Nursing research
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Translation of data collection instruments, paying careful attention to equivalency between the source and the target language, is important to obtain valid data collection instruments. ⋯ The findings for the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the SDSCA questionnaire suggest that it has conceptual and content equivalency with the original English version and is valid and reliable. However, further testing with larger samples is required.
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Clinical Trial
Improving patient-clinician communication about chronic conditions: description of an internet-based nurse E-coach intervention.
Studies show that patients who have higher self-efficacy and participate actively in their care have better disease management. Patient-provider Internet portals offer an exciting new venue for empowering and engaging patients in better management of chronic conditions. ⋯ The Internet-based coaching intervention departs substantially from usual nursing care but warrants further study given its potential to offer considerable benefits to large numbers of patients. Several challenges were identified to providing patient coaching and self-management support via the Internet, but this efficient and low-cost approach offers an innovative opportunity to improve patient-clinician partnerships in managing chronic conditions. As patients become more accustomed to electronic communication, nurses can play an important role, joining efforts to develop this new realm to promote patients as partners in managing their health conditions.
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Statistical mediation is an important tool in behavioral health sciences, but it has been confined primarily to continuous variables. As prevention studies become increasingly common, more often the mediator or outcome is binary. Recent work by D. P. MacKinnon and J. H. Dwyer (1993) has explicated the steps necessary to estimate models for mediation when the mediator or the outcome is binary. ⋯ The SAS macros are available for download without charge from the second author's Web site. Instructions are provided in an included technical manual.