bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting what matters in health promotion evaluation
Authors: McKenzie Rosemary , Naccarella Lucio , Stewart Andrew , Thompson Catherine
Published: January 2018

This article1 examines the RE-AIM evaluation framework, first expounded by Glasgow, Vogt and Boles (1999) as an approach that can establish the public health impact of a health promotion program. The article presents the practical application of RE-AIM in evaluation of multi-project, multi-setting health promotion programs, illustrated by the evaluation of three statewide programs: a three-year older adult health promotion program, a three-year diabetes prevention program, and a one-year health promotion program in public sector aged care, all set in Victoria, funded by the Department of Human Services. It considers how the RE-AIM approach can be employed to provide insights into real-world program domains of interest to funders, policymakers and health promotion practitioners that are frequently overlooked in conventional impact evaluations. The article concludes that RE-AIM is an adaptable, easy-to-use evaluation approach suited to multi-project program evaluations that can be used in a range of settings and sectors.
References for qualitative methods
Authors: Hurworth Rosalind
Published: January 2018

This is a new section that provides information on useful resources for evaluators. This first edition lists reference details for a range of publications relating to qualitative (and mixed) methods.
Program Clarification: An Overview and Resources for Evaluability Assessment, Program Theory and Program Logic
Authors: Hurworth Rosalind
Published: January 2018

This contribution to the journal examines program clarification for evaluation purposes. It traces the development of this approach over the past three decades, during which the terms evaluability assessment, program theory and program logic have been applied in turn. This is followed by an extensive list of resources that either discuss one of the terms generally or describe applications to a range of program areas.
A Critique of Using the Delphi Technique for Assessing Evaluation Capability-Building Needs
Authors: McGeary Julie
Published: January 2018

This article examines the use of the Delphi technique as part of a Needs Assessment to inform an evaluation capability-building plan within a government department. Besides considering the Delphi process itself, it also raises methodological issues and suggests steps that might be taken in the future.
Lifting the Lens: Developing a Logic for a Complicated Policy
Authors: Roorda Mathea , Nunns Heather
Published: January 2018

A new intervention that is designed to be adaptive presents a challenge for evaluators when developing a logic model at the start of a government policy evaluation. Our task became more problematic when the early data collection identified that participant groups had differing ideas about what the policy was intended to achieve. Participants also tended to ‘deconstruct’ the policy and focus only on the parts for which they were responsible. Realising that traditional logic modelling (that is, a linear approach to describing policy inputs and outcomes developed at the beginning of the evaluation) would provide a simplified picture of the policy, we decided to ground the logic in the evidence. This approach provided a more in-depth understanding of how the policy components interact with each other. Our logic became a vehicle to reconceptualise the policy through presenting an alternative perspective to understanding and communicating how the policy works on the ground.
AES Strategic Plan (2010-2020)—Leading Evaluation in Australasia
Authors: Markiewicz Anne
Published: January 2018

The AES embarked upon a strategic planning process during 2009-2010 to develop a 10-year Strategic Plan for the AES. The AES Ten Year Strategic Plan (2010-2020) is titled Leading Evaluation in Australasia. The Strategic Plan and the associated Implementation Plan can be located on the AES website at < http://www.aes.asn.au/about >.
Evaluation as a Circuit Breaker: Dealing with the Hazards of Hidden Stakeholder Conflict
Authors: Hurley Catherine , Lawless Angela , Biedrzycki Katherine
Published: January 2018

This article explores the experiences of an external evaluation team in dealing with the use of evaluation to reveal and confront hidden conflict among the program and policy staff involved in a number of community-based early childhood health services. The evaluation was political from the outset, with a number of highly invested groups of stakeholders divided into competing camps in relation to models of practice, power and control issues that arose when attempting to integrate separate services within one region. In uncovering this conflict, the evaluation became the means by which dialogue between the different stakeholders was opened up and contentious issues examined. The processes used by the evaluation team in tackling this highly charged review are discussed in an effort to raise awareness of this potential use of evaluation and to enhance practice.
Challenges Faced when Evaluating the Jalaris Kids Future Club
Authors: Haviland Maya , Pillsbury With James
Published: January 2018

Jalaris Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia was established in 1994 to look after the needs of an Aboriginal community. The organisation's most recent project is the ‘Kids Future Club’, an after-school activities program.

Jalaris has a history of evaluating their work using a participatory action research approach, but decided to approach evaluation of the Kids Future Club in a slightly different way. This article discusses the reasons for the changed approach, the efforts made to develop culturally appropriate tools for data collection, and the challenges encountered in undertaking evaluation of outcomes for individual children in the context of Jalaris and their Aboriginal community.

The tensions between ethical approaches to working within the Aboriginal kinship network and undertaking evaluation that required detailed observation and data collection of individuals proved to be irreconcilable for Jalaris.

Lessons learnt from this evaluation process may inform future efforts to evaluate Aboriginal community initiatives.
Why We Should Focus on Understanding the Individual in Evaluation
Authors: Kushner Saville
Published: January 2018

This article1 is drawn from the work of Barry MacDonald and is written as a tribute to him. It addresses an issue he raised some while ago whose relevance intensifies today in a world seeing the demise of independent professional practice and public sector ethos. The ‘portrayal of persons’ relates to a paper MacDonald wrote in 1976 (MacDonald 1976), at a time when the discipline and the practice of evaluation was in rapid emergence and development. He was arguing forcefully that to understand innovation we have to understand innovators. This was not a new message. It had been enunciated elsewhere, including by Schwab (1978) and Schön (1971) whose work revealed individualism, values and exchange as key elements of innovation. But what MacDonald added was a political dimension: using the portrayal of persons to share control of the evaluation by passing responsibilities for interpretation (generalisation) to the evaluand; and by empowering the organisation by enhancing knowledge of itself (for example, against attempts to enforce external values on professional action through external accountability).

The rationale was the same as that for case study evaluation: to ground generalisations in the experience of the practitioners and to shape evaluation around issues and dilemmas encountered in their practices. This inevitably leads to working with small samples (cases) but not losing the aim of deriving broad generalisation. This was the key methodological principle that provoked and continues to provoke reaction from those who believe in a quantity theory of generalisation—that systems are made up of patterns of action and phenomena, and that we need sufficiently broad ranges of data to ensure that we have captured the full extension of a pattern. Case theorists argue that even where this is true, it is more important to capture the inherent qualities of the patterning and its contingent relationships with context. MacDonald sought to show, as I do in this article, that it is possible to arrive at important and generalisable (provisional) insights from a sample of one.
Building on the Evaluation of STARS: Using Online Repositories to Support the General Practice Learning Community
Authors: Fan Si , Cooling Nick , Radford Jan , Fabian Debbie , Brown James
Published: January 2018

This article reports on the development and evaluation of an online repository for sharing general practice (GP) educational resources. GP supervisors and medical educators need quality resources to facilitate learning and teaching. Developing or finding resources from scratch is time-consuming and duplicates effort when teachers and learners are geographically dispersed. In response to this challenge, a curated repository, Self-directed Training and Resource System (STARS) was developed in 2009 for sharing educational and clinical resources within the Australian GP learning community. However, a low engagement by users was observed. This research began by an examination of enablers and barriers for resource sharing and the existing online repository: STARS. Data collection methods included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Findings contributed to the development of a new pilot repository that was embedded in a collaborative online learning space, also known as a ‘digital habitat’. This space focused on engagement with resources and other users. It incorporated Web 2.0 tools and followed recent trends in user-created content and ranking of usefulness. Overall findings revealed that ease of use and effective management are paramount in ensuring ongoing viability and value of an online repository.
Evaluation from inside Out: The Experience of Using Local Knowledge and Practices to Evaluate a Program for Adolescent Girls in India through the Lens of Gender and Equity
Authors: Nandi Rajib , Nanda Rituu B , Jugran Tanisha
Published: January 2018

This article describes an interesting approach where the evaluators recognised the value of using local community knowledge and experience in evaluating a Government of India program for the development and empowerment of adolescent girls. The evaluators tried to integrate participatory and appreciative approaches and looked at the evaluation process through a gender and equity lens.

The evaluators went beyond the mandate of evaluation and focused on building evaluation capacity by fostering ownership of the program among stakeholders and encouraging the community to be the active agents of change. Instead of traditional evaluation where evaluators are outsiders, we engaged the stakeholders in the evaluation. All the stakeholders, including the funding agency, a non-government organisation (NGO), the adolescent girls and the wider community were engaged in varying degrees—from defining the objectives, designing questions, data collection and data analysis in the context of their aspirations and expectations, so that it could be an occasion for recognition and celebration of their strengths. The local project implementers and the adolescent girls themselves re-evaluated their own responses and used them in a particular context to further empower themselves. We used principles of the strength-based approach and framed appreciative questions, which recognised the strengths of the community and NGO staff. This created a non-threatening environment, which stimulated open sharing of experiences. Further, this resulted in reinforcing the evaluation process by improving the quality and richness of data that the community produced itself, which would not have been the case in a traditional evaluation.

Additionally, a gender and equity lens was used to conduct the evaluation in six multi-ethnic districts, populated with religious and linguistic minorities, and an indigenous population. The gender and equity lens allows recognising the systematic discrimination based on gender, caste and class. The evaluation was able to probe whether the program assessed time, mobility, poverty and accessibility constraints of girls, and accounted for intersectional discrimination.
A new perspective for mixed-methods evaluations
Authors: Elahi Sha'ban , Kalantari Nadia , Hassanzadeh Mohammad , Azar Adel
Published: January 2018

Evaluation is a broad and multifaceted area of study for researchers that requires the use of a combination of research methods—subsequently providing a challenging agenda for policy-makers. The multifaceted nature of the field indicates an urgent need for a comprehensive framework that includes guidelines for researchers and practitioners.

There are several important factors in the selection of method(s) for evaluations including an evaluation's paradigm, approach and purpose; this article aims to address each of these and propose a new perspective for evaluations using a mixed-methods approach. Specifically, the article aims to inform a framework to help evaluators select appropriate methods, with special emphasis on the structural components of the working methodologies. Given the significance of the theoretical background of evaluation, a literature review was carried out with the purpose of informing the development of a new perspective for mixed-methods evaluations using a meta-synthesis approach. All related literature including books and papers published in peer-reviewed journals was extracted, studied and analysed via open coding. Thus, the new perspective presented in this article is based on rich and reliable literature and is helpful for evaluators who are interested in using a mixed-methods approach.
Building evaluation capacity in micro community organisations—more burden than benefit?
Authors: Doherty Bridget , Eccleston Richard , Hansen Emily , Natalier Kristin , Churchill Brendan
Published: January 2018

Building evaluation capacity in community organisations is promoted as a key means of creating an evaluation culture that will reorient organisations towards identifying and measuring outcomes, demonstrating achievements and enhancing accountability.

Building evaluation capacity presents a number of challenges for micro-organisations, including limited resources for evaluation, a low existing evaluation skills base, and, an organisational culture and practice that does not align well with evaluation tools and techniques typically used to demonstrate program outcomes. The implementation of the Thriving Communities Healthy Families pilot project in Tasmania, a place-based health promotion intervention delivered through Neighbourhood Houses (NH), included an evaluation capacity building (ECB) component. The pilot project is used in this article as a case study to illustrate the tensions that arose for community development workers in the NH as they implemented a new program, and contended with the demands of developing their evaluation capacity. We found that while community development workers value evaluation and the importance of demonstrating program outcomes, the model of building evaluation capacity of the workers themselves was burdensome. Further, some workers perceived that evaluation activities impacted negatively on their primary role of supporting vulnerable community members.

We conclude that, in very small community sector organisations, ECB requires an ongoing mentoring/relationship-building approach, rather than a traditional training approach. This has implications for how to fund ECB and raises questions on where best to focus ECB in these micro-organisations.
Performance measurement as precursor to organizational evaluation capacity building
Authors: Bourgeois Isabelle
Published: January 2018

The widespread use of performance measurement and program evaluation in public administrations worldwide has been met with varying degrees of success, in terms of increased transparency and effectiveness. In many cases, the lack of impact of these functions is attributed to insufficient organizational knowledge and capacity to implement proper monitoring and evaluation systems. Both of these management tools are recognized in their own right as having the potential to contribute to ongoing decision-making and budgetary allocations within public organizations; however, they have complementary roles in terms of producing ongoing versus periodic information, and focusing on outputs and early outcomes versus longer-term program objectives. This paper attempts to bridge these two functions by proposing that performance measurement can act as a precursor to the development of organizational evaluation capacity, by providing some of the building blocks required to develop an evaluative culture within an organization. Five models of organizational evaluation capacity were analyzed to identify the extent to which performance measurement contributes to evaluation capacity building.
Photovoice: A participatory approach to disability service evaluation
Authors: Seed Natalie
Published: January 2018

Historically, individuals with a disability have been underrepresented in evaluations of services and programs that aim to serve them. This underrepresentation is due to a number of challenges including time constraints, communication impairments and power relationships. In many evaluations, proxies are used to collect data and information about the life of the individual living with a disability. How then, do we provide an evaluation of a program or service if those who it aims to serve are not directly involved in the data collection process as a participant? This article describes the pilot of a participatory evaluation method (Photovoice) in the evaluation of a disability service, which provides respite weekends for families of children with a disability. The method was implemented with participants living with a disability who attended the second program weekend in 2015. The article discusses the Photovoice method that was implemented, the findings of the pilot and lessons learned by the evaluators.
Development of a Child Evaluation Framework for Early Childhood Services Using Deliberative Democratic Evaluation and the Mosaic Approach
Authors: Kingston Kylie
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this article is to present an evaluation design for the development of a Child Evaluation Framework (Framework). If implemented, this Framework would give four to six year old children attending early childhood services in an Australian context the capacity to impact upon the design and delivery of their early childhood service. As highlighted, the current lack of ability for children to have a voice and participate in the evaluation of their early childhood service infringes upon their rights under Article 12 of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which calls for the child's right to freedom of expression and information, and for participation. It is hoped that the successful development and implementation of this design would advance child participation rights and child empowerment. The design utilises the principles of deliberative democratic evaluation, and methodologies advocated within the mosaic approach to researching with young children.
Illustrating the Evaluation of System Feedback Mechanisms Using System Evaluation Theory (SET)
Authors: Renger Ralph
Published: January 2018

This article describes how system evaluation theory (SET) guided the evaluation of cardiac care response systems efficiency in seven rural United States. Specifically, the article focuses on the approach and methods used to evaluate system feedback mechanisms; one key factor affecting system efficiency. Mixed methods were applied to evaluate five criteria of system feedback efficiency: frequency, timeliness, credibility, specificity, and relevance. Examples from the cardiac care response system evaluation are used to illustrate each of the evaluation criteria. The discussion contrasts the role of the evaluator in system versus program evaluation, notes the post-hoc support of SET system attributes in affecting system efficiency, and offers additional consideration in evaluating system feedback mechanisms.
Ethics and Evaluative Consultations with Children in Small to Mid-Sized Australian Non-Government Organisations
Authors: Kelly Leanne
Published: January 2018

The value of listening to children's voices is well acknowledged. The vast body of literature surrounding this topic discusses children's voices in pedagogy, theory, methodology, and through empirical research. While some of this literature has focused on ethical considerations surrounding evaluative consultations with children in applied practice settings, there is a shortage of literature specifically relevant to small and medium-sized nongovernment organisations (NGOs). These organisations typically conduct consultations on a smaller scale and with fewer resources than their larger counterparts. This paper refers to Australian ethical guidelines using a practice example from a mid-sized NGO to examine ethics in child consultation from a practice-based program improvement perspective. The paper examines whether consultations with children always require formal ethics approval and discusses terminology and considerations surrounding ethical decision making processes.
Developing a Cultural Protocol for Evaluation
Authors: Rogers Alison , Bower Madeleine , Malla Cathy , Manhire Sharon , Rhodes Deborah
Published: January 2018

Evaluation is understood to be important for ensuring programs and organisations are effective and relevant. Evaluation findings, however, can be potentially inappropriate or not useful if those who have an in-depth understanding of the context are not involved in guidance, direction or implementation. The Fred Hollows Foundation's Indigenous Australia Program (IAP), with more than half of its employees identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, has developed a cultural protocol for evaluation to strengthen the quality of its program evaluations, whether they are carried out by internal staff or external evaluators.

The development of the protocol was initiated after an evaluation capacity building appraisal identified the potential benefits of increased external support to undertake evaluation activities, and the requirement for this external support to be undertaken in a culturally appropriate manner. The protocol was developed by combining IAP's experience and knowledge with contemporary evaluation and research approaches, particularly those developed for use in cross-cultural settings, with the aim of producing a meaningful and locally relevant resource.

The protocol aims to assist staff and external evaluators to ensure that evaluation activities are undertaken with the appropriate respect for, and participation of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities. Consistent with IAP principles, those involved in the process of developing the protocols sought to ensure that engagement between staff, evaluators and evaluation participants occurs in culturally-appropriate ways. IAP believes that the protocol will contribute to stronger evaluation practices, deeper understanding and thus, more useful outcomes.

This article describes the process of engaging IAP staff with contextual evidence and the literature around cultural protocols to create a meaningful tool that is useful in our particular context. The process of development described will be useful for: organisations undertaking initiatives that source external evaluators; internal evaluators engaging with external expertise; or evaluators linking with organisations working in a cross-cultural setting.
Evaluating System Cascading Failures
Authors: Renger Ralph , Foltysova Jirina , Ienuso Skyler , Renger Jessica , Booze Wayne
Published: January 2018

This article shares methods used to evaluate system cascading failures. A cascading failure occurs when a problem is passed from one subsystem to a downstream subsystem creating a domino effect that undermines system efficiency and effectiveness. First, the basics of system evaluation theory (SET) are reviewed. Then drawing on different examples from the evaluation of emergency response systems the article describes how a) standard operating procedures (SOPs) can be used to locate possible system cascading failure trigger points, and b) mock exercises and secondary data are used to evaluate these trigger points. The discussion highlights the need to expand SET's conceptualization to include within subsystem cascading failures in addition to between subsystem cascading failures. The extent to which program evaluation methods can be adapted for use in system evaluation is also discussed.
Defining Systems to Evaluate System Efficiency and Effectiveness
Authors: Renger Ralph , Foltysova Jirina , Renger Jessica , Booze Wayne
Published: January 2018

This paper focuses on the application of systems thinking, systems theory, and systems evaluation theory (SET) in evaluating modern day systems. SET consists of three steps purposively sequenced with each being a prerequisite for the success of the next step. The first foundational step is to define the system. Systems thinking provides theoretical rationale for defining the system boundaries, components, and relationships. However, there is no literature describing how to define these system elements. Using an example from the evaluation of several United States cardiac care systems, the paper shares a number of methods used to define the system boundaries, components, and relationships. The paper describes how each of these elements informs the evaluation of step two of SET—evaluating system efficiency. The discussion shares lessons learned, and notes the relationship between methods used in system and program evaluation.
Issues in Using Social Return on Investment as An Evaluation Tool
Authors: Muyambi Kuda , Gurd Bruce , Martinez Lee , Walker-Jeffreys May , Vallury Kari , Beach Pauline , Dennis Shaun
Published: January 2018

Social return on investment (SROI) is an approach built on cost benefit analysis and is used in the evaluation of projects with social benefits, as an alternative to cost benefit analysis and theory-based evaluation. This paper provides an analysis of SROI as an evaluation tool compared to theory-based evaluation, based on an evaluation of a community based mental health rehabilitation program in regional South Australia. The paper describes the process of constructing a SROI impact map and identifies the issues at each stage. Establishing the resources used, the activities and the outputs appears relatively straightforward. Arriving at an agreed theory of change is much more contested, even when using a high level of involvement of the service beneficiaries. The single greatest difficulty is to find the indicators and the financial proxies to value the outcomes. Outcomes such as improved wellbeing are difficult to value. It is particularly difficult to establish the level of outcomes immediately after or during an intervention. The paper concludes with an analysis of landscapes where SROI is unlikely to fit.
Early Reading Abilities of Bilingual Children With Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts
Authors: Cheong Michelle Heng Yue , Young Selena Ee-Li , Young Dawn Patricia Chuan Yu , Lee Mary Lay Choo , Rickard Liow Susan Jane
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To investigate the early reading abilities, and related cognitive-linguistic processes, in bilingual children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), and to identify deficits that might be amenable to intervention.

Design and Participants:

Bilingual participants with CL/P aged 5 to 6 years who were English-dominant ( n=17) or Mandarin-dominant ( n=18) were recruited using consecutive sampling from a national cleft treatment center and matched pairwise to a sample of typically developing (TD) children on language dominance, age, and socioeconomic status. All participants were assessed in English on single-word reading accuracy using the Wide Range Achievement Test (4th Ed), and key cognitive-linguistic factors associated with reading development: phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), receptive and expressive vocabulary, and verbal short-term and working memory.

Results:

CL/P and TD groups were compared within language dominance group (Mandarin or English) for all measures. The Mandarin-dominant CL/P group had significantly poorer reading accuracy and phonological awareness than their TD peers. Additionally, regardless of language dominance, faster RAN correlated significantly with better reading accuracy in both the CL/P groups but not the TD groups.

Conclusions:

Children with CL/P who are learning English as a second language are at greater risk of reading difficulties. Furthermore, the cognitive-linguistic processes underlying early reading in bilingual children with CL/P differ from those of their TD peers. Routine screening and tailored intervention is advisable.
Gender Views and Relationships in Families of Children With Craniofacial Differences
Authors: Shapiro Danielle N. , Waljee Jennifer , Buchman Steven , Ranganathan Kavitha , Warshcausky Seth
Published: January 2018

Objective:

Gender values and beliefs are known to influence family functioning. The aim of the current study was to describe the association between views about gender and family functioning within families with a child with a craniofacial difference (CFD).

Design:

Participants included 74 dyads composed of children (8-18 years old) with CFD (n = 36 female), including cleft lip/palate, and a parent (n = 56 female). Children and caregivers both completed the activities subscale of the Occupations, Activities, and Traits–Attitudes Measure (C/OAT-AM). Children completed selected items from the Parent Perception Inventory (PPI). Caregivers completed the nurturance subscale of the Parenting Dimensions Inventory–Short Form (PDI-S) and the Parenting Stress Scale (PSS). Setting: Participants were recruited from an outpatient program at an academic medical center.

Results:

There were no significant relationships among the participant demographics and the study variables, with the exception that more complex CFD diagnoses were correlated with increased parenting stress. General linear modeling showed that parents with more flexible gender attitudes reported more nurturing parenting behaviors. There was also a positive association between parental flexibility in gender views and child-reported parent-child relationship quality. An interaction showed that the relationship between parental flexibility in gender views and child-reported relationship quality was stronger for females and nonsignificant for males.

Conclusions:

Caregivers with more flexible gender attitudes perceived themselves as more nurturing and were seen more positively by their daughters with a CFD. This pattern may inform parenting interventions for CFD populations.
Postoperative Complications Following LeFort 1 Maxillary Advancement Surgery in Cleft Palate Patients
Authors: Moran Isabelle , Virdee Satnam , Sharp Ian , Sulh Jagdeep
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To investigate the postoperative complication rates of LeFort 1 maxillary advancement surgery in cleft patients when performed by a single surgeon over a 5-year period.

Design:

A retrospective case note review of 79 cleft palate patients.

Setting:

All surgery was performed by a single oral and maxillofacial surgeon in a tertiary care center.

Participants:

All cleft palate patients over 17 years of age who opted for surgical correction of maxillary hypoplasia with a LeFort 1 between 2010 and 2015. Patients required full surgical and clinical records.

Interventions:

Complete surgical advancement of the maxilla ranging from 2.0 to 18.0 mm performed by conventional osteotomies (87%) or distraction osteogenesis (13%).

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Postoperative patient- and clinician-reported complications at set-interval follow-up appointments.

Results:

Twenty-one patients (26.58%) reported no complications; 11 postoperative complications were identified in the remaining cohort. Temporary paresthesia of the infraorbital nerve was the most common complication (53.16%) followed by infection (13.92%). Other complications included relapse (11.39%), maxillary instability (6.33%), velopharyngeal impairment (6.33%), nasal obstruction (5.06%), chronic sinusitis (3.80%), bony dehiscence (1.27%), gingival necrosis (1.27%), partial necrosis of the maxilla (1.27%), and loss of tooth vitality (1.27%).

Conclusions:

LeFort 1 maxillary advancement surgery in cleft palate patients is associated with a wide range of postoperative complications, most commonly temporary paresthesia of the infraorbital nerve. Detailed, informed consent is essential prior to surgery.
French-Language Translation and Validation of the Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitudes Scales: Relationships to Proactive Personality, Career Adaptability, and Career Satisfaction
Authors: Stauffer Sarah D. , Abessolo Marc , Zecca Gregory , Rossier Jérôme
Published: January 2018

In this research, we validated the French-language version of the Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitudes Scales and then investigated relationships among protean and boundaryless career orientations, proactive personality, career adaptability, and career satisfaction. Study 1 results demonstrated acceptable psychometric proprieties for the scales using an innovative translation ( N = 49) and verification ( N = 228) method. Study 2 answered how and to what extent protean and boundaryless career orientations are related to career satisfaction in a convenient and heterogeneous sample of employees ( N = 234) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Correlational, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling techniques were used to test the hypotheses. Career adaptability mediated the positive relationship between protean and boundaryless career orientations and career satisfaction. These findings highlight the explanatory utility of career adaptability in relationships of protean and boundaryless career orientations to career satisfaction. Future research and career counseling implications also are discussed.
Wire Placement in the Sustentaculum Tali Using a 2D Projection-Based Software Application for Mobile C-Arms: Cadaveric Study
Authors: Swartman Benedict , Frere Dirk , Wei Wei , Schnetzke Marc , Grechenig Stephan , Matityahu Amir , Beisemann Nils , Keil Holger , Franke Jochen , Grützner Paul Alfred , Vetter Sven Yves
Published: January 2018

Background:

Indirect screw fixation of the sustentaculum tali in the lateral-medial direction can be challenging due to the complex calcaneal anatomy. A novel 2-dimensional (2D) projection-based software application detects Kirschner wires (K-wires) and visualizes their intended direction as a colored trajectory. The aim of this prospectively randomized cadaver study was to investigate whether the software would facilitate the indirect K-wire placement in the sustentaculum tali.

Methods:

In 20 cadaver foot specimens, K-wires were placed indirectly in the sustentaculum tali by an experienced and an inexperienced surgeon, with and without using the application. Number of placement attempts, duration of procedure, fluoroscopy time, and number of individual fluoroscopy images were recorded. Each wire’s position was analyzed in a 3-dimensional (3D) C-arm scan by an experienced blinded investigator.

Results:

Use of the software by the inexperienced surgeon significantly reduced the number of placement attempts from 3.2 to 1.2 ( P = .006). The application also reduced operating time, from 273 s to 199 s ( P = .15), and fluoroscopy time, from 41 s to 29 s ( P = .15). Using the software, the experienced surgeon had a longer operating time (139 s to 183 s; P = .30), longer fluoroscopy time (5.6 s to 9.2 s; P = .17), and more individual fluoroscopy images (11.6 to 14.8; P = .30). Wire position did not show significant differences in both cases.

Conclusion:

During indirect K-wire placement in the sustentaculum tali, the software appeared to be a useful tool for the inexperienced surgeon. In our chosen study setting, the experienced surgeon did not benefit from the software.

Clinical Relevance:

Possible indications for the software would be fractures of the proximal femur, sacrum, sacroiliac instabilities, vertebral bodies, scaphoid, Lisfranc joint, talus and calcaneus.
Child Maltreatment and Physical Victimization: Does Heavy Drinking Mediate the Relationship?
Authors: Smith Kathryn Z. , Smith Philip H. , Oberleitner Lindsay M. , Grekin Emily R. , McKee Sherry A.
Published: January 2018

Past studies examining the child maltreatment (CM)/victimization pathway have been limited by their focus on sexual victimization, narrow windows of assessment, and failure to examine gender differences. In the current study, we sought to examine (1) the impact of CM on physical victimization (PV) trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood and (2) the extent to which heavy drinking mediated the relationship between CM and later PV. Using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we found that CM was associated with a 69% greater odds of later PV for both genders, after the inclusion of control variables, and that the risk continued into adulthood. Further, heavy drinking was found to mediate the CM/victimization pathway at Wave I, but not at later waves. When mediation was examined separately for men and women, support for mediation was found for men and women. The current study suggests that CM represents a liability for interpersonal violence for both genders and highlights the importance of looking at victimization across time.
Home Caregivers Training Program for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Insights From a Pilot Project
Authors: Braga Anna Caroline Marques , Pinto Anabela
Published: January 2018

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has an uncertain progression timeframe that leading to total dependence of a caregiver. A training program (TP) about home health care for ALS patient caregivers can help to address the burden of care. The feasibility outcome was caregiver’s participation, and the primary outcome was level of learning. We used theoretical and hands-on approaches to training basic skills during 5 days. All participants undertaken to a written exam at the end of TP, and we assessed the methodology used through satisfaction questionnaires. We achieved a good adherence (77 participants) and a successful completion participation (70% approval). Initiatives that meet the needs of caregivers and help the ALS patients to maintain emotional and social link to their community should be part of the disease clinical management.
Dacryostenosis in Newborns: Probing, or Syringing, or Both?
Authors: Tahat A.A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This prospective study was designed to establish whether it is more effective to treat symptomatic congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction by probing, or high-pressure irrigation, or both.

Methods

During the period February 1991 to January 1999, 228 infants (300 nasolacrimal ducts) were examined (132 males, 96 females, age range 12–13 months). These patients were divided into three groups of 100 ducts each. The first group was probed only; in the second group the nasolacrimal ducts were irrigated under high pressure using methylene blue-stained saline, and the third group was probed and irrigated in the same setting. The procedures were done under light general anesthesia.

Results

Ninety-one ducts in the first group improved after probing. In the second group 64 ducts improved after irrigation. In the third group 96 ducts improved after both probing and irrigation.

Conclusions

To treat symptomatic congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, it is more effective to combine high-pressure irrigation and probing. This gives a better success rate, first in treatment and secondarily, permitting intraoperative verification of the patency of the excretory lacrimal system.
Two Nonsense Mutations of PAX6 in Two Japanese Aniridia Families: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kondo-Saitoh A. , Matsumoto N. , Sasaki T. , Egashira M. , Saitoh A. , Yamada K. , Niikawa N. , Amemiya T.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To identify PAX6 mutations in patients from four Japanese families with aniridia.

Methods

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single stand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis (SSCA) was performed in probands of the families, and restriction analysis using MaeIII or AvaI was carried out in other affected family members.

Results

PCR-SSCA demonstrated in the proband from one family an extra-band in the PCR product for PAX6 exon 8. Base sequence analysis revealed that the patient is a heterozygote for a C to T transition mutation at codon 203. DNAs from the patient and another affected member in the same family were cut with MaeIII into two fragments, while non-affected members in the family showed only one MaeIII fragment, the result confirmed the mutation. In another family, PCR-SSCA revealed an extra-band in the PCR product for exon 9. Sequencing detected a C→T substitution at codon 240 in the patient, the mutation resulted in loss of an AvaI site. AvaI cleavage analysis confirmed the mutation in the patient. The two transition mutations observed in the two families also predict the conversion of arginine to a stop codon (R203X and R240X, respectively) around the homeodomain (HD), leading to the truncation of the PAX6 protein within its glycine-rich region. No abnormal SSCP bands or abnormal restriction fragments were detected in patients from the other two families.

Conclusions

The two mutations sites identified in the two families, one at codon 203 and the other at codon 240, are those most frequently observed among 118 previously reported PAX6 mutations. This indicates that the two mutations are two hot-spots in the gene.
Efficacy and Side Effects of Latanoprost Monotherapy Compared to Adding Dorzolamide to Timolol in Patients with Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension - A Three-Month Randomised Study
Authors: Sánchez J. García ,   The Spanish Latanoprost Study Group
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To compare the efficacy and safety of latanoprost monotherapy or dorzolamide and timolol in glaucoma patients inadequately controlled on adrenergic beta-receptor antagonist therapy.

Methods

A total of 164 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, capsular glaucoma or ocular hypertension were included in a three-month, open-label, randomised multicentre study. Patients with open-angle glaucoma were required to have IOP at least 22 mmHg and patients with ocular hypertension were required to have IOP at least 27 mmHg, on treatment with one or two ocular hypotensive drugs of which at least one had to be a beta-blocker. All patients were treated with timolol, 5 mg/ml twice daily, for a 2–4 week run-in period. They were then randomised to latanoprost, 50 μg/ml once daily, or timolol 5 mg/ml plus dorzolamide, 20 mg/ml twice daily. The difference in mean diurnal IOP change from baseline to month 3 was compared in the two groups.

Results

When patients were switched to latanoprost, mean diurnal IOP was reduced by 5.2 mmHg (23%) compared to 4.0 mmHg (17%) in the group in which dorzolamide was added to timolol. The difference of 1.2 mmHg was statistically significant (p= 0.005). The majority of adverse events during both treatments were judged as mild.

Conclusions

The results suggest that a switch to latanoprost monotherapy is an alternative to combined treatment with timolol and dorzolamide in patients inadequately controlled on a topical adrenergic beta-receptor antagonist alone.
Risk Factors for Vitreous Loss in Cataract Surgery
Authors: Abbasoğlu Ö. E. , Hoşal B. , Tekeli O. , Gürsel E.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To evaluate the risk factors for posterior capsule rupture with or without vitreous loss (PCR±VL) in extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE).

Methods

The charts of 2794 consecutive patients who had ECCE with or without intraocular lens implantation between January 1992 and December 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. Probable risk factors included age, sex, operated eye (right or left), presence of diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, history of vitreous loss in the other eye (if operated), type of cataract, axial length of the eye, preoperative visual acuity, glaucoma, presence of pseudoexfoliation, preoperative shallow anterior chamber and experience of surgeon (resident, general ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon). We compared 192 patients who had PCR ± VL with complete data and 275 randomly selected patients who had no complications, using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-four patients (9.09%) had PCR and 197 (7.05%) had PCR + VL. The surgeon's experience (p < 0.0005), glaucoma (p < 0.005), type of cataract (p < 0.005), presence of pseudoexfoliation (p<0.05) and systemic hypertension (p<0.05) were significant risk factors.

Conclusions

Patients with risk factors such as glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation, traumatic cataract and systemic hypertension should be operated by experienced surgeons.
Bilateral Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy Due to Optic Disc Drusen
Authors: Kamath G.G. , Prasad S. , Phillips R.P.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To report a case of bilateral anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy due to buried optic disc drusen.

Methods

Case report.

Results

A 64-year-old man presented with swollen optic discs and features suggestive of anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) in the left and right eye on two separate occasions ten months apart. Detailed ocular examination at presentation and systemic investigations did not reveal an underlying cause for the AION. At a later follow-up, optic disc drusen were noted in both eyes as partial optic atrophy had set in. This was confirmed by ultrasound B scan and demonstration of autofluorescence.

Conclusions

In patients presenting with AION uncommon underlying causes must be considered. Routine ultrasound B scan at presentation can easily establish or exclude optic disc drusen as an underlying cause.
Myopia and Level of Education
Authors: Al-Bdour M.D. , Odat T.A. , Tahat A.A.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To find out whether the development of myopia is related to the level of education.

Materials and Methods

From two big ophthalmic outpatient clinics in Jordan, 968 subjects (between the age of 24 and 45 years) were included in this study. A subject was considered myopic if at least one eye had a spherical equivalent refractive error of at least −0.75 diopter. The subjects were divided into two groups: the educated group was those who had finished at least 12 years of education and the non-educated which included those with maximum of six years of education. There were 468 men and 500 women.

Results

The frequency of myopia was higher in the educated group in both men and women. A significant relationship was found between the level of education and myopia in the whole study group (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

This study had too few subjects to draw general conclusions, but within the study group there was a significant relationship between the level of education and the development of myopia.
Bilateral Myopia following Blunt Trauma to One Eye
Authors: Doğanay S. , Er H. , Hepşen Í.F. , Evereklioğlu C.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To evaluate bilateral myopia following blunt trauma to one eye.

Case Report

Traumatic myopia is a rare transient situation which may be seen in the injured eye or both eyes after blunt ocular trauma. We examined one case with transient myopia in the left eye which had been exposed to a blunt ocular injury. Myopia was also observed in the right eye 12 hours after the trauma. The right eye and left eye had reverted to emmetropia respectively two and six weeks after trauma.

Discussion

The myopia may have been due to ciliary spasm arising from stimulation of the efferent autonomic system in the right eye and ciliary body edema in the left eye.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case developing bilateral transient myopia after the blunt trauma to only one eye.