A new infrequent response indicator, frequency psychopathology [F(p)] was developed for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and tested with 308 male psychiatric inpatients (veterans). Findings support the F(p) as a sensitive index of profile invalidity in psychiatric populations. (SLD)

The message-learning approach uses persuasive communication to encourage people to examine and change their beliefs and attitudes. It provides useful strategies for direct patient education and helps health educators promote change in the health behavior of their patients. (JOW)

Health care providers were trained using standardized patients (individuals acting as patients) to conduct AIDS risk assessment and posttest counseling. Evaluations involving over 500 participants determined it was an effective technique; however, participants in group formats experienced discomfort. (SK)

This article discusses how a focus group of seven individuals with Down syndrome was used to explore experiences of going to the doctor. Obtaining consent and acknowledging the power differential between participants and researchers are highlighted as key challenges for those wishing to engage in disability research. (Contains references.)…

Describes a study which examined the current matriculation preferences and developmental changes in particular listening habits of medical students during their first year of medical education. Notes that results indicated significant differences between the "people" orientation and the "content" and "time"…

Blood pressure and pulse are measured in supine and upright positions, and certain differences between the values are said to indicate fluid volume disturbance. Most discussions of this "orthostatic test" do not explain how it should be done, and they differ from what has been observed in a practice setting. (MLW)

The validity of the Periodontal Treatment Need System and the Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Need as screening tests for allocation of patients to dental students was assessed and compared. Sixty-one patients reporting to the Department of Periodontology at the University of Oslo were studied. (MLW)

In-depth analysis of topic distribution, utterance functions, and structural and lexical elements in a doctor-patient interaction revealed significant differences between authentic discourse and English-as-a-Second-Language text discourse, suggesting a need for better collection of more authentic data, for a distributional analysis of…

Evaluates an educational program for inner-city children designed to improve patients' knowledge and behaviors related to asthma, in order to improve their control of the disease and thereby reduce the number of emergency room visits. Discusses the failure of this program due to failures of implementation and program effectiveness. (JS)

Evaluated physicians' responses to Alabama state elder abuse reporting statutes in Alabama Protective Services Act of 1976. Survey responses from over 100 Alabama physicians suggest that they have reservations about their ability to diagnose abuse, operation of the law, and their willingness to report abuse. (Author/NB)

A study to test whether or not a computer network can be used to ease the isolation of housebound AIDS patients and help them get advice and make decisions about their health care is described. The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health. (MLW)

Clinical data from 140 primary caregivers seeking dementia evaluation for family member were analyzed to establish psychometric properties of a caregiver burden screen. Results indicate cutoff values were both sensitive and specific to negative caregiving outcomes. Findings suggest use of burden screen may assist clinicians when assessing adequacy…

As part of a neuropsychological assessment, 95 adult patients completed either standard or computerized versions of the Category Test. Subjects who completed the computerized version exhibited more errors than those who completed the standard version, suggesting that it may be more difficult. (SLD)

Three short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), developed in 1991, were cross-validated on 207 male and 133 female adolescent psychiatric inpatients and outpatients. Results show psychometric properties for the short forms that are comparable to those of the WAIS-R standardization sample. (SLD)

Investigated whether women undergoing outpatient chemotherapy for breast cancer can develop classically conditioned emotional distress. Patients' responses to a distinctive stimulus were assessed in a location not associated with chemotherapy administration. Results supported hypothesis that pairing a distinctive stimulus with chemotherapy would…