Data audit: Its place in auditing

The terms “audit”; and “data audit”; have previously appeared in the science literature (see for example, Glide, 1975, p. 207, 1976, pp. 187–190; Noel, 1979, p. 73). Attempts have been made in that literature to discuss the nature of these terms. However, we are not aware of any discussions that have evaluated the nature of “data auditing”; in terms of the existing auditing literature. In this paper we briefly review the history of traditional auditing; briefly review the various types of auditing and auditors that exist in the United States; consider the generic nature of auditing; consider definitions of data audits that appear in existing science literature; consider the nature of data auditing; and consider where data auditing can be placed within auditing.     

The Impact of a Mandatory Employment Program on Welfare Terminations

ABSTRACT

This longitudinal study analyzes the impact of one of the most ambitious employment and training programs in the nation, California's Greater Avenue for Independence (GAIN), on welfare terminations. The study isolates the effects of GAIN from other effects by controlling for AFDC program characteristics and labor market conditions. The findings suggest that, all else constant, GAIN increased terminations in a modest fashion. The paper discusses the difficulties future welfare-to-work programs are likely to have in substantially increasing terminations even with stringent mandatory work requirements.     

An Exploratory Study of Social Work with Older Persons in Cuba

Abstract

Assuring a satisfactory quality of life for Cuba's large and fast growing older population is a national challenge. Social work plays an important part in addressing this challenge through its role in Cuba's National Program for the Care of Older Persons. This article explores the role of social work in Cuba's programs for the elderly and its implications for social work practice in the US. The information was obtained from 25 qualitative interviews with policy makers, social work practitioners, and community members in Havana, Cuba in 2003. The community oriented and interdisciplinary nature of Cuban social work with older persons distinguishes it from social work in the US and has implications for social work in this country. Despite the differences between Cuba and the US, the Cuban social work model provides important insights for social work in this country.     

The office of scientific integrity investigations: The importance of data analysis

Certified Public Accountants serve as independent auditors of financial statements. They perform information‐integrity testing for the economy and society, adding creditability to financial statements prepared by organizations’ management. Investors, creditors, and others rely on these financial statements and the audit report to make business decisions. Auditing work involves gathering evidence (research) and forming an opinion (reporting results) about the “fairness”; of financial statements according to regulatory, legal, and professional rules. As researchers, auditors are subject to a complex network of mechanisms to promote accountability in their work. These mechanisms exist at environmental, professional, and audit‐firm levels. They combine to influence the judgments of individual auditors.     

Research ethics and clinical trials: Fostering collaboration with research participants

Accountability in research is a concept that applies to researchers and study participants alike. Human subjects play an active part in the success or failure of a clinical trial by virtue of their understanding of a study's goals expectations of personal gain, and adherence to study design. Trials must be designed to address patient concerns, offer an improved consent process, and move beyond our narrow conception of “patient rights.”; Problems with protocol adherence may be reduced by conceptualizing clinical research as an endeavor with mutual accountability within a relational ethic.     

Preventing ethical misconduct in the risk sciences: Opportunities,barriers, and strategies summary of June 17, 1993 conference

On June 17,1993, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) hosted an invitational conference at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) that focused on preventing misconduct in risk science. After a brief presentation of EOHSI's empirical surveys and focus group studies, panelists discussed the use of educational programs, auditing and other methods to reduce misconduct.

The symposium had 31 registrants, including journal editors, university educators, government and industry officials, national and regional heads of professional organizations in risk assessment and risk management, and experts on ethical issues. They were trained in a wide variety of disciplines that bear directly on risk analysis, such as biology, chemistry, economics, epidemiology, health education, industrial hygiene, law, medicine, statistics, and toxicology. The majority have substantial experience in risk analysis.     

Abstracts of theses: Smith college School for social work 1945

Abstract

This paper examines various psychoanalytic conceptions of trauma, including ideas associated with classical psychoanalytic theory, object‐relations theory, self‐psychology and continuous construction theory. Clinical issues germane to the psychotherapy of children are then discussed and a clinical vignette presented. The vignette focuses upon the psychotherapy of a 10‐year‐old boy, with particular attention given to the narrative discourse that evolved in the course of the boy's therapy. The evolution of the child's narrative is illustrated through the use of transcribed material derived from different phases of the boy's treatment.     

Lessons Learned From the Supporting Father Involvement Study: A Cross-Cultural Preventive Intervention for Low-Income Families With Young Children

ABSTRACT

Despite the proliferation of fatherhood programs designed to promote paternal involvement and positive family outcomes, evaluations of these programs are scarce. The Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) study is a randomized clinical trial comprised of 289 low-income Spanish- and English-speaking families living in California. The evaluation design reflects a partnership stance that promotes empowerment of staff and social service agencies. This article examines lessons learned from the program's first 3 years (2002–2004) from the perspectives of both evaluators and program staff. The lessons cover a broad range of areas, including communication procedures, training, staffing, recruitment/retention, clinical needs, intervention content and process, and maintaining cultural sensitivity.     

The Inclusion of Minority Groups in Clinical Trials: Problems of Under Representation and Under Reporting of Data

Objective: To evaluate the representation of minority groups in randomized control trials (RCTs), and the frequency with which this information is reported.

Study Design: Reviewers collected data on the racial/ethnic composition of study samples from all RCTs published in six leading medical journals in 1999.

Results: Of the 280 RCTs, most (204, 71.3%) provided no information on the race/ethnicity of participants. Of the 89 U.S.-based RCTs, 50 (56.1%) reported their minority distribution. Relative to other trials, those funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) (n = 52) were more likely to report race/ethnicity data (55.8% vs. 23.7%; χ² = 20.9, p ≤ 0.001) and to include nonwhite participants (13.5% vs. 12.5%; χ² = 22.7, p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion: Minority groups are currently under-represented in clinical trials. Information on the race and ethnicity of clinical trial participants is currently underreported in six leading medical journals. Reporting of minority group information was significantly better only in NIH funded trials, which also were more likely to include nonwhite participants. This suggests that mandatory reporting policies may have a positive effect on both reporting and representation.     

Perceptions of Caregiving Role by Son's Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

In this qualitative study, 18 sons were interviewed about the factors that led them to assume the role of primary caregiver for a parent with progressive memory loss, such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as the personal challenge that they experienced in this role. The analysis demonstrated that sons experience a range of emotional reactions, personal and professional conflict, as well as learn about new roles and responsibilities as they attempt to access the needed services for their parent. Clinical recommendations for geriatric social workers are discussed.     

Book reviews

Clinical Social Work. Helen Northen. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.)

The Fifty‐Minute Hour: A Collection of True Psychoanalytic Tales. Robert Lindner. (New York and London: Jason Aronson, 1982.)

Clinical Work With Children. Judith M. Mishne. (New York: The Free Press, 1983.)

The Father Figure. Lorna McKee and Margaret O'Brien, Editors. (London: Tavistock Publications, 1982.)     

Policies and quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry 1

The pharmaceutical industry is engaged in a critical undertaking of research, development, and marketing of drugs to patients. In this complex process there are a number of important steps involving corporate policies that require adherence by top management and personnel. The clinical trials, especially phase I—where drugs are first introduced into man, is one of these key steps that requires careful ethical consideration. The generic problem of varied conflict of interest among the personnel and departments can be the main contributing factor to decline in faith and confidence in the industry. It is argued in this paper than an effective and comprehensive quality assurance program that depends on internal and external review process and augumented by periodic externally conducted data audit is essential for corporations in developing and marketing safe and effective drugs. External quality assurance programs and data audit can make recommendations to management to avoid conflict of interests. The comprehensive key points of a high quality assurance program is proposed.     

论内部审计实施的法律要件

《中华人民共和国审计法》和《审计署关于内部审计工作的规定》是法定单位进行内部审计的法律依据;同时亦是内部审计实施的法律要件的法源。内部审计实施的四大法律要件之间关系紧密,对确保法定单位顺利地实施内部审计具有决定性意义。     

Anticipated and Experienced Changes in Activities After Husbands Retire

Abstract

As an element of anticipatory socialization, ability to predict future roles accurately may impact subsequent adaptation. Part of a larger study of retirement and marital quality, this longitudinal research examined husbands' and wives' (n = 61 couples) anticipations of change (more/less/same) in six individual and joint activities following husbands' retirement, and compared them with couples' reported experiences a year after husbands had retired. With the exception of household tasks, continuity in levels of activity from pre- to post-retirement was greater than couples had anticipated. Cross-classification of responses at baseline and Time 2 indicated only modest congruence between anticipated and experienced change in activities. Accuracy of anticipation was not related significantly to retirement satisfaction as hypothesized, but direction of retirement-satisfaction mean scores, especially among wives, suggest that future testing would be warranted.     

Utilizing a Required Documentation Course to Improve the Recording Skills of Undergraduate Social Work Students

ABSTRACT

Baccalaureate social workers respond to documentation and record-keeping demands of regulatory organizations that oversee or fund social service agencies. Learning to accurately document client needs, progress, and service delivery outcomes is important in ensuring that clients are receiving effective services. Despite the importance of documentation skills, many undergraduate social work programs do not provide sufficient curriculum content on client record keeping. The authors report the results of a study that examined changes in baccalaureate social work students’ perceptions of their documentation skills after completing a required documentation course. The sample size included 101 students at pretest and 97 students completing the post-test. Statistically significant findings show students perceived an increase in knowledge in three areas of documentation: 1) formats, 2) content, and 3) writing skills. The authors discuss implications for social work education and practice.     

It Is Not Always Easy to Sit on Your Mouth

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the use of small groups in an after-school tutoring program for children, ages 5 to 12. Five group work principles are emphasized: (1) beginning where the group members are and drawing upon their interests; (2) enhancing mutual aid among group members; (3) taking the stages of group development into consideration when planning activities; (4) using the leader's role in ways that encourage and are helpful to group members; and (5) believing that members have something valuable to contribute to the group. Incorporation of group work principles into academic enrichment programs, rather than reliance solely on one-to-one tutoring, is urged.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Clinical Social Workers

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this review article are to orient clinical social workers to cognitive-behavioral theory, intervention, and research on bipolar disorder (BD); identify pros and cons of applying cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to social work clients with BD; and identify specific implications for clinical social work practice. Of the 545 articles that were obtained via the systematic review, 18 studies were identified as being potentially eligible for inclusion, and 9 of those studies ultimately satisfied the inclusion criteria. The results of each study were summarized via identifying statistically significant (p< .05) differences that existed between experimental cohorts who received CBT (plus pharmacotherapy) and control cohorts who received treatment as usual. Outcomes showed CBT cohorts as having significant improvement over their respective control groups. The review's implications for clinical social workers and the need for future research are discussed.     

Clinical Home Visitation for Children With Externalizing Disorders: A Randomized Study

ABSTRACT

Clinical home visitation (CHV) was empirically tested in a randomized study to determine if it could reduce a child's externalizing behaviors while alleviating parental stress. Clinic-referred waitlisted young children (n = 33) with symptoms suggesting an externalizing disorder were randomly offered a CHV intervention composed of a developmentally guided dyadic-centered syllabus. Families were recruited to participate in an experimental (n = 21) or control group (n = 12). Mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the Child Behavior Checklist. Results of paired-samples t-tests indicated that postintervention aggression scores were significantly different from the pretest scores for the entire sample. The Difficult Child domain was the only significant PSI subscale. The results did not support definitive conclusions about CHV as an effective intervention to reduce an externalizing disorder or to alleviate parenting stress. Future research should include larger numbers of children with externalizing disorders pooled from the clinic-referred and community samples. To address the complexities involved in treating externalizing disorders, CHV could be offered as part of a multimodal intervention (e.g., CHV combined with parent and family education).     

Public Assistance Eligibility and the Well-Being of Poor People in China

ABSTRACT

This study adopted content analysis to examine policy papers concerning the eligibility requirements of the Minimum Living Standard Scheme (MLSS) in China's 31 capital cities. It was found that local officials not only assess applicants’ assets and incomes, but also their living space, quality of home decoration, possession of luxury goods, leisure activities, and behavior. The local governments’ use of a lifestyle assessment approach is caused by financial constraints and the lack of an effective mechanism to check applicants’ incomes. The lifestyle approach leads to regional inequalities in accessing public assistance, because some of the terms, which define the quality of life, are too ambiguous. The lifestyle approach, which requires applicants to live in very poor living conditions and also demonstrate their hardship to local officials, will be a barrier preventing poor people from being integrated into their communities. This study suggests that the key words and terms in the policy documents need to be clearly explained and similar criteria should also be adopted across different regions. It also proposes that the gap between MLSS eligibility criteria in the policy papers and their actual implementation requires further study in order to understand the impact of special local factors and the quality of life of poor people in China.     

Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertations, 2005 Smith College School for Social Work

Abstract

This essay reflects on personal transformative experiences as explored using ideas from transformative learning, developmental perspectives and the practice of spiritual direction. This reflects the multi-disciplinary, relationally based perspectives that are useful in exploring transformation when spirituality is an essential dimension of understanding the meaning of critical incidents or events in one's life. Using the metaphor of spinning a kaleidoscope to identify memories that elucidate critical transitions in a personal narrative, there are memories from childhood, early professional life and recent events which afford an opportunity to revisit and explore the meaning of those events. The essay provides insight into the practice of spiritual direction that has similar parallels in clinical practice. These parallels include: the importance of attending to the relationship; of paying attention to one's own stillness and silence; and of engaging the other in owning the transformative power of insights from their explorations.