Development Of Future Measures Research Articles

Towards an Empirically Developed Scale for System Trust: Take Two

Research on human trust in automated systems has been frequently limited by the use of inappropriate and inaccurate scales of human-machine trust. An attempt is made here to validate a scale proposed by Jian, Bisantz, and Drury (2000) that measures trust and distrust in automated systems. Sixty participants completed a patient monitoring task with the aid of an imperfect signaling system. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using LISREL 8.0 to determine the best fitting measurement model. Chi-square difference tests indicated that the best fitting model was the 2-factor oblique model. These results suggest that when using the System Trust Scale, researchers should treat trust as a multi-dimensional construct comprising of two distinct, yet related, factors. Implications for future research and measurement development are discussed.

Toward Conceptual Clarity in a Critical Parenting Construct: Parental Monitoring in Youth with Chronic Illness

Parental monitoring has been defined as "a set of correlated parenting behaviors involving attention to and tracking of the child's whereabouts, activities, and adaptations." This construct is of significant interest due to its relatedness to a broad range of youth risk behaviors, including risky sexual behavior, substance abuse, and poor adherence. However, to date, measures of parental monitoring are largely absent from the chronic illness literature. The present article focuses upon two key problems in the operationalization of the monitoring construct to date: (a) poor conceptual specificity in parenting constructs such as monitoring, overprotection, and over-involvement when used to date among youth with chronic conditions and (b) the confounding of existing measures of parental monitoring with items evaluating parental knowledge of youth activities, which has resulted in a lack of data regarding the mechanisms by which parents obtain their information. Recommendations for the future development of monitoring measures are discussed.

Selected stormwater priority pollutants — a European perspective

The chemical characteristics of stormwater are dependent on the nature of surfaces (roads, roofs etc.) with which it comes into contact during the runoff process as well as natural processes and anthropogenic activities in the catchments. The different types of pollutants may cause problems during utilisation, detention or discharge of stormwater to the environment and may pose specific demands to decentralised treatment. This paper proposes a scientifically justifiable list of selected stormwater priority pollutants (SSPP) to be used, e.g., for evaluation of the chemical risks occurring in different handling strategies. The SSPP-list consists of 25 pollutant parameters including eight of the priority pollutants currently identified in the European Water Framework Directive. It contains general water quality parameters (organic and suspended matter, nutrients and pH); metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Pt and Zn); PAH (naphthalene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene); herbicides (pendimethalin, phenmedipham, glyphosate and terbutylazine); and other representative industrially derived compounds (nonylphenol ethoxylates, pentachlorophenol, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, PCB-28 and methyl tert-butyl ether). Tools for flux modelling, enabling calculation of predicted environmental concentrations (PECs), and for ranking the susceptibility of a pollutant to removal within a range of structural stormwater treatment systems or best management practices (BMPs) have been developed, but further work is required to allow all SSPPs to be addressed in the development of future stormwater pollution control measures. In addition, the identified SSPPs should be considered for inclusion in stormwater related monitoring campaigns.

Spatial Distribution of Orofacial Cleft Defect Births in Harris County, Texas, 1990 to 1994, and Historical Evidence for the Presence of Low-level Radioactivity in Tap Water

While both ionizing and nonionizing radiation are known to impair human reproductive capacity, the role of low-level domestic radiation continues to be an unsettled issue. We examined the geostatistical distribution (residential longitude and latitude) of orofacial cleft birth cases adjusted for the underlying population distribution. Furthermore, we examined the cleft birth rates enumerated by zip codes for possible associations with levels of radium and radon in drinking water. Cleft births and unaffected live births in Harris County, Texas, from 1990 to 1994, were geocoded by residential addresses and tested for spatial clusters using the space-time clustering program SaTScan. Historical sample data on local variations in water quality facilitated the assessment of the association of orofacial cleft defect births with low-level radiation exposure. A cluster of significantly greater than expected numbers of cleft defect births was identified in northwest Harris County, (relative risk = 3.0, P = 0.043), where the presence of elevated levels of radium (> 3 pCi/L) and radon (> 300 pCi/L) in the tap water has been known since the 1980s. Despite the ecological design of the study, lacking individual exposure measurements for cleft birth residences, there was strong suggestive evidence of an association between elevated radiation levels in tap water and elevated cleft birth prevalence rates by zip codes. Attention of physicians is invited to environmental causes as potential risk factors for orofacial cleft. This would aid in genetic counseling and the development of future preventive measures.

Advancing the Science in the Measurement of Health Care Quality Influenced by Nurses

A robust set of quality measures is essential to provide consumers with a vehicleto evaluate nurses' contributions to the care of hospitalized patients, providers, and systems with a set of nursing processes and outcomes to guide quality improvement, and insurers with indicators to reward hospitals for high quality nursing services. The processes employed by the Nursing Care Performance Measures Steering Committee convened by the National Quality Forum (NQF) in 2004 resulted in the endorsement of 15 indicators of health care quality influenced by nurses and contributed to the identification of significant gaps in measurement and priority areas for future research. This critical review of the state of the science related to health care processes and outcomes that reflect nurses' contributions to the quality of care for hospitalized patients is intended to push the boundaries in the measurement of nursing performance. Specific recommendations for future research and measure development are presented.

Response Shift Theory: Important Implications for Measuring Quality of Life in People With Disability

Schwartz CE, Andresen EM, Nosek MA, Krahn GL, and the RRTC Expert Panel on Health Status Management. Response shift theory: important implications for measuring quality of life in people with disability. Measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in people with disability can be problematic. Ambiguous or paradoxical findings can occur because of differences among people or changes within people regarding internal standards, values, or conceptualization of HRQOL. These “response shifts” can affect standard psychometric indices, such as reliability and validity. Attending to appraisal processes and response shift theory can inform development of HRQOL measures for people with disability that do not confound function and health and that consider important causal indicators such as environment. By design, most HRQOL measures equate function with health, necessarily leading to a lower measured HRQOL in people with functional impairments regardless of their level of self-perceived health. In this article, we present theoretical and conceptual distinctions building on response shift theory and other current developments in HRQOL research. We then submit a set of suggested directions for future measurement development in populations with disabilities that consider these distinctions and extend their use in future measurement developments.

Condom Use Measurement in 56 Studies of Sexual Risk Behavior: Review and Recommendations

Despite numerous studies that measure self-reported condom use, there is currently no agreed upon "gold standard" in terms of the best way to assess condom use. The purpose of the current study was to review measures of self-reported condom use within correlational studies of sexual risk behavior, and to evaluate such measures on the basis of suggestions from the methodological literature. An additional purpose was to examine specifically whether measures published in the correlational literature have improved over time. A systematic review of studies was undertaken and specific review criteria were used to guide the inclusion of studies. A final set of 56 studies that contained 72 measures of self-reported condom use were included in the review. These measures were coded and evaluated on 12 dimensions, including measure type, number of response categories, recall period, sex partner specificity, and sex act specificity. Results indicated a great amount of diversity in terms of how condom use has been measured in the literature. Although results indicated that measures published between 1996 and 2003 were of higher quality on a number of dimensions as compared to 1989-1995, a number of these gains were minimal and in some cases measures have decreased in quality. The overall conclusion is that the sexual risk behavior literature should implement more of the recommendations made by methodological scholars in this area. Specific recommendations are summarized and presented in a way that may be helpful in guiding the development of future measures of self-reported condom use.

Measuring Changes in Functional Status Among Patients With Schizophrenia: The Link With Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) includes neuropsychological deficits in attention, working memory, verbal learning, and problem solving. These deficits have been shown to be linked to impairment in functional status (eg, social behavior, work performance, and activities of daily living) among patients with schizophrenia in cross-sectional studies. Less is known about the relationship between cognitive and functional change over time, such as potential functional implications of treatment-related improvement in CIAS. The purpose of this review is to summarize research on the association between change in CIAS and change in functional status, to discuss responsiveness of functional outcomes measures, and to provide recommendations for future research and measure development. Nine longitudinal studies were located on the link between CIAS and functional status, and 8 functional outcomes measures were used across these studies. The 9 studies offer initial support for a link between change in cognitive function and change in functional status. However, inconsistent findings across studies indicate that available research is preliminary, and substantial questions remain unanswered. Shortcomings of functional status measures are noted: most instruments were not developed for the target population, and none have demonstrated responsiveness to cognitive change among schizophrenic patients. It is recommended that new functional outcome measures be developed that are specifically designed to be responsive to change in cognition, with domains previously shown to be related to cognitive ability. When creating new functional outcomes measures for assessment of patients with schizophrenia, responsiveness to change in CIAS should be evaluated as part of the development and validation process.

A Critical Review of the Technical Characteristics of Current Preschool Screening Batteries

The current review provides a summary and evaluation of the technical characteristics of five preschool screening batteries, including the Brigance Screens, DIAL-3, ESI-R, ESP, and FirstSTEP. These norm-referenced instruments were selected on the basis of their commercial availability, description as a screening instrument, and ability to assess multiple domains of functioning for children under the age of 5. Each battery was critically reviewed with regard to its reliability and validity, including sensitivity and specificity. Standardization information for each test is also presented. Comparisons of data presented in test manuals for the instruments are made in summative statements regarding overall performance in critical psychometric areas. Recommendations are made for preschool screening battery selection and future development of such measures.

Mating Behavior of Oemona hirta (F.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) in Laboratory Conditions

Oemona hirta (F.) is a New Zealand longicorn beetle. Its larvae are known to bore into wood of branches and stems of living trees and vines of over 50 species, most of which are exotic such as citrus, apple, persimmon, cherry, chestnut, almond, walnut, grape and poplar, causing serious damage (Miller, 1925; Hudson, 1934; Dumbleton, 1937; Clearwater, 1981; Spiller and Wise, 1982; Rohitha et al., 1992). Adults are flower feeders (Dye, 1950). Control of this pest is still very difficult. Knowledge of mating behavior may provide information for the future development of monitoring and control measures for the pest, and enhance our understanding of the biology and ecology of cerambycid beetles. Several attempts were made to observe mating activities of O. hirta beetles in the field but all failed (Dye, 1950; Clearwater and Muggleston, 1985; Q. Wang, unpublished data). Previous studies show that (1) caged virgin males and females and black light failed to attract any adult of either sex in the field (Clearwater and Muggleston, 1985; Q. Wang, unpublished data), (2) adults of both sexes were attracted to fermenting plant materials (Dye, 1950), and (3) females preferred wounds on trees as oviposition sites (Dye, 1950; Clearwater and Muggleston, 1985). These observations appear

Measuring Rural Hospital Quality

Increased interest in the measurement of hospital quality has been stimulated by accrediting bodies, purchaser coalitions, government agencies, and other entities. This paper examines quality measurement for hospitals in rural settings. We seek to identify rural hospital quality measures that reflect quality in all hospitals and that are sensitive to the rural hospital context. We develop a conceptual model for measuring rural hospital quality, with a focus on the special issues posed by the rural hospital context for quality measurement. With the assistance of a panel of rural hospital and hospital quality measurement experts, we review hospital quality measures from national and rural organizations for their fit to rural hospitals. Based on this analysis, we recommend an initial core set of quality measures relevant for rural hospitals with less than 50 beds. This core set of 20 measures includes 11 core measures from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) related to community acquired pneumonia, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction; 1 measure related to infection control; 3 measures related to medication dispensing and teaching; 2 procedure-related measures; 1 financial measure; and 2 other measures related to the use of advance directives and emergency department monitoring of trauma vital signs. Based on the special measurement needs posed by the rural hospital context, we suggest avenues for future quality measure development for core rural hospital functions (eg, triage, stabilization, and transfer, and emergency care) not considered in existing quality measurement sets.

Recent development of cognitive and neuropsychological assessment in Asian countries.

There is a growing trend of research in neuropsychological assessment in Asia: The mean number of published studies increased from 1.8 in the 1980s to 16.0 in 2 recent years. About 40% of the studies reviewed concerned test development or adaptation, with the latter greatly outnumbering the former. To facilitate the test selection for clinical use, 36 clinical measures were evaluated based on some statistical criteria. The results showed that only 8 neuropsychological tests (5 Chinese, 2 Korean, and 1 Japanese) met the criteria. Given that Asian and Western populations differ on certain cognitive processes, future development of neuropsychological assessment measures in Asia should move from the adaptation of Western tests toward the construction of original tests with better ecological validity.

Mentoring for the New Millennium

The challenges and benefits of a formal mentoring program are considered within the context of learning organizations: specifically, graduate medical education and professional development. While no single definition addresses every aspect of mentoring, this process is a distinct one with established traditions and expectations. The core requirements of attraction, action and affect remain and are essential for this adult developmental process to be successful. This paper’s review of the literature supports the belief that mentoring has value, even into the next millennium, with some conceptual evolution. We are encouraging a paradigm shift from the traditional dyad model of mentoring to a triad model: organization, mentor, and protégé. The future development of outcome measures will be a necessary goal to demonstrate that both personal and organizational goals can coexist.

Developing a responsive measure of change for paediatric brain injury inpatient rehabilitation

Primary objective : To describe conceptual and methodological issues to be addressed in developing a responsive clinical performance measure for paediatric brain injury inpatient rehabilitation. Selected statistical approaches used to examine responsiveness of two functional activity scales (daily and social behavioural activity) of a prototype measure are presented to illustrate these issues. Research design : Retrospective chart review. Methods and procedures : Data on 65 children, aged 6 months to 18 years (X bar = 9.5 years) were collected during 1998 and 1999 from eight sites in the USA. Responsiveness was examined using effect sizes and a number of parametric and non-parametric tests. Main outcomes and results : Significant improvements from admission to discharge were found on all item and scale scores ( p < 0.001). Moderate significant relationships were found between activity scale change scores and external ratings of change. Conclusions : Findings provide evidence that the activity scales have the potential to be responsive and point to issues that will need to be addressed in future measurement development.

The measurement of quality of life in children: past and future perspectives.

Quality of life (QoL) is central to pediatric practice. Where it is possible to manage but not cure a disease, it is important to determine how far treatment and disease compromise the child's QoL. In this way, informed judgments can be made about whether or not treatment is appropriate, and, where there is a choice, which choice might be the best option for the child. In this review, we consider different approaches to measuring child QoL, report a methodological review of measures currently available, evaluate the quality of these measures, and finally consider the implications for the future development and use of QoL measures. Computer searches identified 269 potentially relevant articles, of which 137 were included in the review. Of these, 43 were primarily concerned with the development of a new measure of QoL, 79 reported subsequent development of these same measures, and 15 used a battery approach to measure QoL. All currently available measures have limitations (e.g., limited psychometric data, lack of parallel forms for children and proxy raters, and insufficient attention to children's ability to complete paper-and-pencil measures). However, recommendations are made on the basis of those considered to be most satisfactory. It is essential that attempts be made to use QoL measures in research (e.g., evaluation of clinical trials and alternative treatments) to gain experience that will guide development of a second generation of more sophisticated measures. Despite the practical difficulties identified, measurement of QoL remains of central interest to all those concerned with the well-being of children.

Myocyte-enriched calcineurin-interacting protein, MCIP1, inhibits cardiac hypertrophy in vivo.

Signaling events controlled by calcineurin promote cardiac hypertrophy, but the degree to which such pathways are required to transduce the effects of various hypertrophic stimuli remains uncertain. In particular, the administration of immunosuppressive drugs that inhibit calcineurin has inconsistent effects in blocking cardiac hypertrophy in various animal models. As an alternative approach to inhibiting calcineurin in the hearts of intact animals, transgenic mice were engineered to overexpress a human cDNA encoding the calcineurin-binding protein, myocyte-enriched calcineurin-interacting protein-1 (hMCIP1) under control of the cardiac-specific, alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter (alpha-MHC). In unstressed mice, forced expression of hMCIP1 resulted in a 5-10% decline in cardiac mass relative to wild-type littermates, but otherwise produced no apparent structural or functional abnormalities. However, cardiac-specific expression of hMCIP1 inhibited cardiac hypertrophy, reinduction of fetal gene expression, and progression to dilated cardiomyopathy that otherwise result from expression of a constitutively active form of calcineurin. Expression of the hMCIP1 transgene also inhibited hypertrophic responses to beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation or exercise training. These results demonstrate that levels of hMCIP1 producing no apparent deleterious effects in cells of the normal heart are sufficient to inhibit several forms of cardiac hypertrophy, and suggest an important role for calcineurin signaling in diverse forms of cardiac hypertrophy. The future development of measures to increase expression or activity of MCIP proteins selectively within the heart may have clinical value for prevention of heart failure.

Edema disease.

Edema disease is a common cause of illness and death loss in pigs during the first 2 weeks after weaning. The disease is an enterotoxemia caused by strains of E. coli that colonize the small intestine and produce Stx2e. Bacterial colonization is mediated by F18ab fimbriae. Susceptibility to disease is determined by presence of receptors for these fimbriae on small intestinal epithelial cells and is inherited as a dominant trait. Clinical signs and lesions are largely the result of Stx2e, which causes necrosis of endothelial and smooth muscle cells in small arteries and arterioles. Vascular damage in the brain stem with resultant infarction and malacia is the main cause of death in affected pigs. Studies conducted by veterinary researchers in the 1950s and 1960s identified the cause of the disease and provided future scientists with hypotheses to test regarding the pathogenesis. In the last two decades, studies using molecular-based techniques have allowed for the definitive identification of bacterial virulence factors that mediate intestinal colonization and vascular damage, that is, F18ab fimbriae and Stx2e. Identification of these virulence factors has provided a basis for current and future development of effective preventative measures, for example, vaccines.

Use of Cancer Screening Practices by Hispanic Women: Analyses by Subgroup

Objectives. This study compares the use of three cancer screening practices (Pap smear, mammogram, and clinical breast examination) 3 years prior to interview among five subgroups of Hispanic women, and examines whether sociodemographic; access; health behavior, perception, and knowledge; and acculturation factors predict screening practices for any subgroup.Methods. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted with data pooled from the 1990 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys on women who reported that they were Hispanic. The study sample includes 2,391 respondents: 668 Mexican-American, 537 Mexican, 332 Puerto Rican, 143 Cuban, and 711 other Hispanic women.Results. Subgroup profiles reveal differences in education, health insurance, use of English language, and screening use. Mexican women were the least likely to be screened with any procedure. Logistic regression results for each screening practice show that having a usual source of care was a positive predictor for obtaining each of the three screening practices within the last 3 years. Being married, being more than 50 years of age, and having knowledge of breast self-examination were all predictors of having a Pap smear. Having health insurance and ever having had a clinical breast examination and Pap smear were predictors of having a mammography, while age, knowledge of breast self-examination, ever having had a Pap smear and mammogram, and being a nonsmoker all predicted having a clinical breast examination.Conclusions. We conclude that access factors and prior screening are more strongly associated with current screening than are language and ethnic factors. Our data confirm that a disproportionate percentage of Hispanic women are low income and at risk of being underscreened. Our findings from a nationally representative sample of Hispanics have implications for provider practices, ethnic-specific community interventions, and future development of measures and data collection approaches.

Bio‐physical modelling of the early life stages of haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, in the North Sea

An individual‐based modelling approach was developed to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns in the recruitment processes of North Sea haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus. The approach was based on the realization that the survivors to recruitment of an annual cohort are most probably not drawn at random from the initial population of eggs, but represent the fastest‐growing individuals. Individual growth rates reflect the unique exposure of each larva to the environment along its drift trajectory. In this context, the environment refers to a wide range of factors affecting growth such as food, turbulence and temperature. A combination of a model of egg production by the adult stock, a particle‐tracking scheme, and a model of larval growth and mortality rate was used to simulate the dispersal trajectories, and the survival of haddock larvae spawned at different times and locations on the continental shelf. The particle tracking was driven by flowfields from a climatological implementation of the Hamburg Shelf–Ocean Model (HAMSOM) for the North Sea and NE Atlantic. The system was able to resolve spatial and temporal patterns in the recruitment process and indicated that the surviving population of larvae was drawn from a restricted part of the spawning distribution. The results have the potential to guide the development of future conservation measures in fisheries management.

Developing a Clinical Performance Measure

Background: Clinical performance measurement is an increasingly important way for public and private purchasers alike to compare the value of health services provided by competing health delivery systems. The widespread use of performance measures has increased the demand for development of new measures that cover previously unevaluated aspects of care. Methods: Four steps required to develop a clinical performance measure that is suitable for making comparisons among health delivery systems are discussed: (1) choosing clinical areas to measure, (2) selecting performance indicators within each area, (3) designing specifications for consistent implementation of a measure, and (4) evaluating the scientific strength of a measure. Results: The application of these steps to developing measures of quality for hypertension is provided, with an emphasis on a measure of adequacy of control of blood pressure. Conclusions: Developing useful clinical performance measures requires careful attention to methodologic issues. Following the steps outlined in this paper should enhance the quality of future measurement development.