Occupational medicine residency training programs. The role occupational health nurses play

An experienced occupational health nurse with suitable academic qualifications is able to assist in providing a well-rounded education and teaching physicians to be effective members of occupational health teams. Nurses are involved in teaching occupational health to physicians in the academic and practicum phases of occupational medicine residency training programs. However, the involvement of nurses in training physicians is inconsistent among the accredited residencies. Most of the nurses involved in teaching occupational health to physicians are at least master's degree prepared. Nurses are involved in the didactic, clinical, and administrative components of the training programs. Though nurses are involved in residency training programs to an extent, the lack of consistent involvement limits the diversity of points of view and fosters an imbalance in the training of occupational medicine residents.     

Intake of aspirin prior to metamizole does not completely prevent high on treatment platelet reactivity

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology - Metamizole can sterically inhibit aspirin (ASA) from binding to cyclooxygenase 1 (COX1). It is recommended that ASA should be taken 30 min prior to...     

Screening for impaired liver function as a risk factor for drug safety at hospital admission of surgical patients

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Hepatic insufficiency can affect patient safety and should therefore be considered during drug therapy. Hospital admission offers an ideal...     

A dual intervention in geriatric patients to prevent drug-related problems and improve discharge management

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Drug-related problems (DRPs) endanger geriatric patients’ safety. Especially a follow-up treatment with increased number of care...     

German national drug information service: user satisfaction and potential positive patient outcomes

Objective The pharmacist-run national German drug information service (DIS) has operated since 1988. Answering a steadily increasing demand over the past decade, our centre has, in total, provided information in more than 14,000 cases, mainly for community pharmacists. Information on user’s satisfaction and on possible direct or indirect benefits for patients is as yet scarce. Our objectives were to assess user’s satisfaction with the DIS and to identify any patient-related benefits based on the user’s judgment. Setting Independent national drug information centre at ABDA headquarters. Method A questionnaire was developed, pre-tested, optimized, and used in daily practice over a period of one year (09/2003–08/2004). The questionnaire comprised seven items, aimed only at inquiries which pertained to a patient-related issue. Results During the study period, a total of 1,639 inquiries were answered. Of these, 1,017 (62%) were eligible. The response rate was 45% (455/1,017). Ratings (1 = poor to 5 = very good, mean ± SD) showed positive evaluations for professional quality of advice␣(4.7 ± 0.5), clarity/understandability of advice (4.7 ± 0.5), timeliness of response (4.6 ± 0.7), and helpfulness regarding counselling patients and/or physicians (4.6 ± 0.6). Potential patient benefits could be identified in 42% of the cases that were available to follow-up (190/455). Conclusion This evaluation showed high satisfaction among users of a nationwide DIS, based on quality, understandability, timeliness, and helpfulness regarding counselling. According to its users, DIS was also able to provide positive patient outcomes. Presented in part at the 2nd International Joint Congress of Clinical Pharmacy of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP), Paris, France, April 28–30, 2004, and at the Joint Meeting of the German (DPhG), Austrian (?PhG), and Czech Pharmaceutical Societies, Regensburg, Germany, October 6–9, 2004.     

A systematic scoping review of measures of participation in disability and rehabilitation research: A preliminary report of findings

Purpose/objectiveThe concept of participation is emerging as a gold-standard of outcome measurement in disability and rehabilitation. We aimed to assess the status of methods to measure this new concept.Method/designWe conducted a scoping review and a content analysis to assess the literature on participation.ResultsWe identified 586 articles addressing participation. Seventy-two articles passed all exclusion criteria. Twenty-four articles cited the International Classification of Function as their conceptual foundation. Most studies included individuals with a broad range of impairments (cross disability). Most instruments relied on self-report in a cross-sectional design. We noted three levels of measurement (static, interactional, and dynamic). Few studies reported collecting data on the environment along with participation. Subjective aspects of participation emerged as an important consideration but few articles reported measuring it.ConclusionsThe concept of participation represents more than a “shift from negative to more positive language.” It represents a transformational concept that requires new, dynamic measures collected in context.