Analysis of records on the number of activities engaged in outside the institution of 24 individuals with mental retardation moving from a hospital in County Durham (United Kingdom) to community-based homes found that home size, degree of disability, and number of trips made before moving were correlated with the number of trips from the home…

Three elements of persuasion (source, message, and audience) are discussed, and a paradigm for persuasion, the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which unifies many existing attitude theories, is described. Selected concepts and research on attitudes and persuasion are also examined as a context for teaching preventive behaviors and strategies in…

Since Magic Johnson's retirement, athletes and sports organizations are more interested in HIV and AIDS. Many seek answers from physicians about the risk of transmission through athletic competition and the rights of HIV-positive players. Physicians can counsel patients about reducing risk. The article discusses risk, testing, policies, education,…

Some problems in the changing pattern of relationships between bedside teaching, clinical research, and provision of medical services in academic hospitals are examined, including patient types, sophistication of medical intervention, and specialization. Four elements of government policy that might favor desirable development in these areas are…

The application of a newly developed instrument for the assessment of patient function in rehabilitation is discussed. The 18-item Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used to rate 187 patients requiring inpatient rehabilitation. Practical uses of the FIM are discussed in view of its satisfactory reliability and validity. (SLD)

A survey of 200 medical students questioned 2 years apart investigated their willingness to treat Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patients. Overall, the students became more restrictive in their attitudes toward these patients, felt less personal obligation for their care, and were less likely to use infection-control methods to ensure…

The ethics of cheating among dental students is considered, including why cheating is wrong, the commercial model of dentistry, the guild model of dentistry, and the more desirable interactive model focusing on the dentist-patient relationship. Cheating's effects on the teacher student relationship and the need to respond appropriately are…

Explored emotional states of dying patients, age, and family support. Findings from 26 terminally ill female cancer patients revealed that younger patients expressed more bargaining and complaints than older patients who revealed more depression and acceptance. Patients with immediate family support expressed less depression and more fears than…

The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of the patient, training process, and test that were associated with the accuracy of the standardized patient's presentation of the clinical problem. The cohort consisted of 38 patients who were used to evaluate 98 medical students at the University of Manitoba in 1988. (MLW)

Instructional materials on hypoglycemia, foot care, and exercise were developed and field tested with 98 diabetes patients who had low vision and/or low literacy. A pretest and posttest revealed an 81% reduction in wrong answers overall and a 72% reduction in wrong answers by a subset with low vision. (Author/DB)

During menopause and the climacteric, women experience many changes that can affect nearly every organ system and cause psychological symptoms. This article reviews the specific changes and explains how exercise can address each symptom; outlines a practical approach physicians can use to help menopausal patients improve their quality of life. (SM)

Amenorrhea, disordered eating, and osteoporosis form an interconnected, potentially fatal triad that is not widely understood. Physician vigilance when treating young female athletes can lead to early recognition and prevention of serious consequences. Physicians must help athletic young women participate in their sports in the healthiest, safest…

A developed computer-administered form of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and the clinician form of the instrument were administered to 214 psychiatric outpatients and 78 community adults. Results support the reliability and validity of the computer-administered version as an alternative to the clinician-administered version. (SLD)

Health care professionals were surveyed concerning their use of health education methods and the ease of implementing the stages of the process of lifestyle counseling. Results are discussed for three different provider groups and for specific aspects of the health education process. Recommendations to address problems are included. (Author/EMK)

Examines the relations among self-consciousness, attribution of responsibility, and differentiation of emotions by interviewing 30 Israeli medical students. Finds that in terms of student-patient interactions, students high in public self-consciousness made more internal attributions while students high in private self-consciousness made more…