Policy change to improve pathology turnaround time and reduce costs – possible to do both?     

Goce Dimeski  Breeann Silvester  Jacobus Ungerer  Leslie Johnson  Jennifer H. Martin 《Biochemia medica : ?asopis Hrvatskoga dru?tva medicinskih biokemi?ara / HDMB》2013,23(3):296-302

Background:

Overcrowding and prolonged length of stay in emergency departments (ED) are increasing problems in hospitals. Rapid availability of all laboratory results has an impact on clinical decision-making, admissions or discharge decisions and resource utilisation. Increasing number of our urinary drugs of abuse (DOA) screens had a turnaround time (TAT) of up to 33 days after the discharge of the patient.

Materials and methods:

Following an audit and a consultation period with clinicians using the service, a policy change was implemented to reduce the use of gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS): all requests would have a standard immunoassay (IA) test panel undertaken unless specifically they requested GCMS (including medico-legal) analysis.

Results:

Almost all of the clinicians interviewed had no understanding of the DOA screening or the difference in the information generated between a confirmatory GCMS urine toxicology screen and IA DOA panel. It appeared none of the patients surveyed in the audit would have had a different clinical decision made if a GCMS had not been undertaken. Post change audit showed only 4.3% of drug requests for IA also received a confirmatory GCMS testing. The estimated saving post change implementation was $127,000 (AU $) in test costs alone over a two year period. The TAT of GCMS results was reduced to 3–4 days.

Conclusion:

A laboratory-led behavioural change in test requesting is possible and sustainable provided the reason is clinically sound and accompanied by consultation and availability of advice by phone when requested on test requesting or interpretation.  相似文献   

Prevalence of Certain Harmful Health Misconceptions among Prospective Elementary School Teachers     

Joseph Borozne  Leslie W. Irwin 《Research quarterly for exercise and sport》2013,84(3):387-391

Abstract

A special instrument in the form of a health opinionnaire was constructed, evaluated, and administered for the purpose of determining the prevalence of certain harmful health misconceptions among freshman prospective elementary school teachers attending state teachers colleges in New England and the extent to which that population was aware of the harmfulness of these misconceptions. Analysis indicated that the participating trainees subscribed to many harmful health misconceptions and that those who were aware of the misconceptions were also aware of their harmfulness. Analysis of variance indicated that those who had health and biology or biology subscribed to fewer misconceptions to a highly significant degree.  相似文献   

Certain Harmful Health Misconceptions of Junior High School Students Attending Public Schools in Metropolitan Areas     

Price E. Harrison Jr.  Leslie W. Irwin 《Research quarterly for exercise and sport》2013,84(4):491-496

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of certain harmful health misconceptions among junior high school students attending public schools in two distinct metropolitan areas of the United States. A health knowledge inventory in two separate forms was constructed, and either Form A or Form B was administered to 4,852 junior high school students from the two distinct metropolitan areas. On the basis of an analysis of the data obtained in this investigation, junior high school students subscribed to many harmful health misconceptions, regardless of metropolitan area, sex, grade level, or number of semesters of health instruction.  相似文献   

A Survey of Safety Conditions of Buildings and Grounds in Secondary Schools     

Leslie W. Irwin  Ross Stephens 《Research quarterly for exercise and sport》2013,84(4):726-738

Abstract

Black and white children (N = 553) in kindergarten, grade one, and grade two, as part of a total test battery were tested on items of agility, speed, power, flexibility, and endurance. An ANOVA design was employed for both equal and unequal cell frequencies to determine the effects of grade, sex, and race on gross motor performance. Significant (p < .01) improvements were found at each grade for speed, power, and endurance items; males had significantly better performances (p < .01) than females on all items with the exception of flexibility; black children had significantly (p < .01) lower values than white children in the speed item at each grade level.  相似文献   

Parenting stress mediates between maternal maltreatment history and maternal sensitivity in a community sample     

Pereira J  Vickers K  Atkinson L  Gonzalez A  Wekerle C  Levitan R 《Child abuse & neglect》2012,36(5):433-437

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Variation in children's classroom engagement throughout a day in preschool: Relations to classroom and child factors   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Virginia E. Vitiello  Leslie M. Booren  Jason T. Downer  Amanda P. Williford 《Early childhood research quarterly》2012

This study examined sources of variability in preschool children's positive and negative engagement with teachers, peers, and tasks, and how that variability was related to both classroom activity settings (e.g., teacher-structured time, outdoor time, transitions) and child factors (age, gender). Participants were 283 socioeconomically and linguistically diverse children drawn from 84 classrooms, 34–63 months old (M = 50.8, SD = 6.5). Each child's engagement was observed and rated multiple times within a single day. Results suggested that children's engagement varied significantly across the preschool day. Activity settings that provided children with a greater degree of choice (free choice and outdoor time) were associated with more positive engagement with peers and tasks, while teacher-structured activities were associated with more positive engagement with teachers. Transitions emerged as a difficult part of the day, associated with less positive engagement with teachers and tasks. Older children were rated higher on peer and task engagement. These findings, together with previous research, suggest that both characteristics of the classroom setting and child factors are associated with children's classroom engagement throughout a day in preschool.  相似文献   

Addressing intersections in HIV/AIDS and mental health: the role of organizations for d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in South Africa     

Mall S  Swartz L 《American annals of the deaf》2012,156(5):492-500

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Restricted opportunities under employment reform: the experiences of select universities in the Chinese Mainland     

Manhong Lai  Ping Du  Leslie N.K. Lo 《高等教育研究与发展》2016,35(3):516-530

This study investigates changes to academic work life under recent employment reform in the Chinese Mainland. It employs a mixed-methods research approach, first conducting a survey of 1,770 teachers at nine universities in Mainland China. These nine universities consist of first-tier, second-tier, and ordinary universities. Next, through a qualitative research approach, 60 teachers at three of the nine universities were interviewed. Teachers from the departments of management, information technology, education, and physics were interviewed, reflecting a variety of work conditions. Our study finds that the employment reform, with its stress on quantitative research output, has led to further restrictions on academic work and the standardization of academic development. The new measurements have led to a crisis of confidence and dignity for many senior teachers. Great pressure has also been placed on younger academics, who receive very limited promotion opportunities. This study offers a significant theoretical contribution to discussion on the changing academic work life and has policy implications for higher education personnel policy in China.  相似文献   

Sex in College Relationships: The Role Television Plays in Emerging Adults’ Sexual Expectations in Relationships     

Hilary Gamble  Leslie R. Nelson 《Communication monographs》2016,83(1):145-161

The purpose of this study was to determine whether emerging adults use relationship television to form their expectations for sexual interaction in romantic relationships. Considering emerging adulthood is a unique period of development providing opportunities to experiment with adult identities, and relationship television contains multiple consistent messages about gender roles in sexual relationships, we questioned whether emerging adults’ relationship television viewing may be related to their sexual expectations in relationships. Our findings indicated women's relationship television viewing was associated with expecting more sexual interaction in their relationship. Men's sexual expectations were moderated by perceived realism. Men who watched more relationship television, and perceived that television to be less realistic, reported expecting less frequent sexual interaction.  相似文献   

A Marriage of Friends or Foes? Radio,Newspapers, and the Facsimile in the 1930s     

Charlene Simmons 《广播与电子媒介杂志》2016,60(3):410-424

The 1930s represent a contentious period between the radio and newspaper industries. In the middle of the press-radio war, a new technology, the broadcast radio facsimile, emerged with the potential to bring together the warring industries. Although the radio facsimile was short lived, its story, seen through the lens of the press-radio war, provides an interesting look at the forces shaping a new technology.

Envisioned as a technology that would allow subscribers to receive the newspaper via a radio receiver, the facsimile presented an interesting dilemma: Who would control the creation and dissemination of news—the newspaper or radio industry? This article explores this question through an examination of industry narratives about the facsimile. In analyzing the discourses, this study focuses on how the newspaper and radio industries envisioned the future of the facsimile. Was the facsimile viewed as a means for cooperation or as a point of contention?  相似文献