Significant Differences In Role Research Articles

Differences in Role and Support Between Volunteer and Paid Community Health Workers in the State of Nebraska.

Despite the growing importance of community health workers (CHWs) in public health, it has been difficult to characterize the roles and scope of services for this workforce in part because of the variability in the employment status of CHWs, ranging from full-time, part-time, to volunteer. Based on analysis of survey data from a statewide assessment of the CHW workforce in Nebraska (n = 142) conducted between 2019 and 2020, the proportions of CHWs who worked full-time, part-time, or volunteer were respectively 64%, 12%, and 21%. Over three quarters (76.7%) of volunteer CHWs were primarily working with Hispanic communities, as compared to less than 30% among full-time and part-time CHWs. About 80% of volunteer CHWs received training before becoming a CHW, substantially higher than the corresponding proportions among full-time (46.2%) and part-time CHWs (52.9%). In terms of tasks performed, the proportion of volunteer CHWs who provided health screenings (70%) were much higher than full or part-time CHWs (41.8% and 11.8% respectively, p < 0.001); whereas the latter two groups were significantly more likely than volunteer CHWs to provide other tasks such as coordinating care, health coaching, social support, transportation, interpretation, data collection, advocacy, and cultural awareness. Volunteer CHWs may hold potential for serving non-Hispanic communities. Future development of the CHW workforce can benefit from understanding and leveraging the significant differences in roles and scope of services among CHWs with various employment statuses.

Effect of SPIKES-based Education by Role Playing and Multimedia Approaches on Breaking Bad News Skills in Midwifery Students (a Comparison)

Summary Due to the diversity of midwives’ responsibilities, the skill to deliver bad news is a vital need, and therefore the teaching approach in this matter is of utmost importance. Thus, this study has been conducted with the purpose of comparing the effect of SPIKES-based education of skills needed for delivering bad news, using two different approaches of role playing and multimedia in midwifery students. This double-blind clinical trial was done on 90 midwifery students who were randomly assigned to three separate groups. Students’ skill in delivering bad news was recorded through a specific checklist before and after the educational intervention. The reliability and validity of this skill evaluation checklist was assessed and confirmed. The final data were analyzed using SPSS software. After educational intervention, role playing and multimedia groups have gained more skills compared to their previous conditions as well as the control group. The skill of delivering bad news did not show a significant difference in role playing and multimedia groups after intervention. The results showed that teaching the skills of delivering bad news using multimedia approach which was held as distance learning course would rival active educational methods such as role playing. Thus, it could be a suitable replacement for role playing methods in increasing the skill needed for delivering bad news.

Gender roles in soybean cultivation in central Benue State, Nigeria

The study examined gender roles in soybean cultivation in 12 communities in central Benue State, Nigeria, with the aim of providing an understanding of role differences for planning gender-sensitive programmes that seek to reduce poverty and malnutrition, and attain food security . Structured interview schedule was used in collecting data from one hundred and twenty (84 males and 36 females) soybean farmers randomly selected from the communities. Percentages and means were employed in data analysis while T-test was used to test significant difference between males and females in mean roles and constraints in soybean cultivation. The results showed that male farmers contributed more in heavy tasks of land clearing, land preparation, fertilizer application, harvesting and bagging/packaging while females were more engaged in light tasks like seed selection, sowing/planting, weeding and threshing. The study revealed that female farmers were responsible for almost all domestic activities (cooking, wood collection, water collection and child care). The results further showed that both gender perceived lack of improved production methods, lack of farmer participation in technology generation, inadequate training opportunity, poor extension agent-farmer contact, lack of access to labour-saving devices, high cost of labour, poor access to credit, poor access to inputs, and poor pricing of produce as serious constraints to soybean cultivation in the study area. The findings showed significant differences in roles and constraints of male and female farmers in soybean cultivation. Keywords: Gender, roles, constraints, soybean cultivation

Shared Decision-Making Preferences of People With Severe Mental Illness

Shared Decision-Making Preferences of People With Severe Mental Illness

A comparison of quality of life of early stage breast cancer patients treated by brachytherapy alone versus external beam radiation

Purpose: To prospectively assess and compare the quality of life (QOL) of patients with early stage breast cancer selected for either brachytherapy (BRACHY high or low dose rate) alone or external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) as their breast conserving therapy (BCT). We hypothesize that the shorter radiation treatment course associated with BRACHY may lead to an improvement in QOL. Methods And Materials: Between 3/97 and 3/98, 42 patients (18 in EBRT arm and 24 in BRACHY arm) with early stage breast cancer were asked to complete the European Organization for Treatment and Research's (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30 version 2.0). EBRT patients received a standard 6 1/2 week course ofexternal radiation while BRACHY patients were part of a prospective clinical trial delivering radiation to the tumor bed region over a four day period. The QLQ-C30 is composed of 5 functional scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive and social), 3 symptom scales (fatigue, pain, nausea and vomiting), 6 single item scales (dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea and financial impact) and 1 global health status (GHS)/QOL scale. Subjects were asked to complete the QLQ-C30 at the following intervals: simulation, first week of treatment, at week 7 and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-treatment. The mean scores of patients receiving EBRT and BRACHY with respect to functional scales, symptom/single item scales and GHS/QOL scale are reported for simulation, week i, week 7 and 3 months. T-tests for equal and unequal variances are also reported. Results: In the EBRT arm, 18/18 patients have completed the QLQ-C30 for the 3 month interval; 13/24 in the BRACHY arm to date. It is anticipated that 24/24 patients will have completed the 3 month interval by October 1998. At the time of simulation, no significant difference in functioning between the two arms were noted. At week i, EBRT patients demonstrated superior role functioning (~ = 0.0018) and social functioning (p = 0.0105). Role functioning is defined as the ability to work or perform daily activities. Social functioning is defined as activities that involve family life and social activities. At week i, patients in the BRACHY arm demonstrated a statistically significant difference for one symptom/single item (p < 0.01 for constipation). This may be due to the use of narcotics~analgesics related to the axillary node dissection/implant placement. At week 7, patients who underwent EBRT demonstrated an increase in fatigue and financial impact which approached statistical significance (0.0749 and 0.0797 respectively). At the 3 month interval, no functional, symptom/single item or GHS/QOL scales were significantly different for patients receiving either BRACHY alone or EBRT. Conclusions: With the exception of the responses at week I, at which EBRT patients demonstrated a statistically significant difference in role and social functional scales and BRACHY patients demonstrated a statistical improvement in a single item scale, there appears to be no difference in overall QOL when patients are treated by either BRACHY alone or EBRT. Further patient accrual is planned.

Role Function Differences Between School Psychologists Employed by School Districts and Regional Educational Agencies

ABSTRACT This study investigated differences in role functioning of school psychologists employed by school districts and regional educational agencies (intermediate units). A total of 636 full time school psychologist practitioners in Pennsylvania were surveyed and asked to estimate the actual percentage of time they spent in assessment, counseling, consultation, research, clerical tasks, and administration, and the amount of time they desired to spend in each of these roles. Results indicated that school psychologists employed by districts spent more time in administrative tasks than school psychologists employed by intermediate units. No other statistically significant differences in roles between school psychologists employed by these two entities were identified. However, differences in the actual time spent in assessment (in favor of intermediate units) and desired time spent in administrative tasks (in favor of districts) approached statistical significance.