-
Journal of Medical Internet Research Dec 2023Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are advanced human-like interfaces that engage users in natural face-to-face conversations and interactions. These traits position... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are advanced human-like interfaces that engage users in natural face-to-face conversations and interactions. These traits position ECAs as innovative tools for delivering interventions for promoting health-related behavior adoption. This includes motivational interviewing (MI), a therapeutic approach that combines brief interventions with motivational techniques to encourage the adoption of healthier behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to identify the health issues addressed by ECAs delivering MI interventions, explore the key characteristics of these ECAs (eg, appearance, dialogue mechanism, emotional model), analyze the implementation of MI principles and techniques within ECAs, and examine the evaluation methods and primary outcomes of studies that use ECAs providing MI interventions.
METHODS
We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) methodology. Our systematic search covered the PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital, and PsycINFO databases for papers published between January 2008 and December 2022. We included papers describing ECAs developed for delivering MI interventions targeting health-related behaviors and excluded articles that did not describe ECAs with human appearances and without the necessary evaluation or MI explanation. In a multistage process, 3 independent reviewers performed screening and data extraction, and the collected data were synthesized using a narrative approach.
RESULTS
The initial search identified 404 articles, of which 3.5% (n=14) were included in the review. ECAs primarily focused on reducing alcohol use (n=5, 36%), took on female representations (n=9, 64%), and gave limited consideration to user ethnicity (n=9, 64%). Most of them used rules-driven dialogue mechanisms (n=13, 93%), include emotional behavior to convey empathy (n=8, 57%) but without an automatic recognition of user emotions (n=12, 86%). Regarding MI implementation, of 14 studies, 3 (21%) covered all MI principles, 4 (29%) included all processes, and none covered all techniques. Most studies (8/14, 57%) conducted acceptability, usability, and user experience assessments, whereas a smaller proportion (4/14, 29%) used randomized controlled trials to evaluate behavior changes. Overall, the studies reported positive results regarding acceptability, usability, and user experience and showed promising outcomes in changes in attitudes, beliefs, motivation, and behavior.
CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed significant advancements in the use of ECAs for delivering MI interventions aimed at promoting healthier behaviors over the past 15 years. However, this review emphasizes the need for a more in-depth exploration of ECA characteristics. In addition, there is a need for the enhanced integration of MI principles, processes, and techniques into ECAs. Although acceptability and usability have received considerable attention, there is a compelling argument for placing a stronger emphasis on assessing changes in attitudes, beliefs, motivation, and behavior. Consequently, inclusion of more randomized controlled trials is essential for comprehensive intervention evaluations.
Topics: Humans; Female; Motivational Interviewing; Health Behavior; Communication; Motivation; Emotions
PubMed: 38064707
DOI: 10.2196/52097 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Sep 2023: The most common sites of implantation of endometriotic tissue are the ovaries. Endometriomas are present in most cases of endometriosis (up to 45%). Although... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
: The most common sites of implantation of endometriotic tissue are the ovaries. Endometriomas are present in most cases of endometriosis (up to 45%). Although laparoscopic cystectomy is the standard of care in endometrioma, new strategies have been set up to minimize iatrogenic injuries to ovarian tissue. Sclerotherapy consists of injecting alcohol into the endometrioma to denature the amino acidic components of its pseudocapsule. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare clinical and pregnancy outcomes in surgery and sclerotherapy. : Following the recommendations in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Clinical-trials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases in January 2023, adopting the string "Endometriosis and sclerotherapy". We made no limitations on the country and year of publication. We included the studies containing Success Rate (SR), Recurrence Rate (RR), Pregnancy Rate (PR) before and after the procedure. We used comparative studies for meta-analysis. : A total of 29 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria, 7 retrospective observational studies and 22 prospective studies. Eight comparative studies were enrolled in meta-analysis. Patients were analyzed concerning the number of recurrences and pregnancies in surgery, and compared with sclerotherapy. Four studies showed SR > 80.0%, and only two had SR < 80.0%, of which one consisted of tetracycline instillation. Only 1 study had 100% PR, the other 14 reported PR > 30.0%, whereas six had PR < 30.0%, of which one showed 0.0% PR with ethanol injection at two-thirds of the cyst fluid volume. Meta-analysis highlighted a non-significant lower incidence of recurrence in the surgery group compared to the sclerotherapy group ( = 0.87). In parallel, the surgery group showed a non-significant better PR than the sclerotherapy group ( = 0.08). : Despite sclerotherapy having a minor incidence of postoperative complications compared to surgery, the latter is associated with a lower RR and better PR. However, those data assert the importance of a targeted therapy according to preoperative conditions and reproductive potential.
Topics: Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Sclerotherapy; Endometriosis; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Fertility
PubMed: 37763762
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59091643 -
BMJ Open Jul 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the burnout and mental health of medical staff. This meta-analysis aims to provide additional (and updated)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the burnout and mental health of medical staff. This meta-analysis aims to provide additional (and updated) evidence related to burnout and mental health problems among medical staff using a broader data pool.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang data and three preprint databases (SSRN, bioRxiv and medRxiv) were searched from 1 January 2020 to 17 May 2021.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
We included observational studies investigating the prevalence of burnout and mental health problems among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, including cross-sectional study, cohort study and case-control study.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two independent reviewers used a self-designed form to extract the primary data. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of selected studies. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I statistic. A random-effects model was used to pool the prevalence. Subgroup analysis was performed to explore between-group differences.
RESULTS
250 studies were included, with a sample of 292 230 participants from 46 countries. The pooled prevalence of burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and somatic symptoms was 43.6% (95% CI 36.3% to 51.2%), 37.1% (95% CI 34.7% to 39.7%), 37.6% (95% CI 35.0% to 40.4%), 43.7% (95% CI 39.1% to 48.5%), 41.3% (95% CI 35.1% to 47.9%), 30.6% (95% CI 23.6% to 38.5%) and 25.0% (95% CI 16.7% to 35.6%), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression and insomnia in frontline workers than in non-frontline workers, and a higher prevalence of anxiety in females than males. Mild cases accounted for the most significant proportion of the outcomes except for stress.
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights that identifying the risks of burnout and mental health problems and adopting preventive interventions are priorities for policymakers and medical staff to avoid long-term occupational, health and social impacts.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42021254425.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; COVID-19; Mental Health; Pandemics; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Cohort Studies; Prevalence; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Anxiety; Burnout, Professional; Medical Staff; Depression
PubMed: 37474193
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061945 -
Body Image Mar 2024Weight stigma is persistent across contexts and is associated with disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. This systematic review aimed to examine the existing... (Review)
Review
Weight stigma is persistent across contexts and is associated with disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. This systematic review aimed to examine the existing literature that has explored the relationship between weight stigma and disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. We specifically examined three dimensions of weight stigma - experienced, anticipated, and internalized - and adopted an inclusive conceptualization of outcomes related to disordered eating (including constructs such as binge eating, body dissatisfaction, and other cognitions and behaviors such as dietary restraint, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and drive for thinness). We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, and PsycINFO for English-language, peer-reviewed articles and dissertations with quantitative methodology published through October 2023. The search resulted in 242 articles meeting inclusion criteria. A narrative review found a consistent relationship between greater weight stigma and more disordered eating cognitions and behaviors. Methodological and theoretical limitations are discussed, as are critical avenues for future research and potential clinical implications stemming from this body of research. Given the widespread nature and impact of weight stigma on disordered eating, it is imperative that we intervene to address weight stigma at all levels, from the structural to the intrapersonal.
Topics: Humans; Body Image; Weight Prejudice; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Thinness; Cognition
PubMed: 38278088
DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101678 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Aug 2023Digital therapeutics (DTx), a class of software-based clinical interventions, are promising new technologies that can potentially prevent, manage, or treat a spectrum of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Digital therapeutics (DTx), a class of software-based clinical interventions, are promising new technologies that can potentially prevent, manage, or treat a spectrum of medical disorders and diseases as well as deliver unprecedented portability for patients and scalability for health care providers. Their adoption and implementation were accelerated by the need for remote care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and awareness about their utility has rapidly grown among providers, payers, and regulators. Despite this, relatively little is known about the capacity of DTx to provide economic value in care.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to systematically review and summarize the published evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of clinical-grade mobile app-based DTx and explore the factors affecting such evaluations.
METHODS
A systematic review of economic evaluations of clinical-grade mobile app-based DTx was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 guidelines. Major electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched for eligible studies published from inception to October 28, 2022. Two independent reviewers evaluated the eligibility of all the retrieved articles for inclusion in the review. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed for each included study.
RESULTS
A total of 18 studies were included in this review. Of the 18 studies, 7 (39%) were nonrandomized study-based economic evaluations, 6 (33%) were model-based evaluations, and 5 (28%) were randomized clinical trial-based evaluations. The DTx intervention subject to assessment was found to be cost-effective in 12 (67%) studies, cost saving in 5 (28%) studies, and cost-effective in 1 (6%) study in only 1 of the 3 countries where it was being deployed in the final study. Qualitative deficiencies in methodology and substantial potential for bias, including risks of performance bias and selection bias in participant recruitment, were identified in several included studies.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review supports the thesis that DTx interventions offer potential economic benefits. However, DTx economic analyses conducted to date exhibit important methodological shortcomings that must be addressed in future evaluations to reduce the uncertainty surrounding the widespread adoption of DTx interventions.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022358616; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022358616.
Topics: Humans; Cost-Benefit Analysis; COVID-19; Mobile Applications; Pandemics; Clinical Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37526973
DOI: 10.2196/47094 -
Cureus Oct 2023Robotic assistance in stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) holds promising potential for enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and safety during electrode placement and... (Review)
Review
Robotic assistance in stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) holds promising potential for enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and safety during electrode placement and surgical procedures. This systematic review and meta-analysis, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration, delves into the latest advancements and implications of robotic systems in SEEG, while meticulously evaluating outcomes and safety measures. Among 855 patients suffering from medication-refractory epilepsy who underwent SEEG in 29 studies, averaging 24.6 years in age, the most prevalent robots employed were robotic surgical assistant (ROSA) (450 patients), Neuromate (207), Sinovation (140), and ISys1 (58). A total of 8,184 electrodes were successfully implanted, with an average operative time of 157.2 minutes per procedure and 15.1 minutes per electrode, resulting in an overall mean operative time of 157.7 minutes across all studies. Notably, the mean target point error (TPE) stood at 2.13 mm, the mean entry point error (EPE) at 1.48 mm, and postoperative complications occurred in 7.69% of robotically assisted (RA) SEEG cases (60), with 85% of these complications being asymptomatic. This comprehensive analysis underscores the safety and efficacy of RA-SEEG in patients with medication-refractory epilepsy, characterized by low complication rates, reduced operative time, and precise electrode placement, supporting its widespread adoption in clinical practice, with no discernible differences noted among the various robotic systems.
PubMed: 38021558
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47675 -
Indian Journal of Psychiatry Nov 2023After the National Mental Health Survey in 2016, multiple individual studies showed inconsistencies in the prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders in India. We... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
After the National Mental Health Survey in 2016, multiple individual studies showed inconsistencies in the prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders in India. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate an up-to-date pooled estimate of the prevalence of depression, alcohol use disorder (AUD), anxiety disorder (AD), intellectual disability, suicidal attempt/death, autism, and bipolar disorder (BD) in India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed a systematic bibliographic search in Pub Med, Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx), and Google Scholar, along with a manual search for peer-reviewed epidemiological studies reporting the prevalence of depression, AUD, AD, MR, suicidal attempt/death, autism, and BD in India from January 1980 till March 2022. Adopting a random-effects model, we performed the meta-analysis using "MetaXL" software.
RESULTS
A total of 79 studies were included: depression ( = 28), AUD ( = 14), AD ( = 12), intellectual disability ( = 8), suicidal attempt/death ( = 7), autism ( = 6) and BD ( = 4). The pooled prevalence of depression and AUD was 12.4% (95% CI 9.4-15.9) ( < 0.001, I = 100%) and 21.5% (95% CI 14.1-30.0) ( < 0.001, I = 100%), respectively. AD, intellectual disability and suicidal attempt/death showed a prevalence of 11.6% (95% CI 8.1-15.7) ( < 0.001, I = 99%), 1% (95% CI 0.5-1.6) ( < 0.001, I = 98%) and 0.5% (95% CI 0.3-0.8) ( < 0.001, I = 100%), respectively. The meta-analysis in autism and BD showed pooled prevalence of 0.3% (95% CI 0.1-0.6) ( < 0.001, I = 96%) and 0.3% (95% CI 0.2-0.4) ( < 0.001, I = 78%), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed an increased prevalence of AD in the urban [24.3% (95% CI 3.7-52.9)] and younger [16.7% (95% CI 5.1-32.7)] population. The prevalence of depression and AD increased during the last two decades on decadal prevalence analysis.
DISCUSSION
The findings could be used for appropriate policy measures and guiding subsequent national mental health surveys.
PubMed: 38249146
DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_539_22 -
Women and Birth : Journal of the... Feb 2024There is no international standard for advanced midwifery scope of practice. (Review)
Review
PROBLEM
There is no international standard for advanced midwifery scope of practice.
BACKGROUND
Globally, there is variance in how scope of midwifery practice is determined and regulated, with no consensus on extended or advanced scope. This can lead to under-utilised staff potential, un-met consumer need, and loss of professional skill.
AIMS
The aim of this scoping review was to synthesise and map what is reported in the international literature on the advanced scope of midwifery practice.
METHODS
A systematic scoping review methodology was adopted utilising Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A full search was conducted of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Google. Publications from 2019 to August 2022 that met criteria were included. Reported skills were mapped to the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) competencies of pre-conception, antenatal, labour and birth, postnatal plus globally identified areas for midwifery investment.
FINDINGS
28 articles met inclusion criteria. Reported skills included abortion care (n = 6), prescribing (n = 7), ultrasound (n = 2), advanced practice skills (n = 7), midwifery-led skills, primary health, post-graduate education, HIV/AIDS testing, advocacy, and acupressure (all n = 1).
DISCUSSION
This review presents a synopsis of publications describing what has been defined as advanced midwifery scope of practice in international contexts.
CONCLUSION
Establishing evidence of midwives working to the peak of professional scope is important to continue to develop professional capacity and support contemporary practice, regulation, governance, and policy while improving consumer access to equitable care. Findings aid service development, provision, and professional planning.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Midwifery; Professional Role
PubMed: 37845089
DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2023.10.001 -
Journal of Physical Activity & Health Aug 2023The objectives were (1) to establish the strength of the association between incident cases of osteoarthritis (OA) and low back pain (LBP), and physical activity (PA)... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The objectives were (1) to establish the strength of the association between incident cases of osteoarthritis (OA) and low back pain (LBP), and physical activity (PA) and to assess the likelihood of the associations being causal; and (2) to quantify the impact of PA on the burden of OA and LBP in Australia.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature review in EMBASE and PubMed databases from January 01, 2000, to April 28, 2020. We used the Bradford Hill viewpoints to assess causality. We used a proportional multistate life table model to estimate the impact of changes in the PA levels on OA and LBP burdens for the 2019 Australian population (aged ≥ 20 y) over their remaining lifetime.
RESULTS
We found that both OA and LBP are possibly causally related to physical inactivity. Assuming causality, our model projected that if the 2025 World Health Organization global target for PA was met, the burden in 25 years' time could be reduced by 70,000 prevalent cases of OA and over 11,000 cases of LBP. Over the lifetime of the current adult population of Australia, the gains could add up to approximately 672,814 health-adjusted life years (HALYs) for OA (ie, 27 HALYs per 1000 persons) and 114,042 HALYs for LBP (ie, 5 HALYs per 1000 persons). The HALY gains would be 1.4 times bigger if the 2030 World Health Organization global target for PA was achieved and 11 times bigger if all Australians adhered to the Australian PA guidelines.
CONCLUSION
This study provides empirical support for the adoption of PA in strategies for the prevention of OA and back pain.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Exercise; Life Tables; Low Back Pain; Occupational Diseases; Australia; Osteoarthritis
PubMed: 37268300
DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2022-0541 -
Molecular Psychiatry Aug 2023Psychotic disorders are characterized by structural and functional abnormalities in brain networks. Neuroimaging techniques map and characterize such abnormalities using... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Psychotic disorders are characterized by structural and functional abnormalities in brain networks. Neuroimaging techniques map and characterize such abnormalities using unique features (e.g., structural integrity, coactivation). However, it is unclear if a specific method, or a combination of modalities, is particularly effective in identifying differences in brain networks of someone with a psychotic disorder.
METHODS
A systematic meta-analysis evaluated machine learning classification of schizophrenia spectrum disorders in comparison to healthy control participants using various neuroimaging modalities (i.e., T1-weighted imaging (T1), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC), or some combination (multimodal)). Criteria for manuscript inclusion included whole-brain analyses and cross-validation to provide a complete picture regarding the predictive ability of large-scale brain systems in psychosis. For this meta-analysis, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, PsychInfo, Google Scholar, and Web of Science published between inception and March 13th 2023. Prediction results were averaged for studies using the same dataset, but parallel analyses were run that included studies with pooled sample across many datasets. We assessed bias through funnel plot asymmetry. A bivariate regression model determined whether differences in imaging modality, demographics, and preprocessing methods moderated classification. Separate models were run for studies with internal prediction (via cross-validation) and external prediction.
RESULTS
93 studies were identified for quantitative review (30 T1, 9 DTI, 40 rs-FC, and 14 multimodal). As a whole, all modalities reliably differentiated those with schizophrenia spectrum disorders from controls (OR = 2.64 (95%CI = 2.33 to 2.95)). However, classification was relatively similar across modalities: no differences were seen across modalities in the classification of independent internal data, and a small advantage was seen for rs-FC studies relative to T1 studies in classification in external datasets. We found large amounts of heterogeneity across results resulting in significant signs of bias in funnel plots and Egger's tests. Results remained similar, however, when studies were restricted to those with less heterogeneity, with continued small advantages for rs-FC relative to structural measures. Notably, in all cases, no significant differences were seen between multimodal and unimodal approaches, with rs-FC and unimodal studies reporting largely overlapping classification performance. Differences in demographics and analysis or denoising were not associated with changes in classification scores.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that neuroimaging approaches have promise in the classification of psychosis. Interestingly, at present most modalities perform similarly in the classification of psychosis, with slight advantages for rs-FC relative to structural modalities in some specific cases. Notably, results differed substantially across studies, with suggestions of biased effect sizes, particularly highlighting the need for more studies using external prediction and large sample sizes. Adopting more rigorous and systematized standards will add significant value toward understanding and treating this critical population.
Topics: Humans; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Neuroimaging; Psychotic Disorders; Brain; Schizophrenia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37563277
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02195-9