Examining the social context within which illness, hospitalization, and convalescence or adaptation occur permits recognition of the alternatives for creative intervention, and provides a framework for understanding the intrinsically disruptive nature of discharge from an acute care setting as well as the dangers and possibilities for change.…

The author addresses rehabilitation professionals in elaborating on 10 observations of the complexities surrounding the illness/disability experience and suggests that health care professionals (and systems) as well as patients (and families) recognize their own limitations and one another's strengths to enable families to live as fully as…

This paper is an examination of some relevant trends in medicine, and some characteristics, aptitudes, values, and concerns of young physicians. (Author)

This article describes the development and initial year of a high school-based health clinic. Data collected about the use of the clinic indicate that the clinic provided accessible services that were readily accepted by adolescents in medically underserved communities. (CJ)

Describes assessment technique used by interdisciplinary staff on coed Alzheimer's disease unit to help determine patients' competencies to participate in intimate relationships. Two case studies are presented to highlight how assessment led to treatment decisions. (Author/NB)

Conducted study on Alzheimer's unit to test seven different visual barrier conditions for reducing patient exits. Findings indicated that exiting was eliminated under two conditions. Results suggest visual agnosia, the inability to interpret what the eye sees, may be used as tool in managing wandering behavior of Alzheimer's patients. (Author/NB)

Reports the results of a consensus meeting convened to provide guidelines for clinicians and make recommendations for researchers regarding disruptive vocalization (DV). Suggests that DV arises largely in persons with cognitive impairment and generally reflects an underlying need or discomfort. Managing DV involves appropriate identification of…

Background: Endometrial adenocarcinoma is very uncommon in women under 40 years of age. Case: A 39-year-old woman with tuberous sclerosis and severe intellectual disability presented with irregular bleeding unresponsive to oral contraceptive therapy. She was subsequently found to have a deeply invasive endometrial adenocarcinoma. Conclusion:…

Introduction: Written action plans (WAPs) are instructions that enable asthmatics to manage their condition appropriately and are recommended by current asthma clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). However, general practitioners (GPs) rarely draft WAPs for their patients. An interactive, case-based workshop for asthma, combined with an objective…

It might sound surprising that Motor Neurone Disease (MND), regarded still by many as the very example of a neurodegenerative disease affecting selectively the motor system and sparing the sensory functions as well as cognition, can have a significant influence on language. In this article we hope to demonstrate that language dysfunction is not…

Introduction: Clinicians treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients are expected to stay up-to-date with rapidly changing knowledge and practice. Continuing medical education (CME) programs are one source of new knowledge about HIV clinical management. Little is known about instructor-participant discourse in HIV CME programs and whether…

Text, illustrations and exercises are utilized in this set of six learning modules dealing with health topics of interest to the general public. The first module, "Do You Know Your Rights as a Patient?" by Gisele Edgerly, details the personal and financial rights of hospital patients. The second module, "The Consumer's Guide to…

This paper describes an exhibit, "Layered Worlds: The Look of Alzheimer's," which uses photography as the medium to interpret Alzheimer's disease visually. The goal was not to photograph the victims of the disease, but to interpret the experience of Alzheimer's for the patient, family members, and caregivers. The metaphor of layers was…

Prepared for the use of public health nurses working with rural Spanish Americans in northern New Mexico, this handbook presents information and suggestions, in outline form, to aid these nurses in communicating with their patients with better understanding and cooperation. The handbook is based on the findings of a study conducted between…

Examines three behavioral strategies in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for formal treatment for physical and psychosocial sequelae of myocardial infarction (MI): exercise therapy, Type A modification, and nonspecific psychological therapies. Concludes CR improves the quality of life among post-MI patients, but does not prolong life or significantly…