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Biomedical subjects

R Leavey

Publications and source records attributed to R Leavey.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Feedback on quality: patients' experience of surgical care.

There is a growing consensus within the NHS of the importance of obtaining feedback from patients in order to improve the quality of health care; consequently, many patient satisfaction surveys are now undertaken. However, much research is based on provider-held assumptions about service quality. This study focuses on patient satisfaction with coronary bypass surgery, starting with the concerns expressed by patients and using these as a basis for evaluating different aspects of care. The paired comparison technique was employed to produce a ranked list of aspects of care that were perceived to be in greatest need of improvement. Some difficulties were encountered in administering the ranking technique to patients in a highly specialized health-care setting; however, results were obtained and validated for follow-up patients. The item of most concern to these patients was a lack of sensitivity about when patients felt ready for discharge.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of two survey measures of health status.

Health service planning requires information on levels of health and illness in the population. Surveys, such as the British General Household Survey (GHS) rely on self-reports of health, illness and restriction, but interpretation of results is problematic. Multi-item measures such as the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) tap different aspects of health and allow respondents less freedom to define health and illness. In a survey of 1862 adults, health questions from the GHS and the NHP were used, and the results compared. Responses to GHS questions were associated with NHP scores, but the strength of the associations between the four GHS questions and the six NHP items varied considerably. Reporting a recent restriction was only weakly associated with NHP scores. Associations between GHS questions and NHP scores were weakest for the NHP items measuring emotional reactions, sleep and feelings of social isolation. Reporting good health or no illness in response to GHS questions was no guarantee that respondents experienced no health problems. Those who use health data from the GHS, NHP or similar surveys should look closely at whether such data provide appropriate information for their purposes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Survey of patients' satisfaction with access to general practitioners.

The north west England faculty patients' liaison group, supported by community health councils and family practitioner committees, surveyed patients' perceptions of accessibility to general practitioners in seven districts in 1985 and 1986. Findings on appointment systems, telephone access and out-of-hours calls are compared with those from other surveys. The results show that patients' satisfaction with appointment systems is related to the efficiency of their own general practitioner's system. The results also show higher levels of dissatisfaction with waiting times for outof- hours visits than in studies 10 years ago and that a large proportion of patients would like direct telephone access to their general practitioner.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1985

Does the underprivileged area index work?

The underprivileged area index was developed by Jarman to identify areas with the greatest need for general practitioner services and where general practitioners were under the greatest pressure. We found that in wards that scored the worst on the underprivileged area index the doctor:patient ratios were the highest. We suggest that the index needs to be used with other indicators to identify variations in need in small areas.

Humans↗
PubMed1975

The Chanute histoplasmosis epidemic. New variations of urban histoplasmosis.

An epidemic of acute histoplasmosis occurred in a long-established residential neighborhood in central Illinois. Ten of the 28 individuals living in the five duplex buildings comprising the housing project had evidence of acute infection. The epidemic was unusual in that the infections apparently occurred as the result of adults tending their gardens and children playing under and about the tress of the area. No specific event, such as a construction project or the demolishing of an old building, was involved as a point source, as has usually been observed in past epidemics. The infections occurred sporadically over a summer and probably resulted from exposure to any one of several sites where the fungal organisms were shown to exist in the housing area.

Adolescent↗