Three reasons for teaching medical ethics during residency are presented. Key ethical concepts to be addressed include moral aspects of medical practice, obtaining informed consent, dealing with incompetent patients and those who refuse treatment, knowing when to withhold or disclose clinical information, and using medical resources properly. (MSE)

A study examined the relationship between determinants of organizational climate, including communication, staff, utilization, interdisciplinary politics, reward and support services, and nurse stability in critical care units. Results indicate significant interunit differences. (MSE)

The tradition of medicine is that physicians do not abandon the sick, whoever they are and whatever they have done. Support must be provided to the individual physician, ensuring that everyone in the profession is informed about AIDS and makes necessary adjustments of behavior and commitment. (Author/MLW)

Reviews what is known about AIDS in children. Addresses the following areas of concern: (1) the delivery of clinical services to infected and ill children and their families; (2) the development of effective AIDS education and prevention programs; and (3) research needs. Offers recommendations for action. (Author/BJV)

Discusses methods that can be used in the classroom to prepare preschool children for health care experiences. Such methods serve as alternatives or supplements to a hospital-based program. (BB)

When presented with hypothetical cases of newborns with a range of correctable and uncorrectable medical conditions, 12 regular educators recommended withholding maximum medical treatment in more instances than did 12 special educators. Increased experience with people with handicaps corresponded to a tendency to recommend providing treatment.…

Reviews the practices that characterize contemporary treatment of child victims and evaluates the status of empirical knowledge regarding the efficacy of these practices. The paper also explores the contextual factors that both ameliorate and exacerbate the negative effects of childhood victimization. It concludes with recommendations for…

Describes employment outlook, working conditions, and training requirements for three types of jobs: language related (teachers, interpreters, finance), working with older adults (social and health services), and working outdoors (agriculture, construction, engineering, fishing, forestry, mining, recreation). (SK)

Examines data from four years of operation of a program to manage after-hours pediatrics calls using specially trained pediatric nurses with standardized protocols to provide triage and advice. Found that over 100,000 calls had been successfully managed without adverse clinical outcomes. Satisfaction among subscribing pediatricians was 100%, and…

Discusses the history of the United Mine Workers Welfare and Retirement Fund and its efforts in providing physical rehabilitation and job retraining to disabled miners. Created in 1946, the fund was successful in providing vocational rehabilitation services to over 1,200 miners and could serve as a model of a comprehensive cost-effective approach…

This time-motion study of eight internal medicine residents found that, when the physician was the patient's primary medical manager, physician-level skills were required 50 percent of the time, whereas use of an alternative model in which a midlevel practitioner performed day-to-day patient monitoring dropped the rate to 20 percent. (Author/DB)

A study involving 14 experienced physicians investigated the effectiveness of a computer program (providing statistical feedback to teach a clinical diagnostic rule that predicts the probability of streptococcal pharyngitis), in conjunction with traditional lecture and periodic disease-prevalence reports. Results suggest the integrated method is a…

Discusses the integration of traditional American Indian healing techniques with Western medical practices at an Indian Health Services Hospital in the Navajo Nation. Suggests that caregivers must cooperate to ensure that patients get the best care possible. Describes personal experiences and approaches of Navajo caregivers. (MAB)

This article highlights the complexity of and critical need for service coordination for medically fragile infants and their families through an in-depth case study of a child and his family who "slipped through the cracks" of the system. The retrospective analysis describes problems and suggests alternative strategies for more effective…

Chinese families (n=101) from two settings (urban and rural) responded to the Family Needs Survey describing life with a child with disabilities. Findings indicated that information was the most pressing need followed by financial help and help locating a doctor. Type of impairment and setting were related to need expression. (Author/DB)