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Scientific Evaluation (scientific + evaluation)
Selected Abstracts"IT'S GETTING CRAZY OUT THERE": CAN A CIVIL GANG INJUNCTION CHANGE A COMMUNITY?*CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 3 2005CHERYL L. MAXSON Research Summary: Civil gang injunctions are an increasingly popular gang suppression tactic. This article reports on the first scientific evaluation of the community impact of this strategy. San Bernardino residents in five neighborhoods were surveyed about their perceptions and experience of crime, gang activity, and neighborhood quality 18 months before and 6 months after the issuance of an injunction. Analyses indicated positive evidence of short-term effects in the disordered, primary injunction area, including less gang presence, fewer reports of gang intimidation, and less fear of confrontation with gang members, but no significant changes in intermediate or long-term outcomes except lower fear of crime. Comparison of this injunction area with a previous one suggested that improvements in neighborhood dynamics might accrue over the long term. Negative effects were observed in the secondary, less disordered injunction area. Policy Implications: This study suggests that the strategic suppression of gang member activities may translate into modest immediate improvements in community safety and well-being. Furthermore, the findings suggest that law enforcement use caution regarding the size of an injunction area and the type of gang targeted by the tactic. Coupling an injunction with efforts to improve neighborhood social organization and provide positive alternatives for gang members might substantially improve its effectiveness. [source] Traditional Chinese medicine in cancer care: perspectives and experiences of patients and professionals in ChinaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 4 2006W. XU md, msc Although traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used in Chinese cancer centres, it is a brand new area for formal scientific evaluation. As the first step of developing a research programme on clinical evaluation of TCM for cancer patients, we conducted a qualitative study to explore the perspectives and experiences of Chinese cancer patients and TCM professionals. Twenty-eight persons participated in two cancer patient focus groups and one professional focus group. Semi-structured interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and translated. Textual transcripts and field notes underwent inductive thematic analysis. We found that patients' decision to use TCM for cancer is a self-help process with a deep cultural grounding, which is related to the traditional Chinese philosophy of life. Participants perceived TCM to be an effective and harmless therapy. They highly valued the fact that TCM is tailored to patients, and believed it was the basis of an optimal and safe treatment. Participants also highlighted the long-term positive effects, the benefit of group interventions and the low cost as important features of TCM. Subjects believed that conducting clinical research would be crucial for the recognition and dissemination of TCM in Western countries. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the knowledge base on the current TCM use for cancer in China, and to provide useful information for developing future clinical research in this area in Western countries. [source] Proposed Curriculum for an "Observational" International Emergency Medicine Fellowship ProgramACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2000C. James Holliman MD Abstract. This article presents information on considerations involved in setting up and conducting fellowship training programs in emergency medicine (EM) for physicians from other countries. General goals for these programs are to assist in providing physicians from other countries with the knowledge and skills needed to further develop EM in their home countries. The authors report their opinions, based on their cumulative extensive experiences, on the necessary and optional structural elements to consider for international EM fellowship programs. Because of U.S. medical licensing restrictions, much of the proposed programs' content would be "observational" rather than involving direct "hands-on" clinical EM training. Due to the very recent initiation of these programs in the United States, there has not yet been reported any scientific evaluation of their structure or efficacy. International EM fellowship programs involving mainly observational EM experience can serve as one method to assist in EM development in other countries. Future studies should assess the impact and efficacy of these programs. [source] Aging well , the role of minimally invasive aesthetic dermatological procedures in women over 65JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Uwe Wollina MD Summary Background, The western world is getting older. Aging well has become the new target of preventative medicine. Aesthetic dermatology can contribute to this quest. Females over 65 represent an important and growing group of consumers of cosmetic procedures. In this group, there is a paucity of scientific evaluation of aesthetic procedures. Objective, To review the use of minimally invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation in women over 65. Methods, Drawing from both the literature and personal experience, the opportunities, modifications, and limitations of minimally invasive techniques for facial rejuvenation in older women are considered. Results, In this older age group, dermal fillers, chemical and laser peels, and nonablative photorejuvenation remain useful and can each be used as stand-alone treatments. In this age group, botulinum toxin (BTX) injections are more often used in combination with other procedures. Conclusions, With respect to aesthetic procedures, women over 65 are different from younger women. More scientific investigation is necessary to better meet needs of this growing part of the population. Available data suggest that aesthetic dermatology can make a major contribution to the complex matter of aging well. [source] Methodological pluralism: The gold standard of STEM evaluationNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 109 2006Frances Lawrenz This chapter presents the conceptualization that scientific evaluation is a comprehensive concept including both experimental and nonexperimental methods and that a variety of methods are preferred for STEM evaluation and for the field of evaluation as a whole. [source] State of the art and recommendationsKangaroo mother care: application in a high-tech environmentACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2010KH Nyqvist Abstract Since Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) was developed in Colombia in the 1970s, two trends in clinical application emerged. In low income settings, the original KMC model is implemented. This consists of continuous (24 h/day, 7 days/week) and prolonged mother/parent,infant skin-to-skin contact; early discharge with the infant in the kangaroo position; (ideally) exclusive breastfeeding; and, adequate follow-up. In affluent settings, intermittent KMC with sessions of one or a few hours skin-to-skin contact for a limited period is common. As a result of the increasing evidence of the benefits of KMC for both infants and families in all intensive care settings, KMC in a high-tech environment was chosen as the topic for the first European Conference on KMC, and the clinical implementation of the KMC model in all types of settings was discussed at the 7th International Workshop on KMC. Kangaroo Mother Care protocols in high-tech Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) should specify criteria for initiation, kangaroo position, transfer to/from KMC, transport in kangaroo position, kangaroo nutrition, parents' role, modification of the NICU environment, performance of care in KMC, and KMC in case of infant instability. Conclusion:, Implementation of the original KMC method, with continuous skin-to-skin contact whenever possible, is recommended for application in high-tech environments, although scientific evaluation should continue. [source] Impact of skin cancer education on medical students' diagnostic skillsCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2003S. Cliff Summary Skin cancer is increasingly common, and the skills involved in its diagnosis should be promoted in UK medical schools. However, there has been no scientific evaluation of the teaching methods employed by dermatology departments. The aim of this study was to evaluate, using traditional audiovisual methods, the impact of an illustrated booklet on skin cancer, coupled with a lecture, on undergraduates' diagnostic skills. The ability of 27 final-year medical students to recognize a variety of skin lesions, using projected images from clinical slides, was assessed. They were tested without warning on two occasions. Immediately after the first test, students were given an illustrated booklet on skin tumours and pigmented lesions which was supplemented with a lecture based on the booklet. Two weeks later, a second test was employed using a series of slides deemed to be of equal diagnostic difficulty. Our results showed a significant increase in the median number of correct diagnoses between the first and second tests (P < 0.001). However, there remained wide variation at the second test in the percentage of correct answers (30 to 80%) amongst students. Our study highlights the need to develop effective methods for improving the diagnostic skills of undergraduates in dermatology, and the importance of evaluating teaching methods. The methods of evaluation, such as ours, can be simple and inexpensive. [source] | ||||||||||