Challenges for delivering healthcare education through telematics

Within the context of the education of professional healthcare providers, the authors give an overview of the challenges faced by those wishing to introduce telematics as both a mechanism for content delivery and as subject content itself. After presenting a brief overview of the current state of telematics applications to healthcare education, focusing on the European sphere, the authors outline the challenges before discussing the collaborative and communicative issues in detail. The authors conclude by suggesting that, while the authors believe that telematics is a necessary direction for the future development of healthcare education for professionals, the collaboration and communication challenges are of greater importance than the technical and policy challenges and that there is a need to educate the majority of educators, based in the experiences of the enthusiasts.     

Behavioural phenotyping of transgenic mice.

This paper reviews the current work on mouse genetics, brain, and behaviour in my laboratory. It starts with an historical account of our research and shows how certain research themes, such as olfaction, learning, social behaviour, and environmental effects in rodents have led to our current research on behavioural phenotyping of inbred, mutant, knockout, and transgenic mice. We are concerned with finding neural and behavioural sequelae to genetic manipulations in mice and use a battery of tests to detect behaviours that are altered in genetically modified mice. In this way we are working to dissociate neural and behavioural effects of different gene manipulations in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases. Sensory, motor, cognitive, affective, and social behaviours may all be affected by gene manipulation, thus careful behavioural techniques, with attention to the mice themselves, the apparatus, and procedure, experimenter variables, and environmental effects are necessary in order to determine a reliable and valid mouse behavioural phenotype. As both the genome and the environment have significant effects on the behavioural phenotype, our future research will utilize an epigenetic approach to examine how environmental cues modulate gene expression in the behavioural phenotyping of transgenic mice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural science and behavioural medicine.

A new field of endeavor for applied psychology is the development of behavioral medicine. One of its applications lies in rehabilitation therapy, in the study and use of EMG biofeedback for the treatment of the neuromuscular disorders of stroke hemiplegia. The background of this work is reviewed, and problems are outlined that require exploration (e.g., whether biofeedback works best in conjunction with physical therapy, what are the best techniques, and what kind of patient will respond). (French summary) (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural modification in Canada in the 1970s.

Summarizes provincial developments under the following subtopics: universities and colleges; health, social service, and education settings; and organizations and interest groups. This paper is designed as a source document for those interested in an overview of the development and current status of behavior modification in Canada. (French abstract) (81 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural science and behavioural medicine revisited.

Presents a retrospective view of the relations between behavioral science and behavioral medicine that shows that the concept of "behavioral medicine" has wider and deeper roots than are usually recognized by those who date its inception from the 1970's. Its premises and procedures are also best seen as being broader than those involved in, for example, behavior modification and biofeedback. It is suggested that even the use of the term "health psychology" may divert appreciation from the contribution of the behavioral sciences in general to the problems of health and illness. Three main forces at work in the behavioral sciences are discussed: psychiatry's expanding role in medical education, social change and innovation, and the involvement of social scientists in health care. J. D. Matarazzo's (see record 1980-31050-001) definition of health psychology as the aggregate of the specific educational, scientific, and professional contribution of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the identification of etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness, and related dysfunction, is proposed as a more encompassing definition. (French abstract) (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural aspects of coronary heart disease.

Reviews research that has implicated behavior in the development of coronary heart disease. The interface between epidemiological and psychological orientations is argued to be mutually beneficial for both professions. Epidemiology has put greater emphasis on the genesis and statistical incidence of disease, whereas psychology has tended to put greater emphasis on a closer-grained analysis of behavioral processes that impact on health (e.g., Type A [coronary prone] behavior, life-event stresses, psychophysiological reactivity). It is concluded that given the progress that the interdisciplinary efforts have met with in the last decade, the prospect for continued collaborative efforts is promising. (French abstract) (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural medicine, clinical reasoning and technical advances.

Discusses some anticipated developments in behavioral medicine and argues that psychologists can (and should) make an especially useful contribution to the understanding of the key intellectual activity in medical practice—clinical reasoning. The debate about the competing merits of statistical or clinical prediction, which occupied early clinical psychologists, takes on renewed and wider significance in the process of expanding clinical psychology from its psychiatric base to include all of the branches of medicine. It is maintained that clinical psychologists will be doing less and less in the way of direct testing and more examining of the nature of psychological testing and performance. Also, in rehabilitation medicine, including geriatric work, psychologists can make a large contribution to the development of compensatory and prosthetic devices and environments. (French abstract) (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural medicine: Preview of an emerging field.

Attempts to define the field of behavioral medicine, using examples of possible research problems, past research, and presently funded projects in the US and Canada to expand the definition. (French summary) (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using telematics with older people: the ACTION project. Assisting Carers using Telematics Interventions to meet Older persons'' Needs

Dynamic nephroscintigraphy (DSG) was performed in 112 patients aged 14 to 76 years who had undergone 1 to 6 sessions of EL for unilateral or bilateral nephrolithiasis. A total of 254 EL sessions on 119 kidneys were performed. DSG was conducted before EL and at least 12 months after elimination of the stone fragments. The improvement of secretory renal function occurred in 68(57%) patients, aggravation was registered in 17(14.3%), unchanged renal function was in 34(28.6%) patients. Out of 17 cases of aggravation EL was responsible for only 3 of them. The others were due to other factors (progressive chronic pyelonephritis, acute pyelonephritis, hematoma, etc.). The conclusion is made that EL is a low-traumatic treatment of urolithiasis which is a method of choice in making decision on therapeutic policy in urolithiasis.     

Behavioural medicine: A process for managing performance problems.

Suggests that behavioral medicine as a treatment program provides an excellent model for effective management of complex medical cases. The present authors describe a process for integrating, coordinating, and effectively applying medical and psychological principles to complex cases of work-performance deficiency in which there is some degree of medical involvement. This process is designed to yield many benefits to employees and employers: It optimizes medical and behavioral treatment, minimizes risks, reduces absenteeism, lowers disability costs, prevents arbitrations, increases productivity, provides both employer and employee with objective data on which vocational decisions can be based, and, above all, helps the patient. The process involves the coordination of a company's medical staff, specialists in behavioral medicine, the company's human resource management personnel, and the line managers in the company, who deal with those employees referred for assessment and/or treatment. General outcome data are presented from a behavioral medicine unit over 5 yrs, which illustrate the successful application of this process. (French abstract) (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental teleradiology. Novel telematics services using image processing, hypermedia and remote cooperation to improve image-based medical decision making

Various reports draw attention to the deficiency of services available for critically ill children. In December 1993 the British Paediatric Association published a report by a multidisciplinary working party on intensive care. The Minister of Health has apparently promised to act on the recommendations the working party made. In fact, purchasers are being encouraged to act and ask questions about the provision of paediatric intensive care--but no extra funding is available to provide it. However, this will all take time and until more resources are available children are still being cared for on adult intensive care units by nurses who may not be experienced in caring for sick children. One of the main areas of concern nurses have when caring for children is the physiological differences between an adult and a child. This paper is designed to assist in identifying the differences and consequent nursing implications. In an attempt to prioritize the nursing care a systems/modified model has been used over 2 papers. The review of the systems demonstrates the differences between adults and children and, where possible, highlights the nursing care and medical treatment a child requires. All aspects of care have been included as well as the psychological problems (see Part 2 which will be published in the next issue) encountered by the family of a critically ill child. Where possible easy reference tables have been included and the author hopes to introduce the package into the existing orientation programme for established staff and staff new to the unit in the hopes of decreasing the stress when a child is admitted. Paediatric resuscitation has not been covered intentionally, as the information on the physiological differences seemed to grow like 'Jack's beanstalk'. Therefore, a flow chart for basic and advanced life support is included as an appendix in Part I. It is hoped this will stimulate readers' interest for more in-depth study.     

Review of Weight Control: The Behavioural Strategies.

Reviews the book, Weight Control: The Behavioural Strategies by Michael D. LeBow (1981). This book does a more than adequate job in examining behavioural methods currently used in treatment of obesity. The influence of behaviour therapy on weight control is evaluated with realistic appraisals of its values and limitations. As an introduction for the novice therapist this book will be extremely valuable. Even the appendices of weight charts, skin fold measurement procedures, food calories and calorie expenditures may be used by the practitioner. The greatest limitation of the methodology presented and thus of the book itself, however, is the failure to recognize serious problems in behavioural technology (e.g., there is great variability in patients' responses to a behavioural program). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Development of Modern Behavioural Psychology.

Reviews the book, The Development of Modern Behavioural Psychology by John McLeish (1981). The title of McLeish's book contains two terms that may be somewhat misleading. Describing his efforts as encompassing the "Development" of ideas suggests that the approach is historical, while the term "Modern Behavioural Psychology" might be taken to mean almost anything depending upon one's restrictive use of the term. McLeish, as it turns out, attaches a very restrictive meaning to "Behavioural Psychology". There will probably always be argument about what constitutes a proper historical approach but the reviewer doubts that the tact McLeish takes will ever satisfy. In his review of the history of radical behaviourism, McLeish highlights the work of some writers who have not been given a prominent place by other historians, and discusses, or notes only in passing, authors who have ordinarily been considered prominent. As a history, then, McLeish's book is a disappointment and often annoying. Perhaps the best that can be said about this book is that McLeish hints at a form of behavioural theory which would expand the present boundaries of our thinking. In his enthusiastic advocacy of an account that would recognize the historical, social and cultural origins of human behaviour as well as its complexity (including language, thinking and consciousness), McLeish points to the biological rather than the physical (or mathematical) sciences as the source of appropriate models to develop a science of behaviour. In this he is to be congratulated. It is too bad he did not devote the book to a full development of these notions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Medical Research Council: Grants Committee for the Behavioural Sciences.

Describes the procedures used by the Grants Committee for the Behavioural Sciences of the Canadian Medical Research Council in reviewing and adjudicating applications for research grants. The author takes issue with the contention that the Council does not give adequate attention to applications that come from psychologists who are not associated with medical schools. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioural evaluation of cholinergic drugs

Alzheimer's disease involves progressive degeneration of the cortex and the limbic system. Loss of afferent forebrain neurochemical modulatory systems is also seen, most significantly of the basal forebrain cholinergic system. Drug discovery programmes have pursued enhancement of forebrain muscarinic function as a therapeutic target. The most promising muscarinic agonists described achieve functional selectivity as agonists as the M1/M3 receptors in the CNS and M2 antagonists. These compounds have fewer cardiac and other cholinergic side effects. In rodent and monkey models of reference and working memory, these compounds reverse the cognitive impairment induced with plopolamine. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are even more efficacious in these models.