South Australia's Driver Intervention Program: Participant characteristics, best practice discussion and literature review

The Driver Intervention Program (DIP) is a 90-minute interactive small group workshop that aims to address the over representation of young drivers in crashes by confronting them with the potential risk and consequences of road trauma. Any driver aged 25 years and under who has breached the conditions of their South Australian Learner's Permit or Provisional Licence, and has been subsequently disqualified from driving, is required to attend. In the present report, the operation, content and program delivery of the DIP was compared to programs elsewhere that have similar aims. Methodological limitations are acknowledged. Results are given of a survey of personality characteristics and driving related attitudes of a sample of DIP participants, and a comparison is made with those of other young South Australian drivers (University students). DIP participants were found to be personally well adjusted and not very different from the students. However, there were differences on some measures related to aggression. Finally, key findings from the literature review and the psychological profile of DIP participants are brought together and discussed in terms of potential future directions for the DIPL.N. Wundersitz and T.P. Hutchinso

A New Perspective on Aggression in the Schools: Exploring Parental Aggression Towards Teachers

While a substantial amount of research has been devoted to identifying the causal influences and perpetrators of delinquency and victimization among students in the public school setting, similar literature focusing on aggression against teachers is typically concerned only with those instances where the students are the perpetrators. In an exploratory effort to add to that literature, we use data collected from a sample of 544 public school teachers in Kentucky to examine teacher perceptions of the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of problematic parental behavior in schools. Our results suggest, within the limitations of the sample under study, a substantial minority of teachers had been victims of verbal abuse and threats from parents, but only a small percentage of teachers had experienced any physical aggression from parents. In other words, while the problem of parental aggression was present for many of the teachers under study here, it was a problem of verbal aggression, not physical aggression, and resulted primarily from issues surrounding disciplinary actions. Additionally, many of the respondents agreed that both the school board and the criminal justice system were reluctant to prosecute parents who violate the law on school grounds and disagreed that policies at their school adequately punished parents who create conflict

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of existing needle and syringe programmes in preventing hepatitis C transmission in people who inject drugs

AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) compared with no NSPs on hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis from a National Health Service (NHS)/health-provider perspective, utilizing a dynamic transmission model of HCV infection and disease progression, calibrated using city-specific surveillance and survey data, and primary data collection on NSP costs. The effectiveness of NSPs preventing HCV acquisition was based on empirical evidence. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: UK settings with different chronic HCV prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID): Dundee (26%), Walsall (18%) and Bristol (45%) INTERVENTIONS: Current NSP provision is compared with a counterfactual scenario where NSPs are removed for 10 years and then returned to existing levels with effects collected for 40 years. MEASUREMENTS: HCV infections and cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained through NSPs over 50 years. FINDINGS: Compared with a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20 000 per QALY gained, NSPs were highly cost-effective over a time-horizon of 50 years and decreased the number of HCV incident infections. The mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was cost-saving in Dundee and Bristol, and £596 per QALY gained in Walsall, with 78, 46 and 40% of simulations being cost-saving in each city, respectively, with differences driven by coverage of NSP and HCV prevalence (lowest in Walsall). More than 90% of simulations were cost-effective at the willingness-to-pay threshold. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses, including varying the time-horizon, HCV treatment cost and numbers of HCV treatments per year. CONCLUSIONS: Needle and syringe programmes are a highly effective low-cost intervention to reduce hepatitis C virus transmission, and in some settings they are cost-saving. Needle and syringe programmes are likely to remain cost-effective irrespective of changes in hepatitis C virus treatment cost and scale-up

The appendage role of insect disco genes and possible implications on the evolution of the maggot larval form

AbstractThough initially identified as necessary for neural migration, Disconnected and its partially redundant paralog, Disco-related, are required for proper head segment identity during Drosophila embryogenesis. Here, we present evidence that these genes are also required for proper ventral appendage development during development of the adult fly, where they specify medial to distal appendage development. Cells lacking the disco genes cannot contribute to the medial and distal portions of ventral appendages. Further, ectopic disco transforms dorsal appendages toward ventral fates; in wing discs, the medial and distal leg development pathways are activated. Interestingly, this appendage role is conserved in the red flour beetle, Tribolium (where legs develop during embryogenesis), yet in the beetle we found no evidence for a head segmentation role. The lack of an embryonic head specification role in Tribolium could be interpreted as a loss of the head segmentation function in Tribolium or gain of this function during evolution of flies. However, we suggest an alternative explanation. We propose that the disco genes always function as appendage factors, but their appendage nature is masked during Drosophila embryogenesis due to the reduction of limb fields in the maggot style Drosophila larva

A protocol for advanced psychometric assessment of surveys

Background and Purpose. In this paper, we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessments of surveys based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. We use the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey to which this protocol can be applied. Methods. Data mapping, acceptability, reliability, and validity are addressed. Acceptability is assessed with missing data frequencies and the time required to complete the survey. Reliability is assessed with internal consistency coefficients and information functions. A unitary approach to validity consisting of accumulating evidence based on instrument content, response processes, internal structure, and relations to other variables is taken. We also address assessing performance of survey data when aggregated to higher levels (e.g., nursing unit). Discussion. In this paper we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessment of survey data using the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey; application of the protocol to the ACT survey is underway. Psychometric assessment of any survey is essential to obtaining reliable and valid research findings. This protocol can be adapted for use with any nursing survey.<br /

Living with multiple losses: insights from patients living with pressure injury

Background: Pressure injury is a common problem. Its prevention and treatment is predominantly focussed on views, perceptions and knowledge of healthcare staff rather than on patient experience, particularly those patients living in their own homes. Aim: This paper reports findings on patients experiences and perceptions of loss associated with PI. These findings are drawn from a larger study of pressure injury patients living and receiving care in the community. Methods: Qualitative interviews with 12 participants with pressure injury and five carers. Data was audio recorded and thematically analysed. The study is reported in accordance with the COREQ guidelines. Findings: Having a pressure injury negatively affected many aspects of life for our participants resulting in multiple losses. These losses included loss of mobility and independence, privacy and dignity, and social engagement and ability to engage in preferred activities. Discussion: Although the effects of a pressure injury may be similar for many people, the most important issues will differ from person-to-person thus treatment and prevention of pressure injury requires a multidisciplinary team having a holistic care approach. Some patients’ pressure injury will never heal and it is increasingly important to involve the patient to find out what matters most to them and how their wound is impacting on them, to jointly develop a holistic, person-centred plan. Conclusion: Policy and practice should recognise and reflect that patients living with a pressure injury at home have different challenges and needs to those in acute or long term care. Pragmatic solutions in the delivery of pressure injury care are needed to compliment the drive to move healthcare from the hospital-to-home

Le FORUM, Vol. 35 No. 1

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