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Patricia J Bush

Publications and source records attributed to Patricia J Bush.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Developing a medicine education program in Finland: lessons learned.

The aim of this article is to describe the process of developing a medicine education program for elementary and middle schools in Finland and the lessons learned during the process. Further described is how teachers evaluated the usefulness of the medicine education materials created during the process. By medicine education we mean education about the proper use of medicines, abuse of medicines being just a small part of it. The development process started in 2002 by conducting focus group discussions with children in order to discover how children of different ages understand medicine-related topics. Moreover, teachers completed questionnaires in 2002 to assess their opinions about the importance of medicine education as a part of school health education. Based on the results of these two studies, materials were created during 2002-2003 (, in Finnish with an English introduction). These materials gave the teachers information about the proper use of medicines and some ideas for assignments. As a last part of this research project in autumn 2003, the materials were piloted by a group of elementary and middle school teachers (n=14), and the usefulness of the materials were evaluated during focus group discussions after a teaching period. Based on the evaluation, we learned that the Website should contain a simple structure and ready-to-use materials in order to be used by teachers. Moreover, the fact that teachers need information in order to be able to teach this unfamiliar topic became clear. Teachers of younger children need concise information, but teachers of adolescents need more in-depth information. Furthermore, teachers may have negative attitudes towards medicines, and therefore, medicine education should be rationalized for them. We conclude our article with recommendations on what should be taken into consideration when medicine education programs are planned.

Finland↗
PubMed2005

How well can children understand medicine related topics?

The aim of this study was to discover how well children understand medicine related topics and in this way to evaluate their preparedness for two-way communication about these matters. The data were collected by conducting 14 focus group discussions (FGDs) among Finnish schoolchildren aged 7-8, 10-11 and 13-14 years. The main theme during the FGDs was the management of diseases with medicines. Both inductive and deductive analyses were used to analyse the data [Patton M. Qualitative evaluation and research methods. 2nd ed. Newbury Park: Sage Publications; 1990]. Children had superficial knowledge of and a negative attitude towards medicine use. They used medicine related vocabulary uncertainly implying that they do not fully comprehend all the information that they have gained. Children realized that there may be risks when using medicines and this understanding tended to increase by age. The results of this study indicate a need to educate children about medicines. In addition to school-based medicine education, health care professionals should communicate directly with children about their medicines at an appropriate cognitive level in order to increase their understanding and skills concerning health issues.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Physician use of a participatory decision-making style with children with ADHD and their parents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physicians reported using a participatory decision-making (PDM) style with children and their parents during attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder visits and the physician characteristics that were related to physician use of a PDM style. The survey was sent to a stratified random sample of 250 pediatricians and 250 family practitioners that were licensed and actively practicing in North Carolina. A second mailing of the survey was sent to non-responders approximately 3 weeks after the first mailing was sent. Approximately 47% of the physicians responded. Physicians were significantly more likely to rate themselves as more participatory with parents than with children. Younger physicians were more likely to use a participatory style with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children. Physicians who rated themselves as using a more participatory style with parents, also rated themselves as being more participatory with children. Pediatricians and younger physicians were more likely to use a participatory style with parents of ADHD children. The majority of physicians believed that ADHD children could begin to contribute to decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD during medical visits from age 7 to 11 years.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Development and evaluation of an interactive CD-ROM for children with leukemia and their families.

To meet the need for an interactive software product to educate children with leukemia, ages 4-11 years, and their families about the disease and its treatment, we developed and evaluated an interactive, comprehensive, multimedia CD-ROM product, Kidz with Leukemia: A Space Adventure. The prototype was tested using a randomized controlled experimental design. Children with leukemia and their parents were randomized to receive either the newly developed CD-ROM or the book You and Leukemia by Lynn Baker. Health care providers (HCPs) and other content/technical experts evaluated only the CD-ROM. Data were collected on children's health locus of control, their understanding of leukemia, and the satisfaction of participants with their assigned intervention. Children in the CD-ROM group, compared with those in the book group, showed increased feelings of control over their health. Although there was a high level of satisfaction with the CD-ROM among all users, younger children and their parents were most satisfied. In conclusion, the CD-ROM, Kidz with Leukemia: A Space Adventure, was found to be a useful, engaging, and empowering tool for children with leukemia and can serve as a model for developing future health-related educational materials.

CD-ROM↗