Pharmacist led intervention towards management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and assessment of patient satisfaction of care - A prospective, randomized controlled study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycaemia is due to impaired insulin secretion and deficiency. Though effective current drug therapies are available for diabetes, yet glycaemic maintenance remains a challenge without medication adherence. This necessitates a holistic approach to improve clinical outcomes for a better patient health care.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Pain Management for Women in Labor.

Purpose: To determine effectiveness of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit to improve labor pain management and patient satisfaction with overall labor experience among women in labor at term.

Study Design: Prospective, exploratory design using convenience sampling.

Methods: Pregnant women at term, anticipating a vaginal birth at our tertiary care hospital, were invited to participate in the TENS study to help manage early labor pain.

Promoting conversations between physicians and families about childhood obesity: evaluation of physician communication training within a clinical practice improvement initiative.

Childhood obesity rates have incrementally increased since the 1980s, sparking calls for initiatives focused on addressing this public health concern. In response, the family medicine residency clinic profiled in this research designed, executed, and evaluated a practice improvement initiative focused on physician communication behaviors and clinic processes that impact the management of unhealthy pediatric weight. The results of the evaluation effort demonstrated increased physician knowledge of communication principles, improvements in weight management counseling rates, and opportunities for health delivery system changes to promote the effective clinical management of unhealthy pediatric weight.

Multisensory processing in children with cochlear implants.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the functions of the vestibular, tactile, visual, and proprioceptive modalities in children with prelinguistic hearing loss. Specifically, the study sought to examine evidence for the compensation hypothesis (auditory deprivation leads to enhancements in functions of other sensory systems) versus the deficiency hypothesis (functions of the spared senses are compromised as a result of auditory deprivation).

Methods: Twelve children between the ages of 5 years, 1 month and 8 years, 11 months with bilateral severe-profound hearing loss participated in the study.

Integrating team training strategies into obstetrical emergency simulation training.

Successful management of obstetrical emergencies such as shoulder dystocia requires the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary team of professionals. Simulation education provides an opportunity to learn and master simple as well as complex technical skills needed in emergent situations. Team training has been shown to improve the quality of communication among team members and consequently has an enormous impact on human performance.

Sensory-processing disorder in children with cochlear implants.

We examined sensory-processing disorder (SPD) in children with cochlear implants and explored the relationship between SPD and duration of hearing loss or duration of cochlear implant use. Caregivers of 30 children completed the Sensory Profile Questionnaire (SPQ). Seventy percent of the children showed "at-risk" or "different" behaviors in one or more of five categories of the SPQ: auditory, visual, vestibular, tactile, and oral processing.

Outcomes of touch therapies during bone marrow transplant.

Context: The integration of complementary modalities into mainstream healthcare is gaining increasing emphasis. It is important, therefore, to document the effects of these interventions on patient outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Therapeutic Touch and massage therapy on the outcomes of engraftment time, complications, and perceived benefits of therapy during bone marrow transplant.