Beware of multiple names in database linkage research: prevalence of aliases in female prison population.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Betty Calam
Publications and source records attributed to Betty Calam.
A physician peer support writing group.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Barriers to publication can be overcome through a peer support writing group in an academic department of family practice. This study describes the experience and outcomes of a writing group in a family practice department. METHODS: A writing group was established to provide collaboration in identifying potential research and/or writing projects, to assist individual faculty to complete unfinished work for submission, to match journals appropriate to the individual group member's work, and to provide peer support for faculty members through attention to group process. Resource materials included instructions for authors for various journals and writing support literature. Minutes were taken at each meeting, and the manuscripts presented were tracked. Individual publication records in CVs and citations in Index Medicus were used to generate pre-group and post-group publication records for group participants and nonparticipants. RESULTS: The writing group met 23 times in 36 months. Attendance ranged from 3 to 10 participants. Fifty writing projects were discussed, and 12 of the discussed manuscripts were published in indexed journals. The seven most frequent attendees increased their publications as first author from one publication over the 3 years prior to the writing group to 10 publications over the first 3 years of the writing group. Comparison of the attendees' publication records with nonparticipant members of the department demonstrated an increase in publication success for participants. CONCLUSIONS: A peer support writing group, emphasizing group process and respectful collaboration, has increased the publication frequency of faculty in a Canadian department of family practice.
British Columbia↗
The Haida Gwaii Diabetes Project: planned response activity outcomes.
A 1992 chart review in the Haida Village of Skidegate, Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada, revealed that 17% of the unscreened population aged 35 or over have been diagnosed with diabetes. The Haida Gwaii Diabetes Project was designed to develop a culturally sensitive community-based participatory action approach to the management of noninsulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). Phase One included obtaining community support, conducting a chart review, holding clinics to measure biophysical indicators, conducting focus groups, and planning response activities with the communities. A list of activities was developed, based on the focus group results. In addition, the project team developed a set of operating principles that ensured and reinforced collaboration. Phase Two included implementing and monitoring planned response activities, and holding exit clinics. The best attended activities were trials of traditional herbal medicine and traditional diet, and an exercise programme. While participation levels were not high enough for causal conclusions, a significant decrease in total cholesterol (0.45; P = 0.005) and rise in HDL (-0.097; P = 0.05) was found for participants for whom paired values were available. Diabetes intervention research in First Nations settings involves small numbers of participants, making it difficult to quantitatively assess outcomes. To increase participation it is advisable to open activities to the whole community, to tie planned activities into other scheduled community events, and to share findings concerning managing illnesses of acculturation with other communities.
Journal Article↗
Evaluation of a cervical cancer screening intervention for prison inmates.
BACKGROUND: Female prison inmates are underscreened and are at higher risk of cervical cancer. The impact of a nurse-led Pap screening intervention was examined, which included information sessions and Pap testing clinics. METHOD: Pap screening rates for 650 inmates at the Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women were compared both before and during the 20-week intervention period. These rates were determined by record linkage of Correction Branch inmate records and Cervical Cancer Screening Program patient records. Associations between socio-demographic factors and Pap screening rates were also examined. RESULTS: A higher proportion of inmates was screened during the intervention period (26.9%) than during the preintervention period (21.0%) (although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.06)). Very short-stay inmates were less frequently screened in the preceding two years before the intervention. Inmates with no high school education and longer lengths of incarceration were significantly more likely to receive Pap testing during the intervention period as compared to the preintervention period. CONCLUSION: The nurse-led intervention resulted in a modest improvement in the proportion of inmates receiving Pap screening. Unfortunately, the benefit of the nurse clinician did not reach, to a greater extent, inmates who had not been previously screened or who were inadequately screened. There is need for further work to target this hardest-to-reach group.
Adult↗