ABSTRACT
The authors have developed and assessed 2 innovative, case-based, interactive training programs on substance abuse, one for health professional students on alcohol and one for primary care providers on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). Both programs build skills in substance abuse SBIRT. Real-world effectiveness trials involving medical students (n = 10) and nursing students (n = 60) were completed; trials involving primary care providers (n = 65) are in progress during 2011. Medical students and nursing students had similarly low baseline scores on assessments that benefited from training: knowledge, confidence, and clinical performance measured via an online standardized patient case and encounter note all improved post-training. Preliminary results indicate that practicing providers improved on knowledge, attitude, and brief intervention skill performance after a similar training. Results suggest that SBIRT skills can be improved with this model for case-based interactive training programs, and thus, that this training has the potential to impact patient outcomes.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Health Personnel/education , Internet , Primary Health Care/methods , Psychotherapy, Brief/education , Referral and Consultation , Substance Abuse Detection , Substance-Related Disorders , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/methods , Humans , Program DevelopmentABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate whether oral hygiene improves after persons with scleroderma received structured oral hygiene instructions and facial and hand exercises. METHODS: Seventeen persons with scleroderma received a baseline dental evaluation including an examination for decayed or missing teeth, calculus, sites that bleed upon probing, measures of oral aperture, and the Patient Hygiene Performance Index. Upper extremity functioning including strength, joint motion, and dexterity were also measured. Participants received a structured home program consisting of patient education on brushing and flossing techniques, hand and facial exercises, adapted dental appliances, and a 6-month supply of dental products. RESULTS: At the end of the 6-month intervention, there was a significant decrease (improvement) in mean PHP scores and a significant decrease in the number of teeth that bled on probing and with subgingival calculus. There were no differences in any of the upper extremity measures or oral aperture. Correlations between the upper extremity and oral measures showed associations between oral aperture and two of the dexterity measures and number of teeth with caries. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that oral exercises and education regarding proper dental care may be useful in managing oral hygiene in persons with scleroderma.
Subject(s)
Oral Hygiene/education , Patient Education as Topic , Periodontal Diseases/prevention & control , Scleroderma, Diffuse/complications , Scleroderma, Localized/complications , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
DementiaCareCentral.com is a new online intervention for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The website includes a combination of educational information, psychosocial and peer support tools, and interactive resources. The website is being developed with feedback obtained from dementia caregivers in several rounds of needs analysis and usability evaluation.
Subject(s)
Caregivers/education , Caregivers/psychology , Computer-Assisted Instruction/methods , Consumer Health Information/methods , Dementia/nursing , Internet , Social Support , Humans , North CarolinaABSTRACT
The Buprenorphine Practice Advisor (BPA) is a new web-based tool for primary care physicians who see opioid-dependent patients in their practices. The website (BupPractice.com) provides physicians with information and resources on referring patients for buprenorphine treatment, medical management of patients on buprenorphine, and setting up and managing office-based buprenorphine treatment.
Subject(s)
Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Decision Support Systems, Clinical , Internet , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Therapy, Computer-Assisted/methods , User-Computer Interface , Humans , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , North CarolinaABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to generate stable cell cultures from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), and retrospectively analyze the factors associated with successful cell line establishment. Fifty-two HNSCC cell lines were isolated from a series of 199 tumors collected between 1992 and 1997 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Cell lines were characterized at the molecular and cellular level to determine the features associated with cell line formation. Successful cell line formation was dependent on multiple factors, including gene amplification involving chromosomal band 11q13, local and/or regional involvement of lymph nodes, and alcohol usage. The establishment of HNSCC cell lines enriches the resources available for cancer research. Our findings indicate that generation of stable cell lines from HNSCC is biased towards tumors with a poor prognosis. Our 52 stable lines comprise one of the largest series of HNSCC cell lines in the literature, with complete demographic, histopathologic, clinical, and survival data.
