Robin Chernoff

Use of an innovative video feedback technique to enhance communication skills training

Context  Despite growing interest in medical communication by certification bodies, significant methodological and logistic challenges are evident in experiential methods of instruction.

Health Care Utilization by Children Entering Foster Care

This is a study of the referral completion status of a cohort of children entering foster care, and the ability of selected factors to explain the completion of those referrals. It was found that although the children had multiple health problems their needs continued to go unmet. Two variables that accounted for 9% of the variance in referral completion were identified. The implications of these findings are discussed and issues for additional investigations are suggested.

Attitudes of Academic Pediatricians With a Specific Interest in Child Abuse Toward the Spanking of Children

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the attitudes of academic child abuse professionals toward spanking, the effect of context and mode of administration on their attitudes toward spanking appropriateness, and what they teach residents about spanking. DESIGN A survey. PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of 114 members of the Ambulatory Pediatric Associations Special Interest Group on Child Abuse and Neglect. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Respondents were asked if spanking was an appropriate disciplinary option for children 2, 5, and 8 years of age who refused to go to bed, ran into the streets without looking, or hit a playmate. Respondents also rated the appropriateness of spanking in 6 additional scenarios where the setting in which spanking occurred was varied. Respondents teaching practices relative to spanking observed during a clinic visit were also elicited. RESULTS The response rate was 70%; 39% thought spanking was appropriate sometimes. The context and mode of spanking affected the acceptance of spanking. All respondents thought that some response was appropriate when spanking was observed during a continuity clinic visit. However, only 29% of respondents taught residents how to handle such situations. CONCLUSIONS Most academic child abuse professionals believe that spanking is inappropriate and their beliefs are influenced by the context in which spanking occurs. Little is taught about how to manage spanking observed in a clinical setting.

Child abuse, sudden infant death syndrome, infectious disease, and vaccinations

Clinicians all too often face the difficult dilemma of deciding whether a bone fracture in a young child was intentional. A structured expert consensus process suggests that all rib fractures; midshaft or metaphyseal fractures of the humerus; and fractures of the radius, ulna, tibia, or fibula in children younger than 1 year of age are highly likely to have been caused by abuse. Abused children are more likely to have negative social relationships with other children than their school-aged peers. Research on the causes of sudden infant death syndrome is still confounded by the likelihood that some deaths for which the label was misapplied are included in many studies; however, the presence of smokers in the household in the postnatal period appears to be yet another factor associated with increased risk. Congenital syphilis is on the rise. Detection of infants who have been infected is incomplete. Lack of prenatal care is strongly associated with infection. Cord serology is not sensitive enough to detect all possible cases. Testing of both maternal and neonatal sera results in detection of more infants at risk. Current tests still result in the treatment of some infants who are not themselves infected. Amoxicillin clavulante given twice daily rather then thrice, cefixime given once a day, and a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone have all shown acceptable--though not exceptional--cure rates for otitis media. Price is a consideration. Fewer courses of antibiotics would be necessary if more infants were breastfed. Exclusively breastfeeding to at least 4 months cuts the number of bouts of otitis media almost in half.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Erratum: Use of an innovative video feedback technique to enhance communication skills training (Medical Education (2004) 38 (145-157))

Transcription and Data Management For example, in Extract 1 we can see sobbing (line 1), a wet sniff (line 6), whispering (line 8), a snorty sniff (line 29), aspiration in speech (line 31) and wobbly voice (line 35). The text should have read: For example, in Extract 1 we can see sobbing (line 1), a wet sniff (line 7), whispering (line 9), a snorty sniff (line 32), aspiration in speech (line 34) and wobbly voice (line 38). The authors apologise for this error.