Measured the impact of managed care on the utilization of preventive health-care services by 867 inner-city Los Angeles families and assessed the relationship between insurance type, source of care, and access to immunization services. Results show that, lacking financial incentives, managed care is unlikely to improve immunization rates among…

Three elements of persuasion (source, message, and audience) are discussed, and a paradigm for persuasion, the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which unifies many existing attitude theories, is described. Selected concepts and research on attitudes and persuasion are also examined as a context for teaching preventive behaviors and strategies in…

A study with two graduate medical student cohorts (n=18, n=20) supports use of a structured protocol for student credentialing that includes stringent monitoring of the entire process and formal, regular feedback to housestaff regarding progress. Students credentialed with the revised monitoring showed significant improvement in results.…

Reports a retrospective cohort study among students living in campus dormitories to examine potential risk factors for measles vaccine failure. As in secondary schools, measles outbreaks can occur among highly vaccinated college populations. Requiring two doses of measles vaccine for college entrants should help reduce measles outbreaks in college…

International Society of Sport Psychology clarifies the psychological benefits of physical activity, noting the positive relationship between physical activity level and mental health. Exercise can reduce anxiety, decrease depression levels, reduce neuroticism and anxiety, reduce stress, and have beneficial emotional effects for both sexes across…

Examines elements of programs that have been successful at changing long-term outcomes among disadvantaged children and their families: delivering a wide array of services, building relationship of trust and respect, dealing with children as part of a family, and responding to those most at risk. Suggests ways to overcome barriers to multiplying…

Presents a cooperative information system for remote medical imaging diagnosis. General computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) problems addressed are definition of a procedure for the design of user-centered cooperative systems (conceptual level); and improvement of user feedback and optimization of the communication bandwidth in highly…

A study of 15 popular scientific journal articles and 15 specialist medical-research articles indicates that in medical discourse hedging, the expression of tentativeness and possibility by epistemic devices, can be applied in less specialized English- for-Special-Purposes (ESP) texts such as popular scientific articles, but in different…

Describes the history, research, teaching strategies, and specialties of the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Documents effects of changing societal attitudes toward wildlife, pets, working animals, and food animals on curriculum, the systems approach to disease, comparative genetics, biotechnology, the ecology of…

Presents recommendations for contracting elements that should be adopted by state Medicaid agencies and approaches that should be taken by managed care practices interested in providing high-quality care for children with special needs. These recommendations are based on interviews with administrators from 29 states and 22 plans. (SLD)

Briefly reviews recent findings and trends in the use of stimulant medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as other psychopharmacologic medications for mood, anxiety, or schizophrenic disorders, and concludes with a discussion of how to improve the use of such medications in school situations. (Author/CR)

Retrospective chart reviews of seven adolescents and young adults (ages 9-20) with autistic disorder treated with fluoxetine alone or in combination with other medications were performed. Side effects included initial appetite suppression, vivid dreams, and hyperactivity. Improvement was seen in irritability, lethargy, sterotypy, and inappropriate…

This study followed up 50 Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts) students who participated in the New Pathway (NP) program, an innovative curriculum that stressed humanistic medicine, lifelong learning, and social learning. Forty percent of NP students and 18 percent of traditional students went on to practice primary care or psychiatry; more NP…

Describes a three-year course at Ben Gurion University (Israel) to develop attitudes and skills necessary for patient-centered medicine. The course uses directed reading, open discussion, case presentations, role-playing, and Balint groups to develop skills at four levels: doctor-patient communication; family systems theory; family systems…

A study conducted reinforcer assessments for three boys (ages 7-9) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who alternately received either a placebo or methylphenidate. Methylphenidate altered the relative reinforcing effectiveness of various stimuli that are often used in classroom-based behavioral treatment programs, particularly coupons…