent library predefines a set of available questions along with the data types of their expected answers. The creation of a questionnaire template is achieved by selecting questions from this parent library to form a virtual group. Instances of the same data field in different documents are linked by their question identifier. This design allows for flexible data sharing and inheritance among various forms using a longitudinal lineage of data indexed according to the modification time stamps of the documents. CIMS is designed with a web portal to facilitate querying, data entry and modification, aggregate report generation, and data adjudication. The current implementation addresses diagnostic data, medical history, vital signs, and various quantities in consult note and treatment summaries. Results: CIMS is currently storing treatment summary information of over 1,000 patients who have received treatment at UCLA Radiation Oncology between March 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. We are in the process of incorporating a DICOM-RT dosimetry parser and patient reporting applications into CIMS, as well as continuing to define document templates to support additional forms. Conclusion: We are able to devise an alternative storage paradigm which results in an improvement in the accuracy and organizational structure of clinical information.

A review of small canned computer programs for survey research and demographic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinquefield, J C

1976-12-01

A variety of small canned computer programs for survey research and demographic analysis appropriate for use in developing countries are reviewed in this article. The programs discussed are SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences); CENTS, CO-CENTS, CENTS-AID, CENTS-AIE II; MINI-TAB EDIT, FREQUENCIES, TABLES, REGRESSION, CLIENT RECORD, DATES, MULT, LIFE, and PREGNANCY HISTORY; FIVFIV and SINSIN; DCL (Demographic Computer Library); MINI-TAB Population Projection, Functional Population Projection, and Family Planning Target Projection. A description and evaluation for each program of uses, instruction manuals, computer requirements, and procedures for obtaining manuals and programs are provided. Such information is intended to facilitate and encourage the use of the computer by data processors in developing countries.

Accuracy of Demographic Inferences from the Site Frequency Spectrum: The Case of the Yoruba Population.

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Lapierre, Marguerite; Lambert, Amaury; Achaz, Guillaume

2017-05-01

Some methods for demographic inference based on the observed genetic diversity of current populations rely on the use of summary statistics such as the Site Frequency Spectrum (SFS). Demographic models can be either model-constrained with numerous parameters, such as growth rates, timing of demographic events, and migration rates, or model-flexible, with an unbounded collection of piecewise constant sizes. It is still debated whether demographic histories can be accurately inferred based on the SFS. Here, we illustrate this theoretical issue on an example of demographic inference for an African population. The SFS of the Yoruba population (data from the 1000 Genomes Project) is fit to a simple model of population growth described with a single parameter ( e.g. , founding time). We infer a time to the most recent common ancestor of 1.7 million years (MY) for this population. However, we show that the Yoruba SFS is not informative enough to discriminate between several different models of growth. We also show that for such simple demographies, the fit of one-parameter models outperforms the stairway plot, a recently developed model-flexible method. The use of this method on simulated data suggests that it is biased by the noise intrinsically present in the data. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Anonymity Versus Privacy: Selective Information Sharing in Online Cancer Communities

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Vermeulen, Ivar E; Beekers, Nienke

2014-01-01

Background Active sharing in online cancer communities benefits patients. However, many patients refrain from sharing health information online due to privacy concerns. Existing research on privacy emphasizes data security and confidentiality, largely focusing on electronic medical records. Patient preferences around information sharing in online communities remain poorly understood. Consistent with the privacy calculus perspective adopted from e-commerce research, we suggest that patients approach online information sharing instrumentally, weighing privacy costs against participation benefits when deciding whether to share certain information. Consequently, we argue that patients prefer sharing clinical information over daily life and identity information that potentially compromises anonymity. Furthermore, we explore whether patients’ prior experiences, age, health, and gender affect perceived privacy costs and thus willingness to share information. Objective The goal of the present study is to document patient preferences for sharing information within online health platforms. Methods A total of 115 cancer patients reported sharing intentions for 15 different types of information, demographics, health status, prior privacy experiences, expected community utility, and privacy concerns. Results Factor analysis on the 15 information types revealed 3 factors coinciding with 3 proposed information categories: clinical, daily life, and identity information. A within-subject ANOVA showed a strong preference for sharing clinical information compared to daily life and identity information (F 1,114=135.59, P=.001, η2=.93). Also, adverse online privacy experiences, age, and health status negatively affected information-sharing intentions. Female patients shared information less willingly. Conclusions Respondents’ information-sharing intentions depend on dispositional and situational factors. Patients share medical details more willingly than daily life or identity

A cross-sectional survey assessing factors associated with reading cancer screening information: previous screening behaviour, demographics and decision-making style

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Alex Ghanouni

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is broad agreement that cancer screening invitees should know the risks and benefits of testing before deciding whether to participate. In organised screening programmes, a primary method of relaying this information is via leaflets provided at the time of invitation. Little is known about why individuals do not engage with this information. This study assessed factors associated with reading information leaflets provided by the three cancer screening programmes in England. Methods A cross-sectional survey asked screening-eligible members of the general population in England about the following predictor variables: uptake of previous screening invitations, demographic characteristics, and ‘decision-making styles’ (i.e. the extent to which participants tended to make decisions in a way that was avoidant, rational, intuitive, spontaneous, or dependent. The primary outcome measures were the amount of the leaflet that participants reported having read at their most recent invitation, for any of the three programmes for which they were eligible. Associations between these outcomes and predictor variables were assessed using binary or ordinal logistic regression. Results After exclusions, data from 275, 309, and 556 participants were analysed in relation to the breast, cervical, and bowel screening programmes, respectively. Notable relationships included associations between regularity of screening uptake and reading (more of the information leaflets for all programmes (e.g. odds ratio: 0.16 for participants who never/very rarely attended breast screening vs. those who always attended previously; p = .009. Higher rational decision-making scores were associated with reading more of the cervical and bowel screening leaflets (OR: 1.13, p < .0005 and OR: 1.11, p = .045, respectively. Information engagement was also higher for White British participants compared with other ethnic groups for breast (OR: 3.28, p = .008

A cross-sectional survey assessing factors associated with reading cancer screening information: previous screening behaviour, demographics and decision-making style.

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Ghanouni, Alex; Renzi, Cristina; Waller, Jo

2017-04-18

There is broad agreement that cancer screening invitees should know the risks and benefits of testing before deciding whether to participate. In organised screening programmes, a primary method of relaying this information is via leaflets provided at the time of invitation. Little is known about why individuals do not engage with this information. This study assessed factors associated with reading information leaflets provided by the three cancer screening programmes in England. A cross-sectional survey asked screening-eligible members of the general population in England about the following predictor variables: uptake of previous screening invitations, demographic characteristics, and 'decision-making styles' (i.e. the extent to which participants tended to make decisions in a way that was avoidant, rational, intuitive, spontaneous, or dependent). The primary outcome measures were the amount of the leaflet that participants reported having read at their most recent invitation, for any of the three programmes for which they were eligible. Associations between these outcomes and predictor variables were assessed using binary or ordinal logistic regression. After exclusions, data from 275, 309, and 556 participants were analysed in relation to the breast, cervical, and bowel screening programmes, respectively. Notable relationships included associations between regularity of screening uptake and reading (more of) the information leaflets for all programmes (e.g. odds ratio: 0.16 for participants who never/very rarely attended breast screening vs. those who always attended previously; p = .009). Higher rational decision-making scores were associated with reading more of the cervical and bowel screening leaflets (OR: 1.13, p < .0005 and OR: 1.11, p = .045, respectively). Information engagement was also higher for White British participants compared with other ethnic groups for breast (OR: 3.28, p = .008) and bowel (OR: 2.58, p = .015) information; an

An analysis of socio-demographic patterns in child malnutrition trends using Ghana demographic and health survey data in the period 1993-2008.

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Amugsi, Dickson A; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Lartey, Anna

2013-10-16

A small but growing body of research indicates that progress in reducing child malnutrition is substantially uneven from place to place, even down to the district level within countries. Yet child malnutrition prevalence and trend estimates available for public health planning are mostly available only at the level of global regions and/or at country level. To support carefully targeted intervention to reduce child malnutrition, public health planners and policy-makers require access to more refined prevalence data and trend analyses than are presently available. Responding to this need in Ghana, this report presents trends in child malnutrition prevalence in socio-demographic groups within the country's geographic regions. The study uses the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (GDHS) data. The GDHS are nationally representative cross-sectional surveys that have been carried out in many developing countries. These surveys constitute one of the richest sources of information currently available to examine time trends in child malnutrition. Data from four surveys were used for the analysis: 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008. The results show statistically significant declining trends at the national level for stunting (F (1, 7204) = 7.89, p ≤ .005), underweight (F (1, 7441) = 44.87, p ≤ .001) and wasting (F (1, 7130) = 6.19, p ≤ .013). However, analyses of the sex-specific trends revealed that the declining trends in stunting and wasting were significant among males but not among females. In contrast to the national trend, there were significantly increasing trends in stunting for males (F (1, 2004) = 3.92, p ≤ .048) and females (F (1, 2004) = 4.34, p ≤ .037) whose mothers had higher than primary education, while the trends decreased significantly for males and females whose mothers had no education. At the national level in Ghana, child malnutrition is significantly declining. However, the aggregate national trend masks important deviations in certain socio-demographic

[Evidence-based quality assessment of 10-year orthodontic clinical trials in 4 major dental journals].

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Sun, Yan-nan; Lei, Fei-fei; Cao, Yan-li; Fu, Min-kui

2010-02-01

To assess the quality of orthodontic clinical trials published in 4 major dental journals in the past 10 years and establish the reference standard for orthodontic clinical trials and quality control of dental journals. All the clinical trials published in Chinese Journal of Stomatology, West China Journal of Stomatology, Journal of Practice Stomatology and Chinese Journal of Orthodontics from 1999 to 2008 were searched. The demographic information of the papers was extracted and the quality of the clinical trials according to the consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT) was assessed. Four hundred and ninety-four clinical trials were retrieved, and 21.3% (105/494) of them were supported by grants. For the study design, only 26.1% (129/494) were prospective studies, and 3.8% (19/494) were randomized clinical trials. It was hard to evaluate precisely due to the lack of information about the details of the study designs. For the randomized clinical trials, the lack of details for randomization, allocation concealment, blinding and intention to treat compromised the quality. The general quality of clinical trials in orthodontics is poor. It needs to be improved both in the clinical study design and the paper writing.

The Electronic Healthcare Record for Clinical Research (EHR4CR) information model and terminology.

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Ouagne, David; Hussain, Sajjad; Sadou, Eric; Jaulent, Marie-Christine; Daniel, Christel

2012-01-01

A major barrier to repurposing routinely collected data for clinical research is the heterogeneity of healthcare information systems. Electronic Healthcare Record for Clinical Research (EHR4CR) is a European platform designed to improve the efficiency of conducting clinical trials. In this paper, we propose an initial architecture of the EHR4CR Semantic Interoperability Framework. We used a model-driven engineering approach to build a reference HL7-based multidimensional model bound to a set of reference clinical terminologies acting as a global as view model. We then conducted an evaluation of its expressiveness for patient eligibility. The EHR4CR information model consists in one fact table dedicated to clinical statement and 4 dimensions. The EHR4CR terminology integrates reference terminologies used in patient care (e.g LOINC, ICD-10, SNOMED CT, etc). We used the Object Constraint Language (OCL) to represent patterns of eligibility criteria as constraints on the EHR4CR model to be further transformed in SQL statements executed on different clinical data warehouses.

Using information management to implement a clinical resource management program.

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Rosenstein, A H

1997-12-01

This article provides a consultant's account of a 250-bed community hospital's experience in implementing the Clinical Resource Management (CRM) program, a four-stage process of using information to identify opportunities for improvement, developing an effective resource management team, implementing process improvement activities, and measuring the impact on outcomes of care. CASE STUDY EXAMPLE--CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE: The chair of the departments of internal medicine and family practice selected congestive heart failure for in-depth study. A task force focused on treatment and patient disposition in the emergency room (ER), where most of the nonelective admissions originated. A set of standardized ER orders was developed that emphasized rapid and effective diuresis through the initiation of a progressive diuretic dosing schedule directly linked to patient response. Factors critical to the success of the CRM program included allocating adequate time to promote and sell the value and importance of the program, as well as securing the support of both information systems and physicians. The main barriers to success involved limitations in the information system infrastructure and delays attributable to committee review. Short-term results from the CRM program were encouraging, with average lengths of stay reduced by 0.5 days and average costs of care reduced by 12% for the ten diagnoses studied with no adverse results. Nonstudy diagnoses showed no notable improvement. Recognizing the growing importance of information management not only for clinical decision support but for accommodating all the necessary internal and external reporting requirements will require a significant commitment and investment in technology and personnel resources.

Putting the "Ecology" into Environmental Flows: Ecological Dynamics and Demographic Modelling

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Shenton, Will; Bond, Nicholas R.; Yen, Jian D. L.; Mac Nally, Ralph

2012-07-01

There have been significant diversions of water from rivers and streams around the world; natural flow regimes have been perturbed by dams, barriers and excessive extractions. Many aspects of the ecological `health' of riverine systems have declined due to changes in water flows, which has stimulated the development of thinking about the maintenance and restoration of these systems, which we refer to as environmental flow methodologies (EFMs). Most existing EFMs cannot deliver information on the population viability of species because they: (1) use habitat suitability as a proxy for population status; (2) use historical time series (usually of short duration) to forecast future conditions and flow sequences; (3) cannot, or do not, handle extreme flow events associated with climate variability; and (4) assume process stationarity for flow sequences, which means the past sequences are treated as good indicators of the future. These assumptions undermine the capacity of EFMs to properly represent risks associated with different flow management options; assumption (4) is untenable given most climate-change predictions. We discuss these concerns and advocate the use of demographic modelling as a more appropriate tool for linking population dynamics to flow regime change. A `meta-species' approach to demographic modelling is discussed as a useful step from habitat based models towards modelling strategies grounded in ecological theory when limited data are available on flow-demographic relationships. Data requirements of demographic models will undoubtedly expose gaps in existing knowledge, but, in so doing, will strengthen future efforts to link changes in river flows with their ecological consequences.

Putting the "ecology" into environmental flows: ecological dynamics and demographic modelling.

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Shenton, Will; Bond, Nicholas R; Yen, Jian D L; Mac Nally, Ralph

2012-07-01

There have been significant diversions of water from rivers and streams around the world; natural flow regimes have been perturbed by dams, barriers and excessive extractions. Many aspects of the ecological 'health' of riverine systems have declined due to changes in water flows, which has stimulated the development of thinking about the maintenance and restoration of these systems, which we refer to as environmental flow methodologies (EFMs). Most existing EFMs cannot deliver information on the population viability of species because they: (1) use habitat suitability as a proxy for population status; (2) use historical time series (usually of short duration) to forecast future conditions and flow sequences; (3) cannot, or do not, handle extreme flow events associated with climate variability; and (4) assume process stationarity for flow sequences, which means the past sequences are treated as good indicators of the future. These assumptions undermine the capacity of EFMs to properly represent risks associated with different flow management options; assumption (4) is untenable given most climate-change predictions. We discuss these concerns and advocate the use of demographic modelling as a more appropriate tool for linking population dynamics to flow regime change. A 'meta-species' approach to demographic modelling is discussed as a useful step from habitat based models towards modelling strategies grounded in ecological theory when limited data are available on flow-demographic relationships. Data requirements of demographic models will undoubtedly expose gaps in existing knowledge, but, in so doing, will strengthen future efforts to link changes in river flows with their ecological consequences.

Demographic and behavioral characteristics of non-sex worker females attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in Japan: a nationwide case-control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kato Hideko

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs reported in STI surveillance increased rapidly for women in Japan during the 1990s, the sexual behavior of women potentially at risk of STI infection remains unknown. Methods In order to determine the demographic and behavioral characteristics of non-sex worker (SW females attending STI clinics, female attendees (n = 145, excluding SW, from nine clinics across Japan and female controls from the general population (n = 956, both aged 18-50 years, were compared using two data sets of nationwide sexual behavior surveys conducted in 1999. Results Although the occupation-type and education level were unrelated to STI clinic attendance in multivariate analysis, non-SW females attending STI clinics were younger (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.99, and more likely to be unmarried (AOR = 4.11, 95% CI: 1.73, 9.77 than the controls from the general population. In the previous year, STI clinic attendees were more likely to have had multiple partnerships (AOR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.42, 6.71 and unprotected vaginal sex with regular partners (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI: 1.49, 8.64, and tended to have had their first sexual intercourse at a younger age (AOR = 1.77, 95%CI: 0.89, 3.54 and more unprotected vaginal and/or oral sex with casual partners (AOR = 2.08, 95%CI: 0.75, 5.71. Identical sexual behavior patterns were observed between the female attendees with a current diagnosis of STI (n = 72 and those before diagnosis (n = 73 and between those with a past history of STI (n = 66 and those without (n = 79. Conclusion These results indicate that not only multiple partnerships or unprotected sex with casual partners, but also unprotected vaginal sex within a regular partnership is prevalent among non-SW female STI clinic attendees. The identical sexual behavior patterns observed between female attendees with a current STI diagnosis and those without, and between those attendees

An automated tuberculosis screening strategy combining X-ray-based computer-aided detection and clinical information

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Melendez, Jaime; Sánchez, Clara I.; Philipsen, Rick H. H. M.; Maduskar, Pragnya; Dawson, Rodney; Theron, Grant; Dheda, Keertan; van Ginneken, Bram

2016-04-01

Lack of human resources and radiological interpretation expertise impair tuberculosis (TB) screening programmes in TB-endemic countries. Computer-aided detection (CAD) constitutes a viable alternative for chest radiograph (CXR) reading. However, no automated techniques that exploit the additional clinical information typically available during screening exist. To address this issue and optimally exploit this information, a machine learning-based combination framework is introduced. We have evaluated this framework on a database containing 392 patient records from suspected TB subjects prospectively recruited in Cape Town, South Africa. Each record comprised a CAD score, automatically computed from a CXR, and 12 clinical features. Comparisons with strategies relying on either CAD scores or clinical information alone were performed. Our results indicate that the combination framework outperforms the individual strategies in terms of the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (0.84 versus 0.78 and 0.72), specificity at 95% sensitivity (49% versus 24% and 31%) and negative predictive value (98% versus 95% and 96%). Thus, it is believed that combining CAD and clinical information to estimate the risk of active disease is a promising tool for TB screening.

Improved participants' understanding of research information in real settings using the SIDCER informed consent form: a randomized-controlled informed consent study nested with eight clinical trials.

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Koonrungsesomboon, Nut; Tharavanij, Thipaporn; Phiphatpatthamaamphan, Kittichet; Vilaichone, Ratha-Korn; Manuwong, Sudsayam; Curry, Parichat; Siramolpiwat, Sith; Punchaipornpon, Thanachai; Kanitnate, Supakit; Tammachote, Nattapol; Yamprasert, Rodsarin; Chanvimalueng, Waipoj; Kaewkumpai, Ruchirat; Netanong, Soiphet; Kitipawong, Peerapong; Sritipsukho, Paskorn; Karbwang, Juntra

2017-02-01

This study aimed to test the applicability and effectiveness of the principles and informed consent form (ICF) template proposed by the Strategic Initiative for Developing Capacity in Ethical Review (SIDCER) across multiple clinical trials involving Thai research participants with various conditions. A single-center, randomized-controlled study nested with eight clinical trials was conducted at Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand. A total of 258 participants from any of the eight clinical trials were enrolled and randomly assigned to read either the SIDCER ICF (n = 130) or the conventional ICF (n = 128) of the respective trial. Their understanding of necessary information was assessed using the post-test questionnaire; they were allowed to consult a given ICF while completing the questionnaire. The primary endpoint was the proportion of the participants who had the post-test score of ≥80%, and the secondary endpoint was the total score of the post-test. The proportion of the participants in the SIDCER ICF group who achieved the primary endpoint was significantly higher than that of the conventional ICF group (60.8 vs. 41.4%, p = 0.002). The total score of the post-test was also significantly higher among the participants who read the SIDCER ICF than those who read the conventional ICF (83.3 vs. 76.0%, p study demonstrated that the SIDCER ICF was applicable and effective to improve Thai research participants' understanding of research information in diverse clinical trials. Using the SIDCER ICF methodology, clinical researchers can improve the quality of ICFs for their trials.

Information needs of adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their parent-carers.

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McCarthy, Maria C; McNeil, Robyn; Drew, Sarah; Orme, Lisa; Sawyer, Susan M

2018-05-01

This study aimed to explore health-related information needs of adolescent and young adults (AYAs) and their parent-carers and to examine demographic and clinical variables associated with unmet information needs, including patient activation. In a national cross-sectional study, 196 Australian AYAs diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 25 years and within 24 months of diagnosis and 204 parent-carers reported on total and unmet needs for cancer and health-related information. Fifty-one percent of AYAs were male, 81% had completed treatment and 86% were treated in adult hospitals. AYAs and parents reported high levels of total need for information. The mean number of unmet needs was 5.63 and 6.82 for AYAs and parents, respectively. AYAs reported the highest unmet needs in relation to their cancer (e.g. late effects and cancer recurrence, and having children in the future). The highest unmet parent information needs were related to medical information about their child as well as information on financial issues for their children and themselves. Unmet information need was associated with psychological distress (posttraumatic stress symptoms) for AYAs and parents. Patient activation was negatively associated with unmet information needs for AYAs. Demographic and treatment variables were not significantly associated with information needs. These findings indicate the importance of information needs for AYAs and their carers. The association between patient activation and information needs suggests that promoting young people's engagement with healthcare is a key opportunity within AYA care. Parent information needs and associated emotional distress additionally highlight the importance of family-centered care.

Of sports and politics: Predicting category-specific retention of news events from demographic variables

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meeter, M.; Ochtman, D.J.C.; Janssen, S.M.J.; Murre, J.M.J.

2010-01-01

Many tests of retrograde amnesia consist of questions on news events. It is therefore important to know how such questions are answered by normal adults. We analysed the retention of news events in a sample of 12,913 participants, who provided basic demographic information and subsequently answered

Of sports and politics: Predicting category-specific retention of news events from demographic variables.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meeter, M.; Ochtman, D.J.C.; Janssen, S.M.J.; Murre, J.M.J.

2010-01-01

Many tests of retrograde amnesia consist of questions on news events. It is therefore important to know how such questions are answered by normal adults. We analysed the retention of news events in a sample of 12,913 participants, who provided basic demographic information and subsequently answered

Composite likelihood estimation of demographic parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garrigan Daniel

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most existing likelihood-based methods for fitting historical demographic models to DNA sequence polymorphism data to do not scale feasibly up to the level of whole-genome data sets. Computational economies can be achieved by incorporating two forms of pseudo-likelihood: composite and approximate likelihood methods. Composite likelihood enables scaling up to large data sets because it takes the product of marginal likelihoods as an estimator of the likelihood of the complete data set. This approach is especially useful when a large number of genomic regions constitutes the data set. Additionally, approximate likelihood methods can reduce the dimensionality of the data by summarizing the information in the original data by either a sufficient statistic, or a set of statistics. Both composite and approximate likelihood methods hold promise for analyzing large data sets or for use in situations where the underlying demographic model is complex and has many parameters. This paper considers a simple demographic model of allopatric divergence between two populations, in which one of the population is hypothesized to have experienced a founder event, or population bottleneck. A large resequencing data set from human populations is summarized by the joint frequency spectrum, which is a matrix of the genomic frequency spectrum of derived base frequencies in two populations. A Bayesian Metropolis-coupled Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMCMC method for parameter estimation is developed that uses both composite and likelihood methods and is applied to the three different pairwise combinations of the human population resequence data. The accuracy of the method is also tested on data sets sampled from a simulated population model with known parameters. Results The Bayesian MCMCMC method also estimates the ratio of effective population size for the X chromosome versus that of the autosomes. The method is shown to estimate, with reasonable

Linking cenetic kinship and demographic analyses to characterize dispersal : Methods and application to Blanding's turtle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reid, Brendan N; Thiel, Richard P; Palsbøll, Per J.; Peery, M Zachariah

2016-01-01

Characterizing how frequently, and at what life stages and spatial scales, dispersal occurs can be difficult, especially for species with cryptic juvenile periods and long reproductive life spans. Using a combination of mark-recapture information, microsatellite genetic data, and demographic

Efficiency achievements from a user-developed real-time modifiable clinical information system.

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Bishop, Roderick O; Patrick, Jon; Besiso, Ali

2015-02-01

This investigation was initiated after the introduction of a new information system into the Nepean Hospital Emergency Department. A retrospective study determined that the problems introduced by the new system led to reduced efficiency of the clinical staff, demonstrated by deterioration in the emergency department's (ED's) performance. This article is an investigation of methods to improve the design and implementation of clinical information systems for an ED by using a process of clinical team-led design and a technology built on a radically new philosophy denoted as emergent clinical information systems. The specific objectives were to construct a system, the Nepean Emergency Department Information Management System (NEDIMS), using a combination of new design methods; determine whether it provided any reduction in time and click burden on the user in comparison to an enterprise proprietary system, Cerner FirstNet; and design and evaluate a model of the effect that any reduction had on patient throughput in the department. The methodology for conducting a direct comparison between the 2 systems used the 6 activity centers in the ED of clerking, triage, nursing assessments, fast track, acute care, and nurse unit manager. A quantitative study involved the 2 systems being measured for their efficiency on 17 tasks taken from the activity centers. A total of 332 task instances were measured for duration and number of mouse clicks in live usage on Cerner FirstNet and in reproduction of the same Cerner FirstNet work on NEDIMS as an off-line system. The results showed that NEDIMS is at least 41% more efficient than Cerner FirstNet (95% confidence interval 21.6% to 59.8%). In some cases, the NEDIMS tasks were remodeled to demonstrate the value of feedback to create improvements and the speed and economy of design revision in the emergent clinical information systems approach. The cost of the effort in remodeling the designs showed that the time spent on remodeling is

Information disclosure in clinical informed consent: “reasonable” patient’s perception of norm in high-context communication culture

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2014-01-01

Background The current doctrine of informed consent for clinical care has been developed in cultures characterized by low-context communication and monitoring-style coping. There are scarce empirical data on patients’ norm perception of information disclosure in other cultures. Methods We surveyed 470 adults who were planning to undergo or had recently undergone a written informed consent-requiring procedure in a tertiary healthcare hospital in Saudi Arabia. Perceptions of norm and current practice were explored using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree with disclosure) and 30 information items in 7 domains: practitioners’ details, benefits, risks, complications’ management, available alternatives, procedure’s description, and post-procedure’s issues. Results Respondents’ mean (SD) age was 38.4 (12.5); 50.2% were males, 57.2% had ≥ college education, and 37.9% had undergone a procedure. According to norm perception, strongly agree/agree responses ranged from 98.0% (major benefits) to 50.5% (assistant/trainee’s name). Overall, items related to benefits and post-procedure’s issues were ranked better (more agreeable) than items related to risks and available alternatives. Ranking scores were better in post-procedure respondents for 4 (13.3%) items (p disclosure of procedure’s name) to 13.9% (lead practitioner’s training place), ranking scores were worse for all items compared to norm perception (p risks and available alternatives, 3) male, post-procedure, and older patients are in favor of more information disclosure, 4) male, older, and more educated patients may be particularly dissatisfied with current information disclosure. The focus and extent of information disclosure for clinical informed consent may need to be adjusted if a “reasonable” patient’s standard is to be met. PMID:24406055

Informed Consent to Study Purpose in Randomized Clinical Trials of Antibiotics, 1991 Through 2011.

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Doshi, Peter; Hur, Peter; Jones, Mark; Albarmawi, Husam; Jefferson, Tom; Morgan, Daniel J; Spears, Patricia A; Powers, John H

2017-10-01

Potential research participants may assume that randomized trials comparing new interventions with older interventions always hypothesize greater efficacy for the new intervention, as in superiority trials. However, antibiotic trials frequently use "noninferiority" hypotheses allowing a degree of inferior efficacy deemed "clinically acceptable" compared with an older effective drug, in exchange for nonefficacy benefits (eg, decreased adverse effects). Considering these different benefit-harm trade-offs, proper informed consent necessitates supplying different information on the purposes of superiority and noninferiority trials. To determine the degree to which the study purpose is explained to potential participants in randomized clinical trials of antibiotics and the degree to which study protocols justify their selection of noninferiority hypotheses and amount of "clinically acceptable" inferiority. Cross-sectional analysis of study protocols, statistical analysis plans (SAPs), and informed consent forms (ICFs) from clinical study reports submitted to the European Medicines Agency. The ICFs were read by both methodologists and patient investigators. Protocols and SAPs were used as the reference standard to determine prespecified primary hypothesis and record rationale for selection of noninferiority hypotheses and noninferiority margins. This information was cross-referenced against ICFs to determine whether ICFs explained the study purpose. We obtained trial documents from 78 randomized trials with prespecified efficacy hypotheses (6 superiority, 72 noninferiority) for 17 antibiotics conducted between 1991 and 2011 that enrolled 39 407 patients. Fifty were included in the ICF analysis. All ICFs contained sections describing study purpose; however, none consistently conveyed study hypothesis to both methodologists and patient investigators. Methodologists found that 1 of 50 conveyed a study purpose. Patient investigators found that 11 of 50 conveyed a study

Demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual characteristics of adolescents with gender identity disorder or transvestic fetishism.

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Zucker, Kenneth J; Bradley, Susan J; Owen-Anderson, Allison; Kibblewhite, Sarah J; Wood, Hayley; Singh, Devita; Choi, Kathryn

2012-01-01

This study provided a descriptive and quantitative comparative analysis of data from an assessment protocol for adolescents referred clinically for gender identity disorder (n = 192; 105 boys, 87 girls) or transvestic fetishism (n = 137, all boys). The protocol included information on demographics, behavior problems, and psychosexual measures. Gender identity disorder and transvestic fetishism youth had high rates of general behavior problems and poor peer relations. On the psychosexual measures, gender identity disorder patients had considerably greater cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did transvestic fetishism youth and other control youth. Male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a nonhomosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex) reported more indicators of transvestic fetishism than did male gender identity disorder patients classified as having a homosexual sexual orientation (in relation to birth sex). The percentage of transvestic fetishism youth and male gender identity disorder patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation self-reported similar degrees of behaviors pertaining to transvestic fetishism. Last, male and female gender identity disorder patients with a homosexual sexual orientation had more recalled cross-gender behavior during childhood and more concurrent cross-gender behavior and gender dysphoria than did patients with a nonhomosexual sexual orientation. The authors discuss the clinical utility of their assessment protocol.

Information needs of rural health professionals: a review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorsch, J L

2000-10-01

This review analyzes the existing research on the information needs of rural health professionals and relates it to the broader information-needs literature to establish whether the information needs of rural health professionals differ from those of other health professionals. The analysis of these studies indicates that rural health practitioners appear to have the same basic needs for patient-care information as their urban counterparts, and that both groups rely on colleagues and personal libraries as their main sources of information. Rural practitioners, however, tend to make less use of journals and online databases and ask fewer clinical questions; a difference that correlates with geographic and demographic factors. Rural practitioners experience pronounced barriers to information access including lack of time, isolation, inadequate library access, lack of equipment, lack of skills, costs, and inadequate Internet infrastructure. Outreach efforts to this group of underserved health professionals must be sustained to achieve equity in information access and to change information-seeking behaviors.

A Study of the Demographics of Web-Based Health-Related Social Media Users.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadah, Shouq A; Shahbazi, Moloud; Wiley, Matthew T; Hristidis, Vagelis

2015-08-06

The rapid spread of Web-based social media in recent years has impacted how patients share health-related information. However, little work has studied the demographics of these users. Our aim was to study the demographics of users who participate in health-related Web-based social outlets to identify possible links to health care disparities. We analyze and compare three different types of health-related social outlets: (1) general Web-based social networks, Twitter and Google+, (2) drug review websites, and (3) health Web forums. We focus on the following demographic attributes: age, gender, ethnicity, location, and writing level. We build and evaluate domain-specific classifiers to infer missing data where possible. The estimated demographic statistics are compared against various baselines, such as Internet and social networks usage of the population. We found that (1) drug review websites and health Web forums are dominated by female users, (2) the participants of health-related social outlets are generally older with the exception of the 65+ years bracket, (3) blacks are underrepresented in health-related social networks, (4) users in areas with better access to health care participate more in Web-based health-related social outlets, and (5) the writing level of users in health-related social outlets is significantly lower than the reading level of the population. We identified interesting and actionable disparities in the participation of various demographic groups to various types of health-related social outlets. These disparities are significantly distinct from the disparities in Internet usage or general social outlets participation.

Clinical nutrition managers have access to sources of empowerment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mislevy, J M; Schiller, M R; Wolf, K N; Finn, S C

2000-09-01

To ascertain perceived access of dietitians to power in the workplace. The conceptual framework was Kanter's theory of organizational power. The Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire was used to measure perceived access to sources of power: information, support, resources, and opportunities. Demographic data were collected to identify factors that may enhance empowerment. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 348 dietitians chosen from members of the Clinical Nutrition Management dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association. Blank questionnaires were returned by 99 (28.4%) people not working as clinical nutrition managers, which left 249 in the sample. Descriptive statistics were used to organize and summarize data. One-way analysis of variance and t tests were performed to identify differences in responses based on levels of education, work setting, and information technology skills. Usable questionnaires were received from 178 people (71.5%). On a 5-point scale, scores for access to information (mean +/- standard deviation [SD] = 3.8 +/- 0.7), opportunity (mean +/- SD = 3.6 +/- 0.7), support (mean +/- SD = 3.2 +/- 0.9), and resources (mean +/- SD = 3.1 +/- 0.8) demonstrated that clinical nutrition managers perceived themselves as having substantial access to sources of empowerment. Those having higher levels of education, working in larger hospitals, having better-developed information technology skills, and using information technology more frequently had statistically significant higher empowerment scores (P = leadership roles in today's health care settings. Their power may be enhanced by asserting more pressure to gain greater access to sources of power: support, information, resources, and opportunities.

Relationships between menstrual and menopausal attitudes and associated demographic and health characteristics: The Hilo Women’s Health Study

OpenAIRE

Morrison, Lynn A.; Sievert, Lynnette L.; Brown, Daniel E.; Rahberg, Nichole; Reza, Angela

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the relation of menstrual attitudes to menopausal attitudes and the demographic and health characteristics associated with each. This cross-sectional study consisted of a randomly selected sample of 1824 respondents aged 16 to 100 years in multi-ethnic Hilo, Hawai`i. Women completed questionnaires for demographic and health information, such as age, ethnicity, education, residency in Hawai`i, menopausal status, exercise, and attitudes toward menstrua...

Differences in consumer use of food labels by weight loss strategies and demographic characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bleich, Sara N; Wolfson, Julia A

2015-12-22

Little is known about national patterns in the use of fast food and packaged food labels among adults by weight loss strategies and demographic characteristics. We analyzed the Consumer Behavior Module in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010 among adults (N = 9,690). For each of the outcome variables - use of packed food and fast food menu labels - multiple logistic regressions were used to adjust for potential differences in population characteristics by weight loss activities and demographic characteristics. Overall, 69 percent of adults reported they would use fast food information and 76 percent reported using the nutrition facts panel on packaged foods. Adults trying to lose weight had a greater likelihood of reporting use of nutrition information to choose fast foods (OR = 1.72; 95 % CI: 1.29, 2.29) and using the nutrition facts panel on food labels (OR = 1.92; 95 % CI: 1.60, 2.30). Black and Hispanic adults were more likely to report using ingredients lists on packaged foods compared to Whites (White -63 %, Black/Hispanic -68 %, p fast food nutrition information.

Evaluating nurse understanding and participation in the informed consent process.

Science.gov (United States)

Axson, Sydney A; Giordano, Nicholas A; Hermann, Robin M; Ulrich, Connie M

2017-01-01

Informed consent is fundamental to the autonomous decision-making of patients, yet much is still unknown about the process in the clinical setting. In an evolving healthcare landscape, nurses must be prepared to address patient understanding and participate in the informed consent process to better fulfill their well-established role as patient advocates. This study examines hospital-based nurses' experiences and understandings of the informed consent process. This qualitative descriptive study utilized a semi-structured interview approach identifying thematic concerns, experiences, and knowledge of informed consent across a selected population of clinically practicing nurses. Participants and research context: In all, 20 baccalaureate prepared registered nurses practicing in various clinical settings (i.e. critical care, oncology, medical/surgical) at a large northeastern academic medical center in the United States completed semi-structured interviews and a demographic survey. The mean age of participants was 36.6 years old, with a mean of 12.2 years of clinical experience. Ethical considerations: Participation in this study involved minimal risk and no invasive measures. This study received Institutional Review Board approval from the University of Pennsylvania. All participants voluntarily consented. The majority of participants (N = 19) believe patient safety is directly linked to patient comprehension of the informed consent process. However, when asked if nurses have a defined role in the informed consent process, nearly half did not agree (N = 9). Through this qualitative approach, three major nursing roles emerged: the nurse as a communicator, the nurse as an advocate, and the clerical role of the nurse. This investigation contributes to the foundation of ethical research that will better prepare nurses for patient engagement, advance current understanding of informed consent, and allow for future development of solutions. Nurses are at the forefront of

Clinical characteristics of patients who have recovered from schizophrenia: the role of empathy and positive-self schema.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Young-Chul; Kim, Hyun-Min; Lee, Keon-Hak; Zhao, Tong; Huang, Guang-Biao; Park, Tae-Won; Yang, Jong-Chul

2013-05-01

This article compares the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who recovered with those who achieved remission. Participants were classified based on predetermined criteria for recovery and remission. Data on demographic characteristics, information on duration of untreated psychosis, and assessments of current and historical symptom profiles and socio-occupational functioning emerged from careful chart review and direct interviews. Cross-sectional assessments of clinical variables were derived from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Personal and Social Performance Scale, the Social Functioning Questionnaire, the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (ScoRS), the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Brief Core Schema Scales (BCSS). We found no significant differences between recovered and remitted groups with respect to demographic variables or duration of untreated psychosis. Cognitive and total empathy scores, positive-self schema score on the BCSS, and global score on the ScoRS were significantly higher in the recovered than the remitted group. Furthermore, patients with good levels of empathy and positive-self schema and intact neurocognitive functioning were more likely to achieve recovery. These results suggest that empathy, positive-self schema and neurocognitive functioning may serve as important clinical characteristics distinguishing those patients who have recovered from those who have achieved only remission. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Demographic inferences from large-scale NGS data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov

.g. human genetics. In this thesis, the three papers presented demonstrate the advantages of NGS data in the framework of population genetics for elucidating demographic inferences, important for understanding conservation efforts, selection and mutational burdens. In the first whole-genome study...... that the demographic history of the Inuit is the most extreme in terms of population size, of any human population. We identify a slight increase in the number of deleterious alleles because of this demographic history and support our results using simulations. We use this to show that the reduction in population size...

Relation Between Demographic Factors And Hospitalization In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Relation Between Demographic Factors And Hospitalization In Patients With Gastrointestinal Disorders, Using Quantail Regression Analysis. ... East African Journal of Public Health ... Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate relation between demographic factors and hospitalization in gastrointestinal disorders.

Psychometric properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: overall and across demographic groups living within the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, Samuel J; Blais, Mark A; Gansler, David A; Sandberg, Elisabeth; Bistis, Kimberly; LoCicero, Alice

2010-03-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to evaluate the scaling assumptions and component structure of and present normative data for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a sample of US adults (N = 503), both overall and across demographic subgroups and (b) to provide new data regarding the relationship between the two RSES subcomponents of self-competence (SC) and self-liking (SL), and other demographic and clinical variables. As hypothesized, all psychometric tests supported the underlying structure of the RSES. Overall RSES scores varied significantly across age, racial and ethnic, education, employment status, income, and marital status groups. Furthermore, differences between SC and SL were also found across groups differing in gender, age, employment status, and marital status groups. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed, with an emphasis on clinical relevance.

The Interaction of Learning Disability Status and Student Demographic Characteristics on Mathematics Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Joseph J; Schulte, Ann C

This study examined mathematics achievement growth of students without disabilities (SWoD) and students with learning disabilities (LD) and tested whether growth and LD status interacted with student demographic characteristics. Growth was estimated in a statewide sample of 79,554 students over Grades 3 to 7. The LD group was significantly lower in achievement in each grade and had less growth than the SWoD group. We also found that student demographic characteristics were significantly related to mathematics growth, but only three demographic characteristics were statistically significant as interactions. We found that LD-SWoD differences at Grade 3 were moderated by student sex, while Black race/ethnicity and free or reduced lunch (FRL) status moderated LD-SWoD differences at all grades. These results provide practitioners and policy makers with more specific information about which particular LD students show faster or slower growth in mathematics. Our results show that simply including predictors in a regression equation may produce different results than direct testing of interactions and achievement gaps may be larger for some LD subgroups of students than previously reported.