Interpretation and communication of the results of medical field investigations
Article Abstract:
It has become common to communicate test results to participants in medical field investigations. This trend was initiated by the dramatic example of this form of communication that occurred in response to the crisis at Love Canal, NY, when residents were informed they may have suffered chromosomal aberrations due to exposure to toxic materials dumped near their homes. The need to communicate field test results is based on the principle of informed consent (or "right to know"). Investigators are confronted with issues of what to tell study participants, how to tell them and when. Based on 15 years of experience at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, investigators have developed the following recommendations for informing participants in medical field investigations: (1) provide a readily understandable consent form; (2) explain test results to participants; (3) use straightforward language; (4) explain when and how findings are uncertain; (5) indicate any and all need for medical follow-up; (6) quickly provide the results of the investigation to participants in the study; (7) provide complete results; (8) evaluate the impact of the communication of the results to the participants in a manner that does not shock, alarm or confuse them; and (9) train investigators to properly communicate results.
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1989
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Screening for occupational asthma: a word of caution
Article Abstract:
Asthma may be briefly defined as a condition of the lungs in which there is widespread narrowing of the airways, due in varying degrees to spasmodic contraction of smooth muscle, edema (swelling) of the mucosa, and mucus inside the bronchi and bronchioles. These conditions can be due to a clinical condition (intrinsic asthma), or they can be allergic or physical responses to foreign stimuli, such as inhaled particles, smokes, pollens, dusts, or ingested foods (extrinsic asthma). The diagnosis of occupational asthma is difficult because of the complexity and variety of stimulants that can trigger this disease. Four cases are detailed, including the demographics of the cases, the symptomatic responses, the work-related stimulants involved and the responses to methacholine challenges. Methacholine challenge is a widely accepted procedure used as a screening test for asthma. Variable responses following the methacholine challenge (MC) were obtained, temporarily associated with workplace exposure to the antigens. Consquently, care should be taken to carefully evaluate patient's symptoms with exposures, and the patient responses to serial methacholine challenges. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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