Evolution of the English Language, Nonfiction, Near Death Experience Book Genre Over the Past Fifty Years.

This study looks at the evolution of the nonfiction English language near death experience (NDE) book genre over the past 50 years. The key research aim was to identify subgenres of NDE books to better understand how the epistemology of NDEs has been shaped by the popular literature. The study employed a qualitative methodology and was both inductive and deductive. World Cat and Library of Congress databases were used to identify printed and digital books, as well as textbooks, published on the NDE topic. Each book was coded to classify it within a specific subgenre. Findings showed that the largest subgenre of English language NDE books has been the experiencer account, whether written in an autobiographical or biographical format. Other large subgenres have included scientific investigations, religiously oriented books (especially Christian), and books exploring the personal aftereffects of NDEs. Subgenres that have emerged in recent decades include compilations of "lessons" from NDEs, books written by neuroscientists, and books written by medical practitioners about patient experiences. The author concludes that public knowledge about NDEs has been greatly shaped by experiencer accounts published in books. Furthermore, the emergence of new subgenres of NDE books, and the growth of others, signals ongoing change in the epistemology of the phenomenon. Reflexive practice was central to the development of the final manuscript. Reflexivity is seamlessly integrated throughout the paper and demonstrates how the author's familiarity with the book genre, and the NDE subject in general, shaped the development and conduct of this study.

Improving the effectiveness of SUD treatment through a national registry.

CONTEXT: Recent research into the effectiveness of abstinence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment indicates that there has not been a substantial improvement since the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study research in 1993. Research into medication-supported treatments for SUD are hindered by a dearth of real-world longitudinal outcome studies. Patient registries have dramatically improved survival rates in many diseases by providing researchers with longitudinal data on a broad spectrum of patients undergoing a variety of treatments. Policy prescription: We recommend the creation of a national registry for patients receiving treatment for SUD akin to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program established in 1971 to track cancer patient outcomes. One option would be to expand the data currently being collected in the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) to include all nonpublicly funded treatment and to allow for longitudinal tracking of deidentified individuals. Information on medication use and deaths could be kept up to date through integrations with state-wide death registries and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. The TEDS dataset already undergoes extensive data deidentification to make sure individuals cannot be identified prior to releasing the admissions and discharge datasets to researchers. Once longitudinal tracking is available, even more stringent deidentification will be necessary, and access to the dataset would be restricted to public health researchers. CONCLUSION: The development of a registry of individuals undergoing treatment for SUD can be expected to enhance our understanding of the progression of the disease and the relative effectiveness of different treatment modalities for patients with different drug use histories and characteristics.

What child welfare staff say about organizational culture.

This article examines the factors that can affect job satisfaction, organizational culture and climate, and intent to leave at a public child welfare agency. Findings from focus group data collected from direct line, middle, and senior managers revealed a passive defensive culture. The authors discuss concrete organizational interventions to assist the agency in shifting to a constructive oriented culture through enhancements in communication, including supervision and shared decisionmaking, recognition and rewards, and improvement in other areas related to working conditions.