Standardized Patients: Potential to Improve Student Training in Aural Rehabilitation

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Picou ◽  
Anne Marie Tharpe

Hearing loss is a growing public health concern. The multifaceted consequences of hearing loss are far reaching and include reduced audibility, well-being, and quality-of-life. Audiologists require specific training to address the wide range of hearing loss (re)habilitation needs, including some of the psychosocial needs of patients. One instructional method that might provide valuable training for the next generation of clinicians is the use of simulated or standardized patients (SPs). Standardized patients (SPs) are actors who are recruited, trained, and typically paid to portray patients, family members, or healthcare team members in a standardized manner for purposes of training healthcare professionals. Advantages to using SPs as an instructional technique were identified through a review of the literature and through discussion with two focus groups of experienced educators in the field of audiology. Advantages included those inherent to SP scenarios (e.g., standardization, authenticity, and safety), as well as those inherent to the experience (e.g., student reflection, comprehensive feedback, etc.). Benefits to students can include increased student confidence and improved interpersonal skills. Although time and resource investments necessary for SP case implementation can be prohibitive for some programs, creative instructors can harness many of the benefits using alternative implementations of SP cases.

Author(s):  
Dilek Yıldırım ◽  
Dilek Baykal ◽  
Gülbeyaz Can

Many patients refer to complementary methods as well as pharmacological treatments. Phytotherapy is the most used among these methods. For this reason, it is important that the members of the healthcare team and especially the nurses who spend a much longer time with the patient are knowledgeable about phytotherapy. The aim of this review is to enable healthcare team members to have knowledge about phytotherapy and to provide a basis for experimental studies. In this study, CINAHL, EBSCOHost MEDLINE, Ovid, Pubmed, Web of Science The studies which were published in the national databases of ULAKBIM between January 2010 and March 2018 were examined in Turkish or in English. In this database, "Phytotherapy", "Phytotherapy Applications", "Disease Management", "Treatment with Plants" has been reached to work using keywords in Turkish and English words. Studies have shown that phytotherapy is used in a wide range of gynecology, oncology, neuropsychiatry and cardiovascular diseases, orthopedics, lesion treatment. Although it is widely used, it is noteworthy that there is still no specific protocol in many phytotherapy applications, the studies are conducted with small sample groups, and there are uncertainties about how and how to use it in the patient group. In this respect, health personnels should have knowledge about the effects and possible side effects of phytotherapy and should take the lead in the formation of phytotherapy-related care protocols.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M McTigue ◽  
David Fear ◽  
Ken Hunter ◽  
Sri Karanam ◽  
James Uhrig ◽  
...  

Background: Engaging patients and other stakeholders is a key tenet of patient-centered research, but can be challenging to implement.  Objectives: To determine the feasibility of using patient narratives for informing comparative effectiveness research and engaging patients in the research process.Research Design: Cross-sectional study.Participants: The first 153 participants to share a story using the MyPaTH Story Booth protocol were, on average, aged 51 (18.8). Most were white (79%) or African American (13%) and well-educated.Measures: Participants self-categorized their narratives according to the sort of health experience(s) described (e.g., diagnosis, doctor/patient communication), the anatomic locations of health problems discussed and the type of disorder or condition addressed. They also reported on whether they were interested in engaging in clinical research as a participant or stakeholder and their satisfaction with the study processes.Results: The archived narratives addressed a wide range of health experiences of relevance to clinical researchers, most often medical treatment (82%), communication with healthcare team members (81%), diagnosis (64%), symptoms (61%), healthcare access (60%) and health decision-making (60%). Health problems related to diverse anatomic locations were addressed. Health conditions such as mental health concerns (35%), infections (23%) and cancers (20%) were often discussed. Among participants, 63% expressed interest in learning of opportunities for stakeholder engagement in research related to their stories. Ninety seven percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the MyPaTH Story Booth process. Conclusions: The narrative archive represents a unique resource for researchers interested in developing and carrying out patient-centered research projects to improve health or healthcare.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Madhab Raj Bista ◽  
Pranab Dahal

Background: Noise induced hearing loss has been increasing rapidly with the advancement of technological, industrial and anthropogenic growth. Hearing loss is identified to be minimizing psychosocial well-being of an individual and reduced economic activities apart from deafness. This study aimed to measure the noise induced health impairment in traffic polices of Kathmandu valley. Methods and Materials: The cross-study was conducted among eighty traffic police in the Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts of Nepal. Purposive stratified sampling method was used for the study. A semi structured interview guide was developed to assess the physical findings and an audiometric test were also conducted with each individual traffic personnel to assess the hearing impairment. Results: The study identified Chabahil in Kathmandu with highest level of noise at 90 A-weighted decibel. Overall, moderate hearing loss in the left ear was reported in 55% of the respondents and mild hearing list in right ear in 46.3% of the respondents. The study found bilateral moderate hearing loss in all the respondent serving more than twenty years in traffic management. The effects of getting tired (80%), difficulties in concentration (76.3%) and increased irritation (72%) were identified as the high ranked health effects.  Conclusion: The study reinforces the need of further exploration as this occupational health issue is a growing public health concern.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Convery ◽  
Gitte Keidser ◽  
Louise Hickson ◽  
Carly Meyer

Purpose Hearing loss self-management refers to the knowledge and skills people use to manage the effects of hearing loss on all aspects of their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Method Thirty-seven adults with hearing loss, all of whom were current users of bilateral hearing aids, participated in this observational study. The participants completed self-report inventories probing their hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between individual domains of hearing loss self-management and hearing aid benefit and satisfaction. Results Participants who reported better self-management of the effects of their hearing loss on their emotional well-being and social participation were more likely to report less aided listening difficulty in noisy and reverberant environments and greater satisfaction with the effect of their hearing aids on their self-image. Participants who reported better self-management in the areas of adhering to treatment, participating in shared decision making, accessing services and resources, attending appointments, and monitoring for changes in their hearing and functional status were more likely to report greater satisfaction with the sound quality and performance of their hearing aids. Conclusion Study findings highlight the potential for using information about a patient's hearing loss self-management in different domains as part of clinical decision making and management planning.


Author(s):  
Dr. Sushma Patil ◽  
Dr. Vikrant Patil

Thyroid disorders are common worldwide. Thyroid dysfunction, both hypo- and hyperthyroidism may increase the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Current thyroid function tests may have limitations since they only measure the total or free T4 and/or T3 and TSH serum concentrations in peripheral blood and not the effect of T4 or T3 serum on different specific target tissues. Several comorbid conditions can interfere with the absorption or increase the clearance of levothyroxine. Among patients treated with thyroid replacement, under or overmedicated may-be at risk for adverse health consequences. A wide range of drugs may interfere with levothyroxine absorption, metabolism, and action. Patients report a lack of well-being, despite reaching euthyroid reference range of TSH, with psychological distress. If we will consider Thyroid related conditions as a syndrome then research perspective at the pathophysiology, interrelation between symptoms and comorbidities will be much broader that can lead researchers to get insights of different pathways in which thyroid gland functioning can be perceived and dealt therapeutically. The deliberation of thyroid disorder as a syndrome can affluence our knowledge of correlating cofounders, action of thyroid hormones on target tissues, underlying cause and thyroid health.


2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chalimah .

eamwork is becoming increasingly important to wide range of operations. It applies to all levels of the company. It is just as important for top executives as it is to middle management, supervisors and shop floor workers. Poor teamwork at any level or between levels can seriously damage organizational effectiveness. The focus of this paper was therefore to examine whether leadership practices consist of team leader behavior, conflict resolution style and openness in communication significantly influenced the team member’s satisfaction in hotel industry. Result indicates that team leader behavior and the conflict resolution style significantly influenced team member satisfaction. It was surprising that openness in communication did not affect significantly to the team members’ satisfaction.


Author(s):  
Sigit Arifwidodo ◽  
Orana Chandrasiri

Public Park is considered one of the essential settings for physical activity, especially in urban areas. Parks support physical activity through their accessibility, their provision to facilitate active pursuits; their capacity to provide opportunities to a wide range of users; and their semi-permanent nature. The paper explores the design intervention assessment of Benchakitti Park, which serves as the pilot project for active park and showcase during the past ISPAH 2016 conference. The objective of the paper is to understand the health and well-being benefits of an urban park in increasing PA levels of urban population and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Keywords: Public park; physical activity; urban landscape design; public health; SOPARC


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-688
Author(s):  
Shamsi Abbasalizadeh ◽  
Behzad Ebrahimi ◽  
Aslan Azizi ◽  
Rogaye Dargahi ◽  
Maryam Tayebali ◽  
...  

Constipation is a common public health concern experienced by all individuals during their life affecting the quality of life. In this paper, we aimed to provide an overview of the existing evidence regarding the role of food ingredients, including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, and flax-seed in constipation treatment. We searched Scopus, Pub Med, and Science Direct by using the keywords, “laxative foods” and “constipation”, for searching studies assessing laxative food ingredients and their beneficial effects on constipation treatment and/or control. Lifestyle modifications such as increasing dietary fiber and fluid intake and daily exercise are the proposed first line treatments for constipation. Optimizing ‘diet’ as an efficient lifestyle factor may contribute to the well-being of patients. The use of laxative food ingredients including bran, prune, fig, kiwifruit, flax-seed, probiotics, and prebiotics is a convenient alternative to cope with constipation. According to previous findings, laxative food ingredients could be considered as effective treatments for subjects suffering from constipation. Many studies have assessed the pharmacological and non-pharmacological roles of these ingredients in treating constipation, however, their importance has not been thoroughly investigated.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Hegy ◽  
Noemi Anja Brog ◽  
Thomas Berger ◽  
Hansjoerg Znoj

BACKGROUND Accidents and the resulting injuries are one of the world’s biggest health care issues often causing long-term effects on psychological and physical health. With regard to psychological consequences, accidents can cause a wide range of burdens including adjustment problems. Although adjustment problems are among the most frequent mental health problems, there are few specific interventions available. The newly developed program SelFIT aims to remedy this situation by offering a low-threshold web-based self-help intervention for psychological distress after an accident. OBJECTIVE The overall aim is to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the SelFIT program plus care as usual (CAU) compared to only care as usual. Furthermore, the program’s user friendliness, acceptance and adherence are assessed. We expect that the use of SelFIT is associated with a greater reduction in psychological distress, greater improvement in mental and physical well-being, and greater cost-effectiveness compared to CAU. METHODS Adults (n=240) showing adjustment problems due to an accident they experienced between 2 weeks and 2 years before entering the study will be randomized. Participants in the intervention group receive direct access to SelFIT. The control group receives access to the program after 12 weeks. There are 6 measurement points for both groups (baseline as well as after 4, 8, 12, 24 and 36 weeks). The main outcome is a reduction in anxiety, depression and stress symptoms that indicate adjustment problems. Secondary outcomes include well-being, optimism, embitterment, self-esteem, self-efficacy, emotion regulation, pain, costs of health care consumption and productivity loss as well as the program’s adherence, acceptance and user-friendliness. RESULTS Recruitment started in December 2019 and is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study examining a web-based self-help program designed to treat adjustment problems resulting from an accident. If effective, the program could complement the still limited offer of secondary and tertiary psychological prevention after an accident. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03785912; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03785912?cond=NCT03785912&draw=2&rank=1


Author(s):  
Jeff Levin ◽  
Stephen G. Post

In Religion and Medicine, Dr. Jeff Levin, distinguished Baylor University epidemiologist, outlines the longstanding history of multifaceted interconnections between the institutions of religion and medicine. He traces the history of the encounter between these two institutions from antiquity through to the present day, highlighting a myriad of contemporary alliances between the faith-based and medical sectors. Religion and Medicine tells the story of: religious healers and religiously branded hospitals and healthcare institutions; pastoral professionals involved in medical missions, healthcare chaplaincy, and psychological counseling; congregational health promotion and disease prevention programs and global health initiatives; research studies on the impact of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices on physical and mental health, well-being, and healing; programs and centers for medical research and education within major universities and academic institutions; religiously informed bioethics and clinical decision-making; and faith-based health policy initiatives and advocacy for healthcare reform. Religion and Medicine is the first book to cover the full breadth of this subject. It documents religion-medicine alliances across religious traditions, throughout the world, and over the course of history. It summarizes a wide range of material of relevance to historians, medical professionals, pastors and theologians, bioethicists, scientists, public health educators, and policymakers. The product of decades of rigorous and focused research, Dr. Levin has produced the most comprehensive history of these developments and the finest introduction to this emerging field of scholarship.


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