Understanding Factors Relevant to Self-Injurious Behavior in a High-Risk Secure Psychiatric Sample: Developing the Theory-Driven Measure of Self-Injurious Behavior Engagement.

A measure for the assessment of self-injurious behavior is developed. Commencing with a Delphi composed of 33 experts: detached experts (academics), experts by exposure (staff), and experts by experience (patients), the Theory-driven Measure of Self-Injurious Behavior Engagement is outlined. This is then examined in two samples: high-secure psychiatric male patients (n = 76) and high-secure psychiatric nursing staff (n = 100; 50 men, 50 women).

Gender differences in psychotic disorders with concurrent substance use.

Objective: We conducted a comparative analysis of gender differences in patients with primary psychotic disorders with concurrent substance use and in those with substance-induced psychoses.

Methods: A total of 385 individuals admitted to psychiatric emergency departments with early-onset psychosis and recent substance use were interviewed at baseline and at six-month intervals for two years. Using a standardized research diagnostic assessment instrument, we classified patients at baseline into primary and substance-induced psychosis groups and analyzed the effects of gender on demographic, family, and clinical characteristics at baseline, the interaction of gender and diagnosis, and gender main effects on illness course, adjustment, and service use over the two-year follow-up period.

Targeting improvements in patient safety at a large academic center: an institutional handoff curriculum for graduate medical education.

Problem: Handoffs are an integral component of patient care, and the number of handoffs has increased as a result of duty hours restrictions for resident physicians. A structured handoff curriculum improves accuracy and has been shown to decrease medical errors. A standardized approach across all specialties is lacking in the published literature.

Academic detailing to teach aging and geriatrics.

Geriatric education is a required component of internal medicine training. Work hour rules and hectic schedules have challenged residency training programs to develop and utilize innovative teaching methods. In this study, the authors examined the use of academic detailing as a teaching intervention in their residents' clinic and on the general medicine inpatient wards to improve clinical knowledge and skills in geriatric care.

Comparing deflection measurements of a magnetically steerable catheter using optical imaging and MRI.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging modality for interventional radiology, giving clinicians another tool for minimally invasive image-guided interventional procedures. Difficulties associated with endovascular catheter navigation using MRI guidance led to the development of a magnetically steerable catheter. The focus of this study was to mechanically characterize deflections of two different prototypes of the magnetically steerable catheter in vitro to better understand their efficacy.