Email Invitation Research Articles

Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Family Physician Practitioners in Gulf Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE).

Family physicians serve as pivotal points of contact within global healthcare systems. Nutrition plays a significant role in lifestyle and preventive medicine. With the rise of chronic and non-communicable diseases in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, these physicians advise patients and the public on diet-related conditions. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the nutritional knowledge and practices across the GCC. Combining survey data from multiple GCC sites, a sample of family physicians was generated. Registered GCC family physicians received email invitations containing participant information, informed consent forms, and a self-administered online questionnaire. Analysis of data from four GCC countries involving 8751 family physicians and nutrition experts revealed an average nutrition knowledge score of 62%. Nearly all participants recognized the importance of nutrition in preventing and treating chronic diseases. Common nutritional practices included recommending regular exercise (92%), referring patients to dietitians for nutrition-related concerns (70%), and providing nutrition advice (68.6%). GCC family physicians underscore the significance of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic ailments. Therefore, incorporating nutritional counseling into their practices is essential. This study highlights the need to integrate nutrition education into medical curricula and ongoing professional development, given that only 62% of GCC family physicians correctly answered nutrition-related questions.

Exploring individual character traits and behaviours of clinical academic allied health professionals: a qualitative study

BackgroundClinical academic allied health professionals can positively impact patient care, organisational performance, and local research culture. Despite a previous national drive to increase these roles, they remain low in number with no clear strategy for growth. Reported barriers to this growth cite organisational and economic factors with little recognition of the challenges posed to individuals. There is a lack of research to help allied health professionals understand the personal challenges of clinical academic training and practice. The aim of this study is to explore the character traits and behaviours of clinical academic allied health professionals to understand the individual attributes and strategies taken to pursue a career in this field.MethodsA semi-structured interview study design was used to collect data from aspiring and established clinical academic allied health professionals. Participants were recruited voluntarily through social media advertisement (aspiring) and purposively through direct email invitation (established). Participants were asked about their experience of pursuing a clinical academic career. The interviews were conducted virtually using Zoom and were audio recorded. The data were transcribed verbatim prior to reflexive thematic analysis. Informed consent was gained prior to data collection and the study was approved by the university’s research ethics committee.ResultsTwenty participants from six allied health professions were interviewed. We developed five themes: risk and reward, don’t wait to be invited, shifting motivations, research is a team sport, and staying the course. Clinical academic allied health professionals demonstrated traits including inquisitiveness, intuition, motivation, and resilience. The source of their motivation was rooted in improving clinical services, conducting research, and personal achievement.ConclusionClinical academic allied health professionals describe personal traits of high inquisitiveness, opportunism, motivation, and determination in pursuing their career ambitions. The tolerance of rejection, failure, and risk was considered important and viewed as an essential source for learning and professional development. Future research should concentrate on ways to reduce the over-reliance on individual strength of character to succeed in this field and explore programmes to increase the preparedness and support for clinical academics from these professions.

Life satisfaction and peace of mind among dentists: a cross-sectional study.

This study sought to identify the factors associated with the life satisfaction and peace of mind (PoM) of dentists not in full-time clinical training. Cross-sectional questionnaires were distributed to dentists in Taiwan to collect their life satisfaction, PoM, sociodemographic data, and dental career-related characteristics. Life satisfaction was measured using a 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale. PoM was measured using a 7-item Peace of Mind Scale. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression models were estimated to explore potential associations between the two scales and the examined factors. A total of 1196 dentists (45.6% female; mean age = 44.12) completed the questionnaires. The response rate of completed questionnaires from email invitations was 32.9%. On multivariable analysis, life satisfaction and PoM were associated with age (b = 0.008 in both), better perceived health (b = 0.262 and 0.308, respectively), family interaction (b = 0.264 and 0.207, respectively), and friend relationships (b = 0.076 and 0.091, respectively). Being married (b = 0.191), being specialized (b = 0.127), working in private practice, and spending 10 to 39h per week with patients (b = 0.101 to 0.162) were associated with a higher level of life satisfaction but not PoM. Specialists working in private practice without working overtime were associated with better life satisfaction. However, the dentists' health and relationships with family were more related to their subjective well-being than their professional achievements. Our findings can help policymakers increase awareness of the well-being of general dentists and those in academia or hospitals to promote their mental health.

Association of menopausal vasomotor symptom severity with sleep and work impairments: a US survey.

Menopausal vasomotor symptoms commonly disrupt sleep and affect daytime productivity. This online survey evaluated associations between vasomotor symptom severity and perceived sleep quality and work productivity. Participants were perimenopausal or postmenopausal US women aged 40 to 65 years with ≥14 vasomotor symptom episodes per week for ≥1 week in the past month. The women, who were recruited from Dynata panels via email invitation and categorized by vasomotor symptom severity based on the Menopause Rating Scale, were surveyed about sleep and work productivity and completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance Short Form 8b (primary outcome) and Sleep-Related Impairment Short Form 8a, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. Among 619 respondents (mean age, 53 y; White, 91%; perimenopausal, 34%; postmenopausal, 66%; 57.5% were never treated for vasomotor symptoms), vasomotor symptoms were mild in 88, moderate in 266, and severe in 265. A majority (58% overall) were employed, including 64.8%, 49.6%, and 64.2% of women with mild, moderate, and severe VMS, respectively. Of the 90.8% who reported that vasomotor symptoms affect sleep (81.8%, 86.8%, and 97.7% of those with mild, moderate, and severe VMS), 83.1% reported sleep-related changes in productivity (75.0%, 73.2%, and 94.2%, respectively). Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance Short Form 8b mean T scores in the mild (T score, 53.5), moderate (57.3), and severe (59.8) VMS cohorts indicated more sleep disturbance than in the general population (T score, 50; overall P < 0.001 before and after controlling for confounding variables). Sleep-Related Impairment 8a results were similar. Vasomotor symptom severity was positively associated with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index mean scores, presenteeism, absenteeism, overall work impairment, and impairment in general activities. Greater vasomotor symptom severity was associated with more sleep disturbance, more sleep-related impairment, worse sleep quality, and greater impairment in daytime activities and work productivity.

“Sawbones”: A pilot study assessing simulation-based orthopedic training for medical students

IntroSimulation-based training has become a valuable new tool in medical education across the country. The Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine organized a benchtop training workshop known as “Sawbones” to give medical students essential exposure to basic techniques and instruments commonly used in orthopedic surgery. This pilot study seeks to investigate the participating students’ perceptions of this workshop as part of a potential longitudinal intervention. MethodsA total of 30 medical students (MS1-MS4) with a documented interest in orthopedic surgery were randomly selected via email invitation to participate in this workshop. Students first had a lecture-based training session with faculty on an overview of screw fixation. Participants then formed groups that were headed by an orthopedic resident or attending and took turns fixing fractures on model bones made of synthetic material. Following the session, students were sent an anonymous Qualtrics survey to assess their satisfaction with the workshop. ResultsA total of 22 students (73%), responded to the survey. On a ten-point scale, the average reported interest in orthopedics was 9.2 (SD 0.4). All students (n = 22, 100%) reported that they would like more hands-on orthopedic experiences as a component of their medical education. Nineteen students (86.4%) reported that this training increased their interest in pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery and twenty-one (95.5%) further stated that they would recommend this training to other students. DiscussionBased on the results of this pilot study, Sawbones was promising at engaging students in orthopedics, providing a team environment, and introducing students to orthopedic skills and instrumentation. Providing these sessions in a longitudinal manner could provide opportunities for mentorship and better prepare students for a residency in orthopedics. We recommend a program like Sawbones to better address the lack of Orthopedic exposure in medical school.

KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF GREEK PHYSIOTHERAPISTS REGARDING THE FUNCTIONAL TESTS USED IN PATIENTS WITH POST-COVID-19 SYMPTOMATOLOGY

Aim: To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of Greek physiotherapists regarding functional assessment tests used in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 patients. Methods: Based on the literature, a specific 27-question questionnaire was designed and divided into 3 sections: a) sources of information about the management of patients with post-COVID-19 symptomatology, b) functional assessment tests most commonly used in clinical practice, c) willingness for further knowledge on performing functional tests. Inclusion criteria for completing the questionnaire were: a) physiotherapy profession, b) involvement with post-COVID-19 patients’ treatment in the last year. The completion of the questionnaire was anonymous. It was shared in Google Forms format, via personal email invitations and public sharing on social media by all researchers, with republishing ability by each user. Sharing was conducted over two periods, lasting 16 and 13 days, respectively. Results: The study included 82 physiotherapists (28 men and 54 women), 56.1% of whom were less than 39 years old and 50% had more than 10 years of professional experience. The main sources of information on rehabilitation in post-COVID-19 patients were journal publications (69.6%). Among the most well-known and frequently used tests were the six-minute walk test (85.4%), the one-minute sit-to-stand test (86.6%), and the timed up-and-go test (76.9%). A large percentage of physiotherapists used functional assessment tests before initiation (80.5%) and at the end (70.8%) of the treatment program. The 91.5% expressed the willingness for further education on practicing functional tests. Conclusions: Greek physiotherapists get information from the recent literature and use well-known functional tests for assessing functional capacity in post-COVID-19 patients.

Clinician Perspectives Regarding the Impact of Information Technology on Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards: A National Comprehensive Cancer Network Survey.

Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) support high-quality cancer care. Little is known about the impact of information technology (IT) tools on the operational and technical aspects of MTBs. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network EHR Oncology Advisory Group formed a workgroup to investigate the impact of IT tools such as EHRs and virtual conferencing on MTBs. The workgroup created a cross-sectional survey for oncology clinicians (eg, pathology, medical, surgical, radiation, etc) participating in MTBs at 31 National Comprehensive Cancer Network member institutions. A standard invitation e-mail was shared with each EHR Advisory Group Member with a hyperlink to the survey, and each member distributed the survey to MTB participants at their institution or identified the appropriate person at their institution to do so. The survey was open from February 26, 2022, to April 26, 2022. Descriptive statistics were applied in the analysis of responses, and a qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses was completed. Individuals from 27 institutions participated. Almost all respondents (99%, n = 764 of 767) indicated that their MTBs had participants attending virtually. Most indicated increased attendance (69%, n = 514 of 741) after virtualization with the same or improved quality of discussion (75%, n = 557 of 741) compared with in-person MTBs. Several gaps between the current and ideal state emerged regarding EHR integration: 57% (n = 433 of 758) of respondents noted the importance of adding patients for MTB presentation via the EHR, but only 40% (n = 302 of 747) reported being able to do so most of the time. Similarly, 87% (n = 661 of 760) indicated the importance of documenting recommendations in the EHR, but only 53% (n = 394 of 746) reported this occurring routinely. Major gaps include the lack of EHR integration for MTBs. Clinical workflows and EHR functionalities could be improved to further optimize EHRs for MTB management and documentation.

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the delivery of occupational therapy: How technology use affected practice during COVID-19 among occupational therapists in British Columbia.

COVID-19 activity restrictions altered clinical practice around the world. Anecdotal evidence observed by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists - British Columbia (CAOT-BC) suggested a rapid adjustment to virtual care technologies occurred among occupational therapists in the initial restrictions. The purpose of the study was to determine the scope of how COVID-19 restrictions impacted the use of technology to provide client care in British Columbia. It will inform the future provision of occupational therapy in the developing technological landscape related to heath care provision. This descriptive cross-sectional survey was completed using Qualtrics, an online survey tool. Registered occupational therapists received the survey via email invitations. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics in IBM SPSS Software. Of 342 participants, 98.4% reported increased technology use to support practice with the advent of COVID-19 restrictions. Those with some technology experience prior to COVID-19 reported higher intent to continue using technology following COVID-19 restrictions. Overall, occupational therapists were confident in their perceived abilities to use technology in their practice. Occupational therapist-related, client-related, and practice area considerations occurred with the rapid uptake of technology. Some components of practice were perceived to be improved and others impaired with the use of technology. Occupational therapists substantially increased their use of technology to enable ongoing client care during the Covid-19 restrictions. Implications for improvements and reduction of limitations in care delivery are substantial, given the intent to continue using technology going forward. These implications can be further explored to understand how the advances in occupational therapists' ability to use technology may impact rural or remote care, which practice areas may be most amenable technology use, and how policies and funding can facilitate effective and appropriate use of technology to support clinical care in public and private settings.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for cataract surgery - Practice patterns amongst Indian Ophthalmologists.

To assess the current trends in use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, especially intracameral antibiotics (ICAB), for cataract surgery in India. This was an E-survey using a previously validated questionnaire carried out by the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) in August 2022. An E-mail invitation to complete an online 40-point survey was sent to all members of the AIOS using a digital E-mail service (Survey Monkey) and social media platforms. Out of 1804 total respondents, 58% (n = 1022) reported using routine ICAB prophylaxis. Of those using ICAB, 89% (n = 909) reported using it for all cases, whereas the rest used it for specific indications such as post-PC rent (n = 43), one eyed patient (n = 19), and high-risk cases (n = 50). Commercially available moxifloxacin was by far the commonest agent used for ICAB (n = 686, 67%). Eighty respondents (8%) reported noticing occasional toxic reactions and nontoxic corneal edema (n = 64, 6%) with ICAB. Surgeons with >10 years' experience especially practicing in medical colleges used fewer ICAB (OR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.38 - 0.72, P < 0,001) compared to younger surgeons (<5-year experience) in solo clinics. The commonest reason for nonadoption of IC antibiotics was "unconvinced of the need to use it in my setting" (n = 296, 52% of those who answered this question). IC antibiotic prophylaxis for cataract surgery has significantly increased in India from 40% in 2017 to 58% in 2022. Commercially available moxifloxacin was preferred by the majority users. Intraocular inflammation may occur occasionally and needs safer formulations to avoid this.

Can High-Fidelity Patient Simulation Be Used for Skill Development in Junior Undergraduate Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

High-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS) is widely used in professional training to enhance students' competence in clinical management. A guideline for HFPS provides a systematic approach to direct students to learning during the simulation process. Problem-solving (PS) and clinical reasoning (CR) skills are essential to developing students' professional competence in safe and effective care. These two skills should be initiated in the early training. A structured guideline was developed for HFPS. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the structured HFPS guideline on the development of PS and CR skills in junior nursing students. The students were required to go through four sessions, pre-briefing, simulation design, facilitation, and debriefing, for the HFPS; the study utilized the Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) and the Nurses' Clinical Reasoning Scale (NCRS) to measure PS and CR abilities before and after HFPS. Bivariate analysis, a one-sample t-test, and an independent t-test were performed to evaluate the performance of the PS and CR skills during the two study periods. A total of 189 students were recruited, with 92 in the intervention group and 97 in the control group. The research assistant was responsible for student recruitment through email invitations and allocating the students into the control group or the intervention group. A Wilcoxon analysis was performed and revealed significant differences in PS and CR between the two groups (p < 0.001). The analytic results showed that the PSI, particularly in domains of Problem-Solving Confidence (PSC) (p < 0.001) and overall PS (p < 0.001), and the CR (p < 0.001) had significant improvement after HFPS, particularly in the intervention group. The study concluded that the structured HFPS guideline significantly improved the students' problem-solving and clinical reasoning abilities. Nurse educators play an important role in providing explicit learning instructions in a simulation guideline that directs and guides students to learn at each stage of HFPS. The students can be directed to be engaged in their learning through HFPS to enhance their competence in knowledge and skill development (PS and CR) for their personal and professional development.

Consumer Attitudes and Acceptability toward Edible New Zealand Native Plants

This study aimed to investigate consumers’ perceptions, emotions, and acceptability of selected edible New Zealand native plants. A survey-type methodology was employed, recruiting participants voluntarily through email invitations. A total of N = 100 participants, ranging in age from 18 to 70 and with diverse ethnic backgrounds, were asked to answer questions regarding six specific edible New Zealand species and edible native plants in general. Results showed that participants had varying levels of familiarity with the specific plants, with a majority feeling “calm”, “happy”, and “interested” when presented with them. Factors deemed most important when thinking about the six selected plants included edibility and safety. When considering native plants in general, participants rated factors such as general nutrition, safety, and sustainability as important. The study found that a significant proportion of participants expressed a positive intention to consume native plants in the future, but the levels of interest varied depending on the demographic distribution. The study provides insights into consumer attitudes toward edible native plants and highlights the potential for these food ingredients to be included in mainstream diets.

Stakeholder perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on oncology services: a qualitative study

BackgroundAs COVID-19 spread across the globe, cancer services were required to rapidly pivot to minimise risks without compromising outcomes for patients or staff. The aim of this study was to document changes to oncology services as a result of COVID-19 from the perspectives of both providers and receivers of care during the initial phase of the pandemic.MethodsParticipants were recruited between June and December 2020 through an email invitation via professional or consumer organisations, two hospital-based oncology services and snowballing. Semi-structured interviews focused on health service changes and their impacts, which were then analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsThirty-two patients, 16 carers and 29 health professionals were recruited. Fifteen patients (n = 47%) had localised disease, and 19 (n = 59%) were currently receiving treatment. Oncology staff included oncologists, palliative care physicians, nurses, allied health and psychosocial practitioners. Four themes arose from the data: safety, increased stress and burnout, communication challenges and quality of cancer care.ConclusionsThere is an ongoing need for cancer-specific information from a single, trusted source to inform medical practitioners and patients/carers. More data are required to inform evidence-based guidelines for cancer care during future pandemics. All stakeholders require ongoing support to avoid stress and burnout.

Discrimination and Abuse Among Healthcare Workers from Patients and their Relatives at a Tertiary Hospital in Kenya

Discrimination and abuse of healthcare workers (HCWs) by patients and their relatives remains a pressing and prevalent problem in various healthcare settings, negatively affecting professional outcomes. Despite this, little has been reported about discrimination and abuse in many low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study between May - August 2021 among healthcare workers at a hospital in Kenya. Email invitations were sent, and the survey was in English, and the data was collected through and online survey. Discrimination based on gender was reported by 24.9% of all HCWs; 39.9% of doctors, 17.2% of nurses, and 10.9% of allied staff whereas racial discrimination was reported by 28.8% of all HCWs; 49.0% of doctors, 18.9% of nurses, and 8.9% of allied staff. Verbal or emotional abuse was the most common form of abuse and was reported by 56.8% of all HCWs while physical abuse was reported by 4.9% of all HCWs. For those that reported discrimination based on gender, 77.4% reported patient and their family members as the main source, whereas 81.2% of those that reported discrimination based on race reported the main source was from patient and their family members. Despite strict laws against discrimination and abuse, a significant portion of healthcare providers suffer from discrimination and abuse primarily from patients and their family members. In addition to education programs and policies to curb such behavior in the work environment, coping mechanisms should be actively sought to help healthcare providers deal with such actions.

Medical Students’ Attitudes towards Profession of Psychiatry- A Cross-Sectional Survey from Medical Colleges of Sindh, Pakistan

Objectives: To Evaluate Students’ Attitudes Towards the Profession of Psychiatry. Study Design And Setting: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan, from March 2020 to August 2020. All undergraduate students of different medical colleges and universities in Sindh were included in the study Methodology: A total of 512 undergraduate students were registered in the study. Multiple email invitations with links to Google Forms were sent to all undergraduate participants. The study comprised 2 sections: (1) The Demographics Questionnaire and (2) Mental Illness Clinicians Attitude Scale (MICA), version-2 specific for medical students, a selfadministered scale, requiring about 5 minutes to complete it. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Results: Out of 512 medical students surveyed from various medical colleges in the Sindh province of Pakistan, 279(54.5%) were male and 233(45.5%) were female. According to the survey, 65% of students learn psychiatry because it is in exams. Dow University of Health Sciences students had the lowest MICA score (41.06), indicating a positive attitude. whereas students from Hamdard College of Medicine &amp; Dentistry had the highest MICA score (57.12), indicating a negative stigmatizing attitude. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that undergraduates have a negative attitude toward mental health. In Pakistan, the subject of psychiatry is not tested as an individual subject, so students pay little attention. It is necessary that this subject be examined separately like medicine and surgery.

Online Education Improves Confidence in Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation.

Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) is a cough augmentation technique used to support people with an ineffective cough. MI-E can be complex due to the number of different pressure, flow, and temporal setting adjustments needed to optimize cough efficacy. Many clinicians identify inadequate training, limited experience, and low confidence as barriers to MI-E use. The purpose of this study was to determine if an online education course could improve confidence and competence in the delivery of MI-E. An e-mail invitation to participate was disseminated to physiotherapists with a caseload that involved airway clearance for adults. The exclusion criteria were self-reported confidence and clinical expertise in MI-E. The education was created by physiotherapists with extensive experience in the provision of MI-E. The education material reviewed theoretical and practical components and was designed to take 6 h to complete. Physiotherapists were randomized to either the intervention group, who had 3 weeks of access to the education or the control group who received no intervention. Respondents in both groups completed a baseline and a post-intervention questionnaire by using visual analog scales, 0 to 10, with the primary outcomes being confidence in the prescription and confidence in the application of MI-E. Ten multiple-choice questions that covered key components of MI-E fundamentals were also completed at baseline and post-intervention. The intervention group had a significant improvement in the visual analog scale after the education period with a between-group difference of mean 3.6 (95% CI 4.5 to 2.7) for prescription confidence and mean 2.9 (95% CI 3.9 to 1.9) for application confidence. There was also an improvement in the multiple-choice questions with a between-group difference of mean 3.2 (95% CI 4.3 to 2). Access to an evidence-based online education course improved confidence in the prescription and application of MI-E, and may be a valuable tool for training clinicians in the application of MI-E.

Customer acceptance of humanoid service robots in hotels: moderating effects of service voluntariness and culture

Purpose This study aims to propose a research model integrating technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3) constructs and human aspects of humanoid service robots (HSRs), measured by the Godspeed questionnaire series and tested across two hotel properties in Japan and the USA. Design/methodology/approach Potential participants were approached randomly by email invitation. A final sample size of 395 across two hotels, one in Japan and the other in the USA, was obtained, and the data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results confirm that perceived usefulness, driven by subjective norms and output quality, and perceived ease of use, driven by perceived enjoyment and absence of anxiety, are the immediate direct determinants of users’ re-patronage intentions for HSRs. Results also showed that users prefer anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence and the safety of an HSR for reusing it. Practical implications The findings have practical implications for the hospitality industry, suggesting multiple attributes of an HSRs that managers need to consider before deploying them in their properties. Originality/value The current study proposes an integrated model determining factors that affect the re-patronage of HSRs in hotels.

What delirium follow-up is routinely offered after elective arthroplasty surgery? A survey of UK and Irish clinicians.

Background Postoperative delirium (POD) is a serious complication occurring after approximately 17% of elective arthroplasty surgeries. However, it is unclear if any routine clinical follow-up services are available to patients post-discharge. This study aims to determine what routine postoperative delirium screening and documentation processes are in place and what follow-up services are currently offered. Methods A brief online survey of multiple-choice and free-text questions was devised for clinicians in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI). An email invitation to complete the survey was sent to relevant clinicians in the UK and ROI by non-NHS professional bodies. Twitter was used to highlight and disseminate the survey. Results Of the 43 participating clinicians, 18 (42%) respondents indicated that delirium is routinely screened for after elective arthroplasty and 17 respondents stated that the 4AT tool is used. Most respondents (62%) indicated that delirium is documented upon discharge to patients’ GPs. Only 11 respondents (26%) describe routine clinical follow-up practices. These included a joint arthroplasty clinic, geriatric outpatient department and liaison psychiatry. Conclusions Results of this survey suggest that a) post-arthroplasty delirium screening and documentation is not widespread and b) clinical follow-up services for delirium in the UK and ROI are neither standardised nor routine.

“Dear Doctor, greetings of the day!”: A 1-year observational study of presumed predatory journal invitations

BackgroundThis study aimed at investigating the predatory publishing phenomenon in orthodontics by analyzing the content of unsolicited e-mail invitations received within 12 months.MethodsAll electronic invitations for manuscript submission, review and editorial membership received between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022 were collected from an orthodontist’s inbox. The following data were recorded for each e-mail: date, journal title and origin, requested contribution, e-mail language, relevance to the researcher’s discipline, journal characteristics (claimed metrics, editorial services, article types accepted, and publication fees), journal/publisher contact information and online presence. Journal/Publisher legitimacy and publishing standards were evaluated by listing in the Beall’s list of potential predatory journals and publishers, the Predatory Reports of Cabell’s Scholarly Analytics, and the Directory of Open Access Journals.ResultsA total of 875 e-mail invitations deriving from 256 journals were retrieved within the observation period, with most of them soliciting article submissions. More than 76% of the solicitations originated from journals and publishers included in the blocklists used in the study. Salient features of predatory journals like flattering language, abundant grammatical errors, unclear publication charges and wide variety of article types and topics accepted for publication were confirmed for the examined journals/publishers.Conclusions Nearly 8 out of 10 unsolicited e-mail invitations sent to orthodontists for scholarly contribution may be related to journals suspicious for publishing malpractices and suboptimal standards. Excessive flattering language, grammatical errors, broad range of submissions, and incomplete journal contact information were commonly encountered findings. Researchers in orthodontics should be alert to the unethical policies of illegitimate journals and their harmful consequences on the scientific literature.

The Inter Face of Social Media Recruitment and Nursing Education Research.

This study describes using social media in recruiting a large and hard-to-reach national sample of family nurse practitioner students in the United States enrolled in their final clinical course and the impact on survey response targets. Social media recruitment was initiated when sample targets were not met using traditional, direct email invitations. A cross-sectional, observational, complex-samples survey design was used to collect data from students enrolled in accredited programs. When inviting participants via emails to schools of nursing and program administrators was only moderately successful, direct recruitment via social media sites was used. Targeted study advertisements were shown 602 389 times to 77 410 unique Facebook users over 14 months. In the final sample of 3940 study participants, 46% (n = 1811) were recruited through social media. Survey responses for health education research are typically 50% or less of the target. Using Facebook was successful for recruiting a large, geographically disperse and representative student sample necessary to ensure findings were representative and generalizable. This recruitment strategy could be effectively used for a myriad of research in areas where social media use exists to gain access to participants who might otherwise not be accessible.

The Perspectives of General Nephrologists Toward Transitions of Care and Management of Failing Kidney Transplants.

The management of failing kidney allograft and transition of care to general nephrologists (GN) remain a complex process. The Kidney Pancreas Community of Practice (KPCOP) Failing Allograft Workgroup designed and distributed a survey to GN between May and September 2021. Participants were invited via mail and email invitations. There were 103 respondents with primarily adult nephrology practices, of whom 41% had an academic affiliation. More than 60% reported listing for a second kidney as the most important concern in caring for patients with a failing allograft, followed by immunosuppression management (46%) and risk of mortality (38%), while resistant anemia was considered less of a concern. For the initial approach to immunosuppression reduction, 60% stop antimetabolites first, and 26% defer to the transplant nephrologist. Communicating with transplant centers about immunosuppression cessation was reported to occur always by 60%, and sometimes by 29%, while 12% reported making the decision independently. Nephrologists with academic appointments communicate with transplant providers more than private nephrologists (74% vs. 49%, p = 0.015). There are heterogeneous approaches to the care of patients with a failing allograft. Efforts to strengthen transitions of care and to develop practical practice guidelines are needed to improve the outcomes of this vulnerable population.