Sharing information, sharing responsibility: helping health care consumers make informed decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need to provide access to information to support informed medical decision-making and to describe a working model for delivering such information. We report the findings on the users of an independent health information service (n = 1083), including: who uses this type of service; the types of information requested; and, the benefits for individuals and health care organizations.

Referral to treatment: improving client-treatment match through process analysis.

This paper presents an expedient procedure for assessing referral counselor knowledge of the effectiveness of various treatment programs for different client types. Among the advantages of this technique are timely results, ease of application, and usefulness for process and formative evaluation. An empirical example using data from a drug abuse referral program is included to demonstrate one application of the technique.

Plasma alcohol, smoking, hormone concentrations and self-reported aggression. A study in a social-drinking situation.

Plasma alcohol concentrations and the number of cigarettes smoked by men during social-drinking situations were significantly related to change in testosterone levels. Age, height, plasma alcohol and smoking were related to self-reports of prior assault and verbal aggression. Agression was not related to testosterone concentration.

The bogue-palmore technique for estimating direct fertility measures from indirect indicators as applied to Tennessee counties, 1960 and 1970.

Bogue and Palmore's technique for estimating direct fertility measures from indirect indicators IS applied to the 95 counties of Tennessee 1960 and 1970. Findings based on these data tentatively suggest that this technique may be better suited for cross-national research than for analysis of small population units. It is recommended that the "own child" method is more appropriate for estimating fertility when utilizing data on counties.