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The Ulster Medical Journal May 2022Medical research within the UK has continued to grow, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, which highlights the importance of disseminating... (Review)
Review
Medical research within the UK has continued to grow, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, which highlights the importance of disseminating relevant research findings. For all researchers involved in clinical trials and scientific research, the end goal of success is not completed following the publication of the research findings, but ultimately true impact and significance is achieved when such research has a role in developing clinical practice. Each year between 2.5 - 3 million scientific papers are published and the number continues to rise, therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult to ensure that published research has such a targeted impact as it must first get noticed. Increasing time commitments result in difficulties for clinicians keeping up-to-date with the current literature and in order to address this, journals and researchers have developed approaches to share peer-reviewed research with the wider research community in an effective and efficient manner. One such approach has been the introduction of the visual abstract which comprises of an infographic style format, coupled with a shortened, limited word summary of the research abstract detailing the key question, methodology, findings and take home message of the research study. The visual abstract has characteristics which enable it to be shared on social media platforms and in turn increase the interest and impact within the research community. Visual abstracts are being increasingly introduced within medical journals and organisations to help disseminate valuable research findings. This review focuses on visual abstracts, what they are, their history, structure and role within research dissemination and medical education.
Topics: Biomedical Research; COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics
PubMed: 35722208
DOI: No ID Found -
Internet Interventions Mar 2021Emotional disorders (anxiety and depressive disorders) are a relevant public health concern associated with high prevalence, high costs, and important disability....
INTRODUCTION
Emotional disorders (anxiety and depressive disorders) are a relevant public health concern associated with high prevalence, high costs, and important disability. Therefore, research priorities include designing and testing cost-effective interventions to reach everyone in need. Internet-delivered interventions for emotional disorders are effective and can help to disseminate and implement evidence-based treatments. However, although these treatments are generally effective, not all patients benefit from this treatment format equally. Blended treatments are a new form of intervention that combines the strengths of face-to-face and Internet approaches. Nevertheless, research on blended interventions has focused primarily on individual therapy, and less attention has been paid to the potential of using this format in group psychotherapy. This study aims to analyze the feasibility of blended transdiagnostic group CBT for emotional disorders. The current article describes the study protocol for this trial.
METHOD AND ANALYSIS
A one-armed pilot trial will be conducted. Participants will be 30 adults suffering from DSM-5 anxiety and/or depressive disorders. The treatment consists of a blended transdiagnostic group intervention delivered during a period of 24 weeks. Groups of 6 to 10 patients will attend a total of eight 2-hour, face-to-face sessions, alternated with the use of an online platform where they will find the contents of the treatment protocol. The intervention has four core components: present-focused awareness, cognitive flexibility, identification and modification of behavioral and cognitive patterns of emotional avoidance, and interoceptive and situational exposure. These components are delivered in 16 modules. Assessments will be performed at baseline, during the treatment, at post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Clinical and treatment acceptability outcomes will be included. Quantitative and qualitative data (participants' views about blended group psychotherapy) will be analyzed.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
The trial has received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Universitat Jaume I (September 2019) and will be conducted in accordance with the study protocol, the Declaration of Helsinki, and good clinical practice. The results of this study will be disseminated by presentation at conferences and will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04008576. Registered 05 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04008576.
PubMed: 33520670
DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2021.100363 -
The American Journal of Bioethics : AJOB Oct 2022This paper considers the responsibilities of the FDA with regard to disseminating information about the benefits and harms of e-cigarettes. Tobacco harm reduction...
This paper considers the responsibilities of the FDA with regard to disseminating information about the benefits and harms of e-cigarettes. Tobacco harm reduction advocates claim that the FDA has been overcautious and has violated ethical obligations by failing to clearly communicate to the public that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than cigarettes. We argue, by contrast, that the FDA's obligations in this arena are more complex than they may appear at first blush. Though the FDA is accountable for informing the public about the health risks and benefits of products it regulates, it also has other roles (and attendant responsibilities) that inform when and how it should disseminate information. In addition to being a knowledge purveyor, it is also a knowledge producer, an advisor to the public, and a practical agent shaping the material conditions in which people make health-related choices. In our view, those other roles call for caution in the way the FDA interprets and communicates the available evidence.
Topics: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Harm Reduction; Humans; Social Responsibility; Tobacco Products; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration
PubMed: 33871325
DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1907478 -
Evidence-based Complementary and... 2022Acupuncture clinical practice guidelines are authoritative medical recommendations developed by evaluating and integrating acupuncture-related evidence. However, their... (Review)
Review
Acupuncture clinical practice guidelines are authoritative medical recommendations developed by evaluating and integrating acupuncture-related evidence. However, their synthesis and dissemination are not integrated, and clinical practitioners require more credible effective evidence. The study aim was to systematically review problems disseminating acupuncture clinical practice guidelines to clinical practitioners, to facilitate evidence dissemination. This systematic review included searches of PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and four major Chinese electronic databases (CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed) from inception to October 26, 2021. Two independent reviewers screened the literature, extracted information, and evaluated the quality of included studies. A systematic review was subsequently performed. Eleven studies were reviewed: nine (81.8%) cross-sectional surveys and two (18.2%) systematic reviews. The evaluated clinical practice guidelines differed across studies; seven studies (63.6%) evaluated guidelines for a specific disease, one (9.1%) evaluated guidelines for acupuncture therapies (e.g., moxibustion and fire acupuncture), one (9.1%) evaluated US acupuncture guidelines and recommendations, and two (18.2%) did not describe the guideline content. The included studies used different evaluation indicators. Guideline dissemination problems included lack of guideline standardization, unclear target population, mismatch between guidelines and application environment, lack of reliable health economics evaluation, poor quality content of the recommendations, lack of linkage between recommendations and evidence, and disassociation of recommendations from clinical practice et al. The development and publishing of credible acupuncture clinical practice guidelines is urgently needed to improve the usability of guidelines and standardize and disseminate tools for analysing information to clinical practitioners and to help the domestic and international acupuncture community to apply evidence to practice. Recommendations for promoting the dissemination of acupuncture clinical practice guidelines are to define clinical events suitable for the target population, to develop recommendations relevant to clinical practice, to improve the evidence evaluation index system, and to further standardize the method and process of formulating guidelines.
PubMed: 35529926
DOI: 10.1155/2022/8334397 -
Journal of Communication Disorders 2023A common complaint of people with aphasia and their families is their inability to find information about current aphasia treatment research (Hinckley, Boyle, Lombard &...
BACKGROUND
A common complaint of people with aphasia and their families is their inability to find information about current aphasia treatment research (Hinckley, Boyle, Lombard & Bartels-Tobin, 2014; Hinckley & El-Khouri, 2021). Plain language summaries, video summaries, and graphical summaries are three ways to disseminate research results that are more accessible to a broader audience. The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the motivations for disseminating research in understandable ways, and to provide information and resources on how aphasia-friendly dissemination can be done.
METHOD
We report an overview of evidence on the importance of and characteristics of dissemination. Next, we provide specific characteristics and resources for producing plain language summaries, video summaries, and graphical abstracts. Finally, we conducted a systematic search for journals in the area of stroke rehabilitation after consultation with a research librarian. The publication webpages of each journal were inspected to gather information about whether and how the journal published plain language summaries, video summaries, or graphical abstracts. Editors were contacted as needed to complete the information. Sixty journals in stroke rehabilitation were identified, and a total of 43 journals (71%) publish video abstracts, graphical summaries, and/or plain language summaries either independently or through third-party platforms.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings are discussed in the context of the importance of making research consumer-friendly. We offer specific recommendations for aphasia researchers, and future directions for publishing research in ways that will have an impact on the broader public are suggested.
Topics: Humans; Aphasia; Language; Stroke Rehabilitation
PubMed: 37192574
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2023.106338 -
Seminars in Cancer Biology Jan 2022Metastatic spread in breast cancer patients is the major driver of cancer-related deaths. A unique subset of cells disseminated from pre-invasive or primary tumor... (Review)
Review
Metastatic spread in breast cancer patients is the major driver of cancer-related deaths. A unique subset of cells disseminated from pre-invasive or primary tumor lesions are recognized as the main seeds for metastatic outgrowth. Disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) can migrate to distant organs and settle in a dormant state for a prolonged period until they emerge to overt metastases. Understanding the biology of breast cancer cells dissemination, dormancy and reactivation to form overt metastases has become an important focus. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements of molecular pathways involving breast cancer cell dissemination, role of chemokine-chemokine receptor networks in DCCs migration, DCCs phenotypic heterogeneity and unique genes signatures in tumor dormancy, microenvironmental regulation and specific niches that favors DCCs homing and dormancy. In addition, we also discuss recent findings relating to the role of immune response on DCC dissemination and dormancy. With recent advances in the field of immunotherapy/targeted therapy and its beneficial effects in cancer treatment, this review will focus on their impact on DCCs, reversal of stemness, tumor dormancy and metastatic relapse.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Clinical Decision-Making; Disease Management; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Neoplasm Metastasis; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 33626407
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.02.004 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... May 2022Presenting information in a visual format helps viewers digest complex concepts in an efficient, effective manner. Recently, infographics have been used on social media... (Review)
Review
Presenting information in a visual format helps viewers digest complex concepts in an efficient, effective manner. Recently, infographics have been used on social media and other digital platforms to educate health professionals, trainees, and patients about medical and public health topics. In addition, visual abstracts, visual representations of a research article's written abstract, have been increasingly used to disseminate new research findings to other health professionals. In this review article, we will define infographics and visual abstracts, describe why they are useful, outline how to create them, and explain how researchers, educators, and clinicians can use them effectively. We share resources and a stepwise approach that allows readers to create their own infographics and visual abstracts for research dissemination, medical education, and patient communication.
Topics: Communication; Data Visualization; Education, Medical; Health Personnel; Humans; Social Media
PubMed: 35568482
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac058 -
Acta Informatica Medica : AIM : Journal... Dec 2019Dissemination benefits come from the outputs integration and implementation by the key audience, who will also determine the relevance and usability of the disseminated...
INTRODUCTION
Dissemination benefits come from the outputs integration and implementation by the key audience, who will also determine the relevance and usability of the disseminated content.
AIM
One of the CrowdHEALTH project's objectives is the transition from patient health records towards the Holistic Health Records (HHRs) and Social HHR. The CrowdHEALTH project aims at integrating high volumes of health-related data collected from various sources to support policy-making decisions.
METHODS
The European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI) supports the development of an effective Communication and Collaboration Plan identifying the messages, the tools and channels in disseminating the project and its outcomes to the target audience based on the McGuire approach.
RESULTS
The process for defining the dissemination strategy is a cyclic one as shown in the following figure involving review of each step periodically The next step was to define the four dimension dissemination approach based on McGuire attributes of persuasive communication. The objectives, target groups, key messages, the tools and channels where defined at this stage.
CONCLUSION
The CrowdHEALTH project and its outcomes were disseminated with a variety of tools and channels such as scientific journals, conferences, exhibitions and social media communication.
PubMed: 32210503
DOI: 10.5455/aim.2019.27.348-354 -
Surgical Neurology International 2020Myxopapillary ependymoma occurs more frequently in adults, but is found in the first two decades of life in around 8-20% of patients. Tumors are usually benign with low...
BACKGROUND
Myxopapillary ependymoma occurs more frequently in adults, but is found in the first two decades of life in around 8-20% of patients. Tumors are usually benign with low likelihood for dissemination.
CASE DESCRIPTION
We describe a case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with progressive kyphosis and bilateral weakness of the lower limbs. MRI shows a thoracolumbosacral intradural tumor with invasion of sacral neural foramina and dissemination to the cervicothoracic region. The patient received T10-L5 laminectomy with subtotal tumor resection. Pathological examination revealed myxopapillary ependymoma. After surgical resection, the patient underwent physical therapy with whole spinal radiotherapy for disease control.
CONCLUSION
Spinal myxopapillary ependymomas are usually benign and slow-growing tumors. This case illustrates an extensive and disseminated myxopapillary ependymoma.
PubMed: 33093974
DOI: 10.25259/SNI_390_2020 -
Current Urology Reports Oct 2019There has been a remarkable change in how people connect, access, and share professional and medical information over social media. This perspective article describes... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
There has been a remarkable change in how people connect, access, and share professional and medical information over social media. This perspective article describes opportunities, potential pitfalls, and guidelines for social media use by pediatric urology providers.
RECENT FINDINGS
Pediatric urologists have effectively used social media to connect and share expertise, augment scientific conference participation, promote themselves and their research, disseminate guidelines and best practices, participate in virtual journal clubs, and engage with patients and their families. Information shared over social media is not protected by copyright law, not confidential, not regulated, permanent, and subjected to public domain and scrutiny. Despite these potential pitfalls, social media is a useful tool if best practices are observed and online communication adheres to professional guidelines and organizational policy. Social media use in healthcare is here to stay and pediatric urologists have online visibility whether or not they choose to actively participate. Despite new legal, ethical, and professional considerations that social media introduces, a well-executed social media presence provides pediatric urologists a wealth of new opportunities for networking, research, and disseminating high-quality medical information online.
Topics: Congresses as Topic; Delivery of Health Care; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Information Dissemination; Interprofessional Relations; Marketing of Health Services; Online Social Networking; Pediatrics; Physician-Patient Relations; Professionalism; Social Media; Urology
PubMed: 31620926
DOI: 10.1007/s11934-019-0928-y