Anonymous Participation Research Articles

Burnout in the Pharmaceutical Activity: The Impact of COVID-19.

ImportancePharmacists are among the healthcare professionals involved in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining essential services. In the context of restrictions and reorganization of human resources, as a result of policies recently applied to the health sector, following international guidelines, and given the scarcity of data on burnout in pharmaceutical activity, it was considered highly relevant to promote a nationwide survey aiming to collect more complete evidence on the burnout syndrome and to understand how pharmacists have viewed their work and the people they worked closely with.ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the occurrence of pharmacist burnout and determine outcomes for each of its dimensions; identify potentially associated characteristics; and determine profiles and critical limits.DesignA cross-sectional observational study conducted by a multidisciplinary panel from the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (PPS). Professionals from community and hospital pharmacies who were at the forefront of the COVID-19 response were involved in (i) confirming the need and pertinence for conducting this research, (ii) identifying the main factors leading to pharmaceutical emotional distress (“burnout”), and (iii) disseminating the survey. The questionnaire was designed for digital voluntary, confidential, and anonymous participation and divided into four segments of data collection: (i) demographics, (ii) employment and workplace characterization, (iii) pandemic impact on labor activity, and (iv) burnout assessment (as described ahead).SettingAn electronic survey was addressed to all PPS members, and an account was created solely to manage the questionnaire data for the research team. The web-based and user-friendly platform Google Forms supported the data capture and provided an intuitive interface for validated data entry.ParticipantsIn a population of 15,565 pharmacists (members of the PPS), the minimum recommended sample size (Epi Info software), with a 5% margin of error and a 99.9% confidence interval, should be 1,012 individuals. A total of 1,362 pharmacists participated in the study. Of these, 91.4% (n = 1,246) were involved in direct patient care activity and 7.7% (n = 106) in non-direct patient care activity.

Ambient Backscatter Communications in Mobile Networks: Crowd-Detectable Zero-Energy-Devices

In this paper, we introduce the new concept of Crowd-Detectable Zero-Energy-Devices. Such devices harvest solar or ambient light energy to power themselves, backscatter ambient waves to communicate, and are detected simultaneously by a smartphone connected to the network, and by the network itself, as long as the device is close to the considered smartphone. Such a device is a promising sustainable solution for the future of the Internet of Things. We describe an example of use case: asset tracking with zero added energy, zero new signals and zero new infrastructure in the network, thanks to the anonymous and transparent participation of smartphones connected to the wireless network. We then present our first prototypes of such devices that backscatter TV, 4G and 5G signals, and show our first experiments in challenging conditions and environments.

Using the E-Learning Gamification Tool Kahoot! to Learn Chemistry Principles in the Classroom

This study investigated the effectiveness of using the Kahoot! game in developing the cognitive achievement and direction of students of pharmacy at Alasmarya Islamic University, Libya. The study design is based on action research. Kahoot! was implemented once at the end of each of three units. The study sample consisted of 30 female students from the first year of university at the Pharmacy Science College in Libya. The students were selected randomly, and studied using Kahoot! technology. For the quantitative part of the study, data were collected through a 20-item questionnaire on 20 participants and 15 participants to gather information on students’ perceptions about this application by the interview. Results indicate that the students were able to engage actively in the chemistry lessons and learned the unit on molecular weights effectively, leading them to enjoy basic chemistry, and the surveys allow for anonymous classroom participation, which further engages all students. The results hold implications for the development of more efficient, effective in educational process.

Ispitivanje uticaja različitih determinanti na smrtni ishod od akutnog koronarnog sindroma pacijenata lečenih u koronarnoj jedinici opšte bolnice u Valjevu i njihove razlike

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in most countries of the world and are responsible for the death of 17.9 million people per year and for 11.8% of total DALYs. In Serbia, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the main cause of death among ischemic heart diseases, with a share of 49.9%. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the association of various determinants (demographic, anthropometric, biological markers, risk factors, presence of comorbidities, and the pharmacotherapeutic approach) with the death outcome resulting from ACS patients treated at the Coronary Unit, as well as their differences. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 384 adults with ACS, who were patients of the Cardiology Department with the Coronary Unit of the General Hospital in Valjevo, in 2020. The so-called Coronary Sheet was used as a research instrument. It was created, based on national needs, by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut", the Institute of Epidemiology, and the Cardiology Society of Serbia. This sheet is in the form of a questionnaire filled out by doctors working at the Coronary Unit, which is then submitted to the Institute of Public Health Valjevo. All respondents gave informed consent for anonymous participation in the research. The obtained data were analyzed using the methods of descriptive and analytical statistics, as well as the methods of univariate and multivariate linear regression. Results: The total sample consisted of 288 (75%) men and 96 (25%) women. The average age of patients who died of ACS was 72.9 ± 9.8 years, while the average age of patients who did not die of ACS was 65.0 ± 12.0 years. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Statistically significantly more patients who had lower values of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, when admitted to hospital, died than those who had somewhat higher values of systolic and diastolic pressure at admission (p < 0.001). The mortality rate was lower for patients with ACS who were prescribed acetylsalicylic acid (p < 0.001), beta blockers (p = 0.003), ACE inhibitors (p < 0.001), and statins (p < 0.001) during hospitalization, while all patients whose therapy included inotropes as one of the drugs died (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our research indicates the existence of a link between the examined determinants and the death outcome in patients suffering from ACS. It is necessary to improve the quality of data, maintain relevant and timely medical documentation and records, and continuously improve prevention programs, with the aim of reducing risk factors for the occurrence of ACS.

Risk of kidney health among returnee Nepali migrant workers: A survey of nephrologists

Background: Anecdotal reports suggest an increasing prevalence of kidney problems in returnee Nepali migrant workers from the Gulf countries and Malaysia. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to (a) explore the magnitude of the kidney health-related problems in returnee Nepali migrant workers; and, (b) assess the need for further scientific investigations. Materials and Methods: This was a self-administered survey of practicing nephrologists in Nepal. All 51 nephrologists working in Nepal (at the time of this study) were approached by email for anonymous participation using an online survey platform. Data were collected between December 2019 and February 2020. Descriptive statistics were generated for data analysis. Results: A total of 38 nephrologists completed the survey. Almost all their migrant patients were: younger than 40 years, males, from rural areas of Nepal, and had worked in Gulf countries or Malaysia. Most (92.1%) of the respondents reported that the causes behind kidney-related problems of returnee migrant workers were of unknown etiology and less likely to be linked to traditional risk factors. Chronic kidney disease and glomerulonephritis were the most common kidney health-related problems. The vast majority of respondents (76.3%) thought that the returnee migrant workers are at a higher risk of kidney-related problems than the general Nepali population. Conclusion: Nepali labor migrants in the countries of the Gulf and Malaysia could be at a higher risk of kidney health-related problems than the general Nepali population. Further rigorous scientific investigation is warranted to examine the kidney-health-related risk of Nepali migrant workers.

Hospital clinical practice around urinalysis is an important opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship improvement activities.

To identify nurses' knowledge, perception and practice around urinalysis and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and to determine drivers of inappropriate urinalysis practice in an Australian hospital setting. Undertaken in eight geriatric wards over four hospitals, a questionnaire inviting voluntary, anonymous participation tested nursing staff knowledge on urinalysis, recognition of urinary tract infection (UTI) and perception of the utility of urinalysis as a routine test on all ward admissions. A retrospective one-month audit was performed on admissions to a 32-bed geriatric ward. 132 of 220 (60%) distributed surveys were completed. Performing urinalysis on all new admissions was identified as routine practice by 89%, and with indwelling catheter change by 35% of respondents. Over-three-quarters believed that routine urinalysis on admission was useful practice and up to one-third believed urinalysis abnormalities warranted antibiotic prescribing. Dark urine (57.6%), foamy urine (55.3%) and vaginal itch (34.5%) were identified as features suggestive of a UTI. In the ward audit, routine urinalysis on admission accounted for most urinalysis testing (59%, 24/41). Of occasions with clinical prompt, delirium accounted for 60% of urinalysis and urinary symptoms 33% however urine culture was undertaken on 53% of occasions. There was an overall lack of nursing knowledge regarding ASB, with a high perception that urinalysis abnormalities would be suspicious of a UTI irrespective of clinical findings and that routine urinalysis on ward admission was useful practice. In hospital settings, nursing stewardship can deliver strategies to increase knowledge, motivation and opportunity to improve appropriateness of UTI treatment and recognition of ASB.

A mixed-methods survey of physiotherapists who practice acupuncture and dry needling in Ontario, Canada: practice characteristics, motivations, and professional outcomes

BackgroundPhysiotherapists (PTs) across the globe are increasingly incorporating filiform needling techniques (e.g., acupuncture, dry needling) into their clinical toolkits; and, the evidence base for these complementary therapies is becoming progressively more robust. However, to date, little is known about needling PTs themselves.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional survey design, PTs authorized to perform needling therapies in Ontario, Canada were recruited for anonymous participation (n = 2061) in an online survey. The survey asked providers about their demographics and practice characteristics, rationale for and views about therapeutic needling, and their related clinical and professional outcomes. The response rate was 20.7% (n = 426), and 22.3% (n = 95) of respondents provided textual responses to an open-ended qualitative question.ResultsWhile study respondents’ demographic features appear similar to their broader professional population, Ontario’s needling PTs are less likely to work in public sector settings. Most completed training in medical acupuncture rather than dry needling, and typically used needling in over one-third of patient visits. Almost all endorsed needling as an effective musculoskeletal treatment, the primary factor informing their adoption of the practice. While many viewed traditional Chinese medical theories as a useful explanatory framework, most relied on biomedical epistemology to drive their needling work. A majority of respondents reported that the inclusion of needling within their clinical toolkits had improved their likelihood of achieving excellent clinical results, helped support patient recruitment and retention, and heightened their professional satisfaction. While a few reported earning a higher income as a result, most reported that their clinical use of needling in addition to other PT modalities reduced their physical fatigue after a day’s work.ConclusionsThis study represents a first scholarly investigation into the motivations, training backgrounds and practice patterns of PTs who use acupuncture or dry needling. Additional research from other jurisdictions is needed to evaluate the transferability of study findings.

Psychometric validation of the Peruvian version of a short scale to assess psychological violence in health professionals: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to adapt a Peruvian version of the brief scale to assess psychological violence in health professionals (EVP-salud), exploring its validity and reliability properties. We made a cross-sectional study of psychometric evaluation conducted between January 2019 and February 2020. It involved the voluntary and anonymous participation of 316 health professionals and administrative workers from 17 health centers in Peru, who were administered the 22-item psychological violence scale. In addition, three other instruments were used to assess convergent and discriminative validity. In contrast to other findings using similar instruments, the item composition of the abbreviated psychological violence scale converges on three components that assess isolation, intimidation, and belittling violence. This validation provides evidence of good fit in criterion and construct, explaining 66.7% of the accumulated variance and up to 54.3% when the final version is reduced to 13 items and three factors. The data reflect a high inverse association between psychological violence and intrinsic job satisfaction. The empirical results indicate psychometric properties of the instrument, with strong support in the validity and appropriate reliability according to the internal consistency indexes.

CROWDSOURCING INTERNE ET EXTERNE : COMMENT CHOISIR LA MEILLEURE SOLUTION POUR L’ENTREPRISE INNOVANTE

This study aims to know on the one hand, how the innovative enterprise can choose between internal and external Crowdsourcing, and in the other hand define the success factors of these two types of Crowdsourcing. The study revealed that external Crowdsourcing must be applied to product innovations, while internal Crowdsourcing must be associated with process innovations. Moreover, internal and external Crowdsourcing success is respectively related to some factors such as: the authorization of anonymous participation, the appropriate choice of the crowdsourcing platform, etc.

CSLPPS: Concerted Silence-Based Location Privacy Preserving Scheme for Internet of Vehicles

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) connects vehicles together and also to other internet of things components such as sensors and smart devices. The huge amount of data generated by these components is stored in the cloud, so does the services offered which are not limited to safety applications but also to infotainment where most of these services use the position and identity of the vehicle. Due to these requirements, the privacy of road users is at threat. Thus, preserving it is highly important as it is directly related to their safety. If a specific user is targeted on the road by an attacker who knows his/her identity and real-time location, the consequences can vary from simple stalking to assassination. This paper proposes a new solution called Concerted Silence-based Location Privacy Preserving Scheme for Internet of Vehicles (CSLPPS) that ensures the anonymous and unlinkable participation in the IoV location-based services and vehicular networks safety applications. This scheme relies on the synchronization of the identifier change between the cooperative vehicles to enter a silent period simultaneously before continuing their cyber-activity with new identifiers. The simulation and study of performance proved efficiency of CSLPPS against a modeled global passive attacker and when compared to state-of-art solution.

High School Sport Participation Intensity and Breadth

The purpose of this study was to address the gap in research related to whether measures of participation (intensity and breadth) demonstrated a relationship with academic achievement for 11th grade student athletes (N=128) in a rural Midwestern high school. Anonymous athletic participation and achievement data from 2015-2017 was obtained from the school’s archive and analyzed by correlation, hierarchical regression, and one-way ANOVA. Data derived from statistical analyses demonstrated two outcomes regarding sport participation, ACT, and GPA: (a) Intensity demonstrated no statistical significance to student achievement measured by ACT, however intensity demonstrated a statistically significant relationship to cumulative GPA (p < .05), and (b) ANOVA analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences in breadth and GPA (p < .01) between one sport athletes and three sport athletes. Three sport athletes had statistically significantly higher GPAs than one sport athletes and significantly higher GPAs than two sport athletes. The research was limited to one cross-sectional heterogeneous rural high school population of participants over a three-year period. Furthermore, the study was limited to school-specific athletic participation data as school non-athletic activity and out-of-school activity participation was not available. Results from this study suggest programming and potential practice recommendations for rural school leaders. Future research on ESA sport, activity, and non-school activity participation intensity and breadth related to academic outcomes is justified.

The Awareness of Pulmonologists and Patients with Respiratory Diseases about the Impact of Air Pollution on Health in Poland.

Within the European Union, air pollution is highest in Poland. The aim of this study was to compare the awareness of Polish pulmonologists and that of patients with respiratory diseases about the impact of air pollution on health. It was a crossover study with voluntary and anonymous participation. The study included 309 pulmonologists and 262 patients with respiratory diseases. The majority of the patients declared good knowledge about the impact of air pollution on health, and only 16% of the pulmonologists declared sufficient knowledge on this topic. The main sources of information on air pollution were radio and television for patients and the medical press for doctors. Doctors rarely informed patients about the impact of air pollution on their disease. Patients followed information on the quality of air in their areas more often than doctors. Polish patients’ knowledge about the main sources of air pollution in their areas was higher than the knowledge of pulmonologists. Patients declared knowledge of air pollution standards twice as often as doctors. Patients with respiratory diseases are interested in the effects of air pollution on their health. Polish patients’ knowledge about air pollution and its health effects is higher than that of the specialists treating them. Professional education of Polish pulmonologists in this field is needed.

Instructional Note: Engaging the Quiet Student: Digital Back-Channeling in the Composition Classroom

This article describes an initiative to engage quiet students in classroom discussion through the repeated projection of a digital back-channeling platform and the active encouragement of anonymous student participation.

TYCA to You

This article describes an initiative to engage quiet students in classroom discussion through the repeated projection of a digital back-channeling platform and the active encouragement of anonymous student participation.

A conjoint experiment of how design features affect evaluations of participatory platforms

Online participatory platforms are introduced to boost citizen involvement in political decision-making. However, the design features of these platforms vary considerably, and these are likely to affect how prospective users evaluate the usefulness of these platforms. Previous studies explored how prevalent different design features are and how they affect the success of platforms in terms of impact, but the attitudes of prospective users remain unclear. Since these evaluations affect the prospects for launching successful participatory platforms, it is imperative to assess what citizens want from such digital possibilities for participation. This study uses a conjoint experiment (n = 1048) conducted in Finland that explore the impact of seven design features: Discussion possibilities; Interaction with politicians and experts; Information availability, Aim of participation; Identity verification; Anonymous participation and Accessibility. Furthermore, it is examined whether the effects differ across use of ICTs measured by generation, time online and prior use of participatory platforms. The results suggest that most design features have clear effects on evaluations, and that deliberative features have the strongest effects. Furthermore, the effects are relatively stable across prior use although the less experienced put a stronger emphasis on verification.

Anonymous Participation and Collaboration Efficiency in Online Communities

Anonymity is one of the key factors that influence communication and the work behaviours of people. It is even more evident in an online community where the role of anonymity can be akin to a double-edged sword: it can increase participation while at the same time having detrimental effects due to irresponsible and disruptive behaviour. Most studies on anonymous participation in groups or communities have reported this ambivalent view of anonymity: positive or negative. Furthermore, the effects of anonymous participation may be different in a dynamic sense because the task characteristics of participation can vary across time. In this study, we hypothesise that the effects of anonymity in online collaboration differ across the stages of collaboration. We analysed 2,978 featured articles on the English-language Wikipedia website and investigated the contributions of anonymous participants. While the contributions of anonymous participants were negative to collaboration efficiency as a whole, the negative effect of anonymous participants was stronger in the earlier stage than the later stage of collaboration. These findings indicate that the effect of anonymity has two sides in terms of collaboration efficiency in the same collaborative environment.

Relación de la industria farmacéutica con los médicos residentes de la República Dominicana

Introducción: las relaciones médicas con la industria farmacéutica son cada vez más complejas y los desafíos éticos que plantea son reales.
 Objetivo: conocer la relación que existe entre la industria farmacéutica con los médicos residentes del país y el impacto que pudiera tener esta relación.
 Material y Métodos: estudio descriptivo transversal mediante encuesta electrónica anónima. Se consideró la participación si confirmaban el llenado de la encuesta, que estuvo disponible durante abril y mayo de 2019. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y se aseguró la confidencialidad y el anonimato de los datos.
 Resultados: se encuestaron 77 médicos residentes del país; 55.8 % recibe semanalmente visita del representante farmacéutico. Al menos cinco veces al año recibieron obsequio (49.4 %), participaron en comida, cena u otro evento social (48.1 %), participó en charla financiada por empresa farmacéutica (57.1 %). 40.3 % recibieron una vez al año el pago por parte de la industria farmacéutica, de inscripción/viaje a algún evento (congreso, jornada, etc.).
 Están de acuerdo en que los regalos/propuestas de la industria farmacéutica influyen en la prescripción de los medicamentos (20.8 %), considera bien aceptar pago de eventos (45.4 %), refirieron que en su residencia se suelen aceptar regalos y ofertas y no ha tenido un espacio formativo sobre relaciones con la industria farmacéutica (89.6 %).
 Conclusión: existe un alto nivel de contacto de los médicos residentes con la industria farmacéutica, es necesario más y mejor formación en manejo de conflictos de intereses en la práctica profesional.

Evaluating patient preferences for thermal ablation versus nonthermal, nontumescent varicose vein treatments

ObjectiveTo measure patient preferences for attributes associated with thermal ablation and nonthermal, nontumescent varicose vein treatments. MethodsData were collected from an electronic patient preference survey taken by 70 adult participants (aged 20 years or older) at three Center for Vein Restoration clinics in New Jersey from July 19, 2019, through August 13, 2019. Survey participation was voluntary and anonymous (participation rate of 80.5% [70/87]). Patients were shown 10 consecutive screens that displayed three hypothetical treatment scenarios with different combinations of six attributes of interest and a none option. Choice-based conjoint analysis estimated the relative importance of different aspects of care, trade-offs between these aspects, and total satisfaction that respondents derived from different healthcare procedures. Market simulation analysis compared clusters of attributes mimicking thermal ablation and nonthermal, nontumescent treatments. ResultsOf the six attributes studied, out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures were the most important to patients (37.2%), followed by postoperative discomfort (17.1%), risk of adverse events (16.3%), time to return to normal activity (11.0%), number of injections (10.0%), and number of visits (8.4%). Patients were willing to pay the most to avoid postoperative discomfort ($68.9) and risk of adverse events ($65.8). The market simulation analysis found that, regardless of the level of OOP spending, 60% to 80% of respondents favored attribute combinations corresponding with nonthermal, nontumescent procedures over thermal ablation, and that less than 1% of participants would forgo either treatment under no cost sharing. ConclusionsPatients are highly sensitive to OOP costs for minimally invasive varicose vein treatments. Market simulation analysis favored nonthermal, nontumescent procedures over thermal ablation.

Psychosocial factors associated with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in general practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic

Healthcare providers commonly experience symptoms of anxiety during public health crises and pandemics. The objective of the study was to identify the frequency of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)...

Associated factors with resilience and burnout: a cross-sectional study in a teaching group in Spain

El profesorado es especialmente vulnerable a desarrollar burnout. La resiliencia es la capacidad de las personas para sobreponerse ante las dificultades de la vida. El objeto del estudio consistió en establecer relaciones entre las percepciones de burnout y resiliencia en el colectivo encuestado. Fue un estudio transversal, descriptivo y correlacional, que respondió a una muestra aleatoria simple de 1268 docentes en el año académico 2017/2018, a través de la participación voluntaria y anónima. Para la evaluación del burnout se empleó la adaptación al castellano del (MBI-GS) de Salanova, Schaufeli, Llorens, Peiró and Grau (2000). La resiliencia se midió mediante el Cuestionario de Evaluación de Resiliencia de Serrano-Martínez (2010). Se hallaron altos puntajes en la dimensión eficacia personal/profesional que sugieren una autoevaluación positiva del trabajo por parte del profesorado, y su influencia como factor protector contra la sensación de estar quemado, solo 2.40% con alto agotamiento y cinismo y bajo puntaje de eficacia. Los resultados mostraron bajo índice de burnout y nivel medio en resiliencia. Se concluyó que la resiliencia disminuye la vulnerabilidad al burnout. Además, las características personales y la resiliencia de los docentes actuaron como variables moduladoras frente al síndrome del burnout.Palabras clave: resiliencia; burnout; estrés laboral; eficacia personal/profesional; inteligencia emocional.