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Evaluation Scores (evaluation + score)
Selected AbstractsA Multicenter, 47-Month Study of Safety and Efficacy of Calcium Hydroxylapatite for Soft Tissue Augmentation of Nasolabial Folds and Other Areas of the FaceDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2007NEIL S. SADICK MD OBJECTIVES Each soft tissue filler product has its own unique profile in terms of adverse events. In this large-scale study, we investigated the safety profile of Radiesse, an injectable calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) implant, in treatment of nasolabial folds and other areas of the face. We also investigated the efficacy in a subset of the larger patient group. METHODS After obtaining informed consent from the subjects, researchers injected CaHA at two treatment centers into 113 patients (100 women and 13 men, ranging in age from 26 to 78 years) for a variety of facial aesthetic applications over a period of 47 months. Seventy-five patients had a single injection session; 38 had multiple sessions. Most patients (102) received 1.0 mL of CaHA per session; 12 received 2.0 mL per session. Typically, CaHA was administered with a 27-gauge 0.5- or 1 1/4-in. needle. RESULTS Safety. Of 113 patients, only 7 reported minor adverse events that were short-term and resolved within 1 month: transient ecchymosis (3), nongranulatomous submucosal nodules of the lip (2), and inflammation and edema (2). Efficacy. Efficacy ratings were performed for a subset of patients (n=41). On a scale of 1 to 5 (1=unsatisfactory; 5=excellent), the mean patient evaluation score for look and feel of the implant was 4.6; the mean physician scores for the look and feel of the implant were 4.5 and 4.6, respectively. During the 6-month follow-up visit, patients' mean ratings of the look and feel of the implant were 4.8 and 4.9, respectively. The physician's mean ratings for the look and feel of the implant were 4.5 and 4.9, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In our study, CaHA performed well, with a favorable safety profile, high patient satisfaction (90% of patients reported very good or excellent results), and good durability. We are especially pleased with the low incidence of adverse events coupled with the favorable responses from the patients themselves due to longevity of correction. [source] The Bradykinin Response and Early Hypotension at the Introduction of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care UnitARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 12 2001J. Stoves Abstract: We assessed the relationship of certain clinical variables (including bradykinin [BK] release and dialysis membrane) to initial mean arterial pressure (MAP) reduction in 47 patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in an intensive care unit. The pretreatment MAP was 84 ± 14 mm Hg for the group as a whole. The initial MAP reduction was 11.5 (7,20) mm Hg, occurring 4 to 8 min after connection. MAP reduction was 9 (6,15) mm Hg with polyacryonitrile (PAN) membranes versus 14 (5-19) mm Hg with polysulfone (PS) (not significant). There were positive correlations between MAP reduction and BK concentration at 3 (BK3; r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and 6 (BK6; r = 0.67, p < 0.001) min with PAN but not with PS. A greater reduction in MAP was seen in patients who were not receiving inotropic support (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.01). BK3 and BK6 values for the PAN and PS groups were not significantly different. However, BK concentrations greater than 1,000 pg/ml were only seen with PAN (6 patients, MAP reduction 27 [17,31] mm Hg). There were positive (albumin) and negative (age; acute physiology, age, and chronic health evaluation score; C-reactive protein [CRP]; calcium) correlations with BK3/BK6 in the PAN and PS groups, some of which (albumin, CRP) reached statistical significance. In summary, MAP reduction at the start of CRRT correlates with BK concentration. The similarity of response with PAN and PS suggests an importance for other clinical factors. In this study, hemodynamic instability was more likely in patients with evidence of a less severe inflammatory or septic illness. [source] The Impact of the Demand for Clinical Productivity on Student Teaching in Academic Emergency DepartmentsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2004Todd J. Berger MD Objective: Because many emergency medicine (EM) attending physicians believe the time demands of clinical productivity limit their ability to effectively teach medical students in the emergency department (ED), the purpose of this study was to determine if there is an inverse relationship between clinical productivity and teaching evaluations. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective, observational, double-blind study. They asked senior medical students enrolled in their EM clerkship to evaluate each EM attending physician who precepted them at three academic EDs. After each shift, students anonymously evaluated 10 characteristics of clinical teaching by their supervising attending physician. Each attending physician's clinical productivity was measured by calculating their total relative value units per hour (RVUs/hr) during the nine-month study interval. The authors compared the total RVUs/hr for each attending physician to the medians of their teaching evaluation scores at each ED using a Spearman rank correlation test. Results: Seventy of 92 students returned surveys, evaluating 580 shifts taught by 53 EM attending physicians. Each attending physician received an average of 11 evaluations (median score, 5 of 6) and generated a mean of 5.68 RVUs/hr during the study period. The correlation between evaluation median scores and RVUs/hr was ,0.08 (p = 0.44). Conclusions: The authors found no statistically significant relationship between clinical productivity and teaching evaluations. While many EM attending physicians perceive patient care responsibilities to be too time consuming to allow them to be good teachers, the authors found that a subset of our more productive attending physicians are also highly rated teachers. Determining what characteristics distinguish faculty who are both clinically productive and highly rated teachers should help drive objectives for faculty development programs. [source] A modified support vector machine based prediction model on streamflow at the Shihmen Reservoir, TaiwanINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2010Pei-Hao Li Abstract The uncertainty of the availability of water resources during the boreal winter has led to significant economic losses in recent years in Taiwan. A modified support vector machine (SVM) based prediction framework is thus proposed to improve the predictability of the inflow to Shihmen reservoir in December and January, using climate data from the prior period. Highly correlated climate precursors are first identified and adopted to predict water availability in North Taiwan. A genetic algorithm based parameter determination procedure is implemented to the SVM parameters to learn the non-linear pattern underlying climate systems more flexibly. Bagging is then applied to construct various SVM models to reduce the variance in the prediction by the median of forecasts from the constructed models. The enhanced prediction ability of the proposed modified SVM-based model with respect to a bagged multiple linear regression (MLR), simple SVM, and simple MLR model is also demonstrated. The results show that the proposed modified SVM-based model outperforms the prediction ability of the other models in all of the adopted evaluation scores. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Sensory Modeling of Coffee with a Fuzzy Neural NetworkJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002O. Tominaga ABSTRACT: Models were constructed to predict sensory evaluation scores from the blending ratio of coffee beans. Twenty-two blended coffees were prepared from 3 representative beans and were evaluated with respect to 10 sensory attributes by 5 coffee cup-tasters and by models constructed using the response surface method (RSM), multiple regression analysis (MRA), and a fuzzy neural network (FNN). The RSM and MRA models showed good correlations for some sensory attributes, but lacked sufficient overall accuracy. The FNN model exhibited high correlations for all attributes, clearly demonstrated the relationships between blending ratio and flavor characteristics, and was accurate enough for practical use. FNN, thus, constitutes a powerful tool for accelerating product development. [source] Replacement of the medial tibial plateau by a metallic implant in a goat modelJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 4 2010Roel J.H. Custers Abstract The purposes of the present study were to explore the surgical possibilities for replacement of the medial tibial plateau by a metallic implant in a large animal model and to examine the implications for the opposing cartilage. In six goats, the medial tibial plateau of the right knee was replaced by a cobalt,chromium implant, using polymethylmethacrylate bone cement for fixation. The unoperated left knee served as a control. At 26 weeks after surgery, the animals were killed, and the joints evaluated macroscopically. Cartilage quality was analyzed macroscopically and histologically. Glycosaminoglycan content, synthesis, and release were measured in tissue and medium. All animals were able to move and load the knees without any limitations. Macroscopic articular evaluation scores showed worsening 26 weeks after inserting the implant (p,<,0.05). Macroscopic and histologic scores showed more cartilage degeneration of the opposing medial femoral condyle in the experimental knee compared to the control knee (p,<,0.05). Higher glycosaminoglycan synthesis was measured at the medial femoral condyle cartilage in the experimental knees (p,<,0.05). This study shows that the medial tibial plateau can be successfully replaced by a cobalt,chromium implant in a large animal model. However, considerable femoral cartilage degeneration of the medial femoral condyle was induced, suggesting that care must be taken introducing hemiarthroplasty devices in a human clinical setting for the treatment of postmeniscectomy cartilage degeneration of the medial tibial plateau. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:429,435, 2010 [source] Early identification of ,at-risk' students by the parents of paediatric patientsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2005Maree O'Keefe Introduction, Assessment of medical student clinical skills is best carried out using multiple assessment methods. A programme was developed to obtain parent evaluations of medical student paediatric interview skills for feedback and to identify students at risk of poor performance in summative assessments. Method, A total of 130 parent evaluations were obtained for 67 students (parent participation 72%, student participation 58%). Parents completed a 13-item questionnaire [Interpersonal Skills Rating Scale (IPS) maximum score 91, higher scores = higher student skill level]. Students received their individual parent scores and de-identified class mean scores as feedback, and participants were surveyed regarding the programme. Parent evaluation scores were compared with student performance in formative and summative faculty assessments of clinical interview skills. Results, Parents supported the programme and participating students valued parent feedback. Students with a parent score that was less than 1 standard deviation (SD) below the class mean (low IPS score students) obtained lower faculty summative assessment scores than did other students (mean ± SD, 59% ± 5 versus 64% ± 7; P < 0.05). Obtaining 1 low IPS score was associated with a subsequent faculty summative assessment score below the class mean (sensitivity 0.38, specificity 0.88). Parent evaluations combined with faculty formative assessments identified 50% of students who subsequently performed below the class mean in summative assessments. Conclusions, Parent evaluations provided useful feedback to students and identified 1 group of students at increased risk of weaker performance in summative assessments. They could be combined with other methods of formative assessment to enhance screening procedures for clinically weak students. [source] Investigating the use of sampling for maximising the efficiency of student-generated faculty teaching evaluationsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005Clarence D Kreiter Purpose, Surveys of medical students are widely used to evaluate course content and faculty teaching within the medical school. Gathering information that accurately reflects student perceptions requires that students buy into the evaluation process and be willing to provide thoughtful responses to the teaching evaluation. To maintain student commitment, it is important that medical students are not overburdened with poorly planned evaluations. Sampling might decrease the number of evaluations required of students and might also reduce the proportion of non-responses and other forms of inattentive response biases. Methods, A sampling technique employed within a large medical lecture is described and evaluated. A generalisability study of the teacher evaluations is conducted. Results, A high response rate and high levels of reliability were obtained by sampling a small proportion of the total class. The largest source of error was related to rater and utilising sufficient numbers of student-raters is critical to achieving reliable results. Conclusion, Sampling can reduce evaluation demands placed on students, and preserve reliability and increase the validity of mean evaluation scores. With computer presentation, efficient sampling techniques become practical and should be part of software packages used to present teacher evaluations. [source] Study of the Reliability and Validity of the Community Health Intensity Rating Scale (CHIRS) in the Turkish CommunityPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2007Aysun Çelebio ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Community Health Intensity Rating Scale (CHIRS) that was translated into the Turkish language and applied in the Turkish community. The CHIRS is a tool that assesses the intensity of need for care of persons/families in the community. The original version of the tool was translated into Turkish, examined for face validity and language appropriateness by the Turkish experts, and then applied to 372 families living in Odemis, Turkey. Significant correlations were found between total scale score (TSS) and total number of household members, and between the TSS and the total number of visits to any health institution within the previous month. In addition, the self-health care needs evaluation scores supported predictive validity. For reliability, min,max values, standard errors and deviations, skewness, and kurtosis coefficients of parameter scores, domain scores, and TSS were examined. The mean TSS was 26.7 (± 5.32) and the mean age of the participants was 35.0 years. For internal consistency, Cronbach's , (.525) and Guttman split-half coefficient (.629) values were established for the TSS. In conclusion, the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of CHIRS have been established. [source] Real-Time Inter-Rater Reliability of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors Standardized Direct Observation Assessment ToolACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009Joseph LaMantia MD Abstract Objectives:, Developed by the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD), the standardized direct observation assessment tool (SDOT) is an evaluation instrument used to assess residents' clinical skills in the emergency department (ED). In a previous study examining the inter-rater agreement of the tool, faculty scored simulated resident,patient encounters. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the inter-rater agreement of the SDOT in real-time evaluations of residents in the ED. Methods:, This was a multi-center, prospective, observational study in which faculty raters were paired to simultaneously observe and independently evaluate a resident's clinical performance using the SDOT. Data collected from eight emergency medicine (EM) residency programs produced 99 unique resident,patient encounters and reported on 26 individual behaviors related to specific core competencies, global evaluation scores for each core competency, and an overall clinical competency score. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using percentage agreement analyses with three constructs: exact agreement, liberal agreement, and binary (pass/fail) agreement. Results:, Inter-rater agreement between faculty raters varied according to category of measure used. Exact agreement ranged from poor to good, depending on the measure: the overall competency score (good), the competency score for each of the six core competencies (poor to good), and the individual item scores (fair to very good). Liberal agreement and binary agreement were excellent for the overall competency score and the competency score for each of the six core competencies and very good to excellent for the individual item scores. Conclusions:, The SDOT demonstrated excellent inter-rater agreement when analyzed with liberal agreement and when dichotomized as a pass/fail measure and fair to good agreement for most measures with exact agreement. The SDOT can be useful and reliable when evaluating residents' clinical skills in the ED, particularly as it relates to marginal performance. [source] Educating Physicians to Treat Erectile Dysfunction Patients: Development and Evaluation of a Course on Communication and Management StrategiesTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2006Loukas Athanasiadis MD ABSTRACT Purpose., To describe the development and assess the outcome of a workshop on erectile dysfunction (ED) management based on participating physicians evaluations. Method., The study involved physicians who attended a workshop offered throughout the country, during a 3-year period. The workshop included tutorials, video-based dramatizations, and role-play sessions. A pilot study investigated the workshop's impact on physicians' attitudes toward patient-centeredness and sexual behavior issues; Patient,Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and Cross Cultural Attitude Scale (CCAS) were administered before and after the course. New knowledge acquisition, quality of presentation, and workshop's usefulness in their clinical practice were the dimensions used for workshop's evaluation. Analysis used quantitative and qualitative methods. Results., A total of 194 questionnaires were administered during the pilot study and the response rate was 53.6%. A shift in attitudes toward patient-centeredness and less judgmental attitude toward patients' sexual attitudes were revealed (total PPOS score and Sharing subscale: P < 0.05, CCAS: P < 0.001). Six hundred physicians were asked to evaluate the workshops and the response rate was 62.3%. The tutorial session for "medical treatment of ED" (P < 0.001) and the role-play on sexual history taking (P < 0.05) received higher evaluation scores. Qualitative analysis showed that the most frequently reported category referred to the appropriateness of role-play as a teaching and awareness-raising technique (31.25%); a need for changes in clinical practice and communication patterns was identified by 20% of the participants who stressed the necessity for multidisciplinary approach, as well as the adoption of a nonjudgmental attitude toward patients. Conclusion., Training courses on ED management, using a combination of tutorial and interactive sessions, constitute an effective way of providing knowledge, enhancing physicians' communication skills with ED patients, and influencing attitudes toward patient-centeredness in sexual issues. Such results strongly support the establishment of sexual medicine courses at continuing medical education curricula. Athanasiadis L, Papaharitou S, Salpiggidis G, Tsimtsiou Z, Nakopoulou E, Kirana P-S, Moisidis K, and Hatzichristou D. Educating physicians to treat erectile dysfunction patients: development and evaluation of a course on communication and management strategies. J Sex Med 2006;3:47,55. [source] The effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigsANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Sung Dae LEE ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf (EUL) supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs. Ninety gilts (L × LW × D, 20 kg initialBW) were housed 10 per pen in a front-open building with three replicate pens per treatment. Experimental treatment was started from the beginning of the growing stage (20 ± 3 kg) by supplementing EUL at 0(C), 3(T1) and 5% (T2) to the growing and finishing diet. Pigs were slaughtered by electrical stunning at 105 ± 3 kg live weight. Average daily feed intake (ADFI, kg/day) decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of EUL in growth performance, average daily gain (ADG, kg/day) was lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. In hematology, leukocytes (WBC, 103/mm3) decreased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Erythrocytes (RBC, 106/mm3), hemoglobin (HGB, g/dL) and hematocrit (HCT, %) increased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Platelet (PLT, 103/mm3) was lower (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C and T1. In biochemical composition of serum, total protein (g/dL), r-GTP (,/L), total cholesterol (mg/dL) and triglycerides (mg/dL) were lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. On longissimus dorsi muscle, crude protein was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than in C. Crude ash was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Yellow to blue color scale (CIE b*) in meat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C. CIE b* in back fat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in the other treatments. In sensory evaluation scores for fresh meat, the values of meat color, fat color, drip loss and marbling were not significantly affected by addition of EUL. In cooked meat, the values of chewiness and overall acceptability were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. The results indicate that the addition of EUL affected growth performance, blood parameters and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs. [source] | |||||||||||||