This paper is intended to familiarize professionals involved in the treatment of the elderly with the role of the Psychologist Clinician as a member of the primary care health team. The paper provides a description of the care facility and its programmes, and of the areas of involvement of the Clinical Psychologist. Data regarding the number of…

Text, illustrations, and exercises are utilized in this set of learning modules to instruct nurses and other health care professionals in the symptoms and treatment of common medical disorders. The first module, by Fern A. Curran, discusses the causes of decubitus ulcers (i.e., bedsores), the physical damage they can do, and methods of preventing…

Text, illustrations, and exercises are utilized in this set of three learning modules designed to instruct medical secretaries and clerks in various job-related skills. The first module, "Completion of a New Patient Registration Form" by Betty R. Kisbey, details the information which should be included in a new patient registration form;…

This paper synthesizes much of the literature concerning physician/patient communication as it relates to patient compliance. Using the theoretical perspective that deals with belief, attitude, intention, and behavior (a perspective generated by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen), a new theoretical orientation for predicting patient compliance is…

After discussing the rhetorical nature of physician/patient interactions, this paper describes and analyzes six medical interviews to illustrate the evolution of interpersonal and role relationships between physicians and patients, the sorts of information that are shared, and the way problems are resolved. The interviews that are described…

There has been considerable interest in incorporating the socialization process--including empathy as a nurse characteristic--into the nursing curriculum. On the other hand, some clients have indicated that they do not see empathy as an important nursing skill. A study was undertaken to assess how sophomores, seniors, and faculty in nursing…

Recent advances in the study of life stress and social support suggest a new approach to the drug abuse client recidivism problem which encompasses the need for naturalistic, interactional studies. A longitudinal study was conducted with 49 ex-clients of a heroin detoxification program to test the hypothesis that experiencing life stress in the…

Some of the unique characteristics of the drug abuse field which distinguish it from the other varieties of substance abuse and research methodologies for studying determinants of drug self-administration behavior which have been developed in response to these characteristics were investigated. Data suggest that residential drug…

Fifty-six subjects were treated in an eight-week program including social learning, behavioral, cognitive, and assertiveness training procedures aimed at the alleviation of depression. Therapist contact, a cost-effectiveness variable, was varied across four treatment groups: individual therapy, small group, large group, and bibliotherapy.…

The literature on attitudes of health workers toward the elderly suggests three variables as contributing to the elderly patient's perception of helplessness in the health care setting. First, the health worker may age-stereotype the elderly person as dependent, low in competence, and unlikely to respond to treatment. Secondly, the disparity in…

The course of psychosocial adjustment to cancer was examined in 105 adults with cancer of the lung, breast and skin. Half of the patients received a program of systematic psychosocial rehabilitation plus evaluation, and the other half received only an evaluation, consisting of a series of psychometric instruments and a problem-oriented structured…

This module on communication in health occupations is one of eight modules designed for individualized instruction in health occupations education programs at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. This module contains an introduction to the module topic and one learning experience. The learning experience contains six activities (e.g., read…

This report describes a collaborative study undertaken by 72 psychoanalysts in an effort to (1) collect systematic data about obese patients in psychoanalysis and (2) assess the effect of psychoanalysis in the treatment of obesity. A total of 84 obese and 63 normal weight patients was studied. Each analyst completed a detailed questionnaire on his…

The project investigated the effectiveness of an evironmental therapy training program for geriatric mental health workers when used in two different institutional settings. Site A was a State-operated facility for psychiatric in-patient care, accommodating 2,000 patients, with emphasis on maintenance and general patient welfare. Site B, a former…

This paper calls for a philosophic and operational reorganization of Comprehensive Mental Health Centers to effect a more efficient and parsimonious use of scarce resources. It translates the laws of parsimony into clinical terms as those interventions and methods of care requiring: (1) the least disruption of the patient's life; (2) use of the…