WorldWideScience

Sample records for integrated telephone survey

  1. Large Pelagics Telephone Survey

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Large Pelagics Telephone Survey (LPTS) collects fishing effort information directly from captains holding Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permits (required by...

  2. Telephone versus face-to-face interviewing for household drug use surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquilino, W S

    1992-01-01

    This research investigated the use of telephone versus face-to-face interviewing to gather data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Telephone and personal drug use surveys of the 18-34 year-old household population were conducted in the state of New Jersey in 1986-1987. Survey modes were compared in terms of unit and item nonresponse rates, sample coverage, and levels of self-reported drug use. Results showed that the telephone survey achieved response rates lower than the personal survey, but comparable to telephone surveys of less threatening topics. Item nonresponse to sensitive drug questions was lower by phone than with the self-administered answer sheets in the personal mode. The exclusion of households without telephones in the telephone survey is a potential source of bias, and may lead to underestimation of alcohol and drug use for minority populations. After controlling for telephone status, the telephone survey furnished significantly lower drug use estimates on several indicators than the personal survey, with the largest mode differences found for Blacks.

  3. AIDS and condoms in Brasilia: a telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chequer, P; VanOss Marín, B; Paiva, L; Hudes, E S; Piazza, T; Rodrigues, L; Hearst, N

    1997-10-01

    A telephone survey was conducted to measure AIDS knowledge, media usage and condom attitudes and behaviors among 500 adults aged 18 to 49 in Brasilia, as well as to evaluate the feasibility of the telephone survey method in a developing country. The response rate was 91.6%. Respondents had good knowledge about correct modes of HIV transmission and prevention but also believed HIV was transmitted through blood donation, public toilets, swimming pools, and mosquito bites. TV and newspapers were the most important sources of information on health matters and AIDS, though health workers were considered the most credible sources of such information. Only 19% of sexual encounters in the 4 weeks prior to the survey included condoms. Single and younger respondents and those with more positive attitudes used condoms more frequently. More work is needed to identify appropriate messages to motivate people to use condoms. Telephone surveys regarding AIDS and sexual attitudes and behaviors are feasible in Brasilia, a planned community with universal telephone coverage.

  4. Evaluating telephone follow-up of a mail survey of community pharmacies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westrick, Salisa C; Mount, Jeanine K

    2007-06-01

    Mail and telephone are commonly used modes of survey with pharmacists. Research conducted using general population surveys consistently describes mail surveys as being less expensive but yielding lower response rates than telephone surveys. However, findings obtained from the general population may not be generalizable to pharmacist surveys. This study evaluates the effectiveness of telephone follow-up of mail survey nonrespondents by comparing the 2 survey modes on response rates, cooperation rates, cost per sample unit, and cost per usable response and evaluating potential nonresponse bias in the context of immunization activities. A census mail survey of 1,143 Washington State community pharmacies and a follow-up telephone survey of 262 randomly selected mail survey nonrespondents were compared. Both surveys included the same 15 yes/no-type questions to ask respondents about their pharmacy's involvement in immunization activities. The mail survey yielded a response rate 1 of 26.7% and a cooperation rate 1 of 26.7%, compared with 83.6% and 87.8%, respectively, for the follow-up telephone survey. With respect to cost per sample unit, the mail survey was the least expensive option ($1.20). However, when comparing cost per usable response, the mail survey was the most expensive ($4.37), and the follow-up telephone survey without an advance notification was the least expensive ($1.99). Furthermore, results suggest the presence of nonresponse bias: compared with pharmacies participating in the follow-up telephone survey, pharmacies participating in the mail survey were more likely to be involved in in-house immunization services but less likely to be involved in outsourced services. The telephone survey achieved higher outcome rates with reduced cost per usable response. A telephone survey is a viable mode that holds promise in pharmacy practice research. Maximizing response rates and assessing potential nonresponse bias should be a standard practice among pharmacy

  5. [Potential selection bias in telephone surveys: landline and mobile phones].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Continente, Xavier; Pérez-Giménez, Anna; López, María José; Nebot, Manel

    2014-01-01

    The increasing use of mobile phones in the last decade has decreased landline telephone coverage in Spanish households. This study aimed to analyze sociodemographic characteristics and health indicators by type of telephone service (mobile phone vs. landline or landline and mobile phone). Two telephone surveys were conducted in Spanish samples (February 2010 and February 2011). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze differences in the main sociodemographic characteristics and health indicators according to the type of telephone service available in Spanish households. We obtained 2027 valid responses (1627 landline telephones and 400 mobile phones). Persons contacted through a mobile phone were more likely to be a foreigner, to belong to the manual social class, to have a lower educational level, and to be a smoker than those contacted through a landline telephone. The profile of the population that has only a mobile phone differs from that with a landline telephone. Therefore, telephone surveys that exclude mobile phones could show a selection bias. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  6. Weighting Strategies for Combining Data from Dual-Frame Telephone Surveys: Emerging Evidence from Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baffour Bernard

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Until quite recently, telephone surveys have typically relied on landline telephone numbers. However, with the increasing popularity and affordability of mobile phones, there has been a surge in households that do not have landline connections. Additionally, there has been a decline in the response rates and population coverage of landline telephone surveys, creating a challenge to collecting representative social data. Dual-frame telephone surveys that use both landline and mobile phone sampling frames can overcome the incompleteness of landline-only telephone sampling. However, surveying mobile phone users introduces new complexities in sampling, nonresponse measurement and statistical weighting. This article examines these issues and illustrates the consequences of failing to include mobile-phone-only users in telephone surveys using data from Australia. Results show that there are significant differences in estimates of populations’ characteristics when using information solely from the landline or mobile telephone sample. These biases in the population estimates are significantly reduced when data from the mobile and landline samples are combined and appropriate dual-frame survey estimators are used. The optimal choice of a dual-frame estimation strategy depends on the availability of good-quality information that can account for the differential patterns of nonresponse by frame.

  7. Survey on the Use of Mobile Telephone for Micro and Small ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Survey on the Use of Mobile Telephone for Micro and Small Business ... In Ghana, as in other developing countries, mobile telephones are pervasive, and used ... to announce that the first call for applications for the new Early Career Women.

  8. An inquiry into chiropractors' intention to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feise, R J

    2001-01-01

    The primary aim of this study was to (1) determine the clinical management approach of practicing chiropractors with regard to patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and (2) measure the response rate of a telephone survey. A survey instrument was developed and pretested, and a case-specific clinical vignette was generated for a hypothetical typical 12-year-old girl with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The instrument addressed 3 domains: the specific management of idiopathic scoliosis, elements guiding the general selection of treatment recommendations, and demographics of respondents. The sample frame consisted of 62,000 US chiropractors, of whom 165 were randomly selected for the survey sample. Interviews were conducted by telephone through use of the tested survey instrument. The response rate was 69% (114/165). Of the 51 nonrespondents, 15 did not have a listed business telephone number and 24 were not in active practice. The response rate of those who met the inclusion criteria (practicing chiropractor with a listed telephone number) was 90% (114/126). The gender, chiropractic college, and years in practice of respondents in this survey were similar to those of respondents in 3 other national surveys. In general, the respondents would provide 6 months of "intensive" chiropractic therapy, then follow the patient for 4 years (near skeletal maturity). Eighty-two percent of respondents named diversified technique as their primary adjustive treatment, 87% would use exercise, and 30% would use electric muscle stimulation as an adjunct to manual therapy. Most surveyed chiropractors would use similar methods (frequency and length of treatment, manipulation technique, and exercise) in the treatment of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A high response rate to a national survey can be achieved through use of telephone contact.

  9. Disclosure of Sexual Intercourse by Teenagers: Agreement Between Telephone Survey Responses and Annual Visit Disclosures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Stewart C.; Fortenberry, J. Dennis; Pollak, Kathryn I.; Østbye, Truls; Bravender, Terrill; Tulsky, James A.; Dolor, Rowena; Shields, Cleveland G.

    2015-01-01

    Background Physicians can help guide teenagers in their emerging sexuality; however, teens rarely inform physicians about their sexual activity. Methods We audio-recorded annual visits between 365 teenagers and 49 physicians. sexual intercourse. Recordings were coded for teenage disclosures about previous sexual intercourse. We measured agreement between telephone survey responses and annual visit disclosures, and examined factors associated with agreement between the two. Results Fifty-six teenagers (15%) reported previous sexual intercourse in either the telephone survey or to their physician. Among those who reported sexual intercourse, 57% shared this information to both the telephone survey and their physician (κ = .72, confidence interval = 0.63–0.82). Conclusions Although a slight majority of teenagers disclosed their sexual activity to both the telephone survey and their doctor, a significant number disclosed to just one source. PMID:25857726

  10. Comparing online and telephone survey results in the context of a skin cancer prevention campaign evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollier, L P; Pettigrew, S; Slevin, T; Strickland, M; Minto, C

    2017-03-01

    A large proportion of health promotion campaign evaluation research has historically been conducted via telephone surveys. However, there are concerns about the continued viability of this form of surveying in providing relevant and representative data. Online surveys are an increasingly popular alternative, and as such there is a need to assess the comparability between data collected using the two different methods to determine the implications for longitudinal comparisons. The present study compared these survey modes in the context of health promotion evaluation research. Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviewing and an online panel. In total, 688 and 606 respondents aged between 14 and 45 years completed the online and telephone surveys, respectively. Online respondents demonstrated higher awareness of the advertisement, rated the advertisement as more personally relevant and had better behavioural outcomes compared with the telephone respondents. The results indicate significant differences between the telephone and online surveys on most measures used to assess the effectiveness of a health promotion advertising campaign. Health promotion practitioners could consider the combination of both methods to overcome the deterioration in telephone survey response rates and the likely differences in respondent outcomes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Assessment of mental health and illness by telephone survey: experience with an Alberta mental health survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patten, Scott B; Adair, Carol E; Williams, Jeanne Va; Brant, Rollin; Wang, Jian Li; Casebeer, Ann; Beauséjour, Pierre

    2006-01-01

    Mental health is an emerging priority for health surveillance. It has not been determined that the existing data sources can adequately meet surveillance needs. The objective of this project was to explore the use of telephone surveys as a means of collecting supplementary surveillance information. A computer-assisted telephone interview was administered to 5,400 subjects in Alberta. The interview included a set of brief, validated measures for evaluating mental disorder prevalence and related variables. The individual subject response rate was 78 percent, but a substantial number of refusals occurred at the initial household contact. The age and sex distribution of the study sample differed from that of the provincial population prior to weighting. Prevalence proportions did not vary substantially across administrative health regions. There is a potential role for telephone data collection in mental health surveillance, but these results highlight some associated methodological challenges. They also draw into question the importance of regional variation in mental disorder prevalence--which might otherwise have been a key advantage of telephone survey methodologies.

  12. Short assessment of the Big Five: robust across survey methods except telephone interviewing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Frieder R; John, Dennis; Lüdtke, Oliver; Schupp, Jürgen; Wagner, Gert G

    2011-06-01

    We examined measurement invariance and age-related robustness of a short 15-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-S) of personality dimensions, which is well suited for applications in large-scale multidisciplinary surveys. The BFI-S was assessed in three different interviewing conditions: computer-assisted or paper-assisted face-to-face interviewing, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, and a self-administered questionnaire. Randomized probability samples from a large-scale German panel survey and a related probability telephone study were used in order to test method effects on self-report measures of personality characteristics across early, middle, and late adulthood. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used in order to test for measurement invariance of the five-factor model of personality trait domains across different assessment methods. For the short inventory, findings suggest strong robustness of self-report measures of personality dimensions among young and middle-aged adults. In old age, telephone interviewing was associated with greater distortions in reliable personality assessment. It is concluded that the greater mental workload of telephone interviewing limits the reliability of self-report personality assessment. Face-to-face surveys and self-administrated questionnaire completion are clearly better suited than phone surveys when personality traits in age-heterogeneous samples are assessed.

  13. Respondent Cooperation in Telephone Surveys: The Effects of Using Volunteer Interviewers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braverman, Marc T.

    1988-01-01

    The effects of using volunteer interviewers on respondent cooperation in telephone surveys were studied, using data on 241 interviews, 99 refusals, and 251 non-contacts. A random, national survey on public knowledge of and attitudes toward a county 4-H youth services program indicated respondent cooperation for professional program staff and…

  14. Is the Short Version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-S Applicable for Use in Telephone Surveys?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brust Oliver A.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The inclusion of psychological indicators in survey research has become more common because they offer the possibility of explaining much of the variance in sociological variables. The Big Five personality dimensions in particular are often used to explain opinions, attitudes, and behavior. However, the short versions of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-S were developed for face-to-face surveys. Studies have shown distortions in the identification of the Big Five factor structure in subsamples of older respondents in landline telephone surveys. We applied the same BFI-S but with a shorter rating scale in a telephone survey with two subsamples (landline and mobile phone. Using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM, we identified the Big Five structure in the subsamples and the age groups. This finding leads us to conclude that the BFI-S is a powerful means of including personality characteristics in telephone surveys.

  15. Traffic Tech : National Telephone Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors - 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-03-01

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted its third national telephone survey of distracted driving to monitor the public's attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported behavior about cell phone use and texting while driving, an...

  16. Three Mile Island telephone survey: preliminary report on procedures and findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flynn, C.B.

    1979-10-01

    This report describes the methodology used in, and the results of, a telephone survey conducted in the vicinity of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. The survey is part of a study of the socioeconomic impacts of nuclear power plant construction and operation at Three Mile Island, and eleven other nuclear power plant sites. The survey covers the areas of evacuation behavior, information processing, short-term accident effects, continuing effects of the accident, and respondent's evaluation of TMI and nuclear power in general. Approximately 1500 households in the vicinity of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant participated in the survey, which was conducted in July and August 1979

  17. A comparison of nonresponse in mail, telephone, and face-to-face surveys

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hox, J.J.; Leeuw, E.D. de

    1994-01-01

    This article reports a meta-analysis of 45 studies that explicitly compare the response obtained using a mail, telephone or face-to-face survey. The data analysis uses a generalized hierarchical linear model. Sampling procedure (e.g., local convenience sample, random general sample), saliency of

  18. A middle class image of society: a study of undercoverage and nonresponse bias in a telephone survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goor, van H.; Rispens, S.

    2004-01-01

    We studied undercoverage and nonresponse in a telephone survey among the population of the City ofGroningen, the Netherlands. The original sample, drawn from the municipal population register,contained 7000 individuals. For 37 percent of them, the telephone company was unable to produce a

  19. A middle class image of society : A study of undercoverage and nonresponse bias in a telephone survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Goor, Henk; Rispens, S

    We studied undercoverage and nonresponse in a telephone survey among the population of the City of Groningen, the Netherlands. The original sample, drawn from the municipal population register, contained 7000 individuals. For 37 percent of them, the telephone company was unable to produce a valid

  20. Short assessment of the Big Five: robust across survey methods except telephone interviewing

    OpenAIRE

    Lang, Frieder R.; John, Dennis; Lüdtke, Oliver; Schupp, Jürgen; Wagner, Gert G.

    2011-01-01

    We examined measurement invariance and age-related robustness of a short 15-item Big Five Inventory (BFI–S) of personality dimensions, which is well suited for applications in large-scale multidisciplinary surveys. The BFI–S was assessed in three different interviewing conditions: computer-assisted or paper-assisted face-to-face interviewing, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, and a self-administered questionnaire. Randomized probability samples from a large-scale German panel survey a...

  1. "I didn't write the questions!" - Negotiating telephone-survey questions on birth timing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian May

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines interviewer-respondent interaction in the collection of demographic data. Conversation analysis (CA makes transparent the interaction between an interviewer and 25 respondents on a question about pregnancy and birth timing in an Australian telephone survey, Negotiating the Life Course. The analysis focuses on the troubles that occur and the work interviewers do to fit respondents' answers to the survey researcher's categories. Interviewers are shown to act as mediators in difficult interaction, with responses often distorted by question format, the imperative of achieving an allowed response, and the need to keep the respondent in the survey.

  2. Comparison of telephone with World Wide Web-based responses by parents and teens to a follow-up survey after injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivara, Frederick P; Koepsell, Thomas D; Wang, Jin; Durbin, Dennis; Jaffe, Kenneth M; Vavilala, Monica; Dorsch, Andrea; Roper-Caldbeck, Maria; Houseknecht, Eileen; Temkin, Nancy

    2011-06-01

    To identify sociodemographic factors associated with completing a follow-up survey about health status on the web versus by telephone, and to examine differences in reported health-related quality of life by method of response. Survey about child health status of 896 parents of children aged 0-17 years treated in a hospital emergency department or admitted for a traumatic brain injury or arm injury, and 227 injured adolescents aged 14-17 years. The main outcomes were characteristics of those who completed a follow-up survey on the web versus by telephone and health-related quality of life by method of response. Email addresses were provided by 76.9 percent of parents and 56.5 percent of adolescents at baseline. The survey was completed on the web by 64.9 percent of parents and 40.2 percent of adolescents through email. Parents with email access who were Blacks, Hispanics, had lower incomes, and those who were not working were less likely to choose the web mode for completing the survey. Unlike adolescents, the amount of time for parents to complete the survey online was significantly shorter than completion by telephone. Differences by survey mode were small but statistically significant in some of the six functional outcome measures examined. Survey mode was associated with several sociodemographic characteristics. Sole use of web surveys could provide biased data. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  3. Polling on a Budget: Implementing Telephone Surveys in Introductory and Advanced American Politics Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Jonathan

    2011-01-01

    Research suggests that student learning is enhanced when students are engaged through active learning strategies. In studying public opinion and polling, challenges include the provision of meaningful active learning environments when resources are limited. In this article, I discuss the design and implementation of telephone surveys as a teaching…

  4. Mobile phones are a viable option for surveying young Australian women: a comparison of two telephone survey methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Bette

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Households with fixed-line telephones have decreased while mobile (cell phone ownership has increased. We therefore sought to examine the feasibility of recruiting young women for a national health survey through random digit dialling mobile phones. Methods Two samples of women aged 18 to 39 years were surveyed by random digit dialling fixed and mobile numbers. We compared participation rates and responses to a questionnaire between women surveyed by each contact method. Results After dialling 5,390 fixed-lines and 3,697 mobile numbers, 140 and 128 women were recruited respectively. Among women contacted and found to be eligible, participation rates were 74% for fixed-lines and 88% for mobiles. Taking into account calls to numbers where eligibility was unknown (e.g. unanswered calls the estimated response rates were 54% and 45% respectively. Of women contacted by fixed-line, 97% reported having a mobile while 61% of those contacted by mobile reported having a fixed-line at home. After adjusting for age, there were no significant differences between mobile-only and fixed-line responders with respect to education, residence, and various health behaviours; however compared to those with fixed-lines, mobile-only women were more likely to identify as Indigenous (OR 4.99, 95%CI 1.52-16.34 and less likely to live at home with their parents (OR 0.09, 95%CI 0.03-0.29. Conclusions Random digit dialling mobile phones to conduct a health survey in young Australian women is feasible, gives a comparable response rate and a more representative sample than dialling fixed-lines only. Telephone surveys of young women should include mobile dialling.

  5. Demographics and Professional Practices of School Psychologists: A Comparison of NASP Members and Non-NASP School Psychologists by Telephone Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Michael F.; Truscott, Stephen D.; Volker, Martin A.

    2008-01-01

    A national telephone survey was conducted to examine potential differences between National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) members and non-NASP member school psychologists. Identified schools were contacted by telephone and the researchers asked to speak with the school psychologist. A sample of 124 practicing school psychologists was…

  6. The disinfection of flexible fibre-optic nasendoscopes out-of-hours: confidential telephone survey of ENT units in England

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kanagalingam, J.; Zainal, A.; Georgalas, C.; Paun, S.; Tolley, N. S.

    2002-01-01

    We present the results of a confidential telephone survey of ENT units in England on the disinfection of flexible fibre-optic nasendoscopes out-of-hours. The on-call residents of 124 units were contacted and questioned. In 35.1 per cent of units surveyed, the on-call resident was primarily

  7. Impact of Monetary Incentives and Mailing Procedures: An Experiment in a Federally Sponsored Telephone Survey. Methodology Report. NCES 2006-066

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brick, J. Michael; Hagedorn, Mary Collins; Montaquila, Jill; Roth, Shelley Brock; Chapman, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) includes a series of random digit dial (RDD) surveys developed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to collect information on important educational issues through telephone surveys of…

  8. 75 FR 78269 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Telephone...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-15

    ... for OMB Review; Comment Request; Telephone Point of Purchase Survey ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The... information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Telephone Point of Purchase Survey,'' to the Office [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Telephone Point of Purchase Survey is to...

  9. 78 FR 78389 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Telephone...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-26

    ... for OMB Review; Comment Request; Telephone Point of Purchase Survey ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The... request (ICR) revision titled, ``Telephone Point of Purchase Survey,'' to the Office of Management and... seeks to make minor modifications to the Telephone Point of Purchase Survey (TPOPS) and extend its PRA...

  10. Yucca Mountain Socioeconomic Project: The 1991 Nevada State telephone survey: Key findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flynn, J.H.; Mertz, C.K.; Slovic, P.

    1991-05-01

    The 1991 Nevada State Telephone Survey was implemented by Decision Research on behalf of the State of Nevada, Agency for Nuclear Projects/Nuclear Waste Project Office (NWPO) as part of an ongoing socioeconomic impact assessment study. The scope of this survey was considerably smaller than a previous survey conducted in 1989 and focused more upon public evaluations of the Yucca Mountain repository program and the trust Nevadans currently addressing the siting issues. In order to provide place in key public officials who are Longitudinal data on the repository program, the 1991 questionnaire consisted of questions that were used in the 1989 NWPO survey which was conducted by Mountain West Research. As a result, the findings from this survey are compared with analogous items from the 1989 survey, and with the results from a survey commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and reported in their issue of October 21, 1990. The Review-Journal survey was conducted by Bruce Merri11 of the Arizona State University Media Research Center. A more complete comparison of the 1989 and 1991 surveys sponsored by NWPO is possible since the researchers at Decision Research had access to both these databases. The only source of information for the Review-Journal findings was the articles published in the Fall, 1990. The findings of the 1991 survey show that Nevadans oppose the federal government attempts to locate a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. They support a policy of opposition on the part of Nevada officials. They believe that Nevadans should have the final say in whether to accept the repository or not, and they reject the proposition that benefits from the repository program will outweigh the harms. These findings are very similar to survey results from 1989 and 1990 and once again demonstrate very widespread public opposition by Nevadans to the current federal repository program

  11. Call Centre- Computer Telephone Integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dražen Kovačević

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Call centre largely came into being as a result of consumerneeds converging with enabling technology- and by the companiesrecognising the revenue opportunities generated by meetingthose needs thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Regardlessof the specific application or activity of a Call centre, customersatisfaction with the interaction is critical to the revenuegenerated or protected by the Call centre. Physical(v, Call centreset up is a place that includes computer, telephone and supervisorstation. Call centre can be available 24 hours a day - whenthe customer wants to make a purchase, needs information, orsimply wishes to register a complaint.

  12. Perceptions and status of Michigan as a heritage tourism state: results of an eleven-month telephone survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gail A. Vander Stoep

    1998-01-01

    Cultural and heritage tourism have gained increasing attention as a type of tourism in recent years. Through a telephone survey of Midwest residents (six states and one Canadian province), respondents were asked about their image of Michigan as a destination for heritage and cultural tourism experiences, about their visits to museums, halls of fame, historic and other...

  13. Influenza like illness monitoring in adults of the State Capitals and Federal District in Brazil by telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Priscilleyne Ouverney; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Souza, Líbia Roberta de Oliveira; Yokota, Renata Tiene de Carvalho; de Almeida, Walquiria Aparecida Ferreira; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; de Oliveira, Wanderson Kleber; Penna, Gerson Oliveira

    2011-09-01

    In order to estimate the prevalence of influenza like illness (ILI) in adults from all state capitals and geographic regions in Brazil, a periodical monitoring of ILI cases by the national telephone survey (VIGITEL) was carried out in 2010. A cross-sectional study with 47,876 telephone interviews in the state capitals and Federal District, a probabilistic sample of adult population (>18 years-old) with landline telephone. Questions concerning the results of ILI cases and pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009, from January 10 to November 30, were analyzed. The proportion of cases stratified by sociodemographic characteristics and Brazilian geographic region was weighted with data from the National Survey with Household Sampling (PNAD) 2008. The prevalence of ILI cases in the last 30 days before interview was 31.2% (95%CI 30.2-32.2%) for all state capitals and the Federal District. This prevalence was higher among women, young adults (18 to 29 years-old) and individuals with 9 to 11 years of schooling. According to the geographic region analysis, Northern Brazil presented the highest prevalence of ILI cases. A tendency to increase with further decrease was observed among the geographic regions, except the Northeast. Need for health care assistance was reported by 26.8% (95%CI 25.1-28.5) from ILI cases. Among ILI cases that sought health care assistance, 2.6% (95%CI 1.8-3.4) reported pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 medical suspicion. The results of this survey supported influenza surveillance as it provided timeliness and useful surveillance information, which were not captured by the traditional surveillance system, as the occurrence of ILI and need of health care assistance.

  14. Telephone follow-up to a mail survey: when to offer an interview compared to a reminder call

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziegenfuss Jeanette Y

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Using a different mode of contact on the final follow-up to survey non-respondents is an identified strategy to increase response rates. This study was designed to determine if a reminder phone call or a phone interview as a final mode of contact to a mailed survey works better to increase response rates and which strategy is more cost effective. Methods A randomized study was embedded within a survey study of individuals treated with ulcerative colitis conducted in March 2009 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. After two mail contacts, non-respondents were randomly assigned to either a reminder telephone call or a telephone interview. Average cost per completed interview and response rates were compared between the two experimental conditions. Results The response rate in the reminder group and the interview did not differ where we considered both a completed survey and a signed form a complete (24% vs. 29%, p = 0.08. However, if such a signed form was not required, there was a substantial advantage to completing the interview over the phone (24% vs. 43%, p Conclusions The additional cost of completing an interview is worth it when an additional signed form is not required of the respondent. However, when such a signed form is required, offering an interview instead of a reminder phone call as a follow up to non-respondents does not increase response rates enough to outweigh the additional costs.

  15. Survey of RF exposure levels from mobile telephone base stations in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, S I; Bangay, M J

    2006-01-01

    This paper reports the results of an exposure level survey of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy originating from mobile telephone base station antennas. Measurements of CDMA800, GSM900, GSM1800, and 3G(UMTS) signals were performed at distances ranging over 50 to 500 m from 60 base stations in five Australian cities. The exposure levels from these mobile telecommunications base stations were found to be well below the general public exposure limits of the ICNIRP guidelines and the Australian radiofrequency standard (ARPANSA RPS3). The highest recorded level from a single base station was 7.8 x 10(-3) W/m(2), which translates to 0.2% of the general public exposure limit.

  16. Comparison of response rates and cost-effectiveness for a community-based survey: postal, internet and telephone modes with generic or personalised recruitment approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Epidemiological research often requires collection of data from a representative sample of the community or recruitment of specific groups through broad community approaches. The population coverage of traditional survey methods such as mail-outs to residential addresses, and telephone contact via public directories or random-digit-dialing is declining and survey response rates are falling. There is a need to explore new sampling frames and consider multiple response modes including those offered by changes in telecommunications and internet technology. Methods We evaluated response rates and cost-effectiveness for three modes of survey administration (postal invitation/postal survey, postal invitation/internet survey and postal invitation/telephone survey) and two styles of contact approach (personalised and generic) in a community survey of greywater use. Potential respondents were contacted only once, with no follow up of non-responders. Results The telephone survey produced the highest adjusted response rate (30.2%), followed by the personalised postal survey (10.5%), generic postal survey (7.5%) and then the internet survey (4.7% for the personalised approach and 2.2% for the generic approach). There were some differences in household characteristics and greywater use rates between respondents to different survey modes, and between respondents to personalised and generic approaches. These may be attributable to the differing levels of motivations needed for a response, and varying levels of interest in the survey topic among greywater users and non-users. The generic postal survey had the lowest costs per valid survey received (Australian $22.93), followed by the personalised postal survey ($24.75). Conclusions Our findings suggest that postal surveys currently remain the most economic option for population-based studies, with similar costs for personalised and generic approaches. Internet surveys may be effective for specialised groups where email

  17. Risk and protection factors for chronic non communicable diseases by telephone survey--VIGITEL-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Claro, Rafael Moreira; de Moura, Erly Catarina; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Morais Neto, Otaliba Libânio

    2011-09-01

    To describe the risk and protection factors for non communicable diseases with data from Telephone-based Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases (VIGITEL) in 2009. The prevalence of main risk and protective factors was estimated in adults (>18 years old), by telephone surveys in a probabilistic sample of the population covered by landline telephones in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District, stratified by gender, age and schooling. Data from 54,367 adults were collected. Smokers and former smokers represented 15.5 and 22% of Brazilian adults, respectively. Excess weight affected 46.6% of adults; 33% reported the consumption of meat with visible fat and reported 18.9% alcohol abuse. These factors were more prevalent among men and, in general, young adults and people with low schooling. The prevalence of physical activity in leisure was 18.8% (95%CI 17.4-20.1) among men and 11.3% (95%CI 10.6-12.0) among women. Physical inactivity affected 15.6% of population and increased with age. Consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity in leisure time were more prevalent in men and women with 12 years of schooling or more. Hypertension diagnosis was reported by 21.1% (95%CI 19.6-22.5) of men, and 27.2% (95%CI 25.8-28.5) of women. Prevalence of diabetes was 5.8%. The results point to different health behavior according to gender, age and schooling of the population and reinforce the decreasing smoking trend and increasing overweight trend in Brazil.

  18. [The impact of a verbal consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Christian; Ladouceur, Robert; Fournier, Patricia-Maude; Baillargeon, Lucie

    2009-03-01

    To assess the impact of a consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey about gambling and money. Four different consent forms were tested. The first consent form globally met the academic ethics committee requirements, while the second and third forms excluded some elements. Finally, the fourth form was similar to the introduction generally used by private survey firms. Even when the consent form required by academic ethics committees was shortened, the private firm introduction led to the best participation rate. However, participants who received the private firm introduction indicated that they wished they had been better informed before the interview started. The discussion highlights the delicate situation of academic research wishing to meet ethics requirements as well as conduct valid and representative research.

  19. Reliability and Validity of the Telephone-Based eHealth Literacy Scale Among Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stellefson, Michael; Paige, Samantha R; Tennant, Bethany; Alber, Julia M; Chaney, Beth H; Chaney, Don; Grossman, Suzanne

    2017-10-26

    Only a handful of studies have examined reliability and validity evidence of scores produced by the 8-item eHealth literacy Scale (eHEALS) among older adults. Older adults are generally more comfortable responding to survey items when asked by a real person rather than by completing self-administered paper-and-pencil or online questionnaires. However, no studies have explored the psychometrics of this scale when administered to older adults over the telephone. The objective of our study was to examine the reliability and internal structure of eHEALS data collected from older adults aged 50 years or older responding to items over the telephone. Respondents (N=283) completed eHEALS as part of a cross-sectional landline telephone survey. Exploratory structural equation modeling (E-SEM) analyses examined model fit of eHEALS scores with 1-, 2-, and 3-factor structures. Subsequent analyses based on the partial credit model explored the internal structure of eHEALS data. Compared with 1- and 2-factor models, the 3-factor eHEALS structure showed the best global E-SEM model fit indices (root mean square error of approximation=.07; comparative fit index=1.0; Tucker-Lewis index=1.0). Nonetheless, the 3 factors were highly correlated (r range .36 to .65). Item analyses revealed that eHEALS items 2 through 5 were overfit to a minor degree (mean square infit/outfit values information for respondents at similar points on the latent continuum. Test information curves suggested that eHEALS may capture more information about older adults at the higher end of the latent continuum (ie, those with high eHealth literacy) than at the lower end of the continuum (ie, those with low eHealth literacy). Item reliability (value=.92) and item separation (value=11.31) estimates indicated that eHEALS responses were reliable and stable. Results support administering eHEALS over the telephone when surveying older adults regarding their use of the Internet for health information. eHEALS scores best

  20. Understanding barriers to medication adherence in the hypertensive population by evaluating responses to a telephone survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nair KV

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Kavita V Nair1, Daniel A Belletti3, Joseph J Doyle3, Richard R Allen4, Robert B McQueen1, Joseph J Saseen1, Joseph Vande Griend1, Jay V Patel5, Angela McQueen2, Saira Jan21School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA; 2Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA; 3Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA, 4Peakstat Statistical Services, Evergreen, CO, USA; 5Care Management International, Marlborough, MA, USABackground: Although hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, adherence to hypertensive medications is low. Previous research identifying factors influencing adherence has focused primarily on broad, population-based approaches. Identifying specific barriers for an individual is more useful in designing meaningful targeted interventions. Using customized telephonic outreach, we examined specific patient-reported barriers influencing hypertensive patients' nonadherence to medication in order to identify targeted interventions.Methods: A telephone survey of 8692 nonadherent hypertensive patients was conducted. The patient sample comprised health plan members with at least two prescriptions for antihypertensive medications in 2008. The telephone script was based on the "target" drug associated with greatest nonadherence (medication possession ratio [MPR] <80% during the four-month period preceding the survey.Results: The response rate was 28.2% of the total sample, representing 63.8% of commercial members and 37.2% of Medicare members. Mean age was 63.4 years. Mean MPR was 61.0% for the target drug. Only 58.2% of Medicare respondents and 60.4% of commercial respondents reported "missing a dose of medication". The primary reason given was "forgetfulness" (61.8% Medicare, 60.8% commercial, followed by "being too busy" (2.7% Medicare, 18.5% commercial and "other reasons" (21.9% Medicare, 8.1% commercial including travel, hospitalization/sickness, disruption of daily events

  1. Computer tablet or telephone? A randomised controlled trial exploring two methods of collecting data from drug and alcohol outpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobden, Breanne; Bryant, Jamie; Carey, Mariko; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Oldmeadow, Christopher

    2017-08-01

    Both computerised and telephone surveys have potential advantages for research data collection. The current study aimed to determine the: (i) feasibility, (ii) acceptability, and (iii) cost per completed survey of computer tablet versus telephone data collection for clients attending an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment clinic. Two-arm randomised controlled trial. Clients attending a drug and alcohol outpatient clinic in New South Wales, Australia, were randomised to complete a baseline survey via computer tablet in the clinic or via telephone interview within two weeks of their appointment. All participants completed a three-month follow-up survey via telephone. Consent and completion rates for the baseline survey were significantly higher in the computer tablet condition. The time taken to complete the computer tablet survey was lower (11min) than the telephone condition (17min). There were no differences in the proportion of consenters or completed follow-up surveys between the two conditions at the 3-month follow-up. Acceptability was high across both modes of data collection. The cost of the computer tablet condition was $67.52 greater per completed survey than the telephone condition. There is a trade-off between computer tablet and telephone data collection. While both data collection methods were acceptable to participants, the computer tablet condition resulted in higher consent and completion rates at baseline, therefore yielding greater external validity, and was quicker for participants to complete. Telephone data collection was however, more cost-effective. Researchers should carefully consider the mode of data collection that suits individual study needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Prevalence, correlates, and description of self-reported diabetes in brazilian capitals - results from a telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; de Moura, Lenildo; Vigo, Alvaro; Schmidt, Maria Inês

    2014-01-01

    The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Brazilian adults and to describe its population correlates as well as the clinical characteristics of the reported cases. We analyzed basic and supplementary data of 54.144 subjects participating in VIGITEL 2011 (Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases), a telephone survey based on a probabilistic sample of subjects ≥ 18 years old residing in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. Estimates reported are weighted so as to represent the surveyed population. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes was 6.3% (95% CI 5.9-6.7), increasing markedly with age and nutritional status, and decreasing with level of education. Prevalence was higher among those self-declaring their race/color as black. Most cases (90%) reported the diagnosis being made at 35 years or older. The vast majority (99.8%) of self-reported cases informed having previously performed at least one glucose test, and 76% of those not reporting diabetes also informed having previously performed glucose testing. Most cases (92.6%) reported following some form of diabetes treatment, 79% taking medication. The estimated prevalence of known diabetes found, 6.3%, is consistent with estimates given by international summaries. The additional data collected in VIGITEL 2011 regarding previous glucose testing and current treatment support the use of telephone-based information to monitor the prevalence of known diabetes in Brazilian capitals.

  3. Prevalence, correlates, and description of self-reported diabetes in brazilian capitals - results from a telephone survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Betine Pinto Moehlecke Iser

    Full Text Available The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Brazilian adults and to describe its population correlates as well as the clinical characteristics of the reported cases.We analyzed basic and supplementary data of 54.144 subjects participating in VIGITEL 2011 (Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases, a telephone survey based on a probabilistic sample of subjects ≥ 18 years old residing in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. Estimates reported are weighted so as to represent the surveyed population.The prevalence of self-reported diabetes was 6.3% (95% CI 5.9-6.7, increasing markedly with age and nutritional status, and decreasing with level of education. Prevalence was higher among those self-declaring their race/color as black. Most cases (90% reported the diagnosis being made at 35 years or older. The vast majority (99.8% of self-reported cases informed having previously performed at least one glucose test, and 76% of those not reporting diabetes also informed having previously performed glucose testing. Most cases (92.6% reported following some form of diabetes treatment, 79% taking medication.The estimated prevalence of known diabetes found, 6.3%, is consistent with estimates given by international summaries. The additional data collected in VIGITEL 2011 regarding previous glucose testing and current treatment support the use of telephone-based information to monitor the prevalence of known diabetes in Brazilian capitals.

  4. Analyzing online sentiment to predict telephone poll results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, King-wa; Chan, Chee-hon

    2013-09-01

    The telephone survey is a common social science research method for capturing public opinion, for example, an individual's values or attitudes, or the government's approval rating. However, reducing domestic landline usage, increasing nonresponse rate, and suffering from response bias of the interviewee's self-reported data pose methodological challenges to such an approach. Because of the labor cost of administration, a phone survey is often conducted on a biweekly or monthly basis, and therefore a daily reflection of public opinion is usually not available. Recently, online sentiment analysis of user-generated content has been deployed to predict public opinion and human behavior. However, its overall effectiveness remains uncertain. This study seeks to examine the temporal association between online sentiment reflected in social media content and phone survey poll results in Hong Kong. Specifically, it aims to find the extent to which online sentiment can predict phone survey results. Using autoregressive integrated moving average time-series analysis, this study suggested that online sentiment scores can lead phone survey results by about 8-15 days, and their correlation coefficients were about 0.16. The finding is significant to the study of social media in social science research, because it supports the conclusion that daily sentiment observed in social media content can serve as a leading predictor for phone survey results, keeping as much as 2 weeks ahead of the monthly announcement of opinion polls. We also discuss the practical and theoretical implications of this study.

  5. Telephone-Based Coaching: A Comparison of Tobacco Cessation Programs in an Integrated Health Care System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boccio, Mindy; Sanna, Rashel S.; Adams, Sara R.; Goler, Nancy C.; Brown, Susan D.; Neugebauer, Romain S.; Ferrara, Assiamira; Wiley, Deanne M.; Bellamy, David J.; Schmittdiel, Julie A.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Many Americans continue to smoke, increasing their risk of disease and premature death. Both telephone-based counseling and in-person tobacco cessation classes may improve access for smokers seeking convenient support to quit. Little research has assessed whether such programs are effective in real-world clinical populations. Design Retrospective cohort study comparing wellness coaching participants with two groups of controls. Setting Kaiser Permanente, Northern California (KPNC), a large integrated health care delivery system. Subjects 241 patients who participated in telephonic tobacco cessation coaching from 1/1/2011–3/31/2012, and two control groups: propensity-score matched controls, and controls who participated in a tobacco cessation class during the same period. Wellness coaching participants received an average of two motivational interviewing based coaching sessions that engage the patient, evoke their reason to consider quitting and help them establish a quit plan. Measures Self-reported quitting of tobacco and fills of tobacco cessation medications within 12 months of follow-up. Analysis Logistic regressions adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and primary language. Results After adjusting for confounders, tobacco quit rates were higher among coaching participants vs. matched controls (31% vs. 23%, PCoaching participants and class attendees filled tobacco-cessation prescriptions at a higher rate (47% for both) than matched controls (6%, Pcoaching was as effective as in-person classes and was associated with higher rates of quitting compared to no treatment. The telephonic modality may increase convenience and scalability for health care systems looking to reduce tobacco use and improve health. PMID:26559720

  6. Telephone-Based Coaching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boccio, Mindy; Sanna, Rashel S; Adams, Sara R; Goler, Nancy C; Brown, Susan D; Neugebauer, Romain S; Ferrara, Assiamira; Wiley, Deanne M; Bellamy, David J; Schmittdiel, Julie A

    2017-03-01

    Many Americans continue to smoke, increasing their risk of disease and premature death. Both telephone-based counseling and in-person tobacco cessation classes may improve access for smokers seeking convenient support to quit. Little research has assessed whether such programs are effective in real-world clinical populations. Retrospective cohort study comparing wellness coaching participants with two groups of controls. Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated health care delivery system. Two hundred forty-one patients who participated in telephonic tobacco cessation coaching from January 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012, and two control groups: propensity-score-matched controls, and controls who participated in a tobacco cessation class during the same period. Wellness coaching participants received an average of two motivational interviewing-based coaching sessions that engaged the patient, evoked their reason to consider quitting, and helped them establish a quit plan. Self-reported quitting of tobacco and fills of tobacco cessation medications within 12 months of follow-up. Logistic regressions adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and primary language. After adjusting for confounders, tobacco quit rates were higher among coaching participants vs. matched controls (31% vs. 23%, p Coaching participants and class attendees filled tobacco-cessation prescriptions at a higher rate (47% for both) than matched controls (6%, p coaching was as effective as in-person classes and was associated with higher rates of quitting compared to no treatment. The telephonic modality may increase convenience and scalability for health care systems looking to reduce tobacco use and improve health.

  7. Speech perception and communication ability over the telephone by Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Che-Ming; Liu, Tien-Chen; Wang, Nan-Mai; Chao, Wei-Chieh

    2013-08-01

    (1) To understand speech perception and communication ability through real telephone calls by Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants and compare them to live-voice perception, (2) to report the general condition of telephone use of this population, and (3) to investigate the factors that correlate with telephone speech perception performance. Fifty-six children with over 4 years of implant use (aged 6.8-13.6 years, mean duration 8.0 years) took three speech perception tests administered using telephone and live voice to examine sentence, monosyllabic-word and Mandarin tone perception. The children also filled out a questionnaire survey investigating everyday telephone use. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the scores between live-voice and telephone tests, and Pearson's test to examine the correlation between them. The mean scores were 86.4%, 69.8% and 70.5% respectively for sentence, word and tone recognition over the telephone. The corresponding live-voice mean scores were 94.3%, 84.0% and 70.8%. Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed the sentence and word scores were significantly different between telephone and live voice test, while the tone recognition scores were not, indicating tone perception was less worsened by telephone transmission than words and sentences. Spearman's test showed that chronological age and duration of implant use were weakly correlated with the perception test scores. The questionnaire survey showed 78% of the children could initiate phone calls and 59% could use the telephone 2 years after implantation. Implanted children are potentially capable of using the telephone 2 years after implantation, and communication ability over the telephone becomes satisfactory 4 years after implantation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Sexual activity, fertility and contraceptive use in middle-aged and older men: Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, C A; McLachlan, R I; Cumming, R; Wittert, G; Handelsman, D J; de Kretser, D M; Pitts, M

    2005-12-01

    With limited information regarding fertility and sexual activity in the older population, men's behaviour, attitudes and concerns were explored in a representative population of middle-aged and older men using the Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS). A stratified random national sample of 5990 men participated in a standardized computer-assisted telephone interview. Equal numbers in the age strata 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and >or=70 years were surveyed with findings census-standardized to the national population. Broad aspects of men's health and well-being, including reproductive health, were explored. The majority of men were sexually active in the last 12 months (age-standardized proportion, 78.3%) with approximately 37% of men aged >or=70 years still continuing sexual activity. Overall, 12.2% of men had never fathered children, of whom most (7.7%) had chosen not to have children. Questioning on failed attempts to produce a pregnancy suggested an involuntary infertility rate of 7.6%. The age-standardized vasectomy rate was 25.1%, with 5.6% of vasectomized men having no children. Although 9.2% of vasectomized men regretted sterilization, only 1.4% had undergone vasectomy reversal. Continuing sexual activity, fertility and contraception needs in middle-aged and older men suggests that education and service delivery must be more appropriately directed to an ageing population.

  9. Telephone Exchange Maintenance

    CERN Multimedia

    2005-01-01

    Urgent maintenance work on CERN telephone exchanges will be performed on 24 March from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Telephone services may be disrupted or even interrupted during this time. For more details, please contact us by email at Standard.Telephone@cern.ch.

  10. Supplemental Analysis Survey of C&P Telephone Inside Wiring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1986-10-01

    telephone company facilities in 1984. In 1985, among other actions favorable to deregulation and detariffing of inside wiring, the FCC proposed to detariff ...installation of inside wiring, detariff the maintenance of all inside wiring, treat all inside wiring as customer premise equipment and pass ownership...85-148, 50 Fed. let. 13991 (April 9, 1985), pToposing to detariff the installation of simple inside wiring and also to detariff the maintenance of all

  11. Total Telephone Tips.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corder, Lloyd E.; And Others

    This manual of telephone behavior tips for business and sales professionals offers ways to handle the disgruntled caller and makes suggestions on topics relevant to the telephone. The manual is divided into the following sections and subsections: (1) Common Courtesy (staff tips, answering the telephone, screening calls, transferring calls, taking…

  12. Telephone Service

    CERN Multimedia

    2005-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, the CERN exchange switches will be updated on Thursday 2 June between 7.00 p.m. and midnight. Telephone services may be affected and possibly even disrupted during this operation. 

  13. Telephoning in English

    CERN Document Server

    Naterop, B Jean

    1994-01-01

    Many people have to use English on the telephone in the course of their work, either at the level of taking a simple message or involving more complex tasks such as requesting information. Telephoning in English provides an up-to-date and relevant context in which students from lower-intermediate level upwards can develop practical telephone skills. The course principally develops spoken interactive skills, but also includes reading material on telephone systems and techniques. As the material is not restricted to particular job functions, it is suitable for students in a wide range of business and administration fields.

  14. Patient attitudes about the clinical use of placebo: qualitative perspectives from a telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, Robin; Chandros Hull, Sara; Colloca, Luana

    2016-04-04

    To examine qualitative responses regarding the use of placebo treatments in medical care in a sample of US patients.Survey studies suggest a deliberate clinical use of placebos by physicians, and prior research has found that although most US patients find placebo use acceptable, the rationale for these beliefs is largely unknown. Members of the Outpatient Clinic at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California interviewed research participants who had been seen for a chronic health problem at least once in the prior 6 months. 853 women (61%) and men, white (58%) and non-white participants aged 18-75 years. Qualitative responses on perceptions of placebo use from one-time telephone surveys were analysed for common themes and associations with demographic variables. Prior results indicated that a majority of respondents felt it acceptable for doctors to recommend placebo treatments. Our study found that a lack of harm (n=291, 46.1%) and potential benefit (n=250, 39.6%) were the most common themes to justify acceptability of placebo use. Responses citing potential benefit were associated with higher education (r=0.787; pright to know and power of the mind. Older age was associated with likelihood to cite overall physician, as opposed to treatment, related themes (r=0.753; prights-and-licensing/

  15. Cellular telephone use among primary school children in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehler, Eva; Schuez, Joachim

    2004-01-01

    Background: There is some concern about potential health risks of cellular telephone use to children. We assessed data on how many children own a cellular telephone and on how often they use it in a population-based sample. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study among children in their fourth elementary school year, with a median-age of 10 years. The study was carried out in Mainz (Germany), a city with about 200,000 inhabitants. The study base comprised all 37 primary schools in Mainz and near surroundings. Altogether, 1933 children from 34 primary schools took part in the survey (participation rate of 87.8%). Results: Roughly a third of all children (n = 671, 34.7%) reported to own a cellular telephone. Overall, 119 (6.2%) children used a cellular telephone for making calls at least once a day, 123 (6.4%) used it several times a week and 876 (45.3%) children used it only once in a while. The remaining 805 (41.6%) children had never used a cellular telephone. The probability of owning a cellular telephone among children was associated with older age, being male, having no siblings, giving full particulars to height and weight, more time spent watching TV and playing computer games, being picked up by their parents from school by car (instead of walking or cycling) and going to bed late. The proportion of cellular telephone owners was somewhat higher in classes with more children from socially disadvantaged families. Conclusions: Our study shows that both ownership of a cellular telephone as well as the regular use of it are already quite frequent among children in the fourth grade of primary school. With regard to potential long-term effects, we recommend follow-up studies with children

  16. The telephone effect: Overcoming initiation deficits in two settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickers, Kayci L; Keesler, Michael E; Williams, Kelli S; Charles, Jeremy Y; Hamilton, Roy H

    2018-04-19

    Disorders of motivation substantially impair an individual's ability to communicate with their families, therapists, and doctors. One method of overcoming initiation deficits is by utilizing the telephone effect, which is the ability for individuals with severe motivation deficits to communicate more readily when speaking on a telephone. However, little is available in the extant literature on how this effect works or how best to integrate this into patient care. This article aims to provide the first report of a proposed mechanism underlying the telephone effect and the first published procedures for eliciting this effect. This is largely a review article that also contains descriptions of clinical procedures for eliciting the telephone effect with 2 patient populations: acute inpatients following brain injury and dementia residents. A case vignette is also provided. We propose that the telephone effect is the result of an interaction between the patient and environment, and occurs because of Gibson's (1979) law of affordances. The use of this theory provides an explanation of the behaviors often observed when attempting to elicit this effect (i.e., disruption of the effect when using a cellular phone). Moreover, we argue that this can, and does, apply to social interactions as well. The telephone effect is an understudied phenomenon that provides a means of improving care for individuals with disorders of motivation. Future directions include systematic research into the telephone effect and further investigation of the mechanism underlying this effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. A mobile telephone-based SMS and internet survey system for self-assessment in Australian anaesthesia: experience of a single practitioner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belavy, D

    2014-11-01

    Self-assessment and audit in anaesthesia require a systematic approach to postoperative data collection. The increasing prevalence of mobile internet technology offers a new data collection method for anaesthetists. In this paper, a system for mobile internet data collection is described and the preliminary experience with its use is presented. The system was developed by the author and combined an open source survey application and a short message service (SMS) gateway to send SMS messages to patients after their anaesthesia and surgery. The messages requested patients to complete an online Quality of Recovery survey questionnaire if they had a smartphone. The results were immediately available. A preliminary survey of consenting patients with available mobile telephone numbers in a private practice was undertaken by the author. A total of 123 procedures were eligible for follow-up and survey requests were sent to 94 patients. Sixty-five surveys were completed. This represents 69% of surveys requested, demonstrating that mobile phone technology can be used to provide significant amounts of data for quality assurance. However, the implementation of a mobile internet data collection system requires consideration of privacy principles, security and ethical handling of data.

  18. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 13: Source selection and information use by US aerospace engineers and scientists: Results of a telephone survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Nanci A.

    1992-01-01

    A telephone survey of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists belonging to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was conducted between December 4, 1991 and January 5, 1992. The survey was undertaken to (1) validate the telephone survey as an appropriate technique for collecting data from U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists; (2) collect information about how the results of NASA/DoD aerospace research are used in the R&D process; (3) identify those selection criteria which affect the use of federally-funded aerospace R&D; and (4) obtain information that could be used to develop a self-administered mail questionnaire for use with the same population. The average rating of importance of U.S. government technical reports was 2.5 (on a 4-point scale); The mean/median number of times U.S. government technical reports were used per 6 months was 8/2. Factors scoring highest for U.S. government technical reports were technical accuracy (2.9), reliable data and technical information (2.8), and contains comprehensive data and information (2.7) on a 4-point system. The factors scoring highest for influencing the use of U.S. government technical reports were relevance (3.1), technical accuracy (3.06), and reliable data/information (3.02). Ease of use, familiarity, technical accuracy, and relevance correlated with use of U.S. government technical reports. Survey demographics, survey questionnaire, and the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project publications list are included.

  19. An Intervention to Improve the Comfort And Satisfaction of Nurses in the Telephone Triage of Child Maltreatment Calls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Julie

    2015-01-01

    Nurses are mandated reporters of actual or suspected child maltreatment or the threat thereof. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine the knowledge and comfort of nurses in telephone triage in pediatric clinics when dealing with suspected or actual child abuse calls. Nurses (N = 17) from three pediatric primary care clinics and one specialty care orthopedic clinic were surveyed. Based on results of the survey showing a lack of knowledge and adequate referral resources perceived by the nursing staff, resources and staff education were developed, along with a script for guiding maltreatment calls toward standardization of care. Following the intervention, nurses reported an increased comfort level when doing telephone triage for child maltreatment calls, an increase in knowledge of risk factors for county resources. Further, they reported a substantial shift in opinion about the need for a standardized script when responding to child maltreatment telephone calls. Nurses undertaking telephone triage of high-risk child maltreatment calls can improve their comfort and knowledge through a survey of their needs and directed education and resource development for the management of child maltreatment telephone triage.

  20. A telephone survey of parental attitudes and behaviours regarding teenage drinking

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Irish teenagers demonstrate high rates of drunkenness and there has been a progressive fall in age of first drinking in recent decades. International research indicates that parents exert substantial influence over their teenager's drinking. We sought to determine the attitudes and behaviours of Irish parents towards drinking by their adolescent children. Methods We conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of of 234 parents who had a teenager aged between 13 and 17 years. Results Six per cent reported that they would be unconcerned if their son or daughter was to binge drink once per month. On the issue of introducing children to alcohol in the home, 27% viewed this as a good idea while 63% disagreed with this practice. Eleven per cent of parents reported that they had given a drink to their teenager at home. Parents who drank regularly themselves, who were from higher socio-demographic groups and who lived in the east of Ireland demonstrated more permissive attitudes to teenage drinking. Conclusions We found no evidence of widespread permissive attitudes and behaviours among Irish parents. Given that parental influences have been demonstrated to exert substantial impact on teenage drinking, it may be possible to harness the concerns of Irish parents more effectively to reverse the trends of escalating alcohol related harm in Ireland. PMID:20515492

  1. A telephone survey of parental attitudes and behaviours regarding teenage drinking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barry Joe M

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Irish teenagers demonstrate high rates of drunkenness and there has been a progressive fall in age of first drinking in recent decades. International research indicates that parents exert substantial influence over their teenager's drinking. We sought to determine the attitudes and behaviours of Irish parents towards drinking by their adolescent children. Methods We conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of of 234 parents who had a teenager aged between 13 and 17 years. Results Six per cent reported that they would be unconcerned if their son or daughter was to binge drink once per month. On the issue of introducing children to alcohol in the home, 27% viewed this as a good idea while 63% disagreed with this practice. Eleven per cent of parents reported that they had given a drink to their teenager at home. Parents who drank regularly themselves, who were from higher socio-demographic groups and who lived in the east of Ireland demonstrated more permissive attitudes to teenage drinking. Conclusions We found no evidence of widespread permissive attitudes and behaviours among Irish parents. Given that parental influences have been demonstrated to exert substantial impact on teenage drinking, it may be possible to harness the concerns of Irish parents more effectively to reverse the trends of escalating alcohol related harm in Ireland.

  2. Typology of after-hours care instructions for patients: telephone survey and multivariate analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordman, Risa; Bovett, Monica; Drummond, Neil; Crighton, Eric J; Wheler, David; Moineddin, Rahim; White, David

    2007-03-01

    To develop a typology of after-hours care (AHC) instructions and to examine physician and practice characteristics associated with each type of instruction. Cross-sectional telephone survey. Physicians' offices were called during evenings and weekends to listen to their messages regarding AHC. All messages were categorized. Thematic analysis of a subset of messages was conducted to develop a typology of AHC instructions. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between physician and practice characteristics and the instructions left for patients. Family practices in the greater Toronto area. Stratified random sample of family physicians providing office-based primary care. Form of response (eg, answering machine), content of message, and physician and practice characteristics. Of 514 after-hours messages from family physicians' offices, 421 were obtained from answering machines, 58 were obtained from answering services, 23 had no answer, 2 gave pager numbers, and 10 had other responses. Message content ranged from no AHC instructions to detailed advice; 54% of messages provided a single instruction, and the rest provided a combination of instructions. Content analysis identified 815 discrete instructions or types of response that were classified into 7 categories: 302 instructed patients to go to an emergency department; 122 provided direct contact with a physician; 115 told patients to go to a clinic; 94 left no directions; 76 suggested calling a housecall service; 45 suggested calling Telehealth; and 61 suggested other things. About 22% of messages only advised attending an emergency department, and 18% gave no advice at all. Physicians who were female, had Canadian certification in family medicine, held hospital privileges, or had attended a Canadian medical school were more likely to be directly available to their patients. Important issues identified included the recommendation to use an emergency department as the sole source of AHC

  3. Responses to language barriers in consultations with refugees and asylum seekers: a telephone survey of Irish general practitioners.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    MacFarlane, Anne

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Refugees and asylum seekers experience language barriers in general practice. Qualitative studies have found that responses to language barriers in general practice are ad hoc with use of both professional interpreters and informal interpreters (patients\\' relatives or friends). However, the scale of the issues involved is unknown. This study quantifies the need for language assistance in general practice consultations and examines the experience of, and satisfaction with, methods of language assistance utilized. METHODS: Data were collected by telephone survey with general practitioners in a regional health authority in Ireland between July-August 2004. Each respondent was asked a series of questions about consulting with refugees and asylum seekers, the need for language assistance and the kind of language assistance used. RESULTS: There was a 70% (n = 56\\/80) response rate to the telephone survey. The majority of respondents (77%) said that they had experienced consultations with refugees and asylum seekers in which language assistance was required. Despite this, general practitioners in the majority of cases managed without an interpreter or used informal methods of interpretation. In fact, when given a choice general practitioners would more often choose informal over professional methods of interpretation despite the fact that confidentiality was a significant concern. CONCLUSION: The need for language assistance in consultations with refugees and asylum seekers in Irish general practice is high. General practitioners rely on informal responses. It is necessary to improve knowledge about the organisational contexts that shape general practitioners responses. We also recommend dialogue between general practitioners, patients and interpreters about the relative merits of informal and professional methods of interpretation so that general practitioners\\' choices are responsive to the needs of patients with limited English.

  4. Lifestyles in Brazilian capitals according to the National Health Survey and the Surveillance System for Protective and Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel), 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Santos, Maria Aline Siqueira; Andrade, Silvânia Suely de Araújo; Stopa, Sheila Rizzato; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Claro, Rafael Moreira

    2015-12-01

    To describe risk and protective factors for chronic diseases, in Brazilian capitals and the Federal District, collected by the National Health Survey (PNS) and by the Surveillance System for Protective and Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) in 2013. Data analysis of the studies conducted by the PNS and Vigitel in 2013 was performed. Indicators analyzed were: smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical activity, according to sex, with a 95% confidence interval. The prevalences found were: current cigarette smokers: PNS, 12.5% and Vigitel, 11.3%; abuse of alcoholic beverages: PNS, 14.9% and Vigitel, 16.4%; recommended intake of fruits and vegetables: PNS, 41.8% and Vigitel, 23.6%; and physical activity in leisure time: PNS, 26.6% and Vigitel, 35.8%. In the majority of indicators, the results were similar, especially when the questions and response options were equal. Surveys are useful for the monitoring of risk and protective factors of noncommunicable diseases and can support health promotion programs.

  5. Testing a Model of Functional Impairment in Telephone Crisis Support Workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitchingman, Taneile A; Wilson, Coralie J; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

    2017-11-01

    It is well known that helping professionals experience functional impairment related to elevated symptoms of psychological distress as a result of frequent empathic engagement with distressed others. Whether telephone crisis support workers are impacted in a similar way is not currently reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model of factors contributing to functional impairment in telephone crisis support workers. A national sample of 210 telephone crisis support workers completed an online survey including measures of emotion regulation, symptoms of general psychological distress and suicidal ideation, intentions to seek help for symptoms, and functional impairment. Structural equation modeling was used to test the fit of the data to the hypothesized model. Goodness-of-fit indices were adequate and supported the interactive effects of emotion regulation, general psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and intentions to seek help for ideation on functional impairment. These results warrant the deliberate management of telephone crisis support workers' impairment through service selection, training, supervision, and professional development strategies. Future research replicating and extending this model will further inform the modification and/or development of strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers' well-being and delivery of support to callers.

  6. Role of telephone triage in obstetrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Nirvana Afsordeh; Magann, Everett F; Rhoads, Sarah J; Ivey, Tesa L; Williams, Donna J

    2012-12-01

    The telephone has become an indispensable method of communication in the practice of obstetrics. The telephone is one of the primary methods by which the patient makes her appointments and contacts her health care provider for advice, reassurance, and referrals. Current methods of telephone triage include personal at the physicians' office, telephone answering services, labor and delivery nurses, and a dedicated telephone triage system using algorithms. Limitations of telephone triage include the inability of the provider to see the patient and receive visual clues from the interaction and the challenges of obtaining a complete history over the telephone. In addition, there are potential safety and legal issues with telephone triage. To date, there is insufficient evidence to either validate or refute the use of a dedicated telephone triage system compared with a traditional system using an answering service or nurses on labor and delivery. Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians. After completing this CME activity, physicians should be better able to analyze the scope of variation in telephone triage across health care providers and categorize the components that go into a successful triage system, assess the current scope of research in telephone triage in obstetrics, evaluate potential safety and legal issues with telephone triage in obstetrics, and identify issues that should be addressed in any institution that is using or implementing a system of telephone triage in obstetrics.

  7. Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) 2015

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — This dataset is the second round of Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS). The BIHS is the only nationally representative survey in Bangladesh that collects...

  8. Psychotherapeutic intervention by telephone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika Mozer

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Erika Mozer1,2, Bethany Franklin1,3, Jon Rose11Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 2PGSP Stanford PsyD Consortium Palo Alto, CA, USA; 3Pacific Graduate School of Psychology Palo Alto, California, USAAbstract: Psychotherapy conducted over the telephone has received increasing amounts of empirical attention given practical advantages that side-step treatment barriers encountered in traditional office-based care. The utility and efficacy of telephone therapy appears generalizable across diverse clinical populations seeking care in community-based hospital settings. Treatment barriers common to older adults suggest that telephone therapy may be an efficient and effective mental health resource for this population. This paper describes empirical studies of telehealth interventions and case examples with psychotherapy conducted via telephone on the Spinal Cord Injury Unit of the Palo Alto Veterans’ Administration. Telephone therapy as appears to be a viable intervention with the aging population.Keywords: telehealth, rural mental health, psychotherapy, healthcare delivery, telecare

  9. A telephone survey of cancer awareness among frontline staff: informing training needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, N; Hart, A; Nuttall, K; Simpson, K; Turnill, N; Grant-Pearce, C; Damms, P; Allen, V; Slade, K; Dey, P

    2011-01-01

    Background: Studies have shown limited awareness about cancer risk factors among hospital-based staff. Less is known about general cancer awareness among community frontline National Health Service and social care staff. Methods: A cross-sectional computer-assisted telephone survey of 4664 frontline community-based health and social care staff in North West England. Results: A total of 671 out of 4664 (14.4%) potentially eligible subjects agreed to take part. Over 92% of staff recognised most warning signs, except an unexplained pain (88.8%, n=596), cough or hoarseness (86.9%, n=583) and a sore that does not heal (77.3%, n=519). The bowel cancer-screening programme was recognised by 61.8% (n=415) of staff. Most staff agreed that smoking and passive smoking ‘increased the chance of getting cancer.' Fewer agreed about getting sunburnt more than once as a child (78.0%, n=523), being overweight (73.5%, n=493), drinking more than one unit of alcohol per day (50.2%, n=337) or doing less than 30 min of moderate physical exercise five times a week (41.1%, n=276). Conclusion: Cancer awareness is generally good among frontline staff, but important gaps exist, which might be improved by targeted education and training and through developing clearer messages about cancer risk factors. PMID:21750554

  10. Physical Therapists, Telephone Coaches, and Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Qualitative Study About Working Together to Promote Exercise Adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinman, Rana S; Delany, Clare M; Campbell, Penelope K; Gale, Janette; Bennell, Kim L

    2016-04-01

    Integrated models of care are recommended for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Exercise is integral to management, yet exercise adherence is problematic. Telephone-based health coaching is an attractive adjunct to physical therapist-prescribed exercise that may improve adherence. Little is known about the perceptions and interpretations of physical therapists, telephone coaches, and patients engaged in this model of care. The purpose of this study was to explore how stakeholders (physical therapists, telephone coaches, and patients) experienced, and made sense of, being involved in an integrated program of physical therapist-supervised exercise and telephone coaching for people with knee OA. A cross-sectional qualitative design drawing from symbolic interactionism was used. Semistructured interviews with 10 physical therapists, 4 telephone coaches, and 6 patients with painful knee OA. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis informed by grounded theory. Four themes emerged: (1) genuine interest and collaboration, (2) information and accountability, (3) program structure, and (4) roles and communication in teamwork. Patients reported they appreciated personalized, genuine interest from therapists and coaches and were aware of their complementary roles. A collaborative approach, with defined roles and communication strategies, was identified as important for effectiveness. All participants highlighted the importance of sharing information, monitoring, and being accountable to others. Coaches found the lack of face-to-face contact with patients hampered relationship building. Therapists and coaches referred to the importance of teamwork in delivering the intervention. The small number of physical therapists and telephone coaches who delivered the intervention may have been biased toward favorable experiences with the intervention and may not be representative of their respective professions. Integrated physical therapy and

  11. Efficacy and experiences of telephone counselling for informal carers of people with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lins, Sabine; Hayder-Beichel, Daniela; Rücker, Gerta; Motschall, Edith; Antes, Gerd; Meyer, Gabriele; Langer, Gero

    2014-09-01

    Informal carers of people with dementia can suffer from depressive symptoms, emotional distress and other physiological, social and financial consequences. This review focuses on three main objectives:To:1) produce a quantitative review of the efficacy of telephone counselling for informal carers of people with dementia;2) synthesize qualitative studies to explore carers' experiences of receiving telephone counselling and counsellors' experiences of conducting telephone counselling; and3) integrate 1) and 2) to identify aspects of the intervention that are valued and work well, and those interventional components that should be improved or redesigned. The Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group's Specialized Register, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in Process, EMBASE, CINAHL, PSYNDEX, PsycINFO, Web of Science, DIMDI databases, Springer database, Science direct and trial registers were searched on 3 May 2011 and updated on 25 February 2013. A Forward Citation search was conducted for included studies in Web of Science and Google Scholar. We used the Related Articles service of PubMed for included studies, contacted experts and hand-searched abstracts of five congresses. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cross-over trials that compared telephone counselling for informal carers of people with dementia against no treatment, usual care or friendly calls for chatting were included evaluation of efficacy. Qualitative studies with qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were also included to address experiences with telephone counselling. Two authors independently screened articles for inclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the quantitative trials with the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool and the qualitative studies with the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tool. The authors conducted meta-analyses, but reported some results in narrative form due to clinical heterogeneity. The authors synthesised the qualitative data and

  12. Telephone Crisis Support Workers' Intentions to Use Recommended Skills While Experiencing Functional Impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitchingman, Taneile A; Wilson, Coralie J; Woodward, Alan; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian

    2018-05-01

    Empathic engagement with distressed others can lead to elevated symptoms of psychological distress and functional impairment, which preclude helping professionals' delivery of optimal patient care. Whether telephone crisis support workers are impacted in a similar way is not currently reported in the literature. This study examined the relationship between functional impairment and intentions to use recommended support skills in a representative national sample of 210 telephone crisis support workers. Participants completed an online survey including measures of functional impairment and intentions to use recommended telephone crisis support skills with callers reporting suicidal ideation, symptoms of depression, and anxiety. As a group, participants who experienced greater functional impairment during the past month reported significantly lower intentions to use recommended support skills with callers than those who reported lower functional impairment. Future research is needed to clarify the extent to which results generalize to telephone crisis support workers from other organizations. Results warrant further research to (a) identify determinants of telephone crisis support workers' functional impairment, and (b) for the deliberate management of telephone crisis support workers' functional impairment through developing and/or modifying existing service strategies to optimize workers' psychological well-being and delivery of support to callers.

  13. Disparities in the Use of Internet and Telephone Medication Refills among Linguistically Diverse Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, Gerardo; Lin, Elizabeth H; Chang, Eva; Johnson, Ron L; Berthoud, Heidi; Solomon, Cam C; Morales, Leo S

    2016-03-01

    Health systems are increasingly implementing remote telephone and Internet refill systems to enhance patient access to medication refills. Remote refill systems may provide an effective approach for improving medication non-adherence, but more research is needed among patients with limited English proficiency with poor access to remote refill systems. To compare the use of remote medication refill systems among limited-English-proficiency (LEP) and English-proficient (EP) patients with chronic conditions. Cross-sectional survey in six languages/dialects (English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, and Spanish) of 509 adults with diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia. Primary study outcomes were self-reported use of 1) Internet refills, 2) telephone refills, and 3) any remote refill system. LEP was measured by patient self-identification of a primary language other than English and a claims record of use of an interpreter. Other measures were age, gender, education, years in the U.S., insurance, health status, chronic conditions, and number of prescribed medications. Analyses included multivariable logistic regression weighted for survey non-response. Overall, 33.1 % of patients refilled their medications by telephone and 31.6 % by Internet. Among LEP patients (n = 328), 31.5 % refilled by telephone and 21.2 % by Internet, compared with 36.7 % by telephone and 52.7 % by Internet among EP patients (n = 181). Internet refill by language groups were as follows: English (52.7 %), Cantonese (34.9 %), Mandarin (17.4 %), Korean (16.7 %), Vietnamese (24.4 %), and Spanish (12.6 %). Compared to EP patients, LEP patients had lower use of any remote refill system (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.18; p use any remote medication refill system. Increased reliance on current systems for remote medication refills may increase disparities in health outcomes affecting LEP patients with poor access to telephone and Internet medication refills.

  14. Diffusion and Advertising: The German Telephone Campaign

    OpenAIRE

    Hermann Simon; Karl-Heinz Sebastian

    1987-01-01

    The goal of the present paper is to investigate the influence of advertising on the diffusion of new telephones in West Germany. Several alternative ways of integrating advertising into the well-known Bass-diffusion-model are suggested and empirically tested. The econometric investigation yields results which are consistent with the behavioral assumption. A model which assumes that advertising mainly influenced the demand of imitators is accepted as the most valid representation of reality. T...

  15. Telephone calls by individuals with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flannery, Marie; McAndrews, Leanne; Stein, Karen F

    2013-09-01

    To describe symptom type and reporting patterns found in spontaneously initiated telephone calls placed to an ambulatory cancer center practice. Retrospective, descriptive. Adult hematology oncology cancer center. 563 individuals with a wide range of oncology diagnoses who initiated 1,229 telephone calls to report symptoms. Raw data were extracted from telephone forms using a data collection sheet with 23 variables obtained for each phone call, using pre-established coding criteria. A literature-based, investigator-developed instrument was used for the coding criteria and selection of which variables to extract. Symptom reporting, telephone calls, pain, and symptoms. A total of 2,378 symptoms were reported by telephone during the four months. At least 10% of the sample reported pain (38%), fatigue (16%), nausea (16%), swelling (12%), diarrhea (12%), dyspnea (10%), and anorexia (10%). The modal response was to call only one time and to report only one symptom (55%). Pain emerged as the symptom that most often prompted an individual to pick up the telephone and call. Although variation was seen in symptom reporting, an interesting pattern emerged with an individual reporting on a solitary symptom in a single telephone call. The emergence of pain as the primary symptom reported by telephone prompted educational efforts for both in-person clinic visit management of pain and prioritizing nursing education and protocol management of pain reported by telephone. Report of symptoms by telephone can provide nurses unique insight into patient-centered needs. Although pain has been an important focus of education and research for decades, it remains a priority for individuals with cancer. A wide range in symptom reporting by telephone was evident.

  16. Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

    2017-01-01

    Background Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). Objective The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item’s susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. Methods A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. Results When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression

  17. Comparison of Self-Reported Telephone Interviewing and Web-Based Survey Responses: Findings From the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milton, Alyssa C; Ellis, Louise A; Davenport, Tracey A; Burns, Jane M; Hickie, Ian B

    2017-09-26

    Web-based self-report surveying has increased in popularity, as it can rapidly yield large samples at a low cost. Despite this increase in popularity, in the area of youth mental health, there is a distinct lack of research comparing the results of Web-based self-report surveys with the more traditional and widely accepted computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014 sought to compare differences in respondent response patterns using matched items on CATI versus a Web-based self-report survey. The aim of this study was to examine whether responses varied as a result of item sensitivity, that is, the item's susceptibility to exaggeration on underreporting and to assess whether certain subgroups demonstrated this effect to a greater extent. A subsample of young people aged 16 to 25 years (N=101), recruited through the Second Australian Young and Well National Survey 2014, completed the identical items on two occasions: via CATI and via Web-based self-report survey. Respondents also rated perceived item sensitivity. When comparing CATI with the Web-based self-report survey, a Wilcoxon signed-rank analysis showed that respondents answered 14 of the 42 matched items in a significantly different way. Significant variation in responses (CATI vs Web-based) was more frequent if the item was also rated by the respondents as highly sensitive in nature. Specifically, 63% (5/8) of the high sensitivity items, 43% (3/7) of the neutral sensitivity items, and 0% (0/4) of the low sensitivity items were answered in a significantly different manner by respondents when comparing their matched CATI and Web-based question responses. The items that were perceived as highly sensitive by respondents and demonstrated response variability included the following: sexting activities, body image concerns, experience of diagnosis, and suicidal ideation. For high sensitivity items, a regression analysis showed respondents who were male

  18. A Survey of Privacy on Data Integration

    OpenAIRE

    Do Son, Thanh

    2015-01-01

    This survey is an integrated view of other surveys on privacy preserving for data integration. First, we review the database context and challenges and research questions. Second, we formulate the privacy problems for schema matching and data matching. Next, we introduce the elements of privacy models. Then, we summarize the existing privacy techniques and the analysis (proofs) of privacy guarantees. Finally, we describe the privacy frameworks and their applications.

  19. Telephone Care Management of Fall Risk:: A Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelan, Elizabeth A; Pence, Maureen; Williams, Barbara; MacCornack, Frederick A

    2017-03-01

    Care management has been found to be more effective than usual care for some chronic conditions, but few studies have tested care management for prevention of elder falls. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of telephone care management of older adults presenting for medical attention due to a fall. The setting was an independent practice association in western Washington serving 1,300 Medicare Advantage-insured patients. Patients aged ≥65 years treated for a fall in an emergency department or their primary care provider's office were contacted via telephone by a care manager within 48 hours of their fall-related visit and invited to participate in a telephone-administered interview to identify modifiable fall risk factors and receive recommendations and follow-up to address identified risk factors. Data from care manager records, patient medical records, and healthcare claims for the first 6 months (November 2009-April 2010) of program implementation were analyzed in 2011. The feasibility of screening and management of fall risk factors over the telephone and the effect on medically attended falls were assessed. Twenty-two patients eligible for fall care management were reached and administered the protocol. Administration took 15-20 minutes and integrated easily with the care manager's other responsibilities. Follow-through on recommendations varied, from 45% for those for whom exercise participation was recommended to 100% for other recommendations. No medically attended falls occurred over 6 months of follow-up. Telephone care management of fall risk appears feasible and may reduce falls requiring medical attention. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Update of telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, the CERN switching centre will be updated on Wednesday 14 June between 8.00 p.m. and midnight. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this operation. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  1. Integrative teaching in Radiology. A survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dettmer, S.; Weidemann, J.; Wacker, F.; Fischer, V.

    2015-01-01

    To survey integrative teaching in radiology at German universities. A questionnaire about radiological education was sent electronically to all 37 chairpersons of university radiology departments in Germany. The questions included the course type, teaching methods, concept, perception, and advantages and disadvantages of integrative teaching. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric statistics and chi-square test. The survey was considered representative with a return rate of 68%. Integrative teaching is established at 4/5 of all departments. Integrative teaching is well accepted with an acceptance rate that is significantly higher in so-called 'Modellstudiengaengen' (model courses of study) (100%) compared to conventional courses of study (72%). The advantages of integrative teaching include linking of content (92%) and preparation for interdisciplinary work (76%). The disadvantages include high effort (75%) and time (67%) for organization. Furthermore, there is a risk that basic radiological facts and knowledge cannot be conveyed and that the visibility of radiology as an independent discipline is lost. Conventional radiological teaching has a similarly high acceptance (84%) compared to integrative courses (76%). Integrative teaching has a high acceptance among chairpersons in radiology in Germany despite the greater effort. A good interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for integrative teaching and at the same time this can be conveyed to the students. However, the visibility of radiology as a discipline and the possibility to cover basic radiological content must be ensured. Therefore, both conventional courses and integrative teaching seems reasonable, especially in cross-disciplinary subjects such as radiology.

  2. Update of telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, the CERN switching centre will be updated on Monday 3 July between 8.00 p.m. and 3.00 a.m. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this operation.We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  3. Update of telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, the CERN switching centre will be updated on Monday 3 July between 8.00 p.m. and 3.00 a.m. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this operation. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  4. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8 p.m. and midnight on 20 November. Fixed-line telephone and audioconference services may be disrupted while the work is being carried out. However, the CCC and the fire brigade will be contactable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. For further details about the maintenance work, please contact the telephone switchboard on 76111 or by email to standard.telephone@cern.ch. Telecom Section IT/CS

  5. Potential use of telephone surveys for non-communicable disease surveillance in developing countries: evidence from a national household survey in Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibai, Abla M; Ghandour, Lilian A; Chaaban, Rawan; Mokdad, Ali H

    2016-05-31

    Given the worldwide proliferation of cellphones, this paper examines their potential use for the surveillance of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in a Middle Eastern country. Data were derived from a national household survey of 2,656 adults (aged 18 years or older) in Lebanon in 2009. Responses to questions on phone ownership yielded two subsamples, the 'cell phone sample' (n = 1,404) and the 'any phone sample' (n = 2,158). Prevalence estimates of various socio-demographics and 11 key NCD risk factors and comorbidities were compared between each subsample and the overall household sample. Adjusting for baseline age and sex distribution, no differences were observed for all NCD indicators when comparing either of subsamples to the overall household sample, except for binge drinking [(OR = 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.33-1.81) and (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: 1.18-1.85) for 'cell phone subsample' and 'any phone subsample', respectively] and self-rated health (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.36) and (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.32), respectively). Differences in the odds of hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.51) was also found in the subsample of 'any phone' carriers. Multi-mode telephone surveillance techniques provide viable alternative to face-to-face surveys in developing countries. Cell phones may also be useful for personalized public health and medical care interventions in young populations.

  6. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 14: Engineering work and information use in aerospace: Results of a telephone survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; White, Terry F.

    1992-01-01

    A telephone survey of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists who were on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) mailing list was conducted between August 14-26, 1991. The survey was undertaken to obtain information on the daily work activities of aerospace engineers and scientists, to measure various practices used by aerospace engineers and scientists to obtain STI, and to ask aerospace engineers and scientists about their use of electronic networks. Co-workers were found important sources of information. Co-workers are used to obtain technical information because the information they have is relevant, not because co-workers are accessible. As technical uncertainty increases, so does the need for information internal and external to the organization. Electronic networks enjoy widespread use within the aerospace community. These networks are accessible and they are used to contact people at remote sites. About 80 percent of the respondents used electronic mail, file transfer, and information or data retrieval to commercial or in-house data bases.

  7. Update of telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, the CERN switching centre will be updated on between Monday 23 October 8.00 p.m. and Tuesday 24 October 2.00 a.m. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this operation. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  8. Upgrade of telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, work will be carried out on the CERN switching centre between Monday 23 October 8.00 p.m. and Tuesday 24 October 2.00 a.m. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this operation. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  9. Initial fieldwork for LWAZI: a telephone-based spoken dialog system for rural South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Gumede, T

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available government information and services. Our interviews, focus group discussions and surveys revealed that Lwazi, a telephone-based spoken dialog system, could greatly support current South African government efforts to effectively connect citizens to available...

  10. Systems configured to distribute a telephone call, communication systems, communication methods and methods of routing a telephone call to a service representative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Scott H.; Johnson, Joel A.; Neiswanger, Jeffery R.; Twitchell, Kevin E.

    2004-03-09

    The present invention includes systems configured to distribute a telephone call, communication systems, communication methods and methods of routing a telephone call to a customer service representative. In one embodiment of the invention, a system configured to distribute a telephone call within a network includes a distributor adapted to connect with a telephone system, the distributor being configured to connect a telephone call using the telephone system and output the telephone call and associated data of the telephone call; and a plurality of customer service representative terminals connected with the distributor and a selected customer service representative terminal being configured to receive the telephone call and the associated data, the distributor and the selected customer service representative terminal being configured to synchronize, application of the telephone call and associated data from the distributor to the selected customer service representative terminal.

  11. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    TS Department

    2008-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8 p.m. and midnight on 3 December. During this time, the fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted. However, the CCC and the Fire Brigade will be reachable at all times. Mobile telephone services (GSM) will not be affected by this work. For further details please contact mailto:Netops@cern.ch.

  12. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    TS Department

    2008-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8 p.m. and midnight on 3 December. During this time, the fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted. However, the CCC and the Fire Brigade will be reachable at all times. Mobile telephone services (GSM) will not be affected by this work. For further details please contact Netops@cern.ch.

  13. Integrative teaching in radiology - a survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettmer, S; Weidemann, J; Fischer, V; Wacker, F K

    2015-04-01

    To survey integrative teaching in radiology at German universities. A questionnaire about radiological education was sent electronically to all 37 chairpersons of university radiology departments in Germany. The questions included the course type, teaching methods, concept, perception, and advantages and disadvantages of integrative teaching. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric statistics and chi-square test. The survey was considered representative with a return rate of 68 %. Integrative teaching is established at 4/5 of all departments. Integrative teaching is well accepted with an acceptance rate that is significantly higher in so-called "Modellstudiengängen" [model courses of study] (100 %) compared to conventional courses of study (72 %). The advantages of integrative teaching include linking of content (92 %) and preparation for interdisciplinary work (76 %). The disadvantages include high effort (75 %) and time (67 %) for organization. Furthermore, there is a risk that basic radiological facts and knowledge cannot be conveyed and that the visibility of radiology as an independent discipline is lost. Conventional radiological teaching has a similarly high acceptance (84 %) compared to integrative courses (76 %). Integrative teaching has a high acceptance among chairpersons in radiology in Germany despite the greater effort. A good interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for integrative teaching and at the same time this can be conveyed to the students. However, the visibility of radiology as a discipline and the possibility to cover basic radiological content must be ensured. Therefore, both conventional courses and integrative teaching seems reasonable, especially in cross-disciplinary subjects such as radiology. Both integrative teaching and conventional radiological teaching are highly accepted. The advantages include the linking of multidisciplinary content and the preparation for interdisciplinary cooperation

  14. Public opinion about condoms for HIV and STD prevention: a Midwestern state telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarber, William L; Milhausen, Robin R; Crosby, Richard A; Torabi, Mohammad R

    2005-09-01

    Public opinion is important in determining condom and condom education policies in public high schools. A random telephone survey of 517 Indiana residents was conducted from July through October 2003 to assess public opinion about education on correct condom use for HIV and STD prevention; condom availability in Indiana public high schools; and issues related to condom use, effectiveness and promotion. Data were analyzed using bivariate and linear regression techniques. A majority of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed that instruction on correct condom use for HIV and STD prevention should be provided in public high schools (77%), classroom instruction should include condoms (71%), only medically accurate information about condoms should being given (94%) and the federal government should promote condoms (70%). Fewer than half (48%) strongly or somewhat agreed that condoms should be made available to teenagers in public high schools without parental permission. Nearly all (92%) considered condoms at least somewhat effective in preventing HIV and other STDs. Non-Republican party affiliation, younger age and condom use within the previous five years were each significantly associated with having positive opinions on many of the condom-related statements. Public opinion appears to support the provision of correct condom use information in Indiana public schools. Schools should consider providing only medically accurate information about condoms and including condoms in instruction so students can see and touch them.

  15. Counselor competence for telephone Motivation Interviewing addressing lifestyle change among Dutch older adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesters, I.; Keulen, H.M. van; Vries, H. de; Brug, J.

    2017-01-01

    Counselor competence in telephone Motivation Interviewing (MI) to change lifestyle behaviors in a primary care population was assessed using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) rating system. Counselor behavior was evaluated by trained raters. Twenty minutes of a random sample

  16. Integrated synoptic surveys using an autonomous underwater vehicle and manned boats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, P. Ryan

    2013-01-01

    Traditional surface-water surveys are being combined with autonomous technology to produce integrated surveys of bathymetry, water quality, and velocity in inland lakes and reservoirs. This new technology provides valuable, high-resolution, integrated data that allow a systems-based approach to understanding common environmental problems. This fact sheet presents several example applications of integrated surveys within inland lakes and coastal Lake Michigan and Lake Erie.

  17. Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel): changes in weighting methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Claro, Rafael Moreira

    2017-01-01

    to introduce the methodology used to calculate post-stratification weights of the 2012 Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) and to compare the trends of indicators estimated by cell-by-cell weighting and raking methods. in this panel of cross-sectional studies, the prevalences of smokers, overweight, and intake of fruits and vegetables from 2006 to 2012 were estimated using the cell-by-cell weighting and raking methods. there were no differences in time trends of the indicators estimated by both methods, but the prevalence of smokers estimated by the raking method was lower than the estimated by cell-by-cell weighting, whilst the prevalence of fruit and vegetable intake was higher; for overweight, there was no difference between the methods. raking method presented higher accuracy of the estimates when compared to cell-by-cell weighting method, proving to be most convenient, although it presents register coverage bias.

  18. Integrated alarm annunciation and entry control systems -- Survey results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clever, J.J.; Arakaki, L.H.; Monaco, F.M.; Juarros, L.E.; Quintana, G.R.

    1993-10-01

    This report provides the results and analyses of a detailed survey undertaken in Summer 1993 to address integrated intrusion detection alarm annunciation and entry control system issues. This survey was undertaken as a first attempt toward beginning to answer questions about integrated systems and commercial capabilities to meet or partially meet US Department of Energy (DOE) site needs

  19. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    Maintenance work on the CERN telephone exchanges will be performed on 10 July from 8 p.m. to midnight. During this intervention, the fixed telephone services, audioconference services and GSM calls made via the 333 prefix may be disrupted. However, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at all times. For more details about this maintenance work, please call the telephone switchboard on 76111 or send an e-mail. Telecom SectionIT/CS

  20. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    A maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges will be performed on the 10th of July from 8 p.m. to midnight. During this intervention, the fixed telephone services, audioconference services, and GSM calls made via the 333 prefix may be disrupted. However, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. For more details about this maintenance, please contact the telephone switchboard at 76111 or by email. Telecom Section IT/CS

  1. Inclusion of mobile telephone numbers into an ongoing population health survey in New South Wales, Australia, using an overlapping dual-frame design: impact on the time series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr, Margo L; Ferguson, Raymond A; Steel, David G

    2014-08-12

    Since 1997, the NSW Population Health Survey (NSWPHS) had selected the sample using random digit dialing of landline telephone numbers. When the survey began coverage of the population by landline phone frames was high (96%). As landline coverage in Australia has declined and continues to do so, in 2012, a sample of mobile telephone numbers was added to the survey using an overlapping dual-frame design. Details of the methodology are published elsewhere. This paper discusses the impacts of the sampling frame change on the time series, and provides possible approaches to handling these impacts. Prevalence estimates were calculated for type of phone-use, and a range of health indicators. Prevalence ratios (PR) for each of the health indicators were also calculated using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance estimation by type of phone-use. Health estimates for 2012 were compared to 2011. The full time series was examined for selected health indicators. It was estimated from the 2012 NSWPHS that 20.0% of the NSW population were mobile-only phone users. Looking at the full time series for overweight or obese and current smoking if the NSWPHS had continued to be undertaken only using a landline frame, overweight or obese would have been shown to continue to increase and current smoking would have been shown to continue to decrease. However, with the introduction of the overlapping dual-frame design in 2012, overweight or obese increased until 2011 and then decreased in 2012, and current smoking decreased until 2011, and then increased in 2012. Our examination of these time series showed that the changes were a consequence of the sampling frame change and were not real changes. Both the backcasting method and the minimal coverage method could adequately adjust for the design change and allow for the continuation of the time series. The inclusion of the mobile telephone numbers, through an overlapping dual-frame design, did impact on the time series for some of

  2. Patterns of Signs That Telephone Crisis Support Workers Associate with Suicide Risk in Telephone Crisis Line Callers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Tara; Wilson, Coralie; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

    2018-01-30

    Signs of suicide are commonly used in suicide intervention training to assist the identification of those at imminent risk for suicide. Signs of suicide may be particularly important to telephone crisis-line workers (TCWs), who have little background information to identify the presence of suicidality if the caller is unable or unwilling to express suicidal intent. Although signs of suicide are argued to be only meaningful as a pattern, there is a paucity of research that has examined whether TCWs use patterns of signs to decide whether a caller might be suicidal, and whether these are influenced by caller characteristics such as gender. The current study explored both possibilities. Data were collected using an online self-report survey in a Australian sample of 137 TCWs. Exploratory factor analysis uncovered three patterns of suicide signs that TCWs may use to identify if a caller might be at risk for suicide (mood, hopelessness, and anger), which were qualitatively different for male and female callers. These findings suggest that TCWs may recognise specific patterns of signs to identify suicide risk, which appear to be influenced to some extent by the callers' inferred gender. Implications for the training of telephone crisis workers and others including mental-health and medical professionals, as well as and future research in suicide prevention are discussed.

  3. Maintenance of the telephone exchange in building 40

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    In order to secure the power supply of the telephone exchange in Building 40, maintenance work will be done on 18th December from 7.30 am to 8 am. During this intervention, the fixed telephone services in Building 39 and 40 will be interrupted. The fixed telephone services in other CERN buildings will not be affected by this maintenance. The mobile telephone services (GSM) will not be affected. For more details, please send your questions to Standard.Telephone@cern.ch Telecom Services IT/CS

  4. A telephonic intervention for promoting occupational re-integration in work-disabled individuals with musculoskeletal pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Michael J L; Simon, Gregory

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of the present research was to examine the feasibility of a telephonic occupational rehabilitation program. A sample of 23 individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain was enrolled in the telephonic version of the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP-Tel). The PGAP-Tel is a risk-targeted intervention designed to reduce pain-related disability consequent to musculoskeletal injury. Treatment outcomes of PGAP-Tel were compared to a group of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain, who participated in the face-to-face format of the PGAP. Results showed that PGAP-Tel was acceptable to the majority of participants (76%) to whom it was offered. There were indications that engagement and adherence issues were more problematic in PGAP-Tel than in the face-to-face intervention. Both groups showed comparable reductions in pain, depression, fear of symptom exacerbation, and self-reported disability. Participants in the face-to-face intervention showed greater reduction in catastrophic thinking than participants in PGAP-Tel. Finally, 26% of participants in PGAP-Tel had resumed some form of employment at treatment termination compared to 56% of the participants in the face-to-face intervention. Given the low cost of the PGAP-Tel intervention and the accessibility advantages of a telephonic delivery, this type of intervention might be an important resource for targeting occupational disability in rural or remote communities when face-to-face services are not available.

  5. Doctor-patient communication on the telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, P; Evens, S

    1989-01-01

    Since its invention, the telephone has been an important tool in medical practice, particularly for primary care physicians. Approximately half the calls made to a physician's office during regular consulting hours are for clinical problems and most are handled effectively over the phone without an immediate office visit. Telephone encounters are generally very brief, and managing such calls requires a pragmatic approach that is often quite different from the approach taken in the office visit. The telephone encounter should be recognized and recorded as a specific medical interaction in the medical chart for both clinical and legal reasons. Effective telephone encounters depend on good communication skills; decision making regarding disposition is a major goal. The physician's perception of a medical problem may be different from the patient's; patients are frequently seeking advice and reassurance rather than diagnosis and treatment, and may call because of anxiety and psychological stress. For physicians and their families who are not prepared for after-hours telephone encounters, calls that interrupt more "legitimate" activities may result in anger or frustration for the physician and dissatisfaction for the patient.

  6. The effect of telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy on parenting stress: A randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngai, Fei Wan; Wong, Paul Wai-Ching; Chung, Ka Fai; Leung, Kwok Yin

    2016-07-01

    Objective Stress related to parenting has detrimental effects on the well-being of children, parents and the family system as a whole. There are limited studies about the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy delivered by telephone in reducing parenting stress. The present study investigates the effect of telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy on parenting stress at six weeks and six months postpartum. This is a multi-site randomised controlled trial. A total of 397 Chinese mothers at risk of postnatal depression were randomly assigned to receive either telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy or routine postpartum care. Parental stress was assessed by the Parenting Stress Index Short Form at six weeks and six months postpartum. The findings revealed that mothers who had received telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy showed significantly lower levels of parenting stress than women only receiving routine postpartum care at six weeks (mean difference=9.42, 95% confidence interval 5.85-12.99, pparenting and reducing stress during the transition period. Integration of telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy into routine postpartum care might facilitate positive adaptation in particular for mothers at risk of postnatal depression. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. 7 CFR 1737.60 - Telephone loan budget.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Telephone loan budget. 1737.60 Section 1737.60... Cost Estimation Procedures § 1737.60 Telephone loan budget. (a) RUS shall prepare a “Telephone Loan Budget” (RUS Form 493) showing all costs for the proposed project and the amount of loan and nonloan...

  8. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8 p.m. and midnight on 20 November. Fixed-line telephone and audioconference services may be disrupted while the work is being carried out. However, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. For further details about the maintenance work, please contact the telephone switchboard on 76111 or by email. Telecom Section - IT/CS

  9. Telephone based cognitive-behavioral screening for frontotemporal changes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christodoulou, Georgia; Gennings, Chris; Hupf, Jonathan; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Murphy, Jennifer; Goetz, Raymond R; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi

    Our objective was to establish a valid and reliable battery of measures to evaluate frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in patients with ALS over the telephone. Thirty-one subjects were administered either in-person or by telephone-based screening followed by the opposite mode of testing two weeks later, using a modified version of the UCSF Cognitive Screening Battery. Equivalence testing was performed for in-person and telephone based tests. The standard ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS) showed statistical equivalence at the 5% significance level compared to a revised phone version of the ALS-CBS. In addition, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) and Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS) were also found to be equivalent at the 5% and 10% significance level, respectively. Similarly, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the well-established Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) were also statistically equivalent. Equivalence could not be claimed for the ALS-Frontal Behavioral Inventory (ALS-FBI) caregiver interview and the Written Verbal Fluency Index (WVFI). In conclusion, our study suggests that telephone-based versions of the ALS-CBS, COWAT, and CNS-LS may offer clinicians valid tools to detect frontotemporal changes in the ALS population. Development of telephone based cognitive testing for ALS could become an integral resource for population based research in the future.

  10. The MRC dyspnoea scale by telephone interview to monitor health status in elderly COPD patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paladini, Luciana; Hodder, Rick; Cecchini, Isabella; Bellia, Vincenzo; Incalzi, Raffaele Antonelli

    2010-07-01

    Dyspnoea is the most common symptom associated with poor quality of life in patients affected by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). While COPD severity is commonly staged by lung function, the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale has been proposed as a more clinically meaningful method of quantifying disease severity in COPD. We wished to assess whether this scale might also be useful during telephone surveys as a simple surrogate marker of perceived health status in elderly patients with COPD. We conducted a comprehensive health status assessment by telephone survey of 200 elderly patients who had a physician diagnosis of COPD. The telephone survey contained 71 items and explored such domains as educational level, financial status, living arrangements and social contacts, co-morbid illness, and the severity and the impact of COPD on health status. Patients were categorized according to the reported MRC score: mild dyspnoea (MRC scale of 1), moderate dyspnoea (MRC scale of 2 and 3), or severe dyspnoea (MRC of 4 and 5). Deterioration in most of the recorded indicators of health status correlated with an increasingly severe MRC score. This was most evident for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), perceived health and emotional status, pain-related limitations, limitations in social life, hospital admissions in preceding year and prevalence of most co-morbidities. The MRC dyspnoea scale is a reliable index of disease severity and health status in elderly COPD patients which should prove useful for remote monitoring of COPD and for rating health status for epidemiological purposes.

  11. 24 CFR 3285.704 - Telephone and cable TV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Telephone and cable TV. 3285.704....704 Telephone and cable TV. Refer to § 3285.906 for considerations pertinent to installation of telephone and cable TV. ...

  12. Identifying the core competencies of mental health telephone triage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sands, Natisha; Elsom, Stephen; Gerdtz, Marie; Henderson, Kathryn; Keppich-Arnold, Sandra; Droste, Nicolas; Prematunga, Roshani K; Wereta, Zewdu W

    2013-11-01

    The primary aim of this study was to identify the core competencies of mental health telephone triage, including key role tasks, skills, knowledge and responsibilities, in which clinicians are required to be competent to perform safe and effective triage. Recent global trends indicate an increased reliance on telephone-based health services to facilitate access to health care across large populations. The trend towards telephone-based health services has also extended to mental health settings, evidenced by the growing number of mental health telephone triage services providing 24-hour access to specialist mental health assessment and treatment. Mental health telephone triage services are critical to the early identification of mental health problems and the provision of timely, appropriate interventions. In spite of the rapid growth in mental health telephone triage and the important role these services play in the assessment and management of mental illness and related risks, there has been very little research investigating this area of practice. An observational design was employed to address the research aims. Structured observations (using dual wireless headphones) were undertaken on 197 occasions of mental health telephone triage over a three-month period from January to March 2011. The research identified seven core areas of mental health telephone triage practice in which clinicians are required to be competent in to perform effective mental health telephone triage, including opening the call; performing mental status examination; risk assessment; planning and action; termination of call; referral and reporting; and documentation. The findings of this research contribute to the evidence base for mental health telephone triage by articulating the core competencies for practice. The mental health telephone triage competencies identified in this research may be used to define an evidence-based framework for mental health telephone triage practice that aims to

  13. Cellular telephone use and cancer risk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schüz, Joachim; Jacobsen, Rune; Olsen, Jørgen H.

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The widespread use of cellular telephones has heightened concerns about possible adverse health effects. The objective of this study was to investigate cancer risk among Danish cellular telephone users who were followed for up to 21 years. METHODS: This study is an extended follow......-up of a large nationwide cohort of 420,095 persons whose first cellular telephone subscription was between 1982 and 1995 and who were followed through 2002 for cancer incidence. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated by dividing the number of observed cancer cases in the cohort by the number...... expected in the Danish population. RESULTS: A total of 14,249 cancers were observed (SIR = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.93 to 0.97) for men and women combined. Cellular telephone use was not associated with increased risk for brain tumors (SIR = 0.97), acoustic neuromas (SIR = 0.73), salivary...

  14. Network of mobile telephone communication: necessarily of 3. Millennium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dejana, V.; Dragan, M.; Nebojsa, V.; Simo, S.

    2002-01-01

    Mobile telephones have transformed the telecommunications industry. These devices can be used to make telephone calls from almost anywhere. There are two types, one has the antenna mounted on the handset and the other has the antenna mounted on a separate transmitter or, if the telephone is installed in a vehicle, mounted on the roof or rear window. Communication between a mobile telephone and the nearest base station is achieved by the microwave emissions from the antenna. Concerns have been raised about the type of mobile telephone that has the antenna in the handset. In this case, the antenna is very close to the user's head during normal use of the telephone and there is concern about the level of microwave emissions to which the brain is being exposed. Those telephones that have the antenna mounted elsewhere are of no concern, since exposure levels decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the antenna. Cordless telephones, which need to be operated within about 20 metres of a base unit that is connected directly to the telephone system, do not have any health concerns associated with their use because exposure levels are very low

  15. Food consumption patterns in the Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada: a cross-sectional telephone survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cook Angela

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The demographics and lifestyles of Canadians are changing, thereby influencing food choices and food preparation in the home. Although different dietary practices are associated with increased risk of foodborne illness, our ability to evaluate food consumption trends and assess risks associated with foodborne illness is limited by lack of data on current eating habits and consumer food safety practices. The objective of this study was to describe, for the first time, the food consumption patterns in a Canadian-based population from a food safety perspective, in order to establish baseline data on actual food intake of individuals. Method A cross-sectional telephone survey of 2,332 randomly selected residents of Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada (C-EnterNet pilot site was conducted between November 2005 and March 2006. Food intake was assessed using a 7-day dietary recall method. Results Certain food items were consumed more than others among the same food groups, and consumption of many food items varied by gender and age. Specific foods considered high-risk for the transmission of certain enteric pathogens were significantly more likely to be consumed by males (i.e. unpasteurized juice, bean sprouts, and undercooked meat and elderly individuals (i.e. undercooked eggs. The majority of households prepared and consumed most meals at home, allocating an average of 44 minutes to prepare a meal. Conclusion Baseline data on actual food intake is useful to public health professionals and food safety risk assessors for developing communication messages to consumers and in foodborne outbreak investigations.

  16. Integrative teaching in Radiology. A survey; Integrative Lehre in der Radiologie. Eine Bestandsaufnahme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dettmer, S.; Weidemann, J.; Wacker, F. [Hannover Medical School, Hannover (Germany). Inst. for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Fischer, V. [Hannover Medical School, Hannover (Germany). Office for Medical Education

    2015-04-15

    To survey integrative teaching in radiology at German universities. A questionnaire about radiological education was sent electronically to all 37 chairpersons of university radiology departments in Germany. The questions included the course type, teaching methods, concept, perception, and advantages and disadvantages of integrative teaching. Statistical analysis was performed with nonparametric statistics and chi-square test. The survey was considered representative with a return rate of 68%. Integrative teaching is established at 4/5 of all departments. Integrative teaching is well accepted with an acceptance rate that is significantly higher in so-called 'Modellstudiengaengen' (model courses of study) (100%) compared to conventional courses of study (72%). The advantages of integrative teaching include linking of content (92%) and preparation for interdisciplinary work (76%). The disadvantages include high effort (75%) and time (67%) for organization. Furthermore, there is a risk that basic radiological facts and knowledge cannot be conveyed and that the visibility of radiology as an independent discipline is lost. Conventional radiological teaching has a similarly high acceptance (84%) compared to integrative courses (76%). Integrative teaching has a high acceptance among chairpersons in radiology in Germany despite the greater effort. A good interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for integrative teaching and at the same time this can be conveyed to the students. However, the visibility of radiology as a discipline and the possibility to cover basic radiological content must be ensured. Therefore, both conventional courses and integrative teaching seems reasonable, especially in cross-disciplinary subjects such as radiology.

  17. A survey of open problems in symplectic integration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McLachlan, R.I. [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Scovel, C. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

    1993-10-15

    In the past few years there has been a substantial amount of research on symplectic integration. The subject is only part of a program concerned with numerically preserving a system`s inherent geometrical structures. Volume preservation, reversibility, local conservation laws for elliptic equations, and systems with integral invariants are but a few examples of such invariant structures. In many cases one requires a numerical method to stay in the smallest possible appropriate group of phase space maps. It is not the authors` opinion that symplecticity, for example, automatically makes a numerical method superior to all others, but it is their opinion that it should be taken seriously and that a conscious, informed decision be made in that regard. The authors present here a survey of open problems in symplectic integration, including other problems from the larger program. This is not intended as a review of symplectic integration and is naturally derived from the authors` own research interests. At present, this survey is incomplete, but the authors hope the help of the colleagues to be able to include in the proceedings of this conference a more comprehensive survey. Many of the problems mentioned here call for numerical experimentation, some for application of suggested but untested methods, some for new methods, and some for theorems, Some envisage large research programs.

  18. 2012 national survey on bicyclist and pedestrian attitudes and behavior : traffic tech : technology transfer series

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-01

    In 2012, NHTSA conducted a national telephone survey to obtain a status report on attitudes, knowledge, and behavior related to outdoor walking and bicycling. This study updates national telephone survey data collected by NHTSA in 2002. The survey ad...

  19. Impact of the telephone assistive device (TAD) on stuttering severity while speaking on the telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, Nola

    2009-01-01

    There is extensive experimental evidence that altered auditory feedback (AAF) can have a clinically significant effect on the severity of speech symptoms in people who stutter. However, there is less evidence regarding whether these experimental effects can be observed in naturalistic everyday settings particularly when using the telephone. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Telephone Assistive Device (TAD), which is designed to provide AAF on the telephone to people who stutter, on reducing stuttering severity. Nine adults participated in a quasi-experimental study. Stuttering severity was measured first without and then with the device in participants' naturalistic settings while making and receiving telephone calls (immediate benefit). Participants were then allowed a week of repeated use of the device following which all measurements were repeated (delayed benefit). Overall, results revealed significant immediate benefits from the TAD in all call conditions. Delayed benefits in received and total calls were also significant. There was substantial individual variability in response to the TAD but none of the demographic or speech-related factors measured in the study were found to significantly impact the benefit (immediate or delayed) derived from the TAD. Results have implications for clinical decision making for adults who stutter.

  20. Community Surveys Low Dose Radiation. Fernald, Ohio and Rocky Flats, Colorado

    CERN Document Server

    Mertz, C K; Johnson, S; MacGregor, D G; Satterfield, T

    2002-01-01

    This report is intended to present a basic description of the data from the two community surveys and to document the text of the questions; the methods used for the survey data collection; and a brief overview of the results. Completed surveys were conducted at local communities near the Rocky Flats, Colorado and the Fernald, Ohio sites; no survey was conducted for the Brookhaven, New York site. Fernald. The Fernald sample was randomly selected from 98% of all potential residential telephones in the townships of Ross, Morgan, and Crosby. The only telephone exchanges not used for the Fernald study had 4%, or fewer, of the holders of the telephone numbers actually living in either of the three target townships. Surveying started on July 24, 2001 and finished on August 30, 2001. A total of 399 completed interviews were obtained resulting in a CASRO response rate of 41.8%. The average length of an interview was 16.5 minutes. Rocky Flats. The sample was randomly selected from all potential residential telephones ...

  1. 7 CFR 1744.63 - The telephone loan budget.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false The telephone loan budget. 1744.63 Section 1744.63... Disbursement of Funds § 1744.63 The telephone loan budget. When the loan is made, RUS provides the borrower a Telephone Loan Budget, RUS Form 493. This budget divides the loan into budget accounts such as “Engineering...

  2. Telephone-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Screening for Frontotemporal Changes in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christodoulou, Georgia; Gennings, Chris; Hupf, Jonathan; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Murphy, Jennifer; Goetz, Raymond R.; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi

    2017-01-01

    Objective To establish a valid and reliable battery of measures to evaluate frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in patients with ALS over the phone. Methods Thirty-one subjects were administered either in-person or telephone-based screening followed by the opposite mode of testing two weeks later, using a modified version of the UCSF Cognitive Screening Battery. Results Equivalence testing was performed for in-person and telephone-based tests. The standard ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS) showed statistical equivalence at the 5% significance level when compared to a revised phone-version of the ALS-CBS. In addition, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) and Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS) were also found to be equivalent at the 5% and 10% significance level respectively. Similarly, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the well-established Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) were also statistically equivalent. Equivalence could not be claimed for the ALS-Frontal Behavioral Inventory (ALS-FBI) caregiver interview and the Written Verbal Fluency Index (WVFI). Conclusions Our study suggests that telephone-based versions of the ALS-CBS, COWAT, and CNS-LS may offer clinicians valid tools to detect frontotemporal changes in the ALS population. Development of telephone-based cognitive testing for ALS could become an integral resource for population-based research in the future. PMID:27121545

  3. Upgrade of the CERN telephone exchange

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    As part of the upgrade of telephone services, maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN switching centre between 8.00 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. on Monday 9 October. Telephone services may be disrupted and possibly even interrupted during this time. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service

  4. Evaluating the privacy properties of telephone metadata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, Jonathan; Mutchler, Patrick; Mitchell, John C.

    2016-01-01

    Since 2013, a stream of disclosures has prompted reconsideration of surveillance law and policy. One of the most controversial principles, both in the United States and abroad, is that communications metadata receives substantially less protection than communications content. Several nations currently collect telephone metadata in bulk, including on their own citizens. In this paper, we attempt to shed light on the privacy properties of telephone metadata. Using a crowdsourcing methodology, we demonstrate that telephone metadata is densely interconnected, can trivially be reidentified, and can be used to draw sensitive inferences. PMID:27185922

  5. Address-based versus random-digit-dial surveys: comparison of key health and risk indicators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Link, Michael W; Battaglia, Michael P; Frankel, Martin R; Osborn, Larry; Mokdad, Ali H

    2006-11-15

    Use of random-digit dialing (RDD) for conducting health surveys is increasingly problematic because of declining participation rates and eroding frame coverage. Alternative survey modes and sampling frames may improve response rates and increase the validity of survey estimates. In a 2005 pilot study conducted in six states as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the authors administered a mail survey to selected household members sampled from addresses in a US Postal Service database. The authors compared estimates based on data from the completed mail surveys (n = 3,010) with those from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone surveys (n = 18,780). The mail survey data appeared reasonably complete, and estimates based on data from the two survey modes were largely equivalent. Differences found, such as differences in the estimated prevalences of binge drinking (mail = 20.3%, telephone = 13.1%) or behaviors linked to human immunodeficiency virus transmission (mail = 7.1%, telephone = 4.2%), were consistent with previous research showing that, for questions about sensitive behaviors, self-administered surveys generally produce higher estimates than interviewer-administered surveys. The mail survey also provided access to cell-phone-only households and households without telephones, which cannot be reached by means of standard RDD surveys.

  6. Improving Standard Poststratification Techniques For Random-Digit-Dialing Telephone Surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael P. Battaglia

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Random-digit-dialing surveys in the United States such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS typically poststratify on age, gender and race/ethnicity using control totals from an appropriate source such as the 2000 Census, the Current Population Survey, or the American Community Survey. Using logistic regression and interaction detection software we identified key "main effect" socio-demographic variables and important two-factor interactions associated with several health risk factor outcomes measured in the BRFSS, one of the largest annual RDD surveys in the United States. A procedure was developed to construct control totals, which were consistent with estimates of age, gender, and race/ethnicity obtained from a commercial source and distributions of other demographic variables from the Current Population Survey. Raking was used to incorporate main effects and two-factor interaction margins into the weighting of the BRFSS survey data. The resulting risk factor estimates were then compared with those based on the current BRFSS weighting methodology and mean squared error estimates were developed. The research demonstrates that by identifying socio-demographic variables associated with key outcome variables and including these variables in the weighting methodology, nonresponse bias can be substantially reduced.

  7. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    IT/CS

    2014-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. on 26 August.   Fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted during this intervention. Nevertheless, the CCC and the Fire Brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work.

  8. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    IT Department

    2011-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 20h00 and 2h00 on the 16 November. Fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted during this intervention. Nevertheless, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. IT/CS

  9. Attitudes of the German general population toward early diagnosis of dementia--results of a representative telephone survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias Luck

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Early detection of dementia has clearly improved. Even though none of the currently available treatments for the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's dementia, promises a cure, early diagnosis provides several benefits for patients, caregivers, and health care systems. This study aimed to describe attitudes toward early diagnosis of dementia in the German general population. METHODS: A representative telephone survey of the German population aged 18+ years (n = 1,002 was conducted in 2011. RESULTS: The majority of respondents (69% would be willing to be examined for early diagnosis of dementia. Almost two thirds reported that they would prefer their general practitioner (GP as the first source of professional help. More than half of the respondents (55% stated their belief that dementia could be prevented. Respondents mostly indicated psychosocial prevention options. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the general population in Germany is very open to early diagnosis of dementia; however, this seems connected with large expectations on the effectiveness of prevention options. Dementia awareness campaigns may be employed to carefully inform the public about the prevention options currently available and their efficacy. To exploit GPs' potential as a gatekeeper for early detection of dementia, their ability to identify patients with antecedent and mild stages of the disease must be improved.

  10. Assessing healthcare professionals' experiences of integrated care: do surveys tell the full story?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephenson, Matthew D; Campbell, Jared M; Lisy, Karolina; Aromataris, Edoardo C

    2017-09-01

    Integrated care is the combination of different healthcare services with the goal to provide comprehensive, seamless, effective and efficient patient care. Assessing the experiences of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is an important aspect when evaluating integrated care strategies. The aim of this rapid review was to investigate if quantitative surveys used to assess HCPs' experiences with integrated care capture all the aspects highlighted as being important in qualitative research, with a view to informing future survey development. The review considered all types of health professionals in primary care, and hospital and specialist services, with a specific focus on the provision of integrated care aimed at improving the patient journey. PubMed, CINAHL and grey literature sources were searched for relevant surveys/program evaluations and qualitative research studies. Full text articles deemed to be of relevance to the review were appraised for methodological quality using abridged critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data were extracted from included studies using standardized data extraction templates. Findings from included studies were grouped into domains based on similarity of meaning. Similarities and differences in the domains covered in quantitative surveys and those identified as being important in qualitative research were explored. A total of 37 studies (19 quantitative surveys, 14 qualitative studies and four mixed-method studies) were included in the review. A range of healthcare professions participated in the included studies, the majority being primary care providers. Common domains identified from quantitative surveys and qualitative studies included Communication, Agreement on Clear Roles and Responsibilities, Facilities, Information Systems, and Coordination of Care and Access. Qualitative research highlighted domains identified by HCPs as being relevant to their experiences with integrated care that have not

  11. Participants' views of telephone interviews within a grounded theory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Kim; Gott, Merryn; Hoare, Karen

    2015-12-01

    To offer a unique contribution to the evolving debate around the use of the telephone during semistructured interview by drawing on interviewees' reflections on telephone interview during a grounded theory study. The accepted norm for qualitative interviews is to conduct them face-to-face. It is typical to consider collecting qualitative data via telephone only when face-to-face interview is not possible. During a grounded theory study, exploring users' experiences with overnight mask ventilation for sleep apnoea, the authors selected the telephone to conduct interviews. This article reports participants' views on semistructured interview by telephone. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted on data pertaining to the use of the telephone interview in a grounded theory study. The data were collected during 4 months of 2011 and 6 months in 2014. The article presents an inductive thematic analysis of sixteen participants' opinions about telephone interviewing and discusses these in relation to existing literature reporting the use of telephone interviews in grounded theory studies. Overall, participants reported a positive experience of telephone interviewing. From each participants reports we identified four themes from the data: being 'phone savvy; concentrating on voice instead of your face; easy rapport; and not being judged or feeling inhibited. By drawing on these data, we argue that the telephone as a data collection tool in grounded theory research and other qualitative methodologies need not be relegated to second best status. Rather, researchers can consider telephone interview a valuable first choice option. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Telephone: The Old Technology that is Never Old

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olubunmi Philip Aborisade

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Telephone technology is a technology that stands the test of time. Since it was invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Belle, it remains the technology of all time. This article reports the major finding of a recent research, how technology transforms citizen journalism business in Nigeria. According to the research, Telephone technology has over the years emerged the major tool with which ordinary citizens in Nigeria without journalism and media background or affiliation participate in the process of news gathering, reporting and distribution. Guided by the recent use of telephone around the world by ordinary citizens to report themselves during protests through different social media outlets-Facebook, Tweeter, Youtube, the article illuminates the evergreen nature of the telephone. The article therefore concluded that the telephone technology invented in 1876 has survived the test of time. Instead of being obsolete, it blends with emerging communications technology to improve on its performance.

  13. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    IT Department

    2009-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 8h30 and 17h30 on Saturday 9 May. Fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted during this intervention. Nevertheless, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. IT/CS/CS

  14. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Highlights

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) is an ongoing, nationally-representative telephone survey that collects detailed ...

  15. Cross-Cultural Validation of the Patient Perception of Integrated Care Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tietschert, Maike V; Angeli, Federica; van Raak, Arno J A; Ruwaard, Dirk; Singer, Sara J

    2017-07-20

    To test the cross-cultural validity of the U.S. Patient Perception of Integrated Care (PPIC) Survey in a Dutch sample using a standardized procedure. Primary data collected from patients of five primary care centers in the south of the Netherlands, through survey research from 2014 to 2015. Cross-sectional data collected from patients who saw multiple health care providers during 6 months preceding data collection. The PPIC survey includes 59 questions that measure patient perceived care integration across providers, settings, and time. Data analysis followed a standardized procedure guiding data preparation, psychometric analysis, and included invariance testing with the U.S. dataset. Latent scale structures of the Dutch and U.S. survey were highly comparable. Factor "Integration with specialist" had lower reliability scores and noninvariance. For the remaining factors, internal consistency and invariance estimates were strong. The standardized cross-cultural validation procedure produced strong support for comparable psychometric characteristics of the Dutch and U.S. surveys. Future research should examine the usability of the proposed procedure for contexts with greater cultural differences. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  16. Improvement of Metroliner Telephone Channel Capacity and Modeling of Telephone Channel Demands

    Science.gov (United States)

    1972-03-01

    The channel capacity of the present Metroliner telephone system is analyzed and methods are proposed to increase that capacity without increasing the overall bandwidth. To determine the number of channels required, calculations have been carried out ...

  17. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    IT Department

    2011-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 20h00 and midnight on the 21st of February in order to apply the latest software patches. Fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted during this intervention. Nevertheless, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. CS Group

  18. ENERGY STAR Certified Telephones

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Certified models meet all ENERGY STAR requirements as listed in the Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Telephony (cordless telephones and VoIP...

  19. Telephone survey to investigate relationships between onychectomy or onychectomy technique and house soiling in cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerard, Amanda F; Larson, Mandy; Baldwin, Claudia J; Petersen, Christine

    2016-09-15

    OBJECTIVE To determine whether associations existed between onychectomy or onychectomy technique and house soiling in cats. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE 281 owners of 455 cats in Polk County, Iowa, identified via a list of randomly selected residential phone numbers of cat owners in that region. PROCEDURES A telephone survey was conducted to collect information from cat owners on factors hypothesized a priori to be associated with house soiling, including cat sex, reproductive status, medical history, and onychectomy history. When cats that had undergone onychectomy were identified, data were collected regarding the cat's age at the time of the procedure and whether a carbon dioxide laser (CDL) had been used. Information on history of house soiling behavior (urinating or defecating outside the litter box) was also collected. RESULTS Onychectomy technique was identified as a risk factor for house soiling. Cats for which a non-CDL technique was used had a higher risk of house soiling than cats for which the CDL technique was used. Cats that had undergone onychectomy and that lived in a multicat (3 to 5 cats) household were more than 3 times as likely to have house soiled as were single-housed cats with intact claws. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this cross-sectional study suggested that use of the CDL technique for onychectomy could decrease the risk of house soiling by cats relative to the risk associated with other techniques. This and other findings can be used to inform the decisions of owners and veterinarians when considering elective onychectomy for cats.

  20. The use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in 1 001 German adults: results of a population-based telephone survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bücker, B; Groenewold, M; Schoefer, Y; Schäfer, T

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the patterns of use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in a representative adult population in Germany. A population-based telephone survey was conducted in Lübeck, Germany. We performed computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in order to obtain information on demographics, health status, prevalence of CAM usage, motivation for using CAM, type of CAM and health problems for which CAM were used. 1,001 adults (median age 48 years) participated in the study (response 46.8%). 79.6% of the interviewed subjects reported health problems. The most frequently named problems were chronic pain (45.3%), circulation problems (32.9%) and colds with fever (27.8%). Non-users of CAM had a lower incidence (76.6%) of overall illness than users (83.5%) (OR 0.65, 0.47-0.89). 42.3% of the participants had used CAM. The CAM user group consisted of significantly more females (72.8 vs. 55.5%) (OR 2.32, 1.74-3.08) and involved better educated subjects (school education >12 years, 36.6 vs. 27.9%, OR 3.25, 1.35-7.81) than the non-user group. The main health problems for which CAM was used were chronic pain (36.3%), some cases of uncomplicated colds (16.9%) and for improving general health (14.7%). Three procedures accounted for the majority of usage: Acupuncture (34.5%), homeopathy (27.3%) and herbal medicine (9.7%). A large number of participants reported as the main reason for using CAM the wish to avoid drugs as much as possible (31.7%). 26.7% reported opting for CAM due to the recommendation of their physician. 23.9% gave unsatisfactory results of conventional medicine as reason for CAM usage. CAM is used widely for different complaints by the general population. This frequent use of CAM has implications for the health-care system and health policy.

  1. Pricing of miniature vehicles made from telephone card waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puspitasari, N. B.; Pujotomo, D.; Muhardiansyah, H.

    2017-12-01

    The number of electronic devices in Indonesia in the last 10 years has been increasing quite drastically which contributes to more electronic waste. E-waste or electronic waste have different characteristics from other kinds of waste. Components of electronic waste often poisonous, consisting dangerous chemicals. The telephone card wasted is also an electronic waste. One alternative to handle and manage telephone card waste is to recycle it into collectible miniature vehicles. But the price of these miniatures is quite high, causing low interest in buying them. A research on the price of miniature vehicles in relation to consumers’ Ability to Pay (ATP) and Willingness to Pay (WTP) needs to be done. Segmentation analysis data, target, product positioning and product marketing mix are needed before commencing the research. Data collection is done through a survey by spreading questionnaire to 100 miniature vehicle collectors in Semarang, questioning their ability and willingness to pay recycled miniature vehicles. Calculations showed average ATP of Rp.112.520, 24 and average WTP of Rp.76.870. The last result showed the estimate pricing according to ATP and WTP which is Rp.66.000 with 58% of the respondents claiming to be willing and able to pay that price.

  2. P06.01. Survey of Business and Care Models of Integrative Medicine

    OpenAIRE

    MacElhern, Lauray; Carter, Susan

    2013-01-01

    Focus Areas: Sustainable Business Models In 2012, the business sub-committee of the clinical working group for the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM) launched a pilot survey to collect information about the structure and business models of the member integrative centers. Although the survey provided useful insight into the business operations and financial resources needed to start up a center, the survey needed a better design and response rate. The 2013 ...

  3. Maintenance of the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    IT Department

    2009-01-01

    Maintenance work will be carried out on the CERN telephone exchanges between 20h00 and midnight on the 29th of July in order to apply the latest software patches. Fixed-line telephone and audio-conference services may be disrupted during this intervention. Nevertheless, the CCC and the fire brigade will be reachable at any time. Mobile telephony services (GSM) will not be affected by the maintenance work. IT/CS/CS

  4. The telephone in family practice | Furman | South African Medical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In a time-and-motion study in family practice it was found that 35,8% of all patient contact was per telephone. The study further revealed that 12,3% of total practice time was spent on the telephone, stressing its importance as a useful tool. in family practice. The study supports others which suggest that 'telephone medicine' ...

  5. Incentives and participation in a medical survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gjøstein, Dagrun Kyte; Huitfeldt, Anders; Løberg, Magnus; Adami, Hans-Olov; Garborg, Kjetil; Kalager, Mette; Bretthauer, Michael

    2016-07-01

    BACKGROUND Questionnaire surveys are important for surveying the health and disease behaviour of the population, but recent years have seen a fall in participation. Our study tested whether incentives can increase participation in these surveys.MATERIAL AND METHOD We sent a questionnaire on risk factors for colorectal cancer (height, weight, smoking, self-reported diagnoses, family medical history) to non-screened participants in a randomised colonoscopy screening study for colorectal cancer: participants who were invited but did not attend for colonoscopy examination (screening-invited) and persons who were not offered colonoscopy (control group). The persons were randomised to three groups: no financial incentive, lottery scratch cards included with the form, or a prize draw for a tablet computer when they responded to the form. We followed up all the incentive groups with telephone reminder calls, and before the prize draw for the tablet computer.RESULTS Altogether 3 705 of 6 795 persons (54.5  %) responded to the questionnaire; 43.5  % of those invited for screening and 65.6  % of the control group (p reminder calls, 39.2  % responded. A further 15.3  % responded following telephone reminder calls (14.1  % of the screening-invited and 16.5  % of the control group; p increase participation in this medical questionnaire survey. Use of telephone reminder calls and telephone interviews increased participation, but whether this is more effective than other methods requires further study.

  6. Nationwide survey of US integrated 6-year cardiothoracic surgical residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebastchi, Amir H; Yuh, David D

    2014-08-01

    Integrated 6-year cardiothoracic surgical residency programs have recently been implemented in the United States. We report the results of the first published nationwide survey assessing the motivations, satisfaction, and ambitions of integrated 6-year residents. A 63-question web-based survey was distributed to 83 residents enrolled in 21 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited integrated 6-year programs in November 2013. There was an outstanding 69% response rate. The median age of integrated 6-year residents was 29 years with women comprising 24%. A clear majority had faculty mentorship (95%) and significant clinical exposure in medical school. Focused (100%) and abbreviated (74%) training curricula were identified as the top advantages of integrated 6-year programs; the format itself was a significant factor (46%) in career choice. Most integrated 6-year residents (95%) were satisfied with their program; 80.7% were satisfied with their operative experience thus far. Career plans skewed toward adult cardiac surgery (67%), followed by pediatric cardiac (24%) and general thoracic (9%) surgery; 49% were not particularly concerned about future employment, with 65% foreseeing an increase in opportunities. Specialized training (eg, aortic, heart failure, minimally invasive, congenital) was anticipated by 77%. Most integrated 6-year residents envision an academic career (94.7%). This survey takes an important snapshot of the nascent integrated 6-year format. Mentorship and intense clinical exposure are critical in attracting applicants. Purported advantages of the format are holding true among integrated 6-year residents, with the majority satisfied with their programs. These early data indicate that this format holds significant promise in attracting and retaining highly qualified trainees to academic cardiothoracic surgery. Copyright © 2014 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Injuries caused by pets in Asian urban households: a cross-sectional telephone survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Emily Y Y; Gao, Yang; Li, Liping; Lee, Po Yi

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Little is known about pet-related injuries in Asian populations. This study primarily aimed to investigate the incidence rate of pet-related household injuries in Hong Kong, an urban Chinese setting. Setting Cantonese-speaking non-institutionalised population of all ages in Hong Kong accessible by telephone land-line. Participants A total of 43 542 telephone numbers were dialled and 6570 residents successfully completed the interviews. Primary and secondary outcome measures Data of pet-related household injuries in the previous 12 months, pet ownership and socio-demographic characteristics were collected with a questionnaire. Direct standardisation of the incidence rates of pet-related household injuries by gender and age to the 2009 Hong Kong Population Census was estimated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to estimate risks of socio-demographic factors and pet ownership for the injury. Results A total of 84 participants experienced pet-related household injuries in the past 12 months, with an overall person-based incidence rate of 1.28%. The majority of the victims were injured once (69.6%). Cats (51.6%) were the most common pets involved. Pet owners were at an extremely higher risk after controlling for other factors (adjusted OR: 52.0, 95% CI 22.1 to 98.7). Females, the unmarried, those with higher monthly household income and those living in lower-density housing were more likely to be injured by pets. Conclusions We project a pet-related household injury incidence rate of 1.24% in the general Hong Kong population, with 86 334 residents sustaining pet-related injuries every year. Pet ownership puts people at extremely high risk, especially the unmarried. Further studies should focus on educating pet owners to reduce pet-related injuries in urban Greater China. PMID:28110284

  8. Integrating art into science education: a survey of science teachers' practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turkka, Jaakko; Haatainen, Outi; Aksela, Maija

    2017-07-01

    Numerous case studies suggest that integrating art and science education could engage students with creative projects and encourage students to express science in multitude of ways. However, little is known about art integration practices in everyday science teaching. With a qualitative e-survey, this study explores the art integration of science teachers (n = 66). A pedagogical model for science teachers' art integration emerged from a qualitative content analysis conducted on examples of art integration. In the model, art integration is characterised as integration through content and activities. Whilst the links in the content were facilitated either directly between concepts and ideas or indirectly through themes or artefacts, the integration through activity often connected an activity in one domain and a concept, idea or artefact in the other domain with the exception of some activities that could belong to both domains. Moreover, the examples of art integration in everyday classroom did not include expression of emotions often associated with art. In addition, quantitative part of the survey confirmed that integration is infrequent in all mapped areas. The findings of this study have implications for science teacher education that should offer opportunities for more consistent art integration.

  9. A Sandia telephone database system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelson, S.D.; Tolendino, L.F.

    1991-08-01

    Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, may soon have more responsibility for the operation of its own telephone system. The processes that constitute providing telephone service can all be improved through the use of a central data information system. We studied these processes, determined the requirements for a database system, then designed the first stages of a system that meets our needs for work order handling, trouble reporting, and ISDN hardware assignments. The design was based on an extensive set of applications that have been used for five years to manage the Sandia secure data network. The system utilizes an Ingres database management system and is programmed using the Application-By-Forms tools.

  10. Telecommunications Policy Research Conference. Subsidies in Telephone Pricing Section. Papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, Inc., Washington, DC.

    Three papers consider the provision of telephone service to rural and/or low income customers. The first paper, "An Analysis of Telephone Penetration" (Alexander Belinfante), analyzes the relationship between telephone penetration (the proportion of households with phone service) and prices, household income, and other factors. This…

  11. Choosing a New Telephone System for Your Medical Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metherell, Brian

    2016-01-01

    E-mail may rule the world in other types of businesses, but for medical practices, the telephone remains the primary mode of communication with patients, specialists, and pharmacies. From making appointments to calling in prescriptions, telephones are essential to patient care. With technology changing very quickly and new capabilities coming into the medical practice, such as telemedicine and Skype, you need to know your options when choosing a new telephone system. The possibilities include on-site, cloud, and hybrid networked solutions. A wide variety of features and capabilities are available, from dozens of vendors. Of course, no matter what telephone solution you choose, you must meet regulatory compliance, particularly HIPAA, and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard if you take credit cards. And it has to be affordable, reliable, and long lasting. This article explores what medical practices need to know when choosing a new business telephone system in order to find the right solutions for their businesses.

  12. Intervention among Suicidal Men: Future Directions for Telephone Crisis Support Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Tara; Wilson, Coralie J; Woodward, Alan; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Telephone crisis support is a confidential, accessible, and immediate service that is uniquely set up to reduce male suicide deaths through crisis intervention. However, research focusing on telephone crisis support with suicidal men is currently limited. To highlight the need to address service delivery for men experiencing suicidal crisis, this perspective article identifies key challenges facing current telephone crisis support research and proposes that understanding of the role of telephone crisis helplines in supporting suicidal men may be strengthened by careful examination of the context of telephone crisis support, together with the impact this has on help-provision for male suicidal callers. In particular, the impact of the time- and information-poor context of telephone crisis support on crisis-line staff's identification of, and response to, male callers with thoughts of suicide is examined. Future directions for research in the provision of telephone crisis support for suicidal men are discussed.

  13. 24 CFR 3285.906 - Telephone and cable TV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Optional Information for Manufacturer's Installation Instructions § 3285.906 Telephone and cable TV. It is recommended that the installation instructions explain that telephone and cable TV wiring should be installed in accordance with requirements of...

  14. Genome-wide survey of recurrent HBV integration in hepatocellular carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sung, Wing-Kin; Zheng, Hancheng; Li, Shuyu

    2012-01-01

    To survey hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration in liver cancer genomes, we conducted massively parallel sequencing of 81 HBV-positive and 7 HBV-negative hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and adjacent normal tissues. We found that HBV integration is observed more frequently in the tumors (86.4%) than...

  15. Comparison of NIS and NHIS/NIPRCS vaccination coverage estimates. National Immunization Survey. National Health Interview Survey/National Immunization Provider Record Check Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlett, D L; Ezzati-Rice, T M; Stokley, S; Zhao, Z

    2001-05-01

    The National Immunization Survey (NIS) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) produce national coverage estimates for children aged 19 months to 35 months. The NIS is a cost-effective, random-digit-dialing telephone survey that produces national and state-level vaccination coverage estimates. The National Immunization Provider Record Check Study (NIPRCS) is conducted in conjunction with the annual NHIS, which is a face-to-face household survey. As the NIS is a telephone survey, potential coverage bias exists as the survey excludes children living in nontelephone households. To assess the validity of estimates of vaccine coverage from the NIS, we compared 1995 and 1996 NIS national estimates with results from the NHIS/NIPRCS for the same years. Both the NIS and the NHIS/NIPRCS produce similar results. The NHIS/NIPRCS supports the findings of the NIS.

  16. Integrating Art into Science Education: A Survey of Science Teachers' Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turkka, Jaakko; Haatainen, Outi; Aksela, Maija

    2017-01-01

    Numerous case studies suggest that integrating art and science education could engage students with creative projects and encourage students to express science in multitude of ways. However, little is known about art integration practices in everyday science teaching. With a qualitative e-survey, this study explores the art integration of science…

  17. THE EFFECTS OF MOBILE TELEPHONING ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BROOKHUIS, KA; DEVRIES, G; DEWAARD, D

    The effects of telephoning while driving were studied in three different traffic conditions, i.e. in light traffic on a quiet motorway, in heavy traffic on a four-lane ring-road, and in city traffic. Twelve subjects, unfamiliar with mobile telephones, drove an instrumented vehicle for one hour each

  18. Differentiation by integration using orthogonal polynomials, a survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Diekema, E.; Koornwinder, T.H.

    2012-01-01

    This survey paper discusses the history of approximation formulas for n-th order derivatives by integrals involving orthogonal polynomials. There is a large but rather disconnected corpus of literature on such formulas. We give some results in greater generality than in the literature. Notably we

  19. The Impact of Caller Gender on Telephone Crisis-Helpline Workers' Interpretation of Suicidality in Caller Vignettes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Tara; Wilson, Coralie J; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

    2018-04-23

    Telephone crisis-line workers (TCWs) are trained in a variety of techniques and skills to facilitate the identification of suicidal callers. One factor that may influence the implementation of these skills is gender. This study used an experimental design to explore whether helpline callers being identified as male or female is associated with TCWs’ ratings of callers’ potential for suicide risk and TCWs’ intention to use support- or intervention-oriented skills with callers. Data were collected using an online self-report survey in an Australian sample of 133 TCWs. The results suggest that under some circumstances the callers’ gender might influence TCWs’ intention to use intervention-oriented skills with the caller. Implications for the training of telephone crisis workers, and those trained in suicide prevention more broadly are discussed.

  20. Can smartphones enhance telephone-based cognitive assessment (TBCA)?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Rick Yiu-Cho; Lai, Claudia Kam-Yuk

    2013-12-12

    TBCA has emerged to solve the limitations of administering cognitive assessments face-to-face. The recent development of telephones and knowledge advances in the area of cognitive impairment may affect the development of TBCA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how smartphones can be used to enhance the applicability of TBCA, which has previously been administered by conventional telephone. This paper will first review, describe and critique the existing TBCA instruments. It will then discuss the recent developments in tele-technology, the popularity of tele-technology among the elderly, potential benefits and challenges in using smartphones for cognitive assessment, and possible future developments in this technology. In the systematic review, eighteen TBCA instruments were identified. They were found to be valid in differentiating between people with and without dementia. TBCA was previously found to be launched on a conventional telephone platform. The advances in understanding of cognitive impairment may demand that telephones be equipped with more advanced features. Recently, the development and penetration of smartphones among the elderly has been rapid. This may allow the smartphone to enhance its TBCA applicability by overcoming the limitations of the conventional telephone, rendering the TBCA more efficient in addressing the increasing demand and complexity of cognitive assessments in the future. However, more research and technology developments are needed before smartphones can become a valid platform for TBCA.

  1. Can Smartphones Enhance Telephone-Based Cognitive Assessment (TBCA?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rick Yiu-Cho Kwan

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available TBCA has emerged to solve the limitations of administering cognitive assessments face-to-face. The recent development of telephones and knowledge advances in the area of cognitive impairment may affect the development of TBCA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how smartphones can be used to enhance the applicability of TBCA, which has previously been administered by conventional telephone. This paper will first review, describe and critique the existing TBCA instruments. It will then discuss the recent developments in tele-technology, the popularity of tele-technology among the elderly, potential benefits and challenges in using smartphones for cognitive assessment, and possible future developments in this technology. In the systematic review, eighteen TBCA instruments were identified. They were found to be valid in differentiating between people with and without dementia. TBCA was previously found to be launched on a conventional telephone platform. The advances in understanding of cognitive impairment may demand that telephones be equipped with more advanced features. Recently, the development and penetration of smartphones among the elderly has been rapid. This may allow the smartphone to enhance its TBCA applicability by overcoming the limitations of the conventional telephone, rendering the TBCA more efficient in addressing the increasing demand and complexity of cognitive assessments in the future. However, more research and technology developments are needed before smartphones can become a valid platform for TBCA.

  2. Telephone Crisis Support Workers' Psychological Distress and Impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitchingman, Taneile A; Wilson, Coralie J; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

    2018-01-01

    In order to respond to crises with appropriate intervention, crisis workers are required to manage their own needs as well as the needs of those they respond to. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine whether telephone crisis support workers experience elevated symptoms of psychological distress and are impaired by elevated symptoms. Studies were identified in April 2015 by searching three databases, conducting a gray literature search, and forward and backward citation chaining. Of 113 identified studies, seven were included in the review. Results suggest that that telephone crisis support workers experience symptoms of vicarious traumatization, stress, burnout, and psychiatric disorders, and that they may not respond optimally to callers when experiencing elevated symptoms of distress. However, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn due to the paucity and methodological limitations of available data. While the most comprehensive search strategy possible was adopted, resource constraints meant that conference abstracts were not searched and authors were not contacted for additional unpublished information. There is an urgent need to identify the impact of telephone crisis support workers' role on their well-being, the determinants of worker well-being in the telephone crisis support context, and the extent to which well-being impacts their performance and caller outcomes. This will help inform strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers' well-being and their delivery of support to callers.

  3. 26 CFR 49.4251-4 - Prepaid telephone cards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...; adding value. (i) After using the card described in Example 2, P arranges with A by telephone to have 30... EXCISE TAXES FACILITIES AND SERVICES EXCISE TAXES Communications § 49.4251-4 Prepaid telephone cards. (a... section provides rules for the application of the section 4251 tax to PTCs. (b) Definitions. The following...

  4. Using an integrated information system to reduce interruptions and the number of non-relevant contacts in the inpatient pharmacy at tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binobaid, Saleh; Almeziny, Mohammed; Fan, Ip-Shing

    2017-07-01

    Patient care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals intended for high-quality and safe patient care. Accordingly, the team must work synergistically and communicate efficiently. In many hospitals, nursing and pharmacy communication relies mainly on telephone calls. In fact, numerous studies have reported telephone calls as a source of interruption for both pharmacy and nursing operations; therefore, the workload increases and the chance of errors raises. This report describes the implementation of an integrated information system that possibly can reduce telephone calls through providing real-time tracking capabilities and sorting prescriptions urgency, thus significantly improving traceability of all prescriptions inside pharmacy. The research design is based on a quasi-experiment using pre-post testing using the continuous improvement approach. The improvement project is performed using a six-step method. A survey was conducted in Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC) to measure the volume and types of telephone calls before and after implementation to evaluate the impact of the new system. Beforehand of the system implementation, during the two-week measurement period, all pharmacies received 4466 calls and the majority were follow-up calls. Subsequently of the integrated system rollout, there was a significant reduction ( p  > 0.001) in the volume of telephone calls to 2630 calls; besides, the calls nature turned out to be more professional inquiries ( p  > 0.001). As a result, avoidable interruptions and workload were decreased.

  5. Combining telephone surveys and fishing catches self-report: the French sea bass recreational fishery assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocklin, Delphine; Levrel, Harold; Drogou, Mickaël; Herfaut, Johanna; Veron, Gérard

    2014-01-01

    Fisheries statistics are known to be underestimated, since they are mainly based on information about commercial fisheries. However, various types of fishing activities exist and evaluating them is necessary for implementing effective management plans. This paper assesses the characteristics and catches of the French European sea bass recreational fishery along the Atlantic coasts, through the combination of large-scale telephone surveys and fishing diaries study. Our results demonstrated that half of the total catches (mainly small fish) were released at sea and that the mean length of a kept sea bass was 46.6 cm. We highlighted different patterns of fishing methods and type of gear used. Catches from boats were greater than from the shore, both in abundance and biomass, considering mean values per fishing trip as well as CPUE. Spearfishers caught the highest biomass of sea bass per fishing trip, but the fishing rod with lure was the most effective type of gear in terms of CPUE. Longlines had the highest CPUE value in abundance but not in biomass: they caught numerous but small sea bass. Handlines were less effective, catching few sea bass in both abundance and biomass. We estimated that the annual total recreational sea bass catches was 3,173 tonnes of which 2,345 tonnes were kept. Since the annual commercial catches landings were evaluated at 5,160 tonnes, recreational landings represent 30% of the total fishing catches on the Atlantic coasts of France. Using fishers' self-reports was a valuable way to obtain new information on data-poor fisheries. Our results underline the importance of evaluating recreational fishing as a part of the total amount of fisheries catches. More studies are critically needed to assess overall fish resources caught in order to develop effective fishery management tools.

  6. Combining telephone surveys and fishing catches self-report: the French sea bass recreational fishery assessment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Delphine Rocklin

    Full Text Available Fisheries statistics are known to be underestimated, since they are mainly based on information about commercial fisheries. However, various types of fishing activities exist and evaluating them is necessary for implementing effective management plans. This paper assesses the characteristics and catches of the French European sea bass recreational fishery along the Atlantic coasts, through the combination of large-scale telephone surveys and fishing diaries study. Our results demonstrated that half of the total catches (mainly small fish were released at sea and that the mean length of a kept sea bass was 46.6 cm. We highlighted different patterns of fishing methods and type of gear used. Catches from boats were greater than from the shore, both in abundance and biomass, considering mean values per fishing trip as well as CPUE. Spearfishers caught the highest biomass of sea bass per fishing trip, but the fishing rod with lure was the most effective type of gear in terms of CPUE. Longlines had the highest CPUE value in abundance but not in biomass: they caught numerous but small sea bass. Handlines were less effective, catching few sea bass in both abundance and biomass. We estimated that the annual total recreational sea bass catches was 3,173 tonnes of which 2,345 tonnes were kept. Since the annual commercial catches landings were evaluated at 5,160 tonnes, recreational landings represent 30% of the total fishing catches on the Atlantic coasts of France. Using fishers' self-reports was a valuable way to obtain new information on data-poor fisheries. Our results underline the importance of evaluating recreational fishing as a part of the total amount of fisheries catches. More studies are critically needed to assess overall fish resources caught in order to develop effective fishery management tools.

  7. Evaluation of a telephone advice nurse in a nursing faculty managed pediatric community clinic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaulieu, Richard; Humphreys, Janice

    2008-01-01

    Nurse-managed health centers face increasing obstacles to financial viability. Efficient use of clinic resources and timely and appropriate patient care are necessary for sustainability. A registered nurse with adequate education and support can provide high-quality triage and advice in community-based practice sites. The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the effect of a telephone advice nurse service on parent/caregiver satisfaction and access to care. A quasi-experimental separate pre-post sample design study investigated parent/caregiver satisfaction with a telephone advice nurse in an urban pediatric nurse-managed health center. The clinic medical information system was used to retrieve client visit data prior to the service and in the first year of the program. Statistically significant differences were found on two items from the satisfaction with the advice nurse survey: the reason for calling (P decision making (P nurse may increase both parent/caregiver and provider satisfaction and access to care.

  8. Monitoring of risk and protective factors for chronic non communicable diseases by telephone survey in Brazilian State Capitals, 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malta, Deborah Carvalho; da Silva, Sara Araújo; de Oliveira, Patrícia Pereira Vasconcelos; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Sardinha, Luciana Monteiro Vasconcelos; Moura, Lenildo de

    2012-09-01

    To estimate the prevalence of protective and risk factors for the most important chronic non communicable diseases in all Brazilian capitals, including the Federal District. Data used were collected in 2008 through VIGITEL, an ongoing population-based telephone survey surveillance system implemented in all Brazilian State capitals since 2006. In 2008, over 54,000 interviews were completed over the phone with a random sample of individuals living in all 27 capitals. The analyses showed differences in the prevalence of determinants of chronic diseases by demographic characteristics such as gender, age and schooling. Men were more likely to be current smokers, overweight, and consumers of soft drinks, fatty meat and alcohol. They were also more likely to be more active in leisure. Women reported being more likely to eat healthy, but also were more likely to have a physician diagnosis of high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis and overall poor health status. In general, the prevalence of risk factors studied increased with decreasing levels of schooling. The VIGITEL system was implemented to monitor changes in the prevalence of determinants of chronic diseases over time to inform public health workers and decision makers to adjust existing programs and policies according to the changing profile of consumers. The ultimate goal is to improve the health of the Brazilian population.

  9. Comparison between data obtained through real-time data capture by SMS and a retrospective telephone interview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, Bendt; Wedderkopp, Niels

    2010-05-26

    The aims of the current study were: a) to quantitatively compare data obtained by Short Message Service (SMS) with data from a telephone interview, b) to investigate whether the respondents had found it acceptable to answer the weekly two SMS questions, c) to explore whether an additional weekly third SMS question would have been acceptable, and d) to calculate the total cost of using the SMS technology. SMS technology was used each week for 53 weeks to monitor 260 patients with low back pain (LBP) in a clinical study. Each week, these patients were asked the same two questions: "How many days in the past week have you had problems due to LBP?" and "How many days in the past week have you been off work due to LBP problems?" The last 31 patients were also contacted by telephone 53 weeks after recruitment and asked to recall the number of days with LBP problems and days off work for the a) past week, b) past month, and c) past year. The two sets of answers to the same questions for these patients were compared. Patients were also asked whether a third SMS question would have been acceptable. The test-retest reliability was compared for 1-week, 1-month, and 1-year. Bland-Altman limits of agreement were calculated. The two quantitative questions were reported as percentages. Actual costs for the SMS-Track-Questionnaire (SMS-T-Q) were compared with estimated costs for paper version surveys. There was high agreement between telephone interview and SMS-T-Q responses for the 1-week and 1-month recall. In contrast, the 1-year recall showed very low agreement. A third SMS question would have been acceptable. The SMS system was considerably less costly than a paper-based survey, beyond a certain threshold number of questionnaires. SMS-T-Q appears to be a cheaper and better method to collect reliable LBP data than paper-based surveys.

  10. Validity of Telephone versus Face-to-Face Interviews in the Assessment of Bread Consumption Pattern

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Abdollahi

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: There are different methods to assess dietary intake in the community. Accurate and appropriate methods, rather than costly and time-consuming ones, are good alternatives to assess dietary intake. The aim of this study was to analyze the validity of telephone and face-to-face interviews, in determination of bread-consumption pattern. Material and Methods: A randomized and stratified multi-stage sampling method was used to select 2312 participating households within the Tehran metropolitan area. The study (research was carried out in two individual and household levels, using 24 hours recall and purchase frequency questionnaire. The same 24 hour recall and purchase frequency questionnaires were used at both individual and household level.Results: At household and individual level, the correlation coefficients between the two methods were 0.64 and 0.60, respectively (p<0.001. Mean difference of intake of bread between the methods at individual level was 16-21 g/day and at household level was 3-4 g/person/day, statistically not significant.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a telephone survey can provide a reliable estimation of actual bread intake at both individual and household level. This method is important considering its cost and needed time.Keywords: face to face interview, telephone interview, bread consumption pattern

  11. Nurse-led telephone follow-up after total knee arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Szöts, Kirsten; Konradsen, Hanne; Solgaard, Søren

    2015-01-01

    AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To generate information on how telephone follow-up consultations, structured by nursing status according to the VIPS-model, functioned after total knee arthroplasty. The objectives were to unfold the content of the telephone follow-ups according to the structure for nursing...... status and to explore the patients' views of the telephone follow-ups. BACKGROUND: The length of stay in hospital following total knee arthroplasty has fallen markedly, and patients now have to be responsible for their recovery from a very early stage. After discharge, patients may experience a variety...... Telephone follow-up was valued by total knee arthroplasties patients as representing a holistic approach and providing adequate information, counselling and support after discharge to home. Three categories were identified with regard to the patients' views: 'A means for reflection and provision of adequate...

  12. A critical review of survey-based research in supply chain integration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Vaart, Taco; van Donk, Dirk Pieter

    Supply chain (SC) integration is considered one of the major factors in improving performance. Based upon some concerns regarding the constructs, measurements and items used, this paper analyses survey-based research with respect to the relationship between SC integration and performance. The review

  13. CALIFA, the Calar alto legacy integral field area survey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Husemann, B.; Jahnke, K.; Sánchez, S. F.

    2013-01-01

    We present the first public data release (DR1) of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. It consists of science-grade optical datacubes for the first 100 of eventually 600 nearby (0.005 < z < 0.03) galaxies, obtained with the integral-field spectrograph PMAS/PPak mounted on th...... the available interfaces and tools that allow easy access to this first publicCALIFA data at http://califa.caha.es/DR1....

  14. Hybrid disassembly system for cellular telephone end-of-life treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kniebel, M.; Basdere, B.; Seliger, G. [Technical Univ. Berlin, Inst. for Machine Tools and Factory Management, Dept. of Assembly Technology and Factory Management, Berlin (Germany)

    2004-07-01

    Concern over the negative environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and end-of-life (EOL) of cellular telephones is particularly high due to large production volumes and characteristically short time scales of technological and stylistic obsolescence. Landfilled or incinerated cellular telephones create the potential for release of toxic substances. The European legislation has passed the directive on Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to regulate their collection and appropriate end-of-life treatment. Manufacturers must conduct material recycling or remanufacturing processes to recover resources. While recovery rates can hardly be met economically by material recycling, remanufacturing and reusing cellular phones is developing into a reasonable alternative. Both end-of-life options require disassembly processes for WEEE compliant treatment. Due to the high number of different cell phone variants and their typical design that fits components into tight enclosing spaces, cellular phone disassembly becomes a challenging task. These challenges and the expected high numbers of phones to be returned in the course of the WEEE urges for automated disassembly. A hybrid disassembly system has been developed to ensure the mass-treatment of obsolete cellular phones. It has been integrated into a prototypical remanufacturing factory for cellular phones that has been planned based on market data. (orig.)

  15. [Psychometric validation of the telephone memory test].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, T; Fernández, A; Martínez-Castillo, E; Maestú, F; Martínez-Arias, R; López-Ibor, J J

    1999-01-01

    Several pathologies (i.e. Alzheimer's disease) that courses with memory alterations, appears in a context of impaired cognitive status and mobility. In recent years, several investigations were carried out in order to design short batteries that detect those subjects under risk of dementia. Some of this batteries were also design to be administrated over the telephone, trying to overcome the accessibility limitations of this patients. In this paper we present a battery (called Autotest de Memoria) essentially composed by episodic and semantic memory tests, administered both over the telephone and face to face. This battery was employed in the cognitive assessment of healthy controls and subjects diagnosed as probable Alzheimer's disease patients. Results show the capability of this battery in order to discriminate patients and healthy controls, a great sensibility and specificity, and a nearly absolute parallelism of telephone and face to face administrations. These data led us to claim the usefulness and practicality of our so called Memoria>.

  16. 47 CFR 42.6 - Retention of telephone toll records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... whether it is billing its own toll service customers for toll calls or billing customers for another... Section 42.6 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... telephone toll records. Each carrier that offers or bills toll telephone service shall retain for a period...

  17. Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Christoffer

    2010-01-01

    The rapid increase in mobile telephone use has generated concern about possible health risks related to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from this technology.......The rapid increase in mobile telephone use has generated concern about possible health risks related to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from this technology....

  18. Telephonic screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse among workers contacting the employee assistance program: A feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPherson, Tracy L; Goplerud, Eric; Derr, Dennis; Mickenberg, Judy; Courtemanche, Sherry

    2010-11-01

    Substantial empirical support exists for alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in medical, but not non-medical settings such as the workplace. Workplace settings remain underutilised for delivering evidenced-based health services. This research aims to translate medical research into behavioural health-care practice in a telephonic call centre acting as a point of entry into an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The goal of the study is to examine the feasibility of implementing routine telephonic alcohol SBIRT in an EAP call centre and assess whether routine SBIRT results in increased identification of workers who misuse alcohol. The design was pretest-posttest, one-group, pre-experimental. An alcohol SBIRT program developed based on World Health Organization recommendations was implemented in one EAP call centre serving one large employer. Workers were offered screening using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) during intake, brief counselling using motivational interviewing, referral to counselling, and follow-up. At 5 months, 93% of workers contacting the EAP completed the AUDIT-C: 40% prescreened positive and 52% went on to screen at moderate or high risk for an alcohol problem. Overall identification rate (18%) approached general US population estimates. Most agreed to follow-up and three-quarters set an appointment for face-to-face counselling. Integration of routine alcohol SBIRT into EAP practice is feasible in telephonic delivery systems and increases identification and opportunity for brief motivational counselling. When SBIRT is seamlessly integrated workers are willing to answer questions about alcohol and participate in follow-up.[McPherson TL, Goplerud E, Derr D, Mickenberg J, Courtemanche S. Telephonic screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse among workers contacting the employee assistance program: A feasibility study. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  19. Interactive water monitoring system accessible by cordless telephone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volpicelli, Richard; Andeweg, Pierre; Hagar, William G.

    1985-12-01

    A battery-operated, microcomputer-controlled monitoring device linked with a cordless telephone has been developed for remote measurements. This environmental sensor is self-contained and collects and processes data according to the information sent to its on-board computer system. An RCA model 1805 microprocessor forms the basic controller with a program encoded in memory for data acquisition and analysis. Signals from analog sensing devices used to monitor the environment are converted into digital signals and stored in random access memory of the microcomputer. This remote sensing system is linked to the laboratory by means of a cordless telephone whose base unit is connected to regular telephone lines. This offshore sensing system is simply accessed by a phone call originating from a computer terminal in the laboratory. Data acquisition is initiated upon request: Information continues to be processed and stored until the computer is reprogrammed by another phone call request. Information obtained may be recalled by a phone call after the desired environmental measurements are finished or while they are in progress. Data sampling parameters may be reset at any time, including in the middle of a measurement cycle. The range of the system is limited only by existing telephone grid systems and by the transmission characteristics of the cordless phone used as a communications link. This use of a cordless telephone, coupled with the on-board computer system, may be applied to other field studies requiring data transfer between an on-site analytical system and the laboratory.

  20. A telephone survey of low vision services in U.S. schools for the blind and visually impaired.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kran, Barry S; Wright, Darick W

    2008-07-01

    The scope of clinical low vision services and access to comprehensive eye care through U.S. schools for the blind and visually impaired is not well known. Advances in medicine and educational trends toward inclusion have resulted in higher numbers of visually impaired children with additional cognitive, motor, and developmental impairments enrolled in U.S. schools for the blind and visually impaired. The availability and frequency of eye care and vision education services for individuals with visual and multiple impairments at schools for the blind is explored in this report using data collected in a 24-item telephone survey from 35 of 42 identified U.S. schools for the blind. The results indicate that 54% of the contacted schools (19) offer clinical eye examinations. All of these schools provide eye care to the 6 to 21 age group, yet only 10 schools make this service available to children from birth to 3 years of age. In addition, two thirds of these schools discontinue eye care when the students graduate or transition to adult service agencies. The majority (94.7%) of eye care is provided by optometrists or a combination of optometry and ophthalmology, and 42.1% of these schools have an affiliation with an optometric institution. When there is a collaborative agreement, clinical services for students are available more frequently. The authors find that questions emerge regarding access to care, identification of appropriate models of care, and training of educational/medical/optometric personnel to meet the needs of a very complex patient population.

  1. A Telephone Communication Skills Exercise for Veterinary Students: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grevemeyer, Bernard; Betance, Larry; Artemiou, Elpida

    2016-01-01

    Evidence from human medicine shows a rise in telephone communication in support of after-hours services and in providing medical advice, follow-up information, etc. While specific training programs are continuously being developed for human medical education, limited publications are available on training veterinary students in telephone communication. Presented is our method of introducing a telephone communication skills exercise to third-year veterinary students. The exercise progressed over three phases and currently follows the principles of the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. Challenges and improvements on implementing a telephone communication exercise are discussed. Within veterinary communication curricula, attention should be given to the specific communication skills required for successful telephone consultations. In the absence of visual nonverbal cues and prompts during a telephone interaction, communication skills must be applied with greater intent and attention to achieve an effective consultation outcome.

  2. One-Year Weight Loss with a Telephone-Based Lifestyle Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Holzapfel

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Telephone-based weight loss programs are offered as an alternative to face-to-face obesity treatments, but data on the effectiveness regarding weight loss are limited. Therefore, we evaluated a telephone-based lifestyle program in a real-world setting. Methods: The telephone-based intervention consists of regular phone calls providing individualized lifestyle recommendations, and delivery of printed materials. Anthropometric and metabolic data are collected by general practitioners or are self-reported. Results: Baseline data were available from 398 participants (61% men; weight 103.12 ± 14.21 kg; BMI 33.38 ± 2.83 kg/m2 and 1-year data from 258 (65% participants. In the completers, mean weight change was -4.25 ± 5.18 kg (p Conclusions: The telephone-based lifestyle program results in a moderate weight loss after 12 months, which may be comparable to face-to-face interventions. Telephone-based weight loss support is independent of time and location and represents a tool which is also accepted by men.

  3. Can You Hear Me Now? Assessing Students’ Classroom Communication Preferences via a Telephone Conference Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharon G. Heilmann

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Telephone conference presentation delivery was compared to face-to-face classroom delivery in an undergraduate business course setting to assess whether concern over presenting in front of the class and/or gender impacted presentation mode preference. After completing a classroom exercise, students (n=102 were surveyed and asked to compare delivery methods from two courses, one requiring a telephone conference and the other requiring a face-to-face classroom presentation, in terms of perceived effectiveness, feedback, teamwork, instructor cues, preparation time, and overall comfort. Independent sample t-test results indicated respondents who worried about presenting in front of the class believed the telephone conference format required more attention to verbal presentation quality, and they also worried more about presenting in the telephone conference format than respondents who did not worry about presenting in front of the class. In terms of gender, female respondents indicated more attention to visual aid was required during the teleconference format, believed the teleconference presentation format allowed for the same opportunity for feedback from the instructor as the formal presentation, were more likely to indicate they were concerned about speaking in front of the classroom during formal presentations, and were also more concerned about speaking during the teleconference than male respondents. Overall, results indicated the teleconference activity was perceived to be a practical alternative to the traditional face-to-face delivery method; however, females’ perceptions of discomfort across both delivery formats warrant further study. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

  4. 49 CFR 195.52 - Telephonic notice of certain accidents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Telephonic notice of certain accidents. 195.52... TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Annual, Accident, and Safety-Related Condition Reporting § 195.52 Telephonic notice of certain accidents. (a) At the earliest practicable moment following discovery of a...

  5. Maintaining clinical governance when giving telephone advice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alazawi, William; Agarwal, Kosh; Suddle, Abid; Aluvihare, Varuna; Heneghan, Michael A

    2013-10-01

    Delivering excellent healthcare depends on accurate communication between professionals who may be in different locations. Frequently, the first point of contact with the liver unit at King's College Hospital (KCH) is through a telephone call to a specialist registrar or liver fellow, for whom no case notes are available in which to record information. The aim of this study was to improve the clinical governance of telephone referrals and to generate contemporaneous records that could be easily retrieved and audited. An electronic database for telephone referrals and advice was designed and made securely available to registrars in our unit. Service development in a tertiary liver centre that receives referrals from across the UK and Europe. Demographic and clinical data were recorded prospectively and analysed retrospectively. Data from 350 calls were entered during 5 months. The information included the nature and origin of the call (200 from 75 different institutions), disease burden and severity of disease among the patients discussed with KCH, and outcome of the call. The majority of cases were discussed with consultants or arrangements were made for formal review at KCH. A telephone referrals and advice database provides clinical governance, serves as a quality indicator and forms a contemporaneous record at the referral centre. Activity data and knowledge of disease burden help to tailor services to the needs of referrers and commissioners. We recommend implementation of similar models in other centres that give extramural verbal advice.

  6. The Role of Web Interviews as Part of a National Travel Survey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Purpose — The paper is analysing the effect of adding a web survey to a traditional telephone-based national travel survey by asking the respondents to check in on the web and answer the questions there (Computer Assisted Web Interview, CAWI). If they are not participating by web they are as usual...... called by telephone (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview, CATI). Design/methodology/approach — Multivariate regression analyses are used to analyse the difference in response rates by the two media and to analyse if respondents’ answering by the two media have different travel patterns. Findings...... — The analyses show that web interviews are saving money, even though a more intensive post-processing is necessary. The analyses seem to show that the CAWI is resulting in a more careful answering which results in more trips reported. A CAWI is increasing the participation of children in the survey...

  7. Automatic Smoker Detection from Telephone Speech Signals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poorjam, Amir Hossein; Hesaraki, Soheila; Safavi, Saeid

    2017-01-01

    This paper proposes an automatic smoking habit detection from spontaneous telephone speech signals. In this method, each utterance is modeled using i-vector and non-negative factor analysis (NFA) frameworks, which yield low-dimensional representation of utterances by applying factor analysis...... method is evaluated on telephone speech signals of speakers whose smoking habits are known drawn from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 2008 and 2010 Speaker Recognition Evaluation databases. Experimental results over 1194 utterances show the effectiveness of the proposed approach...... for the automatic smoking habit detection task....

  8. 20 CFR 638.516 - Laundry, mail, and telephone service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Laundry, mail, and telephone service. 638.516... PROGRAM UNDER TITLE IV-B OF THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT Center Operations § 638.516 Laundry, mail, and telephone service. (a) The center operator shall provide adequate laundry services and supplies at...

  9. Is there a bias against telephone interviews in qualitative research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novick, Gina

    2008-08-01

    Telephone interviews are largely neglected in the qualitative research literature and, when discussed, they are often depicted as a less attractive alternative to face-to-face interviewing. The absence of visual cues via telephone is thought to result in loss of contextual and nonverbal data and to compromise rapport, probing, and interpretation of responses. Yet, telephones may allow respondents to feel relaxed and able to disclose sensitive information, and evidence is lacking that they produce lower quality data. This apparent bias against telephone interviews contrasts with a growing interest in electronic qualitative interviews. Research is needed comparing these modalities, and examining their impact on data quality and their use for studying varying topics and populations. Such studies could contribute evidence-based guidelines for optimizing interview data. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

  10. Comparison between data obtained through real-time data capture by SMS and a retrospective telephone interview

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Bendt; Wedderkopp, Niels

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The aims of the current study were: a) to quantitatively compare data obtained by Short Message Service (SMS) with data from a telephone interview, b) to investigate whether the respondents had found it acceptable to answer the weekly two SMS questions, c) to explore whether....... Bland-Altman limits of agreement were calculated. The two quantitative questions were reported as percentages. Actual costs for the SMS-Track-Questionnaire (SMS-T-Q) were compared with estimated costs for paper version surveys. RESULTS: There was high agreement between telephone interview and SMS...... an additional weekly third SMS question would have been acceptable, and d) to calculate the total cost of using the SMS technology. METHODS: SMS technology was used each week for 53 weeks to monitor 260 patients with low back pain (LBP) in a clinical study. Each week, these patients were asked the same two...

  11. A harm-reduction model of abortion counseling about misoprostol use in Peru with telephone and in-person follow-up: A cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossman, Daniel; Baum, Sarah E; Andjelic, Denitza; Tatum, Carrie; Torres, Guadalupe; Fuentes, Liza; Friedman, Jennifer

    2018-01-01

    In Peru, abortion is legal only to preserve the life and health of the woman. A non-profit clinic system in Peru implemented a harm-reduction model for women with unwanted pregnancy that included pre-abortion care with instructions about misoprostol use and post-abortion care; they started offering telephone follow-up for clients in 2011. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the harm-reduction model, and to compare outcomes by type of follow-up obtained. Between January 2012 and March 2013, 500 adult women seeking harm-reduction services were recruited into the study. Telephone surveys were conducted approximately four weeks after their initial harm-reduction counseling session with 262 women (response rate 52%); 9 participants were excluded. The survey focused on whether women pursued an abortion, and if so, what their experience was. Demographic and clinical data were also extracted from clinic records. Eighty-six percent of participants took misoprostol; among those taking misoprostol, 89% reported a complete abortion at the time of the survey. Twenty-two percent obtained an aspiration after taking misoprostol and 8% self-reported adverse events including hemorrhage without transfusion, infection, or severe pain. Among women who took misoprostol, 46% reported receiving in-person follow-up (in some cases both telephone and in-person), 34% received telephone only, and 20% did not report receiving any form of follow-up. Those who had in-person follow-up with the counselor were most likely to report a complete abortion (<0.001). Satisfaction with both types of follow-up was very high, with 81%-89% reporting being very satisfied. Liberalization of restrictive abortion laws is associated with improvements in health outcomes, but the process of legal reform is often lengthy. In the interim, giving women information about evidence-based regimens of misoprostol, as well as offering a range of follow-up options to ensure high quality post

  12. Bandwidth Extension of Telephone Speech Aided by Data Embedding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sagi Ariel

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A system for bandwidth extension of telephone speech, aided by data embedding, is presented. The proposed system uses the transmitted analog narrowband speech signal as a carrier of the side information needed to carry out the bandwidth extension. The upper band of the wideband speech is reconstructed at the receiving end from two components: a synthetic wideband excitation signal, generated from the narrowband telephone speech and a wideband spectral envelope, parametrically represented and transmitted as embedded data in the telephone speech. We propose a novel data embedding scheme, in which the scalar Costa scheme is combined with an auditory masking model allowing high rate transparent embedding, while maintaining a low bit error rate. The signal is transformed to the frequency domain via the discrete Hartley transform (DHT and is partitioned into subbands. Data is embedded in an adaptively chosen subset of subbands by modifying the DHT coefficients. In our simulations, high quality wideband speech was obtained from speech transmitted over a telephone line (characterized by spectral magnitude distortion, dispersion, and noise, in which side information data is transparently embedded at the rate of 600 information bits/second and with a bit error rate of approximately . In a listening test, the reconstructed wideband speech was preferred (at different degrees over conventional telephone speech in of the test utterances.

  13. Bandwidth Extension of Telephone Speech Aided by Data Embedding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Malah

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A system for bandwidth extension of telephone speech, aided by data embedding, is presented. The proposed system uses the transmitted analog narrowband speech signal as a carrier of the side information needed to carry out the bandwidth extension. The upper band of the wideband speech is reconstructed at the receiving end from two components: a synthetic wideband excitation signal, generated from the narrowband telephone speech and a wideband spectral envelope, parametrically represented and transmitted as embedded data in the telephone speech. We propose a novel data embedding scheme, in which the scalar Costa scheme is combined with an auditory masking model allowing high rate transparent embedding, while maintaining a low bit error rate. The signal is transformed to the frequency domain via the discrete Hartley transform (DHT and is partitioned into subbands. Data is embedded in an adaptively chosen subset of subbands by modifying the DHT coefficients. In our simulations, high quality wideband speech was obtained from speech transmitted over a telephone line (characterized by spectral magnitude distortion, dispersion, and noise, in which side information data is transparently embedded at the rate of 600 information bits/second and with a bit error rate of approximately 3⋅10−4. In a listening test, the reconstructed wideband speech was preferred (at different degrees over conventional telephone speech in 92.5% of the test utterances.

  14. 39 CFR 6.4 - Attendance by conference telephone call.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Attendance by conference telephone call. 6.4 Section 6.4 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE MEETINGS (ARTICLE VI) § 6.4 Attendance by conference telephone call. For regularly scheduled meetings of...

  15. National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors - 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-03-01

    The 2015 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors (NSDDAB) is the third in a series of telephone surveys on distracted driving providing data to help further the understanding of driving behavior and to contribute to the developm...

  16. 49 CFR 192.723 - Distribution systems: Leakage surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... following minimum requirements: (1) A leakage survey with leak detector equipment must be conducted in business districts, including tests of the atmosphere in gas, electric, telephone, sewer, and water system... survey with leak detector equipment must be conducted outside business districts as frequently as...

  17. Positive resources for combating job burnout among Chinese telephone operators: Resilience and psychological empowerment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Xiaohong; Liu, Chunqin; Zou, Guiyuan; Li, Guopeng; Kong, Linghua; Li, Ping

    2015-08-30

    Job burnout is a major concern within the service industry. However, there is a lack of research exploring positive resources for combating burnout among telephone operators. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between resilience, psychological empowerment, and job burnout, and the mediating role of psychological empowerment. A cross-sectional survey of 575 telephone operators was conducted in 2 call centers in Shandong Province, China. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess job burnout symptoms, resilience, and psychological empowerment. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to analyze the degree to which resilience and psychological empowerment are associated with job burnout, and the mediating role of psychological empowerment. The results showed that resilience and psychological empowerment had significant "net effects" on job burnout, which may represent positive resources for combating job burnout. Psychological empowerment may partially mediate the relationship between resilience and job burnout. Thus, interventions focused on resilience and psychological empowerment may be useful options for managers concerned about burnout. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Current integrated cardiothoracic surgery residents: a Thoracic Surgery Residents Association survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchantchaleishvili, Vakhtang; LaPar, Damien J; Stephens, Elizabeth H; Berfield, Kathleen S; Odell, David D; DeNino, Walter F

    2015-03-01

    After approval by the Thoracic Surgery Residency Review Committee in 2007, 6-year integrated cardiothoracic surgery (I-6) residency programs have gained in popularity. We sought to assess and objectively quantify the level of satisfaction I-6 residents have with their training and to identify areas of improvement for future curriculum development. A completely anonymous, electronic survey was created by the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association that asked the responders to provide demographic information, specialty interest, and lifestyle priorities, and to rate their experience and satisfaction with I-6 residency. The survey was distributed nationwide to all residents in I-6 programs approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Of a total of 88 eligible I-6 residents, 49 completed the survey (55.7%). Career choice satisfaction was high (75.5%), as was overall satisfaction with integrated training (83.7%). The majority (77.6%) were interested in cardiac surgery. Overall, the responders reported sufficient time for life outside of the hospital (57.1%), but experienced conflicts between work obligations and personal life at least sometimes (75.5%). Early exposure to cardiothoracic surgery was reported as the dominant advantage of the I-6 model, whereas variable curriculum structure and unclear expectations along with poor integration with general surgery training ranked highest among perceived disadvantages. Current I-6 residents are largely satisfied with the integrated training model and report a reasonable work/life balance. The focused nature of training is the primary perceived advantage of the integrated pathway. Curriculum variability and poor integration with general surgery training are identified by residents as primary areas of concern. Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Integrated marketing communications paradigm in digital environment: The five pillars of integration

    OpenAIRE

    Rakić Beba; Rakić Mira

    2014-01-01

    This paper is focused on the paradigm of integrated marketing communications (IMC) in digital environment. The integration is analysed through five aspects. First, integration in terms of media; it means that IMC are performed through the mix of traditional media (print - newspapers, magazines; radio; television; direct-response media - telephone, direct mail, catalogue marketing; billboards; other 'specific media': product - especially brand, packaging; price; place; people; process; physica...

  20. Integrating stations from the North America Gravity Database into a local GPS-based land gravity survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoberg, Thomas G.; Stoddard, Paul R.

    2013-01-01

    The ability to augment local gravity surveys with additional gravity stations from easily accessible national databases can greatly increase the areal coverage and spatial resolution of a survey. It is, however, necessary to integrate such data seamlessly with the local survey. One challenge to overcome in integrating data from national databases is that these data are typically of unknown quality. This study presents a procedure for the evaluation and seamless integration of gravity data of unknown quality from a national database with data from a local Global Positioning System (GPS)-based survey. The starting components include the latitude, longitude, elevation and observed gravity at each station location. Interpolated surfaces of the complete Bouguer anomaly are used as a means of quality control and comparison. The result is an integrated dataset of varying quality with many stations having GPS accuracy and other reliable stations of unknown origin, yielding a wider coverage and greater spatial resolution than either survey alone.

  1. Willingness to pay for rural telephone services: Implications for rural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    WTP) for rural telephone services and the implications on poverty reduction in Southeast Nigeria. The key research problem was the inability of the telephone providers or regulatory agencies to estimate the amount the people were willing to pay ...

  2. Call Us: Development of a Library Telephone Enquiry Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Liz; Beranek, Lea

    2006-01-01

    The authors detail the trial and piloting of a telephone enquiry service (TES) at the Bundoora Campus Library at La Trobe University in order to attempt to resolve the balance between telephone and face-to-face enquiries at the library service desk. They investigated various options throughout 2001 and 2002 and settled on a centralised service…

  3. 75 FR 21979 - NRC Region II Address and Main Telephone Number Changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-27

    ... Region II Address and Main Telephone Number Changes AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Final... address for its Region II office and to update the main telephone number. The Region II office move and... update the NRC Region II office street address and office main telephone number. The physical location of...

  4. Integration of Massage Therapy in Outpatient Cancer Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowen, Virginia S; Tafuto, Barbara

    2018-03-01

    Massage therapy can be helpful in alleviating cancer-related symptoms and cancer treatment-related symptoms. While surveys have noted that cancer patients seek out massage as a nonpharmacologic approach during cancer treatment, little is known about the integration of massage in outpatient cancer care. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which massage is being integrated into outpatient cancer care at NCI-designated Cancer Centers. This study used descriptive methods to analyze the integration of massage in NCI-designated Cancer Centers providing clinical services to patients (n = 62). Data were collected from 91.1% of the centers (n = 59) using content analysis and a telephone survey. A dataset was developed and coded for analysis. The integration of massage was assessed by an algorithm that was developed from a set of five variables: 1) acceptance of treatment as therapeutic, 2) institution offers treatment to patients, 3) clinical practice guidelines in place, 4) use of evidence-based resources to inform treatment, and 5) shared knowledge about treatment among health care team. All centers were scored against all five variables using a six-point scale, with all variables rated equally. The integration of massage ranged from not at all (0) to very high (5) with all five levels of integration evident. Only 11 centers (17.7% of total) rated a very high level of integration; nearly one-third of the centers (n = 22) were found to have no integration of massage at all-not even provision of information about massage to patients through the center website. The findings of this analysis suggest that research on massage is not being leveraged to integrate massage into outpatient cancer care.

  5. Can Smartphones Enhance Telephone-Based Cognitive Assessment (TBCA)?

    OpenAIRE

    Rick Yiu-Cho Kwan; Claudia Kam-Yuk Lai

    2013-01-01

    TBCA has emerged to solve the limitations of administering cognitive assessments face-to-face. The recent development of telephones and knowledge advances in the area of cognitive impairment may affect the development of TBCA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how smartphones can be used to enhance the applicability of TBCA, which has previously been administered by conventional telephone. This paper will first review, describe and critique the existing TBCA instruments. It will then di...

  6. Cordless telephone use: implications for mobile phone research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redmayne, Mary; Inyang, Imo; Dimitriadis, Christina; Benke, Geza; Abramson, Michael J

    2010-04-01

    Cordless and mobile (cellular) telephone use has increased substantially in recent years causing concerns about possible health effects. This has led to much epidemiological research, but the usual focus is on mobile telephone radiofrequency (RF) exposure only despite cordless RF being very similar. Access to and use of cordless phones were included in the Mobile Radiofrequency Phone Exposed Users Study (MoRPhEUS) of 317 Year 7 students recruited from Melbourne, Australia. Participants completed an exposure questionnaire-87% had a cordless phone at home and 77% owned a mobile phone. There was a statistically significant positive relationship (r = 0.38, p < 0.01) between cordless and mobile phone use. Taken together, this increases total RF exposure and its ratio in high-to-low mobile users. Therefore, the design and analysis of future epidemiological telecommunication studies need to assess cordless phone exposure to accurately evaluate total RF telephone exposure effects.

  7. Development and interrater reliability testing of a telephone interview training programme for Australian nurse interviewers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahern, Tracey; Gardner, Anne; Gardner, Glenn; Middleton, Sandy; Della, Phillip

    2013-05-01

    The final phase of a three phase study analysing the implementation and impact of the nurse practitioner role in Australia (the Australian Nurse Practitioner Project or AUSPRAC) was undertaken in 2009, requiring nurse telephone interviewers to gather information about health outcomes directly from patients and their treating nurse practitioners. A team of several registered nurses was recruited and trained as telephone interviewers. The aim of this paper is to report on development and evaluation of the training process for telephone interviewers. The training process involved planning the content and methods to be used in the training session; delivering the session; testing skills and understanding of interviewers post-training; collecting and analysing data to determine the degree to which the training process was successful in meeting objectives and post-training follow-up. All aspects of the training process were informed by established educational principles. Interrater reliability between interviewers was high for well-validated sections of the survey instrument resulting in 100% agreement between interviewers. Other sections with unvalidated questions showed lower agreement (between 75% and 90%). Overall the agreement between interviewers was 92%. Each interviewer was also measured against a specifically developed master script or gold standard and for this each interviewer achieved a percentage of correct answers of 94.7% or better. This equated to a Kappa value of 0.92 or better. The telephone interviewer training process was very effective and achieved high interrater reliability. We argue that the high reliability was due to the use of well validated instruments and the carefully planned programme based on established educational principles. There is limited published literature on how to successfully operationalise educational principles and tailor them for specific research studies; this report addresses this knowledge gap. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier

  8. Telephone-Directory Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlahos, William

    2005-01-01

    eDirectory is a computer program that makes it possible to view entries in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) telephone directory by use of PalmPilot(TradeMark) (or equivalent) personal digital assistants. When one uses eDirectory, a single click causes the downloading of a current copy of the directory (which is updated nightly) from a server. The downloaded directory data can be sorted and searched. The program can append a "JPL" category and save directory information in a file that can be imported into the Palm Desktop(TradeMark) software.

  9. Extragalactic Hard X-ray Surveys: From INTEGRAL to Simbol-X

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paltani, S.; Dwelly, T.; Walter, R.; McHardy, I. M.; Courvoisier, T. J.-L.

    2009-05-01

    We present some results of the deepest extragalactic survey performed by the INTEGRAL satellite. The fraction of very absorbed AGN is quite large. The sharp decrease in the absorption fraction with X-ray luminosity observed at lower-energy X-rays is not observed. The current lack of truly Compton-thick objects, with an upper limit of 14% to the size of this population, is just compatible with recent modeling of the cosmic X-ray background. We also study the prospects for a future hard X-ray serendipitous survey with Simbol-X. We show that Simbol-X will easily detect a large number of serendipitous AGN, allowing us to study the evolution of AGN up to redshifts about 2, opening the door to the cosmological study of hard X-ray selected AGN, which is barely possible with existing satellites like Swift and INTEGRAL.

  10. 78 FR 70015 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Large Pelagic Fishing Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-22

    ... Collection; Comment Request; Large Pelagic Fishing Survey AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric... effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies... Pelagics Headboat Survey (LPHS) component. Increase the annual Large Pelagics Telephone Survey (LPTS...

  11. Survey of photovoltaic systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-08-01

    In developing this survey of photovoltaic systems, the University of Alabama in Huntsville assembled a task team to perform an extensive telephone survey of all known photovoltaic manufacturers. Three US companies accounted for 77% of the total domestic sales in 1978. They are Solarex Corporation, Solar Power Croporation, and ARCO Solar, Inc. This survey of solar photovoltaic (P/V) manufacturers and suppliers consists of three parts: a catalog of suppliers arranged alphabetically, data sheets on specific products, and typical operating, installation, or maintenance instructions and procedures. This report does not recommend or endorse any company product or information presented within as the results of this survey.

  12. Spreading the cult body on YouTube: A case study of "Telephone" derivative videos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnese Vellar

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This case study of spreadability analyzes the Lady Gaga music video "Telephone," which has been appropriated and reworked by YouTube users sharing derivative works online. What properties of the music video stimulate user appropriation? What hybrid audiovisual forms are emerging from its reworking by users? In order to answer these questions, between January and August 2010, I conducted participant observation on Lady Gaga's official social network profiles and collected 70 "Telephone" derivative videos on YouTube. I identified three main categories of video creativity: (1 music (which includes covers, "me singing" videos, music mashups, and choreography; (2 parody (in which YouTube users and comedians humorously imitate Gaga, creating spoofs; and (3 fashion (in which makeup artists and amateurs appropriate the star's image to create makeup and hair tutorials. "Telephone" has become spreadable because it integrates dance music and choreography, costume changes, cinematic references, and product placements that work as textual hooks meaningful to different target markets: live music, dance, chick, and postmodern cinematic cultures. In particular, Gaga is a cult body that explicitly incorporates previous cinematic and pop music icons. Users are stimulated to reenact Gaga's cult body online. On YouTube, spreadability is thus strictly related to the appropriation of cult bodies. Fans, comedians, independent musicians, fashionistas, and pop stars construct their own cult bodies by deliberately borrowing characteristics from previous media icons and reenacting them in online videos in order to fulfill their expressive and professional needs.

  13. Yucca Mountain socioeconomic project report on the 1987 risk perception telephone surveys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunreuther, H.; Nigg, J.; Desvousges, W.H.

    1987-09-01

    The measurement of the risk-related impacts from the siting of a high-level nuclear waste (HLNW) repository represents a new and important addition to conventional socioeconomic impact studies. In particular, the driving forces behind these impacts are the risks people perceive to be associated with the repository. Measuring the risk impacts requires a complementary set of approaches, of which, risk surveys are the cornerstone.a The purpose of these surveys is to provide scientifically defensible measures of the risk-related impacts. The risk surveys follow directly from a conceptual framework of how the HLNW repository affects peoples' perceptions and, ultimately, their behaviors. These surveys describe and measure: Characteristics of individuals, Risks people perceive from the HLNW repository, Views, or mind sets, they form about the HLNW repository, Changes in behaviors--e.g., changes in retirement decisions or industrial relocations--induced by the location of the repository, and Changes in well-being of Nevada citizens, if the repository were located at Yucca Mountain

  14. Yucca Mountain socioeconomic project report on the 1987 risk perception telephone surveys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kunreuther, H. [Pennsylvania Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Wharton School of Finance and Commerce; Slovic, P. [Decision Research, Eugene, OR (United States); Nigg, J. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Desvousges, W.H. [Research Triangle Inst., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

    1987-09-01

    The measurement of the risk-related impacts from the siting of a high-level nuclear waste (HLNW) repository represents a new and important addition to conventional socioeconomic impact studies. In particular, the driving forces behind these impacts are the risks people perceive to be associated with the repository. Measuring the risk impacts requires a complementary set of approaches, of which, risk surveys are the cornerstone.a The purpose of these surveys is to provide scientifically defensible measures of the risk-related impacts. The risk surveys follow directly from a conceptual framework of how the HLNW repository affects peoples` perceptions and, ultimately, their behaviors. These surveys describe and measure: Characteristics of individuals, Risks people perceive from the HLNW repository, Views, or mind sets, they form about the HLNW repository, Changes in behaviors--e.g., changes in retirement decisions or industrial relocations--induced by the location of the repository, and Changes in well-being of Nevada citizens, if the repository were located at Yucca Mountain.

  15. 2007 motor vehicle occupant safety survey. Volume 3, air bags report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-11-01

    The 2007 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey was the sixth in a series of periodic national telephone surveys on occupant : protection issues conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted : b...

  16. [Screening for dementia using telephone interviews. An evaluation and reliability study of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in its modified German version].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matrisch, M; Trampisch, U; Klaassen-Mielke, R; Pientka, L; Trampisch, H J; Thiem, U

    2012-04-01

    To assess cognitive impairment or dementia in epidemiologic studies using telephone interviews for data acquisition, valid, reliable and short instruments suitable for telephone administration are required. For the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in its modified German version, the only instrument used in Germany so far, more data on reliability and practicability are needed. Participants were recruited in the offices of nine primary care physicians. Data from 197 participants (115 females, mean age 78.5±4.1 years) who were tested by telephone and in the office by means of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used for the evaluation. For assessing reliability, a group of 91 participants (55 females, mean age 78.1±4.1 years) was contacted twice during 30 days to be tested during a telephone interview by means of the TICS in its modified German version. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), a measure of reliability, was 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53; 0.77]. The Bland-Altman plot did not reveal any relationship between the variability of the difference between repeated measures and the total amount of the measure. For the overall TICS score, no differences were found between repeated measurements. However, the tasks recall of the word list and counting backwards showed some improvement in the repeated tests. TICS and MMSE showed only moderate correlation, with a correlation coefficient of 0.48 (95% CI: 0.36; 0.58). TICS values were dependent on age and educational level of the person tested. The TICS in its modified German version appears to be of acceptable reliability for the assessment of cognitive impairment during a telephone interview. TICS values depend on age and educational level of the person tested. TICS and MMSE correlate only moderately.

  17. Openings and Closings in Telephone Conversations between Native Spanish Speakers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coronel-Molina, Serafin M.

    1998-01-01

    A study analyzed the opening and closing sequences of 11 dyads of native Spanish-speakers in natural telephone conversations conducted in Spanish. The objective was to determine how closely Hispanic cultural patterns of conduct for telephone conversations follow the sequences outlined in previous research. It is concluded that Spanish…

  18. THE INTEGRATED SHORT-TERM STATISTICAL SURVEYS: EXPERIENCE OF NBS IN MOLDOVA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oleg CARA

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The users’ rising need for relevant, reliable, coherent, timely data for the early diagnosis of the economic vulnerability and of the turning points in the business cycles, especially during a financial and economic crisis, asks for a prompt answer, coordinated by statistical institutions. High quality short term statistics are of special interest for the emerging market economies, such as the Moldavian one, being extremely vulnerable when facing economic recession. Answering to the challenges of producing a coherent and adequate image of the economic activity, by using the system of indicators and definitions efficiently applied at the level of the European Union, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS of the Republic of Moldova has launched the development process of an integrated system of short term statistics (STS based on the advanced international experience.Thus, in 2011, BNS implemented the integrated statistical survey on STS based on consistent concepts, harmonized with the EU standards. The integration of the production processes, which were previously separated, is based on a common technical infrastructure, standardized procedures and techniques for data production. The achievement of this complex survey with holistic approach has allowed the consolidation of the statistical data quality, comparable at European level and the signifi cant reduction of information burden on business units, especially of small size.The reformation of STS based on the integrated survey has been possible thanks to the consistent methodological and practical support given to NBS by the National Institute of Statistics (INS of Romania, for which we would like to thank to our Romanian colleagues.

  19. Maintenance of the telephone exchange in building 40

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    In order to secure the power supply of the telephone exchange in building 40, a maintenance will be done on the 18th of December from 7.30 am to 8 am. During this intervention, the fixed telephony services in building 39 and 40 will be interrupted. The fixed telephony services in other CERN buildings won't be affected by this maintenance. The mobile telephony services (GSM) won't be affected. For more details, please send your questions to Standard.Telephone@cern.ch Telecom Services IT/CS

  20. Maintenance of CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2005-01-01

    A maintenance of CERN telephone exchanges will be performed on 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th of September from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Disturbances or even interruptions of telephony services may occur during this lapse of time. We apology in advance for any inconveniences that this may cause.

  1. Telephone based weight loss intervention: Relevance for developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayisi Addo, Sandra; Steiner-Asiedu, Matilda

    2018-02-08

    Obesity is a major public health challenge not only for developed but developing countries as well. The World Health Organization recommends the immediate use of effective, efficient and widely accessible weight loss interventions. Telephone based weight loss intervention could provide a cheaper and wider reach of obese participants. Previous systematic reviews on telephone based weight loss interventions either excluded studies that had obese participants with co-morbidities or were silent on their inclusion. Obese/overweight individuals with co-morbidities constitute an important population in any weight loss intervention study due to the strong association of obesity with major chronic health conditions. This paper, reviews the efficacy of telephone based weight loss intervention solely in overweight/obese individuals with obesity related diseases and discusses its relevance for developing countries.

  2. Designing Surveys for Language Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, James Dean

    A discussion of survey methodology for investigating second language programs and instruction examines two methods: oral interviews and written questionnaires. Each method is defined, and variations are explored. For interviews, this includes individual, group, and telephone interviews. For questionnaires, this includes self-administered and…

  3. UAS in the NAS: Survey Responses by ATC, Manned Aircraft Pilots, and UAS Pilots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comstock, James R., Jr.; McAdaragh, Raymon; Ghatas, Rania W.; Burdette, Daniel W.; Trujillo, Anna C.

    2014-01-01

    NASA currently is working with industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish future requirements for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flying in the National Airspace System (NAS). To work these issues NASA has established a multi-center "UAS Integration in the NAS" project. In order to establish Ground Control Station requirements for UAS, the perspective of each of the major players in NAS operations was desired. Three on-line surveys were administered that focused on Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), pilots of manned aircraft, and pilots of UAS. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with some survey respondents. The survey questions addressed UAS control, navigation, and communications from the perspective of small and large unmanned aircraft. Questions also addressed issues of UAS equipage, especially with regard to sense and avoid capabilities. From the civilian ATC and military ATC perspectives, of particular interest are how mixed operations (manned / UAS) have worked in the past and the role of aircraft equipage. Knowledge gained from this information is expected to assist the NASA UAS Integration in the NAS project in directing research foci thus assisting the FAA in the development of rules, regulations, and policies related to UAS in the NAS.

  4. Non-response to a life course socioeconomic position indicator in surveillance: comparison of telephone and face-to-face modes

    OpenAIRE

    Chittleborough, Catherine R; Taylor, Anne W; Baum, Fran E; Hiller, Janet E

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Background Measurement of socioeconomic position (SEP) over the life course in population health surveillance systems is important for examining differences in health and illness between different population groups and for monitoring the impact of policies and interventions aimed at reducing health inequities and intergenerational disadvantage over time. While face-to-face surveys are considered the gold standard of interviewing techniques, computer-assisted telephone interviewing is...

  5. Integrated geophysical surveys for searching of podiform chromite in Albania

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kospiri, Aleksander; Zajmi, Asim [Geophysical and Geochemical Center, Tirana (Albania)

    1995-12-31

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of geophysical methods to the search for chromite in Albania. Albania is well known for its chromite resources and ranks third amongst world producers of high-quality chromite. The ultramafic massif of Bulqiza, is the most important chromite bearing one. Surveying a surface of about 120 square kilometers (30% of massifs area) in that massif with integrated geophysical methods a considerable number of targets has been discovered, from which some are already objects under mine activity. In the integrated methods for chromite exploration in Bulqiza ultramafic massif are included: geological, gravity, magnetic and electrical mapping of the scale 1:2000 with survey grids 40x20m, 20x5m. Based on the interpretations of geophysical exploration were projected drilling which led to the discovery of some big ore deposits. (author). 12 refs., 3 figs

  6. Usability Evaluation of Notebook Computers and Cellular Telephones Among Users with Visual and Upper Extremity Disabilities

    OpenAIRE

    Mooney, Aaron Michael

    2002-01-01

    Information appliances such as notebook computers and cellular telephones are becoming integral to the lives of many. These devices facilitate a variety of communication tasks, and are used for employment, education, and entertainment. Those with disabilities, however, have limited access to these devices, due in part to product designs that do not consider their special needs. A usability evaluation can help identify the needs and difficulties those with disabilities have when using a pro...

  7. Tumour risk associated with use of cellular telephones or cordless desktop telephones

    OpenAIRE

    Hardell, Lennart; Mild, Kjell Hansson; Carlberg, Michael; Söderqvist, Fredrik

    2006-01-01

    Abstract Background The use of cellular and cordless telephones has increased dramatically during the last decade. There is concern of health problems such as malignant diseases due to microwave exposure during the use of these devices. The brain is the main target organ. Methods Since the second part of the 1990's we have performed six case-control studies on this topic encompassing use of both cellular and cordless phones as well as other exposures. Three of the studies concerned brain tumo...

  8. A passive integrating charcoal detector for indoor radon survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Lianqing; Ren Tianshan; Li Guiyun

    1986-01-01

    This paper describes the principle, design, calibration and characteristics of a passive integrating charcoal detector for measuring average radon concentration indoors. The uncertainties of the detector are also evaluated. Under conditions of room temperature at 17 deg C and relative humidity at 30%, the minimum limit of detection is 0.16 pCi/1 for 72 hours exposure. Besides higher sensitivity, the other advantages of this detector are passive, simple and less expensive. It requires no power and makes no noise and gives no interference to daily activities of the residents of dwellings being surveyed. Therefore the detector is suitable for a large-scale survey of radon levels indoors

  9. INTEGRATED SURVEY FOR ARCHITECTURAL RESTORATION: A METHODOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF TWO CASE STUDIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Bianchi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A preliminary survey campaign is essential in projects of restoration, urban renewal, rebuilding or promotion of architectural heritage. Today several survey techniques allow full 3D object restitution and modelling that provides a richer description than simple 2D representations. However, the amount of data to collect increases dramatically and a trade-off between efficiency and productivity from one side and assuring accuracy and completeness of the results on the other must be found. Depending on the extent and the complexity of the task, a single technique or a combination of several ones might be employed. Especially when documentation at different scales and with different levels of detail are foreseen, the latter will likely be necessary. The paper describes two architectural surveys in Italy: the old village of Navelli (AQ, affected by the earthquake in 2009, and the two most relevant remains in Codiponte (MS, damaged by the earthquake in 2013, both in the context of a project of restoration and conservation. In both sites, a 3D survey was necessary to represent effectively the objects. An integrated survey campaign was performed in both cases, which consists of a GPS network as support for georeferencing, an aerial survey and a field survey made by laser scanner and close range photogrammetry. The two case studies, thanks to their peculiarities, can be taken as exemplar to wonder if the integration of different surveying techniques is today still mandatory or, considering the technical advances of each technology, it is in fact just optional.

  10. Emergency telephone consultations: a new course for medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaufelberger, Mireille; Harris, Michael; Frey, Peter

    2012-12-01

    Using the telephone for consultations is now common practice. Although there is a clear need for specific training for telephone consultations, it is uncommon for it to be taught in medical school. A practical course on emergency telephone consultations (ECTs) was designed for the medical degree course at the University of Bern Medical School. During the module, each of the volunteer fifth-year medical students had to perform two simulated telephone consultations. Medical students in their first year of medical school acted as simulated patients (SPs), and they gave immediate feedback to the participants. Nineteen per cent of fifth-year students voluntarily undertook the ETC course. The course was rated 'very informative' by 68 per cent of the participants, and 'informative' by 32 per cent. Ninety-four per cent of the attendees recorded a personal learning gain, and 68 per cent suggested that the course should be obligatory. All the participants thought that the SPs played their roles realistically. In their rating of the ETC, the fifth-year students gave it a mean mark of 5.5 (out of a maximum of 6), suggesting that they thought it had been very successful. Students became aware of their need for ETC training through the course itself, and they recommended that it should be obligatory. The ETC pilot received a highly positive response from lead clinicians who anticipated a rising number of telephone consultations, and who have to deal with trainees who have not been taught about how to deal with ETCs. As a result, the Faculty of Medicine decided to make the course obligatory. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  11. GYNOTEL: telephone advice to gynaecological surgical patients after discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caljouw, Monique A A; Hogendorf-Burgers, Marja E H J

    2010-12-01

    To investigate in surgical gynaecological patients the types of health problems arising or persisting up to six weeks after discharge and the effectiveness of telephone advice. The decreasing length of hospital stay has increased the need for specific instructions about the postdischarge period. Telephone advice could be a valuable tool to address this problem. To our knowledge, postdischarge health problems and the value of telephone advice have not been investigated among gynaecological patients. Randomised controlled trial. Gynaecological patients expected to stay in the ward longer than 24 hour were invited to participate. A pilot study showed that wound healing, pain, mobility, urination, defecation and vaginal bleeding were the most common health problems postdischarge. Based on that information, guidelines were formulated that were used by trained nurses to give telephone advice to the intervention group (n=235), in addition to the usual care. The control group of gynaecological patients (n=233) received usual care only. Of all 468 participants, about 50% were operated for general gynaecology. At discharge, wound pain (56%), mobility problems (54%) and constipation (27%) were the most frequently mentioned problems in both groups. Participants who completely followed the advice with regard to wound healing (p=0.02), pain (p=0.01), vaginal bleeding (p=0.03) and mobility (p=0.04) experienced greater improvement than participants who did not follow, or only partly followed, the advice. The telephone advice appears to make a significant contribution to help gynaecological surgical patients to solve or reduce their postdischarge health problems. The positive effect of such advice can be interpreted as an improvement in the quality of life of the postoperative gynaecological patient. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Low-Income Demand for Local Telephone Service: Effects of Lifeline and Linkup

    OpenAIRE

    Daniel Ackerberg; Michael Riordan; Gregory Rosston; Bradley Wimmer

    2008-01-01

    A comprehensive data set on local telephone service prices is used to evaluate the effect of Lifeline and Linkup programs on the telephone penetration rates of low-income households in the United States. Lifeline and Linkup programs respectively subsidize the monthly subscription and initial installation charges of eligible low-income households. Telephone penetration rates are explained by an estimated nonlinear function of local service characteristics (including subsidized prices) and the ...

  13. A national survey of public support for restrictions on youth access to tobacco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, W J; Crowe, J W

    1994-10-01

    A national telephone survey was conducted to measure public support for seven proposals to restrict youth access to tobacco products, including increases in the cigarette excise tax. A random digit dialing survey, using computer-assisted telephone interviews and a two-stage Mitofsky-Waksberg design, was used to generate and replace telephone numbers and to select individuals from within households. More than 94% of respondents believed cigarette smoking by children and adolescents to be a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem. Most respondents expressed support for all the proposed measures to restrict youth access to tobacco products (fines for sellers, fines for youthful violators, licensing of all tobacco vendors, restrictions on cigarette vending machines, ban on sponsorship of youth-oriented events, and ban on all tobacco advertising), and for increases in the cigarette excise tax.

  14. Strategies for Suicide Intervention by Telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, Jennifer

    1982-01-01

    Describes techniques helpful for telephone counselors dealing with suicide intervention, including reinstating control, reducing anxiety through problem clarification, and providing hope by active listening and tolerance of dispositions. The use of time-outs and detective work is also discussed. (JAC)

  15. Gesturing on the Telephone: Independent Effects of Dialogue and Visibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bavelas, Janet; Gerwing, Jennifer; Sutton, Chantelle; Prevost, Danielle

    2008-01-01

    Speakers often gesture in telephone conversations, even though they are not visible to their addressees. To test whether this effect is due to being in a dialogue, we separated visibility and dialogue with three conditions: face-to-face dialogue (10 dyads), telephone dialogue (10 dyads), and monologue to a tape recorder (10 individuals). For the…

  16. Telephone switchboard closure | 19 December

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    Exceptionally, the telephone switchboard will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, 19 December, instead of the usual time of 6 p.m., to allow time for closing all systems properly before the annual closure. Therefore, switchboard operator assistance to transfer calls from/to external lines will stop. All other phone services will run as usual.

  17. Integration of Massage Therapy in Outpatient Cancer Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowen, Virginia S.; Tafuto, Barbara

    2018-01-01

    Background Massage therapy can be helpful in alleviating cancer-related symptoms and cancer treatment-related symptoms. While surveys have noted that cancer patients seek out massage as a nonpharmacologic approach during cancer treatment, little is known about the integration of massage in outpatient cancer care. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which massage is being integrated into outpatient cancer care at NCI-designated Cancer Centers. Setting This study used descriptive methods to analyze the integration of massage in NCI-designated Cancer Centers providing clinical services to patients (n = 62). Design Data were collected from 91.1% of the centers (n = 59) using content analysis and a telephone survey. A dataset was developed and coded for analysis. Main Outcome Measure The integration of massage was assessed by an algorithm that was developed from a set of five variables: 1) acceptance of treatment as therapeutic, 2) institution offers treatment to patients, 3) clinical practice guidelines in place, 4) use of evidence-based resources to inform treatment, and 5) shared knowledge about treatment among health care team. All centers were scored against all five variables using a six-point scale, with all variables rated equally. Results The integration of massage ranged from not at all (0) to very high (5) with all five levels of integration evident. Only 11 centers (17.7% of total) rated a very high level of integration; nearly one-third of the centers (n = 22) were found to have no integration of massage at all—not even provision of information about massage to patients through the center website. Conclusions The findings of this analysis suggest that research on massage is not being leveraged to integrate massage into outpatient cancer care. PMID:29593842

  18. Effects of Using Licensed Practical Nurses to Assist with Telephone Consultation Management

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wiley, Jennifer L

    2006-01-01

    .... The study compared means of pre- and post-implementation provider overall job satisfaction, provider satisfaction with the telephone consult process, average daily hours providers spent on telephone...

  19. Assessment of communication technology and post-operative telephone surveillance during global urology mission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapp, David E; Colhoun, Andrew; Morin, Jacqueline; Bradford, Timothy J

    2018-02-21

    Compliance with post-operative follow-up in the context of international surgical trips is often poor. The etiology of this problem is multifactorial and includes lack of local physician involvement, transportation costs, and work responsibilities. We aimed to better understand availability of communication technologies within Belize and use this information to improve follow-up after visiting surgical trips to a public hospital in Belize City. Accordingly, a 6-item questionnaire assessing access to communication technologies was completed by all patients undergoing evaluation by a visiting surgical team in 2014. Based on this data, a pilot program for patients undergoing surgery was instituted for subsequent missions (2015-2016) that included a 6-week post-operative telephone interview with a visiting physician located in the United States. Fifty-four (n = 54) patients were assessed via survey with 89% responding that they had a mobile phone. Patients reported less access to home internet (59%), local internet (52%), and email (48%). Of 35 surgical patients undergoing surgery during 2 subsequent surgical trips, 18 (51%) were compliant with telephone interview at 6-week follow-up. Issues were identified in 3 (17%) patients that allowed for physician assistance. The cost per patient interview was $10 USD.

  20. 75 FR 13471 - Telephone Consumer Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-22

    ... Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) that would harmonize those rules with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's... Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) that would harmonize those rules with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's...] Telephone Consumer Protection AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: In...

  1. Epidemiological Safety Surveillance of Cellular Telephones in the US (invited paper)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreyer, N.A.; Loughlin, J.E.; Rothman, K.J.

    1999-01-01

    In 1994 a surveillance programme was initiated to monitor the effects of exposure to the human head from radiofrequency waves, such as those emitted from handheld cellular telephones. Cellular carriers contributed information about 1.5 million telephone account holders, their phones and two months of data on minutes used and number of calls. Cellular telephone manufacturers provided data that allowed classification of phones as analogue or digital and a handheld or mobile (car or bag) for 67% of the phones. Thus far 1,021,767 individuals have been identified who had at least one active cellular telephone account in 1994 and/or 1995 and who used either a handheld (41%) or a mobile (59%) phone during the study period, but not both. Seventy-four per cent of the cohort had used their cellular phone for ≥2 years, and 30% for ≥3 years. (author)

  2. [Drug advertising--users want information. Report of telephone survey conducted by North-Rhine Westphalia Public Health Service on the topic of drug advertising and drug information for users].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puteanus, U

    2000-10-01

    In Germany, drug advertising of non-prescription drugs is a controversial subject. On the one hand, consumer organisations plead for placing a ban on advertising or at least to offer a detailed description of medical risks in respect of protection. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical industry is keen on liberalizing the specific advertising law for drugs. A representative telephone survey among the population of North Rhine-Westphalia was conducted in April and May 1999. It showed consumer interest in advertising, the value of information on risks, the institution with maximum credibility in drug information for consumers, the importance of the now obligatory sentence after every advertisement: Regarding risks and side effects read the leaflet in the package and ask your physician or pharmacist, and to what extend the consumer would take advice from independent experts over the telephone about drugs. It was found that, in particular women, about 30% are occasionally interested in advertising, younger people are more open-minded about advertising than older people; and that doctors and pharmacists have the most credibility and are consulted for further information. It was also found that more than 80% of the population demanded precise information on the side effects of drugs. One-third of the consumers declared that the obligatory sentence (see above) led to greater demand for information from doctors or to read attentively the instruction leaflet. Nevertheless, there is a need for more information from more than half of the consumers, who would take advantage of an independent advice centre if this should exist.

  3. 47 CFR 22.925 - Prohibition on airborne operation of cellular telephones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Prohibition on airborne operation of cellular... CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.925 Prohibition on airborne operation of cellular telephones. Cellular telephones installed in or carried aboard airplanes, balloons or...

  4. Recruiting to Clinical Trials on the Telephone - a randomized controlled trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foss, Kim Thestrup; Kjærgaard, Jesper; Stensballe, Lone Graff

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Informed consent is an essential element of clinical research. Obtaining consent, however, may be challenging. The use of the telephone for giving information and obtaining consent may be practical but little formal research has been done. METHODS: We examined the use of the telephone...

  5. Evaluation of a wireless audio streaming accessory to improve mobile telephone performance of cochlear implant users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, Jace; Morais Duke, Mila; Schafer, Erin; Cire, George; Menapace, Christine; O'Neill, Lori

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential improvement in word recognition in quiet and in noise obtained with use of a Bluetooth-compatible wireless hearing assistance technology (HAT) relative to the acoustic mobile telephone condition (e.g. the mobile telephone receiver held to the microphone of the sound processor). A two-way repeated measures design was used to evaluate differences in telephone word recognition obtained in quiet and in competing noise in the acoustic mobile telephone condition compared to performance obtained with use of the CI sound processor and a telephone HAT. Sixteen adult users of Nucleus cochlear implants and the Nucleus 6 sound processor were included in this study. Word recognition over the mobile telephone in quiet and in noise was significantly better with use of the wireless HAT compared to performance in the acoustic mobile telephone condition. Word recognition over the mobile telephone was better in quiet when compared to performance in noise. The results of this study indicate that use of a wireless HAT improves word recognition over the mobile telephone in quiet and in noise relative to performance in the acoustic mobile telephone condition for a group of adult cochlear implant recipients.

  6. A Comparison of Telephone Genetic Counseling and In-Person Genetic Counseling from the Genetic Counselor's Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgess, Kelly R; Carmany, Erin P; Trepanier, Angela M

    2016-02-01

    Growing demand for and limited geographic access to genetic counseling services is increasing the need for alternative service delivery models (SDM) like telephone genetic counseling (TGC). Little research has been done on genetic counselors' perspectives of the practice of TGC. We created an anonymous online survey to assess whether telephone genetic counselors believed the tasks identified in the ABGC (American Board of Genetic Counseling) Practice Analysis were performed similarly or differently in TGC compared to in person genetic counseling (IPGC). If there were differences noted, we sought to determine the nature of the differences and if additional training might be needed to address them. Eighty eight genetic counselors with experience in TGC completed some or all of the survey. Respondents identified differences in 13 (14.8%) of the 88 tasks studied. The tasks identified as most different in TGC were: "establishing rapport through verbal and nonverbal interactions" (60.2%; 50/83 respondents identified the task as different), "recognizing factors affecting the counseling interaction" (47.8%; 32/67), "assessing client/family emotions, support, etc." (40.1%; 27/66) and "educating clients about basic genetic concepts" (35.6%; 26/73). A slight majority (53.8%; 35/65) felt additional training was needed to communicate information without visual aids and more effectively perform psychosocial assessments. In summary, although a majority of genetic counseling tasks are performed similarly between TGC and IPGC, TGC counselors recognize that specific training in the TGC model may be needed to address the key differences.

  7. CONFUSION WITH TELEPHONE NUMBERS

    CERN Multimedia

    Telecom Service

    2002-01-01

    he area code is now required for all telephone calls within Switzerland. Unfortunately this is causing some confusion. CERN has received complaints that incoming calls intended for CERN mobile phones are being directed to private subscribers. This is caused by mistakenly dialing the WRONG code (e.g. 022) in front of the mobile number. In order to avoid these problems, please inform your correspondents that the correct numbers are: 079 201 XXXX from Switzerland; 0041 79 201 XXXX from other countries. Telecom Service

  8. Using an integrated information system to reduce interruptions and the number of non-relevant contacts in the inpatient pharmacy at tertiary hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saleh Binobaid

    2017-07-01

    The research design is based on a quasi-experiment using pre-post testing using the continuous improvement approach. The improvement project is performed using a six-step method. A survey was conducted in Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC to measure the volume and types of telephone calls before and after implementation to evaluate the impact of the new system. Beforehand of the system implementation, during the two-week measurement period, all pharmacies received 4466 calls and the majority were follow-up calls. Subsequently of the integrated system rollout, there was a significant reduction (p > 0.001 in the volume of telephone calls to 2630 calls; besides, the calls nature turned out to be more professional inquiries (p > 0.001. As a result, avoidable interruptions and workload were decreased.

  9. The prevalence and correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Paul W C; Li, Tim M H; Chan, Melissa; Law, Y W; Chau, Michael; Cheng, Cecilia; Fu, K W; Bacon-Shone, John; Yip, Paul S F

    2015-06-01

    Severe social withdrawal behaviors among young people have been a subject of public and clinical concerns. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of social withdrawal behaviors among young people aged 12-29 years in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional telephone-based survey was conducted with 1,010 young individuals. Social withdrawal behaviors were measured with the proposed research diagnostic criteria for hikikomori and were categorized according to the (a) international proposed duration criterion (more than 6 months), (b) local proposed criterion (less than 6 months) and (c) with withdrawal behaviors but self-perceived as non-problematic. The correlates of social withdrawal among the three groups were examined using multinomial and ordinal logistic regression analyses. The prevalence rates of more than 6 months, less than 6 months and self-perceived non-problematic social withdrawal were 1.9%, 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively. In terms of the correlates, the internationally and locally defined socially withdrawn youths are similar, while the self-perceived non-problematic group is comparable to the comparison group. The study finds that the prevalence of severe social withdrawal in Hong Kong is comparable to that in Japan. Both groups with withdrawal behaviors for more or less than 6 months share similar characteristics and are related to other contemporary youth issues, for example, compensated dating and self-injury behavior. The self-perceived non-problematic group appears to be a distinct group and the withdrawal behaviors of its members may be discretionary. © The Author(s) 2014.

  10. Assessment of real exposure to GSM mobile telephones using the SYRPOM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Picard, D.; Fouquet, L.; Chauvin, S.

    2013-01-01

    A mobile telephone user's exposure to the radio-frequency electromagnetic field depends heavily on the power their telephone radiates, which can vary widely according to requests from the base station. This study presents the design and development of a system called System for Radiated Power Measurement (SYRPOM), which measures the power radiated by a mobile telephone. This study also describes the tests carried out on the system itself and gives the results of two measuring campaigns it has been possible to perform in this way. The first such campaign consisted of assessing the mean power received by a typical mobile telephone user carrying out various activities. The second campaign was aimed at (1) comparing the mean radiated power when stationary and when moving and (2) assessing and contrasting different models of handsets in terms of the mean radiated power. The SYRPOM has proved to be a flexible, easy-to-use high-performance and innovative tool for carrying out this kind of studies. (authors)

  11. Community Surveys: Low Dose Radiation. Fernald, Ohio and Rocky Flats, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    C. K. Mertz; James Flynn; Donald G. MacGregor; Theresa Satterfield; Stephen M. Johnson; Seth Tuler; Thomas Webler

    2002-10-16

    This report is intended to present a basic description of the data from the two community surveys and to document the text of the questions; the methods used for the survey data collection; and a brief overview of the results. Completed surveys were conducted at local communities near the Rocky Flats, Colorado and the Fernald, Ohio sites; no survey was conducted for the Brookhaven, New York site. Fernald. The Fernald sample was randomly selected from 98% of all potential residential telephones in the townships of Ross, Morgan, and Crosby. The only telephone exchanges not used for the Fernald study had 4%, or fewer, of the holders of the telephone numbers actually living in either of the three target townships. Surveying started on July 24, 2001 and finished on August 30, 2001. A total of 399 completed interviews were obtained resulting in a CASRO response rate of 41.8%. The average length of an interview was 16.5 minutes. Rocky Flats. The sample was randomly selected from all potential residential telephones in Arvada and from 99% of the potential telephones in Westminster. Surveying started on August 10, 2001 and finished on September 25, 2001. A total of 401 completed interviews were obtained with a CASRO response rate of 32.5%. The average length of an interview was 15.7 minutes. Overall, respondents hold favorable views of science. They indicate an interest in developments in science and technology, feel that the world is better off because of science, and that science makes our lives healthier, easier, and more comfortable. However, respondents are divided on whether science should decide what is safe or not safe for themselves and their families. The majority of the respondents think that standards for exposure to radiation should be based on what science knows about health effects of radiation and on what is possible with today's technology. Although few respondents had visited the sites, most had heard or read something about Fernald or Rocky Flat s in

  12. Community Surveys: Low Dose Radiation. Fernald, Ohio and Rocky Flats, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    C. K. Mertz; James Flynn; Donald G. MacGregor; Theresa Satterfield; Stephen M. Johnson; Seth Tuler; Thomas Webler email ckmertz@decisionresearch.org

    2002-01-01

    This report is intended to present a basic description of the data from the two community surveys and to document the text of the questions; the methods used for the survey data collection; and a brief overview of the results. Completed surveys were conducted at local communities near the Rocky Flats, Colorado and the Fernald, Ohio sites; no survey was conducted for the Brookhaven, New York site. Fernald. The Fernald sample was randomly selected from 98% of all potential residential telephones in the townships of Ross, Morgan, and Crosby. The only telephone exchanges not used for the Fernald study had 4%, or fewer, of the holders of the telephone numbers actually living in either of the three target townships. Surveying started on July 24, 2001 and finished on August 30, 2001. A total of 399 completed interviews were obtained resulting in a CASRO response rate of 41.8%. The average length of an interview was 16.5 minutes. Rocky Flats. The sample was randomly selected from all potential residential telephones in Arvada and from 99% of the potential telephones in Westminster. Surveying started on August 10, 2001 and finished on September 25, 2001. A total of 401 completed interviews were obtained with a CASRO response rate of 32.5%. The average length of an interview was 15.7 minutes. Overall, respondents hold favorable views of science. They indicate an interest in developments in science and technology, feel that the world is better off because of science, and that science makes our lives healthier, easier, and more comfortable. However, respondents are divided on whether science should decide what is safe or not safe for themselves and their families. The majority of the respondents think that standards for exposure to radiation should be based on what science knows about health effects of radiation and on what is possible with today's technology. Although few respondents had visited the sites, most had heard or read something about Fernald or Rocky Flat s in the

  13. Stress amongst nurses working in a healthcare telephone-advice service: relationship with job satisfaction, intention to leave, sickness absence, and performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farquharson, Barbara; Allan, Julia; Johnston, Derek; Johnston, Marie; Choudhary, Carolyn; Jones, Martyn

    2012-07-01

    This paper is a report of a study, which assessed levels of stress amongst nurses working in a healthcare telephone-advice service. We explored whether stress related to performance, sickness absence, and intention to leave. Nurses report high levels of stress, as do call-centre workers. The emergence of telephone health advice services means many nurses now work in call-centres, doing work that differs markedly from traditional nursing roles. Stress associated with these roles could have implications for nurses, patients, and service provision. This paper reports cross-sectional survey results. The design of the overall study included longitudinal elements. A comprehensive study of stress was conducted amongst nurses working for a telephone-advice service in Scotland (2008-2010). All nurse-advisors were approached by letter and invited to participate. A total of 152 participants (33%) completed a questionnaire including General Health Questionnaire-12, Work Family Conflict Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale and a measure of intention to leave the telephone-advice service and rated the perceived stress of 2 working shifts. Nurses' employers provided data on sickness absence and performance. Overall levels of psychological distress were similar to those found amongst Scottish women generally. In multiple regression, work-family conflict was identified as a significant predictor of job satisfaction and intention to leave, and significantly related to sickness absence. There were significant correlations between General Health Questionnaire scores and perceived stress of shifts and some performance measures. Work-family conflict is a significant predictor of job satisfaction, intention to leave, and sickness absence amongst telephone helpline nurses. Minimizing the impact of nurses' work on their home lives might reduce turnover and sickness absence. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. The effect of health, socio-economic position, and mode of data collection on non-response in health interview surveys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ekholm, Ola; Gundgaard, Jens; Rasmussen, Niels K R

    2010-01-01

    AIMS: To investigate the relationship between potential explanatory factors (socio-economic factors and health) and non-response in two general population health interview surveys (face-to-face and telephone), and to compare the effects of the two interview modes on non-response patterns. METHODS...... in health interview surveys, but the non-response rate is higher in lower socio-economic groups. Analyses of non-response should be performed to understand the implications of survey findings.......: Data derives from The Danish Health Interview Survey 2000 (face-to-face interview) and The Funen County Health Survey 2000/2001 (telephone interview). Data on all invited individuals were obtained from administrative registers and linked to survey data at individual level. Multiple logistic regression...

  15. Validation of a telephone screening test for Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camozzato, Ana Luiza; Kochhann, Renata; Godinho, Claudia; Costa, Amanda; Chaves, Marcia L

    2011-03-01

    Financial constraints, mobility issues, medical conditions, crime in local areas can make cognitive assessment difficult for elders and telephone interviews can be a good alternative. This study was carried out to evaluate the reliability, validity and clinical utility of a Brazilian telephone version of the Mini Mental State Examination (Braztel-MMSE) in a community sample of healthy elderly participants and AD patients. The MMSE and the Braztel-MMSE were applied to 66 AD patients and 67 healthy elderly participants. The test-retest reliability was strong and significant (r = .92, p = .01), and the correlation between the Braztel-MMSE and the MMSE were significant (p = .01) and strong (r = .92). The general screening ability of the Braztel-MMSE was high (AUC = 0.982; CI95% = 0.964-1.001). This telephone version can therefore be used as a screening measure for dementia in older adults that need neuropsychological screening and cannot present for an evaluation.

  16. Post-operative telephone review is cost-effective and acceptable to patients.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Gray, R T

    2012-02-01

    INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing selective minor emergency and elective procedures are followed up by a nurse-led structured telephone review six weeks post-operatively in our hospital. Our study objectives were to review patients\\' satisfaction, assess cost-effectiveness and compare our practice with other surgical units in Northern Ireland (NI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Completed telephone follow-up forms were reviewed retrospectively for a three-year period and cost savings calculated. Fifty patients were contacted prospectively by telephone using a questionnaire to assess satisfaction of this follow-up. A postal questionnaire was sent to 68 general and vascular surgeons in NI, assessing individual preferences for patient follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 1378 patients received a telephone review from September 2005 to September 2008. One thousand one hundred and seventy-seven (85.4%) were successfully contacted, while 201 (14.6%) did not respond despite multiple attempts. One hundred and forty-seven respondents (10.7%) required further outpatient follow-up, thereby saving 1231 outpatient reviews, equivalent to pound41,509 per annum. Thirty-nine (78%) patients expected post-operative follow-up, with 29 (58%) expecting this in the outpatient department. However, all patients were satisfied with the nurse-led telephone review. Fifty-three (78%) consultants responded. Those who always, or occasionally, review patients post-operatively varies according to the operation performed, ranging from 2.2% appendicectomy patients to 40.0% for varicose vein surgery. CONCLUSION: Current practice in NI varies, but a significant proportion of patients are not routinely reviewed. This study confirmed that patients expect post-operative follow-up. A nurse-led telephone review service is acceptable to patients, cost-effective and reduces the number of unnecessary outpatient reviews.

  17. CONFUSION WITH TELEPHONE NUMBERS

    CERN Multimedia

    Telecom Service

    2002-01-01

    The area code is now required for all telephone calls within Switzerland. Unfortunately this is causing some confusion. CERN has received complaints that incoming calls intended for CERN mobile phones are being directed to private subscribers. This is caused by mistakenly dialing the WRONG code (e.g. 022) in front of the mobile number. In order to avoid these problems, please inform your correspondents that the correct numbers are: 079 201 XXXX from Switzerland; 0041 79 201 XXXX from other countries. Telecom Service  

  18. Effects of a Mail and Telephone Intervention on Breast Health Behaviors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Deborah J.; Powers, Diane

    2010-01-01

    This study evaluated a mail and telephone intervention to improve breast health behaviors while maintaining quality of life. Women recruited from the general public were randomized to a stepped-intensity intervention consisting of mailings, telephone calls, and counseling (if requested or appropriate given a woman's genetic risk for breast cancer)…

  19. Question-answer sequences in survey interviews

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijkstra, W.; Ongena, Y.P.

    2006-01-01

    Interaction analysis was used to analyze a total of 14,265 question-answer sequences of (Q-A Sequences) 80 questions that originated from two face-to-face and three telephone surveys. The analysis was directed towards the causes and effects of particular interactional problems. Our results showed

  20. Temporal variation of residential pesticide use and comparison of two survey platforms: a longitudinal study among households with young children in Northern California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiangmei May; Bennett, Deborah H; Ritz, Beate; Tancredi, Daniel J; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva

    2013-08-20

    Pesticide use patterns are essential inputs into human pesticide exposure models. Currently, data included for modeling purposes have mostly been collected in cross-sectional surveys. However, it is questionable whether responses to one-time surveys are representative of pesticide use over longer periods, which is needed for assessment of health impact. This study was designed to evaluate population-wide temporal variations and within-household variations in reported residential pesticide use patterns and to compare alternative pesticide data collection methods - web surveys versus telephone interviews. A total of 481 households in Northern California provided up to 3 annual telephone interviews on residential pesticide use; 182 of these households provided up to 6 quarterly web surveys that covered the same topics for some of the same time periods. Information on frequency and areas of application were collected for outdoor and indoor sprays, indoor foggers, professional applications, and behind-the-neck treatments for pets. Population-wide temporal variation and within-household consistency were examined both within telephone surveys and within web surveys, and quantified using Generalized Estimating Equations and Mixed Effect Modeling. Reporting between the two methods, the telephone survey and the web survey, was also compared. Use prevalence of outdoor sprays across the population reported in both the annual telephone surveys and the quarterly web surveys decreased over time, as did behind-the-neck treatment of pets reported in the quarterly web survey. Similarly, frequencies of use of these products decreased in the quarterly web surveys. Indoor sprays showed no statistically significant population-wide temporal variation in either survey. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated consistent use within a household for behind-the-neck treatment on pets and outdoor sprays but great variability for the use of indoor sprays. Indoor sprays were most

  1. Bundling the value of discharge telephone calls and leader rounding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setia, Nina; Meade, Christine

    2009-03-01

    Discharge telephone calls made by hospital staff provide invaluable opportunities to prevent adverse events, improve quality of care, and increase patient satisfaction. Similarly, the effect of rounding on patients can improve clinical quality and improve both patient and staff satisfaction. The author discusses how the combination of implementing both nurse leader rounding and discharge telephone calls simultaneously produced powerful positive outcomes in satisfaction and patient quality of care.

  2. The role of rehabilitation specialists in Canadian NICUs: a national survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limperopoulos, Catherine; Majnemer, Annette

    2002-01-01

    Rehabilitation specialists are an integral part of the team in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A national survey was conducted to elucidate the current roles of rehabilitation specialists. Occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech and language pathology (SLP) departments in all Canadian health care institutions with tertiary level NICUs (n = 38) were surveyed by telephone. Results indicate that 16% have no rehabilitation coverage, while 11% receive very limited external services (< 1/month). Over half of the OT and PT departments provide weekly services whereas only 5/38 provide SLP coverage. Service delivery includes assessment and a number of therapeutic interventions. Splinting and feeding are predominantly performed by OT, whereas chest physiotherapy and ROM are carried out primarily by PT. Rehabilitation specialists are actively involved in education and case management. The extent of involvement of rehabilitation specialists was discrepant, and highly associated with the type of facility. Rehabilitation services, when provided, are comprehensive and include evaluation, treatment, teaching, decision-making, and family support.

  3. The extent and influence of Asbestos Safety Awareness training among managers who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings

    OpenAIRE

    HICKEY, Jane; SAUNDERS, Jean; DAVERN, Peter

    2015-01-01

    A telephone survey was conducted among a sample of managers (n=30) in Ireland who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings. The aims of the telephone survey were to examine the extent to which managers had completed Asbestos Safety Awareness (ASA) training, and to assess how such training might influence (i) their instinctive thoughts on asbestos, and (ii) their approach to aspects of asbestos management within their buildings. Managers’ motivations for comm...

  4. Verification and update of BNL mixed waste survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowerman, B.S.; Siskind, B.

    1987-01-01

    This report briefly describes attempts to verify the results of a previous survey on the amount of mixed wastes generated at various facilities during 1985. The original survey indicated some lack of understanding of current EPA regulations. This telephone survey verification indicated a better understanding of these regulations in recent months. Changes in EPA regulations and the addition of new compounds to the list of hazardous wastes are causing problems for organizations trying to comply. 7 refs

  5. Estimating the Incidence of Acute Infectious Intestinal Disease in the Community in the UK: A Retrospective Telephone Survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Viviani

    Full Text Available To estimate the burden of intestinal infectious disease (IID in the UK and determine whether disease burden estimations using a retrospective study design differ from those using a prospective study design.A retrospective telephone survey undertaken in each of the four countries comprising the United Kingdom. Participants were randomly asked about illness either in the past 7 or 28 days.14,813 individuals for all of whom we had a legible recording of their agreement to participate.Self-reported IID, defined as loose stools or clinically significant vomiting lasting less than two weeks, in the absence of a known non-infectious cause.The rate of self-reported IID varied substantially depending on whether asked for illness in the previous 7 or 28 days. After standardising for age and sex, and adjusting for the number of interviews completed each month and the relative size of each UK country, the estimated rate of IID in the 7-day recall group was 1,530 cases per 1,000 person-years (95% CI: 1135-2113, while in the 28-day recall group it was 533 cases per 1,000 person-years (95% CI: 377-778. There was no significant variation in rates between the four countries. Rates in this study were also higher than in a related prospective study undertaken at the same time.The estimated burden of disease from IID varied dramatically depending on study design. Retrospective studies of IID give higher estimates of disease burden than prospective studies. Of retrospective studies longer recall periods give lower estimated rates than studies with short recall periods. Caution needs to be exercised when comparing studies of self-reported IID as small changes in study design or case definition can markedly affect estimated rates.

  6. Results of an EMI/RFI plant survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shankar, R.; Mollerus, F.J.

    1993-01-01

    This paper summarizes the results of a telephone survey to collect information concerning electromagnetic interference/radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) problems primarily at nuclear power plants. The survey found that problem sources such as two-way radios and welding have been largely resolved by procedural control and use of sound-power phone systems. Additional investigation and testing appear appropriate for noise interference related to grounding of electrical equipment and instrumentation

  7. Improving Posthospital Discharge Telephone Reach Rates Through Prehospital Discharge Face-to-Face Meetings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergara, Franz H; Sheridan, Daniel J; Sullivan, Nancy J; Budhathoki, Chakra

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether a face-to-face meeting with patients by a telephonic case manager prehospital discharge would result in increased telephone follow-up (TFU) reach rates posthospital discharge. Acute care adult medicine inpatient units. A quasiexperimental design was utilized. Two adult inpatient medicine units were selected as the intervention and comparison groups. The framework of the study is the transitions theory. A convenience sampling technique was used, whereby 88 eligible patients on the intervention unit received face-to-face meetings prehospital discharge whereas 123 patients on the comparison unit received standard care (no face-to-face meetings). Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were employed to examine the association of face-to-face meeting intervention and TFU reach rates. Implementing brief (face-to-face meetings by a telephonic case manager prehospital discharge resulted in a TFU reach rate of 87% on the intervention unit, whereas the comparison unit only had a 58% TFU reach rate (p communication with more patients posthospital discharge. A brief prehospital discharge face-to-face meeting with patients assisted them to understand the reasons for a posthospital discharge telephone call, identified the best times to call using accurate telephone numbers, and taught patients how best to prepare for the call. In addition, by meeting patients face-to-face, the telephonic case manager was no longer an unknown person on the telephone asking them questions about their medical condition. These factors combined may have significantly helped to increase TFU reach rates.

  8. Mapping crime scenes and cellular telephone usage

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Schmitz, Peter MU

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a method that uses a desktop geographical information system (GIS) to plot cellular telephone conversations made when crimes are committed, such as hijackings, hostage taking, kidnapping, rape and murder. The maps produced...

  9. Information integration for a sky survey by data warehousing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, A.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, Y.

    The virtualization service of data system for a sky survey LAMOST is very important for astronomers The service needs to integrate information from data collections catalogs and references and support simple federation of a set of distributed files and associated metadata Data warehousing has been in existence for several years and demonstrated superiority over traditional relational database management systems by providing novel indexing schemes that supported efficient on-line analytical processing OLAP of large databases Now relational database systems such as Oracle etc support the warehouse capability which including extensions to the SQL language to support OLAP operations and a number of metadata management tools have been created The information integration of LAMOST by applying data warehousing is to effectively provide data and knowledge on-line

  10. Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program - Entiat River Snorkel Surveys, 2006-2007.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelle, R.D.

    2007-10-01

    The USFWS Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office conducted snorkel surveys at 11 sites during the summer 2006 survey period and at 15 sites during fall 2006 and winter 2007 survey periods as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program in the Entiat River. A total of 39,898 fish from 14 species/genera and an unknown category were enumerated. Chinook salmon were the overall most common fish observed and comprised 19% of fish enumerated followed by mountain whitefish (18%) and rainbow trout (14%). Day and night surveys were conducted during the summer 2006 period (August), while night surveys were conducted during the fall 2006 (October) and winter 2007 (February/March) surveys. This is second annual progress report to Bonneville Power Administration for the snorkel surveys conducted in the Entiat River as related to long-term effectiveness monitoring of restoration programs in this watershed. The objective of this study is to monitor the fish habitat utilization of planned in-stream restoration efforts in the Entiat River by conducting pre- and post-construction snorkel surveys at selected treatment and control sites.

  11. The Passenger Satisfaction Survey in the Regional Integrated Public Transport System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Valaskova

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the Quality criteria Method of the Servicesin the Integrated Public Transport System in Slovak Republic.The proposed method is based on the detailed list of theQuality criteria of the Services in Public Transport from theview of passengers. The criteria are determined based on theSlovak Technical Norm STN EN 138 16 which is related toquality of transport. The method has been applied in RegionalIntegrated Public Transport System of Zilina (ZRIDS in theform of Passenger Quality Satisfaction Survey.

  12. Work on the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    Corrective maintenance work on the CERN telephone exchanges will be carried out on 13th March 2006, resulting in service interruptions across the west area of the Meyrin site between 9.00 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service Tel.: 76111 GSM: 160101

  13. Maintenance of CERN telephone exchanges - erratum

    CERN Document Server

    2005-01-01

    The next maintenance of CERN telephone exchanges will be performed on 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd of September from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Disturbances or even interruptions of telephony services may occur during this lapse of time. We apology in advance for any inconveniences that this may cause.

  14. Evaluating integration of inland bathymetry in the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program, 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller-Corbett, Cynthia

    2016-09-01

    Inland bathymetry survey collections, survey data types, features, sources, availability, and the effort required to integrate inland bathymetric data into the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program are assessed to help determine the feasibility of integrating three-dimensional water feature elevation data into The National Map. Available data from wading, acoustic, light detection and ranging, and combined technique surveys are provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other sources. Inland bathymetric data accessed through Web-hosted resources or contacts provide useful baseline parameters for evaluating survey types and techniques used for collection and processing, and serve as a basis for comparing survey methods and the quality of results. Historically, boat-mounted acoustic surveys have provided most inland bathymetry data. Light detection and ranging techniques that are beneficial in areas hard to reach by boat, that can collect dense data in shallow water to provide comprehensive coverage, and that can be cost effective for surveying large areas with good water clarity are becoming more common; however, optimal conditions and techniques for collecting and processing light detection and ranging inland bathymetry surveys are not yet well defined.Assessment of site condition parameters important for understanding inland bathymetry survey issues and results, and an evaluation of existing inland bathymetry survey coverage are proposed as steps to develop criteria for implementing a useful and successful inland bathymetry survey plan in the 3D Elevation Program. These survey parameters would also serve as input for an inland bathymetry survey data baseline. Integration and interpolation techniques are important factors to consider in developing a robust plan; however, available survey data are usually in a triangulated irregular network format or other format compatible with

  15. 47 CFR 36.331 - Information origination/termination expenses-Account 6310 (Class B telephone companies); Accounts...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... telephone companies). (a) The expenses in this account are classified as follows: (1) Other Information... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Information origination/termination expenses-Account 6310 (Class B telephone companies); Accounts 6311, 6341, 6351, and 6362 (Class A telephone...

  16. The relationship between geographic remoteness and intentions to use a telephone support service among Australian men following radical prostatectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corboy, Denise; McLaren, Suzanne; Jenkins, Megan; McDonald, John

    2014-11-01

    The objective is to investigate the influence of characteristics related to place of residence (self-reliance and stoicism) on men's intentions to use a telephone support service following radical prostatectomy. A community sample of 447 prostate cancer patients (31% response), recruited via Medicare Australia, completed a survey to assess levels of self-reliance and stoicism, and beliefs about addressing emotional distress through using telephone support services. Results indicated that the model was a partially mediated model. Geographic remoteness was directly related to intention, and indirectly related through stoicism and subjective norms. Men from rural and remote areas in Australia might face particular challenges in seeking support following treatment for prostate cancer. These challenges appear to relate to the influence of stoic attitudes and normative expectations, than to issues of access and availability. Addressing stoic attitudes in the clinical setting, through normalising emotional reactions to cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the act of help-seeking for emotional support, may be beneficial. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Informed Design of Mixed-Mode Surveys : Evaluating mode effects on measurement and selection error

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klausch, Thomas|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/341427306

    2014-01-01

    “Mixed-mode designs” are innovative types of surveys which combine more than one mode of administration in the same project, such as surveys administered partly on the web (online), on paper, by telephone, or face-to-face. Mixed-mode designs have become increasingly popular in international survey

  18. Telephone survey of private patients' views on continuity of care and registration with general practice in Ireland.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Carmody, Patricia

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The desire of patients for personal continuity of care with a General Practitioner (GP) has been well documented, but not within non-registered private patients in Ireland. This study set out to examine the attitudes and reported behaviours of private fee-paying patients towards continuity of GP care and universal registration for patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional telephone survey of 400 randomly chosen fee-paying patients living within County Dublin. There is no formal system of registration with a GP for these patients. Main outcomes were attendance of respondents at primary health care facilities and their attitudes towards continuity of care and registration with a GP. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and using parametric and non-parametric tests of association. Pearson correlation was used to quantify the association between the described variables and attitudes towards continuity and registration with a GP. Variables showing significance at the 5% level were entered into multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: 97% of respondents had seen a GP in the previous 5 years. The mean number of visits to the GP for respondents was 2.3 per annum. 89% of respondents had a regular GP and the mean length of time with their GP was 15.6 years. 96% preferred their personal medical care to be provided within one general practice. 16% of respondents had consulted a GP outside of their own practice in the previous year. They were more likely to be female, commute a longer distance to work or have poorer health status. 81% considered it important to be officially registered with a GP practice of their choice. CONCLUSION: Both personal and longitudinal continuity of care with a GP are important to private patients. Respondents who chose to visit GPs other than their regular GP were not easily characterised in this study and individual circumstances may lead to this behaviour. There is strong support for a system of universal patient registration

  19. Understanding Sample Surveys: Selective Learning about Social Science Research Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currin-Percival, Mary; Johnson, Martin

    2010-01-01

    We investigate differences in what students learn about survey methodology in a class on public opinion presented in two critically different ways: with the inclusion or exclusion of an original research project using a random-digit-dial telephone survey. Using a quasi-experimental design and data obtained from pretests and posttests in two public…

  20. INTEGRATED DIGITAL SURVEY OF THE "FONTANA RUSTICA" IN THE GARDENS OF THE QUIRINALE.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Paris

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper illustrates the results of a research on integrated digital survey of the "Fontana Rustica" in the gardens of the Quirinale, artifact somewhat atypical for its particular organical configuration, and whose history is still to be discovered. The activity is performed by Critevat, interdepartmental research center in Rieti, within of the scientific collaboration with the Office for the conservation of artistic heritage of the Quirinale Palace. The integrated digital survey in recent years has had a strong impulse thanks to the technological development of the shape acquisition instruments. The research has analyzed the problems of interaction and integration of digital data obtainable using the latest digital technologies such as 3D laser-scanner and digital photogrammetry. A further level of research has focused on the possibility of management of 3D models in relation to data obtained by instruments and methods of investigation of different scientific culture such as seismic transmission tomography and thermografy.

  1. Integrated Digital Survey of the "FONTANA RUSTICA" in the Gardens of the Quirinale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paris, L.; Troiano, W.

    2013-07-01

    The paper illustrates the results of a research on integrated digital survey of the "Fontana Rustica" in the gardens of the Quirinale, artifact somewhat atypical for its particular organical configuration, and whose history is still to be discovered. The activity is performed by Critevat, interdepartmental research center in Rieti, within of the scientific collaboration with the Office for the conservation of artistic heritage of the Quirinale Palace. The integrated digital survey in recent years has had a strong impulse thanks to the technological development of the shape acquisition instruments. The research has analyzed the problems of interaction and integration of digital data obtainable using the latest digital technologies such as 3D laser-scanner and digital photogrammetry. A further level of research has focused on the possibility of management of 3D models in relation to data obtained by instruments and methods of investigation of different scientific culture such as seismic transmission tomography and thermografy.

  2. Mobile and cordless telephones, serum transthyretin and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlberg Michael

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Whether low-intensity radiofrequency radiation damages the blood-brain barrier has long been debated, but little or no consideration has been given to the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. In this cross-sectional study we tested whether long-term and/or short-term use of wireless telephones was associated with changes in the serum transthyretin level, indicating altered transthyretin concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid, possibly reflecting an effect of radiation. Methods One thousand subjects, 500 of each sex aged 18–65 years, were randomly recruited using the population registry. Data on wireless telephone use were assessed by a postal questionnaire and blood samples were analyzed for serum transthyretin concentrations determined by standard immunonephelometric techniques on a BN Prospec® instrument. Results The response rate was 31.4%. Logistic regression of dichotomized TTR serum levels with a cut-point of 0.31 g/l on wireless telephone use yielded increased odds ratios that were statistically not significant. Linear regression of time since first use overall and on the day that blood was withdrawn gave different results for males and females: for men significantly higher serum concentrations of TTR were seen the longer an analogue telephone or a mobile and cordless desktop telephone combined had been used, and in contrast, significantly lower serum levels were seen the longer an UMTS telephone had been used. Adjustment for fractions of use of the different telephone types did not modify the effect for cumulative use or years since first use for mobile telephone and DECT, combined. For women, linear regression gave a significant association for short-term use of mobile and cordless telephones combined, indicating that the sooner blood was withdrawn after the most recent telephone call, the higher the expected transthyretin concentration. Conclusion In this hypothesis-generating descriptive study time since first

  3. 30 CFR 56.12069 - Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning protection for telephone wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56.12069 Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors... lightning shall be equipped with suitable lightning arrestors of approved type within 100 feet of the point...

  4. 30 CFR 57.12069 - Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning protection for telephone wires and... AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface Only § 57.12069 Lightning protection for telephone wires and... exposed to lightning shall be equipped with suitable lightning arrestors of approved type within 100 feet...

  5. Safety assessment of RF and microwave radiation emitted by the mobile telephone base station (MTBS) in Malaysia: experience and challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roha Tukimin; Rozaimah Abd Rahim; Mohamad Amirul Nizam; Mohd Yusof Mohd Ali

    2007-01-01

    Non-ionising radiation (NIR) is known to be hazardous if the amount received is excessive. It is a fact that NIR, including extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency (RF) and microwave radiation can be found almost everywhere generated by both natural and man-made source. This is due to increase in demand for telecommunication and wireless technology which is become very important and as part of our lives. However, the widespread of the relevant technology contributed more NIR man-made sources exposure to the human. Due to public concern their potential of causing such health hazard, members of public and companies approached and request NIR Group of Nuclear Malaysia to carry out surveys and safety assessments of radiofrequency and microwave radiation emitted by the mobile telephone base station (MTBS) erected near the residential area or installed on the rooftop of the commercial building. Objective of the survey was to assess the presence of radiofrequency and microwave radiation and to identify radiation level which may lead to significant personnel exposure. Findings of the survey was compared to the standard guidelines issued by Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and International Committee on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This paper highlights the works that had been carried out by NIR Group of Nuclear Malaysia from 1997 to 2007. We will share the experience and challenge in carried out the NIR safety assessment at mobile telephone base station. Results of the assessment work will be used to develop non-ionising radiation database for future reference in Malaysia. (Author)

  6. A survey of managed care strategies for pregnant smokers

    OpenAIRE

    Barker, D.; Robinson, L.; Rosenthal, A.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to measure the content and comprehensiveness of pregnancy specific smoking cessation strategies within managed care organisations (MCOs) responding affirmatively to the national 1997-98 Addressing Tobacco in Managed Care (ATMC) survey.
DESIGN—This cross sectional follow up study consisted of a fax survey sent to medical directors and a 37 question telephone survey of program overseers about the smoking cessation strategy.
SUBJECTS—147 MCOs identifying a...

  7. Telephone reminders reduced the non-attendance rate in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeppesen, Maja Haunstrup; Ainsworth, Mark Andrew

    2015-06-01

    Non-attendance is a global health-care problem. The aim of the present study was 1) to investigate if a telephone reminder could reduce the non-attendance rate, 2) to study reasons for non-attendance and 3) to evaluate if a permanent implementation would be economically advantageous in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic like ours. This was a comparative intervention study with a historical control group in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The study lasted six months. Patients with a scheduled appointment in the first three-month period received no reminder (control group, n = 2,705). Patients in the following three-month period were reminded by telephone one weekday in advance of their appointment, when possible (intervention group, n = 2,479). Non-attending patients in the intervention group received a questionnaire. Based on the results, a financial cost-benefit analysis was made. In the intervention group, 1,577 (64%) patients answered the reminder telephone call. The non-attendance rate was significantly lower in the intervention group (6.1%) than in the control group (10.5%) (p < 0.00001). Only 1.3% of the patients who answered the reminder turned out to be non-attendees. The most common explanation for non-attendance in the intervention group was forgetfulness (39%). The reminder telephone call was cost-effective. In this outpatient clinic, telephone reminders were cost-effective and significantly reduced the non-attendance rate by 43%.

  8. Modeling Auditory-Haptic Interface Cues from an Analog Multi-line Telephone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begault, Durand R.; Anderson, Mark R.; Bittner, Rachael M.

    2012-01-01

    The Western Electric Company produced a multi-line telephone during the 1940s-1970s using a six-button interface design that provided robust tactile, haptic and auditory cues regarding the "state" of the communication system. This multi-line telephone was used as a model for a trade study comparison of two interfaces: a touchscreen interface (iPad)) versus a pressure-sensitive strain gauge button interface (Phidget USB interface controllers). The experiment and its results are detailed in the authors' AES 133rd convention paper " Multimodal Information Management: Evaluation of Auditory and Haptic Cues for NextGen Communication Dispays". This Engineering Brief describes how the interface logic, visual indications, and auditory cues of the original telephone were synthesized using MAX/MSP, including the logic for line selection, line hold, and priority line activation.

  9. Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method, 4th Edition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillman, Don A.; Smyth, Jolene D.; Christian, Lean Melani

    2014-01-01

    For over two decades, Dillman's classic text on survey design has aided both students and professionals in effectively planning and conducting mail, telephone, and, more recently, Internet surveys. The new edition is thoroughly updated and revised, and covers all aspects of survey research. It features expanded coverage of mobile phones, tablets,…

  10. PPAK integral field spectroscopy survey of the Orion nebula. Data release

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sánchez, S. F.; Cardiel, N.; Verheijen, M. A. W.; Martín-Gordón, D.; Vilchez, J. M.; Alves, J.

    2007-01-01

    Aims:We present a low-resolution spectroscopic survey of the Orion nebula. The data are released for public use. We show the possible applications of this dataset analyzing some of the main properties of the nebula. Methods: We perform an integral field spectroscopy mosaic of an area of ~5 arcmin× 6

  11. 75 FR 8112 - In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-23

    ... importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras, and... importation of certain mobile telephones or wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras, or... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Inv. No. 337-TA-703] In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones...

  12. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing

    OpenAIRE

    Gong, Shuangping; Dai, Yonghui; Ji, Jun; Wang, Jinzhao; Sun, Hai

    2015-01-01

    Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer's loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer's satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an anal...

  13. Telephone word-list recall tested in the rural aging and memory study: two parallel versions for the TICS-M.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogervorst, Eva; Bandelow, Stephan; Hart, John; Henderson, Victor W

    2004-09-01

    Parallel versions of memory tasks are useful in clinical and research settings to reduce practice effects engendered by multiple administrations. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of three parallel versions of ten-item word list recall tasks administered by telephone. A population based telephone survey of middle-aged and elderly residents of Bradley County, Arkansas was carried out as part of the Rural Aging and Memory Study (RAMS). Participants in the study were 1845 persons aged 40 to 95 years. Word lists included that used in the telephone interview of cognitive status (TICS) as a criterion standard and two newly developed lists. The mean age of participants was 61.05 (SD 12.44) years; 39.5% were over age 65. 78% of the participants had completed high school, 66% were women and 21% were African-American. There was no difference in demographic characteristics between groups receiving different word list versions, and performances on the three versions were equivalent for both immediate (mean 4.22, SD 1.53) and delayed (mean 2.35 SD 1.75) recall trials. The total memory score (immediate+delayed recall) was negatively associated with older age (beta = -0.41, 95%CI=-0.11 to -0.04), lower education (beta = 0.24, 95%CI = 0.36 to 0.51), male gender (beta = -0.18, 95%CI = -1.39 to -0.90) and African-American race (beta = -0.15, 95%CI = -1.41 to -0.82). The two RAMS word recall lists and the TICS word recall list can be used interchangeably in telephone assessment of memory of middle-aged and elderly persons. This finding is important for future studies where parallel versions of a word-list memory task are needed. (250 words).

  14. Sample design considerations of indoor air exposure surveys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, B.G.; Mage, D.T.; Immerman, F.W.

    1988-01-01

    Concern about the potential for indoor air pollution has prompted recent surveys of radon and NO 2 concentrations in homes and personal exposure studies of volatile organics, carbon monoxide and pesticides, to name a few. The statistical problems in designing sample surveys that measure the physical environment are diverse and more complicated than those encountered in traditional surveys of human attitudes and attributes. This paper addresses issues encountered when designing indoor air quality (IAQ) studies. General statistical concepts related to target population definition, frame creation, and sample selection for area household surveys and telephone surveys are presented. The implications of different measurement approaches are discussed, and response rate considerations are described

  15. Structured telephone support or non-invasive telemonitoring for patients with heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inglis, Sally C; Clark, Robyn A; Dierckx, Riet; Prieto-Merino, David; Cleland, John G F

    2015-10-31

    Specialised disease management programmes for heart failure aim to improve care, clinical outcomes and/or reduce healthcare utilisation. Since the last version of this review in 2010, several new trials of structured telephone support and non-invasive home telemonitoring have been published which have raised questions about their effectiveness. To review randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of structured telephone support or non-invasive home telemonitoring compared to standard practice for people with heart failure, in order to quantify the effects of these interventions over and above usual care. We updated the searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology AsseFssment Database (HTA) on the Cochrane Library; MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (CPCI-S) on Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), AMED, Proquest Theses and Dissertations, IEEE Xplore and TROVE in January 2015. We handsearched bibliographies of relevant studies and systematic reviews and abstract conference proceedings. We applied no language limits. We included only peer-reviewed, published RCTs comparing structured telephone support or non-invasive home telemonitoring to usual care of people with chronic heart failure. The intervention or usual care could not include protocol-driven home visits or more intensive than usual (typically four to six weeks) clinic follow-up. We present data as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality, all-cause and heart failure-related hospitalisations, which we analysed using a fixed-effect model. Other outcomes included length of stay, health-related quality of life, heart failure knowledge and self care, acceptability and cost; we described and tabulated these. We performed meta-regression to assess homogeneity (the

  16. Internet-based CBT for depression with and without telephone tracking in a national helpline: randomised controlled trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louise Farrer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Telephone helplines are frequently and repeatedly used by individuals with chronic mental health problems and web interventions may be an effective tool for reducing depression in this population. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a 6 week, web-based cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT intervention with and without proactive weekly telephone tracking in the reduction of depression in callers to a helpline service. METHOD: 155 callers to a national helpline service with moderate to high psychological distress were recruited and randomised to receive either Internet CBT plus weekly telephone follow-up; Internet CBT only; weekly telephone follow-up only; or treatment as usual. RESULTS: Depression was lower in participants in the web intervention conditions both with and without telephone tracking compared to the treatment as usual condition both at post intervention and at 6 month follow-up. Telephone tracking provided by a lay telephone counsellor did not confer any additional advantage in terms of symptom reduction or adherence. CONCLUSIONS: A web-based CBT program is effective both with and without telephone tracking for reducing depression in callers to a national helpline. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.comISRCTN93903959.

  17. Telephone delivered interventions for reducing morbidity and mortality in people with HIV infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentry, Sarah; van-Velthoven, Michelle H M M T; Tudor Car, Lorainne; Car, Josip

    2013-05-31

    This is one of three Cochrane reviews examining the role of the telephone in HIV/AIDS services. Telephone interventions, delivered either by landline or mobile phone, may be useful in the management of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in many situations. Telephone delivered interventions have the potential to reduce costs, save time and facilitate more support for PLHIV. To assess the effectiveness of voice landline and mobile telephone delivered interventions for reducing morbidity and mortality in people with HIV infection. We searched The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health, World Health Organisation's The Global Health Library and Current Controlled Trials from 1980 to June 2011. We searched the following grey literature sources: Dissertation Abstracts International, Centre for Agriculture Bioscience International Direct Global Health database, The System for Information on Grey Literature Europe, The Healthcare Management Information Consortium database, Google Scholar, Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, International AIDS Society, AIDS Educational Global Information System and reference lists of articles. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised controlled trials, controlled before and after studies, and interrupted time series studies comparing the effectiveness of telephone delivered interventions for reducing morbidity and mortality in persons with HIV infection versus in-person interventions or usual care, regardless of demographic characteristics and in all settings. Both mobile and landline telephone interventions were included, but mobile phone messaging interventions were excluded. Two reviewers independently searched, screened, assessed study quality and extracted data. Primary outcomes were change in behaviour, healthcare uptake or clinical outcomes. Secondary outcomes were appropriateness of the

  18. An assessesment of telephone assistance systems for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garzón-Maldonado, F J; Gutiérrez-Bedmar, M; Serrano-Castro, V; Requena-Toro, M V; Padilla-Romero, L; García-Casares, N

    Telephone assistance is a common practice in neurology, although there are only a few studies about this type of healthcare. We have evaluated a Telephone Assistance System (TAS) for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from 2 points of view: financially and according to the level of satisfaction of the caregiver. 97 patients with a diagnosis of AD according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and their 97 informal caregivers were selected. We studied cost differences between on-site assistance and telephone assistance (TAS) for 12 months. We used a self-administered questionnaire to assess the level of satisfaction of caregivers at the end of the study period. TAS savings amounted to 80.05 ± 27.07 euros per user. 73.6% of the caregivers consider TAS a better or much better system than on-site assistance, while only 2.6% of the caregivers considered TAS a worse or much worse system than on-site assistance. Telephone assistance systems are an efficient healthcare resource for monitoring patients with AD in neurology departments. Furthermore, the level of user satisfaction was high. We therefore consider that telephone assistance service should be offered by healthcare services. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  19. Telephone Encounters Predict Future High Financial Expenditures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A 3-Year Prospective Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Click, Benjamin; Anderson, Alyce M; Ramos Rivers, Claudia; Koutroubakis, Ioannis E; Hashash, Jana G; Dunn, Michael A; Schwartz, Marc; Swoger, Jason; Barrie, Arthur; Szigethy, Eva; Regueiro, Miguel; Schoen, Robert E; Binion, David G

    2018-04-01

    Telephone activity is essential in management of complex chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Telephone encounters logged in the electronic medical record have recently been proposed as a surrogate marker of disease activity and impending health care utilization; however, the association between telephone calls and financial expenditures has not been evaluated. We performed a 3-year prospective observational study of telephone encounters logged at a tertiary referral IBD center. We analyzed patient demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, clinical activity, and health care financial charges by telephone encounter frequency. Eight hundred one patients met inclusion criteria (52.3% female; mean age, 44.1 y), accounted for 12,669 telephone encounters, and accrued $70,513,449 in charges over 3 years. High telephone encounter frequency was associated with female gender (P=0.003), anxiety/depression (Pfinancial charges the following year after controlling for demographic, utilization, and medication covariates. Increased telephone encounters are associated with significantly higher health care utilization and financial expenditures. Increased call frequency is predictive of future health care spending. Telephone encounters are a useful tool to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration and large financial expense.

  20. Effects of enterostomal nurse telephone follow-up on postoperative adjustment of discharged colostomy patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun-e; Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; You, Li-ming; Zheng, Mei-chun; Li, Qiong; Zhang, Bing-yan; Huang, Man-rong; Ye, Xin-Mei; Liang, Ming-juan; Liu, Jin-ling

    2013-01-01

    People with a new colostomy encounter many difficulties as they struggle to adjust to their ostomies. Nurse telephone follow-up is a convenient way to ensure continuity of care. There is a paucity of studies testing if nurse telephone follow-up can enhance adjustment of postdischarged colostomy patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of enterostomal nurse telephone follow-up on the adjustment levels of discharged colostomy patients. This was a randomized controlled trial. Participants (n = 103) who had undergone colostomy operations in China were recruited and randomly assigned to the study or control group. Both the study and control groups received routine discharge care, whereas the study group received 2-3 nurse telephone calls in the follow-up period. The outcome measures included Ostomy Adjustment Scale, Stoma Self-efficacy Scale, satisfaction with care, and stoma complications. Results of this study indicated that participants in the study group had significantly better ostomy adjustment, higher stoma self-efficacy, higher satisfaction with care, and less stoma complications compared with those in the control group. This study provided evidence to support that enterostomal nurse telephone follow-up can improve patient ostomy adjustment level and other related outcomes. Nurse telephone follow-up is an effective intervention to support the adjustment of stoma patients after hospital discharge.

  1. A Meta-Analysis of Experiments on the Effectiveness of Incentives in Organizational Surveys

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Torres van Grinsven, Vanessa; Hox, Joop

    2014-01-01

    The use of monetary and non-monetary incentives for increasing response is considered a proven and widely used method in surveys of individuals or households. This applies not only to mail, but also to face-to-face and telephone surveys. Experimental research shows that the technique is also

  2. Comparison of Survey Data Collection Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VIDAL DÍAZ DE RADA

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of a mixed-mode survey of the general population using a combination of postal, telephone, and Internet survey protocols. Potential respondents were invited to participate by ordinary mail and were allowed to choose their preferred response mode. The paper focuses on response quality (taking non-responses into consideration, fieldwork time and data collection cost. The results reveal that the Internet survey produces the lowest rate of non-responses and requires significantly less fieldwork time, although it is slightly more costly than the postal survey. However, when differences in cost structure are taken into account, we find that the same number of completed questionnaires could have been obtained through the Internet alone at a cost that is 18.2% lower than the mixed-mode survey.

  3. When may doctors give nurses telephonic treatment instructions?

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    When is it legal for doctors to give nurses telephonic treatment instructions? ... telemedicine? Telemedicine is defined as 'the practice of medicine, from a distance, ... [6] Therefore, if in such circumstances the doctors cannot reach the patients in ...

  4. A survey of energy saving techniques for mobile computers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Havinga, Paul J.M.

    1997-01-01

    Portable products such as pagers, cordless and digital cellular telephones, personal audio equipment, and laptop computers are increasingly being used. Because these applications are battery powered, reducing power consumption is vital. In this report we first give a survey of techniques for

  5. Telephone information-memory-concentration test used in evaluating cognitive function of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin Ling; Yang Xiaoye; Li Ling; Deng Zhuoxia

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the telephone information-memory-concentration test (TIMCT) in evaluating the cognitive function of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy. Methods: The cognitive function were evaluated by TIMCT and mini mental state examination (MMSE) in 2 weeks for 30 normal persons and 90 NPC patients. And the 90 NPC patients were divided into the 3 months, 2 years and 5 years after radiotherapy groups. All patients were carried out firstly face to face interview and telephone interview 1 time after 2 weeks. Results: The correlation coefficient of all groups between TIMCT(telephone) and TIMCT (face to face) were bigger (R=0.850) when MMSE wasn't control variable. And the correlation coefficients between TIMCT (telephone) and TIMCT (face to face) were lower (R=0.366) when MMSE was control variable. As for examining time was classification factor, TIMCT (telephone) and TIMCT (face to face) were analyzed by partial correlation analysis. Only normal group was correlated with group of 3 months after radiotherapy and group of 2 years after radiotherapy wasn't correlated with group of 5 years after radiotherapy (R=0.447,0.970,0.200 and 0.062). In addition, the difference plot of TIMCT(telephone) and TIMCT (face to face) indicated that telephone was consistent with face to face interview (MMSE≥28). Both telephone and face to face interview reflected the cognitive function downtrend of research objects. Conclusions: TIMCT (telephone), TIMCT(face to face) and MMSE (face to face) can reflect cognitive function downterend of patients with NPC after radiotherapy. But TIMCT(telephone) used in clinical screening cognitive function impairment of patients with NPC after radiotherapy should be improved further. (authors)

  6. Work on the CERN telephone exchanges

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    Corrective maintenance work on the CERN telephone exchanges will be carried out on 23 September 2004, resulting in interruptions of service across the whole CERN site between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. onwards. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. CERN TELECOM Service Tel.: 76111 GSM: 160026- 163610 Calls between GSM mobile phones will not be affected.

  7. Patient-Provider Communication: Does Electronic Messaging Reduce Incoming Telephone Calls?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, Eve N; Fields, Scott; Rdesinski, Rebecca E; Sachdeva, Bhavaya; Yamashita, Daisuke; Marino, Miguel

    2016-01-01

    Internet-based patient portals are increasingly being implemented throughout health care organizations to enhance health and optimize communication between patients and health professionals. The decision to adopt a patient portal requires careful examination of the advantages and disadvantages of implementation. This study aims to investigate 1 proposed advantage of implementation: alleviating some of the clinical workload faced by employees. A retrospective time-series analysis of the correlation between the rate of electronic patient-to-provider messages-a common attribute of Internet-based patient portals-and incoming telephone calls. The rate of electronic messages and incoming telephone calls were monitored from February 2009 to June 2014 at 4 economically diverse clinics (a federally qualified health center, a rural health clinic, a community-based clinic, and a university-based clinic) related to 1 university hospital. All 4 clinics showed an increase in the rate of portal use as measured by electronic patient-to-provider messaging during the study period. Electronic patient-to-provider messaging was significantly positively correlated with incoming telephone calls at 2 of the clinics (r = 0.546, P electronic patient-to-provider messaging was associated with increased use of telephone calls in 2 of the study clinics. While practices are increasingly making the decision of whether to implement a patient portal as part of their system of care, it is important that the motivation behind such a change not be based on the idea that it will alleviate clinical workload. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  8. Towards effective telephone-based delivery of government services

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Barnard, E

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Government regulations have combined with a tremendous growth in prepaid cellular telephony to bring telephone connectivity to an unprecedented number of South African citizens – thus creating an ideal platform for delivering services to a wide...

  9. Barriers to Implementing Treatment Integrity Procedures in School Psychology Research: Survey of Treatment Outcome Researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanetti, Lisa M. Hagermoser; DiGennaro Reed, Florence D.

    2012-01-01

    Treatment integrity data are essential to drawing valid conclusions in treatment outcome studies. Such data, however, are not always included in peer-reviewed research articles in school psychology or related fields. To gain a better understanding of why treatment integrity data are lacking in the school psychology research, we surveyed the…

  10. The impact of the mode of survey administration on estimates of daily smoking for mobile phone only users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Hanna

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Over the past decade, there have been substantial changes in landline and mobile phone ownership, with a substantial increase in the proportion of mobile-only households. Estimates of daily smoking rates for the mobile phone only (MPO population have been found to be substantially higher than the rest of the population and telephone surveys that use a dual sampling frame (landline and mobile phones are now considered best practice. Smoking is seen as an undesirable behaviour; measuring such behaviours using an interviewer may lead to lower estimates when using telephone based surveys compared to self-administered approaches. This study aims to assess whether higher daily smoking estimates observed for the mobile phone only population can be explained by administrative features of surveys, after accounting for differences in the phone ownership population groups. Methods Data on New South Wales (NSW residents aged 18 years or older from the NSW Population Health Survey (PHS, a telephone survey, and the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS, a self-administered survey, were combined, with weights adjusted to match the 2013 population. Design-adjusted prevalence estimates and odds ratios were calculated using survey analysis procedures available in SAS 9.4. Results Both the PHS and NDSHS gave the same estimates for daily smoking (12% and similar estimates for MPO users (20% and 18% respectively. Pooled data showed that daily smoking was 19% for MPO users, compared to 10% for dual phone owners, and 12% for landline phone only users. Prevalence estimates for MPO users across both surveys were consistently higher than other phone ownership groups. Differences in estimates for the MPO population compared to other phone ownership groups persisted even after adjustment for the mode of collection and demographic factors. Conclusions Daily smoking rates were consistently higher for the mobile phone only population and this was

  11. The effectiveness of telephone counselling and internet- and text-message-based support for smoking cessation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skov-Ettrup, Lise S; Dalum, Peter; Bech, Mickael

    2016-01-01

    counselling group compared with the booklet group (7.3% vs. 3.6%, OR=2.2 (95% CI 1.2-4.0)), There was no clear evidence of a difference in prolonged abstinence between the reactive telephone counselling group or the internet-based smoking cessation program and the booklet group: 1.8% vs. 3.6%, OR=0.8 (95% CI...... 0.6-1.2) and 5.3% vs. 3.6%, OR=1.6 (95% CI 0.8-3.0) respectively. In the proactive telephone counselling group, the cost per additional 12-month quitter compared with the booklet group was £644. CONCLUSIONS: Proactive telephone counselling was more effective than a self-help booklet in achieving......AIM: To compare the effectiveness of proactive telephone counselling, reactive telephone counselling and an internet- and text messages-based intervention with a self-help booklet for smoking cessation. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial with equal allocation to four conditions: 1) Proactive...

  12. Cross-cultural differences for adapting overactive bladder symptoms: results of an epidemiologic survey in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choo, Myung-Soo; Ku, Ja Hyeon; Lee, Jong Bok; Lee, Dong Hwan; Kim, Joon Chul; Kim, Hyung-Jee; Lee, Jeong Ju; Park, Won-Hee

    2007-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) in a Korean national community sample of adults aged 40-89 years. A national Korean telephone survey using quota sampling methods was conducted. A clinically validated computer-assisted telephone interview approach was used in the survey. In 2,005 subjects (1,005 women and 1,000 men) interviewed, the prevalence of OAB(wet) increased with age in both men and women but OAB(dry) did not. OAB(dry) of men and women was not different in each age decade but OAB(wet) was more common among women than men aged cross-cultural differences for adapting OAB symptoms.

  13. Supporting Family Carers Through Telephone-Mediated Group Programs: Opportunities For Gerontological Social Workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanley, Chris

    2008-01-01

    Telephone-mediated group programs are an important but under-utilized medium for reaching frail or disabled older persons' family carers who are in need of support. The primary purpose and style of group programs can range across a broad spectrum–encompassing educational, supportive and therapeutic types. Gerontological social workers are the members of the multidisciplinary care team whose training, experience and supervision makes them most suitable for facilitating this broad range of group types. Drawing on the experience of training a number of group facilitators, this article provides suggestions for social workers contemplating the use of telephone-mediated groups and highlights groupwork skills peculiar to conducting group programs via the telephone.

  14. Emotional first aid for a suicide crisis: comparison between Telephonic hotline and internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilat, Itzhak; Shahar, Golan

    2007-01-01

    The telephone and the internet have become popular sources of psychological help in various types of distress, including a suicide crisis. To gain more insight into the unique features of these media, we compared characteristics of calls to three technologically mediated sources of help that are part of the volunteer-based Israeli Association for Emotional First Aid (ERAN): Telephonic hotline (n = 4426), personal chat (n = 373) and an asynchronous online support group (n = 954). Threats of suicide were much more frequent among participants in the asynchronous support group than the telephone and personal chat. These findings encourage further research into suicide-related interpersonal exchanges in asynchronous online support groups.

  15. Gynecologic oncologists' attitudes and practices relating to integrative medicine: results of a nationwide AGO survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Evelyn; Beckmann, Matthias W; Bader, Werner; Brucker, Cosima; Dobos, Gustav; Fischer, Dorothea; Hanf, Volker; Hasenburg, Annette; Jud, Sebastian M; Kalder, Matthias; Kiechle, Marion; Kümmel, Sherko; Müller, Andreas; Müller, Myrjam-Alice T; Paepke, Daniela; Rotmann, Andre-Robert; Schütz, Florian; Scharl, Anton; Voiss, Petra; Wallwiener, Markus; Witt, Claudia; Hack, Carolin C

    2017-08-01

    The growing popularity and acceptance of integrative medicine is evident both among patients and among the oncologists treating them. As little data are available regarding health-care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to the topic, a nationwide online survey was designed. Over a period of 11 weeks (from July 15 to September 30, 2014) a self-administered, 17-item online survey was sent to all 676 members of the Research Group on Gynecological Oncology (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie) in the German Cancer Society. The questionnaire items addressed the use of integrative therapy methods, fields of indications for them, advice services provided, level of specific qualifications, and other topics. Of the 104 respondents (15.4%) using integrative medicine, 93% reported that integrative therapy was offered to breast cancer patients. The second most frequent type of tumor in connection with which integrative therapy methods were recommended was ovarian cancer, at 80% of the participants using integrative medicine. Exercise, nutritional therapy, dietary supplements, herbal medicines, and acupuncture were the methods the patients were most commonly advised to use. There is considerable interest in integrative medicine among gynecological oncologists, but integrative therapy approaches are at present poorly implemented in routine clinical work. Furthermore there is a lack of specific training. Whether future efforts should focus on extending counseling services on integrative medicine approaches in gynecologic oncology or not, have to be discussed. Evidence-based training on integrative medicine should be implemented in order to safely guide patients in their wish to do something by themselves.

  16. Progress in the development of integrated mental health care in Scotland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Woods

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available The development of integrated care through the promotion of ‘partnership working’ is a key policy objective of the Scottish Executive, the administration responsible for health services in Scotland. This paper considers the extent to which this goal is being achieved in mental health services, particularly those for people with severe and enduring mental illness. Distinguishing between the horizontal and vertical integration of services, exploratory research was conducted to assess progress towards this objective by examining how far a range of functional activities in Primary Care Trusts (PCTs and their constituent Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCCs were themselves becoming increasingly integrated. All PCTs in Scotland were surveyed by postal questionnaire, and followed up by detailed telephone interviews. Six LHCC areas were selected for detailed case study analysis. A Reference Group was used to discuss and review emerging themes from the fieldwork. The report suggests that faster progress is being made in the horizontal integration of services between health and social care organisations than is the case for vertical integration between primary health care and specialist mental health care services; and that there are significant gaps in the extent to which functional activities within Trusts are changing to support the development of integrated care. A number of models are briefly considered, including the idea of ‘intermediate care’ that might speed the process of integration.

  17. Telephone reminders reduced the non-attendance rate in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeppesen, Maja Haunstrup; Ainsworth, Mark Andrew

    2015-01-01

    in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic like ours. METHODS: This was a comparative intervention study with a historical control group in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The study lasted six months. Patients with a scheduled appointment in the first three-month period received no reminder (control group, n = 2......,705). Patients in the following three-month period were reminded by telephone one weekday in advance of their appointment, when possible (intervention group, n = 2,479). Non-attending patients in the intervention group received a questionnaire. Based on the results, a financial cost-benefit analysis was made......-attendees. The most common explanation for non-attendance in the intervention group was forgetfulness (39%). The reminder telephone call was cost-effective. CONCLUSION: In this outpatient clinic, telephone reminders were cost-effective and significantly reduced the non-attendance rate by 43%....

  18. Exploring Culture from a Distance: The Utility of Telephone Interviews in Qualitative Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechuga, Vicente M.

    2012-01-01

    Qualitative studies that utilize telephone interviews, as a primary data collection mode, often are not discussed in the qualitative research literature. Data excerpts from a study that sought to understand the culture of for-profit universities are used to illustrate the types of data that can be garnered through telephone interviews. In…

  19. PHAT STELLAR CLUSTER SURVEY. I. YEAR 1 CATALOG AND INTEGRATED PHOTOMETRY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, L. Clifton; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Fouesneau, Morgan; Hodge, Paul W.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Williams, Benjamin F.; Beerman, Lori C.; Seth, Anil C.; Caldwell, Nelson; Gouliermis, Dimitrios A.; Larsen, Søren S.; Olsen, Knut A. G.; San Roman, Izaskun; Sarajedini, Ata; Bianchi, Luciana; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Girardi, Léo; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Kalirai, Jason; Lang, Dustin

    2012-01-01

    The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey is an ongoing Hubble Space Telescope (HST) multi-cycle program to obtain high spatial resolution imaging of one-third of the M31 disk at ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths. In this paper, we present the first installment of the PHAT stellar cluster catalog. When completed, the PHAT cluster catalog will be among the largest and most comprehensive surveys of resolved star clusters in any galaxy. The exquisite spatial resolution achieved with HST has allowed us to identify hundreds of new clusters that were previously inaccessible with existing ground-based surveys. We identify 601 clusters in the Year 1 sample, representing more than a factor of four increase over previous catalogs within the current survey area (390 arcmin 2 ). This work presents results derived from the first ∼25% of the survey data; we estimate that the final sample will include ∼2500 clusters. For the Year 1 objects, we present a catalog with positions, radii, and six-band integrated photometry. Along with a general characterization of the cluster luminosities and colors, we discuss the cluster luminosity function, the cluster size distributions, and highlight a number of individually interesting clusters found in the Year 1 search.

  20. PHAT STELLAR CLUSTER SURVEY. I. YEAR 1 CATALOG AND INTEGRATED PHOTOMETRY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, L. Clifton; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Fouesneau, Morgan; Hodge, Paul W.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Williams, Benjamin F.; Beerman, Lori C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Seth, Anil C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Caldwell, Nelson [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Gouliermis, Dimitrios A. [Institut fuer Theoretische Astrophysik, Zentrum fuer Astronomie der Universitaet Heidelberg, Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Larsen, Soren S. [Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands); Olsen, Knut A. G. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); San Roman, Izaskun; Sarajedini, Ata [Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, 211 Bryant Space Science Center, Gainesville, FL 32611-2055 (United States); Bianchi, Luciana [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Girardi, Leo [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova-INAF, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Guhathakurta, Puragra [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Kalirai, Jason [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lang, Dustin, E-mail: lcjohnso@astro.washington.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); and others

    2012-06-20

    The Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey is an ongoing Hubble Space Telescope (HST) multi-cycle program to obtain high spatial resolution imaging of one-third of the M31 disk at ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths. In this paper, we present the first installment of the PHAT stellar cluster catalog. When completed, the PHAT cluster catalog will be among the largest and most comprehensive surveys of resolved star clusters in any galaxy. The exquisite spatial resolution achieved with HST has allowed us to identify hundreds of new clusters that were previously inaccessible with existing ground-based surveys. We identify 601 clusters in the Year 1 sample, representing more than a factor of four increase over previous catalogs within the current survey area (390 arcmin{sup 2}). This work presents results derived from the first {approx}25% of the survey data; we estimate that the final sample will include {approx}2500 clusters. For the Year 1 objects, we present a catalog with positions, radii, and six-band integrated photometry. Along with a general characterization of the cluster luminosities and colors, we discuss the cluster luminosity function, the cluster size distributions, and highlight a number of individually interesting clusters found in the Year 1 search.

  1. Gender and the Telephone: Voice and Emotions Shaping and Gendering Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mona Livholts

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In the field of communication studies, the topic of telephony and the gendering of space via voice and emotions has received limited attention. The focus of this article is how telephone conversations are mediated by voice and emotions, which in turn shape and gender social space. The methodology is a collaborative autoethnographic design based on diary notes and memory work. Two central themes emerge from the findings that explain how space becomes gendered when using the telephone: (a the voice and relations of power, and (b the interstices between work, caring, and the telephone. Our findings reveal the central role of work and caring and how these spaces constantly are being traversed and transformed as the mobile phone becomes an important appendage for sensory perceptions of hearing/listening/voice. We argue that these themes point toward the crucial impact of emotions in the construction of multiple and gendered spatialities of telephony.

  2. 77 FR 43858 - Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-26

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-703] Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof; Determination To Review... importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless...

  3. Learning how to learn using simulation: Unpacking disguised feedback using a qualitative analysis of doctors' telephone talk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eppich, Walter J; Rethans, Jan-Joost; Dornan, Timothy; Teunissen, Pim W

    2018-05-04

    Telephone talk between clinicians represents a substantial workplace activity in postgraduate clinical education, yet junior doctors receive little training in goal-directed, professional telephone communication. To assess educational needs for telephone talk and develop a simulation-based educational intervention. Thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews with doctors-in-training from various training levels and specialties. We identified essential elements to incorporate into simulation-based telephone talk, including common challenging situations for junior doctors as well as explicit and informal aspects that promote learning. These elements have implications for both junior doctors and clinical supervisors, including: (a) explicit teaching and feedback practices and (b) informal conversational interruptions and questions. The latter serve as "disguised" feedback, which aligns with recent conceptualizations of feedback as "performance relevant information". In addition to preparing clinical supervisors to support learning through telephone talk, we propose several potential educational strategies: (a) embedding telephone communication skills throughout simulation activities and (b) developing stand-alone curricular elements to sensitize junior doctors to "disguised" feedback during telephone talk as a mechanism to augment future workplace learning, i.e. 'learning how to learn' through simulation.

  4. Profiling the mobile-only population in Australia: insights from the Australian National Health Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baffour, Bernard; Haynes, Michele; Dinsdale, Shane; Western, Mark; Pennay, Darren

    2016-10-01

    The Australian population that relies on mobile phones exclusively has increased from 5% in 2005 to 29% in 2014. Failing to include this mobile-only population leads to a potential bias in estimates from landline-based telephone surveys. This paper considers the impacts on selected health prevalence estimates with and without the mobile-only population. Using data from the Australian Health Survey - which, for the first time, included a question on telephone status - we examined demographic, geographic and health differences between the landline-accessible and mobile-only population. These groups were also compared to the full population, controlling for the sampling design and differential non-response patterns in the observed sample through weighting and benchmarking. The landline-accessible population differs from the mobile-only population for selected health measures resulting in biased prevalence estimates for smoking, alcohol risk and private health insurance coverage in the full population. The differences remain even after adjusting for age and gender. Using landline telephones only for conducting population health surveys will have an impact on prevalence rate estimates of health risk factors due to the differing profiles of the mobile-only population from the landline-accessible population. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

  5. 'Putting Life in Years' (PLINY) telephone friendship groups research study: pilot randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mountain, Gail A; Hind, Daniel; Gossage-Worrall, Rebecca; Walters, Stephen J; Duncan, Rosie; Newbould, Louise; Rex, Saleema; Jones, Carys; Bowling, Ann; Cattan, Mima; Cairns, Angela; Cooper, Cindy; Edwards, Rhiannon Tudor; Goyder, Elizabeth C

    2014-04-24

    Loneliness in older people is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We undertook a parallel-group randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telephone befriending for the maintenance of HRQoL in older people. An internal pilot tested the feasibility of the trial and intervention. Participants aged >74 years, with good cognitive function, living independently in one UK city were recruited through general practices and other sources, then randomised to: (1) 6 weeks of short one-to-one telephone calls, followed by 12 weeks of group telephone calls with up to six participants, led by a trained volunteer facilitator; or (2) a control group. The main trial required the recruitment of 248 participants in a 1-year accrual window, of whom 124 were to receive telephone befriending. The pilot specified three success criteria which had to be met in order to progress the main trial to completion: recruitment of 68 participants in 95 days; retention of 80% participants at 6 months; successful delivery of telephone befriending by local franchise of national charity. The primary clinical outcome was the Short Form (36) Health Instrument (SF-36) Mental Health (MH) dimension score collected by telephone 6 months following randomisation. We informed 9,579 older people about the study. Seventy consenting participants were randomised to the pilot in 95 days, with 56 (80%) providing valid primary outcome data (26 intervention, 30 control). Twenty-four participants randomly allocated to the research arm actually received telephone befriending due to poor recruitment and retention of volunteer facilitators. The trial was closed early as a result. The mean 6-month SF-36 MH scores were 78 (SD 18) and 71 (SD 21) for the intervention and control groups, respectively (mean difference, 7; 95% CI, -3 to 16). Recruitment and retention of participants to a definitive trial with a recruitment window of 1 year is feasible. For

  6. Integrated surgical academic training in the UK: a cross-sectional survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blencowe, Natalie S; Glasbey, James C; McElnay, Philip J; Bhangu, Aneel; Gokani, Vimal J; Harries, Rhiannon L

    2017-10-01

    This study aimed to explore variations in the provision of integrated academic surgical training across the UK. This is an online cross-sectional survey (consisting of 44 items with a range of free-text, binomial and 5-point Likert scale responses) developed by the Association of Surgeons in Training. A self-reported survey instrument was distributed to academic surgical trainees across the UK (n=276). 143 (51.9%) responses were received (81% male, median age: 34 years), spanning all UK regions and surgical specialties. Of the 143 trainees, 29 were core trainees (20.3%), 99 were specialty trainees (69.2%) and 15 (10.5%) described themselves as research fellows. The structure of academic training varied considerably, with under a third of trainees receiving guaranteed protected time for research. Despite this, however, 53.1% of the respondents reported to be satisfied with how their academic training was organised. Covering clinical duties during academic time occurred commonly (72.7%). Although most trainees (n=88, 61.5%) met with their academic supervisor at least once a month, six (4.2%) never had an academic supervisory meeting. Most trainees (n=90, 62.9%) occupied a full-time rota slot and only 9.1% (n=13) described their role as 'supernumerary'. Although 58.7% (n=84) of the trainees were satisfied with their clinical competence, 37.8% (n=54) felt that clinical time focused more on service provision than the acquisition of technical skills. 58 (40.6%) had experienced some form of negative sentiment relating to their status as an academic trainee. Integrated academic training presents unique challenges and opportunities within surgery. This survey has identified variation in the quality of current programmes, meaning that the future provision of integrated surgical academic training should be carefully considered. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is

  7. Using Your VOICE(S: Adding Telephonic Communication to Pharmacy Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorin B Grieve

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Pharmacists utilize a myriad of communication methods to deliver patient care. One of the most prevalent communication methods is the telephone. The University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy created a novel instructional and assessment technique to enhance student pharmacist training experiences in telephonic communication within the PharmD curriculum. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received, employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties   Type: Note

  8. Effects of phone versus mail survey methods on the measurement of health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erhart, Michael; Wetzel, Ralf M; Krügel, André; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike

    2009-12-30

    Telephone interviews have become established as an alternative to traditional mail surveys for collecting epidemiological data in public health research. However, the use of telephone and mail surveys raises the question of to what extent the results of different data collection methods deviate from one another. We therefore set out to study possible differences in using telephone and mail survey methods to measure health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents. A total of 1700 German children aged 8-18 years and their parents were interviewed randomly either by telephone or by mail. Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and mental health problems (MHP) were assessed using the KINDL-R Quality of Life instrument and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) children's self-report and parent proxy report versions. Mean Differences ("d" effect size) and differences in Cronbach alpha were examined across modes of administration. Pearson correlation between children's and parents' scores was calculated within a multi-trait-multi-method (MTMM) analysis and compared across survey modes using Fisher-Z transformation. Telephone and mail survey methods resulted in similar completion rates and similar socio-demographic and socio-economic makeups of the samples. Telephone methods resulted in more positive self- and parent proxy reports of children's HRQoL (SMD survey self/proxy Total: 0.84/0.87). KINDL MTMM results were weaker for the phone surveys: mono-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.31 (mail: r = 0.45); multi-trait-mono-method mean (self/parents) r = 0.29/0.36 (mail: r = 0.34/0.40); multi-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.14 (mail: r = 0.21). Weaker MTMM results were also observed for the phone administered SDQ: mono-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.32 (mail: r = 0.40); multi-trait-mono-method mean (self/parents) r = 0.24/0.30 (mail: r = 0.20/0.32); multi-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.14 (mail = 0.14). The SDQ

  9. [COOP/WONCA: Reliability and validity of the test administered by telephone].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedrero-Pérez, Eduardo J; Díaz-Olalla, José Manuel

    2016-01-01

    The COOP/WONCA test was initially proposed as a self-report in which the answers were supported by drawings illustrating the state investigated. Subsequent studies have confirmed its usefulness as a mere verbal self-report face-to-face administered. No data have been found about its useful when administered by telephone interview. The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the COOP / WONCA test to measure Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) administered by telephone and compare them with those obtained in other forms of prior administration. Cross-sectional study on a random. City of Madrid. Random sample of 802 adult subjects, representative of the adult population in Madrid, obtained by stratification from the population census. Questionnaire COOP/WONCA with 9 ítems included in a broader battery, administered by telephone interview. The unrestricted factor analysis points to the unifactoriality of the scale, which measures a single latent construct (HRQOL), showing high internal consistency, not significantly different from those found by face-to-face administration, ruling out the existence of biases in the phone modality. The COOP/WONCA test appears as a reliable and valid measure of HRQOL and telephonic administration allows to assume no changes in the results, which can reduce costs in population studies, increasing efficiency without loss of quality in the information collected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  10. An integrated system for conducting radiological surveys of contaminated sites - 16312

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCown, Jay P.; Rogers, Donna M.; Waggoner, Charles A.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes an integrated detection system that has been developed to conduct radiological surveys of sites suspected of contamination of materials such as depleted uranium. This system utilizes cerium activated lanthanum bromide and thallium activated sodium iodide gamma detectors and can be easily adapted to include units for detecting neutrons. The detection system includes software controlling the collection of radiological spectra and GPS data. Two different platforms are described for conducting surveys, a modified zero turn radius (ZTR) mower and a three-wheeled cart that is manually pushed. The detection system software controlling data collection has components that facilitate completing a grid-less survey on user specified spacings. Another package confirms that all data quality activities (calibrations, etc.) are conducted prior to beginning the survey and also reviews data to identify areas that have been missed for which data quality falls below user designated parameters. Advanced digital signal processing algorithms are used to enhance the interpretation of spectra for conducting background subtractions and for mapping. Data from radiation detection instruments and GPS antennae are merged and made compatible with mapping using Geosoft Oasis montaj software. A summary of system performance during field-testing is included in the paper. This includes survey rate, detection limits, duty cycle, supporting ancillary equipment/material, and manpower requirements. The rate of false positives and false negatives is discussed with the benefits of surveys conducted using synergetic detection systems such as electromagnetic induction imaging. (authors)

  11. Oceanographic data - Integrated acoustic and trawl survey of Pacific hake off the Pacific Coast

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Integrated acoustic and trawl surveys are used to assess the distribution, biomass, and biology of Pacific hake along the Pacific coasts of the United States and...

  12. Biological data - Integrated acoustic and trawl survey of Pacific hake off the Pacific Coast

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Integrated acoustic and trawl surveys are used to assess the distribution, biomass, and biology of Pacific hake along the Pacific coasts of the United States and...

  13. Guide to the design and application of online questionnaire surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regmi, Pramod R; Waithaka, Elizabeth; Paudyal, Anjana; Simkhada, Padam; van Teijlingen, Edwin

    2016-12-01

    Collecting research data through traditional approaches (face-to-face, postal or telephone survey) can be costly and time consuming. The emerging data collection approach based on internet/e-based technologies (e.g. online platforms and email), is a relatively cost effective survey alternative. These novel data collection strategies can collect large amounts of data from participants in a short time frame. Similarly, they also seem to be feasible and effective in collecting data on sensitive issues or with samples they are generally hard to reach, for example, men who have sex with men (MSM) or migrants. As a significant proportion of the population currently in the world are digitally connected, the shift from postal (paper-pencil) or telephone towards online survey use in research is in the interests of researchers in academia as well as in the commercial world. However, compared to designing and executing paper version of the questionnaire, there is limited literature to help a starting researcher with the design and a use of online questionnaires. This short paper highlights issues around: a) methodological aspect of online questionnaire survey; b) online survey planning and management; and c) ethical concerns that may arise while using this option. We believe that this paper will be useful for researchers who want to gain knowledge or apply this approach in their research.

  14. Telephone counselling by nurses in Norwegian primary care out-of-hours services: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Midtbø, Vivian; Raknes, Guttorm; Hunskaar, Steinar

    2017-09-06

    The primary care out-of-hours (OOH) services in Norway are characterized by high contact rates by telephone. The telephone contacts are handled by local emergency medical communication centres (LEMCs), mainly staffed by registered nurses. When assessment by a medical doctor is not required, the nurse often handles the contact solely by nurse telephone counselling. Little is known about this group of contacts. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of encounters with the OOH services that are handled solely by nurse telephone counselling. Nurses recorded ICPC-2 reason for encounter (RFE) codes and patient characteristics of all patients who contacted six primary care OOH services in Norway during 2014. Descriptive statistics and frequency analyses were applied. Of all telephone contacts (n = 61,441), 23% were handled solely by nurse counselling. Fever was the RFE most frequently handled (7.3% of all nurse advice), followed by abdominal pain, cough, ear pain and general symptoms. Among the youngest patients, 32% of the total telephone contacts were resolved by nurse advice compared with 17% in the oldest age group. At night, 31% of the total telephone contacts were resolved solely by nurse advice compared with 21% during the day shift and 23% in the evening. The share of nurse advice was higher on weekdays compared to weekends (mean share 25% versus 20% respectively). This study shows that nurses make a significant contribution to patient management in the Norwegian OOH services. The findings indicate which conditions nurses should be able to handle by telephone, which has implications for training and routines in the LEMCs. There is the potential for more nurse involvement in several of the RFEs with a currently low share of nurse counselling.

  15. Quality of life of children and their caregivers during an AOM episode: development and use of a telephone questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dubé Eve

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The negative consequences of acute otitis media (AOM on the quality of life (QOL of children and their families need to be measured to assess benefits of preventive interventions. Methods A new questionnaire was specifically designed for use in telephone surveys. A random sample of Canadian families was selected using random-digit dialling. Caregivers of children 6-59 months of age who experienced at least one AOM episode during the last 12 months were interviewed. Multidimensional severity and global QOL scores were measured both for affected children and their caregivers. Internal consistency of scores was assessed using standard tests. Results Of the 502 eligible caregivers who completed the survey, 161 (32% reported at least one AOM episode during the last 12 months and these cases were included in the analysis. Average severity was 2.6 for children and 2.4 for caregivers on a 1 to 4 scale (maximum severity. Cronbach alpha values were 0.78 and 0.81 for the severity score of children and caregivers respectively. Average QOL was 3.4 for children and 3.5 for caregivers on a 1 to 5 scale (best QOL. There was moderate to high correlation between severity and QOL scores, and between these scores and duration of AOM episodes. Conclusions The questionnaire was easy to use during telephone interviews and results suggest good reliability and validity of the different scores to measure AOM severity and QOL of children and their caregivers during an AOM episode.

  16. 78 FR 53684 - Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay Services...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-30

    ..., and during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street... and persons using end user telephone equipment, such as a standard phone, smartphone, or computer. 2... displayed on a captioned telephone device, a computer, or a smartphone. The service also provides captions...

  17. Telephone screening for mild cognitive impairment in hispanics using the Alzheimer's questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, Ricardo; Velez, Carlos E; Royall, Donald R

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: There is a need for a simple and reliable screening test to detect individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The authors analyzed the relationship between performance of the Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ), an informant-rated measure of dementia-related behaviors, relative to the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m), Memory Impairment Scale-telephone version (MIS-t), and the Telephone Executive Assessment (TEXAS) as predictors of MCI. Comparative cross-sectional design, with data collected from participants in the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium's (TARCC) San Antonio site. One-hundred percent of our sample was Hispanic. The San Antonio subset of TARCC sample is highly enriched with Mexican Americans (MAs). Fifty-five percent of the interviews were conducted in Spanish. Of the 184 persons enrolled, 124 were normal controls (NCs), and 60 participants had MCI. MCI status and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) were determined through clinical consensus and performed blind to telephone assessments. Controlling for age, gender, education, and language of interview, the association between telephone measures and CDR-SOB was evaluated by multivariate regression. AQ scores were not affected by education, gender, and language of interview, but subject's age did show a positive correlation with informant AQ ratings. The AQ predicted CDR-SOB independently of the cognitive measures, adding variance above and beyond demographics. The TICS-m and the TEXAS appear to have additive value in improving the detection of cognitively impaired patients. The MIS-t failed to contribute significantly to CDR-SOB, independent of the other measures. The AQ may have utility as a culture-fair telephone screening for MCI. The AQ was able to modestly distinguish MCI from NCs. The TEXAS adds variance to a model of dementia severity independent of the AQ, suggesting that the latter may weakly assess that

  18. Validation of a brief telephone battery for neurocognitive assessment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palevsky Harold I

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The effects of pulmonary arterial hypertension on brain function are not understood, despite patients' frequent complaints of cognitive difficulties. Using clinical instruments normally administered during standard in-person assessment of neurocognitive function in adults, we assembled a battery of tests designed for administration over the telephone. The purpose was to improve patient participation, facilitate repeated test administration, and reduce the cost of research on the neuropsychological consequences of acute and chronic cardiorespiratory diseases. We undertook this study to validate telephone administration of the tests. Methods 23 adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension underwent neurocognitive assessment using both standard in-person and telephone test administration, and the results of the two methods compared using interclass correlations. Results For most of the tests in the battery, scores from the telephone assessment correlated strongly with those obtained by in-person administration of the same tests. Interclass correlations between 0.5 and 0.8 were observed for tests that assessed attention, memory, concentration/working memory, reasoning, and language/crystallized intelligence (p ≤ 0.05 for each. Interclass correlations for the Hayling Sentence Completion test of executive function approached significance (p = 0.09. All telephone tests were completed within one hour. Conclusion Administration of this neurocognitive test battery by telephone should facilitate assessment of neuropsychological deficits among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension living across broad geographical areas, and may be useful for monitoring changes in neurocognitive function in response to PAH-specific therapy or disease progression.

  19. [Inequalities in access to and utilization of dental care in Brazil: an analysis of the Telephone Survey Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases (VIGITEL 2009)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peres, Marco A; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Boing, Antonio Fernando; Yokota, Renata Tiene de Carvalho; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Peres, Karen Glazer

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate access to and utilization of various types of dental services by individuals 18 years or older in Brazil's State capitals. We gathered data from the Telephone Survey Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases (VIGITEL) in 2009 (n = 54,367). More than half of the target population reported the need for dental treatment in the previous year; of these, 15.2% lacked access to dental services when needed. The private sector provided 61.1% of all dental appointments. The share of services provided by the Unified National Health System (SUS) ranged from 6.2% in the Federal District to 35.2% in Boa Vista, in the North. Multivariate Poisson regression models showed higher prevalence of dental treatment needs among women, middle-aged adults, and individuals with more schooling. Lack of access to dental care was more frequent among women, young adults, less educated individuals, and among lightener-skinned blacks. Our findings highlight sharp inequalities in the use of and access to dental services in the Brazilian State capitals.

  20. On a Modular Approach to the Design of Integrated Social Surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioannidis Evangelos

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This article considers a modular approach to the design of integrated social surveys. The approach consists of grouping variables into ‘modules’, each of which is then allocated to one or more ‘instruments’. Each instrument is then administered to a random sample of population units, and each sample unit responds to all modules of the instrument. This approach offers a way of designing a system of integrated social surveys that balances the need to limit the cost and the need to obtain sufficient information. The allocation of the modules to instruments draws on the methodology of split questionnaire designs. The composition of the instruments, that is, how the modules are allocated to instruments, and the corresponding sample sizes are obtained as a solution to an optimisation problem. This optimisation involves minimisation of respondent burden and data collection cost, while respecting certain design constraints usually encountered in practice. These constraints may include, for example, the level of precision required and dependencies between the variables. We propose using a random search algorithm to find approximate optimal solutions to this problem. The algorithm is proved to fulfil conditions that ensure convergence to the global optimum and can also produce an efficient design for a split questionnaire.

  1. An integral-field spectroscopic strong lens survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolton, Adam S; Burles, Scott

    2007-01-01

    We present the observational results of a survey for strong gravitational lens systems consisting of extended emission-line galaxies lensed by intervening early-type galaxies, conducted using integral field units (IFUs) of the Magellan IMACS and Gemini GMOS-N spectrographs. These data are highly valuable for corroborating the lensing interpretation of Hubble Space Telescope imaging data. We show that in many cases, ground-based IFU spectroscopy is in fact competitive with space-based imaging for the measurement of the mass model parameters of the lensing galaxy. We demonstrate a novel technique of three-dimensional gravitational lens modeling for a single lens system with a resolved lensed rotation curve. We also describe the details of our custom IFU data analysis software, which performs optimal multi-fiber extraction, relative and absolute wavelength calibration to a few hundredths of a pixel RMS and nearly Poisson-limited sky subtraction

  2. Integral Field Spectroscopy Surveys: Oxygen Abundance Gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, S. F.; Sánchez-Menguiano, L.

    2017-07-01

    We present here the recent results on our understanding of oxygen abundance gradients derived using Integral Field Spectroscopic surveys. In particular we analyzed more than 2124 datacubes corresponding to individual objects observed by the CALIFA (˜ 734 objects) and the public data by MaNGA (˜ 1390 objects), deriving the oxygen abundance gradient for each galaxy. We confirm previous results that indicate that the shape of this gradient is very similar for all galaxies with masses above 109.5M⊙, presenting in average a very similar slope of ˜ -0.04 dex within 0.5-2.0 re, with a possible drop in the inner regions (r109.5M⊙) the gradient seems to be flatter than for more massive ones. All these results agree with an inside-out growth of massive galaxies and indicate that low mass ones may still be growing in an outside in phase.

  3. Assisting the visually impaired to deal with telephone interview jobs using information and commutation technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Fung-Huei; Yang, Chung-Chieh

    2014-12-01

    This study proposed a new information and commutation technology assisted blind telephone interview (ICT-ABTI) system to help visually impaired people to do telephone interview jobs as normal sighted people and create more diverse employment opportunities for them. The study also used an ABAB design to assess the system with seven visually impaired people. As the results, they can accomplish 3070 effective telephone interviews per month independently. The results also show that working performance of the visually impaired can be improved effectively with appropriate design of operation working flow and accessible software. The visually impaired become productive, lucrative, and self-sufficient by using ICT-ABTI system to do telephone interview jobs. The results were also shared through the APEC Digital Opportunity Center platform to help visually impaired in Philippines, Malaysia and China. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Gas data transmission system by satellite telephone; Systeme de transmission de donnees sur le gaz utilisant le telephone par satellite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogasawara, S.; Tanji, A. [Dengineer Co., Ltd (Japan); Akiyama, S. [Buyo Gas Company (Japan)

    2000-07-01

    Dengineer Co., Ltd. and Buyo Gas Co., Ltd. had been developing and using the data and alarm transmission system by public telephone since 1984, that was first practical use in Japan. It is very important for business management that adjusts the production value of gas by measuring gas pressures in each governor. Also, it is indispensable to know the accident of gas leakage or abnormal gas pressure quickly. But this convenient system is not spread yet in Japanese market cause of the following reasons. - Take time and cost for installation of terminal station. - Terminal station is apt to damage by thunder. - Big disaster must stop working this system. In order to solve those problems, we have developed and tested the system organized of the satellite telephone system and solar cells for power. This system will be very useful for wide place, not only Japanese market but also the area, which has no electricity and phone. Also, it will be convenient for international rescue as is able to access it from the foreign countries. (authors)

  5. Using electronic surveys in nursing research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cope, Diane G

    2014-11-01

    Computer and Internet use in businesses and homes in the United States has dramatically increased since the early 1980s. In 2011, 76% of households reported having a computer, compared with only 8% in 1984 (File, 2013). A similar increase in Internet use has also been seen, with 72% of households reporting access of the Internet in 2011 compared with 18% in 1997 (File, 2013). This emerging trend in technology has prompted use of electronic surveys in the research community as an alternative to previous telephone and postal surveys. Electronic surveys can offer an efficient, cost-effective method for data collection; however, challenges exist. An awareness of the issues and strategies to optimize data collection using web-based surveys is critical when designing research studies. This column will discuss the different types and advantages and disadvantages of using electronic surveys in nursing research, as well as methods to optimize the quality and quantity of survey responses.

  6. Gender portrayals in telephone books for gay community versus Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waugh, I M; Rienzi, B M

    1998-12-01

    Photographic images (N = 2,700) from three 1997 Pacific-Bell Yellow Pages (n = 1,976) and from three 1996-97 gay, lesbian, and bisexual community telephone books (n = 724) were classified into three groups by visible features (definite male, definite female, and gender nonspecific). The latter were excluded. The proportion of male photographic images was larger in gay community books than in Pacific-Bell telephone books.

  7. Single-Phase Mail Survey Design for Rare Population Subgroups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brick, J. Michael; Andrews, William R.; Mathiowetz, Nancy A.

    2016-01-01

    Although using random digit dialing (RDD) telephone samples was the preferred method for conducting surveys of households for many years, declining response and coverage rates have led researchers to explore alternative approaches. The use of address-based sampling (ABS) has been examined for sampling the general population and subgroups, most…

  8. Persons with Alzheimer's Disease Make Phone Calls Independently Using a Computer-Aided Telephone System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perilli, Viviana; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Cassano, Germana; Cordiano, Noemi; Pinto, Katia; Minervini, Mauro G.; Oliva, Doretta

    2012-01-01

    This study assessed whether four patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease could make independent phone calls via a computer-aided telephone system. The study was carried out according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants. All participants started with baseline during which the telephone system was not available,…

  9. ‘Putting Life in Years’ (PLINY) telephone friendship groups research study: pilot randomised controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Loneliness in older people is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We undertook a parallel-group randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telephone befriending for the maintenance of HRQoL in older people. An internal pilot tested the feasibility of the trial and intervention. Methods Participants aged >74 years, with good cognitive function, living independently in one UK city were recruited through general practices and other sources, then randomised to: (1) 6 weeks of short one-to-one telephone calls, followed by 12 weeks of group telephone calls with up to six participants, led by a trained volunteer facilitator; or (2) a control group. The main trial required the recruitment of 248 participants in a 1-year accrual window, of whom 124 were to receive telephone befriending. The pilot specified three success criteria which had to be met in order to progress the main trial to completion: recruitment of 68 participants in 95 days; retention of 80% participants at 6 months; successful delivery of telephone befriending by local franchise of national charity. The primary clinical outcome was the Short Form (36) Health Instrument (SF-36) Mental Health (MH) dimension score collected by telephone 6 months following randomisation. Results We informed 9,579 older people about the study. Seventy consenting participants were randomised to the pilot in 95 days, with 56 (80%) providing valid primary outcome data (26 intervention, 30 control). Twenty-four participants randomly allocated to the research arm actually received telephone befriending due to poor recruitment and retention of volunteer facilitators. The trial was closed early as a result. The mean 6-month SF-36 MH scores were 78 (SD 18) and 71 (SD 21) for the intervention and control groups, respectively (mean difference, 7; 95% CI, -3 to 16). Conclusions Recruitment and retention of participants to a definitive trial with a

  10. Implementing telephone triage in general practice: a process evaluation of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdoch, Jamie; Varley, Anna; Fletcher, Emily; Britten, Nicky; Price, Linnie; Calitri, Raff; Green, Colin; Lattimer, Valerie; Richards, Suzanne H; Richards, David A; Salisbury, Chris; Taylor, Rod S; Campbell, John L

    2015-04-10

    Telephone triage represents one strategy to manage demand for face-to-face GP appointments in primary care. However, limited evidence exists of the challenges GP practices face in implementing telephone triage. We conducted a qualitative process evaluation alongside a UK-based cluster randomised trial (ESTEEM) which compared the impact of GP-led and nurse-led telephone triage with usual care on primary care workload, cost, patient experience, and safety for patients requesting a same-day GP consultation. The aim of the process study was to provide insights into the observed effects of the ESTEEM trial from the perspectives of staff and patients, and to specify the circumstances under which triage is likely to be successfully implemented. Here we report perspectives of staff. The intervention comprised implementation of either GP-led or nurse-led telephone triage for a period of 2-3 months. A qualitative evaluation was conducted using staff interviews recruited from eight general practices (4 GP triage, 4 Nurse triage) in the UK, implementing triage as part of the ESTEEM trial. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 44 staff members in GP triage and nurse triage practices (16 GPs, 8 nurses, 7 practice managers, 13 administrative staff). Staff reported diverse experiences and perceptions regarding the implementation of telephone triage, its effects on workload, and on the benefits of triage. Such diversity were explained by the different ways triage was organised, the staffing models used to support triage, how the introduction of triage was communicated across practice staff, and by how staff roles were reconfigured as a result of implementing triage. The findings from the process evaluation offer insight into the range of ways GP practices participating in ESTEEM implemented telephone triage, and the circumstances under which telephone triage can be successfully implemented beyond the context of a clinical trial. Staff experiences and perceptions of telephone

  11. A profile of communication in primary care physician telephone consultations: application of the Roter Interaction Analysis System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innes, Michael; Skelton, John; Greenfield, Sheila

    2006-05-01

    Telephone consultations are a part of everyday practice, there is surprisingly little research on the subject. To describe the variation of consulting skills within a body of telephone consultations in primary care, highlighting the performance of one method of assessing the process of the consultation-- the Roter Interaction Analysis System-- with telephone consultations. Cross sectional study of 43 recordings of telephone consultations with GPs. One rural county in the Midlands. Recordings were made of 8 GPs, purposively selected for maximum variance in one region of the UK. Forty-three consultations were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System. From the descriptive categories, six composite categories were compiled reflecting a number of domains of interaction in a consultation: rapport, data gathering, patient education and counselling, partnership building, doctor dominance and patient-centredness. Analysis of variance was undertaken to explain variations between consultations for the different domains. Comparison was made to findings from similar work for face-to-face consultations. These telephone consultations feature more biomedical information exchange than psychosocial or affective communication. Length of interaction accounts for much of the variation seen between consultations in the domains of rapport, data gathering, patient education and counselling and partnership. Male doctors are more patient centred in this study. There is the suggestion of more doctor dominance and a less patient-centred approach when comparisons are made with previous work on face-to-face consultations. Although the telephone is increasingly being used to provide care, this study highlights the fact that telephone consultations cannot be taken as equivalent to those conducted face to face. More work needs to be done to delineate the features of telephone consultations.

  12. Suicidal Behavior and Firearm Access: Results from the Second Injury Control and Risk Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betz, Marian E.; Barber, Catherine; Miller, Matthew

    2011-01-01

    The association between home firearms and the likelihood and nature of suicidal thoughts and plans was examined using the Second Injury Control and Risk Survey, a 2001-2003 representative telephone survey of U.S. households. Of 9,483 respondents, 7.4% reported past-year suicidal thoughts, 21.3% with a plan. Similar proportions of those with and…

  13. Effects of phone versus mail survey methods on the measurement of health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravens-Sieberer Ulrike

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Telephone interviews have become established as an alternative to traditional mail surveys for collecting epidemiological data in public health research. However, the use of telephone and mail surveys raises the question of to what extent the results of different data collection methods deviate from one another. We therefore set out to study possible differences in using telephone and mail survey methods to measure health-related quality of life and emotional and behavioural problems in children and adolescents. Methods A total of 1700 German children aged 8-18 years and their parents were interviewed randomly either by telephone or by mail. Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL and mental health problems (MHP were assessed using the KINDL-R Quality of Life instrument and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ children's self-report and parent proxy report versions. Mean Differences ("d" effect size and differences in Cronbach alpha were examined across modes of administration. Pearson correlation between children's and parents' scores was calculated within a multi-trait-multi-method (MTMM analysis and compared across survey modes using Fisher-Z transformation. Results Telephone and mail survey methods resulted in similar completion rates and similar socio-demographic and socio-economic makeups of the samples. Telephone methods resulted in more positive self- and parent proxy reports of children's HRQoL (SMD ≤ 0.27 and MHP (SMD ≤ 0.32 on many scales. For the phone administered KINDL, lower Cronbach alpha values (self/proxy Total: 0.79/0.84 were observed (mail survey self/proxy Total: 0.84/0.87. KINDL MTMM results were weaker for the phone surveys: mono-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.31 (mail: r = 0.45; multi-trait-mono-method mean (self/parents r = 0.29/0.36 (mail: r = 0.34/0.40; multi-trait-multi-method mean r = 0.14 (mail: r = 0.21. Weaker MTMM results were also observed for the phone administered SDQ: mono

  14. Integrated geophysical surveys to assess the structural conditions of a karstic cave of archaeological importance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Leucci

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available An integrated geophysical survey using both the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT and ground-penetrating radar (GPR methods was undertaken over a cave of great archaeological interest in southern Italy. The survey was performed to assess the stability of the carbonate rock roof of the cave. A geophysical survey was preferred to boreholes and geotechnical tests, in order to avoid the risk of mass movements. The interpretation of integrated data from ERT and GPR resulted in an evaluation of some of the electromagnetic (EM characteristics (such as the EM wave velocity and the detection of discontinuities (fractures in the carbonate rock. It is well known that rock fractures constitute a serious problem in cave maintenance, and progressive cracking within the bed rock is considered to be one of the main causes of collapse. An analysis of the back-scattered energy was also required for the GPR data interpretation. Cracks within the bedrock were detected to a depth of about 2 m by using GPR, which allowed for the identification of the loosened zone around the cave.

  15. Accuracy of Coverage Survey Recall following an Integrated Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budge, Philip J; Sognikin, Edmond; Akosa, Amanda; Mathieu, Els M; Deming, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Achieving target coverage levels for mass drug administration (MDA) is essential to elimination and control efforts for several neglected tropical diseases (NTD). To ensure program goals are met, coverage reported by drug distributors may be validated through household coverage surveys that rely on respondent recall. This is the first study to assess accuracy in such surveys. Recall accuracy was tested in a series of coverage surveys conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months after an integrated MDA in Togo during which three drugs (albendazole, ivermectin, and praziquantel) were distributed. Drug distribution was observed during the MDA to ensure accurate recording of persons treated during the MDA. Information was obtained for 506, 1131, and 947 persons surveyed at 1, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Coverage (defined as the percentage of persons taking at least one of the MDA medications) within these groups was respectively 88.3%, 87.4%, and 80.0%, according to the treatment registers; it was 87.9%, 91.4% and 89.4%, according to survey responses. Concordance between respondents and registers on swallowing at least one pill was >95% at 1 month and >86% at 12 months; the lower concordance at 12 months was more likely due to difficulty matching survey respondents with the year-old treatment register rather than inaccurate responses. Respondents generally distinguished between pills similar in appearance; concordance for recall of which pills were taken was over 80% in each survey. In this population, coverage surveys provided remarkably consistent coverage estimates for up to one year following an integrated MDA. It is not clear if similar consistency will be seen in other settings, however, these data suggest that in some settings coverage surveys might be conducted as much as one year following an MDA without compromising results. This might enable integration of post-MDA coverage measurement into large, multipurpose, periodic surveys, thereby conserving resources.

  16. Internet and telephonic IVR mixed-mode survey for longitudinal studies: choice, retention, and data equivalency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Santosh K; Courtney, Theodore K; Lombardi, David A; Chang, Wen-Ruey; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Brennan, Melanye J; Perry, Melissa J

    2014-01-01

    This study examined data equivalency and loss to follow-up rates from Internet and interactive voice response (IVR) system surveys in a prospective-cohort study. 475 limited-service restaurant workers participating in the 12-week study were given a choice to report their weekly slipping experience by either IVR or Internet. Demographic differences, loss to follow-up, self-reported rates of slipping, and selection of first and last choices were compared. Loss to follow-up rates were slightly higher for those choosing the IVR mode. Rates of slipping and selection of first and last choices were not significantly different between survey modes. Propensity to choose an Internet survey decreased with increasing age, and was the lowest among Spanish speakers (5%) and those with less than a high school education (14%). Studies relying solely on Internet-based data collection may lead to selective exclusion of certain populations. Findings suggest that Internet and IVR may be combined as survey modalities within longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 78 FR 12293 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of Income and Program Participation...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-22

    ...-assisted personal and telephone interviews (CAPI & CATI). With the respondent's consent, a portion of each... integration of information for separate topics to form a single, unified database allowing for the examination... SIPP topical module content is integrated into the 2014 SIPP Panel interview. Examples of this content...

  18. Employees' views on home-based, after-hours telephone triage by Dutch GP cooperatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backhaus, Ramona; van Exel, Job; de Bont, Antoinette

    2013-11-04

    Dutch out-of-hours (OOH) centers find it difficult to attract sufficient triage staff. They regard home-based triage as an option that might attract employees. Specially trained nurses are supposed to conduct triage by telephone from home for after-hours medical care. The central aim of this research is to investigate the views of employees of OOH centers in The Netherlands on home-based telephone triage in after-hours care. The study is a Q methodology study. Triage nurses, general practitioners (GPs) and managers of OOH centers ranked 36 opinion statements on home-based triage. We interviewed 10 participants to help develop and validate the statements for the Q sort, and 77 participants did the Q sort. We identified four views on home-based telephone triage. Two generally favor home-based triage, one highlights some concerns and conditions, and one opposes it out of concern for quality. The four views perceive different sources of credibility for nurse triagists working from home. Home-based telephone triage is a controversial issue among triage nurses, GPs and managers of OOH centers. By identifying consensus and dissension among GPs, triagists, managers and regulators, this study generates four perspectives on home-based triage. In addition, it reveals the conditions considered important for home-based triage.

  19. 28 CFR 540.103 - Inmate telephone calls to attorneys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... attorneys when the inmate demonstrates that communication with attorneys by correspondence, visiting, or... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Inmate telephone calls to attorneys. 540.103 Section 540.103 Judicial Administration BUREAU OF PRISONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSTITUTIONAL...

  20. [Adaptation and convergent validity of a telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garre-Olmo, Josep; Lax-Pericall, Carme; Turro-Garriga, Oriol; Soler-Cors, Olga; Monserrat-Vila, Sílvia; Vilalta-Franch, Joan; Taylor, Joy L; López-Pousa, Secundino

    2008-06-21

    To adapt to Spanish and to determine the convergent validity of a Telephone Mini-Mental State Examination (t-MMSE) in order to assess the cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Prospective and observational study of a clinical sample consisting of patients with dementia from a memory clinic. Consecutive sampling of participants was used and convergent validity of the t-MMSE and MMSE scores was determined using several statistics measures. Patients were randomly assigned depending on the administration of the in-person/telephone test (MMSE and t-MMSE) or telephone/in-person (t-MMSE and MMSE) test within a 1- to 7-day interval. The effect of the confusion variables (age, gender, years of education, dementia severity, presence or absence of hearing impairment and administration order) on the concordance between the in-person and telephone MMSE versions was analysed. After translating and retranslating the t-MMSE, of 141 participants, 77.47% subjects completed the protocol of the study. For the total score, the statistics for the convergent validity suggested a high consistency, independently of the order of test administration (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.87, Spearman's rho = 0.77); for the all subscores, it suggested moderate and good correlations. The difference between subscores did not range more than 1 point in any case. Confusion variables did not affect the variability of the performance scores between t-MMSE and MMSE. The t-MMSE can be used as a good tool to estimate the MMSE score of patients with dementia.

  1. Randomized Controlled Trial of Telephone-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnedt, J. Todd; Cuddihy, Leisha; Swanson, Leslie M.; Pickett, Scott; Aikens, James; Chervin, Ronald D.

    2013-01-01

    Study Objectives: To compare the efficacy of telephone-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia to an information pamphlet control on sleep and daytime functioning at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 12-wk follow-up. Design: Randomized controlled parallel trial. Setting: N/A. Participants: Thirty individuals with chronic insomnia (27 women, age 39.1 ± 14.4 years, insomnia duration 8.7 ± 10.7 years). Interventions: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) delivered in up to eight weekly telephone sessions (CBTI-Phone, n = 15) versus an information pamphlet control (IPC, n = 15). Measurements and Results: Sleep/wake diary, sleep-related questionnaires (Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 16-item Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep), and daytime symptom assessments (fatigue, depression, anxiety, and quality of life) were completed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 12-wk follow-up. Linear mixed models indicated that sleep/wake diary sleep efficiency and total sleep time improved significantly at posttreatment in both groups and remained stable at 12-wk follow-up. More CBTI-Phone than IPC patients showed posttreatment improvements in unhelpful sleep-related cognitions (P insomnia at follow-up (P insomnia. Future larger-scale studies with more diverse samples are warranted. Some individuals with insomnia may also benefit from pamphlet-delivered CBTI with brief telephone support. Citation: Arnedt JT; Cuddihy L; Swanson LM; Pickett S; Aikens J; Chervin RD. Randomized controlled trial of telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia. SLEEP 2013;36(3):353-362. PMID:23450712

  2. Telephone interventions for adherence to colpocytological examination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thais Marques Lima

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to test the effects of behavioral and educational intervention by telephone on adherence of women with inappropriate periodicity to colpocytological examination. Method: quasi-experimental study with a sample of 524 women, selected with the following inclusion criteria: be aged between 25 and 64 years, have initiated sexual activity, have inappropriate periodicity of examination and have mobile or landline phone. The women were divided into two groups for application of behavioral and educational intervention by telephone. It was used an intervention script according to the principles of Motivational Interviewing. Results: on comparing the results before and after the behavioral and educational interventions, it was found that there was a statistically significant change (p = 0.0283 with increase of knowledge of women who participated in the educational intervention. There was no change in the attitude of women of any of the groups and there was an increase of adherence to colpocytological examination in both groups (p < 0.0001, with greater adherence of women participating in the behavioral group (66.8%. Conclusion: the behavioral and educational interventions by phone were effective in the adherence of women to colpocytological examination, representing important strategies for permanent health education and promotion of care for the prevention of cervical cancer.

  3. Telephone reminders reduced the non-attendance rate in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeppesen, Maja Haunstrup; Ainsworth, Mark Andrew

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Non-attendance is a global health-care problem. The aim of the present study was 1) to investigate if a telephone reminder could reduce the non-attendance rate, 2) to study reasons for non-attendance and 3) to evaluate if a permanent implementation would be economically advantageous......,705). Patients in the following three-month period were reminded by telephone one weekday in advance of their appointment, when possible (intervention group, n = 2,479). Non-attending patients in the intervention group received a questionnaire. Based on the results, a financial cost-benefit analysis was made...

  4. Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program - Entiat River Snorkel Surveys and Rotary Screw Trap, 2007.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelle, R.D.

    2008-01-01

    The USFWS Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office conducted snorkel surveys at 24 sites during the summer and fall periods of 2006 survey periods as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program in the Entiat River. A total of 37,938 fish from 15 species/genera and an unknown category were enumerated. Chinook salmon were the overall most common fish observed and comprised 15% of fish enumerated followed by rainbow trout (10%) and mountain whitefish (7%). Day surveys were conducted during the summer period 2007 (August), while night surveys were conducted during the fall 2007 (October) surveys. The USFWS Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office (MCFRO) operated two rotary screw traps on the Entiat River as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (ISEMP) program from August through November of 2007. Along with the smolt traps, juvenile emigrants were also captured at remote locations throughout the Entiat watershed and its major tributary, the Mad River. A total of 999 wild Oncorhynchus mykiss and 5,107 wild run O. tshawytscha were PIT tagged during the study period. Rotary screw trap efficiencies averaged 22.3% for juvenile O. tshawytscha and 9.0% for juvenile O. mykiss. Rotary screw traps operated 7 days a week and remote capture operations were conducted when flow and temperature regimes permitted. This is third annual progress report to Bonneville Power Administration for the snorkel surveys conducted in the Entiat River as related to long-term effectiveness monitoring of restoration programs in this watershed. The objective of this study is to monitor the fish habitat utilization of planned in-stream restoration efforts in the Entiat River by conducting pre- and post-construction snorkel surveys at selected treatment and control sites.

  5. 14 CFR Sec. 19-7 - Passenger origin-destination survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Information, K-25, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. (b...., Washington, DC 20590, Telephone (202) 366-9059. EC30SE91.007 B. Narrative Description A single O&D Survey is... (either standard IATA and ARC ticket stock or nonstandard ticket stock), and is to select for reporting...

  6. 77 FR 66935 - Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-08

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 64 [CG Docket No. 02-278; FCC 12-21] Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule; correction...: Karen Johnson, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Consumer Policy Division, at (202) 418- 7706 or...

  7. Willingness to Pay for Rural Telephone Services: Implications for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Global Approaches to Extension Practice: A Journal of Agricultural Extension ... This study assessed Willingness to Pay (WTP) for rural telephone services and the implications for agricultural technology transfer in Southeast Nigeria. ... The sample was made up of 240 agro-based entrepreneurs and 60 extension staff.

  8. Applicability of structured telephone monitoring to follow up heart ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pilly Chillo

    Keywords: heart failure, structured telephone, home monitoring, Tanzania ... in a parallel increase in HF admissions and a major impact on health care systems. ... was entered in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software for analysis. ..... Failure (DIAL): study design and preliminary observations.

  9. Survey of Integration Cost-Adoption between Digital Library Systems in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Alipour-Hafezi

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The main goal of this article was identifying cost elements in syntactic integrating digital library systems in Iran. The levels of integration are content, technical, and organizational. It is obvious we could access some sub goals such as identifying current situation of information systems from the view points of data storage, needed standard outputs, and the current situation of interoperability in Iran, and suitable integration model in Iranian digital libraries. The analytical survey method was used in this research. Research population included 11 digital library systems that were used in Iranian digital libraries. In order to gather information, a researcher made questionnaire was used because of not existing standard collecting data tool. Findings demonstrated that we should search on three levels of interoperability: content, technical, and organizational level in order to identifying cost-adoption elements in syntactic interoperability. Also, findings showed that the elements of organizational level were too important level in cost-adoption elements. Also this research demonstrated that the high cost of adoption was related to libraries and their organizations.

  10. Fuel cells for telephone networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wells, J.D.; Scott, D.S.

    1993-01-01

    Critical telephone network systems are currently protected from electric utility power failures by a backup system consisting of lead-acid batteries and an engine-alternator. It is considered here an alternate power system where less expensive off-peak commercial electricity electrolyses water, while fuel cells draw continuously on the stored gas products to provide direct current for the protected equipment. The lead acid batteries are eliminated. The benefits and costs of the existing and alternate systems in scenarios with various system efficiencies, capital costs, and electric utility rates and incentives, are compared. In today's conditions, the alternate system is not economical; however, cost and performance feasibility domains are identified. 2 figs., 4 tabs., 12 refs

  11. Online Versus Telephone Methods to Recruit and Interview Older Gay and Bisexual Men Treated for Prostate Cancer: Findings from the Restore Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosser, B R Simon; Capistrant, Benjamin

    2016-07-19

    Recently, researchers have faced the challenge of conflicting recommendations for online versus traditional methods to recruit and interview older, sexual minority men. Older populations represent the cohort least likely to be online, necessitating the use of traditional research methods, such as telephone or in-person interviews. By contrast, gay and bisexual men represent a population of early adopters of new technology, both in general and for medical research. In a study of older gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer, we asked whether respondents preferred online versus offline methods for data collection. Given the paucity of research on how to recruit older gay and bisexual men in general, and older gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer in particular, we conducted an observational study to identify participant preferences when participating in research studies. To test online versus offline recruitment demographic data collection, and interview preferences of older gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer. Email blasts were sent from a website providing support services for gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer, supplemented with an email invitation from the web-host. All invitations provided information via the study website address and a toll-free telephone number. Study tasks included respondents being screened, giving informed consent, completing a short survey collecting demographic data, and a 60-75 minute telephone or Internet chat interview. All materials stressed that enrollees could participate in each task using either online methods or by telephone, whichever they preferred. A total of 74 men were screened into the study, and 30 were interviewed. The average age of the participants was 63 years (standard deviation 6.9, range 48-75 years), with most residing in 14 American states, and one temporarily located overseas. For screening, consent, and the collection of demographic data, 97% (29/30) of the participants completed these tasks

  12. Connectedness to nature and public (skin) health perspectives: results of a representative, population-based survey among Austrian residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haluza, Daniela; Simic, Stana; Höltge, Jan; Cervinka, Renate; Moshammer, Hanns

    2014-01-20

    Connectedness to nature (CN) influences motivation to have contact with outdoor natural environments. Spending leisure time in natural environments is beneficial for human health and well-being. Besides these positive effects, health risks of open-air activities are mainly related to unprotected sun light exposure-associated acute and chronic skin hazards. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional, representative telephone survey among Austrian residents to study the association of perceived CN level with sun-exposure knowledge, tanning habits, and sun protective behaviour. In total, 1,500 study subjects (50.5% females) participated in this questionnaire survey. Although knowledge about tanning and motives to tan were similar among genders, females performed more photoprotective measures and were more connected to nature (all p nature connectedness and skin health-relevant recreational habits of Austrian residents. The findings suggest to integrate hitherto neglected gender-specific Public (Skin) Health promotion when counselling on the manifold health advantages of outdoor activities.

  13. FY14-Q1 1.2.1.3.ML.1 INL Biomass Feeding Survey Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tyler L. Westover

    2014-04-01

    Approximately 20 institutions were contacted by telephone and/or electronic mail and requested to provide responses to a survey on feeding biomass feedstock materials. Fourteen individuals responded. Responses from the participants, including information that was offered in addition to answers to the survey questions are summarized in this report, which fully meets the requirements of the milestone.

  14. Clinical Reasoning: Survey of Teaching Methods, Integration, and Assessment in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Academic Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Nicole; Black, Lisa; Furze, Jennifer; Huhn, Karen; Vendrely, Ann; Wainwright, Susan

    2017-02-01

    Although clinical reasoning abilities are important learning outcomes of physical therapist entry-level education, best practice standards have not been established to guide clinical reasoning curricular design and learning assessment. This research explored how clinical reasoning is currently defined, taught, and assessed in physical therapist entry-level education programs. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was administered to physical therapist program representatives. An electronic 24-question survey was distributed to the directors of 207 programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative content analysis were performed. Post hoc demographic and wave analyses revealed no evidence of nonresponse bias. A response rate of 46.4% (n=96) was achieved. All respondents reported that their programs incorporated clinical reasoning into their curricula. Only 25% of respondents reported a common definition of clinical reasoning in their programs. Most respondents (90.6%) reported that clinical reasoning was explicit in their curricula, and 94.8% indicated that multiple methods of curricular integration were used. Instructor-designed materials were most commonly used to teach clinical reasoning (83.3%). Assessment of clinical reasoning included practical examinations (99%), clinical coursework (94.8%), written examinations (87.5%), and written assignments (83.3%). Curricular integration of clinical reasoning-related self-reflection skills was reported by 91%. A large number of incomplete surveys affected the response rate, and the program directors to whom the survey was sent may not have consulted the faculty members who were most knowledgeable about clinical reasoning in their curricula. The survey construction limited some responses and application of the results. Although clinical reasoning was explicitly integrated into program curricula, it was not consistently defined, taught, or

  15. 75 FR 6704 - In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-10

    ... States after importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-663] In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof; Notice of...

  16. 75 FR 65654 - In the Matter of: Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-26

    ... States after importation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-703] In the Matter of: Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof;Notice of...

  17. Description of the U.S. Geological Survey Geo Data Portal data integration framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blodgett, David L.; Booth, Nathaniel L.; Kunicki, Thomas C.; Walker, Jordan I.; Lucido, Jessica M.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey has developed an open-standard data integration framework for working efficiently and effectively with large collections of climate and other geoscience data. A web interface accesses catalog datasets to find data services. Data resources can then be rendered for mapping and dataset metadata are derived directly from these web services. Algorithm configuration and information needed to retrieve data for processing are passed to a server where all large-volume data access and manipulation takes place. The data integration strategy described here was implemented by leveraging existing free and open source software. Details of the software used are omitted; rather, emphasis is placed on how open-standard web services and data encodings can be used in an architecture that integrates common geographic and atmospheric data.

  18. Teaching adolescents with severe disabilities to use the public telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Test, D W; Spooner, F; Keul, P K; Grossi, T

    1990-04-01

    Two adolescents with severe disabilities served as participants in a study conducted to train in the use of the public telephone to call home. Participants were trained to complete a 17-step task analysis using a training package which consisted of total task presentation in conjunction with a four-level prompting procedure (i.e., independent, verbal, verbal + gesture, verbal + guidance). All instruction took place in a public setting (e.g., a shopping mall) with generalization probes taken in two alternative settings (e.g., a movie theater and a convenience store). A multiple probe across individuals design demonstrated the training package was successful in teaching participants to use the telephone to call home. In addition, newly acquired skills generalized to the two untrained settings. Implications for community-based training are discussed.

  19. Integrating Sensors into a Marine Drone for Bathymetric 3D Surveys in Shallow Waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordano, Francesco; Mattei, Gaia; Parente, Claudio; Peluso, Francesco; Santamaria, Raffaele

    2015-01-01

    This paper demonstrates that accurate data concerning bathymetry as well as environmental conditions in shallow waters can be acquired using sensors that are integrated into the same marine vehicle. An open prototype of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) named MicroVeGA is described. The focus is on the main instruments installed on-board: a differential Global Position System (GPS) system and single beam echo sounder; inertial platform for attitude control; ultrasound obstacle-detection system with temperature control system; emerged and submerged video acquisition system. The results of two cases study are presented, both concerning areas (Sorrento Marina Grande and Marechiaro Harbour, both in the Gulf of Naples) characterized by a coastal physiography that impedes the execution of a bathymetric survey with traditional boats. In addition, those areas are critical because of the presence of submerged archaeological remains that produce rapid changes in depth values. The experiments confirm that the integration of the sensors improves the instruments’ performance and survey accuracy. PMID:26729117

  20. Integrating Sensors into a Marine Drone for Bathymetric 3D Surveys in Shallow Waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordano, Francesco; Mattei, Gaia; Parente, Claudio; Peluso, Francesco; Santamaria, Raffaele

    2015-12-29

    This paper demonstrates that accurate data concerning bathymetry as well as environmental conditions in shallow waters can be acquired using sensors that are integrated into the same marine vehicle. An open prototype of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) named MicroVeGA is described. The focus is on the main instruments installed on-board: a differential Global Position System (GPS) system and single beam echo sounder; inertial platform for attitude control; ultrasound obstacle-detection system with temperature control system; emerged and submerged video acquisition system. The results of two cases study are presented, both concerning areas (Sorrento Marina Grande and Marechiaro Harbour, both in the Gulf of Naples) characterized by a coastal physiography that impedes the execution of a bathymetric survey with traditional boats. In addition, those areas are critical because of the presence of submerged archaeological remains that produce rapid changes in depth values. The experiments confirm that the integration of the sensors improves the instruments' performance and survey accuracy.

  1. 47 CFR 64.1505 - Restrictions on collect telephone calls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Interstate Pay-Per-Call and Other Information Services § 64.1505 Restrictions on collect telephone calls. (a) No common carrier shall provide interstate transmission or billing and collection services to an entity offering any service within the scope...

  2. Applicability of structured telephone monitoring to follow up heart ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Over 90% of the contacted patients gave valuable information regarding their clinical status. Conclusion: Majority of HF patients can be contacted and provide valuable clinical information through mobile phones within a month post discharge from the national hospital in Tanzania. Structured telephone monitoring could be ...

  3. Cellular telephones measure activity and lifespace in community-dwelling adults: proof of principle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schenk, Ana Katrin; Witbrodt, Bradley C; Hoarty, Carrie A; Carlson, Richard H; Goulding, Evan H; Potter, Jane F; Bonasera, Stephen J

    2011-02-01

    To describe a system that uses off-the-shelf sensor and telecommunication technologies to continuously measure individual lifespace and activity levels in a novel way. Proof of concept involving three field trials of 30, 30, and 21 days. Omaha, Nebraska, metropolitan and surrounding rural region. Three participants (48-year-old man, 33-year-old woman, and 27-year-old male), none with any functional limitations. Cellular telephones were used to detect in-home position and in-community location and to measure physical activity. Within the home, cellular telephones and Bluetooth transmitters (beacons) were used to locate participants at room-level resolution. Outside the home, the same cellular telephones and global positioning system (GPS) technology were used to locate participants at a community-level resolution. Physical activity was simultaneously measured using the cellular telephone accelerometer. This approach had face validity to measure activity and lifespace. More importantly, this system could measure the spatial and temporal organization of these metrics. For example, an individual's lifespace was automatically calculated across multiple time intervals. Behavioral time budgets showing how people allocate time to specific regions within the home were also automatically generated. Mobile monitoring shows much promise as an easily deployed system to quantify activity and lifespace, important indicators of function, in community-dwelling adults. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.

  4. Engineering Education Tool for Distance Telephone Traffic Learning Through Web

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonimer Flávio de Melo

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This work subject focuses in distance learning (DL modality by the Internet. The use of calculators and simulators software introduces a high level of interactivity in DL systems, such as Matlab software proposed by using in this work. The use of efficient mathematical packages and hypermedia technologies opens the door to a new paradigm of teaching and learning in the dawn of this new millennium. The use of hypertext, graphics, animation, audio, video, efficient calculators and simulators incorporating artificial intelligence techniques and the advance in the broadband networks will pave the way to this new horizon. The contribution of this work, besides the Matlab Web integration, is the developing of an introductory course in traffic engineering in hypertext format. Also, calculators to the most employed expressions of traffic analysis were developed to the Matlab server environment. By the use of the telephone traffic calculator, the user inputs data on his or her Internet browser and the systems returns numerical data, graphics and tables in HTML pages. The system is also very useful for Professional traffic calculations, replacing with advantages the use of the traditional methods by means of static tables and graphics in paper format.

  5. Pitfalls when implementing nurse-led annual telephone calls to replace outpatient visits for Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Dorrit; Bager, Palle; Hentze, Runa

    Background: In Denmark, patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and disease in remission are mainly seen on a regularly basis in outpatient clinics, by gastroenterologists. Replacing the regular visits with annual telephone calls performed by IBD nurses seems beneficial, both for the patie......Background: In Denmark, patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and disease in remission are mainly seen on a regularly basis in outpatient clinics, by gastroenterologists. Replacing the regular visits with annual telephone calls performed by IBD nurses seems beneficial, both...... for the patients and for the outpatient clinic. The purpose of this study was to identify potential barriers and pitfalls in the planning and implementation phase of a nurse-led telephone service. Methods: Preparations prior to introducing the annual telephone calls were done in 2010. From January 2011 all...... eligible IBD patients were shifted from regularly visits to annual telephone calls performed by an IBD nurse. As the intervention contained of several sub-elements and the elements were subject to adjustment during implementation, the intervention was regarded as a Complex Intervention. All the elements...

  6. Principles of survey development for telemedicine applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demiris, George

    2006-01-01

    Surveys can be used in the evaluation of telemedicine applications but they must be properly designed, consistent and accurate. The purpose of the survey and the resources available will determine the extent of testing that a survey instrument should undergo prior to its use. The validity of an instrument is the correspondence between what is being measured and what was intended to be measured. The reliability of an instrument describes the 'consistency' or 'repeatability' of the measurements made with it. Survey instruments should be designed and tested following basic principles of survey development. The actual survey administration also requires consideration, for example data collection and processing, as well as the interpretation of the findings. Surveys are of two different types. Either they are self-administered, or they are administered by interview. In the latter case, they may be administered by telephone or in a face-to-face meeting. It is important to design a survey instrument based on a detailed definition of what it intends to measure and to test it before administering it to the larger sample.

  7. Review of Estimation Methods for Landline and Cell Phone Surveys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcos, Antonio; del Mar Rueda, María; Trujillo, Manuel; Molina, David

    2015-01-01

    The rapid proliferation of cell phone use and the accompanying decline in landline service in recent years have resulted in substantial potential for coverage bias in landline random-digit-dial telephone surveys, which has led to the implementation of dual-frame designs that incorporate both landline and cell phone samples. Consequently,…

  8. Health aspects of cellular mobile telephones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garn, H.

    1996-01-01

    Cellular mobile telephones are one of the main topics among health aspects of electromagnetic fields. In many countries, the number of people opposing communication towers is on the rise. Lawsuits against telecommunication and power line companies have been filed. All this makes people doubt the safety of electromagnetic fields. With respect to cellular phones, there are two scenarios: * Exposure of the operators of hand-held terminals (HHT). * Exposure of the general public from base stations (BS). In the first case, the transmit antenna of the HHT is very close to the human body. For normal operation, the distance will roughly be 2 - 3 cm. The transmitter power of the HHT is comparatively low, but there is a considerable fraction of the radiated electromagnetic energy penetrating the tissue. Considering the second case, BS transmitter powers are by a factor of 100-1000 higher, but the distance between antenna and the human body is by a factor of 1000-100,000 greater, as far as areas of unrestricted public access are concerned. As the power density of an electromagnetic wave decreases inversely proportional to the square of the distance, exposure of the public is always significantly (by many orders of magnitude) lower than exposure of operators of HHTs. Some well-known interaction mechanisms of microwave radiation with the human body have been very well-established today. In some other areas, there is still a need for further research. This paper summarizes present knowledge on human safety with mobile telephone systems. (author)

  9. 76 FR 17965 - In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-31

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-703] In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof Notice of... for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain mobile telephones...

  10. 75 FR 44282 - In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-28

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-703] In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof; Notice of... for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain mobile telephones...

  11. Telephone versus usual care in management of acute whiplash ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Whiplash associated disorder (WAD) is a common and costly condition, and recommended management includes advice to “act as usual” and exercise. Providing this treatment through a telephonic intervention may help to improve access to care, and reduce costs. This pilot study assessed: (1) the effectiveness of a ...

  12. Telephone-administered psychotherapy in combination with antidepressant medication for the acute treatment of major depressive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corruble, Emmanuelle; Swartz, Holly A; Bottai, Thierry; Vaiva, Guillaume; Bayle, Frank; Llorca, Pierre-Michel; Courtet, Philippe; Frank, Ellen; Gorwood, Philip

    2016-01-15

    Telephone-administered psychotherapies (T-P) provided as an adjunct to antidepressant medication may improve response rates in major depressive disorder (MDD). The goal of this study was to compare telephone-administered social rhythm therapy (T-SRT) and telephone-administered intensive clinical management (T-ICM) as adjuncts to antidepressant medication for MDD. A secondary goal was to compare T-P with Treatment as Usual (TAU) as adjunctive treatment to medication for MDD. 221 adult out-patients with MDD, currently depressed, were randomly assigned to 8 sessions of weekly T-SRT (n=110) or T-ICM (n=111), administered as an adjunct to agomelatine. Both psychotherapies were administered entirely by telephone, by trained psychologists who were blind to other aspects of treatment. The 221 patients were a posteriori matched with 221 depressed outpatients receiving TAU (controls). The primary outcome measure was the percentage of responders at 8 weeks post-treatment. No significant differences were found between T-SRT and T-ICM. But T-P was associated with higher response rates (65.4% vs 54.8%, p=0.02) and a trend toward higher remission rates (33.2% vs 25.1%; p=0.06) compared to TAU. Short term study. This study is the first assessing the short-term effects of an add-on, brief, telephone-administered psychotherapy in depressed patients treated with antidepressant medication. Eight sessions of weekly telephone-delivered psychotherapy as an adjunct to antidepressant medication resulted in improved response rates relative to medication alone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Telephone consultation for improving health of people living with or at risk of HIV: a systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle H M M T van Velthoven

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Low cost, effective interventions are needed to deal with the major global burden of HIV/AIDS. Telephone consultation offers the potential to improve health of people living with HIV/AIDS cost-effectively and to reduce the burden on affected people and health systems. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of telephone consultation for HIV/AIDS care. METHODS: We undertook a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature. Two authors independently screened citations, extracted data and assessed the quality of randomized controlled trials which compared telephone interventions with control groups for HIV/AIDS care. Telephone interventions were voice calls with landlines or mobile phones. We present a narrative overview of the results as the obtained trials were highly heterogeneous in design and therefore the data could not be pooled for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The search yielded 3321 citations. Of these, nine studies involving 1162 participants met the inclusion criteria. The telephone was used for giving HIV test results (one trial and for delivering behavioural interventions aimed at improving mental health (four trials, reducing sexual transmission risk (one trial, improving medication adherence (two trials and smoking cessation (one trial. Limited effectiveness of the intervention was found in the trial giving HIV test results, in one trial supporting medication adherence and in one trial for smoking cessation by telephone. CONCLUSIONS: We found some evidence of the benefits of interventions delivered by telephone for the health of people living with HIV or at risk of HIV. However, only limited conclusions can be drawn as we only found nine studies for five different interventions and they mainly took place in the United States. Nevertheless, given the high penetration of low-cost mobile phones in countries with high HIV endemicity, more evidence is needed on how telephone consultation

  14. The Role of the Team in Managing Telephone Consultation in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Three Case Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koons, Cedar R.

    2011-01-01

    Standard, outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) includes the provision of intersession telephone contact between the therapist and the client to reduce suicidal crisis behaviors, enhance skills generalization, and reduce alienation and conflict in the therapeutic relationship. Therapists providing telephone consultation need the help of…

  15. Accuracy of Coverage Survey Recall following an Integrated Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budge, Philip J.; Sognikin, Edmond; Akosa, Amanda; Mathieu, Els M.; Deming, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Background Achieving target coverage levels for mass drug administration (MDA) is essential to elimination and control efforts for several neglected tropical diseases (NTD). To ensure program goals are met, coverage reported by drug distributors may be validated through household coverage surveys that rely on respondent recall. This is the first study to assess accuracy in such surveys. Methodology/Principal Findings Recall accuracy was tested in a series of coverage surveys conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months after an integrated MDA in Togo during which three drugs (albendazole, ivermectin, and praziquantel) were distributed. Drug distribution was observed during the MDA to ensure accurate recording of persons treated during the MDA. Information was obtained for 506, 1131, and 947 persons surveyed at 1, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Coverage (defined as the percentage of persons taking at least one of the MDA medications) within these groups was respectively 88.3%, 87.4%, and 80.0%, according to the treatment registers; it was 87.9%, 91.4% and 89.4%, according to survey responses. Concordance between respondents and registers on swallowing at least one pill was >95% at 1 month and >86% at 12 months; the lower concordance at 12 months was more likely due to difficulty matching survey respondents with the year-old treatment register rather than inaccurate responses. Respondents generally distinguished between pills similar in appearance; concordance for recall of which pills were taken was over 80% in each survey. Significance In this population, coverage surveys provided remarkably consistent coverage estimates for up to one year following an integrated MDA. It is not clear if similar consistency will be seen in other settings, however, these data suggest that in some settings coverage surveys might be conducted as much as one year following an MDA without compromising results. This might enable integration of post-MDA coverage measurement into large, multipurpose

  16. Accuracy of Coverage Survey Recall following an Integrated Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip J Budge

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Achieving target coverage levels for mass drug administration (MDA is essential to elimination and control efforts for several neglected tropical diseases (NTD. To ensure program goals are met, coverage reported by drug distributors may be validated through household coverage surveys that rely on respondent recall. This is the first study to assess accuracy in such surveys.Recall accuracy was tested in a series of coverage surveys conducted at 1, 6, and 12 months after an integrated MDA in Togo during which three drugs (albendazole, ivermectin, and praziquantel were distributed. Drug distribution was observed during the MDA to ensure accurate recording of persons treated during the MDA. Information was obtained for 506, 1131, and 947 persons surveyed at 1, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Coverage (defined as the percentage of persons taking at least one of the MDA medications within these groups was respectively 88.3%, 87.4%, and 80.0%, according to the treatment registers; it was 87.9%, 91.4% and 89.4%, according to survey responses. Concordance between respondents and registers on swallowing at least one pill was >95% at 1 month and >86% at 12 months; the lower concordance at 12 months was more likely due to difficulty matching survey respondents with the year-old treatment register rather than inaccurate responses. Respondents generally distinguished between pills similar in appearance; concordance for recall of which pills were taken was over 80% in each survey.In this population, coverage surveys provided remarkably consistent coverage estimates for up to one year following an integrated MDA. It is not clear if similar consistency will be seen in other settings, however, these data suggest that in some settings coverage surveys might be conducted as much as one year following an MDA without compromising results. This might enable integration of post-MDA coverage measurement into large, multipurpose, periodic surveys, thereby conserving

  17. Improving public health surveillance using a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, S Sean; Balluz, Lina; Battaglia, Michael P; Frankel, Martin R

    2011-03-15

    To meet challenges arising from increasing rates of noncoverage in US landline-based telephone samples due to cell-phone-only households, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) expanded a traditional landline-based random digit dialing survey to a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers. In 2008, a survey of adults with cell phones only was conducted in parallel with an ongoing landline-based health survey in 18 states. The authors used the optimal approach to allocate samples into landline and cell-phone-only strata and used a new approach to weighting state-level landline and cell phone samples. They developed logistic models for each of 16 health indicators to examine whether exclusion of adults with cell phones only affected estimates after adjustment for demographic characteristics. The extents of the potential biases in landline telephone surveys that exclude cell phones were estimated. Biases resulting from exclusion of adults with cell phones only from the landline-based survey were found for 9 out of the 16 health indicators. Because landline noncoverage rates for adults with cell phones only continue to increase, these biases are likely to increase. Use of a dual-frame survey of landline and cell phone numbers assisted the BRFSS efforts in obtaining valid, reliable, and representative data. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 2011.

  18. National Board Certified School Librarians' Leadership in Technology Integration: Results of a National Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everhart, Nancy; Mardis, Marcia A.; Johnston, Melissa

    2011-01-01

    In an effort to address the lack of empirical knowledge about the school librarians' role in technology, the Institute for Museum and Library Services funded Project Leadership-in-Action (LIA) to study leadership practices of school librarians. This current grant project includes a survey of the technology integration practices of school…

  19. 77 FR 34233 - Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-11

    ... initiator of the message, to be a nuisance and an invasion of privacy; and (3) individuals' privacy rights... are made by the consumer's loan servicer, because the primary motivation of the calling party is to... challenged as TCPA violations because the primary motivation appears to be sending a telephone solicitation...

  20. Voice-band Modem: A Device to Transmit Data over Telephone ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    over Telephone Networks. 2. Advanced Ideas ... transmitted signal power and No is the noise power spec- ... power distribution over all frequencies, and the samples of noise .... Figure 3, dmin=2fl, and average signal energy, assum- ing that ...

  1. An enquiry into the prospects of mobile telephone for agricultural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    LPhidza

    KEYWORDS: Mobile phones, agricultural information, global system for mobile ... rural services (i.e. agricultural extension) more efficient and cost-effective. 2. ... adoption of mobile telephones, evaluation research has however .... Distribution of respondents by religion. Religion. Frequencies Percentages. Christian. Islam.

  2. Telephone counseling for the public after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horiguchi, T.; Kojima, K.; Itoh, T.

    2011-01-01

    After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Kinki University Atomic Energy Research Institute provided telephone counseling services in order to respond the public's growing concerns about radiation and nuclear energy. Three telephone lines were newly installed for the counseling and the number of consultation marked 705 between March 24 and April 2. In this report, by summarizing the contents of the counseling, we will show what the public concerned about shortly after the accident and report how we responded to the concerns. (author)

  3. Pre-surgery evaluations by telephone decrease travel and cost for families of children with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, John D; Prochaska, John D; Yngve, David A

    2017-01-01

    Children with cerebral palsy need highly specialized care. This can be very burdensome for families, particularly in large rural states, due to the need for long-distance travel to appointments. In this study, children undergoing the selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening surgery utilized a telephone-based telemedicine evaluation to assess for surgical eligibility. The goal was to avoid a separate preoperative clinic visit weeks before the surgery. If possible, eligibility was determined by telephone, and then, the patient could be scheduled for a clinic visit and possible surgery the next day, saving the family a trip. The purposes of the study were to calculate estimated reductions in miles traveled, in travel expenses, and in carbon emissions and to determine whether the telephone assessment was accurate and effective in determining eligibility for surgery. From 2010 to 2012, 279 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and of those, 161 mailed four-page questionnaire and anteroposterior pelvis X-ray followed by a telephone conference. Geographic information system methods were used to geocode patients by location. Savings in mileage and travel costs were calculated. From 2014 to 2015, 195 patients were additionally studied to determine accuracy and effectiveness. The telephone prescreening method saved 106,070 miles in transportation over 3 years, a 38% reduction with US$55,326 in savings. Each family saved an average of 658 (standard deviation = 340) miles of travel and US$343.64 (standard deviation = US$178) in travel expenses. For each increase of 10 miles in distance from the health center, the odds of a patient utilizing telephone screening increased by 10% (odds ratio: 1.101, 95% confidence interval: 1.073-1.129, p < 0.001). After the telephone prescreening, 86% were determined to be likely candidates for the procedure. For 14%, a clinic visit only was scheduled, and they were not scheduled for surgery. Families seeking specialized

  4. Comparing a telephone- and a group-delivered diabetes prevention program

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    S, Lim; Dunbar, James; Versace, Vin

    2017-01-01

    Aims To explore the acceptability of a telephone- or a group-delivered diabetes prevention program for women with previous gestational diabetes and to compare the characteristics associated with program engagement. Methods Postpartum women participated in a lifestyle modification program delivere...

  5. A Survey of Symplectic and Collocation Integration Methods for Orbit Propagation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Brandon A.; Anderson, Rodney L.

    2012-01-01

    Demands on numerical integration algorithms for astrodynamics applications continue to increase. Common methods, like explicit Runge-Kutta, meet the orbit propagation needs of most scenarios, but more specialized scenarios require new techniques to meet both computational efficiency and accuracy needs. This paper provides an extensive survey on the application of symplectic and collocation methods to astrodynamics. Both of these methods benefit from relatively recent theoretical developments, which improve their applicability to artificial satellite orbit propagation. This paper also details their implementation, with several tests demonstrating their advantages and disadvantages.

  6. Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program - Entiat River Rotary Screw Traps,Snorkel Surveys, and Steelhead Redd Surveys, 2008.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelle, R.D.; Desgroseiller, Tom; Cotter, Michael (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

    2009-02-17

    The USFWS Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office (MCRFRO) operated two rotary screw traps on the Entiat River as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program from March through November of 2008. Along with the smolt traps, juvenile emigrants were also captured at remote locations throughout the Entiat watershed and its major tributary, the Mad River. A total of 16,782 wild salmonids were PIT tagged during the study period. Of this, 3,961(23.6%) were wild Oncorhynchus mykiss, 6,987 (41.6%) were wild spring run O. tshawytscha, and 5,591 (33.3%) were identified as wild O. tshawytscha of unknown run. Rotary screw trap efficiencies averaged 40.3% at the upper (Rkm 11.0) trap and 7.8% for the lower (Rkm 2.0) trap. These efficiencies were pooled for emigrant O. tshawytscha and O. mykiss. The MCRFRO conducted effectiveness monitoring snorkel surveys at 24 sites during the winter period and 30 sites during the summer and fall periods of 2008 as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program in the Entiat River. The 2008 steelhead spawning grounds surveys were conducted weekly in the main Entiat River from rkm 1.1 to 44.2. A total of 222 steelhead redds were identified over the period from February 28 to June 16 2008 with April being the peak spawning month. Approximately 80% of the steelhead redds were located downstream of the rkm 26.

  7. Progress on water data integration and distribution: a summary of select U.S. Geological Survey data systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blodgett, David L.; Lucido, Jessica M.; Kreft, James M.

    2016-01-01

    Critical water-resources issues ranging from flood response to water scarcity make access to integrated water information, services, tools, and models essential. Since 1995 when the first water data web pages went online, the U.S. Geological Survey has been at the forefront of water data distribution and integration. Today, real-time and historical streamflow observations are available via web pages and a variety of web service interfaces. The Survey has built partnerships with Federal and State agencies to integrate hydrologic data providing continuous observations of surface and groundwater, temporally discrete water quality data, groundwater well logs, aquatic biology data, water availability and use information, and tools to help characterize the landscape for modeling. In this paper, we summarize the status and design patterns implemented for selected data systems. We describe how these systems contribute to a U.S. Federal Open Water Data Initiative and present some gaps and lessons learned that apply to global hydroinformatics data infrastructure.

  8. A telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery: Development and preliminary validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wulterkens, Leonie; Aurégan, Jean-Charles; Letellier, Thomas; Mebtouche, Nasser; Levante, Stéphane; Cottin, Philippe; Bégué, Thierry

    2015-12-01

    Post-traumatic limb salvage surgery is challenging and evaluation of the results remains arduous. No questionnaire specifically assessing functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery of the lower extremity exists. Due to regionalization of specialized care, the patients' travel time to the hospital increases. To overcome a higher patients' travel burden, patients' follow up by telephone is an option. We aimed to develop a telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional outcome after post-traumatic limb salvage surgery of the lower extremity. From a review of scores of functional assessment of the lower limb surgery, we have developed a telephone questionnaire. A prospective study was performed to validate this telephone questionnaire. Twenty patients were included. The participants were called to complete the telephone questionnaire twice with an interval of a week. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was completed during the second telephone call. The internal consistency was analyzed by the Cronbach's alpha (α). With the outcome scores of both completions, the test-retest reliability was analyzed by the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 2,k with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The outcome scores of the second telephone questionnaire and the WOMAC questionnaire were used for the construct validity analysis by the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r(s)) with a 95% CI. The internal consistency analysis revealed a α=0.62 which improved to α=0.92 after removing one question from the telephone questionnaire. The final version of the telephone questionnaire comprises 32 questions, divided in 3 subscales: function, daily life and psychology. The total score varies between 0 and 86 points. The test-retest reliability was ICC 2,k=0.93 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97) and the construct validity was r(s)=0.92 (95% CI: 0.81-0.97). We present a specific telephone questionnaire in order to assess functional

  9. A survey of managed care strategies for pregnant smokers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, D C; Robinson, L A; Rosenthal, A C

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to measure the content and comprehensiveness of pregnancy specific smoking cessation strategies within managed care organisations (MCOs) responding affirmatively to the national 1997-98 Addressing Tobacco in Managed Care (ATMC) survey. This cross sectional follow up study consisted of a fax survey sent to medical directors and a 37 question telephone survey of program overseers about the smoking cessation strategy. 147 MCOs identifying a pregnancy specific smoking cessation strategy on the 1997-98 ATMC survey served as the initial sample; 88 MCOs of 128 eligible plans completed both components, with a response rate of 69%. Pregnancy specific smoking cessation strategies varied. 40% of respondents used the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research guidelines for clinical smoking cessation to design their strategy. Strategies included self help materials, quit classes, telephone support and brief counselling by providers, linkages to quality improvement efforts, and use of patient databases for outreach. Only 42% offered a postpartum relapse prevention element. Lack of patient interest, competing clinic priorities, and the lack of a smoker identification system were the most problematic barriers to implementing strategies, common to at least a quarter of respondents. A majority ranked best practice manuals and web site linkages as the most useful form of technical assistance, followed by peer-to-peer counselling, regional workshops, newsletters, on-site assistance, and national conferences. The survey provides the first profile of prenatal tobacco treatment strategies in managed care. While design limitations prevent generalisation of these results to all MCOs, such information can help guide technical assistance to plans interested in reducing smoking among pregnant women.

  10. Responses to GM food content in context with food integrity issues: results from Australian population surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohr, Philip; Golley, Sinéad

    2016-01-25

    This study examined community responses to use of genetically modified (GM) content in food in the context of responses to familiar food additives by testing an empirically and theoretically derived model of the predictors of responses to both GM content and food integrity issues generally. A nationwide sample of 849 adults, selected at random from the Australian Electoral Roll, responded to a postal Food and Health Survey. Structural equation modelling analyses confirmed that ratings of general concern about food integrity (related to the presence of preservatives and other additives) strongly predicted negativity towards GM content. Concern about food integrity was, in turn, predicted by environmental concern and health engagement. In addition, both concern about food integrity generally and responses to GM content specifically were weakly predicted by attitudes to benefits of science and an intuitive (i.e., emotionally-based) reasoning style. Data from a follow-up survey conducted under the same conditions (N=1184) revealed that ratings of concern were significantly lower for use of genetic engineering in food than for four other common food integrity issues examined. Whereas the question of community responses to GM is often treated as a special issue, these findings support the conclusion that responses to the concept of GM content in food in Australia are substantially a specific instance of a general sensitivity towards the integrity of the food supply. They indicate that the origins of responses to GM content may be largely indistinguishable from those of general responses to preservatives and other common food additives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. INS/GNSS Integration for Aerobatic Flight Applications and Aircraft Motion Surveying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    V Hinüber, Edgar L; Reimer, Christian; Schneider, Tim; Stock, Michael

    2017-04-26

    This paper presents field tests of challenging flight applications obtained with a new family of lightweight low-power INS/GNSS ( inertial navigation system/global satellite navigation system ) solutions based on MEMS ( micro-electro-mechanical- sensor ) machined sensors, being used for UAV ( unmanned aerial vehicle ) navigation and control as well as for aircraft motion dynamics analysis and trajectory surveying. One key is a 42+ state extended Kalman-filter-based powerful data fusion, which also allows the estimation and correction of parameters that are typically affected by sensor aging, especially when applying MEMS-based inertial sensors, and which is not yet deeply considered in the literature. The paper presents the general system architecture, which allows iMAR Navigation the integration of all classes of inertial sensors and GNSS ( global navigation satellite system ) receivers from very-low-cost MEMS and high performance MEMS over FOG ( fiber optical gyro ) and RLG ( ring laser gyro ) up to HRG ( hemispherical resonator gyro ) technology, and presents detailed flight test results obtained under extreme flight conditions. As a real-world example, the aerobatic maneuvers of the World Champion 2016 (Red Bull Air Race) are presented. Short consideration is also given to surveying applications, where the ultimate performance of the same data fusion, but applied on gravimetric surveying, is discussed.

  12. For whom bell toils: medical imaging by telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhfeld, A W

    1991-01-01

    The use of the induction balance, which was invented by Alexander Graham Bell to cancel out line interference on his telephone, to determine the location of bullets inside the human body is discussed. Experiments conducted to locate a bullet in the body of US President Garfield, who had been shot by an assassin in 1881, are described. The trials on Garfield were unsuccessful, but the approach was later perfected by Bell.

  13. Applying technology to the treatment of cannabis use disorder: comparing telephone versus Internet delivery using data from two completed trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooke, Sally E; Gates, Peter J; Norberg, Melissa M; Copeland, Jan

    2014-01-01

    Technology-based interventions such as those delivered by telephone or online may assist in removing significant barriers to treatment seeking for cannabis use disorder. Little research, however, has addressed differing technology-based treatments regarding their comparative effectiveness, and how user profiles may affect compliance and treatment satisfaction. This study addressed this issue by examining these factors in online (N=225) versus telephone (N=160) delivered interventions for cannabis use, using data obtained from two previously published randomized controlled trials conducted by the current authors. Several differences emerged including stronger treatment effects (medium to large effect sizes in the telephone study versus small effect sizes in the Web study) and lower dropout in the telephone intervention (38% vs. 46%). Additionally, around half of the telephone study participants sought concurrent treatment, compared with 2% of participants in the Web study. Demographics and predictors of treatment engagement, retention and satisfaction also varied between the studies. Findings indicate that both telephone and Web-based treatments can be effective in assisting cannabis users to quit or reduce their use; however, participant characteristics may have important implications for treatment preference and outcome, with those who elect telephone-based treatment experiencing stronger outcomes. Thus, participant preference may shape study populations, adherence, and outcome. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Methodological issues associated with collecting sensitive information over the telephone - experience from an Australian non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI prevalence study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fullerton Simon

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Collecting population data on sensitive issues such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI is problematic. Case note audits or hospital/clinic based presentations only record severe cases and do not distinguish between suicidal and non-suicidal intent. Community surveys have largely been limited to school and university students, resulting in little much needed population-based data on NSSI. Collecting these data via a large scale population survey presents challenges to survey methodologists. This paper addresses the methodological issues associated with collecting this type of data via CATI. Methods An Australia-wide population survey was funded by the Australian Government to determine prevalence estimates of NSSI and associations, predictors, relationships to suicide attempts and suicide ideation, and outcomes. Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI on a random sample of the Australian population aged 10+ years of age from randomly selected households, was undertaken. Results Overall, from 31,216 eligible households, 12,006 interviews were undertaken (response rate 38.5%. The 4-week prevalence of NSSI was 1.1% (95% ci 0.9-1.3% and lifetime prevalence was 8.1% (95% ci 7.6-8.6. Methodological concerns and challenges in regard to collection of these data included extensive interviewer training and post interview counselling. Ethical considerations, especially with children as young as 10 years of age being asked sensitive questions, were addressed prior to data collection. The solution required a large amount of information to be sent to each selected household prior to the telephone interview which contributed to a lower than expected response rate. Non-coverage error caused by the population of interest being highly mobile, homeless or institutionalised was also a suspected issue in this low prevalence condition. In many circumstances the numbers missing from the sampling frame are small enough to not cause worry

  15. The Role of Information Technology in Reduction of Administrative Corruption through Increasing of Information transparency, Improvement of Accountability and Promotion of Integrity; A Case Study of Saderat Bank Branches in Isfahan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hosein Sharifi-Renani

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between information transparency, improve accountability and enhance the reliability and accuracy of the use of information technology (telephone, fax, computer and electronic banking services to reduce corruption in Saderat Bank Branches in Isfahan. The method of this study is Solidarity-Survey. This study uses Cohen, Morgan and Krejcie table and selectes 269 samples randomly among the 900 employees of Saderat Bank Branches. The data were obtained from the two questionnaires with content validity that confirmed by experts and stationary with Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the 0.96 and 0.92. Results were analyzed statistically with the use of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis and path analysis. Results showed that information transparency, improve accountability and enhance the reliability and integrity of information technology, including telephone and fax, computer and electronic banking services and have a direct relation with the reduction of corruption.

  16. After Mobile Phones Surpassing Telephones%当手机蹿至老大时

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    马斌; 张英

    2004-01-01

    According to the statistic of MII, the number of phone user in the whole country of China has reached 0.512 billion in 2003, with 91.85 million new users added between January and October. The newly-added users include 40.917 million telephone users and 50.933 million mobile phone users. And the total number of telephone users has reached 0.2551 billion, mobile phone users 0.2569 billion. Up to now the number of mobile phone users has surpassed that of telephone users. The surpassing is a new landmark in the development of China telecom industry. At the same time the surpassing is not just a common event, but it will bring great influence to the development pattern of our telecom industry, regulation of government in the future, mobile communications and fixed network carriers. And so in this issue "New Telecom Salon" focuses on what the surpassing will bring to telecom industry in all aspects. The specialists in the industry are invited to discuss all related things about this subject.

  17. Proposal for the award of an industrial support contract for operation of the CERN telephone system

    CERN Document Server

    1999-01-01

    This document concerns the award of an industrial support contract for operation of the CERN telephone system. Following a market survey carried out among 22 firms in eight Member States, a call for tenders (IT-2655/ST) was sent on 27 August 1999 to three firms and two consortia in four Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received three tenders from one firm and two consortia in three Member States. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with the consortium MERROW (UK) ? DCS (CH) the lowest bidder, for an initial period of three years from 1st January 2000, for a total amount not exceeding 850 000 Swiss francs, not subject to revision until 31 December 2000. The contract will include an option for two one-year extensions beyond the initial three-year period.

  18. Under-triage in telephone consultation is related to non-normative symptom description and interpersonal communication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gamst-Jensen, Hejdi; Lippert, Freddy K; Egerod, Ingrid

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Telephone consultation and triage are used to limit the workload on emergency departments. Lack of visual cues and clinical tests put telephone consultations to a disadvantage compared to face-to-face consultations increasing the risk of under-triage. Under-triage occurs in telephone...... triage; however why under-triage happens is not explored yet. The aim of the study was to describe situations of under-triage in context, to assess the quality of under-triaged calls, and to identify communication patterns contributing to under-triage in a regional OOH service in the capital region...... (19%), respiratory (15%) and all others (42%). Thematic analysis of the voice logs suggested that inadequate communication and non-normative symptom description contributed to under-triage. DISCUSSION: The incidence of potentially under-triage is low (0.04%). However, the over...

  19. Lunar phases and crisis center telephone calls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, J E; Tobacyk, J J

    1990-02-01

    The lunar hypothesis, that is, the notion that lunar phases can directly affect human behavior, was tested by time-series analysis of 4,575 crisis center telephone calls (all calls recorded for a 6-month interval). As expected, the lunar hypothesis was not supported. The 28-day lunar cycle accounted for less than 1% of the variance of the frequency of crisis center calls. Also, as hypothesized from an attribution theory framework, crisis center workers reported significantly greater belief in lunar effects than a non-crisis-center-worker comparison group.

  20. Risk and protective factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey in capitals of Brazil, Vigitel 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Stopa, Sheila Rizzato; Iser, Betine Pinto Moehlecke; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Claro, Rafael Moreira; Nardi, Antônio Carlos Figueiredo; Dos Reis, Ademar Arthur Chioro; Monteiro, Carlos Augusto

    2015-12-01

    To describe the prevalence of risk and protective factors for chronic diseases in Brazilian adult population in 2014 and investigate the associated sociodemographic factors. Analyses were performed based on data from telephone interviews (Vigitel 2014) on probabilistic samples of adult population (≥ 18 years old) from the capitals of the 26 Brazilian States and the Federal District, living in households with landline phones. Prevalence is presented by gender, age and educational level, and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) are estimated using Poisson Regression model. Among the 40.853 adults who were interviewed, 10.8% were smokers and 21.2% ex-smokers. Among the respondents, 16.5% reported alcohol abuse and 52.5% were overweight, factors that were more frequent among men. The prevalence of recommended intake of fruits and vegetables was 24%, intake of sweets was 18.1% and replacements of main meals for snacks was 16.2%, factors that were higher among women. Leisure time physical activity reached 35.3% and increased with the level of education. Hypertension was the most frequent disease achieving 24.8%, which was higher among women and increased with age. The results from Vigitel 2014 indicate that risk factors are, in general, more frequent among men, older adults and less educated individuals, characterizing the socioeconomic and cultural dimensions in determining chronic diseases.

  1. Voice-band Modems: A Device to Transmit Data Over Telephone ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Voice-band Modems: A Device to Transmit Data. Over Telephone Networks. 1. Basic Principles of Data Trans.mission v U Reddy is with the. Electrical Communica- tion Engineering. Department, Indian. Institute of Science. His research areas are adaptive signal process- ing, multirate filtering and wavelets, and multi-.

  2. Short Term Group Counseling of Visually Impaired People by Telephone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaureguy, Beth M.; Evans, Ron L.

    1983-01-01

    Short term group counseling via the telephone resulted in marked increases in activities of daily living among 12 legally blind veterans. Many subjects' personal coping goals were met as well, and social involvement also increased. No significant changes in levels of depression or agitation were noted. (CL)

  3. Telephone Coaching in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Decision-Tree Model for Managing Inter-Session Contact with Clients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Porath, Denise D.; Koons, Cedar R.

    2005-01-01

    Several studies have indicated that telephone coaching can play an important role in psychological intervention (Beebe, 2001; Burgess & Chalder, 2001; Meyersberg, 1985). Less well understood, however, is the role of telephone coaching with severe, complex, multiproblem clients, such as those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.…

  4. 78 FR 7443 - Request for Comment on the Redesign of the American Housing Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-01

    ... of Public Comments. All properly submitted comments and communications submitted to HUD will be..., face-to-face interviews, administrative data matching) should be used, given the secular decrease in response rates in both face-to-face and telephone surveys? How should questions be formulated differently...

  5. Assessing patients’ experience of integrated care: a survey of patient views in the North West London Integrated Care Pilot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaos Mastellos

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Despite the importance of continuity of care and patient engagement, few studies have captured patients’ views on integrated care. This study assesses patient experience in the Integrated Care Pilot in North West London with the aim to help clinicians and policy makers understand patients’ acceptability of integrated care and design future initiatives. Methods: A survey was developed, validated and distributed to 2029 randomly selected practice patients identified as having a care plan. Results: A total of 405 questionnaires were included for analysis. Respondents identified a number of benefits associated with the pilot, including increased patient involvement in decision-making, improved patient-provider relationship, better organisation and access to care, and enhanced inter-professional communication. However, only 22.4% were aware of having a care plan, and of these only 37.9% had a copy of the care plan. Knowledge of care plans was significantly associated with a more positive experience. Conclusions: This study reinforces the view that integrated care can improve quality of care and patient experience. However, care planning was a complex and technically challenging process that occurred more slowly than planned with wide variation in quality and time of recruitment to the pilot, making it difficult to assess the sustainability of benefits.

  6. A Telephone-based Physiotherapy Intervention for Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odole, Adesola C.; Ojo, Oluwatobi D.

    2013-01-01

    This study assessed the effects of a 6-week telephone based intervention on the pain intensity and physical function of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and compared the results to physiotherapy conducted in the clinic. Fifty randomly selected patients with knee OA were assigned to one of two treatment groups: a clinic group (CG) and a tele-physiotherapy group (TG). The CG received thrice-weekly physiotherapist administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises in the clinic for six weeks. The TG received structured telephone calls thrice-weekly at home, to monitor self-administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises. Participants’ pain intensity and physical function were assessed at baseline, two, four, and six weeks, in the clinic environment. Within group comparison showed significant improvements across baseline, and at weeks two, four, and six for both TG and CG’s pain intensity and physical function. Between-group comparison of CG and TG’s pain intensity and physical function at baseline and weeks two, four, and six showed no significant differences. This study demonstrated that a six-week course of structured telephone calls thrice-weekly to patients at their home, to monitor self-administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises for patients with knee OA (i.e., tele-physiotherapy) achieved comparable results to physiotherapy conducted in the clinic. PMID:25945214

  7. Cost effectiveness of a telephone intervention to promote dilated fundus examination in adults with diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clyde B Schechter

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Clyde B Schechter1, Charles E Basch2, Arlene Caban3, Elizabeth A Walker41Departments of Family and Social Medicine and Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA; 2Department of Health Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; 3Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; 4Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USAAbstract: In a clinical trial, we have previously shown that a telephone intervention can significantly increase participation in dilated fundus examination (DFE screening among low-income adults with diabetes. Here the costs and cost-effectiveness ratio of this intervention are calculated. Intervention effectiveness was estimated as the difference in DFE utilization between the telephone intervention and print groups from the clinical trial multiplied by the size of the telephone intervention group. A micro-costing approach was used. Personnel time was aggregated from logs kept during the clinical trial of the intervention. Wage rates were taken from a commercial compensation database. Telephone charges were estimated based on prevailing fees. The cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated as the ratio of total costs of the intervention to the number of DFEs gained by the intervention. A sensitivity analysis estimated the cost-effectiveness of a more limited telephone intervention. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis using bootstrap samples from the clinical trial results quantified the uncertainties in resource utilization and intervention effectiveness. Net intervention costs were US$18,676.06, with an associated gain of 43.7 DFEs and 16.4 new diagnoses of diabetic retinopathy. The cost-effectiveness ratio is US$427.37 per DFE gained. A restricted intervention limiting the number of calls to 5, as opposed to 7, would achieve the same results

  8. Arizona Likely Voter Survey on Proposed Legislation to Enhance School Choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenski, Margaret C.

    2005-01-01

    This report contains the results of a telephone survey of 602 likely Arizona voters on various measures to enhance school choice in Arizona. This research was conducted by Arizona Opinion of Tucson for The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation of Indianapolis. All fieldwork was conducted on March 23-26, and 28-29, 2005 by DataCall Inc. of…

  9. Application of Integrated Photogrammetric and Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data to Cultural Heritage Surveying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klapa, Przemyslaw; Mitka, Bartosz; Zygmunt, Mariusz

    2017-12-01

    The terrestrial laser scanning technology has a wide spectrum of applications, from land surveying, civil engineering and architecture to archaeology. The technology is capable of obtaining, in a short time, accurate coordinates of points which represent the surface of objects. Scanning of buildings is therefore a process which ensures obtaining information on all structural elements a building. The result is a point cloud consisting of millions of elements which are a perfect source of information on the object and its surrounding. The photogrammetric techniques allow documenting an object in high resolution in the form of orthophoto plans, or are a basis to develop 2D documentation or obtain point clouds for objects and 3D modelling. Integration of photogrammetric data and TLS brings a new quality in surveying historic monuments. Historic monuments play an important cultural and historical role. Centuries-old buildings require constant renovation and preservation of their structural and visual invariability while maintaining safety of people who use them. The full process of surveying allows evaluating the actual condition of monuments and planning repairs and renovations. Huge sizes and specific types of historic monuments cause problems in obtaining reliable and full information on them. The TLS technology allows obtaining such information in a short time and is non-invasive. A point cloud is not only a basis for developing architectural and construction documentation or evaluation of actual condition of a building. It also is a real visualization of monuments and their entire environment. The saved image of object surface can be presented at any time and place. A cyclical TLS survey of historic monuments allows detecting structural changes and evaluating damage and changes that cause deformation of monument’s components. The paper presents application of integrated photogrammetric data and TLS illustrated on an example of historic monuments from southern

  10. Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program - Entiat River Rotary Screw Traps, Snorkel Surveys, and Steelhead Redd Surveys, 2008-2009.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelle, R.D.; Desgroseillier, Tom; Cotter, Michael [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    2009-04-14

    The USFWS Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office (MCRFRO) operated two rotary screw traps on the Entiat River as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program from March through November of 2008. Along with the smolt traps, juvenile emigrants were also captured at remote locations throughout the Entiat watershed and its major tributary, the Mad River. A total of 16,782 wild salmonids were PIT tagged during the study period. Of this, 3,961(23.6%) were wild Oncorhynchus mykiss, 6,987 (41.6%) were wild spring run O. tshawytscha, and 5,591 (33.3%) were identified as wild O. tshawytscha of unknown run. Rotary screw trap efficiencies averaged 40.3% at the upper (Rkm 11.0) trap and 7.8% for the lower (Rkm 2.0) trap. These efficiencies were pooled for emigrant O. tshawytscha and O. mykiss. The MCRFRO conducted effectiveness monitoring snorkel surveys at 24 sites during the winter period and 30 sites during the summer and fall periods of 2008 as part of the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program in the Entiat River. The 2008 steelhead spawning grounds surveys were conducted weekly in the main Entiat River from rkm 1.1 to 44.2. A total of 222 steelhead redds were identified over the period from February 28 to June 16 2008 with April being the peak spawning month. Approximately 80% of the steelhead redds were located downstream of the rkm 26.

  11. Using the LOINC Semantic Structure to Integrate Community-based Survey Items into a Concept-based Enterprise Data Dictionary to Support Comparative Effectiveness Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Co, Manuel C; Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Quarles, Leigh; Wilcox, Adam; Bakken, Suzanne

    2012-01-01

    In designing informatics infrastructure to support comparative effectiveness research (CER), it is necessary to implement approaches for integrating heterogeneous data sources such as clinical data typically stored in clinical data warehouses and those that are normally stored in separate research databases. One strategy to support this integration is the use of a concept-oriented data dictionary with a set of semantic terminology models. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the use of the semantic structure of Clinical LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes) in integrating community-based survey items into the Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) to support the integration of survey data with clinical data for CER studies.

  12. Integrating molecular markers into the World Health Organization classification of CNS tumors: a survey of the neuro-oncology community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldape, Kenneth; Nejad, Romina; Louis, David N; Zadeh, Gelareh

    2017-03-01

    Molecular markers provide important biological and clinical information related to the classification of brain tumors, and the integration of relevant molecular parameters into brain tumor classification systems has been a widely discussed topic in neuro-oncology over the past decade. With recent advances in the development of clinically relevant molecular signatures and the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) update, the views of the neuro-oncology community on such changes would be informative for implementing this process. A survey with 8 questions regarding molecular markers in tumor classification was sent to an email list of Society for Neuro-Oncology members and attendees of prior meetings (n=5065). There were 403 respondents. Analysis was performed using whole group response, based on self-reported subspecialty. The survey results show overall strong support for incorporating molecular knowledge into the classification and clinical management of brain tumors. Across all 7 subspecialty groups, ≥70% of respondents agreed to this integration. Interestingly, some variability is seen among subspecialties, notably with lowest support from neuropathologists, which may reflect their roles in implementing such diagnostic technologies. Based on a survey provided to the neuro-oncology community, we report strong support for the integration of molecular markers into the WHO classification of brain tumors, as well as for using an integrated "layered" diagnostic format. While membership from each specialty showed support, there was variation by specialty in enthusiasm regarding proposed changes. The initial results of this survey influenced the deliberations underlying the 2016 WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.

  13. DBT Telephone Skills Coaching with Eating Disordered Clients: Who Calls, for What Reasons, and for How Long?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limbrunner, Heidi M.; Ben-Porath, Denise D.; Wisniewski, Lucene

    2011-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to report on the typology, frequency, and duration of intersession calls placed by outpatient eating disorder clients to their therapists. Participants were 17 women, offered DBT after-hours telephone coaching adapted for individuals with eating disorders. Results indicated that clients used telephone coaching primarily…

  14. Test-Retest Reliability of a Survey to Measure Transport-Related Physical Activity in Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badland, Hannah; Schofield, Grant

    2006-01-01

    The present research details test-retest reliability of a newly developed, telephone-administered TPA survey for adults. This instrument examines barriers, perceptions, and current travel behaviors to place of work/study and local convenience shops. Demonstrated test-retest reliability of the Active Friendly Environments-Transport-Related Physical…

  15. Validation of a telephone screening tool for spasmodic dysphonia and vocal fold tremor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, David M; Hapner, Edie R; Klein, Adam M; Pethan, Madeleine; Johns, Michael M

    2014-11-01

    The objective of this study was to ascertain whether clinicians can reliably distinguish between spasmodic dysphonia (SD)/vocal tremor and other voice disorders by telephone, despite this modality's limited frequency response. Randomized, single-blinded, and prospective study. Voice-disordered patients with (n = 22) and without (n = 17) SD and/or vocal tremor recorded standardized utterances via landline telephone. A laryngologist and two speech-language pathologists blinded to the diagnoses rated each recording as "yes" or "no" to "SD or tremor present?," and if "yes" categorized into adductor, abductor, tremor only, or adductor with tremor subtypes. Twenty-one recordings were presented twice at random so intrarater reliability could be assessed. All ratings were compared with gold standard diagnosis by a second laryngologist who performed a full examination, including videostroboscopy, on each patient. For the comparison "SD or tremor" yes versus no, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value are 90%, 95%, 96%, and 89%, respectively. Interrater reliability (Cohen kappa) compared with the gold standard ranged from 0.70 to 0.93 (substantial to almost perfect agreement). Cronbach alpha among three raters was 0.90 for this comparison. Intrarater reliability (number matched/number inspected) was very high, ranging from 0.97 to 1.0. Comparing gold standard and telephone rating of SD/tremor subtypes, kappa ranged from 0.48 to 0.60 (moderate agreement). Cronbach alpha among three raters was 0.88 for this comparison. Intrarater reliability ranged from 0.84 to 0.97. SD and tremor can be reliably distinguished from other voice disorders over the telephone. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Dementia and driving : A survey of clinical practice in aged care assessment teams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fox, G.K; Withaar, F.K.; Bashford, G.M

    Current clinical practice in Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) in NSW and ACT regarding assessment of fitness to drive in clients with a diagnosis of dementia was examined. Of 42 ACATs with a geriatrician on staff, 38 (90.5%) responded to a telephone survey. Results showed that assessment of driver

  17. Integration versus Outsourcing in Stable Industry Equilibrium with Communication Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Okamoto, Yusuke

    2006-01-01

    For the selection of a firm's structure between vertical integration and arm's-length outsourcing, the importance of the thickness of the market had been emphasized in the previous literature. Here we take account of communication networks such as telephone, telex, fax, and the Internet. By doing so, we could illustrate the relationship between communication networks and the make-or-buy decision. With communication network technology differing in each type of firm, both vertically integrated ...

  18. Hygiene perception changes during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in Germany: incorporating the results of two cross-sectional telephone surveys 2008-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meilicke, Gerald; Riedmann, Klaus; Biederbick, Walter; Müller, Ute; Wierer, Traugott; Bartels, Cornelius

    2013-10-16

    The federal campaign Wir gegen Viren [Us against viruses] promoted hygiene in Germany during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in 2009. The intervention aimed to encourage people to protect themselves against respiratory infections by simple means of hygiene behaviour. Quantitative research was carried out to outline changes in hygiene perception of the population over time, and to find out whether the potential hygiene perception changes were consistent to the federal campaign about hygiene or not. To determine changes in the hygiene perception of the population, two cross-sectional telephone surveys were held, each one with n = 2006 participants. The initial survey was carried out before the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in calendar week 49-51 in 2008 and the second in week 48 in 2009 directly after the peak of the pandemic in Germany. The questionnaire contained indicators about perceived hand hygiene efficacy, preference for coughing into the sleeve, propensity for presenteeism while showing symptoms of a cold and acceptance of hygiene masks. The proportion of people who perceive the efficacy of hand washing as "very good" increased significantly from 50.9% in 2008 to 61.1% in 2009. The proportion of people who perceive coughing into the sleeve as the best way to cough increased even more dramatically from 4.8% in 2008 to 38.3% in 2009. In contrast the propensity for presenteeism decreased significantly: The proportion of people who state that they always report to work while they show symptoms of a cold decreased from 50.8% in 2008 to 40.9% in 2009. Acceptance of hygiene masks has not changed significantly from 2008 to 2009. The results revealed changes in hygiene perception during influenza A H1N1 pandemic in Germany. The changes we found are in accordance with the hygiene recommendations given by the federal campaign Wir gegen Viren [Us against viruses]. Results can constitute a practical benchmark for future research about hygiene perception and hygiene promotion

  19. Adult proxy responses to a survey of children's dermal soil contact activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, E Y; Shirai, J H; Garlock, T J; Kissel, J C

    2000-01-01

    Contaminated site cleanup decisions may require estimation of dermal exposures to soil. Telephone surveys represent one means of obtaining relevant activity pattern data. The initial Soil Contact Survey (SCS-I), which primarily gathered information on the activities of adults, was conducted in 1996. Data describing adult behaviors have been previously reported. Results from a second Soil Contact Survey (SCS-II), performed in 1998-1999 and focused on children's activity patterns, are reported here. Telephone surveys were used to query a randomly selected sample of U.S. households. A randomly chosen child, under the age of 18 years, was targeted in each responding household having children. Play activities as well as bathing patterns were investigated to quantify total exposure time, defined as activity time plus delay until washing. Of 680 total survey respondents, 500 (73.5%) reported that their child played outdoors on bare dirt or mixed grass and dirt surfaces. Among these "players," the median reported play frequency was 7 days/week in warm weather and 3 days/week in cold weather. Median play duration was 3 h/day in warm weather and 1 h/day in cold weather. Hand washes were reported to occur a median of 4 times per day in both warm and cold weather months. Bath or shower median frequency was seven times per week in both warm and cold weather. Finally, based on clothing choice data gathered in SCS-I, a median of about 37% of total skin surface is estimated to be exposed during young children's warm weather outdoor play.

  20. PhysioDirect: Supporting physiotherapists to deliver telephone assessment and advice services within the context of a randomised trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Annette; Gamlin, Jill; Hall, Jeanette; Hopper, Cherida; Foster, Nadine E.

    2013-01-01

    Physiotherapy-led telephone assessment and advice services for patients with musculoskeletal problems have been developed in many services in the UK, but high quality trial data on clinical and cost effectiveness has been lacking. In order to address this ‘The PhysioDirect trial’ (ISRCTN55666618), was a pragmatic randomised trial of a PhysioDirect telephone assessment and advice service. This paper describes the PhysioDirect system used in the trial and how physiotherapists were trained and supported to use the system and deliver the PhysioDirect service. The PhysioDirect system used in the trial was developed in Huntingdon and now serves a population of 350,000 people. When initiating or providing physiotherapy-led telephone assessment and advice services training and support for physiotherapists delivering care in this way is essential. An enhanced skill set is required for telephone assessment and advice particularly in listening and communication skills. In addition to an initial training programme, even experienced physiotherapists benefit from a period of skill consolidation to become proficient and confident in assessing patients and delivering care using the telephone. A computer-based system assists the delivery of a physiotherapy-led musculoskeletal assessment and advice service. Clinical Trials Registration Number (ISRCTN55666618). PMID:23219629

  1. Reliability and validity of using telephone calls for post-discharge surveillance of surgical site infection following caesarean section at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boniface Nguhuni

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Surgical site infection (SSI is a common post-operative complication causing significant morbidity and mortality. Many SSI occur after discharge from hospital. Post-discharge SSI surveillance in low and middle income countries needs to be improved. Methodology We conducted an observational cohort study in Dodoma, Tanzania to examine the sensitivity and specificity of telephone calls to detect SSI after discharge from hospital in comparison to a gold standard of clinician review. Women undergoing caesarean section were enrolled and followed up for 30 days. Women providing a telephone number were interviewed using a structured questionnaire at approximately days 5, 12 and 28 post-surgery. Women were then invited for out-patient review by a clinician blinded to the findings of telephone interview. Results A total of 374 women were enrolled and an overall SSI rate of 12% (n = 45 was observed. Three hundred and sixteen (84% women provided a telephone number, of which 202 had at least one telephone interview followed by a clinical review within 48 h, generating a total of 484 paired observations. From the clinical reviews, 25 SSI were diagnosed, of which telephone interview had correctly identified 18 infections; telephone calls did not incorrectly identify SSI in any patients. The overall sensitivity and specificity of telephone interviews as compared to clinician evaluation was 72 and 100%, respectively. Conclusion The use of telephone interview as a diagnostic tool for post-discharge surveillance of SSI had moderate sensitivity and high specificity in Tanzania. Telephone-based detection may be a useful method for SSI surveillance in low-income settings with high penetration of mobile telephones.

  2. A Telephone-based Physiotherapy Intervention for Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adesola C Odole

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This study assessed the effects of a 6-week telephone based intervention on the pain intensity and physical function of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA, and compared the results to physiotherapy conducted in the clinic. Fifty randomly selected patients with knee OA were assigned to one of two treatment groups: a clinic group (CG and a tele-physiotherapy group (TG. The CG received thrice-weekly physiotherapist administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises in the clinic for six weeks. The TG received structured telephone calls thrice-weekly at home, to monitor self-administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises. Participants’ pain intensity and physical function were assessed at baseline, two, four, and six weeks, in the clinic environment. Within group comparison showed significant improvements across baseline, and at weeks two, four, and six for both TG and CG’s pain intensity and physical function. Between-group comparison of CG and TG’s pain intensity and physical function at baseline and weeks two, four, and six showed no significant differences. This study demonstrated that a six-week course of structured telephone calls thrice-weekly to patients at their home, to monitor self-administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises for patients with knee OA (i.e., tele-physiotherapy achieved comparable results to physiotherapy conducted in the clinic.   12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

  3. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Shuangping; Dai, Yonghui; Ji, Jun; Wang, Jinzhao; Sun, Hai

    2015-01-01

    Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer's loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer's satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an analysis method based on affective computing technology, which can recognize the dynamic changes of customer emotions from the conversations between the service staff and the customer. The recognition process includes speaker recognition, emotional feature parameter extraction, and dynamic emotion recognition. Experimental results show that this method is effective and can reach high recognition rates of happy and angry states. It has been successfully applied to the operation quality and service administration in telecom and Internet service company.

  4. Emotion Analysis of Telephone Complaints from Customer Based on Affective Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuangping Gong

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Customer complaint has been the important feedback for modern enterprises to improve their product and service quality as well as the customer’s loyalty. As one of the commonly used manners in customer complaint, telephone communication carries rich emotional information of speeches, which provides valuable resources for perceiving the customer’s satisfaction and studying the complaint handling skills. This paper studies the characteristics of telephone complaint speeches and proposes an analysis method based on affective computing technology, which can recognize the dynamic changes of customer emotions from the conversations between the service staff and the customer. The recognition process includes speaker recognition, emotional feature parameter extraction, and dynamic emotion recognition. Experimental results show that this method is effective and can reach high recognition rates of happy and angry states. It has been successfully applied to the operation quality and service administration in telecom and Internet service company.

  5. Validation of a structured interview for telephone assessment of the modified Rankin Scale in Brazilian stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baggio, Jussara A O; Santos-Pontelli, Taiza E G; Cougo-Pinto, Pedro T; Camilo, Millene; Silva, Nathalia F; Antunes, Paula; Machado, Laura; Leite, João P; Pontes-Neto, Octavio M

    2014-01-01

    The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is a commonly used scale to assess the functional outcome after stroke. Several studies on mRS showed good reliability, feasibility, and interrater agreement of this scale using a face-to-face assessment. However, telephone assessment is a more time-efficient way to obtain an mRS grade than a face-to-face interview. The aim of this study was to validate the telephone assessment of mRS among the Portuguese using a structured interview in a sample of Brazilian stroke patients. We evaluated 50 stroke outpatients twice. The first interview was face-to-face and the second was made by telephone and the time between the two assessments ranged between 7 and 14 days. Four certified raters evaluated the patients using a structured interview based on a questionnaire previously published in the literature. Raters were blinded for the Rankin score given by the other rater. For both assessments, the rater could also interview a caregiver if necessary. The patients' mean age was 62.8 ± 14.7, mean number of years of study 5.2 ± 3.4, 52% were males, 55.2% of patients needed a caregiver's help to answer the questions. The majority of caregivers were female (85%), mean age 49.1 ± 15, and mean number of years of study 8.3 ± 3.4. Perfect agreement between the telephone and face-to-face assessments was obtained for 27 (54%) patients, corresponding to an unweighted Kappa of 0.44 (95% CI 0.27-0.61) and a weighted Kappa of 0.89. The median of telephone assessment mRS was 3.5 (interquartile range = 2-4) and of face-to-face assessment was 4 (interquartile range = 2-5). There was no difference between the two assessments (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.35). Despite the low education level of our sample, the telephone assessment of functional impairment of stroke patients using a translated and culturally adapted Brazilian Portuguese version of the mRS showed good validity and reliability. Therefore, the telephone assessment of mRS can be used in clinical practice and

  6. [Telephone support for breastfeeding by primary care: a randomised multicentre trial].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balaguer Martínez, Josep Vicent; Valcarce Pérez, Inmaculada; Esquivel Ojeda, Jessica Noelia; Hernández Gil, Alicia; Martín Jiménez, María Del Pilar; Bernad Albareda, Mercè

    2018-03-22

    To evaluate a telephone support programme for mothers who breastfeed for the first 6 months. A randomised unmasked clinical trial was conducted in 5 urban Primary Care centres that included mothers with healthy newborns who were breastfeeding exclusively (EBF) or partially (PBF). The control group received the usual care. The intervention group also received telephone support for breastfeeding on a weekly basis for the first 2months and then every 2weeks until the sixth month. The type of breastfeeding was recorded in the usual check-up visit (1, 2, 4 and 6 months). The study included 193 patients in the intervention group, and 187 in a control group. The greatest increase in the percentage of EBF was observed at 6 months: 21.4% in the control group compared to 30.1% in the intervention group. However, in the adjusted odds ratios analysis, confidence intervals did not show statistical significance. The odds ratio at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months for EBF were 1.45 (0.91-2.31), 1.35 (0.87-2.08), 1.21 (0.80-1.81), and 1.58 (0.99-2.53), respectively. The odds ratio in the same age groups for any type of breastfeeding (EBF + PBF) were 1.65 (0.39-7.00), 2.08 (0.94-4.61), 1.37 (0.79-2.38), and 1.60 (0.98-2.61), respectively. Telephone intervention was not effective enough to generalise it. Copyright © 2018. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  7. Integration of early specialist palliative care in cancer care: Survey of oncologists, oncology nurses, and patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naveen Salins

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion: Oncologists, oncology nurses, and patients felt that integration of early specialist palliative care in cancer improves symptom control, end-of-life care, health-related communication, and continuity of care. The perceptions of benefit of the palliative care intervention in the components surveyed, differed among the three groups.

  8. The emergency telephone conversation in the context of the older person in suicidal crisis: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deuter, Kate; Procter, Nicholas; Rogers, John

    2013-01-01

    Suicide in older people is a significant public health issue with a predicted future increase. Contemporary research directs considerable attention toward physical, mental, and social risk factors that contribute to suicidality in older people; still, little is understood about the fundamental meanings that older people in suicidal crisis attribute to these factors. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe, analyze, and compare counselors' and older peoples' perceptions of the suicidal crisis during an emergency telephone conversation. Data collection consisted of individual interviews with telephone counselors (N = 7) working within an emergency mental health triage service, and listening to telephone calls (N = 14) received by the service responding to people aged 65 years and over in suicidal crisis. Triangulation of the two data sets resulted in the emergence of three key themes. We found (1) congruence in the way risk factors were perceived by counselors and communicated during telephone conversations, (2) dissension between counselors' perceptions of end-of-life issues and older people's feelings of ambivalence about wanting to die and not knowing what to do and (3) the need for working side-by-side with the older person, exploring acute changes and immediate capacity for change. An explicit focus on risk factors alone may preclude counselors from gaining a deeper understanding of suicidal crisis in an older person's life. This research has begun to capture and illuminate how telephone counselors can deliver effective crisis intervention as older people struggle and make meaning through their suffering.

  9. Organizational Contexts and Texts: The Redesign of the Midwest Bell Telephone Bill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller-Cohen, Deborah

    1987-01-01

    Offers a retrospective view of organizational factors affecting the redesign of the Midwest Bell Telephone Bill. Shows how financial considerations, organizational time frame, and employee training and experience influenced the bill's development process. (MM)

  10. Results from the Dutch speech-in-noise screening test by telephone

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits, C.H.M.; Houtgast, T.

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to implement a previously developed automatic speech-in-noise screening test by telephone (Smits, Kapteyn, & Houtgast, 2004), introduce it nationwide as a self-test, and analyze the results. DESIGN: The test was implemented on an interactive voice response

  11. Integrated working between residential care homes and primary care: a survey of care homes in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gage Heather

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Older people living in care homes in England have complex health needs due to a range of medical conditions, mental health needs and frailty. Despite an increasing policy expectation that professionals should operate in an integrated way across organisational boundaries, there is a lack of understanding between care homes and the National Health Service (NHS about how the two sectors should work together, meaning that residents can experience a poor "fit" between their needs, and services they can access. This paper describes a survey to establish the current extent of integrated working that exists between care homes and primary and community health and social services. Methods A self-completion, online questionnaire was designed by the research team. Items on the different dimensions of integration (funding, administrative, organisational, service delivery, clinical care were included. The survey was sent to a random sample of residential care homes with more than 25 beds (n = 621 in England in 2009. Responses were analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results The survey achieved an overall response rate of 15.8%. Most care homes (78.7% worked with more than one general practice. Respondents indicated that a mean of 14.1 professionals/ services (other than GPs had visited the care homes in the last six months (SD 5.11, median 14; a mean of .39 (SD.163 professionals/services per bed. The most frequent services visiting were district nursing, chiropody and community psychiatric nurses. Many (60% managers considered that they worked with the NHS in an integrated way, including sharing documents, engaging in integrated care planning and joint learning and training. However, some care home managers cited working practices dictated by NHS methods of service delivery and priorities for care, rather than those of the care home or residents, a lack of willingness by NHS professionals to share information, and low

  12. Using History to Teach Invention and Design: The Case of the Telephone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, Michael E.; Robinson, J. Kirby

    This paper shows how a historical case, the invention of the telephone, can be used to teach invention and design in a way that combines engineering, social sciences, and humanities. The historical problem of transmitting speech was turned into an active learning module, in which students sought to improve patents obtained by early telephone inventors like Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray, using equipment similar to what was available at the time. The result was a collaborative learning environment in which students from a wide range of majors worked in teams, eventually producing a patent application. As part of the project, they were allowed to search historical materials like the Bell notebooks, which were made available on line. This experience gave them a better understanding of the invention and design process.

  13. Demand for integrative medicine among women in pregnancy and childbed: a German survey on patients' needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schürger, Nikolas; Klein, Evelyn; Hapfelmeier, Alexander; Kiechle, Marion; Paepke, Daniela

    2018-06-15

    Although integrative medicine is gaining increasing attention and is claiming more and more its place in modern health care, it still plays a marginal role in conventional maternity care. The present study aims to examine the patterns of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use and the demand for integrative therapies, including CAM, relaxation therapies, nutritional counseling, and psychological assistance, among women in pregnancy and childbed. The survey was conducted from April 2017 to July 2017 by means of a pseudo-anonymous 38-item questionnaire at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich. Eligible participants were women hospitalized due to pregnancy related complications and women in childbed. Descriptive statistics were generated to determine patterns of CAM use and demand for integrative therapeutic approaches. Univariate analysis was used to detect associations between patients' characteristics and their interest in the different integrative therapies. Furthermore, binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio of demand for CAM. A total of 394 out of 503 patients participated in the survey (78%). 60% declared using CAM in general, 45% specifically in relation to their pregnancy or childbed. Most commonly used modalities were vitamins (31% of all patients), yoga (24%), and herbal supplements (23%). Most popular sources of recommendation of CAM use were midwives and gynecologists. Integrative therapy options patients would have wanted alongside conventional maternity care were CAM (64%), relaxation therapies (44%), dietary counseling (28%), and psychological counseling (15%). Furthermore, associations between patients' sociodemographic characteristics and their demand for integrative therapies were identified. The results of this study demonstrate that there is a considerable demand for integrative medicine and widespread use of CAM among women during pregnancy and

  14. Telephone consultations on exposure to nuclear disaster radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yashima, Sachiko; Chida, Koichi

    2014-01-01

    The Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred on March 11, 2011. For about six weeks, I worked as a counselor for phone consultations regarding radiation risk. I analyzed the number of consultations, consultations by telephone, and their changing patterns with elapse of time, to assist with consultations about risk in the future. There were a large number of questions regarding the effects of radiation, particularly with regard to children. We believe that counseling and risk communication are the key to effectively informing the public about radiation risks. (author)

  15. Semantic Web meets Integrative Biology: a survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huajun; Yu, Tong; Chen, Jake Y

    2013-01-01

    Integrative Biology (IB) uses experimental or computational quantitative technologies to characterize biological systems at the molecular, cellular, tissue and population levels. IB typically involves the integration of the data, knowledge and capabilities across disciplinary boundaries in order to solve complex problems. We identify a series of bioinformatics problems posed by interdisciplinary integration: (i) data integration that interconnects structured data across related biomedical domains; (ii) ontology integration that brings jargons, terminologies and taxonomies from various disciplines into a unified network of ontologies; (iii) knowledge integration that integrates disparate knowledge elements from multiple sources; (iv) service integration that build applications out of services provided by different vendors. We argue that IB can benefit significantly from the integration solutions enabled by Semantic Web (SW) technologies. The SW enables scientists to share content beyond the boundaries of applications and websites, resulting into a web of data that is meaningful and understandable to any computers. In this review, we provide insight into how SW technologies can be used to build open, standardized and interoperable solutions for interdisciplinary integration on a global basis. We present a rich set of case studies in system biology, integrative neuroscience, bio-pharmaceutics and translational medicine, to highlight the technical features and benefits of SW applications in IB.

  16. The effect of telephone support on depressive symptoms among HIV-infected pregnant women in Thailand: an embedded mixed methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Ratchneewan; Sawatphanit, Wilaiphan; Suwansujarid, Tatirat; Stidham, Andrea W; Drew, Barbara L; Creswell, John W

    2013-01-01

    Depressive symptoms negatively impact the lives of HIV-infected individuals and are correlated with faster progression to AIDS. Our embedded mixed methods study examined and described the effects of telephone support on depressive symptoms in a sample of HIV-infected pregnant Thai women. HIV-infected pregnant Thai women (n = 40) were randomly assigned to either the control or the intervention group. A registered nurse provided telephone support to the intervention group. Depressive symptoms were measured at three points in both groups. In-depth interviews were conducted at Time 2 and Time 3. Results show that depressive symptoms in the intervention group decreased over time. Qualitative results describe how telephone support can work, but also reveal that telephone support did not work for everyone. We recommend that a larger mixed methods study be conducted to examine the effects of telephone support on depressive symptoms among HIV-infected women, including the costs and benefits of such support. Copyright © 2013 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Sleep information by Telephone: Callers Indicate Positive Effects on Sleep Problems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verbeek, I.; Declerck, G.; Knuistingh Neven, A.; Coenen, A.M.L.

    2002-01-01

    There is a need to develop effective interventions for insomnia that are readily accessible and not too expensive. For the reason that earlier studies have already shown that direct contact with a sleep therapist is not always needed, telephone service may be useful to give insomnia patients

  18. Public say food regulatory policies to improve health in Western Australia are important: population survey results

    OpenAIRE

    Pollard, Christina M; Daly, Alison; Moore, Michael; Binns, Colin W

    2013-01-01

    Objective To investigate the level of support among Western Australian adults for food control policies to improve diet, reduce obesity and protect the environment. Methods Attitudes towards government food control policies on food labelling, food advertising, and the supply of environmentally friendly food data were pooled from two Nutrition Monitoring Survey Series telephone surveys of 2,147 adults aged 18?64 years collected in 2009 and 2012. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses wer...

  19. COMPENDIUM: SURVEYS EVALUATING KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS CONCERNING HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Truett, Lorena Faith [ORNL; Cooper, Christy [U.S. Department of Energy; Schmoyer, Richard L [ORNL

    2008-10-01

    information for many of the surveys is collected face-to-face or electronically; however, all of the DOE surveys are conducted via telephone interviews. Most of the surveys concentrated on a specific population group, while the DOE surveys addressed five different populations (general public, students, government agencies, end users, and safety and codes officials). No survey (except the DOE survey) conducted since 2003 surveyed students knowledge and opinions of hydrogen and fuel cells. Although several surveys have solicited opinions of users (e.g., passengers of fuel-cell vehicles), no surveys were conducted of end users (industrial users needing large power supplies, commercial users needing uninterrupted power, or transportation businesses). While the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has surveyed its membership concerning standards, the population of safety and codes officials has not been surveyed. The greatest impact and importance of the DOE surveys is that five distinct population groups are surveyed for both knowledge and opinions on hydrogen and fuel cells. Knowledge levels can be computed for each population group and can be compared across the populations and across time. Opinions can be compared with knowledge levels. A baseline of knowledge levels was derived using the results of the 2004 surveys; this baseline will be compared with the results of the knowledge evaluation for the surveys of 2008/2009 and 2011/2012. The DOE knowledge and opinion surveys are unique in coverage and purpose. It must be noted, however, that response rates for telephone surveys have decreased dramatically over time. Developments in survey methodology research will have to be followed over the next few years so that necessary adjustments are made in the 20112012 DOE hydrogen survey design, to account for cell-phone-only individuals as well as other changes in telephone usage demographics.

  20. A time use survey derived integrative human-physical household system energy performance model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiou, Y.S. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). School of Architecture

    2009-07-01

    This paper reported on a virtual experiment that extrapolated the stochastic yet patterned behaviour of the integrative model of a 4-bedroom house in Chicago with 4 different household compositions. The integrative household system theory considers the household as a combination of 2 sub-systems, notably the physical system and the human system. The physical system is the materials and devices of a dwelling, and the human system is the occupants that live within the dwelling. A third element is the environment that influences the operation of the 2 sub-systems. The human-physical integrative household energy model provided a platform to simulate the effect of sub-house energy conservation measures. The virtual experiment showed that the use of the bootstrap sampling approach on American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data to determine the occupant's stochastic energy consumption behaviour has resulted in a robust complex system model. Bell-shaped distributions were presented for annual appliance, heating and cooling load demands. The virtual experiment also pointed to the development of advanced multi-zone residential HVAC system as a suitable strategy for major residential energy efficiency improvement. The load profiles generated from the integrative model simulation were found to be in good agreement with those from field studies. It was concluded that the behaviour of the integrative model is a good representation of the energy consumption behaviour of real households. 10 refs., 4 tabs., 12 figs.

  1. Design, Data Collection, Monitoring, Interview Administration Time, and Data Editing in the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES:93). Working Paper Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brick, J. Michael; Collins, Mary A.; Nolin, Mary Jo; Davies, Elizabeth; Feibus, Mary L.

    The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a data collection system of the National Center for Education Statistics that collects and publishes data on the condition of education in the United States. It is a telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized population of the country, and it focuses on issues that are best studied through…

  2. Attacks on public telephone networks: technologies and challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosloff, T.; Moore, Tyler; Keller, J.; Manes, Gavin W.; Shenoi, Sujeet

    2003-09-01

    Signaling System 7 (SS7) is vital to signaling and control in America's public telephone networks. This paper describes a class of attacks on SS7 networks involving the insertion of malicious signaling messages via compromised SS7 network components. Three attacks are discussed in detail: IAM flood attacks, redirection attacks and point code spoofing attacks. Depending on their scale of execution, these attacks can produce effects ranging from network congestion to service disruption. Methods for detecting these denial-of-service attacks and mitigating their effects are also presented.

  3. Telephone referral education, and evidence of retention and transfer after six-months

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marshall Stuart D

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Effective communication between clinicians is essential for safe, efficient healthcare. We undertook a study to determine the longer-term effectiveness of an education session employing a structured method to teach referral-making skills to medical students. Methods All final year medical students received a forty-five minute education intervention consisting: discussion of effective telephone referrals; video viewing and critique; explanation, demonstration and practice using ISBAR; provision of a memory aid for use in their clinical work. Audio recordings were taken during a subsequent standardised simulation scenario and blindly assessed using a validated scoring system. Recordings were taken immediately before (control, several hours after (intervention, and at approximately six months after the education. Retention of the acronym and self-reports of transfer to the clinical environment were measured with a questionnaire at eight months. Results Referral clarity at six months was significantly improved from pre-intervention, and referral content showed a trend towards improvement. Both measures were lower than the immediate post-education test. The ISBAR acronym was remembered by 59.4% (n = 95/160 and used by the vast majority of the respondents who had made a clinical telephone referral (n = 135/143; 94.4%. Conclusions A brief education session improved telephone communication in a simulated environment above baseline for over six months, achieved functional retention of the acronym over a seven to eight month period and resulted in self reports of transfer of the learning into practice.

  4. 77 FR 34338 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of Income and Program Participation...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-11

    ... computer-assisted personal and telephone interviews (CAPI & CATI). With the respondent's consent, a portion... topics and allows the integration of information for separate topics to form a single, unified database... the 2013 SIPP-EHC interview. Examples of this content include questions on medical expenses, child...

  5. Emergence of Integrated Urology-Radiation Oncology Practices in the State of Texas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jhaveri, Pavan M.; Sun Zhuyi; Ballas, Leslie; Followill, David S.; Hoffman, Karen E.; Jiang Jing; Smith, Benjamin D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Integrated urology-radiation oncology (RO) practices have been advocated as a means to improve community-based prostate cancer care by joining urologic and radiation care in a single-practice environment. However, little is known regarding the scope and actual physical integration of such practices. We sought to characterize the emergence of such practices in Texas, their extent of physical integration, and their potential effect on patient travel times for radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: A telephone survey identified integrated urology-RO practices, defined as practices owned by urologists that offer RO services. Geographic information software was used to determine the proximity of integrated urology-RO clinic sites with respect to the state's population. We calculated patient travel time and distance from each integrated urology-RO clinic offering urologic services to the RO treatment facility owned by the integrated practice and to the nearest nonintegrated (independent) RO facility. We compared these times and distances using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results: Of 229 urology practices identified, 12 (5%) offered integrated RO services, and 182 (28%) of 640 Texas urologists worked in such practices. Approximately 53% of the state population resides within 10 miles of an integrated urology-RO clinic site. Patients with a diagnosis of prostate cancer at an integrated urology-RO clinic site travel a mean of 19.7 miles (26.1 min) from the clinic to reach the RO facility owned by the integrated urology-RO practice vs 5.9 miles (9.2 min) to reach the nearest nonintegrated RO facility (P<.001). Conclusions: Integrated urology-RO practices are common in Texas and are generally clustered in urban areas. In most integrated practices, the urology clinics and the integrated RO facilities are not at the same location, and driving times and distances from the clinic to the integrated RO facility exceed those from the clinic to the nearest

  6. Validation of the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status and Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment Against Detailed Cognitive Testing and Clinical Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment After Stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zietemann, Vera; Kopczak, Anna; Müller, Claudia; Wollenweber, Frank Arne; Dichgans, Martin

    2017-11-01

    Assessment of cognitive status poststroke is recommended by guidelines but follow-up can often not be done in person. The Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS) and the Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) are considered useful screening instruments. Yet, evidence to define optimal cut-offs for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after stroke is limited. We studied 105 patients enrolled in the prospective DEDEMAS study (Determinants of Dementia After Stroke; NCT01334749). Follow-up visits at 6, 12, 36, and 60 months included comprehensive neuropsychological testing and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, both of which served as reference standards. The original TICS and T-MoCA were obtained in 2 separate telephone interviews each separated from the personal visits by 1 week (1 before and 1 after the visit) with the order of interviews (TICS versus T-MoCA) alternating between subjects. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves was determined. Ninety-six patients completed both the face-to-face visits and the 2 interviews. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves ranged between 0.76 and 0.83 for TICS and between 0.73 and 0.94 for T-MoCA depending on MCI definition. For multidomain MCI defined by multiple-tests definition derived from comprehensive neuropsychological testing optimal sensitivities and specificities were achieved at cut-offs <36 (TICS) and <18 (T-MoCA). Validity was lower using single-test definition, and cut-offs were higher compared with multiple-test definitions. Using Clinical Dementia Rating as the reference, optimal cut-offs for MCI were <36 (TICS) and approximately 19 (T-MoCA). Both the TICS and T-MoCA are valid screening tools poststroke, particularly for multidomain MCI using multiple-test definition. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  7. A lean case study in an oncological hospital: implementation of a telephone triage system in the emergency service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crespo de Carvalho J

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available José Crespo de Carvalho,1 Madalena Ramos,1 Carina Paixão2 1Business School, University Institute of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; 2Instituto Português de Oncologia, Lisbon, Portugal Abstract: Lean practices and thinking have increased substantially in the last few years. Applications of lean practices to health care are found worldwide. Despite that, new contributions are required because the application of lean thinking to hospitals has a long way to go. Lean practices and thinking do not include, in the literature or practice programs, any references to triage systems in health care units. The common triage systems require physical presence, but there are alternative methods to avoid the need to move patients: these alternative triage systems, given their characteristics, may be included in the spectrum of lean practices. Currently, patients that are already known to suffer from cancer are encouraged to go to hospital (public or private, with an oncological focus when facing side effects from chemotherapy or radiation treatments; they are then submitted to a triage system (present themselves to the hospital for examination. The authors of this paper propose the introduction of telephone or email triage for impaired patients as a valid substitute for moving them physically, thereby often avoiding several unnecessary moves. This approach has, in fact, characteristics similar to a lean practice in that it reduces costs and maintains, if done properly, the overall service offered. The proposed 'remote' triage emerged from the results of a large survey sent to patients and also as the outcome of a set of semistructured interviews conducted with hospital nurses. With the results they obtained, the authors felt comfortable proposing this approach both to public and private hospitals, because the study was conducted in the most important, largest, and best-known oncological unit in Spain. As a final result, the health care unit studied is now taking

  8. Co-Constructing Family Identities through Young Children's Telephone-Mediated Narrative Exchanges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Catherine Ann; Gillen, Julia

    2013-01-01

    This article explores telephone interactions between young children and adult family members as contributing insights to the co-construction of identities within both the nuclear and the extended family. The authors deploy methods of linguistic ethnography to enrich the scope of interpreting the data beyond textual analysis. The study's premise…

  9. Rheumatology telephone advice line - experience of a Portuguese department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, R; Marques, A; Mendes, A; da Silva, J A

    2015-01-01

    Telephone helplines for patients are tool for information and advice. They can contribute to patient's satisfaction with care and to the effectiveness and safety of treatments. In order to achieve this, they need to be adequately adapted to the target populations, as to incorporate their abilities and expectations. a) Evaluate the adherence of patients to a telephone helpline managed by nurses in a Portuguese Rheumatology Department, b) Analyse the profile of users and their major needs, c) Analyse the management of calls by the nurses. The target population of this phone service are the patients treated at Day Care Hospital and Early Arthritis Clinic of our department. Nurses answered phone calls immediately between 8am and 4pm of working days. In the remaining hours messages were recorded on voice mail and answered as soon as possible. Details of the calls were registered in a dedicated sheet and patients were requested permission to use data to improve the service, with respect for their rights of confidentiality, anonymity and freedom of decision. In 18 months 173 calls were made by 79 patients, with a mean age of 47.9 years (sd=9.13). Considering the proportions of men and women in the target population, it was found that men called more frequently (M= 32.7% vs F= 20.4%, p=.016). The reasons for these calls can be divided into three categories: instrumental help, such as the request for results of complementary tests or rescheduling appointments (43.9% of calls); counselling on side effects or worsening of the disease/pain (31.2 %); counselling on therapy management (24.9%). Neither sex nor patient age were significantly related to these reasons for calling. Nurses resolved autonomously half (50.3%) of the calls and in 79.8% of the cases there was no need for patient referral to other health services. About a quarter of patients adhered to the telephone helpline.. Patients called to obtain support in the management of disease and therapy or to report side

  10. Environmental reduction of mobile telephone base station produced radiation exposures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vermiglio, G.; Tripepi, M.G.; Testagrossa, B.; Sansotta, C.

    2006-01-01

    In this work the authors discuss about their own proposal about a model to modify how the Wireless Telephone Base Stations (W.T.B.S.) works. The proposal, which was made having in mind the GSM technology, can be applied to all other kind of similar technologies and was pointed out as a different way of working of the W.T.B.S. without any modifications on their distribution over the territory. After a short review of the state of the art about the technology and the basis of wireless telephone base stations, the baselines and the principles of the proposed model are discussed, facing out the most significant parameters obtained from the way W.T.B.S. are working at present towards the proposed one. Then the authors illustrate the possible advantages o f the proposed model in terms of environmental, socials and energy savings aspects. It is the authors opinion that such model can be a simple and no -cost solution to apply to the existing infrastructures; more over it can be of interest either for mobile phone companies or for environmental and/or customers associations. (authors)

  11. Influence of digital and analogue cellular telephones on implanted pacemakers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altamura, G; Toscano, S; Gentilucci, G; Ammirati, F; Castro, A; Pandozi, C; Santini, M

    1997-10-01

    The aim of this study was to find out whether digital and analogue cellular 'phones affect patients with pacemakers. The study comprised continuous ECG monitoring of 200 pacemaker patients. During the monitoring certain conditions caused by interference created by the telephone were looked for: temporary or prolonged pacemaker inhibition; a shift to asynchronous mode caused by electromagnetic interference; an increase in ventricular pacing in dual chamber pacemakers, up to the programmed upper rate. The Global System for Mobile Communications system interfered with pacing 97 times in 43 patients (21.5%). During tests on Total Access of Communication System telephones, there were 60 cases of pacing interference in 35 patients (17.5%). There were 131 interference episodes during ringing vs 26 during the on/off phase; (P 4 s) was seen at the pacemaker 'base' sensing value in six patients using the Global system but in only one patient using Total Access. Cellular 'phones may be dangerous for pacemaker patients. However, they can be used safely if patients do not carry the 'phone close to the pacemaker, which is the only place where high risk interference has been observed.

  12. Effects of telephone follow-up on blood glucose levels and postpartum screening in mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khorshidi Roozbahani, Rezvan; Geranmayeh, Mehrnaz; Hantoushzadeh, Sedigheh; Mehran, Abbas

    2015-01-01

    Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes that occurs in pregnancy. GDM, defined as glucose intolerance, first diagnosed or initiated during pregnancy affects 1-14% of pregnancies based on various studies. Screening and early diagnosis and appropriate glycemic control can improve prenatal outcomes. Telephone follow-up seems to be a reasonable way for pregnant women follow-up. The present study evaluated the effects of telephone follow-up on blood glucose level during pregnancy and postpartum screening. Eighty mothers with GDM were enrolled in this clinical trial and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. All mothers were asked to check their blood sugar levels fivetimes daily. In intervention group, telephone intervention was performed for 10 weeks. In each follow-up, individuals were followed for insulin injections, diet, clinical tests and reminding the next visit. In control group, three times of telephone call was established to record blood sugar levels. Another telephone call was established at 6 weeks of postpartum in both study groups to evaluate the performance of the screening test for blood sugar. The mean age of mothers was 30.9±5 years in the control and 30.7±5.1 years in the intervention groups In intervention group, mean level of blood glucose, 2 hours after lunch at 28 weeks of pregnancy was significantly lower than the control group (Pmothers with gestational diabetes and also increased the rate of postpartum screening test.

  13. The Impact of Survey and Response Modes on Current Smoking Prevalence Estimates Using TUS-CPS: 1992-2003

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Soulakova

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available This study identified whether survey administration mode (telephone or in-person and respondent type (self or proxy result in discrepant prevalence of current smoking in the adult U.S. population, while controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics and longitudinal changes of smoking prevalence over the 11-year period from 1992-2003. We used a multiple logistic regression analysis with replicate weights to model the current smoking status logit as a function of a number of covariates. The final model included individual- and family-level sociodemographic characteristics, survey attributes, and multiple two-way interactions of survey mode and respondent type with other covariates. The respondent type is a significant predictor of current smoking prevalence and the magnitude of the difference depends on the age, sex, and education of the person whose smoking status is being reported. Furthermore, the survey mode has significant interactions with survey year, sex, and age. We conclude that using an overall unadjusted estimate of the current smoking prevalence may result in underestimating the current smoking rate when conducting proxy or telephone interviews especially for some sub-populations, such as young adults. We propose that estimates could be improved if more detailed information regarding the respondent type and survey administration mode characteristics were considered in addition to commonly used survey year and sociodemographic characteristics. This information is critical given that future surveillance is moving toward more complex designs. Thus, adjustment of estimates should be contemplated when comparing current smoking prevalence results within a given survey series with major changes in methodology over time and between different surveys using various modes and respondent types.

  14. Integration of academic learning and service development through guided projects for rural practitioners in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyas, Rashmi; Zachariah, Anand; Swamidasan, Isobel; Doris, Priya; Harris, Ilene

    2011-01-01

    Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC) aspired through its Fellowship in Secondary Hospital Medicine (FSHM), a 1-year distance-learning program, to integrate academic learning and service development through guided projects for junior doctors working in small rural hospitals. The purpose of this article is to report the evaluation of the effectiveness of the project work in the FSHM program. Mixed method evaluation was done using focus group discussion with students, written surveys for students and faculty, and telephone interviews with students and medical superintendents. Evidence for validity was gathered for the written survey. Criteria for trustworthiness were applied for the qualitative data analysis. The major strengths of the project work identified were that students became aware of local health problems and how to deal with them, learned to work as a team, and had a sense of doing something useful. Recommendations for improvement were to have more interactions between guides and students. The benefits of projects to the hospital were providing improved clinical care, improved health systems, cost effective care management and benefits to the community. Service learning through guided project work should be incorporated into distance-learning educational programs for junior doctors working in rural hospitals.

  15. A survey of the clinical acceptability of screening for postnatal depression in depressed and non-depressed women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ericksen Jennifer

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Information on clinical acceptability is needed when making cost-utility decisions about health screening implementation. Despite being in use for two decades, most data on the clinical acceptability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS come from qualitative reports, or include relatively small samples of depressed women. This study aimed to measure acceptability in a survey of a relatively large, community sample with a high representation of clinically depressed women. Methods Using mail, telephone and face-to-face interview, 920 postnatal women were approached to take part in a survey on the acceptability of the EPDS, including 601 women who had screened positive for depression and 245 who had received DSM-IV diagnoses of depression. Acceptability was measured on a 5-point Likert scale of comfort ranging from "Not Comfortable", through "Comfortable" to "Very Comfortable". Results The response rate was just over half for postal surveys (52% and was 100% for telephone and face-to-face surveys (432, 21 and 26 respondents for postal, telephone and face-to-face surveys respectively making 479 respondents in total. Of these, 81.2% indicated that screening with the EPDS had been in the range of "Comfortable" to "Very Comfortable". The other 18.8 % rated screening below the "Comfortable" point, including a small fraction (4.3% who rated answering questions on the EPDS as "Not Comfortable" at the extreme end of the scale. Comfort was inversely related to EPDS score, but the absolute size of this effect was small. Almost all respondents (97% felt that screening was desirable. Conclusion The EPDS had good acceptability in this study for depressed and non-depressed women. Women's views on the desirability of postnatal depression screening appear to be largely independent of personal level of comfort with screening. These results should be useful to policy-makers and are broadly supportive of the Edinburgh Postnatal

  16. Is Telephone Review Feasible and Potentially Effective in Low Vision Services?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkes, Claire; Lennon, Julie; Harper, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Demographic transformations within the UK population combine to contribute to a substantial increase in demand for low vision (LV) services, creating a pressing need to reconsider the appropriate methods for service provision. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of using telephone triage to assess the need for, and timing of, LV…

  17. Implementing a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) system to increase colorectal cancer screening: a process evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Mary Jo; Stark, Jennifer R; Luckmann, Roger; Rosal, Milagros C; Clemow, Lynn; Costanza, Mary E

    2006-06-01

    Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) systems used by telephone counselors (TCs) may be efficient mechanisms to counsel patients on cancer and recommended preventive screening tests in order to extend a primary care provider's reach to his/her patients. The implementation process of such a system for promoting colorectal (CRC) cancer screening using a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) system is reported in this paper. The process evaluation assessed three components of the intervention: message production, program implementation and audience reception. Of 1181 potentially eligible patients, 1025 (87%) patients were reached by the TCs and 725 of those patients (71%) were eligible to receive counseling. Five hundred eighty-two (80%) patients agreed to counseling. It is feasible to design and use CATI systems for prevention counseling of patients in primary care practices. CATI systems have the potential of being used as a referral service by primary care providers and health care organizations for patient education.

  18. Impact of telephone nursing education program for equity in healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höglund, Anna T; Carlsson, Marianne; Holmström, Inger K; Kaminsky, Elenor

    2016-09-21

    The Swedish Healthcare Act prescribes that healthcare should be provided according to needs and with respect for each person's human dignity. The goal is equity in health for the whole population. In spite of this, studies have revealed that Swedish healthcare is not always provided equally. This has also been observed in telephone nursing. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate if and how an educational intervention can improve awareness of equity in healthcare among telephone nurses. The study had a quasi-experimental design, with one intervention group and one control group. A base-line measurement was performed before an educational intervention and a follow-up measurement was made afterwards in both groups, using a study specific questionnaire in which fictive persons of different age, gender and ethnicity were assessed concerning, e.g., power over one's own life, quality of life and experience of discrimination. The educational intervention consisted of a web-based lecture, literature and a seminar, covering aspects of inequality in healthcare related to gender, age and ethnicity, and gender and intersectionality theories as explaining models for these conditions. The results showed few significant differences before and after the intervention in the intervention group. Also in the control group few significant differences were found in the second measurement, although no intervention was performed in that group. The reason might be that the instrument used was not sensitive enough to pick up an expected raised awareness of equity in healthcare, or that solely the act of filling out the questionnaire can create a sort of intervention effect. Fictive persons born in Sweden and of young age were assessed to have a higher Good life-index than the fictive persons born outside Europe and of higher age in all assessments. The results are an imperative that equity in healthcare still needs to be educated and discussed in different healthcare

  19. Brief telephone interventions for problem gambling: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, Max; Hodgins, David C; Bellringer, Maria; Vandal, Alain C; Palmer Du Preez, Katie; Landon, Jason; Sullivan, Sean; Rodda, Simone; Feigin, Valery

    2018-05-01

    Problem gambling is a significant public health issue world-wide. There is substantial investment in publicly funded intervention services, but limited evaluation of effectiveness. This study investigated three brief telephone interventions to determine whether they were more effective than standard helpline treatment in helping people to reduce gambling. Randomized clinical trial. National gambling helpline in New Zealand. A total of 462 adults with problem gambling. INTERVENTIONS AND COMPARATOR: (1) Single motivational interview (MI), (2) single motivational interview plus cognitive-behavioural self-help workbook (MI + W) and (3) single motivational interview plus workbook plus four booster follow-up telephone interviews (MI + W + B). Comparator was helpline standard care [treatment as usual (TAU)]. Blinded follow-up was at 3, 6 and 12 months. Primary outcomes were days gambled, dollars lost per day and treatment goal success. There were no differences across treatment arms, although participants showed large reductions in gambling during the 12-month follow-up period [mean reduction of 5.5 days, confidence interval (CI) = 4.8, 6.2; NZ$38 lost ($32, $44; 80.6%), improved (77.2%, 84.0%)]. Subgroup analysis revealed improved days gambled and dollars lost for MI + W + B over MI or MI + W for a goal of reduction of gambling (versus quitting) and improvement in dollars lost by ethnicity, gambling severity and psychological distress (all P gambling severity than TAU or MI at 12 months and also better for those with higher psychological distress and lower self-efficacy to MI (all P gambling in New Zealand, brief telephone interventions are associated with changes in days gambling and dollars lost similar to more intensive interventions, suggesting that more treatment is not necessarily better than less. Some client subgroups, in particular those with greater problem severity and greater distress, achieve better outcomes when they receive more

  20. Electronic surveys: how to maximise success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPeake, Joanne; Bateson, Meghan; O'Neill, Anna

    2014-01-01

    To draw on the researchers' experience of developing and distributing a UK-wide electronic survey. The evolution of electronic surveys in healthcare research will be discussed, as well as simple techniques that can be used to improve response rates for this type of data collection. There is an increasing use of electronic survey methods in healthcare research. However, in recent published research, electronic surveys have had lower response rates than traditional survey methods, such as postal and telephone surveys. This is a methodology paper. Electronic surveys have many advantages over traditional surveys, including a reduction in cost and ease of analysis. Drawbacks to this type of data collection include the potential for selection bias and poorer response rates. However, research teams can use a range of simple strategies to boost response rates. These approaches target the different stages of achieving a complete response: initial attraction through personalisation, engagement by having an easily accessible link to the survey, and transparency of survey length and completion though targeting the correct, and thereby interested, population. The fast, efficient and often 'free' electronic survey has many advantages over the traditional postal data collection method, including ease of analysis for what can be vast amounts of data. However, to capitalise on these benefits, researchers must carefully consider techniques to maximise response rates and minimise selection bias for their target population. Researchers can use a range of strategies to improve responses from electronic surveys, including sending up to three reminders, personalising each email, adding the updated response rate to reminder emails, and stating the average time it would take to complete the survey in the title of the email.

  1. Exploring community pharmacists' experiences of surveying patients for drug utilization research purposes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frisk, Pia; Bergman, Ulrika; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia

    2015-01-01

    pharmacists. This study is part of a validation of that data acquisition method. Objectives (1) To explore the experiences of the pharmacists involved, (2) to explore a random or systematic exclusion of eligible patients by the pharmacists, and (3) to find areas of improvement to the applied method...... of surveying. Setting 72 Swedish community pharmacies, distributed all over the country. Method (a) A questionnaire was distributed to approximately 400 dispensing pharmacists at the pharmacies conducting the patient surveys; (b) semi-structured telephone interviews conducted with 19 pharmacists at 12...... of the pharmacies. Main outcome measure Proportions of pharmacists reporting positive and negative experiences of structured survey interviews, the nature of their experiences, proportion of pharmacists reporting to avoid survey interviews and reasons for doing so, and suggested areas of improvement. Results...

  2. Microwave radiation safety assessment around mobile telephone base station (MTBS) in Peninsular Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Yusof Mohd Ali; Rozaimah Abd Rahim; Roha Tukimin; Mohd Anuar Abd Majid; Mohamad Amirul Nizam Mohamad Thari; Ahmad Fazli Ahmad Sanusi; Roslan Md Dan; Sahirudden Mohd Nor

    2006-01-01

    Mobile telephone is one of the fastest popular consumer product introduced in the market. Since more people are using mobile telephone, the number of mobile telephone base station (MTBS) in Malaysia had also increased in order to provide a better coverage services to consumer. The antennas that are required for the mobile (or cellular) telephone network are located at MTBS. This antenna emits radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) radiation. Due to the concerns that has been raised by the people that are living or working nearby to MTBS about the possibility of adverse health effects that might occur due to the exposure of this radiation, a project of microwave radiation safety assessment around MTBS by MINT was carried out (September 2003 - January 2006). It was involved with 128 MTBS from three biggest service providers in Malaysia. This assessment is required to establish a baseline data in term of pattern and trend of the radiation emission from the facilities as well as to develop a public confident. In this paper, it will describe the fact that radiation is critical to the MTBS system and without the radiation, the MTBS system is functionless. It will also highlight the result of the assessment's work that has been carried out by MINT around MTBS mounted on the rooftops and towers. The average reading varies between the detection limit of the instrument 2 ( 2 (7.204 V/m). The highest average reading corresponds to about 2.0% of the Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) exposure limit for public. The finding of this measurement confirms that the presence of RF and MW radiation in public accessible area around the base station was very low and comparable to the radiation levels in other places away from MTBS. There is also no evidence, from any laboratory or epidemiology studies that the exposure to RF energy levels recommended limits has any health significance for humans. (Author)

  3. Feasibility of using cellular telephone data to determine the truckshed of intermodal facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-01

    In order to determine the feasibility of using cellular telephone location data in deriving the geographic extent : (truckshed) from intermodal facilities, this study was conducted to determine the feasibility analysis in three aspects: : technology,...

  4. The Northeastern area's objectives and beliefs responses regarding forests and grasslands: 2004 survey results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lori B. Shelby; Deborah J. Shields; Michael D. Miller; Donna L. Lybecker; Brian M. Kent; Vesna Bashovska

    2009-01-01

    The USDA Forest Service revises its Strategic Plan according to the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act. The goals and objectives included in the Strategic Plan are developed from natural resource trend data (Forest and Rangeland Renewable Planning Act) and from public input such as the results from this telephone survey. The purpose of this report is to...

  5. Alternative Measured-Service Rate Structures for Local Telephone Service,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-06-01

    contracts or grants . Views expressed in a Papet are the author’s own, and are not necessarily shared by Rand or its research sponsors. The Rand Corporation...by National Science Foundation, grant DAR 77-16286 to The Rand Corporation. Measuring costs depend strongly on the technology of the telephone network...a Budget Constraint. The Case of the Two-Part Tariff," Review of Economic Studies, July 1974, Vol. 41, pp. 337-345. -28- Oi, W. Y., "A Disneyland

  6. Telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy for clients with depressive symptoms in an employee assistance program: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Raymond W; Lutz, Kevin; Preece, Melady; Cayley, Paula M; Bowen Walker, Anne

    2011-02-01

    To assess the clinical and work productivity effects of a brief intervention using telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for clients with depressive symptoms attending an employee assistance program (EAP). Self-referred clients attending the PPC Canada EAP with clinically relevant depressive symptoms at initial assessment were offered an 8-session telephone-administered CBT program. Outcomes before and after intervention were assessed with the 9-item Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and clinician ratings of work absence and performance impairment. Fifty clients were referred to the pilot program; 39 participated and 31 completed the telephone CBT program. Among program participants, there was significant improvement in PHQ-9 and GAF scores. There was also a significant reduction in performance impairment but not work absence. Anecdotal reports indicated high satisfaction ratings among participants. The results of this pilot study, although limited by the absence of a comparison or control group, suggest that a brief telephone-administered CBT program can improve depressive symptomatology, work productivity, and general function in depressed clients attending an EAP. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

  7. The use of the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M) in the detection of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Sarah E; Marsiske, Michael; McCoy, Karin J M

    2009-06-01

    Many screening tools for detecting cognitive decline require in-person assessment, which is often not cost-effective or feasible for those with physical limitations. The Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status has been used for screening dementia, but little is known about its usefulness in detecting amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Community-dwelling participants (mean age=74.9, mean education = 16.1 years) were administered the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status during initial screening and subsequently given a multidomain neuropsychological battery. Participants were classified by consensus panel as cognitively normal older adult (noMCI, N=54) or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (N=17) based on neuropsychological performance and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale interview, but independent of Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score. There was a significant difference between groups in Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score (t=8.04, PTICS-M alone correctly classified 85.9% of participants into their respective diagnostic classification (sensitivity=82.4%, specificity=87.0%). Receiver operating characteristics analysis resulted in cutoff score of 34 that optimized sensitivity and specificity of amnestic mild cognitive impairment classification. The Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status is a brief, cost-effective screening measure for identifying those with and without amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

  8. Teachers' level of ICT integration in teaching and learning: A survey in Malaysian private preschool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamaruddin, Kamarulzaman; Abdullah, Che Anuar Che; Idris, Mohd Noor; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of ICT integration in teaching and learning in private preschool in Malaysia. A total 61 teachers from 10 private preschools in the district of Mualim in the state of Perak Malaysia were randomly chosen in this survey research. The findings revealed that most of the teachers were knowledgeable about the educational ICT application. However, the findings revealed that the teachers' level of ICT integration is still at the low level. This is based on the results of a study that most of the teachers are normal users and ICT application was used for their own work rather than using it in their teaching and learning in the classroom. In addition, the findings indicated that teachers' awareness towards the important of ICT in teaching and learning is not encouraging and this issue is related to the training provided, equipment and time constraints that hinder the integration of ICT.

  9. Is Telephone Screening Feasible? Accuracy and Cost-Effectiveness of Identifying People Medically Eligible for Home- And Community-Based Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fries, Brant E.; James, Mary; Hammer, Susan S.; Shugarman, Lisa R.; Morris, John N.

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the accuracy of a telephone-screening system to identify persons eligible for home- and community-based long-term care. Design and Methods: Data from Michigan telephone screens were compared to data from in-person assessments using the Minimum Data Set for Home Care (MDS-HC). Weighted kappa statistics measured the level of…

  10. Demographic corrections for the modified Telephone Screening for Cognitive Status

    OpenAIRE

    Dennett, Kathryn; Tometich, Danielle; Duff, Kevin

    2013-01-01

    Despite the growing use of the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) as a cognitive screening instrument, it does not yet have demographic corrections. Demographic data, mTICS, and a neuropsychological battery were collected from 274 community dwelling older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairments. Age, education, premorbid intellect, and depression were correlated with mTICS scores. Using regression equations, age and education significantly predicted m...

  11. Effectiveness of proactive telephone counselling for smoking cessation in parents: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bricker Jonathan B

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Smoking is the world's fourth most common risk factor for disease, the leading preventable cause of death, and it is associated with tremendous social costs. In the Netherlands, the smoking prevalence rate is high. A total of 27.7% of the population over age 15 years smokes. In addition to the direct advantages of smoking cessation for the smoker, parents who quit smoking may also decrease their children's risk of smoking initiation. Methods/Design A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of proactive telephone counselling to increase smoking cessation rates among smoking parents. A total of 512 smoking parents will be proactively recruited through their children's primary schools and randomly assigned to either proactive telephone counselling or a control condition. Proactive telephone counselling will consist of up to seven counsellor-initiated telephone calls (based on cognitive-behavioural skill building and Motivational Interviewing, distributed over a period of three months. Three supplementary brochures will also be provided. In the control condition, parents will receive a standard brochure to aid smoking cessation. Assessments will take place at baseline, three months after start of the intervention (post-measurement, and twelve months after start of the intervention (follow-up measurement. Primary outcome measures will include sustained abstinence between post-measurement and follow-up measurement and 7-day point prevalence abstinence and 24-hours point prevalence abstinence at both post- and follow-up measurement. Several secondary outcome measures will also be included (e.g., smoking intensity, smoking policies at home. In addition, we will evaluate smoking-related cognitions (e.g., attitudes towards smoking, social norms, self-efficacy, intention to smoke in 9-12 year old children of smoking parents. Discussion This study protocol describes the design of a randomized

  12. Adolescent Internet Use, Social Integration, and Depressive Symptoms: Analysis from a Longitudinal Cohort Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strong, Carol; Lee, Chih-Ting; Chao, Lo-Hsin; Lin, Chung-Ying; Tsai, Meng-Che

    2018-05-01

    To examine the association between adolescent leisure-time Internet use and social integration in the school context and how this association affects later depressive symptoms among adolescents in Taiwan, using a large nationwide cohort study and the latent growth model (LGM) method. Data of 3795 students followed from the year 2001 to 2006 in the Taiwan Education Panel Survey were analyzed. Leisure-time Internet use was defined by the hours per week spent on (1) online chatting and (2) online games. School social integration and depressive symptoms were self-reported. We first used an unconditional LGM to estimate the baseline (intercept) and growth (slope) of Internet use. Next, another LGM conditioned with school social integration and depression was conducted. Approximately 10% of the participants reported engaging in online chatting and/or gaming for more than 20 hours per week. Internet use for online chatting showed an increase over time. School social integration was associated with the baseline amount (coefficient = -0.62, p < 0.001) but not the growth of leisure-time Internet use. The trend of Internet use was positively related to depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.31, p < 0.05) at Wave 4. School social integration was initially associated with decreased leisure-time Internet use among adolescents. The growth of Internet use with time was not explainable by school social integration but had adverse impacts on depression. Reinforcing adolescents' bonding to school may prevent initial leisure-time Internet use. When advising on adolescent Internet use, health care providers should consider their patients' social networks and mental well-being.

  13. Feasibility of Ecological Momentary Assessment Using Cellular Telephones in Methamphetamine Dependent Subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Mendelson

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Predictors of relapse to methamphetamine use are poorly understood. State variables may play an important role in relapse, but they have been difficult to measure at frequent intervals in outpatients.Methods: We conducted a feasibility study of the use of cellular telephones to collect state variable data from outpatients. Six subjects in treatment for methamphetamine dependence were called three times per weekday for approximately seven weeks. Seven questionnaires were administered that assessed craving, stress, affect and current type of location and social environment.Results: 395/606 (65% of calls attempted were completed. The mean time to complete each call was 4.9 (s.d. 1.8 minutes and the mean time to complete each item was 8.4 (s.d. 4.8 seconds. Subjects rated the acceptability of the procedures as good. All six cellular phones and battery chargers were returned undamaged.Conclusion: Cellular telephones are a feasible method for collecting state data from methamphetamine dependent outpatients.

  14. Telephone triage by GPs in out-of-hours primary care in Denmark: a prospective observational study of efficiency and relevance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huibers, L.; Moth, G.; Carlsen, A.H.; Christensen, M.B.; Vedsted, P.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In the UK, telephone triage in out-of-hours primary care is mostly managed by nurses, whereas GPs perform triage in Denmark. AIM: To describe telephone contacts triaged to face-to-face contacts, GP-assessed relevance, and factors associated with triage to face-to-face contact. DESIGN AND

  15. Mobile phone text messaging and Telephone follow-up in type 2 diabetic patients for 3 months: a comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zolfaghari Mirta

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To investigate and to compare the effectiveness of a nurse short message service (SMS by cellular phone and telephone follow-up by nurse on Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods Semi experimental study consisted of 77 patients with type 2 diabetes that randomly assigned to two groups: telephone follow-up (n = 39 and short message service (n = 38. Telephone interventions were applied by researcher for 3 months. SMS group that received message daily for 12 weeks. Data gathering instrument include data sheet to record HbA1c and questionnaire that consisted of demographic characteristics. Data gathering was performed at two points: initial the study and after 12 weeks. Data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics methods with SPSS version 11.5. Results Demographic variables were compared and all of them were homogenous. Results of this study showed that both interventions had significant mean changes in HbA1c; for the telephone group (p = 0.001, with a mean change of −0.93% and for the SMS group (p = 0.001, with a mean change of −1.01%. Conclusion Finding of this research showed that intervention using SMS via cellular phone and nurse-led-telephone follow up improved HbA1c for three months in type 2 diabetic patients and it can consider as alternative methods for diabetes control.

  16. The effect of changes to question order on the prevalence of 'sufficient' physical activity in an Australian population survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanley, Christine; Duncan, Mitch J; Mummery, W Kerry

    2013-03-01

    Population surveys are frequently used to assess prevalence, correlates and health benefits of physical activity. However, nonsampling errors, such as question order effects, in surveys may lead to imprecision in self reported physical activity. This study examined the impact of modified question order in a commonly used physical activity questionnaire on the prevalence of sufficient physical activity. Data were obtained from a telephone survey of adults living in Queensland, Australia. A total of 1243 adults participated in the computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey conducted in July 2008 which included the Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ) presented in traditional or modified order. Binary logistic regression analyses was used to examine relationships between question order and physical activity outcomes. Significant relationships were found between question order and sufficient activity, recreational walking, moderate activity, vigorous activity, and total activity. Respondents who received the AAQ in modified order were more likely to be categorized as sufficiently active (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.01-1.60). This study highlights the importance of question order on estimates of self reported physical activity. This study has shown that changes in question order can lead to an increase in the proportion of participants classified as sufficiently active.

  17. Evaluation of Noise in Hearing Instruments Caused by GSM and DECT Mobile Telephones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Mie Østergaard; Poulsen, Torben

    1996-01-01

    The annoyance of noise in hearing instruments caused by electromagnetic interference from Global systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Digital European Cordless Telecommunication (DECT) mobile telephones has been subjectively evaluated by test subjects. The influence on speech recognition from...... the GSM and the DECT noises was also determined. The measurements involved seventeen hearing-imparied subjects. The annoyance was tested with GSM and DECT noise, each one mixed with continuous speech, a mall environment noise, or an office environment noise. Speech recognition was tested with the DANTALE...... word material mixed with GSM and DECT noise. The listening tests showed that if the noise level is acceptable so also is speech recognition. The results agree well with an investigation carried out on normal-hearing subjects. If a hearing instrument user is able to use a telephone without annoyance...

  18. Cobertura de linhas telefônicas residenciais e vícios potenciais em estudos epidemiológicos Cobertura de líneas telefónicas residenciales y vicios potenciales en estudios epidemiológicos Home landline telephone coverage and potential bias in epidemiological surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina Bernal

    2009-06-01

    ónica fija. El impacto del vicio en los intervalos con 95% de confianza fue evaluado en función de la precisión alcanzada en cada situación. RESULTADOS: En la regiones metropolitanas Sureste, Sur y Centro-Oeste con 70% y más de cobertura, los vicios asociados fueron considerados despreciables. En las demás regiones, los vicios relativos estaban por encima del límite aceptable (0,4, indicando posibles errores en las inferencias construidas bajo el intervalo con 95% de confianza. La probabilidad de acceso a la línea telefónica residencial fue mayor para la población con color de piel blanca y mayor escolaridad. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados muestran que el uso de registro de líneas telefónicas residenciales es indicado para la realización de investigaciones epidemiológicas apenas para estados con cobertura por encima de 70%. Metodologías específicas para el tratamiento de estimativas obtenidas en localidades con tasas inferiores, precisan ser estudiadas y divulgadas.OBJECTIVE: To estimate landline telephone coverage effects on potential information bias in epidemiological surveys. METHODS: Databases of the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (National Household Sample Survey, from 1998 to 2003, were used to estimate landline telephone coverage rates in the five Brazilian geographic regions. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with owning a landline telephone. Bias impact on 95% confidence intervals was assessed, according to the accuracy achieved in each situation. RESULTS: In the Southern and Central-west metropolitan regions, with 70% coverage or more, associated bias was considered insignificant. In the remaining regions, related bias was above the acceptable limit (0.4, indicating possible errors in inferences drawn with a 95% confidence interval. Likelihood of access to a home landline telephone was greater among the white population with higher level of education. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reveal that the use of

  19. From NHS Choices to the integrated customer service platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gann, Bob; Grant, Maria J

    2013-03-01

    In 2013 the NHS Commissioning Board launches its new integrated customer service platform. The new service utilises the full range of channels (web, telephone, apps etc) to provide access to information to support transparency, participation and transactions. Digital health services have proven benefits in informed choice, shared decision making and patient participation. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group.

  20. Radiation safety assessment of mobile telephone base stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Yusof Mohd Ali; Mohd Anuar Majid; Mohd Amirul Nizam

    2002-01-01

    Mobile telephone is fast getting popular among users and in fact it has become one of the fastest selling electronic products in the world. More base stations are expected to be built to meet such high demands and this has caused great concerned among members of the public, especially those living close to the stations, about the potential harmful health effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation produced by such facilities. A project was initiated by MINT in early 2000 with aims to assess the radiation levels present in the areas around the base stations and to establish baseline data on the pattern and trend of the radiation emission from each different set up of the facilities. This paper highlights some basics facts about mobile telephones and preliminary findings of the project. The assessment has been carried out at 16 base station sites and the results indicate that the radiation levels present around these sites are very low. Their broadband readings vary between below the detection limit of 0.3μWatts/cm 2 to 11 μWatts/cm 2 and they are comparable to normal background radiation present in places away from any base stations. The highest level observed was 1.5% of the exposure limit recommended for members of the public. However, locations at close distance in front of the the antenna can be very serious in term of radiation exposure since the radiation level here can easily exceed the permissible exposure limit for public. Safety precaution needs to be taken when entering these areas and they should be out of bound for members of the public. (Author)