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Biomedical subjects

A Findlay

Publications and source records attributed to A Findlay.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Assessing practice nurses' change in nutrition knowledge following training from a primary care dietitian.

The expanding role of the Primary Health Care Team (PHCT) has led to more opportunities to offer dietary advice to patients. However, members of the PHCT appear to lack nutritional knowledge and confidence when giving dietary advice. This work assesses the changes in Practice Nurses' (PNs) nutrition knowledge and confidence when giving dietary advice to patients, following training from a dietitian. Base line nutrition knowledge of PNs and their confidence when giving dietary advice was assessed in 30 GP Practices by questionnaire. Following Practice-based training from a dietitian, change in knowledge and confidence was assessed using the same questionnaire. Paired and unpaired analysis was carried out on the PN's knowledge and confidence scores respectively. Nutrition knowledge increased significantly after training. The mean difference (95% confidence interval) pre- and post-training was 11.6 (7.8, 15.4). After training 88% of PNs reported having good or excellent confidence compared with 27% before training (chi-squared test p < 0.001). Nutrition training from a dietitian improves nutrition knowledge of PNs. It also improves their confidence and is recommended to support their role in providing accurate and consistent dietary advice to patients.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1996

Tapping the television cable.

Immediate access to patient data is essential to support good clinical decision making and support. However, away from the surgery, the doctor is currently unable to have any access to the clinical database. Solutions exist to support remote access, such as modems or radio data networks, but these are slow, with typical speeds in the 2-10 kbaud region. We propose a novel solution, to use the TV cable already installed in many homes. Using this technology, a suitably equipped computer (RF modern) is capable of connecting at speeds in excess of 500 kbaud and will run applications in exactly the same way as if connected to a surgery network: the cable TV becomes a LAN, but on a metropolitan scale. Brunel University, in collaboration with the Cable Corporation, has been piloting such a network. Issues include not only levels of service, but also security on the network and access, since the data are being effectively received in every home. However, close scrutiny of channel use can create closed networks reserved for specific users. The technology involves use of an RF modem to transmit data on a reverse channel (based at 16 MHz) on each subnet to a router at the head end of the cable network. This frequency translates the packet and retransmits it to all the subnets on a forward channel (based at 178 MHz). Each channel occupies the bandwidth normally allocated to one TV channel. Access is based on a modified CSMA/CD protocol, so treating the cable network as single multiple access network. The modem comes as a standard card installed in a PC and appears much as an ethernet card, but at reduced speed. With an NDIS driver it is quite able to support almost any network software, and has successfully demonstrated Novell and TCP/IP. We describe the HomeWorker network and the results from a pilot study being undertaken to determine the performance of the system and its impact on working practice.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1995

The use of anti-depressants and benzodiazepines in the perpetrators and victims of accidents.

The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a greater incidence of psychotropic drugs in the blood of those 'responsible' for an accident compared with those not 'responsible' for an accident. Blood samples were taken from people involved in accidents presenting at the accident and emergency departments of two teaching hospitals over a five-month period and analysed for the presence of alcohol, tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs) and benzodiazepines (BZs). Details of the accident were used to produce a test group (accidents where a drug may have contributed) and a control group (accidents where the presence of a drug could not have been a factor). In total, 229 samples were collected. The only criterion for inclusion in the study was that the accident was of sufficient severity to merit the routine taking of a blood sample, in which case an additional amount was taken for the purposes of this investigation. In all, 63 samples (27.5%) were positive for at least one of alcohol, TCA or BZ. Of the accidents represented by these samples, 48 could have been caused by the presence of the drug (responsible group) and 15 could not (not responsible group). There was a significantly greater representation of TCAs and BZs in the blood taken from the responsible group compared with the not responsible group (P < 0.0045).

Accidents↗
PubMed1991

Alcohol misuse in Scotland--is there a growing health problem?

This paper reviews currently available data on alcohol related morbidity and mortality in Scotland. It confirms that admissions to psychiatric hospitals are unlikely to be a reliable indicator of trends in alcohol-related conditions because of the influence of local practice. Discharge rates for general (non-psychiatric) hospitals where an alcohol-related diagnosis has been made are reviewed and even using caution in interpreting the data, the results suggest that there is a worrying increase in rates of discharges with an alcohol-related diagnosis. Finally trends in deaths for both alcoholic liver disease (ICD 571.0-3) and unspecified chronic liver disease (ICD 571.4-9) are examined. It is concluded that other indicators of health related harm should be considered. These might include data from those presently seen in out-patient departments with an alcohol related condition as well as patients misusing alcohol who attend their General Practitioner (GP).

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1990

A migration channels approach to the study of high level manpower movements: a theoretical perspective.

"There can be little doubt that major changes have taken place in recent years in the nature and organisation of skilled manpower moves. This short article sets out to investigate the ways in which these trends in high level manpower moves might be analysed. It arises from the discussions of a group of British geographers who commenced investigations on this topic in 1985 under the auspices of a working party of the Institute of British Geographers. The article commences by briefly considering the significance of skilled international migration before turning to consider a theoretical framework by which such movements might be analysed. It pays particular attention to the impact of skilled international migration on sub-national units or regions [of developed countries], and tries to link together the findings of the working party on this topic with particular reference to a set of papers presented to a workshop held at the University of Liverpool in March 1989." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)

Demography↗
PubMed1989

Dominant inheritance of Scheuermann's juvenile kyphosis.

We report a family in which Scheuermann's juvenile kyphosis is present in three successive generations with male to male transmission. This provides further evidence for autosomal dominant inheritance in at least some families with this condition.

Adolescent↗