Co-developing practice guides: A researcher-practitioner model for evidence-based practice.

Intravenous vitamin C (IVC) is a common therapy used by naturopathic doctors and other licensed integrative practitioners. With several proposed mechanisms of action related to cancer care, it is often used in integrative oncology settings. Despite its common use, there are no published evidence-based resources on the efficacy, safety, and procedural considerations for the use of IVC in practice. The objectives of this review are to summarize the evidence on high-dose IVC in supportive cancer care and to provide a resource of practical clinical guidance for IVC application. In cancer care, IVC is most commonly used at doses high enough to achieve a potential cancer cell cytotoxicity. This review focuses on IVC at doses of ≥15 g which we have defined as high-dose. To date, there are 23 published clinical trials evaluating the use of high-dose IVC in cancer support. Based on data from these clinical studies, IVC used concurrently with oxidative therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, seems to produce the greatest likelihood for improvements in quality of life and additive anti-tumour effects compared with IVC as monotherapy or with non-oxidative therapies. IVC has shown promise in improving quality of life in patients with breast cancer and advanced pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Limited evidence suggests survival and/or tumour response may be improved with the inclusion of IVC in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and RAS-mutated colorectal cancer. IVC does not offer curative potential, and further research is needed to explore its effectiveness relevant to mortality outcomes. Practical guidance including assessment, monitoring, dosing, safety, and communication with other healthcare providers is discussed.

Establishing causal relationships in observational studies is an important step in research and policy decision making. The association between an exposure and an outcome can be confounded by multiple factors, often making it hard to draw causal conclusions. The co-twin control design (CTCD) is a powerful approach that allows for the investigation of causal effects while controlling for genetic and shared environmental confounding factors. This article introduces the CTCD and offers an overview of analysis methods for binary and continuous outcome and exposure variables. Tools for data simulation are provided, along with practical guidance and accompanying scripts for implementing the CTCD in R, SPSS, and Stata. While the CTCD offers valuable insights into causal inference, it depends on several assumptions that are important when interpreting CTCD results. By presenting a broad overview of the CTCD, this article aims to equip researchers with actionable recommendations and a comprehensive understanding of the design's strengths and limitations.

BackgroundMany people with young onset dementia (YOD) may feel isolated. Peer support has the potential to improve social health, but the inconsistent availability of age-appropriate, in-person (peer) support services for people with YOD suggests that many people with YOD miss out on the potential benefits. Online peer support could be useful, as it overcomes geographical barriers, offers a variety of options, and adjusts to various needs and preferences.ObjectiveOur study aims to develop evidence-based best practice guidance on online peer support for people with YOD and group facilitators to improve online peer support for people with YOD.MethodsOur mixed methods study consists of 4 phases and follows the guidelines of the Medical Research Council on complex interventions. Each phase consists of multiple substudies. The study focuses on the development stage of the Medical Research Council framework and additionally develops a plan for the feasibility/piloting, evaluation, and implementation stages. The participants are people living with YOD and peer support facilitators. The qualitative research methods include interviews, focus groups, and open questions in a web-based survey. The quantitative methods include a web-based survey consisting of existing outcome measures.ResultsThe study is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018; grant agreement number: 813196), and it received ethical approval from the London Bromley Research Ethics Committee (reference number: 21/LO/0248) in April 2021. Recruitment started in May 2021. Data collection and analysis are expected to be finished by September 2022.ConclusionsThe best practice guidance can provide people with YOD with tailored and evidence-based information about online peer support, and it will be disseminated locally (in the United Kingdom) and internationally through dementia organizations, research networks, and academic institutions.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/38379

People from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to have covid-19 diagnosed and to die from it, a review from Public Health England has confirmed.1 But the report was described...

This paper provides practical guidance to UK-based financial institutions (UKFIs) that are subject to the “operational resilience” guideline requirements of the Bank of England (BoE), Prudential Regulatory Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, issued in 2021, and fully effective for 31 March 2025. It contains practical suggestions and recommendations to assist UKFIs in implementing the guidelines. The scope of the paper covers issues related to (a) overviewing the latest equivalent operational resilience guidance in other countries and internationally (b) identifying key issues related to risk culture, risk appetite, information technology, tolerance setting, risk modelling, scenario planning and customer oriented operational resilience (c) identifying a framework for operational resilience based on a thorough understanding of these parameters and (d) designing and implementing an operational resilience maturity dashboard based on a sample of large UKIFs. The study also contains recommendations for further action, including enhanced controls and operational risk management frameworks. It concludes by identifying imperative policy actions to ensure that the implementation of the guidelines is more effective.

This chapter describes key statistical tools used in Continued Process Verification (CPV), Stage 3 of the Process Validation Life Cycle described in the 2011 FDA Guidance for Industry Process Validation: General Principles and Practices. The chapter provides the statistical basis for these tools and characteristics of typical biopharmaceutical CPV data and practices that influence their use. The goals of CPV are defined, and the importance of incorporation of these goals into analysis and interpretation is made clear. The distinction between Phase 1 and Phase 2 SPC applications is defined. The alignment of CPV with a Phase 1 application, and the critical implications for the design of a CPV program are explained. The importance of proper interpretation of standard quality control terms such as common and special cause variation, and statistical/process control in the context of CPV is discussed, including recommendations for related actions. Control chart discussions focus mainly on the most commonly used chart, the Shewhart control chart. The chapter incudes a section on other charts that could be employed. In addition to statistical considerations, practical guidance on the development and implementation of other elements of a CPV program is provided.

This study presents an integrated bibliometric and thematic mapping of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG)‐corporate social responsibility (CSR)‐financial performance literature by employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. It comprehensively reviews the existing literature by analyzing 322 articles extracted from the Web of Science database, spanning over 100 journals and the past 15 years, and performing statistical, scientometric, and thematic analyses. Unlike prior reviews, we combined VOSviewer‐based scientometric with a manual content analysis of the top 50 papers published in AJG‐ranked journals over the past 5 years to (1) identify intellectual clusters and their evolution, (2) surface methodological choices that drive contradictory results, and (3) develop prioritized, actionable research questions and policy recommendations for academicians, researchers, investors, and regulators. Key findings suggest a noticeable traction since 2015, indicated by a steady rise in the number of publications and citations since then. The top two most productive journals are CSR and Environmental Management and Business Strategy and the Environment (with 45 and 32 papers, respectively). The United States is the most productive country, and Shunsuke Managi is the most influential author. Additionally, content analysis reveals that financial performance and governance are the most prominent themes, while ESG investing and controversies are emerging areas of interest. This study also documents geographic and methodological imbalances that limit generalizability. The contribution of our study is threefold: an updated scientometric map, an in‐depth AJG‐based thematic synthesis, and a stakeholder‐oriented agenda that bridges descriptive mapping and practical guidance.

The ‘Best Practice Guide to Conservative Management of Patellofemoral Pain’1 synthesised level 1 evidence from high-quality systematic reviews with international expert opinion. The associated publication and guide (see table 1)...

A Freshening Breath of Insight

Precision education (PE) may hold promise for the future of the field. Leveraging data and learning analytics to foster continuous improvement of individuals, programs, and organizations seems like a potential mechanism to advance both medical education and health care delivery systems toward a more equitable future. However, PE initiatives may also have unintended consequences and perpetuate inequities instead of ameliorating them. Although there have been some principles, ideas, and suggestions on how PE implementation may promote equity-particularly for the field of assessment-there is a lack of practical and evidence-informed guidance to support a more equitable and participatory approach to PE implementation. This paper provides actionable recommendations on how PE may advance equitable assessment. First, PE implementation must include democratizing access and ownership while enhancing literacy and transparency. Open and transparent access to both data and PE technology has the potential to enhance PE by fostering greater participation, rigor, and potential innovation. Transparency may also safeguard the use of assessment data for equitable purposes. Second, PE implementation must be cocreated with diverse learners. PE has the potential to empower learners if they are given an opportunity to participate in the development, application, and implementation of PE. Overall, a participatory approach to PE implementation has the potential to improve equitable assessment.

Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has been developed as a largely nonthermal ablation technology with a unique biophysical profile to treat atrial fibrillation. Existing evidence has shown that PFA offers a safe and efficient atrial fibrillation ablation procedure. Among different PFA technologies, the pentaspline FARAPULSE system has been the most extensively used and investigated; however, notable variability exists in workflow, fluoroscopy time, and lesion durability. While innovations such as 3-dimensional electroanatomic mapping systems and intracardiac echocardiography can enhance procedural precision in catheter ablation, fluoroscopy remains the primary imaging modality for guiding pentaspline PFA in many electrophysiology labs worldwide. This is particularly true in centers where limitations in cost, infrastructure, or training may preclude the routine use of advanced imaging technologies. This article summarizes general practical considerations and presents a primarily fluoroscopy-based, refined workflow developed by a group of experts. The goal is to provide a procedural foundation and practical guide for using the pentaspline FARAPULSE PFA system in atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. Developing a fluoroscopy-based practical guide would: (1) Democratize access to PFA technology, enabling safe and effective implementation across a broader range of clinical settings, including those without intracardiac echocardiography or 3-dimensional mapping support; (2) Reduce procedural heterogeneity by offering reproducible best practices; (3) Facilitate meaningful intercenter comparisons of procedural efficacy and safety, aiding in the identification of optimal approaches and improving the quality of clinical data for ongoing research, registries, and real-world performance monitoring of PFA technologies; and (4) Ultimately improve patient outcomes through standardized, accessible, and evidence-based practices.

TRUK: Tobacco Research UK.

Unit Pricing in Supermarkets: Review of Past Evidence from Academic and Industry Studies

Know and Use ADA's Evidence-Based Practice Resources

BackgroundWhile evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely accepted across healthcare professions, research investigating its implementation in manual therapy professions such as osteopathy is limited. The primary aim of this study was to investigate Italian osteopaths’ attitudes, skills, and use of EBP. A secondary purpose was to understand the obstacles and enablers to EBP adoption in the Italian osteopathic context.MethodsA cross-sectional national survey was conducted (April to June 2020) among a sample of Italian osteopaths. Eligible participants were invited to complete the Italian-translated Evidence-Based practice Attitude and Utilization Survey (EBASE) anonymously online using various recruitment strategies, including email and social media campaigns. In addition to the three EBASE sub-scores (attitudes, skills and use), the demographic characteristics of the sample were considered.ResultsA total of 473 osteopaths responded to the survey. The sample appeared to represent the Italian osteopathic profession. The majority of participants had a favorable attitude toward EBP. Eighty-eight percent of respondents agreed that EBP was necessary for osteopathy practice and that scientific literature and research findings were beneficial to their clinical scenario (95%). Perceived skill levels in EBP were rated as moderate, with the lowest scores for items relating to clinical research and systematic review conduct. Apart from reading/reviewing scientific literature and using online search engines to locate relevant research papers, participant engagement in all other EBP-related activities was generally low. Clinical practice was perceived to be based on a very small proportion of clinical research evidence. The primary obstacles to EBP implementation were a dearth of clinical evidence in osteopathy, and poor skills in applying research findings. The primary enablers of EBP adoption were access to full-text articles, internet connectivity at work, and access to online databases.ConclusionsItalian osteopaths were largely supportive of evidence-based practice but lacked basic skills in EBP and rarely engaged in EBP activities. The updating of osteopathic training curriculum and professional formal regulation in Italy could provide a suitable framework to improve EBP skills and use.