Internal Review Process Research Articles

Library Internal Reviews for Value Description and Strategic Planning

In between university level assessments, the BYU Library conducts internal reviews of each library department, describing its value to the library and university, and providing recommendations for improvement. The process used a team of library employees in departments not under review and an external reviewer to conduct the internal review. Using a case-study approach, the development of an internal review system, its meta-evaluation at the end of its first cycle, and the on-going efforts to improve the internal review process are described. Using a graduate level evaluation class followed by a task force, changes were made to the internal review process that has standardized assessment, allowed flexibility for each department, and solidified training for both the department under review and the review team. Each of the findings and recommended changes helped to address the internal review’s first-round weaknesses and struggles. The result is a stronger, consistent process that provides additional training and guidance for each internal review. This article is a case study that describes a library wide process used by an academic library to describe the value of each department and to provide feedback for improvement between university reviews. The process engages all library employees as each department is reviewed and helps to create a culture of assessment. This article reviews the history and progress of a LIR to evaluate an academic library’s value and to provide data for improvement. The process may be used or adapted by other libraries.

Abstract PO5-26-11: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Drug Research Collaborative – A unique and innovative model for industry-funded, academically driven research to advance the field of breast cancer

Abstract The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is committed to preventing and curing breast cancer through groundbreaking research. In pursuit of this mission, the BCRF launched the Drug Research Collaborative (DRC) in 2016—a pioneering program designed to bridge the gap between academic investigators and access to investigational therapies, thereby fostering greater academic-driven research in breast cancer. The DRC's primary objective is to fund independent, innovative, and high-quality investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and pre-clinical/translational research projects. In conventional drug development, industry-sponsored registration trials play a crucial role, leaving limited resources and scope for exploratory and translational IITs that fall outside the industry's drug approval strategy. Additionally, industry-funded IIT research faces challenges such as reputational risks, perceived influence during internal review processes, intellectual property (IP) concerns, and logistics/program management burdens. The BCRF-DRC program addresses these challenges by issuing requests for proposals to generate creative and unbiased ideas, which are then vetted through an academic review process involving leading breast cancer experts. The most promising research projects are selected for further advancement. The BCRF-DRC program is facilitated by the BCRF research staff, providing project management, while the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC), founded by the BCRF and also supported by Susan G. Komen, supports the clinical trial aspects of the program. Since its inception, the BCRF-DRC has expanded from one to three industry partners, securing a total funding of $25 million for 15 projects, including seven clinical trials and eight pre-clinical projects. This abstract reports on the ongoing progress and outcomes achieved by these three programs. The BCRF-DRC represents a revolutionary paradigm in research funding and collaboration by harnessing the collective power of industry partners, philanthropic organizations, and academic institutions. Through this collaborative effort, the BCRF-DRC provides a unique platform for researchers to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into effective clinical interventions, thus making significant strides in the field of breast cancer in the coming decades. By empowering academic investigators, fostering unbiased research, and addressing the limitations of industry-funded IITs, the BCRF-DRC is revolutionizing breast cancer research and driving the development of novel interventions. This abstract highlights the transformative potential of the BCRF-DRC program and its contribution to advancing breast cancer treatments and ultimately improving patient outcomes. The success of this collaborative model serves as a testament to the power of multi-sector partnerships and the pivotal role they play in shaping the future of breast cancer research. Citation Format: Unnati Jariwala, Dorraya El-Ashry, Judy Garber, Larry Norton. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Drug Research Collaborative – A unique and innovative model for industry-funded, academically driven research to advance the field of breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-26-11.

Building Research Capacity and Promoting Collaboration Through Grant Writing: Lessons From Ukrainian Universities

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study examines the state of grant writing practices in Ukrainian universities and proposes recommendations to enhance their capacity to secure external funding for research and development. Through a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and semi-structured interviews, data was gathered from researchers and faculty members. The study identifies challenges faced by Ukrainian universities in obtaining external funding and highlights important themes for improving grant-writing practices. These themes include promoting collaboration, providing resources and infrastructure, implementing language support policies, raising awareness of funding opportunities, offering institutional support, fostering a research culture, establishing internal grant review processes, leveraging international collaborations, and emphasising evaluation and learning. By addressing these themes, Ukrainian universities can improve their grant-writing practices, increase proposal competitiveness, and enhance success rates in securing external funding. This study provides valuable insights, complements existing literature, and offers practical recommendations for grant writing in Ukrainian universities.</p>

An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline: Surveillance Strategies in Patients with Stage I, II, III or Resectable IV Melanoma Who Were Treated with Curative Intent

AimsTo make recommendations on managing the surveillance of patients with stage I, II, III or resectable IV melanoma who are clinically free of disease following treatment with curative intent. Materials and methodsThis guideline was developed by Ontario Health's (Cancer Care Ontario's) Program in Evidence-Based Care and the Melanoma Disease Site Group (including seven medical oncologists, four surgical oncologists, three dermatologists, one radiation oncologist and one patient representative). The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PROSPERO databases and the main relevant guideline websites were searched. Internal and external reviews were conducted, with final approval by the Program in Evidence-Based Care and the Melanoma Disease Site Group. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was followed, and the Modified Delphi method was used. ResultsBased on the current evidence (eight eligible original study papers and four relevant guidelines) and the clinical opinions of the authors of this guideline, the initial recommendations were made. To reach 75% agreement for each recommendation, the Melanoma Disease Site Group (16 members) voted twice and one recommendation was voted on three times. After a comprehensive internal and external review process (including national and international reviewers), 12 recommendations, three weak recommendations and six qualified statements were ultimately made. ConclusionsAfter a systematic review, a comprehensive internal and external review process and a consensus process, the current guideline has been created. The guideline authors believe that this guideline will help clinicians, patients and policymakers make well-informed healthcare decisions that will guide them in clinical melanoma surveillance and ultimately assist in improving patient outcomes.

754. Utilization of Internal Special Program Review to Institute Change in an Academic ID Fellowship

Abstract Background Fellowship accreditation is crucial to ensure adequate clinical education for physicians in training, yet there is limited data on use of accreditation survey results for program quality improvement. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) administers annual surveys to trainees and core faculty to monitor education and identify potential non-compliance with ACGME accreditation standards. Our purpose is to describe the creation of an internal program review process for program improvement based on results of nationally implemented accreditation surveys. Methods We collected data from standardized ACGME survey responses administered to core faculty and fellows at our academic Infectious Diseases fellowship program. The identification of areas scoring lower than 20% in comparison with national average prompted creation of a Special Program Review (SPR) committee comprised of a program director, a program coordinator, and a trainee from programs outside of the program under review. This committee met separately with core faculty, trainees, and program leadership to compile an assessment of each survey component and opportunities for improvement. This review process of survey results was completed annually from 2020-2022. Results Between 2020-2022, surveys were completed by 100% of fellows (7/7 or 8/8) and up to 92% of core faculty (11/12). Key findings raised concerns involving clinical education, faculty supervision, patient safety, and teamwork. Actions taken in response to the SPR included the creation of: an updated backup and weekend coverage system, new didactic curricula, a morbidity and mortality conference, documentation limits, informal fellow/faculty dinners, opt out counseling, and a division culture committee. Conclusion A non-punitive internal review process mimicking accreditation standards is valuable for program assessment and improvement as means to identify areas of risk for accreditation issues at a national level. This review process is generalizable, as all accredited programs complete the survey annually. The quality improvement interventions taken will differ depending on survey findings and areas to be addressed. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Domains of Excellence: A CDC Framework for Developing High-Quality, Impact-Driven Public Health Science Publications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a long history of using high-quality science to drive public health action that has improved the health, safety, and well-being of people in the United States and globally. To ensure scientific quality, manuscripts authored by CDC staff are required to undergo an internal review and approval process known as clearance. During 2022, CDC launched a scientific clearance transformation initiative to improve the efficiency of the clearance process while ensuring scientific quality. As part of the scientific clearance transformation initiative, a group of senior scientists across CDC developed a framework called the Domains of Excellence for High-Quality Publications (DOE framework). The framework includes 7 areas ("domains") that authors can consider for developing high-quality and impactful scientific manuscripts: Clarity, Scientific Rigor, Public Health Relevance, Policy Content, Ethical Standards, Collaboration, and Health Equity. Each domain includes multiple quality elements, highlighting specific key considerations within. CDC scientists are expected to use the DOE framework when conceptualizing, developing, revising, and reviewing scientific products to support collaboration and to ensure the quality and impact of their scientific manuscripts. The DOE framework sets expectations for a consistent standard for scientific manuscripts across CDC and promotes collaboration among authors, partners, and other subject matter experts. Many aspects have broad applicability to the public health field at large and might be relevant for others developing high-quality manuscripts in public health science. The framework can serve as a useful reference document for CDC authors and others in the public health community as they prepare scientific manuscripts for publication and dissemination.

AN EMPLOYER’S ABILITY TO SUBSTITUTE A DISCIPLINARY ENQUIRY SANCTION – PART 1

It is common practice for employers to appoint an external chairperson to preside over a disciplinary enquiry which has been convened for purposes of investigating allegations of misconduct against an employee. The external chairperson is ordinarily mandated to decide on guilt, and to the extent that there is a guilty finding, to recommend or impose the appropriate disciplinary sanction.Employers often tend to have expectations that the external chairperson will, after having found the employee guilty of the alleged misconduct, impose a sanction of dismissal depending on the gravity of the alleged misconduct . The expected outcome of dismissal, however, does not always occur. An external chairperson may impose a sanction short of dismissal after considering an employee’s mitigating circumstances. An employer’s dissatisfaction with the disciplinary sanction may result in the employer instituting an internal review process to review the external chairperson’s disciplinary sanction, whilst in other cases, employers may resort to unilaterallysubstituting the external chairperson’s disciplinary sanction with a sanction of dismissal. The employer’s disciplinary code and procedure or the collective agreement regulating the disciplinary procedure in the workplace may or may not make provision for the substitution of the disciplinary sanction. In circumstances where there is no provision for the substitution of the disciplinary sanction, the employer’s conduct of substituting the disciplinary sanction raises questions regarding the applicability of the “double jeopardy” principle which means, in an employment context, that an employee should not be subjected to more than one disciplinary enquiry on disciplinary charges arising from the same set of facts.It is, however, a well established principle that employers who are classified as organs of state can review their own decisions. This includes decisions of chairpersons who are appointed to preside over disciplinary enquiries and further decide on the appropriate disciplinary sanction. In the latter case, and in circumstances where the organ of state is dissatisfied with the disciplinary sanction, itmay institute review proceedings in the Labour Court to review and set aside the chairperson’s decision. This recourse is, only available to organs of state and not private sector employers.This article seeks to determine whether it is permissible for an employer to substitute an external chairperson’s disciplinary sanction, and, if so, the circumstances under which an employer is permitted to do so and the procedure which should be followed in such an instance. The article is written in two parts Part 1 covers the employer’s ability to revisit a disciplinary sanction and Part 2 concentrates on the conflicting judgments involving the South African Revenue Services conduct of substituting disciplinary sanctions, alternative avenues to the unilateral substitution of a disciplinary sanction and the conclusion.

Management of internal review processes for the accreditation of academic programs in universities

The study aims at identifying the reality of the management of internal review processes for the accreditation of academic programs in Saudi universities. A mixed-method approach was used in collecting primary data through the questionnaire and the interview. The questionnaire returned 298 valid responses from academic staff randomly selected from six Saudi universities. Further, six deans of colleges were interviewed. The questionnaire data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, while the interview results were thematically coded and synthesized. The overall results of the study the internal evaluation process related to accreditation of academic programs in the universities is primarily based on the overall university academic plan created at the central level. Implementation follows the planning during which various university offices at college and departmental levels were additionally involved. The last phase of the program accreditation is the recurrent evaluation of the system to ensure that the program offerings are in sync with global best practices cultured to the needs of the Saudi Arabian economy.

PP71 Lessons Learned During Analyses Of Appropriate Hearing Care: Building Bridges Between Patient Organizations, Health Professionals And Insurance Companies

IntroductionAs part of the cyclic Appropriate Care programme of the National Health Care Institute in the Netherlands, a systematic analysis of hearing health care is taking place. Parties in hearing health care are actively involved throughout the entire process. This abstract focuses on lessons learned from the cooperation as a HTA body with a diverse group of stakeholders.MethodsWe carried out an in-depth analysis for the patient journey of both children and adults with ear complaints or hearing impairment. Different kinds of information were included in the analyses, including claims data, quantitative and qualitative research, analyses of (international) guidelines and patient information. A range of strategies were used to co-operate and interact with patient organizations, hearing health care professionals, institutes/hospitals and insurance companies.ResultsClose collaboration between the project team and patient organizations turned out to be effective to comprehend patient’ perspectives. Data analyses were often found to be challenging in hearing health care, as the reimbursement data lacked sufficient information. In several cases, building bridges between parties, but also in relation to our HTA body was needed. Conclusions from the analyses were being shared and discussed with a panel of involved stakeholders, leading to support, but not always consensus on potential room for improvement. An internal review process turned out to be helpful in sharing experiences on effective multi-stakeholder management.ConclusionsWe believe that the process did influence the way stakeholders think about the appropriate use of the different available treatment options. Building bridges, and combining different perspectives from patient organizations, health-care professionals and insurance companies is necessary in a cyclic approach. The cyclic appropriate Care programme proved to be a constructive approach for collaboration with stakeholders.

The underlying causes of strategic surprise in EU foreign policy: a post-mortem investigation of the Arab uprisings and the Ukraine–Russia crisis of 2013/14

ABSTRACT The study of why and when governments are caught out by strategic surprise has been a major occupation of intelligence studies, international relations, public administration and crisis management studies. Still little is known, however, about the structural vulnerabilities to such surprises in international organisations such as the European Union (EU). EU institutions themselves have not undertaken rigorous investigations or public inquiries of recent strategic surprises, instead relying on internal review processes. In order to understand the most common underlying problems causing surprise in the EU context, this paper adapts and tests insights from the strategic surprise literature. It elaborates a theoretical framework with five hypotheses about why the leadership of EU institutions has been prone to being caught by surprises in foreign affairs: limitations in collection capacity, institutional fragmentation of policymaking, organisational culture, member state politicisation, and cognitive biases arising from collective ideas and norms. These hypotheses are tested using a post-mortem approach investigating two significant strategic surprises: the start and spread of the Arab uprisings of 2010/11 and Ukraine–Russia crisis of 2013/14.

Automated insulin delivery: benefits, challenges, and recommendations. A Consensus Report of the Joint Diabetes Technology Working Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association.

A technological solution for the management of diabetes in people who require intensive insulin therapy has been sought for decades. The last 10 years have seen substantial growth in devices that can be integrated into clinical care. Driven by the availability of reliable systems for continuous glucose monitoring, we have entered an era in which insulin delivery through insulin pumps can be modulated based on sensor glucose data. Over the past few years, regulatory approval of the first automated insulin delivery (AID) systems has been granted, and these systems have been adopted into clinical care. Additionally, a community of people living with type 1 diabetes has created its own systems using a do-it-yourself approach by using products commercialised for independent use. With several AID systems in development, some of which are anticipated to be granted regulatory approval in the near future, the joint Diabetes Technology Working Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the American Diabetes Association has created this consensus report. We provide a review of the current landscape of AID systems, with a particular focus on their safety. We conclude with a series of recommended targeted actions. This is the fourth in a series of reports issued by this working group. The working group was jointly commissioned by the executives of both organisations to write the first statement on insulin pumps, which was published in 2015. The original authoring group was comprised by three nominated members of the American Diabetes Association and three nominated members of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Additional authors have been added to the group to increase diversity and range of expertise. Each organisation has provided a similar internal review process for each manuscript prior to submission for editorial review by the two journals. Harmonisation of editorial and substantial modifications has occurred at both levels. The members of the group have selected the subject of each statement and submitted the selection to both organisations for confirmation.

Auditor independence: The effect of auditors’ quality control efforts and corporate governance

This paper investigates whether audit firms’ quality control (QC) activities, which are generally viewed simply as an internal review process of engagement work-papers, are related to auditor independence. Using a sample of Korean firms, we find a significantly positive relationship between the ratio of QC hours to total audit hours (QC hour ratio) and the auditor’s propensity to issue a going concern opinion. This relationship is more pronounced for economically important clients. We also find that audit firms’ QC efforts are effective in maintaining independence only when client firms have better governance systems. These results suggest that audit firms’ QC efforts, especially in interaction with governance, are effective in maintaining auditor independence.

Evaluation of Safety Culture in Institutional Chemical Analytical Laboratories in Oghara and Warri, Delta State, Nigeria

This study was aimed at evaluating safety culture in 20 chemical analytical laboratories in Oghara and Warri, Delta state. This was achieved through a determination of the safety performance between tertiary education chemical laboratories and industrial laboratories, private and government-owned laboratories, and technical and non-technical labs. The method employed in carrying out this study was the use of a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and a standard checklist. Comparison done between private and government-owned laboratories using t-test showed that safety culture of private-owned laboratories, irrespective of whether industrial or tertiary education, were more significant (P 0.05), with a mean value of 3.69798 for tertiary education laboratories and 3.62842 for industrial laboratories. Analysis of t-test also indicated P < 0.05 for technical (M = 75.00) and non-technical (M = 56.11) tertiary education laboratories. However, further t-test analysis indicated that there is a significant difference between safety performance in tertiary education laboratories and industrial laboratories (P < 0.05). The conclusion is that tertiary education chemical analytical laboratories have a high level of safety culture with an overall mean of 67.90 than industrial chemical analytical laboratories with an overall mean of 54.50. It is recommended that laboratories should establish an internal review process of incidents and corrective actions with the departmental safety committee and provide periodic safety seminars on lessons learned from incidents. A strong and effective safety management system should also be implemented in all analytical laboratories.

The photoplethysmography dictionary: practical guidance on signal interpretation and clinical scenarios from TeleCheck-AF

Abstract Introduction During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous centres in Europe used on-demand photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to remotely assess heart rate and rhythm in conjunction with teleconsultations within the TeleCheck-AF project. Purpose To develop an educational structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals and to study typical clinical scenarios how on-demand PPG was used in the TeleCheck-AF project. Methods During an online conference, the structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals was discussed and further refined during an internal review process. We provide the number of respective PPG recordings and number of patients managed within a clinical scenario during the TeleCheck-AF project. Results To interpret PPG recordings, we introduce a structured stepwise practical guide and provide representative PPG recordings. In the TeleCheck-AF project, 2522 subjects collected 90.616 recordings. The majority of these recordings was classified by the PPG algorithm as sinus rhythm (57.6%), followed by atrial fibrillation (AF) (23.6%). In 9.7% of recordings the quality was too low to interpret. Other observed rhythms were tachycardia (1.4%), extra systoles (4.7%), bigeminy episodes (1.8%), trigeminy episodes (0.6%) and atrial flutter (0.2%). The most frequent clinical scenario where PPG technology was used in the TeleCheck-AF project was follow-up after AF ablation (1110 patients) followed by heart rate and rhythm assessment around (tele)consultation (966 patients), sometimes including remote PPG-guided adaption of rate or rhythm control. 275 patients were followed around cardioversion, either (semi-)acute or elective. Other possible scenarios are assessment of palpitations, assessment of symptom-rhythm correlation and monitoring during up-titration of heart failure medication. Conclusion We introduce a newly developed structured stepwise practical guide on PPG signal interpretation developed based on presented experiences from TeleCheck-AF. The present clinical scenarios for the use of on-demand PPG technology derived from the TeleCheck-AF project will help to implement PPG technology in the management of arrhythmia patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. TeleCheck-AF clinical scenariosClassification of PPG recordings

The photoplethysmography dictionary: practical guidance on signal interpretation and clinical scenarios from TeleCheck-AF.

Within the TeleCheck-AF project, numerous centres in Europe used on-demand photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to remotely assess heart rate and rhythm in conjunction with teleconsultations. Based on the TeleCheck-AF investigator experiences, we aimed to develop an educational structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals and to introduce typical clinical scenarios how on-demand PPG was used. During an online conference, the structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals was discussed and further refined during an internal review process. We provide the number of respective PPG recordings (FibriCheck®) and number of patients managed within a clinical scenario during the TeleCheck-AF project. To interpret PPG recordings, we introduce a structured stepwise practical guide and provide representative PPG recordings. In the TeleCheck-AF project, 2522 subjects collected 90 616 recordings in total. The majority of these recordings were classified by the PPG algorithm as sinus rhythm (57.6%), followed by AF (23.6%). In 9.7% of recordings, the quality was too low to interpret. The most frequent clinical scenarios where PPG technology was used in the TeleCheck-AF project was a follow-up after AF ablation (1110 patients) followed by heart rate and rhythm assessment around (tele)consultation (966 patients). We introduce a newly developed structured stepwise practical guide on PPG signal interpretation developed based on presented experiences from TeleCheck-AF. The present clinical scenarios for the use of on-demand PPG technology derived from the TeleCheck-AF project will help to implement PPG technology in the management of AF patients.

Improving Mortality Attribution in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Mortality attribution can have significant implications for reimbursement, hospital/department rankings, and perceptions of safety. This work seeks to compare the accuracy of externally assigned diagnosis-related group (DRG)-based service line mortality attribution in otolaryngology to an internal review process that assigns mortality to the teams that cared for a patient during hospitalization. Retrospective case series. Mortality events at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) from 2012 to 2018 were compared. Included events were assigned to the otolaryngology service line (OSL) via the following methods: an external agency (Vizient) using DRG, utilization management assignment based on the service that provided care at admission (admission service), discharge (discharge service), or throughout hospitalization (major service line), or through the internal VUMC mortality review committee. Internal review was considered the standard for comparison. Of the 28 mortality events assigned to OSL by the DRG-based external method, nine (32%) were actually attributable to OSL. Of the 23 total mortality events attributable to OSL at our institution, external DRG-based review captured nine (39%). The designation of major service during hospitalization was correct 95% of the time and captured 87% of mortality events. Differences between external and internal attribution methods were statistically significant (P < .001). DRG-based models are frequently utilized but can be inaccurate when attributing mortality for an individual otolaryngology department. Otolaryngology mortalities appear to be captured and assigned more accurately by assigning deaths to the service that renders the majority of care during hospitalization. 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E1805-E1810, 2021.

Management of conflicts of interests of ESC guideline authors

Abstract Introduction According to WHO definition medical guidelines are systematically developed statements to support the decisions of clinicians and patients about appropriate health care for specific clinical situations. Guidelines should be based on on results of randomized trials and independence from economic interests. Therefore, not only detailed declaration but also active management of conflicts of interests (COI) of guideline committee members should be declared. The public database LeitlinienWatch (GuidelineWatch) analyzes German and European guidelines with respect to COI declaration and management. Methods Between 2015 and 2019 nine German National Standard of Care guidelines (NVL), 10 German Cancer Society (DKG) guidelines, and 10 ESC guidelines were compared according to five criteria. Each criterion was scored 0–3 points (Table). Furthermore, up to 3 extra points could be awarded for methodological quality. Results Overall, guidelines of NVL (11.3±3.5) and DKG (9.8±3.3) achieved more points than ESC guidelines (2.8±0.4; p&amp;lt;0.00001). ESC-guidelines scored points only by documentation of COI and sometimes an extra bonuspoint for an internal review process. In all ESC guidelines &amp;gt;50% of the authors had COI. These conflicts did not lead to an exclusion of lead authors or abstentions from voting. A public accessible review was standard practice in NVL-guidelines and more often performed in DKG-guidelines but was lacking in ESC guideline process. Overall, NVL- and DKG-guidelines showed better handling of COI (Table). Conclusion Declaration and management of COI are quality criteria for medical guidelines. Current ESC guidelines do not meet international standards for COI management. Therefore, the rules for the ESC guideline process need to be revised. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Applying The Best Practice For Internal Quality Control (IQC) Management, Consolidation And Review Process In Sidra Medicine Clinical Chemistry Division

Abstract Introduction/Objective The management of internal quality control (IQC) in Sidra Medicine Clinical Chemistry Division has been evaluated in order to promote a more consolidated and efficient process of IQC management. The statistical data produced from Cerner QC Module are transferred to IQC review templates consisting of formulas to auto- calculate parameters such as multiple of expected QC failure frequency and desirable comparison limit between analyzers. The IQC review and documentation process using the in-house excel template requires several hours to complete, hence a faster and more efficient IQC management module is required. The main objective of this study is to improve the initial IQC management set up, work flow and review procedures and to implement Biorad Unity Real Time (URT) program to develop a more efficient IQC management system. Methods The URT software has been recently configured and implemented to consolidate and streamline IQC management. URT is built through Sidra Medicine IT Enterprise level which allows multiple users to login. IQC data are downloaded using scripts from Cerner which are filtered through Biorad Unity Connect (UC) software. Additional quality tools are also explored such as various user defined statistical reports, IQC analysis using peer reviewed total allowable error (TeA) and assignment of the most appropriate Westgard rules. Determination of sigma metrics and uncertainty of measurement is also performed using the URT application. Results The generation of any IQC report is less cumbersome and time consuming as compared with the previous process. However, some user defined formulas in the IQC templates are not found on the URT reports. The URT Levey Jennings chart are also more user friendly and directly compares the daily IQC data with Unity inter-laboratory peers enabling the production of instant and monthly reports through QCNet site when assay investigation is required and for IQC report documentation. Conclusion The combination of Cerner IQC, Unity Real-time, QCNet Inter-laboratory reports and in house IQC templates produce a high level and very detailed IQC review which effectively evaluate assay performance to assist on IQC troubleshooting and root cause analysis to be able to apply the most appropriate corrective actions.

Oncology Treatment in the Era of COVID-19: We Cannot Afford to Hit the Pause Button.

The COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching ramifications for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Oncologists and institutions have adjusted treatment practices and, in many cases, significantly curtailed clinical trial conduct. Whether these adjustments mitigate the risk of COVID-19 complications without jeopardizing treatment of the cancer is unknown. Given the expected duration of the pandemic, it is imperative that treatment of the patient's cancer remain the priority and that advances in drug development continue through appropriately designed clinical trials.

Retraction of: Endothelial/Mesenchymal Stem Cell Crosstalk Within Bioprinted Cocultures, by Santoro M, Awosika TO, Snodderly KL, Hurley-Novatny AC, Lerman MJ, Fisher JP. Tissue Eng Part A 2020;26(5-6):339-349; DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0175.

Tissue Engineering Part AVol. 26, No. 11-12 RetractionOpen AccessRetraction of: Endothelial/Mesenchymal Stem Cell Crosstalk Within Bioprinted Cocultures, by Santoro M, Awosika TO, Snodderly KL, Hurley-Novatny AC, Lerman MJ, Fisher JP. Tissue Eng Part A 2020;26(5–6):339–349; DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0175This article retracts the following:Retracted: Endothelial/Mesenchymal Stem Cell Crosstalk Within Bioprinted CoculturesPublished Online:16 Jun 2020https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0175.retractAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail The Editors of Tissue Engineering Part A are officially retracting the article entitled, Endothelial/Mesenchymal Stem Cell Crosstalk Within Bioprinted Cocultures, by Santoro M, Awosika TO, Snodderly KL, Hurley-Novatny AC, Lerman MJ, Fisher JP. Tissue Eng Part A 2020;26(5–6):339–349. DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0175.After publication of the article, one of the coauthors of the paper discovered a potential flaw in the analysis that was thought to be dispatched prior to the submission of the paper to Tissue Engineering Part A but was not.One of the co-editors of Tissue Engineering, John P. Fisher, PhD, is named as the senior author on the paper. Dr. Fisher has expressed deep regret about this error, and in the best interest of the scientific community and the readership of Tissue Engineering, has displayed rectitude in requesting the official retraction of his own article. Additionally, Dr. Fisher and his laboratory have strengthened the internal review processes of data collection and analysis so as to ensure that a similar error does not occur again in the future.Tissue Engineering remains committed to preserving the integrity of the scientific literature and the community it serves.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRelated articlesRetracted: Endothelial/Mesenchymal Stem Cell Crosstalk Within Bioprinted Cocultures17 Mar 2020Tissue Engineering Part A Volume 26Issue 11-12Jun 2020 InformationCopyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Tissue Engineering Part A.Jun 2020.683-683.http://doi.org/10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0175.retractPublished in Volume: 26 Issue 11-12: June 16, 2020Online Ahead of Print:May 20, 2020PDF download