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Status Measures (status + measure)
Kinds of Status Measures Selected AbstractsQuality of Life of People with Epilepsy in Iran, the Gulf, and Near EastEPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2005Gus A. Baker Summary:,Purpose: To study the impact of epilepsy and its treatment on the quality of life of people living in Iran and in countries in the Gulf and Near East. Methods: Clinical, demographic, and psychosocial details were collected through the use of a self-completed questionnaire distributed to patients attending hospital outpatient clinics. Results: Data were collected from 3,889 people with epilepsy from 10 countries. More than 40% of all respondents had frequent seizures, and reported levels of side effects from medication were high, the most commonly reported being nervousness, headaches, and tiredness. A significant number of respondents reported changing their medications because of side effects or poor seizure control. Respondents reported that epilepsy and its treatment had a significant impact on a number of different aspects of their daily lives. A significant number of respondents felt stigmatized by their epilepsy. Reported health status was reduced when compared with that of people without epilepsy, particularly for physical and social functioning and energy and vitality, as assessed by using a generic health status measure, the SF-36. Conclusions: This is the largest study to date documenting the impact of epilepsy and its treatment in Iran, the Gulf, and Near East regions. Differences were found between the quality-of-life profiles of respondents in this study and those who participated in an earlier parallel study in Europe. [source] Treatment satisfaction and efficacy of the rapid release formulation of sumatriptan 100 mg tablets utilising an early intervention paradigm in patients previously unsatisfied with sumatriptanINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 12 2008L. C. Newman Summary Aims:, To evaluate treatment satisfaction, efficacy and functional ability of the rapid release formulation of sumatriptan 100 mg tablets (sumatriptan RT 100 mg) in an early intervention paradigm in patients who were dissatisfied with low-dose sumatriptan and not completely satisfied with their current migraine regimen. Methods:, Experienced migraineurs who reported a mild migraine pain phase, dissatisfaction with the previous sumatriptan treatment and some dissatisfaction with their current treatment regimen had no experience with sumatriptan at the 100 mg dose were enrolled in an open-label, single group study. Subjects were instructed to treat four migraine attacks within 30 min of the onset of mild pain. Treatment satisfaction was measured with the Patient Perception of Migraine Questionnaire Revised version (PPMQ-R) questionnaire. Results:, More than half of the subjects were either very satisfied or satisfied with the efficacy of early intervention sumatriptan RT 100 mg after each attack and at the follow-up study visit. The mean total PPMQ-R score was 75.2 out of 100. Between 63% and 73% of subjects were pain-free within 4 h of dosing. Between 79% and 90% of subjects reported an ability to function normally within 4 h of taking the study medication. Conclusion:, Subjects who were previously unsatisfied with lower doses of sumatriptan and less than very satisfied with their current treatment regimen were more likely to be satisfied or very satisfied with sumatriptan RT 100 mg in an early intervention paradigm. Results were consistent across four migraine attacks and at a follow-up visit. The treatment satisfaction results corresponded with positive results on efficacy measures and a functional status measure. [source] Cognitive and Functional Decline in Adults Aged 75 and OlderJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2002Sandra A. Black PhD OBJECTIVES: To simultaneously examine the influence of functional disability on the development of cognitive impairment and the influence of cognitive status on the development of functional disability over time and compare findings across ethnic groups. DESIGN: A population-based longitudinal study. SETTING: Galveston County, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred sixty-five community-dwelling Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and non-Hispanic whites, aged 75 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline measures included demographics, self-reported chronic medical conditions, functional disability, and cognitive status. Longitudinal measures included functional decline and cognitive decline. RESULTS: Substantial functional decline was associated with each additional error on the mental status measure; substantial cognitive decline was associated with each additional antecedent disability. These findings were evident across all three ethnic groups, even when taking into account the effects of demographic factors and chronic health conditions, although the specific chronic health conditions that influenced cognitive and functional decline were found to vary across the three ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that, rather than simply being correlated markers of increasing frailty, cognitive and functional decline appear to influence the development of one another. Clinicians need to be aware of these associations, which may affect the direction of preventive care and rehabilitation in the oldest old. Appropriate intervention may result in the prevention or delay of functional disability and cognitive decline. Awareness of the specific chronic health conditions that increase the risk for cognitive or functional decline in various ethnic groups, and the effect of comorbid disease, may also help efforts to prevent decline in older adults. [source] A psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Cardiovascular Limitations and Symptoms Profile in patients with coronary heart diseaseJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 17 2008Violeta Lopez Aims and objectives., The aim of this study was to translate from English and evaluate the validity, reliability and cultural relevance of the Cardiovascular Limitations and Symptoms Profile (CLASP) as a health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measure in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease. Background., Improvement in HRQL is increasingly used as a primary outcome in determining the treatment benefit using a generic instrument. However, disease-specific instruments are being cited as more responsive and sensitive in detecting even the smallest changes in health status. Therefore, valid and reliable disease-specific measures for patients with coronary heart disease are now being developed and evaluated. Design., Questionnaire design. Methods., The translation equivalence and content validity of the Chinese version of CLASP were evaluated by an expert panel. Measurement performance was tested on a convenience sample of 369 Chinese coronary heart disease patients. Results., The instrument demonstrated good content validity (content validity index 0·94), acceptable internal consistency (>0·70), except for two subscales of angina and tiredness and significant positive correlations among the subscales of CLASP, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Short Form 36 Health Survey. Principal components analysis revealed nine factors that together explained 69% of the variance. Conclusions., The results of this study support that CLASP is a valid and reliable disease-specific health status measure for Chinese patients with coronary heart disease. However, further item modifications and testings are needed when considering the cross-cultural context. Relevance to clinical practice., The use of disease-specific HRQL measures could effectively evaluate nursing interventions in clinical practice. Further validations of CLASP among different diagnostic groups, such as patients with heart failure and those who have survived an acute myocardial infarction, would provide further empirical support for its use with all patients with heart disorders. [source] Laryngeal Preservation With Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy Results in Improved Quality of Life When Compared With Total Laryngectomy,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 2 2001Gregory S. Weinstein MD Abstract Objectives/Hypotheses Study 1: To assess the oncologic outcome following supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL). Study 2: To compare the quality of life (QOL) following SCPL to total laryngectomy (TL) with tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). Study 3: To analyze whole organ TL sections to determine the percentage of lesions amenable to SCPL. Study Design Study 1: A retrospective review of patients who underwent SCPL. Study 2: A non-randomized, prospective study using QOL instruments to compare patients who underwent either SCPL or TL. Study 3: A retrospective histopathologic study of TL specimens assessed for the possibility of performing an SCPL. Methods Study 1: Twenty-five patients with carcinoma of the larynx underwent SCPL between June 1992 and June 1999. Various rates of oncologic outcome were calculated. Study 2: Thirty-one patients participated in the QOL assessment. This included the SF-36 general health status measure, the University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life (HNQOL) instrument, and the University of Michigan Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) instrument. Study 3: Ninety surgical specimens were obtained and studied from the total laryngectomy cases in the Tucker Collection. Multiple sites were evaluated for the presence of carcinoma. A computer program was written to classify whether the patient was amenable to SCPL. Results Study 1: The overall local control rate was 96% (24/25). The local control rate following SCPL with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP) was 95% (20/21). The local control rate following SCPL with cricohyoidopexy (CHP) was 100% (4/4). Study 2: The SCPL had significantly higher domain scores than TL and TEP in the following categories for the SF-36: physical function, physical limitations, general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional limitations, and physical health summary. The significantly higher domains for the SCPL when compared with the TL and TEP for the HNQOL were eating and pain. Finally, when voice-related QOL was assessed with the V-RQOL, the domains of physical functioning and the total score were significantly better with SCPL when compared with TL and TEP. Study 3: Forty of 90 (44%) laryngeal whole organ specimens were determined to be resectable by SCPL. In 16 (18%) specimens, the patients could have undergone SCPL with CHEP and in 24 (27%) specimens the patients could have undergone SCPL with CHP. Among the 40 (44%) specimens determined to be able to have undergone SCPL, 19 were glottic (1 T1, 15 T2, 3 T3) and 21 were supraglottic (9 T2, 12 T3). Conclusions 1) A review of the literature and an analysis of the data in this study indicate that excellent local control may be expected following SCPL. 2) The QOL following SCPL, as measured by three validated QOL instruments, is superior to TL with TEP. 3) A histologic assessment of whole organ sections of TL specimens indicates that many patients who have been subjected to TL may have been candidates for SCPL. 4) If the indications and contraindications are rigorously adhered to, SCPLs are reasonable alternatives to TL in selected cases. [source] The risk of preterm delivery in women from different ethnic groupsBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 8 2002Paul Aveyard Objective To examine whether routinely measured variables explained the increased risk of preterm delivery in some UK ethnic groups. Design Cross sectional study of deliveries recorded in the Child Health Record System. Setting North Birmingham, UK. Population All North Birmingham women delivering singletons, 1994,1997 inclusive. Method Logistic regression. Main outcome measures Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for preterm delivery, defined as less than 37 weeks, less than 34 weeks and less than 28 weeks, unadjusted and adjusted for maternal age, an area-based socio-economic status measure, and marital status, year of birth, fetal sex and past obstetric history. Results For Afro-Caribbean women, the ORs (95% CIs) were: for delivery less than 37 weeks, 1.44 (1.26,1.64) unadjusted and 1.22 (1.07,1.41) adjusted; for delivery less than 34 weeks, 1.55 (1.25,1.92) unadjusted and 1.29 (1.02,1.61) adjusted; for delivery less than 28 weeks, 1.66 (1.08,2.55) unadjusted and 1.32 (0.84,2.06) adjusted. For African women, the risk of delivery less than 37 weeks was not significantly raised; for delivery less than 34 weeks, the OR (95% CI) was 1.88 (0.99,3.58) unadjusted and 1.78 (0.93,3.40) adjusted; for delivery less than 28 weeks, the OR (95% CI) was 4.02 (1.60,10.12) unadjusted and 4.10 (1.66,10.16) adjusted. In Afro-Caribbeans, deprivation and marital status explained the differences between the unadjusted and adjusted ORs. There was a linear relation between deprivation and preterm delivery for all ethnic groups, except for Asians. Conclusions Factors associated with deprivation and marital status explain about half of the excess of preterm births in Afro-Caribbeans, but not Africans. The risk of preterm delivery might not be related to deprivation in Asians. [source] Social Functioning, Psychological Functioning, and Quality of Life in EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2001Theo P. B. M. Suurmeijer Summary: ,Purpose: Part of our research intended to explain "Quality of Life" (QoL) differences between people with epilepsy. To this end, a series of already existing generic and disease-specific health status measures were used. In this study, they were considered as determinants of people's QoL, whereas QoL itself was conceived as a general "value judgment" about one's life. Methods: From the records of four outpatient clinics, 210 persons with epilepsy were randomly selected. During their visit to the outpatient clinic, they completed a questionnaire assessing, among other things, health perceptions and social and psychological functioning. Additional information about their medical and psychosocial status was gathered from the patient files. Data were analysed by using a hierarchical regression analysis. Results: In decreasing order of importance, "psychological distress,""loneliness,""adjustment and coping," and "stigma perception" appeared to contribute most significantly to the outcome QoL as judged by the patients themselves, regardless of their physical status. In the final model, none of the clinical variables (onset, seizure frequency, side effects of antiepileptic drugs) contributed significantly anymore to the patients' "quality-of-life judgement." Apparently the effect of other variables such as seizure frequency and health perceptions, medication and side effects, life fulfilment, self-esteem, and mastery is mediated by these variables. Conclusions: Because all of the variance in QoL of the patients was explained by the psychosocial variables included in this study, health professionals should be aware of the significance of the psychosocial functioning of the patients and the role it plays in the achievement of a good QoL. Both informal and professional support may be an adjunct to conventional treatment. In future research, this issue should be given high priority. [source] Valuing avoided morbidity using meta-regression analysis: what can health status measures and QALYs tell us about WTP?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2006George Van Houtven Abstract Many economists argue that willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures are most appropriate for assessing the welfare effects of health changes. Nevertheless, the health evaluation literature is still dominated by studies estimating nonmonetary health status measures (HSMs), which are often used to assess changes in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Using meta-regression analysis, this paper combines results from both WTP and HSM studies applied to acute morbidity, and it tests whether a systematic relationship exists between HSM and WTP estimates. We analyze over 230 WTP estimates from 17 different studies and find evidence that QALY-based estimates of illness severity , as measured by the Quality of Well-Being (QWB) Scale , are significant factors in explaining variation in WTP, as are changes in the duration of illness and the average income and age of the study populations. In addition, we test and reject the assumption of a constant WTP per QALY gain. We also demonstrate how the estimated meta-regression equations can serve as benefit transfer functions for policy analysis. By specifying the change in duration and severity of the acute illness and the characteristics of the affected population, we apply the regression functions to predict average WTP per case avoided. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Plasma Carboxymethyl-Lysine, an Advanced Glycation End Product, and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling AdultsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2009Richard D. Semba MD OBJECTIVES: To determine whether older adults with high plasma carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), an advanced glycation end product, are at higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Population-based sample of adults aged 65 and older residing in Tuscany, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand thirteen adults participating in the Invecchiare in Chianti study. MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measures, plasma CML, fasting plasma total, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, creatinine. Clinical measures: medical assessment, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, cancer. Vital status measures: death certificates and causes of death according to the International Classification of Diseases. Survival methods were used to examine the relationship between plasma CML and all-cause and CVD mortality, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: During 6 years of follow-up, 227 (22.4%) adults died, of whom 105 died with CVD. Adults with plasma CML in the highest tertile had greater all-cause (hazard ratio (HR)=1.84, 95% confidence interval) CI)=1.30,2.60, P<.001) and CVD (HR=2.11, 95% CI=1.27,3.49, P=.003) mortality than those in the lower two tertiles after adjusting for potential confounders. In adults without diabetes mellitus, those with plasma CML in the highest tertile had greater all-cause (HR=1.68, 95% CI=1.15,2.44, P=.006) and CVD (HR=1.74, 95% CI=1.00,3.01, P=.05) mortality than those in the lower two tertiles after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Older adults with high plasma CML are at higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. [source] Guidelines Abstracted from the Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Stroke RehabilitationJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Miriam Rodin MD OBJECTIVES: To assist facilities in identifying those evidence-based processes of poststroke care that enhance measurable patient outcomes. The guideline(s) should be used by facilities (hospitals, subacute-care units and providers of long-term care) to implement a structured approach to improve rehabilitative practices and by clinicians to determine best interventions to achieve improved patient outcomes. OPTIONS: The guideline considers five elements of poststroke rehabilitation care: interdisciplinary teams; use of standardized assessments; intensity, timing, and duration of therapy; involvement of patients' families and caregivers in decision-making; and educational interventions for patients, families, and caregivers. Evidence, benefits, harms, and recommendations for each of the five designated elements and specific annotated recommendations for poststroke managements are presented separately. OUTCOMES: The overall guideline considers improvement in functional status measures as the primary outcome. Achieving community-dwelling status and preventing complications, death, and rehospitalization are also important outcomes. Costs are not specifically addressed. PARTICIPANTS: The Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DoD) Stroke Rehabilitation Working Group consisted of 28, largely VA and military hospital, representatives of medical and allied professions concerned with stroke diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation. Nine additional members with similar credentials served as the editorial committee. Technical consultation was contracted from ACS Federal Health Care, Inc., and the Center for Evidence-Based Practice, State University of New York,Upstate Medical University, Department of Family Medicine conducted evidence appraisal. Consensus was achieved over several years of facilitated group discussion and iterative evaluation of draft documents and supporting evidence. SPONSOR: The guideline was prepared under the auspices of the VA/DoD. No other source of support was identified in the document, or supporting documents. [source] Social status and shaming experiences related to adolescent overt aggression at schoolAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2009Cecilia Åslund Abstract Feelings of rejection and humiliation in interpersonal interaction are strongly related to aggressive behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between social status, shaming experiences, gender and adolescent aggressive behavior by using a status,shaming model. A population-based sample of 5,396 adolescents aged from 15 to 18 completed a questionnaire that asked questions regarding psychosocial background, shaming experiences, social status of family, peer group and school and involvement in physical or verbal aggression at school. Shaming experiences, i.e. being ridiculed or humiliated by others, were strongly related to aggressive behavior. Social status and shaming were related in the prediction of aggressive behavior, suggesting that a person's social status may influence the risk for taking aggressive action when subjected to shaming experiences. Medium social status seemed to have a protective function in the association between shaming experiences and aggression. This study confirms the importance of further evaluation of the role of perceived social status and shaming experiences in the understanding of aggressive behavior. Moreover, the results indicate the need for different kinds of status measures when investigating the associations between status and behavior in adolescent populations. The results may have important implications for the prevention of bullying at school as well as other deviant aggressive behavior among adolescents. Aggr. Behav. 35:1,13, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Influences of social support on the oral health of older people in BritainJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 10 2002Colman McGrath summary, A national UK study involving a random sample of 876 non-institutionalized older people (aged 65 or older) were recruited, to identify the association between social support (living alone), self-reported oral health status and oral health behaviour (use of services). Home interviews were undertaken exploring oral health behaviour (time and reason for last dental visit) and oral health status measures (self-reported number of teeth possessed and denture status). In addition, socio-demographic characteristics were collected. Bivariate analysis identified that social support was associated with time since last dental visit (P < 0·01), reason for last dental visit (P < 0·01), self-reported number of teeth possessed (P < 0·01) and denture status (P < 0·01). In regression analysis, social support emerged as an important predictor of reason for last dental visit and denture status having accounted for other factors in the model (age, gender, social class and educational attainment). Social support is associated with oral health status and oral health behaviour of older people in Britain and is likely to influence both the decision making process of when to seek dental care and what type of treatment to opt for. [source] | ||||||||||