Methodological Expertise Research Articles

Digital resources and the reading habits of university students in Nigeria

The study examined digital resources (DRs) and the reading habits of university students in Nigeria. This study aims to establish the relationship between DRs and the reading habits of university students in Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all university students in Nigeria. An online questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was validated by two experts in research methodology and educational technology. 412 university students who responded to the questionnaire were used as the sample for the study. The sample size is justified by Fox et al. (2007) and Meyer (1979), who recommended 384 samples from an infinite population range. Cronbach’s alpha was used to establish the reliability of the instrument, which yielded 0.76. Data were analyzed with frequency counts and simple percentages, and statistical product and service solutions version 23 was used to generate the mean and standard deviation while Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings established that the majority of the university students used DRs daily and the Internet resources were mostly used by the students. The students had positive perceptions of the impacts of DR usage on their reading habits. Lastly, the test of the hypothesis showed that there is a significant relationship between DRs and the reading habits of university students in Nigeria. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that the university management should continue to provide the Internet services and computer systems so that students can continue to enjoy more access to DRs to enhance their learning.

Computational statistics for time-series forecasts via SAS/ETS 9.4 drop-down menu

In this paper, using the Statistical Time Series (TS) methodologies reviewed in the literature, we present a step-by-step computational statistics procedure to execute TS forecasts computing via a point-and-clicks (semi-automatic) option of SAS (Statistical Analysis Software). Such point-and-clicks pathway of computing is via the SAS Econometrics Time Series 9.4 (SAS-ETS) drop-down menu. This paper will be very beneficial for forecasters in multiple areas of applications (e.g., business, epidemiology, sociology, etc.) without much expertise in the Statistical TS methodologies.

An Example of Language Teacher – Science Teacher Cooperation For The Creation of Online Educational Resources in University Context

Our article presents the context and the results of an interdisciplinary workshop held in Iasi University of Life Sciences, a workshop which aimed to impart practical knowledge, encourage collaborative working and foster professional links between participants – language teachers and science teachers who worked on the creation of online learning resources for students. Unlike general foreign language program, the creation of specialized language/language for specific purposes/language for professional purposes/ program involves the teacher-designer dealing with new contexts, which he/she is discovering and with which he/she must become familiar. A foreign language teacher in a life sciences university such as ours benefits from ongoing exchanges with teachers of scientific disciplines. On the one hand, the workshop presented in our article helped learners improve their specialized language skills for studying or participating in a scientific discipline or science content area. On the other hand, the activity described provided teachers with online shared work methods, methodological and technical expertise in the creation, production and mediation of multimedia courses. Teamwork involved individual teacher research, resource sharing and online collaboration to create learning materials using information and communication technologies. The course sequences created, on the biochemical constituents of human food, were integrated into a Moodle course module for students in the agri-food sector.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Stroke Rehabilitation in Korea-Part 1: Rehabilitation for Motor Function (2022).

This clinical practice guideline (CPG) is the fourth edition of the Korean guideline for stroke rehabilitation, which was last updated in 2016. The development approach has been changed from a consensus-based approach to an evidence-based approach using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method. This change ensures that the guidelines are based on the latest and strongest evidence available. The aim is to provide the most accurate and effective guidance to stroke rehabilitation teams, and to improve the outcomes for stroke patients in Korea. Fifty-five specialists in stroke rehabilitation and one CPG development methodology expert participated in this development. The scope of the previous clinical guidelines was very extensive, making it difficult to revise at once. Therefore, it was decided that the scope of this revised CPG would be limited to Part 1: Rehabilitation for Motor Function. The key questions were selected by considering the preferences of the target population and referring to foreign guidelines for stroke rehabilitation, and the recommendations were completed through systematic literature review and the GRADE method. The draft recommendations, which were agreed upon through an official consensus process, were refined after evaluation by a public hearing and external expert evaluation.

PROFESSIONAL METHODOLOGICAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PROJECT COMPETENCY

A modern foreign language teacher is expected to practice using skillfully a variety of teaching approaches, methods, forms, techniques, and tools, including project-based learning method. Practical application of project-based instruction is emphasised in Ukrainian national educational standards and teacher training curricula. According to the Ukrainian national curriculum of external independent evaluation of in-service primary teachers’ professional development, a school teacher needs to know about the projectbased pedagogy, project-based instructional methodology, teaching techniques at project-based model steps, and be able to engage pupils into project work, make up driving questions, use Socratic discussion method, prepare project-based lesson plans, assess pupil project works, i.e. must be ready to implement project-based learning in school. In this regard, the problem of developing foreign language teachers’ project competency as an integral part of their professional methodological expertise is a current isssue. The aim of the elective course “English language teaching through pupils’ project-based learning” from the curriculum for students majoring in specialty 014 Secondary education is to familiarise preservice English teachers with the theory and practice of project-based teaching methodology and to develop their professional methodological skills of planning, organising, coordinating, and assessing pupil project works. This publication briefly describes the objectives and contents of the elective course, specifies suggested instructional types, teaching and assessment methods. Examples of theoretical and practical professional methodological training activities are given.

Clinical, methodology, and patient/carer expert advice in pediatric drug development by conect4children.

Many medicines are used "off-label" in children outside the terms of the license. Feasible pediatric clinical trials are a challenge to design. Conect4children (c4c) is an Innovative Medicines Initiative project to set up a pan-European pediatric clinical trial network aiming to facilitate the development of new medicines for children. To optimize pediatric trial development by promoting innovative trial design, c4c set up a European multidisciplinary advice service, including the voice of young patients and families, tailored to industry and academia. A network of experts was established to provide multidisciplinary advice to trial sponsors. Experts were selected to join clinical and innovative methodology expert groups. A patient and public involvement (PPI) database, to include the expert opinion of patients and parents/carers was formed. A stepwise process was developed: (1) sponsors contact c4c, (2) scoping interview takes place, (3) ad hoc advice group formed, (5) advice meeting held, and (6) advice report provided. Feedback on the process was collected. Twenty-four clinical and innovative methodology expert groups (>400 experts) and a PPI database of 135 registrants were established. As of September 30, 2022, 36 advice requests were received, with 25 requests completed. Clinical and methodology experts and PPI representatives participated in several advice requests. Sponsors appreciated the advice quality and the multidisciplinary experts from different countries, including experts not known before. Experts and PPI participants were generally satisfied with the process. The c4c project has shown successful proof of concept for a service that presents a new framework to plan innovative and feasible pediatric trials.

EE536 Patterns of Author Collaboration in Published Cost-Effectiveness Analyses

Economic evaluation is a multidisciplinary activity, requiring both methodological and topic expertise, often necessitating collaboration to complete an analysis. The aim of this study was to look at the different broad groups publishing in health economics, and to explore the extent to which authors from different groups collaborate on papers.

Identifying Risk Factors, Patient-Reported Experience and Outcome Measures, and Data Capture Tools for an Individualized Pain Prediction Tool in Pediatrics: Focus Group Study.

The perioperative period is a data-rich environment with potential for innovation through digital health tools and predictive analytics to optimize patients' health with targeted prehabilitation. Although some risk factors for postoperative pain following pediatric surgery are already known, the systematic use of preoperative information to guide personalized interventions is not yet widespread in clinical practice. Our long-term goal is to reduce the incidence of persistent postsurgical pain (PPSP) and long-term opioid use in children by developing personalized pain risk prediction models that can guide clinicians and families to identify targeted prehabilitation strategies. To develop such a system, our first objective was to identify risk factors, outcomes, and relevant experience measures, as well as data collection tools, for a future data collection and risk modeling study. This study used a patient-oriented research methodology, leveraging parental/caregiver and clinician expertise. We conducted virtual focus groups with participants recruited at a tertiary pediatric hospital; each session lasted approximately 1 hour and was composed of clinicians or family members (people with lived surgical experience and parents of children who had recently undergone a procedure requiring general anesthesia) or both. Data were analyzed thematically to identify potential risk factors for pain, as well as relevant patient-reported experience and outcome measures (PREMs and PROMs, respectively) that can be used to evaluate the progress of postoperative recovery at home. This guidance was combined with a targeted literature review to select tools to collect risk factor and outcome information for implementation in a future study. In total, 22 participants (n=12, 55%, clinicians and n=10, 45%, family members) attended 10 focus group sessions; participants included 12 (55%) of 22 persons identifying as female, and 12 (55%) were under 50 years of age. Thematic analysis identified 5 key domains: (1) demographic risk factors, including both child and family characteristics; (2) psychosocial risk factors, including anxiety, depression, and medical phobias; (3) clinical risk factors, including length of hospital stay, procedure type, medications, and pre-existing conditions; (4) PREMs, including patient and family satisfaction with care; and (5) PROMs, including nausea and vomiting, functional recovery, and return to normal activities of daily living. Participants further suggested desirable functional requirements, including use of standardized and validated tools, and longitudinal data collection, as well as delivery modes, including electronic, parent proxy, and self-reporting, that can be used to capture these metrics, both in the hospital and following discharge. Established PREM/PROM questionnaires, pain-catastrophizing scales (PCSs), and substance use questionnaires for adolescents were subsequently selected for our proposed data collection platform. This study established 5 key data domains for identifying pain risk factors and evaluating postoperative recovery at home, as well as the functional requirements and delivery modes of selected tools with which to capture these metrics both in the hospital and after discharge. These tools have been implemented to generate data for the development of personalized pain risk prediction models.

PMON260 Cost-Effectiveness of Testosterone Treatment for Men with Hypogonadism

Abstract Background Testosterone replacement therapy is the standard treatment for male hypogonadism (MH). Prescribing rates of testosterone in the UK have risen between 2001 and 2010 without an observable increase in the prevalence of hypogonadism, which may reflect increasing media awareness among men about hypogonadism. Currently, there is uncertainty about the safety and efficacy of testosterone treatment for MH, especially regarding its impact on cardiovascular risk, which has led to mandatory safety labelling in some countries. Aim We conducted an economic evaluation of testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism, using individual patient data (IPD) of safety and efficacy outcomes in over 3000 participants as part of an international collaboration of investigators of 17 existing placebo-controlled RCTs assessing the safety and efficacy of testosterone treatment for MH (TestES Consortium). Methods A cost-utility analysis of the use of testosterone treatment for MH was conducted using a cohort Markov model developed following best practice. The model care pathway was informed by existing clinical guidelines, the results of the TestES Consortium individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis, and discussions with clinical and methodological experts. Five Markov states were included: no complications, post-Cardiac pathology, post-Peripheral Vascular System Pathology, post-Cerebrovascular System Pathology, and Death. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications, and utility weights were obtained from the TestES IPD analyses. The UK NHS and personal and social services perspective was adopted for costs. Ten-year and lifetime time horizons were considered with costs and effects discounted annually at 3.5% rate. The model was run probabilistically using 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations. Three starting ages were defined (40, 60, and 75 years). Mean total cost, mean QALYs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated. Results Cost-effectiveness of testosterone treatment appears to be dependent on the relative risk (RR) of all-cause mortality - favouring TRT - and the methods used to derive health state utility scores (i.e., SF-6D or a mapping between Beck Depression Inventory -BDI- score and EQ-5D score) for testosterone treatment versus standard care. When the RR of mortality and the BDI utilities were used, ICERs remained below the £20,000 ($27,400) UK conventional threshold, irrespective of the cohort starting age. However, ICERs increased above the £20,000 threshold when the difference in all-cause mortality was dropped, and the SF-6D utility scores were used. Conclusions We report the most in-depth economic analysis of male hypogonadism treatment to date. There remains limited data for generating preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) weights for economic evaluation. Further clarity on the long-term cardiovascular safety of testosterone treatment in men with hypogonadism, and more in-depth mapping of clinical outcomes to generic preference-based measures of HRQoL will be crucial to inform robust estimates of the cost-effectiveness of testosterone treatment for MH. Presentation: Monday, June 13, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

2022 Chinese guideline for the management of pregnancy and reproduction in patients with systemic lupus erythematous

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects women of childbearing age. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the survival rate of SLE patients has improved significantly, but pregnancy is still an important challenge for SLE patients. It is urgent to strengthen the reproductive and pregnancy management of SLE patients and standardize the peri-gestational monitoring and treatment of SLE patients. This guideline is jointly sponsored by the National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID), Chinese Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment and Research Group (CSTAR), and Chinese Research Committee of pregnancy and reproduction in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (CHOPARD). Guided by clinical problems, after several rounds of clinical and methodological expert demonstration and selection, 13 clinical problems that need to be solved are finally formed, based on evidence-based medical evidence and expert opinions, guideline recommendations are given. The aim is to improve the pregnancy success rate and reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate in SLE patients.

The NIPH’s response to the climate and environmental crisis

Abstract The vision of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is better health for all. Climate changes and health are among our main strategic priorities. The NIPH aims to become a key actor in questions relating to climate, environment, food and health. An action plan on climate changes and environmental health is under development and will be presented. Climate and environmental changes affect the mental and physical health in several ways. The NIPH will in the coming years develop new knowledge on health consequences of climate changes: causes, risks, health effects and measures, based on our methodological expertise, research activities and infrastructures, such as health registers, health examinations, laboratories and biobanks. A key issue, and a main priority of the NIPH, is sustainable and climate-adapted food systems. There is a strong need to strengthen knowledge on healthy, safe and globally sustainable food. We will present and discuss our action plan for addressing climate and environmental health: Priorities, experiences, and challenges in implementation regarding e.g. competence and capacity building. The following examples will be given: – Research that addresses the food problem, and how to ensure a sustainable diet. – The development of the MoBa Human Environmental Biobank to understand how climate and environmental changes affect exposure and public health, and how to follow the changes over time and help prevent disease. – Examples of activities relating to clean air, clean and safe drinking water, and safe products from a One Health perspective: Achievements, projects, networks. – Challenges in communicating health risks associated with the climate, environmental and pollution crisis to the public. We encourage feedback and suggestions on NIPH's efforts to address the climate crisis, to ensure good knowledge sharing and that we are fully supporting our stakeholders.

A unified qualitative-quantitative method to evaluate the impact of being a near-peer health educator

Abstract Grasping the complexity of public health interventions is of increasing interest. Program evaluation may involve previously known and unknown variables; the former are best explored with quantitative, the latter with qualitative methods. As part of the impact evaluation of the Balassagyarmat Health Education Program (BEP), a near-peer education intervention targeting adolescents from a disadvantaged region of Hungary, we aimed to understand the complex effects of being an educator on medical students’ knowledge about the biopsychosocial model of health. Thus, we developed a unified method that enables us to conduct an exploratory study on the effects of our intervention, then quantify and model that qualitative data. We started the method design with literature review and consultations with methodological and public health experts. We then refined the research questions based on a focus-group discussion held with 6 peer educators. After a set of pilot-interviews, we chose simulation interviewing as our knowledge elicitation procedure, then finalized the protocol with the help of additional piloting. In this unified method, simulation interviews are administered to peer educators and aligned controls, and cognitive task analysis is performed with the help of visual stimuli. Codes are developed inductively and, along with segmentation procedures, applied deductively to the entire dataset via the Reproducible Open Coding Kit. Resulting quantified narratives are further processed with Epistemic Network Analysis. The relative frequency of code co-occurrence in each segment is modelled with networks enabling the qualitative and statistical comparison of data between subsamples. Building on the benefits of qualitative and quantitative approaches, this method offers a complex evaluation of the impact of health education interventions. By strengthening the methods of program evaluation we aim to facilitate the development of more effective interventions. Key messages • Qualitative and quantitative methods can be unified in program evaluation to promote a deeper understanding of the complexity in public health interventions. • Cognitive task analysis as a knowledge elicitation procedure can be used for the impact evaluation of health education programs.

The development of a regional network for health care research in Hamburg, Germany

Abstract Background At the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), health care research has been established as one of five research priorities recommended by the Research Council with the founding of the Center for Health Care Research (CHCR) in 2006. The CHCR was involved in numerous research projects with the focus on strengthening regional networking. Despite the numerous initiatives, there is still potential for improvement with regard to a systematic and sustainable exchange in the region of Hamburg, Germany. Methods These requirements led to the initiation of the ‘Hamburg Network Health Services Research (HAM-NET)'. The mission of HAM-NET is to build an open forum for all relevant institutions, to concentrate their interests and needs in health services research and to promote and conduct innovative, efficient, needs-based and patient-centred health services research projects in the metropolitan area of Hamburg. Three main tasks were appointed: 1) linking health care research to relevant regional institutions, 2) promoting research activities and new fields of research and 3) using methodological expertise to promote young scientists. Results By today 40 institutions from all sectors of health care joined HAM-NET. The regularly general meetings offer exchange and advice. Internal communication is promoted by mailing lists and newsletters. Also, HAM-NET presents itself with a website, logo and by organizing recurring events and participating in international and national congresses and networks. Within two funding phases a total of four overarching research projects were developed and implemented. Furthermore, a person with lived experience committee was established. Conclusions For the further development of health care research as one the core disciplines of public health a regional network with an efficient infrastructure is needed. HAM-NET promotes this with the implementation of an innovative, efficient and patient-oriented network. Key messages • Regional networks help to integrate multiple public health initiatives and community stakeholders. • Public health networks can be established on multidisciplinary cooperations in different out- and inpatient sector levels.

Faculty and Student Partnerships in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Evaluation of an Institutional Model

We present the design and evaluation of an institutional support model for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): the SoTL Seed Program. In this model, faculty from across disciplines partner with graduate students with expertise in educational and social science methodologies to implement SoTL investigations. We interviewed and obtained feedback from both faculty and graduate students about their experiences. A qualitative approach based on grounded theory suggests that organized and sustained partnership between faculty and graduate students offers a viable institutional framework to support SoTL across academic disciplines. In our institution, partnerships in SoTL have resulted in facilitating academic and professional development for both faculty and graduate students, establishing communities of practice for SoTL, and providing infrastructure for systematic engagement with SoTL.

THE EFFECT OF BUILDING THE ISLAMIC CHARACTER OF STUDENTS AT WISMA PADANG STATE UNIVERSITY

This study aims to describe the process of forming the Islamic character of students at Wisma Padang State University. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study design approach, the research data is taken using a set of interview protocols that the author made and has been validated by one methodology expert to ten informants (students), the informants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. All interview results were then analyzed thematically using. Overall, the research findings found that there were five character changes in students after living at Wisma Padang State University. The five findings are; i) dress according to syar'i, ii) higher learning motivation, iii) polite and courteous to fellow friends, iv) more efficient in managing finances, v) make good use of time. The results of this study can be used as initial data for future researchers in examining this problem in different contexts and issues.

Administrative data in pediatric critical care research-Potential, challenges, and future directions.

Heterogenous patient populations with small case numbers constitute a relevant barrier to research in pediatric critical care. Prospective studies bring along logistic barriers and—if interventional—ethical concerns. Therefore, retrospective observational investigations, mainly multicenter studies or analyses of registry data, prevail in the field of pediatric critical care research. Administrative health care data represent a possible alternative to overcome small case numbers and logistic barriers. However, their current use is limited by a lack of knowledge among clinicians about the availability and characteristics of these data sets, along with required expertise in the handling of large data sets. Specifically in the field of critical care research, difficulties to assess the severity of the acute disease and estimate organ dysfunction and outcomes pose additional challenges. In contrast, trauma research has shown that classification of injury severity from administrative data can be achieved and chronic disease scores have been developed for pediatric patients, nurturing confidence that the remaining obstacles can be overcome. Despite the undoubted challenges, interdisciplinary collaboration between clinicians and methodologic experts have resulted in impactful publications from across the world. Efforts to enable the estimation of organ dysfunction and measure outcomes after critical illness are the most urgent tasks to promote the use of administrative data in critical care. Clever analysis and linking of different administrative health care data sets carry the potential to advance observational research in pediatric critical care and ultimately improve clinical care for critically ill children.

VACcine COnfidence amongst those living with alleRgy during the COVID pandemic (ACCORD): a scoping review protocol

BackgroundReports of allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines have been documented, which may also contribute to hesitancy. Despite the low likelihood that the COVID-19 vaccine will trigger an allergic reaction, we and others have reported that families with allergy remain vaccine hesitant due to concerns of COVID-19-vaccine-triggered anaphylaxis.ObjectiveTo present our scoping review protocol, that will inform a forthcoming living scoping review in which we will investigate the peer-reviewed and grey literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and allergic disease and/or allergic reactions following a COVID-19 vaccine.MethodsInformed by Arksey and O’Malley framework for methodological review, we have developed a search strategy with content and methodological experts, and which has undergone Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies review. A search of four scientific databases, as well as gray literature, will be performed without restriction to articles by type of COVID-19 vaccine, or country of study, and will include publications in the ten languages our team can handle. Bi-monthly search alerts based on the search strategy will be generated.ResultsThe first search will result in a stand alone peer reviewed scoping review. Bi-monthly updates will be posted on a pre-print server. Depending on the volume of literature, these updates will be synthesized and submitted for peer-review at 6 and/or 12 months.ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccine hesitancy amongst individuals with allergy persists, despite very low risk of serious adverse reactions. Our living scoping review, which includes multiple forms of knowledge translation, will be a rigorous way to address hesitancy.

Discussion Guide for the Alves Article.

Discussion Guide for the Alves Article.

The Management of Endocrine Complications in Patients with Haemoglobinopathies: Good Clinical Practice of the Italian Society of Thalassemia and Haemoglobinopathies (SITE).

The treatment of endocrinopathies in haemoglobinopathies is a continually expanding research area; therefore, recommendations supporting the appropriateness of treatments are a pressing need for the medical community. The Management Committee of SITE selected and gathered a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional team including experts in haemoglobinopathies and experts in endocrinopathies, who have been flanked by experts with methodological and organizational expertise, in order to formulate recommendations based on the available scientific evidence integrated by clinical experience. The project followed the systematic approach for the production of clinical practice guidelines according to the methodology suggested by the National Center for Clinical Excellence, Quality and Safety of Care (CNEC). Out of 14 topics 100 clinical questions were addressed and 206 recommendations were elaborated. Strength of recommendations, panel agreement, general description of the topic, and interpretation of evidence were reported. Good Practice Recommendations are the final outcome of translational research and allow to transfer the latest research knowledge to the daily clinical practice of endocrine complications in haemoglobinopathies.

Defining and identifying critical elements of, and lessons learned from addressing, ‘operational readiness’ for public health emergency events, including COVID-19: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionMuch is known around public health preparedness and response phases. However, between the two phases is operational readiness that comprises the immediate actions needed to respond to a developing risk...