The Impact of a Brief Meeting on Employer Attitudes, Knowledge, and Intent to Hire

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Michele C. McDonnall ◽  
Karla Antonelli
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Employer Attitudes ◽  
Hiring Managers ◽  
Employer Engagement ◽  
Workforce Innovation ◽  
The Impact

We evaluated the ability of an intervention that consisted of a one-on-one meeting between a vocational rehabilitation (VR) professional and an employer to improve employer attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire people who are blind or visually impaired. We evaluated the relative effectiveness of two approaches (dual customer vs. educational) and the impact of the VR professionals’ vision status (blind or sighted) on our primary outcome measures and on interest in follow-up. Participants were 59 hiring managers employed by a large company who completed measures at three time points: pre, post, and 4-month follow-up. We found that, regardless of approach used or vision status of the VR professional, the intervention was successful at improving employers’ attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire. The educational approach resulted in increases in knowledge that were retained at follow-up, while the dual customer approach did not. Improvements in intent to hire were not retained at follow-up, suggesting that ongoing contact with employers will be beneficial to positively impact the hiring of people who are blind or visually impaired. These findings are particularly relevant given the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s focus on employer engagement for VR agencies.

The impact of statin therapy after surgical or endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-189
Author(s):  
Tae-Jin Song ◽  
Seung-Hun Oh ◽  
Jinkwon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Statin Therapy ◽  
Coil Embolization ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Cerebral Aneurysms ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Surgical Clipping ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVECerebral aneurysms represent the most common cause of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Statins are lipid-lowering agents that may expert multiple pleiotropic vascular protective effects. The authors hypothesized that statin therapy after coil embolization or surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms might improve clinical outcomes.METHODSThis was a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort Database in Korea. Patients who underwent coil embolization or surgical clipping for cerebral aneurysm between 2002 and 2013 were included. Based on prescription claims, the authors calculated the proportion of days covered (PDC) by statins during follow-up as a marker of statin therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of the development of stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause death. Multivariate time-dependent Cox regression analyses were performed.RESULTSA total of 1381 patients who underwent coil embolization (n = 542) or surgical clipping (n = 839) of cerebral aneurysms were included in this study. During the mean (± SD) follow-up period of 3.83 ± 3.35 years, 335 (24.3%) patients experienced the primary outcome. Adjustments were performed for sex, age (as a continuous variable), treatment modality, aneurysm rupture status (ruptured or unruptured aneurysm), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, household income level, and prior history of ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage as time-independent variables and statin therapy during follow-up as a time-dependent variable. Consistent statin therapy (PDC > 80%) was significantly associated with a lower risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.14–0.85).CONCLUSIONSConsistent statin therapy was significantly associated with better prognosis after coil embolization or surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms.

scholarly journals Effect of diabetes self-management education on glycaemic control among type 2 diabetic patients at a family medicine clinic in Kenya: A randomised controlled trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine W. Gathu ◽  
Jacob Shabani ◽  
Nancy Kunyiha ◽  
Riaz Ratansi
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
The Family

Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is a key component of diabetes care aimed at delaying complications. Unlike usual care, DSME is a more structured educational approach provided by trained, certified diabetes educators (CDE). In Kenya, many diabetic patients are yet to receive this integral component of care. At the family medicine clinic of the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi, the case is no different; most patients lack education by CDE.Aim: This study sought to assess effects of DSME in comparison to usual diabetes care by family physicians.Setting: Family Medicine Clinic, AKUH, Nairobi.Methods: Non-blinded randomised clinical trial among sub-optimally controlled (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 8%) type 2 diabetes patients. The intervention was DSME by CDE plus usual care versus usual care from family physicians. Primary outcome was mean difference in HbA1c after six months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure and body mass index.Results: A total of 220 diabetes patients were screened out of which 140 met the eligibility criteria and were randomised. Around 96 patients (69%) completed the study; 55 (79%) in the DSME group and 41 (59%) in the usual care group. The baseline mean age and HbA1c of all patients were 48.8 (standard deviation [SD]: 9.8) years and 9.9% (SD: 1.76%), respectively. After a 6-month follow-up, no significant difference was noted in the primary outcome (HbA1c) between the two groups, with a mean difference of 0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.45 to 1.19; p = 0.37). DSME also made no remarkable change in any of the secondary outcome measures.Conclusion: From this study, short-term biomedical benefits of a structured educational approach seemed to be limited. This suggested that offering a short, intensified education programme might have limited additional benefit above and beyond the family physicians’ comprehensive approach in managing chronic conditions like diabetes.

Abstract 17492: Extent and Pattern of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Predict Arrhythmic Events in Patients With Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Geum Shin ◽  
Hye-Jeong Lee ◽  
Junbeom Park ◽  
Young Jin Kim ◽  
Jae-Sun Uhm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Gadolinium Enhancement ◽  
Ventricular Arrhythmia ◽  
Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽  
Cardiac Death ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Gadolinium Enhancement ◽  
Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽  
The Impact

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by cardiac MR (CMR) has been related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC). But, a statistically significant association between LGE and arrhythmic risk in NIDC has not been demonstrated consistently. This study evaluated the impact of the presence, location and pattern of LGE on arrhythmic risk prediction in NICM. Methods: This study included 365 patients (54±15years) with NICM who underwent CMR. The extent, location and pattern of LGE were categorized. We analyzed for the primary outcome of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) including sustained or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) intervention and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Cardiac death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF) were evaluated as secondary outcomes. Results: LGE was seen in 267 (73 %) patients. During median follow-up of 44±36 months, patients with LGE had higher incidence of cardiac death (15 % vs. 2 %, p<0.001), hospitalization for HF (40 % vs. 15 %, p<0.001) and VA (14% vs. 6%, p=0.03). In multivariable analysis, the presence of LGE (HR 2.78; 95% CI 1.10-7.02; p=0.03) was the independent predictor of arrhythmias. Patients with extensive LGE had higher VA (32% vs. 10%, p<0.001) with lower cumulative survival free of VA than those without extensive LGE (p=0.001). The frequent LGE location was as follows: LV septum 64%, LV-RV junction 42% and inferior 10%. VA was lower in patients with than without localized LGE limited to LV-RV junction (21% vs. 46%, p=0.005). Interestingly, while the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia was higher in patients with transmural LGE (29% vs. 10%, p=0.003), it was lower in those with patch LGE (2% vs. 16%, p=0.02) than the other patients. Conclusions: In patients with NICM, the LGE was an independent prognostic predictor of VA. Extensive LGE and specific location of LGE was related with the arrhythmic events.

scholarly journals Impact of the M184V/I Mutation on the Efficacy of Abacavir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir Therapy in HIV Treatment-Experienced Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flaminia Olearo ◽  
Huyen Nguyen ◽  
Fabrice Bonnet ◽  
Sabine Yerly ◽  
Gilles Wandeler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Composite Endpoint ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Prior History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv 1

Abstract Objective The impact of the M184V/I mutation on the virological failure (VF) rate in HIV-positive patients with suppressed viremia switching to an abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir regimen has been poorly evaluated. Method This is an observational study from 5 European HIV cohorts among treatment-experienced adults with ≤50 copies/mL of HIV-1 RNA who switched to abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir. Primary outcome was the time to first VF (2 consecutive HIV-1 RNA &gt;50 copies/mL or single HIV-1 RNA &gt;50 copies/mL accompanied by change in antiretroviral therapy [ART]). We also analyzed a composite outcome considering the presence of VF and/or virological blips. We report also the results of an inverse probability weighting analysis on a restricted population with a prior history of VF on any ART regimen to calculate statistics standardized to the disparate sampling population. Results We included 1626 patients (median follow-up, 288.5 days; interquartile range, 154–441). Patients with a genotypically documented M184V/I mutation (n = 137) had a lower CD4 nadir and a longer history of antiviral treatment. The incidence of VF was 29.8 cases (11.2–79.4) per 1000 person-years in those with a previously documented M184V/I, and 13.6 cases (8.4–21.8) in patients without documented M184V/I. Propensity score weighting in a restricted population (n = 580) showed that M184V/I was not associated with VF or the composite endpoint (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35–4.59 and HR 1.66; 95% CI, 0.81–3.43, respectively). Conclusions In ART-experienced patients switching to an abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir treatment, we observed few VFs and found no evidence for an impact of previously-acquired M184V/I mutation on this outcome. Additional analyses are required to demonstrate whether these findings will remain robust during a longer follow-up.

Additional Evidence for the Validity of the Employer Attitudes Toward Blind Employees Scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele C. McDonnall
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Social Desirability Bias ◽  
Employer Attitudes ◽  
Hiring Managers ◽  
Barriers To Employment ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Negative employer attitudes have traditionally been considered one of the major barriers to employment faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. Recent research suggests this continues to be a problem, yet little research has directly measured employer attitudes toward this population. Data were collected from a large sample of hiring managers ( N = 382) to provide evidence for the validity of a recently developed instrument, the Employer Attitudes Toward Blind Employees Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the instrument, providing evidence for its reliability and validity. Social desirability bias was not found to be a significant problem with the instrument. Self-reported likelihood to hire a person who is blind or visually impaired in the future had a strong association with attitude scores, providing evidence for the scale’s predictive validity.

scholarly journals Does Hardware Removal Improve Function Following Ankle Open Reduction and Internal Fixation?

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011417S0004
Author(s):  
Benjamin Williams ◽  
Michael Chau ◽  
Dylan McCreary ◽  
Brian Cunningham ◽  
Fernando Peña ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Fracture ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Skeletal Maturity ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽  
Hardware Removal ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Initial Surgery ◽  
The Impact

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Orthopaedic hardware removal (HWR) is one of the most common orthopaedic procedures performed, with rates reported between 5% and 16%. Despite the high rates of HWR, there is still no consensus or guideline for removal after osseous healing without infection. Outcome studies for HWR are scarce, particularly in the lower extremity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of removal of symptomatic ankle hardware using the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) dysfunction index as the primary outcome. We hypothesize that HWR after ankle fracture will result in improved functional outcomes. Methods: Utilizing a prospectively collected ankle fracture registry, all patients that underwent HWR between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were skeletal maturity, closed intra-articular ankle fracture, symptomatic ankle hardware and completion of the SMFA questionnaire prior to and 5-months after hardware removal. Exclusion criteria were development of a nonunion, infection or complex regional pain syndrome from initial surgery. The primary outcome was change in SMFA score from baseline. Paired t-test was used to compare baseline and follow-up SMFA scores. A multiple linear regression model evaluated the effects of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, number of comorbidities, and Lauge-Hansen fracture classification on outcomes. Results: The study included 43 patients (31 females, 12 males), mean age 49.9 (range, 19 to 83). Mean time from initial surgery to HWR was 37±46 months (range, 2.2 to 209). Follow-up SMFA questionnaires were completed 5.7±0.5 months (range, 5.1 to 7.4) after HWR. The fractures were classified as 23 (53%) supination-external rotation, 6 (14%) pronation-external rotation, 2 (4.7%) pronation-abduction and 1 (2.3%) supination-adduction. Eleven fractures (26%) were classified as pilons. The SMFA dysfunction index improved significantly from baseline to follow-up (3.71±7.4, p=0.002). Significant improvement was seen in the secondary outcomes of SMFA bother index (4.40±8.9, p=0.003) and SMFA daily activities domain (4.12±9.1, p=0.006). Regression analysis revealed a significant improvement in the bother index correlating with female gender (p=0.01) and decreasing number of comorbidities (p=0.03). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that patients with ankle fractures have a significant improvement in function following the removal of symptomatic ankle hardware. Patients also showed a significant improvement in the bother index and daily activities domain of the SMFA. Further investigation into the specific indications for HWR and the impact of injury and fracture pattern on outcomes is warranted.

Economic evaluation of a crisis resolution service: A randomised controlled trial

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul McCrone ◽  
Sonia Johnson ◽  
Fiona Nolan ◽  
Stephen Pilling ◽  
Andrew Sandor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Primary Outcome Measure ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Impact

SummaryAims – The use of specialised services to avoid admission to hospital for people experiencing mental health crises is seen as an integral part of psychiatric services in some countries. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact on costs and costeffectiveness of a crisis resolution team (CRT). Methods – Patients who were experiencing mental health crises sufficient for admission to be considered were randomised to either care provided by a CRT or standard services. The primary outcome measure was inpatient days over a six-month follow-up period. Service use was measured, costs calculated and cost-effectiveness assessed. Results – Patients receiving care from the CRT had non-inpatient costs £768 higher than patients receiving standard care (90% CI, £153 to £1375). With the inclusion of inpatient costs the costs for the CRT group were £2438 lower for the CRT group (90% CI, £937 to £3922). If one less day spent as an inpatient was valued at £100, there would be a 99.5% likelihood of the CRT being costeffective. Conclusion – This CRT was shown to be cost-effective for modest values placed on reductions in inpatient stays.

scholarly journals Cumulative burden of lipid profiles predict future incidence of ischaemic stroke and residual risk

2021 ◽  
pp. svn-2020-000726
Author(s):  
Liye Dai ◽  
Jie Xu ◽  
Yijun Zhang ◽  
Anxin Wang ◽  
Zimo Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischaemic Stroke ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Low Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Lipid Profiles ◽  
Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesIncident ischaemic stroke (IS) risk may increase not only with lipids concentration but also with longer duration of exposure. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cumulative burden of lipid profiles on risk of incident IS.MethodsA total of 43 836 participants were enrolled who participated in four surveys during 2006–2013. Individual cumulative lipid burden was calculated as number of years (2006–2013) multiplied by the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), non-HDL-C and triglyceride (TG), respectively. The primary outcome was defined as the incident IS during 2012–2017.ResultsDuring 4.67 years (±0.70 years) follow-up on average, we identified 1023 (2.33%) incident IS. Compared with respective reference groups, the HRs (95% CIs) of the upper tertile in cumulative TG burden, cumulative LDL-C burden, cumulative TC burden and cumulative non-HDL-C burden were 1.26 mmol/L (1.02–1.55 mmol/L), 1.47 mmol/L (1.25–1.73 mmol/L), 1.33 mmol/L (1.12–1.57 mmol/L) and 1.51 mmol/L (1.28–1.80 mmol/L) for incidence of IS, respectively. However, this association was not significant in cumulative HDL-C burden and IS (HR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.52), after adjustment for confounding variables. Among 16 600 participants with low cumulative LDL-C burden, HRs (95% CI) for TC, TG, non-HDL-C and HDL-C with IS were 1.63 mmol/L (1.03–2.57 mmol/L), 1.65 mmol/L (1.19–2.31 mmol/L), 1.57 mmol/L (1.06–2.32 mmol/L) and 0.98 mmol/L (0.56–1.72 mmol/L), respectively.ConclusionsWe observed the correlation between cumulative burden of lipid profiles, except for cumulative burden of HDL-C, with the risk of incident IS. Cumulative burden of TC, TG and non-HDL-C may still predict IS in patients with low cumulative LDL-C burden.Trial registration numberChiCTR-TNRC-11001489.

scholarly journals The impact of scoliosis surgery on pulmonary function in spinal muscular atrophy: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abduljabber Alhammoud ◽  
Yahya Othman ◽  
Ron El-Hawary ◽  
William G. Mackenzie ◽  
Jason J. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Function ◽  
Spinal Muscular Atrophy ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Muscular Atrophy ◽  
Scoliosis Surgery ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Function Testing

AbstractScoliosis often occurs coincident with pulmonary function deterioration in spinal muscular atrophy but a causal relationship has not yet been reliably established. A systematic literature review was performed, with pulmonary function testing being the primary outcome pre- and post-scoliosis surgery. Levels of evidence were determined and GRADE recommendations made. Ninety studies were identified with only 14 meeting inclusion criteria. Four studies were level III and the rest were level IV evidence. The average age at surgical intervention was 11.8 years (follow-up 6.1 years). Post-operative pulmonary function progressively declined for the majority of studies. Otherwise, pulmonary function: improved (two studies), were unchanged (two studies), had a decreased rate of decline (three studies), declined initially then returned to baseline (two studies). Respiratory and spine-based complications were common. Given the available evidence, the following GRADE C recommendations were made: (1) surgery is most often associated with decreases in pulmonary function; (2) the impact of surgery on pulmonary function is variable, but does not improve over pre-operative baseline; (3) surgery may result in a decreased rate of decline in pulmonary function post-operatively. Given this lack of evidence-based support, the risk–benefit balance should be taken into consideration when contemplating scoliosis surgery.

Impact of pre-existing diabetes mellitus on survival in stage I renal cell carcinoma.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 676-676
Author(s):  
Stephen Ryan ◽  
Ahmet Bindayi ◽  
Aaron Bloch ◽  
Ryan Nasseri ◽  
Zachary Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Nephron Sparing Surgery ◽  
Stage I ◽  
Nephron Sparing ◽  
The Impact

676 Background: AUA guidelines recommend consideration of nephron sparing surgery in patients with comorbidities that are likely to impact renal function, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). We compared the impact of partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) on overall survival (OS) in patients with pre-existing DM and Stage I Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC). Methods: Multicenter retrospective analysis of surgically treated Stage I RCC from 2005-16 with or without DM. Primary outcome was OS analyzed by DM+ or DM- and surgical approach (PN or RN) for AJCC Stage I. Logistic (OR) and Cox (HR) regression were utilized for OS. Results: 2173 patients were analyzed (1223 RN, 1819 PN, 555 DM+, 2487 DM-) with mean follow-up of 49.1 months. Increasing Age (OR 1.028, p = .009), RN (OR 2.446, p = .001), and most recent eGFR < 45 (OR 2.306 p = .002) remained significant on multivariate analysis for OS (Table 1). In the PN subgroup, DM+ or DM- was not associated with decreased OS (HR 1.48 p = 0.19). DM+ was associated with decreased OS in the RN subgroup (HR 1.97 p = 0.005). Conclusions: In Stage I RCC, DM and RN negatively impacted OS, while only RN remained significant on MVA. Subgroup analysis of PN showed that OS was similar in DM- and DM+ patients, but diagnosis of DM had a profound impact on OS in the RN group. This supports the guideline statements and offers evidence that urologists should prioritize nephron sparing surgery in patients with DM and Stage I Renal Cell Carcinoma.[Table: see text]

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