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Used Instruments (used + instruments)
Selected AbstractsOutcome measures used in forensic mental health research: a structured reviewCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Jemma C. Chambers Background,The evidence base for forensic mental health (FMH) services has been developing since the late 1990s. Are outcome measures sound enough for the evaluation tasks? Aims,To identify, from published literature, outcome measures used in FMH research and, where feasible, assess their quality. Method,A structured review was undertaken of trials and intervention studies published between 1990 and 2006. Details of outcome variables and measures were abstracted. Evidence regarding most frequently occurring outcome measures was assessed. Results,Four hundred and fifty different instruments were used to assess outcomes, incorporating 1038 distinct variables. Very little evidence could be found to support the measurement properties of commonly used instruments. Conclusions and implications for practice,There is little consistency in the use of outcome measure in FMH research. Effort is required to reach consensus on validated outcome measures in this field in order to better inform practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Critical evaluation of the use of research tools in evaluating quality of life for people with schizophreniaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2007Jeanette Hewitt ABSTRACT:, Schizophrenia may lead to impairments in many aspects of life, including physical, cognitive, and role functioning. The subjective quality of life of people with schizophrenia has been shown to be lower than in the general population and appropriate patient-assessed health outcome measures are necessary to capture the distress and disability experienced by people living with a serious mental illness. Although psychiatry has been slow to become involved in quality of life measurement, the use of quality of life instruments has now been recognized as a means of evaluating the outcome of care interventions, in terms of symptoms and functioning. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of two widely used instruments: The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and The Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQoLP) in terms of reliability and validity in measuring the quality of life of people with schizophrenia. The LQoLP appeared to be best suited for evaluation of care programmes, whereas the SF-36 was more appropriate for medical trials, comparisons between patient groups, and assessment of the direct consequences of treatment on health and function. Subjective quality of life should, however, be considered to be distinct from clinical status and quality of life assessment should include the broadest range of indicators, to reflect the holistic ethos of mental health nursing. [source] Confirming the Theoretical Structure of the Japanese Version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire in Chronic PainPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 1 2001Mamoru Hasegawa MD Objective., Based upon a tripartite theoretical model of pain, the Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire continues to be one of the most frequently used instruments to measure clinical pain. However, differences in languages and cultural backgrounds have hindered its wide use and standardization in Japan. Although a number of exploratory factor analytic studies have failed to consistently support the theoretical structure of the instrument, a few previous confirmatory factor analytic studies did statistically support the a priori model. The purpose of this study was to test the theoretical structure of a Japanese version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, which followed a format similar to the original questionnaire, through a confirmatory factor analysis. Design.,This study used confirmatory factor analysis on prospectively collected data from consecutive outpatients with chronic pain at a university hospital to test the hypothesis regarding the theoretical structure of the Japanese McGill Pain Questionnaire. Results and Conclusion.,The first 16 Pain Rating Index subclass scores were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis procedures that yielded a well-fitting final model that explained 91% of the covariance in the observed data. The results approximately supported the hypothesis that the sensory, affective, and evaluative subscales of the Pain Rating Index are representative of the multidimensionality of the pain experience with minimal overlap but could not disregard relatively high intercorrelations among those subscales similar to the original McGill Pain Questionnaire. It is suggested that the theoretical structure of the McGill Pain Questionnaire is approximately kept in the Japanese McGill Pain Questionnaire used in this study. Therefore, the translation-based Japanese McGill Pain Questionnaire used in this study adequately permits comparison of studies from English-speaking and non-English-speaking populations, thus facilitating the first step toward international research exchange and communications. [source] LUTS/BPH in clinical practice: the importance of nocturia and quality of sleepBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2006EMMANUEL CHARTIER-KASTLER Various studies indicate that nocturia is one of the most bothersome of lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Nocturia has a negative impact on quality of sleep (QoS), which might lead to daytime fatigue, reduced performance the next day and might ultimately affect the patient's overall quality of life (QoL). However, the evaluation of a patient with LUTS/BPH and assessment of benefits of LUTS/BPH treatment are mainly focused on voiding symptoms or flow rate, and the impact of nocturia on the patient's QoL is often neglected. At the Sixth International Consultation on Prostate Cancer and Prostate Diseases in 2005, a discussion forum about nocturia and its impact on QoS and QoL was organized, followed by a meeting of an expert consensus panel. Both recognized the importance of assessing nocturia and its impact on QoS and QoL in the initial evaluation of patients with LUTS/BPH, and in assessing the benefits of (new) LUTS/BPH treatments. However, currently used instruments that measure the severity of nocturia and its impact on QoS and QoL were not specifically designed for this purpose and lack sensitivity. At the expert consensus meeting, the expert panel stated that new instruments are required that can fully monitor the impact of nocturia on QoS and QoL. Potential new instruments that address these requirements are nocturia-specific questionnaires such as the Nocturia QoL questionnaire. Furthermore, the expert panel acknowledged the assessment of ,hours of undisturbed sleep' (HUS) as a potential new method to evaluate the impact of nocturia on QoS and QoL. HUS refers to the time from falling asleep to the first awakening to void. Sleep assessment tools such as sleep diaries and actigraphy are potential instruments to measure HUS. [source] | ||||||||||