The effectiveness of using nonmedical personnel to evaluate medical students' performance on medical history-taking and physical examination was studied at Mercer University School of Medicine. Advantages in using nonphysician observers were that they were more available, economical, and attentive. (MLW)

Provides a profile of Hispanic women's use of inpatient mental health facilities. Presents gender differences for Hispanic and non-Hispanic inpatient admissions regarding age, marital status, and diagnosis. Women, particularly Hispanics, used service less than men; admission rates were higher for men with schizophrenia and alcohol-related…

This study analyzes videotaped conversations between various family members of a child with cerebral palsy and medical professionals. The conversations are examined for information elaboration and condensation, information negotiation, as well as methodological benefits. The medical interviews elicited new information in various contexts and…

A program developed by the nursing department at Fernald State School (Massachusetts) prepares nurses to develop prehospital admission teaching programs for mentally retarded persons. Two case studies indicate that the program's emphasis on an interdisciplinary team approach is successful. (CB)

A study found that a combination of small-group instruction and large-group lectures was more effective than lectures alone in preparing medical students to respond to patients' emotional concerns. The small group instruction consisted of interviews with elderly nursing home residents serving as simulated patients, and structured practice and…

A four-session training component linking a pediatric residency program with a school- and home-based early handicap intervention program was found to be effective in introducing residents to issues concerning intervention with handicapped infants. (MSE)

The variables affecting ratings of the importance of biopsychosocial versus biomedical assessments are examined. It was hypothesized that students would perceive the relative importance of biomedical and biopsychosocial assessments differentially based on the diagnoses of the patients and the students' level of training. (MLW)

A group of first-year medical students who demonstrated inadequate interviewing skills in a test with proven reliability and validity were identified. The usefulness of individualized tutorials as a means of helping them improve their skills was assessed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses an experiment conducted with three classes of nursing students at Catania University Polyclinic (Italy) that attempted to find meaningful contexts for use in English as second language teaching curriculum (for nurses). By practicing dialogs typical of nurse-patient interactions in a hospital context, student nurses learned to interact…

A school nurse recorded the characteristics of elementary school children who visited her office over a six-month period. Observations showed that: (1) health-seeking behavior is a learned process; (2) no differences were apparent in how often boys or girls visited the office; and (3) recurrent health problems contributed to visit frequency.…

Adjustment of patients with a serious medical condition to psychological stress accompanying their disorder was investigated. Long-term hemodialysis patients (N=22) and 24 patients in recovery stages of minor medical problems were experimental and control subjects. A significant relationship was found between denial and external locus of control…

With data from mother-infant pairs during the puerperium as an example, three possibilities for using the medical record review are discussed: (1) as a means of specifying objectives for patient care and trainee competence; (2) for assessing trainee progress and teaching program effectiveness; and (3) for assessing the effects of medical science…

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in effectiveness between comprehensive sexuality abstinence-based education and abstinence-only education. A survey was developed and distributed to over 140 individuals via a variety of sources such as: (1) the researcher's e-mail lists; (2) a group of City Core/City Year volunteers; (3) a…

Author outlines in detail how to improve health care in nursing homes by involving nurses, doctors, patients and their families in a teamwork approach to the patients' condition and care. (PD)

Reviews the results of a shift in the circumstances of the deinstitutionalized mentally ill from care in state hospitals to legal prosecution. Discusses the reasons for this shift and describes a San Francisco program that attempts to deal with the problem. (JAC)