ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Children 3 to 5 years old with developmental delays are eligible for special education services. OBJECTIVE: To assess primary care physicians' (PCPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding their referrals to the special education system on behalf of children 3 to 5 years old. DESIGN/METHODS: Mail survey of 400 office-based general pediatricians and 414 family physicians in Michigan, fielded in fall 2012 and winter 2013, with a response rate of 44%. The 4-page survey included knowledge questions about special education eligibility, PCPs' role in accessing school-based services, and self-confidence in ability to help patients access these services. RESULTS: PCPs neither fully understood requirements for special education services nor were they very confident in identifying 3- to 5-year-old children eligible for special education services. CONCLUSIONS: PCPs recognize interacting with special education as a relative weakness, and they may be accepting of interventions to improve their knowledge and skills.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Clinical Competence/statistics & numerical data , Education, Special , Family Practice , Pediatrics , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Primary Health Care , Child, Preschool , Family Practice/methods , Family Practice/standards , Family Practice/statistics & numerical data , Female , Health Care Surveys , Humans , Male , Michigan , Pediatrics/methods , Pediatrics/standards , Pediatrics/statistics & numerical data , Primary Health Care/methods , Primary Health Care/standards , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Referral and Consultation , Self Efficacy , Self Report , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The potential human health risks associated with consuming fish containing hazardous substances are related to the frequency, duration, and magnitude of exposure. Because these risk factors are often site specific, they require site-specific data. In anticipation of performing a risk assessment of the lower 6 miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey (Study Area), a year-long creel/angler survey collected such site-specific data. The lower Passaic River is urbanized and industrialized, and its site conditions present unique survey design and sampling challenges. For example, the combined population of the municipalities surrounding the Study Area is nearly 330,000, but because the Study Area is tidal, state law does not require fishing licenses for anglers to fish or crab in the Study Area. The sampling challenges posed by the lack of licensing are exacerbated by the industrialization and lack of public access in the lower half of the Study Area. This article presents a survey methodology designed to overcome these challenges to provide data for accurately estimating the Study Area's angling population and the fish and crabs they catch, keep, and eat. In addition to addressing the challenges posed by an urban and industrial setting, the survey methodology also addresses the issues of coverage, avidity, and deterrence, issues necessary for collecting a representative sample of the Study Area's anglers. This article is a companion to two other articles. The first companion article describes the analytical methodology designed to process the data collected during the survey. The second presents, validates, and interprets the survey results relating to human exposure factors for the lower Passaic River.
