Counseling by health care professionals represents a potentially important intervention for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity. One promising approach to weight-control counseling in pediatric practice is motivational interviewing. This article explores conceptual issues related to the application of motivational interviewing for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity....

Patients produce biopsychosocial stories that integrate material from the medical and personal aspects of their lives. Capturing the personal aspect of the story requires that a patient-centered approach to clinical interviewing complement the equally important physician-centered approach. Patient-centered interviewing actively involves the patient and ensures that his or her perceptions, needs...

 Interventions that make use of motivational interviewing can be effective in changing risk behaviours for people living with HIV (1-18); the longer the motivational interviewing intervention, the more it may help intervention participants to maintain healthier practices over time (19).  For people living with HIV, motivational interviewing can have a positive effect on medication adherence (...

In recent years, the science of developing and implementing interventions addressing school-related risk factors has produced many advances. This article addresses the promise of a cross-disciplinary practice approach known as motivational interviewing in school settings. Specifically, the supporting evidence as well as the process and principles of motivational interviewing are described for t...

In 1990 a decision was made to merge the Port Kembla (160 beds) and Wollongong (290 beds) Hospitals into the Illawarra Regional Hospital and to change the traditional functional management structure to one of product line institute management, with medical officers as part-time clinical directors. This transformation in health care management had been occurring in other sections of the Illawarr...

To the Editor: I was delighted to read your excellent editorial entitled ‘‘Transitions’’ in the November 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. The issue of safe movement for all patients, especially frail elders, has rightly assumed a seat at the table of national health care concerns. The projected annual cost of $17.4 billion in readmissions for 2003–2004 cl...

As hospitals consolidate and take on more financial and clinical risk, they face numerous obstacles. While the past can provide answers to solving many of the challenges, some issues are new and require innovative approaches. This article, from a speech delivered to The Business of Medicine: A Course for Physician Leaders symposium presented by Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Medical Directors ...

On December 15, 2010, after 11 months of legal standoff, the Swiss corporation Novartis finally closed a deal to acquire the remaining shares of eye-care company Alcon from minority shareholders. Why did it take almost a year? The acquisition had become a relatedparty transaction after Novartis purchased a 25% stake from then majority shareholder Nestlé and nominated some of its own directors t...