Little is known about how recent ISTSS practice guidelines (E. B. Foa, T. M. Keane, & M. J. Friedman, 2000) compare with prevailing PTSD treatment practices for veterans. Prior to guideline dissemination, clinicians in 6 VA medical centers were surveyed in 1999 (n = 321) and in 2001 (n = 271) regarding their use of various assessment and treatment procedures. Practices most consistent with guideline recommendations included psychoeducation, coping skills training, attention to trust issues, depression and substance use screening, and prescribing of SSRIs, anticonvulsants, and trazodone. PTSD and trauma assessment, anger management, and sleep hygiene practices were provided less consistently. Exposure therapy was rarely used. Additional research is needed on training, clinical resources, and organizational factors that may influence VA implementation of guideline recommendations.
Although there are numerous clinical guidelines regarding the management of dementia, there have been few studies on their implementation in practice. Clinicians in six United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (n = 200, 85% response rate) were surveyed regarding their use of practices recommended in the California Workgroup Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease Management. The majority of providers (89% to 73%) reported that they routinely conducted neurological examinations, obtained histories from caregivers, discussed the diagnosis with the patient's family, discussed durable power of attorney, and made legally-required reports of drivers with dementia. Roughly two-thirds of providers said they routinely conducted cognitive screening examinations, screened for depression, reported elder abuse, and discussed care needs and decision-making issues with patients' families. Only half of all outpatient providers implemented caregiver support practices for at least half of their patients. Clinicians' choices of medications for cognition, mood, and behavior problems were broadly consistent with current practice guidelines. These results suggest possible priorities for quality improvement efforts. Further research is needed to clarify reasons for particular gaps between guidelines and practice and to identify specific targets for intervention.
Recovery from combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often complicated by unacknowledged problems with alcohol and anger. Male combat veterans fn = 702) entering a residential PTSD rehabilitation program completed University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) and process-of-change questionnaires based on Prochaska and DiClemente's transtheoretical model (TTM; Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross,
As the Canadian population ages, healthcare systems have become increasingly interested in exploring new ways to deliver services to frail older adults, and in particular older adults with dementia. The Specialized Seniors Clinics (SSCs) are an innovative integrated network of six outpatient clinics in BC's Fraser Health Authority that utilize interprofessional teams to provide comprehensive geriatric assessments and care planning for frail older adults. The SSCs provided approximately 19,000 appointments in the past fiscal year, and clients and primary care physicians are highly satisfied with the model. This article describes the SSC model and provides reflection on the model development, implementation and standardization processes.
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