The Physician Assistant (PA) is a new health-care professional who is trained to function as a "physician extender." The author's experience with 71 PA students and graduate PA's at the Jewish Institute for Geriatric Care is described. (Author)

Presents the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research guidelines for performing psychosurgery. Also includes dissenting arguments of commission members favoring a total ban of psychosurgery. (SL)

Reviews what is known about the neurobiology of learning and then considers the future. Augments the neurobiological analysis with a series of implications and reservations about their use and the social factors in their use which may interact with them. (Editor/RK)

Presents an activity, including worksheets, that introduces the ideas behind CAT scanners and explains how they are used in medical research and diagnosis. (MKR)

Investigated physicians' (N=126) perceptions regarding impact on health care services of influx of elderly migrants in two rural counties. Presence of post-retirement group was important factor to those who recently set up practices. Most reported increase in elderly patient load; most continued to accept new elderly patients. Many saw need for…

When presented with hypothetical cases of newborns with a range of correctable and uncorrectable medical conditions, 10 pro-life respondents recommended treatment in virtually all cases, while 10 pro-choice respondents were more likely to recommend withholding nourishment and food, recommend limited or no medical treatment, and change initial…

Discusses limitations in the development of health care information systems; explains component methodology for complex software development, including component interface semantics; and describes Arachne, a development environment available via the Internet consisting of a set of tools that enables applications to be constructed through…

Describes two cases of outreach work in an area of London lacking culturally appropriate services for the large concentration of Cypriots settled there. Explores issues involved with bereavement, intergenerational needs, and isolation. (JPS)

Offers childcare workers information on the incidence of asthma among children; symptoms of asthma; types of asthma medications; and the use of peak flow meters. Provides checklists of things a childcare worker needs to know about an asthmatic child's medication and when to get emergency assistance. (AC)

An evaluation strategy in which a set of process indicators is applied to programs to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries is presented. The four-stage strategy is illustrated for three interventions: (1) providing safe abortion services; (2) increasing knowledge of obstetric complications; and (3) improving medical care quality. (SLD)

Health care issues of families of children with chronic disabilities are explored using (1) data from earlier research and (2) a questionnaire survey (52 responses) of parents of children with moderate or severe mental disabilities. Among findings was that the degree of severity of the intellectual impairment affected parental perceptions of…

Little advanced research exists on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hyperactivity disorders in children. This article debates the pros and cons of ritalin and other medical treatments and defines the principal's role in studying recent research on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, examining current identification policies,…

The number of drug-exposed children born each year ranges from 375,000 to 739,000--possibly 18 percent of all newborns in the United States. This article discusses damages, definitions, special education needs, and early intervention programs in Harlem; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles. Guidelines and resources are listed. (MLH)

Although Lakeview (Arkansas) School District's health services originally targeted teenage pregnancies, its school-based clinic now offers varied health improvement services and contributes to decreased substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, dropping out, injuries, homicides, and suicides. Tips for forming clinics are provided, along with…