Social class and health education: the impact of class position on women's experience of receiving health education information whilst in hospital

This study aims to explore the impact of class position on women's experience of receiving health education information whilst in hospital for hysterectomy. Evidence from past studies (Webb and Wilson-Barnett 1983, Webb 1986, Bernhard 1992) indicates that lack of information features highly when women talk about their experiences of hysterectomy. However, they have not explored the different experiences of women according to their class position. A qualitative approach, taking a feminist standpoint and focussing on subjective meanings, was adopted to address the research question. In-depth interviews were conducted with quota samples of thirty six women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with doctors and nurses to provide a background to the study. Emerging themes indicate that women from differing class backgrounds have varying informational needs. Working class women accept a passive role and relinquish control over their body to the doctor who they perceive to hold all the power. They express dissatisfaction with the information they receive for dealing with their own recovery. They expect to gain this information from nurses, but find that it is not forthcoming. However, they are reluctant to be critical of nurses who they perceive to be too busy to provide this information. Middle class women are not satisfied with the information they receive. They express expectations of a mutualistic relationship with their doctors and are disappointed when this is not the case. They also express disappointment when information about recovery is not forthcoming from nurses. They express a need for an opportunity to discuss their anxieties as well as gaining procedural information. Patient education needs to be taken on board by health professionals as a necessity rather than an luxury. It needs to be addressed in term of equity rather than treating women as a homogeneous group with the same needs. Nurses are in the unique and challenging position of spending most time with the patient and should be maximising the opportunity for providing health education

Involving users in service planning: a focus group approach

This paper outlines the way in which a focus group approach was used to involve service users in the possible reconfiguration of follow-up services for breast cancer patients at a North London hospital. The focus group was used to identify the priority issues for users and the development of an objective questionnaire, to survey all current service users. Within the National Health Service (NHS) the concept of user involvement has been embodied in contemporary health policy, and has become an important constituent of current policy direction. This study was the first stage of a larger stakeholder project that aimed to involve service users and clinicians in developing a new model of breast cancer follow-up service. From the focus group emerged five key themes around breast cancer follow up. They were: • The need for reassurance after the diagnosis of cancer. • Continuity of care. • Privacy and dignity and other elements of the examination technique. • Information and the detection of new symptoms. • The opportunity to discuss feelings and worries. In this paper, the nature of breast cancer follow-up services is outlined, and the difficulties associated with such services are discussed. The background to user involvement within the United Kingdom is explored, and the strategies that have previously been used are considered. The practical issues involved in using the focus group approach are examined, and the experience of using such an approach is outlined in this study. The involvement of service users as a key stakeholder in the process of planning change, through a participatory research strategy, ensured that their voices were heard alongside those of both hospital and primary care staff

On the smallest scale for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

It is proven that for solutions to the two- and three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations the minimum scale is inversely proportional to the square root of the Reynolds number based on the kinematic viscosity and the maximum of the velocity gradients. The bounds on the velocity gradients can be obtained for two-dimensional flows, but have to be assumed to be three-dimensional. Numerical results in two dimensions are given which illustrate and substantiate the features of the proof. Implications of the minimum scale result to the decay rate of the energy spectrum are discussed

Developing a framework for critiquing health research

A new framework for critiquing health-related research is presented in this article. More commonly used existing frameworks tend to have been formulated within the quantitative research paradigm. While frameworks for critiquing qualitative research exist, they are often complex and more suited to the needs of students engaged in advanced levels of study. The framework presented in this article addresses both quantitative and qualitative research within one list of questions. It is argued that this assists the ‘novice’ student of nursing and health-related research with learning about the two approaches to research by giving consideration to aspects of the research process that are common to both approaches and also that differ between quantitative and qualitative research

Overture - Object-oriented tools for overset grid applications

The Overture framework is an object-oriented environment for solving partial differential equations in two and three space dimensions. It is a collection of C++ libraries that enables the use of finite difference and finite volume methods at a level that hides the details of the associated data structures. Overture can be used to solve problems in complicated, moving geometries using the method of overlapping grids. It has support for grid generation, difference operators, boundary conditions, data-base access and graphics. Short sample code segments are presented to show the power of this approach