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Skills Test (skill + test)
Selected AbstractsComparison of the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test in hemiplegic CPDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2008K Klingels MSc This study investigated interrater reliability and measurement error of the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function (Melbourne Assessment) and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST), and assessed the relationship between both scales in 21 children (15 females, six males; mean age 6y 4mo [SD 1y 3mo], range 5,8y) with hemiplegic CP. Two raters scored the videotapes of the assessments independently in a randomized order. According to the House Classification, three participants were classified as level 1, one participant as level 3, eight as level 4, three as level 5, one participant as level 6, and five as level 7. The Melbourne Assessment and the QUEST showed high interrater reliability (intraclass correlation 0.97 for Melbourne Assessment; 0.96 for QUEST total score; 0.96 for QUEST hemiplegic side). The standard error of measurement and the smallest detectable difference was 3.2% and 8.9% for the Melbourne Assessment and 5.0% and 13.8% for the QUEST score on the hemiplegic side. Correlation analysis indicated that different dimensions of upper limb function are addressed in both scales. [source] Improvement of nursing students' critical thinking skills through problem-based learning in the People's Republic of China: A quasi-experimental studyNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 1 2008Haobin Yuan rn Abstract A quasi-experimental, two-group pretest,post-test design was conducted to examine the effect of problem-based learning on the critical thinking skills of 46 Year 2 undergraduate nursing students in the People's Republic of China. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test Form A, Chinese-Taiwanese version was used as both a pretest and as a post-test for a semester-long nursing course. There was no significant difference in critical thinking skills at pretest, whereas, significant differences in critical thinking skills existed between the problem-based learning and lecture groups at post-test. The problem-based learning students had a significantly greater improvement on the overall California Critical Thinking Skills Test, analysis, and induction subscale scores compared with the lecture students. Problem-based learning fostered nursing students' critical thinking skills. [source] Usability and Safety of Ventricular Assist Devices: Human Factors and Design AspectsARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 9 2009Lorenz Geidl Abstract The purpose of this study was the investigation of the usability and ergonomics of ventricular assist devices (VADs) in everyday usage. Patients with four different VAD types were observed. After implantation, instruction, and discharge from the hospital, the patients returned on a regular basis to the outpatient clinic, where the investigation took place. Data collection took place in two phases. In phase I home-released VAD patients were asked about perceived problems with the system at home. Additionally health-care professionals were interviewed to gather information on frequent VAD inconveniences and shortcomings. This inquiry resulted in a standardized self-assessment questionnaire and a manual skill test, which were performed in phase II by the whole collective (16 patients and ongoing). As a result, 38% of the patients disconnected parts of their system unintentionally at least once. All of them ascribed this problem to their own carelessness. Thirty-eight percent had to replace a cable. Seventy-five percent desired an additional cable strain relief. Thirty-eight percent suffered from rubbing of parts on the body. Sixty-three percent used a separate repository aside from the factory-provided transportation systems. The overall noise emission (pump, ventilators, and alarms) annoyed 56%; however, for 32% the alarm signals were too quiet to wake them up. No correlation between the assessed manual skills and the number of adverse events was found. To conclude, this preliminary study revealed considerable potential for improvements in the usability of ventricular assist systems. [source] Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trialCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2007Richard Reading Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trial . Reilly, J. J., Kelly, L., Montgomery, C., Williamson, A., Fisher, A., McColl, J. H., Lo Conte, R., Paton, J. Y. & Grant, S. ( 2006 ) British Medical Journal , 333 , 1041 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38979.623773.55. Objective To assess whether a physical activity intervention reduces body mass index in young children. Design Cluster randomized controlled single blinded trial over 12 months. Setting Thirty-six nurseries in Glasgow, Scotland. Participants In total, 545 children in their pre-school year, mean age 4.2 years (SD 0.2) at baseline. Intervention Enhanced physical activity programme in nursery (three 30-minute sessions a week over 24 weeks) plus home-based health education aimed at increasing physical activity through play and reducing sedentary behaviour. Main outcome measure Body mass index, expressed as a standard deviation score relative to UK 1990 reference data. Secondary measures were objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour; fundamental movement skills; and evaluation of the process. Results Group allocation had no significant effect on the primary outcome measure at 6 and 12 months or on measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour by accelerometry. Children in the intervention group had significantly higher performance in movement skills tests than control children at 6-month follow-up (P = 0.0027; 95% CI 0.3,1.3) after adjustment for sex and baseline performance. Conclusions Physical activity can significantly improve motor skills but did not reduce body mass index in young children in this trial. [source] | ||||||||||