To determine the effectiveness of teaching interpersonal skills in a general internal medicine residency, a program was developed utilizing videotape feedback of hospital house-staff/patient interactions. Fifty-one randomly selected house officers were included in a controlled pre- and post-test study design. The results suggest that such a…

Argues that more attention must be given to helping medical students who have personal experience with family violence cope with both their own emotional needs and their responses to patients who are victims of violence. Medical schools might consider implementing training sessions on physical, psychological, and emotional self-care and…

Discusses the ethnic-related differences in mental hospitalization admittance rates, diagnoses, and length of treatment. Explores reasons other than ethnic origin that may account for these differences, including socioeconomic standing, access to alternative services, bias in practitioners' assignment of diagnostic labels, and differential stigma…

Discusses the efforts of tribally controlled colleges to integrate traditional American Indian healing techniques with Western medical practices, indicating that the colleges often find themselves acting as liaisons between the two approaches. Describes approaches of the colleges' medical programs to promote understanding of Indian patients and…

Analysis of data from the management systems of San Francisco and Santa Clara counties (California) reveals ethnic differences among 26,708 public mental health service users. Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans used less emergency and inpatient, but more outpatient, care than whites. Blacks used more emergency and less outpatient care. (SLD)

A study compared effects of two methods of teaching geriatric dentistry: traditional approach based on readings, and computer-assisted simulation of patient interaction and clinical decision making. Although subjects (n=20) showed no significant differences by treatment, computer-trained students had statistically nonsignificant higher performance…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of organizational changes in the general medicine clinic on residents' and patients' satisfaction, including their perceptions of the quality of care. Questionnaires to assess satisfaction were administered to the residents (N=80) and patients (N=577) using a pre- and posttesting design. (MLW)

A study assessed the usefulness of unannounced standardized patients to assess the skills of 284 physicians enrolled in a continuing medical education program in control of sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus. Significant discrepancies were found between physician-reported performance and actual performance, as found in…

Lists ten ways in which having medical students in the community physician's office can be of value to preceptors, including providing valuable but time-consuming patient services, following up on phone calls, providing computer skills, performing minor office procedures, reviewing medical records, helping with paperwork, stimulating preceptor…

Tested whether psychosocial variables showed direct relations to substance use, and direct, indirect, and interactive relations to use-related negative consequences in adolescents. Found psychosocial variables relate to problem use beyond the simple indirect effect from consumption level. (Author/DLH)

We present a systematic review of published research on psychoeducational interventions for children with cancer. The current lack of an organizational model for this literature makes it difficult to form a coherent picture of the scattered literature and draw nomothetic conclusions. A model is described that is based on functional concepts from…

Mental health services are delivered to children in many settings, including inpatient psychiatric facilities. In 1997, over 280,000 children and adolescents were admitted to inpatient psychiatric settings for services related to emotional or behavioral disorders. Building a bridge between hospital and school professionals is necessary to maintain…

Problem Statement and Background: While the psychometric properties of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have been studied, their latent structures have not been well characterized. This study examines a factor analytic model of a comprehensive OSCE and addresses implications for measurement of clinical performance. Methods: An…

Multimedia has the potential of providing bioscience education novel learning environments and pedagogy applications to foster student interest, involve students in the research process, advance critical thinking/problem-solving skills, and develop conceptual understanding of biological topics. "Cancer Cell Biology," an interactive, multimedia,…

Purpose: We report the results of a survey of state initiatives that measure resident satisfaction in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and we describe several model programs for legislators and public administrators contemplating the initiation of their own state programs. Design and Methods: Data on state initiatives and programs…