Development of a shared decision making coding system for analysis of patient-healthcare provider encounters.

Objectives: To describe the development and refinement of a scheme, detail of essential elements and participants in shared decision making (DEEP-SDM), for coding shared decision making (SDM) while reporting on the characteristics of decisions in a sample of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Methods: The evidence-based patient choice instrument was modified to reflect Makoul and Clayman's integrative model of SDM. Coding was conducted on video recordings of 20 women at the first visit with their medical oncologists after suspicion of disease progression.

Questioning the role of abuse in behavioral spells and epilepsy.

Past sexual trauma is frequently linked to the development of behavioral spells, present among 30% of patients admitted for video/EEG monitoring. Current attempts to verify and explore mechanisms in this reported association revealed that patients with epilepsy (n=58) and those with behavioral spells (n=38) did not differ in their self-report of past sexual trauma (among approximately 38% in each group). Ninety percent (90%) of men with behavioral spells endorsed past physical abuse, however, compared with 45% of men with epilepsy, and 40% of men with spells likely met current criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Brief intervention for prenatal alcohol use: a randomized trial.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a brief intervention in the reduction of prenatal alcohol consumption by women when a partner is included.

Methods: Randomized trial of a single session brief intervention given by the study nurse or principal investigator for 304 pregnant women and their partners. The women had positive T-ACE (Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut down, Eye-opener, an alcohol screening test) results and were at risk for alcohol consumption while pregnant.

Symptoms of pain and depression in related marrow donors: changes after transplant.

Related or unrelated histocompatible marrow donors make it possible to offer hematopoietic stem cell transplants, the second most frequent solid organ transplant performed in the United States. About 20%-30% of donors are related to the recipient. Despite their importance, relatively little is known about related donors.