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Tags challenge application , Eileen McKusick , mdc , medical diagnosis

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Old 5th January 2009, 02:18 PM   #1
RemieV
Philosopher
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,292
EILEEN MCKUSICK, Tuning Forks and Diagnosis

Due to an oversight on my part, Ms. Eileen McKusick, who diagnoses sources of chronic pain using tuning forks, had not previously been added to the Challenge Applicants subsection.

Ms. McKusick's application has, however, reached the stage of protocol negotiations, and she was today presented with the following protocol:



EILEEN MCKUSICK – Sound Therapist



Pre-Test Materials Required

Online questionnaire for individuals experiencing chronic pain in Vermont
7 statements swearing that the volunteers have had no prior contact, outside of the test, with McKusick


Materials Required

7 Volunteers who suffer from chronic pain of roughly the same height, gender and weight (where possible)
1 list of chronic pain issues, including information on the 7 volunteers' pain locations
7 pieces of numbered paper; numbered in a large, visible font
7 pieces of paper numbered 1-7 at the top; centered and in a 48pt font
Clipboard
Duct tape
1 pen
1 bed or cot
1 opaque sheet
Tuning forks
3 separate rooms
1 digital camera
7 identical slips of paper numbered 1-7
1 opaque, cloth bag
Buzzer


Stipulations

No speaking aloud.

No foot-tapping, knocking, or other forms of noise that can be used as communication outside of the buzzer used as specified within the test.

No walkie-talkies, aside from those used by testers, within the test.

No cameras, camcorders, camera-phones, etc. aside from those used by the JREF or testers within the test.

No sleight-of-hand, trickery, or cheating.


If any of the above listed are violated, or if it is determined the subject has attempted to tilt the results in his favor due to trickery of any kind, the test will be halted immediately and considered a failure.

If there is a setup or technological problem, or if for any reason the test must be halted due to extenuating circumstances rather than trickery, the test may be conducted up to two additional times.


Testing Protocol

An online questionnaire will be provided through randi.org for individuals experiencing major, chronic pain who are located in Vermont. All individuals who fill out the questionnaire will be informed that, should they be chosen for a test, they will need to provide their own transportation to the testing site. All individuals should provide dates and times that they know they will be unavailable for a test. All individuals should provide information on all chronic pain they experience, but should have a source of major, chronic pain, which they will identify. The questionnaire should include information on height, weight, and gender. All individuals will be informed that, if they are chosen for a test, they will be required to sign a statement in front of JREF staff swearing that they have had no prior contact of any kind with the claimant. All individuals must provide telephone and e-mail contact information.

JREF staff will choose, out of the pool of potential volunteers, seven volunteers to be used in the test. The seven should be of roughly the same height, weight, and gender where possible and should absolutely have seven different sources of major chronic pain. Ms. McKusick will be provided with the questionnaire information, minus personal identifying and contact information, regarding the volunteers. Ms. McKusick will either approve the responses, which will mean that she agrees that from amongst the different types of pain described by each volunteer, she will be able to definitely find the particular sufferer of the major chronic pain described. If Ms. McKusick does not approve the seven volunteers chosen, JREF staff will choose different responders and present those cases to Ms. McKusick. If JREF staff and Ms. McKusick are unable to find seven volunteers suffering from chronic pain to use within the test, the test will be voided and considered an impasse and the Challenge file will be closed until such time that a new protocol can be formulated using a different testing method.

On the day of testing, the seven volunteers will meet at the testing facility after Ms. McKusick has arrived and been sequestered in an area where the arrival of the volunteers is not visible to her. If Ms. McKusick chances to see the arrival of the volunteers, the test will be considered void and the Challenge file closed with the potential to re-apply one year from the date of the failed test.

After they have arrived, the volunteers will each be assigned a number by drawing the identical slips of paper numbered 1-7 from the opaque bag. The volunteers will draw the numbers as close to simultaneously as possible, and should not open the slip of paper with their number inside until all seven volunteers have drawn. Each of the volunteers will then be given a full page that has their number written on it in a large, visible font. The digital camera will be used to photograph each of the volunteers with their number. A list will be made, by JREF staff, which will contain the seven numbers and their corresponding chronic pain locations. This list will not enter the testing room and cannot be viewed by the other volunteers until the test is fully complete. The volunteers will be asked not to share their source of chronic pain with one another until the test is fully complete.

Ms. McKusick will be provided with an abbreviated list of the seven volunteers' pain issues. This list will contain only the major, chronic source of pain for each of the volunteers, and will not be numbered.

The volunteers will be held in a separate room from Ms. McKusick, which will also be separate from the testing room.

The testing room will contain a cot or bed with an opaque sheet. On the floor, near the bed, will be a clipboard containing the seven pieces of paper that are numbered at the top in a centered 48pt font. The bed will have a buzzer lying in it, which will be handed to the volunteer being tested upon their entrance. The volunteers will enter and be read by Ms. McKusick each as follows.

The volunteer will enter the testing room with JREF staff or other assigned tester in order; 1-7. They will duct tape their full page number to the side of the cot. They will get into the bed and JREF staff will take a timestamped digital photograph of the volunteer with their number lying in the bed. The volunteer will lie comfortably on the bed, in a pre-arranged position chosen by JREF staff and Ms. McKusick. They will be required to lie still for the duration of their portion of the test, and will not be permitted to speak. If the volunteer feels they are so uncomfortable during the test that they must move or speak, they will be asked to instead press the buzzer at which point JREF staff will escort Ms. McKusick from the room while the volunteer is made more comfortable. If the volunteer moves while still in sight of Ms. McKusick, the test will be halted and re-conducted beginning with the step where the identical slips of paper are chosen from the opaque bag.

Ms. McKusick will enter the room and run her tuning forks over the body of the volunteer without speaking to them, and without in any way touching the volunteer or the sheet they are lying under or the bed they are lying on. She will then pick up the clipboard from the floor and write the source of chronic, major pain the volunteer suffers from on the piece of paper corresponding to the number duct taped to the side of the bed.

Ms. McKusick will exit the room.

The volunteer will get up from the bed, assisted by JREF staff, and exit the room.

This process will be repeated for all seven volunteers.

Ms. McKusick may, if she desires and the volunteers desire, speak to the volunteers following the test. However, if any interview between them reveals another source of chronic pain, it will not be counted as a hit, and will not affect the test.

Ms. McKusick's clipboard responses will be compared to the list created by JREF staff in advance of the test.

If five or more of Ms. McKusicks's responses are identical to the list created by JREF staff, the test will be considered a success and Ms. McKusick will proceed to negotiations for the final Challenge test.


Time Required: 3.5 hours
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Old 7th January 2009, 08:54 PM   #2
RemieV
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,292
Eileen McKusick has opted to cut off protocol negotiations until sometime after June, when she says she will have more time to focus on her claim.

She has been given one year from today to pick up protocol negotiations, and if she does not, her file will be closed.

If she wishes to apply after the year has passed, she will be required to do so under whatever rules are governing the Challenge at that time.
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Old 19th August 2009, 05:32 PM   #3
RemieV
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,292
Eileen McKusick has fully withdrawn her application.
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