Men's experiences of physical exams and cancer screening tests: a qualitative study.

Background: American men have lower overall rates of cancer screening than women. This study was designed to elicit men's health care experiences and knowledge of testicular, prostate, and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.

Methods: Fifty-three men participated in eight physician-led semistructured focus groups in Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Community involvement in developing policies for genetic testing: assessing the interests and experiences of individuals affected by genetic conditions.

Because the introduction of genetic testing into clinical medicine and public health creates concerns for the welfare of individuals affected with genetic conditions, those individuals should have a role in policy decisions about testing. Mechanisms for promoting participation range from membership on advisory committees to community dialogues to surveys that provide evidence for supporting practice guidelines. Surveys can assess the attitudes and the experiences of members of an affected group and thus inform discussions about that community's concerns regarding the appropriate use of a genetic test.

Perceptions of genetic discrimination among at-risk relatives of colorectal cancer patients.

Purpose: To explore the concerns of at-risk relatives of colorectal cancer patients about genetic discrimination and their awareness of current legislative protections.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to unaffected individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer who had enrolled in the Johns Hopkins Hereditary Colorectal Cancer Registry (N = 777).

Results: Of the 470 respondents, approximately half rated their level of concern about genetic discrimination as high.

Teaching the testicular exam: a model curriculum from "A" to "Zack".

Background And Objectives: The testicular exam was not explicitly taught at our medical schools before 2002. In this article, we explore different phases of curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation of a method for teaching the testicular exam.

Methods: Medical students participated in surveys and focus groups, and male patients participated in focus groups.

A qualitative study of communication skills for male cancer screening discussions.

Background: Cancer screening guidelines acknowledge the need for physician-patient discussions on appropriate tests. This study examined expert clinician communication practices associated with prostate and colorectal cancer screening and testicular cancer early detection for male patients.

Methods: Recorded observation and qualitative analysis of transcripts from 38 standardized patient interactions.

Confounding factors in infant pain assessment during recovery from anesthesia.

Issues And Purpose: To investigate in what ways infant pain assessments differed between outpatient surgical recovery areas (OPSRA) and other clinical settings that included inpatient postsurgical recovery areas.

Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, 8 nurse participants working in OPSRA and 7 nurse participants working in other clinical settings were interviewed.

Results: The assessments of participants in the OPSRA differed from those of other participants and were confounded by effects of a short-acting anesthetic, lower expectations of pain, and several extraneous factors.

Self-assessment of communication skills preparedness: adult versus pediatric skills.

Purpose: To characterize and compare incoming residents' self-reported 1) amount and sufficiency of medical school training in clinical communication for patients of different ages, and 2) training experience and anticipated comfort level when breaking news of serious diagnoses with patients of different ages.

Method: A self-assessment tool was voluntarily completed by residents entering Brown- and Dartmouth-affiliated residencies. Descriptive statistics were generated and 2-tailed t tests were used to compare mean responses for patient age categories within each area of questioning.

Infant gender differences regarding acute established pain.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if any gender differences existed in the behaviors of infants experiencing different levels of acute established pain and different levels of arousal within each level of pain. To do this, the behaviors of 152 two-week- to 12-month-old infants were videotaped and compared. Levels of pain were assessed by a panel of expert pediatric nurses.