Richard Maisiak

University of Alabama at Birmingham | UAB · School of Medicine

Background: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular illness worldwide with many underlying causes. The role of trace elements selenium, copper, and zinc in hypertension is uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of these trace elements in hypertension. Method: Data from 6683 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey...

Background: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular illness worldwide with many underlying causes. The role of trace elements selenium, copper, and zinc in hypertension is uncertain with only a few studies reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of these trace elements in hypertension. Method: Data from 6683 National Health an...

Background: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular illness worldwide with many underlying causes. The role of trace elements selenium, copper, and zinc in hypertension is uncertain with only a few studies reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of these trace elements in hypertension. Method: Data from 6683 National Health an...

Background: Mobile phone-based text messages have been used to address alcohol use disorder in younger populations by promoting abstinence, decreased alcohol intake, and moderation. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the effectiveness of mobile phone text messaging to address problem drinking by youth and younger adults. Results:...

Background Minorities are underrepresented in health professions and efforts to recruit minority students into health careers are considered a way to reduce health disparities. There is little research about the effectiveness of these programs, other than satisfaction. This study aimed to measure program effects on student understanding of and inte...

Background: There is little research comparing dermatologist and patient satisfaction with in-person, store-and-forward, and live interactive examinations. Objective: To compare satisfaction with in-person examinations to store-and-forward and live interactive consultations having two types of video. Methods: A controlled study was conducted w...

Background: There is little teledermatology research directly comparing remote methods, even less research with two in-person dermatologist agreement providing a baseline for comparing remote methods, and no research using high definition video as a live interactive method. Objective: To compare in-person consultations with store-and-forward and...

To improve and learn from patient outcomes, particularly under new care models such as Accountable Care Organizations and Patient-Centered Medical Homes, requires establishing systems for follow-up and feedback. To provide post-visit feedback to physicians on patient outcomes following acute care visits. A three-phase cross-sectional study [live fo...

Unlabelled: Follow-up calls after ambulatory visits are not routinely done, yet they can potentially detect and mitigate unresolved problems. Automated calls via an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) are an innovative way to conduct follow-up, but patients' attitudes toward follow-up calls are unknown. This study assessed 1) patient percepti...

Abstract: An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system was developed for automated patient follow-up calls after an acute care clinic visit. Routine patient satisfaction surveys were administered under three different automation conditions. Almost all patients were positively disposed to follow-up. Patient satisfaction levels were higher for those re...

Online learning is increasingly popular in medical education and sense of presence has been posited as a factor contributing to its success. Communication media influences on sense of presence and learning outcomes were explored in this study. Test performance and ratings of instruction and technology, factors influenced by sense of presence, are c...

Using trained interpreters to provide medical interpretation services is superior to services provided on an ad hoc basis, but little is known about the effectiveness of providing their services remotely, especially using video. To compare remote medical interpretation services by trained interpreters via telephone and videoconference to those prov...

This study determined differences in learning, judgments of teaching and technology, and interaction when videoconferencing was used to deliver instruction on telemedicine to medical students in conditions where they were co-located and dispersed. A lecture on telemedicine was given by videoconference to medical students at a distant site. After a...

The authors developed and evaluated a rating scale, the Attitudes toward Handheld Decision Support Software Scale (H-DSS), to assess physician attitudes about handheld decision support systems. The authors conducted a prospective assessment of psychometric characteristics of the H-DSS including reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Participant...

To evaluate the effectiveness of a personal digital assistant (PDA)-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescribing safety in the outpatient setting. The design was a randomized, controlled trial conducted in a university-based resident clinic. Internal medicine residents received a PDA-based...

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a personal digital assistant (PDA)–based clinical decision support system (CDSS) on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescribing safety in the outpatient setting.DesignThe design was a randomized, controlled trial conducted in a university-based resident clinic. Internal medicine residents recei...

The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the effectiveness of registered dietitian (RD) education and counseling on diet-related patient outcomes compared with general education provided by the cardiac rehabilitation (CR) staff, and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the Meats, Eggs, Dairy, Fried foods, In baked goods, Convenience foods, Table...

To define racial similarities and differences in mobility among community-dwelling older adults and to identify predictors of mobility change. Prospective, observational, cohort study. Nine hundred and five community-dwelling older adults. Baseline in-home assessments were conducted to assess life-space mobility, sociodemographic variables, disease...

Left ventricular function evaluation and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor use are the two basic indicators of heart failure quality of care. In this retrospective follow-up study, we analyzed the association between these two quality indicators and mortality in elderly hospitalized heart failure patients. The patients in our study were...

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can impact both diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making, but physicians sometimes fail to heed the appropriate CDSS advice, or become influenced in a negative way by the CDSS. This study examined the relationships among clinicians' prior diagnostic accuracy, the performance of a diagnostic CDSS, and how t...

Ophthalmologists should be responsible for a systemic collection of standardized data on the occurrence of eye injuries. Such a database is the key for designing prophylactic measures to successfully prevent ocular trauma. The USEIR model, whether reporting takes place over the Internet [www.USEIRonline.org www.WEIRonline.org (worldwide)] or on pap...

Only based on a standardized terminology of ocular trauma terms, and using a very large number of injuries treated by a wide variety of ophthalmologists, could a reliable method be developed so that the functional outcome of a serious eye injury can be predicted with reasonable certainty. The authors used the databases of the United States and Hung...

Little has been done to examine the relative merit of measures used to assess the impact of diagnostic decision support systems (DDSS) on physician performance. In this study, 10 different single-measures of diagnostic performance were compared empirically. The measures were of three types: rank-order, all-or-none, and appropriateness. The responsi...

Purpose � To estimate the crude mortality risk associated with self-reported arthritis in the elderly � To estimate the mortality risk after adjustment for demographic factors � To estimate the mortality risk after adjustment for other medical conditions Research Methods � Prospective follow-up of community-dwelling older adults residing in 13 Alab...

Diagnosing lupus doesn't mean identifying all side effects (and some aren't easy to diagnose). Lupus-related conditions vary by individuals, but believe it or not, your situation isn't unusual. I have observed a lot of people with lupus who occasionally experience the pattern of fatigue, depressed mood, stress, family conflict and loss of sexual in...

This study examines how the information provided by a diagnostic decision support system for clinical cases of varying diagnostic difficulty affects physicians' diagnostic performance. A national sample of 67 internists, 35 family physicians, and 6 other physicians used the Quick Medical Reference (QMR) diagnostic decision support system to assist...

This study examines how characteristics of clinical cases and physician users relate to the users' perceptions of the usefulness of the Quick Medical Reference (QMR) and their confidence in their diagnoses when supported by the decision support system. A national sample (N = 108) of 67 internists, 35 family physicians, and 6 other U.S. physicians u...

This article describes the magnitude, extent, and economic consequences of some of the more common, work-related musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, it provides a brief historic overview of the state-federal vocational rehabilitation program in the United States. It identifies and considers a constellation of risk factors for work-related disab...

To examine the medical status and history of health care utilization of adolescents at the time of their admission to a juvenile detention facility. Data were collected over an 18-month period on all detainees admitted for the first time to a juvenile detention facility in a major southeastern city in the United States. Information was gathered thr...

This study investigates the effect of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (TSE) on participation in health promotion activities and research studies by African Americans. Random-digit dialing was used to interview 421 adults with telephones living in households in Jefferson County, Alabama in the summer of 1994. Respondents were asked if they had ever...

Purpose. To determine the best method in designing an easy-to-use OTS that would accurately and reliably predict functional outcome after a severe eye injury. Methods. Using several hundred cases of serious ocular trauma with final followup information from the United States and Hungarian Eye Injury Registries: clinicians' input and statistical ana...

To examine the effectiveness of two telephone intervention strategies for improving the health outcomes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-eight SLE patients were randomly assigned to receive a 6-month telephone counseling intervention using either a treatment counseling (TC) or symptom monitoring (SM) strategy. Health outco...

Objective. To examine the effectiveness of two telephone intervention strategies for improving the health outcomes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Fifty-eight SLE patients were randomly assigned to receive a 6-month telephone counseling intervention using either a treatment counseling (TC) or symptom monitoring (SM) st...

The effects of treatment counseling or symptom monitoring telephone intervention strategies on the health outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), compared with usual care, were assessed. A 3-group, randomized, controlled 9-month trial was conducted incorporating 405 patients with RA or OA and using the Arthritis...

Purpose. In ophthalmology, there is no system to objectively evaluate injury severity. The goal of this project is to design, test, and validate an Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) for rapid clinical assessment of eye injuries to guide triage, predict functional outcome, facilitate rehabilitation and standardize research. Methods. This 3-year study will a...

We tested the effectiveness of a 6-month person-centered (PC), nondirective, telephone-based counseling intervention for improving the psychological status of persons with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The design was a parallel-group, randomized, controlled study comparing a PC counseling intervention (8 SLE, 28 R...

Objective. We tested the effectiveness of a 6-month person-centered (PC), nondirective, telephone-based counseling intervention for improving the psychological status of persons with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. The design was a parallel-group, randomized, controlled study comparing a PC counseling inter...

To identify barriers to return to work (RTW) among persons likely to be seen in a clinician's practice who are unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. Two hundred eighteen persons unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders were interviewed at baseline and followed up for 1 year, at which time their work status was...

To determine which, if any, baseline social and disease characteristics can be used to identify persons with musculoskeletal disabilities accepted for state-federal vocational rehabilitation services who are most likely to return to work. A database of case closures from the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Service was analyzed using segmentation...

The severity of asthma can be judged by many features, including the need for medication and associated side effects. Since asthma has both acute and chronic characteristics, therapeutic regimens should be valuable as an instrument to define disease severity and the consequence of intervention. However, because of the variability of asthma severity...

Objective. The objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with successful vocational rehabilitation (return to work) among persons receiving state—federal vocational rehabilitation services because of work disability from arthritis. Methods. Multivariate analyses were used to determine the association of sociodemographic, disease-rel...

The results of an experimental training program in sexologic interviewing for a multidisciplinary arthritis patient care team are reported. The program included didactic instruction, observation and practice of interviewing skills, a seminar, and a case presentation. Trainees had gained more knowledge than control subjects at one year. Both groups...

Followup telephone interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of 305 users of a prototype telephone information service for arthritis 2-4 months after their initial contact with the service. The percentage of respondents who reported taking at least 1 positive action for their arthritis because of service usage was 79%. The most freq...

Brief interviews were conducted with 1670 users of the Arthritis Information Service of Alabama, a statewide toll-free telephone information service. The results showed the service users were significantly (p less than 0.01) different from both the adult population and from the estimated symptomatic population of the service area. Users tended to b...

Arthritis patients are prone to misperceptions, forgetfulness, and the use of unproven remedies. They also may become noncompliant and be unaware of community resources. Informational or educational programs such as the Arthritis Information Service of Alabama may be useful for reducing these problems. There have been several reports concerning the...

The relationship of arthritis and sexual dysfunction was investigated among 169 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and spondyloarthropathy, 130 of whom were pair-matched to controls. Assessments of marital happiness and depressed mood were also made using the CES-D and the Azrin Marital Happiness Scale (AMHS). Sexual dysfunctions we...

The influence of arthritis upon sexual satisfaction and activity and patient receptivity to sexual rehabilitation was investigated by interviewing 169 patients with arthritis and 130 controls. Patients differed from controls in their greater loss of sexual satisfaction over time, but they were comparably satisfied with their current sexual adjustme...

A structured interview was administered to 169 outpatients with arthritic disorders to investigate the extent to which such patients would want clinical inquiry into sexual problems, some of which may stem from the arthritis. Only about one fifth of the patients reported that a physician had ever inquired into their sexual adjustment, but four fift...

Validity and reliability studies were conducted on the Face Scale, a very brief, pictorial scale of mood which uses a sequence of 20 faces and does not require reading literacy. Correlational and experimental evidence of the Face Scale's construct validity is presented, as well as its test-retest reliability. Recommendations are made for its use as...

PMID: 6878298

Pretesting students has been considered a sound educational practice but the reports of its utility in medical education are sparse. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the NBME Subject Examination as a pretest to identify students “at risk” in a medical school behavioral sciences course. The results indicated that the pre...

A community educational program and the introduction of a colposcope in Decatur, Alabama, led to a dramatic decrease in the relative percent of patients evaluated by conization after a positive Pap smear, and a corresponding increase in the relative percent of colposcopic evaluations. The percent of negative or dysplastic tissue diagnoses from coni...

The attitudes of first-year medical students toward social issues in medicine were measured before and after a course in Behavioral Science to test the hypothesis that medical students attitudes towards social issues could be improved by a specific educational experience. Pre and post data from the Attitudes Towards Social Issues in Medicine (ATSIM...

Tap is a comprehensive, flexible computer system designed to score and to analyze objective educational tests. The goals of the designers were to construct a program which would be user-oriented, flexible, and clear in structure and in output. TAP includes a wide variety of features.

Two hundred and forty white middle class adolescents in a four year high school were administered a 14-item questionnaire designed to assess the seriousness of typical adolescent problems. The three most worrisome problems were physical appearance, careers and grades. Sex, year of high school and college vs. work bound differences were analyzed and...

Second-order conditioning was examined using the rabbit eyeblink paradigm and the gerbil CER paradigm. Pavlov’s hypothesis that stimulus overlap on second-order trials produces conditioned inhibition and that nonoverlap leads to second-order conditioning was not confirmed. Our results also revealed that the manner in which first-order and second-or...

Three experiments employed aversive or positive subcortical electrical stimulation in an unconditional stimulus (US) role in rabbit eyelid conditioning. Conditional response (CR) development to a tonal conditional stimulus (CS) was examined when the intracranial stimulation was combined with a conventional cheek-shock US (Experiment 1) or with a li...

Three experiments with 107 male Dutch rabbits employed aversive or positive subcortical electrical stimulation in an unconditional stimulus (US) role in eyelid conditioning. Conditional response (CR) development to a tonal conditional stimulus (CS) was examined when the intracranial stimulation was combined with a conventional cheek-shock US (Exp I...

M.S. (Psychology)--Northwestern University, 1973.