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Self Assessments (self + assessment)
Selected AbstractsFELICITOMETRY: MEASURING THE ,QUALITY' IN QUALITY OF LIFEBIOETHICS, Issue 6 2008CHARLES KOWALSKI ABSTRACT Following Bernheim,1 we examine aspects of ,felicitometrics,'2 the measurement of the ,quality' term in Quality of Life (QOL). Bernheim argued that overall QOL is best captured as the Gestalt3 of a global self-assessment and suggested that the Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) approach, in which subjects' memories of the best and worst times of their lives are used to anchor a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), provided a serious answer to the serious question, ,How have you been?' Bernheim compares and contrasts the ACSA to multi-item questionnaire QOL instruments, such as the SF-36, concluding that the ACSA has a number of advantages. His discussion assumes that the use of QOL outcomes in clinical trials is both relevant and appropriate. In the present paper, we document the reasonableness of this latter assumption,4 contribute to the characterization of the similarities and differences between multi-item and individualized QOL instruments, and point to some other individualized instruments that may be used in clinical trial contexts. These ,other individualized instruments' differ from the ACSA in fundamental ways; but they are individualized in that the subject defines those areas in his/her life that are most important, and these may vary from subject-to-subject. [source] Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin.EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Clinical, topographical, ultrastructural evaluation: double-blind study vs. placebo Abstract:, Vitamin C is known for its antioxidant potential and activity in the collagen biosynthetic pathway. Photoprotective properties of topically applied vitamin C have also been demonstrated, placing this molecule as a potential candidate for use in the prevention and treatment of skin ageing. A topically applied cream containing 5% vitamin C and its excipient were tested on healthy female volunteers presenting with photoaged skin on their low-neck and arms in view to evaluate efficacy and safety of such treatment. A double-blind, randomized trial was performed over a 6-month period, comparing the action of the vitamin C cream vs. excipient on photoaged skin. Clinical assessments included evaluation at the beginning and after 3 and 6 months of daily treatment. They were performed by the investigator and compared with the volunteer self assessment. Skin relief parameters were determined on silicone rubber replicas performed at the same time-points. Cutaneous biopsies were obtained at the end of the trial and investigated using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Clinical examination by a dermatologist as well as self-assessment by the volunteers disclosed a significant improvement, in terms of the ,global score', on the vitamin C-treated side compared with the control. A highly significant increase in the density of skin microrelief and a decrease of the deep furrows were demonstrated. Ultrastructural evidence of the elastic tissue repair was also obtained and well corroborated the favorable results of the clinical and skin surface examinations. Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream was an effective and well-tolerated treatment. It led to a clinically apparent improvement of the photodamaged skin and induced modifications of skin relief and ultrastructure, suggesting a positive influence of topical vitamin C on parameters characteristic for sun-induced skin ageing. [source] Voice profile after type I or II laser chordectomies for T1a glottic carcinomaHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 11 2009Elisabeth V. Sjögren MD Abstract Background Can a "typical" voice in terms of auditory perception be defined after type I or II chordectomy? Do other parameters in a multidimensional voice protocol correlate to this perceptual profile? Methods Voice evaluation using a multidimensional voice protocol including perceptual (GRBAS; grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain scale), acoustic, aerodynamic, stroboscopic analyses, and self-assessment (Voice Handicap Index [VHI]) in a cohort of 37 consecutive patients with T1a midcord glottic carcinoma. Results Sixty-five percent of patients had dysphonia, dominated by mild breathiness (mean grade 1.4). Voice Handicap was minimal (mean VHI 19). Acoustic and aerodynamic parameters were only mildly deviant. The correlations between perceptual analysis and the other parameters were weak. Conclusion The typical laser treated voice (type I or II resections) is characterized by mild breathiness in perceptual analysis. Correlations with other parameters, including patients' self assessment, are weak. Therefore, these outcomes do not form 1 integrated voice profile. This may have consequences for clinical decision-making. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009 [source] Challenges in Establishing the Epidemiology of Adverse Events Associated with Interventional Therapies for Chronic PainPAIN MEDICINE, Issue S1 2008Timothy R. Deer MD ABSTRACT Objectives., This paper aims to examine the current state of knowledge about adverse events associated with interventional pain techniques. Methods., This paper reviews the available databases on risk from sources such as closed claim analysis, peer review, and published literature; and also examines risk stratification for pain practitioners, the current state of malpractice insurance, and the procedures that are considered to have elevated risk. Conclusions., Substantial neurological sequelae can occur from interventional pain techniques. Considering the growing number of physicians who perform these procedures the actual occurrence of these problems appears to be low. The incidences of complications are difficult to correctly identify based on limitations of reporting and data analysis. The author recommends a national data bank be created to allow better monitoring and self assessment of the specialty of pain medicine. This information could be used to improve outcomes, reduce risk, and change clinical practice. [source] The affective costs of overconfidenceJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 4 2004A. Peter McGraw Abstract Positive illusions, though often beneficial (Taylor & Brown, 1988), can diminish the pleasure of outcomes. This prediction follows from decision affect theory. We investigated this prediction by measuring the confidence that recreational basketball players felt while making shots and the pleasure they felt with subsequent outcomes. Results showed that most players were overconfident. Those who were more overconfident tended to experience less enjoyment with their outcomes. Using individual parameter estimates from decision affect theory, we estimated how each player would have felt if their self assessments had been accurate. For the vast majority, better calibration would have led to greater pleasure. In a second study, we randomly assigned players to a debiasing treatment condition or a control condition. Relative to the control players, debiased players were better calibrated and derived greater average pleasure from the task. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The impact of multiple source feedback on management development: findings from a longitudinal studyJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 7 2002Caroline Bailey Despite the rapid uptake of multi-source multi-rater (MSMR) feedback systems by UK organizations, comparatively little research exists describing the actual impact on participant managers, in terms of changes in management competence. Ratings of 104 target managers (by self assessments, bosses-, first- and second-level subordinates) were investigated within the context of a developmental feedback programme in operation within an organization. The study compared ratings over two administrations (with two years between administrations) to determine: (1) changes in co-workers' perceptions of their target manager's competence, (2) changes in target managers' development needs over time, (3) factors influencing a target manager's revised self-assessment and co-workers ratings, (4) changes in congruence between self and co-workers ratings and (5) the relationship of feedback to the organization's formal performance appraisal process. Significant increases in managers' competence were perceived by the managers' themselves and by their subordinates, development needs were seen to reduce and self and co-workers ratings were largely seen to become more congruent. However, polynomial regression analyses revealed co-workers feedback at Time One was not predictive of targets' self-assessments at Time Two. The implications of these findings with regard to the utility of MSMR feedback as a tool for management development are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Differences in African-American and European-American students' engagement with nanotechnology experiences: Perceptual position or assessment artifact?JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 6 2007M. Gail Jones This study examined middle and high school students' perceptions of a weeklong science experience with nanotechnology and atomic force microscopy. Through an examination of student self assessments and their writing, the study allowed us to examine some of the issues that may contribute to discrepancies that are seen between European-American and African-American students in science. The results of the study showed that after instruction, African-American students were significantly more likely to agree with the statement that "science involves mostly memorizing things and getting the right answer," than European-American students. In addition, European-American students were significantly more likely to write their newspaper stories from a first person perspective than their African-American peers. The results are discussed in light of the assessment task, students' interpretations of formal writing, cultural differences in the use of language in writing, and possible cultural differences in students' perceptions of the science experience. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 787,799, 2007 [source] Medico-legal assessment of disability in narcolepsy: an interobserver reliability studyJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008FRANCESCA INGRAVALLO Summary Impairment because of narcolepsy strongly limits job performance, but there are no standard criteria to assess disability in people with narcolepsy and a scale of disease severity is still lacking. We explored: (1) the interobserver reliability among Italian Medical Commissions making disability and handicap benefit decisions for people with narcolepsy, searching for correlations between the recognized disability degree and patients' features; (2) the willingness to report patients to the driving licence authority and (3) possible sources of variance in judgement. Fifteen narcoleptic patients were examined by four Medical Commissions in simulated sessions. Raw agreement and interobserver reliability among Commissions were calculated for disability and handicap benefit decisions and for driving licence decisions. Levels of judgement differed on percentage of disability (P < 0.001), severity of handicap (P = 0.0007) and the need to inform the driving licence authority (P = 0.032). Interobserver reliability ranged from Kappa = ,0.10 to 0.35 for disability benefit decision and from Kappa = ,0.26 to 0.36 for handicap benefit decision. The raw agreement on driving licence decision ranged from 73% to 100% (Kappa not calculable). Spearman's correlation between percentages of disability and patients' features showed correlations with age, daytime naps, sleepiness, cataplexy and quality of life. This first interobserver reliability study on social benefit decisions for narcolepsy shows the difficulty of reaching an agreement in this field, mainly because of variance in interpretation of the assessment criteria. The minimum set of indicators of disease severity correlating with patients' self assessments encourages a disability classification of narcolepsy. [source] | |||||||||||||