Action Research: a valuable research technique for service delivery development

The evaluation of healthcare practice and service delivery is fraught with difficulties. Service development and / or delivery occurs within socially dynamic settings which are in a continual state of change. Service development also often involves large elements of improvisation. The action research approach is useful for health service research, as it supports collaboration between researchers and practitioners, and not only allows but makes explicit that the action researcher has both roles within the setting being studied. This paper discusses action research methodology and offers insight into principles that favor its use for service delivery development. This includes consideration of the interactive variables within studies of health care systems and the importance of evaluating relationships between stakeholders to understand how these factors or variables, which cannot be controlled for, are responsible for successful development of the service. Action research facilitates change and helps bridge the heory--practice gap. With the current dynamic changes within both the pharmacy profession and national health services, researchers may find the action research technique of value when considering new roles and innovative ways of engaging in collaborative, multi-disciplinary working to improve delivery of patient care.Accepted july 2004     

Multivariate comparison of elemental concentrations in human teeth

R-mode factor analysis was applied to characterize the chemical composition of human teeth investigated by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The approach developed in this study enabled the separation between essential mineral teeth components and the pollutants deposited in teeth tissues during the human life. The three independent sources of metals incorporated in human teeth were found. The first source, representing about 43% of the variance of the concentration data, was characterized by pollutant elements of power industry emissions. The second factor was loaded with toxic elements of general urban pollution. The third factor represented the tooth source as it contained mainly large fractions of the mineral components of the tooth tissue as Ca and K.     

Design and conduct of occupational epidemiology studies: III. Design aspects of case-control studies

Currently available approaches for the design of occupational case-control studies are reviewed. An accompanying paper reviews methods of analysis. We commence by drawing a distinction between cohort-based and registry-based studies. Methods for selecting cases and controls are then reviewed, including cumulative incidence and incidence density sampling, matching, sources of controls, and issues in control selection. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the case-control approach are summarized.     

Advances in Causal Chain Development and Testing in Alcohol Research: Mediation, Suppression, Moderation, Mediated Moderation, and Moderated Mediation

Background:  While causal modeling is generally well known to alcohol researchers, several causal structures (including suppression, mediated moderation, and moderated mediation) are often poorly understood and seldom employed when investigators seek to model the complex mechanisms of behavior change, despite their widespread applicability to the field.
Methods:  This paper compares and contrasts five basic structures of causal modeling in the context of contemporary alcohol research and demonstrates how mechanisms of behavior change can be conceptualized and tested as parallel and serial sequences of these basic causal structures, forming causal chains.
Conclusion:  Recent methodological developments, while representing an important advancement for the field, fail to adequately address the complexities of alcohol dependence phenomena. A differentiation between frequently combined forms of these causal structures is proposed that would better address the needs of the field.     

静脉性脑梗死动物模型的建立及相关研究

静脉性脑梗死动物模型的建立是通过不同的栓塞方法闭塞实验动物上矢状窦的不同部位，其目的是观察脑组织的血流量、血氧饱和度、脑组织水含量、脑灌注压、及各种影像学表现等参数指标的变化，从病理生理角度探讨静脉性脑梗死的发病机理及演变过程。     

手术治疗Pilon骨折34例

Pilon骨折是涉及胫骨踝关节面损伤的胫骨远端干骺端骨折,近年来随着高能量损伤的增多,该类型骨折有增加的趋势,自2000-2005年,采用切开复位内固定的方法治疗Pilon骨折34例,疗效满意,现总结报告如下。1临床资料本组34例,男28例,女6例;年龄13~73岁,平均为40.6岁。车祸伤16例,高处坠落伤18例。开放骨折4例。合并颅脑损伤2例,胸腰椎骨折5例,跟骨骨折1例,腓骨下1/3骨折19例、中段骨折7例。其中按R櫣edi-Allg wer分型[1]:Ⅱ型骨折13例,Ⅲ型骨折21例。伤后就诊时间1h~5d,伤后至手术时间2h~14d,平均9.5d。2治疗方法2.1闭合损伤软组织肿胀严重者,先…     

连续埋线法重睑术的临床评价

目的 探讨连续埋线法重睑术的适应证和手术要点.方法 手术在局部麻醉下施行,从外眦向内眦沿睑板上缘作连续缝合,然后折返,外眦缝合口打结.结果 本组132例患者术后随访形成良好重睑者为121例,占92%;两侧重睑皱襞高低不一的7例,占5%;重睑消失的4例,占3%,后两者均补充埋线法或者切开法重睑术修复.结论 连续埋线法重睑术除适用于上睑皮肤较薄的年轻患者,也可扩大到中等以下程度的上睑皮肤松弛患者,以及以外侧为主的上睑臃肿者.     

Undergraduate psychiatry teaching in Ethiopia

Many epidemiological studies have shown the magnitude and seriousness of mental disorders in developing countries. However, mental health care remains unsatisfactory owing to lack of skilled manpower and many other social and medical priorities. General practitioners and other health personnel can significantly help in extending mental health care provided they receive adequate training during their medical curriculum. With this aim, the Department of Psychiatry at Addis Ababa University runs a 6-week full-time course for undergraduate medical students. Its chief objectives, teaching methods, achievements and shortcomings are discussed in the paper.     

用放免法测定脐血清中T_4T_3及TSH浓度筛选先天性新生儿甲低

本文用放免法测定脐血清T_4值(727例),T_3值(556例)及TSH值(700例)筛选先天性新生儿甲低。T_4值量男为9.56±4.29ug/dl,女为10.15±4.35ug/dl;T_3值量男为86.06±63.42ngldl,女为85.61±44.42ngld;TSH值男为13.77±12.69mIu/ml,女为13.94±12.51mIu/ml。三种激素男女之间均无显著差别,对24例可疑甲低复查了静脉血清T_4、T_3、TSH含量,T_4值均较脐血清高;T_3值较脐血清高出2—3倍TSH值均降到成年人水平。否定了甲低。并对早期诊断的取样问题进行了讨论。