Correct Response Rate Research Articles

Change in activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex in different phases during the dual-task walking in older adults

BackgroundStudies using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have shown that dual-task walking leads to greater prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation compared to the single-task walking task. However, evidence on age-related changes in PFC activity patterns is inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the changes in the activation patterns of PFC subregions in different activation phases (early and late phases) during both single-task and dual-task walking in both older and younger adults.MethodsOverall, 20 older and 15 younger adults performed a walking task with and without a cognitive task. The activity of the PFC subregions in different phases (early and late phases) and task performance (gait and cognitive task) were evaluated using fNIRS and a gait analyzer. ResultsThe gait (slower speed and lower cadence) and cognitive performance (lower total response, correct response and accuracy rate, and higher error rate) of older adults was poorer during the dual task than that of younger adults. Right dorsolateral PFC activity in the early period in older adults was higher than that in younger adults, which declined precipitously during the late period. Conversely, the activity level of the right orbitofrontal cortex in the dual-task for older adults was lower than for younger adults.ConclusionsThese altered PFC subregion-specific activation patterns in older adults would indicate a decline in dual-task performance with aging.

Non-Approved Uses of Celecoxib and Indomethacin: Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge and Opinions

A survey was conducted among first-year pharmacy students at Howard University College of Pharmacy to measure their level of knowledge and gauge their opinion regarding the off-label uses of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), indomethacin and celecoxib. The average level of knowledge on indomethacin and celecoxib was 36.2% and 31.2%, respectively. Among the five knowledge-based questions on each of these drugs, the highest correct response rate was obtained on indomethacin dosing at 72.9%, and 64.7% on the class of drugs celecoxib belongs to. In the responses to questions on indomethacin, the highest correct response of 72.9% was significantly higher (p<0.05) than responses to other knowledge-based questions, except for the knowledge level on the class of drugs (59.5%; p=0.3257). In the same manner, the correct response rate of 64.7% for the class of drugs that celecoxib belongs to was significantly higher than the response rates for the other questions (p<0.05), except when compared to the response to the question whether hyperplastic polyps and serrated polyps can develop into cancer (41.2%, p=0.0883). The opinions of the students varied, with a majority (55.9%) agreeing that serious diseases should be treated with non-approved medications. In the case of indomethacin, 35.5% of the respondents believed that because of toxicity issues, it should not be used outside the approved indications, while 27.8% believed that the safety has been established and can be used outside the approved use. Most respondents (55.9%) on celecoxib thought colorectal cancer is a serious disease and can be treated with non-approved drugs.

Knowledge and beliefs about oocyte cryopreservation for medical and social reasons in female students: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundWith the increasing number of young women surviving cancer and a growing trend among highly educated women to postpone childbearing for educational or professional pursuits, there is a rising demand for egg freezing services to ensure a successful pregnancy. This study aims to assess the knowledge and beliefs surrounding oocyte cryopreservation, both for medical and social reasons, among female students in Tehran, Iran.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was carried out from March to August of 2022, involving a total of 1279 childless students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees at universities in Tehran. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 38. Knowledge and beliefs about medical and social oocyte cryopreservation were assessed through Fertility Preservation Survey (FPS) instrument.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 26.38 ± 4.9. The majority of students expected to be “30–34 years” when they become pregnant with their first child (41.1%, M: 30.3 ± 4.13 years) and “35–39 years” when they give birth to their last child (46.7%, M: 35.28 ± 4.18 years). The students agreed with preserving fertility with medical (93.3%) and social (86.9%) indications and believed the medical (95.1%) and social (87.4%) costs of cryopreservation should be covered by the healthcare system. Among the participants, 75.6% considered cost to be a definite or probable factor in their decision to pursue fertility preservation. The oncology team’s recommendation was identified as the most important factor in deciding on medical egg freezing (92.6%, M: 3.46 ± 0.71). The overall correct response rate for the knowledge questions was 57.7%. The majority of participants (95.5%) agreed that physicians should routinely provide information about egg freezing to women of childbearing age during their regular healthcare visits.ConclusionsThe research results revealed that female students in Tehran universities have a positive attitude towards medical and social egg freezing, but lack sufficient knowledge about the ideal timing of childbearing. Health professionals could provide detailed information about fertility preservation and age-related infertility as part of routine healthcare visits or reproductive health planning. Additionally, expanding supportive policies and incentives for childbearing established by the government to cover the costs of fertility preservation would be beneficial.

118-OR: From Learning to Planning for Change—How Continuing Medical Education Drives Clinician Intention to Implement Changes in Diabetes Care

Objective: The effectiveness of continuing medical education (CME) in improving clinician knowledge and competence in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been widely demonstrated. The current study builds upon existing literature by investigating the pathway by which CME drives clinician intention to implement changes in T2DM management. Methods: Data from 6 accredited online T2DM CME programs targeting global diabetologists/endocrinologists (diab/endos) and primary care physicians (PCPs) launched in 2021 were analyzed. An objective knowledge/competence assessment was completed by a control group sampled from the target audience prior to the launch of each of the programs (n=301) and by a test group sampled from learners following participation (n=304). Post-education confidence improvement and intention to change were also measured in the test group. Significance of all between-group differences reported was tested using chi-square statistics. Results: The education had a large effect size in improving clinician knowledge and competence managing T2DM (control vs test group correct response rate: 63% vs 92%, P < .001; Cohen’s d=1.21). Within the test group, 81% increased confidence in managing T2DM, and 73% planned to make clinical practice changes. Knowledge/competence did not directly predict intention to change, but those with improved confidence were more likely to plan for clinical practice change (79% vs 45%; P < .001). While knowledge/competence did not predict confidence improvement for diab/endos, PCPs who answered all questions correctly were more likely to report improved confidence (82% vs 56%; P < .01). Conclusions: CME may indirectly drive clinician intention to implement practice changes via its impact on confidence for both diab/endos and PCPs. The role that knowledge and competence play in the pathway from CME to intention to change may vary for these two groups of clinicians. Disclosure P.Chen: None. C.Mardis: None. S.Gawade: None. A.Wiggins: None. Y.Oliver: None. Funding Eli Lilly and Company

Baseline cognitive function predicts full remission of suicidal symptoms among patients with treatment-resistant depression and strong suicidal ideation after low-dose ketamine infusion.

Whether pretreatment working memory and response inhibition function are associated with the rapid and sustained antisuicidal effect of low-dose ketamine among patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and strong suicidal ideation is unclear. We enrolled 65 patients with TRD, comprising 33 who received a single infusion of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine and 32 who received a placebo infusion. The participants performed working memory and go/no-go tasks prior to infusion. We assessed suicidal symptoms at baseline and on postinfusion Days 2, 3, 5, and 7. The full remission of suicidal symptoms persisted for 3 days after a single ketamine infusion and the ketamine-related antisuicidal effect persisted for 1 week. Lower cognitive impairment at baseline (indicated by a higher rate of correct responses on a working memory task) was associated with the rapid and sustained antisuicidal effect of low-dose ketamine in patients with TRD and strong suicidal ideation. Patients with TRD and strong suicidal ideation but low cognitive impairment may benefit the most from the antisuicidal effect of low-dose ketamine.

ChatGPT’s quiz skills in different otolaryngology subspecialties: an analysis of 2576 single-choice and multiple-choice board certification preparation questions

PurposeWith the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in various domains, including healthcare, there is growing acceptance and interest in consulting AI models to provide medical information and advice. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of ChatGPT’s responses to practice quiz questions designed for otolaryngology board certification and decipher potential performance disparities across different otolaryngology subspecialties.MethodsA dataset covering 15 otolaryngology subspecialties was collected from an online learning platform funded by the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, designed for board certification examination preparation. These questions were entered into ChatGPT, with its responses being analyzed for accuracy and variance in performance.ResultsThe dataset included 2576 questions (479 multiple-choice and 2097 single-choice), of which 57% (n = 1475) were answered correctly by ChatGPT. An in-depth analysis of question style revealed that single-choice questions were associated with a significantly higher rate (p < 0.001) of correct responses (n = 1313; 63%) compared to multiple-choice questions (n = 162; 34%). Stratified by question categories, ChatGPT yielded the highest rate of correct responses (n = 151; 72%) in the field of allergology, whereas 7 out of 10 questions (n = 65; 71%) on legal otolaryngology aspects were answered incorrectly.ConclusionThe study reveals ChatGPT’s potential as a supplementary tool for otolaryngology board certification preparation. However, its propensity for errors in certain otolaryngology areas calls for further refinement. Future research should address these limitations to improve ChatGPT’s educational use. An approach, with expert collaboration, is recommended for the reliable and accurate integration of such AI models.

Dual tasking paradigm in clinical stages of early Alzheimer’s disease

AbstractBackgroundIn Alzheimer’s disease (AD) both motor and cognitive domains are impaired [1‐2]. However, these domains are usually assessed independently, even when performing dual‐task (DT) paradigms, the cognitive‐motor interaction (CMI) is not taken into account which may lead to misinterpretation of the patient’s global state. To date, there are no precise markers to neither detect subtle signs of pre‐clinical neurodegeneration nor accurately monitor disease progression.MethodWe have evaluated the motor and cognitive components of a DT paradigm concurrently (Figure 1). 50 participants, aged 60 to 80 years, were included in the study, distributed across four cohorts corresponding to progressive clinical stages of early AD [3]: 1) amyloid negative, cognitively healthy participants (control group), 2) amyloid positive pre‐symptomatic AD, 3) Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to AD and 4) mild AD. Two inertial measurement units (IMUs) (Physilog, GaitUp S.A.) were attached to each foot to measure gait parameters and a small microphone (Wireless GO, RØDE) was attached to the shirt to record counting. Both timing and gait features were extracted from raw data, however only conventional features, correct response rate (CRR) and gait speed, were considered for this abstract and were used to evaluate the CMI based on Plummer’s classification system [5]. Moreover two‐way ANOVA was carried out to evaluate the effect of cohort and cognitive load conditions on the CMI.ResultOur results show that there is a significant drop in performance at both the cognitive and motor tasks while performing DT and that this drop is more pronounced as we move toward stages of greater cognitive impairment and as we increase the cognitive load of the task (Figure 2). Moreover, CMI shows a cognitive‐priority trade‐off in all cohorts (better/similar counting while slower walking), but movement toward mutual interference effect (worst counting and slower walking) when increasing cognitive load and state of cognitive decline (Figure 3).ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first feasibility study assessing the CMI at preclinical and early clinical stages of AD. Our preliminary results suggest that the DT paradigm is a sensitive method to detect early signs of neurodegeneration and monitor AD progression.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice pattern towards diabetic retinopathy screening among general practitioners in primary health centres in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia

BackgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is an emerging cause of visual impairment and blindness and is often detected in the irreversible stage. General practitioners (GPs) play an essential role in the prevention of DR through diabetes control, early detection of retinal changes, and timely referral to ophthalmologists. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards DR screening among GPs in the district primary health centres (PHCs) in Jakarta, Indonesia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2021 and February 2022 in 17 randomly selected district PHCs. A validated online questionnaire was then distributed. Good knowledge was defined when the correct response rate was > 75%, positive attitude was indicated when desired attitudes were found in more than half of the items (> 50%), and good practice was defined when more than half of the practice items (> 50%) were performed.ResultsA total of 92 GPs, with a response rate of 60.1%, completed the questionnaire. Seventy-nine respondents (85.9%) were female with a median (range) age of 32 (24–58) years. Among the respondents, 82 (89.1%) had good knowledge and all showed positive attitude on DR screening. However, only four (4.3%) demonstrated good practices. We found a weak positive correlation (rs = 0.298, p = 0.004) between attitude and practices.ConclusionGPs in Jakarta showed good knowledge and positive attitude on DR screening. However, they did not show good practice. There was a positive correlation between attitude and practice.

Assessing Fertility Awareness in Female Medical Students, Trainees, and Attending Physicians [ID: 1374645

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of female physician infertility is greater in comparison to the general public. In this study, we utilized a validated instrument to assess fertility and infertility knowledge among biologically female medical students, trainees, and attending physicians. METHODS: The validated Fertility &amp; Infertility Treatment Knowledge Score (FIT-KS) instrument was distributed from April 2022 to July 2022 to biologically female medical students, trainees, and attending physicians. Demographics were obtained to assess for differences between groups via contingency table analysis. The IRB found this study exempt. RESULTS: Participants answered 20 of the 29-item FIT-KS instrument correctly. Nine items had a less than 50% correct response rate, four pertained to fertility knowledge, and five pertained to infertility treatment knowledge. Most participants (81.4%) correctly identified the years of peak fertility, but 44.8% overestimated the fecundity of a 30-year-old woman and 36.9% underestimated the chance of miscarriage in peak reproductive years. Most participants (76.6%) underestimated in vitro fertilization (IVF) success for a woman under 35 year old and overestimated IVF success for a woman over 44 year old (56.0%). Obstetrics and gynecology performed significantly better on the FIT-KS instrument overall in comparison with other specialties. No differences in performance were present based on participant age, parity, or position. CONCLUSION: Female medical students and physicians recognize that fecundity decreases with age but overestimate successful pregnancy rates with increasing age. In concordance with low knowledge surrounding infertility treatment success, medical trainees are underequipped to make informed family planning decisions while in medical training.

A questionnaire-based study on the knowledge, attitude and practice on pharmacovigilance among pharmacists and nursing staff at teaching hospital

BackgroundThe present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) about pharmacovigilance (PV) practices among health care professionals, that is, pharmacists and nursing staff before and after educational intervention in a tertiary care hospital. MethodsThis was an observational and questionnaire-based pre- and post-test educational interventional study involving pharmacists and nursing staff. A 15-point prevalidated questionnaire on KAP about PV was distributed to pharmacists and nursing staff before and after educational intervention. Ethical clearance was obtained before the start of the study. ResultsA total of 120 pharmacists and 60 nursing staff participated in pre- and post-KAP questionnaire study. The KAP of PV when compared before (pre-KAP) and after (post-KAP) the educational intervention, the correct response rates were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Encouraging feedback was received from the participants. ConclusionThis study proves that KAP of PV and adverse drug reaction reporting in routine practice can be improved by imparting knowledge about PV and hands-on training on adverse drug reaction reporting among pharmacists and nursing staff who are the backbone of health care system.

Institutional awareness campaign: COVID-19 vaccination drive among nursing students

ObjectivesPossessing accurate knowledge and utilization of reliable information sources may play a vital role in adoption of positive health behaviours, including acceptance of vaccine. The present study was conducted with an objective to assess the awareness and attitude of undergraduate nursing students regarding COVID-19 vaccine. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Mid May 2021 using Google Forms through Google platform on-line. A total of 354 nursing students participated in the survey. A validated and pre-tested structured knowledge and Attitude, questionnaire was used to collect data from undergraduate nursing students regarding COVID-19 vaccine. Chi-square test, followed by binary logistic, was applied to determine factors associated with knowledge scores. ResultsThe mean knowledge score was 11.31 (SD ± 2.31, range: 2–15), with a correct response rate of 75.4%. However, the mean attitude score was 40.56 (SD ± 5.10, range: 28–55) with an unfavourable response towards COVID-19 vaccination (54.8%). The knowledge level was found to be significantly associated with student's professional qualifications and Vaccination status (P < 0.05). In binary logistic regression analyses, the knowledge score found to be significantly associated with participant's professional qualification i.e., B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing 2 nd Year (AOR: 2.45, CI: 1.43–4.19, P < 0.001) and B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing 3rd Year (AOR: 2.69, CI: 1.50–4.83, P < 0.001) and students who has received COVID-19 vaccination (AOR:3.08 CI: 1.81–5.25, P < 0.000). ConclusionThe current study findings represent adequate knowledge among undergraduate nursing students which is a very good sign. However, efforts must be taken to develop positive attitude towards COVID-19 Vaccination.

Knowledge about ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and attitudes and behaviour regarding gel manicure according to the age of women

Introduction and purpose. Nowadays, artificial gel nails, which require Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) for polymerization, steadily gain popularity. Gel manicure dried with UV lamps has become a regular part of many women's beauty routines. However, its safety remains controversial. The aim of the study was to assess the women’s knowledge of UVR and their attitudes towards UV nail exposure and its impact on human health.&#x0D; Material and methods. The study was carried out from January to March 2020 with the use of PAPI and CAWI method. The study population consisted of 188 women living in the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. The mean age was 31.7 ±12.4. The majority of women were familiar with UV nail polish drying devices (74%). Most of the respondents were regularly using UV lamps (51.1%).&#x0D; Results. 62% of women aged 18-25 regularly got UV manicure, whereas only 29% of women older than 40 years (p&lt;0.001). Most of the respondents got UV manicure at beauty salon. However, 37% of women got it also at home. Self-manicure was mostly popular among women at age 18-25 (p&lt;0.001). Only 18.7% put sunscreen on hands and 10.8 % wore fingerless gloves. Simultaneous antibiotic therapy or artificial sunbathing was not a contraindication for 15% and 8% of women, respectively. The knowledge of respondents about UV radiation was poor. The rate of correct responses was 54.7%. &#x0D; Conclusions. While existing research suggests a low risk of carcinogenesis resulting from UV nail lamp use, ways to minimize any risk should be kept in mind. Dermatologists should educate patients, especially those with photosensitivity disorders, tanning bed history or with family history of skin cancer and raise their awareness about the potential health risk of UV manicure. Photoprotection and fingerless gloves should be accessible in beauty salons and recommended to use during UV manicure. Safety regulations concerning UV lamps are needed because they are very often self-operated by many women at home.

Mindfulness for voices: An experimental analogue study of the effect of manipulating response style to simulated voices in a non-clinical population.

We aimed to investigate the effects of directly manipulating response style to simulated voice hearing on emotional and cognitive outcomes in a non-clinical population. A between-subjects design with one independent variable, response style (with two levels: mindful acceptance vs attentional avoidance). The dependent variables were subjective distress and anxiety (primary outcomes) and performance on a sustained attention task (secondary outcomes). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two response styles (mindful acceptance vs. attentional avoidance). They completed a computerised attention task (continuous performance task) whilst listening to a simulation of voice hearing. Participants rated their experience of anxiety and distress before and after completing the sustained attention task which was used to measure their accuracy and response times. One hundred and one participants took part (mindful acceptance (n = 54); attentional avoidance (n = 47)). There were no statistically significant group differences on post-test distress and anxiety scores, correct response rate or response times on the computerised attention task. Participants reported a range of different response styles along the spectrum of avoidance to acceptance, but this had no association with their assigned experimental condition. Adherence to task instructions was therefore low. We are unable to conclude from this study whether experimentally inducing people to respond to voices under cognitively demanding conditions in an avoidant or accepting way has an impact on their emotional or cognitive outcomes. Further research should focus on the development of more robust and reliable procedures for inducing differences in response style under experimental conditions.

Hearing Health Awareness and the Need for Educational Outreach Amongst Teachers in Malawi

A Pre-Survey, followed by an educational intervention, and a Post-Survey were completed by teacher participants. A similar World Health Organization-derived survey was also administered to compare to our locally adapted survey. Trends related to efficacy, performance, and survey improvement were evaluated. A total of 387 teachers participated. The average score on the Post-Survey was significantly improved compared to the Pre-Survey (71% to 97% correct responses) with the educational intervention. The only predictive variable related to performance was the location of the school within the capital of Lilongwe compared to rural sites outside of the capital. Our locally adapted survey compared favorably to the WHO survey. The results suggest that there is a statistically significant improvement in the implementation of an educational program to increase the knowledge and awareness of hearing health care among teachers. Some topics were more poorly understood than others, suggesting the need for targeted awareness interventions. Location within the capital city had some effect on performance but a high rate of correct responses was achievable across the participants independent of age, teaching experience, or gender. Our data support the idea that hearing health awareness interventions can be an effective and low-cost option to equip teachers to effectively serve as an advocate for improved identification, early diagnosis and appropriate referral of students with hearing loss.

Awareness of Ischemic Stroke among Physicians in Primary Care and Emergency Departments

Objective: In particular, ischemic stroke is the primary cause of disability and loss of work force. With intravenous thrombolytic therapy and/or mechanical thrombectomy, stroke is a curable disease. In this study, we evaluated the ischemic stroke awareness of physicians who had first contact with stroke patients. Material and Methods: An online questionnaire of 20 items was applied to collect data. Participation was voluntary, resulting in 66 family physicians and 87 general practitioners. Results: 92.4% of family physicians and 90.8% of general practitioners responded correctly to the item that deals with ischemic stroke symptoms. In the item related to the duration of thrombolytic therapy, the rate of correct response of general practitioners was significantly higher than that of family physicians (p&lt; 0.05). Physicians who worked in the profession for less than 5 years had a significantly higher rate of correct answers than those who worked in the profession for more than 5 years. Conclusion: Today, awareness of family physicians working in primary care and physicians working in emergency services who are in first contact with paralyzed patients should be increased. In addition, patient diagnosis and referral should be focused on. For this purpose, primary care physicians' knowledge on ischemic stroke should be increased. Training should be expanded to raise the awareness of physicians about new developments in stroke prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

The influence of altered foot placement and cognitive load on balance control during walking in healthy young adults

BackgroundClinical populations often walk with altered foot placement, which can adversely affect balance control. However, it is unknown how balance control during walking is influenced when combining a cognitive load with altered foot placement. Research QuestionIs balance control during walking adversely affected by the combination of a more complex motor task, such as walking with altered foot placements, with a cognitive load? MethodsFifteen young healthy adults walked on a treadmill with and without a spelling cognitive load during normal walking, with step width targets (self-selected width, narrow, wide and extra wide), or with step length targets (self-selected length, short and long). ResultsCognitive performance, measured by correct spelling response rate, decreased from self-selected (2.407 ± 0.6 letters/s) to the extra wide width (2.011 ± 0.5 letters/s). The addition of the cognitive load caused a decrease in frontal plane balance control across all step lengths (15% change) and at the wider step widths (16% change), but only caused a slight decrease in the sagittal plane for the short step length (6.8% change). SignificanceThese results suggest that when combining a cognitive load with walking at non-self-selected widths, a threshold exists at wider steps where attentional resources become insufficient and balance control and cognitive performance decrease. Because decreased balance control increases the risk of falling, these results have implications for clinical populations who often walk with wider steps. Furthermore, the lack of changes to sagittal plane balance during altered step length dual-tasks further supports that frontal plane balance requires more active control.

A Study on Variational AutoEncoder to Extract Characteristic Patterns from Electroencephalograms During Sleep

Meniere’s disease, a type of inner ear disease, is thought to be caused by ischemic lesions in the inner ear. On the other hand, Meniere’s disease is often associated with sleep apnea syndrome, and the relationship between the two has been pointed out. In recent years, many patients with Meniere’s disease have shown improvement in their symptoms after discontinuation or suppression of medication and sleep therapy. In this study, we hypothesized that the Electroencephalogram (EEG) during sleep in patients with Meniere’s disease has a characteristic pattern that is not seen in normal subjects. The EEGs of normal subjects and patients with Meniere’s disease were converted to lower dimensions using a variational auto-encoder (VAE), and the existence of characteristic differences was verified. Sub-sequence was extracted from the EEGs of 20 subjects, which was input to a variational autoencoder and was converted to lower dimensions. The machine learning was conducted for each channel. Latent variables obtained from the VAE were classified using Support Vector Machine (SVM). The results showed that the electrodes located at the back of the head had a higher correct response rate and F value.

Comparisons of Online Assessment Platforms for Action Naming Tests in Healthy Young and Middle-aged Adults

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of action naming tests when using a chatbot-based online platform. The performance of healthy young adults and healthy middle-aged adults on action naming tests was compared between online assessment platforms.Methods: A total of 81 participants were included in this study (40 young adults, 41 middle-aged adults). Participants were divided into two groups according to the online assessment platforms, 40 individuals (20 young adults, 20 middle-aged adults) receiving the action naming tests via Zoom and 41 individuals (20 young adults, 21 middle-aged adults) via chatbot.Results: The results indicated that there was no significant difference in action naming performance across online assessment platforms. In addition, young adults showed statistically higher performance compared to the middle-aged adults. There was a significant main effect of verb argument structure on action naming performance, with one- and two-place verbs having a higher correct response rate than three-place verbs.Conclusion: Although the younger group performed better than the middle-aged group, there were no significant differences in action naming performance between chatbot and Zoom groups, suggesting that chatbot-based action naming tests can be used interchangeably with the established online platforms. Accordingly, it is expected that we will be able to provide appropriate online language assessment services for each client in a future clinical setting.

Skin of Colour Dermatoses Self-Learning Module: Assessing Student Comprehension.

Dermatology for diverse skin types is a globally growing area of medicine, but the inclusion of skin of color dermatology has not yet been formally included across all Canadian undergraduate medical education curricula. There is also a paucity of representation of diverse skin types in most medical textbooks, research, and clinical trials. The main objective was to develop a concise, Skin of Colour Dermatoses Self-Learning Module (SOCSLM) that could be implemented at an undergraduate medical education level. The secondary objective was to analyze participant responses to improve and add to learning module content. From March to May 2022, second-year medical students at the University of Ottawa completed pre- and post-SOCSLM questionnaires which were available in French and English through their online student learning portals. The pre-test consisted of five multiple choice questions relating to images of dermatoses seen in diverse skin types. The post-test repeated the same five questions, rearranged, with an additional five new ones, and responses were analyzed. Twenty-five participants completed the surveys, and twenty responses were included. Percent correct answers increased between pre- and post-test, 51% vs 87%. In the post-test, questions repeated from the pre-test had a mean score of 95% while the new post-test questions had a mean score of 80%. Interest in dermatology did not have an impact on correct response rates. Skin of color dermatology self-learning modules may be an effective way to integrate skin of color dermatology into undergraduate medical curricula.

Determination of Knowledge Levels and Attitudes of Healthcare Workers on Coronavirus Disease-19 Vaccines

Objective: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, and vaccination is crucial. In addition, HCWs have the potential, both through their behaviours and their words, in controlling the pandemic. The aim of this study is to determine the vaccination statuses, knowledge levels and perspectives of HCWs regarding vaccination. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study designed for medical students, assistant physicians, nursing students and nurses, in Turkey, between July 15, 2021 and July 30, 2021, using an online questionnaire. Results: Vaccination rate among 822 HCWs was 79.2%. HCWs did not have enough information about vaccines (correct response rates were between 21.6% and 73%). The most important sources of information were social media and the statements of Turkish Minister of Health and Scientific Committee (41.9% and 29.5%, respectively). Vaccination rate was statistically higher in HCWs over 25 years old, physicians, living in the western regions of Turkey, serving patients with COVID-19, those who did not have previous COVID-19, and those who answered the vaccination questions correctly (p=0.019, p&amp;lt;0.001, p&amp;lt;0.001, p=0.042, p&amp;lt;0.001, p&amp;lt;0.001, respectively). The most important reason for vaccine hesitation/rejection was lack of confidence (41.6%). Conclusion: Vaccine hesitation among HCWs in Turkey can be eliminated by paying attention to the correct and effective use of social media, and the Ministry of Health and the Scientific Committee to pay attention to more transparent and precise management of the pandemic