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Stephen Brown
Overall, I would recommend this book to any-ne as a good balance to the government infor-ation on the changes in the NHS. It is biased,
ut it makes no attempt to deny this and althoughn places it lapses into emotive language many ofhe arguments are articulate and evidenced. How-ver, if you are one of the clinicians experiencinghe ‘lowering moral of the workers’ or the ‘cuttinglinicians down to size’, it may be better to waitnd read this later, in case you give up all hope.
Heather ThorntonE-mail address: [email protected]
oi: 10.1016/j.physio.2006.12.006
PSS Survival Manual, 2nd ed.ulie Pallant, Open University Press, 2004, 336ages, £25.99, ISBN 0-335-216640-0
The author sets out to integrate researchesign and sound statistical analysis and for theost part this is achieved at the undergraduate
evel. The process is inclusive and comprehen-ive in respect to ensuring that the appropriateest is carried out and this certainly benefitsndergraduates and those new to statistics. Forhe main part the book is well referenced withupportive alternatives where appropriate. Theook is aimed primarily at parametric statisticalests with little attention to non-parametricnalysis. There are too few additional referencesn respect to non-parametric tests.
The examples in the data files and the associ-ted website are very useful and work well. Therere slight technical differences in procedure andata outputs with newer versions of SPSS, but thiss not the fault of the author.
The comparative analysis and correlation sec-ions are very well presented and the exampleso help the reader achieve a sound level of under-tanding. A wide range of tables and a reasonableange of figures are used to describe the data,lbeit without sufficient detail to lessen the frus-ration of relatively new users of SPSS.
More detail is required on how to generateertain SPSS outcomes, especially in terms ofenerating tables and graphs that can be used inifferent packages such as Word. There is a lackf depth and limited interpretation of reliabilitynd ANOVA analysis, but the reader is directed tother authors for most points. Follow-up analysisf ANOVA is evident but not sufficient for higher-evel researchers. There is no association withdvanced research designs such as randomisedontrol trials and appropriate data analysis.
The book is useful as an introductory textor undergraduate programmes and to somextent will assist Masters’ programmes and newesearchers. ANOVA was a test too far, but other-ise the book is useful as a generic approach toPSS and statistical analysis. The examples used
n the data files are useful generally, albeit lacking
irect relevance to physiotherapy.Patrick DohertyE-mail address: [email protected]
oi: 10.1016/j.physio.2006.12.007
Book reviews
Living and Loving after Prostate SurgeryGrace Dorey, Grace Dorey, 2005, 26 pages, £7.00,ISBN 0-9545393-2-X
This booklet is a welcome addition to theinformation available for patients undergoingprostate surgery. Unlike most previous publi-cations, it covers surgery for both benign andmalignant disease. Its primary purpose is to givepatients and their partners an understanding of theproblems of bladder control and erectile dysfunc-tion and how best to manage them. It achieves thisin clear and understandable text interspersed withhelpful and comical illustrations.
The first sections explain the relevantanatomy of the prostate and investigations thatpatients may expect prior to surgery. Benign andmalignant disease and the respective operationsperformed are covered in separate chapters. Theproblems of bladder and erectile dysfunction arethen dealt with as being common to all types ofsurgery. This is handled well and in some detail.The list of complications is comprehensive and upto date information is given regarding treatmentoptions. The anatomy and function of the pelvicfloor is clearly described and the importance ofexercise before and after surgery explained. Fur-ther sections are full of good advice on howpatients can best manage and treat the problemsthemselves through simple life-style measures,so much of which is missed out of a typicaldoctor-patient consultation. A novel inclusion isa self-assessment questionnaire designed to assistthe patient in deciding whether professional helpis needed. For those struggling with technicalterms there is a glossary and a ‘Frequently AskedQuestions’ section. A good reference section isincluded.
As well as helping patients contemplatingprostate surgery, this booklet will also serve asa useful resource to have at home should thepatient be unfortunate enough to have problemspost-operatively. I have only a minor criticism.Bladder control and erectile difficulties followinga prostate resection for benign disease are muchless common than following radical surgery forcancer. By grouping all types of prostate surgerytogether, there is a risk of implying relativelyhigh rates of bladder and erectile dysfunctionafter more minor endoscopic surgery, which isnot the case. A further comment for future publi-cation is that it would be helpful to have includedinformation about non-surgical treatments forcancer, such as external beam radiotherapy andbrachytherapy. When counselling patients withcancer, the choice of treatment is influenced byits impact on bladder and erectile function and theinclusion here of the significant effects of radio-therapy options handled in the same balanced waywould be most helpful.
E-mail address:[email protected]
doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2007.01.003
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Biopsychosocial Medicine: An IntegratedApproach to Understanding IllnessPeter White, Oxford University Press, 2005, 272pages, £31.00, ISBN 0-19-853034-X
This book arose from a 2-day conferenceexamining the relevance of Engel’s biopsychoso-cial approach to chronic medical disease. Theconference was organised by the Novartis Foun-dation and One Health, a non-profit companyestablished to promote a system of healthcarebased on the biopsychology model of ill-health.Twenty-eight international experts were invitedto the conference and this book is a collectionof the twelve presentations that were given. Eachone is presented with a summary of the discussionthat took place at the conference. It is clear thatminimal editing of the discussions has taken placeand therefore the reader gains a realistic view ofthe controversial debates that followed each lec-ture. Indeed, the presentations relate to a widerange of controversial and challenging topics sur-rounding the delivery of biopsychosocial health-care, including questioning the importance ofthe biopsychosocial model and arguing whetherpatient-centred and biopsychosocial approachesare actually compatible.
As the contributors to presentations (bothspeaker and discussants) were multidisciplinary(e.g. psychiatry, psychology, medicine, physio-therapy, occupational therapy), the book containsa variety of different examples and applications.It is clear that the book was not written for aspecific medical profession or a specific level ofstudent (undergraduate or postgraduate) and maytherefore be considered appropriate for anyonewith a specific interest in learning more aboutthe historical background and controversialdebates surrounding biopsychosocial medicine.However, it is important to note that due to thenature of the book (a collection of presentationsfrom a conference) and the inclusion of examplesfrom so many disciplines, some of the terms andtheories are presented without clear definitions.Although this may not be a book to recommendto undergraduate students, some of the presen-tations could act as good stimuli for discussionand debate on the delivery of biopsychoso-cial medicine for postgraduate physiotherapystudents currently working within the field.
Maggie Donovan-HallE-mail address: [email protected]
doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2007.01.004
Musculoskeletal Essentials: Applying the Pre-ferred Physical Therapist Practice PatternsMarilyn Moffat, Elaine Rosen, Sandra Rusnak-Smith, SLACK Incorporated, 2006, 448 pages,
£36.50, ISBN-10 1-55642-667-4, ISBN-13 978-1-55642-667-4This American text is designed to aid clinicalreasoning and decision making for the muscu-
