Examining Benchmarks for the Daily Report Card Intervention in a Therapeutic Recreational Setting

Objective: This study aimed to (1) examine benchmarks for the benefits of the Daily Report Card (DRC) within a therapeutic recreation setting, that is, the Summer Treatment Program (STP) and (2) explore differences in baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes among optimal and suboptimal responders. Benchmarks were examined for children’s DRC target behaviors using standardized mean difference (SMD) effect sizes (ES) across 2-week periods of the STP. Method: Participants were 38 children attending an STP. Results: Aside from teasing, all DRC targets showed improvement by the second 2-week period that was sustained through the third 2-week period. Optimal responders demonstrated greater improvement in parent-rated impairment and camp behaviors than suboptimal responders. Some baseline differences between responder groups were found. Conclusion: This study provides the first benchmarks for change in DRC targets within a therapeutic recreational setting, offering guidelines for treatment expectations. Implications for clinical decision-making, treatment planning, and future research are discussed.

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Challenges in treatment of renal echinococcosis with gross hydatiduria and unsalvageable kidney: a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports ◽

10.1186/s13256-021-02992-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sameera Shuaibi ◽

Abdelrahman AlAshqar ◽

Munirah Alabdulhadi ◽

Wasl Al-Adsani

Keyword(s):

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Renal Involvement ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Standards Of Care ◽

Future Research ◽

Positive Serology ◽

Grape Skin

Abstract Introduction Renal echinococcosis is of rare occurrence, and although often asymptomatic, it can present with various mild to drastic presentations, of which hydatiduria is pathognomonic. Diagnosis can be preliminarily established by imaging, and treatment is primarily surgical. We present a patient with renal echinococcosis treated successfully with exclusive antiparasitic pharmacotherapy after refusing surgery despite extensive renal involvement. We hope through this report to help establish future solid guidelines regarding this uncommon therapeutic approach. Case presentation This is a case of a 49-year-old Syrian shepherd presenting with flank pain and passage of grape-skin-like structures in urine. A diagnosis of renal echinococcosis with hydatiduria and significant parenchymal destruction was established based on exposure history, positive serology, imaging findings, and renal scintigraphy. After proper counseling, the patient refused nephrectomy and was therefore started on dual pharmacotherapy (albendazole and praziquantel) and is having an uneventful follow-up and a satisfactory response to treatment. Conclusion This case embodies the daily challenges physicians navigate as they uphold the ethical principles of their practice and support their patients’ autonomy while delivering the best standards of care and consulting the scientific evidence. Although surgery is the cornerstone of renal echinococcosis treatment, treating physicians should be prepared to tackle situations where surgery cannot be done and offer the best next available option for patients who refuse surgery. As data on exclusive pharmacotherapy are limited, future research should thoroughly investigate the efficacy of this uncommon approach and outline reliable recommendations, facilitating future clinical decision-making in this avenue.

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Evaluating Diagnostic Tests

Advances in Dental Research ◽

10.1177/08959374930070021701 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 66-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

C.W. Douglass

Keyword(s):

Predictive Value ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

New Technologies ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Future Research ◽

Scientific Support ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Efficacy Parameters ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

The presentations at this conference will discuss new technologies and rapid scientific developments that have resulted in new diagnostic tests for periodontal disease, musculoskeletal imaging, temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, and incipient coronal and root dental caries. However, for many of these claims, there has been insufficient scientific support regarding the sensitivity and specificity of the tests, or their ability to predict the percent of cases in which the disease or condition progresses to the next state of development. Research is needed that will yield the basic diagnostic parameters of new diagnostic tests, i.e., their accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. The purpose and methods for calculating each of these measures are described in this paper. Five questions are then presented that will need to be addressed in future research regarding new diagnostic tests: (1) Does the scientific theory of the test fit with our current body of knowledge? (2) Have the efficacy parameters of the test been reliably determined? (3) How does the test affect clinical decision-making? (4) Does using the test improve the patient's health? and (5) Is the added expense of the test justified by increased effectiveness or by avoiding other health expenditures?

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The experiences of family members witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative: An adapted meta-narrative literature review

Palliative Medicine ◽

10.1177/0269216319859728 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (9) ◽

pp. 1146-1157 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Annie Pettifer ◽

Katherine Froggatt ◽

Sean Hughes

Keyword(s):

Oral Fluid ◽

Cancer Cachexia ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Family Members ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Future Research ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Relevant Research ◽

Narrative Literature ◽

Narrative Literature Review

Background:Addressing the concerns of family members is an important aspect of palliative and end-of-life care. One aspect that commonly causes family caregivers concern is the decline of patients’ oral fluid intake in the last few days of life.Aim:To map the narratives in which family members’ experiences of witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative have been researched, review the findings within each narrative and consider directions for future research.Design:An adapted meta-narrative review approach.Data Sources:The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Applied Health Literature, Medline, PsycINFO, Psycharticles and Scopus databases were searched for relevant research published between January 1982 and December 2017. Quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment and Review Instrument.Results:A total of 22 papers met the inclusion criteria. No study focused specifically on the experiences of family members when witnessing the diminishing drinking of dying relatives. However, research about diminishing drinking was identified within studies broadly focusing on cancer cachexia, clinical decision-making about hydration and/or nutrition and support in a hospice context. The research indicates that family members’ experiences of diminishing drinking vary with their views about the significance of drinking, dying well and their expectations of themselves and healthcare professionals.Conclusion:While some understanding of the topic can be inferred from research in related areas, there is a paucity of information specifically about family members’ experiences when witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative.

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“The Daily Report Card”

Teaching Exceptional Children ◽

10.1177/004005998701900218 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 72-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Thomas N. Fairchild

Keyword(s):

Report Card ◽

Daily Report Card ◽

Daily Report

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Nonsuicidal Self-injury: Examining the Relationship Between Diagnosis and Gender

Journal of Mental Health Counseling ◽

10.17744/mehc.32.4.366740506r458202 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 324-341 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Amanda Healey ◽

Heather Trepal ◽

Kelly Emelianchik-Key

Keyword(s):

Counselor Training ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Future Research ◽

Counselors In Training ◽

Counseling Professionals ◽

Biological Sex ◽

Normative Expectations ◽

And Gender ◽

Societal Expectations

This study examined the perceptions of counselors in training concerning nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors (NSSI), diagnosis, and the influence of gender-normative expectations on clinical decision making. Participants were asked to respond to a set of questions after reading a randomly assigned case study. The purpose was to determine the process through which counseling professionals diagnosed adolescents who self-injure and whether the sex of the client influenced the decision. Cases presented were identical except that the sex of the client was altered. It appears that societal expectations associated with biological sex may influence counselor diagnostic decisions at the training level. Implications for diagnosis, counselor training, and future research are presented.

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