Physicians' Perceptions of the Use of a Chatbot for Information Seeking: Qualitative Study.

Background: Seeking medical information can be an issue for physicians. In the specific context of medical practice, chatbots are hypothesized to present additional value for providing information quickly, particularly as far as drug risk minimization measures are concerned.

Objective: This qualitative study aimed to elicit physicians' perceptions of a pilot version of a chatbot used in the context of drug information and risk minimization measures.

Pull-out and shear failure strengths of arthroscopic meniscal repair systems.

Meniscal repair is common and recommended in young patients. Suture techniques and fixation devices were developed for stronger, more facile repairs. Three devices (T-Fix, Meniscal Staple, Meniscus Arrow) were biomechanically compared to horizontal PDS suture.

The use of a pneumatic intermittent impulse compression device in the treatment of calcaneus fractures.

To determine the effects of intermittent compression on foot swelling, intracompartmental pressures, and hospital stay associated with acute calcaneus fractures, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 55 patients between January 1990 and July 1992 whose management profile included preoperative use of an intermittent compression foot pump and surgical treatment by open reduction and internal fixation. Average times were: injury to admission, 6.04 days; admission to surgery, 1.

Drug dependence scale in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial inventory.

The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI versions I, II, and III) includes a scale to assess drug use problems, Scale T-Drug Dependence. Detailed drug use data from a sample of 659 known drug users along with MCMI-II results were examined to determine the operating characteristics of the MCMI-II drug dependence scale. Operating characteristics, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, negative predictive power, and overall diagnostic power were calculated for base rate cutoffs and for the number of prototypic items endorsed to determine the diagnostic efficiency of Scale T-Drug Dependence in identifying regular drug users.

Profiles of clients in government-funded drug user treatment settings.

This report describes profiles of 535 clients who participated in a federally-funded drug user treatment research demonstration program in Washington, D.C. The majority of clients were African-Americans (92%) and single (60%).

Psychosocial treatments for cocaine abuse. 12-month treatment outcomes.

The 12-month posttreatment outcome results for a randomized clinical trial that tested the effectiveness of various combinations of 4-month psychosocial treatment interventions are reported for 184 clients who used cocaine. Clients primarily used crack (93%), and the majority were African American (95%). Overall, clients exhibited substantial pre-post treatment gains: reduced regular cocaine use, reduced other drug use, reduced regular alcohol use, and reduced involvement in illegal activities.

Relationship between drug preference and indicators of psychiatric impairment.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the indicators of psychiatric disorders of individuals and their choice of either cocaine or heroin, drugs that differ markedly in their pharmacological effects. Cocaine acts as an intense stimulant, and heroin has profound sedative effects. This investigation examined the relationship between preference for heroin or cocaine and indicators of psychiatric impairment.

Individual Assessment Profile (IAP). Standardizing the assessment of substance abusers.

The Individual Assessment Profile (IAP), a structured intake assessment interview instrument in the public domain, was designed for use with substance-abusing populations in several large-scale and community-based drug abuse treatment projects underway in the United States. Background information is presented, including the content-based item-selection process used during the pretests and pilot testing. Validity and test-retest reliability data are also presented, along with descriptions of studies using the IAP for clinical, research, and management information purposes.

Sex differences in self-report of physical health by injection drug users.

Through heterosexual contact, injection drug users (IDUs) put others at risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease. Self-report of health was compared among IDUs in Laredo, Texas, San Diego, California, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in a subsample which contained HIV positive subjects from these cities. These data were compared with similar National Opinion Research Center data and indicated that IDUs do not report their health to be different from that of the general public.

Comparative cocaine abuse treatment strategies: enhancing client retention and treatment exposure.

The current investigation explores the clinical utility in providing a series of enhanced clinical services to a sample of 303 cocaine-abusing clients (primarily crack smokers) relative to a standard group therapy treatment program. In addition to examining the comparative impact of six varying psychosocial treatment approaches for cocaine abuse on client retention and treatment exposure rates, an additional emphasis has been to examine the ability of fixed and dynamic client variables in predicting client outcome in this regard. No fixed (e.

Sexual risk behavior among injection drug-using human immunodeficiency virus positive clients.

This study examined sexual risk behavior of 154 seropositive Hispanic injection drug-using clients who were a subsample of a larger study. The results revealed that while nearly 71% followed safe sex practices at a 6-month follow-up, the other 29% were following risky sexual behaviors. Among males who were 25 years of age or younger, slightly over 58% were practicing unsafe sex.

Findings from the Horizontes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Education project: the impact of indigenous outreach workers as change agents for injection drug users.

A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) intervention using indigenous outreach workers was implemented with Hispanic injection drug users (IDUs) and their sexual partners in three locations: Laredo, Texas; San Diego, California; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. A total of 2,169 subjects were contacted, given health education, HIV antibody testing, and follow-up counseling. This article reports on the 1,616 IDUs (75%) who completed the initial and follow-up interviews.

An inventory to measure contact with medical health care professionals.

The Koman Contact With Medical Health Care Professionals Inventory is described. It was devised to measure total contact including office visits and telephone calls with medical health care professionals as one component of self-report health-related questions. Use of this inventory indicated that women utilize medical health care professionals more than men.

[Distinction between pathological and non-pathological premature contact].

By casting the corresponding parts of a wax plate showing premature contact af fine silver and by measuring the thickness of non-punctured places it was ascertained that premature contacts protruding from the occlusion plane at most by 0.15 millimetres, were frequent but did not cause functional troubles. Premature contacts exceeding such values cause by turns functional troubles.