Investigated interacting effects of information-based preparation and dispositional desire for information among first-time cardiac catheterization patients. Findings from 72 adults randomly assigned to high- or low-information preparation condition revealed that, when desire for information and preparatory information level were matched, there…

Reviews legal and clinical literature on standards of care for nonhospitalized adult suicidal patients. Discusses effective assessment, management, and treatment procedures that balance need for high-quality care by reasonable and prudent practitioner with requirements of court-determined and statutory standards. Specifically discusses failure…

Analyzed Suicide Intent Scale using data from 98 psychiatric inpatients who had attempted suicide. Analysis resulted in two-factor solution: Lethal Intent factor contained items pertaining to subjective level of lethal intent; Planning factor contained items related to objective planning for attempt. Findings suggest that Suicide Intent Scale can…

Considers role patient age plays in cost-effectiveness analysis. Quantifies magnitude of age bias and describes means to modify it. Present value analysis (discounting) is demonstrated to markedly attenuate effect of patient age on cost-effectiveness analysis. Explains how, as discount rate grows, difference in potential "life-years" between old…

Investigated relationship between interpersonal problems, coping style, and suicide risk among 71 adult psychiatric inpatients. Patients admitted with history of suicidal attempts were compared with patients admitted for other reasons. Interpersonal problems were significantly and positively related to suicide risk. Coping style of suppression was…

Obtained data on family caregiver stress from 23 family caregivers before, during, and following respite. Findings suggest that stress was moderated by in-hospital respite program for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Although short-term benefits may be realized for caregivers, in-hospital Alzheimer's respite care may present particular risk for…

Illustrates how self-care can be seen by health care professionals as an important adjunct to the care they give older adults. Suggests the importance of health care professionals knowing the self-care responses to acute illness symptoms and management. (JOW)

Focuses on alternative self-care practices in terms of collaboration with the primary care physician and individual exploration of self-care practices such as acupuncture, meditation, and nutrition counseling. (JOW)

A study of 25 nonprofit and 87 for-profit nursing homes showed both types likely to offer education on advance care planning. However, nonprofits were more likely to have ongoing discussions that covered more than life support decisions and to have ethics committees to support advance care planning. (SK)

Presents, side by side, sections of the first author's (a psychotherapist) journal writing during and after her treatment for cancer, and the second author's (a medical doctor) "commentary" thoughts about her words and what they say about the subjective experience of life-challenging illness. Presents this as one way to humanize the encounter…

An old man, who experiences himself as deeply misunderstood by the medical profession, is interviewed. Analysis shows that doctors involved related, not to the patient, but to a biomedical image of him. His efforts to communicate were converted into instrumentally manageable disorders. Dialog medicine, a counseling model, is introduced.…

Discusses one form of group interpersonal-skill training, relationship-enhancement (RE) therapy, which was offered to patients and staff as a pilot program. Patients and staff found learning RE behaviors and skills to be beneficial to their communication and helpful in improving their relationships. (Author/GCP)

Examines advice on infant nutrition given to mothers by health professionals since the 1940s and looks at ways that mathematics has been used to position women and health professionals and influence their behavior. Argues that a particular kind of mathematics and an authoritarian, transmission mode of learning are used by health…

Examines the effectiveness of a training program designed for physical therapists (N=19) to aid them in the enhancement of patient education. Five therapist-skills were tested. After the training only a minority of the trained skills appeared to have improved. Results show that the training program was not very effective. (Author/MKA)

The effectiveness of the Infrequency-Psychopathology Scale (P. Arbisi and Y. Ben-Porath, 1995) in discriminating between groups of patients administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2 under honest and fake-bad conditions was studied with 74 patients. Results support use of the scale in detecting malingering in psychiatric…