Discusses contributions that computers and computer networks are making to the field of medicine. Emphasizes the computer's speed in storing and retrieving data. Suggests that doctors may soon be able to use computers to advise on diagnosis and treatment. (TW)

Parental response to being informed of their young child's mental handicap was examined through interviews with 50 parents. Results indicated that the majority of parents were told of the handicap in a generally positive manner, after minimal contact with the physician, and during the child's first month of life. (Author/JDD)

Rural background and specialty choice of family medicine are each significant predictors of practice in a nonmetropolitan area. The utilization of the medical school selection process to address the maldistribution problem is examined, and a predictive model is described. (MLW)

Patient satisfaction with the attitudes and communication skills of first- and third-year medical students in a five-year program was found to be higher for the more advanced students and for women in general, and a weak positive correlation was found between patient and faculty assessments of the students. (MSE)

Communication skills are critical when the physician must convey distressful information. A study to determine whether training second-year medical students to convey such information would be effective in improving their skills is reported. (MLW)

The role of the university in medical education, specifically, the education of the medical practitioner is discussed. The challenge is to connect better the practicing physician to the evolving knowledge base and the scientific agenda to the world of practice. (MLW)

A 5-week family medicine clerkship is described that uses several innovative techniques: problem-based learning focusing on patient management tutorials; consultation with specialists; supervised patient care and a nursing home inpatient teaching service; and workshops on topics such as office-surgical techniques, practice management, and…

A project to develop the Longitudinal Primary Care Program at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine is described. In addition to producing three curriculum documents, this 3-year project included a faculty development program, preparation of a training handbook and communications system for medical preceptors, and development of a…

At the basis of social control lies a conscious change in the social environment. Applied particularly to higher education this means that control of present tendencies in our colleges and universities and their proper direction toward the future must necessarily depend upon as complete knowledge as possible, on the part of college and university…

Some directions and influences on dental research activities in the near future are discussed. Current challenges include international competition, fellowships, and equipment. Potential research activity includes preventive medicine, epidemiology, chronic illness, the elderly, bioengineering, materials research, nutrition, soft tissue research,…

Selective enrollment of patients at a model family practice unit provides a full range of medical problems for residents. A computerized, problem-oriented medical record is used to help distribute families with selected chronic diseases equitably. Reallocation of families to new residents in cycles is logically planned and workloads are monitored.…

A biopsychosocial model used in an attempt to integrate physical, psychological, and social data into a matrix that facilitates clinical problem solving is described. The purpose of the training was to expand the resident's understanding of the emotional aspects of patients' problems and his/her own difficulties in using such understanding. (MLW)

The dying and death component of the psychiatry clerkship at Dartmouth Medical School is described. The educational objectives and instructional methods were developed to enhance the student's understanding of what terminal patients experience in psychosocial needs and to explore his role and skill in caring for patients in terminal situations.…

A study designed to collect data on the daily activities of trainees on a medical ward and to test the diary method of obtaining data is described. The data were compared with findings from a faculty survey to establish whether the training program conformed to desired standards. (Author/MLW)

Economic trends in health care delivery and medical education in the United States are examined. It is noted that the market for physician services is being more extensively socialized due to insurance practices and it is suggested that there is a trend toward desocializing medical education and transferring a greater share of the cost to the…