Search

Background/Aims: Care aims is a population-based, person-centred approach which provides a strategy encompassing the management of a service, informing the population, empowering the workforce around the service user and supporting the person and their family to manage their own lives wherever possible. This pilot study implemented the care aims framework into children's services using quality improvement methods. Methods: An audit of baseline data identified the referral process as an area for improvement in the service. Quality improvement techniques were used to design and test small cycles of change. Results: The results of the audit showed up to 25% of 'requests for help' received from various referrers were not appropriate for several reasons, including old forms and incomplete information. Five tests of change were implemented, which had a mixed impact. Conclusions: This pilot study can help other multidisciplinary teams who are implementing the care aims approach and looking to improve their referral processes in order to improve access to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questionable research practices are a well-recognized problem in psychology. Coding bias, or the tendency of review studies to disproportionately cite positive findings from original research, has received comparatively little attention. Coding bias is more likely to occur when original research, such as neuroimaging, includes large numbers of effects, and is most concerning in applied contexts. We evaluated coding bias in reviews of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies of PCL-R psychopathy. We used PRISMA guidelines to locate all relevant original sMRI studies and reviews. The proportion of null-findings cited in reviews was significantly lower than those reported in original research, indicating coding bias. Coding bias was not affected by publication date or review design. Reviews recommending forensic applications—such as treatment amenability or reduced criminal responsibility—were no more accurate than purely theoretical reviews. Coding bias may have contributed to a perception that structural brain abnormalities in psychopaths are more consistent than they actually are, and by extension that sMRI findings are suitable for forensic application. We discuss possible sources for the pervasive coding bias we observed, and we provide recommendations to counteract this bias in review studies. Until coding bias is addressed, we argue that this literature should not inform conclusions about psychopaths' neurobiology, especially in forensic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting the most appropriate patients to refer for surgery is crucial for high-quality and efficient clinical care. However, there are no specific referral criteria to guide the referral of appropriate patients for rotator cuff repair surgery. The aim of the present study was to design robust surgical referral criteria for patients with degenerative rotator cuff tears using consensus methodology. A two-round Delphi questionnaire was undertaken with a nationally representative sample of 41 specialist shoulder surgeons experienced in rotator cuff repair. Surgical referral criteria for degenerative rotator cuff tear were developed where consensus of at least 70% agreement was achieved. The initial questionnaire consisted of 24 items. Consensus was reached on 14 items, including: severity of pain, functional limitation, the identification of fat atrophy, agreement that a course of physiotherapy should be attempted before surgical referral, and exclusion for those with an active frozen shoulder. However, there was no consensus with regard to the dimensions of the tear. The surgical referral criteria developed were novel and promising for patients with degenerative rotator cuff tears, and further research is required to examine their efficacy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the factor structure of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in a sample of 127 individuals referred by their primary care physicians. Using exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation, a 2-factor model appeared to be the most parsimonious representation of the data. The rotated factors accounted for approximately 53% of the variance. Consistent with previous research, the first factor was interpreted as a somatic-affective dimension and the second factor reflected a cognitive dimension. The correlation between these 2 factors was .79. It appears possible to divide the BDI-II into subscales to facilitate interpretation in medical patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]