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Accessible Information (accessible + information)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Information that informs rather than alienates families with disabled children: developing a model of good practice

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 2 2002
Wendy Mitchell PhD
Abstract The importance to families with disabled children of relevant and accessible information about services has been illustrated in numerous studies and was re-emphasised by the Department of Health's ,quality protects' initiative. Indeed, the provision of information and the importance of keeping families informed is frequently viewed as a significant factor within both the concept of empowerment and the facilitation of enabling and participatory processes for service users and their families. However, although there has been considerable research highlighting parents' information needs, there has been significantly less exploration of how parents would actually like to receive this information. This paper seeks to bridge this knowledge gap and also discusses the empowering potential of user-friendly information. Drawing upon data collected from focus group discussions with parents caring for children with a range of disabilities or chronic illnesses, this paper explores how the families of service users would like to receive information. In particular, it examines the criteria by which parents judge the quality of information and their ideas as to what constitutes good practice, especially in terms of how information is presented, its content and the way it is delivered. Using these ideas and criteria, the paper begins to develop a model of good information practice that is both three-dimensional and personally interactive. Indeed, parents' desire for a combination of personal guidance and good-quality information, whether in the form of in-depth booklets or shorter directories, is viewed as being of paramount importance and, furthermore, as having an important empowering potential. [source]

Accessibility for parents of weight management information on the Internet

NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 2 2006
Amal OWAIMRIN
Abstract Objective:, The aim of the present study was to describe the accessibility, quality and readability of web base content on the Internet for childhood obesity management from a parental viewpoint. As more than 25% of Australian children are overweight or obese, it is likely that parents access the Internet for advice on obesity management for their child. Design:, Links to websites were generated using three search engines and three phrases. The first 10 website links were selected from each of nine searches. Ten aspects of obesity management were identified for the analysis of childhood obesity and related websites. The Fry readability graph was used to assess content readability. Data analysis:, The data were analysed using spss Version 10, Minitab and Microsoft Excel 2000. anova was used to compare clinical criteria between website type. Results:, A total of 90 links were generated with 60 relevant for analysis. In total, 30 were specific to childhood obesity and 47 websites were either obesity-specific or weight-related. Childhood obesity websites were community-based or commercial. Most websites relevant to childhood obesity management came at no cost, in comparison with general weight-related sites. Childhood obesity websites scored generally high on accuracy of content. Overall, website readability was at an undergraduate level. Conclusions:, There appears to be a paucity of accessible information on the Internet related to childhood weight management, which parents could access. Childhood obesity management websites should ideally include clinically approved management guidelines and follow e-health codes of ethical practice. [source]

The Limitations of Heuristics for Political Elites

POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Kristina C. Miler
Despite the extensive literature on citizens' use of cognitive heuristics in political settings, far less is known about how political elites use these shortcuts. Legislative elites benefit from the efficiency of the accessibility heuristic, but their judgments can also be flawed if accessible information is incomplete or unrepresentative. Using personal interviews and a quasi-experimental design, this paper examines the use of the accessibility heuristic by professional legislative staff when assessing the importance of natural resources issues to their constituents. Staff members recall only a small subset of the relevant constituents in the district, and this subset is biased in favor of active and resource-rich constituents over other, equally relevant constituents. This paper provides a new application of cognitive psychology to political elites and addresses important normative questions about the importance of information processing for political representation. By drawing on the psychology literature on heuristics, this paper identifies the cognitive mechanisms of congressional representation and provides new evidence of old biases. [source]

Toxic Effects of Lipid-Mediated Gene Transfer in Ventral Mesencephalic Explant Cultures

BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
Matthias Bauer
We introduce a protocol to monitor toxic effects of two non-viral lipid-based gene delivery protocols using CNS primary tissue. Cell membrane damage was monitored by quantifying cellular uptake of propidium iodide and release of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase to the culture medium. Using a liposomal transfection reagent, cell membrane damage was already seen 24 hr after transfection. Nestin-positive target cells, which were used as morphological correlate, were severely diminished in some areas of the cultures after liposomal transfection. In contrast, the non-liposomal transfection reagent revealed no signs of toxicity. This approach provides easily accessible information of transfection-associated toxicity and appears suitable for prescreening of transfection reagents. [source]