Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Perlman.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify acute sigmoid diverticulitis as a cause of small-bowel obstruction and to describe the CT findings. CONCLUSION: CT scanning enabled accurate preoperative diagnosis of colonic diverticulitis as the cause of the small-bowel obstruction, thereby allowing proper management and surgical planning.
This study examined the temporal stability and internal consistency of the MMPI-2 in a sample of 128 college students. Mean score comparisons revealed significant differences across a number of scales, but in each case mean differences were slight and viewed as clinically insignificant. Moderate to high stability coefficients were obtained, from .60 to .90 (median of .74). Alpha coefficients ranged from .39 to .91 (median of .62). Analysis of individual difference scores revealed that for each scale approximately 20% of the sample had discrepancy scores that reached or exceeded 10 T-score points (i.e., one standard deviation). Findings are discussed relative to the reliability of the MMPI-2 in clinical assessment.
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With the repeal of the Mental Health Systems Act by the Reagan administration in 1980, the amount of federal dollars allocated to community mental health agencies declined. Perlman and Hartman (1982) surveying mental health administrators' and professionals' perceptions on the major issues to be faced in the 1980s, found that budget reductions were to have the greatest impact on mental health service delivery. To explore problems and issues in mental health service delivery in the 1990s, 272 mental health administrators in county level, public sector organizations from Wisconsin and Michigan were surveyed. Budget effects on service, staff and administration are discussed.
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Service provision and client utilization at the catchment area level were studied to provide data relevant to (a) comprehensiveness of care, (b) client behavior with human service organizations, and (c) management and policy in times of fiscal decline and/or scarcity. Four human service organizations and 3529 clients seen over a six-month period were sampled. At the system level, data revealed a 100% duplication rate by the four organizations for nine service categories. At the individual level, 7% (n = 250) of the clients were multiorganization users and of these, only 150 received duplicated services. Implications of these data for comprehensiveness of care, utilization and provision duplication, human service system impetus and future research were discussed. Overcomprehensiveness of service provision may be a problem. At the client level, more research on differences between the multiorganization user who does and does not receive duplicated services is needed.
A study of administrators working in public-sector community-level mental health systems was undertaken. Three hundred and fourteen managers representing 109 systems in both urban and rural settings were interviewed, with 91 percent providing completed questionnaires. Multiple discriminant analyses indicated significant differences in perception of ruralness; personal, job, and system characteristics; and nonwork dimensions. Administrators differed in what they did on the job, not in responses (e.g., turnover, stress) to their work. The rural manager seems more a generalist, but other stereotypes of the nature of rural mental health management and managers were contraindicated. Implications of the data and further research are discussed.
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With growing emphasis for ethical behavior of professionals in contemporary American society, those mental health specialists involved in the community must focus on their own behavior. This becomes a difficult task, since it is apparent that current ethical guidelines for community psychologists are not comprehensive enough to be adequately helpful. Nine areas of conflicting values and ethical concerns are considered in an effort to begin formulation of a blueprint for community mental health workers. These areas include community participation, continuity of services, politics, planning, autonomy versus manipulation, overism, minority groups, training, and consultation. Ethical principles generic to each area are put forth as proposed guidelines for professional activities and as propagators of discussion and debate.
Effects of changes in standing distribution times of medication on "as needed", prn, medication use on an inpatient psychiatric unit were studied. It was found that significantly less prn doses were distributed when standing medications were administred at 8 A.M., 12 Noon, 4 P.M., and 9 P.M. rather than at 10 A.M., 2 P.M., 6 P.M., AND 10 P.M. Data on three categories of prn drugs were collected. Of the three groups, significant effects were found for tranquilizers and hypnotics, but not for analgesics. The results are discusses in relation to psychosocial interactions on the unit and pharmacologic effects. The current psychopharmacology literature is replete with studies of drug efficacy and pharmacologic mechanisms of action. Less clinical investigation has been conducted on the effects of drug administration. Since 1958, when Tibbits first questioned the need to give chlorpromazine in divided standing doses, many clinical investigators have evaluated the effects of medication administration frequency on clinical outcome, Clinical trials of this type have been conducted for major tranquilizers and tricyclic antidepressants. A patient's complete medication schedule includes drugs given on a regularly standing basis and those given on a pro re nata (prn), according to the circumstances, basis. The effects of varying the times throughout the day at which standing medication doses are distributed have not been investigated. This study was designed to investigate the effects of alteration in administration schedules on the prn distribution of drugs in an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.