Condom machines in hospitals: do we practice what we preach?
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Condoms↗
Biomedical subjects
R T McEwan
Publications and source records attributed to R T McEwan.
Perceptions about blood donation, transfusion and the risk of HIV infection: implications for the blood transfusion service.
To assess perceptions of risk of AIDS/HIV infection from donation to, and receipt of, blood from the British Blood Transfusion Service, we undertook self completion surveys (n = 1874, response rate 74%) and an interview survey (n = 300, response rate 77%) of students in three higher/further education establishments in the North East of England. In the postal survey 20.9% perceived a risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS after blood donation, and 4.8% perceived the risk to be moderate or high. Explanations for the perceived risk were usually inaccurate. Most people (62.3%) perceived that blood transfusion had a risk of HIV infection, and 13.4% reported this risk to be moderate or high. The explanations for the risk were generally correct. The interview survey largely confirmed the results of the postal survey. The perceived risk of contracting HIV infection on blood donation is not an artefact of survey method; a substantial minority perceive a risk where there is none. Some people remain unaware of the risk of HIV infection after blood transfusion and among others the risk is perceived as higher than is realistic. Further research and educational initiatives to help safeguard the efficient gathering and use of blood are warranted.
Adolescent↗
Sex and the risk of HIV infection: the role of alcohol.
To investigate sexual behaviour under the influence of alcohol and the relationship between drinking habits and unsafe sex we carried out a postal and interview survey of 2174 students in the North East of England. Drinking habits were classified as non, light, medium and heavy, and cross-tabulated against sexual and other risk taking behaviour. Response rates of 74% and 77% were obtained in the postal and interview surveys respectively. In the postal survey, heavier drinkers were more likely to have unsafe sex such as casual sex without a condom, and sex with someone know to have many partners. Respondents associated alcohol with sexual risk taking; because of drinking too much, in the last year, 19% had not taken contraceptive precautions during sex. The interview survey largely confirmed postal survey results. There are three possible explanations of the association between drinking habits and unsafe sex: alcohol might disinhibit safer sex; young risk-takers may also drink more; or, drinking might be associated with unsafe sex by coincidence because sexual encounters often begin in licensed premises. Drinking habits should therefore be a priority issue for future HIV/AIDS related research, policy debate, and health education endeavour.
Adult↗
Screening elderly people in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.
A randomized controlled trial was carried out to test the effectiveness of a screening programme carried out by nurses for elderly people aged 75 years and over in a general practice. A total of 151 people were randomly allocated to the test group and 145 to the control group. The test group received a home visit from a nurse at which an assessment lasting 45 minutes was made of: activities of daily living, social functioning, sensory functions, mental and emotional problems, current medical problems, blood pressure, urinalysis, haemoglobin level and compliance with medication. Both groups completed a selection of items from four health indices before and 20 months after the intervention. At follow up, the test group scored significantly better than the control group on a morale scale. However, this trial provided no evidence for better resolution of physical problems or finding activities of daily living easier in the test group compared with the control group. It is suggested that the main benefit of such a screening process is that the special attention and education provided improves adaptation to old age and awareness of the support systems available. The government has proposed an annual review of elderly people in their own home and this study suggests that the objectives of this scheme should be clarified.
Aged↗
Issues in evaluation: evaluating assessments of elderly people using a combination of methods.
In evaluating a health service, individuals will give differing accounts of its performance, according to their experiences of the service, and the evaluative perspective they adopt. The value of a service may also change through time, and according to the particular part of the service studied. Traditional health care evaluations have generally not accounted for this variability because of the approaches used. Studies evaluating screening or assessment programmes for the elderly have focused on programme effectiveness and efficiency, using relatively inflexible quantitative methods. Evaluative approaches must reflect the complexity of health service provision, and methods must vary to suit the particular research objective. Under these circumstances, this paper presents the case for the use of multiple triangulation in evaluative research, where differing methods and perspectives are combined in one study. Emphasis is placed on the applications and benefits of subjectivist approaches in evaluation. An example of combined methods is provided in the form of an evaluation of the Newcastle Care Plan for the Elderly.
Aged↗