The psychometric adequacy of the Social Interaction Scale and the Social Phobia Scale (both by R. P. Mattick and J. C. Clark, 1989) was studied with 165 patients with anxiety disorders and 21 people without anxiety. Results support the usefulness of the scales for screening and treatment design and evaluation. (SLD)

Discussion of the causes of communication problems between physicians and chronically ill patients focuses on the information-seeking patterns of women with multiple sclerosis (MS). A survey investigated whether a woman's general orientation to information or the length of time she had MS affected her choice of information resource. (Author/LRW)

Includes an introduction and 13 papers that address the following: nursing shortages; the role of technology in improving patient safety and care, simulating practice environments, and improving efficiency; and recommendations of conference participants. Many papers contain references. (JOW)

Explores the health-related views and experiences of adolescent users of mental health services through interviews with adolescents who had been diagnosed with a mental illness. The majority of respondents had both negative and positive things to say about their contact with health services. These relate to: the doctor-patient relationship,…

Multisource or 360-degree feedback on physician performance can improve the quality of health care if carefully designed and implemented. Communication about data use should be clear and the instrument should have appropriate psychometric properties. It is useful for assessment of interpersonal, communication, professionalism, or teamwork…

Outlines a collaborative model for using mental health clients as teachers in nursing education. Addresses the challenges of providing high-quality learning for students while enhancing client recovery. (Contains 19 references.) (SK)

The paper offers guidance for the incorporation of treatment effectiveness research into clinical dental practice guidelines. Recommended is inclusion of patients' preferences for different outcomes as well as of clinical outcomes in development of valid practice guidelines. (DB)

Describes assessment technique used by interdisciplinary staff on coed Alzheimer's disease unit to help determine patients' competencies to participate in intimate relationships. Two case studies are presented to highlight how assessment led to treatment decisions. (Author/NB)

The literature on the use of standardized patients, lay persons trained to portray a particular patient, is reviewed, focusing on their use in medical education and potential applications in dental education. A test of 80 dental students using standardized patients is also described and evaluated. (MSE)

The treatment of urinary tract infections is discussed. Specific issues considered include the definition of asymptomatic bacteriuria, the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, the controversies of who should be treated, and antimicrobial treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria. (MLW)

Conducted retrospective study of 82 elderly "failure to thrive" (FTT) inpatients. Findings suggest FTT diagnosis when patient's functional ability to live with multisystem diseases, cope with ensuing problems, and manage own care are remarkably diminished and no longer responsive to health care interventions. Attempt to clarify clinical picture of…

Studied 183 heart patient-caregiver dyads to analyze gender and relationship singly and jointly with respect to process and outcome of caregiving. Determined strains caregivers experienced while caring for older heart patients six weeks and one year after hospital discharge. Findings showed consistent patterns of strain. Women, nonspousal…

Conducted study on Alzheimer's unit to test seven different visual barrier conditions for reducing patient exits. Findings indicated that exiting was eliminated under two conditions. Results suggest visual agnosia, the inability to interpret what the eye sees, may be used as tool in managing wandering behavior of Alzheimer's patients. (Author/NB)

Analyzed 299 incidents involving 182 psychiatric patients over a 2-year period. Compared data with control group data from 100 nonincident patients. Findings demonstrated significant relationships between incidents and patient age, gender, diagnostic status, and number of previous incidents. (Author/NB)

The relationship between service intensity and improvement in general psychological well-being was investigated at a Community Mental Health Center staffed primarily by Blacks and serving a Black clientele. Results for 145 Black, 18 White, and 12 other clients indicate a nonlinear relationship between level of services and patient improvement.…