Lays the foundation for other articles in this special issue by providing an overview of managed health care as it now operates. Children are increasingly being enrolled in such plans even though there is little information about the effects of managed health care on this population. (SLD)

In "Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F.," the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that severely disabled students have a right to health services supporting their education. The decision, which clarifies the extent of medical services required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, will prove expensive for school…

Partnerships between nursing education and health service providers can provide financial benefits, bridge the theory/practice gap, and cultivate collegial interdisciplinary relationships. To realize benefits may require creation of more formal partnership strategies. (SK)

Experience treating women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) from varied sociocultural backgrounds in a large inner-city general hospital is related to a literature review. Subgroups were identified according to personality pathology, psychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial stress factors. Accurate assessment, needs of individuals, treatment…

Examined memory of 3- to 18-year-olds with leukemia regarding lumbar punctures (LP). Found that children displayed considerable accuracy for event details, with accuracy increasing with age. Use of Versed (anxiolytic medication described as a "memory blocker") was not related to recall. Higher distress predicted greater exaggerations in…

Examines feasibility and effectiveness of implementing a directive education program called "Let Me Decide" to veterans living in Ontario. Discusses two methods used to evaluate implementation of the program. Reports that 97% of the veterans found the education process beneficial whether or not they completed the directives. (Author/JDM)

The sixth in seven sets of guidelines based on expert consensus in the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral problems in mental retardation (MR) focuses on managing inadequate response to initial medication treatment. Guidelines cover recommended steps before changing the medication regimen and selecting the next medication or adjunctive…

A study examined the effects of a high-probability procedure on the compliance with medical procedures of a toddler with developmental delays and self-injurious behavior. Compliance to low-probability requests occurred more frequently following compliance to high-probability requests, suggesting that this procedure may be useful across different…

Family members (N=83) who participated in professional team staffing concerning treatment plans for their child with a craniofacial difference (typically, cleft lip and/or palate) were surveyed. Ninety-seven percent of respondents said they would choose to meet with the team on their next visit to the clinic. The role of early interventionists on…

This article defines managed care from the perspective of each stakeholder and describes how managed care is affecting community services and outpatient care for individuals with disabilities. Various types of managed care models are discussed and trends in the application of managed care to individuals with disabilities are also presented.…

Chapman Art Therapy Intervention (CATTI), an art therapy research project at an urban trauma center, was designed to reduce Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in pediatric patients. Early analysis does not indicate statistically significant differences in reduction of PTSD symptoms between experimental and control groups. Children…

There is limited literature that focuses on the role of social workers in the care of children who fail to thrive (FTT), but this situation is about to change with the current use of an interdisplinary approach to health care. This paper educates social workers about this condition and addresses the role they can take in treating these children.…

Discusses the literacy of public discourses 20 years after Graff's exploration of the literacy myths that dominate community and research discussion. Illustrates the fundamental interconectedness of literacy with social practice and with the moral and political organization of contemporary cultures through examination of interview materials…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand knowledge regarding end-of-life care received in nursing homes through the use of narrative interviews with family members close to the decedents. Design and Methods: We conducted follow-up qualitative interviews with 54 respondents who had participated in an earlier national survey of 1,578…

We describe the age-specific outcomes for patients hospitalized with newly diagnosed congestive heart failure using administrative hospital abstracts from Alberta, Canada, from April 1, 1994, to March 31, 2000. Seniors (aged 65 years and older) constituted about 85 per cent of the 16,162 patients. Both co-morbidity and severity of illness tended…