Biomedical subjects

N North

Publications and source records attributed to N North.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Recording of outpatient consultations.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Humans↗

PubMed1992

Spatio-motor cueing in unilateral left neglect: the role of hemispace, hand and motor activation.

Reported beneficial effects of left arm activation on neglect are experimentally examined. The present study of a subject with left visual neglect compared left hand finger movement with an instruction to visually anchor perception on the left arm during letter cancellation. Only the finger movements significantly reduced neglect. Another comparison was between "out of sight" finger movements of the left hand in left and right hemispace, respectively. Only left hemispace "blind" finger movements significantly reduced neglect compared to the standard condition. Thirdly, blind left finger movements in left hemispace were compared with passive visual cueing (reading a changing number) and again it was found that only the finger movements reduced neglect. Finally, right finger movements in left hemispace were compared with left finger movements in left hemispace: only the latter reduced neglect. The implications of these findings for theory and therapy of neglect are discussed.

Apraxias↗

PubMed1992

Information giving in oncology: a preliminary study of tape-recorder use.

This paper describes a pilot study of information giving in an oncology setting. This was achieved by randomly allocating patients to having their consultation tape-recorded or not. The results suggest that this approach increases the retention of information in patients as well as reducing their levels of anxiety. The method is cheap and easy to use, acceptable to patients and their families, and does not inhibit the consultation process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1991

Primary care services. In search of alternative ways of providing services that are affordable, accessible and appropriate. A review of recent literature.

Services where the G.P. is the central health professional or "team leader" may satisfactorily provide first-contact medical services. Major problems reported in literature are related to inequity in distribution, and the fee-for-service practice that limits access for those on lower incomes and encourages high throughput. There is a heavy reliance on pharmaceuticals as the main treatment, with health promotion and educative services, and counselling, being generally low. While alternative or complementary therapies may address problems of "failed medicine", these don't answer issues of accessibility, or self-responsibility. Studies on nurse practitioners as the first contact in primary level care demonstrate that technically they can function competently and safely amongst a similar clientele, and that the clients find nurses both satisfactory and acceptable as health care providers. While the quality of care is comparable to that offered by a G.P., the cost is less, both directly to user, or more generally to society. This is related to lower costs of education and remuneration, and that lower costs of pharmaceuticals and diagnostic tests are generated. In addition, the health promotion and educative functions of nurses are overall more prominent, and effective in enhancing peoples self-responsibility in health through improving competence and awareness. User-participation and involvement in health services, and empowerment and self responsibility in health, are therefore more likely to be an outcome of a service in which health promotion and educational activities are central, rather than when medical interventions are the focus. In conclusion, this review of recent literature has raised questions about services currently provided by general practitioners, and as presently funded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Family Practice↗

PubMed1988

Diameter, cell type, and survival in stage I primary non-small-cell lung cancer.

We analyzed 384 veterans who had "curative" (sometimes conservative) resection from 1966 through 1986 for stage I, non-small-cell primary lung cancer to identify significant variables influencing survival. Operative mortality was 3.1%, mainly from heart attacks. Most patients were asymptomatic, presenting with other diseases of smoking. Five-year survival was 43%; deaths from lung cancer only, 63% (T1, 73%; T2, 49%). Two hundred fourteen (57.5%) of the 372 operative survivors had T1 and 158 (42.5%) had T2 disease. Sixty-five percent had peripheral nodules (84%, T1; 38% T2). Pure squamous cell predominated, in 63% overall (T1, 55%; T2, 74%). Systemic metastases caused most cancer deaths. Within T1, diameter was highly significant. Cell type and time of operation (before or after Dec 31, 1980) were also significant. Under T2, only scarring and differentiation were significant. Veterans in this group live longer if they have small squamous cell tumors.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1979