Usable Response Rate Research Articles

Concurrent engineering teams II: performance consequences of usage

PurposeThis is the second paper in a two‐part discussion of the determinants and performance consequences of concurrent engineering (CE) team usage. In this paper, a model is developed outlining the relationship between the extent of CE team usage and three measures of performance, specifically NPD financial performance, NPD development performance, and communication quality.Design/methodology/approachTo test the model, 2,500 questionnaires were mailed to NPD managers from the machinery, computer product, electrical equipment, and transportation equipment manufacturing industries. Of the 2,500 questionnaires mailed, 189 usable questionnaires were retuned for a usable response rate of 7.5 percent.FindingsResults of performing partial least squares analysis indicate that the frequency of use of CE teams and functional involvement on CE teams influences communication quality, which in turn, influences both NPD financial and development performance.Research limitations/implicationsTo researchers of NPD, the major implication of this study is that it highlights possible reasons (e.g. not considering the extent of usage or not including functional involvement or communication quality in their models) why they are obtaining such inconsistent results when examining the relationship between NPD practices and performance. The major limitation of this study is that only CE teams have been selected for investigation or risk the problems associated with developing a very long questionnaire.Originality/valueTo practicing NPD managers, the value of this research is that it highlights that CE teams which do little to improve communication quality will not lead to improvements in NPD performance.

Internationally recruited nurses in London: a survey of career paths and plans

BackgroundThe paper reports on a survey of recently arrived international nurses working in London, to assess their demographic profile, motivations, experiences and career plans.MethodsA postal survey was conducted in October-December 2004 on a sample of 1000 nurses who were London-based international members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The usable response rate was 40%. Registration data from the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC) were also analysed.ResultsThe Philippines, Nigeria and South Africa were the three most commonly reported countries of training (in total, more than 30 countries of training were reported). Sixty per cent of the nurses from sub-Saharan Africa and more than 40% from South Africa and India/Pakistan/Mauritius were aged 40 or older; the youngest age profile was reported by the Australia/New Zealand/USA nurses. Two thirds of all the respondents indicated that a recruitment agency had been involved in their move to the United Kingdom (UK). Three quarters of the respondents (76%) reported that they were required to complete a supervised practice course/period of adaptation in the UK in order to be eligible to practice as a nurse in the UK. Two thirds (69%) of respondents were working in NHS hospitals in London, 13% were working in the private sector hospitals and 10% were working in private sector nursing homes. Most of the nurses reported they were the major or sole wage-earner contributing to household income. More than half of the respondents (57%) reported that they regularly sent remittances to their home country. The majority of respondents (60%) indicated that they planned to stay for at least five years, but just under half (43%) also reported that they were considering a move to another country.ConclusionOne critical issue for UK policy-makers is to determine if internationally recruited nurses will stay on in the UK, move back to their home country, or move on to another. That these nurses have made at least one international move means they are likely to have the propensity to move again. As such, retention efforts in the UK will have to take account of their career aspirations.

“other people benefit. i benefit from their work.” Sharing Guitar Tabs Online

This paper reports the results of a study into a public space Internet portal which publishes guitar tabs (tablature) online, to examine what motivates people to participate in this activity and what benefits they get from doing so. A guitar tab is essentially sheet music for guitarists. The study examines why people contribute when it is easier for them not to publish their tabs and simply use the tabs that other people have posted. Answers to this will have implications for businesses wanting to encourage their employees to share their knowledge. An open ended questionnaire was sent to 183 tab publishers with a usable response rate of 39%, which is considered high for surveys. The questionnaire sought to gather data on motivations, benefits and community interaction. The paper begins with a review of relevant theories of knowledge sharing and publishing, in particular the private-collective model of innovation (von Hippel & von Krogh, 2003) which is used to analyze the results. Motivations are listed as under two categories, self and altruistic, with the most popular motivation being to share the songs with others, which is from the altruistic category. The most common benefit is personal satisfaction. The results show tab publishing fits with the private-collective model of innovation which means that a tab published online can be seen as a public good, as it is available to all, that has significant private elements. These private elements are the benefits that tab publishers get which the people who only use tabs without contributing their own, do not. The implications of the work are as follows. Enjoyment of the domain seems to be an important factor in motivating knowledge sharing. People who feel like they are part of a community and get satisfaction from being part of a community, will be more likely to contribute. The act of sharing knowledge should be as close to effortless as possible to encourage contributions. The act of preparing (collecting, collating etc.) the material to be shared should have meaning in itself for the person who is preparing it. If the act of sharing leads to increased status in the community people will be more likely to contribute. To encourage knowledge sharing, those who make use of the shared knowledge should be encouraged to give positive feedback to the person who shared it. To date, there has been little empirical work examining online posting forums.

Influences on consumer spending for herbal products

Background Despite the rapid growth in consumer spending on herbal products, we know little about factors that influence such spending. Objective To use a model of adoption to investigate consumers' spending on herbal products. Methods The study used a mail survey of a stratified random sample of 1,300 consumers. The population consisted of consumers aged 18 years and older residing in the United States. The sampling frame was a mailing list purchased from KM Lists. The independent variables were consumer characteristics, social systems, communication channels, and herbal characteristics. The amount of spending on herbs was the dependent measure, with responses divided into monthly spending of $10 or less and more than $10. Binary logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between adoption model variables and spending on herbs. Results Of the 1,300 mailed surveys, there were 77 undeliverable surveys and 456 usable returned surveys, yielding a usable response rate of 37.3%. A total of 181 (39.7%) respondents reported using herbal products. The logistic regression was performed using the 168 herbal users who reported that they spent money in the past month on herbal products. The overall regression model was significant ( P < .05, Nagelkerke R 2 = 0.499). The significant influences on spending on herbals were age, over-the-counter (OTC) drug use, and use of an herb professional as an information source about herbs. Older people reported spending more on herbal products than younger people. OTC drug use was positively related to spending on herbals and appears to complement herbal usage. Finally, consumers who obtain information about herbals from an herb professional tend to spend more on herbals. Conclusion An adoption model may be useful in explaining consumers' spending on herbal products.

Occupational Health Nursing

As a certifying body for occupational health nurses in the United States and Canada, the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (ABOHN) must ensure its certification examinations validly reflect current occupational health nurse practice. This report presents information from the ABOHN 2004 practice analysis. The study's primary purpose was to analyze areas of knowledge, skill, and ability for occupational health nurses as reflected by the tasks they perform to guide refinement of ABOHN's certification examinations. A valid and reliable survey instrument, containing demographic and job-related questions and 172 task statements was developed. A total of 5,586 surveys (4,921 Web-based and 665 paper) were made available to occupational health nurses throughout the United States and Canada. The usable response rate was 23.5% (N = 1,223). Decision rules were used to determine which survey tasks were appropriate for inclusion in Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) and Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S) certification examination blueprints. The revised blueprints were used to develop new examinations. Study data also validated the existing ABOHN Case Management (CM) specialty examination blueprint, and verified occupational health nurse roles and responsibilities related to safety programs. Based on analysis of the safety-related items, ABOHN in collaboration with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, has created a safety management credential (SM) and associated examination that certified occupational health nurses may use to verify their safety role proficiency.

Dimensions of consumer knowledge and its impacts on country of origin effects among Australian consumers: a case of fast‐consuming product

PurposeThe main purpose of the study is to extend Schaefer's paper by investigating how different dimensions of consumer knowledge may affect country of origin cues with an Australian sample.Design/methodology/approachA self‐administered mail survey was used in this study. The main sample consisted of Australian residents who are aged 18 and above and may or may not be alcoholic drinkers. The mailing list was purchased from a local council consisting of a suburb of metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. The total usable response rate was 38.7 per cent.FindingsThe results indicated that country of origin cues affect Australian consumers in beer evaluations despite its weak influences. It suggested that brand familiarity and objective product knowledge mediate the extent to which consumers relied on country of origin in product evaluation. However, the study found inconsistent results between different levels of objective knowledge and its effects on country of origin of manufacture.Originality/valueThe paper replicates Schaefer's with extensions. Despite the inconclusive results, objective product‐country knowledge, to some extent, may distort country of origin influences on consumers. This finding yields some insight for the efficiency in market segmentation. By segmenting consumers on different levels of knowledge, the marketers will subsequently make a better decision of how brand and country of origin should be managed.

Malaysian women entrepreneurs: understanding the ICT usage behaviors and drivers

PurposeThis research aims to investigate the extent and pattern of information and communication technology (ICT) usage by women entrepreneurs in Malaysia, as well as the impact of personal traits on usage.Design/methodology/approachAll the members of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia (NAWEM) were surveyed, out of which a 62 percent usable response rate was achieved.FindingsThe results of the analysis show that slightly above 50 percent of the respondents are using seven out of the eight varieties of systems presented. Seven out of the ten job tasks listed were done using computer technology by more than 60 percent of the respondents. A total of 78 percent of the respondents use basic systems and 48 percent use advanced systems. A total of 92 percent of respondents use systems for administrative purposes, 42 percent for planning, and 52 percent for control purposes. Mean usage differs among racial groups, educational levels, industry type, computer experience, and size of organization (measured by number of employees). Personal traits such as innovativeness and risk‐taking propensity are significantly correlated with usage.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the marketing and other implications of the findings as well as suggesting some marketing approaches.

Use of Automated Controlled Substance Cabinets for Detection of Diversion in US Hospitals: A National Study

Purpose Use of automated controlled substance cabinets (ACSCs) for storage and distribution of narcotics can provide documentation necessary to identify and detect drug diversion. This study investigated how ACSCs are used for narcotic control in US hospitals (including a comparison of detection rates pre- and post-automations) and looked at the difference between hospitals that used ACSCs vs those that did not; it also identified hospital policies related to drug diversion. Methods A survey mailed to a national sample of 311 hospitals achieved a 22% usable response rate. Data were entered into an Excel database and analyzed using descriptive statistics; diversion detection rates were calculated per 100 beds. Detection rates were defined as the average number of employees per year that were detected diverting controlled substances over the 3-year period (both pre- and post-ACSC installation); detection rates for those still using manual systems were defined in the same way but only for the 3-year period just prior to the study. Calculation of diversion detection rates were based on respondent estimates of such occurrences. Results Over 80% of the respondents indicated that their institution used an ACSC, and 62% provided the necessary information to calculate a diversion detection of 0.36 per 100 beds pre-automation and 1.12 per 100 beds post-automation (P &lt; 0.001). Out of the 19% of the institutions not using ACSCs, 60% provided the necessary information to calculate a diversion detection rate that was determined to be 0.76 per 100 beds. All respondents reported having policies and procedures related to the diversion of controlled substances; however, they varied significantly regarding drug screening practices and specific conditions for the rehire of staff that were detected diverting drugs. Conclusions When used properly, with effective checks and balances, ACSCs have the capability to improve detection of narcotic diversion; and thus, may help to decrease diversion of controlled substances by health care professionals.

Concurrent engineering teams I: organizational determinants of usage

PurposeThis article is the first in a two‐part discussion of the determinants and performance consequences of concurrent engineering (CE) team usage in organizations. The purpose of this first article is to develop a model of the organizational factors that influence the extent that CE teams are used when developing new products.Design/methodology/approachTo test the model, 2,500 questionnaires were mailed to new product development (NPD) managers from the machinery, computer product, electrical equipment, and transportation equipment manufacturing industries, of which 189 usable questionnaires were returned, for a usable response rate of 7.5 percent. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares.FindingsResults indicate that an innovative organizational climate and complex NPD activities both influence the extent that organizations support functional integration on NPD teams, and this support, in turn, influences the extent that organizations use CE teams. Analyzing the qualitative data using content analysis indicates additional factors influencing CE team usage.Research limitations/implicationsTo researchers, this study examines in detail the extent of CE team usage, thus addressing a major gap in the research literature. This study also addresses the concerns of researchers by examining organizational contextual factors.Practical implicationsTo NPD managers, this study highlights organizational precursor conditions needed in order for CE teams to be supported in the organizations, specifically complex NPD activities and an innovative organizational climate. By examining these two variables, NPD managers can gauge the likelihood that CE teams will be supported even before they are actually implemented.

A survey of demand for specialist restorative dental services

To determine the level of demand from general dental practitioners (GDPs) for specialist restorative dental services in the Yorkshire region. To investigate barriers and promoters to referral and GDPs' perceptions of restorative mono-specialists. A postal questionnaire was sent to 301 randomly selected GDPs (stratified for location) registered in the six Family Health Service Units in Yorkshire. Questionnaires were piloted prior to release; reminders were sent to non-respondents. A response rate of 72% (n=217) was achieved, of these 195 questionnaires were useable (65% useable response rate). Results showed a large demand for restorative specialist services. Main promoters for National Health Service (NHS) referral were dentolegal issues (77% GDPs ranked this as a top three promoter) and for private referral increasing patient expectations (78%). The top barriers against referral were length of waiting lists for NHS patients (79% GDPs ranked this as a top three barrier) and high cost of treatment for private patients (88%). Excessive distance to specialist centre was the greatest barrier common to both NHS and private referrals. Fifty-eight per cent of GDPs would prefer to refer private patients to mono-specialists, compared with 5% who would prefer restorative specialists. There is a strong demand for specialist restorative services which may increase in the future. Results indicate a high regard for mono-specialists. Overall demand is for a prompt, locally based, low cost referral service.

Referral rates to specialists from general practice

Objectives To determine the level of demand from general dental practitioners (GDPs) for specialist restorative dental services in the Yorkshire region. To investigate barriers and promoters to referral and GDPs' perceptions of restorative mono-specialists. Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to 301 randomly selected GDPs (stratified for location) registered in the six Family Health Service Units in Yorkshire. Questionnaires were piloted prior to release; reminders were sent to non-respondents. Results A response rate of 72% (n=217) was achieved; of these 195 questionnaires were useable (65% useable response rate). Results showed a large demand for restorative specialist services. Main promoters for National Health Service (NHS) referral were dentolegal issues (77% GDPs ranked this as a top 3 promoter) and for private referral increasing patient expectations (78%). The top barriers to referral were length of waiting lists for NHS patients (79% GDPs ranked this as a top 3 barrier) and high costs of treatment for private patients (88%). Excessive distance to specialist centre was the greatest barrier common to both NHS and private referrals. Fifty-eight per cent of GDPs would prefer to refer private patients to mono-specialists, compared to 5% who would prefer restorative specialists. Conclusions There is a strong demand for specialist restorative services which may increase in the future. Results indicate a high regard for mono-specialists. Overall demand is for a prompt, locally based, low cost referral service.

Evaluating A Math Instructors Clarity: An Analysis Of Low-To-Moderate Items Versus A High Inference Item

Instructors and students identify communication skills as being essential to successful classroom teaching and student learning. This study investigates the stability of student evaluations with respect to items related to instructor’s clarity. The majority of student evaluations completed at the end of a semester at the college level contain a question directly related to clarity. A pilot study was conducted which utilized four finite mathematics courses being taught by the same instructor. After assessing reliability and validity, a follow-up study was conducted utilizing four sections of introductory statistics employing the same design as the pilot. Ninety-four students completed some component of the researcher-constructed evaluation resulting in an overall 96% response rate. Seventy-one students completed the entire evaluation, allowing for a comparison between the high inference and the low-to-moderate inference items used to measure instructor’s clarity, resulting in a useable response rate of 72%. After a statistical transformation of the high inference item, descriptive statistics were produced for each type of item. Through a t-test, a statistically significant difference was found between the high and low-to-moderate clarity items. The difference between the types of clarity ratings was then analyzed via ANOVA techniques to explore differences by gender and expected course grade. Males tended to rate the instructor inconsistently, assigning lower ratings for the low-to-moderate inference items, while other ratings appear to demonstrate consistency.

A survey of dental school applicants' career intentions and the balance with family life

To investigate the career plans of prospective dental students and how they foresee their work life balance. Applicants to Dundee and Manchester dental schools completed anonymous questionnaires when they attended for interview. The useable response rate was 94% (n=436). The majority of the respondents (91.3%) intended working full time when they enter the workforce, with no significant variation detected between males and females. The cohort anticipated their mean salary to be just over 28,000 UK pounds, five years into their career, although the males felt they would be earning 5,000 UK pounds more than the females. Individuals of Pakistani and Indian origin thought they would earn most, and Asians least. Sixty-five per cent would enter general dental practice and, of these, only 2.8% expected to work exclusively within the NHS. Fifteen per cent intended to go into the hospital dental service, with orthodontics the most popular choice of subspecialty (43.7%), followed by oral surgery (31.1%). Significant variation was seen between ethnic groups, with the hospital and community dental services being more popular with those who identified themselves as of non-white ethnic origin, although the majority would still plan on entering general dental practice. Almost half (44.5%) would take time out of their career to concentrate on childcare when children were of pre-school age, with a further 11% taking longer. Ninety per cent of females and 70% of males anticipated taking time out, of a varying duration. Half of the respondents indicated that they felt a child would affect their career to a moderate extent. The dental profession will be severely affected if both males and females take time out of their careers in the future. As well as a work force shortage, the problems of accessibility to NHS dental services will be exacerbated if fewer dentists choose to provide NHS care.

Career hopes of dental school applicants

Purpose To investigate the career plans of prospective dental students and how they foresee their work life balance. Method Applicants to Dundee and Manchester dental schools completed anonymous questionnaires when they attended for interview. Results The useable response rate was 94% (n=436). The majority of the respondents (91.3%) intended working full time when they entered the workforce, with no significant variation detected between males and females. The cohort anticipated their mean salary to be just over £28,000 five years into their career, although males felt they would be earning £5,000 more than females. Individuals of Pakistani and Indian origin thought they would earn most, and Asians least. Sixty-five per cent wanted to enter general dental practice and, of these, only 2.8% expected to work exclusively within the NHS. Fifteen per cent intended to go into the hospital dental service, with orthodontics the most popular choice of subspecialty (43.7%), followed by oral surgery (31.1%). Significant variation was seen between ethnic groups, with the hospital and community dental services being more popular with those who identified themselves as of non-white ethnic origin, although most still planned on entering general dental practice. Almost half (44.5%) would take time out of their career to concentrate on childcare when children were of pre-school age, with a further 11% taking longer. Ninety per cent of females and 70% of males anticipated taking time out, of a varying duration. Half of the respondents indicated that they felt a child would affect their career to a moderate extent. Conclusions The dental profession will be severely affected if both males and females take time out of their careers in the future. As well as a work force shortage, the problems of accessibility to NHS dental services will be exacerbated if fewer dentists choose to provide NHS care.

Direct-to-consumer advertising and the patient-physician relationship

Background Differences in attitudes of patients and physicians toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medications may influence the patient-physician relationship, which may in turn influence health care outcomes. Objective The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence to show how the patient-physician relationship may be influenced by DTCA. Methods The study used a cross-sectional research design. Pharmacists at 71 pharmacies were asked to distribute self-report survey instruments to patients who used either a proton-pump inhibitor or a nonsedating antihistamine by prescription. Data were collected between March and June 2003. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the research propositions. Results A usable response rate of 7.3% (n = 326) was obtained. About 95% of the sample had seen an advertisement for either a proton-pump inhibitor or a nonsedating antihistamine. Response to DTCA was significantly related to the patient's satisfaction with the physician and the patient's evaluation of communication, even after controlling for demographic variables and length of the patient-physician relationship. Other outcome variables (trust, relationship commitment, and average visit time) were not significantly related to DTCA response. Post hoc analyses revealed that DTCA responders, who asked their doctor to prescribe a specific product after seeing its advertisement, rated satisfaction and communication lower than the DTCA nonresponders. Additional follow-up analyses showed that these findings were largely attributed to patients in the proton-pump inhibitor group. Conclusion The findings suggest that response to DTCA may be significantly related to patients' evaluation of communication quality and their satisfaction with the physician. However, these findings may not generalize to all medical conditions or types of patient. Furthermore, DTCA response does not appear to be related to other patient-physician relationship outcome variables. Given these findings, key variables to explore in future DTCA research with respect to its effect on the patient-physician relationship include patient expectations and disease/condition type.

Surgical Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Questionnaire Based Survey

Objectives: To determine the trends in the surgical management of urinary stress incontinence amongst members of the International Urogynaecology Association (IUGA). Design: Postal Questionnaire Survey. Methods: 530 members of the International Urogynaecology association were sent a postal questionnaire regarding their practice in the surgical management of urinary stress incontinence. We also collected data on the demographic profile of members and the preferred primary and secondary continence procedures. Outcome: Consensus in the surgical management of urinary stress incontinence amongst members of the IUGA. Results: Five hundred and thirty questionnaires were sent to IUGA members worldwide. Two hundred and seventeen questionnaires were received of which fifteen were from physiotherapists, so were excluded from our analysis. The overall response rate was 41%, and the useable response rate was 38%. Of the total results analysed (two hundred and two), one hundred and twelve (54%) were from teaching hospital, sixty-two (31%) were from district general hospitals and twenty-eight (14%) were from members in private practice. The preferred primary continence procedure was Tension Free Vaginal Tape (TVT) in one hundred and thirty four (68%) respondents. The preferred secondary continence procedure was colposuspension or Trans obturator tape in twenty-six respondents each (13%). Conclusions: Almost all respondents (97.1%) were skilled at performing either TVT or colposuspension, which have been identified as the preferred methods of surgical management by the NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence, UK). Although colposuspension has been identified as the gold standard surgical procedure in the management of stress incontinence, 16% of respondents were not performing colposuspension. There appears to be little evidence base to the surgical techniques in the management of stress urinary continence.

The future of the profession — a survey of dental school applicants

To gather background information about applicants to the dental undergraduate course, and ascertain the factors involved in their decision to study dentistry. Applicants attending for interview at Dundee and Manchester Dental Schools completed anonymous questionnaires. The useable response rate was 94% (n = 436). There were equal numbers of male and female applicants to the two schools as a whole. Although there was a much broader ethnic mix in the applicants to Manchester, the overall proportion of minority ethnic groups was considerably greater than in the UK population as a whole. Seventy-five per cent came from professional backgrounds, although marked differences were apparent between ethnic groups. A quarter had family relations who were dentists, and 30% were related to doctors. Over half (53%) decided to apply within the last year, with popular motivating factors including a general interest in dentistry, a desire to help people and to work with their hands. Dentistry was the first choice of career of 89%, with medicine the most popular alternative. Valuable information was gathered from these prospective dental students regarding their backgrounds and the decision process involved in their career selection. This will prove beneficial when developing the recruitment process and allow appropriate tailoring to the target audience.

Combating the obesity epidemic: community pharmacists' counseling on obesity management.

Obesity is reaching an epidemic proportion in the US. Nearly two-thirds (64.7%) of US adults are overweight or obese. Given the myriad of issues related to the management of obesity, community pharmacists can facilitate weight loss among their patients. To identify factors that influence the frequency of counseling obese patients by community pharmacists. A mail survey was sent to a random sample of 400 Texas community pharmacists. The questionnaire collected information on frequency of counseling obese patients, perceived comfort level with counseling obese patients, perceived effectiveness of various obesity treatments, and perceived confidence in achieving positive outcomes as a result of counseling. Demographic information was also collected. Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and t-tests were used to examine the data. A usable response rate of 35.2% was obtained (139 completed surveys out of 395 assumed delivered). Overall, pharmacists counseled patients rarely to sometimes about various aspects of obesity management. Correlational analyses revealed that pharmacists' frequency of counseling about obesity management was significantly and positively associated with their comfort level with counseling obese patients (r = 0.47; p < 0.001). Higher levels of confidence in achieving positive outcomes as a result of counseling (r = 0.39; p < 0.001) and higher levels of perceived effectiveness of obesity management options (r = 0.18; p = 0.037) were also significantly associated with higher levels of counseling about obesity management. Obesity counseling by pharmacists was positively correlated with their perceived comfort with counseling obese patients, confidence in achieving positive outcomes, and effectiveness of obesity management options.

Impact of oral direct thrombin inhibitors on anticoagulation clinics.

To characterize the services and activities performed by anticoagulation clinics (ACCs) across the United States, examine the anticipated impact that oral direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) will have on the clinical services of ACCs, and elicit possible management strategies to realign services provided by ACCs and opportunities for restructuring clinical services. A survey was developed in consultation with content experts in the field, pretested by several ACC providers, and subsequently refined. Surveys were mailed to 400 randomly selected ACC-based providers. The final usable response rate was 34.5% (115 of 333 surveys). Respondents anticipated that the number of patient visits/month would decrease from a median of 336 (interquartile range [IQR] 151-775) to 150 (IQR 71-350, p<0.001) after the introduction of oral DTIs. In addition, time spent on many direct and indirect patient care activities currently performed by ACCs was expected to decline. Respondents indicated that ACCs may find new roles by providing guidance on individual suitability for therapy, managing the transition to oral DTIs, providing education for patients and health care providers on thrombotic disease state management, monitoring patients for recurrent thrombosis and risk of bleeding complications, monitoring patient compliance, and providing counseling and safety surveillance for patients receiving treatment with oral DTIs. The advent of oral DTIs is likely to have a significant impact on the structure and delivery of antithrombotic services. Clinics that are proactive and redesign their patient care services to consider emerging anticoagulant agents will be more likely to remain relevant and viable.

Nurse practitioner knowledge of chronic venous disease: a randomized survey of nurse practitioners in Missouri.

Adult nurse practitioners (NPs) and family practice NPs were randomly sampled (N = 411) from the Missouri 2002 list of certified advanced practice nurses. These practitioners were sent a cover letter and the Diseases of Veins Explanation Survey, which was originally developed for assessing patients' explanatory model of the disease. The Diseases of Veins Explanation Survey was tested and revised with professionals (experts) to determine adequate knowledge of the disease. The survey has 5 sections focusing on chronic venous disease: causes, signs, results, treatments, and efficacy of treatments. Section scores and a total score for the participants were calculated by using the expert panel answer model. A total of 138 practitioners responded, with an additional 37 letters returned with an incorrect address, for a total usable response rate of 34%. Demographics of the participants are presented, as well as comparisons between the expert mean section scores and the mean section scores of the NPs. The section scores of the NPs were not significantly different than the section scores of the expert panel; however, the total score of the NPs was significantly different from that of the expert panel ( P =.05). This, plus individual item differences, has implications for NP education and practice.