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Research Utility (research + utility)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Evaluating the validities of different DSM-IV-based conceptual constructs of tobacco dependence,

ADDICTION, Issue 7 2008
Peter S. Hendricks
ABSTRACT Aim To compare the concurrent and predictive validities of two subsets of DSM-IV criteria for nicotine dependence (tolerance and withdrawal; withdrawal; difficulty controlling use; and use despite harm) to the concurrent and predictive validity of the full DSM-IV criteria. Design Analysis of baseline and outcome data from three randomized clinical trials of cigarette smoking treatment. Setting San Francisco, California. Participants Two samples of cigarette smokers (n = 810 and 322), differing with regard to baseline characteristics and treatment received, derived from three randomized clinical trials. Measurements DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria were measured at baseline with a computerized version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (DIS-IV). Additional baseline measures included the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), number of cigarettes smoked per day, breath carbon monoxide (CO) level, the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS), the Michigan Nicotine Reinforcement Questionnaire (M-NRQ) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Seven-day point-prevalence abstinence was assessed at week 12. Findings Full DSM-IV criteria displayed greater concurrent validity than either of the two subsets of criteria. However, DSM-IV symptoms accounted for only a nominal amount of the variance in baseline smoking-related characteristics and were unrelated to smoking abstinence at week 12. Cigarettes smoked per day was the only significant predictor of abstinence at week 12. Conclusions Although the findings do not provide a compelling alternative to the full set of DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria, its poor psychometric properties and low predictive power limit its clinical and research utility. [source]

Research engagement and outcomes in public health and health services research in Australia

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2009
Armita Adily
Abstract Objectives: To retrospectively explore research outcomes in Australian public health research and their relationship to full engagement with potential research users during the research process. Methods: A self-administered survey of all principal investigators (PIs) receiving research funds from one of three well-known research funding agencies. ,Research value' and ,research utility' were self-reported using fixed response sets. Associations between outcomes and ,full engagement' were examined. Results: Our response rate (75.1%) yielded data for 187 research projects. For just over one-quarter (26.7%), ,research value' was rated ,very important' in terms of knowledge generation. The most common ,research utility' was ,continuing education' (27.3%) followed by ,policy formulation' (25.7%). While 66 (35.3%) projects engaged at least one potential research user group throughout ,full engagement', such an intertwined relationship between researchers and research users was not associated with research value (,2=0.46, 1df, p=0.5) or research utility (,2=2.19, 1df, p=0.14). There were no predictors of ,full engagement'. In just over a third of projects (34.8%), both part of the awarded grant and additional funding had been spent to promote research use. Conclusions and Implications: This snapshot demonstrates patchy research engagement between researchers and research users. Other academic groups were the most common partner for full engagement. In an evidence-based era, innovation in health research funding policy should be evaluated. As NHMRC embarks upon its ,Partnerships initiative' in 2009, we recommend a prospective approach to evaluation. [source]

Diagnosing comorbidity: concepts, criteria, and methods

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 1 2004
S. Samet
Background:, The clinical and etiologic implications of comorbid psychiatric and substance-use disorders are relevant across countries and cultures. The DSM-IV now places greater emphasis on the clinical and research utility of the substance-induced disorders classification, and clarifies several important diagnostic issues specific to primary and substance-induced disorders. However, no research consensus exists over the core problem of identifying and differentiating the drug and alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms that can mimic psychiatric symptoms in heavy drinkers and drug users. Objective:, To investigate how various diagnostic instruments have measured comorbid psychiatric and substance-use disorders and how each instrument operationalizes the DSM-IV classification. Method:, We review the evolution of the concept of comorbidity beginning with its formalization as the ,primary,secondary' distinction in the Feighner Criteria. We address the ,organic,non-organic' distinction found in the RDC, DSM-III, and DSM-III-R; and finally, review the ,primary' and ,substance-induced' categories of DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. We describe how these distinctions have been operationalized in widely used diagnostic instruments. Conclusion:, Further understanding of these classifications and the rela-tionship of co-occurring psychiatric and substance disorders can be accom-plished with the range of available measures, particularly the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM), which reliably utilizes and refines DSM-IV classification distinctions. [source]