7,445 research outputs found
Report of the Accounting Principles Board To the Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Revised May 4, 1965
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_assoc/2300/thumbnail.jp
"They're Really PD Today": An Exploration of Mental Health Nursing Students' Perceptions of Developing a Therapeutic Relationship With Patients With a Diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder
The therapeutic relationship is of particular importance when working with patients with antisocial personality disorder, but despite this, there is a paucity of literature exploring student nurses’ perceptions of developing a therapeutic relationship with such patients. Hence, this qualitative study explored the perceptions of second-year mental health nursing students of developing a therapeutic relationship with this patient group. Student nurses from a University in the Northwest of England participated in two focus groups, to compare the perceptions of a group of student nurses who had experience in secure settings (forensic hospital) with those who had not. Four key themes emerged: diagnosis, safety, engagement, and finally environmental influences. Both groups commented on looking beyond the diagnosis and seeing the person. The student nurses cited other staff in their clinical placement areas as hugely influential in terms of the development of their perceptions of patients with antisocial personality disorder and how to relate to them
First-line therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder : a systematic review of cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic approaches
Background: Despite evidence supporting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based interventions as the most effective approach for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in randomised control trials, alternative treatment interventions are often used in clinical practice. Psychodynamic (PDT) based interventions are one
example of such preferred approaches, this is despite comparatively limited available evidence supporting their effectiveness for treating PTSD. Aims: Existing research
exploring effective therapeutic interventions for PTSD includes trauma-focused CBT involving exposure techniques. The present review sought to establish the treatment efficacy of CBT and PDT approaches, and considers the potential impact of selecting
PDT-based techniques over CBT-based techniques for the treatment of PTSD.Results: The evidence reviewed provided examples supporting PDT-based therapy as an effective treatment for PTSD, but confirmed CBT as more effective in the treatment of this particular disorder. Comparable dropout rates were reported for
both treatment approaches, suggesting that relative dropout rate should not be a pivotal factor in the selection of a PDT approach over CBT for treatment of PTSD.Conclusion/Implications: The need to routinely observe evidence-based recommendations for effective treatment of PTSD is highlighted and factors
undermining practitioner engagement with CBT-based interventions for the treatment of PTSD are identified
Revising acute care systems and processes to improve breastfeeding and maternal postnatal health: a pre and post intervention study in one English maternity unit
Background
Most women in the UK give birth in a hospital labour ward, following which they are
transferred to a postnatal ward and discharged home within 24 to 48 hours of the birth.
Despite policy and guideline recommendations to support planned, effective postnatal care,
national surveys of women’s views of maternity care have consistently found in-patient
postnatal care, including support for breastfeeding, is poorly rated.
Methods
Using a Continuous Quality Improvement approach, routine antenatal, intrapartum and
postnatal care systems and processes were revised to support implementation of evidence
based postnatal practice. To identify if implementation of a multi-faceted QI intervention
impacted on outcomes, data on breastfeeding initiation and duration, maternal health and
women’s views of care, were collected in a pre and post intervention longitudinal survey.
Primary outcomes included initiation, overall duration and duration of exclusive
breastfeeding. Secondary outcomes included maternal morbidity, experiences and satisfaction
with care. As most outcomes of interest were measured on a nominal scale, these were
compared pre and post intervention using logistic regression.
Results
Data were obtained on 741/1160 (64%) women at 10 days post-birth and 616 (54%) at 3
months post-birth pre-intervention, and 725/1153 (63%) and 575 (50%) respectively postintervention.
Post intervention there were statistically significant differences in the initiation
(p = 0.050), duration of any breastfeeding (p = 0.020) and duration of exclusive breastfeeding
to 10 days (p = 0.038) and duration of any breastfeeding to three months (p = 0.016). Post
intervention, women were less likely to report physical morbidity within the first 10 days of
birth, and were more positive about their in-patient care.
Conclusions
It is possible to improve outcomes of routine in-patient care within current resources through
continuous quality improvement
Relationship between spatial proximity and travel-to-work distance : the effect of the compact city
In this paper, an assessment is made of the relationship between selected aspects of spatial proximity (density, diversity, minimum commuting distance, jobs-housing balance and job accessibility) and reported commuting distances in Flanders (Belgium). Results show that correlations may depend on the considered trip end. For example, a high residential density, a high degree of spatial diversity and a high level of job accessibility are all associated with a short commute by residents, while a high job density is associated with a long commute by employees. A jobs-housing balance close to one is associated with a short commute, both by residents and by employees. In general, it appears that the alleged sustainability benefits of the compact city model are still valid in a context of continuously expanding commuting trip lengths
Estimating the temporal and spatial risk of bluetongue related to the incursion of infected vectors into Switzerland
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The design of veterinary and public health surveillance systems has been improved by the ability to combine Geographical Information Systems (GIS), mathematical models and up to date epidemiological knowledge. In Switzerland, an early warning system was developed for detecting the incursion of the bluetongue disease virus (BT) and to monitor the frequency of its vectors. Based on data generated by this surveillance system, GIS and transmission models were used in order to determine suitable seasonal vector habitat locations and risk periods for a larger and more targeted surveillance program.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Combined thematic maps of temperature, humidity and altitude were created to visualize the association with <it>Culicoides </it>vector habitat locations. Additional monthly maps of estimated basic reproduction number transmission rates (R<sub>0</sub>) were created in order to highlight areas of Switzerland prone to higher BT outbreaks in relation to both vector activity and transmission levels. The maps revealed several foci of higher risk areas, especially in northern parts of Switzerland, suitable for both vector presence and vector activity for 2006.</p> <p>Results showed a variation of R<sub>0 </sub>values comparing 2005 and 2006 yet suggested that Switzerland was at risk of an outbreak of BT, especially if the incursion arrived in a suitable vector activity period. Since the time of conducting these analyses, this suitability has proved to be the case with the recent outbreaks of BT in northern Switzerland.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results stress the importance of environmental factors and their effect on the dynamics of a vector-borne disease. In this case, results of this model were used as input parameters for creating a national targeted surveillance program tailored to both the spatial and the temporal aspect of the disease and its vectors. In this manner, financial and logistic resources can be used in an optimal way through seasonally and geographically adjusted surveillance efforts. This model can serve as a tool for other vector-borne diseases including human zoonotic vectors which are likely to spread into Europe.</p
Mortality after admission for acute myocardial infarction in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in New South Wales, Australia: a multilevel data linkage study
Background - Heart disease is a leading cause of the gap in burden of disease between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Our study investigated short- and long-term mortality after admission for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people admitted with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, and examined the impact of the hospital of admission on outcomes.
Methods - Admission records were linked to mortality records for 60047 patients aged 25–84 years admitted with a diagnosis of AMI between July 2001 and December 2008. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for 30- and 365-day all-cause mortality.
Results - Aboriginal patients admitted with an AMI were younger than non-Aboriginal patients, and more likely to be admitted to lower volume, remote hospitals without on-site angiography. Adjusting for age, sex, year and hospital, Aboriginal patients had a similar 30-day mortality risk to non-Aboriginal patients (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI 0.83-1.37) but a higher risk of dying within 365 days (AOR: 1.34; 95% CI 1.10-1.63). The latter difference did not persist after adjustment for comorbid conditions (AOR: 1.12; 95% CI 0.91-1.38). Patients admitted to more remote hospitals, those with lower patient volume and those without on-site angiography had increased risk of short and long-term mortality regardless of Aboriginal status.
Conclusions - Improving access to larger hospitals and those with specialist cardiac facilities could improve outcomes following AMI for all patients. However, major efforts to boost primary and secondary prevention of AMI are required to reduce the mortality gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
A prospective study to assess the value of MMP-9 in improving the appropriateness of urgent referrals for colorectal cancer
Background
Bowel cancer is common and is a major cause of death. Most people with bowel symptoms who meet the criteria for urgent referral to secondary care will not be found to have bowel cancer, and some people who are found to have cancer will have been referred routinely rather than urgently. If general practitioners could better identify people who were likely to have bowel cancer or conditions that may lead to bowel cancer, the pressure on hospital clinics may be reduced, enabling these patients to be seen more quickly. Increased levels of an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) have been found to be associated with such conditions, and this can be measured from a blood sample. This study aims to find out whether measuring MMP-9 levels could improve the appropriateness of urgent referrals for patients with bowel symptoms.
Methods
People aged 18 years or older referred to a colorectal clinic will be asked to complete a questionnaire about symptoms, recent injuries or chronic illnesses (these can increase the level of matrix metalloproteinases) and family history of bowel cancer. A blood sample will be taken from people who consent to take part to assess MMP-9 levels, and the results of examination at the clinic and/or investigations arising from the clinic visit will be collected from hospital records. The accuracy of MMP-9 will be assessed by comparing the MMP-9 level with the resulting diagnosis. The combination of factors (e.g. symptoms and MMP-9 level) that best predict a diagnosis of malignancy (invasive disease or polyps) will be determined.
Discussion
Although guidelines are in place to facilitate referrals to colorectal clinics, symptoms alone do not adequately distinguish people with malignancy from people with benign conditions. This study will establish whether MMP-9 could assist this process. If this were the case, measurement of MMP-9 levels could be used by general practitioners to assist in the identification of people who were most likely to have bowel cancer or conditions that may lead to bowel cancer, and who should, therefore, be referred most urgently to secondary car
How do psychiatrists address delusions in first meetings in acute care? A qualitative study
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth: an update of current issues and recommendations for future research
Objective:
This paper aimed to report the current status of research in the field of post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth (PTSD FC), and to update the findings of an earlier 2008 paper.
Background:
A group of international researchers, clinicians and service users met in 2006 to establish the state of clinical and academic knowledge relating to PTSD FC. A paper identified four key areas of research knowledge at that time.
Methods:
Fourteen clinicians and researchers met in Oxford, UK to update the previously published paper relating to PTSD FC. The first part of the meeting focused on updating the four key areas identified previously, and the second part on discussing new and emerging areas of research within the field.
Results:
A number of advances have been made in research within the area of PTSD FC. Prevalence is well established within mothers, several intervention studies have been published, and there is growing interest in new areas: staff and pathways; prevention and early intervention; impact on families and children; special populations; and post-traumatic growth.
Conclusion:
Despite progress, significant gaps remain within the PTSD FC knowledge base. Further research continues to be needed across all areas identified in 2006, and five areas were identified which can be seen as ‘new and emerging’. All of these new areas require further extensive research. Relatively little is still known about PTSD FC
- …