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Major Health (major + health)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences60%

Terms modified by Major Health

  • major health problem
    		•

    Selected Abstracts

    Proving the Skeptics Wrong: Why Major Health Reform Can Happen Despite the Odds

    THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS, Issue 4 2008
    Chris Jennings
    Notwithstanding the pessimistic prognostications of Washington's cynical elite, broad health reform is achievable precisely because it is an economic and fiscal imperative. Indeed, the stakeholders with the greatest power to promote or undermine progress are on board, concluding that the status quo is unsustainable and the second best option is no longer to do nothing. [source]

    Toward a Biopsychosocial Model for 21st -Century Genetics

    FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2005
    John S. Rolland M.D.
    Advances in genomic research are increasingly identifying genetic components in major health and mental health disorders. This article presents a Family System Genetic Illness model to address the psychosocial challenges of genomic conditions for patients and their families, and to help organize this complex biopsychosocial landscape for clinical practice and research. This model clusters genomic disorders based on key characteristics that define types of disorders with similar patterns of psychosocial demands over time. Key disease variables include the likelihood of developing a disorder based on specific genetic mutations, overall clinical severity, timing of clinical onset in the life cycle, and whether effective treatment interventions exist to alter disease onset and/or progression. For disorders in which carrier, predictive, or presymptomatic testing is available, core nonsymptomatic time phases with salient developmental challenges are described pre- and post-testing, including a long-term adaptation phase. The FSGI model builds on Rolland's Family System Illness model, which identifies psychosocial types and phases of chronic disorders after clinical onset. The FSGI model is designed to be flexible and responsive to future discoveries in genomic research. Its utility is discussed for research, preventive screening, family assessment, treatment planning, and service delivery in a wide range of healthcare settings. [source]

    A review of the GOLD guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 8 2008
    L. Fromer
    Summary Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death in the USA, and represents a major health, social and economic burden. COPD is underdiagnosed and often misdiagnosed, which likely contributes to the continuing increases in the prevalence, morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. This is unfortunate because whereas COPD cannot be cured, it can be treated effectively, particularly during the earlier stages of the disease. Evidence-based guidelines, developed to assist in the prevention, diagnosis and management of COPD, are available to healthcare professionals interested in learning more about COPD. These guidelines are updated and revised on a regular basis to reflect recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of and treatments available for COPD. Nevertheless, primary-care physicians have reported a lack of awareness of the fundamental concepts underpinning the optimal treatment and management of COPD presented in the guidelines. Thus, the objective of this article is to summarise key physiologic, diagnostic and management concepts provided in the most recent update of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines, which were published in November 2006. [source]

    Children's and young people's experiences of chronic renal disease: a review of the literature, methodological commentary and an alternative proposal

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2006
    Philip Darbyshire MN
    Aim., The aims of this paper were to review and critique existing research literature on children's and young people's experiences of chronic renal disease and to propose alternative approaches that may be more fruitful in addressing existing research shortcomings. Background., Chronic renal disease, which results in approximately 1·6,4 new cases per year per million population in the 0,15 years age group, is a serious illness that causes severe and irreversible reduction in kidney function. Despite modern medical advances, its significance and implications for the lives of the children and young people concerned are profound. Method., Salient literature for this review was obtained using the major health and social science electronic databases such as Medline, CINAHL, Psyclit and Sociofile. Manual searching of relevant books, journals and ,grey literature', combined with the genealogy approach, extended and strengthened the search. Conclusions., Research in this area focuses mainly on two areas, namely psychological adjustment and adaptation to end-stage renal disease. This research is grounded within a framework of empirical psychology that values objectivity, measurement and quantification. This predominantly psychometric approach is critiqued for simplifying the complex experience of end-stage renal disease and for pathologizing children and young people with this disease. We identify a significant gap in the research literature, namely the lack of research that takes into account these children's and young peoples'own perspectives of their experiences. Relevance to clinical practice., Chronic renal disease has a significant impact on children's and young people's lives. Understanding the experiences of these children is important for the provision of effective healthcare. Conducting child-centred qualitative research in this area would allow us to explore vital questions of meaning, perception and understanding. If health and social care organizations claim to provide ,consumer-focused' services, it behoves us to develop first a clearer understanding of the lives and experiences of children and families who seek our help and to use this knowledge and understanding to plan and provide more grounded and responsive services. [source]

    GABRA2 and Alcohol Use Disorders: No Evidence of an Association in an Italian Case,Control Study

    ALCOHOLISM, Issue 4 2010
    Nicoletta Onori
    Background:, Alcoholism is a major health and social issue, a highly frequent disease and a cause of premature death. It is also the most expensive addictive disorder being related to high morbidity and mortality, violence, accidents, and social and legal problems. It is a quantitative disorder, where the combined incidence of environmental and multiple genetic factors varies from 1 subject to another. Recent association studies have identified several genes as candidates for alcoholism, including GABAA receptor genes, due to their role in mediating several behavioral effects of alcohol, such as motor incoordination, anxiolysis, sedation, and withdrawal. The proposed association between the 3, half of the gene encoding the alpha-2 subunit of GABA receptor (3,-GABRA2) and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has received several independent confirmations. Methods:, In this study, 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the 3,-GABRA2 gene, previously reported to be implicated in alcohol dependence, were used to evaluate the linkage between selected SNPs and AUDs in an Italian sample and to compare findings with those of previous studies. Results:, No evidence of an association was found at the allele, genotype, haplotype, or diplotype levels between the 3,-GABRA2 polymorphisms investigated and alcoholism in 149 Italian alcoholics (98 alcohol dependents and 51 alcohol abusers) and 278 controls. Conclusions:, Despite previous reports, we did not find an association between AUDs and 3,-GABRA2 polymorphisms. This is probably due to the minimal comorbidity of our Italian sample suggesting that this gene is implicated in polysubstance dependence rather than in alcoholism alone. [source]