Including teachers as 'real' partners in child protection

Simultaneous downsizing of child protection services and increasing numbers of child abuse notifications often result in many notifications remaining un-investigated. One possible solution to this problem is to extend the capacity of the child protection system by delegating some of the tasks commonly undertaken by child protection workers to allied professionals. One such group of allied professionals is teachers. In the past, teachers have been recognised for their unique role in notifying suspicions of abuse, however, education professionals are often overlooked for their potential to contribute more than they currently do to child protection. In this paper we suggest that teachers can be included as 'real' and credible partners in the child protection process in a way not previously considered possible.

Engaging patients as safety partners : some considerations for ensuring a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach

Engaging patients as ‘safety partners’ with health service providers to help identify and rectify preventable adverse events in health care is being increasingly accepted in the USA, Australia, and elsewhere as a promising strategy to improve patient safety outcomes. The implications of this trend for patients and families of minority cultural and language backgrounds have not, however, been comprehensively considered. In this article, attention is given to briefly exploring the notion of patient participation in health care and the problematic transposition of the concept into patient safety discourse. The importance of recognising and responding to the critical relationship between culture, language and
patient safety outcomes, and the possible benefits and risks of engaging patients of minority ethnic backgrounds in safety partnership programs are explored. It is suggested that if patient safety engagement/partnership programs are to perform well in cross-cultural health care contexts, they need to be supported by research evidence and appropriately informed by the perspectives and experiences of patients and families/nominated carers from minority cultural and language backgrounds. They also need to be appropriately supported by culturally competent policies and practices across the entire health care system. The importance of robust internationally comparative research on this issue is highlighted.

Erectile dysfunction and relationships : views of men with erectile dysfunction and their partners

There has been limited previous research that has examined the views of both men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and their partners on the impact of ED on their sexuality, relationship and general functioning. The current study was designed to evaluate the above variables among men with ED and their partners. Participants for the current study were 40 heterosexual men with ED and their partners. All participants completed a questionnaire that evaluated their reaction to ED, their past and current sexual activity, their sexual and relationship satisfaction as well as their levels of self-esteem and quality of life (QOL). The results demonstrated that both men with ED and their partners reported a reduction in their levels of sexual activity since the development of ED and that they wanted to seek a solution to the problem. Men with ED demonstrated lower levels of self-esteem, QOL and sexual satisfaction than their partners but there were no differences between the partners in their level of relationship satisfaction. These findings demonstrate that ED has an impact on both the man and his partner. They also indicate the importance of including the man's partner in the assessment and treatment of ED.

Integrating partners into erectile dysfunction treatment: improving the sexual experience for the couple

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common condition estimated to affect more than 150 million men worldwide. ED should be regarded as a shared sexual problem which has significant detrimental effects both on the men who experience this condition and on their partners.
Evidence to support partner involvement in ED therapy: Evidence shows that the partner plays a key supportive role in the man's ED treatment and in successful long-term ED therapy. Including the partner in consultations may highlight discordant attitudes and communication problems between couple members which may indicate treatment acceptance or rejection, or realistic or unrealistic treatment expectations.
Options for partner involvement in ED therapy: Most patients with ED consult their physician in the absence of their partner. Therefore, involving the partner in therapy can be challenging. Two options which physicians should consider are: encouraging the patient to bring the partner into the office and, often more realistically, seeking information about, and providing information to, the partner, via the patient.
Objectives: The objective of these recommendations is to provide practical guidance on treating couples affected by ED, and suggest techniques that may be helpful in integrating the partner into the process of ED treatment.

Partners in crime : collusive corruption and search

This paper analyzes corruption as a collusive act which requires the participation of two willing partners. An agent intending to engage in a corrupt act must search for a like-minded partner. When many people in the economy are corrupt, such a search is more likely to be fruitful. Thus when an agent engages in a search, he raises the net benefit of searching for other similar agents in the economy, creating an externality. This introduces a non-convexity in the model, which consequently has multiple equilibria. The economy can be in stable equilibrium with a high or low level of corruption.

Starting from the high-corruption equilibrium, a sufficient increase in vigilance triggers a negative cascade, leading the economy to a new equilibrium in which no agent finds it profitable to search for corrupt partners. The no-corruption equilibrium continues to be stable if vigilance is then relaxed. This suggests that the correct way to deal with corruption is to launch a ``big push'' with large amounts of resources. Once the level of corruption declines, these resources can be withdrawn.

Pituitary disease - perspectives of patients and partners

Aim. To explore experiences of pituitary disease of people with pituitary disease (PD) and their partners (PT).

Background. Pituitary disease encompasses a range of hormonal abnormalities that produce a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the underlying cause.

Design. A triangulated exploratory study.

Methods. The study was conducted in three phases: (a) non-participant monitoring of an Internet pituitary chat room over four months; (b) in-depth structured interviews with PD attending a pituitary outpatient clinic (n = 8) and PT (n = 6), (c) focus groups (n = 12). Data were collected in 2005.

Results. Four themes emerged from the discussion in each phase: 'need to be normal', 'emotional merry-go-round', 'damage to the self', and 'doctor ignorance'. Symptoms of pituitary disease were often mistaken for sinusitis, 'getting old before my time', hypochondria, stress, and 'something sinister changing the way I look'. Time to diagnosis varied from four weeks to 15 years. PD felt included in decision-making but partners relied on PD for information. Body image changes were significant making PD feel like a 'freak show for medical students' and the emotional distress persisted after treatment and 'cure'. The word 'tumour' caused significant stress and anxiety and depression was common. PD and PT felt general practitioners (GP) lacked information about pituitary disease.

Conclusions. Pituitary disease has a major impact on psychological well-being. PD but not PT felt involved in decisions about their management. GPs may need more education about pituitary disease. The study adds important information about the emotional effects of pituitary disease and its treatment.

Relevance to clinical practice. Pituitary disease is a generic term encompassing a range of underlying disease processes that often produce vague symptoms, often attributed to other causes, which delays diagnosis and treatment. Pituitary disease has a significant under recognised impact on people's mental and physical wellbeing and self-concept. Although the underlying hormonal imbalances associated with pituitary disease are largely reversible (cured), emotional distress persists. Regular monitoring of emotional wellbeing as well as medical and hormone status is warranted.

Scanners, brokers and providers : partners in developing learning programs

This paper reports some of the findings from a project that aimed to identify effective processes for ensuring that the content of learning activities is relevant to the changing needs of clients, and evolves so as to always incorporate the best available knowledge and science. This paper focuses on findings relating to the drivers for the development of new or substantially revised learning programs. The project, ‘Providing client-focussed education and training’, was funded by the FarmBis section of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The project also produced a self-assessment checklist for training providers to identify ways of improving the development and delivery of training. The key issues include continuous monitoring of client’s needs, and actively seeking opportunities to meet and work with industry organisations, other training providers and funding bodies.

There appear to be two drivers for the development of learning programs. One is problems or opportunities identified by people and organisations that could be termed ‘scanners’ and who tend not to be potential participants, the other is learning needs expressed by individuals or enterprises who want to participate in learning activities.

Scanners are typically industry organisations, government agencies and researchers, but may include providers and participants. Scanners identify learning needs that are not yet being expressed by potential participants, with the occasional exception of leading primary producers. Expressed participant needs drive the development of other programs. Providers become aware of the need for a new or substantially revised program, for example as a result of feedback from an existing program, because of legislative change or from delivering a similar program in other industries or contexts (for example computer training). Brokers (such as industry organisations who work to connect providers and participants) and ‘champions’ of training help participants identify and articulate their learning needs.

The impact of erectile dysfunction on female partners : a qualitative investigation

Sexual dysfunction research has primarily focused on understanding and treating problems of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. Research has paid little attention to the impact of ED on women. The current study reports on an investigation of women's perception of their partners' ED, what they had tried to do about the problem and the impact of ED on them and their relationship. In-depth interviews were conducted with 51 women who were currently in a heterosexual relationship with a man with ED. The findings provide detailed information on women's experience of their partners' ED. They also demonstrate the need for educational resources on sexual difficulties for both the lay public and their medical practitioners. In the clinical situation, the study demonstrated the value of involving the female partner in the treatment process in improving a couple's sexual satisfaction.

Investigating women's preference for sildenafil or tadalafil use by their partners with erectile dysfunction : the partners' preference study.

Introduction: Several preference studies comparing a short-acting with a longer-acting phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor have been conducted in men. Most men in those studies preferred tadalafil rather than sildenafil, and recent post hoc analysis of one study described several factors associated with men’s treatment preference. No prospective studies have investigated the woman partners’ preferences.

Aim: To investigate the treatment preference of women who were partners of men using oral medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) in a single-center open-label crossover study.

Methods: One hundred heterosexual couples in stable relationships, with male partners having ED based on the erectile function subscale of the International Index of Erectile Function, were randomly assigned to receive sildenafil or  tadalafil for a 12-week phase, followed by another 12-week period using the alternate drug. Male and female participants completed sexual event diaries during both study phases, and the female participants were interviewed at  baseline, midpoint, and end of study.

Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome data were the women’s final  interviews during which they were asked which drug they preferred and their reasons for that preference.

Results: A total of 79.2% of the women preferred their partners’ use of tadalafil, while 15.6% preferred sildenafil. Preference was not affected by age or treatment order randomization. Women preferring tadalafil reported feeling more relaxed, experiencing less pressure, and enjoying a more natural or spontaneous sexual experience as reasons for their choice. Mean number of tablets used, events recorded, events per week, and days between events were not significantly different during each study phase.

Conclusion: Women’s preferences were similar to men when using these two drugs. While the women’s reasons for preferring tadalafil emphasized relaxed, satisfying, longer-lasting sexual experiences, those preferring sildenafil focused on satisfaction and drug effectiveness for their partner.

Effect of deer velvet on sexual function in men and their partners: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study

The use of alternative medicines and herbal remedies is an increasing trend in Western societies. For years, people have taken products made of deer velvet for their alleged beneficial effects on sexual function. There has been no scientific investigation of the effects of deer velvet powder on the sexual functioning of human males. This study investigated sexual function in men during a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of deer velvet. Thirty-two volunteer male participants, aged 45–65 years, and their partners, were randomly assigned to either the deer velvet or placebo study group. The males took capsules containing ground deer velvet or placebo everyday for 12 weeks. Two sexual function questionnaires (the International Index of Erectile Function and the Brief Index of Sexual Function for Women) used at pre- and posttreatment assessed changes in sexual functioning in males and their partners. Blood tests at baseline, and end of study, determined levels of sex-related hormones in male participants. There were no significant differences in the sexual behavior of the men taking deer velvet compared with the men taking placebo capsules. There were no significant hormone changes from baseline to the end of the study in either group of men. We conclude that in normal males there was no advantage in taking deer velvet to enhance sexual function. All alternative health products or nutritional supplements should be subjected to randomized placebo-controlled trials to determine efficacy.

Preferences for ultraviolet partners in the blue tit

The preference of female blue tits, Parus caeruleus, is correlated with the brightness of the ultraviolet (UV) crest; there is also assortative mating with respect to the crest's UV/violet chroma. However, manipulation of plumage reflectance is necessary to infer a direct causal link between UV plumage and mate choice. We gave both male and female blue tits a choice between a W-reflecting ('UV+') partner and a partner whose UV plumage reflectance had been removed ('UV-'). Male blue tits significantly preferred UV+ females. Similarly, female blue tits tended to prefer UV-reflecting males, but their UV+ preferences were nonsignificant. Neither sex showed a preference when conspecifics were replaced by a heterospecific. This study suggests mutual mate choice but male choice may be more strongly influenced by the visual appearance of potential mates. This is one of a few studies to show male mate preferences and the first demonstration of a direct relationship between UV reflectance and;male mate choice. (C) 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.