The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of a computer database used by medical secretaries to routinely and continuously store information on the work of a hospital…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of a computer database used by medical secretaries to routinely and continuously store information on the work of a hospital consultant in order to monitor clinical activity and patient outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology uses database software developed to deal with discharge summaries, outpatient attendances, operation notes and in‐hospital ward referrals.
Findings
From October 1984 to June 2006 there were 18,743 discharge summaries and from 1991 15,827 outpatient and 6,199 operation notes. The paper demonstrates changing clinical practice over more than 20 years and reduction in the number of postoperative complications and patients having second operations during the same admission. There is also evidence of conformity to expected outcomes for patients having carotid thromboendarterectomy and grafting of aortic aneurysm.
Originality/value
The paper shows that computer software of this type can operate seamlessly to document clinical activity and should be in use by all consultants working in the National Health Service.
Details
Keywords
Jeffrey DeMarco, Yael llan-Clarke, Amanda Bunn, Tom Isaac, John Criddle, Gillian Holdsworth and Antonia Bifulco
Current government policy aims to tackle youth anti-social behaviour and its psychological and social impacts. Given an increased likelihood that young victims of crime are also…
Abstract
Purpose
Current government policy aims to tackle youth anti-social behaviour and its psychological and social impacts. Given an increased likelihood that young victims of crime are also likely to engage in aggressive or deviant behaviour and to have psychological and social difficulties, interventions are needed which access vulnerable youth with adverse lifestyles to increase well-being and reduce offending. The current project utilised a hospital emergency department (ED) as an appropriate location to identify and interact with youth victims of violent crime; to support key lifestyle risk and mental health difficulties; and build resilience. The purpose of this paper is to use a youth work paradigm, to target vulnerable youth in a health setting at a crisis point where intervention may have a higher chance of uptake.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applied a quasi-experimental, longitudinal design. Using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire and the “What Do You Think” component of the ASSET risk assessment, data were collected from 120 youth aged 12-20, at baseline with 66 youth who successfully completed the programme with assessments at baseline and follow-up, at an average of 14 weeks.
Findings
There was significant reduction in both psychological problems and lifestyle risk at follow-up.
Research limitations/implications
These findings support the government initiative to intervene in youth violence in healthcare settings. Challenges revolve around increasing participation and greater formalisation of the intervention.
Originality/value
The youth work led violence intervention in the ED is successfully tackling psychological problems and lifestyle risk following injury.
Details
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Nadine Cohen, Liz Holdsworth, John M. Prechtel, Jill Newby, Yvonne Mery, Jeanne Pfander and Laurie Eagleson
There is a lack of data about information literacy (IL) credit courses in US academic libraries. This paper aims to provide a detailed snapshot of IL credit courses, including…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a lack of data about information literacy (IL) credit courses in US academic libraries. This paper aims to provide a detailed snapshot of IL credit courses, including percentages of libraries that offer credit courses, the number of credits offered, the audience and how public institutions differ from private nonprofits and for-profits.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors surveyed a stratified random sample of libraries at higher education institutions across all categories from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Qualtrics software was used to create and distribute the email survey. The response rate was 39 per cent (n = 691).
Findings
In all, 19 per cent of the institutions in the survey have IL credit courses taught by librarians. Large institutions, public institutions and those granting doctoral degrees are the most likely to offer IL credit courses. The majority of these courses are undergraduate electives of 1-2 credit hours offered under the library aegis, although a significant minority are required, worth 3-4 credit hours, and taught within another academic department or campus-wide program.
Originality/value
The findings update previous surveys and provide a more granular picture of the characteristics of librarian-taught credit-bearing courses, the types of academic institutions that offer them and compensation teaching librarians receive. This survey is the first study of credit-bearing IL instruction to include for-profit colleges and universities.
Details
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FINANCIAL fears are only less cruel than those of war, and lead men into extravagances which they would repudiate indignantly in their cooler moments. If the doings of the Economy…
Abstract
FINANCIAL fears are only less cruel than those of war, and lead men into extravagances which they would repudiate indignantly in their cooler moments. If the doings of the Economy Committee at Manchester in relation to children's libraries, as described in the article by Mr. Lamb in our last issue, are true, we have in them an example of a kind of retrenchment at the expense of the young which we hope is without parallel and will have no imitators. Some reduc‐tion of estimates we hear of from this or that place, but in few has the stupid policy which urges that if we spend nothing we shall all become rich been carried into full effect. Libraries always have suffered in times of crisis, whatever they are; we accept that, though doubtfully; but we do know that the people need libraries.
N.A. Stanton, G. Mathews, N.C. Graham and C. Brimelow
This article is an executive summary of a full scientific paperthat appeared in the journal Personality & IndividualDifferences. A study was conducted to examine the factor…
Abstract
This article is an executive summary of a full scientific paper that appeared in the journal Personality & Individual Differences. A study was conducted to examine the factor structure of the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) on a sample of 94 British undergraduates. The results indicated that five factors should be extracted, providing further evidence for the “Big Five” structural model of personality. This lends support for the use of the OPQ Pentagon model (Extroversion, Vigorous, Methodical, Emotional Stability and Abstract), but use of the Concept model (containing 30 scales) cannot be recommended.