Telephone

This study examined the accuracy and costs of determining whether rural, low‐income Medicaid recipients did or did not have a phone, and of obtaining phone numbers for those who did. For a random sample of 209 families, we compared phone information obtained from phone books and directory assistance with information obtained from department of social services (DSS) records. DSS records identified 51% of the sample as having phones, compared with 19%‐25% for phone books and directory assistance. For identifying families as having no home phone or a phone with a number that matched the one in the DSS record, phone books or directory assistance corresponded with DSS records in 52%‐57% of the sample. Using phone books or directory assistance was up to 3.2 times more costly than using DSS records. The study highlighted the need to establish policies to promote the exchange of information between social services and public health agencies and researchers.

Information technology is being used to collect data directly from patients and to provide educational information to them. Concern over patient reactions to this use of information technology is especially important in light of the debate over whether computers dehumanize patients. This study reports reactions that patient users expressed in ethnographic interviews about using a computer-based telecommunications system. The interviews were conducted as part of a larger evaluation of Telephone-Linked Care (TLC)-HealthCall, an intelligent interactive telephone advisor, that advised individuals about how to improve their health through changes in diet or exercise. Interview findings suggest that people formed personal relationships with the TLC system. These relationships ranged from feeling guilty about their diet or exercise behavior to feeling love for the voice. The findings raise system design and user interface issues as well as research and ethical questions.

ABSTRACT: Objective: To compare the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the adult population of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, in two surveys conducted by telephone interview (VIGITEL) or by clinic and laboratory exams during the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Method: Data were collected from adults (≥ 18 years). In VIGITEL, 1,996 subjects (males = 38%) were interviewed. In NHIS, home visit followed by clinical and laboratory tests was made with 318 individuals (males = 48%) selected in 20 census tracts of the city. The prevalence of risk factors was adjusted to the estimated population of the city in 2013. Data are shown as prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Results: Similar values of prevalence were found in VIGITEL and NHIS, respectively, for smoking (8.2%; 95%CI 6.7-9.7% vs 10.0; 95%CI 6.4 – 13.6%) and hypertension (24.8%; 95%CI 22.6 – 27.0% vs 27.2%; 95%CI 21.8 – 32.5%). Statistical differences between surveys (p < 0.01) were found for diabetes (6.7%; 95%CI 5.6 – 7.9% vs 10.7%; 95%CI 7.1 – 14.5%), obesity (16.8%; 95%CI 14.1 – 18.1% vs 25.7%; 95%CI 20.4 – 30.9%) and high cholesterol (≥ 200 mg/dL) (20.6%; 95%CI 18.6 – 22.6% vs 42.3%; 95%CI 36.9 – 47.7%). The prevalence of diabetes was also higher (p < 0.01) in NHIS (6.7 vs 10.7%). Conclusion: Prevalence of smoking and hypertension, but not obesity, was adequately detected in VIGITEL, because there might have been information bias related to body weight during telephone interviews. Data show the necessity to improve the diagnosis of dyslipidemias in primary care services, as the control of this risk factor is of utmost importance to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Keywords: Hypertension. Obesity. Dyslipidemias. Diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared trends in body mass index for American Indian men and women across selected regions of the United States. METHODS: Self-reported data were collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. RESULTS: Among women in the Dakotas, New Mexico and Arizona, and Washington and Oregon, average adjusted body mass index increased significantly by 0.1 to 0.2 units per year. Among men in Alaska and the Dakotas, average adjusted body mass index also increased significantly by 0.1 to 0.2 units each year. CONCLUSIONS: Because of rapid increases in average body mass index, some American Indian populations could be burdened by an increased incidence of chronic disease.

Iranians became acquainted with Western American civilization and culture during the Qajar period. During this period, the United States was able to make great strides, especially in the field of communication technology, and astonished the world, especially Iranians. In this regard, Iranian thinkers began to analyze American inventions in the field of technologies such as telegraph and telephone and how they were developed. The increase in information and awareness of the astonishing achievements of the Americans and the subconscious comparison between the situation in Iran and this country raised many questions about the causes of the huge rift between the two countries. In this article with a historical approach and relying on the press and unpublished documents tries to examine how progressives are exposed to new American technologies such as telegraph and telephone, and to answer the question of whether Iranians awareness of US communications achievements had any consequences or not? The findings of the study hypothesize that intellectuals, especially from the Nasseri period, have reflected the most knowledge about American changes in the field of communication and suggested the idea of ​​benefiting from these advances. Following these reports, Iranian political representatives in Washington and government officials, on the one hand, sought to attend American technology conferences and employing telegraph advisers from the country and on the other hand, they took important steps to learn about the achievements of the United States in the field of telegraph and telephone through modeling, concluding contracts, and sending students to this country.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of ICT diffusion on financial development (FD) and economic growth (EG) by using the PLS-SEM method. The sample size consists of data from 158 countries for the 2015-2020 time period. Test results indicate that ICT diffusion has positive and substantial direct effects on both FD and EG. A one-unit increase could lead to a 0.836 unit increase in FD and a 0.437 unit increase in EG. Test results show that Internet and telephone usage have a similar substantial effect on FD, while Internet usage has a greater effect on EG than telephone usage, as a one-unit increase in Internet usage could cause an increase of 0.509 units in EG, but a one-unit increase in telephone usage could cause an increase of 0.200 units in EG. Lastly, the findings of this paper support the causality running from FD to EG and the moderating role of FD between ICT constructs and EG. Thereby, the novelty of this study is that it examines the relationship between ICT diffusion (in addition to Internet and telephone use), FD, and EG concurrently using the PLS-SEM method in a large data set and finds robust empirical results supporting the theory.

Background and Objectives:Dehydration is a common complication after ileostomy creation and is the most frequent reason for postoperative readmission to the hospital. We sought to determine the clinical and economic impact of an outpatient intervention to decrease readmissions for dehydration after ileostomy creation.Methods:All new ileostomates from 09/2011 through 10/2012 at the University of Florida were enrolled to receive an ileostomy education and management protocol and a daily telephone call for 3 weeks after discharge. Counseling and medication adjustments were provided, with a satisfaction survey at the end. Outcomes of these patients were compared to those in a historical control cohort. A cost analysis was conducted to calculate the savings to the hospital.Results:Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. All patients required telephone counseling, and the mean satisfaction score rating was 4.69, on a scale of 1 to 5. The readmission rate for dehydration within 30 days of discharge decreased significantly from 65% before intervention to 16% (5/32 patients) after intervention (P = .002). The length of readmission hospital stay decreased from a mean of 4.2 days before the introduction of the intervention to 3 days after. Cost analysis revealed that the actual total hospital cost of dehydration-specific readmission decreased from $88,858 to $25,037, a saving of $63,821.Conclusion:A standardized ileostomy pathway with comprehensive patient education and outpatient telephone follow-up is cost effective, has a positive influence on patient satisfaction, and reduces dehydration-related readmission rates.

BackgroundTo reduce contagion of COVID-19, in March 2020 UK general practices implemented predominantly remote consulting via telephone, video, or online consultation platforms.AimTo investigate the rapid implementation of remote consulting and explore impact over the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design and settingMixed-methods study in 21 general practices in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.MethodLongitudinal observational quantitative analysis compared volume and type of consultation in April to July 2020 with April to July 2019. Negative binomial models were used to identify if changes differed among different groups of patients. Qualitative data from 87 longitudinal interviews with practice staff in four rounds investigated practices’ experience of the move to remote consulting, challenges faced, and solutions. A thematic analysis utilised Normalisation Process Theory.ResultsThere was universal consensus that remote consulting was necessary. This dro...

Background and Objectives:Dehydration is a common complication after ileostomy creation and is the most frequent reason for postoperative readmission to the hospital. We sought to determine the clinical and economic impact of an outpatient intervention to decrease readmissions for dehydration after ileostomy creation.Methods:All new ileostomates from 09/2011 through 10/2012 at the University of Florida were enrolled to receive an ileostomy education and management protocol and a daily telephone call for 3 weeks after discharge. Counseling and medication adjustments were provided, with a satisfaction survey at the end. Outcomes of these patients were compared to those in a historical control cohort. A cost analysis was conducted to calculate the savings to the hospital.Results:Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. All patients required telephone counseling, and the mean satisfaction score rating was 4.69, on a scale of 1 to 5. The readmission rate for dehydration within 30 days of discharge decreased significantly from 65% before intervention to 16% (5/32 patients) after intervention (P = .002). The length of readmission hospital stay decreased from a mean of 4.2 days before the introduction of the intervention to 3 days after. Cost analysis revealed that the actual total hospital cost of dehydration-specific readmission decreased from $88,858 to $25,037, a saving of $63,821.Conclusion:A standardized ileostomy pathway with comprehensive patient education and outpatient telephone follow-up is cost effective, has a positive influence on patient satisfaction, and reduces dehydration-related readmission rates.

We investigated dimensions of low-income minority patient engagement in the context of diabetes-depression care-management with automated telephone assessment (ATA) calls as a facilitator. Mixed method analyses (including regression analyses and coding of interviews) were used to examine patient engagement with technology, assess its impact on health outcomes and satisfaction with care, and analyze barriers to engagement. Patient engagement was measured by analyzing patient&#39;s ATA call response rates. We then evaluated those results in the context of the outcomes of the broader clinical trial, which compared three study arms. Average completed call rate throughout the study is about 50 % and decreases after 6 months. The biggest barrier to patient engagement is timing. Patient engagement levels differ by baseline depression status and have no significant effect on health outcomes and satisfaction with care at 6, 12, and 18 months. However, from the preliminary clinical trial resu...

A study of business telephone calls provides quantitative evidence suggesting “intonational settings”: Certain attributes of intonation are sustained throughout discourse units in the calls (openings, business transactions, preclosures, and final closures), and differentiate one unit from another, as if phonologically significant aspects of intonation are realized within a space controlled by discourse-related parameters. Two types of parameter emerge, one controlling the midpoint of the F0 contour in frequency space, the other controlling the way it fluctuates.

To determine whether call center dispatchers wearing headsets are subject to auditory fatigue at the end of a work shift. Data was gathered at times when call centers were busiest. All call operators wore a headset for up to 12 h. Acoustic environment and noise exposure under the headset were continuously recorded during the entire work shift. Variations in auditory parameters were assessed using pure-tone air-conduction audiometry and an objective test based on distortion product otoacoustic emissions - contralateral suppression of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) amplitudes (EchoScan test). Thirty-nine operators and 16 controls, all volunteers, were selected from 3 call centers (sales, assistance, and emergency) where all cognitive tasks were accomplished by phone and on computers. No acoustic shock was detected during the investigation. The highest normalized noise exposure (daily noise exposure level - L&lt;sub&gt;EX,8 h&lt;/sub&gt;) measured was 75.5 dBA. No sign...