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Biomedical subjects

S Yusim

Publications and source records attributed to S Yusim.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Adult onset diabetes mellitus: glycemic control and family function.

To test the hypothesis that family function differs in patients according to their level of diabetes control, family function was assessed using the Family APGAR questionnaire in low-income patients with adult-onset diabetes who were under comprehensive care in five community health centers. From 3,000 active patients, a group of 385 with the following characteristics were randomly selected: mean age, 59.1 (range 25-93); M:F ratio, 1:4; and ethnic distribution (blacks: Hispanics: whites, 48%:31%:21%). Categorizing patients by their extent of diabetes control, good family function was found in 92% of patients in good control of their diabetes mellitus, in 66% of those in fair control, and only in 50% of those in poor control (p less than 0.005, chi 2 = 44.1, df = 2). Since these data point to the association between levels of family functioning and control of diabetes, further studies are needed to ascertain if an improvement in family functioning will lead to better diabetic control.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Physician communication to patients regarding medications.

An analysis of 11 physicians' speech content regarding medications was conducted on 267 encounters with hypertensive patients. Scored were categories for questions, instructions, directions to take and justifications for taking medications. The median inter-auditor agreement was 83%. The results indicate that the physicians asked few questions and gave few instructions for patients on stable drug regimens; however, for newly prescribed drugs and changed regimens the provided information doubled: there were instructions for 77%, medication-taking commands for 31% and justification for taking medications for 21% of all medications. Other results indicate that that physicians did not discriminate by age, sex or race in quantity of speech about medication, but they did ask more questions of patients who saw a different physician on the previous visit. The results suggest that the system of scoring speech was reliable and captured the physicians adjustments to their patients' and their own needs for information.

Communication↗
PubMed1983

Type A behavior, self-involvement, and coronary atherosclerosis.

Prior to coronary angiography, 150 men were assessed for Type A behavior using the structured interview and two questionnaire measures. The results show no relationship between Type A behavior and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD). A second finding is that the number of self-references (I, me, my) derived from speech in the structured interview correlated positively with the number of previous myocardial infarctions and the extent of CAD; self-references correlated negatively with time on the treadmill and catheterization ejection fraction. Multiple regression analyses show self-references to remain a significant correlate of extent of disease when controlled for age, blood pressure, cholesterol, and Type A behavior.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Advances in controlling hypertension in low-income patients.

Since hypertension is the foremost problem in minority and low-income populations treated in our community health centers, in 1976 we introduced a protocol that standardized diagnostic criteria and a step-care approach to the treatment of hypertension. In 1980, we modified the original protocol with guidelines for dietary management and an outline for improving physician-patient communication and health education. We hypothesized that implementing the protocol (and later modifications) would be associated with improved identification and control of hypertension. We conducted a cross-sectional study of hypertensive patients' charts in three community health centers in 1973, 1978, and 1982, and determined the status of blood pressure (BP) control of those patients by the end of the year. In 1973 (before protocol), 4 percent of hypertensives were undiagnosed and untreated, and 20 percent were lost to follow-up. Among those who remained under care, only 33 percent were under control (BP less than 160/95 mm Hg). In 1978, two years after the protocol was introduced, there were fewer undiagnosed and untreated patients (2 percent), but the number lost to follow-up increased to 31 percent. The proportion of hypertensives under control increased to 70 percent. In 1982, two years after the modifications to the protocol were introduced, the proportion of patients lost to follow-up decreased to 28 percent, and the proportion of patients with controlled blood pressure increased to 79 percent. The improved level of control was statistically significant at p less than .0001 (chi-square test).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗