The current study sought to examine inter-rater agreement between patients and their peer caregiver's assessments of patient quality of life (QoL) and to identify which caregiver service provision characteristics were associated with inter-rater agreement of patient QoL within prison healthcare settings. In light of the growing proportion of older adult offenders, many of whom face complex acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses, the current study sought to contribute to the social work literature by examining one component of prison healthcare service provision, peer caregiving and proxy ratings of patient QoL, and the potential factors associated with inter-rater agreement. Patient QoL is a multi-dimensional, holistic, and subjective barometer of well-being. It serves as an important indicator of patient sign, symptom, and pain management in both research and practice settings. A growing body of literature has revealed that proxy-ratings of QoL are used when barriers to self-assessment exist. However, the validity of such proxy ratings is unknown in as previous head-to-head studies have shown such assessments are often inaccurate, most commonly related to overestimation of negative symptomology when compared to patient self-reports. Using primary data collection strategies involving both face to face interviews with patients and peer caregivers (i.e., other offenders) and medical record reviews, the current study describes a small sample of patient-caregiver dyads within several prison healthcare settings in the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (n=52). Univariate and bivariate statistics were used to describe the sample and measures. Bivariate statistics were used to identify meaningful, moderate-effects among patient, caregiver, and prison characteristics. Inter-rater agreement of patient QoL ratings was calculated at both the individual-level (dyad) and group-level (sample). Individual-level measures included raw differences, absolute differences, dichotomous agreement, and identified symptom agreement. Group-level measures included measures of association, rater consistency, and standardized mean differences of patient QoL. Bivariate statistics were used to identify potential correlates of inter-rater agreement prior to the use of inferential models and multiple OLS linear and binary logistic regressions were used to examine the capability of caregiver palliative care self-efficacy and understanding of preparatory grief to account for variation in patient-caregiver inter-rater agreement. Patients, on average, were roughly 61 years old. Patients most often self-identified as Black or African American (n=27, 51.9%), male (n=37, 71.2%), divorced or separated (n=23, 44.2%), and had a highest completed education at the high school level (n=27; 51.9%). On average, patients self-reported relatively low levels of physical symptom severity (M=2.53), moderate existential QoL (M=5.54), and moderate to high global and psychological QoL (M=6.12, M=6.70, respectively). Caregivers were markedly younger, approximately 44 years old and most often self-reported as Black or African American (n=14, 66.67%), male (n=14, 66.67%), divorced or separated (n=10, 47.60%), and had a highest completed education at the high school level (n=17, 81.00%). Caregivers average ratings of patient QoL were as follows: physical symptom severity (M=2.66), existential QoL (M=6.18), global QoL (M=6.91), and psychological QoL (M=6.51). More than 40% of both patients and caregivers were serving life without the possibility of parole, due to violent offenses, a lifetime length of incarceration hovering between 17 and 37 years, and an average age of first incarceration between 25 and 30 years old. Inter-rater agreement statistics revealed mixed-findings with individual- and group-level measures indicating caregivers were best able to approximate patients' ratings of physical symptom severity and psychological QoL and larger disparities (viz. patient-caregiver perception gaps) related to global and existential QoL. Group-level measures revealed similar findings as caregivers were again most adept at matching patient physical symptom severity and psychological QoL ratings. Though physical symptom severity was hypothesized as most likely to demonstrate increased inter-rater agreement across individual- and group-level measures, psychological QoL ratings were not anticipated to be closely matched by caregivers. Examination of correlates of inter-rater agreement revealed few bivariate relationships as both moderate and meaningful in effect, though patient characteristics accounted for 17 of the 23 moderate relationships (74%)—findings, again, in contrast to the larger body of perception gap literature indicating that caregiver characteristics are more commonly associated with rating disparities. Results of both linear and logistic regression models emerged as null indicating that neither of the hypothesized caregiver service provision characteristics accounted for variation in rater-agreement or perception gaps of the single-item indicator of QoL and MQOL-CSF subscales. Limitations of the current study were numerous and included concerns related to bias associated with self-report, cross-sectional data collection, small sample size and subsequent power, and measurement. Limitations notwithstanding, the current study reveals that inter-rater agreement among patients and peer caregivers within the sample prison healthcare settings is greater than similar studies completed with both professional and significant-other proxies in community healthcare settings, most notably for psychological QoL ratings. Three reasons for the increased rater-agreement globally and for physical and psychological QoL, more narrowly, are described related to social role-taking competency, homophily, and shared negative attitudes. Directions for future research including the use of larger, random samples, longitudinal data collection strategies, multi-level modeling techniques, and additional correlates of inter-rater agreement and rater-disparities (e.g., patient education) are noted. Discussed are implications for social work practice within prison healthcare settings, as well as areas for caregiver training and continuing education to reduce of the perception gap. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 7, 2017. / Caregiving, Healthcare, Prison, Quality of life / Includes bibliographical references. / Stephen J. Tripodi, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kevin Beaver, University Representative; Jeffrey R. Lacasse, Committee Member; Jean C. Munn, Committee Member.

Bibliography: leaf 124-126. / The author wished to study a community and chose Nyanga, a Black township near Cape Town. As a student from Zululand he was at first a stranger to Nyanga, but learned something about it from direct observation. He then decided that his study should use the Method of Survey, that the sur- vey should be socio-cultural, and that it should provisionally be a survey of Nyanga as a community. He believed that whether a township like Nyanga ought to be called a community or a new kind of neighbourhood was an uncertain question on which his research might shed some light. The author did not intend to add to his research a full study of the history and geography of Nyanga. That would be out of the question for a single research student. But he studied its situation to decide the geographical boundaries of his survey and read enough of its history to understand how its people came to be living there. Using established community survey methods, the author determined the scope, dwelling units, sampling technique, interviewing techniques, and procedures for editing, coding, and tabulating his field data. The formal work in the field began with a Pilot Survey in 1980 and was completed with approximately 200 household interviews in the summer of 1980-1981. Bus and school boycotts and serious unrest on the Cape Flats added to the difficulties of the field work, which was nevertheless persevered in and accomplished according to the research design. The household investigations were concluded with the aid of a 22-item field schedule comprising the open-ended questions and other questions listed on page 42 of the dissertation. Thinking mainly in Zulu, the author initially found interviewing in Xhosa somewhat difficult, and the translation of his records into English was also a complication. With much help from the people of Nyanga, from his Xhosa-speaking wife, and with guidance in supervision at the University, these difficulties were surmounted. The data were hand-tabulated by the author rather than having that work performed through a computer service, for detailed scrutiny of the data at every stage and for self- education. The results of the simple classifications are reported in Chapter 6 and a series of 45 bivariate frequency distributions is presented in Chapter 7 and commented upon in Chapters 7 and 8. The author's conclusions are summed up in Chapter 8, in terms of the relative proportions of key opinions expressed, the very pronounced majority opinions, the possible significance of minority opinions, and the status of Nyanga as a community in the light of six criteria from P.V. Young.

Note: Some text in spine could not be scanned.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1976. / Typewritten.

Thesis (MSD (Social Work Management))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. School of Social Work, 2008. / "Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, [dissertation committee chair]"--Acknowledgments. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 20, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-190). Also issued in print.

An overview of the role of the volunteer in the field of social work through the past, during the present, and looking to the future. The following observations may be made: 1. The volunteer--the citizen participant--was and is the main power behind the social welfare movement from the earliest days of recorded history to the present 20th century. 2. The role of the volunteer has always been one of service to his fellow man. 3. The volunteer when given an opportunity can turn in a fine piece of work; he is anxious and willing to work and cooperate. 4. The social agencies, whatever kind, case work, group work, community organization, public or private, large and small can benefit from intelligent and planned use of volunteers. 5. Planning, treatment and supervision are the tools by which an agency can best use volunteer services. 6. The volunteer because of his place in the community is a powerful source of interpretation for an agency, working both ways--interpreting the work by the agency to the community and interpreting the needs of the community to the agency. / Typescript. / "June 1950." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: Margaret C. Bristol, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 27-28).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1975.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985. / Photocopy of tyepscript.