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Magne Nylenna

Publications and source records attributed to Magne Nylenna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Legionella in Trondheim, Norway--determining sources of contagion and tracing risk environments].

BACKGROUND: Legionnaires' disease, most often a serious condition, is a relatively rare disease in Norway although in recent years it has been on the increase. Because of clinical and microbiological diagnostic difficulties, one can assume that the number of new cases reported is significantly too low. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A multidisciplinary team established in the City of Trondheim has two main functions; first, to trace sources of contagion when outbreaks of the disease and detected; second, to carry out routine inspections in order to trace potential environmental sources. RESULTS: Over a four-year period (2001 - 2004), 19 cases of Legionnaires' disease were diagnosed; 17 of these are presumed to have originated locally. This is an incidence rate five times greater than the national average. Legionella pneumophila was discovered in the patients' local environment in 6 cases. Environmental investigations showed that the bacterium was present in three water-cooling towers, one Jacuzzi, one swimming pool, a shower in a factory, and in the hot-water system of a building complex. Most of the discoveries were made in the summer or autumn in several different locations in the city. Legionella pneumophila was found more often with low rather than high bacterial count, contrary to the information given in the Norwegian Legionnaires' disease prevention handbook. INTERPRETATION: Legionella pneumophila is in all likelihood a naturally occurring bacterium in many of the water sources and water supply plants in Trondheim. This requires continual awareness and readiness to tackle the disease. We have seen that a multidisciplinary team is well suited to evaluating high-risk environments, tracing outbreaks and carrying out information tasks targeted both at professionals and the public at large.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Is there a Norwegian medical identity?].

Norwegian medicine is interwoven with the country's history, social structure, and its organization of health services. Health services in Norway are based on an ideology of equality and solidarity in which decentralization and strong primary care are crucial elements. The aim is treatment at the lowest effective level of care, irrespective of patients' financial or social status. Health services have high political priority and people expect a great deal of them. The medical profession in Norway has a double loyalty: to the individual patient and to society at large. The gate keeper-role, which has been most prominent among general practitioners, reflects economic responsibility as well as some hesitation in the use of extensive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Norwegian medicine has never been particularly eager on interventions. This could be explained both by strong governmental control and a traditional Norwegian moderation. The medical profession is less homogenous than before, but still has a strong community of communication. The concept of health among Norwegians is pragmatic and holistic. The relationship between health and nature is strong and in line with people's conception of nature in general. Social developments such as individualization, internationalization and economic ways of thinking together with increasing specialization and market adjustment in the health services make for rapid changes in Norwegian medicine. It is more and more difficult to define national features, but those existing are well worth defending.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2005

Unhappy doctors? A longitudinal study of life and job satisfaction among Norwegian doctors 1994-2002.

BACKGROUND: General opinion is that doctors are increasingly dissatisfied with their job, but few longitudinal studies exist. This study has been conducted to investigate a possible decline in professional and personal satisfaction among doctors by the turn of the century. METHODS: We have done a survey among a representative sample of 1,174 Norwegian doctors in 2002 (response rate 73 %) and compared the findings with answers to the same questions by (most of) the same doctors in 1994 and 2000. The main outcome measures were self reported levels of life satisfaction and job satisfaction according to the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). RESULTS: Most Norwegian doctors are happy. They reported an average life satisfaction of 5.21 in 1994 and 5.32 in 2002 on a scale from 1 (extremely dissatisfied) to 7 (extremely satisfied). Half of the respondents reported a very high level of general life satisfaction (a score of 6 or 7) while only one third said they would have reported this high level of satisfaction five years ago. The doctors thought that they had a higher level of job satisfaction than other comparable professional groups. The job satisfaction scale among the same doctors showed a significant increase from 1994 to 2002. Anaesthesiologists and internists reported a lower and psychiatrists and primary care doctors reported a higher level of job satisfaction than the average. CONCLUSION: Norwegian doctors seem to have enjoyed an increasing level of life and job satisfaction rather than a decline over the last decade. This challenges the general impression of unhappy doctors as a general and worldwide phenomenon.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Medical publishing in Norway 1905-2005].

The nation-building process in Norway took mainly place before the Norwegian-Swedish union came to a close in 1905. This was not a dramatic change, though the end of the union did bring a lift to Norwegian national consciousness. In 1905 there were three general medical journals in Norway and approximately 1200 doctors. German was the most important language of international science, but most scientific publishing was done in Norwegian. After the Second World War, English became the dominating language of scientific communication. Twentieth-century medicine and medical publishing was an era of specialisation and internationalisation. Norwegian medicine has to a large extent been internationalised through Nordic cooperation, with the Nordic specialist journals being of particular importance. With increasing professionalism in research, international English-language journals have become the major channels of communication, though several Norwegian-language journals (on paper or on the internet) have been established and are of crucial importance to a national identity within medical specialties. In 2005 there is only one general medical journal in Norwegian, in a country with approximately 20,000 doctors. A national identity related to medical publishing is not given much attention, though national medicine is still closely tied in with national culture. Good clinical practice should be based on a firm knowledge of local society and local tradition. This is a challenge in contemporary medical publishing.

History, 20th Century↗
PubMed2005

Job satisfaction among Norwegian general practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the level of job satisfaction among general practitioners (GPs) and to compare it with that of hospital doctors. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire among Norwegian doctors in 2002 and similar data from 1994 and 2000 for most of the respondents. MATERIAL: A total of 295 GPs out of 1174 doctors completed the questionnaire (73% response rate). Main outcome measures. Self-reported levels of job satisfaction according to the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). RESULTS: Norwegian GPs reported a high level of job satisfaction with a mean score on the JSS of 52.6 (10 is minimum and 70 maximum). The reported level of satisfaction was highest for their opportunities to use their abilities, cooperation with colleagues and fellow workers, variation in work, and freedom to choose own method of working. The GPs' level of job satisfaction remained stable in 1994, 2000, and 2004 in spite of major health reforms. GPs report a higher level of job satisfaction than hospital doctors. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of international discussions on unhappy doctors and doctors' discontent, Norwegian GPs do report a high and stable level of job satisfaction.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Dissemination of research--a neglected obligation].

In contrast to research and teaching duties, the obligation to disseminate research results to the general public is poorly described and not lived up to in academic medicine. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Faculty of Medicine, an interdisciplinary group met with academics to discuss and identify means for improvements. The academics reported positive attitudes to popularising and communicating their findings. Dissemination of research as a working area was, however, characterised as fragmented, incidental and too much dependent on individual enthusiasm. The most important initiatives in order to achieve better dissemination were said to be the following: more and better training in popularization and dealing with the media; development of an infrastructure for dissemination at a decentralised institutional level (defined responsibility, routines etc.); and encouragement of good presentations by making dissemination of research meritorious.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed2003

[Dr Stockmann and Dr Snow--two heroes of public health].

Dr Thomas Stockmann, the main character of An enemy of the people by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), has been described as a hero of public health. In spite of his idealism and high principles, he was, however, not able to do anything about the contaminated water supply of the baths in the town where he lived. Important differences may be noticed if we compare the fictional Dr Stockmann with Dr John Snow (1813-58), a real hero of public health famous for his handling of a cholera epidemic in London in 1854. While Dr Snow carried out extensive investigations of the relation between water supply and illness and still was humble when presenting his findings, the fictional Dr Stockmann took only one sample of water for examination and was bombastic in his conclusion. And while Dr Snow had a simple suggestion for solving the problem, Dr Stockmann seemed more eager to dramatize the situation. Scientific documentation and a practical attitude to problem solving continue to be important in order to achieve results in the field of public health.

Disease Outbreaks↗