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The purpose of this study was to describe family members' influence on medication adherence rates for schizophrenic clients following an educational program presented simultaneously to both client and family member. Three chronic schizophrenic clients participated in this study, two were females, and the other was male. The two family members who provided data were husbands of the two female clients. The obtained scores and responses of two questionnaires was indicative of improved medication adherence for clients and family members. The level of adherence was similarly perceived by the clients and their family members as obtained scores and responses were similar across both time periods. However, family members' attendance at the program presentation did not influence the level of reported medicated adherence behaviors of their wives as compared to the client who attended the program alone because the greatest increase in obtained scores was reported by the client who attended the program alone.

This study examined the difference among 3 patient education intervention strategies and compliance in the hypertensive elderly. The strategies were verbal instructions, written instructions and both verbal and written instructions. An ex post facto descriptive design was implemented based on a Cognitive Information Processing Theory of Learning. Forty subjects were recruited and interviewed. Data analysis revealed that compliance did not differ significantly with the type of educational strategy.

Heart failure is an illness that requires life-long treatment and often affects everyday aspects of a person’s life. Self-care is a significant part of the treatment. Good self-care resources make it possible for people with heart failure to make the lifestyle changes they often need to maintain or improve their level of health. Self-care means having knowledge of and being able to recognize the symptoms and signs of deterioration that can occur with heart failure, so that the person can take appropriate measures – and it also means knowing when it is time to seek professional help. The significance of self-care for heart failure has increased and will increase even more in the future, when monitoring one’s condition will be left more and more to the people themselves and those who take care of them. The object of the study was to learn what self-care measures people with heart failure say they apply in everyday life. The quantitative method of a questionnaire study (The European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale) was used. Of the 94 people registered at a heart failure unit who were asked to complete the questionnaire, 58 of them consented. The results showed that more than 95% of the people with heart failure applied the recommended self-care measure of taking the medicines prescribed by their doctor. Many also applied the self-care measures of taking a rest during the day (83%) and taking it easy when they felt out of breath (78%). On the other hand, the self-care measures of daily weight control were applied only by 41%, daily exercise by only 48% and salt and fluid restrictions by only 59%. The self-care measures of contacting a doctor/nurse when noticing problems or symptoms of deterioration were applied by only 36% of those who felt out of breath and by only 43% of those who felt increased fatigue. The conclusion is that there is a need to improve the knowledge about and confidence in self-care treatment for people with heart failure. One way of achieving this is to show that people with heart failure check for symptoms and apply measures in their homes as part of the treatment and that this leads to an increased quality of life.

In this paper, a view of non-compliance in practical healthcare is provided that identifies certain non-compliant behaviours as rational. This view of rational non-compliance is used to update a current form of doctor patient relationships with the aim of reducing non-compliance. In addition to reforming one standard doctor patient relationship model, the normative implications of understanding non-compliance as a rational form of human behaviour are described.

Antiretroviral therapy has given hope and expectations for a better life to HIV positive individuals, however, HIV medication cannot be effective without HIV positive individuals’ compliance to it. This study investigated the ways in which living with HIV and taking medication is located within the psychological, social and cultural context of everyday life and relationships in Greece. It also examined gender and identity issues, which make compliance/non-compliance understandable from the HIV positive peoples’ perspective. In addition, emphasis was given to locating compliance to medical regimes in which the perspectives of HIV positive persons were prioritised and understood in relation to relationships with health care professionals. A mixed methods approach was undertaken to provide understanding of compliance and non-compliance factors to HIV medication in a holistic way. A self-completed questionnaire was used to examine the psychosocial factors underpinning compliance to medication. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to explore issues of identity, gender, relationship between doctors and patients and social understandings of HIV. Finally, self-completed weekly diaries were used to document compliance actions, thoughts and feelings in order to reveal the ways medical regimes fit into everyday life. The study was conducted in three Public Hospitals, one Governmental Hospice and one Non-governmental Organization. Eighty (63 males and 17 females) Greek HIV positive patients completed the questionnaire. Interview sample consisted of 7 and 3 males and females respectively. Finally, 6 Greek HIV positive males and 3 females completed the diaries of the research. The questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics via SPSS 11. In addition, a range of non-parametric tests (Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis) were used in order to check if ordinal variables influence compliance with HIV medication. Finally linear regression analysis was used in order to establish the influence of factors on compliance with HIV medication. Interviews and the diaries data were analysed though thematic analysis, focusing on identification of patterns and behaviours which were then interpreted in terms of themes. The findings of the study indicated that, when support was given from life partners compliance with HV medication was increased. However, when support was given from family members, compliance with HIV medication was decreased. According to the findings, family dynamics have changed in several cultures over recent decades, partner roles have changed especially in the west and in Mediterranean societies. In regards to 6 medicalization in everyday life, the study showed that when individuals were experiencing side effects, or had fears of future side effects, religious issues (punishment for homosexuality), loss of one’s freedom due to medication, non-compliant behaviours could occur. Finally, the study indicated that some HIV positive individuals perceived their health levels as good and believed that not taking medication once or twice a week was a compliant behaviour. Hence, false perceptions regarding health levels and compliance issues could lead to non-compliant behaviours. A further examination on the communication patterns of the family system and its impact on HIV positive individuals is recommended as it is clearly not very helpful any more. Further exploration of the general socio-cultural positioning of Greece is recommended as certain HIV positive individuals coped with HIV diagnosis and taking medication, by rejecting it. Finally, the need for psychological support is recommended as it is very rarely provided within the Greek health care system.

"Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de LL.M. en droit option droit des technologies de l'information" / La question posée est: le vote par internet à distance est-il conforme aux exigences du droit électoral québécois et canadien? Ce mémoire procède en trois étapes. Premièrement, nous déterminons quels sont les principes directeurs qui assurent à une élection sa légitimité. Deuxièmement, nous raffinons notre recherche en ne conservant que les principes qui demeurent pertinents dans un contexte électronique. Le vote doit répondre aux principes suivants: suffrage universel, périodicité, égalité, secret, liberté, sécurité et transparence du processus. Troisièmement, nous transposons les étapes du cycle électoral sur internet. Les problématiques identifiées relèvent davantage de facteurs politiques que techniques ou juridiques. Ainsi la cryptographie et l'introduction du vote individuel multiple, qui n'enregistre que le dernier vote effectué, serviraient la confidentialité du vote. La sécurité du processus pourrait être atteinte notamment par des mesures de protection physique des serveurs, une chaîne de contrôles continue et la diffusion du code source du logiciel du vote. L'accès à la technologie serait accru par la mise en place d'un réseau gratuit de points d'accès publics à internet et des activités de formation. Quant à l'accès aux handicapés, la conformité du logiciel de vote à des principes reconnus d'accessibilité y contribuerait. Pour l'identification, la stratégie des secrets partagés, entre électeurs et autorité électorale, permettrait de dématérialiser cette étape. En conclusion, les lois électorales ne s'opposent pas, dans leur esprit, au vote par internet à distance. Il suffirait de les actualiser dans leur forme. / To come to an answer, this thesis employed a three step approach; firstly, we determined the guiding principles which ensure an election's legitimacy. Secondly, we refined our research by retaining only the principles relevant in an electronic context. The vote must abide by the following principles: Vote for all, periodicity, equality, secrecy, freedom, safety and transparency of the process. Thirdly, we transposed the stages of the electoral cycle on the Internet. The identified problems are more political than they are legal or technical. For instance, the confidentiality of the vote can be helped with the use of cryptography, and the introduction of the multiple individual vote, which would make it possible to record only the last vote cast. The safety of the process can be reached by measures of physical protection of the servers, a continuous control mechanism and an access to the source code of the voting software. Accessibility to the technology could be increased with a network of public access points to the Internet, and with education clinics. With respect to the handicapped voters, the voting software should comply with recognised principles of accessibility. To identify the voters, shared secrecies between the voter and the electoral authorities could allow a dematerialisation of this procedure. In conclusion, the spirit of our electoral laws would allow for the introduction of an Internet voting process.

The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Change Version (SADS-C), the Social Adjustment Scale-Patient Version II (SAS-PATII) and the Command Hallucination Questionnaire (CAQ) were administered to 86 psychotic inpatients to investigate the relationship between command hallucinations, aggressive behavior, and compliance. Two SADS-C items ("severity of hallucinations" and "depersonalization") were useful as indicators of command hallucinations. Ninety-two percent had complied with their command at least once in the past month. Three SADS-C variables related to compliance with command hallucinations were identified: middle insomnia, the belief that the voice was acting in your best interest, and overt irritability. The patients' level of distortion of reality did not appear to influence compliance rates. Results also indicated that patients who experience command hallucinations were not significantly more or less dangerous than other psychotic inpatients.

The present study empirically investigates the level of compliance by listed Indian firms with disclosure requirements of Indian Accounting Standards. India’s Accounting Standards have been gradually converging with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) since 2001. India currently stands on the verge of adopting the International standards. Indian companies are working fervently towards adopting IFRS. This provides an extraordinary research environment to assess the level of compliance during this transitional time as well as lending an opportunity for a post adoption study. This study addresses two research questions developed to review annual reports of 156 listed Indian firms to determine (1) their current level of compliance with selected disclosure requirements of Indian Accounting Standards, and (2) key corporate characteristics that affect their level of compliance. The data used for the study pertains to the financial year 2009-2010 and utilizes disclosure and compliance index methodology to calculate the level of disclosure. Overall, the findings of this study indicate none of the companies in the sample was fully compliant with the mandatory requirements of the Indian Accounting Standards. On average, level of disclosure made by Indian companies based on selected mandatory disclosures is 70.91%. Nevertheless, the disclosure levels were on an average comparable to results from similar studies conducted in other developing countries. Moreover, results indicated a strong and positive association between level of disclosure and the size, profitability and timeliness of reporting of the sample companies.

Recent accounting scandals and current global financial crisis have brought new demands on the whole corporate world. The call for better corporate governance is strengthening in all business areas including tax. Tax non -- compliance brings substantial risks for both tax payers and tax revenue authorities. The way how companies manage their tax risks can significantly influence their overall financial performance and reputation. The paper deals with issues of tax non -- compliance as a lack of good corporate governance practice. The main goal of the paper is to put tax into the concept of corporate governance. Moreover, the paper deals with the concept of tax risk management as a way of how tax compliance in general could be enhanced and introduces the current international practice in this field.