Compare Completion Rates Research Articles

Using a Random Controlled Trial to Explore the Impact of AI-Enabled Learning

Much is being made of AI’s role in learning. However, there have been few studies that evaluate AI’s ability to make learning more efficient or more effective and specifically the learner’s willingness to embrace and use AI-enabled learning tools over conventional learning methodologies. Working with a manufacturing company, we used a randomized control trial approach (matching pairs) to present two groups of employees with a course on design thinking, one presented via a traditional learning management system (LMS Group) and other through an AI enabled tool (AI Group), with the content being identical in order to compare completion rates, time to completion, learning outcomes (subject matter knowledge retained) and the learner’s perceptions of value and experience. We also were able to compare the AI enabled version of the course to the same version with the addition of a face-to-face instructional component. While we found that those participants in the AI Group completed the course in a shorter period of time, had better learning outcomes and expressed higher perceptions of course value, the AI Group significantly underperformed the LMS Group in terms of course commencement and completion rates. Our finding suggest that the adoption of AI enabled learning tools may follow similar patterns of adoption rates of new technologies -- and require educating learners regarding the use, benefits, value and limitations of new AI enabled tools before widespread acceptance and usage.

Interactive Table Synthesis With Natural Language.

Tables are a ubiquitous data format for insight communication. However, transforming data into consumable tabular views remains a challenging and time-consuming task. To lower the barrier of such a task, research efforts have been devoted to developing interactive approaches for data transformation, but many approaches still presume that their users have considerable knowledge of various data transformation concepts and functions. In this study, we leverage natural language (NL) as the primary interaction modality to improve the accessibility of average users to performing complex data transformation and facilitate intuitive table generation and editing. Designing an NL-driven data transformation approach introduces two challenges: 1) NL-driven synthesis of interpretable pipelines and 2) incremental refinement of synthesized tables. To address these challenges, we present NL2Rigel, an interactive tool that assists users in synthesizing and improving tables from semi-structured text with NL instructions. Based on a large language model and prompting techniques, NL2Rigel can interpret the given NL instructions into a table synthesis pipeline corresponding to Rigel specifications, a declarative language for tabular data transformation. An intuitive interface is designed to visualize the synthesis pipeline and the generated tables, helping users understand the transformation process and refine the results efficiently with targeted NL instructions. The comprehensiveness of NL2Rigel is demonstrated with an example gallery, and we further confirmed NL2Rigel's usability with a comparative user study by showing that the task completion time with NL2Rigel is significantly shorter than that with the original version of Rigel with comparable completion rates.

Effect of COVID‐19 and telehealth implementation on Patient Centered Outcome Measures completion by patients with Alzheimer’s and related disorders in an academic memory center

AbstractBackgroundPatient Centered Outcome Measures (PCOMs) are increasingly recognized as a means of improving clinical efficiency, particularly when completed electronically ahead of clinic visits. However, PCOM completion is often far from consistent. The shift to telehealth introduced by the Covid‐19 pandemic changed how patients and caregivers engaged with medical care, possibly encouraging increased participation in electronic assessments. We questioned how the pandemic influenced electronic PCOM completion by our patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their caregivers.MethodsPatients and caregivers were routinely invited to fill electronic PCOM questionnaires prior to visits both before and during the Covid‐19 pandemic. PCOMs assessed the predominant cognitive domain of concern, other diagnostically useful symptoms, disease severity, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver wellbeing. A date of 3/15/2020 was set as the onset of the pandemic for this study, after which time our clinic converted to telehealth visits only. We tallied rates of completion of electronic surveys by patients and/or caregivers three and a half months before and after that time, comparing completion rates by two proportion Z‐test.ResultsDuring this timeframe, across a total of 402 visits (total: 333 individuals, 69 returns; AD: 73 individuals, 6 returns), caregivers and/or patients were offered an opportunity to fill PCOMs ahead of the visit. Across all clinical diagnoses combined, the probability of a visit being associated with filled PCOMS was greater after switching to only telehealth (caregivers: P = 0.005, patients: P = 0.016). Additionally, after the shift to telehealth, AD‐related visits were twice as likely to have completed preclinical electronic PCOMs (caregivers: P = 0.002, patients: P = 0.008). Approximately 33.3% of PCOMS to be filled by AD caregivers were completed before the telehealth shift, and 67.5% were afterwards. Approximately 26.7% of patient PCOMs were filled before the change, and afterwards this percentage rose to 55.0%.ConclusionThe beginning of the Covid‐19 pandemic and subsequent shift towards telehealth‐only practice was associated with greater use of electronic PCOMs by all patients, including those with AD and their caregivers. Increased acceptance of electronic PCOMs seems to offer promising opportunities for remote assessment in the future of dementia diagnosis and care.

Real World Multi-Institutional Outcomes of Bladder Carbogen and Nicotinamide (BCON) in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC).

Bladder carbogen and nicotinamide (BCON), combined with radiotherapy, is a standard of care in the bladder-preserving treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). UK national guidelines recommend neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before bladder preservation. However, patients did not receive NAC in the definitive phase III BCON trial. This study assessed tolerability and real-world outcomes of BCON alone or with NAC (NAC-BCON). With institutional approval, demographics and clinical information were obtained for a retrospective cohort study of BCON patients (2017-2021) across 3 UK centers. Clinician-reported toxicity was assessed using RTOG grading during radiotherapy, 6 weeks and 12 months after. Cross-sectional imaging and cystoscopy determined local control, metastasis-free survival (MFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Subgroup differences were compared using T and χ2 tests. Survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression. Statistical analysis was conducted using R version 4.2.1 (R Core Team (2022)). A total of 317 patients were treated with BCON; 75 (24%) received NAC-BCON. Median follow-up was 29 months (4-63m). Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1. NAC-BCON patients were younger (median 72 vs 78 years, p<0.05), with better PS (p<0.05) and ACE-27 (p<0.05), with no statistical difference in T-staging and histopathology. 298 (94%) completed BCON, whilst 59/75 (79%) completed ≥3 cycles of NAC. There was no significant increased grade 3 acute or late bowel or bladder toxicity with NAC. 3-month cystoscopy post radiotherapy demonstrated complete response in 282/317 (89%). 121 (38%) developed metastases, and 112 (35%) died of MIBC. 5-year BCON MFS was 62% and 49% for NAC-BCON (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.98- 2.51, p = 0.064); 5-year BCON CSS was 55% and 52% for NAC-BCON (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.79-1.83, p = 0.39). This remained after adjusting for clinical factors in a multivariate Cox model for both MFS (p = 0.22) and CSS (p = 0.37). Our real-world data compares favorably to published BCON 5-year relapse-free survival (41%) and OS (49%). NAC-BCON has no increased toxicity with comparable treatment completion rates to BCON alone. No significant improvement in survival outcomes was seen with NAC, possibly due to small numbers and patient selection in a non-randomized cohort. Further analysis is planned with additional center input.

A randomized controlled trial of the online OurRelationship program with varying levels of coach support

Online programs that reduce relationship distress fill a critical need; however, their scalability is limited by their reliance on coach calls. To determine the effectiveness of the online OurRelationship program with varying levels of coach support, we conducted a comparative effectiveness trial with 740 low-income couples in the United States. Couples were randomly assigned to full-coach (ncouples = 226; program as originally designed), automated-coach (ncouples = 145; as a stand-alone program with tailored automated emails only), contingent-coach (ncouples = 145; as an adaptive program where tailored automated emails are followed by more coaching if couples did not meet progress milestones), or a waitlist control condition (ncouples = 224). All analyses were conducted within a Bayesian framework. Completion rates were comparable across conditions (full-coach: 65 %, automated-coach: 59 %, contingent-coach: 54 %). All intervention couples reported reliable pre-post gains in relationship satisfaction compared to waitlist control couples (dfull = 0.46, dcontingent = 0.47, and dautomated = 0.40) with no reliable differences across intervention conditions. Over four-month follow-up, couples in full- and contingent-coach conditions maintained gains in relationship satisfaction and couples in the automated-coach condition continued to improve. Given the comparable completion rates and minimal differences in effect sizes across intervention conditions, all three coaching models appear viable; therefore, the choice of model can vary depending on available resources as well as couple or stakeholder preferences. This study was preregistered (ClinicalTrials.govNCT03568565).

Completion Rates for PROMIS Physical Function Surveys Compared with Legacy PROMs in Patients Undergoing Cervical Spine Surgery

Objective The aim of this study is to compare completion between PROMIS physical function (PF) and legacy PROMs among cervical spine patients. Methods A surgical registry was reviewed for cervical spine procedures performed from May 2015 to June 2020. Patient demographics, spinal pathologies, and perioperative characteristics were recorded. Legacy PROMs included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), and 12-Item Short-Form physical component summary (SF-12 PCS). All outcome measures were collected preoperatively and up to 2-years postoperatively. Descriptive statistics were performed. McNemar’s test compared completion rates for individual PROMs at each timepoint. Overall longitudinal completion rates were compared between PROMIS-PF and legacy PROMs using a paired t-test. Results A total of 302 patients were included. Most patients had a spinal pathology of herniated nucleus pulposus (80.8%). Survey completion rates were significantly lower for PROMIS-PF compared to legacy PROMs from the preoperative through 6-months postoperative timepoint (all p&lt;0.001) and were significantly greater for PROMIS-PF at the 2-year timepoint (p&lt;0.001). Completion rates did not significantly differ at 1-year (all p&gt;0.170). Overall completion rates were significantly lower for PROMIS-PF (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion A greater proportion of cervical spine patients completed legacy PROMs at preoperative and earlier postoperative timepoints. This difference was resolved by 1-year postoperatively and reversed by 2-years. Overall, patients completed a smaller percentage of assigned PROMIS-PF surveys than legacy PROMs. Although overall completion rates were lower for PROMIS-PF, patients may be more likely to complete PROMIS than legacy PROMs at long-term follow up.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Disparities in Screening Guideline Concordance Within a Student-Run Clinic.

Examination of screening guideline concordance can help clinics and institutions identify and understand disparities within their own practices. We conducted a study to examine whether screening completion rates within a student-run free clinic (SRFC) reflected, exacerbated, or narrowed population-level disparities in outcomes by race/ethnicity and primary language. We compared completion rates for cervical cancer (n = 114), diabetic retinopathy (n = 91), colorectal cancer (n = 114), and breast cancer (n = 63) by race/ethnicity (Black, n = 37; Hispanic, n = 133; white, n = 54; other, n = 29) and primary language (English, n = 106; Spanish, n = 136; other, n = 11) among patients at Shade tree clinic (STC), an SFRC in Nashville, TN. There were no differences in screening completion rate by race/ethnicity, and Spanish-speaking patients had slightly higher rates of cervical cancer screening [91% (95% confidence interval 84–97%)] than English-speaking patients [72% (57–86%)]. Overall screening rates were comparable to national averages, and in the case of screenings performed within clinic—cervical cancer [82%; (75–89%)] and diabetic retinopathy screening [86% (79–92%)]—exceeded national averages and/or affiliated academic medical center goals. These findings extend the existing literature supporting the ability of SRFCs to provide effective care by also demonstrating one measure of equity in clinic processes, providing a framework for future studies of equity within SRFCs and traditional primary care practices.

Hepatitis C Virus Reflex Testing Protocol in an Emergency Department.

IntroductionOur aim was to measure hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening and linkage-to-care rates in an urban emergency department (ED) before and after implementing an HCV viral RNA (vRNA) reflex testing protocol within a HCV screening program for at-risk patients. Our hypothesis was that using a reflex testing protocol would increase HCV testing rates of at-risk patients in the ED, which would increase the linkage-to-care rate.MethodsIn August 2018, our institution implemented an automated, electronic health record-based HCV screening protocol in the ED for at-risk patients. In January 2019, we implemented an HCV vRNA reflex testing protocol (reflex testing) for all positive HCV antibody (Ab) tests that were initiated through the screening protocol. We compared completion rates of HCV vRNA testing and the rate of linkage to care for patients with positive HCV Ab test results before and after implementation of reflex testing (five months per study period).ResultsPrior to reflex testing implementation, 233/425 (55%) patients with a positive HCV Ab test had an HCV vRNA test performed, whereas 270/323 (84%) patients with a positive HCV Ab test result had vRNA testing after reflex testing implementation (odds ratio [OR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.0–6.0; P < 0.001). Of the eligible patients with positive HCV Ab test results who could be linked to care, 45 (10.6%) were linked to care before HCV reflex implementation and 46 (14.2%) were linked to care with reflex testing (OR, 1.4; 95% CI: 0.9–2.2; P = 0.13).ConclusionImplementing a reflex testing initiative into an HCV screening program in the ED can result in an increase of the percentage of patients who receive an HCV vRNA test after having had a positive HCV Ab. Hepatitis C virus vRNA reflex testing was not associated with a statistically significant increase in linkage-to-care rates for HCV Ab-positive patients; however, further studies are required.

Adolescent dropout from brief digital mental health interventions within and beyond randomized trials

ObjectiveMany adolescents struggle to access appropriate mental health care due to structural or psychological barriers. Although traditional barriers to participation (e.g., location, cost) are hypothetically reduced or removed in internet interventions, low retention reduces the likelihood that adolescents will receive the intervention dosage intended to produce beneficial effects. It is therefore key to determine what factors are associated with dropout in digital mental health interventions with adolescents both within and beyond the context of research studies. MethodsWe compare completion rates from two projects evaluating self-guided, online single-session mental health interventions (SSIs) for adolescents. One was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants were paid for participation. The other was a program evaluation project in which participants were not paid for participation. We additionally compare SSI completion rates across various demographic groups and across baseline hopelessness levels. ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in SSI completion status between the RCT (84.75% full-completers) and the program evaluation (36.86% full-completers), X2 (2, N = 2436) = 583.5, p < 0.05. There were no significant differences in the baseline hopelessness scores across completion statuses in either study. There were no significant differences in full-completion rates across demographic groups in either project. ConclusionAdolescents may be more likely to complete a brief digital mental health intervention in a paid, research-based context than in an unpaid, naturalistic context. Additionally, it is possible that the brevity of SSIs reduces demographic disparities related to retention by minimizing the time required to complete an intervention.

P70. Completion rates for PROMIS-PF compared with legacy PROMs

<h3>BACKGROUND CONTEXT</h3> Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) utilizes computer adaptive testing (CAT) to accurately and efficiently assess patient improvement. Previous studies have highlighted the benefits of PROMIS over traditional "legacy" patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). However, literature comparing completion rates of PROMIS to those of legacy PROMs is scarce. <h3>PURPOSE</h3> To compare completion rates for PROMIS physical function (PF) with rates of legacy PROM completion following cervical spine procedures. <h3>STUDY DESIGN/SETTING</h3> Retrospective Cohort. <h3>PATIENT SAMPLE</h3> A total of 302 patients who underwent cervical spine procedures were included. <h3>OUTCOME MEASURES</h3> Perioperative characteristics including operative duration (from skin incision to closure), estimated blood loss (EBL), and postoperative length of stay were reported. Legacy PROMs such as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) neck, VAS arm, neck disability index (NDI), and 12-Item Short-Form physical component summary (SF-12 PCS), as well as PROMIS-PF were included. <h3>METHODS</h3> A retrospective review was conducted of a prospectively maintained registry for cervical spine procedures from May 2015 to June 2020. Patients were excluded for procedures that were revisions or indicated for trauma, infection or malignancy. Patient demographics, preoperative medical conditions and spinal pathologies were collected. Perioperative characteristics including operative duration (from skin incision to closure), estimated blood loss (EBL), and postoperative length of stay were reported. Legacy PROMs such as Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) neck, VAS arm, neck disability index (NDI), and 12-Item Short-Form physical component summary (SF-12 PCS), as well as PROMIS-PF were administered at preoperative and postoperative (6-week, 12-week, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year) timepoints. Descriptive statistics were performed for all preoperative and perioperative characteristics. McNemar's test was used to compare completion rates for each legacy PROM and PROMIS-PF at each timepoint. The overall percentage of surveys patients completed from the preoperative timepoint to 2-years for PROMIS-PF was compared with that of each legacy PROM using a paired t-test. <h3>RESULTS</h3> A total of 302 patients who underwent cervical spine procedures were included. The study cohort had a mean age of 50.0 years, was majority male (63.3%), non-obese (BMI <30 kg/m2; 57.6%), of White ethnicity (75.4%), and private insurance coverage (73.2%). The most common preoperative spinal pathology was central stenosis (63.6%). Mean perioperative variables were as follows: operative time 67.4 minutes, EBL 46.9 mL, length of stay 15.3 hours. Rates of survey completion were significantly lower for PROMIS-PF than for each legacy PROM from the preoperative timepoint through 6-months (all p<0.001). Survey completion rates did not significantly differ at 1-year. Rates of survey completion were greater for PROMIS-PF than for legacy PROMs at 2-years (p<0.001). The overall percentage of surveys completed was significantly lower for PROMIS-PF than for all legacy PROMs (p<0.001). <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> A greater proportion of cervical spine patients completed legacy PROMs at preoperative and earlier postoperative measurements. However, this difference was resolved by 1-year postoperatively and reversed by 2-years. Overall, patients completed a smaller percentage of assigned PROMIS-PF surveys than legacy PROMs. Although overall completion rates were lower for PROMIS-PF, patients may be more likely to complete PROMIS than legacy PROMs at long-term follow-up. <h3>FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS</h3> This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is increasing evidence to support the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in locally advanced colon cancer (LACC). However, its safety, efficacy and side effect profile is yet to be completely elucidated. This review aims to assess NAC regimens, duration, compare completion rates, intra-operative and post-operative complication profiles and oncological outcomes, in order to provide guidance for clinical practice and further research. PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for a systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2020. Eight eligible studies were included, with a total of 1213 patients, 752 (62%) of whom received NAC. Of the eight studies analysed, two were randomised controlled trials comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by oncological resection to upfront surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, three were prospective single-arm phase II trials analysing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery only, one was a retrospective study comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus surgery first followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and the remaining two were single-arm retrospective studies of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. All cases of LACC were determined and staged by computed tomography; majority of the studies defined LACC as T3 with extramural depth of 5 mm or more, T4 and/or nodal positivity. NAC administered was either folinic acid, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) with the exception of one study which utilised 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin. Most studies had NAC completion rates of above 83% with two notable exceptions being Zhou et al. and The Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group of Japan who both recorded a completion rate of 52%. Time to surgery from completion of NAC ranged on average from 16 to 31 days. The anastomotic leak rate in the NAC group ranged from 0 to 4.5%, with no cases of postoperative mortality. The R0 resection rate in the NAC group was 96.1%. Meta-analysis of both RCTs included in this study showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy increased the likelihood of a negative resection margin T3/4 advanced colon cancer (pooled relative risk of 0.47 with a 95% confidence interval) with no increase in adverse consequence of anastomotic leak, wound infection or return to theatre. Our systematic review and meta-analysis show that NAC is safe with an acceptable side effect profile in the management of LACC. The current data supports an oncological benefit for tumour downstaging and increased in R0 resection rate.

Assessing the Validity of the Past-Month, Online Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II Pre and Post Nutrition Intervention.

Dietary intake tools are used in epidemiological and interventional studies to estimate nutritional intake. The past-month Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II (CDHQII) has not yet been validated. This study aimed to assess the validity of the CDHQII in adults by comparing dietary results from the CDHQII to the same participants’ 24-h recalls consisting of two weekdays and one weekend day. The recalls were collected using the validated multiple-pass method. Participants were asked to complete both tools at baseline, and again at 3-month follow-up. The study further aimed to determine which dietary intake tool was preferred by study participants by comparing completion rates. Data collection occurred at baseline (pre-intervention) and 3-month follow-up (post-intervention). Paired sample t-tests were conducted to compare means for the following nutrients (grams and %kcal): calories, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat and sodium. Intraclass correlation coefficients of agreement and coefficients of variation were further calculated. Chi-square tests were used to determine the dietary assessment method with the greatest participant completion rate. At baseline (n = 104), there were no significant differences between the results of the CDHQII and three 24-h recalls (averaged), with overall moderate correlation coefficients. At 3-months (n = 53), there were significant differences (p < 0.05) between dietary intake collection methods for all nutrients assessed in this study, except for saturated fat (%kcal), unsaturated fat (%kcal), protein (%kcal) and sodium (mg). Correlation coefficients were moderate. A significantly greater proportion of participants completed the three 24-h recalls compared to the CDHQII after 3 months (completion rates of 67.2% vs. 50.8% of the sample, respectively). The CDHQII provided estimates of mean nutritional intake (calories, macronutrients and sodium) that were comparable to mean intake established from three 24-h recalls, at baseline and was validated in a sample of primarily middle-aged, college-educated, Caucasian female adults with overweight and obesity for mean baseline or cross-sectional measurement only but not for assessing individual/patient dietary intake in clinical practice (r = 0.30–0.68). This tool was not validated at 3-month follow-up. Additionally, participants preferred the three 24-h recalls to the online, past-month CDHQII.

Bidirectional Glenn Procedure in Patients Less Than 3 Months of Age: A 14-Year Experience

Contradictory data exist regarding timing of stage 2 palliation (S2P). Prolonged interstage hospitalizations and home surveillance programs have contributed to a more rapid progression to S2P. Our goal is to describe the S2P population and explore the relationships of clinical outcomes and S2P timing at our institution over the last 14 years. S2P procedures from 2004 to 2018 at a single institution were included in a retrospective analysis. The analysis was stratified by S2P timing and clinical variables. The primary outcome was Fontan completion, and secondary outcomes included mortality and orthotopic heart transplantation rate, as well as perioperative clinical variables. A total of 114 patients who underwent S2P were included. The median age and weight at S2P were 100 days (interquartile range [IQR], 87-119) and 5.1 (IQR, 4.6-5.5) kg, respectively. The median age in the early group was 79 (IQR, 73-87) days and in the nonearly group was 107 (IQR, 100-124) days. Ninety percent of cavopulmonary anastomoses were augmented with an ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) patch. The overall Fontan completion rate was 76%, without differences in Kaplan-Meier estimates. There were no operative mortalities and no differences in late mortality rate (P= .30). The interstage period continues to be high risk for those undergoing single-ventricle palliation. In our experience, S2P performed at less than 90 days seems to be a viable and safe procedure when indicated, resulting in comparable Fontan completion rates.

Fetal Myocardial Performance Index in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: Feasibility and Reproducibility of Conventional Spectral Doppler versus Spectral Tissue Doppler Technique.

This study aims to compare completion rates and reproducibility of myocardial performance index (MPI) using conventional spectral Doppler versus tissue Doppler in an unselected high-risk third trimester population. This was a prospective cross-sectional study of high-risk pregnancies at ≥28 + 0 weeks' gestation. Conventional spectral and tissue Doppler MPI of the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) was attempted on all patients. Seventy-nine pregnancies were evaluated. LV tissue Doppler MPI was completed more frequently than LV conventional spectral Doppler MPI (63/79, 79.7% vs. 45/79, 55.7%), p-value <0.01. RV tissue Doppler MPI was completed more frequently than RV conventional spectral Doppler MPI (68/79, 86% vs. 42/79, 53.2%), p-value <0.01. In obese subjects (n = 50) LV tissue Doppler MPI was completed more frequently than LV conventional spectral Doppler MPI (37/50, 74% vs. 26/50, 52%), p-value <0.01. RV tissue Doppler MPI was completed more frequently than RV conventional spectral Doppler MPI (40/50, 80% vs. 25/50, 50%), p-value <0.01. intraclass correlation coefficient for all modalities ranged between 0.73 and 0.93, except for LV conventional spectral Doppler intraobserver variability which was 0.22. Tissue Doppler had statistically higher completion rates than conventional spectral Doppler, including the obese subgroup, with evidence of strong reproducibility in the third trimester.

592 Comparison of Endoscopic Placement versus Oral Ingestion of Small Bowel Video Capsule for Evaluation of Inpatients With Small Intestinal Bleeding

INTRODUCTION: Wireless small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is used to evaluate small intestinal bleeding after upper endoscopy and colonoscopy fail to identify a source of bleeding. The majority of patients swallow the capsule but endoscopic placement in the duodenum is an option. Limited data suggests higher rate of gastric retention of capsule in inpatients due to a variety of reasons, resulting in an incomplete exam. Hypothetically, endoscopic placement should increase likelihood of complete small bowel evaluation but there is little data comparing the two approaches. We aimed to compare completion rates and outcomes of capsule studies via endoscopic placement (CS-EP) versus oral ingestion (CS-OI) in inpatients undergoing VCE. METHODS: Patients who had VCE studies performed inpatient for gastrointestinal bleeding at Rhode Island Hospital between April 2015 and July 2016 were identified retrospectively. Baseline patient demographics, time intervals between reported bleed, date of admission and date of discharge, capsule study, indications for capsule study, completion rates and detection of small bowel bleeding were collected. Statistical tests were done using student's t-test and chi square test. RESULTS: Data was available for 83 patients between April 2015 and July 2016. The most common indications were for obscure bleed (92%) followed by anemia (86%). 29 (35%) patients had small bowel capsule studies that were endoscopically placed. Majority of patients underwent endoscopic placement due to provider preference. CS-EP had a higher proportion of men than CS-OI (66% vs. 44%, P = .06). The mean duration from bleeding episode to capsule study was 8.4 days for both groups. Small bowel bleeding was more likely to be detected by CS-EP than CS-OI (34% vs. 13%, P = 0.02), however completion rates were similar between both studies (69% vs. 76%, P = 0.5). CS-EP had a longer time from study to discharge (days: 7.1 vs. 3.7, P = 0.1) and longer length of stay at the hospital (days: 11.45 vs. 7.47, P = 0.1) compared to CS-OI. CONCLUSION: Based on this single center study, although endoscopic placement of VCE was more likely to detect small bowel bleeding compared to oral ingestion, there was no difference in study completion rates and CS-EP group in fact had a longer length of stay. Investigation into potential causes of longer length of stay and cost of care associated with endoscopic placement are ongoing. Additional data is also being collected for capsule studies performed over several more years.

Segmenting Educational Content: Long-Form vs. Short-Form Online Learning Modules

ABSTRACTThis article studies the differences in student learning outcomes associated with changes in the format of online learning resources. We compare completion rates and degrees of student achievement across several economic education learning modules produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Initially designed as a long-form online learning module focused on unemployment, the virtual lecture “The Story of Unemployment” was later chunked into four separate short-form learning modules. We find across-the-board evidence of increased completion rates among registered students and statistically significant increases in average differences between pre-test and post-test scores. We also study how the increases in scores are distributed across students by comparing pre-test grade quartiles. Finally, we document that chunking online instructional materials increases retained learning and consistently boosts information absorption at the item level.

Adherence to daily dietary and activity goals set within a M\u0101ori and Pacific weight loss competition

BackgroundNew Zealand Pacific and Māori populations measure disproportionately high on the international body mass index (BMI). Information is needed on what behavioural weight loss goals to recommend and how to attract and retain them in interventions. Our team weight loss competition trial for participants with a BMI ≥30 used cash prizes to incentivise completion of nine daily behaviour goals. This paper evaluates the theoretical merit of and adherence to these goals.MethodsA qualitative component evaluation methodology was used. Trial data on team activity, demographics and anthropometric outcome data were extracted to determine frequency of daily goal completion by teams throughout the competition and to describe participant characteristics. T-tests were used to compare completion rates of the challenges, challenge completion by day of week and between weekdays and weekends. To examine adherence to the daily challenge activity over 24 weeks the total amount of completed challenges adjusted for number of active teams was plotted by week. A Body Shape Index (ABSI) was used to determine individual anthropometric change from baseline to 8, 16 and 24 weeks. Program documents were analysed to identify barriers to adherence and retention of participants.ResultsOf 19 teams (N = 130) who began only five teams performed daily goals across the whole 24 weeks. Adherence was highest during the first 8 weeks. No difference in performance between goals was found suggesting they were equally viable, though tasks worth less points were performed more frequently. Goal completion was higher on weekdays. The behaviour goals appeared to have theoretical merit in that more members of high performing teams experienced a positive change in their ABSI.ConclusionsIncentives offer a promising strategy for encouraging retention in weight loss interventions. This study suggests that participants in a competition will perform incentivised tasks. The findings however, are limited by missing data and high drop out of individuals and whole teams. Further research is needed on how to increase retention.

Assessing effects of a data quality strengthening campaign on completeness of key fields in facility-based maternity registers in Kenya and Uganda

BACKGROUND&#x0D; Little is known about the accuracy of facility-based birth registry data for routine monitoring of birth outcomes. This report details the results of a data quality strengthening intervention aimed at improving completeness of birth registry data in Kenya and Uganda, as part of a package of interventions in an implementation science trial under the East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative.&#x0D; METHODS&#x0D; The intervention aimed to improve completeness of key intrapartum and post-partum data, including gestational age, birthweight, and newborn outcomes. We conducted data strengthening activities in 23 facilities in Uganda and Kenya. To test the effects of these interventions on completion of key variables, we compared completion rates at various time points.&#x0D; RESULTS&#x0D; In Uganda, the completion rate of all four fields of interest increased by 13% (95% CI: 10, 17) with the introduction of data quality training and mentoring. Documentation of the status of infant at discharge and gestational age increased by 12% (95% CI: 9, 14) and 22.3% (95% CI: 19, 17), respectively; while that of birthweight had a marginal increase of 3.2% (95% CI: 1, 5) and Apgar at 1 minute showed no significant change. In Kenya, there was no significant change in completion for most fields.&#x0D; CONCLUSION&#x0D; This study suggests that the data strengthening campaign had mixed effects on completion of facility-based maternity register fields and may be country specific. Given emerging international priorities around maternal and neonatal health, utilizing facility-based routine data sources will be key to ensuring sustainable monitoring and evaluation of interventions and outcomes.

Blinding and Patient-Reported Outcome Completion Rates in US Food and Drug Administration Cancer Trial Submissions, 2007-2017.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are commonly included in submissions to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Open-label designs are frequent in cancer trials. Between-arm differences in PRO missingness may affect results. We sought to compare PRO completion rates between study arms in randomized open-label and double-blind cancer trials. Randomized, controlled trials for oncology and malignant hematology products submitted to the FDA in fiscal years 2007-2017 were identified using internal FDA databases. Applicant study reports were reviewed to assess PRO use and reporting of completion rates. Completion rates were collected for each PRO and compared between arms. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics. Ninety-six trials for anticancer products from 2007 to 2017 contained PROs. Fifty-one (53.1%) were randomized, controlled trials with useable information on PRO completion. The median completion rate for investigational arms was 89.7% (range = 33.7-100.0%) and 88.2% (range = 11.0-100.0%) for control arms. At six months, seven double-blind trials had gaps of at least 10% in at least one PRO between arms; in four trials, these gaps favored the control arm (median difference = 11.5%, range = 10.0-17.0%). For open-label trials, four trials had such gaps, all of which favored the investigational arm (median difference = 28.5%, range = 10.0-69.0%). Among trials that provided interpretable PRO completion information, completion rates were high. Most trials had comparable completion rates between arms. However, when large between-arm completion rate differences existed, differences favoring the experimental arm were more common in open-label trials compared with double-blind trials. Procedures must be put in place to improve reporting of PRO completion and reduce missingness, particularly in open-label trials.

High rate of latent tuberculosis treatment completion in immigrants seeking asylum in Sweden

Background/Aim: Treatment of latently infected individuals at increased risk of reactivation is a cornerstone in tuberculosis control. Although asylum seekers without residence permit in Sweden are offered screening for both active tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), treatment for LTBI is often not initiated due to anticipated low rates of treatment completion. We aimed to compare completion rates for LTBI treatment between asylum seekers and other patients, and between asylum seekers with and without residence permit.Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from tuberculosis clinic registers and medical records. For comparison of treatment completion rates, relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Predictors of completion were assessed by logistic regression multivariate analysis.Results: Treatment completion was achieved in 506/606 subjects (83%). RR of non-completion for asylum seekers (n = 297) compared to other subjects (n = 309) was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.79–1.61; p = .51), and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.53–1.56; p = .72) for asylum seekers without residence permit (n = 217) compared to asylum seekers with residence permit (n = 80). Completion rates increased from 53% in 2008 to 92% in 2015–2016. The following factors were associated with completion: scheduled interpreter-assisted appointments throughout the course of therapy, shorter treatment duration (6 vs. 9 months), and being treated in connection with immunosuppressive therapy.Conclusion: Treatment completion rates were similar between asylum seekers and other subjects, supporting initiation of latent tuberculosis treatment in immigrants with recent arrival to low-endemic countries.