The use of triangulation in qualitative research.

Triangulation refers to the use of multiple methods or data sources in qualitative research to develop a comprehensive understanding of phenomena (Patton, 1999). Triangulation also has been viewed as a qualitative research strategy to test validity through the convergence of information from different sources. Denzin (1978) and Patton (1999) identified four types of triangulation: (a) method triangulation, (b) investigator triangulation, (c) theory triangulation, and (d) data source triangulation.

The supportive care needs of men with advanced prostate cancer.

Purpose/objectives: To better understand the priority supportive care needs of men with advanced prostate cancer.

Research Approach: Qualitative, descriptive study.

Setting: Outpatient cancer center and urology clinics in central western Ontario, Canada.

The supportive care needs of family members of men with advanced prostate cancer.

This exploratory study identified the supportive care needs of family members of men with advanced hormone-sensitive (HS) and hormone-refractory (HR) prostate cancer. In focus groups and individual interviews, we asked eight family members of men with HS disease and 11 family members of men with HR disease to identify their supportive care needs and recommend strategies for improving care to meet these needs. Unmet needs common to both groups were lack of information and uncertainty about the future.

Lung cancer.

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, with 80% to 90% of cases caused by smoking. Small cell lung cancer accounts for 20% of all cases, and is usually treated with chemotherapy. Adenocarcinoma is the main non-small cell pathology, and is treated initially with surgery.

Bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis of the jaw.

In 2003, the first reports describing osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients receiving bisphosphonates (BP) were published. These cases occurred in patients with cancer receiving high-dose intravenous BP; however, 5% of the cases were in patients with osteoporosis receiving low-dose bisphosphonate therapy. We present the results of a systematic review of the incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of BP associated ONJ.

Problem-based learning and medical education forty years on. A review of its effects on knowledge and clinical performance.

Problem-based learning (PBL) has swept the world of medical education since its introduction 40 years ago, leaving a trail of unanswered or partially answered questions about its benefits. The literature is replete with systematic reviews and meta-analyses, all of which have identified some common themes; however, heterogeneity in the definition of a 'problem-based learning curriculum' and its delivery, coupled with different outcome measurements, has produced divergent opinions. Proponents and detractors continue to dispute the merits of the cognitive foundation of a PBL approach, but, despite this, there is evidence that graduates of PBL curricula demonstrate equivalent or superior professional competencies compared with graduates of more traditional curricula.

Canadian consensus practice guidelines for bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Objective: Following publication of the first reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients receiving bisphosphonates in 2003, a call for national multidisciplinary guidelines based upon a systematic review of the current evidence was made by the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (CAOMS) in association with national and international societies concerned with ONJ. The purpose of the guidelines is to provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, identification of at-risk patients, and prevention and management strategies, based on current evidence and consensus. These guidelines were developed for medical and dental practitioners as well as for oral pathologists and related specialists.

PBL in the undergraduate MD program at McMaster University: three iterations in three decades.

When the undergraduate MD program of McMaster University admitted its first cohort of 20 students in 1969, it heralded a major change in medical school pedagogy that has influenced the education of medical students around the world. The three-year PBL curriculum, which emphasized small-group tutorials, self-directed learning, a minimal number of didactic presentations, and student evaluation that was based almost entirely on performance in the tutorial, represented a radical departure from traditional curricula. Since the inception of the original curriculum in 1969, there have been two major curriculum revisions, the most recent of which was in 2005.

Using a sampling strategy to address psychometric challenges in tutorial-based assessments.

Introduction: Tutorial-based assessment, despite providing a good match with the philosophy adopted by educational programmes that emphasize small group learning, remains one of the greatest challenges for educators working in this context. The current study was performed in an attempt to assess the psychometric characteristics of tutorial-based evaluation upon adopting a multiple sampling approach that requires minimal recording of observations.

Method: After reviewing the literature, a simple 3-item evaluation form was created.

The value of basic science in clinical diagnosis.

Background: The role of basic science knowledge in clinical diagnosis is unclear. There has been no experimental demonstration of its value in helping students recall and organize clinical information. This study examines how causal knowledge may lead to better recall and diagnostic skill over time.

Expert-novice differences in memory: a reformulation.

Background: One of the most discriminating measures of expertise in multiple domains has been performance on memory tasks. In medicine, however, the relation between expertise and memory is more equivocal.

Purpose: To compare and contrast the sufficiency of multiple explanations of this finding by using three probes of memory rather than the traditional free recall task alone.

Medline for Medical Students? Searching for the Right Answer.

Objective: Does MEDLINE use, when added to more traditional sources of information, improve the accuracy of medical students' clinical decisions when compared to those obtained using traditional sources only? Design: Randomized control trial. Setting: McMaster University Faculty of Medicine, Undergraduate Program. Participants: The entire class of 101 medical students, class of 1998.