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Biomedical subjects

J A Droge

Publications and source records attributed to J A Droge.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Factors influencing hospital patients' preferences in the utilization of life-sustaining treatments.

Ninety-seven elderly hospitalized patients were asked about their preferences for several treatments under three hypothetical levels of future cognitive functioning: intact, confused, and unconscious. Levels of cognitive functioning and depression were also assessed. Sixty-six percent of the patients were more likely to want treatment if they expected to be cognitively intact than when a future condition involved impaired cognition; 36% did not want any treatment in at least 75% of the conditions; and 16% wanted treatment in at least 75% of the conditions studied. A minority (12%) did not show any pattern in their preferences. The absence of a definite pattern was related to lower levels of education and to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Patients self-reported their preferences for treatments being influenced most by their personal values, religion, and by experiences with illnesses of others.

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PubMed1992

Functional limitations among home health care users in the National Health Interview Survey Supplement on Aging.

A case-control study compared home health care (HHC) users from the 1984 Supplement on Aging to users of other community services and of no community service, matched on age and gender. Examination of specific activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and sociodemographic variables showed that HHC users were significantly more limited than controls in every ADL and IADL. In multivariate analyses, HHC use was significantly associated with three ADLs (dressing, going outside, bathing), two IADLs (shopping, heavy housework), and poor health status.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Improving practicing physicians' knowledge of geriatric mental health issues.

Elderly patients are most likely to seek mental health care from primary care physicians. Ironically, recent research findings show that primary care physicians fail to adequately detect mental health problems in their older patients. These findings raise questions about: 1) the adequacy of geriatric mental health training for physicians and 2) the possible methods for improving practicing physicians' knowledge and skills in detecting, treating, and referring patients with mental health needs. With a projected doubling in the number of people older than age 65 in the next 40 years, it is even more important that recognition and treatment of geriatric mental health problems be made a priority for primary care physicians.

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PubMed1991

The utilization of the durable power of attorney for health care among hospitalized elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential use of the durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC), considerations in executing a DPAHC, and influences in making decisions related to it. DESIGN: Interview with follow up. SETTING: A teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: 37 males, 60 females, aged 64-97. METHODS: Interview of ninety-seven hospitalized patients and followup telephone interview of those who had not originally executed a DPAHC after 3 months. Patients were asked whom they would appoint as an agent for health care decisions, how this person was related to them, and why they chose this person. Patients' cognitive functioning and level of depression were assessed. RESULTS: Most patients (65%) chose their closet relative to make health care decisions for them if they were unable to. Reasons for choosing this person included: the agent knew the patient best, was the closest relative, and was most accessible geographically. Over half of the participants had not discussed their feelings about health care decisions with anyone. Sixteen percent had previously executed a durable power of attorney for health care, and 46% said they intended to execute one. Executing a durable power of attorney for health care was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning but not with level of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Both an understanding of advanced directives and a general outlook on matters of life and death seem to affect people's utilization of the DPAHC. The ability to execute a DPAHC and the choice of an agent are affected by individuals' interpersonal relations.

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PubMed1986

Three models of human language.

Three models of human language processing can be discerned in contemporary neurobiology: the Wernicke-Broca model, primarily derived from studies of stroke and other brain lesions; the model developed by Dr. George Ojemann from electrical stimulation mapping of the cerebral cortex; and the linguistic model, evolved from Noam Chomsky's linguistic theories. The Wernicke-Broca model employs a posterior-sensory anterior-motor conception of brain language processing that is substantially different from the more modular conception developed from electrical stimulation mapping. The linguistic model attempts to explain language in terms of hierarchical mental function.

Aphasia↗