Dissemination Of Evidence-based Information Research Articles

Guidelines for optimal utilization of social media for brain tumor stakeholders.

Effective use of social media (SM) by medical professionals is vital for better connections with patients and dissemination of evidence-based information. A study of SM utilization by different stakeholders in the brain tumor community may help determine guidelines for optimal use. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were searched by using the term "Brain Tumor." Platform-specific metrics were determined, including audience size, as a measure of popularity, and mean annual increase in audience size, as a measure of performance on SM. Accounts were categorized on the basis of apparent ownership and content, with as many as two qualitative themes assigned to each account. Correlations of content themes and posting behavior with popularity and performance metrics were assessed by using the Pearson's test. Facebook (67 pages and 304,581 likes) was predominantly used by organizations (64% of pages). Top themes on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were charity and fundraising (67% of pages), education and research (72% of accounts), and experience sharing and support seeking (48% of videos, 60% of views, and 82% of user engagement), respectively. On Facebook, only the presence of other concurrent platforms influenced a page's performance (rho = 0.59) and popularity (rho = 0.61) (p < 0.05). On Twitter, the number of monthly tweets (rho = 0.66) and media utilization (rho = 0.78) were significantly correlated with increased popularity and performance (both p < 0.05). Personal YouTube videos (30% of videos and 61% of views) with the theme of experience sharing and support seeking had the highest level of engagement (60% of views, 70% of comments, and 87% of likes). Popularity and prevalence of qualitative themes differ among SM platforms. Thus, optimal audience engagement on each platform can be achieved with thematic considerations. Such considerations, along with optimal SM behavior such as media utilization and multiplatform presence, may help increase content popularity and thus increase community access to neurooncology content provided by medical professionals.

A questionnaire-based study to assess knowledge and attitudes to meningococcal disease and prevention among parents of children up to two years in Lithuania.

In July 2018, vaccine against meningococcal B infection in Lithuania was added to the national vaccination calendar. However, vaccination rates were low. The aim of the study was to identify parents' attitudes towards meningococcal disease and vaccination. In the period from February to March 2019, a questionnaire survey was conducted; 483 parents of children aged up to 2 years participated. In the validated questionnaire respondents provided data on their gender, education, age and answered questions that helped to estimate knowledge and attitudes towards meningococcal disease and vaccination. Parents with higher education are more likely to believe that meningococcal infection can be prevented; 316 (65.4%) parents are concerned that their child is at high risk of infection and evaluated the level of anxiety M = 7.39, SD = 2.29 out of 10 points; 309 (64.0%) believe that the vaccine is effective (M = 8.41; SD = 1.15 out of 10 points). One third of parents will not vaccinate their children because they believe that the MenB vaccine is not safe (71.2%); 370 (76.6%) have heard negative information about this vaccine, the majority (83.2%) from the Internet. The negative information received is positively correlated with the belief that the vaccine is not effective (r = 0.18, p = 0.031) and not safe (r = 0.35, p < 0.001); 49.3% of parents report side effects after vaccination; 326 (67.5%) parents believe that they need more evidence-based information on MenB vaccination and 90.8% would like to get it from a healthcare professional. Due to high level of mistrust of vaccines and the lack of evidence-based information, parents decide not to vaccinate their children against meningococcal B infection. There is a great need for parents' education and the dissemination of evidence-based information among them.

Temporal and Location Variations, and Link Categories for the Dissemination of COVID-19-Related Information on Twitter During the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak in Europe: Infoveillance Study.

BackgroundThe spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, across Asia and Europe sparked a significant increase in public interest and media coverage, including on social media platforms such as Twitter. In this context, the origin of information plays a central role in the dissemination of evidence-based information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19. On February 2, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) constituted a “massive infodemic” and argued that this situation “makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”ObjectiveThis infoveillance study, conducted during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on the social media platform Twitter. It allows monitoring of the dynamic pandemic situation on a global scale for different aspects and topics, languages, as well as regions and even whole countries. Of particular interest are temporal and geographical variations of COVID-19–related tweets, the situation in Europe, and the categories and origin of shared external resources.MethodsTwitter’s Streaming application programming interface was used to filter tweets based on 16 prevalent hashtags related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Each tweet’s text and corresponding metadata as well as the user’s profile information were extracted and stored into a database. Metadata included links to external resources. A link categorization scheme—introduced in a study by Chew and Eysenbach in 2009—was applied onto the top 250 shared resources to analyze the relative proportion for each category. Moreover, temporal variations of global tweet volumes were analyzed and a specific analysis was conducted for the European region.ResultsBetween February 9 and April 11, 2020, a total of 21,755,802 distinct tweets were collected, posted by 4,809,842 distinct Twitter accounts. The volume of #covid19-related tweets increased after the WHO announced the name of the new disease on February 11, 2020, and stabilized at the end of March at a high level. For the regional analysis, a higher tweet volume was observed in the vicinity of major European capitals or in densely populated areas. The most frequently shared resources originated from various social media platforms (ranks 1-7). The most prevalent category in the top 50 was “Mainstream or Local News.” For the category “Government or Public Health,” only two information sources were found in the top 50: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at rank 25 and the WHO at rank 27. The first occurrence of a prevalent scientific source was Nature (rank 116).ConclusionsThe naming of the disease by the WHO was a major signal to address the public audience with public health response via social media platforms such as Twitter. Future studies should focus on the origin and trustworthiness of shared resources, as monitoring the spread of fake news during a pandemic situation is of particular importance. In addition, it would be beneficial to analyze and uncover bot networks spreading COVID-19–related misinformation.

EPID-15. GUIDELINES FOR THE OPTIMAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NEURO-ONCOLOGISTS

Abstract BACKGROUND Approximately 80,000 new Americans are diagnosed with a brain tumor annually. Social media (SM) has emerged as a powerful tool for patient empowerment. Its effective utilization by healthcare professionals is vital for better connection to patients and dissemination of evidence-based information. OBJECTIVES: To develop guidelines for optimal utilization of SM by neuro-oncologists, through a review of user engagement with content posted on SM relating to brain tumors. METHODS Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TW) were searched using the term Brain Tumor. Page/account information such as user type, media (image/video) utilization in posts, and audience size (likes / followers) were recorded. Average activity and account annual growth (AAG) were calculated. Top qualitative themes were assigned. Correlations were assessed with Pearson’s test. RESULTS FB was predominantly used by organizations (64% of accounts) and provided a larger audience (67 pages,581 likes) than TW (25 accounts, 67,295 followers), which had similar proportion of personal (44%) and organizational accounts (52%). Charity &amp; Fundraising (67%) was the top FB theme. Education &amp; Research (72%) was the top TW theme. In FB, the page’s annual growth (PAG) was not related to rate of monthly posting or the length of activity on FB, but presence on other concurrent platforms (Rho: 0.59) was influential for PAG and audience size (p &lt; 0.05). In TW, quantity of monthly tweets (Rho: 0.66) and media utilization (Rho: 0.78) significantly correlated with audience size and AAG (p-values &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSION A multi-platform SM presence and use of relatable images/videos have a strong impact on both FB and TW engagement. FB is a stronger platform for organizations valuable for charity and fundraising. Multi-platform presence is more important than frequent posts on FB. TW is equally used by organizations and individuals, serving as an excellent medium for dissemination of research and educational material.

Public media as a tool for dissemination of evidence-based information.

The internet is becoming a more and more popular source of all kinds of information. The quantity of web pages that offer information and advice about health is increasing, though the quality is often not rising. The aim of the presented work is to describe advantages and difficulties connected with dissemination of evidence-based information in social media. Using Polish Facebook and Twitter profiles over the course of 2 years, we posted about 400 posts and tweets. We analysed types of topics and some strategies to broaden our audience. On basis of our results, we found that probably inconclusive results make review summaries unintelligible and not popular in public media, though the broad reach of posts in public media does not implicate that the message was understood. Even though numerous efforts were put into guidelines on how to write a proper plain language summary of the systematic review, there is still space for improvement.

MyBackPain—evaluation of an innovative consumer-focused website for low back pain: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionDespite the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) worldwide, many people with the condition do not receive evidence-based care or achieve the best possible outcomes. There is a gap in...

Assessing the Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Medicine in Practice

The dissemination of evidence-based information into medical practice is essential to provide patients with optimal care and realize society's substantial investments in medical research. Effective information delivery and treatment utilization may lead to improvements in patient outcome, reductions in cost, and an overall lower burden on the health-care system. This study examines the dissemination of medical evidence following a first-time anterior shoulder dislocation (FTASD) and assesses the impact of potential dissemination strategies. The state of evidence dissemination into clinical practice for FTASD was evaluated with use of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. The treatment pathway for patients with FTASDs was mapped and evaluated using data that were collected through an orthopaedic shoulder-specialist survey and with review of a claims database. A total of 1,755 patients with an FTASD were identified through a national claims database; 50% of patients followed up with a care provider within 30 days after an emergency department (ED) or urgent care visit. Based on shoulder-specialist survey data, physician estimates of the risk of redislocation within a 2-year window aligned with medical evidence 59% of the time. Only 29% of patients obtained information for FTASD that aligns with high-level medical evidence. There are gaps and deficiencies in the dissemination and application of evidence in the treatment of FTASDs. Specifically, patients have limited exposure to health-care encounters where appropriate information related to low rates of follow-up following ED or urgent care visits may be communicated. Evaluating the current state of practice and identifying areas of improvement for the dissemination of evidence regarding FTASDs can be achieved through application of the RE-AIM framework. Greater consideration and resourcing of dissemination and implementation strategies may improve the dissemination and the impact of existing medical evidence.

A Nordic survey of management practices and owners' attitudes towards keeping horses in groups.

Keeping horses in groups is widely recommended but limited information is available about how this is implemented in practice. The aim of this survey was to describe how horses are kept in the Nordic countries in relation to sex, age, breed, and equestrian discipline and to assess owners' attitudes toward keeping horses in groups. Horse owners in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden were approached using a web-based questionnaire, which was translated into 4 languages and distributed online via equestrian forums, organizations, and social media. The number of respondents was 3,229, taking care of 17,248 horses. Only 8% of horses were never kept in groups, 47% were permanently grouped for 24 h/d, and 45% were stabled singly but grouped during turnout. Yearlings were most often permanently kept in groups (75%), mares and geldings more commonly during parts of the day (50 and 51%, respectively), and stallions were often kept alone (38%). Icelandic horses were more likely to be permanently kept in groups (36%) than warmbloods (16%) and ponies (15%). Twice as many competition horses (51%) were never grouped compared with horses used for breeding (20%) or leisure purposes (15%). The majority of respondents (86%) strongly agreed that group housing benefits horse welfare and that it is important for horses to have the company of conspecifics (92%). Nevertheless, not all horses were kept in groups, showing that attitudes toward group housing may not necessarily reflect current management. The risk of injury was a concern of many respondents (45%), as was introducing unfamiliar horses into already established groups (40%) and challenges in relation to feeding in groups (44%). Safety of people (23%) and difficulties handling group-kept horses (19%) were regarded as less problematic. Results suggest that the majority of horses have the possibility to freely interact with other horses, either as fulltime members of a group during 24 h/d or during turnout. Future research should address the extent to which being a part-time member of a group affects horse welfare. For permanent group housing to become more widespread, such as it is the case for most farm animals, future research could focus on solving some of the reoccurring problems perceived with keeping horses in groups. The dissemination of evidence-based information on all aspects around keeping horses in groups can ultimately stimulate further positive changes in the management of group-kept horses.

Information‐Seeking Behaviors of Dental Practitioners in Three Practice‐Based Research Networks

Research on the information-seeking behaviors of dental practitioners is scarce. Knowledge of dentists' informationseeking behaviors should advance the translational gap between clinical dental research and dental practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the self-reported information-seeking behaviors of dentists in three dental practice-based research networks (PBRNs). A total of 950 dentists (65 percent response rate) completed the survey. Dental journals and continuing dental education (CDE) sources used and their influence on practice guidance were assessed. PBRN participation level and years since dental degree were measured. Full-participant dentists reported reading the Journal of the American Dental Association and General Dentistry more frequently than did their reference counterparts. Printed journals were preferred by most dentists. A lower proportion of full participants obtained their CDE credits at dental meetings compared to partial participants. Experienced dentists read other dental information sources more frequently than did less experienced dentists. Practitioners involved in a PBRN differed in their approaches to accessing information sources. Peer-reviewed sources were more frequently used by full participants and dentists with fifteen years of experience or more. Dental PBRNs potentially play a significant role in the dissemination of evidence-based information. This study found that specific educational sources might increase and disseminate knowledge among dentists.

Influenza Vaccine Refusal in Israeli Young Adults

The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of noncompliance with influenza immunization among young adults and to determine the reasons leading to immunization refusal. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed in 10 military bases during two consecutive annual Israel Defense Force influenza vaccination campaigns. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent correlates. Of 2,000 questionnaires distributed over two seasons, 942 were completed and returned. Of those, 401 respondents were not vaccinated either because of medical contraindication or for administrative reasons. The remaining 541 respondents who reported either receiving the vaccine or refusing to receive it were analyzed. Risk groups for vaccine refusal included older age (17.9% vs. 3.5% refusal rate) and officer rank (25.9% vs. 13.8% refusal rate). The main reasons for vaccine refusal differed significantly between officers and nonofficers (chi2 = 7.587, p = 0.023). Officers refused mainly (60%) because of fear of possible vaccine adverse effects, whereas nonofficers refused mainly (44.2%) because of disbelief in the vaccine's efficacy in preventing illness. Officers serve as a negative role model in this case, and efforts directed toward dissemination of evidence-based information regarding vaccine-related adverse effects should be introduced to increase vaccination rates in this group.

Integrative Oncology Practice Guidelines

Integrative Oncology Practice Guidelines Yuan-Sheng Liu, Jong-Hoon Lee, Yeon-Weol Lee, Chong-Kwan Cho, Hwa-Seung Yoo East-West Cancer Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) is an international organization established to encourage scientific evaluation, dissemination of evidence-based information, and appropriate clinical integration of complementary therapies (http://www.Integrativeonc.org.). Practice Guidelines were developed by the authors listed below and by the Executive Committee of the Society for Integrative Oncology, which approved this document. Guidelines are a work in progress; they will be updated as needed and are available on the SIO Web site as well: www.IntegrativeOnc.org.

Disseminating evidence from health technology assessment: The case of tobacco prevention

The aims of the present study were to investigate the awareness among dentists and dental hygienists of evidence-based reports and guidelines on tobacco cessation activities and the impact these publications had on clinical practice. A questionnaire was mailed to dental hygienists and dentists in Stockholm County, Sweden, and the results were compared with a previous investigation. Among the respondents, awareness of a popular science version of a systematic review on smoking and its effect on oral health was reported by 90 percent of the hygienists and 66 percent of the dentists. The information was used in clinical work by 34 percent of the dentists and 54 percent of the hygienists. Reported changes in patterns of practice were more frequent recommendations to use nicotine replacement therapy and a more widespread use of setting quit dates. Approximately one quarter of the dental professionals reported that they had increased tobacco cessation consultation because of the results from the reports. Changes in patterns of practice were observed after dissemination of evidence-based information on tobacco cessation. Methods that were proven to be effective in the evidence-based report such as discussing quit dates and recommending nicotine replacement therapy were more commonly used after the publication of the report. Short, popular versions of extensive systematic reviews seem to be useful for implementing evidence-based knowledge and changing clinical practice.