Context: Musculoskeletal palpation is taught in our athletic training programs as part of the injury evaluation process. However, as palpation skills are taught, the focus is oftentimes on accuracy of surface-anatomy landmarks instead of the ability to discriminate qualitative information such as tissue tone, spasm, or pain response from the soft…

This article describes how actuarial methods can supplant discrepancy models and augment problem solving and Response to Intervention (RTI) efforts by guiding the process of identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD). Actuarial methods use routinized selection and execution of formulas derived from empirically established relationships to…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common disorder among children and adolescents, and is associated with increased risk for concurrent and future distress and impairment. Many youth who suffer from OCD go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and do not attain appropriate treatment in a timely manner. As a result, researchers have focused…

A comprehensive multivariate assessment model for long-term therapeutic adherence and for management of recurrent pain in children and adolescents is presented. Model factors include child psychosocial adjustment, family psychosocial functioning, health related behaviors, and medical parameters. (Author)

This article provides an overview of the 2002 American Association on Mental Retardation's (AAMR's) "Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports" (the 2002 System) and discusses its relationship to salient international trends and several scientific and judgmental issues currently impacting the field of intellectual disabilities (ID). Five…

This article provides an overview of procedures commonly used in prenatal screening and diagnosis including ultrasound, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis. Emphasis is on the role of the early interventionist in supporting families during prenatal diagnosis. (Author/DB)

The term "pilot study" has been used over the years to describe the evaluation of the many elements involved in deciding whether a proposed condition should be added to a newborn screening (NBS) panel, and until recently, was unilaterally used to describe the evaluation of the assay to be used before the condition was officially adopted by a state…

The purpose of this paper is to review evaluation theories and techniques in both the medical and educational fields and to propose an evaluation theory to explain the condition variables, the method variables, and the outcome variables of student assessment in a problem-based learning (PBL) approach. The PBL definition and process are presented,…

Newborn screening is considered a highly successful public health program that has resulted in the reduction of mortality, mental retardation, and other serious disabilities in thousands of children since the introduction of screening for phenylketonuria (PKU) in the 1960s. Programs are based in state public health departments such that each state…

Traditional clinical techniques for the assessment of psychological functioning have proven to be highly inadequate for certain groups of elderly individuals, particularly in the area of differentiating "normal" from pathological aspects of aging. One such group is the population of community residents now being served by the Baer Consultation and…

The Performance Rating portion of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Objective Test Scoring and Performance Rating (OTS-PR) system is designed to help the clinical teacher evaluate students' clinical performance. The system collects, processes, and reports ratings of learners' performances in clinical settings. The system's 160…

Practical and heuristic reasons for evaluating the quality of mental health care on a college campus are given, an example of such an evaluation is presented, and difficulties in arriving at a valid assessment are discussed. (JD)

Examples of innovative program evaluation techniques developed in several foreign and international settings are presented in a collection of 10 essays. Methods for understanding programs to be evaluated, focusing evaluation, gathering information, analyzing information, and communicating findings and recommendations are discussed. (TJH)

At Case Western University (Ohio), medical students critically analyze the quality and cost of asthma care in the community by studying patients in primary care practices. Each writes a case report, listing all medical charges and comparing them with guidelines for asthma care. Several recommendations for improved care have emerged. (MSE)

The Chesapeake Health Plan, a Baltimore-based health maintenance organization (HMO), works cooperatively with Baltimore City Hospitals, a teaching affiliate of Johns Hopkins University. Their mutual involvement includes a quality evaluation program of the HMO. The program incorporates peer review and focuses on prevention or reduction of…