Evaluation & the health professions
-
This article reports a study evaluating the effects of implementing smoking bans among drug-using prisoners in Taiwan. Seventy-seven new entrants were recruited in May 2008. ⋯ Three general reactions to the ban were identified across all focus groups: (a) unfair/hypocritical policy; (b) being forced to stop smoking; and (c) finding ways to smoke anyway. Future studies should compare the effects of total versus partial smoking bans among drug abusers in prison to better explore policy options.
-
Medical schools in Taiwan have recently adopted the U. S. medical school admissions model by incorporating interviews into the selection process. The objective of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to successful medical school applications through the national entrance examination and interview admission routes. ⋯ Students admitted through the interview route had a 3.20 point higher first-year medical school GPA (p < .001) as determined by regression analyses. Those students who were admitted via interview did not have significantly different personality traits than those admitted through the traditional route. This study calls into question the ability of an admissions interview to select for noncognitive character traits.
-
The Government of Taiwan has imposed a tobacco health tax of NT$5 (US$0.14) per pack of cigarettes since January 2002. The Department of Health has now begun to fund a smoking cessation program that provides nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) and brief counseling by physicians in outpatient clinics. ⋯ The frequency of clinic visits is a major factor predicting long-term cessation. The results indicate the need to pursue implementation and evaluation of multidisciplinary interventions in smoking cessation clinics with a longer follow-up, including the promotion of compliance to increase clinic visits and prevent relapse.
-
Disparities exist between rural and urban emergency departments with respect to knowledge resources such as online journals and clinical specialists. As knowledge is a critical element in the delivery of quality care, a web-based learning project was proposed to address the knowledge needs of emergency clinicians. One objective of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the online environment for knowledge exchange among rural and urban emergency clinicians. ⋯ Postings were used to establish a clinical presence (87/202), seek clinical information (52/202), and share clinical information (63/202). Postintervention survey results indicate that this modality introduced participants to new clinical experts and resources. The results provide direction for design of a virtual community of practice, which may reduce current knowledge resource disparities.
-
A cross-sectional survey was carried out on a random sample of Italian physicians through a self-administered questionnaire to describe knowledge, attitudes, and professional behavior toward economic evaluations of health interventions. A response rate of 74.1% was achieved (760 questionnaires). ⋯ Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that adequate knowledge and positive attitudes are associated with increased physicians' use of health economic evaluations, as well as time dedicated to continuing medical education and previous training experience about health economics and management. Education and specific training may play an important role in promoting a more cost-conscious behavior of physicians.