Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
The Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project aims to maximise the impact of research on poverty-related diseases by increasing researchers' and decision-makers' capacity to use global research to develop locally relevant guidelines for newborn and child health in Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa. To facilitate ongoing collaboration with stakeholders, we adopted an Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) approach within GELA. Given limited research on IKT in African settings, we documented our team's IKT capacity and skills, and process and experiences with developing and implementing IKT in these countries. Six IKT champions and a coordinator formed the GELA IKT Working Group. We gathered data on our baseline IKT competencies and processes within GELA, and opportunities, challenges and lessons learned, from April 2022 to March 2023 (Year 1). Data was collected from five two-hour Working Group meetings (notes, presentation slides and video recordings); [2] process documents (flowcharts and templates); and [3] an open-ended questionnaire. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Three overarching themes were identified: [1] IKT approach applied within GELA [2], the capacity and motivations of IKT champions, and [3] the experiences with applying the GELA IKT approach in the three countries. IKT champions and country teams adopted an iterative approach to carry out a comprehensive mapping of stakeholders, determine stakeholders' level of interest in and influence on GELA using the Power-Interest Matrix, and identify realistic indicators for monitoring the country-specific strategies. IKT champions displayed varying capacities, strong motivation, and they engaged in skills development activities. Country teams leveraged existing relationships with their National Ministries of Health to drive responses and participation by other stakeholders, and adopted variable communication modes (e.g. email, phone calls, social media) for optimal engagement. Flexibility in managing competing interests and priorities ensured optimal participation by stakeholders, although the time and resources required by IKT champions were frequently underestimated. The intentional, systematic, and contextualized IKT approach carried out in the three African countries within GELA, provides important insights for enhancing the implementation, feasibility and effectiveness of other IKT initiatives in Africa and similar low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings.
The global health landscape is increasingly challenged by the rejection of childhood vaccines. This study investigates vaccination reservations and refusal among pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, spanning January to March 2019, entailing face to face interviews with 938 pregnant women. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and probed vaccination attitudes. The decision to vaccinate the baby was treated as the dependent variable, analyzed alongside sociodemographic factors and other variables. Data underwent evaluation via descriptive analysis, the Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression. Participants had a mean age of 27.6 years. Among them 20 (2.1%) expressed intent to either abstain from or partially vaccinate their babies, with 70% citing apprehensions regarding potential vaccine-related harm. Statistical analysis unveiled that higher economic income, elevated parental education level, fewer than two children, reliance on the Internet for vaccination information, and a lack of trust in physicians significantly correlated with vaccine refusal among pregnant women (p < 0.05). The study concludes that dissemination of vaccination information by the healthcare professionals, complemented by the enactment of pro-vaccine internet policies holds promise in shaping vaccination behavior.
The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic extends beyond physical health, significantly affecting mental health. Chinese overseas students are particularly susceptible to the adverse psychological effects of the pandemic. Understanding the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in this population is essential for developing targeted interventions and support systems. Employing a snowball sampling technique, this study recruited Chinese overseas students from diverse regions. The 50-item Self-evaluation Table was utilized to assess the presence of mental disorders. Descriptive statistics, including percentages, 95% confidence intervals, means, and standard deviations, characterized the survey population. The chi-square test identified disparities among categorical variables, while logistic regression explored risk factors for mental disorders among Chinese overseas students. Out of the total sample size of 10,864 Chinese overseas students, a staggering 7,090 (65.4%) met the diagnostic criteria for mental disorders. Furthermore, the degree of mental disorder varied significantly across different regions (p < 0.001), education levels (p < 0.05), the duration of anti-epidemic measures (p < 0.05), and age (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed in terms of gender (p > 0.05). Several risk factors contributing to the mental disorder burden among Chinese overseas students during the pandemic were identified, including the seriousness of the epidemic in their residential area, the apprehension of getting infected, anxieties regarding academic performance, the infection control policies implemented by the host government, preventive measures taken locally to counter the epidemic, and challenges encountered in returning to their home country. Given the significant challenges in mental health faced by Chinese overseas students during the COVID-19 crisis, addressing their specific needs and implementing tailored measures is imperative. Future public health emergencies should consider the potential mental disorders and disease risks faced by Chinese overseas students. By providing comprehensive support and targeted interventions, policymakers, educational institutions, and healthcare providers can help mitigate the adverse psychological effects and promote the well-being of this vulnerable population.
The global pandemic prompted changes in health science education affecting both teaching and learning. This multi-institutional study assesses the near-term implications of these changes on faculty and faculty development. The project goals were to: (1) describe faculty experiences of teaching during the pandemic; (2) identify ways to sustain new pedagogical approaches, (3) describe the types of support faculty members need, and (4) offer recommendations to enhance oral health professions education. A mixed-method approach using exploratory sequential design was conducted in two phases collecting qualitative and quantitative data. Focus group participants included didactic, pre-clinical, and clinical faculty in dental school (DMD/DDS), dental hygiene and dental therapy programs, and also faculty members serving in administrative roles in these programs (N = 37). One hundred forty-four faculty participated in the multi-institutional follow-up survey. Focus group and survey results led to 14 recommendations (nine structural and five individual) for oral health profession institutions and educators. Oral health profession education faculty were dramatically impacted by the pandemic and new faculty development needs were identified. Traditional faculty development topics and practices may be no longer applicable in the post-COVID-19 environment. Additionally, the pandemic stimulated creative approaches for curriculum design, teaching, and assessment in oral health profession education. Strategies need to be implemented to sustain these innovations.
The global popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) led to its approval for human use in Thailand and potential use in animals. Many studies revealed CBD's efficacy in treating chronic osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. To facilitate tailored CBD product development for canine OA and ensure market success, this study explores Thai veterinarians' perception of CBD for canine OA. In-depth interviews were conducted with experienced veterinarians who treated OA in ≥25% of their canine patients. Interview questions covered treatment, CBD perception, and adoption. Interviews were held from January to March 2023. Eleven out of twenty invited veterinarians participated in the study. Though all favored non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for OA in dogs, concerns about adverse reactions, including ulcers and renal failure, emerged. CBD was widely known and was perceived positively for pain, inflammation, cancer, and epilepsy. However, half distinguished CBD from marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Ten expressed willingness to prescribe CBD for OA upon robust clinical evidence. Worries centered on product consistency and impurities. Many suggested CBD should be under veterinarians' supervision at first, but this can be relaxing once safety and efficacy are established. CBD products should be chewable tablets, oils, or gelatin capsules with flavors like beef, liver, pork, fish, or seafood. Though CBD benefits were recognized, knowledge gaps among the participants persisted, warranting robust CBD safety, efficacy, and quality evidence to ensure Thai market success. Comprehensive education, including continuing education for those in practice and incorporating CBD-related topics into the Schools of Veterinary's curriculum, is recommended.
The global prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing as the population ages. As individuals get older, they are likely to develop multiple chronic conditions, and nearly two-thirds of older adults in the United States are estimated to experience 2 or more chronic conditions. The present preregistered study examined whether multimorbidity was associated with longitudinal changes in health-related quality of life (i.e., anxiety, depression, and physical function) and whether these associations were moderated by sociodemographic factors (i.e., sex, race, marital status, income, insurance, and education). Data come from the Health Literacy and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults Longitudinal Study (LitCog), a prospective cohort study of English-speaking older adults (N = 900). At each measurement occasion, participants reported anxiety, depression, and physical function using the Patient Reported Outcomes Information System, chronic conditions, and sociodemographic characteristics. We employed multilevel growth models to estimate changes in health-related quality of life, with multimorbidities as a predictor and sociodemographics as covariates. Results indicated that individuals with multiple chronic conditions reported persistently high levels of anxiety and depression, and worse physical function. We found evidence for racial health disparities, such that individuals who identified as non-White experienced worse health-related quality of life as multimorbidities increased, relative to White participants. These results contribute to the current conversation about the long-term impacts of structural and systemic barriers experienced by minoritized groups. We further discuss the public health implications of multimorbidity in older adulthood.
The global prevalence of myopia is increasing, with a significant proportion of affected young individuals, particularly in countries and cities with relatively developed education in the Asia-Pacific region. This trend highlights the need for effective interventions to address the rising prevalence of myopia in adolescents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orthokeratology lenses in the management of adolescent myopia through a comprehensive meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was conducted in four databases to identify relevant clinical controlled trials. The analysis focused on studies with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for either relative risk or mean difference. The heterogeneity of the research results was assessed using the I2 statistic. A total of eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The findings indicated that the use of orthokeratology lenses (OKL) in adolescents with myopia was associated with significant reductions in axial length (SMD: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.31, -0.19; I2 = 18.7%, P < .01), refractive errors (SMD: 3.22; 95% CI: 2.84, 3.61; I2 = 0.0%, P < .01), and adverse reactions (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 0.71, 2.65; I2 = 5.8%, P > .05) compared to the control group. The results of this study suggest that orthokeratology lenses (OKL) may be effective in managing myopia in adolescents, as evidenced by reductions in axial length, refractive errors, and adverse reactions. However, future research should include large sample sizes, multicenter studies with low risk of bias, and exploring the underlying mechanisms through basic medical research.
The global shortage of radiologists has led to a growing concern in medical imaging, prompting the exploration of strategies, such as including radiographers in image interpretation, to mitigate this challenge. However, in low-resource settings, progress in adopting similar approaches has been limited. This study aimed to explore radiographers' perceptions regarding the impact of their potential role in image interpretation within a low-resource setting. The study used a qualitative descriptive design and was conducted at two public referral hospitals. Radiographers with at least one year of experience were purposively sampled and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide after consenting. Data saturation determined the sample size, and content analysis was applied for data analysis. Two themes emerged from fourteen interviews conducted with two male and twelve female radiographers. Theme one revealed the potential for enhanced healthcare delivery through improved diagnostic support, bridging radiologist shortages, career development and fulfilment as positive outcomes of role extension. Theme two revealed possible implementation hurdles including radiographer resistance and reluctance, limited training, lack of professional trust, and legal and ethical challenges. Radiographers perceived their potential participation positively, envisioning enhanced healthcare delivery, however, possible challenges like resistance and reluctance of radiographers, limited training, and legal/ethical issues pose hurdles. Addressing these challenges through tailored interventions, including formal education could facilitate successful implementation. Further studies are recommended to explore radiographers' competencies, providing empirical evidence for sustaining and expanding this role extension. The study further supports the integration of radiographers into image interpretation with the potential to enhance healthcare delivery, however, implementation challenges in low-resource settings require careful consideration.
The goal is to identify risk factors associated with receiving a blood transfusion during the perioperative period in patients who undergo total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) using a large-scale national database. In this retrospective analysis, data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was utilized to review the medical records of all patients who underwent TLH from 2010 to 2019. The researchers identified patients who had received a blood transfusion during the perioperative period and compared with those who had not. The subsequent factors associated with blood transfusion were examined: hospital characteristics (type of admission and payer, patient demographics (age and race), bed size, teaching status, location, and region of hospital), length of stay (LOS), total charges during hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, comorbidities, and perioperative complications. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The independent risk factors of perioperative blood transfusion after TLH was identified by performing multivariate logistic regression. A total of 79,933 TLH were captured from the NIS database, among which 3433 (4.40%) patients received a perioperative blood transfusion. TLH patients affected by blood transfusion were 2 days longer hospital stays (P < 0.001), higher overall costs (P < 0.001), the patients who received a transfusion after a long-term hospitalization had a significantly higher rate of mortality (0.5% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.001). Perioperative blood transfusion after TLH was associated with chronic blood loss anemia, deficiency anemia, coagulopathy, congestive heart failure, fluid and electrolyte disorders, renal failure, metastatic cancer, sepsis, weight loss, deep vein thrombosis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, shock, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia, stroke, hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, and disease of the genitourinary system. Studying the risk factors of perioperative blood transfusion after TLH is advantageous in order to ensure proper management and optimize outcomes.
The goal of artificial intelligence, expert systems, decision support systems, and computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) in imaging is the development and implementation of software to assist in the detection and evaluation of abnormalities, to alert physicians to cognitive biases, to reduce intraobserver and interobserver variability, and to facilitate the interpretation of studies at a faster rate and with a higher level of accuracy. These developments are needed to meet the challenges resulting from a rapid increase in the volume of diagnostic imaging studies coupled with a concurrent increase in the number and complexity of images in each patient data. The convergence of an expanding knowledge base and escalating time constraints increases the likelihood of physician errors. Errors are even more likely when physicians interpret low-volume studies such as technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyltriglycine diuretic scans where imagers may have had limited training or experience. Decision support systems include neural networks, case-based reasoning, expert systems, and statistical systems. iRENEX (renal expert) is an expert system for diuretic renography that uses a set of rules obtained from human experts to analyze a knowledge base of both clinical parameters and quantitative parameters derived from the renogram. Initial studies have shown that the interpretations provided by iRENEX are comparable to the interpretations of a panel of experts. iRENEX provides immediate patient-specific feedback at the time of scan interpretation, can be queried to provide the reasons for its conclusions, and can be used as an educational tool to teach trainees to better interpret renal scans. It also has the capacity to populate a structured reporting module and generate a clear and concise impression based on the elements contained in the report; adherence to the procedural and data entry components of the structured reporting module ensures and documents procedural competency. Finally, although the focus is CAD applied to diuretic renography, this review offers a window into the rationale, methodology, and broader applications of computer-assisted diagnosis in medical imaging.
The goal of hemodynamic resuscitation is to optimize the microcirculation of organs to meet their oxygen and metabolic needs. Clinicians are currently blind to what is happening in the microcirculation of organs, which prevents them from achieving an additional degree of individualization of the hemodynamic resuscitation at tissue level. Indeed, clinicians never know whether optimization of the microcirculation and tissue oxygenation is actually achieved after macrovascular hemodynamic optimization. The challenge for the future is to have noninvasive, easy-to-use equipment that allows reliable assessment and immediate quantitative analysis of the microcirculation at the bedside. There are different methods for assessing the microcirculation at the bedside; all have strengths and challenges. The use of automated analysis and the future possibility of introducing artificial intelligence into analysis software could eliminate observer bias and provide guidance on microvascular-targeted treatment options. In addition, to gain caregiver confidence and support for the need to monitor the microcirculation, it is necessary to demonstrate that incorporating microcirculation analysis into the reasoning guiding hemodynamic resuscitation prevents organ dysfunction and improves the outcome of critically ill patients.
The goal of interprofessional practice experiences in health professions programs is to develop interprofessional collaborative practice skills. The purpose of the study was to explore the meaning final-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing students attributed to interprofessional practice experiences during clinical immersion. The theoretical framework for this descriptive qualitative study was experiential learning theory. A sample of 12 participants was drawn from final-semester prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at a college of nursing at a public research university. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews and analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. The analysis yielded four themes: professional and interprofessional identity, working with team members, communication practices, and trusting relationships. Patterns across themes were clinical environment culture, nursing school preparation, nurse preceptor role, fear/concern/worry, and night shift. Consistency in preceptors, welcoming clinical environments, and opportunities to practice communicating with team members contributed to interprofessional collaborative practice skill development and improved perceptions of readiness for practice. Academic and clinical educators may use findings to (a) identify immersion placements for interprofessional practice experiences, (b) design curricula reflective of interprofessional practice, (c) advance teaching strategies to promote interprofessional practice, and (d) create learning environments that aid in professional and interprofessional identity formation.
the goal of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) - Frontline is to strengthen the country's surveillance capacity at the district level to prepare and respond to health emergencies, including outbreaks, by training a skilled frontline public health workforce. We describe the FETP - Frontline program, including implementation, structure, achievements, impact, and its role in improving the epidemiological workforce capacity of Guinea-Bissau. this cross-sectional descriptive study uses 2015-2019 program data collected through record reviews and historical narratives from FETP students and graduates. We generated descriptive summary statistics using the Guinea-Bissau's FETP-Frontline program database, student assignments, and investigation reports, after reviewing the FETP standardized curriculum and program guidelines. since its inception in 2016, FETP Frontline has implemented 14 cohorts and trained 198 frontline surveillance officers. Program participants improved surveillance data quality, investigated 51 outbreaks at national and regional levels, and contributed to disease research and surveillance in 227 separate field investigations. Participants frequently responded to priority health emergencies, including clusters or outbreaks of Zika, microencephalies, dengue, yellow fever, anthrax, malaria, and tuberculosis. Guinea-Bissau's FETP - Frontline program provides a practical example of an effective strategy to strengthen health systems through a well-prepared workforce trained to quickly detect and respond to health threats.