bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compulsory Seat Belt Usage and Driver Risk Taking Behavior
Authors: Evans Leonard , Wasielewski Paul , Von Buseck Calvin R.
Published: July 2017

The danger compensation principle contends that the use of certain vehicle safety features such as seat belts may induce drivers to take greater risks. To test for this hypothesized effect, observational data on seat belt usage and driver risk taking were collected on 4812 drivers in Ontario, Canada, where seat belt usage is required by law. These data were compared with the results of a similar study conducted in Michigan, which has no usage law. The measure of driver risk taking in both studies was the time duration of following headway maintained by seat belt users and nonusers in high flow freeway traffic. Seat belts were worn by 51% of the Ontario drivers and by 14% of the drivers in Michigan. The Ontario usage rate before the law took effect was similar to the rate observed in the Michigan study.

The results of both studies taken together are incompatible with the danger compensation principle. In the two jurisdictions a smaller percentage of users than nonusers drove at close, risky headways of less than one second, and these differences were of the same general magnitude. In the Michigan study it was concluded that voluntary usage is associated with the avoidance of risk. Likewise, in the Ontario study mandatory usage, rather than producing a tendency for increased risk taking as suggested by the danger compensation principle, was also associated with the avoidance of risk. Since the results provide no evidence for a danger compensation effect in car following behavior, it was concluded that this study presents no evidence that the safety benefits of seat belts would be diminished or neutralized by greater driver risk taking.
Applying I/O Psychology to Mine Safety
Authors: Krois Paul
Published: July 2017

The relevance to mine safety of applications from industrial/organizational psychology including organization development (OD) was discussed based on research at two coal mines. The OD program consisted of an employee attitude survey feedback technique using questionnaire and group interview data. Factor analysis of questionnaire data yielded twelve dimensions of industrial climate including two reflecting safety. Relations among the dimensions and differences between mines and classifications were discussed. Recommendations to improve safety through mine operations and labor-management relations were guided by a systematic problem-solving approach. Other uses of OD for increasing mine performance were discussed.
Requirements for and Preparation of Human Factors Professionals: Three Perspectives
Authors: Mocharnuk John B. , Rockwell Thomas H. , Chambers Randall M. , Mcbride Dennis K. , Lamb Larry C. , Jones Edward R. , Faulkner Terrence W. , Hunt Darwin P. , Chaffin Don B. , Corso Gregory M.
Published: July 2017

Representatives from government, industry, and academia present a wide range of viewpoints regarding the needs, training, and development of Human Factors Professionals in a session which combines formal presentations with spontaneous interaction.

Perspectives from within the government relative to Human Factors personnel are presented both in terms of the special needs for managing Human Factors programs and in terms of skills and capabilities which facilitate the implementation of development and research activities. Insights regarding the philosophy underlying career tracks in Human Factors can be readily extracted from the presentations.

Viewpoints from industry reveal substantial overlap in required skills despite dramatically diverse end products. Insights regarding the structure of corporate Human Factors activities are provided along with insights about expectations for new employees and on the job training as an augmentation of academic training. Also included are discussions of areas of divergence between the industrial practitioners’ needs and the data/research base from which they must draw.

Academic viewpoints from both Psychology and Industrial Engineering are presented. An emphasis on the development of problem solving skills and knowledge of how to apply Human Factors tools is a recurring theme. Viewpoints on the Human Factors specialist performing both in a scientist and practitioner role are discussed, and strengths and weaknesses of existing programs are reviewed.

The diversity of viewpoints represented in the session allows frank recognition of problems being faced by the profession as well as providing a vehicle for discussing solutions.
A Visual Channel Theory Approach to Pilot Performance and Simulator Imagery
Authors: Regan David , Kruk Ronald , Beverley Ken , Longridge Tom
Published: July 2017

There is a body of experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that an early stage of visual processing consists of analyzing retinal image information into a number of abstract categories or features, called channels. This paper briefly reviews the channel hypothesis and cites potential implications for flight simulator visual display design. The results of a preliminary study designed to investigate the relationships between channel sensitivity and flight simulator landing performance are presented.
A Comparison of Color Versus Black and White Visual Display as Indicated by Bombing Performance in the 2B35 TA-4J Flight Simulator
Authors: Kellogg Robert S. , Kennedy Robert S. , Woodruff Robert R.
Published: July 2017

Ten highly qualified and experienced instructor pilots were tested with respect to bombing performance in the General Electric 2B35 full color wide screen flight simulator. Half the pilots flew with color first and then black and white and the other half with the reverse order. Repeated bombing runs were made and circular bombing errors obtained. Under the conditions of the study, no statistically significant differences were shown between performance in color versus black and white.
An Information Processing Model of Target Acquisition,
Authors: Johnson Richard M.
Published: July 2017

The applicability of a serial exhaustive memory scan as a model of the observer's cognitive behavior in a target acquisition task was explored. Reaction times were examined for identification, recognition and set responses to stimulus scenes consisting of armored vehicles varying in view (side, front), background (forest, road, plain), and downlook angle (10°, 20°, 30°). Positive set size was either one, two, or four vehicles. The results were consistent with a serial exhaustive memory search model and provided evidence for background and downlook angle as additive factors and type of response as an interactive variable.
Individual Differences in Multi-Task Response Strategies
Authors: Damos Diane , Smist Thomas
Published: July 2017

Two experiments are presented demonstrating that the response strategies used to perform a discrete task combination reflect significant individual differences in multiple-, but not single-, task performance and that these differences are evident in a variety of task combinations.
The Depth/Breadth Tradeoff in Hierarchical Computer Menus
Authors: Miller Dwight P.
Published: July 2017

Goal acquisition speed and accuracy were compared for subjects using four different menu configurations of a semantic hierarchy on an interactive computer terminal. Depth (the number of menu levels) varied from one to six, while breadth (the number of choices per menu) varied from two to 64. Goal acquisition time for the four experimental groups produced a U-shaped function with a minimum at the configuration of two levels with eight choices per level. Error data corroborated the acquisition times demonstrating that the fastest conditions also produced the least errors. Optimization of the depth/breadth tradeoff can be an important design consideration in goal acquisition tasks requiring speed and accuracy.
John Dunlap's ‘Packet’ and its Competitors
Authors: Murphy Lawrence W.
Published: July 2017

The struggle for survival among the nation's earliest dailies is outlined for the first time by Professor Murphy, who was granted a year's leave of absence by the University of Illinois in 1948-49 in order to carry on his study of Dunlap and his rivals in Philadelphia.
Oregon Editorial Writers: A Study of Characteristics
Authors: Sabine Gordon A.
Published: July 2017

Depth interviews with the 23 persons who write editorials for Oregon dailies reveal some significant facts about the group and also demonstrate a method which could be used in studying similar groups in other states. Dr. Sabine is dean of the School of Journalism at the University of Oregon.
News Notes
Authors: Price Warren C.
Published: July 2017

News for inclusion in this section … activities of schools and departments of journalism, staff appointments and changes, curricular developments and the like … should be sent to Professor Price, School of Journalism, University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore. Notes for the next issue should reach him by March 25.
Negro Newspapers: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Authors: Pride Armistead Scott
Published: July 2017

Factors in the growth of a vigorous minority press are analyzed by the dean of the School of Journalism at Lincoln University, who predicts that Negro newspapers will continue in the United States for a long time to come. This article is based upon a chapter in Dr. Pride's Ph.D. dissertation at Northwestern.
An Analysis of Readership of the Daily Newspaper “Split” Page
Authors: Stern Bernard
Published: July 2017

A study of the “second front page” of small, medium and large dailies discloses some factors which, if observed by editors, might help to increase readership. The author is instructor in journalism at the State University of Iowa and serves as assistant editor of the Quarterly.
An Annotated Bibliography of Journalism Subjects in American Magazines
Authors: Swindler William F. ,   Assisted, Price Granville , Pride Armistead S. , Mosse Baskett
Published: July 2017

Threats to freedom of the press on the international scene constituted one of the most significant developments in the first quarter of 1951. In Argentina, the Peron government succeeded in closing down La Prensa, famed daily of Buenos Aires and one of the government's most virulent critics, in an action reminiscent of the Nazi appropriation of Frankfurter Zeitung two decades ago. In the United Nations, American and other western delegates criticized the proposed draft convention on freedom of information as a subtle, serious threat to actual freedom by reason of its clauses on security and restraint upon publications tending to offend foreign powers… . On the domestic scene, television occupied the spotlight; color processes were involved in a court battle, the televising of the New York hearings of the Senate crime investigation produced what social scientists believed was an unprecedented impact upon the public, and the FCC plans to distribute almost 2,000 “very high frequency” and “ultra high frequency” franchises made the prospect of local video very much greater.

—W. F. S.
The Weekly Newspaper and Its Readers
Authors: Schramm Wilbur , Ludwig Merritt
Published: July 2017

Twenty-four surveys of weekly newspaper reading provide the basis for the generalizations advanced in this article about the place of the weekly in its community. Dr. Schramm is research professor of journalism and dean of the Division of Communications at Illinois, where Mr. Ludwig is research assistant.
Economic-Technological Bases for Newspaper Diversity
Authors: Malone John R.
Published: July 2017

With present newspaper-publishing technology, economic conditions seem to make one-newspaper cities inevitable. The author, a Ph.D. candidate in economics at the University of Chicago, explores the possibility for local diversity through newspaper enterprise and research into new technologies.
Condensation: A Check List of Current Techniques
Authors: Martin Robert G.
Published: July 2017

Harassed by newsprint shortages, dailies in both Britain and the United States have developed new methods for conserving space. This article is the outgrowth of Mr. Martin's M.A. thesis at the University of Missouri on “An Analysis of Condensation in the London Daily Mail.”
How Great the Great Debate? A Study of 31 Daily Newspapers
Authors: Simmons George E.
Published: July 2017

Judging by the editorial pages of the United States newspapers included in this study, the “Great Debate” was hardly worthy of the name until the MacArthur issue was injected into the controversy. Mr. Simmons is professor of journalism and chairman of the department of journalism at Tulane University.
Cuba's Right-of-Reply Law in Radio Broadcasting
Authors: Jordan Octavio
Published: July 2017

First of its kind in the world, this new statute presents some interesting problems in the field of communications. The author, a journalism graduate of the University of Illinois and a candidate for the master's degree there, has traveled and studied extensively in Cuba.
Journalism Accrediting at the End of Five Years
Authors: Luxon Norval Neil
Published: July 2017

The Accrediting Committee of the American Council on Education for Journalism has received 66 applications, made 50 visitations and accredited 40 schools. Dr. Luxon, who gave this report to AEJ, is assistant to the president at Ohio State University. He has been chairman of the committee since its inception.
Report of the AEJ Committee on Liaison with UNESCO
Authors: Desmond Robert W. , Casey Ralph D. , Riegel O. W. , Schramm Wilbur L.
Published: July 2017

As a sequel to the UNESCO proposal for an International Press Institute, reported in the Quarterly for March 1948, two private institutes now have come into being. These and other developments are discussed in this report and the report of the Committee on Foreign Schools and Students, which follows.
An Annotated Bibliography of Journalism Subjects in American Magazines
Authors: Swindler William F. ,   Assisted, Price Granville , Pride Armistead S.
Published: July 2017

Political and economic threats to press freedom constituted the most significant development in the third quarter of 1951. The farcical Czech conviction of AP Correspondent William Oatis stirred official Washington action in retaliation but by the end of the quarter had not resulted in Oatis’ release. In the United States a Louisiana newspaper's efforts to expose gambling and official laxness in prosecuting it resulted in a brazen indictment of the journalists for “defaming” the officials. Amid these threats to free expression, however, a committee of Washington newsmen set an example of adherence to the principle of freedom by turning down an editors’ suggestion that Tass representatives be barred from the press galleries as spies. … On the economic side, the International Typographical Union sought to counter the trend toward newspaper monopolies by starting three competing dailies. However, the threat of still higher newsprint prices was causing many dailies to go up to 10 cents a copy and the hunt for cheap and plentiful substitute raw materials for newsprint production continued.—W. F. S.
Report on Journalism Research in Progress, 1951-52
Authors: Swanson Charles E.
Published: July 2017

This report includes research in progress by staff members and doctoral candidates in American schools and departments of journalism, unless otherwise noted. It omits confidential work or work scheduled for publication before April 1, 1952. “S” indicates staff member, “D” doctoral candidate, “C” completed.
News Notes
Authors: Price Warren C.
Published: July 2017

News for inclusion in this section … activities of schools and departments of journalism, staff appointments and changes, curricular developments and the like … should be sent to Professor Price, School of Journalism, University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore. Notes for the next issue should reach him by June 15.
The Editor's Job Today
Authors: Sprague Charles A.
Published: July 2017

From a rich background in education, journalism and politics, the editor-publisher of the Salem Oregon Statesman discusses present-day problems in a paper presented before the 14th California Editors’ Conference at Stanford University on June 20. The author was governor of the state of Oregon in 1939–43.
Helping Future Journalists Cover the Atomic Age
Authors: Sommerkamp Theo E.
Published: July 2017

Some implications of the most significant discovery of our times are discussed here from the standpoint of the reporting teacher. Mr. Sommerkamp is a graduate assistant in the School of Journalism, Florida State University. The idea for this article was suggested to him by Professor Sidney Kobre.
Analysis of AP News on Trunk and Wisconsin State Wires
Authors: Van Horn George A.
Published: July 2017

Confirming findings of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association committee on content analysis, a study of the AP report in Wisconsin shows a lack of balance in certain categories. Mr. Van Horn is news and radio editor of the College of Agriculture at the University of Connecticut.
Local Broadcasting Practices in Hometown Radio Stations
Authors: Haskins Jack B.
Published: July 2017

A survey of 49 non-metropolitan stations in Georgia reveals a number of practices with implications for the policy and quality of future programs. Mr. Haskins received his master's degree in journalism from Emory University and is now on military leave from an instructorship in journalism at Minnesota.
Research in Brief
Authors: Raines Irving I. , Polley Donald C. , Budlong Dale H. , Emery Edwin
Published: July 2017

This department is devoted to shorter articles and notes on research in the communications field, either completed or in progress. Readers are invited to submit reports on investigative studies which might prove useful to other students because of content, method, or implications for further research.
Papillary Secretion. Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment
Authors: Ingvar C.
Published: July 2017

Papillary secretion is a common symptom in the breast clinic with many different underlying causes like intraductal papilloma, mammary duct ectasia, infected cysts and abscesses, breast cancer/carcinoma in situ (CIS) and rarely pituitary adenoma. The association with cancer/CIS is one of the two main concerns of the patient and must always be ruled out. The second item is that spontaneous and ongoing discharge causes embarrassment due to staining the clothes. Physical examination of the breast, imaging with mammography and ultrasonography should always be done and fine needle biopsy/core biopsy used with wide indications whenever there is any abnormal finding. With the use of modern ultrasonography in the combination with guided biopsy the use for ductography has diminished and might be saved for single duct investigations, especially if papilloma or single duct involvement is suspected. Surgery (when undertaken) due to benign discharge, should aim for radical excision of the underlying cause of the discharge sometimes only a dilated single duct with or without a papilloma or excision of the central ducts as in case of mammary duct ectasia. Discharge should be consistent, spontaneous and disturbing otherwise surgery should not be recommended in the absence of a suspicion of malignancy (negative triple test).
Status of Lymph Node Staging
Authors: Nieweg O. E. , Estourgie S. H. , Deurloo E. E. , Rutgers E. J. Th. , Kroon B. B. R.
Published: July 2017

Sentinel node biopsy has the potential to provide more accurate staging information than axillary node dissection. Given the considerable morbidity of axillary node dissection this less invasive approach is attractive. However, there are a number of issues to be resolved before the best technique of sentinel node biopsy is determined. When large studies with long-term follow up demonstrate that lymphatic mapping to identify clinically occult lymph node metastases is as effective as we hope, then full axillary node dissection can be reserved to treat patients who indeed have lymph node metastases. Around 60 % of the patients could then be spared an axillary node dissection that they do not need because they do not have metastases there.

Modern technology is providing more accurate prognostic information based on primary tumor characteristics. Applying these technologies to sentinel lymph nodes may render the lymph node status even more relevant than it currently is.
Abdominal Incisions: Techniques and Postoperative Complications
Authors: Burger J. W. A. , van't Riet M. , Jeekel J.
Published: July 2017

Background and Aims:

The choice of incision for laparotomy depends on the area that needs to be exposed, the elective or emergency nature of the operation and personal preference. Type of incision may however have its influence on the occurrence of postoperative wound complications. Techniques and features of various incisions are discussed, as well as the incidence of their postoperative complications.

Method:

A medline search was conducted identifying prospective randomised trials, as well as retrospective studies with sufficient follow-up, comparing midline, paramedian, transverse and oblique incisions.

Results:

Significant differences in wound infection and wound dehiscence rates were not reported. Transverse, oblique and paramedian incisions caused significantly less incisional hernias than midline incisions. However, trials comparing transverse and midline incisions for larger laparotomies did not show significant differences. All four trials comparing lateral paramedian with midline incisions reported incisional hernia rates of 0 % after the lateral paramedian incision. Differences with the midline incision were significant.

Conclusion:

Transverse or oblique incisions should be preferred for small unilateral operations. The paramedian incision should be used for major elective laparotomies. The use of the midline incision should be restricted to operations in which unlimited access to the abdominal cavity is useful or necessary.
CT- and MR Colonography
Authors: Achiam M. P. , Bülow S. , Rosenberg J.
Published: July 2017

Background:

Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer and adenomas are widely accepted as precursors to colorectal cancer. Diagnosis and removal of adenomas are recommended to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. The current diagnostic methods include sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. Lately, CT- and MR colonography have emerged as non-invasive methods for colon imaging.

Methods:

At present, CTC and MRC require bowel preparation. However, preliminary studies have been carried out without colon preparation. After the colon has been filled with air or contrast, the patient is scanned in the supine and prone positions. Data are then downloaded to a workstation for post processing and image-analysis.

Results:

Results have shown a high sensitivity and specificity for polyps ≥ 10 mm, comparable to the sensitivity of conventional colonoscopy and superior to double contrast barium enema.

Conclusions:

With the exponential development in computer processing power, CT- and MR colonography holds the promise for future colon examination with the advantages of non-invasiveness, no need for sedation, and probably no bowel preparation. major disadvantage, however, is the radiation dose during CT colonography. Future developments with the use of “intelligent” computers, better resolution and faster examinations will make CT and/or MR colonography realistic options to replace conventional diagnostic colonoscopy.
Modern Management of Colorectal Cancer — A Pathologist's View
Authors: Maughan N. J. , Quirke P.
Published: July 2017

Colorectal cancer is an increasingly significant cause of both mortality and morbidity due to wider adoption of the Western lifestyle and a progressively ageing population. Recently steps forward have been made both in surgical and chemoradiotherapeutic management of this disease. Well performed total mesorectal excision surgery has now become the gold standard for rectal cancer resection. Several prognostic markers, both clinicopathological and molecular, have been identified allowing better patient counselling and targeting of treatment. The rationale for patient selection, timing and dose of radiotherapy has been further elucidated. New chemotherapy agents are under trial and predictive factors allowing selection of those patients most likely to respond to them have been identified. Many of these factors will increase in importance as colorectal cancer becomes a chronic disease with lengthening survival times. As we will discuss the pathologist has important roles in all of these developments and at all stages of colorectal cancer management.
Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancer in the New Millenium
Authors: Rao S. , Cunningham D.
Published: July 2017

A significant proportion of patients with colon cancer who undergo curative surgical resection develop metastatic disease. Over the last 20 years large prospective randomised studies have demonstrated a clear survival benefit for patients with stage III colon cancer who are treated with adjuvant 5FU based chemotherapy. At the present time 6 months of 5FU and leucovorin is generally considered the standard adjuvant therapy. For stage II disease the routine use of adjuvant treatment remains controversial. Newer drugs such as oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and the oral fluoropyrimidines have proven active in advanced colorectal cancer and are currently being evaluated in the adjuvant setting. Molecular markers for this disease are being identified and may help define those patients who would benefit from therapy. The integration of adjuvant immunotherapy with conventional chemotherapy offers the potential to improve the long-term outcome for surgically resected colon cancer.
Laparoscopic Billroth II Gastrectomy for Completely Stricturing Duodenal Ulcer: Technical Details
Authors: Saccomani G. E. , Percivale A. , Stella M. , Durante V. , Pellicci R.
Published: July 2017

Background:

The authors report a series of three patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric outlet obstruction due to stricturing duodenal ulcer.

Materials and Methods:

In all cases an intracorporeal resection of the antrum and an antecolic end to side gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II) were performed. Technical details are discussed in the paper.

Results:

Mean operative time was 260 minutes, mean blood loss was 43 millilitres. There were no postoperative complications and all patients were discharged on the fifth postoperative day. A follow up of three years shows that no patient had recurrence and post-gastrectomy syndromes.

Conclusions:

Laparoscopic Billroth II gastrectomy is a safe and feasible procedure with benefits such as quick hospital stay, decreased postoperative pain, good cosmesis and reduced morbidity.
Is Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Accompanied by High Grade Oxidative Stress?
Authors: Põder P. , Pulges A. , Kals J. , Aavik A. , Zilmer K. , Kullisaar T. , Kairane C. , Zilmer M.
Published: July 2017

Background and Aims:

During elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (AAAR), lower torso ischaemia-reperfusion event is unavoidable. Previous studies on AAAR have reported the importance of oxidative stress (OS) in ischaemia-reperfusion injury, however, the grade of OS has not been adequately clarified up to now. The aim of this study was to perform a complex investigation of the time-course and grade of systemic and cellular OS in patients undergoing AAAR.

Material and Methods:

Arterial blood samples were taken from 18 patients undergoing elective AAAR (at four points in time: before anaesthesia, 5 min after aortic clamping and 5 min and 30 min after clamp removal). Diene conjugates (DC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC), glutathione redox ratio (GSSG/GSH), and levels of antioxidative enzymes as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) were measured from the radial arterial blood.

Results:

30 min after the removal of the aortic cross-clamp, arterial CAT showed significant elevation (96.0 vs 56.9 U/l, p < 0.05); GSHPx was significantly elevated (51.5 vs 39.9 U/g Hgb, p < 0.05) and TAC was decreased (31.4 vs 36.5 %, p < 0.05) in comparison with preoperative value.

Conclusions:

We found limited alterations of several OS parameters, which do not characterize either systemic or cellular high-grade OS during elective AAAR.
The Epidemiology of Multifocal Upper Limb Fractures
Authors: Broadbent M. R. , Quaba O. , Hadjucka C. , McQueen M. M.
Published: July 2017

Aim:

The aim of this study is to identify the epidemiology of multifocal upper limb fractures and define any commonly occurring patterns.

Patients:

Patients included were those over the age of 13 years who presented to one orthopaedic trauma unit, in an eight-year period, and who sustained a multifocal upper limb fracture.

Results:

There were 83 patients with 171 multifocal upper limb fractures. Mean age 60 years; range 13 to 92 years. 78 patients had bifocal fractures and 5 had trifocal. The most common pairing of fourteen different combinations was distal radius and proximal humerus. All but nine patients had involvement of the proximal humerus or distal radius. The most common injuries were the two-part proximal humerus fracture, the simple intra-articular olecranon fracture and the extra-articular fracture of the distal radius with metaphyseal comminution.

Conclusion:

This study has shown that multifocal fractures of the upper limb are most likely to occur in the middle aged to elderly women who have had a fall from standing height. As previously demonstrated osteopenic fractures are increasing in incidence in developed countries, where the population is ageing, which implies that the incidence of multifocal fractures of the upper limb is likely to increase.
Natural and Clinical Course of Renal Cell Carcinoma — Better Prospect for the Patients
Authors: Beisland C. , Beisland H. O.
Published: July 2017

The many improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic tools over the last half-century have changed the prospects for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Higher survival rates and less morbidity have been achieved. The disease is, however, still unpredictable and represents many unsolved problems.

In this paper we focus on determinants of the natural and clinical course of RCC and the changes in regard to this over the last decades.
Effects of Clinical Pathways: Do They Work?
Authors: Van Herck P , Vanhaecht K , Sermeus W
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Evaluation of the effect of implementing clinical pathways is a relatively new field in health care research. Little is known about the way in which practice is influenced by the implementation of clinical pathways, and to what degree. This review takes significant steps in answering these questions by describing the parameters that are used in literature as indicators to evaluate clinical pathways.

Methods:

A Medline-based review of literature published between 2000 and 2002 was carried out using the keywords ‘clinical pathway’, ‘critical pathway’, ‘care map’, ‘care pathway’ and ‘integrated care pathway’. Articles were selected if they contained any form of evaluation, outcome or indicator concerning the use of clinical pathways. This included all types of research design and sample size. A total of 200 articles were selected. Relevant data were summarized using the following characteristics: country of origin, clinical field of expertise, research design, sample size, clinical outcome indicators, service indicators, team indicators, process indicators and financial indicators. For each domain a positive, negative or ‘no effect’ conclusion was recorded. Excel® and Statistica® were used to obtain percentages and graphics.

Results:

A total of 34% of the articles on clinical pathways contained some form of evaluation concerning the effect of the implementation. Out of these articles, clinical outcome was emphasized in 65.5%, financial effects in 53%) and process effects were investigated by 50% of the studies. Team and service effects were discussed less often (24% and 18.5%), respectively). For clinical outcome, team, process and financial effects a variety of indicators were recorded. Service effects were almost always measured as ‘patient satisfaction’. The majority of the literature concluded that positive effects result from the implementation of clinical pathways.

Conclusion:

On a macro level clinical pathways result globally in positive effects. Negative results, however, were also present in the literature. In particular for process, team and service evaluation concerning the use of clinical pathways there is still a great need for research.
Using an Integrated Care Pathway to Deliver a Nurse-Led Clozapine Clinic
Authors: Chave Jo , Painter Jon , Peet Malcolm , Wakefield Susan
Published: July 2017

Although integrated care pathways (ICPs) are used widely in acute hospitals for conditions, such as fractured neck of femur, they have not been widely adopted in more complex or unpredictable areas such as mental health1,2. In Rotherham we have been developing ICPs in mental health for the past two years in a variety of areas, including an electro-convulsive (ECT) clinic, an inpatient rehabilitation unit and treatment with atypical antipsychotics. This paper outlines our rationale for, and experiences of, developing an ICP for our locally run clozapine clinic.
Attitudes towards Integrated Care Pathways in the UK NHS: A Pilot Study in One UK NHS Trust
Authors: Parker Dianne , Claridge Tanya , Cook Gary
Published: July 2017

Background:

Integrated care pathways (ICPs) offer an increasingly common approach to the standardization and integration of health-care practice in hospitals. The questionnaire study reported here was the final phase in a systematic investigation of the attitudes of health-care professionals towards ICPs in one acute UK NHS Trust.

Method:

A total of 314 health-care professionals working in a medium-sized NHS hospital in the UK completed a survey questionnaire, representing 34% of those approached.

Results:

Ten dimensions of attitude to ICPs were uncovered. Junior staff had less positive attitudes than senior staff on all dimensions. Across all professional groups (doctors, nurses, professions allied to medicine), staff were more unhappy with the idea of ICPs than with the evidence they are based on or the quality of the documentation itself.

Conclusions:

The investigation provided information about how widespread the dislike of ICPs was in the Trust and details of what was giving rise to staff unease. This enabled the authors to make recommendations to the Trust about the future development and implementation of ICPs in the Trust. The most central of these was that investing time and effort in changing the presentation of ICPs will not meet with success until more fundamental aspects of staff unease have been addressed. Overall, respondents from this Trust felt uneasy about ICPs because they do not like the idea of being told what to do. Therefore, if the ICP development programme is to continue at this hospital and be successful, the hearts and minds of those expected to use ICPs must be won over.
Framework for the Implementation of Integrated Care Pathways: Part 3
Authors: Scott Marie , Cook Susy
Published: July 2017

This is the final part of the series of three papers that demonstrates how the infrastructure for the development of integrated care pathways (ICPs) was established within South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust and how they are currently utilizing ICPs as a tool to deliver change improvements. This paper discusses factors necessary to support the spread and sustainability of ICPs as a service improvement tool at an intra-organizational level.
Audit of Fractured Neck of Femur Integrated Care Pathway
Authors: Hempling M , Adhikari A
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

To assess quality of documentation in the fractured neck of femur pathway and to target problem areas with its use.

Methods:

Review of notes of all patients presenting to St Helier with a fractured neck of femur between 1 June and 31 August 2003.

Results:

Overall, doctors were worst at using the pathway; nurses were variable; physiotherapists were excellent. Several sections were underused or not used at all. A very low percentage managed to sign, date and include the patient's name.

Conclusions:

Better education, particularly of junior doctors, about how and why to use these documents and file them properly should eliminate the majority of problems with the use of the integrated care pathway.
A Phenomenological Research Design Illustrated
Authors: Groenewald Thomas
Published: July 2017

This article distills the core principles of a phenomenological research design and, by means of a specific study, illustrates the phenomenological methodology. After a brief overview of the developments of phenomenology, the research paradigm of the specific study follows. Thereafter the location of the data, the data-gathering the data-storage methods are explained. Unstructured in-depth phenomenological interviews supplemented by memoing, essays by participants, a focus group discussion and field notes were used. The data explicitation, by means of a simplified version of Hycner's (1999) process, is further explained. The article finally contains commentary about the validity and truthfulness measures, as well as a synopsis of the findings of the study.
Autoethnography: Critical Appreciation of an Emerging Art
Authors: Duncan Margot
Published: July 2017

In this article, the author discusses how she applied autoethnography in a study of the design of hypermedia educational resources and shows how she addressed problematic issues related to autoethnographic legitimacy and representation. The study covered a 6-year period during which the practitioner's perspective on the internal and external factors influencing the creation of three hypermedia CD-ROMs contributed to an emerging theory of design. The author highlights the interrelationship between perception and reality as vital to qualitative approaches and encourages researchers to investigate their reality more fully by practicing the art of autoethnography.
Pursuing Both Breadth and Depth in Qualitative Research: Illustrated by a Study of the Experience of Intimate Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Todres Les , Galvin Kathleen
Published: July 2017

In this article, the authors explore the methodological and epistemological tensions between breadth and depth with reference to a study into the experience of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. They consider the benefits and limitations of each of two phases of the study: a generic qualitative study of narrative breadth and a descriptive phenomenological study of lifeworld depth into selected phenomena. The article concludes with a reflection on the kinds of distinctive knowledge generated by each of these two phases and the benefits of their complementary relationship with one another.
Virtual Focus Groups: New Frontiers in Research
Authors: Turney Lyn , Pocknee Catherine
Published: July 2017

New information and communication technologies in the form of learning management systems provide unique and inventive opportunities for qualitative researchers. Their intrinsic ability to record discursive data in text format accurately and to provide safe, secure, and anonymous environments for participants makes them amenable for use as advanced research tools. In this article, the authors report on a collaborative project that tested the potential of online discussion boards for use in virtual focus groups. What the researchers found was that not only was the method theoretically sound, it actually enhanced their ability to connect with difficult-to-access populations that were disparately spread.
Recruiting Transcultural Qualitative Research Participants: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Eide Phyllis , Allen Carol B.
Published: July 2017

Working with diverse populations poses many challenges to the qualitative researcher who is a member of the dominant culture. Traditional methods of recruitment and selection (such as flyers and advertisements) are often unproductive, leading to missed contributions from potential participants who were not recruited and researcher frustration. In this article, the authors explore recruitment issues related to the concept of personal knowing based on experiences with Aboriginal Hawai'ian and Micronesian populations, wherein knowing and being known are crucial to successful recruitment of participants. They present a conceptual model that incorporates key concepts of knowing the other, cultural context, and trust to guide other qualitative transcultural researchers. They also describe challenges, implications, and concrete suggestions for recruitment of participants.
Processes of Metastudy: A Study of Psychosocial Adaptation to Childhood Chronic Health Conditions
Authors: Nichola David B. , Globerman Judith , Antle Beverley J. , McNeill Ted , Lach Lucyna M.
Published: July 2017

Metastudy introduces a systematically aggregated interpretive portrayal of a body of literature, based on saturation and the synthesis of findings. In this metastudy, the authors examined qualitative studies addressing psychosocial adaptation to childhood chronic health conditions, published over a 30-year period (1970–2000). They describe metastudy processes, including study identification, strategies for study search and retrieval, adjudication of difference in study design and rigor, and analysis of findings. They also illustrate metastudy components through examples drawn from this project and discuss implications for practice and recommendations.
How Can the Intersections between Gender, Class, and Sexuality Be Translated to an Empirical Agenda?
Authors: Bryant Lia , Hoon Elizabeth
Published: July 2017

The social categories of gender, sexuality, class, and ethnicity, and their relation to subjectivities have received theoretical attention, but their empirical interrelationships remain underexplored. In this article, the authors consider how class, gender, and sexuality interrelate in practice by drawing and reflecting on (a) an empirical study of women in the wine industry that they have undertaken and (b) a selection of contemporary works that links multiple social categories. In conclusion, they argue that to investigate power and tension within and across multiple social categories meaningfully, a useful approach is to combine life histories with theories of embodiment.
Reflections on the Role of Emotion in Feminist Research
Authors: Blakely Kristin
Published: July 2017

In this article the author explores the topic of researching the researcher and, more specifically, the role of emotion in researching sensitive issues within the context of feminist research. She offers reflections on the implications of emotionally engaged feminist research for addressing and working through such thorny issues as responsibility and representation with respect to one's research, research participants, and the researchers themselves.
“Just Chatting”: Research Ethics and Cyberspace
Authors: Whiteman Ellen
Published: July 2017

Research conducted through computer-mediated communication is challenging traditional definitions of what is ethical research. In this article the author examines the changing role of assent/consent, confidentiality, and participant observation in qualitative research conducted in cyberspace. She concludes that REBs (research ethic boards) might be becoming more conservative in their decisions at the very moment that Internet research requires more flexibility and broader ethical definitions.
An Alternative Approach for Personal Narrative Interpretation: The Semiotics of Roland Barthes
Authors: Tohar Vered , Asaf Merav , Kainan Anat , Shahar Rakefet
Published: July 2017

In this paper the authors propose Roland Barthes's analytical method, which appears in his classic work S/Z (1974), as a new way of analyzing personal stories. The five codes that are described in the book are linked to the domains of poetics, language, and culture, and expose facets that are embedded in the deep structure of narratives. These codes are helpful in revealing findings with regard to the development of the professional careers of teacher educators.
The Performative Pull of Research with New Media
Authors: Hughes Janette M.
Published: July 2017

In this paper the author tells the story of how the technology she used in her research reshaped her thinking about her research as she reshaped the technology for purposes beyond its initial intent. Her research story provides a real-life example of the dialectical relationship between humans and technology. When she immersed herself in a multimedia authoring environment called Flash in the process of her research, the experience led to the reorganization or restructuring of her thinking, and her research looks very different than it would have if she had used technology only as initially planned. She discusses the performative potential of new media and, in particular, a digital environment she created to store, organize, and represent her data, and she discusses the role of the digital environment in providing a meeting place for the participants and the researcher in the study. Thinking with new media on an ongoing basis in her study meant thinking about research data, analysis, and presentation through the lens of new media's affordances: multimodality, multilinearity, and performance.
Negotiating Transcription as a Relative Insider: Implications for Rigor
Authors: Witcher Chad S. G.
Published: July 2017

Despite the prevalence of the transcription of language data in qualitative research, few published studies provide insight into how the transcription process is negotiated. The purpose of this article is to describe unique challenges to quality transcription faced by a “relative insider” by reflexively exploring the research process (in particular the researcher's position) and to explicate the implications for transcription quality and research rigor/trustworthiness. Inaccuracies within transcripts created by discrepancies between participants' intended meaning and the researcher's/transcriptionist's interpretation can compromise the rigor of one's findings. Therefore, when conducting research among speakers of regional dialects, researchers/transcriptionists should plan how issues related to interviewing and particularly to transcription will be negotiated.
The Embodied Ethnographer: Journeys in a Health Care Subculture
Authors: Gale Nicola Kay
Published: July 2017

This paper is a reflective account of conducting ethnographic research in training institutions for alternative and complementary medical (CAM) practitioners. In it the author (a) seeks to extend the methodological literature in embodied sociology through reflection on conducting research in this context and discussion of particular events and processes and (b) offers an example of her attempt to strike the fine balance between respect and integration of previous scholarly work and her own emerging academic voice, while trying to avoid a sterility in the delivery that would belie her attempts to undertake an embodied sociology. By concentrating on three cross-cutting and nonlinear aspects of the research process—motivation, immersion, and expression—she draws out the conceptual links between theory, praxis, and ethics in ethnographic research as well as shedding light on the direction that the study took and the claims to validity of her findings.