Evidence-based Clinical Interventions Research Articles

Study of Factors Influencing Early Kinesiophobia in Older Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in China

Background: Kinesiophobia is highly prevalent among postoperative cardiac patients. Early identification of kinesiophobia in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can improve their ability to participate in physical activities. However, there is limited research on the factors influencing kinesiophobia in older patients during the early stages after CABG. To investigate the factors influencing early kinesiophobia in older patients after coronary artery bypass grafting and to examine the correlation between these factors and social support and rehabilitation exercise self-efficacy. Methods: Using convenience sampling, 117 older patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in the cardiac surgery ward of a tertiary grade A hospital in Bengbu City from October 2022 to September 2023 were analyzed. The survey was conducted on-site using a general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia Heart (TSK-SV Heart), the Cardiac Exercise Self-Efficacy Instrument (CESEI), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and the pain assessment scale. Single-factor analysis, multifactor regression analysis, and Spearman's correlation analysis were employed. Results: Among the 117 older patients in the early postoperative phase following coronary artery bypass grafting, the incidence of kinesiophobia was 73.5%. Single-factor analysis revealed that education level, medical expense coverage, place of residence, and pain scores were significantly associated with kinesiophobia (p < 0.05). Multifactor regression analysis identified age and monthly income as factors influencing cardiac exercise self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Age, education level, medical expense coverage, and monthly income affected patient social support (p < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations among cardiac exercise self-efficacy, social support, and kinesiophobia level (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of early kinesiophobia is relatively high among older patients after coronary artery bypass grafting. Educational level, medical expense coverage, place of residence, and postoperative pain were influential factors. Both cardiac exercise self-efficacy and social support have a significant impact on kinesiophobia in patients. Therefore, clinical healthcare professionals should prioritize older patients undergoing postcoronary artery bypass grafting with lower educational levels and monthly incomes. Effective and evidence-based clinical interventions can be tailored based on these influencing factors and their correlations to promote active participation in rehabilitation exercises and improve patient outcomes in the early postoperative phase.

The Relationship between Body Mass Index, Body Dissatisfaction and Mood Symptoms in Pregnant Women.

Background: High body mass and adiposity during pregnancy can contribute to psychological distress, and body dissatisfaction may be a potential underlying mechanism of this association. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the mediational role of body dissatisfaction in the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and depressive and anxious symptoms, respectively. Methods: Given the cross-sectional design of this study, two alternative models were investigated, positing that BMI was related to depressive (Model 1a) and anxious symptoms (Model 2a), which, in turn, predicted body dissatisfaction. Seventy-two pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy completed the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, as well as a demographic form assessing their BMI. Results: As hypothesized, body dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between BMI and psychopathological symptoms. Moreover, the alternative models of reverse mediation were also significant, suggesting that psychopathological symptoms mediated the relationship between BMI and body dissatisfaction. Findings from both the hypothesized and alternative models suggested that, on the one hand, higher distress symptoms associated with body dissatisfaction would result from high BMI and, on the other hand, that body dissatisfaction may result from the effect of BMI on distress symptoms. Conclusions: The present study suggests that body image theory and practice should be implemented by the inclusion of evidence-based clinical interventions for promoting psychological well-being during the antenatal period.

From ‘intuitive’ pragmatic interventions to a systematic approach – Using implementation science to improve childhood cancer survival in low-income settings: The CANCaRe Africa experience

Implementation science is a relatively young field of study and is the science of delivering evidence-based interventions into routine health care. RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) is an evaluation-type implementation science framework. CANCaRe Africa is preparing a project to assess the implementation and effectiveness of a cash incentive intervention to support families with out-of-pocket costs to prevent treatment abandonment and increase childhood cancer survival in sub-Saharan Africa. Our strategy is to enhance the dissemination of our research findings to local policymakers who can support the scale-up of evidence-based clinical interventions and locally effective implementation strategies. It can be done best by embedding implementation science into our clinical research approaches.

Tracking severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission and co-infection with other acute respiratory pathogens using a sentinel surveillance system in Rift Valley, Kenya.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the most significant public health challenge in over a century. SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 765 million people worldwide, resulting in over 6.9 million deaths. This study aimed to detect community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and monitor the co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with other acute respiratory pathogens in Rift Valley, Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional active sentinel surveillance for the SARS-CoV-2 virus among patients with acute respiratory infections at four sites in Rift Valley from January 2022 to December 2022. One thousand two hundred seventy-one patients aged between 3 years and 98 years presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) were recruited into the study. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens from all study participants were screened using a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The samples that tested positive for influenza A (n = 73) and RSV (n = 12) were subtyped, while SARS-CoV-2 (n = 177) positive samples were further screened for 12 viral and seven bacterial respiratory pathogens. We had a prevalence of 13.9% for SARS-CoV-2, 5.7% for influenza A, 2% for influenza B and 1% for RSV. Influenza A-H1pdm09 and RSV B were the most dominant circulating subtypes of influenza A and RSV, respectively. The most common co-infecting pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 29) and Haemophilus influenzae (n = 19), accounting for 16.4% and 10.7% of all the SARS-CoV-2 positive samples. Augmenting syndromic testing in acute respiratory infections (ARIs) surveillance is crucial to inform evidence-based clinical and public health interventions.

The Impact of Testosterone Therapy on Cardiovascular Risk Among Postmenopausal Women.

To summarize the current state of knowledge surrounding the impact of testosterone therapy on cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. In this scoping review, a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted in adherence to a methodological framework comprising 4 distinct stages: conceptualizing a comprehensive search strategy, screening relevant publications, extracting pertinent data, and organizing and synthesizing the resultant findings. The search used electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar, to ensure an exhaustive survey of the available literature. The database search yielded 150 articles, including systematic reviews, registered trials, and peer-reviewed studies, of which 48 duplicates were removed. Following the title/abstract screening, 36 publications were included in the full-text review. On completion of the full-text review, using the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 29 articles were excluded and 7 remained for data extraction and qualitative synthesis. Existing research provides promising insights into the benefits of low-dose testosterone therapy, typically combined with estrogen therapy. These benefits may include positive impacts on body composition, functional capacity, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, and cholesterol. However, there remains a substantial lack of knowledge surrounding the effects and mechanisms behind testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women in relation to its impacts on cardiovascular risk. High-quality, evidence-based clinical intervention research is needed to investigate testosterone therapy's potential implication on cardiovascular risk factors in post-menopausal women.

The Modern Regularity of Institutionalized Racism Towards Black Americans

African Americans have faced persistent institutionalized barriers and systemic racism both historically and in the present day. One of the most glaring manifestations of this is the racial disproportionality observed in incarceration rates. This paper delves into specific domains, such as the justice and social welfare systems, where institutional discrimination is evident, contributing to the disenfranchisement of African Americans. It further addresses the gap in literature concerning the impacts of such racial disproportionality in incarceration, especially the systemic challenges faced post-incarceration. The objective of this research is to delineate the facets of institutionalized racism towards African Americans in the context of incarceration and to propose evidence-based clinical interventions for professionals working with this demographic.

Corrigendum to: Healthcare practitioner use of real-time prescription monitoring tools: an online survey.

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate how healthcare practitioners use real-time prescription monitoring tools in clinical practice. Methods An online survey was distributed to Australian prescribers and pharmacists who use a real-time prescription monitoring tool. Data were analysed and descriptive statistics summarised participant characteristics and responses. A Chi-squared test was conducted to test the difference between prescribers and pharmacists. Results The majority of participants agreed that real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) information is useful (92.2%) and the tool is valuable for informing clinical decisions (90.2%); however, just over half reported that they had changed their prescribing or dispensing practices as a result of RTPM information (51.0%), and they employed evidence-based clinical interventions to varying degrees. No statistically significant differences were detected between pharmacists and prescribers and perceptions on tool use. Conclusions This is the first known study to investigate practitioner use of RTPM tools in Australia, and is a starting point for further research. What constitutes 'success' in the clinical application of RTPM tools is yet to be realised.

Show and Tell: Photography and Storytelling to Better Understand the End-of-Life Experience of Families in the Intensive Care Unit.

End-of-life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is common, costly, and can contribute to negative health outcomes for bereaved family members. Insufficient understanding of the family experience results in poor quality, highly variable care riddled with deficiencies including effective identification and application of evidence-based clinical interventions. Successfully managing the multitude of transitions, for example changes in family role or personal identity requires creative practice guided by theory. This project supports the feasibility of using peri-mortem photographs captured by family members with story-telling and a standardized measurement of grief to explore the family experience of end-of-life in the ICU. Project findings reveal shared experiential themes and emphasize the value of photography and storytelling as meaning-making interventions for families. Further study to generalize findings and develop additional preventative and therapeutic interventions at and beyond end-of-life in the ICU is needed to better meet family needs and improve their health outcomes.

Evaluation of the quality of guidelines for sublingual immunotherapy of allergic rhinitis.

Guidelines are intended to facilitate evidence-based clinical decision-making and knowledge translation; however, the quality and rigor of the guidelines are different. This study was conducted to assess the quality of sublingual immunotherapy guidelines for allergic rhinitis, in order to provide a reference for evidence-based clinical treatment and management of sublingual immunotherapy. Using both Chinese and English search methods, articles were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data, VIP, and other databases from the construction of the database to September 2020. The AGREE II instrument was used by two researchers to independently evaluate the quality of the extracted articles, and the consistency of the researchers was evaluated using the inter-group correlation coefficient. Ten articles were included in this study, of which two articles ranked A level, six articles ranked B level, and two articles ranked C level. The six sections of AGREE II included scope and aim, clarity, participant, applicability, rigor, and editorial independence, with standardized scores of 78.06%, 45.83%, 42.81%, 77.50%, 50.42%, and 46.25%, respectively. The quality of the current guidelines for sublingual immunotherapy is average. The formulation methodology and reporting standards of these guidelines must be developed. By standardizing the treatment of sublingual immunotherapy properly, it is recommended that guideline makers refer to the AGREE II to formulate high-quality guidelines and promote their wide application.

Are Abnormal Muscle Biomechanics and Patient-reported Outcomes Associated in Patients With Hip Dysplasia?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a major risk factor for the early development of hip osteoarthritis. Recent studies have demonstrated how DDH alters hip muscle moment arms and elevates muscle-induced biomechanical variables such as joint reaction forces and acetabular edge loads. Understanding the link between abnormal biomechanics and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is important for evidence-based clinical interventions that improve patient symptoms and functional outcomes. To our knowledge, there are no reports of the relationships between muscle-induced biomechanics and PROMs. (1) Are there associations between PROMs and muscle-induced hip biomechanics during gait for patients with DDH and controls? (2) Are there associations among PROMs and separately among biomechanical variables? Participants in this prospective cross-sectional comparative study included 20 female patients with DDH who had no prior surgery or osteoarthritis and 15 female individuals with no evidence of hip pathology (controls) (age: median 23 years [range 16 to 39 years]; BMI: median 22 kg/m 2 [range 17 to 27 kg/m 2 ]). Muscle-induced biomechanical variables for this cohort were reported and had been calculated from patient-specific musculoskeletal models, motion data, and MRI. Biomechanical variables included joint reaction forces, acetabular edge loads, hip center lateralization, and gluteus medius muscle moment arm lengths. PROMs included the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), the WOMAC, International Hip Outcome Tool-12, National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference and Physical Function subscales, and University of California Los Angeles activity scale. Associations between PROMs and biomechanical variables were tested using Spearman rank-order correlations and corrected for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Yekutieli method. For this study, associations between variables were considered to exist when correlations were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and were either strong (ρ ≥ 0.60) or moderate (ρ = 0.40 to 0.59). Acetabular edge load impulses (the cumulative acetabular edge load across the gait cycle), medially directed joint reaction forces, and hip center lateralization most commonly demonstrated moderate or strong associations with PROMs. The strongest associations were a negative correlation between acetabular edge load impulse on the superior acetabulum and the HOOS function in daily living subscale (ρ = -0.63; p = 0.001), followed by a negative correlation between hip center lateralization and the HOOS pain subscale (ρ = -0.6; p = 0.003), and a positive correlation between hip center lateralization and the PROMIS pain subscale (ρ = 0.62; p = 0.002). The University of California Los Angeles activity scale was the only PROM that did not demonstrate associations with any biomechanical variable. All PROMs, aside from the University of California Los Angeles activity scale, were associated with one another. Although most of the biomechanical variables were associated with one another, these relationships were not as consistent as those among PROMs. The associations with PROMs detected in the current study suggest that muscle-induced biomechanics may have wide-reaching effects not only on loads within the hip, but also on patients' perceptions of their health and function. As the treatment of DDH evolves, patient-specific joint preservation strategies may benefit from targeting the underlying causes of biomechanical outcomes associated with PROMs. Level III, prognostic study.

Transformation of Cognitive Behavior Therapy as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention in Contemporary Health Care: A Review

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based intervention in contemporary clinical health care services. CBT was developed as a psychotherapy to overcome the deficits of psychoanalysis and behaviorism by Aron T. Beck. However, after 63 years, CBT has transformed from its early framework. In comparison to other psychotherapies, cognitive behavior therapy has rapidly changed and developed as an evidence-based clinical intervention. Therefore, this study explored the evolution of cognitive behavior therapy by focusing on its origin, development, limitations, clinical application, third waves, and future directions. Early CBT therapeutic framework has developed as a cognitive model of depression and developed as an intervention to address the negative core belief of individuals and rationalize maladaptive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. However, clinicians have experienced several limitations and scholars have recognized theoretical limitations in CBT. Later, scholars on CBT have overcome these deficits and developed disorder-specific CBT therapies. Then, clinicians empirically evaluate those therapeutic frameworks and transform CBT into an evidence-based clinical intervention. Further, CBT has strength in integrating third-wave therapies. In the future, CBT will therapeutically further transform with technology, integrating advanced theories of pathology, and clinical demand of the present health care services. Therefore, as a psychotherapeutic intervention, cognitive behavior therapy has transformed from its early framework, and at present, it has developed empirically. Further, in the future, it will transform into a more effective psychotherapeutic intervention.

Healthcare practitioner use of real-time prescription monitoring tools: an online survey.

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate how healthcare practitioners use real-time prescription monitoring tools in clinical practice. Methods An online survey was distributed to Australian prescribers and pharmacists who use a real-time prescription monitoring tool. Data were analysed and descriptive statistics summarised participant characteristics and responses. A Chi-squared test was conducted to test the difference between prescribers and pharmacists. Results The majority of participants agreed that real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) information is useful (92.2%) and the tool is valuable for informing clinical decisions (90.2%); however, just over half reported that they had changed their prescribing or dispensing practices as a result of RTPM information (51.0%), and they employed evidence-based clinical interventions to varying degrees. No statistically significant differences were detected between pharmacists and prescribers and perceptions on tool use. Conclusions This is the first known study to investigate practitioner use of RTPM tools in Australia, and is a starting point for further research. What constitutes 'success' in the clinical application of RTPM tools is yet to be realised.

CLINICAL TOOLS TO ADDRESS BRAIN HEALTH CONCERNS IN THE CONTEXT OF LATER-LIFE DEPRESSION

Abstract GSA’s revised KAER Toolkit for Primary Care Teams (Fall, 2021) is an important resource, yet the complexities of depressive and cognitive symptoms in aging individuals create particular challenges for generalist behavioral health providers. Mental health practitioners and their patients can benefit from evidence-based clinical intervention materials that address the intersection of depression and brain health concerns. This presentation highlights treatment strategies and clinical tools from the new Brain Health module of the revised 2021 client workbook Treating Later-Life Depression: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Approach from Oxford University Press. Examples will be presented of large print within-session “Learn pages” that inform both providers and patients about normative cognitive aging and ways in which cognitive functioning can be affected by depression. Between-session “Practice forms” will also be demonstrated that address lifestyle factors to promote brain health, consideration of whether to complete a cognitive evaluation, and strategies to manage brain health changes.

Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality through integrated and sustainability-focused programming in Zambia.

Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality is a critical health priority within Zambia and globally. Although evidence-based clinical interventions can prevent a majority of these deaths, scalable and sustainable delivery of interventions across low-resource settings remains uneven, particularly across rural and marginalized communities. The Zambian Ministry of Health and the Clinton Health Access Initiative implemented an integrated sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health (SRMNH) program in Northern Province aimed at dramatically reducing mortality over four years. Interventions were implemented between 2018 and 2021 across 141 government-owned health facilities covering all 12 districts of Northern Province, the poorest performing province nationwide and home to over 1.4 million people, around six pillars of an integrated health system. Data on institutional delivery and antenatal and postnatal care were collected through the national Health Management Information System (HMIS). A community-based system for capturing birth outcomes was established using existing government tools and community volunteers since HMIS did not include community-based mortality. Baseline and endline population-based mortality rates were compared for program-supported areas. From the earliest period of population-based mortality reporting in 2019 to program end in 2021, there were statistically significant decreases of 41%, 45%, and 43% in maternal, neonatal, and perinatal mortality rates respectively. Between 2017 to 2021, institutional maternal, neonatal, and perinatal mortality rates across entirety of Northern Province reduced by 12%, 40%, and 41%, respectively. Service readiness and coverage for SRMNH services improved dramatically, supporting increased numbers of patients. Significant mortality reductions were achieved over a relatively short period, reinforced through an emphasis on sustainability and strengthening existing government systems. These results were attained through a consciously cost-efficient approach backed by substantially lower levels of external investment relative to prior programs, allowing many of the interventions to be successfully adopted by government within public sector budgets.

Complete response to nivolumab in Kirsten rat sarcoma virus oncogene KRAS-G12C mutant metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: a case report

BackgroundThe advent of immunotherapies has ushered in a new era in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma. Although immunotherapies are associated with improved clinical outcomes, studies report a median overall survival of 11 months with progression-free survival of 2.5 months with the use of nivolumab for pretreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Herein, we describe a case of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma that has shown exceptional response to immunotherapy, with the patient being in complete response for the past 6 years since commencement of nivolumab.Case presentationWe report the case of a 58-year-old female Caucasian, an ex-smoker with 40-pack-year history of smoking, who presented with cough and chest pain and was subsequently diagnosed with metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The tumor was positive for Kirsten rat sarcoma virus oncogene KRAS-G12C mutation and had high programmed death-1 ligand expression. She was commenced on first-line chemotherapy with carboplatin and gemcitabine with disease response, then continued on maintenance pemetrexed. She was then commenced on immunotherapy with nivolumab, with complete response for a total of 6 years. She does not report any adverse events. Currently, she shows no evidence of recurrence of non-small cell lung carcinoma.ConclusionThe exceptional response to immunotherapy seen in this case may be explained by the presence of Kirsten rat sarcoma virus oncogene mutation, which is associated with enhanced clinical response to programmed death-1 ligand inhibitors. This report emphasizes the urgent need for further studies evaluating the role of Kirsten rat sarcoma virus oncogene mutation in determining the clinical efficacy of immunotherapies. This would enable us to make effective evidence-based clinical interventions in the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma.

A multimodal approach to reduce attrition, recidivism, and denial in abuser intervention programs

This study presents findings from a community-based organization (CBO) intimate partner abuser intervention pilot project. The project demonstrated outcomes for high program retention, low recidivism for new domestic-violence arrests, and discernible cognitive change in reductions of denial and increased acceptance of personal responsibility for acts of interpersonal abuse. Thirty-two participants of the cohort (N = 47) finished the 52-week program. Thirty-months post-intake revealed one program completer was arrested for new domestic violence charges. During that same time frame, five of the fifteen non-completers were rearrested for new domestic violence charges. The program used a 52-session multimodal curriculum designed with evidence-based clinical interventions, adult learning strategies, and Risk/Needs/Responsivity (RNR) principles. The CBO received funding from a private Christian foundation to provide the classes free of charge to all participants who were either voluntary (N = 2) or mandated (N = 45). A repeated measurement design evaluated participant’s cognitive changes and acceptance of personal responsibility at intake and 14-weeks after starting the program. Both victim and participant self-assessments of perceived cognitive change were obtained during and after program completion.

Improving diabetes care of community-dwelling underserved older adults.

Diabetes care among rural underserved older adults is negatively affected by social determinants of health (SDOH). Although there is an increased awareness of this problem, evidence-based clinical and community interventions are not widely integrated. This project implemented telemedicine and community health worker (CHW) interventions to improve diabetes management and outcomes. One in five older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) at a Federally Qualified Health Center in southwest Ohio has uncontrolled disease, largely due to their limited resources and ability to participate in routine clinical management. This quality improvement project used a pre-post intervention design. Participants were adults aged ≥65 years with uncontrolled DM type 1 or 2. The outcomes of interest included A1C values, diabetes self-care activities, diabetes knowledge, and patient and health care provider (HCP) satisfaction levels. The project involved biweekly CHW home visits and diabetes self-management education for 12 weeks. The CHWs, with supervision from a nurse practitioner, conducted SDOH assessments and basic education, and facilitated same-day telemedicine appointments with the HCP to reinforce disease management. The A1C levels and diabetes knowledge of older adults significantly improved after three months. However, there were no statistically significant changes in diabetes self-care activities. The patients and HCPs were highly satisfied with the project interventions. This project delivered patient-centered and equitable diabetes care services that were previously unavailable to underserved older patients, while demonstrably improving outcomes. Future research should evaluate the cost-effectiveness, long-term impact, and sustainability of the project in other primary care settings.

Tailoring an evidence-based clinical intervention and training package for the treatment and prevention of comorbid heavy drinking and depression in middle-income country settings: the development of the SCALA toolkit in Latin America

ABSTRACT Background Effective interventions exist for heavy drinking and depression but to date there has been limited translation into routine practice in global health systems. This evidence-to-practice gap is particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries. The international SCALA project (Scale-up of Prevention and Management of Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Depression in Latin America) sought to test the impact of multilevel implementation strategies on rates of primary health care-based measurement of alcohol consumption and identification of depression in Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Objective To describe the process of development and cultural adaptation of the clinical intervention and training package. Methods We drew on Barrero and Castro’s four-stage cultural adaption model: 1) information gathering, 2) preliminary adaption, 3) preliminary adaption tests, and 4) adaption refinement. The Tailored Implementation in Chronic Diseases checklist helped us identify potential factors that could affect implementation, with local stakeholder groups established to support the tailoring process, as per the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Going to Scale Framework. Results In Stage 1, international best practice guidelines for preventing heavy drinking and depression, and intelligence on the local implementation context, were synthesised to provide an outline clinical intervention and training package. In Stage 2, feedback was gathered from local stakeholders and materials refined accordingly. These materials were piloted with local trainers in Stage 3, leading to further refinements including developing additional tools to support delivery in busy primary care settings. Stage 4 comprised further adaptions in response to real-world implementation, a period that coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including translating the intervention and training package for online delivery, and higher priority for depression screening in the clinical pathway. Conclusion Our experience highlights the importance of meaningful engagement with local communities, alongside the need for continuous tailoring and adaptation, and collaborative decision-making.

Electronic nudge tool technology used in the critical care and peri-anaesthetic setting: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionElectronic clinical decision support (eCDS) tools are used to assist clinical decision making. Using computer-generated algorithms with evidence-based rule sets, they alert clinicians to events that require attention. eCDS tools...

Mixed-methods findings from the Ngutulu Kagwero (agents of change) participatory comic pilot study on post-rape clinical care and sexual violence prevention with refugee youth in a humanitarian setting in Uganda

ABSTRACT There is a dearth of evidence-based post-rape clinical care interventions tailored for refugee adolescents and youth in low-income humanitarian settings. Comics, a low-cost, low-literacy and youth-friendly method, integrate visual images with text to spark emotion and share health-promoting information. We evaluated a participatory comic intervention to increase post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) knowledge and acceptance, and prevent sexual and gender-based violence, in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda. Following a formative qualitative phase, we conducted a pre-test post-test pilot study with refugee youth (aged 16–24 years) (n = 120). Surveys were conducted before (t0), after (t1), and two-months following (t2) workshops. Among participants (mean age: 19.7 years, standard deviation: 2.4; n = 60 men, n = 60 women), we found significant increases from t0 to t1, and from t0 to t2 in: (a) PEP knowledge and acceptance, (b) bystander efficacy, and (c) resilient coping. We also found significant decreases from t0 to t1, and from t0 to t2 in sexual violence stigma and depression. Qualitative feedback revealed knowledge and skills acquisition to engage with post-rape care and violence prevention, and increased empathy to support survivors. Survivor-informed participatory comic books are a promising approach to advance HIV prevention through increased PEP acceptance and reduced sexual violence stigma with refugee youth. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04656522.