In July and August 1975, 17 men and 63 women living in rural areas in Butler County, Pennsylvania were interviewed as to their behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes related to preventing cancer and coronary heart disease. Respondents represented about 12% of all adults living on commercial farms and 5% of all rural nonfarm adults in the county. A…

Medical students, nursing students, and residents from the University of Florida College of Medicine live and work for several weeks in a rural county health center, providing a wide range of primary care and emergency medical services. Retrospective evaluations by participants are reported. (LBH)

Controversy over the issue of drug licensure for optometrists is discussed. A study to analyze optometrists in terms of academic qualifications as compared to clinicians currently licensed to use pharmaceuticals is described. (MLW)

Claims that the lifetime cost of medicare per acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient will not exceed $80,000, an amount similar to the cost of treating other serious illnesses. Argues that the total projected costs for treating AIDS patients between 1981 and 1991 will not exceed $22 billion. (TW)

The medical care system is undergoing widespread and significant changes. Individual hospitals may be disappearing as mergers, acquisitions, and a variety of multi-institutional arrangements become the dominant form and as a host of free-standing medical enterprises spread out into the community. (MLW)

Explores the transformation occurring in health care and examines the implications of these changes for academic health centers. Identifies problem areas and suggests solutions for the education, research, and care programs. States that support and understanding for, as well as changes within, the centers are needed. (ML)

Plain Doctoring, an elective, preclinical seminar on the phenomenology of the patient and the physician at Harvard Medical School, is described. Home visits serve as the major text for examining the patient's experience of illness and treatment. Readings in the humanities complement the house calls. (Author/MLW)

Three factors that will have major effects on the medical cost quality debate are: industrial and governmental policy in regard to health-related expenditures, an aging population, and societal attitudes towards competition in the health care system. Approaches to conflict resolution are offered. (MLW)

An educational intervention program for 330 older adults produced substantial improvements in health knowledge, skills performance, and skills confidence; stimulated attempts to improve life style; and generated improvements in life quality. The program had little influence on the utilization of medical care or health status. (Author/RDN)

A study examining the impact of board certification on selected physician practice characteristics found that certification is more prevalent for certain specialties, ages, practice types, and practice locations and has a substantial impact on the gross income of most major specialties but little impact on hours and weeks worked. (Author/MSE)

This outstanding resource for teachers and school professionals is now in its fourth edition. It includes new chapters on reading disorders, emotional and behavioral problems, and safe schools. Five of its chapters have been completely rewritten. Updated topics include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; cerebral palsy; autism; mental…

This monograph, one of a series on youth with disabilities and the juvenile justice system, focuses on best practices for reducing delinquency and preventing recidivism. This essay notes that, because of the connection between disability and delinquency, it is likely that a significant portion of court-involved, disabled youth can be expected to…

A project examined the changing educational needs of community nurses in Britain with regard to needs assessment and quality of care in the context of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Phase 1 clarified the term "needs assessment" through focus group discussions. Phase 2 used observations and interviews to examine…

This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" published during 1997. The newsletter provides medical and rescue information for the non-physician in remote wilderness areas. Issues typically include feature articles, conference and training courses schedules, an "Ask the Expert" column, and…

Low literate patients face difficulties when they read health care information. The complex process of reading can be summarized in five steps: input, decoding, encoding, output, and feedback. Each occurs automatically for the fluent reader; the low literate reader might encounter stumbling blocks in one or more of the steps. Once the patient has…