Geriatric Program for the Small Animal Clinic

Geriatric medicine is becoming increasingly important in small animal practice. Although this area of practice is a relatively new focus, the benefits of such programs are becoming apparent to the veterinarian and clients. Pets are living longer and geriatric pets occupy a significant portion of small animal practice. Over 40% of dogs and 30% of cats in U.S. households are over the age of six years. The increasingly aged pet population necessitates more geriatric care. Clients understand their older pet may have many of the same problems as older humans and are often willing to pay for extra geriatric care because of the strong bond with their older pet. A geriatric program can be rewarding to the veterinarian professionally and financially. Patients also benefit because they receive better care that can detect and may help to prevent treatable diseases earlier

Called to Collaboration: The University Consortium for Catholic Education

This article describes the University Consortium for Catholic Education (UCCE) as an example of collaboration between Catholic colleges, universities, schools, and other stakeholders. The UCCE supports a collaborative cadre of primarily Catholic colleges and universities as they design and implement graduate level teaching service programs for the purpose of supporting K-12 Catholic education in the United States. The article provides a brief introduction to the work of the consortium and analyzes its impact through the lens of Archbishop Michael Miller’s (2006) five benchmarks of truly Catholic schools. The authors collected data and testimony from UCCE program directors, current participants, and alumni to describe the consortium’s model for Catholic teacher preparation, to demonstrate the centrality of collaboration for the success of a program, and to testify to the impact of programs on participants and Catholic colleges and schools

Modeling the Costs and Environmental Benefits of Disposal Options for End-of-Life Electronic Equipment: The Case of Used Computer Monitors

Managing the growing quantity of used electronic equipment poses challenges for waste management officials. In this paper, we focus on a large component of the electronic waste stream—computer monitors—and the disposal concerns associated with the lead embodied in cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used in most monitors. We develop a policy simulation model of consumers’ disposal options based on the costs of these options and their associated environmental impacts. For the stock of monitors disposed of in the United States in 1998, our preliminary findings suggest that bans on some disposal options would increase disposal costs from about $1 per monitor to between$3 and $20 per monitor. Policies to promote a modest amount of recycling of monitor parts, including lead, can be less expensive. In both cases, the costs of the policies exceed the value of the avoided health effects of CRT disposal.end-of-life electronics, waste stream, cost-benefit analysis

Non medical prescribing leads views on their role and the implementation of non medical prescribing from a multi-organisational perspective

BACKGROUND: In the United Kingdom, non-medical prescribing (NMP) has been identified as one way to improve healthcare quality and efficiency. Healthcare organisations are charged with overseeing the clinical governance of NMP and guidance recommends the identification of a lead director to be responsible for its implementation. While over twelve million items are prescribed each year by the 50,000 qualified NMPs its uptake is inconsistent. Several studies have explored the barriers to NMP at a practice level, however little is known about the role the NMP lead and the implementation of NMP from an organisational perspective. The aim of this research was to explore the role of the organisational NMP lead across a range of practice settings within one Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and consider the development of NMP from a multi-organisational perspective. METHODS: Semi-structured telephone interviews with 28 NMP leads across one SHA were undertaken by a trained qualitative researcher. Interviews addressed the purpose of the role and difficulties encountered; audiotapes were transcribed, coded and themes were identified. RESULTS: The NMP lead role comprised of four main functions; communication, coordinating, clinical governance and support. Factors hampering progress in overseeing the safe development of NMP included lack of clarity about the NMP lead role and responsibilities, strategic support and a lack of protected time. The extent to which clinical governance systems were in place across organisations was inconsistent. Where a strategic approach to its development was adopted, fewer barriers were encountered and NMP was more likely to become embedded within organisations. CONCLUSIONS: The significant contribution that NMP leads play in embedding NMP within organisations should be acknowledged by clearer national guidance for this role and its responsibilities. Greater standardisation and consistency is required of clinical governance systems if quality and safety is to be ensured given the expanding development of NMP. The extent to which NMP is in place worldwide differs. However, our findings will be of interest to policymakers in other countries involved in the development and implementation of this role

Improving Outreach & Collaboration

The module is designed to assist teachers and educational leaders in navigating resources that will aid in parent outreach. Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies (2007) give four core beliefs to build strong partnerships between the home and school: 1. All families have dreams for their children and want what is best for them, 2. All families have the capacity to support their children’s learning, 3. Parents and school staff should be equal partners, 4. Responsibility for building and sustaining partnerships between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders. The module, based on those four core principles, provides tools to provide outreach through the lens of partnership, interaction, and feedback to and from families. This module will help educators in learning how to develop trust and understand the families that make up their school communities in the effort to foster comprehensive involvement and improve the overall culture of the school. View professional learning module.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/improve/1015/thumbnail.jp

Investigation of change/stability in WAIS-R scores for 16 year olds over an 18 month period

This study used a test-retest paradigm to investigate change/stability in Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised scores of 16 and 17 year olds. Both short (3 month) and long (18 month) retest intervals were investigated with 26 subjects in each group. The results of this study were quite consistent in showing that WAIS-R retest gains for young 16 year olds were greater over an 18 month retest period than over a 3 month retest period. This general finding was true for males and females on mean Verbal IQ and Full Scale IQ. Mean Performance IQ also showed this differential retest effect but only for males. Verbal IQ gain for the long term retest group seems largely the result of the Vocabulary and Comprehension subtests. Some of the results varied by gender. Although absolute retest gains were different for the long versus short term retest groups, test-retest reliability was high for both groups. Absolute IQ gains for Performance and Full Scale were significantly, but not highly correlated with initial IQ score. Clinical and theoretical implications of these results were discussed. Further research needs to address change/stability of measured IQ for 16 and 17 year olds no longer attending school, and explore the relationship between gender and IQ change for this age group

Residual Limb Volume Fluctuations

BackgroundVolume fluctuations dramatically affect the daily fit and function of amputees’ prosthetic limbs.  Prosthetists have experiential knowledge of patient volume fluctuations; however they rarely have access to quantitative evidence.  Information regarding volume fluctuations is crucial when determining prosthetic socket design, component selection, and rehabilitation regimens.  A collaboration between the Human Dimensioning© Lab (HDL) and Dan Rowe and Associates, a community prosthetic and orthotic provider quantified volume data of individual residuum anatomy.   Method  The project used a 3-dimensional optical body scanner and point cloud digitizing technology, currently used for apparel design, to quantify the daily residuum volume fluctuations in three lower limb amputees.  Utilizing the HDL design resources, three amputees were scanned three times at four intervals over a six-hour period.  The scans were analyzed using Polyworks® software.  Each group of three scans was meshed into an average and each of the four averaged scans was compared to the amputee’s remaining three averaged scans.  ResultsThe results document the changes in volume of the subjects’ residuum over the six-hour period.  The subjects experienced a range of volume fluctuations from 0.5% to 7.5% of total volume.  To validate the method, scanned volume measurements were compared to a simple water displacement measurement.  The results from the scanning method and displacement method differed between .71% and 1.16%. The magnitude and period of fluctuation were not consistent between the subjects.  ConclusionPresently, little is known of the magnitude of short-term volume fluctuations, nor is it known if shape changes accompany short-term volume changes.  This design and medicine collaboration provides a platform for compiling accurate and consistent residuum volume data and shape characterization.  The method has the potential to affect prosthetic limb design and fit.

PETALS: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE OUTCOMES OF A SERVICE FOR BEREAVEMENT DURING CHILDBIRTH

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of Petals: a charitable organisation in Cambridgeshire. Petals provides counselling for women and couples who have suffered perinatal bereavement, or trauma during pregnancy or birth. This paper attempts to evaluate the effect of counseling interventions at this difficult time. Methods: Outcomes were recorded in 42 patients using the CORE (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation) system. CORE was developed to assess the effectiveness of psychological therapies. CORE-OM (CORE Outcome Measure) involves a questionnaire that assesses subjective well-being, symptoms / problems, function, and risk to self and others. The CORE-OM questionnaire was completed before and after the counselling sessions. Results: The CORE-OM scores were summated into a global representation of severity. Severity decreased in all patients. Symptoms of psychological pathology were also decreased in all cases. Conclusion: A review of the available literature indicates that little is known about the efficacy of therapy for perinatal bereavement and trauma. These original data suggest convincing efficacy and benefits, but the numbers involved are small.Further trials with greater sample sizes are required

Dying. Using a public event series as a research tool to open communication on death and dying

This paper will explore the use of public engagement as a strategy for encouraging and enhancing conversations about end of life through the variety of events that were part of the Dying., a public event series that ran in the 2019 DesignTO festival. Dying. invited practitioners, researchers, artists, and designers to collaborate with the wider community to explore the topic of death and dying. The Dying. series attracted over 4,000 attendees in 2019, 14 speakers, and 12 exhibiting artists. These events included public engagement through interactive exhibit, a public art/design show, public lectures, participatory art installations, participatory design workshops, and evidence-based game playing. Dying. encouraged dialogue among community members and practitioners, initiating non-medical portrayals and expression of experiences associated with dying and death. Part, research tool for knowledge mobilisation, the interactive exhibits served to engage the public in sharing experiences of end of life in light weight and playful interactions, as well as more heavy weight interactions. Data gathering for research on health topics using participatory public exhibit was part of the research intention behind the design of the exhibits. Dying. opened an interdisciplinary dialogue between designers, medical practitioners, and the public, addressing a need among practitioners for more opportunities to share their work and learn from colleagues, and a need among the public for opportunities to hear and experience a more varied discourse about death (knowledge mobilization). Dying. creatively offered the public multiple ways to engage with the topic of end of life also supplying supporting resources on advanced care planning and other aspects of end of life decision making

EVALUATION OF A SPECIALISED COUNSELLING SERVICE FOR PERINATAL BEREAVEMENT

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of Petals: a charitable organisation in Cambridgeshire. Petals provides counselling for women and couples who have suffered perinatal bereavement, or trauma during pregnancy or birth. This paper attempts to evaluate the effect of counseling interventions at this difficult time. Methods: Outcomes were recorded in 107 patients using the CORE (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation) system. CORE was developed to assess the effectiveness of psychological therapies. CORE-OM (CORE Outcome Measure) involves a questionnaire that assesses subjective well-being, symptoms/problems, function, and risk to self and others. The CORE-OM questionnaire was completed before and after the counselling sessions. Results: The CORE-OM scores were summated into a global representation of severity. Severity decreased in all patients. Symptoms of psychological pathology were also decreased in all cases. Conclusion: Offering a free specialised counselling for parents suffering perinatal loss seems to be associated with an improvement in psychological outcomes. It is possible that it is more effective among a clinical population. However, we are uncertain of the natural history of the psychological problems this group of clients are experiencing. Having a control group would show how much of any natural improvement is due to the therapy; conversely, it is possible that without intervention these problems worsen with time, so a control group could actually amplify the effect