Among unselected general medical patients, MEW scores of ≥5 were significantly associated with death or ICU admissions and only functional status and altered mental status were independent predictors of excess length of stay.

This standardized formulation of Chinese herbs for HIV-infected individuals did not improve quality of life, clinical manifestations, plasma virus loads, or CD4 cell counts. The data suggest that this formulation of Chinese herbs is not effective when administered in a Western medicine setting.

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the possible mechanisms of behavioral change in a cognitive-behavioral intervention supporting medication adherence in HIV-infected persons. A total of 60 persons currently under medical treatment were randomized to psychotherapy or usual care and were compared with a sociodemographically matched group of general psychotherapy clients. Outcome measures included therapy adherence using medication event-monitoring system psychotherapeutic processes and changes of experience and behavior. The general psychotherapy group was initially more distressed than HIV psychotherapy patients and reached higher levels of psychotherapeutic effect. In the HIV psychotherapy patients, a significant effect was found for maintaining adherence to medical treatment (Weber et al., 2004). These findings show that psychotherapy is a beneficial intervention for HIV-infected persons, and therapeutic alliance and activation of resources do not differ from a general psychotherapy treatment. Differential effects were detected for specific process variables, namely problem actuation. AbstractThe aim of this exploratory study was to examine the possible mechanisms of behavioral change in a cognitiveÁbehavioral intervention supporting medication adherence in HIV-infected persons. A total of 60 persons currently under medical treatment were randomized to psychotherapy or usual care and were compared with a sociodemographically matched group of general psychotherapy clients. Outcome measures included therapy adherence using medication event-monitoring system psychotherapeutic processes and changes of experience and behavior. The general psychotherapy group was initially more distressed than HIV psychotherapy patients and reached higher levels of psychotherapeutic effect. In the HIV psychotherapy patients, a significant effect was found for maintaining adherence to medical treatment (Weber et al., 2004). These findings show that psychotherapy is a beneficial intervention for HIV-infected persons, and therapeutic alliance and activation of resources do not differ from a general psychotherapy treatment. Differential effects were detected for specific process variables, namely problem actuation.

Competence was already high in the team at the time of the first interview, but even improved by the time of the second interview. This is expressed by the resource-oriented patient-nurse partnership in the process of nursing, by team communication, as well as the heavily weighing discrepancy between knowledge and limited authorisation.

In the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, City Hospital Triemli (Zurich, Switzerland), a controlled observational study was carried out. The investigation aimed at comparing conventional and kinaesthetic nursing interventions with respect to the agility and body orientation of the patients, and with respect to their interaction with the nurses. The observations were limited to the interventions washing, positioning, and mobilizing and lasted 20 to 60 minutes. During this time, an experienced nurse, who did not belong to the nursing team, completed a checklist. The checklist items comprise operationalized criteria of the kinaesthetic concept by Hatch and Maietta, as well as two questions directed to the patients. Body motion and orientation were judged by a 12-items scale, identical for observations prior to and immediately after the nursing intervention. The interaction between patients and nurses was judged by means of a 10-items scale. Group 1 (13 patients) was observed during conservative nursing; group 2 (another 13 patients) was observed almost half a year later during kinaesthetic nursing. All observations were recorded with the same instrument. There was a general positive effect of the nursing interventions. Kinaesthetic nursing, however, only showed a trend towards better effects on the patients' agility, body orientation or interaction abilities in comparison to conventional nursing. The results are discussed with respect to a recently published study on objective measurement of kinaesthetic nursing effects. There is a certain discrepancy between the well-known positive valuation of kinaesthetic nursing by the nurses themselves and the measurable effects of the method. This discrepancy cannot simply be explained by sample size, type of measurement, or the nurses'experience with the method.