Factors that contribute to Medicare HMO risk contract success.

In 1985, federal legislation was implemented that allowed HMOs to contract with the Health Care Financing Administration for Medicare enrollees on a risk basis. This change stimulated the development of risk contractors and a growth in HMO Medicare enrollees. This paper examines selected factors that contributed to large Medicare risk contract enrollment in four geographical locations: Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, and Portland, Oregon. The primary types of factors examined were: HMO market conditions, HMO characteristics, and HMO marketing strategies and practices. The market competition varied substantially across the four areas. HMO plan age, total number of HMO enrollees, low premium, and the use of multimedia marketing strategies were positively associated with large Medicare risk contract enrollment.

Industrial push-buttons.

Despite the widespread use of push-buttons as important controls on industrial equipment, little has been written about the human factors involved in their use. In a previous paper (Moore, 1974) the tactile and kinaesthetic aspects of push-buttons were examined. The purpose of the present paper is to explain the wider ergonomic aspects of push-buttons in the context of operational requirements and engineering constraints. In addition to describing individual push-button design, the importance of panel layout and position are stressed.

Tactile and kinaesthetic aspects of push-buttons.

Push-buttons are used widely as important controls on a large number of machines ranging from tiny electronic calculators to heavy industrial plant. Although there are some similar design problems for all sizes of button there are also very big differences. Considerable work has been done on keyboard button design but little has been written about the design and layout of control buttons for industrial equipment. This paper describes the tactile and kinaesthetic senses, explaining their importance for button design and layout, especially in situations where visual identification of buttons is not possible. An experiment is reported whereby push-button shapes were tested for tactile discriminability and allocated to given control functions.

Human factors of a microelectronic product: the central heating timer/programmer.

The advent of microelectronics has enabled designers to incorporate considerably more functional capability and flexibility into products than was previously possible. Technical capabilities are no longer major constraints and designers are finding it increasingly difficult to choose between a vast range of alternatives. In an effort to narrow the range, designers are turning to behavioural scientists in marketing, ergonomics and psychology to guide them when selecting functions, specifying operating procedures and selecting components. This paper illustrates the application of human factors techniques to the analysis of problems with existing consumer products and to the synthesis of novel designs incorporating advanced microelectronics components. Within this general theme the paper concentrates on the design of a particular product - the central heating timer/programmer.

Granule enzymes of polymorphonuclear neutrophils: A phylogenetic comparison.

The functional significance of granule enzymes in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) is not fully understood because of the multiplicity of the enzymes and the rare occurrence of deficiencies in man. In order to select appropriate laboratory animals for functional studies, a phylogenetic comparison of enzyme levels in animal and human PMN was undertaken. Neutrophils were obtained from a variety of laboratory animals and man; the activities of alkaline phosphatase, lysozyme, myeloperoxidase, and beta-glucuronidase were determined by histochemical and analytical techniques. Marked interspecies differences in enzyme activity were found; many species were deficient in alkaline phosphatase or lysozyme. Differences in pH optima and metal requirements of alkaline phosphatase were not of sufficient magnitude to explain the variations of this enzyme.

Early intervention: professional views and referral practices of Australian paediatricians.

OBJECTIVE: To gather information from paediatricians concerning their attitudes to early intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities and to study their referral practices. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and ninety-five Australian paediatricians completed a postal questionnaire. RESULTS: Paediatricians presented a positive view of early intervention, particularly for its beneficial impact on families, and perceived the quality of services to be comprehensive or adequate. There were few differences between States, or between country or metropolitan areas. Most paediatricians make prompt referrals to early intervention services when a child has an established disability. Referral is much less likely with suspected delay. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatricians are aware of the benefits of early intervention but additional information concerning the role of these services and their significant impact on families and children should be provided.

Early intervention: the professional views and referral practices of paediatricians in Victoria.

Early intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities have developed considerably in the past decade, yet little information is available about the referral practices and views of Australian paediatricians. During 1991, 100 paediatricians in Victoria completed a postal questionnaire designed to gain information regarding their attitudes to early intervention and referral practices. The results indicated that paediatricians had a positive view of early intervention, and perceived the standard and quality of the services in their region as comprehensive (16%) or adequate (54%). They were likely to make prompt referrals in the presence of an established disability (75%), but with suspected developmental delay, many (45%) were likely to wait until the delay was confirmed. Referrals were more often made for intervention for the child rather than for family support. However, paediatricians felt that early intervention had a beneficial effect on family functioning (81%). In general, the results indicate that there seem to be few barriers between paediatricians and the early intervention field.