Meaningful Research Research Articles

Using data linkage for mental health research in Australia.

Data linkage is a powerful tool for understanding the multifaceted needs and priorities of mental health care from the perspective of users and providers. Its potential remains underutilised in Australian settings - the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health in 2020 highlighted a significant gap: routinely collected administrative data are seldom leveraged in mental health research and service evaluation. In this manuscript, we provide insights into how data linkage has been used in mental health research, the type of questions that can be addressed, the steps involved in conducting data linkage research and the benefits and limitations of the use of this methodology. We propose crucial recommendations for advancing this field including: enhancing education for stakeholders (including the public, data custodians, ethics committees and policy makers); fostering stronger collaborative relationships with individuals with lived experiences throughout the research journey; improving infrastructure and resources for data linkage activities and linking data across sectors to address complex meaningful research questions. Data linkage is not just a method but a critical strategy to transform mental health research and service evaluation, ensuring more informed, effective and holistic mental health care.

How exploitative leadership undermines subordinates’ taking charge behavior? A moderated mediation model

BackgroundThe study of the dark side of leadership is gaining growing interest, with negative leadership exerting a stronger influence on employees than positive leadership. Considering the importance of employees’ proactive behaviors for organizational innovation and long-term growth, investigating whether exploitative leadership—a representative form of negative leadership—impacts such behaviors is a meaningful research question.PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of exploitative leadership on subordinates’ taking charge behavior, as well as the mediating role of subordinates’ organizational identification and the moderating role of traditionality.MethodsWe conducted a two-phase survey using convenience sampling across various industries in China, collecting cross-sectional data from 348 employees. A structural equation model with latent variables was used to test all hypotheses.ResultsThis study found that exploitative leadership negatively affects taking charge behavior, and organizational identification mediates the relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior. Furthermore, traditionality weakens the negative impact of exploitative leadership on organizational identification, as well as the indirect relationship between exploitative leadership and taking charge behavior through organizational identification. In other words, subordinates with high traditionality are more likely to adhere to authority, mitigating the adverse effects of exploitative leadership.Conclusions and valueThis study applies social identity theory to explore the negative impact of exploitative leadership on taking charge behavior, revealing the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship, thus filling a gap in the literature on exploitative leadership. We also provide practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate the harmful effects of exploitative leadership and enhance the governance of leaders’ exploitative behaviors.

Failure of Split Posterior Tibial Tendon Transfer in Cerebral Palsy Complex Foot Deformities: A Review of Failure Definitions and Risk Factors for Failure.

This review examines variability in failure and recurrence rates following split posterior tibial tendon transfer (SPOTT) for spastic equinovarus deformity (SED) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). It evaluates patient-specific and surgical risk factors contributing to poor outcomes and assesses the inconsistent definitions of failure across the literature. Across the seven included studies, failure was more common in patients under the age of 8, non-ambulatory individuals, and those with quadriplegic CP. Surgical contributors included poor tendon tensioning, residual spasticity, over- or under-correction, and untreated bony deformities. Although modified techniques demonstrated improved outcomes, the risk of recurrence was not completely eliminated. All studies consistently lacked standardized definitions of surgical failure and recurrence, limiting cross-study comparability. Postoperative management strategies-particularly structured bracing protocols and delaying surgery until after age 8-were associated with more favorable outcomes. SPOTT remains a viable surgical option for dynamic SED in children with CP, but long-term success is highly dependent on careful patient selection, surgical expertise, and consistent postoperative care. Inconsistent definitions of recurrence and failure remain a major barrier to improving clinical outcomes and conducting meaningful comparative research. To enhance clinical decision-making and guide future studies, a standardized grading system should be urgently developed and adopted in the field.

Ethical Considerations of Assigning First Authorship to Medical Students.

Ethical Considerations of Assigning First Authorship to Medical Students.

Net Promoter Score as a Reflection of Patients' Opinions About Telemedical Visits: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Introduction: In order to assess patient experiences of telemedicine, researchers and administrators use the net promoter score (NPS), based on a likelihood to recommend (LTR) question. However, there is reason to doubt validity of this metric for this purpose. We assessed the degree to which the LTR question reflects actual patient preferences about telemedicine. Methods: Using data from a patient experience survey collected in Spring 2020, we compared LTR responses to open comments. Through content analysis, we transformed comments into categorical variables and used those variables in a multiple logistic regression model to predict LTR responses. We also thematically analyzed comments to further elucidate our results. Results: Only about half the comments mentioned telemedicine at all. Around 6% of comments were wholly incongruent with LTR responses. In many comments, ideas about telemedicine were semantically entangled with ideas about providers. Our logistic regression found strong associations between sentiments expressed in comments and LTR responses. However, comments about telemedicine were relatively poor predictors for LTR compared to comments about the provider. Discussion: NPS, which is included on many patient experience surveys used by health systems across the United States, has limitations for use as a measure of the acceptability of telemedicine for patients. Patients have more than telemedicine in mind when responding to the LTR question, and ratings conflate attitudes about providers, office policies, and staff with the telemedicine modality. More direct measures are necessary for meaningful research on the acceptability and usability of telemedicine for patients.

Reflections on exploratory conversations about healthcare research: it is time for a real change.

Clinical research practitioners, nurses, allied healthcare professionals, doctors and any other healthcare professionals delivering clinical research have seen firsthand the under-representation of ethnic minorities as participants in research. This means that people who take part in research often do not reflect the target disease population. This can lead to health inequalities and disparities in treatment outcomes. To explore ethnic minority communities' perspectives of clinical research and identify areas of research that may interest them. The authors had exploratory conversations between October 2022 and March 2023 through patient and public involvement and engagement (PPI/E) consultations with Caribbean groups and Asian groups in their community centres and research delivery staff in Nottinghamshire. They found during these conversations that the community groups could benefit from a deeper understanding of clinical research, including its procedures and common misconceptions. They conceptualised the potential impacts of negative and positive research experiences. Researchers, funders and stakeholders can facilitate participation in research. Researchers must focus on addressing barriers to participation by fostering continuous collaboration, offering research education, feeding back on the progress of research, building trustworthy relationships and addressing concerns that people might have about research or their immediate health. This exploratory conversation demonstrates that researchers could provide meaningful research experience that would facilitate research participation by involving people from diverse backgrounds to influence the research question, methodology and every aspect of the research process through coproduction, codesign and PPI activities.

Attitudes toward and perceptions of barriers to research among medical students in the context of an educational and motivational strategy

BackgroundScientific research is a key component of medical education, fostering critical thinking and evidence-based practice. However, international studies have reported wide variability in medical students’ attitudes toward research, shaped by institutional culture, exposure, and curricular design. In parallel, perceived barriers—such as academic overload, lack of mentorship, and insufficient training—are frequently cited as major obstacles that limit student involvement. Understanding students’ predispositions and the barriers they face is essential for developing effective strategies, especially in educational contexts where research participation is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the situation at a private medical school in Ecuador.ObjectiveTo evaluate medical students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of barriers to research and to analyze changes in these variables following an educational and motivational intervention.MethodsA quasiexperimental study (without a control group) was conducted with 90 undergraduate medical students. The intervention consisted of educational and motivational audiovisual content delivered over one month. A validated questionnaire assessed students’ attitudes and perceived barriers before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and a one-sample t-test were used to assess changes.ResultsPrior to the intervention, the mean attitude score was 104.72, well above the scale midpoint (78), indicating a generally favorable predisposition. Most students (73.3%) scored above 75% of the maximum possible score in attitudes. For perceived barriers, the initial mean was 109.61, also above the scale midpoint (87), reflecting a high level of perceived obstacles. A total of 96.7% of students scored above 50%, with key concerns related to time constraints, lack of mentorship, and insufficient training in scientific writing and statistics. After the intervention, both the mean attitude score and the mean barrier score remained statistically unchanged.ConclusionsAlthough the intervention produced a small increase in favorable attitudes, it did not reduce perceived barriers. These findings suggest that short, self-directed strategies are insufficient to address institutional challenges. More effective approaches may require long-term, interactive programs supported by curricular integration, structured mentorship, and institutional investment to foster meaningful research engagement among medical students.Trial registrationNot applicable.

TRANSCENDENT (Transforming Research by Assessing Neuroinformatics across the Spectrum of Concussion by Embedding iNterdisciplinary Data-collection to Enable Novel Treatments): protocol for a prospective observational cohort study of concussion patients with embedded comparative effectiveness research within a network of learning health system concussion clinics in Canada

IntroductionConcussion affects over 400 000 Canadians annually, with a range of causes and impacts on health-related quality of life. Research to date has disproportionately focused on athletes, military personnel and...

Theoretical Investigations of Intra‐ and Inter‐ Interactions of Wogonin and Wogonoside

ABSTRACTWogonin and wogonoside are derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Scutellaria baicalensis. Due to their various biological activities, the research on their various properties has simulated great interest. In this work, we systematically and theoretically studied the intra‐ and inter‐ interactions of wogonin and wogonoside. For intra‐ interactions, their details were exhibited with the help of IRI, BO, and LOL‐π. To predict inter‐interactions, the results of ESP, van der Waals potential, and hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions were shown. Our meaningful research results will provide theoretical guidance for more efficient utilization of wogonin and wogonoside for corresponding studies, and will help confirm the structure–activity relationship, an essential topic nowadays, of these two molecules.

Patients’ Perspective on Neurology Clinical Trials: Gaps and Opportunities Towards More Meaningful and Inclusive Research (P2-1.013)

Patients’ Perspective on Neurology Clinical Trials: Gaps and Opportunities Towards More Meaningful and Inclusive Research (P2-1.013)

Baicalein nanoemulsion in situ GEL for dry age-related macular degeneration.

Baicalein nanoemulsion in situ GEL for dry age-related macular degeneration.

Establishment of a National Surgical Tissue Biobank for Pediatric Crohn's Disease: An Implementation Feasibility Study.

Establishment of a National Surgical Tissue Biobank for Pediatric Crohn's Disease: An Implementation Feasibility Study.

Steps for Meaningful Community Partnership in Research: An Intersectional Feminist Research Program Case Study

The historical focus of the HIV movement on men who have sex with men has led to the systematic exclusion of women from research, programming, and decision-making. In the early 2000s, women researchers, advocates, and community leaders drove transformative shifts in Canada’s HIV sector through community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches. Their use of CBPR not only revolutionized women’s engagement but also propelled significant progress towards gender-equitable research, including with trans communities and gender diverse and expansive persons. In this article, we critically examine the history of CBPR, specifically in the HIV field, from an intersectional feminist lens. We then present a case study of our research program: the Women and HIV Research Program, as a framework for meaningful community partnership. Next, as academics and community leaders, we describe the conceptualization of meaningful community-engaged research that we developed over 20 years. Our research program has been built upon a strong foundation of genuine academic-community partnerships and has embraced co-creation as a core principle. We reflect on the changes we have seen and responded to in the field over time. Our goal is for this article to serve as a reflective blueprint for those interested in meaningful community engagement and partnership in research.

The roles of natural history during ecological research

It is commonly posited that natural history is an essentially descriptive activity focused on local case studies, lacking an explicit link with theory. Still, some authors suggest that patient observation of natural history must be valued as ‘an essential first step in the scientific method’. We think that there is a strong connection between ecology and natural history, and thus delve into such relationship to propose that a) natural history observations are necessary for science problematization (i.e., for the detection of meaningful ecological research problems) and, in some specific contexts, for generating low-level or pattern hypotheses. Notwithstanding, these natural history observations themselves play a secondary role in inspiring explanatory, mechanismic or theoretical hypotheses, and b) a fundamental role of natural history during ecological research is to provide key assumptions (i.e., initial conditions) used to define the experimental design and collect the appropriate data, as well as to deduce hypotheses and predictions. This latter function fruitfully articulates natural history with ecological theory.

Motivations of adult postgraduate students for further advancement in Hong Kong

PurposeThis research aims to investigate the motivations of adults for postgraduate studies in Hong Kong among general master, EMBA/MBA and doctorate students, focusing on the self-actualization need under Maslow’s model. The questionnaire surveying and related statistics methods are used. The Brief Index of Self-actualization (Sumerlin and Bundrick, 1996) is applied. The findings are: doctorate students have higher self-actualization motivation than Master students; age only slightly partially supported or largely refuted to covariate with self-actualization motivation; there are no direct results to show that females have higher self-actualization motivation than males. However, on Factor 3 curiosity (Sumerlin and Bundrick, 1996) females score higher than males. As this is a factor that measures self-actualization, we could argue that females show higher self-actualization needs than males indirectly in this analysis. Fourth, there is significant support to show that income covariates with self-actualization motivation.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates the motivations of adults for postgraduate studies in Hong Kong among general master, EMBA/MBA and doctorate students, focusing on the self-actualization need under Maslow’s model. The questionnaire surveying and related statistics methods are used. The Brief Index of Self-actualization (Sumerlin and Bundrick, 1996) is applied.FindingsThe findings are: doctorate students have higher self-actualization motivation than Master students; age only slightly partially supported or largely refuted to covariate with self-actualization motivation; there are no direct results to show that females have higher self-actualization motivation than males. However, on Factor 3 curiosity (Sumerlin and Bundrick, 1996), females score higher than males. As this is a factor that measures self-actualization, we could argue that females show higher self-actualization needs than males indirectly in this analysis. Fourth, there is significant support to show that income covariates with self-actualization motivation.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of this study is the time period is too short to conduct thorough meaningful research within actually a few months. If there is more time a more thorough study could be conducted. The second difficulty or just another major difficulty is the availability of participants. It was not expected at the beginning of the research of the great difficulty to get participants particularly reliable participants. To my surprise, the academic institutions in Hong Kong are not cooperative at all including a number of my former alma maters. They either said it is not convenient or there may be privacy problems.Practical implicationsThis would help academic institutions to fix their course strategies, and the government determine its education policies for full-time student and adult education facilities.Social implicationsThis could help to encourage Hong Kong adults to pursue more studies to enhance their ability for their woks and also for promotion of their interests in life.Originality/valueThis is an original research that hopefully would bring new light to the topic of the research.

Abstract: Drivers of Meaningful Research among Medical Students: Insights from a Mixed Methods Study. Accepted abstract in the 1st International conference of biomedical informatics and medical statistics: paving the way for research Excellence, 17th February 2025.

Abstract: Drivers of Meaningful Research among Medical Students: Insights from a Mixed Methods Study. Accepted abstract in the 1st International conference of biomedical informatics and medical statistics: paving the way for research Excellence, 17th February 2025.

Sample size determination: Principles and applications for health research

Background: Determining an appropriate sample size is a crucial aspect of research design, ensuring validity, reliability, and generalizability of findings. An inadequate sample size increases the risk of Type II errors, while an excessively large sample may lead to resource inefficiencies and a higher likelihood of Type I errors. Understanding the principles of sample size determination, including statistical power, confidence levels, and margin of error, is essential for producing accurate and meaningful research outcomes. Objective: This review explores the principles of sample size determination, calculation methods for various research designs, and practical applications. It also discusses challenges in determining the optimal sample size and examines international guidelines, such as those issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), to enhance the accuracy and credibility of research findings. Discussion: Sample size determination varies depending on research design, including surveys, experiments, and clinical trials. This review highlights key statistical considerations such as confidence intervals, statistical power, and the role of design effects. Additionally, practical challenges such as resource constraints, parameter misestimation, and population diversity are discussed. Technological advancements, including statistical software, are also examined for their role in improving sample size calculations and research efficiency. Conclusion: Adhering to established principles and leveraging modern tools for sample size determination enables researchers to optimize study designs and enhance the validity of findings. Implementing international guidelines minimizes bias and ensures the robustness of results. Ultimately, accurate sample size estimation contributes to high-quality scientific studies that support evidence-based decision-making and progress across various disciplines.

A Novel Approach to the Design of Distributed Dynamic Vibration Absorbers for Plates Subjected to Classical and Elastic Edge Conditions

Plate structures are the main components of offshore platforms and ships in engineering applications. The vibration control of the low-frequency mode of plate structures has always been a meaningful research object in marine science and engineering. Due to their low cost and good performance, dynamic vibration absorbers are widely used. To enhance the design efficiency of dynamic vibration absorbers, a mathematical model was developed for plates with dynamic vibration absorbers under different boundary constraints. To overcome the discontinuity of the displacement function, auxiliary series were introduced. In addition, the efficiency of resolving the plate structure’s equivalent mass was significantly improved compared with when using FEM software Abaqus 6.14. The validity of the proposed mathematical model was confirmed in comparison with related studies, the FEM results, and the experimental results. Considering the mathematical model and design approach proposed in the current paper, more research on the vibration control of plates subjected to clamped and elastic boundary conditions should be performed. The mathematical model and findings in the design process may have positive implications for the control of the vibration of plate structures in marine science and engineering.

Identifying Research Priorities in Digital Education for Health Care: Umbrella Review and Modified Delphi Method Study.

In recent years, the use of digital technology in the education of health care professionals has surged, partly driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is still a need for focused research to establish evidence of its effectiveness. This study aimed to define the gaps in the evidence for the efficacy of digital education and to identify priority areas where future research has the potential to contribute to our understanding and use of digital education. We used a 2-stage approach to identify research priorities. First, an umbrella review of the recent literature (published between 2020 and 2023) was performed to identify and build on existing work. Second, expert consensus on the priority research questions was obtained using a modified Delphi method. A total of 8857 potentially relevant papers were identified. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, we included 217 papers for full review. All papers were either systematic reviews or meta-analyses. A total of 151 research recommendations were extracted from the 217 papers. These were analyzed, recategorized, and consolidated to create a final list of 63 questions. From these, a modified Delphi process with 42 experts was used to produce the top-five rated research priorities: (1) How do we measure the learning transfer from digital education into the clinical setting? (2) How can we optimize the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning to facilitate education and training? (3) What are the methodological requirements for high-quality rigorous studies assessing the outcomes of digital health education? (4) How does the design of digital education interventions (eg, format and modality) in health professionals' education and training curriculum affect learning outcomes? and (5) How should learning outcomes in the field of health professions' digital education be defined and standardized? This review provides a prioritized list of research gaps in digital education in health care, which will be of use to researchers, educators, education providers, and funding agencies. Additional proposals are discussed regarding the next steps needed to advance this agenda, aiming to promote meaningful and practical research on the use of digital technologies and drive excellence in health care education.

Priority Musculoskeletal Health Research Questions for People With Generalized Joint Hypermobility: An International Delphi Study.

This study aimed to identify the top 10 international research priorities for musculoskeletal health of people with generalized joint hypermobility. A three-round Delphi method using an online survey was implemented. Three participant stakeholder groups were eligible for inclusion: (1) people with lived experience of joint hypermobility or their carers, (2) health care professionals, and (3) researchers with experience working with individuals with hypermobility. Participants provided up to three priority research questions in round 1. In round 2, participants prioritized 10 research questions from the unique questions proposed in round 1. In round 3, participants were presented with the top 10 questions from the overall cohort and for their stakeholder group(s) and asked to rank these in order of importance. Round 1 commenced with 396 participants who provided 958 individual questions, which reduced to 210 unique questions following data cleaning. There were 257 participants (65% of 396) in round 2, and 249 participants (63% of 396, lived experience n = 230, health care professionals n = 73, and researchers n = 21) in round 3. The overall top-ranked question was, "How can we prevent disability, pain, and poor quality of life associated with the musculoskeletal comorbidities of symptomatic generalized joint hypermobility?" Specific stakeholder group priority research questions varied. People with lived experience prioritized treatment questions, whereas health care professionals and researchers prioritized service-impact and utilization research questions. Priority research questions relating to musculoskeletal health of people with generalized joint hypermobility have been internationally identified. These questions provide a future focus for meaningful and necessary research in this field.