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Biomedical subjects

D Conrad

Publications and source records attributed to D Conrad.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Insurance effects on employer group dental expenditures.

As the number of dental insureds and the amount of insured expenditures have increased over the past decade, so has interest in determining insurance effects on dental demand among employer groups and their insureds. Using Pennsylvania Blue Shield (PBS) employer group data representing 50-65% of all PBS insureds, the authors estimate the own-effect of basic insurance rates (diagnostic, preventive, restorative, endodontic, extraction services) and the cross-effects of riders A (crowns and oral surgery), B (prosthodontics), C (periodontics), and D (orthodontics) insurance rates on annual basic expenditures for 1975-1979. Results indicate a consistently positive relationship between basic insurance rates and expenditures. Orthodontic insurance rates have positive cross-effects on basic expenditures, suggesting basic-orthodontic complementarities. Although not statistically significant, potential substitution relationships may exist between basic and oral surgery, prosthodontic, and periodontic services. The implications of these findings for plan design and public oral health are discussed.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗
PubMed1984

The effects of continuing education in dental practice management.

A representative sample of 122 Washington State general dental practices received continuing education in the efficient utilization of auxiliaries. Dentist and staff attended a two-day workshop where goals for change in delegation to auxiliaries, scheduling, and communication were developed. The continuing dental education was individualized, required the practice to set explicit goals for change, involved both the dentist and staff in the decision-making process, and included in-office follow-up and consulting. Evaluation of the course's effects demonstrated that such a course in practice management can have a positive effect on delegation to auxiliaries, practice output, and dentist income. Degree of participation varied considerably across the 113 practices that completed the continuing education. The positive results of the training were dependent upon the practice implementing the goals for organizational change that it had set. The effects of the continuing education take time to become apparent and are sequential with changes in delegation to auxiliaries occurring first and increases in volume of services and income occurring later.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1983

Thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, folyl binder, 10-formyl-H4PteGlu synthetase, 5,10-methenyl-H4PteGlu cyclohydrolase and 5,10-methylene-H4PteGlu dehydrogenase derived from cells of human origin.

In the past few years we have been engaged in studying several folate cofactor requiring enzymes derived from human cells; namely thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, folyl binder, 10-formyl-H4PteGlu synthetase, 5,10-methenyl-H4PteGlu cyclohydrolase and 5,10-methylene-H4PteGlu dehydrogenase. These have been purified and several properties have been examined, in particular the interactions with folyl-polyglutamate forms as substrates and inhibitors. Folylpolyglutamates are better substrates for thymidylate synthase, 10-formyl-H4PteGlu synthetase, and 5,10-methylene-H4PteGlu dehydrogenase when NADP is lower than 30 microM, whereas dihydrofolate reductase and membrane associated folyl binder do not distinguish between folylmono- and polyglutamates. Analog studies with thymidylate synthase suggest that there are two types of folate binding sites and this led us to propose a model for the subunit association.

5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (FADH2)↗
PubMed1983

Characterization of non-human primate antisera to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): evidence for unique antigen(s) on childhood ALL of "T" phenotype.

A non-human primate antiserum was prepared to acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T-cell phenotype (T-ALL) and, after absorptions with normal blood elements, reacted by immunofluorescence and microcytotoxicity to all the T-ALL tested. In addition, the antiserum reacted with cells from about 70% of the common ALL studied and immunoprecipitated the common ALL antigen of 100,000 daltons. However, when the anti-T-ALL serum was absorbed with with lymphoblasts from common ALL, it failed to react with common ALL lymphoblasts, yet reacted significantly with cells from patients with T-ALL phenotype and defined a 100,000-dalton membrane component not found on common ALL lymphoblasts. In addition, sequential immunoprecipitation of 125I-labeled T-ALL membranes by anti-common-ALL serum followed by anti-T-ALL serum detected the T-ALL membrane component of 100,000 daltons that was not found on common ALL. Thus, our results demonstrate the presence of of a unique human T-ALL antigen present on all T-ALL distinct from the common ALL antigen.

Absorption↗
PubMed1982

Factors related to utilization of dental services by the elderly.

A household interview survey of 883 persons aged 62 and older residing in Seattle, Washington, asked about a broad range of health care and social service issues, including the need for and use of dental care. The Anderson model of health services utilization was used to identify predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics hypothesized to affect the use of dental services. A path analysis was conducted to distinguish the direct and indirect effects of the variables. The results showed that none of the predisposing variables, including age, was a significant factor in explaining the use of dental services. Education had both direct and indirect positive relationships to use. Having a regular sources of dental care was also an important factor affecting utilization. Neither income nor insurance variables were powerful factors. Need, measured by an index of dental problems and having dentures, was the stronger determinant of dental care use. In general, the model was better at predicting whether or not dental care would be sought by an older person at all (R2 = .27) than in predicting the amount of service used (R2 = .06).

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Dentists' attitudes toward and knowledge of the elderly.

A representative sample of 332 Washington State dentists in private practice was surveyed regarding their practices, the nature and extent of their contact with elderly patients, and their attitudes toward the aged. Results show that the dentists sampled have generally inaccurate perceptions of facts on aging. More experienced dentists, and those who had greater numbers of self-paying patients, held fewer stereotypes. Dentists who rated their elderly patients as having good oral hygiene held positive stereotypes. Course work in geriatric dentistry did not discriminate between dentists with more or less incorrect perceptions. This paper also discusses implications for dental practice and training in geriatric dentistry.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

A study of treatment planning: periodontal services for the elderly.

A study was undertaken to explore how dentists use patient data to plan treatment. Three hundred forty-six general dentists used oral and general health findings to determine periodontal treatment for seven prototypic elderly patients. The results indicated that oral hygiene and major medications best discriminated between treatment plans. The number of periodontal services ordered was directly related to the number of restorative units and inversely related to the number of extractions and prosthetic devices. Differences between dentists were not accounted for by the training, experience, or attitudes of the dentists.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Determinants of the quality of restorative dental care.

This article reports the results of an analysis to determine the relationships between the quality of restorative dental care for 1,466 patients and 9 categories of dentist characteristics for 102 volunteer Washington practitioners. In this study, patients were recalled and restorations were examined clinically. Questionnaires were administered to patients and dentists. The dependent measure is a weighted average of scores for operative dentistry and crown and bridge. Stagewise regression was used to adjust for differences in patient oral health and assessor bias. Models were postulated in each category of dentist characteristics and beta vectors were estimated by multiple regression. The best predictors formed a significant model (p = 0.000) which explained 26 per cent of the variance.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Management of dialysis catheters.

The goals of dialytic therapy are to provide safe, effective care and to emphasize the continuous improvement of quality. To provide such effective care requires the availability of a functional dialysis access. This is a critical (and sometimes the most difficult) component of dialysis. Care should focus not only on the maintenance of function but also on the prevention of complications. This article will familiarize the healthcare professional with the types, uses, and management of peritoneal and hemodialysis catheters.

Antisepsis↗