Mary Ann Burg - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mary Ann Burg

Journal of Empirical Theology, Apr 20, 2018

This empirical study sought to explore the relationship of personality, spirituality and empathy.... more This empirical study sought to explore the relationship of personality, spirituality and empathy. Specifically, the possible additional predictive ability of spirituality for empathy when also including personality was examined. Multidimensional measures of spirituality (Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale) and personality (Big Five Inventory) were utilized with a sample of both undergraduate, graduate students and practitioners from two disciplines. Data was collected from several sites, including three universities. Results demonstrated that most spiritual dimensions were not significantly correlated with empathy. One spirituality dimension (Spiritual Perspective) however added significantly to a regression model that also included personality dimensions.

Journal of religion and spirituality in social work : social thought, Dec 24, 2018

Although research generally supports a relationship between certain personality dimensions and em... more Although research generally supports a relationship between certain personality dimensions and empathy, there is relatively little empirical information directly examining the relationship between spirituality and empathy. This study sought to explore the relationship of spirituality to empathy, while including relevant personality dimensions. Multidimensional measures of spirituality (Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale) and personality (Big Five Inventory) were used with a sample of both students and practitioners. Students included both undergraduate and graduate social work students from four universities. Practitioners included both social workers and nurses from a local hospital. Results demonstrated that only one spirituality dimension (Spiritual Perspective) was correlated with empathy. While this Spiritual Perspective dimension was not a significant predictor in a regression model, the interaction term of Spiritual Perspective and Agreeableness (personality) was significant in predicting empathy.

Medical Care, Mar 1, 1991

Surveys are needed to monitor trends in mammography use and to evaluate intervention programs aim... more Surveys are needed to monitor trends in mammography use and to evaluate intervention programs aimed at increasing breast cancer screening. In a community-based intervention project in Long Island (New York), estimated response rates were similar in separate random surveys of women 50-75 years old by mail and telephone. Respondents by mail (n = 2,368) and telephone (n = 1,011) were similar in distributions of age, marital status, and educational level, and mail respondents did not have higher income levels than telephone respondents. Reported utilization of breast cancer screening tests was similar by survey mode. A statistically significant positive association between mammography utilization and income level was evident in both mail and telephone surveys. These findings should promote the consideration of mail surveys in other studies of the utilization of breast cancer screening tests by various health care organizations.

Aggression and Violent Behavior, Nov 1, 2015

Abstract Patient violence and aggression towards healthcare providers is a significant health and... more Abstract Patient violence and aggression towards healthcare providers is a significant health and public affairs problem receiving international attention. Such violence is found to occur regardless of healthcare setting or provider discipline. However, most of the evidence of a high frequency of incidents perpetrated against providers is anecdotal and solid data on the prevalence of these incidents is not yet available. Studies have shown that accurate incident reporting remains one of the primary impediments to creating organizational policies and procedures to ensure the safety of the clinical direct care healthcare provider. Yet there is no clear evidence base currently existing to suggest what measures are of most utility in remedying this underreporting. This article contributes to the literature by conducting a systematic review of existing instruments designed to measure and report incidents of patient violence against health care workers. It is hoped that this review of existing measures will stimulate health care agencies to employ routine provider reporting mechanisms in order to increase provider reporting, improve the data on patient violence and consequentially work towards combatting this public affairs problem.

Home Health Care Management & Practice, Oct 22, 2013

The problematic occurrence of client violence and patient aggression toward health care workers i... more The problematic occurrence of client violence and patient aggression toward health care workers is pervasive, with studies and reports finding that home health care workers experience one of the highest rates of client violence than any other career field. With the recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, traditional health care delivery in institutional care settings is increasingly shifted to service delivery venues in noninstitutional care settings. During this transition, greater numbers of health care workers are providing services in patients’ private homes, increasing the potential risk to staff safety and well-being in these settings.

JAMA, Jul 4, 1990

Data from seven studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) were used to determine c... more Data from seven studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) were used to determine current rates of breast cancer screening and to identify the characteristics of and reasons for women not being screened. All seven studies were population-based surveys of women aged 50 to 74 years without breast cancer. While over 90% of non-Hispanic white respondents had regular sources of medical care, 46% to 76% had had a clinical breast examination within the previous year, and only 25% to 41% had had a mammogram. Less educated and poorer women had had fewer mammograms. The two most common reasons women gave for never having had a mammogram were that they did not know they needed it and that their physician had not recommended it. Many physicians may have overlooked the opportunity to recommend mammography for older women when performing a clinical breast examination and to educate their patients about the benefit of screening mammography.

Patient Education and Counseling, Jun 1, 1992

A community-based intervention project on Long Island was supported by the National Cancer Instit... more A community-based intervention project on Long Island was supported by the National Cancer Institute to increase the use of mammography and breast physical examination among older women. During a l-year period 526 women aged 50 and older attended educational sessions presented by the project staff conducted in the community in a variety of settings. Sixty-eight percent (35.5) of the women who participated provided identifying data and completed pre-and post-session surveys while 40% (210) also completed a mail survey 6-12 months later. Screening behavior improved subsequent to the intervention, at follow-up 61% had taken some related action. More than half of the 109 women who had a mammogram after attending the session indicated that the presentation inji'uenced them to do so. The use of a game created a positive atmosphere for conveying information about a sensitive subject and en-This research was supported under Grant CA45034 from the National Cancer Institute. couraged discussion among women who had a variety of experiences with screening.

Medical Care, Feb 1, 1993

Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, Nov 1, 2012

Throughout its history, social work has played a critical role in major client/patient care initi... more Throughout its history, social work has played a critical role in major client/patient care initiatives because of its unique perspective, wisdom, and skills. The new screening standards set forth by the American College of Surgeons&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; Commission on Cancer place oncology social workers at the forefront of developing and implementing procedures for distress screening. Our profession is again challenged to work across disciplines and change systems of care to improve the health and welfare of patients with cancer and their families. Indeed, emerging research suggests that the use of psychosocial screening instruments results in reductions in emotional distress, better quality of life, and improved patient-provider communication. As an introduction to this special issue on distress screening, this article offers a brief overview of issues related to distress screening that are covered by papers authored in this special issue by Association of Oncology Social Work members. Topics addressed include a review of the historical context driving distress screening implementation, barriers and challenges to oncology social workers trying to implement distress screening, statistical and cultural considerations for selecting screening tools, best practice models, and future considerations. This special issue is intended to be a primer and serves to promote oncology social workers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; involvement and leadership in the development and implementation of distress screening.

American Journal of Public Health, Nov 1, 1989

In surveys of random samples of women 50 years of age and older residing in two communities in Lo... more In surveys of random samples of women 50 years of age and older residing in two communities in Long Island, New York, both within-subject (cohort) and independent-sample comparisons were made before and after the media announcements of Nancy Reagan's breast cancer. Knowledge of lifetime risk of breast cancer increased significantly only in the cohort comparison, while selfperception of risk did not increase. Small proportions of women surveyed, however, reportedly were influenced to contact a health professional (6-8 percent) and to have their first mammogram (1.5-2 percent) which they attributed directly to Mrs. Reagan's experience with breast cancer.

Springer eBooks, Sep 1, 2015

Book Summary: Patients with chronic conditions often need psychosocial support and brief counseli... more Book Summary: Patients with chronic conditions often need psychosocial support and brief counseling to help them make the lifestyle and behavioral changes required to prevent disease complications. This innovative text, with contributions from respected clinicians and researchers in all arenas of behavioral health, provides comprehensive training for all health professionals—including those in medicine, nursing, social work, mental health, and clinical and health psychology—who desire targeted evidence-based training in behavioral health skills. Rich case examples drawn from typical patient presentations demonstrate the relationship between physical and psychological health and the complexity of behavioral change in chronic illness. Chapter Summary: This textbook focuses on knowledge and skills needed for working with the most common chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, chronic pain, cardiovascular conditions, sleep disorders, geriatric conditions, cancer-related conditions, and substance abuse. Prof. Dailey\u27s chapter discusses epidemiological trends in these conditions

Journal of Public Child Welfare, Apr 13, 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate child abuse prevention campaign materials. Using a rand... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate child abuse prevention campaign materials. Using a randomized posttest design, 600 parents from an online research panel were recruited and surveyed. Multiple regression results indicate that exposure to the campaign materials had a significant relationship with four of the five domains (effects of child maltreatment, the appropriateness of harsh parenting, the physical dangers and needs unique to childhood, and the power to prevent child maltreatment). These results have implications for the child abuse prevention practitioners who seek to design and distribute effective campaign materials.

Social Work in Health Care, Oct 22, 2008

A mailed and online survey of 622 members of the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW) in... more A mailed and online survey of 622 members of the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW) indicated their proportion of time committed to certain aspects of practice and to certain population groups, and the extent to which they feel competent in various practice areas. Respondents indicated high levels of competence in 17 topic areas, including promotion of patient coping skills, end-of-life issues, and group work. Topic areas in which at least one third of respondents indicated little to no competence included pain assessment and management, cognitive behavioral therapy, complementary and alternative practices, and political advocacy. Although respondents indicated that they spend approximately 10% of their time with non-English-speaking populations, 50% of the sample indicated that they have little to no competence working with this population. Differences in levels of competence by years of experience and work setting were noted across many areas. Findings from this survey may be useful in the development of curriculum for preparing oncology social workers for practice in today&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s changing health care environment.

Health & Social Work, May 1, 1994

Increasing numbers of homeless female-headed families are entering temporary shelters. Social wor... more Increasing numbers of homeless female-headed families are entering temporary shelters. Social workers who work with sheltered families are confronted with a complex array of health care problems. This article introduces an analytic framework that classifies the types of health problems that emerge among shelter residents and serves as a guide to social work intervention with the health problems of shelter residents. The framework covers three categories of health problems: illness coincident with homelessness, those exacerbated by limited health care access, and those associated with the psychosocial burdens of homelessness. The failures of the current structure of the health care reimbursement and the deficiencies of service delivery to homeless families are discussed. The analytic framework conceptualizes the interrelationship between health and poverty. It can be used as a tool for informed social work intervention, advocacy, training, and research activities.

JAMA, Nov 11, 1998

More than half of the respondents reported that they had used 1 or more types of alternative medi... more More than half of the respondents reported that they had used 1 or more types of alternative medicine. The highest overall personal use of alternative therapies was reported by health professions (allied health) faculty members (76%), followed by faculty in nursing (74%), dentistry ...

American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book, May 1, 2016

Although the number of long-term cancer survivors has increased substantially over past years, th... more Although the number of long-term cancer survivors has increased substantially over past years, the journey of survivorship does not always include high-quality, patient-centered care. A variety of survivorship care models have evolved based on who provides this care, the survivor population, the site of care, and/or the capacity for delivering specific services. Other areas of survivorship care being explored include how long follow-up care is needed, application of a risk-based approach to survivorship care, and the role of the survivor in his or her own recovery. However, there is little evidence indicating whether any models improve clinical or patient-reported outcomes. A newer focus in survivorship care has included assessment of potential disparities; the sociodemographic characteristics of population subgroups associated with barriers to receiving high-quality cancer treatment may also affect the survivorship period. Developing policies and programs to address disparities in survivorship care is not simple, and examining how financial hardship affects cancer outcomes, reducing economic barriers to care, and increasing incorporation of patient-centered strategies may be important components. Here too, there is little evidence regarding the best strategies to address these disparities. Barriers to providing high-quality, patientcentered survivorship care include lack of evidence, lack of a trained survivorship workforce, lack of reimbursement structures/insurance coverage, and lack of a health care system that reduces fragmented care. Future research needs to focus on developing a survivorship care evidence base, exploring strategies to facilitate provision of survivorship care, and disseminating best survivorship care practices to diverse and international audiences.

American Journal of Human Biology, 1997

PubMed, Nov 14, 2012

Background and objectives: Family physicians are trained to assess mental health symptoms and pro... more Background and objectives: Family physicians are trained to assess mental health symptoms and provide some mental health interventions to their patients. Because of obstacles to referring patients to mental health specialists, many family physicians independently provide outpatient mental health treatment such as brief office counseling. Questions exist regarding physicians' interest in, perceived competence with, and their actual practice of brief office counseling in family medicine. Methods: Surveys were administered to physicians at 11 family medicine residency programs in Florida. Results: Physicians regularly evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with mild to moderate mental health disorders. Physicians prefer to evaluate patients themselves but refer patients who require counseling to specialists. However, physicians often provide brief office counseling themselves. Physicians believe they have the knowledge and skills to competently and effectively provide brief office counseling to their patients. They also believe that patients are receptive to and prefer to receive brief office counseling from their family physician rather than from a mental health specialist. Conclusions: Physicians are willing and feel competent to identify and treat patients with mental disorders in the family medicine outpatient setting, including the provision of brief office counseling. Further research is needed to understand what effective mental health interventions can efficiently be taught to family physicians. Having family physicians treat mental health disorders may lead to greater patient satisfaction, improved chronic care management, and a positive impact on quality of care.