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Pain management skills of regional nurses caring for older people with dementia: a needs analysis.

An exploratory survey of the pain management education needs of 197 nurses working with older people with dementia was undertaken in a regional area of Queensland, Australia. The analysis indicated that nurses in this setting might not have the knowledge base to manage pain effectively; and that respondents have essentially negative perceptions of the availability and appropriateness of current pain management education programs. Consistent with non-metropolitan nurses generally, respondents expressed a preference for pain management education that had a significant face-to-face component allied with ongoing mentorship and support on completion of the program. The obstacles to attending such programs were also typical of the problems facing regional and rural nurses throughout Australia. These were identified as: inability to pay for courses; lack of information on what is available; distance to travel to education; and a perceived lack of employer support due to an inability to replace those staff attending education. Positive aspects include the degree to which participants were responsive and interested in dementia pain management and their access to, and acceptance of, non-medical pain therapies. The findings suggest a definite need for a dementia pain management program for aged care nurses, specifically tailored to their needs and to the constraints of the regional practice setting.

Adolescent↗

[Quality concept in health care. Methodology for its measurement].

It is increasingly necessary that the neurologists achieve basic knowledgement in clinical management and medical care quality. We will review the concepts of medical care quality (MCQ). Of the definitions checked, we want to emphasize the following aspects. a) application of current scientific knowledge; b) interpersonal relationship; c) environment where the assistance is dispensed; d) results in health; e) cost of assistance; f) risks for the patient and g) patient satisfaction. For the analysis of the MCQ we could distinguish several components: scientific-technical component, efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility, continuity, equity, appropriateness, and satisfaction of the patient and of the professional. One of the main objectives to measure the MCQ is to improve the assistance itself. For its measurement we can employ diverse methods depending on our objective: to improve the process, to do Benchmarking, to know the satisfaction of the patients or to guarantee the quality of the medical attention. The most used tools for this measurement are: establishment of criteria-indicator-standard for quality, elaboration of satisfaction questionnaires, interviews to key informant, analysis of complaints and claims of patients and professionals, and clinical audits. The role of the neurologist in the achievement of a high quality neurological attention if fundamental. Therefore, it is necessary some specific formation on: scientific and technical matter, communicative abilities, teamworking, management and organisation of tasks and pharmaco-economic evaluation, and a cultural change that involves every professional on the co-responsibility of the continuous improvement of the processes and of the results of his work, advancing gradually towards the excellence of medical assistance.

Benchmarking↗

An interactive course to enhance self-efficacy of family practitioners to treat obesity.

BACKGROUND: Physicians' awareness of their important role in defusing the obesity epidemic has increased. However, the number of family practitioners who treat obesity problems continues to be low. Self-efficacy refers to the belief in one's ability to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments. Thus, practitioners who judge themselves incapable of managing obesity do not even try. We hypothesized that practitioners' self-efficacy and motivation would be enhanced as a result of participating in an interactive course designed to enrich their knowledge of obesity management. METHODS: Twenty-nine family practitioners participated in the course, which was accompanied by qualitative interviews. The difference between the physicians' pre-course and post-course appraisals was tested by paired t-test. The interviews were analyzed by qualitative methods. RESULTS: Post-course efficacy appraisals were significantly higher than pre-course appraisals (p < 0.0005). A deeper insight on the practitioners' self-efficacy processes was gained through reflection of the practitioners on their self-efficacy during the interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Up-to-date information and workshops where skills, attitudes and social support were addressed were important in making the program effective.

Adult↗

Promoting health and home safety for children of parents with intellectual disability: a randomized controlled trial.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a home-based intervention targeted to parents with intellectual disability to promote child health and home safety in the preschool years. A total of 63 parents were recruited for the study with 45 parents (40 mothers and 5 fathers) from 40 families completing the project. The research design permitted comparison between the intervention and three alternative conditions with all parents receiving the intervention in an alternating sequence over the life of the project. The intervention consisted of 10 weekly lessons carried out in the parent's home focusing on child health and home safety. The program was adapted to suit the Australian context from the UCLA Parent--Child Health and Wellness Project (Tymchuk, Groen, & Dolyniuk, 2000). Outcome measures assessed parental health and safety behaviours. Standard measures included parental health, intelligence and literacy. The intervention improved parents' ability to recognize home dangers, to identify precautions to deal with these dangers and resulted in a significant increase in the number of safety precautions parents implemented in their homes with all gains being maintained at 3 months post-intervention. Parents' health behaviours including improved understanding of health and symptoms of illness, knowledge of and skills needed to manage life-threatening emergencies, knowledge about visiting the doctor, knowing when to call, what information to provide and what questions to ask, and how to use medicines safely significantly increased. Again, all gains were maintained 3 months post-intervention. The intervention was effective regardless of parental health, literacy skills, and IQ. This form of home-based intervention promotes a healthy and safe environment which is a prerequisite to continuing parental custody.

Adult↗

An introduction to congenital hand anomalies.

The intention of this introduction is to provide a platform from which ensuing articles may deal with the details of management of specific entities. A basic knowledge of the process of limb development and an appreciation of our current knowledge of the causations of abnormal limb development are necessary to assist the surgeon in explanation as to how and why the child has the limb anomaly. Undoubtedly it is from this knowledge that prevention and improved management will evolve in the future. Some words about classification are appropriate. This is always a contentious issue, as classification cannot currently be precisely related to causation but is necessary such that those working in the field can speak in one language and understand each other. Finally, I will outline a philosophy on which to base both indications for, and timing of surgical intervention.

Animals↗

Knowledge discovery in biology and biotechnology texts: a review of techniques, evaluation strategies, and applications.

Arguably, the richest source of knowledge (as opposed to fact and data collections) about biology and biotechnology is captured in natural-language documents such as technical reports, conference proceedings and research articles. The automatic exploitation of this rich knowledge base for decision making, hypothesis management (generation and testing) and knowledge discovery constitutes a formidable challenge. Recently, a set of technologies collectively referred to as knowledge discovery in text (KDT) has been advocated as a promising approach to tackle this challenge. KDT comprises three main tasks: information retrieval, information extraction and text mining. These tasks are the focus of much recent scientific research and many algorithms have been developed and applied to documents and text in biology and biotechnology. This article introduces the basic concepts of KDT, provides an overview of some of these efforts in the field of bioscience and biotechnology, and presents a framework of commonly used techniques for evaluating KDT methods, tools and systems.

Algorithms↗

A psychoeducational model for Hispanic Alzheimer's disease caregivers.

PURPOSE: More than 14 million persons are projected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2020; therefore, it is not surprising that the literature contains numerous caregiver intervention studies. What is surprising is that although minority elders represent one of the fastest growing segments of the older population, they are seldom discussed in the intervention literature. DESIGN AND METHODS: A purposive sample of Hispanic caregivers participated in a 5-day, 20-hr psychoeducational program to increase the caregivers' understanding and acceptance of AD, repertoire of coping skills, knowledge of resources, and expression of concerns and emotions of caregiving. Pre- and posttests were administered to determine if participation in the program improved caregivers' knowledge of the progression and management of AD, as well as knowledge of appropriate community-based services. RESULTS: Caregivers demonstrated a significant improvement on the Caregiver Knowledge Survey, an increased awareness of community-based services, increased willingness to attend support groups, and overall satisfaction with the program. IMPLICATIONS: Culturally sensitive intervention research with minority AD caregivers provides the opportunity to increase understanding and improve coping skills.

Alzheimer Disease↗

A UK-wide postal survey to evaluate palliative care education amongst General Practice Registrars.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the content of General Practice Registrars' (GPRs) palliative care education in the U.K. METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent to 492 eligible GPRs across six purposively sampled U.K. postgraduate deaneries. RESULTS: GPRs were satisfied with their course coverage on control of pain, other symptoms and communication skills, and were also moderately confident in applying the knowledge gained in these areas. They showed a high level of knowledge in the management of cancer-related pain. There was less satisfaction with the coverage given to syringe driver use (38%) and bereavement care (36%), with fewer expressing confidence in applying their knowledge to these areas. CONCLUSIONS: GPRs have mixed perceptions about their palliative care education. Future educational packages should ensure that GPRs receive planned systematic training in bereavement care and some practical experience in the use of syringe drivers. Both Postgraduate General Practice Education departments and specialist palliative care providers should explore ways of working more closely together to provide GPRs with more expertize in palliative care.

Adult↗

How developmental supervision and performance management improve effectiveness.

Health care supervisors play an important role in helping organizations achieve their goals by ensuring that employees perform their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible. In most organizations, ill-defined and improperly designed systems exist for assessing and managing employee performance. Health care managers and supervisors can use knowledge of developmental supervision and performance management to increase employee job performance and satisfaction while providing useful information to human resource departments regarding training needs of employees.

Clinical Competence↗

General physicians and the management of heart failure in an Argentine population.

The aim of this study was to assess how general physicians (GP) think that heart failure (HF) should be managed and how they implement their knowledge. It was conducted in Buenos Aires City and suburban area, with the collaboration of 5 cardiologists, and 29 GP who were selected randomly, and were asked to keep a log of all patients they saw with HF. The methodology was similar to that employed in an international initiative named "Improvement" already performed in Europe. Data were obtained of 220 note patients. GP knowledge and perceptions about the management of HF were assessed initially with a "perception survey", and later on how a representative sample of patients was managed, with an "actual practice survey". The electrocardiogram and the chest radiograph were recorded in most patients (approximately equal to 90%), but the echocardiogram only in 67% of cases. Forty percent of the patients had history of myocardial infarction and ischaemic heart disease, but exercise test was not considered as a potential diagnostic test and was recorded only in 16% of the patient records. Likewise coronary angiogram was performed in 7% of patients. Only 23% of the patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction test result documented in their charts. In practice, 43% of GP patients were receiving an ACE inhibitor and one third betablockers. Only 9% received these drugs in combination. At the last interview, 50% had hypertension (blood pressure > or = 140/90) and 15% had not recorded this data in patients notes. This study identified, in a random sample of GP of Buenos Aires City and suburbs, that management of HF was less than optimal.

Adult↗

Urinary incontinence.

Accurate diagnosis and successful management depend on knowledge of the anatomy and regulatory physiology of micturition. Incontinence is classified according to its mechanisms--passive incontinence, active incontinence with or without complete emptying, and overflow incontinence. Approaches to management include pharmacotherapy, surgical procedures and important steps in supportive care. This is a problem of any age. Educating the patient is essential.

Female↗

Pain management in nursing procedures on premature babies.

BACKGROUND: Pain can be caused to premature babies when nursing and other procedures are carried out. Procedural pain management for these babies raises challenging questions for health care professionals. Optimal pain management for premature babies can be reached by using and further developing existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain alleviation methods for procedural pain before, during, and after procedures. AIMS: The aims of this study were to describe the environment of pain management in nursing procedures and examinations with premature babies; to describe preparation of the baby for the procedure; to describe non-pharmacological pain alleviation methods during and after the procedures; and to develop a process describing procedural pain management in premature babies. METHOD: The material for this study consisted of journal articles on non-pharmacological procedural pain alleviation in infants published between 1994 and 2002. During this period knowledge of pain management in premature babies has improved considerably. The study was based on the method of content analysis. FINDINGS: Procedural pain management in premature babies was described by researchers as a process comprising: (1) an environment that is favourable to effective pain management, (2) safe preparation of the baby for the procedure, (3) pain alleviation during the procedure, and (4) restoring the baby's sense of security after the procedure. Pain management is recommended to be used alone or together with pharmacological interventions. Additionally, systematic pain management requires documentation of the whole pain management process. CONCLUSION: Pain management can be described as a process. It is important to test and assess this process and individual non-pharmacological pain management methods in practical nursing situations. The findings of this review can be used to improve pain management methods in premature babies.

Anesthetics, Local↗

Histopathology of calcific aortic valve stenosis.

Calcific aortic valve stenosis is the most common and increasing heart valve disease in the western world. In the last 30 years, diagnosis and management were revolutionized by the development of cardiac catheterisation, echocardiography, cardiac surgery, and medication. Recently, new strategies were introduced for aortic valve replacement using more sophisticated bioprosthetic heart valves. Moreover, tissue-engineered heart valves are under development to improve management strategies. In this article we review the current morphological and histopathological findings in the progression of calcific aortic valve stenosis. This is, to our understanding, important to contribute to the knowledge of fundamental management strategies of this disease.

Aortic Valve Stenosis↗

Adult asthma prevalence, morbidity and mortality and their relationships with environmental and medical care factors in Singapore.

We have conducted a series of studies on adult asthma in Singapore that describe the prevalence, morbidity and mortality and their relationships with environmental and medical care factors. There was no evidence of a temporal increase of mortality from 1976 to 1995 for adults. The prevalence rate of asthma is 2.4% in men and 2.0% in women. There is considerable morbidity among asthmatics, corticosteroids are under-used, and patients' knowledge and self-management skills is poor. Increased morbidity is significantly associated with current keeping of pets, current smoking, and the patients' knowledge and self-management skills. Occupational exposure contributes up to a third of asthma morbidity. Malays and Indians have higher rates of asthma mortality and morbidity than Chinese. They have greater exposures to airborne allergens from keeping rugs or carpets, and pets. Malays experience the most morbidity from asthma, but make less use of health services, and receive less medical attention, than Indians or Chinese.

Adolescent↗

Physician managers: a description of their job in hospitals.

There are those who view management as generic and others who argue that the health care system is significantly different from other systems, requiring managers with special knowledge and skills. This study uses a task inventory mailed to members of the American Academy of Medical Directors (AAMD) to describe and analyze the job of physicians who are in hospital management positions. Physician manager responsibility for the tasks was analyzed by calculating the percentage of responsibility and examining the rank tasks within management function categories. This measures the degree of relationship between two sets of rank-ordered items for task responsibility. Findings indicated that tasks dealing with policy management were among those most likely to be performed by physician administrators while the financial aspects of management are those for which physician managers were least responsible. It was also revealed that physician managers were more involved with program management than with resource management tasks.

Health Facility Administrators↗

Venomous marine creatures.

BACKGROUND: Many venomous marine creatures inhabit Australian waters, causing significant morbidity and occasional fatalities. No antivenom is available for most of these creatures. Little is known about the venom or syndromes produced by many of these creatures. OBJECTIVE: This article discusses the features of envenomation by some of the more commonly encountered venomous marine creatures, and the recommended first aid and medical management of such envenomations. DISCUSSION: The information contained within this article is intended to provide the reader with an overview of some of the more common marine envenomations, and hopefully with the knowledge to effectively manage such problems.

Animals↗

Assessment of physiatrists' knowledge and perspectives on the use of opioids: review of basic concepts for managing chronic pain.

Previous studies of physicians have elucidated knowledge gaps and misconceptions about the use of opioids for the treatment of chronic pain. The recent approval of a pain management subspecialty certification for physiatrists will create higher expectations of the field regarding the treatment of chronic pain. Five hundred randomly chosen physiatrists were surveyed with a 50.6% response rate. Ninety-eight percent of respondents treat patients with chronic noncancer pain diagnoses, and 37% occasionally treat patients with cancer-related pain. Seventy percent of respondents underestimated the percentage of patients with cancer-related pain that could experience relief with oral analgesics. Only 17% underestimated the percentage of advanced cancer patients that experience significant pain. Eight percent of respondents incorrectly answered that a patient, regardless of diagnosis, would become addicted to opioids by taking an opioid daily. Only 25% identified the correct definition of addiction. Questions regarding side effects revealed that 10% of respondents incorrectly believed that opioid-induced respiratory depression is common in patients whose oral morphine dose exceeds 100 mg per day. Eighty percent of respondents preferred long-acting preparations, and 92% preferred set dosing schedules for the treatment of chronic pain. Rapidly evolving concepts regarding the implementation of pharmacologic regimens for chronic pain diagnoses require health care professionals who are trained to administer these treatments. Overall, the survey results are encouraging regarding physiatrists' knowledge about the use of opioids to treat patients with chronic pain.

Adult↗