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Eighty-three women who perceived themselves to be at risk for ovarian cancer completed a battery of surveys. In addition to demographics, subjects were asked to complete the Brief Symptom Inventory, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, Death Anxiety Scale, Taylor Anxiety Scale, Index of Sexual Satisfaction, Impact of Event Scale, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Overall, the respondents were more similar to normal controls than to psychiatric outpatients. A correlation was drawn between higher levels of education and lower scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory, which measures characteristics such as somatization, obsessive compulsive behaviors, interpersonal sensitivity, and anxiety. However, those who had the highest scores on the Death Anxiety Scale were less likely to comply with the recommendation for a physical/gynecological examination. Patients who were most influenced by an external locus of control or 'powerful other' were more compliant with their physicians' recommendations for testing and examination. It is the authors' belief that individualized educational efforts and the presence of a solid support system may increase women's adherence to the recommended health care practices., (Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The authors developed, implemented, and evaluated a callback program in which hospital patients are contacted three weeks after discharge to resolve clinical or service concerns. Of the more than 2,000 patients contacted during the initial pilot test, 6% said they had a clinical concern and were promptly directed to a physician's office. A randomized/controlled study comparing a control group of patients (who were not called) to an experimental group (called) shows that several satisfaction measures increased positively within the experimental group. The authors conclude that the Patient Callback Program contributes to more effective clinical care and to perceptions of higher customer service.