BACKGROUND Having psychometrically strong disability measures that minimize response burden is important in assessing of older adults. METHODS Using the original 48 items from the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument and newly developed items, a 158-item Activity Limitation and a 62-item Participation Restriction item pool were developed. The item pools were administered to a convenie...

Data collection and analysis are vital for strategic planning, quality improvement, and demonstration of palliative care program impact to hospital administrators, private funders and policymakers. Since 2000, the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) has provided technical assistance to hospitals, health systems and hospices working to start, sustain, and grow nonhospice palliative care pro...

In 2010, an exploratory survey focused on design methods, tools and techniques, was conducted in order to understand what type of design practices are used in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMES) located in Eastern Quebec. This study reveals that most SMEs declared using a structured design process while very few are regular users of structured Methods, sophisticated Tools, or specialized ...

IMPORTANCE Although facial vascular malformations are often treated by facial plastic surgeons, no reliable validated assessment tool exists for surgeons to assess results. OBJECTIVES To use our assessment tool to analyze results from pulsed-dye laser therapy used for pediatric facial vascular malformations, and to determine interrater reliability of our assessment tool in a standard clinical...

The assessment of pain experienced by the patient requiring mechanical ventilation can be a challenge for critical care nurses. This study was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of two pain behavior assessment tools. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled from 13 critical care units and one long-term acute care unit within eight hospitals. A total of 200 patients we...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the significant factors for risk estimate of aspiration and to evaluate the efficiency of the dysphagia assessment tool. METHODS A consecutive series of 210 stroke patients with aspiration symptoms such as cough and dysphagia who had soft or regular diet without tube feeding were examined. The dysphagia assessment tool for aspiration was comp...