Peer Review Research Articles

Mapping evidence on the factors contributing to long waiting times and interventions to reduce waiting times within primary health care facilities in South Africa: A scoping review.

Globally, reduction of patient waiting time has been identified as one of the major characteristics of a functional health system. In South Africa, 83% of the general population visiting primary healthcare (PHC) facilities must contend with long waiting times, overcrowding, staff shortages, poor quality of care, an ineffective appointment booking system, and a lack of medication. These experiences may, in turn, affect how patients view service quality. This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework. The primary literature search of peer-reviewed and review articles was achieved through PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and World Health Organization (WHO) library databases, using waiting times, outpatient departments, factors, interventions, and primary healthcare facilities as keywords. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full articles, using the set inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used NVIVO® version 10 software to facilitate thematic analysis of the results from included studies. From the initial 250 records screened, nine studies were eligible for inclusion in this scoping review. Seven papers identified the factors contributing to waiting time, and five papers mentioned effective interventions implemented to reduce waiting times within PHC facilities. Our analysis produced three (patient factors, staff factors, and administrative systems) and two (manual-based waiting time reduction systems and electronic-based waiting time reduction systems) main themes pertaining to factors contributing to long waiting times and interventions to reduce waiting times, respectively. Our results revealed that the patients, staff, and administrative systems all contribute to long waiting times within the PHC facilities. Patient waiting times recorded a wider and more evenly spread patient arrival pattern after the identified interventions in our study were implemented. There is a need to constantly strategize on measures such as implementing the use of an electronic appointment scheduling system and database, improving staff training on efficient patient flow management, and regularly assessing and optimizing administrative processes. By continuously monitoring and adapting these strategies, PHC facility managers can create a more efficient and patient-centered healthcare experience.

Evaluation of YouTube as a Health Education Resource for Skin Graft Procedures.

Recent studies indicate that YouTube has become a primary source of healthcare information for patients. Videos about skin graft procedures on YouTube have accumulated millions of views, yet there lacks a publication investigating the educational quality of this content. With current literature revealing misleading healthcare information found on YouTube, this study aims to evaluate the educational quality of videos related to skin graft procedures. YouTube was searched for various terms such as "Skin Graft Procedures" and "Skin Graft Surgery." 105 videos were assessed, with 21 excluded. Four independent reviewers rated the material with the Global Quality Scale (5 = highest quality, 1 = lowest quality) to judge educational value. Viewership, source, modality, and date of upload were also collected from each video and compiled for further analysis. The average Global Quality Scale was 2.60 amongst all videos, with videos led by physicians recording significantly higher scores than those not led by physicians (p<0.01). In comparing educational modalities, physician-led presentations provided the highest educational value, whereas live surgeries and consumer-friendly content contained low educational quality (p<0.01). Assessing videos split into cohorts based on viewership noted a significantly higher Global Quality Scale in videos with lower view counts (p<0.05). Skin graft videos on YouTube largely provide low quality information. Videos performed by physicians, particularly physician-led presentations, significantly improved the educational quality of skin graft content. Physicians must involve themselves in enhancing the quality of online content to better guide patients in navigating treatment options and making healthcare decisions.

Virtual reality-based supportive care interventions for patients with cancer: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

This umbrella review aimed to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize current evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the applications of virtual reality-based supportive care interventions in cancer. Three bibliographic databases were searched from inception to February 1, 2024. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts of 421 records and retrieved 26 full-text systematic reviews. Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) was used for quality assessment. Qualitative syntheses were performed to investigate the effects of virtual reality-based supportive care interventions on quality of life and physical, psychological, cognitive, and functional outcomes. Meta-analysis was performed based on data from the distinct primary studies that were extracted from the included reviews. This umbrella review included 20 systematic reviews that were published between 2018 and 2023; nine of them conducted meta-analyses. A total of 86 distinct primary studies were identified. According to the AMSTAR-2 assessment, two reviews were evaluated as moderate quality, nine as low, and nine as critically low. Meta-analyses of primary studies revealed significant effects of virtual reality on anxiety (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), and pain (p < 0.001), but not fatigue (p = 0.263). Qualitative syntheses revealed positive effects of virtual reality on physical function, cognitive function, and quality of life. Limited evidence was reported regarding outcomes of balance, gait, mobility, and activities of daily living. Virtual reality has proven to be a safe and feasible approach to deliver supportive care in cancer. Virtual reality can be implemented in various stages and settings of the cancer care continuum to support patients undergoing painful procedures, during or after chemotherapy, and after surgical interventions. Virtual reality can serve as an effective supportive care intervention to manage anxiety, pain, and depression for patients with cancer.

Suicide rates among physicians compared with the general population in studies from 20 countries: gender stratified systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesTo estimate age standardised suicide rate ratios in male and female physicians compared with the general population, and to examine heterogeneity across study results.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesStudies published between...

Ask Athena: Sharing Papers in Peer Review

Ask Athena: Sharing Papers in Peer Review

Peer Review in Urology

Peer Review in Urology

Low-SAPS additives for lubrication in next-generation vehicles

Purpose The purpose of this study is to create sustainable additives for future vehicles, characterized by low levels of sulfated ash, sulfur and phosphorus (SAPS) or even SAPS-free alternatives. These newly developed additives must not only match or outperform the current commercial benchmarks in terms of tribological performance, but also align with the emerging sustainability trends. It is anticipated that this innovative technology will yield promising outcomes in the realm of hybrid and electric vehicles. Design/methodology/approach This research primarily focused on chemical synthesis, performance evaluation and characterizations. These aspects were studied through collaboration between Syensqo, Southwest Research Institute (the USA) and the Lab of the Future in France. The data was generated and analyzed by a team of research scientists, internship students and technical specialists. Findings Two types of additives have been specifically designed and synthesized in accordance with sustainable requirements. Both technologies have exhibited exceptional frictional and wear-resistant properties. Moreover, the leading candidates exhibit a lower rate of copper corrosion, stable electric conductivity and outstanding thermal stability when compared to commercial benchmarks. This study is expected to open a new research avenue for developing next-generation additives for lubricants, with wide potential applications including hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle markets. Originality/value In the current lubricant market, there is a lack of effective low-SAPS or SAPS-free additives. This research aims to address this gap by designing sustainable additives for next-generation vehicles that not only meet specific requirements but also maintain optimal lubrication performance. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2024-0033/

Dry needling as adjuvant therapy for post-operative pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trial

The prolonged post-operative pain often associated with myofascial trigger point which also contribute to reduction of range of motion (ROM). State Boards of Physical Therapy defined dry needling as an ‘intramuscular procedure involving the isolated treatment of myofascial (muscle) trigger point. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine if the addition dry needling to a rehabilitation protocol is more effective in reducing pain levels and improving prognosis of the post-operative patient of extremity when compared to a rehabilitation protocol alone based on current study evidence. Three electronic databases were used; PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest. Studies included were randomized clinical studies that written in English and published from last 10 years (2014). Post operative patient, any type of extremity surgery, any sex, any age, getting rehabilitation procedure with or without dry needling. Data collection was conducted using standard agreed form by two independent reviewers. The risk of bias and quality were assessed using Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2). Three studies were selected for this systematic review, include total of 103 patients. Two of selected studies had some concern, and one study were deemed to have high risk of bias. Overall both group shown reduced pain levels, and improvement of other criteria (ROM, functionality, activity of daily living) over time, with dry needling on top of rehabilitation protocol have advantage in prognosis of the patient. Looking at the data collected, although there is still a lot of bias in this review. Even though there was no evidence of superiority in reducing the pain level, we support dry needling as the adjuvant therapy for post-operative pain (extremity surgery) alongside with physical therapy rehabilitation protocol because the procedure has better prognosis than physical therapy rehabilitation protocol alone (ROM, functionality, activity of daily living).

Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Journal of Social Science Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4

International Journal of Social Science Studies (IJSSS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether IJSSS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 12, Number 4Fahri ÖZSUNGUR, Adana Science and Technology University, TurkeyJibrin Ubale Yahaya, National Open University of Nigeria NOUN, NigeriaK.O. Aramide, The Polytechnic Ibadan, NigeriaLingkai Kong, Izmir University of Economics, TurkeyMartial Fanga, The University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, IranMd. Nasir Uddin, Prime Minister’s Office, BangladeshNAZIAH ABD. KADIR, Universiti Selangor, MalaysiaPeriyasami Anbarasan, Indian Institute of technology Delhi, IndiaSana Ali, Allama Iqbal Open University, Pakistan, and Birmingham City University, United Kingdom, PakistanShaoshu Li, Cornell University, USASusheelabai Srinivasa, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, United StatesYuhan WANG, Guangdong University of Technology, ChinaYusramizza Md Isa, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia James YoungEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of International Journal of Social Science StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://ijsss.redfame.com

The theory of interpersonal behaviour for conventional enterprises' adoption of the halal supply chain in Malaysia

PurposeThis paper aims to apply the theory of interpersonal behaviour (TIB) and its determinants to determine conventional enterprises' intentions toward halal supply chains (HSCs) adoption in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted with a judgmental sampling and over 150 responses were gathered. Besides, the literature on the factors that influence an enterprise’s adoption of a halal supply chain, and TIB is evaluated to determine the influential determinants that lead to conventional entrepreneurs’ desire to participate in the halal supply chain in Malaysia.FindingsThe study findings suggest that the intention to use a halal supply chain is determined not only by social factors, affect, facilitating conditions and attitude, but also by the added construct of perceived expected benefits.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering this research to be limited in terms of coverage geographically and the theory rendered the context should be given proper attention when interpreting future outcomes. Furthermore, future researchers can extend the direct relationship by employing habit construct when conducting a longitudinal study.Practical implicationsThis paper serves as a guide to ensure the best planning of halal supply chains in both theory and practice.Originality/valueThis study expands on the use of TIB in the context of conventional enterprises’ intention toward halal supply chains in Malaysia.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0334

An Analysis of Coherence and Cohesion in English Majors’ Academic Essays

This research investigates coherence (how ideas are logically connected) and cohesion (how sentences flow together) errors in essays written by junior English majors. Analyzing 80 essays and conducting 10 interviews, the researchers identified common errors and usage patterns. Using Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) framework for cohesion and Oshima and Hogue's (2006) framework for coherence, the findings reveal frequent use of lexical cohesion, such as repetition and synonyms, but also misuse of cohesive devices. The study suggests that clear instructional interventions should be developed to improve writing skills, and regular feedback should be provided. Teachers should demonstrate the use of cohesive devices to connect ideas and enhance coherence and peer review activities can also help students learn from each other's writing. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and cross-institutional comparisons to track progress and identify common issues.

Methodological considerations in cross-sectional studies validating the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core-Sets: a systematic review.

To describe and analyze the methodological characteristics and quality of cross-sectional studies that have validated an ICF-CS. A systematic review was conducted to identify empirical studies published in English that validated any ICF-CS using a cross-sectional design. Databases searched included Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO. The search was conducted in November 2022 with an update in October 2023. Two independent reviewers coded studies that met the inclusion criteria and assessed their methodological quality and risk of bias using the AXIS tool. Synthesis was performed by calculating frequencies and percentages. 87 articles validating 24 ICF-CSs were analyzed. Most articles showed strengths in consistency between study objectives and the outcome variables measured. However, a large majority did not report sample size calculation (up to 94.2% in Delphi studies), and few validation studies were conducted in the WHO regions of Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. The quality of cross-sectional studies validating ICF-CSs was satisfactory, although several articles did not describe aspects such as sample size calculation. Validity evidence for ICF-CS studies could be improved by conducting more multicenter studies, replicating ICF-CS validation studies in different WHO regions, and through synthesis of existing research.

Assessing the effects of a precommitment policy applied during peer review

Assessing the effects of a precommitment policy applied during peer review

A human model of Buruli ulcer: Provisional protocol for a Mycobacterium ulcerans controlled human infection study.

Critical knowledge gaps have impeded progress towards reducing the global burden of disease due to Mycobacterium ulcerans, the cause of the neglected tropical disease Buruli ulcer (BU). Development of a controlled human infection model of BU has been proposed as an experimental platform to explore host-pathogen interactions and evaluate tools for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We have previously introduced the use case for a new human model and identified M. ulcerans JKD8049 as a suitable challenge strain. Here, we present a provisional protocol for an initial study, for transparent peer review during the earliest stages of protocol development. Following simultaneous scientific peer review and community/stakeholder consultation of this provisional protocol, we aim to present a refined protocol for institutional review board (IRB) evaluation.

Predicting the Sentiment of Review Aspects in the Peer Review Text using Machine Learning

This paper develops a Machine Learning (ML) model to classify the sentiment of review aspects in the peer review text. Reviewers use the review aspect as paper quality indicators such as motivation, originality, clarity, soundness, substance, replicability, meaningful comparison, and summary during the review process. The proposed model addresses the critique of the existing peer review process, including a high volume of submitted papers, limited reviewers, and reviewer bias. This paper uses citation functions, representing the author motivation to cites previous researches, as the main predictor. Specifically, the predictor comprises citing sentence features representing the scheme of citation functions, regular sentence features representing the scheme of citation functions for non-citation sentence, and reference-based representing the source of citation. This paper utilizes the paper dataset from the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2017-2020, which includes sentiment values (positive or negative) for all review aspects. Our experiment on combining XGBoost, oversampling, and hyper-parameter optimization revealed that not all review aspects can be effectively estimated by the ML model. The highest results were achieved when predicting Replicability sentiment with 97.74% accuracy. It also demonstrated accuracies of 94.03% for Motivation and 93.93% for Meaningful Comparison. However, the model exhibited lower effectiveness on Originality and Substance (85.21% and 79.94%) and performed less effectively on Clarity and Soundness with accuracies of 61.22% and 61.11%, respectively. The combination predictor was the best for the 5 review aspects, while the other 2 aspects were effectively estimated by regular sentence and reference-based predictors.

A European experiment in governing teacher education and training: the case of the Erasmus+ Teacher academies

ABSTRACT This exploratory paper contributes to the literature on European Union (EU) soft governance by discussing the recent EU policy initiative “Erasmus+ Teacher Academies” as a case of experimentalist governance. Asking what makes this initiative a case of experimentalist governance, the paper demonstrates how it constitutes an experiment in terms of governance as well as the development of teaching and learning. In particular, we identify and discuss the properties of the initiative regarding the four key tenets of experimentalist governance: i) setting of common framework goals related to the European Education Area; ii) delegation of responsibility to networks, comprising initial teacher education and professional development providers, schools, government units, and other types of organisations, in finding ways to meet framework goals; iii) regular reporting and peer review, orchestrated by the European Commission; and iv) periodical re-evaluation of framework goals, measures and methods by a widening array of stakeholders. Considering the conditions for governing teacher education and training in the EU context, we discuss the perspectives for policy learning generated by the Academies, the “shadow of hierarchy” potentially giving direction to the initiative, and the ambition to include the teaching profession in EU policy-making.

A scoping review of Deaf awareness programs in Health professional education.

Deaf awareness aims to promote understanding about Deaf and hard of hearing people, with the goal of reducing barriers between Deaf and hearing populations; and is particularly pertinent for health professional students as they need to learn to communicate effectively with a range of population groups. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of literature examining Deaf awareness programs provided to health professional students during their initial training. We searched four medical and public health databases and registers using terms related to Deaf awareness. We used the PRISMA-ScR reporting standards checklist for scoping reviews. We identified 10,198 citations, with 15 studies included in the final review. Searches were performed during August to September 2022, and April 2023. Studies were included provided they examined Deaf awareness content or programs within health professional education. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers who screened all abstracts using Rayyan software, followed by discussion to achieve knowledge synthesis and agreement. In all, a total of 15 articles from six countries were identified across health professional student disciplines including pharmacy, nursing, audiology, inter-professional and medical programs. The review found sparse evidence of research into Deaf awareness programs delivered to health professional students, with delivery often solely to small groups of students, indicating why so few students can access information about how to communicate effectively with Deaf and hard of hearing patients during their initial training programs. This scoping reviewed showed evidence of promising benefits for health professional students undertaking Deaf awareness programs during their undergraduate education. The importance of communicating with Deaf and hard of hearing patients and attaining Deaf cultural competencies for health professional students should be investigated in future research.

Surgical Residents' Perception of Feedback on Their Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Feedback is an essential tool for learning and improving performance in any sphere of education, including training of resident physicians. The learner's perception of the feedback they receive is extremely relevant to their learning progress, which must aim at providing qualified care for patients. Studies pertinent to the matter differ substantially with respect to methodology, population, context, and objective, which makes it even more difficult to achieve a clear understanding of the topic. A scoping review on this theme will unequivocally enhance and organize what is already known. The aim of this study is to identify and map out data from studies that report surgical residents' perception of the feedback received during their education. The review will consider studies on the feedback perception of resident physicians of any surgical specialty and age group, attending any year of residency, regardless of the type of feedback given and the way the perceptions were measured. Primary studies published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese since 2017 will be considered. The search will be carried out in 6 databases and reference lists will also be searched for additional studies. Duplicates will be removed, and 2 independent reviewers will screen the selected studies' titles, abstracts, and full texts. Data extraction will be performed through a tool developed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis (content analysis) will be used to analyze the data. A summary of the results will be presented in the form of diagrams, narratives, and tables. The findings of this scoping review were submitted to an indexed journal in July 2024, currently awaiting reviewer approval. The search was executed on March 15, 2024, and resulted in 588 articles. After the exclusion of the duplicate articles and those that did not meet the eligibility criteria as well as the inclusion of articles through a manual search, 13 articles were included in the review. Conducting a scoping review is the best way to map what is known about a subject. By focusing on the feedback perception more than the feedback itself, the results of this study will surely contribute to gaining a deeper understanding of how to proceed to enhance internal feedback and surgical residents' learning progress. Open Science Framework yexb; https://osf.io/yexkb. PRR1-10.2196/56727.

Engineering Features From Advanced Medical Technology Initiative Submissions to Enable Predictive Modeling for Proposal Success.

The U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center Advanced Medical Technology Initiative (AMTI) demonstrate key emerging technologies related to military medicine. AMTI invites researchers to submit proposals for short-term funding opportunities that support this goal. AMTI proposal selection is guided by a time-intensive peer review process, where proposals are rated on innovation, military relevance, metrics for success, and return on investment. Utilizing machine learning (ML) could assist in proposal evaluations by learning relationships between proposal performance and proposal features. This research explores the viability of artificial intelligence/ML for predicting proposal ratings given content-based proposal features. Although not meant to replace experts, a model-based approach to evaluating proposal quality could work alongside experts to provide a fast, minimally biased estimate of proposal performance. This article presents initial stages of a project aiming to use ML to prioritize research proposals. The initial steps included a literature review to identify potential features. Then, these features were extracted from a dataset consisting of past proposals submissions. The dataset includes 824 proposals submitted to the AMTI program from 2010 to 2022. The analysis will inform a discussion of anticipated next steps toward developing a ML model. The following features were created for future modeling: requested funds; word count by section; readability by section; citations and partners identified; and term frequency-inverse document frequency word vectors. This initial process identified the top ranked words (data, health, injury, device, treatment, technology, etc.) among the abstract, problem to be solved, military relevance, and metrics/outcomes text proposal fields. The analysis also evaluated the text fields for readability using the Flesch readability scale. Most proposals text fields were categorized as "college graduate," indicating a challenging readability level. Finally, citations and partners were reviewed as an indicator of proposal successfulness. This research was the first stage of a larger project to explore the use of ML to predict proposal ratings for the purpose of providing automated support to proposal reviewers and to reveal the preferences and values of AMTI proposal reviewers and other decision-makers. The result of this work will provide practical insights regarding the review process for the AMTI program. This will facilitate reduction in bias for AMTI innovators and a streamlined and subjective process for AMTI administrators, which benefits the military health system overall.

Characteristics of Existing Online Patient Navigation Interventions: Scoping Review.

Patient navigation interventions (PNIs) can provide personalized support and promote appropriate coordination or continuation of health and social care services. Online PNIs have demonstrated excellent potential for improving patient knowledge, transition readiness, self-efficacy, and use of services. However, the characteristics (ie, intervention type, mode of delivery, duration, frequency, outcomes and outcome measures, underlying theories or mechanisms of change of the intervention, and impact) of existing online PNIs to support the health and social needs of individuals with illness remain unclear. This scoping review of the existing literature aims to identify the characteristics of existing online PNIs reported in the literature. A scoping review based on the guidelines outlined in the Joanna Briggs Institute framework was conducted. A search for peer-reviewed literature published between 1989 and 2022 on online PNIs was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases. Two independent reviewers conducted 2 levels of screening. Data abstraction was conducted to outline key study characteristics (eg, study design, population, and intervention characteristics). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. A total of 100 studies met the inclusion criteria. Our findings indicate that a variety of study designs are used to describe and evaluate online PNIs, with literature being published between 2003 and 2022 in Western countries. Of these studies, 39 (39%) studies were randomized controlled trials. In addition, we noticed an increase in reported online PNIs since 2019. The majority of studies involved White females with a diagnosis of cancer and a lack of participants aged 70 years or older was observed. Most online PNIs provide support through navigation, self-management and lifestyle changes, counseling, coaching, education, or a combination of support. Variation was noted in terms of mode of delivery, duration, and frequency. Only a small number of studies described theoretical frameworks or change mechanisms to guide intervention. To our knowledge, this is the first review to comprehensively synthesize the existing literature on online PNIs, by focusing on the characteristics of interventions and studies in this area. Inconsistency in reporting the country of publication, population characteristics, duration and frequency of interventions, and a lack of the use of underlying theories and working mechanisms to inform intervention development, provide guidance for the reporting of future online PNIs.