Patient education and counseling
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Improvements in treatment-related knowledge and self-efficacy may improve clinical outcomes in HIV-infected populations. We examined whether caregivers' knowledge and self-efficacy was associated with better clinical outcomes and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence among HIV-infected children. ⋯ Care providers should address both misconceptions that might serve to undermine adherence as well as factors that limit patients' self-efficacy in adhering to treatment, prior to the initiation of ART and throughout the course of treatment.
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To characterize patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in different motivational stages related to smoking cessation. ⋯ COPD patients are amenable to counseling to quit smoking. Addressing COPD complaints may contribute to greater motivation.
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A comprehensive review was conducted of the theoretical and empirical work that addresses the preference-match strategy in physician-patient communication. ⋯ Findings justify not only continued but expanded research efforts in this area that would incorporate recommended changes in research design and implementation. PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Assessment strategies and match interventions are discussed that, if evidence continues to be supportive, might routinely optimize patient-physician encounters toward more positive outcomes. Methodological guidelines are suggested that can improve future preference-match studies of the patient-physician interaction. Practitioners need to consider adoption of patient-match assessment and intervention strategies in addition to recent exclusive concentrations on patient-centered and shared decision-making approaches.
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Comparative Study
Attitudes of physicians, nurses and relatives towards end-of-life decisions concerning nursing home patients with dementia.
For many nursing home patients in the advanced stages of dementia, a decision to start or forgo treatment has to be taken at the end of their life. It is very important for the peace of mind of all involved in such decision-making that there is agreement on which decision is in the best interest of the patient. It is thus important to investigate the attitude of physicians, nurses and relatives towards medical end-of-life decisions concerning patients with dementia, so that the policy in nursing homes can be tuned to stimulate dialogue and understanding between all parties. ⋯ Physicians should discuss end-of-life decisions more openly. Physicians should be aware of the influences on attitudes and incorporate them into communication about end-of-life decisions.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Developing and evaluating a smoking cessation program combined with an Internet-assisted instruction program for adolescents with smoking.
The purpose of this study was to develop a smoking cessation program combined with an Internet-assisted instruction (IAI) program to help youth smokers quit smoking, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in changing youth's attitudes toward smoking, smoking behavior, and self-efficacy for smoking cessation. ⋯ Most of all participants in the experimental group recognized the effectiveness of the program, and thought the smoking cessation program with an IAI program was helpful and welcomed by youth. This study can serve as reference for future design and implementation of IAI programs for youth smoking cessation.