Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Factors Related To Not Following Up: With Recommended Testing In The Diagnosis Of Newborn Hearing Loss, Wendy Zeitlin, Charles Auerbach, Susan E. Mason, Lynn G. Spivak, Bena Reiter

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Children's hearing is a public health concern, and universal newborn hearing screenings are the first step in detecting and treating congenital hearing loss. Despite the high rate of participation in such programs, loss to follow-up (LTF) with additional recommended diagnosis and treatment has been a persistent problem. The current research seeks to expand the knowledge base at the point of diagnosis, where there is a large drop-off in parents following through with recommended care. This research was organized around the following question: What biopsychosocial factors are associated with LTF between screenings and diagnostic evaluations? A prospective quantitative longitudinal study tracked …

Diagnosis Blog: Checking Up On Health Blogs Inthe Blogosphere, Edward Alan Miller, Antoinette Pole

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives. We analyzed the content and characteristics of influential health blogs and bloggers to provide a more thorough understanding of the health blogosphere than was previously available.

Methods. We identified, through a purposive–snowball approach, 951 health blogs in 2007 and 2008. All blogs were US focused and updated regularly. We described their features, topics, perspectives, and blogger demographics.

Results. Approximately half of the bloggers in our sample were employed in the health field. A majority were female, aged in their 30s, and highly educated. Two thirds posted at least weekly; one quarter accepted advertisements. Most blogs were established after …

Functioning And Well-Being Of Patients In A Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Clinic, Steven A. Epstein, Junius Gonzales, Patricia Stockton, David M. Goldstein, Bonnie L. Green

Publications from Provost Junius J. Gonzales

Outpatient consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry clinics are valuable settings for research and teaching endeavors. However, little is known about psychiatric symptoms and health status of persons treated in such settings. In this study, 80 persons seen in an outpatient C-L psychiatry clinic were compared with 100 persons seen in a mood disorder clinic on a variety of self-report instruments. Outpatient C-L clinic patients were found to have significantly poorer health status than mood clinic patients on the following domains as measured by the RAND instrument: general health perception, pain, physical functioning, and role functioning due to physical problems. Both groups had …