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Angela Hall

Publications and source records attributed to Angela Hall.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Medical students' attitudes and behaviour towards sexual health interviewing: short- and long-term evaluation of designated workshops.

Workshops aimed at promoting fourth-year medical students' attitudes towards and subsequent behaviour in talking to patients about sexual health are reported on. Improvements in attitudes are reported following the workshops in 1999-2000 with students being more likely to see the relevance of sexual health enquiry, feeling more confident and competent about broaching the subject and expressing greater intention to do so. One year on, comparison of the intervention and non-intervention group for attendance at the workshop showed no difference in the proportion who had subsequently asked patients questions about sex. The proportion of students asking patients rose from 47% in the fourth year to 92% by the fifth year. Issues of long-term evaluation and the importance of the informal relative to the formal curriculum are discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2004

Communication behaviours of skilled and less skilled oncologists: a validation study of the Medical Interaction Process System (MIPS).

The Medical Interaction Process System (MIPS) was originally developed in order to create a reliable observation tool for analysing doctor-patient encounters in the oncology setting. This paper reports a series of analyses carried out to establish whether the behaviour categories of the MIPS can discriminate between skilled and less skilled communicators. This involved the use of MIPS coded cancer consultations to compare the MIPS indices of 10 clinicians evaluated by an independent professional as skilled communicators with 10 who were considered less skilled. Eleven out of the 15 MIPS variables tested were able to distinguish the skilled from the less skilled group. Although limitations to the study are discussed, the results indicate that the MIPS has satisfactory discriminatory power and the results provide validity data that meet key objectives for developing the system. There is an ever-increasing need for reliable methods of assessing doctors' communication skills and evaluating medical interview teaching programmes.

Communication↗
PubMed2004

Quality of life in women with advanced breast cancer treated with docetaxel.

A survey was conducted to address the question of whether overall quality of life (QOL) in women with advanced breast cancer is significantly impaired by treatment with docetaxel in routine clinical practice. Health-related QOL (HRQOL) measured by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL Questionnaire C30, as well as performance status (PS) and tumor response, were assessed at baseline, then after every 2 cycles of treatment. The 209 evaluable patients received a median of 5 treatment cycles (range, 2-9), with a response rate of 35% (95% CI, 28.5%-41.4%). There were significant adverse changes in fatigue (P = 0.002) and diarrhea (P = 0.0002). However, HRQOL scores for emotional function (P < 0.0001), pain (P = 0.0001), constipation (P = 0.01), and nausea and vomiting (P = 0.03) all showed significant beneficial changes. Several QOL parameters improved during docetaxel therapy even in patients who did not have an objective tumor response. Overall, PS was maintained during docetaxel treatment. Following the encouraging QOL data from clinical trials of docetaxel in breast cancer, the authors conclude that, in actual clinical practice, docetaxel does not have an overall detrimental effect on QOL.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Understanding the benefits and risks of breast augmentation.

There are a number of reasons a woman might consider breast augmentation, including cosmetic improvement, reconstruction after a mastectomy, or to address a congenital or developmental abnormality. Nurses should ensure that patients considering breast surgery understand the risks involved. Clearly informed consent is a major issue. For some women, the potential benefits of this surgery will outweigh the risks.

Breast Implantation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Defining nursing knowledge.

The question of what constitutes nursing knowledge is a vital one for nurses to consider for a number of reasons. Nurses use a wide range of knowledge in practice, some theoretical and some practical, so identifying what nursing knowledge is should be central to practice. This paper attempts to define nursing knowledge by discussing the evidence. It suggests that such knowledge is important to raise awareness of personal and professional accountability, inform the dilemmas of practice and improve patient care.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Qualitative research and its role in nursing knowledge.

There are several reasons why qualitative research is a suitable means to answer a number of relevant nursing research issues. However, as a research methodology it is not without its critics. This article debates the importance of qualitative research to nursing knowledge and uses the literature and practice experience to evaluate its contribution.

Humans↗