Biomedical subjects

A Jette

Publications and source records attributed to A Jette.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Improving dental epidemiologic data collection with computers.

A computerized dental data recording system (DDRS) was developed for the New England Elder Dental Study to improve data quality and increase field staff efficiency. The DDRS displays video screens similar to traditional paper forms to record data on coronal and root caries, dentate and denture status, subacute bacterial endocarditis screening, gingival bleeding, calculus, and periodontal attachment level. DDRS provides facilities for date and exam-component time tracking, on-line contextual comments, random record retrieval, editing, data backup, and data output in various data formats. This study compared the DDRS with a paper-form system for data entry accuracy. Dental caries and periodontal disease measurement data from 38 subjects were recorded on paper forms and independently entered using DDRS. The DDRS identified 150 illogical data errors, 39 inconsistent data errors, 7 invalid data and 34 miscellaneous data errors. Four technicians with field experience using both paper forms and DDRS reported time savings using DDRS in the field. DDRS has the potential for additional time savings by minimizing the time for data coding, cleaning, and management. Results demonstrate that DDRS could improve the quality of oral epidemiologic data by mandating strict adherence to protocols, preventing errors, and increasing field efficiency.

Computers↗

PubMed1988

On the application of the WHO handicap classification in rehabilitation.

In order to study the usefulness and limitations of the WHO ICIDH Classification of handicap, a consecutive group of 76 stroke patients was studied at admission and discharge from a rehabilitation ward. All patients were graded with respect to orientation, physical independence, mobility and social integration. Most patients had at admission a combination of severe handicaps in several areas; this was less so at discharge. Nearly half of the patients did not change their degree of handicap during their stay at the rehabilitation ward. Improvement was not dependent on length of stay in the rehabilitation, age or sex. We have had difficulty in differentiating between handicap and disability as defined in the WHO system and we seriously question the utility of using three distinct categories of functional consequences of disease. We believe that the WHO system is useful to describe the type and pattern of disablement in a group of patients admitted to a rehabilitation ward and provides information on staffing demands, criteria for admittance and discharge.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

An interdisciplinary geriatric consultation service: a controlled trial.

The structure and function of a newly created interdisciplinary Geriatric Consultation Team (GCT) are described. The GCT was introduced on a single medical unit, where consultations were given to 46 consecutive patients aged 75 years and over. The GCT patients had, on the average, 5.5 illnesses and were receiving 3.7 medications. Anemia (50 per cent), were hypoalbuminemia (65 per cent), and elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (58 per cent) were frequent. Functional assessment showed frequent dependence on others for assistance with ambulation (59 per cent), transfers (54 per cent), and dressing (52 per cent); cognitive impairment was found in 52 per cent and clinical depression in 11 per cent of the patients. In comparison with control units, the GCT increased use of physical therapy by 357 per cent, occupational therapy by 390 per cent, and speech therapy by 300 per cent without increasing length of stay. In comparison with control subjects, GCT patients had no decrease in hospital readmission rates (43 per cent) over 10.5 months of follow up. It was concluded that a GCT in an acute-care hospital promotes geriatrics, teaches interdisciplinary teamwork, improves awareness of functional problems of patients, and increases use of rehabilitative services, but does not decrease the high rate of readmission of hospitalized geriatric patients.

Aged↗

PubMed1981

Toward understanding elders' health service utilization.

Providing appropriate health services to the elderly is emerging as one of the major challenges of this decade. Using the theoretical framework developed by Andersen and Aday, this study attempts to improve our understanding of those factors which inhibit or facilitate elders' use of health services. The data come from a 1974 statewide random probability sample of 1,625 noninstitutionalized elders 65 years of age or older living in Massachusetts. Regression analysis is used to study the effects of predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics on the use of five health services: hospitals, physicians, dentists, home care, and ambulatory care. The model explains from 5% to 27% of the variance in health service utilization. Need characteristics, in general, account for most of the explained variance.

Aged↗

PubMed1980

A functional status assessment instrument: validation in an elderly population.

This study examines the validity of a system of measuring functional status, an important determinant of quality of life. With a group of elderly people who suffer from arthritis, we found that scores in the dimensions of dependence, difficulty, and pain on performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) are positively correlated with client reports of joint conditions, ability to deal with their arthritis and attendant problems, and numbers of "good days." Instrument scores do not correlate with professional assessments of clients' joint condition or of their ability to deal with arthritis, although the two professional assessments correlate with each other. Thus it appears that client and professional definitions of joint condition differ; only the clients' definition relates to our measure of functional status.

Activities of Daily Living↗