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This paper explores the well-being ['well-being' and 'wellbeing' are used interchangeably in the literature. Well-being is used in this paper (except in the reference list where exact wording is maintained)] benefits of participation in a workplace choir for health service staff. A mixed method study, this project combines quantitative measures of work engagement, perceived stress, resilience levels and work absences with qualitative interviews with choir participants. It is the first study of workplace choirs in Ireland and one of very few studies internationally that research health service staff choirs. There is some preliminary evidence of benefits that choir attendance may increase positive perception of workers' mental health as well as effect depression rates. However, evidence is limited quantitatively and difficulties in measuring the health benefits of arts interventions are noted. Qualitative data, however, confirms previous study findings, namely that a workplace choir can promote social connectedness, enjoyment at work and staff engagement. Work place choir was also noted to appeal mainly to a limited demographic of work place staff and people with relatively positive health and well-being. Efforts must be made to engage staff from lower socio-economic backgrounds, diverse cultural backgrounds and male staff in work place health promotion activities, as these groups were found less likely to join a work place choir. Given the low cost and low risk of this activity, and the qualitative benefits reported, it is recommended to continue to develop and evaluate health service workplace choirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper centres on a neglected area of social work with older people--the social inclusion of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults in long-term care environments. The translation of equality law into the delivery of adult care services is a challenging endeavour for organisations, even more so in the morally contested terrain of sexual well-being. In this paper, we report findings from a mixed-methods study into the provision of long-term care for older adults who identify as LGB. Herein we present findings from a survey of care workers and managers (n = 121) and from focus groups with equality and LGB stakeholder representatives (n = 20) in Wales. Focusing on the current knowledge and understanding of staff, we suggest that affirmative beliefs and practices with sexual minorities are evident amongst care workers and managers; however, the inclusion of LGB residents needs to be advanced systemically at structural, cultural and individual levels of provision. There is a need for enhancing awareness of the legacy of enduring discrimination for older LGB people, for cultural acceptance in care environments of older people's sexual desires and relationships, and for a more explicit implementation of equality legislation. Social workers in adult care can advance this agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how social workers can communicate effectively using an interpreter. It examines how child and family practitioners describe their experiences of working with interpreters and uses audio recordings of home visits to analyse how the challenges they describe manifest in practice. The analysis is based on audio recordings of nineteen interpreter-mediated meetings between workers and families, and two focus groups with practitioners. Recordings were categorised using quantitative coding, and data were analysed thematically. Although workers find using an interpreter challenging, in practice, skilled practitioners are able to work effectively providing they adopt an assertive approach. This is characterised by clarifying misunderstandings, involving the client in ‘chit-chat’ to build rapport and, where clients have differing levels of language proficiency, conducting the conversation entirely in the native language. The study demonstrates the centrality of social worker skills in managing interpreter-mediated sessions and improving practice for non-native-speaking families. This has implications for social work practice internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a study comparing service providers' and service users' perceptions of providers' burnout. It addresses two issues: the similarities and differences in their perceptions; and the associations between any gaps in their perceptions and the service users' satisfaction and perceptions of change. The study was conducted on 270 matched pairs of service users and service providers in a human service agency in a major city in Israel, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The findings show that the service users viewed their providers as less emotionally exhausted, as having a lower level of accomplishment and as more depersonalising than the providers viewed themselves. They also show that user-versus-provider discrepancies in perceptions of the providers' accomplishments and depersonalisation contributed significantly to the users' satisfaction with the agency and their provider, as well as to their perception of changes in their presenting problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Results of the 2013 ASHP national survey on informatics are presented. Methods. Pharmacy directors from all types and sizes of U.S. hospitals were included in the sample of 4893 individuals invited to participate in an online survey. The survey contained over 600 data elements that addressed the adoption and use of a variety of pharmacy informatics and technology. Data were analyzed by hospital type and size, accounting for sampling procedures and differences in response rate. Results. Of the 4893 surveys distributed, 465 usable surveys were returned, yielding a response rate of 9.5%. Nearly 33% of hospitals reported having a complete electronic health record (EHR) (i.e., no paper charts). Adoption rates for computerized prescriber order entry, clinical decision support, electronic prescribing, and barcode- assisted medication administration indicated that these technologies are clear priorities. Nearly half of respondents indi- Brent I. Fox, Pharm.D., Ph.D., is Associate Professor, Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. Craig A. Pedersen, B.S.Pharm., Ph.D., FAPhA, is Pharmacy Manager, Confluence Health—Central Washington Hospital, Wenatchee. Karl F. Gumpp er, B.S.Pharm., BCPS, CPHIMS, FASHP, is Pharmacy Informatics Manager, Department of Pharmacy, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; at the time of writing he was Director, Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD. Address correspondence to Dr. Fox (foxbren@auburn.edu). The authors have declared no potential conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2015, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved. 1079-2082/15/0402-0636. DOI 10.2146/ajhp140274 cated using solely paper-based medication reconciliation processes, while almost as many reported using processes that combined electronic and paper methods. Overall, automated dispensing cabinets were more common in U.S. hospitals than were carousels and dispensing robots. The adoption of patient portals and personal health records is becoming common. Technologies identified as enablers of the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) were found in at least 25% of hospitals. The average total number of pharmacy information technology full-time equivalents was 3.12. Conclusion. This survey found widespread use of pharmacy informatics and technology across the entire medicationuse process. Considerable progress was demonstrated in meeting meaningful-use measures for EHRs and meeting the recommendations of the ASHP PPMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores the medical radiation workers' (MRWs) beliefs with the support of the theory of planned behaviour's constructs regarding the use of personal dosimeters in order to identify the facilitating factors and barriers to practising good personal dose monitoring. The exploration was conducted through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 63 MRWs from the public, private, and university hospitals. Belief statements from the informants were organized under the behavioural, normative, and control belief, as guided by the theory. A thematic analysis found that a majority of informants acknowledged the benefits of using dosimeters. However, several factors influenced the actual usage. The informants were hesitant to use the dosimeter as the loss of the device involved an expensive penalty. They also mentioned that delayed dosimeter supplies due to late budget approval in the hospitals and some other reasons had got them disconnected from the monitoring system. The workers' attitudes and social norms highly induced their dosimeter usage as well; some perceived themselves to be at low risk for high exposure to radiation, and forgetfulness was also mentioned as a reason for lack of adherence. Device physical factor influenced low dosimeter use too. This study highlighted some unique findings in Asian settings. A better understanding of the underlying reasons for the lack of dosimeter use will be useful in developing strategies to increase good practices in personal radiation monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study explored barriers and facilitators to integrating health evidence into spatial planning at local authority levels and examined the awareness and use of the Public Health England 'Spatial Planning for Health' resource. Methods A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews followed by an online survey of public health, planning and other built environment professionals in England. Results Views from 19 individuals and 162 survey responses revealed high awareness and use of the Spatial Planning for Health resource, although public health professionals reported greater awareness and use than other professionals. Key barriers to evidence implementation included differences in interpretation and the use of 'evidence' between public health and planning professionals, lack of practical evidence to apply locally and lack of resource and staff capacity in local authorities. Key facilitators included integrating health into the design of local plans, articulating wider benefits to multiple stakeholders and simplifying presenting evidence (regarding language and accessibility). Conclusion The Spatial Planning for Health resource is a useful resource at local authority level. Further work is needed to maximize its use by built environment professionals. Public health teams need support, capacity and skills to ensure that local health and well-being priorities are integrated into local planning documents and decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Finnish Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability is a randomized controlled trial that has tested the efficacy of a multidomain intervention targeting modifiable risk factors to prevent cognitive impairment/dementia. A combination of healthy diet, physical, social and cognitive activity, and management of cardiovascular risks was shown to be an effective model to promote brain health among older people. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing this lifestyle programme into health care. Methods Four semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted among healthcare professionals working in primary care and in non-governmental organizations (N =27). Participants were asked to discuss their perceptions of facilitators and barriers for implementing the multidomain intervention into clinical practice. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Results Barriers and facilitators described by the healthcare professionals were related to infrastructure and resources, client's personal characteristics and the lifestyle intervention itself. These main categories included several sub-categories related to knowledge, motivation, resources, individualization and collaboration. The interviewees pointed out that more education on dementia prevention is needed, the work should be coordinated efficiently, resources to provide preventive health care should be adequate and multiprofessional collaboration is needed. Conclusions Transferring a lifestyle intervention from a trial-setting to real life requires knowledge about the factors that influence effective implementation. Identifying drivers and constraints of successful implementation helps to design and tailor future prevention programmes, increases motivation and adherence and supports system change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored how professionals and parents with mental illness experience their relationships with each other, what aspects of interaction promote a constructive relationship and the role of wider organisational and systemic factors. A purposive sample of 30 adult mental health and children's services professionals, and 21 parents completed semi-structured interviews. Professionals' transparent, non-judgemental, empathetic and positive approach and ability to form partnerships and to share power with parents were keys in building trusting relationships with them. Professionals' capacity to use limited self-disclosure of their own personal experiences (i.e. parenting) enabled them to develop constructive relationships with parents. Equally, important was parents' willingness to form partnerships with professionals and to accept a whole family approach to service delivery. Professionals' limited understanding of mental illness and focus on administration hindered their relationships with parents. An understanding of what constitutes a constructive relationship between professionals and parents and how it develops may help professionals to reflect upon how they engage parents and to do it well. It may also assist organisations to develop the necessary structures and resources to create the conditions for promoting constructive engagement between professionals and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiatives based on the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework have previously been successful in improving health and well-being yet there is little evidence of how these findings translate into policy. This study therefore aimed to analyse the political considerations that underpinned policymakers' decisions for the design and implementation of a programme based on HPS in middle and high schools in Victoria, Australia. Interpretive policy analysis was undertaken using interviews with a purposive sample of government and non-government policy actors. Interviews explored factors influencing programme design and implementation and were analysed using thematic analysis. Ten in-depth interviews, including 11 participants, were conducted. The analysis revealed four themes. The Achievement Program was designed through (i) the establishment of strategic collaborations and good governance , involving people that made valuable and diverse contributions to the design process while acknowledging their (ii) positions of power , (iii) ensuring careful attention was paid to evidence-informed programme design and (iv) incorporation of real-time feedback from other settings. Policymakers believe this approach has the potential to improve policy adoption. There is a need to explore if this approach to policy development influences adherence and improves health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families are significantly affected by decisions made in the child protection context, yet decision outcomes differ even when cases are similar. Understanding the concepts, practices and processes of differentiation that push some cases over the threshold of key decision points, but not other similar cases, is crucial. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with child protection social workers from three site offices in Aotearoa New Zealand (interviews, n  = 26; focus groups, n  = 25) and using thematic analysis, this study identified the case, internal organisational, inter-site organisational and external elements that contributed to threshold decisions. Case factors such as children's age, abuse type and chronicity recorded family history and perceptions of family compliance interacted with internal organisational processes and practices, social negotiations and hierarchical power differences to produce decision outcomes. Inter-site differences in decision thresholds resulted from differences in site managers' perceptions of acceptable case type, site workloads, resources, size and cultural commitment to family preservation. External demographic inequalities were perceived as causing differing levels of site workload. This 'networked decision-making' process is theorised drawing on an extended version of the decision-making ecology (DME), by using qualitative methods to examine interactions between the DME elements and their relationship with risk regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: identifying the most at risk older people in Emergency Departments (EDs) may help guide clinical practice, and service improvement in emergency care, but little is known about how to implement such tools in practice. Methods: consensus building was used to determine the desirable characteristics of a risk stratification process, including focus groups and literature reviewing. Candidate tools were tested using clinical vignettes in semi-structured interviews with a range of clinicians working in one large ED, assessing speed of use, ease of use and agreement with clinical judgement. The primary outcome was the likelihood of future use of a given frailty tool. Results: the ideal tool characteristics included brevity (<1 min), simplicity and multidimensionality; tools selected for testing included the Identification of Seniors At Risk, Clinical Frailty Scale, PRISMA-7 and Silver Code. One hundred and twentyone staff members (43% of the total ED workforce) were recruited from one large ED in the East Midlands. Two hundred and thirty-six individual frailty tool assessments were undertaken using 1 of 10 clinical vignettes; 75% of staff stated that they would use at least one of the tools again, with no significant differences between the individual tools. The median time to complete the tool was around 1 min per patient for all four tools. There were no significant differences in timing, ease of use or agreement with clinical judgement between tools. Discussion: validated risk stratification tools are quick, simple, easy to use and 75% of staff would use the tools again in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: delivering appropriate care for patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy is increasingly challenging. Challenges for individual healthcare professions are known, but only little is known about overall healthcare team implementation of best practice for these patients. Objective: to explore current approaches to multimorbidity management, and perceived barriers and enablers to deliver appropriate medications management for community-dwelling patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy, from a broad range of healthcare professional (HCP) perspectives in Australia. Methods: this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to gain in-depth understanding of HCPs' perspectives on the management of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The interview guide was based on established principles for the management of multimorbidity in older patients. HCPs in rural and metropolitan Victoria and South Australia were purposefully selected to obtain a maximum variation sample. Twenty-six HCPs, from relevant medical, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and allied health backgrounds, were interviewed between October 2013 and February 2014. Fourteen were prescribers and 12 practiced in primary care. Interviews were digitally audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a constant comparison approach. Results: most participants did not routinely use structured approaches to incorporate patients' preferences in clinical decision-making, address conflicting prescriber advice, assess patients' adherence to treatment plans or seek to optimise care plans. Most HCPs were either unaware of medical decision aids and measurements tools to support these processes or disregarded them as not being user-friendly. Challenges with coordination and continuity of care, pressures of workload and poorly defined individual responsibilities for care, all contributed to participants' avoiding ownership of multimorbidity management. Potential facilitators of improved care related to improved culture, implementation of electronic health records, greater engagement of pharmacists, nurses and patients, families in care provision, and the use of care coordinators. Conclusion: extensive shortcomings exist in team-based care for the management of multimorbidity. Delegating coordination and review responsibilities to specified HCPs may support improved overall care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: low diagnostic rates are a barrier to improving care for the growing number of people with dementia in sub-Saharan Africa. Many people with dementia are thought to visit traditional healers (THs) and Christian faith healers (FHs) and these groups may have a role in identifying people with dementia. We aimed to explore the practice and attitudes of these healers regarding dementia in rural Tanzania and investigate attitudes of their patients and their patients' carers. Methods: this was a qualitative study conducted in Hai district, Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of THs and FHs and a purposive-stratified sample of people with dementia and their carers. Interview guides were devised which included case vignettes. Transcripts of interviews were subject to thematic analysis. Findings: eleven THs, 10 FHs, 18 people with dementia and 17 carers were recruited. Three themes emerged: (i) conceptualisation of dementia by healers as a normal part of the ageing process and no recognition of dementia as a specific condition; (ii) people with dementia and carer reasons for seeking help and experiences of treatment and the role of prayers, plants and witchcraft in diagnosis and treatment; (iii) willingness to collaborate with allopathic healthcare services. FHs and people with dementia expressed concerns about any collaboration with THs. Conclusions: although THs and FHs do not appear to view dementia as a specific disease, they may provide a means of identifying people with dementia in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss are now commonly identified early through newborn hearing screening initiatives. There remains considerable uncertainty about how to support parents and about which services to provide for children with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss. The goal of this study was to learn about parents' experiences and understand, from their perspectives, the impact of hearing loss in the mild range on the child's functioning. Parents of 20 children in Ontario, Canada, participated in the study. The median age of identification of hearing loss was 4.6 months (interquartile range: 3.6,10.8). Parents appreciated learning early about hearing loss, but their experiences with the early process were mixed. Parents felt that professionals minimized the importance of milder hearing loss. There was substantial uncertainty about the need for hearing aids and the findings suggest that parents need specific guidance. Parents expressed concerns about the potential impact of hearing loss on their child's development, particularly at later ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: the impact of sarcopenia on quality of life is currently assessed by generic tools. However, these tools may not detect subtle effects of this specific condition on quality of life. Objective: the aim of this study was to develop a sarcopenia-specific quality of life questionnaire (SarQoL, Sarcopenia Quality of Life) designed for community-dwelling elderly subjects aged 65 years and older. Settings: participants were recruited in an outpatient clinic in Liège, Belgium. Subjects: sarcopenic subjects aged 65 years or older. Methods: the study was articulated in the following four stages: (i) Item generation--based on literature review, sarcopenic subjects' opinion, experts' opinion, focus groups; (ii) Item reduction--based on sarcopenic subjects' and experts' preferences; (iii) Questionnaire generation--developed during an expert meeting; (iv) Pretest of the questionnaire--based on sarcopenic subjects' opinion. Results: the final version of the questionnaire consists of 55 items translated into 22 questions rated on a 4-point Likert scale. These items are organised into seven domains of dysfunction: Physical and mental health, Locomotion, Body composition, Functionality, Activities of daily living, Leisure activities and Fears. In view of the pretest, the SarQoL is easy to complete, independently, in ~10 min. Conclusions: the first version of the SarQoL, a specific quality of life questionnaire for sarcopenic subjects, has been developed and has been shown to be comprehensible by the target population. Investigations are now required to test the psychometric properties (internal consistency, test--retest reliability, divergent and convergent validity, discriminant validity, floor and ceiling effects) of this questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and nature of physician, nurse, and pharmacist verbal counseling at the time of a new prescription for an opioid-acetaminophen containing medication as recalled by patients. Design. A mixed methods approach with data from cross sectional, structured interviews was used. Setting. The settings were one academic emergency department in Chicago, IL and one outpatient pharmacy at a public hospital in Atlanta, GA. Patients. One hundred forty-nine patients receiving a new prescription for an opioid-acetaminophen medication were enrolled. Methods. Interviews assessed patient recall of counseling they received from their physician, nurse, and pharmacist upon receiving the new prescription. Their responses were unitized and assigned to categories. Results. One hundred forty-nine patients were enrolled; 61.1% African American and 58.4% female. Seven major categories of responses were noted; frequencies of patient recall for counseling in these categories were reported. Four categories related to the content of the counseling discussion were 1) details of administration (patient recall counseling from: physician/nurse only 44.3%, pharmacist only 5.4%, both providers 12.8%); 2) activities to avoid and side effects (36.2%, 4.7%, 8.7%); 3) medication indication (32.9%, 4%, 4%); and 4) addictive potential (9.3%, 1.3%, 0%). Three categories describe patients' recall of the interaction in broad terms: 5) being referred to print informational material accompanying the prescription (MD/RN only 7.4%, pharmacist only 20.1%, both providers 2.7%); 6) having questions solicited (0%, 11.4%, 0%); 7) having no interaction relating to medication counseling (3.4%, 32.2%, 1.3%). Conclusions. Patients infrequently recall counseling from providers on topics that are important to prevent harm from opioid-acetaminophen prescriptions. Future patient-centered clinical research should target identifying optimal strategies to convey these critical messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a collaborative study conducted in a large urban school district, in which the authors surveyed 55 clinicians within the special education system, with a focus on the mental health services provided to students who were receiving related-services counseling as a mandated component of their individualized education plan. Participating clinicians reported on their own characteristics, the services they provided, and the work environment. Results suggest that the services provided varied substantially among clinicians in terms of the types of treatments provided, intervention format, and treatment duration. Indicators of high-quality services (manual use, parent involvement, care coordination, and standardized assessments) also varied. Clinicians with specialized training, younger and less experienced clinicians, and clinicians working in cooperative climates with less role overload, reported engaging in a higher quality of care of students within special education. These findings have implications for improving quality of care within special education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the degree of knowledge about pain management and opioids use by professionals working at three pediatric units. Design This is a cross-sectional study. Setting This study was carried out at three pediatric units (pediatrics, intensive care unit, and oncology) of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, which is a university hospital located in southern Brazil. Subject The subjects of this study include physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, nursing technicians, and nursing assistants. Methods Cross-sectional study carried out in a university hospital in southern Brazil. A self-applicable semi-structured questionnaire was handed out to 182 professionals from December 2011 to March 2012. Results The response rate was 67% (122); the average percentage of correct answers was 63.2 ± 1.4%. The most frequent errors were: an opioid must not be used if the cause of pain is unknown (47%; 54/115); patients often develop respiratory depression (42.3%; 22/52); and confusion about symptoms of withdrawal, tolerance, and dependency syndromes (81.9%; 95/116). Only 8.8% (10/114) reported the use of pain scales to identify pain in children. The most often cited hindrance to control pain was the difficulty to measure and spot pain in pediatric patients. Finally, 50.8% (62/122) of them did not have any previous training in pain management. Conclusions Problems in the processes of pain identification, measurement, and treatment have been found. Results suggest that there is a need for both an investment in continuing education of professionals and the development of protocols to optimize the analgesic therapy, thus preventing increased child suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people have higher rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) than the general population. Research has shown that there is a clear link between emotional distress, depression, substance abuse and sexual risk taking behaviours in young people. ‘headspace’ is a youth mental health early intervention service operating in more than 55 locations around Australia. This setting is ideal for accessing troubled young people who are at risk of STIs and are unlikely to attend mainstream general practice services. In 2013, a partnership was formed between headspace National Office and Hunter New England Local Health District to develop a clear clinical pathway to ensure at-risk headspace clients received sexual health assessments, advice, appropriate treatment and referral as indicated. This article describes the implementation of the pathway at the national level and a control trial to measure its efficacy. Future work will involve providing sustainable sexual health training for headspace general practitioner and allied health professionals to supplement the roll-out of the pathway in headspace centres across Australia. Support will also be provided in adapting headspace environments to encourage service utilization by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on group songwriting have tended to document successful group songwriting processes. Conversely, there is a dearth of literature that describes contexts where songwriting was not successful, but constrained by group factors. This study sought to identify group factors that both support and constrain the therapeutic songwriting process. Forty-five music therapy clinicians and researchers with established expertise in therapeutic songwriting were interviewed. Modified grounded theory methods were employed; data was first coded then similar codes grouped together to form larger categories, and then these categories aligned under themes representing different group factors. Supported by participant quotes, four main factors emerged-group size, group cohesion, group conflicts, and group composition. Some factors supported the songwriting process, and others constrained it. Given these findings, clinicians should consider carefully whether their client populations would benefit from heterogeneous or homogenous group composition, as different group compositions may support or constrain therapeutic aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the development of The Hearing Parents' Perceptions of Health Professionals' Advice Questionnaire (HPP/HPQ). This questionnaire was designed to investigate the impact of the advice and information that parents aeceive from health professionals during the time when their child's hearing loss is identified and how parents, in turn, make initial decisions about services and interventions for their deaf child. Once developed, the HPP/HPQ was partially validated on 2 separate samples. Analysis of data from both samples supported a 14-item questionnaire, with all items loading onto a single composite factor. The implications of how this tool can be used to both help improve health professionals' services and gain an understanding of how the relationship between hearing parents and health professionals might influence developmental outcomes in deaf children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]