Chronic diseases

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe clinicians' evaluation and management of co-existing mental health, substance abuse (MHSA), and chronic pain (CP) conditions in patients with prolonged critical illness. Little is known about the evaluation and management of these conditions in the intensive care unit, and practice guidelines do not address management in the context of critical illness, optimal sedation/analgesia, or ventilator weaning.
DESIGN: Longitudinal qualitative description.
SETTING: Intensive care unit of an urban academic medical center.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate a culturally tailored intervention for rural African Americans. Social Cognitive Theory provided the framework for the study. METHODS: Twenty-two participants were recruited and randomly assigned to either Group or Individual diabetes self-management (DSME). Group DSME included story-telling, hands-on activities, and problem-solving exercises. Individual DSME sessions focused on goal-setting and problem-solving strategies. Sessions were offered in an accessible community center over a 10-week period.

The purpose of this article is to describe the elements of culture brokerage as applied in a recent educational pilot study among rural African Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Culture Brokerage is a nursing intervention consisting of mediation between the traditional health beliefs and practices of a patient's culture and the health care system. The intervention of Culture Brokerage holds particular relevance for clinicians who work with chronically ill patients, including those with diabetes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of family and friends on the management of persons with diabetes and their willingness to be involved in a culturally tailored program. METHODS: This qualitative study was based within a larger quasi-experimental study that focused on the impact of a culturally tailored group intervention compared with individual standard diabetes education on the outcomes of self-management and glycemic control among rural African Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose and Methodology: This study examined the cultural beliefs and attitudes of African American prostate cancer survivors regarding the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities. The study used mixed methods with primary emphasis on a phenomenology approach. In-person interviews in participants' homes and rural community facilities. Fourteen African American men diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer were interviewed in their homes and rural community facilities