Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
There are now many options for doubly robust estimation; however, there is a concerning trend in the applied literature to believe that the combination of a propensity score and an adjusted outcome model automatically results in a doubly robust estimator and/or to misuse more complex established doubly robust estimators. A simple alternative, canonical link generalized linear models (GLM) fit via inverse probability of treatment (propensity score) weighted maximum likelihood estimation followed by standardization (the g$$ g $$ -formula) for the average causal effect, is a doubly robust estimation method. Our aim is for the reader not just to be able to use this method, which we refer to as IPTW GLM, for doubly robust estimation, but to fully understand why it has the doubly robust property. For this reason, we define clearly, and in multiple ways, all concepts needed to understand the method and why it is doubly robust. In addition, we want to make very clear that the mere combination of propensity score weighting and an adjusted outcome model does not generally result in a doubly robust estimator. Finally, we hope to dispel the misconception that one can adjust for residual confounding remaining after propensity score weighting by adjusting in the outcome model for what remains 'unbalanced' even when using doubly robust estimators. We provide R code for our simulations and real open-source data examples that can be followed step-by-step to use and hopefully understand the IPTW GLM method. We also compare to a much better-known but still simple doubly robust estimator.
There are two dental schools in the Republic of Ireland, graduating approximately 90 new dentists annually following successful completion of a five-year undergraduate course. Currently, once these graduates have been awarded their degree, they have no legal requirement to complete post-graduation training, foundation training or continuing professional development. While the vast majority will do this voluntarily, it sets a high bar for dental educators to prepare these students to practice independently in primary dental care. As in other jurisdictions, there can often be a disconnect between the ethos taught to students for delivering primary dental care in dental schools and remuneration systems once graduates enter the workforce. Changing demographics will need to be reflected in our undergraduate curricula with explicit teaching in the area of gerodontology.
There are unexpectedly a few statistics about the socio-economic status (SES) and related socio-demographic factors (SDFs) of parents having child with ASD in Bangladesh. The prevalence of ASD might correlate with SES and related SDFs. A case-control study was conducted in 24 locations across 21 districts, encompassing all divisions, to assess the association between SES and the risk of developing ASD in Bangladesh. The structured questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews with 620 parents of the subject (310 ASD and 310 healthy controls) from January 2020 to June 2021. For univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses, IBM SPSS version 23 was employed. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05, and the Odds Ratio (OR) within a 95 % CI was used to determine whether the variable poses a higher odd or not. After adjusting all significant covariates of binary logistic regression (including some dummy variables) in forward logistic regression model analysis, the higher level of SES, advanced level of father's education (≥master), 22-35 years old age group of the father, and nuclear family were strongly associated with decreased odds of ASD compared to healthy controls. Only the male gender was strongly associated with an increased odds of ASD compared to the control. The results will aid policymakers in developing plans considering the SES and related SDFs that influence the risk of developing ASD in Bangladesh. Further research using population-based cohorts or nested case-control designs with matched control is necessary to observe and generalize the association.
There are various factors which increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus. There have not been any such studies in our setting. This study was done to find the prevalence and risk factors associated with the development of diabetic ketoacidosis at onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Children and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus being treated at Patan hospital were approached and after obtaining an informed consent, all the patient information on various risk factors for diabetic ketoacidosis were collected in a pre-developed proforma. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences-16. Ethical approval was taken from Institutional Review Committee- Patan Academy of Health Sciences. Out of 99 patients with type 1 diabetes enrolled in the study, 52.5% presented in diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset. The duration of symptoms was significantly less in patient presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis than without diabetic ketoacidosis (6.45±7.57 vs 9.13±10.12, p=0.04). There was no significant difference in the mean age, mean glycosylated hemoglobin, mean body mass index, gender, parents' literacy and medical consultations prior to diagnosis. More than half of the patients with type 1 diabetes presented in diabetic ketoacidosis. The shorter duration of symptoms prior to presentation was the only significant factor leading to presentation as diabetic ketoacidosis.
There exists strong evidence for the early introduction of peanut to at-risk infants for the primary prevention of peanut allergy. There is a need for educational initiatives to assist in dissemination and implementation of updated clinical guidelines on peanut allergy prevention. The aim for this project was to create an innovative curriculum for paediatricians on peanut allergy prevention. The Intervention to Reduce Early Allergy (Peanut) in Childhood (iREACH) study was leveraged to recruit paediatricians for a needs assessment. Materials from the iREACH study, including an educational YouTube video and knowledge survey, were evaluated. Applying findings from the needs assessment, an innovative curriculum was developed, and updated knowledge survey questions were developed. The iREACH YouTube video had suboptimal viewing behaviours, and iREACH participants had high baseline knowledge scores that did improve after viewing the video. The majority of respondents to the needs assessment felt that all paediatricians needed access to an effective educational module on peanut allergy prevention, and they wanted a broadly accessible curriculum that incorporated quality media and content segmentation. An online, interactive curriculum was developed that includes clinical cases and games, and updated knowledge questions were created with associated internal structure and reliability evidence, as well as relation to other variables evidence. The next steps of this project will focus on curriculum implementation and evaluation through a randomised, prospective study with the aim to serve as an educational model for how to integrate specialty-specific guidelines into broader clinical practice through education.
There has been a rapid development and adoption of online learning in medical education. However, it is difficult to adopt the currently available online learning management systems (LMS). This study aimed to examine learners' perspectives on the evaluation of online LMS. An online LMS was developed based on the evidence-based guidelines. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted. A short survey was conducted with 716 learners registered on the LMS to obtain their perspectives on the online participation. A satisfaction survey was conducted with 255 learners enrolled in the courses taught solely online. Data from the LMS monitoring system was used to report the uptake of online courses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Participants reported that the major factor influencing LMS uptake was the ability to be accessed anytime and anywhere (n = 556, 77.7%). The participants had good experience in using the LMS and were satisfied with it (n = 255, mean = 4.53, SD = 0.62). For online degree courses, the course had a high completion rate of 90% provided that a mark was assigned for course attendance. For non-degree courses, irrespective of whether they were free, paid, exam-based, or participation only, the completion rate was considered low (range 4.3-36.7%). Under a limited budget, a medical school in a low- to middle-income country could develop an effective online LMS to meet learners' needs. Our newly developed online LMS is relevant, accepted and to the satisfaction of the learners. Medical schools in the same context are encouraged to develop their own online LMS that serve and support learning in both degree and non-degree courses.
There has been a steady increase in the number of students with disabilities (SWD) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, with a significant number of students having visual disabilities. Equal access remains a key challenge in the classroom setting, thus emphasising a significant gap. This paper capitalised on the significance of this gap and examined the potential of Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) to promote equal access for students with visual disabilities (SWVDs) in the classroom within a university setting in order to maximise learning outcomes. The study was conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), which had approximately 204 SWVDs. This paper draws primarily on the quantitative component of the study. Data collection entailed distributing a questionnaire to all SWVDs. Analysis was conducted using SPSS 21, which produced descriptive and inferential statistics. The theoretical framework of Sen's Capability Approach in line with the Social Model of Disability was applied. Findings indicated a lack of UDI in the classroom with very little compliance to all principles, resulting in increased challenges in teaching and learning for SWVDs. The incorporation of UDI in the classroom does have a positive correlation with learning outcomes. The incorporation of UDI principles can offer a potential design for easier access to teaching and learning to enhance and maximise learning outcomes; alleviate access challenges in the classroom; and address the negative experiences thereof for SWVDs. The study adds value to the scarce body of knowledge on UDI in the classroom for university SWVDs from a learning enhancement perspective.
There has been an increase in the need for diagnostic imaging services globally, which is faster than the capacity of radiologists. The current workforce model is not sustainable due to the predicted aging of the population and the contraction of the healthcare workforce. By extending the role of radiographers to a specific range of radiological reporting tasks. It may be possible to meet demand and relieve some pressure on radiologists and increase radiographer satisfaction and retention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions, and willingness of the Abu Dhabi radiographers to extend their role as reporting radiographers in skeleton radiography. A cross-sectional study was conducted among radiographers in the UAE. The on-line questionnaire was designed to obtain demographic information about radiographers, their qualifications, their professional experience, their postgraduate training, their plans for professional development, as well as their interest in future career opportunities related to extended roles. This study had a response rate of 50% (n = 60). The government sector accounted for 75.3% of the survey's participants, while the private sector accounted for 24.7%. The main gains for role advancement were identified by 58.3% of the participants who were confident to start interpreting the upper and lower extremities in the emergency room (ER), and 86.3% were willing to be reporting radiographers. In conclusion, the Abu Dhabi radiographers are willing to extend their role in the interpretation of general X-ray images of skeletons. Curriculum development in radiography and medical imaging education jointly with licensing health authority bodies is required to plan for the new radiographer reporting role.
There has been an increased focus on the practices associated with dissemination for the translation of research to clinical practice and ultimately, policy. Simultaneously, there has been attention placed on the role of the clinical research workforce in supporting optimal dissemination efforts for impact and societal benefit. Curriculums focused on education opportunities for dissemination for translational scientists have been under-reported. The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) is a framework that has been developed to support assessment of clinical and translational research outcomes that measure impact (both in the clinical and community setting) beyond traditional citations in academic journals/bibliometric activities. The TSBM framework outlines more than 30 different facets of impact and can provide a basis for operationalizing broad impacts of research for translational and clinical scientists. Engagement science offers methods and modalities to work with individual stakeholders, and collaborators in a team science model, and engagement with external scholars and society. This article will describe the use of the TSBM framework and engagement science strategies to develop a translational dissemination framework with novel components for evaluation of dissemination and implementation activities. We propose using the translational dissemination framework to guide the development of an educational curriculum for the clinical research workforce. We outline the educational domains and proposed evaluation criteria essential in implementing this innovative translational dissemination educational content for the clinical and translational research workforce.
There has been an increased interest in social media that is attributed to the rapid growth in the media use. Covid-19 has also significantly heightened the interest, with organisations relying more on social media. In particular, universities have reduced their dependency on face-to-face teaching and are relying more on social media for teaching, research, and service. Despite this, there have been concerns about faculty's ability to integrate social media into their work, and this has impacted job performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media use, social media types, and job performance, as well as determine the extent to which faculty uses the social media types and the most popular social media type. This study applied a descriptive cross-sectional research design and surveyed 388 faculty based in Kenyan Private universities using an online questionnaire. The study employed social capital theory to explain the relationship between social media use and job performance, and the Borman and Motowidlo model was adopted to classify job performance. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that content communities was the most popular social media type among faculty, whereas virtual game world and virtual social world were the least popular. In addition, the study revealed a positive relationship between cognitive use, social use, social media types and job performance, while hedonic use had a negative influence on job performance. Academic social networking sites and virtual social worlds were the most important predictors of job performance. Therefore, this study recommends that universities should encourage faculty to become more aware of the social media use dimensions and social media types, and the impact social media has on job performance. In addition, private universities should ensure the availability of internet for faculty to access the important social media types.
There has been an increased push for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and scientists to be trained in science communication. Science communication researchers have outlined various models of how scientists interact with nonscientists-including deficit, dialogue, and inclusive approaches. We wanted to analyze whether published science communication curricula for STEM students and scientists exhibit features of inclusive science communication. We analyzed n = 81 published science communication trainings. We found an increase in such publications over the past two decades. We coded the trainings according to the science communication model they most closely follow, finding 40.7% deficit, 39.5% dialogue, and 19.8% inclusive. Trainings for STEM undergraduates were the least likely to provide training in the inclusive model. Finally, only 27.2% of publications included evaluation of the efficacy of the curriculum using an external scale or framework. These findings present opportunities: while it is positive that there are more published science communication curricula, science education and communication researchers should develop and publish more-inclusive science communication trainings for STEM students. Additionally, undergraduate students can and should begin their training in science communication with a focus on inclusivity not deficits. Finally, science education researchers should develop more standards for evaluating the efficacy of inclusive science communication training.
There has been an increasing interest in embedding patients' voices in the education of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to conduct an environmental scan of entry to practice doctor of pharmacy (E2P PharmD) programs in Canada to determine to what extent pharmacy educators in Canada incorporate real patient voices in course delivery. A web-based survey was distributed to an estimated total number of 750 pharmacy educators at eight Canadian English-speaking E2P PharmD programs. Respondents answered questions related to their experience incorporating patients' voices into their teaching, the value of patients' voices, and their perceived barriers. Aggregate data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Fifty-three pharmacy educators (7%) responded. Most respondents (93%) agreed that patients' voices are indispensable in pharmacy education, while only 32% reported that they had involved real patient voices in their courses in the past three years. Patient speech or presentation was reported as the most used method to involve real patient voices in their courses (39%), followed by question-and-answer sessions (17%). The top barriers perceived by pharmacy educators for involving real patients were insufficient teaching time (33%) and difficulty in recruiting patients (27%). Patients' voices were used by one-third of the E2P PharmD educators who participated, though over 90% recognized its value. Where deployed, patients were invited to speak on a variety of topics relevant to their personal experiences. More research is needed to determine what benefits can result from patient voices and how to improve its sustainability.
There has been interest in utilizing EMS to address patients' social determinants of health, which are thought to be the cause of many unnecessary transports, particularly for "super-utilizing" patients. However, existing research is limited regarding EMS clinicians' understanding of social determinants of health and attitudes toward potential interventions. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an internet-based survey of EMS clinicians across the United States with multiple methods of recruitment. Descriptive statistics and Chi Square Tests analyzed the data. A total of 1,112 EMTs and paramedics completed the survey with 43.4% reporting familiarity with the term, "social determinants of health," and 87.7% screening positive for burnout. Greater than 60% reported willingness to use proposed interventions to address patient social needs. Those who reported familiarity with the term, "social determinants of health," were more likely to indicate willingness to utilize interventions and to believe they were responsible for addressing their patients' social needs. Burnout had no effect on clinicians' willingness to use resources. Respondents showed substantial interest in using the proposed resources to address patient social needs, suggesting that EMS clinicians may be receptive to expanding their scope of responsibility to include socioeconomic interventions. EMS clinicians familiar with the term "social determinants of health" were more likely to believe they were responsible for addressing patient social needs and more willing to use interventions, suggesting a potential benefit to more education on the topic. Burnout among EMS clinicians may not be a barrier to implementing such interventions. Our survey suggests that EMS clinicians may be interested in helping to address their patients' social needs. EMS clinicians should be offered education on social determinants of health in their initial training and through continuing education. Partnerships with human services agencies will be important to ensure the effectiveness of prehospital interventions.
There has been marked progress against lung cancer in Denmark. To gain further insight into the different aspects of the improvement, we examined the stage-specific incidence rates, stage-specific survival and mortality rates. We used information from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry on date of diagnosis and clinical stage to calculate age-standardised incidence rates and patient survival by sex, period and stage. Information about age-standardised lung cancer-specific mortality rates by sex and period was extracted from The Danish Health Data Authority. Firstly, the decrease in incidence rates was due to a reduction in the rates of advanced stages. Secondly, there was a gradual increase in survival across all stages, and thirdly, the mortality rates gradually decreased over time. The improvements in survival and mortality from lung cancer were due to decreasing incidence rates of advanced cancer and improvement in survival at all stages of the disease.
There has been research documenting the rising numbers of racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. With this rise, there is increasing concern over the health disparities that often affect these populations. Attention has turned to how clinicians can improve health outcomes and how the need exists to educate healthcare professionals on the practice of cultural competence. Here we present one successful approach for teaching cultural competence in the healthcare curriculum with the development of an educational session on cultural competence consisting of case-based, role-play exercises, class group discussions, online discussion boards, and a lecture PowerPoint presentation. Cultural competence sessions were delivered in a pre-dental master's program to 178 students between 2017 and 2020. From 2017 to 2019, the sessions were implemented as in-person, case-based, role-play exercises. In 2020, due to in-person limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, students were asked to read the role-play cases and provide a reflection response using the online Blackboard Learn discussion board platform. Evaluation of each session was performed using post-session survey data. Self-reported results from 2017 to 2020 revealed that the role-play exercises improved participant's understanding of components of cultural competence such as communication in patient encounters (95%), building rapport with patients (94%), improving patient interview skills (95%), and recognition of students own cultural biases when working with patients (93%). Students were able to expand their cultural awareness and humility after completion of both iterations of the course session from 2017 to 2019 and 2020. This session can be an effective method for training healthcare professionals on cultural competence.