Biomedical subjects

Sarah Bowen

Publications and source records attributed to Sarah Bowen.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Marginalized evidence: effective knowledge translation strategies for low awareness issues.

There are particular knowledge translation (KT) challenges in communicating evidence on low awareness topics. Often considered peripheral to the main focus of health care provision, these issues may fail to "get on the agenda" of decision-makers, even when supported by strong evidence. This article describes the successful application of KT strategies to a specific low awareness issue (the importance of using trained health interpreters) within a large Canadian Regional Health Authority.

Awareness↗

PubMed2006

Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population.

Despite the availability of various substance abuse treatments, alcohol and drug misuse and related negative consequences remain prevalent. Vipassana meditation (VM), a Buddhist mindfulness-based practice, provides an alternative for individuals who do not wish to attend or have not succeeded with traditional addiction treatments. In this study, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of a VM course on substance use and psychosocial outcomes in an incarcerated population. Results indicate that after release from jail, participants in the VM course, as compared with those in a treatment-as-usual control condition, showed significant reductions in alcohol, marijuana, and crack cocaine use. VM participants showed decreases in alcohol-related problems and psychiatric symptoms as well as increases in positive psychosocial outcomes. The utility of mindfulness-based treatments for substance use is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A model for collaborative evaluation of university-community partnerships.

INTRODUCTION: Manitoba's The Need to Know project was presented with a unique opportunity to develop a collaborative approach to evaluation, and to explore the effectiveness of a variety of evaluation methods for assessment of university-community collaborative health research partnerships. OBJECTIVES: The evaluation was designed to incorporate participation of community partners in planning, developing, and evaluating all aspects of the project. Objectives included: (a) assessment of extent to which the project met its initial objectives; (b) assessment of extent participants needs and expectations were met; (c) refinement of evaluation questions; (d) identification of unanticipated impacts; (e) assessment of participant confidence as research team members; (f) development of knowledge translation theory; and (g) component analysis. METHODS: A "utilisation focused" approach was used. Primary stakeholders identified evaluation questions of concern, and how findings would be used. The multimethod time series design incorporated key informant interviews, a pre/post-test survey, written workshop evaluations, and participant and unobtrusive observation. All aspects of the evaluation were made transparent to participants, and formal feedback processes were instituted. RESULTS: There was a high level of participation in evaluation activities. Identifying evaluation questions of concern to community partners helped shape project development. While all methods provided useful information, only key informant interviews, participant observation and feedback processes provided insights into all evaluation objectives. CONCLUSION: Collaborative evaluation can make an important contribution to development of university-community partnerships. Qualitative methods (particularly key informant interviews, participant observation, and feedback processes) provided the richest source of data, and made an important contribution to team development.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

PubMed2005

Spirituality, mindfulness and substance abuse.

A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness-based therapies may be effective in treating a variety of disorders including stress, chronic pain, depression and anxiety. However, there are few valid and reliable measures of mindfulness. Furthermore, mindfulness is often thought to be related to spirituality, given its roots in Buddhist tradition, but empirical studies on this relationship are difficult to find. The present study: (1) tested the reliability and validity of a new mindfulness measure, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI), (2) explored the relationship between mindfulness and spirituality, and (3) investigated the relationship between mindfulness and/or spirituality and alcohol and tobacco use in an undergraduate college population (N=196). Results support the reliability of the FMI and suggest that spirituality and mindfulness may be separate constructs. In addition, smoking and frequent binge-drinking were negatively correlated with spirituality scores; as spirituality scores increased the use of alcohol and tobacco decreased. Thus, spirituality may be related to decreased substance use. In contrast, a positive relationship between mindfulness and smoking/frequent binge-drinking behavior was uncovered, and warrants further investigation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Mutations in the CYLD gene in Brooke-Spiegler syndrome, familial cylindromatosis, and multiple familial trichoepithelioma: lack of genotype-phenotype correlation.

Brooke-Spiegler syndrome (BSS), familial cylindromatosis (FC), and multiple familial trichoepithelioma (MFT), originally described as distinct entities, share overlapping clinical findings. Patients with BSS are predisposed to multiple skin appendage tumors such as cylindroma, trichoepithelioma, and spiradenoma. FC, however, is characterized by cylindromas and MFT by trichoepitheliomas as the only tumor type. These disorders have recently been associated with mutations in the CYLD gene. In this report, we describe three families with BSS, one with FC, and two with MFT phenotypes associated with novel and recurrent mutations in CYLD. We provide evidence that these disorders represent phenotypic variation of a single entity and lack genotype-phenotype correlation.

Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic↗

PubMed2005

Demystifying knowledge translation: learning from the community.

OBJECTIVES: While there is increasing interest in research related to so-called Knowledge Translation, much of this research is undertaken from the perspective of researchers. The objective of this paper is to explore, through the participatory evaluation of Manitoba's The Need to Know Project, the characteristics of effective knowledge translation initiatives from the perspective of community partners. METHODS: The multi-method evaluation adopted a utilization-focused approach, where stakeholders participated in identifying evaluation questions, and methods were made transparent to participants. Over 100 open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with project stakeholders over the first three years of the project. These interviews explored the perspectives of participants on all aspects of project development. Formal feedback processes allowed further refinement of emerging theory. RESULTS: This research suggests that there has been insufficient emphasis on personal factors in knowledge translation. The themes of 'quality of relationships' and 'trust' connected many different components of knowledge translation, and were essential for collaborative research. Organizational barriers and lack of confidence in researchers present greater challenges to knowledge translation than individual interest or community capacity. The costs of participation in collaborative research for community partners and the benefits for researchers, also require greater attention. CONCLUSIONS: Participation of community partners in The Need to Know Project has provided unique perspectives on knowledge translation theory. It has identified limitations to the common interpretations of knowledge translation principles and highlighted the characteristics of collaborative research initiatives that are of greatest importance to community partners.

Community Health Services↗