Tuesday, January 18, 2005

By Any Other Name: The Many Iterations of Patient Advocate in Clinical Research   IRB: Ethics & Human Research story at Medscape - " A satisfactory informed consent process for clinical research can be elusive under the best of circumstances. Prospective enrollees may be limited in their understanding of the process by poor education or serious illness. Conflicts of interest may bias investigators' presentations of information. Time constraints and a host of other factors can likewise intrude. In view of such challenges, some observers have proposed that, at least for some kinds of research, prospective enrollees should have someone - a 'patient advocate' or 'research subject advocate' - to enhance the process." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Psychotherapy helps anxiety disorder   UPI story at PsycPORT - "German researchers report psychotherapy can help patients who have generalized anxiety disorder, which commonly is treated with medication. A study published in the January edition of the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics finds chronic, constant worry or generalized anxiety, one of the most common mental disorders, usually is treated by using antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which include Xanax and Valium..."