bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urgência da pesquisa em educação e linguagens: investigar o corpo sob o prisma da(s) arte(s)
Authors: Wosniak Cristiane
Published: September 2022

Resenha do livro Bakhtin e as artes do corpo, organizado por Beth Brait e Jean Carlos Gonçalves. Esta obra constitui o terceiro volume da Coleção LiCorEs: Linguagem, Corpo, Estética. O volume contém uma apresentação elaborada por seus organizadores, seguida de cinco ensaios que trazem para o centro do debate noções, conceitos e reverberações das artes do corpo em diálogo com seus elementos discursivos e com os estudos bakhtinianos em uma perspectiva também aberta a outras vertentes do conhecimento.
Editorial - Dossiê Temático: Produção de dramaturgia a partir do Sul - Perspectivas críticas de formação e criação
Authors: Baumgärtel Stephan Arnulf , Medeiros Elen de , Viviescas Victor
Published: September 2022

Trata-se de apresentação do Dossiê Temático Produção de dramaturgia a partir do Sul: perspectivas críticas de formação e criação, com retomada de ementa de lançamento de sua proposta, em 2021, e breve exposição seguida de Sumário comentado sobre os textos que compõem o dossiê da Urdimento, v.2, n.44 (2022).
A Historical Cum Empirical Overview of Agriculture Spending and Output Nexus in India
Authors: Ul Hassan Samir , Ahmad Khanday Shafi , Ahmad Masroor , Mishra Biswambhara , Sinha Rymbai Motika
Published: September 2022

This research aims to have a holistic view of the relationship between agriculture outcome/output and agricultural spending in India. The unique part of the study is that it highlighted the nexus between agriculture outputs from a historical point of view. The empirical part of this study is analyzed using the development of the co-integration method followed by the VECM model. The empirical analysis shows -a long-run association between agriculture spending and production, and this feedback is bidirectional. Agricultural production positively responds to agricultural spending in India both in the short and long run, especially in sowing seasons. However, the exciting finding of the study is that the speed of adjustment of agricultural spending on output is plodding. This implies that any shock of the agricultural production can be corrected by agricultural spending by just 20 percent, and it will take more than four years to stabilize the agricultural output with agricultural expenditure. Thus the tendency of agrarian spending to stabilize agrarian output in India is not so encouraging.
The Relationship between Working Capital and Profitability of Companies Operating in the Food Industry in the Czech Republic
Authors: Šeligová Markéta , Koštuříková Ivana
Published: September 2022

The aim of this article is to determine the relationship between working capital and profitability of companies operating in the food industry in the Czech Republic and then find out how working capital affects the profitability of these companies from 2009 to 2019. In the first part of the research we estimate the links between working capital measured by variables such as cash conversion cycle, current assets ratio, current liabilities ratio, working capital ratio and corporate profitability measured by return on sales. In the next part of the research, we estimate the effect of working capital measured by variables such as cash conversion cycle, current assets ratio, current liabilities ratio, working capital ratio on corporate profitability measured by return on sales. Correlation analysis and the GMM method will be used to determine the relationship between working capital and the profitability of companies and how working capital affects the profitability of these companies. The results of the correlation analysis showed statistically significant links between return on sales and variables such as cash conversion cycle, current assets ratio, current liabilities ratio and working capital ratio. The results of the GMM method showed a statistically significant effect of variables such as cash conversion cycle, current assets ratio, current liabilities ratio and working capital ratio on the profitability of companies measured by the return on sales indicator. All mitigated effects have been demonstrated for companies operating in the food industry as a whole, as well as in the production of food products and beverages.
Determining the Optimum Sample Size for Quality Assurance (QA) of Asphalt Mixtures: A Case Study
Authors: Al-Khayat Haydar , Gurganus Charles , E. Newcomb David , S. Sakhaeifar Maryam
Published: September 2022

Acceptance plans for asphalt mixtures use a certain sample size that is often established based on the purpose of sampling, population size, risk, and allowable error for evaluation. The rate of quality control (QC) sample size is often higher than the quality assurance (QA) sample size. The test results obtained from the QA samples are commonly used to validate the QC test results and to assist the state department of transportation (DOT) with payment decisions. However, if the QA sample size is insufficient to make accurate judgments, the probability of making incorrect decisions regarding acceptance increases. On the other hand, oversampling needlessly consumes both time and cost. To identify the appropriate sample size for QA testing, a balance must be struck between a number of variables. In this case study, two models were developed using the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) data to determine the appropriate QA sample size. The need for this work was realized when a review of ODOT paving projects revealed a large variability in lot size. These ranged from 3000 to more than 100 000 tons with commensurate QA sample size rates. The typical standard deviation (STDEV) values of asphalt content (AC) and in-place density were determined. The developed models show that using the STDEV values that represented more than 90 percent of the projects, ODOT needed to increase QA sample size for both AC and density in lots of less than 22 000 tons. The results also show that sample can be decreased for AC and remain as is for density in projects of more than 22 000 tons of asphalt mixtures. The proposed models can be used to determine the optimum sample size for different lots sizes.
Discrete modulation continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution scheme based on realistic detector compensation
Authors: Wu Xiao-Dong , Huang Duan , Huang Peng , Guo Ying ,   School of Management, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118 , China,   School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China,   State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, Center for Quantum Sensing and Information Processing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China,   School of Automation, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Published: September 2022

Discrete modulation continuous variable measurement device independent quantum key distribution scheme has good compatibility with efficient error correction codes, which leads to high reconciliation efficiency even at low signal-to-noise ratio. Besides, the implementation of this protocol is simpler than that of Gaussian modulation scheme. However, the quantum efficiency of homodyne detector commonly used in the experiment is only 0.6, which will seriously affect the practical application performance of discrete modulation continuous variable measurement device independent quantum key distribution scheme. To solve this problem, we propose a discrete modulation continuous variable measurement device independent quantum key distribution scheme based on realistic detector compensation. In our scheme, for the outputs of two quantum channels, each adopts a phase sensitive amplifier to compensate for the corresponding realistic homodyne detector. The simulation results show that the phase sensitive amplifier can well compensate for the quantum efficiency of the realistic detector and effectively improve the performance of the discrete modulation continuous variable measurement device independent quantum key distribution scheme with realistic detector in terms of secret key rate and secure transmission distance. The proposed protocol provides an effective method for promoting the practical development of the discrete modulation continuous variable measurement device independent quantum key distribution scheme.
Analysis of genetic diversity among Chinese Cyclocybe chaxingu strains using ISSR and SRAP markers
Authors: Liu Jin-Hao , Ding Fang-Hui , Song Hai-Yan , Chen Ming-Hui , Hu Dian-Ming
Published: September 2022

Background

Cyclocybe chaxingu is an edible and medicinal fungal species commonly cultivated in China. The major problems currently facing by growers of C. chaxingu is the random labeling of strains and strains aging and degeneration. Therefore, an evaluation of genetic diversity is essential for the conservation and reproducing programs of this species.

Methods

In the present study, 24 widely cultivated strains were collected from the main producing areas of China, and the genetic diversity analysis was performed. DNA polymorphism among these Chinese C. chaxingu strains was analyzed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers.

Results

Eight ISSR primers amplified a total of 75 DNA fragments of which 61 (81.33%) were polymorphic. Fifteen SRAP primer combinations amplified 166 fragments of which 132 (79.52%) were polymorphic. Cluster analysis showed that the C. chaxnigu strains fall into five groups with a genetic distance values ranging from 0.06 to 0.60 by ISSR analysis, while the SRAP analysis divided the test strains into four groups within the range of genetic distance from 0.03 to 0.57. The results of the present study reveal a high level of genetic diversity among the widely cultivated C. chaxingu strains.
Macrophages play a key role in tissue repair and regeneration
Authors: Yu Yajie , Yue Zhongyu , Xu Mengli , Zhang Meiling , Shen Xue , Ma Zihan , Li Juan , Xie Xin
Published: September 2022

Tissue regeneration after body injury has always been a complex problem to resolve for mammals. In adult mammals, the repair process after tissue injury is often accompanied by continuous and extensive fibrosis, which leads to scars. This process has been shown to severely hinder regeneration. Macrophages, as widely distributed innate immune cells, not only play an important role in various pathological processes, but also participate in the repair process before tissue regeneration and coordinate the regeneration process after repair. This review will discuss the various forms and indispensability of macrophages involved in repair and regeneration, and how macrophages play a role in the repair and regeneration of different tissues.
Evaluation of total immunoglobulin G and subclass antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human amebic liver abscess
Authors: Janwan Penchom , Sadaow Lakkhana , Rodpai Rutchanee , Yamasaki Hiroshi , Luvira Vor , Sukeepaisarnjaroen Wattana , Kitkhuandee Amnat , Paonariang Krisada , Sanpool Oranuch , Boonroumkaew Patcharaporn , Thanchomnang Tongjit , Mita Toshihiro , Intapan Pewpan M. , Maleewong Wanchai
Published: September 2022

Background

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) caused by Entamoeba histolytica is usually diagnosed based on its clinical symptoms, medical imaging abnormalities of the liver, and serological tests, the most common being the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For more than three decades, no investigation has evaluated the diagnostic performance of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses in the serodiagnosis of ALA. Herein, we assessed the efficiencies of anti-amebic IgG and IgG subclasses for diagnosing ALA.

Methods

A serological ELISA-based test was performed to assess its diagnostic performance using a total of 330 serum samples from ALA patients (n = 14), healthy individuals (n = 40), and patients with other diseases (n = 276).

Results

ELISA targeting the total IgG antibody to E. histolytica antigen exhibited 100% sensitivity 95% CI [76.8–100.0] and 97.8% specificity 95% CI [95.5–99.1], whereas the assay targeting IgG1 showed the same sensitivity (100% 95% CI [76.8–100.0]) and a slightly higher specificity (99.1% 95% CI [97.3–99.8]). The other IgG subclasses (IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) displayed a lower sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity and specificity did not significantly differ between tests measuring total IgG and IgG1 (Exact McNemar’s test; p > 0.05), with a concordance of 98.2%, represented by a Cohen’s kappa of 0.83 (p < 0.001), indicating almost perfect agreement.

Conclusion

ELISA targeting IgG1 can provide valuable information to clinicians in differentiating ALA from other parasitic diseases, cancers, cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis. However, enzyme-conjugated anti-human total IgG is cheaper than anti-human IgG subclasses. Therefore, we suggest that total IgG-based ELISA is sufficient for the routine serodiagnosis of human ALA and possibly other clinical manifestations of invasive amebiasis.
Mutualist- and antagonist-mediated selection contribute to trait diversification of flowers
Authors: Huang Luyao , Liu Yang , Dou Liwen , Pan Shaobin , Li Zhuangzhuang , Zhang Jin , Li Jia
Published: September 2022

Flowers are generally short-lived, and they all face a multidimensional challenge because they have to attract mutualists, compel them to vector pollen with minimal investment in rewards, and repel floral enemies during this short time window. Their displays are under complex selection, either consistent or conflicting, to maximize reproductive fitness under heterogeneous environments. The phenological or morphological mismatches between flowers and visitors will influence interspecific competition, resource access, mating success and, ultimately, population and community dynamics. To better understand the effects of the plant visitors on floral traits, it is necessary to determine the functional significance of specific floral traits for the visitors; how plants respond to both mutualists and antagonists through adaptive changes; and to evaluate the net fitness effects of biological mutualisms and antagonism on plants. In this review, we bring together insights from fields as diverse as floral biology, insect behavioral responses, and evolutionary biology to explain the processes and patterns of floral diversity evolution. Then, we discuss the ecological significance of plant responses to mutualists and antagonists from a community perspective, and propose a set of research questions that can guide the research field to integrate studies of plant defense and reproduction.
Efficacy Evaluation of a Novel Topical Herbal Spray Foam in the Management of Pocketed Wounds in Livestock
Authors: Singh Ashish Kumar , Singh Pratima , Negi Bharti , Ganguly Bhaskar
Published: September 2022

Income from livestock plays an important role in the socio-economic lives of the people globally. Wounds are a common problem that reduces productivity, increase mortality, impair host immune system, and depreciate hide quality that result in severe economic losses to livestock owners. Various studies have been conducted to develop effective herbal preparations for wound management. A clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a novel topical herbal spray foam viz. AV/MSF/19 (M/s Ayurvet Limited, India) in the management of pocketed wounds in livestock. Twenty cattle having different types of pocketed wounds were assigned to one of two groups: Group T1, receiving treatment with AV/MSF/19, or Group T2, treated with a popular wound-healing spray (Brand X). The response to treatment was assessed based on clinical improvement and time required for wound healing. Results show that the mean time to 100% healing was 8 and 13.75 days in groups T1 and T2, respectively. In group T1, wound healed completely in lesser time and efficacy index was also higher than group T2. Based on the findings of the study, AV/MSF/19 was found to be efficacious in the management of wound in cattle.
Field Efficacy of Some Insecticides and Neem Products against Tomato Fruit Borer [Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)] in Tomato
Authors: Jyothi Adunoori , Tayde Anoorag R.
Published: September 2022

The field trial was conducted at Central Research Farm, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttarpradesh during Rabi, 2021-2022. The experiment was laid out in RBD (Randomized Block Design). Seven treatments were replicated thrice: Neem oil, NSKE (Neem Seed Kernal Extract) 2%, Flubendiamide 480 SG, Novaluron 10% EC, lndoxacarb 14.5% SC, Emamectin benzoate 5%SG, Spinosad 45% SC and untreated Control. The treatments were tested to compare their efficacy against Helicoverpa armigera and their influences on the yield of tomatoes. Out of all treatments lndoxacarb 14.5% SC, Spinosad 45% SC, Flubendiamide 480SG and Novaluron10% EC recorded the minimum fruit infestation by 10.24, 11.31, 12.21 and 13.21 percent respectively. The highest yield was noticed in lndoxacarb14.5% SC (212.5 q/ha), followed by Spinosad 45% SC (200 q/ha) and Flubendiamide 480 SC (187.5 q/h). The best and most economical treatment is lndoxacarb (1:8.75), followed by Spinosad (1:8.16), Flubendiamide (1:7.55), Novaluron (1:6.38), Emamectin benzoate (1:5.86), Neem oil (1:5.64), NSKE (1:4.63), as compared to control T0-control (1:4.25) having the lowest B: C ratio.
Prevalence of mental distress in people with diabetes mellitus during the Covid-19 pandemic / Prevalência de sofrimento mental em pessoas com diabetes mellitus durante a pandemia de Covid-19
Authors: Rodrigues Júnior Nelson Silva , Mota Francisca Rosana Gonçalves , Costa Filho Antonio Alberto Ibiapina , Negreiros Ana Luiza Barbosa , Alencar Delmo de Carvalho , Ibiapina Aline Raquel de Sousa
Published: September 2022

Objetivo: estimar a prevalência de sofrimento mental em pessoas com diabetes mellitus durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Método: estudo transversal, de caráter exploratório, com amostra de 111 pessoas com diabetes. Na coleta de dados, utilizou-se um questionário de sintomas denominado Self Report Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). A análise de dados foi realizada por meio da estatística descritiva. Resultados: a prevalência de sofrimento mental entre as pessoas com diabetes foi de 37,8%. No grupo de humor depressivo-ansioso, os sintomas mais prevalentes demonstraram que 64% dos diabéticos se sentiram nervosos, tensos ou preocupados. Quanto ao decréscimo de energia vital, 51,4% dos diabéticos se cansaram com facilidade. Para os sintomas somáticos, identificou-se que 30,6% apresentaram sensações desagradáveis no estômago. Quanto aos pensamentos depressivos, verificou-se que 31,5% tiveram dificuldade para tomar decisões. Conclusão: recomenda-se a criação de estratégias e linhas integrais de cuidados que minimizem os impactos psicossociais causados pela pandemia da COVID-19 neste segmento populacional.
Prescribing Characteristics Associated With Opioid Overdose Following Buprenorphine Taper
Authors: Bozinoff Nikki , Men Siyu , Kurdyak Paul , Selby Peter , Gomes Tara
Published: September 2022

Importance

Retention in buprenorphine therapy is associated with a lower risk of opioid overdose. Nevertheless, many patients discontinue treatment, and there is limited evidence to guide buprenorphine tapering.

Objective

To understand what prescribing characteristics are associated with opioid overdose following buprenorphine taper.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a population-based, retrospective, cohort study of adults who were maintained on buprenorphine for at least 60 days and underwent a buprenorphine taper. The study was conducted in the Canadian province of Ontario, using linked administrative health data. New buprenorphine treatment episodes were accrued between January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2019, and the maximum follow-up was April 30, 2020. Data analysis was performed from December 2020 to August 2022.

Exposures

The primary exposure of interest was time to taper initiation (≤1 year vs >1 year). Secondary exposures included mean rate of taper, percentage days during which the dose was decreasing, and taper duration.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome measure was time to fatal or nonfatal opioid overdose within 18 months following treatment discontinuation.

Results

Among 5774 individuals, the median (IQR) age at index date was 34 (28-44) years, and 3462 individuals (60.0%) were male. Time to taper initiation longer than 1 year vs 1 year or less (6.73 vs 10.35 overdoses per 100 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48-0.997), a lower mean rate of taper (≤2 mg per month, 6.95 overdoses per 100 person-years; >2 to ≤4 mg per month, 11.48 overdoses per 100 person-years; >4 mg per month, 17.27 overdoses per 100 person-years; ≤2 mg per month vs >4 mg per month, aHR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46-0.91; >2 to ≤4 mg per month vs >4 mg per month, aHR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.51-0.93), and dose decreases in 1.75% or less of days vs more than 3.50% of days during the taper period (5.87 vs 13.87 overdoses per 100 person-years; aHR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.93) were associated with reduced risk of opioid overdose; however, taper duration was not.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this retrospective cohort study, buprenorphine tapers undertaken after at least 1 year of therapy, a slower rate of taper, and a lower percentage of days during which the dose was decreasing were associated with a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose, regardless of taper duration. These findings underscore the importance of a carefully planned taper and could contribute to reduction in opioid-related overdose death.
Grounded Theory
Authors: Underhill Greta R. , Gist‐Mackey Angela N.
Published: September 2022

Grounded theory is a methodology to develop theory from qualitative data to gain fresh insight about relationships between people and their experiences. The major parts of grounded theory analysis include open coding, axial coding, categorizing, memo writing, constant comparison, and conditional–consequential matrices. A number of common misconceptions of grounded theory include that it is an excuse to ignore literature, a presentation of raw data, theory testing, a formulaic technique, a perfect and easy methodology, or an excuse for the absence of methodology. Three common approaches are taken when using grounded theory. First, the classical approach was developed to push back on quantitative positivism and address misconceptions about the rigor of qualitative work. Second, the constructivist approach centers the co‐construction of reality through the interactions of researchers and participants. Third, the practical approach focuses on practical problems people face in their daily lives, working for research‐oriented solutions. Health communication scholarship using grounded theory is featured. Two widely contested debates exist about grounded theory. First, researchers disagree on the extent of a study's final theoretical contributions. Second, researchers may disagree on the use of extant literature in a study's research design. Ultimately, grounded theory is widely used in health communication research and remains distinct from other qualitative methodologies.
End‐Of‐Life Goals of Care
Authors: Baldwin Paula K.
Published: September 2022

This entry provides an overview of the communication coordination between the patient, the family, and the medical team when supporting the patient's wishes for their care at the end of their life. When the patient transitions from curative treatment to palliative care, end‐of‐life care first focuses on pain and symptom management and the practical aspects of care of providing physical comfort and relief. Other goals of care may include seeking guidance and solace with their spiritual advisor or hospice chaplain. Another possible goal is important conversations with friends or family members, sometimes desiring to resolve old interpersonal issues or make final demonstrations of affection. Effective communication between the patient, the family, and the medical team has the potential to achieve the patient's desired end‐of‐life goals.
Handoffs
Authors: Apker Julie
Published: September 2022

Handoffs, also known as handovers, signovers, signouts, or endorsements, refer to transfer of care responsibilities that occur when patients transition between clinicians either within the same health organization or among different health organizations. Intraservice handoffs occur between clinicians of the same profession whereas interservice handoffs take place between clinicians of different specializations of the same profession. Poor handoffs have been a known patient safety risk for decades, with poor communication recognized to be at least partially to blame for an estimated 80% of severe patient care errors. The research literature identifies several sets of communication factors that exacerbate patient safety errors during handoffs. They are information obstacles, relational challenges, professional expectation conflicts, and context barriers. The scholarly and practitioner literature has advocated for the use of mnemonics, checklists, and other protocols for standardized handoffs and, although useful, these tools have encountered some critique. Such criticism argues that handoff tools must take into consideration the distinctive qualities of information, relationships, professionalism, and material context in which handoffs occur.
Health Humanities
Authors: Klempner Dylan
Published: September 2022

This entry provides an introduction to health humanities, a general definition that includes related fields and subfields, an overview of research applications, links to health communication, as well as critiques and future research directions. Health humanities is a multidisciplinary field for understanding the intersection of the arts and humanities with medicine and health. Seeking to be inclusive of all contributions from within and beyond medicine, health humanities diverged from the longer‐established field of medical humanities. It urges all related fields and subfields – including medical humanities, arts and health, expressive therapies, design, and community arts – to work together toward advancing healthcare, health, public health, and well‐being through education, research, and practice. While health humanities research and practices converge with the health communication field in numerous ways, the most obvious are through storytelling, filmmaking, photography, journalism, and popular media.
Health Outcomes
Authors: Wu Qiwei L. , Street Richard L.
Published: September 2022

Health outcomes refer to patients' biomedical, behavioral, and self‐reported health status measures related to medical interventions for improving health and well‐being. Previous literature documents how effective clinician–patient communication helps generate good health outcomes for patients. This entry identifies the direct and indirect pathways linking communication to improved health outcomes based on the
functional model of patient‐centered communication
and the
pathway model of clinician–patient communication and health outcomes
. These pathways include access to needed care, increasing patient understanding, therapeutic alliance, emotional management, patient empowerment, and quality medical decisions.
Interpreter‐Mediated Communication
Authors: Hsieh Elaine
Published: September 2022

Interpreter‐mediated medical encounters represent an interdisciplinary area of research that highlights the intersection of languages, cultures, and medicine. Because of the interdependent nature of interpreter‐mediated interactions, clinicians' and patients' communicative behaviors and normative expectations can influence interpreters' behaviors and performances. On the other hand, as healthcare interpreters provide their linguistic services, they are also in a position to inform, educate, and empower other speakers for future interactions. By conceptualizing interpreter‐mediated communication as coordinated achievement between multiple parties, researchers have expanded investigations beyond the linguistic transformation in interpreter‐mediated interactions. When all parties are viewed as active participants in the medical encounter, a new world is opened to researchers of interpreter‐mediated communication. By recognizing the variety of interpreters available in healthcare settings, researchers have explored the impacts of different types of interpreters on patient satisfaction, clinician expectations, patient–interpreter relationships, institutional costs, discursive processes, and clinical consequences. Interpreters, along with their interpersonal relationships, diverse functions, emotions, and job‐related hazards, become legitimate issues to be explored.
Medical Advising
Authors: Foley Kasey A. , MacGeorge Erina L.
Published: September 2022

Within the discipline of health communication, medical advising typically refers to the provision of a formal recommendation by a clinician to a patient or caregiver on what action to take in response to a health‐related concern. Medical advising is a common and consequential form of support and influence within medical interactions, and has been a central focus in the research agenda of health communication researchers since the discipline's start. Research on clinician–patient communication points to several psychological and behavioral factors that influence recipient perceptions of and responses to medical advice.
Patient Activation
Authors: Ledford Christy J. W.
Published: September 2022

Patient activation describes an individual's knowledge, skills, and confidence to enact self‐management behaviors to maintain health. Individuals with high patient activation believe their role as a patient is important, have the confidence and knowledge necessary to take action, and enact behaviors to maintain and improve their health. Patient activation, as a concept, arose from the self‐care movement in the 1970s. Three factors have altered how patient activation is considered both clinically and in research studies. First, the perception of self‐care activities has normalized to an expectation of the patient. Second, the amount of information freely available and accessible to patients has proliferated. Third, the role of clinician has shifted from a paternalistic perspective to a shared decision‐making or even consumerist perspective. In 2021, patient activation is a pervasive self‐management concept that crosses health status and contexts.
Pharmacy
Authors: Denvir Paul M.
Published: September 2022

As a result of changes in healthcare and health policy, the pharmacy profession is undergoing a transition from traditional roles as medication dispensers and educators in the community to contemporary roles as consultants and healthcare providers in the clinic. This transition has led to a substantial increase in health communication scholarship focused on pharmacist–patient and pharmacist–prescriber (interprofessional) communication skills. Pharmacist–patient communication research has emphasized the importance of medication adherence and pharmacists' roles in educating and motivating patients to adhere to their regimens. Pharmacist–prescriber communication research has emphasized the challenges of offering recommendations and identifying medication errors, which may exacerbate interprofessional tensions as new roles and scopes of practice are being negotiated.
Pharmaceutical Advertising
Authors: Dan Viorela
Published: September 2022

Pharmaceutical advertising involves the for‐pay transmission of messages about drugs and other types of medication, with the ultimate goal of increasing demand for the product advertised. Pharmaceutical companies manufacture and advertise three different types of medication: prescription drugs (Rx), over‐the‐counter drugs (OTC), and dietary supplements (DS). Numerous regulations set boundaries to pharmaceutical advertising. They concern who can be targeted (i.e., healthcare providers vs. laypeople) and what type of information must be included. OTC and DS advertising targets mainly laypeople, and a warning statement urging audiences to talk to a health provider about risks and side effects is considered sufficient. Rx advertising targets mainly healthcare providers, with visits by pharmaceutical representatives being the most common instrument, known as detailing. In all countries except the United States and New Zealand, direct‐to‐consumer advertising for prescription medication (DTCA) is prohibited. In these two countries, it is stipulated that a “fair balance” between drug benefits on the one hand and risks and side effects on the other must be achieved. Existing research indicates that pharmaceutical advertising may resort to untoward means, both in its interactions with healthcare providers and in its materials targeting laypeople. Pharmaceutical companies are criticized for what is perceived as an attempt to circumvent the demand for a fair balance using message design features (e.g., by pairing the narration of risks and side effects in the voiceover with distracting visuals) and for attempts to alter medical doctors' prescribing behaviors through gifts and other types of incentives.
Social Capital
Authors: Beaudoin Christopher E.
Published: September 2022

This entry offers an introduction to social capital and its functions in regards to health communication, including health media campaigns and health media messaging. Common operational definitions of social capital include group membership, social trust, neighborliness, perceptions of place, and social and community ties. Social capital has been found to be positively associated with beneficial health outcomes at both individual and collective levels. With this basis, research has implemented three different general frameworks to model how health communication functions in tandem with social capital. First, using an audience segmentation framework, people with different levels of social capital tend to have different patterns of health communication. Second, using a mediation framework, health communication can spur increases in social capital, which, in turn, can influence improvements in health outcomes. Third, using a moderation framework, social capital moderates the effects of health communication on health outcomes. Research in these three areas underscores the importance of health communication in social capital processes, deriving important implications for research and practice. Future research can help advance knowledge on how these three frameworks function in general and across health contexts and health outcomes.
Constructivist Grounded Theory
Authors: Field‐Springer Kimberly
Published: September 2022

Constructivist grounded theory is a methodology that is not descriptive but explanatory, driven by emergent understandings from qualitative data and memo‐writing, comparative analysis in theory building, and processes involving researcher reflexivity. A constructivist grounded theory approach seeks to answer
how
and
why
participants construct meanings and actions in a social context. Rigor in constructivist grounded theory is measured by evaluating the quality of credibility, originality, resonance, and usefulness.
Textual Analysis
Authors: Silva Vesta T.
Published: September 2022

Textual analysis allows critics to analyze written, visual, and aural messages in their historical context. It uses techniques of close reading to highlight particular cultural understandings of health, medicine, and society, revealing in particular unspoken norms, values, and beliefs that shape individuals' choices and actions in specific health settings. Textual analysis requires the critic to have a rich understanding of their chosen texts, their contexts, and the cultural codes that ground them.
Media Content, News
Authors: Araújo Rita
Published: September 2022

The production of news is influenced by several factors, namely media organizations, characteristics of journalists, and their organizational practices. News is the result of a complex process that involves the gathering of information, mostly through news sources, and then the application of newsworthiness criteria that allow journalists to decide whether a story is worth publishing. Within the health field, journalists rely heavily on news sources due to the technical nature of information and their lack of specialization. Even though health and science desks are now very common amongst media organizations, they encompass a wide category of news stories that includes diseases, new treatments or services, health products or procedures, medical research, and so on. News media are often a primary source of health information to the general public, and their coverage may be decisive in the decision‐making process about one's health.
Social Media: Social Identity
Authors: Jarvis Caitlyn M.
Published: September 2022

This entry provides an overview of Henri Tajfel's social identity theory (SIT) and explores how it has been applied, critiqued, and further developed within health communication research. Through the process of identification, SIT posts that individuals derive part of their identity from group membership. Social identity influences emotions, behaviors, and attitudes, and thus has a significant impact on a range of health‐related outcomes, including health literacy, health behaviors, and social support. Social identities can also serve as a protective factor against stigma by enriching self‐esteem through group‐related pride and satisfaction. This entry summarizes the theoretical basis of social identity theory, before outlining how social identity theory has been utilized by communication researchers and applied to the context of health and social media.
Framing: Strategic
Authors: Rosset Magdalena , Baumann Eva , Jaspersen Miriam
Published: September 2022

In strategic communication, framing is used for persuasive purposes: to raise awareness, to suggest a specific interpretation of an issue, to explain causes and outcomes, to attribute responsibility, to identify and present solutions and ways to achieve them, to convince the public that change is necessary, or to motivate behavior change. By doing so, strategic communicators aim to establish their own perspective on the issue in the media while weakening others and to change the public discourse and perspective on an issue. Further, framing can be strategically used as a persuasive strategy of message design – often used in health campaigns – which receives increased attention in health communication research in the form of message tactics such as gain and loss framing and its effects on health‐related attitudes, behavioral intentions, and behaviors. This entry explains these different forms of strategic framing, with a focus on their application in health communication research.
Priming
Authors: Ewoldsen David R. , Rhodes Nancy
Published: September 2022

Priming is a process through which mental constructs can be made temporarily more accessible in memory. This increase in accessibility then results in changes in judgments and behavior to be more consistent with the primed content. Media priming involves the effect of media coverage of an issue on people's later judgments. In the health arena, few studies have used best practices for measuring the effects of priming on health behavior. However, health campaigns may operate like media priming and increase the accessibility of health behaviors. Overall, findings are suggestive that priming may have promise in influencing health‐related behaviors. More research, particularly using a combination of survey and laboratory methods, is warranted. Research is needed which focuses on the characteristics of health‐related primes and advances our understanding of the processes involved in priming within a health context.
Inoculation Theory
Authors: Compton Josh
Published: September 2022

This entry examines the classic theory of resistance to influence – inoculation theory – in a health context. It provides a basic overview of the theory and descriptions of how inoculation theory has been used to study such health‐related issues as underage alcohol and smoking prevention, vaccine acceptance, and nutrition.
Shared Decision Making
Authors: Pieterse Arwen H. , Gulbrandsen Pål , McCaffery Kirsten , Henselmans Inge
Published: September 2022

Shared decision making is the process by which patients and clinicians make decisions about care together, in order to choose management options that fit the individual patient best. This decision model is in place when there is uncertainty about the best option for a particular patient, which is often the case. Many definitions of shared decision making exist, which share key elements. In clinical practice, shared decision making is still not common. Various barriers have been identified to explain why shared decision making has not been widely implemented yet, and a fundamental barrier may relate to the vulnerable position in which patients find themselves with respect to clinicians. Multiple measures of shared decision making have been designed, but assessment remains a challenge, and effects on patient outcomes are still unclear. Effective implementation of shared decision making is increasingly being considered as requiring a multifaceted approach, including a particular focus on individuals with lower health literacy skills. Overall, continuing efforts to substantiate, fine‐tune, and promote shared decision making are required to ensure that decisions are made that align with what matters most to individual patients.
Employee Wellness Programs
Authors: Meluch Andrea L.
Published: September 2022

Employers often offer employee wellness initiatives to their employees because of the benefits of these programs on the organization/business's bottom line. Many employees participate in these programs because they benefit from them in terms of having better health and receiving other financial benefits (e.g., reduced health insurance premiums). However, these programs are critiqued for the ways in which they can intrude into employee health privacy; thus, many employees choose not to participate because of privacy concerns. Health communication scholars have examined how employees make sense of employee wellness programs in the workplace and how these programs influence both employee health and organizational outcomes.
Interprofessional Collaboration
Authors: Fox Stephanie , Mallette Simon , Ginoux Laura
Published: September 2022

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a cornerstone of today's healthcare organizations. IPC is intended to address fragmentation in healthcare systems and increasingly complex healthcare needs, which exceed the expertise of one profession. It requires that clinicians from different professions work together with patients, their families, carers, and communities to provide comprehensive services and quality care. Often linked to quality improvement initiatives, IPC is thought to enhance health outcomes, patient safety and satisfaction, and quality of care. Depending on the interdependence between collaborating clinicians, IPC practices can take various forms. The effectiveness of IPC depends on a set of interrelated factors involving healthcare systems and policy, healthcare organizations, interprofessional teams, and individuals. Communication is a key element of IPC effectiveness but remains undertheorized in much IPC literature. While IPC communication entails the accurate and timely transfer of information, it is also how clinicians negotiate and define patient care, and establish relationships with team members, patients, and their families. Health communication scholars can thus contribute nuanced understandings of IPC communicative practices. Future research should investigate the role of artifacts and especially the role of the person receiving IPC care.
Leadership in Healthcare
Authors: Zanin Alaina C.
Published: September 2022

This entry provides a brief overview of leadership research by contrasting other disciplinary perspectives with a discursive perspective of leadership (i.e., leadership that is co‐constructed among leaders and followers through communication). Through this lens, the entry then discusses how biomedical and biopsychosocial discourses of practice within healthcare affect leadership practice. Additionally, the entry details leadership research in healthcare organizations, multinational interorganizational health collaborations, and stakeholder‐led public health interventions. Recommendations for future research about leadership in healthcare contexts are discussed.
Patient‐Centered Medical Homes
Authors: Ledford Christy J. W.
Published: September 2022

The patient‐centered medical home (PCMH) is an approach to the delivery of primary care that facilitates partnerships between patients and their healthcare team. PCMH has four core defining features; care should be
accessible
,
continuous
,
comprehensive
, and
coordinated
. Notably absent from this list is the term “patient‐centered,” which is a description of the overall approach rather than the model itself. This central tenet is that patient care is a collaborative effort among clinicians, patients, and their families to ensure that decisions respect patients' values and preferences and to provide the education and support patients need to make decisions and participate in their own care. In addition to these core features of PCMH, organizations have layered six other characteristics in various combinations: family‐centeredness, community orientation, cultural competence, quality and safety, personal physician, and payment models.
Relational Dialectics Theory
Authors: Scharp Kristina M. , Wolfe Brooke H.
Published: September 2022

Relational dialectics theory (RDT) is a dialogic theory of meaning‐making. The primary premise of RDT is that meanings are made in the competition of discourses or what Baxter refers to as “systems of meaning.” Fundamental to RDT is the recognition that not all discourses are afforded the same levels of power. Whereas some discourses are dominant in a culture (i.e., centripetal), others are more marginalized (i.e., centrifugal). In this entry, we (i) provide a history of the theory, (ii) define the key premise and key concepts of RDT, (iii) highlight the process of meaning‐making by introducing RDT's corresponding method, contrapuntal analysis, (iv) discuss some applications of RDT in health contexts, and (v) provide a case study to illustrate the theory in action.
Mobile Health, Developing Countries
Authors: Chib Arul , Li Caining
Published: September 2022

This entry describes the introduction and evolution of the application and impacts of mHealth in developing countries. The initial phase of mHealth was characterized by mobile phone‐based voice and text health communication primarily for improving healthcare delivery systems, and was focused on communicable diseases and maternal/child health. Recently, more advanced technologies such as mobile applications have emerged to address patients' and consumers' self‐care practices. Although pilot mHealth projects reported promising outcomes, there is a lack of a credible evidence base regarding the long‐term sustainability of mHealth on a large scale. In summary, mHealth initially seemed promising for improving health practices in developing countries, but has yet to live up to its true potential for transforming healthcare systems. Mobile health technologies are continuously evolving, with promising emergent areas, although these continue to be constrained by challenges unique to developing economies.